《The Golden Age of Flight》


 Chapter 1: The Draconic Paladin

    Felix dipped the leading edge of his tail wings as he stretched his main wings to full length. His tail sank, tipping his main wings up slightly, preventing an embarrassing and possibly lethal faceplant into the forest floor. A gust of wind struck him from the left, but the leathery sails of skin attached to his spine spikes caught, preventing a side-slip. He slammed his main wings against his body, thrusting his head up and forward. The resulting gust of wind tore at the golden branches below.


    Just ahead, above the autumn carpet, another draconic paladin struggled to stay aloft. It was a blue drake, an enemy in shapeshifted form. An inexperienced one, Felix observed. Inexperienced, but strong. Strong enough to immediately indicate that a head-to-tail circle would be a bad idea.


    No, Felix could not risk being lapped. He needed to use finesse.


    Felix twisted slightly, filling his spine-sails. The horizon began to rotate, and with it, one wing began to rise while the other dipped. The enemy drake twitched his head. Felix caught a glimpse of a glowing blue eye. Spotted. Immediate reaction. Panicked flapping of wings for altitude, accompanied by violent gyrations of the tail. Inexperienced indeed. It was a feedback loop, the Lord Paladin had said, and there was an easy trick to prevent it. Felix flapped his own wings in time, but skillfully avoided the same gyrations using measured changes to his spine sails.


    A head-to-head circle would be much safer than a head-to-tail circle. Felix knew how to roll over fire breath, and he knew how to prevent adverse yaw while doing so. It was possible that his opponent was executing a skilled hustle, but Felix doubted that was the case. Felix would either end up slightly above and behind his enemy, and then rip into his wings with a stream of fire, or more likely, the blue drake would panic.


    Felix thrust forward. The enemy drake did the same. Their nose-cones intersected. Felix rolled. His opponent did not, opting instead to strike out with a stream of fire.


    The blinding azure light raced past in a torrent, almost exactly where Felix had been before his roll. The heat created a jet-wash, sucking inward into a vortex of smokey air, but Felix was unaffected. Too slow, he thought. Nearly vertical, Felix had very little lift under his wings, but his spine sails could be used to control "pitch" at that angle. He pitched his nose "down" toward the horizon using only his spine sails and then rolled inverted using his main wings. He continued a very slow roll over the enemy drake, without changing the angle of his head. His wings inverted inward, an awkward feeling that most novices could not endure.


    The enemy drake recovered, but fractions of a second behind. Felix was still moving very fast, and the enemy flapped his wings a few times to gain speed. Energy and momentum, Felix had been taught, were the keys to winning a fight. Felix had been taught that each time a drake rotated his head out-of-plane for a fire breath attack, he slowed down by an unrecoverable amount.


    This, of course, could be exploited.


    The blue drake abandoned all semblance of circular energy, and instead flapped his wings in an almost stationary position, rotating his head around to breathe fire into the sky. This was, of course, complete madness. His nose cone was moving orders of magnitude slower than Felix was flying, and Felix pointed his neck and wings straight up into the sky, trading energy for altitude.


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    The blue drake began to flap his wings furiously to give chase. The gyrations returned.


    Using the full power of his spine-sails, twisting his tail ninety-degrees and flexing his tail wings, while keeping his main wings almost perfectly straight, Felix executed the most insulting maneuver he could possibly imagine. He entered into a flat spin in the vertical plane, blasting a lance of fire out of his throat as he did so, a burning crimson line that slid down like an executioner''s blade, perfectly intersected the flight path of his blue pursuer.


    Spine neatly severed, the headless corpse of a blue drake tumbled, bathed in fire, into the sunset forest. The shapeshifting wore off, and the drake''s body disintegrated. The human body vanished.


    Felix allowed his flat spin to continue until his head was facing the ground. He straightened his spine, halting the rotation, and took advantage of gravity to gain airspeed as he fell vertically. A smooth twist of his tail wings brought his head up to the horizon once more.


    And there, on the horizon, a brilliant purple flash of light nearly blinded him.


    Felix glanced around. The other draconic paladins were all around him, engaged in circles with the enemy. His red allies seemed to be winning, which made perfect sense considering the intensity of the Lord Paladin''s training, compared to the obvious inexperience of the enemy. With what could be interpreted as a shrug, Felix ducked down and began to glide just over the treetops, in the direction of that purple light.


    In a valley between two mountains, bathed in the copper light of dusk and the golden light of autumn trees, Felix found a clearing with a small wooden cottage. With a motion reserved for emergencies, Felix flattened his wings vertically, dumping all airspeed, and crashed onto the cobblestone road in the clearing, crushing a wooden signpost underfoot.


    At short distances, it was difficult to see straight ahead because of the wide space between his eyes. The red drake form was useful for spotting things while flying, but there was a blind spot that could only be remedied with rapid side-to-side movements of the neck and head. The small figure that stood before him was too blurry to make out. Dark, somewhat tall, and definitely female. A civilian, perhaps.


    Felix sembled into his human form. His boots kicked up a cloud of powder from the shattered cobblestones as his semblance completed. He opened his eyes to face the civilian in the clearing.


    Tall. Very, very tall. Looming over him at nearly eight feet tall, the woman looked down on him with a comforting smile. Her hair was purple, and her eyes were hidden behind a dark-gray, solid steel mask.


    "You fly well," the woman said. Her voice sounded young, but...


    Felix trembled. Dwarfed by the massive creature, he gained a sudden awareness. This woman is a dragon. A real dragon. It was as if he had made a mistake in his maneuvers, and a lance of fire was about to sever his spine. The shock and fear he felt must have shown in his eyes, because the woman sighed.


    "I did not intend to frighten you, whelp-child," she said, with a voice like honey. "Forgive me. I have traveled very far to reach this land. You have drawn my attention with how well you fly. I shall bless you."


    With those words, power surged through Felix.


    No, more than just power. Felix suddenly remembered the moment he took his oath to the Red Dragon. The vast power that filled his body and soul, the source of his draconic powers, was a feeble flicker compared to this power. Felix went limp, sinking to his knees in the pale dust of the broken road.


    "It seems the people of this land are not accustomed to such blessings," the Purple Dragon said. She tilted her head to one side as Felix struggled to look up at her. She regarded him from behind the solid strip of steel that covered her eyes, as if it was transparent. "I have a need for servants, and you shall be my first."


    "I am oath-sworn," Felix rasped. The blessing, the power surging through him, made it nearly impossible to speak.


    "That is not a problem at all," she replied. "I will not demand that you break your oaths, servant. Now, let us be off. Follow now, for me, and with my blessing."


    Like an invisible chain around his neck, Felix was yanked forward, into the wake of the Purple Dragon.

 Chapter 2: The Haughty Princess

    "Be a dear and stop sulking," the Purple Dragon said. The power, the connection between them, yanked Felix forward again. They had traversed half the clearing, toward the south, before he attempted once more to stop following her. The result was unchanged.


    "I do not want this," Felix protested.


    "Nonsense," she replied. She, thankfully, stopped walking and turned to face him once again. The face of the giantess, looking down from above, looked slightly amused. "You did not choose where you were born. You did not choose to be born the whelp-child of a Red Dragon. The moment you were born, you were yanked into service to that master. The free will of your oath is an illusion. Now, let us not speak of this again."


    She continued on her way, dragging Felix with her.


    Don''t panic, Felix thought. Think this through. Whatever she has done can be undone. It must be some type of sorcery. The Lord Paladin will simply introduce me to one of the sorcerers in Flood''s End.


    "Do not bother," the woman said. "I can sense the direction of your thoughts, Felix of Quaria. Put such youthful rebelliousness out of your mind."


    She even knows my name, Felix thought. "Who are you?"


    "A sensible question for you perhaps, if not for the great distance in our stations. It would be unfashionable for me to answer. Brigid, please educate my new servant."


    "It is done." The voice, feminine, originated just behind Felix. It shocked him from his thoughts. He glanced back at the source of the voice.


    A shimmer, colorful and distorted, betrayed the shape of a woman''s body. It was the effect of a simple invisibility potion, wearing off and revealing the drinker. A common sight in the military, typically paired with a potion of soft steps. The Lord Paladin had spies, after all. A cowardly profession.


    But this woman was no coward. As the spell wore off, she strode up alongside Felix. He immediately recognized the sharp, punctual discipline of a trained soldier. Her purple hair was cropped above the shoulder, and she wore a black uniform that gave Felix the impression that she was some type of high-ranking officer. She wore an ebony longbow on her back and twin daggers at her hips.


    "You have the pleasure of being in the exalted presence of the Crown Princess Astrid of House Anna-Rhea. In her great forbearance and mercy, Princess Astrid has invited you into her service, and has even extended a period of grace, for the benefit of your education."


    "And who are you?" Felix asked.


    "I am Brigid," the soldier replied. "The Queen has invited me to travel with her beloved daughters as bodyguard and witness. It is a great honor."


    The invisible chains ripped Felix forward once again. He increased his pace to stay shoulder-to-shoulder with Brigid. She is tall for a woman, he thought, but a dwarf compared to the Dragon. They stepped into the shadow of the forest, continuing to follow the old cobblestone path.


    "By your calendar," Brigid continued, "Princess Astrid is seven-hundred and fifty-three years old. She has seven children and fifty-nine grandchildren. She has traveled to this land upon the advice of her brother."


    The path began to descend around a slight bend, following a gentle creek. The rock wall on one side was covered in waves of ferns, grasping for the golden light. Astrid stopped and reached out, caressing one frond with her fingers in contemplation.


    "He told me that I needed to learn a lesson," Astrid said. "My brother bade me observe this conflict." Then she resumed walking.


    "And you want my help?" Felix asked.


    "Your help is guaranteed," Brigid corrected.


    "Can I refuse?"


    "She will consume your soul, and then raise your corpse using necromancy so that you might continue your service. If that is your wish, it can be done presently."


    "This hardly seems like a good deal for me."


    "As the Princess has already so eloquently communicated, this arrangement is not unknown to you. Your Red Dragon made decrees and you were bound to follow. Your ministers send tax collectors and threaten imprisonment. If you disobey the orders of your commander, you shall be put to death. The difference is that your government has enjoyed your entire lifetime to deliver their arguments. The Princess has had but a few moments."


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    Felix grunted.


    "Your skill at flying is not lost on us, Felix of Quaria. Princess Astrid invites you to carry her upon your back. Your duties will include providing flight services, navigating to nearby cities, explaining local customs, and recommending dining experiences that will satisfy the refined tastes of a Princess."


    "That doesn''t sound too bad," he muttered.


    "Indeed. Your fates are intertwined. If the Princess succeeds in her mission, if she learns the lesson that her brother foresaw, then you shall be free of your bonds, and in the meantime, the Princess extends her protection to you. You need not fear for your life. Now let us turn to the battle in the sky... you will address me now and explain the nature of this battle."


    The battle. Right, the battle. "It has been happening more often lately," Felix said. "It''s those Draconic Paladins from Riln, the land to the south. They serve the Blue Dragon. These adventures across the border are a calculated insult. Me and my companions do battle with these intruders. And, on the topic of said battle, I believe that I am still needed."


    "You are not," Brigid said flatly. "The enemy is unskilled. They are deliberately sending their worst soldiers, to cull the weak and make you underestimate them. A clever ruse. Your enemy has earned my respect."


    The forest opened to reveal the rocky bank of a shallow river. On the near shore of the river, not too far from the edge of the forest, there rose a spire of purple crystal. It was slightly wider than a home, circular in shape, and it converged to a point high above the treetops. The shining surface was broken only by a few diamond windows and a door-like opening at the base.


    "A dragonspire!" Felix gasped. Then, suddenly, the significance of Astrid''s presence entered into his awareness. He had spent his childhood in the city of Quaria, on a hill by the sea, overlooking the Sorrow River, west of the Great Crystal Dam and Flood''s End. All of the cities in the greater nation of Quaria were built near or inside forests of crystal dragonspires. Evidence of the power of the Red Dragon, nestled into every park, every street corner, every vista...


    This spire was made from a similar material, with a similar structure. Felix involuntarily froze, trembling, as he looked at it.


    Astrid looked down at him with a satisfied smile. "You are invited to tremble in my radiance."


    Beyond a shimmering magical barrier, the doorway at the base of the dragonspire opened into a circular foyer. Dozens of suits of armor (no bodies inside, just empty suits) wandered around the interior of the structure, animated from within by glowing magenta light. One such animated construct approached the party with a platter of meats, cheeses, and crystal glasses filled with wind-dark liquid.


    Welcome, Most Exalted Princess. It was a voice in his head, like that of a stuffy old man. Your sister awaits your arrival.


    Felix was uncomfortable climbing the steps in the foyer, and he could tell that Brigid was also struggling silently. The steps were obviously designed for someone much, much taller. They continued to climb through the tower, traversing ring-like walkways, past a barracks-like room filled with empty beds, and up a curved staircase to the floor at the top of the structure.


    In a well-furnished room with a single oversized bed, two giant armchairs, and massive bookshelves filled with leather-bound tomes, there awaited a second Purple Dragon. She wore no metal mask to cover her bright purple eyes, and her purple hair tumbled down her shoulders in elaborate curls. Her face lit up when she saw Felix.


    "A whelp!" the second Purple Dragon exclaimed. "How adorable!"


    For a moment Felix felt like a child in a room with two adults.


    "Princess Elvira of House Anna-Rhea," Brigid announced. "You are invited to kneel."


    Felix briefly considered defiance, but begrudgingly dropped one knee to the purple-rainbow crystal floor.


    "You have shown wisdom, Felix of Quaria," Brigid said. Felix did not miss the condescension in her voice. "It was Princess Elvira who sacrificed Princess Astrid''s eyes upon the altar to the Queen, as was her duty. They are bound together now, as life partners in the Dance of the Festival of Fate."


    What a strange culture. Felix thought. Sacrificing eyes? Life partner with her own sister?


    "The lifelong connection between me and my sister is nearly impossible to describe in your language," Astrid said, no doubt reading his thoughts. "It involves magic, and it involves a type of ritual dancing."


    The second Purple Dragon, as tall as her sister, stepped forward and lovingly began to remove the steel mask from Astrid''s face. Beneath, Felix saw completely empty eye sockets, surrounded by horrible red scars, as if the flesh had been ravaged. Felix averted his eyes instantly.


    "I hear your words dear sister," Elvira said. "I know that you honor me in this language. Felix, is it? I empathize with your plight. This must be so strange and new to you! If you need anything, just ask the constructs below."


    Astrid walked across the room, apparently not blind in spite of her lack of eyes, and, perhaps through sorcery, caused a few dozen books to leap off the shelves and circle playfully in the air about her. Princess Elvira turned away and plopped down into her massive armchair. A magical glass of wine floated nearby.


    "The Princesses value their privacy," Brigid said. "We are invited to leave."


    "What now?" Felix asked as they descended the curved stairs toward the barracks room. The light outside the windows had dimmed as if the sun had set.


    "Ask the constructs. They will lead you to the hot springs to the east of the tower where you can bathe and prepare to retire. They can also provide food, drink, a new uniform, and a toothbrush if you so desire." She pointed into the barracks room as they passed. "The third bed from the left on the second row, that is where you will sleep. Do not wake me when you retire. Good night."

 Chapter 3: The Doomsayer

    Cold, thin air filled his wings as Felix soared. He had never flown as high as he was flying in that moment. The power of Astrid''s blessing surged through him, empowering his wings with the vigor required to stay aloft at that altitude. The forest was a pale violet carpet far below, drowning in the shadow of the mountains to the east. The rivers, vast when viewed at a more reasonable altitude, were nothing but tiny vanes of darkness cutting through the forest. Felix could clearly see the peaks of the mountains far below.


    Directly ahead, Felix was beginning to make out the familiar sight of blood-red crystal spines jutting up from the forest. He stretched his main wings out for gliding, and angled his tail wings slightly down to prevent a nosedive. As he crept closer, Felix began to make out the lights of a waking city, as well as the pale oval-shaped airships arriving from the north. The enhanced vision of his drake form allowed him to pick out the lanterns in the streets, the forges near the blacksmiths, the chandeliers in the palaces, and the sorcerous crimson bonfires of the landing yard.


    It was these latter lights that marked his target. Felix approached the city of Needlewood from the east, with the rising sun at his back, to make his profile easier to see against the dawn sky. The shutters in the tower flashed, revealing a white light within, the signal for an approved landing. The city walls rushed by in a blur, followed by the twisting streets and alleys, and finally the threshold wall to the raised landing yard. A blast of sorcerous wind struck him, countering his airspeed with the precision of vast experience, allowing him to settle gently into the mud in the center of the yard.


    "The ground is filthy!" Astrid announced from atop the saddle between his shoulders. "Servant! Take me somewhere else. Quickly!"


    Mud is soft but will not catch fire, Felix thought. Drakes may need to land sometimes while their scales are still hot from battle.


    Lightning cracked across the yard, and Astrid floated out over the mud in front of Felix. Lightning rippled from her fingertips, up her arms and across her torso. "Flying with my own power," she said, "how embarrassing!"


    Thankfully the only souls in the yard were wind mages, who had no fear of such sorcery.


    Felix sembled into his human form and dropped into the mud with a squish. Astrid still drifted nearby, defying gravity, clad in a hooded black robe that hid her hair. The sorcerous saddle that had been created about his shoulders began disintegrating into nothingness. Felix looked around, searching for Brigid. He found her when he looked up at the roof of the landing yard tower. She was up there, sucking down the contents of an invisibility potion, at least until she faded and was gone.


    "Oh hey Felix!" a guard cried from the doorway at the top of the stairs. He was middle-aged but clad in the blood-red uniform of a recruit. Felix began to trudge through the mud toward the man. Astrid glided down beside the guard, and this seemed to make the man uncomfortable. "Um, Felix, who is this?"


    "An important military asset," Felix lied. "Secret mission from the Lord Paladin. You didn''t see me land."


    "What? Land? Nobody landed here today. Sun''s not up yet. Off with you lot then." The guard waved his hand dismissively.


    "Wait," Felix said as he pulled the man close to whisper in his ear. "Something bad happened, something very bad. I may need help from the Red Dragon, and soon. Is the Lord Paladin awake yet?"


    "Awake?" the guard whispered. "Felix, he has not gone to bed yet. He has taken to the bottle again."


    Felix sneered, then ascended the steps toward the open garrison door, following slightly behind the Purple Dragon. Astrid needed to duck considerably to fit through the archway. The guards inside, no doubt still groggy from an early rise, gasped as she slunk through the hallways, nearly scraping the ceiling.


    "Make way!" Felix cried.


    "Am I going the right way?" Astrid asked.


    "Yes, the door to the street is just ahead, to the left."


    Astrid rushed forward toward the sealed, barred door to the street outside. Felix realized in horror that she wasn''t going to stop.


    The Purple Dragon, in all her magnanimity, glory, and shocking tallness, slammed face first into the closed door with a shriek. Felix caught her as she lurched back. This drew the attention of the nearby guards.


    "My friend is blind," Felix explained, waving toward the door. "Can we open this? Please?"


    "This door is closed!" Astrid exclaimed. "Why didn''t you tell me the door was closed!"


    Dumbfounded, Felix did not reply.


    "Yeah, I get it. The architecture of these whelps is insulting. Servant, open the door at once!"


    Before she had finished speaking the guards arrived and began to remove the crossbar. Astrid recovered some semblance of grace and authority in her posture in the time it took for the door to slowly swing open. Felix hurried out into the street as soon as there was room. Pedestrians hurried about their daily lives, carrying sacks of grain or leading sheep through the mud.


    "What was that about?" Felix asked.


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    "What you think you have witnessed," Astrid said, "you shall instantly put out of your mind, just as that whelp in the landing yard did. Do you understand?"


    "Fair enough."


    "Now tell me, servant, where might we break fast in this place?"


    "There is a coffee house in the city center," he said. The people in the streets began to part to make room for Felix and Astrid as they walked by. One man screamed at the sight of the eight-foot-tall woman, and vanished into the alleyways. "Make way! Make way!" Felix commanded. The sight of a Draconic Paladin issuing commands seemed to have a calming effect.


    Flashes appeared in the puddles in the mud, and Felix looked up between the buildings at the azure sky. A figure floated in the center of the space between the rooftops, crackling with sorcerous energy. The broad shoulders, slim chest, and narrow hips betrayed the figure''s gender, in spite of his long, silky blue hair. His blue eyes gleamed against a pale face as he looked straight at Astrid.


    "Storm sorcery!" the man proclaimed. "The likes of which have not been seen on this continent in recorded history." The crackling energy around him began to wane as he settled onto the road just ahead.


    "Shane the Doomsayer," Felix hissed. "Is it too early for you to announce the end of the world from atop your soap box? Charlatan?"


    "Felix the Paladin," Shane replied. "You keep strange company. Is that? A metal mask? Are you a Fate Binder?"


    With a gasp, Shane suddenly fell prostrate onto the street.


    "Almighty Dragon! Stupendous, magnanimous, brilliant, radiant Purple Dragon! Forgive my insolence! I beg of you!"


    "You are forgiven," Astrid said in a voice filled with satisfaction.


    "Almighty dragon! You are so beautiful! Songs will be written of your beauty for a thousand years!"


    "I''m aware."


    "I must ask, Almighty Dragon, why are you here with this villain?" Shane asked, pointing to Felix. "Surely a Dragon of such refined taste can afford the company of a less treacherous disposition?"


    "That''s enough of that," Felix said, stepping forward to confront the man.


    "Peace Felix," Astrid said. Felix froze, and turned to watch her approach the doomsayer. "You may rise, one called Shane who is born of this land yet alien to it. I hear the truth in your words. Dear Felix has taken no thoughts into his mind that are not rebellious in nature. But I am merciful. Would you doubt my wisdom?"


    "I would not! Almighty Dragon!"


    Too much time on that soap box talking to crowds, Felix thought. I should cut out that tongue of his.


    "You shall do no such thing," Astrid said. "Shane, you fly well. You are a true master of flight through storm sorcery."


    "Your words are like honey, Almighty Dragon! I am unworthy of them."


    "I have a need for servants, and you shall be my second. I bless you."


    "What!? No!" Felix recoiled, but it was already done. The doomsayer named Shane began to slowly rise. The mud on his arms and knees dissolved, leaving his clothes immaculate. Shane looked at his arms in astonishment. Felix knew exactly what the man was feeling, that vast surge of power.


    "To be your servant is the greatest honor that I could ever hope for. I am blessed!"


    "You would do well, dear Felix, to reflect upon your status as my first servant. Now, Shane, use your sorcery to fly us to this ''coffee house'' in the city center. I would like to hear more truths from you."


    "I shall, Almighty Dragon!" Shane raised both hands, and his body began to crackle with energy. Wind and lightning sized Felix, lifting him off the ground, and the three of them floated away from the streets together.


    "How refreshing," Astrid said, "to have servants to take care of such efforts."


    "Foul sorcery," Felix snapped. "You escape into the small places where we cannot go."


    "And each day I look in envy upon the form taken by the Paladins, to soar so high that the wings have no air to beat against."


    Envy? Felix wondered. He let the matter drop.


    They passed above the rooftops then, and the great red crystal spires appeared all about them, puncturing the city skyline. They passed parallel to the approach path for landing at the yard, and Felix saw many things from a new angle. His usual flight path across the city would always yield the same sights. Carried by the storm sorcery, he saw a small park with trees and flowers planted between crystal formations, a secluded fountain where the commoners would bathe, and the neglected monument to a nameless hero in a shaded alley. All around in the sky, above the city walls, white fish-like bags of air drifted by, pushed by whirring propellers, trader''s airships carrying cargo from Flood''s End.


    The upscale, teal and orange, copper-laden paths of the city center came into view beyond the stone aqueduct bisecting the city. Shane gently lowered the party down beside the roped-off tables outside the coffee house. Many of the tables were already occupied. The hostess approached uneasily.


    "A table for three, please," Felix said.


    The hostess glanced at Shane, then back to Felix. "As you wish, Paladin."


    She seated them by a mural of Needlewood, painted as though the artist was flying at a great height. None of the chairs were quite large enough for an eight-foot-tall woman, so Astrid summoned an ornate armchair for herself, causing even more alarm to the poor hostess.


    "You are invited to speak," Astrid said. The hostess scampered off.


    "There is a flaw in me," Shane said. "A hole in my soul, if that makes sense. I discovered the same flaw in every factory worker with the blood of Riln. I believe that it could be used to destroy my soul, instantly, and from very far away. Then, simultaneously, it could be used to reanimate my body using necromancy."


    Astrid scowled. She reached forward and placed her palm directly in front of Shane''s face. "Yes, very subtle, but you are correct. I can fix this hole presently."


    Magenta light flashed between her palm and Shane''s face. Then his eyes went wide.


    "It is gone!"


    "Yes, however, the being that placed this spell upon you now knows that it has been undone. This cannot be helped."


    "I have spent the last seven years in terror, afraid that at any moment my life could instantly end. I tried to warn everyone! Nobody would believe me." Shane pointed his finger at Felix. "Especially not the Lord Paladin and his thugs."


    "Is it really true?" Felix asked. "Was there really such a hole in his soul?"


    "I''m afraid so," Astrid replied solemnly. "No doubt for the purpose of raising an army of undead to surprise the city guard once the invasion begins."


    "Can you fix the hole in the other factory workers?" Shane asked.


    "Of course not," Astrid said.


    "Why not, Almighty Dragon? Certainly it is within your power."


    "They are quite dead already."


    A server arrived with steaming cups of coffee and plates of biscuits smeared with winterberry jam. Shane''s face was turning pale.


    "What do you mean?" Shane stammered.


    Astrid reached out and began to sniff one of the steaming mugs.


    "The being in question is without a doubt the Blue Dragon of the land you call Riln. When I removed the spell on you, dear servant, he could only have assumed that the clever whelps of this land discovered a method of removing his spell in the general case. Thus, he instantly activated his spell, destroying the souls of all the factory workers in this city. Actually, more likely, the entire nation."


    Felix and Shane stared at her, mouths drooping open. Felix felt his hands go numb.


    Then the alarms began to ring.

 Chapter 4: Allies

    Astrid continued to sip her coffee and snack on the biscuits even after the patrons started screaming. Felix was the first to stand. He rushed through the coffee house against the flow of the panicked patrons. The hostess was screaming in one corner, covering her head, while the two servers were ducking away from the kitchen. Two plump men ran out of the kitchen, chased by an old Rilnese man armed with a rolling pin.


    His blue eyes were lifeless. His motions were jerky and uncoordinated. He lurched forward and took a feeble swing at Felix. He was rewarded for his efforts promptly with a punch to the face that would not have been outrageous in a pit fight. The man''s skull buckled inward with a sickening crack as his neck snapped. He tumbled onto the ground, trembling.


    "Are there any other Rilnese workers?" Felix snapped.


    "No sir!" one of the bakers replied.


    "Everyone remain calm!" Felix bellowed. "Stay inside!"


    "I knew this man," Shane said, looking down at the twitching body on the floor. "Gone, completely gone. Nothing alive in those eyes."


    There was an explosion outside, somewhere in the city. The force of the blast rattled the windows of the coffee house. Stones and shattered glass collapsed onto the tiles outside. This was followed by the distinctive roar of a fully-transformed drake.


    Felix turned to face Astrid, who remained unphased at her table. "I need to go!" he shouted. Then he shoved his way through to the door and sprinted out into the central square, glancing around frantically at the rooftops. Dozens of citizens were fleeing from Rilnese workers, who were mindlessly attacking with butcher''s knives or broken chair legs. Directly to the north, across the square, a blue drake was slowly rising from the ruins of a building. The beast twisted its neck around and puffed up its chest.


    Felix knew exactly what was about to happen. He covered his eyes with one arm to block out the blinding azure light. Waves of heat washed over him as the drake razed the nearby ground. The air smelled of burning flesh.


    "I will protect the civilians if I can," Shane said, levitating just a few inches above the ground. "It seems that we must be allies."


    Felix nodded. Then, he sembled.


    The copper-laced tiles of the street fell away, and then cracked apart as Felix pressed his massive claws down. His wings took up most of the empty space in the square, making a takeoff tricky. The blue drake was struggling to free itself from the crumbling building. It would need to die before it managed to take flight. The blue drake seemed to notice Felix for the first time, and it began to draw in breath in response.


    Not enough time to kill it with fire.


    Felix charged forward into the drake''s blind spot, with all four of his limbs clattering along the disintegrating road. He snapped out with his jaws, caught the enemy drake by the throat, and crunched down. A feeble stream of blue smoke escaped the drake''s maw. In one practiced motion, Felix ripped the drake free from the building and tore into its throat with his claws. Empowered by Astrid''s blessing, his claws easily pierced blue scales, flooding the building with blue blood and chunks of flesh. Its body began to disintegrate, leaving behind a mauled human corpse.


    Turning to face the square, Felix flapped his great wings and began to sprint forward on all fours. However, Felix realized that takeoff would be impossible without severely injuring his wings. He buffeted the air against vertical wings and came to a stop in the center of the square.


    Felix heard the sound of thunder. He turned to see Shane shooting bolts of lightning from his palms, incinerating his own kin. Waves of wind reverberated around his body. "You cannot leave on your own!" Shane cried, his voice amplified by the wind magic. "I might be able to help you get over the city walls. I will stay and protect the Purple Dragon!" Waves of wind washed over Felix. Like a seabird hovering over a beach, he caught the wind in his outstretched wings and angled his entire body down. This created a tension between gravity, pulling him forward, and the free airspeed, pushing him back.


    It was enough. The road began to drop away, and with a little patience Felix was able to ride the wind high enough to take him clear of the rooftops. From the landing yard, the other paladins were beginning to take off, frantically beating their crimson wings, curving in long arcs toward the north. Huge plumes of smoke rose from the city streets below, and from a slightly higher altitude Felix was able to make out the shining blue scales of enemy drakes directly below the soaring paladins.


    Why don''t they fight? Felix wondered. The leading red drake began a base turn for approach to the north west quadrant of the city. That''s the approach for the Viscount''s courtyard. An emergency summons?


    Felix put this thought out of his mind, and turned his attention to the blue drake just below. It was smashing its claws into the crumbling buildings on either side of an alley. With one brave leap it managed to free itself from its narrow prison. Felix heard a snapping sound every time the creature''s wings struck the buildings on either side. It was willing to kill itself. It began to rise above the rooftops, although it was unable to prevent its tail from gyrating.


    Even with the blue drake in full pursuit, the train of red drakes continued on their paths. With a quick glance to either side, Felix took in a mental image of the air just behind him. No enemies following from behind. It was safe to fall back and line up to attack. The blue drake mindlessly began to pull ahead. Felix simply waited for the beast to cross into his cone of fire. He took a deep breath, and then struck the blue drake with a long lance of crimson flame, taking off one wing.


    To one side, three drakes were attacking an airship. With bouts of azure flame, they cut long gashes in the gas bags keeping the craft aloft. The wooden hull of the ship began to plummet, too far away for Felix to react. A death sentence for the sailors on board. The three blue drakes turned their attention to Felix and the train of red paladins. They roared, blasting flames into the sky overhead, flapping about wildly. The red drakes, his own allies, essentially ignored the peril.


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    Focus on the fundamentals, Felix thought. He ran away, trading his airspeed for vertical. Astrid''s blessing remained in effect, enhancing his strength as he ascended. The three enemies did not coordinate, and instead followed him into the vertical, nearly colliding with each other. A head-to-tail circle would be acceptable here. I am much faster than they are.


    The head-to-tail circle was tilted, like a coin standing on one edge. Keeping them in sight, Felix continued to slowly loop inverted, pointing his head down at the city streets. Then he fell, cashing in vertical for airspeed just as the enemy was struggling to ascend. Not surprisingly, the zombified drakes lacked any semblance of discipline. They immediately began to hover in one spot, with their tails twisting like springs, so they could take shots at Felix with their blue flames.


    His higher airspeed allowed him to simply roll out of their nose cones. Felix tilted vertically, then relaxed his tail wings, causing his main wings to catch against the incoming air, entering into a divergent feedback loop, an unstable, violent motion that flipped him toward the pack. Perhaps indulging in the moment for too long, Felix breathed out, sending a column of death straight through the first drake and into the second. In the matter of moments, the third drake attacked, but it was too late. A slightly-delayed lance of flames struck its opening maw, severing the head. Smoldering bits of wing and sinew floated in the air above the city.


    And there, far below, just over the sound of the alarm bells, Felix could hear people cheering.


    He had lost track of exactly where he was relative to the other red drakes. He had drifted close to the approach path for landing at the Viscount''s cottage. The watchtower was flashing, an emergency message to the Draconic Paladin contingent. The first drake in the train was just about to touch down on the marble-tile courtyard, and the next drake in line was turning for final.


    Felix waited for a space to clear up on the approach to the Viscount''s courtyard. In the meantime, he patrolled near the city walls, ripping the wings off of any blue drakes he could find, mostly out of boredom. The sun had crested the mountains and bathed the smokey city with eerie golden rays by the time a slot in the train was available. Felix lined up and made an unremarkable landing on the marble tiles of the courtyard.


    The other paladins were lined up at the edge of a neat lawn. The Viscount stood on a small platform between two fountains at one end of the courtyard. The old man had dispensed with the usual, ornate regalia of his office, in favor of drab tan clothes, a leather hat lined with fur, and a pair of glass goggles. Felix approached the group in his human form, and the Viscount regarded him coldly.


    "Paladin Felix, why did you not answer the summons? The instructions in the signal were clear. We are to evacuate the city immediately without fighting."


    "Evacuate? For what purpose? Many of the enemy drakes are already dead."


    The Viscount reached into his jacket and pulled out a sheet of paper. He offered it to Felix.


    High Ministry Contingency Orders - Category B - Situation 14 - General Uprising of Rilnese Workers Including Enemy Draconic Assets: Allied draconic military assets south of the Black River region are to immediately evacuate and regroup in the city of Black River. The enemy is not to be engaged. Critical political assets, including the local Viscount and any noble family members, are to be carried during the evacuation. Further orders will be furnished once the assets reach Black River.


    "Abandon the city?" Felix said incredulously. "Absolutely not. Where is the Lord Paladin? Does he know about this?"


    "The Lord Paladin is unconscious," one of the other paladins said. It was a younger paladin, a man named Liam. His massive dark red beard hid any expression.


    "Then who is the ranking Draconic Paladin in the city?" Felix asked. He glanced around, and knew the answer even before Liam responded.


    "You are," Liam said.


    "Indeed, and I invoke the Principle of Subsidiary. We will protect the civilians in this city." Felix began to rapidly issue orders to the other paladins, assigning two paladins to protect each quadrant of the city from enemy drakes. Each soldier saluted and marched away in turn.


    "The High Ministry will hear about this," the Viscount protested.


    "The High Ministry does not have local knowledge," Felix hissed. "I do. There is no reason to abandon the city right now. I have given my commands." He turned and left the old man by himself in the courtyard.


    As Felix walked away, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Do you know what you have done?" Liam asked. His red eyes seemed to glow in the light of the dawn. His blood red uniform was unkempt.


    "What do you mean?" Felix asked.


    "You killed twelve of those bastards," Liam said. "I have never seen anyone fight like that before. I don''t think any of us have. You were killing drakes that we couldn''t even see. When you gave me orders I almost soiled my trousers. What happened to you?"


    Felix turned away. "I am needed in the city center."


    <hr>


    A long wall of Rilnese corpses, shaped like a semi-circle, framed the space outside the coffee house. Shane, with his blue hair shining in the sunlight, stood side-by-side with Brigid. Across from them, in an uneasy standoff, a Quarian man sat atop a horse, flanked by two ruffians with crossbows. Felix made a hard landing on the copper tiles behind the three Quarian men and began to semble into his human form.


    As Felix approached the man on the horse, he took first notice of the blood-red armband that decorated each arm. The man wore a plain-white uniform that had been soiled with blood and mud. He did not seem to be afraid. In fact, he looked at Felix with disdain as he approached.


    "Friend Paladin," the man said. "I am Commander Gero, of the Heritage Militia. I was expecting your kind to flee the city."


    "Enough! Why are you here? What business do you have with my companions?"


    "Companions?" the soldier asked. "These two foreigners must be killed. When the Rilnese armies arrive, they will kill the children while the mothers are forced to watch. They will cook the children and force the mothers to eat them. They seek to exterminate us. We must tolerate no foreigners in our city!"


    "You say nothing that I have not heard your ilk say before," Felix said. "The one with purple hair has a short temper. I am surprised you yet live. The founder of your order is an oathbreaker and a fraud. Furthermore, I will not tolerate threats against my companions. Now get out of my sight."


    Commander Gero looked fearful as he twisted his horse around and trotted off.


    "Welcome back," Shane said. "Just in time it seems. Those people made strange allies up until the point the enemy had been routed. Then they became suspicious."


    "Heritage Militia," Felix sneered, "come out of the woodwork looking for a fight."


    The blue-haired man walked forward and knelt in front of the wall of corpses. His own kin, slaughtered like animals. He said nothing.


    Brigid approached Felix. "The Princess is pleased with her breakfast, however she finds the noise offensive."


    "This is all her fault," Felix answered.


    "Dispossess yourself of that attitude," Brigid said. "When you go inside to face her, throw yourself at her feet and acknowledge your inadequacies as her servant."


    Felix sighed. "That might be for the best."

 Chapter 5: Unrecognizable

    The icy coolness of the battle faded. No longer fighting for survival, Shane had time to take in his surroundings. The huge Draconic Paladin named Felix stalked off to beg their master for forgiveness, no doubt. Shane himself knelt in front of the wall of corpses outside the coffee house. Dark blue, nearly-black blood was smeared all across the copper tiles, dripping from the clumped blue hair of his kin, gathering into rivers and pools all around. The air smelled of smoke and burned flesh. The sirens had ended, replaced by the sound of dogs barking throughout the city.


    Why would the Blue Dragon do this?


    The Quarian citizens, with their distinctive dark-red hair, were beginning to roam about the square once again. Burly men carried wheel barrels and carts. The women carried buckets of water and wool blankets.


    And why would the Red Dragon ever let my people live in her lands in the first place?


    It was a question that had been bothering him for seven years. Seven years of fear, ever since he discovered that flaw in his soul that would allow the Blue Dragon to destroy him. He lived every moment with this fear. The fear that any moment could be his last, his final sight, his final taste of life. Then nothingness, his corpse animated as a soldier, a small part of an invading army.


    And now the moment had passed.


    "The smell is terrible!" Astrid cried from behind. Shane instantly stood and faced her. Felix was trotting at her side, his face filled with defeat. "I hate foul smells. They make me so irritated!" Shane suddenly felt the Purple Dragon establish a connection with the Realm of Wind. It was a clean connection, the type that a mage would use. Astrid made no attempt to hide it. With a great teal flash, Astrid drew a surge of power through the connection. Shane shivered.


    I would be instantly killed if I tried something like that.


    The air in the square began to shimmer. Different smells took on different colors, and began to coalesce into tall pillars. When this was done, the air smelled fresh, like the wind blowing across a mountain ridge.


    "Much better. No! You do not need to sing about this place. I can imagine it is quite unpleasant." The Purple Dragon pointed her finger straight at Shane. "Servant! Take us from this place."


    "It shall be done, Almighty Dragon." Shane reached out and established three connections: the Realm of Wind, the Realm of Lightning, and the Realm of Water. He drew power through each connection, shaping them into powerful storm sorcery. Lightning rippled across his chest and down his arms. He pulled Felix, Astrid, and the other purple-haired woman with the daggers into the spell. They began to levitate, slowly at first, but rapidly gaining in speed. The ground dropped away.


    "Outside the walls!" Astrid shouted. "Find a place that is high, a place where we can rest and overlook the city."


    "There are cliffs to the north-west," Felix said. He pointed, and Shane saw the cliffs in question. They were long and thin, clad in trees, rising in layers, gleaming in the sunlight. With a surge of power Shane accelerated the party in that direction.


    The city rolled past. Red Drakes hunted the last remaining Blue Drakes in the sky between two airships. Soldiers from the City Guard and thugs from the Heritage Militia worked together to hack away at the reanimated corpses of Rilnese workers. The city walls rushed by below and then they were out over the golden forest.


    The cliffs were surprisingly far away. It took much longer than Shane had anticipated to fly across the forest. He had reached the limit of how high he could go. Astrid''s blessing gave him the power to fly much higher than normal, but it was not nearly high enough to clear the escarpments. He came to a stop just a few feet away from the gray-brown rock wall.


    "Almighty Dragon, forgive me. I can go no higher."


    Astrid sighed. "It is unlikely that I will find a better servant on this continent. Alas, it seems I must intervene."


    The three connections were ripped away from Shane by some unseen force, a power that was completely unrecognizable as magic. Shane could still sense them, except Astrid was now holding the connections herself. Power surged through her, and they began to float up. The trees below grew smaller and smaller, and the amount of power Astrid drew through the connections increased exponentially as they ascended. Up they went, until they easily cleared the escarpment and settled gently on a grassy ridge overlooking the city.


    "Sing to me, of what you see!" Astrid said.


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    Shane turned to Felix. The tall man looked uncertain. They both turned to the shorter purple-haired woman. She put one finger over her mouth. Nobody spoke.


    Astrid put both hands on her hips. "Ah! Beautiful! This place is perfect! Let us be off, then." She turned and began her march through the forest. Shane watched her feet. He assumed she was blind, but she deftly avoided the knotted roots and muddy puddles between the trees.


    They came upon a dusty clearing between the trees. Shane felt a hand on his shoulder. The purple-haired woman was holding himself and Felix back. Astrid moved forward into the clearing.


    "I am called Brigid," the woman whispered in his ear. "I would have told you earlier, but you seemed deep in contemplation after the fighting stopped."


    Astrid tilted her head back. A blinding purple light flashed from her chest, hidden from direct sight but strong enough to darken the sky. Shane rubbed his eyes and blinked it off. A small purple crystal floated up into view above Astrid''s head. It rotated slowly and made a high-pitched droning sound.


    Nothing, Shane thought. I detected nothing. Whatever she did was completely unrecognizable as magic.


    "Lift us up again," Brigid whispered.


    The crystal rushed forward and buried itself in the soil in the center of the clearing. The ground began to tremble. Lightning-like cracks of purple crystal split out in all directions. Shane reached out and established the same three connections again, quickly lifting the party a few feet above the clearing. The purple crystals began to grow upward, violently pushing up above the trees. In a few moments a spire had formed, as tall as the city walls. It was very similar to the red crystal spires that could be found down in the city, with a similar oily, rainbow sheen.


    The trembling subsided. Shane set them down again.


    Astrid turned around and faced Shane. Her full lips formed into a smile. "Such naughty thoughts!" she said. "Trying to puzzle out the nature of my power? Since you have so tastefully performed your duties as my servant thus far, I shall venture to give you a hint."


    She chuckled.


    "What type of magic was used to create the Realms, I wonder?"


    "Almighty Dragon, I shall contemplate this question." Shane bowed deeply.


    "And you, dear Felix. I feel the anxious nature of your thoughts. Shane as well, you both share the same concern. Why would the Red Dragon allow such a thing to happen in her lands? I too would like to know. And so, dear Felix, you shall carry me to the north, so that I might ask the Red Dragon myself."


    Felix suddenly seemed animated. "Thank you!" he said. "Thank you, Princess Astrid! As you say, we shall travel together, to the north. To Flood''s End."


    Another bright flash of light appeared in Astrid''s hand, partially hidden by her fingers. She produced a second purple crystal and handed it to Felix.


    "Find flat land and burn away the trees with your fire. Plant this crystal, and it shall form into a runway long enough for takeoff and landing."


    With a victorious smile, Felix pocketed the crystal and said: "I will go at once."


    "When that is done, return to the city and inform the other soldiers of your journey. Return to the spire when you are done. Do not be long." The hulking man marched off into the forest.


    Brigid pushed Shane forward gently to follow Astrid toward the spire. "As Astrid''s new servant, there are certain facts that you must know about the Princess," she said.


    As they approached and then entered the spire, Brigid began listing off the Purple Dragon''s titles and her many children, her great deeds, the names of the male dragons that were reserved for her as mates. Shane listened absentmindedly, nodding occasionally, but continuing to ponder Astrid''s question.


    With a snap of her fingers, dozens of empty suits of armor materialized in the spire''s interior. Magenta mist formed into bodies, lifting and then animating the empty sets of armor. They began roaming around the building, casting spells on their own, creating everyday objects such as rugs and lamps. Astrid slapped her hands together in front of her chest, then ripped them apart rapidly. The air in the center of the chamber ripped open, creating a rim of distorted purple light around a solid blackness in the middle.


    A portal?


    "There!" the Purple Dragon said. "All ready!"


    The portal flickered, and with a brilliant flash of light a second Purple Dragon appeared in the room. She was as tall as Astrid, nearly eight feet in height, though her hair was different. She saw Shane and then gasped.


    "Another whelp! Oh my! I thought this one was a girl!"


    "Shane, you are in the presence of Princess Elvira of House Anna-Rhea. You are invited to bow."


    He prostrated himself on the ground. This one named Elvira must be the source of Astrid''s power. He thought. Fate Binders always travel with a partner. At least that was the general consensus. Textbooks which happened to mention Fate Binders were very rare and very expensive. However, Shane had found several in the library in the Viscount''s palace. The windows on the upper level of the library were generally easy to open with a little magic.


    "Come sister, we must decide how to furnish our new room," Astrid said. The two Purple Dragons turned away and began to ascend the growing crystal steps at the far end of the spire. Far above, rings of platforms and spiraling staircases began to form.


    "Hold still," Brigid snapped when they were out of earshot. "Princess Elvira finds your long hair offensive."


    He felt her hand yank on his hair. He heard the sound of a dagger being drawn. Locks of long, silky, dark blue hair fell away. Shane gasped, but it was too late. Brigid handed the severed locks of hair to a nearby suit of animated armor.


    "I have not cut my hair in fifteen years," Shane protested.


    "Ask one of the constructs," Brigid replied. "They will give you a proper, masculine haircut."


    Outside the spire, Shane heard the sound of explosions. Felix, in his massive red drake form, roamed through the sky outside, blasting the forest away with long bouts of crimson flame. Those flames were not created by a connection to the Realm of Fire. Is it possible that dragon breath uses some type of magic? he wondered. Magic that existed before the Realms were created?


    "Now follow me upstairs," Brigid said. "I will show you where you will be sleeping."

 Chapter 6: Black River

    The ground dropped away. Fast. It was the only way Shane could make sense of his first takeoff on the back of a real drake. The trees shrank until they became a shapeless mass far below. Even the wispy clouds became tiny white blots, barely worth noticing. The red drake''s wings beat furiously as they ascended, but there were long stretches of flight where Felix simply stretched his wings and glided in an imperceptibly slow descent.


    The Purple Dragon seemed to be able to conjure various physical objects at will. The massive saddle chained between the drake''s shoulders was one such item. Built into the massive object were three stiff seats, one on each side and a single in the middle, where Astrid reclined beneath an ornate parasol. Shane contributed to the flight by creating a bubble of stable air around the three passengers. Brigid glanced around periodically, diligently checking the horizon for danger. Princess Astrid reclined on her chair in silence, with eyes hidden behind her shiny metal mask. On rare occasions she would comment on some irrelevant thing, as if talking to some unseen companion.


    On the horizon, the edge of a vast plateau appeared. From east to west, a ten-thousand foot tall wall of rock, nearly vertical, separated the golden lowland forests from the dark pine forests of the north. Great stairs were cut into the face of this cliff, with countless switchbacks, but these were almost too small to see from the drake''s back. Two massive red crystal spires, twice as tall as the rock wall, rested on the flanks of a vast waterfall.


    The Teeth of the Red Dragon.


    Hundreds of red drakes circled the Teeth, and at least six armies were camped along the escarpment near the two spires. One army was camped much further away, near three indistinct mounds along the river to the north. And there, amid the dark forest, was an even darker city. The first shape to appear was that of the great Steel Gondola Wheel. Then the tall, stacked tenements of the city appeared, followed finally by the crystal chasm.


    Three mounds, and three bends in the river. The river was stained black, the color of iron and coal. Black River, the final bastion of the Quarian military, the final defense against any encroachment from the south. Felix approached the city with the practice of years. The lights on the towers flashed unknown signals, but the drakes did not chase him.


    "Oh my! What a strange device!" Astrid exclaimed as they approached the city. She was no doubt referring to the Gondola Wheel that dominated the city skyline. It was the first coherent thing that Shane heard from the woman since takeoff from Elvira''s spire outside Needlewood. Shane theorized that Astrid was talking to Elvira, but he did not have evidence as such.


    The red crystal chasm was spanned by brick bridges, each with an arch in the middle and paved with cobblestone. Small airships slowly navigated through the chasm, deftly ducking under the various cranes suspended above. Rising like walls from the edge of the chasm were the layered tenement buildings. The windows were covered in mesh nets, which allowed access to higher levels in absence of ladders or ramps. The air smelled of industry: smoke, iron, and coal.


    Felix must have been deeply accustomed to the city because he lined up on approach with a landing yard in the city center, near the Gondola Wheel. It was a long approach, one in which Astrid said nothing. The rooftops rushed past, and then suddenly the raised lip of the landing yard slipped just under the drake''s claws. Blasts of wind magic caught in the drake''s wings, and Felix gently plopped down into the mud.


    "Servant!" Astrid cried. "Would you mind carrying me out of this place? I find the mud irritating."


    Brigid had managed to slip away at some point. No doubt she had access to some advanced alchemical potion for invisibility. Shane established the appropriate connections to the Realms and lifted himself and Astrid up into the air. The wind mages in the yard did not seem bothered by Shane''s magic. He levitated a few feet above the drake''s back and waited for Felix to veer into his human form.


    "Dear Felix has business elsewhere," Astrid said. "Let us be off."


    As Shane floated away with the Purple Dragon, the wind mages resumed their magic and Felix ascended away from the landing yard. The Gondola Wheel was just one street over, on the edge of the red crystal chasm, and there was a long line of several hundred people waiting to ride the attraction. Shane began to descend near the front of the line.


    Men in burgundy coats and hats operated the contraption, pulling levers and signaling each other with bright flags. One such man approached Shane as he settled on the ground. He glanced up at Astrid, who loomed over even the tallest people waiting in line, and frowned.


    "I was not aware that any Purple Dragons were visiting the island," the man said. He bowed. "But you are welcome to ride the Deluxe Gondola. Please, follow me."


    "So polite!" Astrid said.


    The man in the burgundy coat opened a velvet rope and led them through to the loading platform.


    "Are there other Dragons on the island?" Shane asked.


    "You have not heard? A Green Dragon is visiting for the All-Island Faire."


    "Oh right, the Faire. I forgot that it was this month."


    "There are even some Rilnese scholars at the Faire," the man said. "In spite of the recent tragedies in the border cities. I''ve heard that the Flying Machine Society is meeting in the park right now. The Rilnese seem to be quite keen on the concept. I heard it is quite the scandal."


    "Flying machines?" Astrid asked. "Ah, so my brother must have known."


    Shane did not respond to the strange comment. They reached the left-most edge of the middle of the great steel wheel. The gondola car slowly rotated up out of the chasm and came to a rest at the end of a short metal ramp. The man in the burgundy coat unlocked the door and led the previous occupants out through the opposite doors. Then he waved for Shane to enter.


    The interior of the gondola car was furnished with velvety seats and paisley wallpaper. The windows of the gondola car also seemed to be high-quality crystal glass, with a slight rainbow sheen.


    "The door is open right?" Astrid asked, standing at the threshold.


    "Yes, Great One," the operator said. He began pumping a lever to prop up the seat. "I am going to assume that the two of you are not alone? There are weight and balance concerns, for a machine of this size."


    Astrid needed to duck to fit through the doorway.


    "I think we have a third companion nearby," Shane said. "Sometimes she can be hard to spot."


    The man nodded. Then he closed the door and locked them inside. After a few moments the massive steel wheel began to rotate, and the gondola car ascended away from the loading platform. Then it stopped. Periodically it would move and then stop moments later. The operators at the loading platform were cycling all the people out of the wheel, one car at a time. Astrid muttered to herself occasionally.


    When their gondola car reached the very top of the wheel, Shane could see the entire city. One of the three hills along the winding river chasm featured a luscious green park. Half a dozen airships were tied down around that field. That must be where the Flying Machine Society is meeting.


    The wheel slowly rotated around to the opposite side, and then their gondola car began to descend into the chasm. The nearby chasm wall was dark crimson and lined with pale fractures. As they descended the light grew darker and darker, until the opening to the chasm was like a wide lightning bolt far above. Shane''s car came to a rest at the very bottom of the wheel, just a few dozen feet away from the rushing black river below.


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    "Sing to me, my beloved sister. Sing to me of what you see."


    That''s right, she must be talking to her sister. But what does her sister see? And why did she seem surprised that I was not a girl?


    Shane rubbed the stubs of his cut hair uneasily.


    "Princess," a feminine voice said. Brigid began to materialize in one corner of the gondola car. "You reveal too much to your servant."


    "Don''t be a bore," Astrid replied. "This place is so beautiful! In all my centuries of life, I have never seen such a place. How positively serene."


    It was also not like anything Shane had seen before. The solid black mass of water, the Black River itself, flowed through the chasm below. The chasm was filled with light the color of Quarian blood. The gondola car was at the very bottom, hanging in isolation with no mortal object nearby, surrounded only by the natural beauty of the strange place.


    For one brief moment Shane caught a lone tear streaking down Astrid''s face.


    <hr>


    The waiting room to the Lord Paladin''s office in the Teeth was made almost entirely from finely-polished, varnished wood. The rugs had been imported from some distant land, and the oil paintings on the walls all depicted the Red Dragon. Soaring. Fighting. Burning.


    The door slid open noiselessly, and a familiar and unwelcome form strode through. Tall and built like a tree trunk, his blood-red hair was streaked with pale pink and even some gray. The founder and Supreme Commander of the Heritage Militia, Albrecht the Oathbreaker.


    "Father," Felix sneered. "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "Discussing military strategy. You disrespect your mother, boy. You should visit her more often."


    Felix said nothing. He stalked past his father into the Lord Paladin''s office and slammed the door.


    "You should not be consorting with those thugs," Felix said. The Lord Paladin, pot-bellied and bald, sat behind his massive black desk. His pudgy face was impassive.


    He reached for a glass of amber brandy and took a sip. "Do you want a drink Felix?"


    "No. And you should give up the stuff. I worry for your health."


    The Lord Paladin did not reply. He simply signed at the bottom of the document on his desk and then stowed it in his desk drawer.


    "What changed?" Felix asked. "You used to be the best flier on the entire continent. New Paladins would pay anything to get personal flying lessons from you. And now, instead of flying, you gamble with the recruits and stay up all night drinking."


    "I did not want to be sober when the war with Riln finally started," the Lord Paladin replied. "I am hoping you didn''t follow me all the way here just to chastise my personal business, soldier. Why are you here? Did you come to apologize to the Viscount?"


    "I need help," Felix said.


    "That''s hard to believe. The reports from Needlewood say that you killed a dozen enemy drakes by yourself and you made it look easy. No Paladin has accomplished such miracles in three decades, at least."


    "There''s another Dragon on the island."


    "I''m aware. He is visiting the All-Island Faire. Green Dragon. Big guy, with very expensive tastes." He took a sip of his brandy.


    "No, a Purple Dragon. And she did something to me. She blessed me. Gave me power somehow. She treats me like a servant."


    The Lord Paladin''s pale face lost all semblance of color. His dark red eyes went wide with shock.


    "A Fate Binder? And did she alter your fate, perhaps?"


    "I have no idea what that means. But I think so. She said my fate is tied to hers. Either way, I need to arrange a meeting with the Red Dragon immediately. If anyone can help free me from this servitude, it will be the Red Dragon herself. Also, the Purple Dragon seems to be able to read my mind, so she is probably listening to this conversation."


    The Lord Paladin sighed, stood up, and opened the shutters, bathing the room in sunlight. The second red crystal spire loomed across the span outside the window. Felix waited for the Lord Paladin to speak, but the man said nothing.


    "Can you give me orders that will allow me to meet with her?" Felix asked.


    "I can. Very well. Your orders, soldier, are to travel to the city of Flood''s End. You shall then meet with the Red Dragon in-person." He sat back down at his massive desk and scribbled the orders on an official document. Then he signed it. Felix snatched it up instantly.


    "Thank you so much!" Felix said. He stood up and turned to leave.


    "Felix," the Lord Paladin said. "Be very careful."


    <hr>


    Hundreds of people roamed around the rolling hills of the city park in Black River. Most of the people were Quarian, with dark red hair like Felix. Shane saw a handful of Rilnese people as well, with their dark blue hair and foreign clothing. The airships tied to the grass each featured some exhibit or another. A new design for an engine to drive the propellers, new shapes for the gas bags, new mechanisms for rotating the rudder, and other marvels.


    However the most popular attraction on the field was a raised wooden platform lined with colorful flags. Shane skipped ahead of the line with Astrid and Brigid in tow, and set them down in the clearing in front of the stage.


    The shrill sound of a whistle filled the air, and a red-haired constabulary marched up to Shane. He was about to start screaming when he seemed to catch notice of Astrid. His mouth dropped, but he quickly recovered.


    "There is room over there for Dragons," the constabulary grunted as he pointed to a roped-off area just in front of the center stage. A massive, eight-foot tall man with dark green hair stood on the grass behind the rope, surrounded by his shorter kin. The constabulary moved the rope aside to let Shane pass through.


    The people with dark green hair all prostrated themselves on the ground, and even the eight-foot tall man bowed deeply. When he spoke, his voice was a hearty rumble: "Princess Astrid, it is a great honor. How long has it been? At least five hundred years."


    "I do not keep track of every encounter with peasants," Astrid replied.


    The Green Dragon did not seem insulted at all. "Is your brother here with you? He was always interested in flying machines."


    "I don''t want to talk about my brother."


    "Forgive me," the Green Dragon said. "No insult was intended."


    Gasps from the crowd punctuated the arrival of a little old Rilnese man on the stage. He wore spectacles and a fashionable blood-blue suit. "Patrons of All-Island Faire, behold!" he cried, "our latest design for a heavier-than-air flying machine!"


    A platform built into the wooden stage began to rise into place, carrying with it a fish-like craft with an oversized rudder. The thin wings on either side of the craft were cambered a bit like a drake''s wings, angled slightly up at the tips, and a propeller was built into the nose. This revelation brought gasps and applause from the crowd.


    And then, screams.


    Brigid, remarkably, did not seem to be alerted at all by the screaming, but Shane reflexively turned around and scanned the field. Felix, with his distinct horns and fluid spine-sails, crashed down on the field behind the spectators. A few moments later he pushed his way through the crowd and jumped the rope to stand beside Astrid.


    "How fortunate!" the Rilnese man on the stage exclaimed. He pointed straight at Felix. "Friend Paladin, you soar through the heavens with true mastery! Tell me, good sir, what do you think of the craft I have designed?"


    Bewildered by the outburst, Felix did not reply at first. He regarded the craft, then his eyes darted about suspiciously, resting finally on the massive Green Dragon. The huge man had crossed his arms, and his face was filled with satisfaction.


    "Is this a joke?" Felix asked.


    "How rude," Astrid said. "Felix dear, certainly you can spare a few comments about the design?"


    "Fine. This design is terrible. It will not fly."


    "What a remarkable opportunity!" the man on the stage announced. "Friend Paladin, come up on stage with me. The greatest minds in Riln have been set to the task of designing this craft. Our methods are without imperfection, and yet you say it cannot fly. Come, explain yourself."


    Felix glanced at Astrid, who nodded. Then he hopped the rope again and leapt up onto the stage, looming over the little old Rilnese man. Shane was not ashamed to admit that he also wanted to hear the opinions of such an experienced flier.


    "It will drop nose-first into the ground," Felix said. "Also the rudder-thing is too big. It does not look like it will be able to turn without flopping over and side-slipping into a spin."


    With this comment, half a dozen people walked up around Felix holding notebooks and pencils.


    "Well, let us take these criticisms one at a time," the presenter said. "Why do you think it will nose-dive into the ground?"


    "Well, it does not have a tail," Felix replied. "The wind will strike the top-leading edge of the cambered wing, and cause it to pitch down. Then, more of the top-leading edge will be exposed to that wind, causing it to pitch down faster. Then, you hit the ground and die."


    The other engineers on the stage wrote down every syllable that came out of the Paladin''s mouth.


    "Imagine a see-saw," Felix said. "With a pair of main wings at the front and a much smaller pair of wings at the back, angled slightly down. The smaller wings in the back enter the nose-dive first, causing the back of the see-saw to rotate down. This causes the main wing to pitch up, and it escapes the nose-dive."


    The presenter nodded vigorously. "And what about the rudder? We have designed the craft to be turned like a ship, on a horizontal plane that is lifted above the ground."


    "A rudder like that would cause the nose to yaw to either side. One wing would swing forward, and the other wing would swing back. The wing that swings forward has increased airspeed and therefore increased lift. The opposite is true for the wing that swings back. Then, the whole affair would slip sideways, as if it had been placed on an oiled surface at an angle. This side-slipping motion would cause air to strike the rudder, compounding the effect, causing the craft to flip over and spin."


    "Remarkable!" the presenter said. "You surmised all that information with just a glance!"


    "I''ve been flying for ten years," Felix replied. "Watch, let me show you." He jumped off the stage and began to make his way through the crowd.


    At the top of the grassy hill, Felix sembled into his drake form with a roar, drawing more screams from the crowd. Then he demonstrated the various maneuvers, proving his point to the engineers on the stage. And all the while Astrid had a wicked grin on her face.

 Chapter 7: Floods End

    It took three days of flying to reach the Sorrow River. Verdant green farmlands stretched out below, occupying every available inch of the great floodplain. The fertile soil in the lowlands was sufficient to produce food for most of Quaria, and the air just above the farmland was speckled with hundreds of airships. The rugged hills above the floodplain were used as well, almost exclusively for wine grapes. To the north the floodplains abruptly ended in a long red strip, gleaming in the sun.


    "You see something, what is it?" Astrid asked. Shane must have been amplifying her voice with wind magic.


    It is the Great Crystal Dam, Felix thought. The threshold to the city of Flood''s End.


    "Descend servant!" Astrid shouted. "I wish to see this dam from the ground!"


    Felix configured his wings for gliding, and the descent was slow enough that it took nearly the entire distance to reach the dam before he touched down along the banks of the Sorrow River. The gleaming red strip had grown to fill almost the entire horizon. The Great Crystal Dam, made from packed, hexagonal pillars of draconic crystal, was nearly a thousand feet tall and at least a mile wide. Shane whistled.


    "A worthy structure," Brigid said.


    "It is said that the Red Dragon created the dam as a gift to her children," Felix said. "Before, the Sorrow River tended to flood often. After the Red Dragon constructed the dam, she founded the city of Flood''s End on the banks of the lake up above."


    "Fascinating," Astrid said. "I wonder why she would be so amenable to her children''s needs?"


    The Purple Dragon often made such comments. Felix put it out of his mind. "Shall we proceed to the city?"


    "Yes, servant. Let us be off."


    The lake at the top of the dam was vast, stretching out to the north for a hundred miles at least. The city of Flood''s End was built at the top of stilt-like red crystal "mushrooms" jutting up from the lake floor, linked together with high-quality steel. The entire city then appeared to be levitating a few dozen feet above the lake. Felix had many fond memories and leaping naked from the edge of the city into the lake. It was a common sport among the young men, to challenge each other to perform various maneuvers before hitting the water.


    A massive structure, resembling a tree trunk and also made from red crystal, loomed over the city where it skirted the lake''s shore. Felix had been close to that great crystal stump one time, but he had never been inside. Dozens of red drakes circled the structure, guarding the opening at the top from intruders. They were the Red Dragon''s own honor guard, tasked with protecting the basin below the stump. The Red Dragon''s Lair.


    Felix began his approach that carried him over the city toward the lair and the Government District. The crystal mushrooms that supported the weight of the city were all of varying height, so the ornate buildings were situated at different levels, with staircases connecting them. Many wealthy estates occupied the tops of entire mushrooms, and were isolated from the rest of the city with stone walls and watchtowers. The water for the grass lawns and for the fountains was all drawn from the lake using steel pipes from Black River.


    Arriving at a landing yard with Astrid had become routine for Felix. He made very little note of his familiar surroundings as he made his way to the Red Dragon''s Lair. The soldiers and guards in the courtyard below paid no mind to Felix as he marched through with his companions. Artisanal shops and expensive restaurants lined the courtyard, and many high-ranking government workers strolled along the streets, each with at least two bodyguards. Felix was surprised to see a handful of well-dressed Rilnese people as well, and even some foreigners from distant lands, people with green hair or gold hair and onyx skin.


    From below, the red crystal stump dominated the skyline. In the center of the nearest face, there was a door scaled to the size of a fully-transformed Red Dragon, perhaps twenty stories tall. Leading up to the base of this door was an enormous staircase for her mortal servants, and at the base of the staircase was the Capitol building, all arches and domes made from gleaming crystal. Felix led the party to the foot of this building and was confronted by the guards at the gate.


    "Diplomats from Riln are not permitted beyond this point," one young man said. Felix did not recognize either guard.


    "Hold up there son," the older of the two guards said. "This one here is a real Purple Dragon. We cannot send her away." After that Felix was allowed through the gate.


    The floor of the lobby inside the Capitol was polished to a mirror-like shine. Fine red banners hung from the crystal arches above, and light filtered in through glass domes. The staff were all dressed in the finest, most expensive clothing available on the continent: solid black suits, flattering dresses, wide-brimmed hats. A Draconic Paladin approached Felix through the lobby and held out his hand to stop them. Felix recognized him as a Paladin named Roi, and he wore a black and red uniform that was ornate enough for the Lord Paladin himself. He carried a two-handed greatsword on his back.


    "Hello Felix," Roi said. He glanced uneasily at the Purple Dragon and then at Shane. "What business do you have in the Capitol?"


    "I have orders from the Lord Paladin," Felix said. He offered the signed orders to Roi.


    The man winced. "The Red Dragon''s Lair is closed. They will not let you inside."


    "I am oath-sworn, it is my right to see the Red Dragon. Take me to the Prime Minister. If he turns me away, then I shall leave."


    "Follow me, I can escort you."


    Roi led the party through the Capitol to a conservatory on the highest floor, built into a balcony overlooking the bottom of the great staircase. Half a dozen old men sat around a table in the center of the conservatory, surrounded by exotic flowers from distant lands, snacking on cheese wine. The air was damp and smelled like springtime.


    "Prime Minister Sylvester," Roi said with a bow. "A visitor is here from Black River, with orders from the Lord Paladin."


    Sylvester looked up from his plate and adjusted his monocle. His deeply-lined face reeled back in shock. "A Dragon! Here, in the seat of our power. How dare you Felix. Be gone, turn away now!"


    "I have orders from the Lord Paladin himself," Felix said. "Orders to speak with the Red Dragon."


    Roi offered the orders to the Prime Minister, but the old man simply tore the paper to shreds, muttering to himself. "We have developed ways of killing your kind, you know!" Sylvester cried, pointing to Astrid. "I am not afraid of you. Get out of my sight! All of you!"


    "How rude!" Astrid said. "You would do well to learn to dismiss your betters with more tact, young man."


    The Prime Minister waved his hand away, dismissing them. Roi reached out and took Felix by the arm. "I warned you," Roi whispered.


    As desperately as Felix wanted to protest, to scream and demand to be allowed to pass through the doors to the lair, a voice in his mind stopped him. The voice of the Lord Paladin, saying: Be very careful. Felix turned away and they left.


    When they reached the bottom floor of the Capitol building, Astrid stopped and said: "You know, this building is beautiful. I think this would make a fine place to put a new spire. Don''t you think, dear Felix?"


    "I concur," Shane said. "I am certain this building has a nice library. Plenty of books to keep me occupied on our travels."


    Felix did not protest, and by the time Shane had finished speaking the flash of purple light had already dazed everyone in sight. A small crystal floated down from Astrid''s chest and began to bury itself in the floor of the Capitol building. Then, the whole structure began to violently shake. Shane only lifted Felix and Astrid off the ground. Roi was frozen in astonishment, up until the moment he was knocked down by the shaking. If Brigid was nearby, she would need to deal with the shaking on her own.


    A new purple crystal spire began to grow, right in the center of the lobby. It ripped up through the many red arches up above, then shattered the domes and grew even beyond the roof of the Capitol. The government workers were screaming, frantically trying to escape the building as detritus from the shattered arches fell upon their heads. Felix felt no strong emotion as he watched the seat of his government''s power being ripped apart. He had his orders from the Lord Paladin, and he was going to speak to the Red Dragon.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Shane finally set them down, and by then Roi had vanished. Astrid calmly stepped into the foyer of the new spire and opened a new portal. In a flash, Princess Elvira appeared in the center of the spire. The portal vanished, then Elvira reached out and embraced Astrid.


    "Dearest, dearest, most beloved sister," Elvira said. "I am so sorry that happened to you. Such an insult! To be turned away by that ruffian. What can I do? How can I help?"


    "There is a door to the Red Dragon''s Lair," Astrid said, "However it is closed and sealed. Also it is much too large to be opened in this form, even with magic. Now, one of us could bother to transform and open the door, but that would be unfashionable. I propose that we travel to the other side with our servants, and enter the lair through stealth."


    "The other side?" Shane said excitedly. Then, he clamped his mouth shut. He had not been invited to speak.


    "Sister," Elvira said. "Your logic is without flaw. Come, let us travel to the other side."


    With a rainbow shimmer Brigid appeared at Astrid''s side. "To open a portal for our servants would be below your station," Brigid said. "I shall open the portal and invite them to join us."


    Astrid nodded. With a wave of Brigid''s hand, the portal reappeared. Magenta around the edge, long strings of lights that swirled playfully, all surrounding an inky blackness. Shane looked genuinely excited. Brigid reached out and touched the portal, and then Felix lost all vision.


    It only lasted a moment, and then he was back in the foyer of the crystal spire, within the Capitol building. Except, the colors were wrong. Everything was much darker, as if desaturated and tinged with a dull gold hue. Shane glanced around in wonder.


    "Is this a Realm?" Shane asked.


    Astrid giggled. "No silly. This is another Plane. But let us not dwell on such details. Come, Felix. Carry all of us upon your back once again. We shall fly over the rim. There will be no drakes to protect her lair on his side."


    "There is not enough room in the saddle for Elvira," Brigid said. "I shall follow Felix myself."


    When they reached the courtyard, Felix was surprised to find a completely alien world. The sunless sky was a grayish magenta color, and all around the world seemed to be shrouded in a dark haze. Also, there was not a single trace of any civilization. The courtyard was not constructed of cobblestones, and no steel connected the tops of the mushrooms. In every direction, there was only nature, and the draconic crystal structures, including the mushrooms. Felix assumed the Great Crystal Dam was also present in this strange place, because the lake was still full of water.


    But perhaps the most eerie feature of this strange place was the disembodied souls roaming around. Ghostly images of well-dressed people gathering to see the commotion, the scandal of a purple spire appearing in the middle of the capitol building. Suddenly everything fell into place for Felix.


    This is what Elvira sees. Astrid truly is blind, and she relies on Elvira''s description of this landscape. That explains why she was so surprised to see that I was a "whelp" the first time she saw me, because before that moment she had only seen my ghost. My soul.


    Felix turned to Shane, and the man nodded knowingly.


    Brigid trotted ahead, and then she veered into a purple drake. This surprised Felix, and even Shane looked shocked, however the two Purple Dragons did not seem to think this was of any consequence. Felix himself veered into his drake form, and waited for the rest of the party to strap themselves in. In all his years of service to the Red Dragon, he had never once been inside her lair. He swore his oaths with the Prime Minister and the Lord Paladin as witness, in the Capitol building. But he had never set eyes on the Red Dragon herself.


    It was with some anticipation that he crested the rim of the crystal stump and began to descend, following Brigid, into the darkness. At the deepest depths of the lair was a flat, circular arena, large enough for a Red Dragon to rest, and filled with white flowers. All around the edge of the arena was a circular concourse raised above the floor of the lair. Felix glanced around the concourse from his position on the floor of the lair. There was no enormous Red Dragon ghost or soul in the chamber. The only souls were those of some observers up on the concourse, spaced apart periodically with almost geometric precision.


    Land on the rim, Astrid commanded in his mind. Brigid is worried that there might be enemies waiting in ambush up there.


    Felix followed Brigid up to the rim, to one side of the circular concourse between two of the ghostly observers. Then he sembled back into his human form. As if to give voice to his own concerns, Shane said: "There should be a huge soul in the center, shouldn''t there? Is the Red Dragon away?"


    Elvira approached Felix. Her curvy purple hair tumbled down her shoulders, framing a face filled with concern. Then she reached out and grasped something in the air, the leathery hilt of some unseen blade. With a yank she seemed to pull a massive greatsword out of thin air. Crafted from the finest steel, it was reinforced along the center with purple crystals, coated with a rainbow sheen. She offered it to Felix.


    "Brigid should be enough," Astrid said.


    "It is not for our protection," Elvira said.


    Felix grabbed the greatsword. It felt natural to hold in his hand. He practiced a few swings while Brigid opened the portal.


    In a flash they were on the other side. The room was filled with an ugly green light, illuminating the dark corners of the Red Dragon''s Lair. five men in dark robes stood at the corners of a massive green pentagram, channeling corrupted sorcery at the center of the room. And there, at the bottom of the pit, surrounded by an ocean of white flowers, was the massive, rotting corpse of the Red Dragon. Her bones were ripping through gaps in her pitted scales and her wings were ravaged with long gashes. The chamber smelled like a crypt.


    "Necromancers!" Shane hissed.


    The closest necromancer turned and gasped. Felix stalked forward, blade in hand. The necromancer''s pale, mustached face suddenly became calmer, more composed. His red eyes seemed somewhat sinister.


    "Now hold on Felix," the man said calmly. He faced Felix now, but his hand was still pointed out over the edge of the concourse channeling green energy at the Red Dragon''s corpse. "Be reasonable, Friend Paladin. Think this through. If you kill us, what little is left of the Red Dragon''s power will be lost forever. You will lose your power, you will never fly again."


    "This must be why my father broke his oath," Felix said. The man nodded. "I am not an oathbreaker."


    Then he slashed down with his greatsword, crushing the man''s skull in an explosion of gore that rained down on his fine black robes. The green beams of energy suddenly vanished all across the arena. A blast of solid black lightning arced across the room in an instant, but it was deflected by some kind of powerful barrier. Bright blue lightning flashed out from Shane''s hands in response, scoring a hit on a necromancer across the chamber. The twang of Brigid''s bow took off the head of another necromancer.


    However, two necromancers still remained, and they had a few moments to realize what was happening. One of them sprinted across the room concourse to try and flee, but one leg was quickly pinned to the ground by Brigid''s arrow. The last necromancer cast some foul sorcery, and the ground ripped open in front of his feet, shattering tiles and sending pieces of the concourse railing tottering over the edge into the pit. A huge skeleton, nearly ten feet tall, ripped up from the ground in a hail of soil and stone, clambering out with its arms. It was vaguely humanoid, but with some draconic features, especially in the face bones.


    The huge creature shrieked, in spite of the fact that it lacked a throat, and then rushed forward, swinging its arms wildly. Empowered by Astrid''s blessing, Felix leapt straight up with an overhead swing, bringing his greatsword down through the skeleton''s skull and spine, shattering it like it was made from glass. A bolt of lightning ripped out across the room, nearly incinerating the unfortunate man who had been pinned to the ground by Brigid''s arrow.


    The last necromancer''s face turned from satisfaction to horror. He was an older man, the oldest of the necromancers, and likely the leader. He wore a draconic red crystal on a chain on his chest, glowing faintly with greenish red light. "Impossible," the man said.


    "HOW LONG?" Felix bellowed, looming over the little old man, covering his face in spittle. "HOW LONG?"


    "Uh, about thirty years, Felix. Please, you need to understand, we have been doing what we can." The necromancer seemed to have voided his bowels, given the stench.


    "WHY?"


    "Why? Oh! Oh yes. You see, the industrialists needed workers for their factories, and the Red Dragon forbid it. We..."


    His voice abruptly ended when his head left his shoulders.


    Felix returned to where Astrid and Elvira were standing. They had not participated in the brief fight.


    Astrid clapped her hands three times and then said: "Dear Shane, please lower me down into the pit."


    "What are you going to do?" Felix asked.


    Her full lips turned into a smile. "I said I was going to speak to the Red Dragon. And that is exactly what I am going to do!"


    Shane used his storm sorcery to lower the party down into the pit. Astrid and Elvira glided among the white flowers, not touching the ground, however Shane allowed Felix to settle onto the ground completely. Under that blanket of flowers, the soil was muddy. Standing in front of the Red Dragon, Felix fell to one knee.


    "I swore an oath of service," Felix said. "And now shall I swear an oath of vengeance. I will slaughter every single person in the government who did this to you."


    "She cannot hear your oaths," Astrid said. "Let us speak to her first, before you decide how to swear such an oath. Is that agreeable?"


    Green light blasted out from Astrid''s palm, much more foul energy than the necromancers could have ever managed. The entire pit was bathed in the sickly light, and even Shane nearly collapsed from the corrupted magic. The waves of green light bombarded the Red Dragon, and her body began to twitch. Her great eyes opened, shining like green suns, and necrotic mist poured out of her mouth, out of the holes in her wings, out of the pocks in her face.


    "How did you die?" Astrid asked.


    For the first time in his life, Felix heard the true voice of the Red Dragon. A powerful, old feminine voice poured forth from the beast''s mouth. "The mortals are clever. I do not know how they killed me. I did not even have knowledge of my own doom. It may have been an Elemental. Maybe even a High Daughter."


    Astrid nodded. "Why are you here on this island?"


    "I came to this island with a Blue Dragon, my best friend. We created two civilizations on this continent. We taught our children to hate each other, to fear genocide and to seek it in the other. We entertained ourselves with their endless wars. With the bloodshed, the slaughter, the tragedies. It pleases our god."


    "Who do you worship?" Astrid asked.


    "Ashe," the beast replied. "Queen of Perfect Darkness."


    Elvira turned away suddenly, covering her ears. Astrid seemed deeply disturbed. Felix felt a shiver. The green light vanished and the Red Dragon fell limp, lifeless into the muddy floor of her lair.


    "Ashe worshippers, in our Plane?" Astrid asked. Then she hissed.


    "This could be an isolated incident," Elvira said.


    Astrid nodded. "We don''t panic. Felix, you are welcome to kill the Prime Minister if that is your wish, but I forbid you from swearing an oath of vengeance. We shall speak of your next oath when we return to Black River."

 Chapter 8: The Elder Books Aviation Club

    It was Brigid who carried the party through that strange alternate world to the city of Black River. Astrid and Elvira were strapped close together in the center of the saddle, and Felix was strapped to a small seat on one edge, near the drake''s wing. For Felix it had been, remarkably, the first time that he ever flew without being shapeshifted. Elvira sang the entire journey. It was a haunting song, sung in an alien language.


    On approach to the runway outside the spire, Felix asked: "Shane, can you lower the wind barrier?" The bubble of air around the party wobbled and then vanished. The wind struck Felix in the face immediately. It felt cold, but it also felt familiar.


    The morning after returning to Black River, Shane rose early from his bed in the corner of the barracks and then slipped outside. Felix couldn''t go back to sleep, and instead he simply stared at the ceiling of the barracks, which was presumably also the floor of Astrid''s chamber. His mind wandered to the events of three days back, in the city of Flood''s End. Felix left without killing anyone else, without getting revenge for the death of the Red Dragon. He could not stop thinking about the Red Dragon''s final words. The talking corpse spoke without emotion, without inflection, just statements of simple fact.


    With a light clank on the crystal floor, Brigid set his new greatsword against his bed post. "I can see you are awake," she said. "Now that you can''t shapeshift, you will need to find other ways to be useful to Princess Astrid. You have some skill with the blade. Train with me, and you will become stronger."


    Felix rose and threw on a pair of trousers and boots. Then he followed Brigid down to the yard in front of the spire, carrying his greatsword uneasily. Dozens of animated armor sets waited outside, holding swords, shields, daggers, and crossbows. They were standing at attention, like soldiers, neatly arranged into grids. Brigid was also holding a greatsword.


    "This is not my preferred weapon, however I can teach you what I know." The purple-haired woman was almost exactly as tall as Felix was, she looked confident holding the greatsword. "Watch my movements and then try to mimic them exactly, I will try to teach you a few forms."


    She began to swing the sword, making repeated, slow movements that exaggerated each muscle movement. It reminded Felix of his time training as a recruit in the military, over a decade in the past, before he swore his oaths and became a Draconic Paladin. He slipped easily back into that mode, copying Brigid''s movements with the greatsword.


    Over the next few hours, the sun rose high above the horizon, bathing the yard in harsh light. Even then, Felix and Brigid trained together. In the beginning, she simply gave him new forms to practice. But as he made progress, he began to fight against the animated armor, one at a time and then against multiple opponents. The animated armors were extremely precise, and they would perfectly halt all motion before piercing his skin, even though their weapons were sharp, and even while compensating for his own movements. Lethal blows against them would simply pass through the magenta mist of their bodies, causing them to fall over in mock death. They provided the perfect enemies to practice against.


    Finally, Brigid said: "You are invited to spar one time against me."


    "Isn''t that dangerous?" Felix asked.


    "I swear that I will not kill or even injure you." Her face, framed by her purple bob-cut hair, formed into a slight smile.


    "Very well." Felix faced her and gripped his sword. Neither of them moved.


    She feinted. Felix fell for the feint, but quickly recovered. Then he swung his greatsword in a reckless sideways slash that he almost regretted, until Brigid caught the blade with her own. There was something about the way that she caught his blade, about the absolute perfect momentum of her recovery, her footwork, and the extremely smooth way in which she brought the blade up at an angle to slice off both his hands with the thick part of her blade near the cross guard, only to stop before even cutting the cloth of his sleeves. Felix instantly realized that he was far, far less skilled than this woman.


    "How long have you been doing this?" Felix asked.


    "All my life," Brigid replied.


    "And how old are you?"


    Brigid frowned. "I suppose I owe you that much. I am twelve-hundred and seventy-two years old. I was over five-hundred years old when Princess Astrid hatched from her egg, and it was then that I swore lifelong service to the Queen of the Purple Dragons that I would not outlive her daughter."


    "I might be able to train my entire life, and never even come close to being as skilled as you are."


    "It makes me happy that you appreciate this fact. That concludes this session. We will train this way every day from now on."


    "Wait, I have one more question," Felix said. This caused the woman to raise one eyebrow at him. "What are you? Are you also a Purple Dragon?"


    Brigid shook her head. "No, I am a mortal spawn like you. I was granted immortality by a very, very powerful being. That is all I am willing to say."


    <hr>


    Shane returned after Felix had finished eating lunch. He approached the spire from the north, even though the city was in the south. His storm sorcery subsided and he landed gently in the doorway between the two animated armor guards.


    "Felix, come with me to Black River."


    Felix turned to Brigid, and she nodded. "The Princess Astrid is preoccupied with her research. You are free to spend the day attending to your own business."


    When they were both outside, Felix asked: "What''s this about? Why do you need me to come with you?"


    "Look," Shane said. He stopped and faced Felix, looking him straight in the eye. "I know you don''t like me, and I know we have nothing in common. But I know how much you care about flying. So, I went to the city this morning and I arranged a meeting of the local Flying Machine Society. We need to get you up in the sky as soon as possible, and I think those people can help."


    Felix was completely astonished. Finally he simply nodded. "As you say, take me to the city."


    Shane took a different route down the cliffs, starting by flying to the north, down a more gentle slope to avoid being too far above the stone ground. Then he looped them around to the south, skirting the edge of one cliff and then descending into the golden forest. It was a very slow flight, the kind of flight that was unique to storm sorcery, more like levitating. Shane must have practiced the path once before, because he was able to descend to the valley floor without help from Astrid.


    The three mounds of Black River extended before them, crowned by the great Gondola Wheel. Shane flew with Felix in tow to an uppity district overlooking the wheel, where the estates were surrounded with fine walls. They landed without ceremony outside an ornate shop with glass windows, painted with the words "Elder Books." The crone inside the shop wore a dark shawl that covered her thin pink hair. She waved Shane onward, and he led them through the back of the shop to a narrow spiral staircase. Through the threshold at the top of the stairs, there was a room with a circular turret at one end, filled with stained glass windows. The rest of the walls were packed with book shelves, and in the center of the room there was a long table and benches.


    Three people sat at the table when Felix and Shane arrived. At the head of the table, surrounded by colorful windows, was the Green Dragon from the All-Island Faire. He puffed out his chest and gestured for them to have a seat by his side. The second man appeared to be some type of priest, dressed in stiff, drab brown robes, and armed with a small army of open books. His dark green hair marked him as one of the Green Dragon''s followers. The last of the three was a woman of about thirty-five, with bright red eyes. Her straight pinkish hair was mostly hidden under a heavily-padded, fur-lined leather helmet. Her eyes held a deep wariness, but she regarded Felix fondly.


    "Felix, allow me to introduce you to the Flying Machine Society... Rejects!"


    "Indeed," the Green Dragon said. "My name is King Cyneric. The Flying Machine Society sent me away because I made known my intentions. When I have a working design, I plan to take copies of the design back to my homeland."


    "And my name is Deorwine, advisor to the King." The man in the brown robes had a nasal voice. "We tried to defend your ideas, Friend Felix. The others thought your see-saw analogy had some merit, but it was unanimously agreed that you were dead wrong about the rudder."


    "Then they will be dead themselves," Felix retorted. He turned his gaze to the woman with pink hair.


    "And I am Alice," she said. Her voice was soft but confident. "They kicked me out because I have epilepsy. They said I would never be allowed to fly. My grandmother owns this bookstore, so I arranged for us to meet here."


    Felix nodded. "I am afraid they are mostly right. Paladin recruits with epilepsy are turned away."


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    "However," Shane added, "You are absolutely welcome to join us, and we thank you for inviting us to this astonishing venue."


    "So," Felix said, pointing his finger around the table as he took a seat. "King Cyneric, Deorwine, Alice, Shane, and Felix, that makes five of us. Does this little group have a name?"


    "How about, the Elder Books Aviation Club?" Shane offered. Everyone at the table nodded or spoke out in approval.


    "It is settled then!" King Cyneric said. "I welcome you all to the Elder Books Aviation Club! I will serve as the Club President and Financier. My advisor here will be our Engineering Expert. Shane, you will be our Sorcery Expert. Felix will be our Flight Expert. Alice will be our Organizer. Let us get started."


    Deorwine slid a stack of clean papers and a fountain pen across the table. "Felix, would you please outline the basic principles of flight for the Club?"


    Felix drew three simple lines. Two lines were drawn like a squashed cross, and the third line was vertical. Then he drew eight curved, dotted lines, one line between each pair of nearby lines. The thing looked a bit like a sphere with lines through the middle. "This is the diagram that new Paladins are given. Three axis in space, height, length, and width, like a carpenter building a box. Therefore, there are three possible ways to move your nose while flying. Motion up or down is called pitch, motion left or right is called yaw, and rotation, like the hands on a clock, is called roll.


    "If there are three types of motion, then there must be at least three different control surfaces, and three sources of stability. For control, drakes use their tail-wings for pitch, the tips of their wings for roll, and their spine sails for yaw. For pitch stability, drakes use their tail-wings. Drakes have free yaw stability because most of the exposed body rests behind the center of mass, like a weathervane. Finally, roll stability is provided by the upward shape of the wing."


    While he was talking, he sketched a few more diagrams of drakes, and why the shapes of their bodies produced three-axis stability and control. He handed the diagrams to Deorwine, who was taking detailed notes of his own.


    "So," Deorwine said, "you do admit that a rudder could control yaw? Left or right motion?"


    "Yes. Allow me to continue." He began drawing the shape of a cambered wing on a fresh sheet of paper. "While a drake is gliding at a slow descent, you can think of the wing as being acted on in four ways. The upward motion of the wing, the friction of the air crossing the wing, gravity, and the force of the air smashing into the wing. We shall call these lift, drag, gravity, and airspeed. You increase airspeed by flapping your wings or by descending faster.


    "Airspeed increases both lift and drag. It creates lift because the shape of the wing redirects some of the smashing motion upward. It creates drag because the force of the air smashing into the wing creates friction. So, using a rudder for yaw would increase the airspeed on the tip of one wing, and decrease the airspeed across the opposite wing, just because of geometry. Increased lift on one wing, and decreased lift on the opposite. Therefore, you would start rolling. I demonstrated this live for everyone to see."


    "They are just idiots," Shane said.


    Felix drew a triangle and a box located on the angled portion, with an arrow pointing down the slope. "See, if you leave a box on a slope like this it starts sliding town. Now imagine that there is a boom coming up out of the page, with a sail at the end. As the box slides down the slope, what happens to the sail? Air hits it, and the box starts to rotate until the boom is up the slope. So if you end up rolling because of the rudder, you start to slide through the air sideways. Remember the weathervane analogy, most of the exposed surface is behind the center of mass. Therefore, the wind is going to hit that surface and cause it to rotate up the slope, like the boom on our box. Which means that if you are going slow and you try to use the rudder, you end up in a spin, or perhaps a flat spin.


    "For us drakes, it''s not too bad most of the time because you can just flap your wings in one spot and you stop spinning. But if you are planning on making a craft with long wings that do not move, then you fall out of the sky and then die. That is not to say that it is impossible to use the rudder to turn. If you were traveling fast enough it would be safe to do. Also, you could very sharply increase the upward angle of the wings as a whole, thus increasing roll stability greatly. However it would not be an efficient way to fly. Drakes do not do this, ever."


    "I see," Deorwine said. "The Flying Machine Society does not understand this relation between lift and drag, as you have termed these forces."


    "They could just ask any Paladin."


    "I don''t think those boys wanted their little academic discussions tainted by the opinions of military men," Alice said.


    Deorwine started sketching the shape of a craft. It had a long boom-like tail with a proper tail wing. Instead of proper spine sails it had a funny vertical fin with a rudder above the tail wings. The craft had main wings at a slight upward angle, with little moving parts on the trailing edge of the wing tips. There was an airship''s propeller attached to the front of the craft.


    "That looks fine," Felix said.


    "So now we must answer the question of how the operator of this device will control it," Deorwine said. "The Flying Machine Society had a design that included a ship''s wheel in front of the pilot, and a lever on one side to control the pitch."


    "A ship''s wheel is idiocy. Suicide even. The pilot could end up being thrust head-first into the spokes on the ship''s wheel if he crashes. One of the wooden pegs could go right through his eye socket."


    "So what do you propose?"


    "Something simple. While flying, you just need to control pitch and roll. Interacting with yaw in any way is extremely rare. If I were operating the craft, I would want to pull back on something to pitch up, push forward to pitch down, and move side to side to control roll. Maybe some type of stick in between the legs, connected by cables to the relevant surfaces."


    "And you would use your other hand to control yaw?"


    "I am going to assume that the pilot will be able to control the speed of the propeller somehow, right?" Felix asked. "That would take up the other hand."


    "So how would you control yaw?" Deorwine asked.


    Felix shrugged. "I don''t really care. I''m not doing anything with my feet when I''m in the thing right? Connect the rudder surface to foot pedals with cables. It''s so rare to use spine sails while flying in practice. I don''t think the rudder will get much use."


    "Use... feet... to control... rudder. My King, I think we should send this design to the workshop right away." Deorwine began to gather all of the papers into a bundle.


    "Perfect!" King Cyneric said. "I can see that you are a true master of flight, Friend Felix. Does anyone have anything else to add?"


    "I actually have a question," Shane said. "But it is not related to flight. Almighty King Cyneric, do you know of the type of magic that was used to create the Realms?"


    Felix stood up. "Please excuse me, but I think you have what you need from me. I will head out and send a report to the Lord Paladin about the Club. I will need to consult with the other Paladins about our future."


    <hr>


    The huge red-haired man stalked off, leaving the Aviation Club without another word. Shane turned to King Cyneric. The massive green-haired Dragon made Felix look like a child.


    "I do not know of such a magic."


    "The Realms are the work of The Creators," Alice said. "It is said that the Lady Ghost used her bond with the first High Daughter of the Queen of Dreams to Wish the Realms into existence."


    "Religious superstition," Deorwine snapped.


    "It''s true!" Alice insisted. "We live in the Elemental Plane of Dreams, and the Lady Ghost created our world when she split the Sixth Goddess in half. There is a second world, the Elemental Plane of Spirits, which mirrors our world. It is darker, and you can see the souls of men in that place."


    "Well that is certainly true," Shane said. "I''ve been to that place before. This, Plane of Spirits."


    "Ridiculous!" Alice snapped. "Mortals like us can never travel to the Plane of Spirits. Only a High Daughter of the Queen of Spirits, or the Queen herself, would be able to open a portal to that place."


    High Daughter, Shane thought. Where have I heard that term before? Then he remembered. The Red Dragon had implicated a High Daughter as being a possible killer.


    "Could a Purple Dragon open a portal?" Shane asked.


    Alice went pale. "How did you know about that? I''ve been going to church for thirty-seven years and I''ve just recently worked my way up to a rank where they discuss such secrets."


    "Princess Astrid," King Cyneric said. "We saw her at the All-Island Faire. Shane, have you been traveling with her?"


    Shane nodded. "So you''re saying that this, uh, Lady Ghost deity used a Wish to create the Realms? And it took a High Daughter to grant that Wish?"


    "That''s right," Alice said. She stood up and grabbed a leatherbound book off the shelf. "I have our holy book right here." She opened it.


    "You don''t actually believe any of this, do you?" Deorwine asked. "This stupid religious crap?"


    Shane nodded. "It actually makes perfect sense. Please Alice, continue."


    "I have better things to do with my team," Deorwine muttered. He trotted off with his bundle of papers in tow.


    Alice began to speak: "The Binding of Ashe, chapter ninety-four, verse seven. ''And so it was said that in this time the Elemental Plane of Dreams was new and fresh, and the first to look upon it was the Lady Ghost, because the Consort Eternal averted her eyes as they crossed the threshold. The Sixth Goddess had slumbered long, and she lured mortal souls to live in her dreams. Each dream was a world, and each world had different types of magic. The new Queen of Dreams bade the Lady Ghost to recreate these worlds and the magic therein, so that the trapped souls might resume living in the Plane of Dreams.''


    "And then verse eight says ''The Lady Ghost used her bonds with Nine High Daughters, and the Consort Eternal used her bond with the Firstborn of Ashe, to summon Elementals to reside in secret places in the Plane of Dreams. She hid these Elementals well, for she Wished for the existence of secret Realms. This satisfied the Queen of Dreams and her Sister-Self, the Queen of Spirits, for the new magic could be used on both sides of the divide.''"


    "Wait, who is Ashe?" Shane asked.


    "The Elemental Queen of Darkness," Alice replied. Then she placed both hands together and muttered a silent prayer. "She guards a dark power that drives her to madness. She revels in suffering and death."


    "Could I maybe get a copy of your holy book?" Shane asked.


    "You can have this one!"


    "Half the people in my hometown went to The Church of the Lady Ghost, the other half worshiped the Red Dragon. I''ve never been a religious person before, but I always assumed Dragon worship was more practical, considering the Paladins zipping around in the sky all day. But now that I''ve been to this Plane of Spirits, I think it''s worth looking into the topic."


    "Did you really go there?" King Cyneric asked.


    "That''s right. A few times. Princess Astrid took us all through a portal. Well, maybe it was Elvira, her sister. Or Brigid, her bodyguard. I forgot exactly who opened each portal."


    "Elvira?" Alice asked. "You have actually seen Elvira?"


    "Oh yeah. She is pretty. Nice, curly purple hair. It tumbles down her shoulders."


    "I believe you," Alice said. "I have seen depictions of Elvira, and her hair is as you say. She lives on the other side. She was born on the other side. I didn''t know she had the power to come to this side. But if you have actually seen a being from the other side, that qualifies you to be a Prophet in my faith. A Prophet! I need to write down everything you say. I''ll be famous!"


    "Hold on now," King Cyneric said. "The Princess Astrid will want us to respect her privacy. I think it would be wise to use caution and restraint for now, Alice. Shane, go ask Princess Astrid for permission before you start helping people write any new holy books."


    Shane nodded. "I agree, that would be wise."

 Chapter 9: The Craft

    The center mound of Black River, surrounded by water on three sides, was the most industrialized of the three mounds. Hidden amidst the layers of stacked tenement buildings, there were many small mines for coal and iron, as well as forges and workshops buried in the empty remains of exhausted mines. Felix flew through the city, disguised in a black cloak, carried by Shane''s storm sorcery. Once again he enjoyed a fresh new perspective of familiar features. He discovered a market that he never knew existed, at the very bottom of a cylindrical hole between tenements. For the first time ever, he saw the airship construction yards, inverted places with buildings and equipment dangling like moss from the bottom of a massive precipice, bathed in the crimson light of the chasm.


    Overlooking a red crystal cliff inside the chasm, there was a small campus of workshops built around an empty square. As Felix flew over the campus, he saw a mix of red and green hair. The Draconic Paladins patrolled the site with bows and swords, though their stiff black uniforms had been replaced with drab gray, devoid of insignia. Shane set Felix down gently on the powdery pink dust of the yard. One of the Paladins approached, a younger man with a massive red beard. There were only twenty-five Draconic Paladins in Quaria. Their names and faces were well known to every important leader in the government and in the military. Felix recognized the younger man as being named Liam.


    "Welcome back commander!" Liam said.


    "At ease," Felix replied. "Take us to King Cyneric, if you please."


    The bearded Paladin led them both through the narrow streets of the compound, between buildings constructed from thin sheets of industrial steel. They quickly arrived at a roomy workshop filled with tables. Chains dangled from long rails on the roof. The mortal spawn of the Green Dragon roamed around the building, carrying tools or sheets of wood and metal. King Cyneric stood at one end of the workshop, flanked by Deorwine and Alice. Neasa, another Draconic Paladin of the rare female variety, was standing in front of the trio.


    "Yes King Cyneric," Neasa said. "It is called adverse yaw. In the worst case it could lead to gyrations. It is easily remedied with the spine sails."


    Deorwine was furiously taking notes in a small journal. "Thank you, Neasa." He waved the woman away. "Welcome Felix. Welcome Shane. I have acquired such a marvelous device that you must see!" He pointed to a massive metal contraption in the corner of the workshop.


    "Your associates have been a great help," King Cyneric said as they walked. "This deception of yours has earned my respect."


    "What deception?" Alice asked eagerly.


    "It is not public knowledge that the Paladins have lost the ability to shapeshift," Felix said. "The Lord Paladin has sent them south on a secret mission. At least those were his public orders."


    "King Cyneric," Shane said. "Certainly you know how to fly. What led you to travel to this continent for your research?"


    "I can fly, yes," the Green Dragon replied. "It is intuitive for me. I lack the same eloquent descriptions of aerial maneuvers. My own Paladins would say the same. My nation also lacks the lovely industrial districts that can be found in this city."


    "My King is long-lived and very wise," Deorwine said. "The Red Drakes of Quaria are famous for their flying skill. The pittance of time spent traveling here will be saved a hundred times over. Behold! The burning heart of an airship. At least it would have been, if we had not procured it."


    "At great expense," King Cyneric added.


    The hunk of shaped metal looked quite heavy. It resembled a large metal barrel lying on one side, connected by leavers to a heavy wheel. There was an empty slot through the hub of the wheel where a shaft might be attached. There was a bronze plaque on the side of the barrel that read: Persons who suffer from epilepsy or who may be intoxicated must not stand within 30 feet of the external propeller while the engine is connected. Do not connect the external propellers to the engine without explicit clearance from the Yard Sergeant.


    "A steam engine!" Deorwine proclaimed. "However, by my calculations this machine is a hundred times too heavy."


    "I agree," Felix said. "Dragons and drakes use innate Draconic Sorcery to make themselves quite a bit lighter, but not so light as to interfere with the center of mass, or to allow us to be battered around by gusts of wind. By all external calculations, it should be impossible for Dragons to fly."


    "Is it possible for an inanimate object to be enchanted with Draconic Sorcery?" Shane asked.


    "We were hoping that you would be able to answer that question," Alice replied. "You will have access to my grandmother''s bookstore, including the books in the vault."


    "I will freely admit that I do not know the answer," the Green Dragon said. "I will also admit that I hope to exploit your current familiarity with Princess Astrid. I am certain that a Dragon of her status absolutely has access to that information."


    "I do not think it would be a good idea to bother Astrid with such requests," Felix said. "She sees us as servants. Are are only allowed to leave her spires when Brigid invites us to do so."


    "He''s right," Shane said. "I think the better option would be to scour old books. Alice, you mentioned a vault. What kind of books are stored there?"


    "I do not know," Alice said. "Knowing my grandmother, there are saucy romance novels in there. You know, books that have been banned by the Church."


    "Wait, wasn''t the Lady Ghost married to another woman? Why would romance novels be banned?"


    "Too much talk," Felix snapped. "Shane, be on your way." He waved the Rilnese man away. "Let me see the craft you are constructing."


    Shane made his excuses and then left. The sound of lightning marked his departure from the campus. Deorwine led Felix to another empty structure where several bird-like metal skeletons rested on the concrete floor. One craft was nearly completed, with an expertly-shaped wooden body reinforced with metal joints.


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    "This is a special type of wood, transported here from the north of Flood''s End," Deorwine said. "It is strong and light. The workers steam the wood for a long time and then bend it into the correct shape using the metal skeletons. Then they bind the various parts together with metal connectors."


    "The propellers, the gear boxes, and the crankshaft. Do you still have them all?" Felix asked.


    "Yes, but for what purpose?"


    "Assemble the engine fully, in here," Felix waved his arm around, pointing at the walls of the room. "But only attach one of the propellers, and rotate the propeller so that it produces thrust toward us, away from the walls. Also," he pointed at Alice, "make sure that Alice is not in the building while the thing is running. Finally, we are going to need some chemical flares."


    <hr>


    It took several hours for the Green Dragon''s followers to make room for the machine and assemble it in the warehouse. Felix ate lunch with the other Draconic Paladins in the campus cafeteria. The food was all exotic foreign stuff but there was plenty of meat and Felix did not find the flavors offensive.


    Felix had never seen a steam engine running. The machine hummed and puffed smoke out a window through a makeshift network of pipes, the levers pumped furiously and the wheel span so fast that the spokes became invisible. At full power, the propeller created a stream of wind powerful enough to knock a person to the ground. Deorwine commanded the carpenters to construct a series of struts to hold the craft fixed within the wind. King Cyneric was able to acquire chemical flares from a nearby alchemist at a price that bordered on extortion, but none of the Paladins were able to leave the compound, and a green-haired foreigner had little chance of being offered a fair price.


    All the Draconic Paladins gathered into the warehouse to witness the experiment. They measured off thirty feet and strapped Alice to a chair so she could watch without being in danger. With the craft fixed in the wind stream, Felix lit one of the flares and held it, burning, in various places near the craft. Playful wraiths of smoke poured over the wings like a liquid, visible to all.


    "The easiest way to understand the wind is to see it," Felix said. "Neasa, come forward and adjust the tail wing on this thing."


    The woman''s extremely long blood-red hair caught in the wind as she approached and grasped the tail wing with both arms. Without being instructed, she twisted the wing into the perfect angle, the same angle Felix would have picked, in order to make the craft aerodynamically stable relative to the main wing.


    "Alright, we are going to need to remove the struts and guide it with our hands," Felix said.


    It took five Paladins to hold the craft, with additional Paladins to hold them in place and prevent the wind from sending them flying. With Felix standing outside the wind in the front, the other Paladins arranged themselves to minimize their impact on the wind. Liam stood just behind the tail, preventing the craft from moving backward. With some effort, they were able to lift the craft off the struts.


    "Let it bounce a few times," Felix said. "Liam, don''t let it slip."


    One, two, three bounces, until it felt right, and without being instructed all the Paladins except Liam heaved the craft up and then let go. Liam stood alone, bravely holding the craft, until more Paladins poured in behind him to help keep him steady. The craft, not being held by anyone at all, only contacting Liam''s hands at the tail cone, remained almost perfectly steady in the center of the stream, defying gravity.


    "It''s flying!" Deorwine announced.


    However, none of the Paladins were satisfied. They continued to make slight adjustments to the various surfaces. The rudder, the winglets at the end, and the tail wing all needed miniscule adjustments before the craft was truly stable. All the while, Deorwine took detailed notes and made tiny changes to his diagrams and equations. To his credit, he was happy to accept the evidence his eyes were giving him, even if it contradicted his equations.


    The Paladins stopped fiddling with the thing and left, but the carpenters and engineers began to play with the craft themselves. King Cyneric approached Felix in private. "I know that we did not specifically discuss this before," the King said, "but I gather from the loss of your powers that the Red Dragon is likely dead."


    "She has been dead for thirty years," Felix whispered. "Her power was being channeled from her corpse by necromancers. The Lord Paladin once mentioned that we were more powerful before she died. Our Draconic powers have been slowly diminishing over the decades."


    "But you became the best fliers in the world," King Cyneric said. "As you grew weaker, flying became less intuitive. You learned the things I never did. The things that my own Paladins will likely never learn."


    The sound of thunder announced the arrival of Shane. The Elder Books Aviation Club members all went out to greet him. He was carrying a bag filled with books, and his bright blue eyes were filled with hope.


    "I was able to piece something together. A hint maybe. However, I will need a second opinion." He looked to Alice. "You know the most about the Lady Ghost and the Realms. I have a question."


    "Certainly," Alice said. "I might not be high enough in the Church to know the answer."


    "Is this line of thought wise?" Deorwine asked. "I do not think that religion will be able to answer any questions that our engineers cannot answer."


    "Let the bookworm ask his question," Felix hissed.


    "We both know that the Elemental Plane of Spirits is real," Shane began. "Whatever it is called, our world is supposedly the opposite of that world. They are mirrored. So here is my question, do the Realms have opposites?"


    "Maybe," Alice replied.


    "What would be the opposite of the Realm of Fire?"


    "The Binding of Ashe, chapter one, verse twelve," Alice said. "The Elemental Queen of Water is Sister-Self to the Elemental Queen of Fire." She was struggling to recite the somewhat dense sentence.


    "Wonderful, I can work with that." The little Rilnese man opened one of the books and pointed to a diagram of a man surrounded by three symbols. "Fire, Lightning, and Wind can be combined. I did not know that this was possible. I am only familiar with storm sorcery, the combination of Water, Lightning, and Wind." He flipped to another page, where three more symbols surrounded another man. At the bottom of the page, there was a little symbol that resembled a cloud and some lightning. "See, storm sorcery here." He flipped back to the first page. The little symbol at the bottom of the page looked a bit like a dragon.


    "I understand," Felix said. "This foul sorcery of yours, teach me, so that we can build ourselves a new engine."


    "I do not know how to reach the Realm of Fire," Shane admitted. "In order to reach one of the Realms, you need to be taken there by a Fire Mage. As far as I know, there are no Fire Mages on this continent. I think there is a guild that has a monopoly on that type of magic in the land of the Gold Dragons."


    "That doesn''t make any sense," Deorwine said. "Who the hell found the Realms in the first place? Who was the first Fire Mage?"


    "The Lady Ghost, in her great wisdom, led the first mages there," Alice said. "Blessed be her name."


    "My King, as your advisor I strongly recommend that we explore alternative, chemical means of designing a new engine. The success of this project should not depend on such superstitions."


    "Focus on the craft for now," King Cyneric said. "Shane, so far I cannot understand the relevance of your original question. Why ask Alice about opposites?"


    "Right. My thought is that maybe we could create a portal to the Realm of Fire from within the Realm of Water. I can easily lead Felix there and introduce him to the... uh, Elemental, as Alice has named them. We can ask the Elemental if such a portal is possible."

 Chapter 10: The Realm of Fire

    It was a mere day before Brigid allowed them to leave again. For some reason, Astrid did not have any work for her two servants. Shane carried Felix to the workshop campus, and while Felix was inspecting the latest prototypes, the Green Dragon''s men summoned them both in a panic. Even the Draconic Paladins were agitated. Felix stalked out into the courtyard.


    "What''s this about?" Felix asked.


    A pompous man on a horse trotted up to Felix, wearing a gleaming white uniform with two red armbands. His face was filled with contempt, and suddenly Shane remembered the man. His name was Gero, and he had fought alongside Shane and Brigid in Needlewood, during the Rilnese worker "uprising." Two more Heritage Militia thugs with crossbows marched up alongside the man.


    "My name is Commander Gero," the man said.


    "I know that, idiot."


    "Friend Paladin, I have been sent by Supreme Commander Albrecht to investigate this compound. We will not tolerate any insult, nor will we tolerate any violence."


    "Albrecht the Oathbreaker," Felix said. Then, without preamble, Felix lunged forward and grabbed Gero by the leg. With inhuman speed, no doubt using the full power of Astrid''s blessing, Felix ripped the man from the saddle and slammed him into the ground so hard that his head exploded in a cone of reddish-pink gore.


    Shane froze in astonishment. The horse screamed and fled, slamming into one of the two men so hard that he collapsed. Then the horse trampled the poor soul, with one heavy hoof smashing through the man''s teeth and crushing his neck. He made no sound. The final man made one feeble attempt to raise his crossbow, but he was quickly disarmed with a high kick to the chest. The weapon was turned on him as he scrambled in retreat. The bolt struck him in the eye so hard that his other eyeball popped out of its socket, spraying red mist as it flew vertically into the air.


    Remarkably, Felix did not have any blood on his hands, nor were his clothes stained. The sound of clapping sucked Shane out of his shock. The Green Dragon approached the corpses in the center of the courtyard. His face was merry. "Well struck Felix!" King Cyneric cried. "Well struck!"


    "Oh how horrible!" Alice shrieked. She averted her eyes.


    "King Cyneric," Felix said. "Do you see those red armbands?"


    "I do."


    "Tell your followers that they should kill anyone that approaches the compound wearing those armbands."


    "And what if they come by stealth?" The King asked.


    "They are blinded by pride," Felix replied.


    "I will inform the Sergeants," Deorwine said. The advisor to the King turned and began shouting orders to the green-haired soldiers.


    "We have dallied long enough, Shane. Go ahead and use that foul sorcery of yours to take us to the Realms."


    "As you say, let us be off." Shane reached out and established a connection to the Realm of Lightning. Then, he expanded the connection into an opening, a tear in reality that manifested in the courtyard as a foggy surface with a rim made from pale-gold light. The fog began to undulate with golden light, and then the fog cleared, revealing a space beyond, a space outside of the world. A desert world, with a sky as black as night, filled with stars. He grabbed Felix by one arm and shifted through to the other side.


    <hr>


    The blue-haired man used his foul sorcery to open a portal to some strange desert place. Then, without warning, Felix found himself on the other side. The portal vanished, and Felix was trapped.


    "I did not give you permission to trap us here," Felix growled.


    "Trust me," Shane replied. "The portal always closes when we are both through."


    Felix let it pass. He was no stranger to being yanked into another world, not after his visit to Flood''s End, and his encounter with that dark mockery of reality that Shane now called the Elemental Plane of Spirits. This world was bright and filled with harsh light. The landscape was unrecognizable. Red stone canyons, stone spires crafted by unfathomable years of erosion, and that solid black sky, filled with stars, bright as tiny suns.


    And then Felix saw the white lines.


    It was like a box. A box that had been crushed slightly inward, as if the square at the top of the box was slightly smaller than the square at the base. The lines were made of white light, faint but still visible, and the surfaces of the box wobbled and reflected light in strange ways, as if the space outside the box was just an illusion. In the dark sky, a huge moon was racing toward them. Fast. Very, very fast.


    "Oh! Just in time!" Shane said. "Hurry Felix! Cover your eyes, or you will go blind!" The funny little man stuffed his entire face into the crook of his elbow.


    Felix wanted to defy this order, but he was quickly dispossessed of this notion when he saw the opening act of what was to come. Thousands, no millions of bolts of lighting struck the desert floor, originating from that too-fast moon as it scraped the atmosphere. Felix used Astrid''s blessing to compensate for his lack of faith in Shane''s words, quickly stuffing his face into his elbow just as the other man did. They sprawled out flat on the ground waiting for the lightning to end.


    Then Felix remembered that lightning was always paired with thunder. Millions of bolts of lightning should have permanently destroyed his ears. And then he saw a shimmer, a familiar, teal, bubble-like shimmer surrounding them both. In that moment he realized Shane had saved their hearing with wind magic.


    "Maybe your sorcery can sometimes be useful," Felix growled.


    The space outside the box was steamy. The dark sky was no longer visible. Whatever lakes existed on this desert world had been boiled away by the lightning storm. Remarkably, the space inside the clear box appeared to be completely unaffected by the lightning.


    Shane led Felix toward a canyon lined with tooth-like spires of stone. The rock was all layers of white and red and yellow. There was a stone archway that spanned the canyon, leading to a cave cut into the cliff face on the opposite side. Felix felt uneasy crossing the archway, though he was following Shane, and it would be difficult for the man to betray him without using his foul sorcery.


    The interior of the cave was dark, but lit by a curious type of glowing teal mushroom that grew on the ceiling. After some time walking in the dim light, they came upon an opening into a deep hole, leading up into an open black sky. There was a spiral ledge that wound up the hole, leading to a courtyard surrounded by red stone. The ground was made from tiles of various shades of blue, teal, white, and indigo, arranged into intricate, never-repeating patterns. In the center of the courtyard, floating above a pool of clear water, was a woman.


    At least, it had the shape of a woman.


    She was made from swirls of dark and light gray clouds. The occasional flash of lightning raced across her skin. And while she was shaped like a nude woman, the features of her body were indistinct. Even her face was only barely recognizable as human. When she spoke, her lips did not move, and instead Felix heard her voice in his head.


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    Shane, I recognize your face. I remember your name. You have brought an apprentice. I see that you are a master now. This apprenticeship is afforded to you. But I also see that you do not fully understand the nature of this place. As a master, this knowledge is also afforded to you. And your apprentice, he has knowledge that he should not have. You have both been to the other side, to the Domain of the Queen of Spirits. The Elemental Plane of Spirits.


    Her voice was not smooth at all. It sounded as if a person had taken the sound of a spark and crafted an instrument capable of making a variety of such spark-like sounds. Then, they used such an instrument to play sequences of sound which resembled a voice.


    This Realm of Lightning is the interstice between the Elemental Plane of Lightning and the Elemental Plane of Dreams. This interstice was created by Ingrid of House Veronika, the Ghost of Taisia, the Lady Ghost of the ancient tales, using the power of the Second-Born High Daughter, Titania the Luck Elemental.


    Titania, Felix thought. The name struck him like a bolt of lightning. Old memories bubbled up. Dark memories.


    Your Elemental Plane, the Plane of Dreams, is very close to the Plane of Spirits. You have access to an enormous amount of spiritual energy. As does your apprentice. Felix of Quaria. I shall feed upon your spiritual energy, and you shall have access to a connection to this place, a connection which will grant you power. Do you accept?


    "Sounds good to me," Felix replied. But his mind was elsewhere.


    It is done. Leave this place, Shane the Doomsayer. Your labors are not yet complete.


    "Thank you!" Shane said. "Thank you, for this secret knowledge. I shall guard it well." A second portal opened, and then they were back in the city of Black River, in the workshop compound of the Green Dragon.


    <hr>


    The interstice with the Elemental Plane of Wind was similar in that it was surrounded by a box of white lines and shimmering, window-like planes. Felix stood upon sand. Deep, rolling dunes of sand stretched out in every direction. The wind outside the interstice seemed to change direction at random, blowing the sand into new formations. There was an ocean on the horizon, however the ocean was above them, and inverted. At the edge of this inverted ocean, there was a wall of waterfalls that flowed up into the sky.


    Shane led them both to a dusty crag where the wind was fierce. There was a being made of wispy teal light, feminine, nude but indistinct. Felix recognized that female form.


    I have no words to say that have not already been spoken. Her voice was a hiss, like the wind through a canyon. Felix of Quaria, I shall feed upon your spiritual energy, and you shall have my power. Do you accept?


    "Yeah. Let''s get out of here."


    The real question was that of the Realm of Water. Shane was uncertain as he opened the portal and led them through. In every direction there were rolling waves as tall as buildings. Far below the waves, the sand beneath the ocean was not sand, but a maze-like pattern of sand and deep darkness. Islands dotted the horizon, each one crowned with an impossibly tall wooden tower, from which a red pennant was suspended in the ocean breeze.


    Walking upon a frozen surface that Shane created with his sorcery, they came upon a floating iceberg, and then they traversed the slippery floor of an ice cavern within. Down they went, through ornate rooms filled with icicles that looked like the fangs of some beast. At the base of the iceberg, in a room surrounded by thin ice that betrayed the dark blue ocean beyond, they found the Water Elemental.


    Words have been spoken to you, but I have more. I know what you seek. But I also offer my power to Felix of Quaria. It is known to me that you do not seek my power, but the arrival of your kind, those marked by Titania for special treatment, compel me to provide more knowledge.


    She sounded as if a babbling brook had adopted a human voice. Felix scratched his head. "I, accept your knowledge?"


    Imagine that you are flying at great speed. The wind crosses the surfaces of your craft with such force that mortal strength fails you. How can you remedy this?


    "You promised knowledge, not a question."


    Imagine that you are flying at great speed...


    "Fine! I get it. You need some mechanical help. Maybe an additional engine that amplifies muscle movements to make them strong enough to move the surfaces of a craft at speed. Does that satisfy you?"


    I have been instructed to inform you that I can help with such mechanical amplification. What I offer...


    "I accept," Felix interrupted. "Shane, ask your question."


    I cannot help you create a portal to the interstice with the Plane of Fire. Only a High Daughter of the Queen of Fire can create such a portal. There is an interstice between the Elemental Plane of Fire and the Elemental Plane of Spirits. If you travel to the other side, and if you have a High Daughter of Spirit, then you will be able to find this interstice and enter without aid. I have spoken, and your question is answered. Felix has my power. It is time for you to go about your labors.


    When Felix returned to the workshop campus, he felt the unmistakable feeling of a rope around his neck, tugging him toward the Purple Dragon.


    <hr>


    "You have been busy!" Astrid said as they approached the purple spire.


    "You are invited to kneel," Brigid growled.


    Remarkably, the hulking Quarian man was the first to kneel. Shane felt a bit slow as he dropped to one knee. Staring at the shining purple crystals at his feet, cast in a rainbow sheen, he felt ashamed of that slowness.


    "My servants, I am proud of you. What servants would you be, if you did not think of my own comfort and grace? I have read the pattern of your thoughts. In your desire to be better servants, you wish to redeem your incapacity to provide adequate and safe transportation for myself and my sister. But did you come to me, begging on your hands and knees for help? No. Dear servants, your industriousness and tact in this matter has earned my thanks."


    Brigid gasped.


    "Dear Shane, speak now of what you desire."


    "Almighty Dragon," Shane said. There was no use sugar-coating what he was going to ask for. She already knew exactly what his argument would be. Before they ventured out of the city to return to the purple spire, Shane had concocted a plan. Why not appeal to Astrid''s hunger for luxury? An aircraft, with paisley wallpaper and cushioned chairs, with stewardesses that served the finest wine, would be a great boon to the Purple Dragon. And what would power such a device? Power siphoned from the Elemental Plane of Fire.


    Elvira and Brigid could both create portals to the other side, and Shane suspected that between them they had access to a High Daughter.


    "Oh don''t bother asking," Astrid said, waving her hand dismissively. "I will grant your request. You wish to visit the interstice with the Plane of Fire. And this shall be granted, on one condition."


    "We accept any and all conditions," Shane said.


    "Dress warm. Very, very warm. Fur coats, fur gloves, everything. The constructs in the spire will furnish whatever clothing you need. Brigid will lead you to the interstice." With that word, Astrid ascended the spiral steps and said no more.


    By the time Shane had finished dressing in the heavy fur armor, gloves, and boots furnished by the animated armor, he was so hot that he was certain he would fall over with exhaustion. Without ceremony Brigid took them to the Elemental Plane of Spirit, where Elvira was waiting in the center of the spire foyer. She led them outside.


    "Third High-Daughter of the Queen of Spirits," Elvira said, "show yourself!"


    Without a command Shane fell prostrate on the ground. The being that appeared was no less than twenty feet tall. A nude woman made of dull magenta light loomed overhead. Her impassive face regarded the party with a vast indifference. Shane only saw a flash of the creature before he decided to see nothing but the purple crystal below his feet.


    "High Daughter! I Wish that these two could be in the interstice with the Elemental Plane of Fire!"


    And then they were. And it was cold.


    Suddenly Shane was very happy to be dressed in fur armor. The frigid wind blasted his exposed face. He had never been to the Realm of Fire, but with a quick glance around he became very confused. Snow, ice, and cold were all associated with the Realm of Water. Water Mages of a sufficiently high rank could use Frost Magic, a deadly affliction associated with necromancy.


    The sky was a grayish purple, and the snow fell in heavy waves upon the clear surface of the interstice "box." Far off, Shane could see forests of snow-clad trees, the debris of avalanches, frozen lakes, and tall black peaks. Further still, massive snake-like dragons of pure fire roamed the skies, and volcanoes the size of planets spewed oceans of lava into the sky.


    "I do not know where to go," Shane admitted.


    "Over there," Felix said, pointing to a forest consumed by flames. "I guess the Fire Elemental here wants something to burn."


    Felix was right.


    The Fire Elemental also looked like a nude woman made of pure flames, her body smooth and almost featureless except for small pieces of wrought iron armor on her shoulders. She had horns like a dragon.


    Felix of Quaria, your name is known to me.


    Her voice sounded a bit like a forest fire, crackling and windy.


    Your soul is marked by Titania for special treatment. I have a message for you. Imagine a snake made of metal, with countless wings, that is coiled so tight that the wings become a spiral. As the snake spins, the spiral sucks in air, and that air becomes dense. Then, as the air reaches the terminus, it becomes ignited with fire. Now imagine this snake is perfectly encased within a housing of metal, such that no metal melts, and the spiral is so balanced, that it can spin at a great speed without wobble. With this image in mind, I offer you my power, in exchange for your spiritual energy.


    Remarkably, Felix said nothing. His face was filled with a determined understanding. Then, calmly, he said: "I understand, and I accept."


    Shane the Doomsayer, I offer the same deal to you. It would be unwise to refuse.


    "I accept," Shane said.


    "Enough words," Felix said. "Time to go practice."

 Prelude: Nine Years Ago

    The city of Quaria overlooked the floodplains of the Sorrow River. Distant storm clouds darkened the yellowish pea-green sky, but the afternoon sun cast a golden reflection off the snake-like river. The ancient city, made from smooth adobe buildings in tiers, was remarkably quiet. A storm was coming, the market was empty, and the only people in the streets wore heavy straw cloaks.


    Felix walked with his chest puffed out and his head held high. His slick black uniform seemed to absorb light. The crest of the Red Dragon shone like the sun on his breast. What few people wandered the streets deferred to him. Some bowed. None waved to him or acted with familiarity, even though he knew they recognized him.


    The threshold to his father''s cottage was hidden behind fine brownish-red drapes. Darkness resided within. Felix walked into the familiar abode and made his way to the kitchen. Unexpectedly, his mother was not there, in spite of the smell of cooking meat. He stalked his old bedroom, and even ventured to the room where his parents slept. Every room was empty.


    "Hello Felix." It was his father, Albrecht. The older man stood in the threshold of the doorway to the cellar.


    "Hello father," Felix replied. "Where is mother?"


    "Below," his father said.


    Felix shoved past his father into the doorway to the cellar stairs. Barrels of ale had been pushed to one side, blocking access to the racks of glass jars which Mother always used to pickle vegetables. The center of the cellar had been cleared out, and there on the cobblestone floor there was a symbol, a bit like the skull of some horned beast, painted on the floor in blood. Felix heard the door to the cellar click closed behind him. His mother stood near the far wall, holding an open black book with both of her hands. Her red eyes seemed to glow in the light of countless candles, and her curly red hair was hidden under a black hood.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Felix asked.


    "You have sworn your oaths," his mother replied. Her voice was tinged with condescension, like a mother scolding a child. "Your father has forbidden you. He bade you stay in the city with me. You defied him, yes, but all is not lost. I can save you."


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    "Speak plainly," Felix snapped. "What is this blood on the floor? Who does it belong to?"


    "Your father killed a man. The body is gone now. A sacrifice is required to summon her." She closed her eyes and began praying. When she began to speak her voice was uncertain, filled with grief. "Ashe! Queen of Perfect Darkness, I summon you! I offer you my son''s soul!"


    Felix scratched his head. Has she succumbed to madness? He wondered.


    Shadows began to form in the center of the bloody mess on the cellar floor, reaching upward like disturbed sand at the bottom of a pond. The shadows began to coalesce into an enormous figure. The roof of the cellar was at least twelve feet above, but the feminine figure that formed in the center of the cellar was at least eight feet tall. She wore the cracked skull of a great horned beast on her head, and it covered one eye and one cheek. She wore a white dress, her hair was straight and raven-dark, her skin was the color of snow, and her single visible eye was brilliant red and it seemed to glow with its own inner light.


    In that lone eye Felix could see suffering, darkness, pain, hope, faith, forgiveness, light, ashes, and war. The whole of the human heart was there in her gaze.


    Suddenly Felix felt an overwhelming fear. His mother wanted to sacrifice his soul, and whatever name she had invoked, this thing had responded. His fear paralyzed him.


    "You cannot offer me your son," the huge woman said. Her voice was tinged with annoyance, and while she did not sound elderly, there was a certain age to her tone, to her inflections.


    "I beg you!" his mother replied. "Great one! Please save him from his oath! We were going to teach him to worship you. He ran off to chase this foolish dream of flying."


    "Obviously, you idiot," the huge creature replied. "His soul has been claimed by Titania." With that final word, the huge woman dissolved into pure shadows, and then she was gone from the cellar. The shadows that she cast on the walls of the cellar lingered for a moment, before they became lighter and lighter and then finally they were gone as well.


    Felix glared at his mother. "I have know idea what you were really trying to do just now," he said, "but that thing you summoned bothers me. This is not how I expected our reunion to go." He pointed to the blood on the floor. "I am going to go fetch the constabulary to investigate this murder. They will take father away."


    "They will not investigate," his mother said. Tears were streaming down her face, mixing with her dark cosmetics and leaving long black streaks as they fell. "Your father was the one who selected them all. They are all like us. They worship our god."


    Felix turned to leave.


    "Ashe," his mother sobbed. "Ashe, what have we done to displease you? Why have you forsaken my family?"

 Chapter 11: Connections

    Shane did not know how to establish a connection to open another portal. However, he did not need to. Felix and himself were both yanked back into the Plane of Spirits by some unseen force. Elvira stood upon a precipice overlooking the three mounds of Black River, but no city could be found under that sunless magenta sky. Her curly purple hair and silvery robes were tinged with dull gold. The High Daughter, a twenty-foot monster of an Elemental, loomed nearby, her face impassive.


    "Thank you," Elvira said. She waved her hand, and the Elemental vanished.


    "You are invited to return," Brigid said. She was standing behind them, with the purple crystal spire towering beyond. She created a portal to the other side, but Shane felt nothing. No sorcery, no connections. When they reached the other side, Brigid said: "You have need of instruction in sorcery, which I will furnish when I return. Wait here."


    When Brigid returned she was flanked by two animated armor constructs. One carried a tall bronze rod with a tripod at one end and a goblet at the other end. The second carried two containers of some bright blue liquid. Together they set the goblet upright and filled it with the strange liquid.


    "The fastest way to learn how to connect to one of the Realms is to do so while already connected. By far the easiest way to coerce a Fire Elemental to establish the connection on your behalf is to give it something it likes." Brigid pointed to the goblet. "It turns out that Fire Elementals really, really like kerosene."


    What the hell is kerosene? Shane wondered.


    "Shane, you are more attuned to using sorcery already. Prepare to establish a connection, prepare to sacrifice some of your spiritual energy, and then think to yourself that this liquid should catch fire, that it should be consumed."


    It was not how his old master would have taught sorcery. Then again, Shane''s old master was not able to establish connections to the Realm of Fire. He looked at the strange blue liquid, and then said: "Daughter of Fire! This liquid should be consumed with flame!"


    That did the trick. The goblet burst into flames, and Shane felt the unmistakable feeling of a connection being opened. He felt something being siphoned from him. His spiritual energy was being drained away slowly. And then, for the first time ever as a sorcerer, he heard the voice of an Elemental at the other end of the connection. BURN, she said. Her voice was a torrent of crackling flame. CONSUME! CONSUME!


    Shane made note of the feeling. The direction of the connection, in the space that most people could not experience, the space of sorcery. Like describing color to a blind person, this feeling would be difficult to describe to Felix. He turned away, and let the goblet of kerosene burn. Then he established a new connection to the Realm of Fire, and cast flames high into the air. A feather-like plume of flames, as tall as a High Daughter, shot out into the sky.


    "That was correct," Brigid said. "I will leave Felix to you then." She retired into the spire and said no more.


    Shane created a barrier using wind sorcery, preventing new air from entering the goblet. The flame quickly died out. Then, he established a connection to the Realm of Water, and used ice magic to cool the liquid and the surface of the goblet. "You try it," he said. "Tell the Elemental that you want to burn the liquid here."


    Felix looked determined. "Daughter of Fire!" he repeated, in a harsh bark that could be heard from across a battlefield. "Consume it! Burn it!"


    Remarkably, the liquid in the goblet caught fire. Felix, who no doubt experienced a connection for the first time, reeled back as if struck. He quickly recovered, and his eyes narrowed. "Why don''t we try that again?" Shane asked. He repeated the procedure to put out the flame and cool the liquid. The construct, still standing faithfully nearby, topped off the goblet with more of the strange blue liquid.


    Again and Felix lit the flame, and again Shane put it out. Over and over. Felix seemed to be more bewildered with the experience with each new attempt. "I have been working with you for a while," Shane said, "but you have said very little about yourself."


    "What is there to say?" Felix growled.


    He was an enormous beast of a man. Not as tall as the Purple Dragon, but still imposing. Made almost entirely from pure muscle, he always walked, talked, and stood like a soldier. Now, his face was contorted with focus.


    "Why did you join the Paladins?" Shane asked.


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    "My father was a Paladin. He broke his oath and founded his own army of mobsters. I wanted to do something to redeem my family. Also, I wanted to fly."


    "And they let you in?"


    "Yeah. I was surprised as well. Me and Neasa were the only people accepted that year, out of hundreds of applicants. Neasa is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Even though she is highly qualified, her family likely bribed the Lord Paladin somehow." He gripped his hand into a fist and lit the goblet on fire with just his mind. "I do not know why I was chosen. My family was disgraced."


    "Keep your enemies close," Shane said, as he quelled the flame.


    Felix nodded. "That is plausible. Anyway, my mother tried to sacrifice my soul to Ashe. I think both of my parents worship that thing."


    Shane was astonished at this remark. "And, that violence the other day. When you killed that Heritage Militia commander?"


    "I think I am beginning to piece it together," Felix said. "Why the Purple Dragon chose me and you. What this is all about."


    "Have you asked Astrid?"


    "What''s the point? She knows everything that I think. If she wanted to bring it up, she would." The goblet burst alight once more.


    "So what have you surmised?" Shane suffocated the flame.


    "Words, so many strange words. You were asking why I killed that man. The answer is simple. My father does not want me to fly. Some creature called Titania is to blame. Some enemy of Ashe maybe. I have no idea. Either way, my father sent those men to destroy the prototype. So I killed them."


    "I remember when we went to the realms the Elementals mentioned Titania by name," Shane said. "We should ask Alice."


    "Yeah. I think I understand." He punched the air with his fist, and then a plume of flame shot out into the sky. "This ''spiritual energy'' thing the Elementals were talking about. I think I should be able to feed the thing without help from this liquid."


    "Then we should start working on the other two elements. We can start with the Realm of Wind."


    Shane began to repeat the instructions that he had learned as an apprentice, the basic invocations and phrases that would aid in connecting to the Realm of Wind. Felix began to repeat them, but it did not help. Shane would have felt a connection from the man if he had succeeded, but he felt... nothing.


    "I told you about myself," Felix said. "Your turn."


    "Sure. I was born in Needlewood. Both of my parents were Rilnese workers. My mother always told me, over and over again, that I was the Chosen One. I was the first Rilnese person born north of the border in history. I was going to lead the armies of the Blue Dragon to glory in exterminating the evil red-bloods."


    Felix muttered something to himself, no doubt trying to connect to the Realm of Wind.


    "I believed all of it. I really wanted to be the Chosen One that they said I would be. They smuggled me south across the border, to a small monastery in the mountains. I was trained in sorcery by powerful Draconic Paladins from Riln, servants of the Blue Dragon himself. I was a child then, maybe seven years old. I remember the whitish-yellow rocks, pocked from erosion. I remember the roosters at dawn, I remember the stars at night, I remember the windows that were open to the air, and I remember the bells. The bells! They would ring every hour.


    "Every morning they would take me to the chapel to pray to the Blue Dragon. I was very good at praying, and I loved the Blue Dragon very much. After the masters had taught me what I needed to know about sorcery, they smuggled me back north across the border to await my command as the leader of the Blue Dragon''s armies. But something went wrong."


    "Titania," Felix said.


    Shane nodded. "Probably. I became acutely aware of the changes that were made to my soul. At fist, I was obsessed with flying. I would use my storm sorcery to fly whenever I could. I told my mother about my dream of flight and she became concerned. Then both my father and my mother abandoned me and fled across the border. I was alone in the north, an orphan more or less, but my sorcery helped me take care of myself. It was very easy to steal from the wealthy. I am certain that I read every rare book in the Viscount''s library. I snuck into the finest wardrobes and stole clothes. I paid the local thieves guild protection money.


    "I remember that I would go out of the city at night into the forest and I would just fly. I would skim the ground, just a few feet above the roots, and I would roam for hours and hours. I had no sense of time, only the illumination of my lightning magic reflecting off a few dark tree trunks ahead. One night I happened upon a Quarian family. They were lost and they had run out of water. I summoned some water and I am certain I saved their lives. Then I carried them back to the city with my storm sorcery.


    "It took months of research to discover what had happened to my soul. But there are tools, imported from far away lands, contraband on this continent. I was able to gain access to them through some local connections. I offered passage to the Realm of Water, Lighting, and Wind. In return, I was given information, and access to these contraband tools. I discovered that I was not the Chosen One, that my body was the Chosen One. I would be destroyed, and my body would be reanimated with necromancy. I would indeed lead armies, undead armies, as an undead abomination. I was going to help the Blue Dragon with his long-planned genocide of your people.


    "Then, I became the man you know. The Doomsayer. I stood in the town square in Needlewood and I used my wind magic to amplify my voice. People across the city could hear me. The Heritage Militia were unlikely allies. They defended me from the local constabulary. They did not like me, but ultimately they liked what I was saying. It helped them with their own goals, whatever they were at the time. Perhaps if your father had been in the city, things would have been different."


    Felix sucked in, as if he was about to shout. Then Shane felt an unmistakable connection to the Realm of Wind. With a voice amplified by magic, Felix screamed: "I am not an oathbreaker!" The force of his voice nearly knocked Shane to the ground. The magic subsided, and Felix smiled. "I am beginning to think I understand how to make these connections."

 Chapter 12: The Geomancer

    The snowfields of the Realm of Fire, framed by crimson light, appeared in the center of the workshop compound. With a brief flash of light the last of the Draconic Paladins appeared alongside Shane. They had set up the strange goblet in the center of the yard, surrounded by glass jars filled with blue liquid. Neasa stood in front of the goblet with one hand outstretched. Her long red hair was tied up in a braided bun and she wore a pair of shaded spectacles.


    The goblet burst into flames. Neasa placed an inverted pot over the goblet to quench the flames.


    "I think I am beginning to understand," she said.


    "It is not too difficult after all," Felix replied. "The hard part is getting to one of the Realms. There are guilds, big groups of mobsters really, with tight monopolies."


    Shane joined the group of Paladins gathered around Neasa. He must have caught the tail-end of the conversation, because he added: "Sorcerers can detect connections to their own Realm at a distance, depending on how much power is being drawn through. It is difficult to hide from the guilds."


    "When you are able to establish a connection to all three Realms, you just pull power through all three until you get the familiar feeling of being a drake." Felix raised one hand and shot a plume of crimson flame straight up into the air. The Paladins recoiled from the light and the heat.


    Deorwine approached Felix from the edge of the yard, followed by a Quarian military geomancer named Cliona. The green-haired man was wearing his signature shaggy brown robes, and the geomancer''s feminine form was shrouded in dark gray robes, ornamented with thick crimson bands.


    "There has been a development," Deorwine said. "Good news, and..." he trailed off, nodding toward Cliona.


    "Something that disturbs me," the geomancer said in a soft voice.


    "I will leave the instruction to you Shane," Felix said.


    "Why me? These are your subordinates. Have I not done enough?"


    Felix ignored the comment and left the yard, following Cliona. She led him down a stairway into a stone chamber devoid of tables or tools. Wooden torches at the corners illuminated the room, and the ground was littered with hundreds of metal ingots of various colors and luster. In the center of the room there was a shapeless lump of metal. Felix estimated that it could be some type of engine.


    The geomancer dropped to her knees and began fiddling with the device. She slipped the cowl off, and then split the case in half, revealing a long shaft of shining metal with countless fan blades around it. She held the shaft up to him. Felix could not guess at the material that was used to craft the thing.


    Cliona slipped the shaft back into the case, where it slotted neatly between metal ridges. She gave it a spin. The blades on the shaft appeared to be scraping the ridges of the case, but it made no sound. Felix dropped to his knees to get a better look. The blades were not scraping the sides, but they were very, very close.


    "Not anything like the shape that you described," Deorwine said. "A coiled snake with wings."


    "Does it work?" Felix asked.


    "Yes," Cliona said. She ran her finger just above the strange shaft with blades. "Air passes through each set of blades and becomes crushed by the blades." Her finger stopped at a large gap between two sets of blades. "Then, you can summon flames here in this chamber, and the air will ignite."


    "So if it works, what is the problem?" Felix asked.


    The woman removed the hood that shrouded her face. "Felix, I do not know how to say this. It is very difficult to explain. I know I risk sounding insane, but since I was a child, I have been training in the Realm of Stone and the Realm of Metal. I have never, ever had anything like this happen before."


    Her blood-red eyes looked straight at Felix.


    "The magic wants to make this shape."


    "Ridiculous," Deorwine said.


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    "Is that all?" Felix asked. The woman looked confused by this question. "If it works, it works. There is nothing to be gained from dwelling on such details."


    "Friend Paladin, you don''t understand," the geomancer said. Her soft voice was a bit louder and her face was filled with determination. "This overturns my entire field of study. Centuries of research, generations of geomancers. Nobody will believe me. If any of the other geomancers in the military find out about this, I will be branded as a charlatan. They might even dismiss me!"


    "Hold on soldier. I will make arrangements with the Lord Paladin. From now on, a few geomancers will be permanently stationed within the Draconic Paladins. Now, about this small matter with the magic wanting to make this specific shape. Can you take me to the Realm of Metal?"


    She reeled back from this question. "Felix, there is no command that you could give me, there is no threat that you could make to my person, that would cause me to betray my oaths to my guild."


    Felix nodded. "Reasonable. And what are those oaths?"


    Her face betrayed a sudden realization. "You want me to take you there, without making a deal?"


    "If it does not break your oath, then why not? I would speak to the Elemental. She will be able to tell us why she likes this shape. Deorwine, you can be my witness."


    "As you wish," Deorwine rasped.


    "With Deorwine as my witness, I promise that I will not accept the power offered by the Elemental in the Realm of Metal. I am a Paladin, and you can trust my promise."


    She seemed to consider this for a long moment. Then she said, "Fine. We can go together." She pointed to Deorwine. "Please leave the chamber, and lock the door."


    Felix had grown accustomed to portals. This one was rimmed with a grayish-purple light, and the center of the portal revealed a reddish landscape with silver rivers. With a silvery flash of light Cliona carried them both to the other side. All around Felix the roadway was made from black metal, polished to such a shine that he could see his reflection clearly. Beyond the edge of the metal roadway there was a marsh, filled with tall grasses and water. At the end of the road, there was a city made from sheer, glassy buildings that towered to impossible heights.


    But these marvels seemed insignificant a moment later when Felix looked up. He turned, and marched toward the edge of the glassy road, where it ended in an abrupt edge.


    "Don''t go over there!" Cliona protested. "It''s not safe!"


    Felix realized, by peering slowly over the edge of the flat structure, that he was very, very high in the sky. Higher even than the Teeth of the Red Dragon. Tens of thousands of feet up above the ground. And that ground was a dull, rusty red color, banded with white and yellow streaks. Enormous mountains jutted up into billowing white clouds, and the rivers, lakes, and oceans of this strange world were all made from a mercurial silver metal.


    And then there were the giants.


    Half as tall as the Teeth of the Red Dragon, at least fifteen-thousand feet in height, the humanoid creatures were made of the same mercurial metal as the rivers and oceans. They roamed about their landscape lethargically, though some of them suddenly burst into an unprovoked sprint, leaving clouds behind their blade-like feet.


    Finally, there was no sky.


    Speechless, Felix followed the gentle curve of the land as it became vertical, arched overhead, and formed the "roof" of the world. He realized that this world was shaped like the inside of a barrel, with the landscape carefully fixed to the inner surface. Far away, the barrel was open to a dark sky at one end. A single purple-gray moon dominated that dark sky.


    "Felix!" Cliona cried. "Felix, listen, you are too close to the edge. If you faint you will fall off and die!"


    "Good point," Felix said. He turned on his heel and began to march back down the mirror-like road toward the impossible city.


    Cliona led Felix, once again, down. Deep down, through ancient, abandoned dwellings. Down to the space below the platform, a space made from the same mirror-like black metal, a space shaped like an inverted pyramid. Standing on a platform in the center of the pyramid-like volume, there was a smaller version of that mercurial creature seen on the outside. Like every other Elemental that Felix had seen, she had a feminine form.


    This is unexpected, the Elemental said in his mind. Her voice was a high-pitched screech that was somewhat uncomfortable.


    "Hey, Elemental. I''m not here to make a deal."


    I am aware of this fact. A strange promise to make, but not one that is forbidden.


    "My companion here has noticed something out of place."


    "I desired to make a shape," the geomancer said. "It is a metal shaft, with many blades. As much as I tried, I could not deviate from the shape that was given."


    It is a good shape, the Elemental replied.


    "Have you made this shape before?" Cliona asked.


    Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times, my kind have been summoned to craft this shape.


    "When?"


    In the many moons when Ashe, the Queen of Darkness, was sealed away. This time your kind has named the Binding of Ashe.


    "Can you make other shapes from that time?" Cliona asked. Her voice and her face were both filled with hope.


    I have been forbidden.


    "By who?" Cliona asked.


    "You have your answer," Felix said. She ignored him.


    By Vaska, the one you have named Consort Eternal. This shape, along with a few other similar shapes, was afforded to me. Other shapes are forbidden. This precedent was set by Ashe, the Elemental Queen of Darkness, as part of her eternal accord with Ingrid and Vaska. Together, they released Ashe from her bindings and thus they alone were rewarded with such extraordinary exceptions.


    "Exceptions to what?" Cliona asked.


    I have said all that I am allowed to say. Return to the Elemental Plane of Dreams, ask the priests there for guidance.


    Felix slowly turned to face Cliona. Her face was frozen in shock.


    "We should leave," Felix said.

 Chapter 13: Demonstration

    The Lord Paladin stood beside Felix on the one grassy mound in Black River that had not yet been consumed by the industrial sprawl. The latest prototype, produced by the Elder Books Aviation Club, was resting on the grass just ahead. It now sported a new engine, designed as a hybrid, combining the fan-shaft with the propeller of a steam engine, connected by an independent shaft that spun in the opposite direction. There were new struts extending down from the belly of the craft, ending in small wooden wheels carefully wrapped in layers of cloth.


    All of the Draconic Paladins, the Green Dragon, and even the Purple Dragon and her bodyguard were all in attendance. Shane had not been invited, for fear of inciting violence from the Heritage Militia. There was a narrow gap on the grassy field where nobody dared to stand. Beyond this gap, another large group of people loitered about a massive boat-shaped craft with an oversized rudder. It had been constructed by the All-Island Flying Machine Society. A steam engine had been placed on the ground near the massive craft, with a shaft connected to the nose of the craft, which sported an oversized propeller.


    Albrecht the Oathbreaker rode on the back of a mighty horse around the massive craft, regarding it. "I would trust my life to such a craft," he said. "Let us be done with this foolishness. I propose that those other upstarts be sent away."


    The highest-ranking General Officers of the six armies were arrayed nearby. A few of them nodded at Albrecht''s words, but the rest remained impassive. Dozens of soldiers stood at attention. Mechanics and engineers were busy fiddling with bolts and cables. A single soldier wore a leather cap with goggles. He saluted the generals, then climbed, with great ceremony, into the seat of the craft.


    With a mighty hiss and a pop, followed by repeated chugging sounds, the steam engine burst to life. The shaft connected to the craft began to spin rapidly, and with it, the propeller. Slowly at first, but then very rapidly the massive propeller began to spin. The wind blowing back from the thing was so great that several soldiers were knocked down. Felix glanced around uneasily, searching for Alice. She was standing near the back of the Paladins.


    A trio of cables connected the Society craft to a stake in the ground. Soldiers with axes braved the great wind created by the spinning propeller and hacked away at the cable. When the last cable snapped, the craft simultaneously disconnected from the steam engine, perhaps because of some lever pulled by the pilot. The craft lurched forward, and began to pick up speed. Then one of the wheels hit an imperfection on the grassy field, and the craft began to roll to one side. One of the huge cambered wings caught on the grass and the nose rolled forward, smashing the propeller into the ground. There was a massive snapping sound, a scream, and then silence.


    Soldiers ran forward and began to pick through the wrecked craft. Felix walked forward as well to get a better look. Finally he could see the pilot as he was pulled from the twisted wreck. A piece of jagged wood had pierced his eyeball, and his throat was gushing, pulsing streams of blood. Alice screamed.


    "I think it''s over for that fellow," the Lord Paladin said.


    "Our turn," Felix said. "I will be the first to test the craft." He tightened the strap on his leather helmet, then lowered the brass-rimmed glass goggles over his eyes.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" the Lord Paladin asked.


    "If I am wrong, I die. That is the way of this world." Felix approached the wooden craft that his own club had crafted. It sat a bit higher on the struts than the society craft. He needed to use a small ladder to climb inside. The other Paladins helped secure him in the seat using thick leather straps built into the seat itself. As Felix prepared, the Generals made their way across the narrow gap toward the Elder Books Aviation Club. Albrecht trotted around near the wrecked craft, stealing weary glances at the Purple Dragon.


    The ranking General of the Third Army whistled. "Felix my boy. I heard a rumor that you murdered a couple of your father''s men. Is that true?"


    "They should have known better than to bully a Paladin," Felix snapped. "Keep your distance from the craft, especially once the propeller starts moving. Where the hell is Alice?"


    "I''m here!" Alice cried. She approached the craft uneasily. Her long pinkish hair caught in the wind under her padded leather cap.


    Felix turned to the other Paladins. "Get her away from here."


    "Wait!" Alice said. "Let me say a prayer." She dropped to one knee by the craft and joined both her hands together in front of her face. "Lady Ghost, so it was spoken, the warrior fountains shall be our light! The warrior fountains shall be our light! May the Lady Ghost bless you, Felix." A tear rolled down her face. "Please be careful."


    The other Paladins took her away from the craft. A shadow blotted out the sunlight. The Purple Dragon loomed overhead, looking down at him with her eyeless face, from behind that strange steel mask that she wore. The light of the sun glittered through her translucent, silvery-white dress. She leaned down and whispered to Felix: "That is a mistranslation. It was spoken thus, ''the fighter jets will be our light.''" She rested her hand on his cap and patted him like an animal, then she glided off to stand beside King Cyneric.


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    Felix grabbed the stick between his legs with his right hand, and then rested his left hand on the engine throttle. "Clear the propeller!" he bellowed, in his best battlefield voice. Everyone formed into a half-moon behind the craft. Felix reached out and connected to the Realm of Fire, the Ream of Lightning, and the Realm of Wind. He drew upon those powers and blended them, until he felt that familiar sensation, that moment just before releasing a lance of flame from his mouth. A feeling lost, and then regained. He focused it, nourished it deep within that metal chamber.


    The lightning crackled and then the engine began to spin. Gusts of wind from outside the craft slipped through the air intake and buffeted the fan blades within the engine. It began to spin. It began to hiss. Then, it began to howl. Meanwhile the propeller ripped through the air. Felix reached into his pocket and pulled out his ear plugs. He slipped them in. Then he opened the throttle, and pulled back on the stick.


    The craft slowly began to move forward, first at a crawl, then a walk, a jog, a sprint. Felix relaxed his grip on the stick, and the wheel on the tail of the craft left the ground. The tail wing was flying, holding it aloft. The wheels struck imperfections in the grassy hill, tossing the craft side to side, but Felix used the stick to manipulate the little ailerons on the wings to keep the craft from rolling. A touch of rudder kept the craft on a straight line. The engine howled, flames burst from the two exhaust pipes on either side of the engine, spewing crimson flames that trailed over the heat-shielded tops of the wings. It took a dozen tiny inputs to the stick and rudder to keep the craft going straight, but then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the bumping from the rolling wheels stopped, the wings bent slightly up, and the ground gently began to drop away.


    He was above the trees. Then, he was above the wealthy estates, with their immaculate gardens and opulent fountains. The chasm and the river passed below, then the city walls, and then he was out over the forest. The sky was clear, cloudless except for some wispy white trails at an unimaginable height. The Teeth of the Red Dragon, thirty-thousand feet tall, dominated the horizon to the south. The engine was strong. Very strong. Felix was flying up, higher and higher into the sky, at a speed that he would have only ever achieved in a nosedive, had he been shapeshifted into a drake. He slammed the stick to one side, entering into a roll. The nose began to drop, and then ever so slightly drift to the opposite direction of the turn. Still some adverse yaw. He corrected the situation with a slight tug on the stick and a slight kick to the rudder.


    He finished the second leg of his turn, and was parallel to the path he used to depart the grassy field. It was far ahead and below, offset to one side. Felix closed the throttle completely to idle the propeller, though there was no setting that was low enough so that he could hear the wind over the wings. With a tinge of horror, Felix realized that he had absolutely no way of knowing his airspeed. As a drake, the feeling of the wind hitting the wings was a sufficient indication. If he ended up going to slow, he could end up in a stall or a spin. And he did not have wings he could just flap to hover in place to escape those conditions.


    He pointed the nose of the craft down at the field, trading altitude for airspeed. He looked over one shoulder at the ground and attempted to judge his speed from the rate at which his shadow passed over buildings, streets, factories, parks... It was not perfect but it was better than nothing. He fiddled with the throttle to maintain a constant speed as he descended. When he was close to the grassy hill he punched the throttle to full open and leveled off the nose.


    With the nose pointed straight at the horizon, Felix pulled the stick hard to one side, and held it there. The craft flipped over, completely inverted. He could see the dumbstruck faces of the Paladins and the Generals. He kept going, completing a full loop, leaving a twisting helix of crimson flame behind him as he flew.


    His approach to land was less impressive. As he approached the field he realized he was going too fast, so he elected to go around and try again. The second attempt produced the same result. It was on the third attempt that he was slow enough to descend at a decent pace, passing over the trees at a speed that was, to his memory, the same speed he had in the moment that he left the ground. A few feet off the grass he closed the throttle completely and just drifted, jostling about, using the stick and rudder to stay straight, until the ground came up and hit the wheels.


    Paladins sprinted to either side. They threw a cable under the craft, just behind the forward wheel struts. It caught on the single wheel on the tail, and then the two Paladins fell, using their bodies to slow down the craft. They were dragged through the grass and the mud for about a hundred feet. Then the craft stopped.


    Felix pulled himself loose from his harness and climbed out of the craft. He walked around it briefly, checking the condition of the body and the wheels. Everything seemed to be in good condition. He turned to find all the spectators arrayed in a circle around him. They were completely silent. Mouths were hanging open. Eyes were wide with shock. Felix glanced around. He did not see his father anywhere. His horse was gone too.


    "That turned out well," Felix said.


    "Um, Felix," Alice said. She had tears in her eyes. "Felix, why are you glowing?"


    Felix looked down at his feet. There was a sunburst below him, radiating away from his body, made from a crystalline light with a slight rainbow overlay. His entire body seemed to be emitting a small amount of light. It was illuminating the body of the craft, the grass, the people standing in a circle around him.


    He heard a few slow claps. The Purple Dragon was the first to enter the circle. The military brass moved out of her way uneasily. She bent over and began to whisper in his ear once more: "So it was spoken, ''the fighter jets shall be our light.''"

 Chapter 14: Refinements

    A small army of the Green Dragon''s followers escorted the other members of the Elder Books Aviation Club up the many switchbacks leading to the workshop campus. The wings of the craft had been removed, and the body and wings were both stored on a horse-drawn cart. Shane had heard the roar of the engine from within the chasm, so he used his storm sorcery to fly Cliona over the city because she wanted a better view. The craft was just a small dark shape against a pale cyan sky, moving faster than any drake. The flight must have gone well, because Felix was walking tall.


    "It looks like they are returning," Cliona said. The gray-robed geomancer shuffled up beside him as he looked over the railing into the chasm. "As I was saying, it was under the sixteenth guild master that the last of the true geomancers were lost to us. The guild of fire mages in the land of the Gold Dragon secured their long-desired monopoly." Her voice was soft and high-pitched and Shane found it very easy for his mind to wander while she was talking, which was unfortunate because he found the topic very interesting.


    "Are there any good books on this topic?" Shane asked.


    Cliona shook her head under that pile of gray cloth. "Our histories are not in print. In fact, the leadership of the guild would not approve of me telling you about all this."


    Shane said nothing for a moment as he pondered this. Then he said: "You want to go to the Realm of Fire."


    "If it''s not too much trouble, yes."


    "Sure, why not? Just dress in warm clothes. Furs, gloves, snow boots."


    "As you wish," Cliona said. She bowed and shuffled away.


    The gate to the compound creaked open and King Cyneric marched through, followed by Deorwine and Felix. Alice was sitting on the side of the cart with her legs hanging over the side. Shane joined the group as they passed.


    "Astrid did not return with you?" Shane asked.


    Felix did not answer.


    "Felix? FELIX!?"


    The huge Quarian man jolted and then turned to Shane. "Sorry, I am having trouble hearing right now."


    "Did you shield your ears with wind magic?"


    "What?"


    "I warned you to use wind magic to protect your ears!" Shane shouted.


    "I didn''t practice enough," Felix replied.


    King Cyneric retired to his quarters to change into more comfortable clothes, so Deorwine led them to a small kitchenette while they waited. Felix snatched up an apple and sat down in one of the cushioned wooden chairs. Alice walked up behind the man and began to rake her long fingernails through his hair. Felix feigned perfect relaxation even though his arms were covered in goosebumps.


    "Hold still," Alice said. Then she placed her hands over his ears. Shane did not feel any connections, but he saw the unmistakable green-gold light of sorcery emanating from below her palms.


    "What type of sorcery is that?" Shane asked.


    "I am a cleric of the Lady Ghost. This sorcery combines the Realm of Light and the Realm of Life. It can be used to cure minor wounds and ailments."


    "Combat medics are always some type of cleric," Felix said. He tapped one finger to his ear. "It''s getting better."


    "There you are," a soft feminine voice said from the doorway to the kitchenette. Cliona stood in the doorway, dressed in thick fur coats. "I am ready to leave, if it pleases you."


    Felix looked at her suspiciously but said nothing.


    "Do you need me to go with you?" Shane asked. She shook her head. In response, Shane stood and opened a portal right in the middle of the kitchenette. Cliona must have known how to use it, because she touched the portal and then vanished in a flash of red-orange light.


    "So now that you can hear me, I will ask you again. Where is Astrid?"


    "Probably dining at some fancy restaurant," Felix said, his mouth filled with bits of half-chewed apple. "She told me the craft still needs ''refinements,'' so she sent me away."


    Eventually Deorwine led them to a room filled with easel-like stations. Dozens of engineers stood at the stations, drawing diagrams on huge sheets of paper with black pencils. King Cyneric stood in one corner, by an empty station.


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    "So, how can we improve the design?" the Green Dragon asked.


    Everyone turned to Felix.


    "I think the biggest problem is that there is no way of knowing airspeed. Usually when I shapeshift, I can feel the force of the wind on my wings. It took me three full attempts to land because my airspeed was too high and I could not descend." Felix grabbed a pencil from the station and drew a thin, vertical rectangle on the blank page. Then he put some horizontal lines on three places within the rectangle. "These lines would be discovered through testing. The far bottom line is the stall airspeed. The middle line is the upper airspeed limit in bad conditions. The upper line is the airspeed limit in perfect conditions."


    "I surmise that these three speeds are significant when shapeshifted?" Deorwine asked.


    "You can fly faster in perfect conditions," Felix said. "In perfect calm there is less risk of injuring your wing. If the wind is changing directions violently, you risk spraining your wing and maybe losing control. There are histories of Paladins from the early days who flew too fast and then fell to their deaths."


    Deorwine took the pencil and began drawing a long tube with a cone at the end. There was an elbow, and then a vertical pipe ending at the rectangle. Then he drew a circle inside the rectangle.


    "Air comes in through a hole in the tip of the cone, which sits outside the craft, perhaps on one or both wings. The air pressure pushes this ball up in the tube."


    "Oh!" Alice said. "Like those devices that they give to people with breathing problems."


    "Just so. With this indicator, I can see how it would be easy to test the stall speed. But what about these other limits?"


    "It is easy," Felix said. "I''ll nose dive and pick up speed until the wings rip off."


    "That sounds like a very bad idea," Deorwine said.


    "Nonsense." Shane felt Felix pat him on the shoulder. "Shane here. His fate is tied to mine. He will save me with his sorcery, or Astrid will consume his soul."


    He is not wrong, Shane thought with a shiver.


    "I suggest that the engineers should calculate a pessimistic upper limit," Deorwine said.


    "No, these are military craft, if we end up in a fight we need to know the actual limit. An enemy is not going to slow down to accommodate flaws in your calculations. Also it is unethical. If the engineer makes a mistake, they don''t die. The pilot dies and the engineer keeps on living and making more mistakes."


    "There is wisdom in that," King Cyneric said. "Allow the soldier to test the limits of his weapon himself."


    "As you wish, my King."


    "There is also the problem of engine noise," Felix said.


    "That''s your own fault," Shane said. "You and the other Paladins are all able to practice wind magic. You just need to create a barrier around yourself to reduce the sound."


    "Changes to the engine are difficult," Deorwine said.


    Felix grimaced. "Your words are true, even though I hate to say it. The Metal Elemental wants to make specific shapes."


    "What''s this about?" Shane asked.


    "Cliona took me to see the Elemental. She told me that the shape of this engine was common during some ancient war. She mentioned the Binding of Ashe."


    "That must have been when the Lady Ghost freed Ashe from her prison," Alice added.


    Deorwine sighed. "As much as my instincts tell me to ignore these religious superstitions, I am forced to admit that the design for this engine is far, far more technologically advanced than the most advanced civilization in the world is capable of designing. Now that we know the principles behind why it works, I estimate that it would take one hundred years of research before any modern civilization developed such a thing."


    "Hold on a second," King Cyneric said. "You spoke with a Metal Elemental. Did she have other designs that she knows how to make? If so, we could advance our civilization greatly with her help."


    "I think so," Felix replied. "She has been forbidden from making those shapes."


    "By who?" the Green Dragon asked.


    "By Ashe."


    Alice closed her eyes and clasped her hands. "Forgive Ashe," she whispered. "The power she guards drives her to madness. Only an Elemental Queen can guard that power. All alternatives are worse."


    "Tell me," Deorwine sneered, "why would this Ashe creature forbid the Metal Elementals from making certain shapes?"


    "Because Ashe hates it when we fly," Felix replied.


    Deorwine rubbed his temples. "Enough hocus pocus. Felix, is there anything else we need to do to refine the design?"


    "We need to think about weapons. I want to test using my Draconic Flame while flying. I want to try to cast the flame from a point just in front of the propeller. It would make it easy for me and the other Paladins to adjust. We already have decades of practice shooting fire straight ahead while flying in a circle."


    "I can teach you how to maintain sorcery at a position that is fixed relative to yourself, at an offset," Shane said.


    Deorwine flipped the sheet of paper over the top of the easel and began scratching a diagram of the craft on the center of a fresh page. Then he drew a plume of flame leading away from the propeller. "The heat from this plume would get sucked into the engine intake on the bottom of the craft," he said.


    "Is that a problem?" Felix asked.


    "The design of the engine assumes that the incoming air is very cold. Our engineers theorized that the engine actually works better at high altitudes where the air is colder. If we assume the converse is true, the engine might stop working altogether if the air is too hot. Hot air rises, but the low-pressure zone in front of the engine intake might counteract the rising motion."


    "May I draw something?" Shane asked.


    Deorwine handed the pencil to Shane. He stepped up to the easel and began sketching out a long, wide cone in front of the propeller, flattened into the correct perspective. "You can cast a thin, cone-shaped slice of wind barrier below the plume of flame. The cone will prevent the hot air from reaching the air intake. I can teach Felix how to simultaneously cast two spells at the same time."


    "Sounds good to me," Felix said.


    "We will need to coat the propeller with a heat-resistant material," Deorwine said. "I will have the engineers get started on these problems right away."


    "Shane!" Cliona cried from across the room. Shane turned to look at her. She was still wearing furs, and those furs were caked with fresh snow. "Shane! Come look! I can make lava!"

 Interlude 1: The Pegasus Steppe

    Alice looked to her feet and waited for the ground to come up and tap the soles of her shoes. The air crackled with the sound of storm sorcery, and the young man named Shane levitated nearby. The weight of her body settled down onto the landing at the top of the marble steps in front of the Church of the Lady Ghost. The sorcery surrounding her flickered out, but Shane did not land.


    "Would you like to join me?" Alice asked.


    The blue-haired man shook his head. "If I leave Felix alone for too long, he will begin slacking off."


    "Have you been reading the Holy Book that I gave you?"


    Shane shook his head again. "I read the creation myth and then I ended up getting lost in an ocean of references." He began to float away.


    "Maybe some other time then."


    The main door to the church was heavy, built from varnished wood, and carved with images of the Lady Ghost and the Consort Eternal. The cobblestone path leading to the door was surrounded by immaculate green hedges and potted flowers. Beyond the door, Alice entered into the Theocratic School, a small room filled with books and small tables. The chamber was completely empty. Wide windows revealed the main worship hall, but the pews were also completely empty. No priest stood at the altar.


    As Alice walked down the center aisle through the dim worship hall, her shoes made a clicking sound that echoed down from the vaulted ceiling. After she reached the altar, she glanced around uneasily. Then she dropped prostrate on the ground and began to pray.


    "Lady Ghost. Please hear my prayers. Today I learned that I dream of flying through the sky. I saw Felix fly away in his flying machine, and I felt a deep envy. I wish I had not been born with epilepsy. I wish that Felix would be nice to me. He sends me away before he starts the propeller."


    Footsteps from beyond the altar startled her. She opened her eyes and looked up. Two eight-foot tall women stepped out onto the altar platform from the Inner Sanctum. They had long purple hair, and Alice recognized one of them as being Astrid, who was present when Felix flew that morning. The second Purple Dragon Alice recognized from artist renditions. It was unmistakable. Her name was Elvira. So they were telling the truth. They really have seen Elvira.


    Alice was completely speechless. Her hands were trembling. Astrid looked down at her from behind that strange metal mask she was wont to wear.


    "Do you know what I see?" Astrid asked.


    "I, um... sorry, um... I do not know. Princess Astrid." She bowed her head.


    "I sacrificed her eyes upon the altar of my mother," Elvira said. "The blade I used was given to us by Vaska, it is a blade that belonged to the Firstborn of Ashe."


    "I see the Elemental Plane of Darkness," Astrid continued. "It takes Ashe twelve heartbeats to transition between Elemental Planes. If I see her, then we will have plenty of time to flee."


    "So why have you not fled?" two voices asked in perfect harmony. With a gasp, Alice flung herself forward and spun around. Her back slammed into the altar, between the two Purple Dragons. Standing ahead in the center of the aisle, there was another huge woman. Taller even than the Purple Dragons, this woman had snow-white skin, straight raven-black hair, a white dress, and a half-mask constructed from the skull of a terrible horned beast.


    "If you had come alone," Astrid said, "then we would have fled this continent."


    "It is rare that the second-order consequences of our actions escape our foresight," the two voices said as the pale woman moved her mouth. The first voice was crystalline, soft, friendly, and high-pitched like wind chimes. The second voice was harsh, sinister, and conniving. But like the complexity of a choir of masters, their two voices combined with an uncanny sense of beauty.


    "You are not alone in this," Astrid replied. "Not even Ingrid or Vaska truly understood the consequences of their actions."


    "Indeed. This continent is lost to Ashe (me). It was a foolish project. The local populations evolved to become more violent, racist, distrusting, patriarchal, isolated, and angry. Ashe (I) grew bored with such creatures. She (I) derived no amusement from corrupting them, when they were already so lacking in light."


    "Then you have decided not to interfere?" Astrid asked.


    "No. We have come to offer our aid, in return for a minor favor."


    "To ask a favor of such insignificant creatures as ourselves, we are honored!"


    "Do not consume the soul of the Blue Dragon. When he dies, allow his soul to return to Ashe (me). That is all we ask."


    "We agree to this," Astrid said. "You arrived at the perfect moment."


    "Our moment of arrival was calculated with extreme precision, we already know what you are going to ask for. Three souls. Guaranteed safe passage to the city of Twin Fates for two, and guaranteed safe passage to the Pegasus Steppe for one." The pale woman looked down at Alice. "One of them is ready to leave."


    "Alice, my dear," Astrid said. "I have a need for servants, and you shall be my third. I bless you."


    Power. Overwhelming spiritual power surged through Alice as she trembled on the floor in front of the Altar to the Lady Ghost. She struggled to stand because of her shaking legs. Elvira reached down and grabbed her arm, supporting her until she gained her balance.


    "I am not worthy," Alice said.


    Elvira reached down and began to whisper in her ear. "Your soul has already been claimed by Titania. I saw this fact from the other side. Your love of flying is not lost on her. You will fly through the sky, I promise."


    "They are here," Astrid said. "In the Plane of Darkness. They are making a portal to the Physical Realm. You should be happy Alice. You are about to meet your goddess."


    A pale cyan ring of light began to form in the aisle behind Ashe. Foggy light began to undulate and break into an image of an alien landscape. Dark, dark streets lined with bright lights, impossibly tall buildings, heavy rain, people wearing dark rain coats. Two women stepped through the portal, but the portal remained open. Their boots clattered on the floor as they approached Alice. The room was filled with echoes of the drone sound emanating from the portal.


    The first woman was clearly not the spawn of any dragon. She lacked the reflective colored scales on her forehead and cheeks that all dragon spawn shared. Her pale face was spotted with funny dark dots instead. Her hair was a reddish orange, and her eyes were a bright blue color. The second woman had brown hair and brown eyes. Both women wore black rain jackets.


    "Ingrid," Astrid said, "Vaska. Welcome to the Elemental Plane of Dreams. It is good to see you again."


    "Oh!" Vaska yelled. "Dragon! A real Dragon! Astrid, I am writing a book! Would you be willing to describe Purple Dragon mating rituals?"


    "Vaska!" Ingrid snapped.


    "Oh, did I say the wrong thing again?"


    Alice prostrated herself on the ground again. "Lady Ghost, my goddess. I am unworthy to look upon you."


    "The poor thing, she is terrified," Ingrid said. "Vaska, I think it was a bad idea to start this religion."


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    "Religion is the most reliable way to keep a story from being corrupted," Vaska said. "Godly men tend to copy books from generation to generation with precision, faith, and respect."


    Alice felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come, stand up, give me a hug."


    "I am unworthy."


    "Up you go, come on." The woman with orange-red hair dragged Alice up onto her feet and embraced her. "It''s ok, there is nothing to be afraid of." Alice could hardly see because of the tears in her eyes.


    Vaska cleared her throat. "So, Astrid, about those Purple Dragon mating rituals. How are they different from other species of Dragon?"


    "I''m not an animal in your menagerie," Astrid replied.


    "This is important science! Also, would you be willing to let me draw you naked? I would like to include an anatomy diagram for my book."


    "That''s enough," Ingrid said. "Time for us to leave. Astrid, Elvira, please forgive Vaska. She is a bit of a scatterbrain sometimes." Her fingers reached up and touched Alice on the cheek. She wiped away the tears. "Follow us." She released Alice from her embrace and walked toward the portal.


    Alice realized that Queen Ashe was gone. Vanished completely. Her shadows were still present on the floor, but they were slowly fading.


    "Wait," Alice protested. "My grandmother. I cannot leave her."


    "Your grandmother will be cared for," Astrid said. "Constructs will be assigned to guard her home. Even if the armies of the Blue Dragon enter the city, your grandmother will be safe. Now go, my third servant. Go to the Pegasus Steppe, with our blessing." With the snap of her fingers, the Purple Dragon produced a long black raincoat out of thin air. She handed it to Alice.


    Alice followed Ingrid and Vaska to the edge of the portal. She slipped her arms into the raincoat and then buttoned it up to her collar. The Lady Ghost grabbed her arm and led her through to the other side. The portal shimmered and then vanished.


    Do not be afraid, the voice of the Purple Dragon boomed in her mind. You will return to the Elemental Plane of Dreams soon enough.


    Rain pattered on the hood of her raincoat. All around Alice the buildings were unfathomably tall. It was dizzying. She needed to bend her head all the way back to see the tops. The buildings must have hundreds of floors, she thought. All around her the dark streets were lit by neon signs. People walked around holding strange glowing tablets in their hands. Some people were standing on the side of the street where the portal had been, gawking at the scene, holding those strange glowing tablets in front of their faces. The glass displays of shops lined the streets. Alice did not recognize the products in those shops.


    The Lady Ghost led Alice down a smaller side street to a small park lined with dark red trees. The sidewalk gutters were filled with streams of rushing water, and the grass was muddy. In the center of the grassy field there was an enormous metal machine. Alice immediately recognized the shape of the machine. It looked like an extremely large version of the craft that Felix had flown that morning. There were short wings, a whale tail with two vertical fins and two rudders, and two massive propellers facing the sky, attached to funny pylons on the wings. The door to the craft was open.


    Ingrid and Vaska hopped up into the craft effortlessly. Ingrid turned around and offered a hand to Alice, leading her inside. The interior was lit by a dim red light. Vaska slid the door closed with a terrible grinding sound and a loud click. She pulled a lever and the door sealed tight with a hiss. Ingrid removed her black raincoat, revealing a white shirt and a short, black skirt. She passed through a narrow doorway to the front of the craft.


    "Follow me," Ingrid said. "You can sit up here with me."


    Alice doffed her raincoat and followed. The way was very narrow, and the seat in the front was tiny and cramped. There was a funny squared wheel directly in front of Alice, pedals at her feet, a console covered in countless round dials with needles, hundreds of buttons and switches on a panel above her head, and metal labels with words written in some alien language. Behind Ingrid there was a small gap, and Vaska pulled a small chair-platform out of the wall. She took a seat.


    The Lady Ghost began making very rapid motions, flipping switches and twisting dials. "High Daughter of Fire! Summon two Fire Elementals, one in each engine! High Daughter of Water! Summon a Water Elemental in the hydraulics system! High Daughter of Lightning! Summon three Lightning Elementals for control, communications, and radar! High Daughter of Wind! Summon two Wind Elementals for atmosphere and noise control!"


    The engines at the end of the wings began to hiss and moan. The massive propellers slowly began to spin. Ingrid flipped more switches. Long black arms began to scrub the raindrops from the windows. Alice figured that it would be best not to touch anything.


    The propellers accelerated and then became a whirring blur. Then Ingrid grabbed a lever by her head and pulled it down. The engines roared. Alice felt the unmistakable feeling of accelerating upward, like when riding the Gondola Wheel. She gasped in awe as the buildings outside the window began to drop away. "Are we flying?!" Alice asked.


    "Yeah," Ingrid replied.


    "This aircraft is capable of taking off vertically," Vaska said. "It is called a tilt-rotor. Oh, by the way, we forgot to mention. Alice, is it? We need you to make us a promise."


    "Say the word," Alice replied. "I will make any promise that you ask of me."


    "You must promise not to talk about any of the aircraft that you see on your journey," Vaska said.


    "I do so swear upon my faith and upon my life, I swear that I shall never speak of the things I have seen thus far, I swear that I shall not speak of the things I shall see hereafter."


    "That''s good enough for me," Vaska said.


    Ingrid reached down, grabbed a lever that was resting between the two seats, and pushed it fully forward. The strange pylons on the wings began to slowly rotate forward. The buildings to either side began to slide backwards as the craft moved forward. They were flying very slow at first, but soon the pylons had rotated fully forward, and the two massive propellers were beating against the wind. The lights of the city below began to rush past. The needles on the console began to rise. The nose of the craft tilted up, and Alice lost vision of the city. There was nothing but darkness and rain.


    They reached the level of the clouds, and then the world became consumed in fog. The fog lasted for a long time, but it eventually cleared up. Below, the clouds stretched out in every direction like a pale blanket in the darkness. A clear night sky appeared, glittering with stars.


    "This is the first time you have been to the Physical World, right Alice?" Vaska asked.


    Alice nodded in response.


    "How long is our flight, Ingrid?"


    "Three hours. Alice, if you need to use the bathroom, there is a lavatory in the back of the craft."


    <hr>


    Vaska spent the three hours asking countless questions about Dragons and their mortal spawn. Many of the questions made Alice blush, and thankfully the Lady Ghost, in her wisdom, intervened. Near the end of the flight, they all flew in silence.


    Ingrid broke the silence: "Life! Open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Life!"


    Another portal began to form, though this portal was easily as large as the buildings that Alice saw back in the city. The rim of this portal was a dark green color. The aircraft overshot the portal before it finished forming, but Ingrid did not seem to be bothered by this. She simply turned to one side in a loop and crossed the threshold when the portal had finished opening. The sky beyond the threshold was a pale green color, like a minty toothpaste. The whole world seemed to be surrounded by massive brambles as big as the sky. In every direction there were dense jungles, rolling hills, shining rivers, and terrible bird-like creatures.


    Alice immediately recognized the place. She had been there once before. When she was accepted as a cleric, the priests took her to the Realm of Life. This was the full Elemental Plane, the space outside the fuzzy white box where the lone Life Elemental lived.


    Ahead and far below, there was an extraordinarily large plateau. As they descended, Alice got a better view. The ground looked dry, like those places in Riln that the biologists named chaparral. There were mountain ridges and a single massive city in the center, with a towering palace. It was toward this palace that the craft was aimed.


    With practiced mastery, the Lady Ghost slowed the craft, rotated the pylons back to vertical, and gently landed the craft in the courtyard outside the palace. Ingrid stopped to use the lavatory before departing the craft. Vaska led Alice outside.


    The palace was made from raw, natural stone, carved and cut with a facade, abodes, statues, and open windows. The ground below was made from pale green marble inset with streaks of gold and emeralds. People walked around the courtyard wearing dark green robes, shaggy and humble like a priest would wear. And there, in the sky above the courtyard, Alice saw the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen in her life. A squadron of flying horses flew down and landed gently on the marble floor. Each horse was brilliant white, and each horse sported a large pair of wings near the shoulders and a second pair of much smaller wings near the rear flanks.


    One of the horses was much larger than the others. The rider dismounted and approached Alice. She was at least eight feet tall and almost completely naked except for small garments made of furs. She held a spear in one hand that was at least twelve feet long. Her pale skin was decorated with pale green tattoos, and the skin around her eyes was painted dark green.


    "A strange creature," the tall woman said. Her voice was confident and commanding. "Greetings mortal, welcome to my Domain. I am the Elemental Queen of Life, and this is the Pegasus Steppe, the seat of my power."


    "I am called Alice."


    "Well met Alice. Come! I shall introduce you to your mighty steed."


    Alice glanced back to see Ingrid jogging ahead to catch up. The Elemental Queen of Life led Alice to one of those beautiful horses. It had been saddled with a gorgeous, dark-red leather saddle that was inset with gold and pink dragons. The eyes of the dragons were made from smooth rubies.


    "This Pegasus is named Mercy," the Queen of Life said. "My Immortal Worshippers will teach you how to fly. She is extremely intelligent. If you have one of your episodes while flying, she will know it instantly and she will take you to a safe place."


    Alice reached up and caressed the Pegasus. The white beast looked down at her with eyes filled with knowing acceptance, but without pity. Alice leaned forward. She and the beast gently bumped their foreheads together. Then she began to cry tears of joy.

 Chapter 15: The Green Dragon Departs

    Long wooden piers stretched out over empty air at the Black River Airport, at the terminus of the chasms where they opened up into the southern plateau. Dozens of airships were anchored at stations along each side. Each station featured a water wheel-like structure, powered by wind sails, with cables for mooring the airships to the pier. Two streams of people traveled in opposite directions on either side of the pier. The men wore dark suits and the women wore ornate dresses with plumed hats. The center of the pier was occupied by various shops, street food vendors, and soapboxes upon which charlatans hawked their miracle cures.


    The Green Dragon stood above the rest, surrounded by his entourage. Felix and Cliona trailed beside Deorwine just ahead of Shane. They passed a man on a soap box wearing the unmistakable white uniform of the Heritage Militia.


    "Do not believe the lies! The flying machine was an illusion, created using foul sorcery! The Draconic Paladins have lost their powers, and they seek to trick you into thinking they can still fly! They will not protect you from the armies of the Blue Dragon! Join the Heritage Militia today, and protect your land from outsiders!"


    Oh no, Shane thought. He tried to lunge forward and grab Felix by the back of his uniform, but he missed as the hulking paladin began to march forward himself. It was Deorwine who caught Felix by one arm.


    "Peace Felix!" Deorwine pleaded.


    "I will put my blade through his lying mouth," Felix hissed.


    "Think this through," the little green-haired advisor said as he bravely dragged Felix back into the train by his arm. "If there are any spies in this crowd they will be given the false belief that the flying machine was a trick, an illusion. They will give the Blue Dragon false reports."


    Felix grunted. "Your words are true, even though I hate them."


    Shane''s relief did not last long. The Green Dragon led them to the checkpoint in front of an anchor station. Dozens of constabularies with crossbows were waiting for them. An older man with a mustache, wearing a gleaming captain''s uniform, stood in the center with one hand resting easily on his saber. The Green Dragon stopped short of the gate.


    "Felix of Quaria," the captain began, "you stand accused of three counts of murder, destruction of government property, destruction of a historic landmark, summoning unsanctioned draconic materiel, endangering the life of the Prime Minister, public nuisance, and deceiving the public with unsanctioned sorcery."


    Without being asked, Shane reached out and established a connection to the Realm of Wind. As the captain drawled on, and with extreme subtlety, Shane slowly, patiently constructed a wall of wind between the two groups. The shimmer in the air was nearly imperceptible.


    "Take your complaints to my direct commander and get out of my way."


    "We have been authorized by the Prime Minister himself."


    "Enough words," Felix snapped. "Open your mouth again and I''ll put my blade through it."


    "I will not..." the constabulary captain began. Shane''s heart sank. If nothing else, Felix was a man of his word.


    "Enough!" the King Cyneric bellowed. The Green Dragon''s hand snapped out at lightning speed and caught Felix by the arm as he reached for his greatsword. The sudden outburst silenced the captain. The other constabularies froze in shock. "Felix, you need to delay disposing of this filth until after the aircraft has departed. If you slaughter them now, the airship captain may elect to cancel the flight. Would you have me and my people stranded in your land?"


    "Fine," Felix replied. "Go on your way then."


    "Your crossbows will not work on us," the Green Dragon continued. "We are already under the protection of powerful wind sorcery."


    Foolishly, one of the constabularies saw fit to test this theory. He opened fire on Felix, but the bolt harmlessly struck the wind barrier and froze. It floated for a moment, and then fell backwards, clattering on the wooden planks of the pier. The remainder of the constabularies demonstrated more discipline, as they withheld repeating this mistake. None of the citizens walking along the pier seemed to notice the incident.


    "I did not give the order to fire!" the captain protested. But he had already lost all credibility as a commander. With a defeated sigh, he rallied his constabularies to leave. They shuffled off without saying more, and vanished into the stream of citizens.


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    King Cyneric released Felix from his grip. Then he took up position in front of the group and faced them, standing tall and commanding. "Felix, Shane, and Cleona. I want to thank you, and your associates, on behalf of my nation. I promise that if you ever visit my nation, you will be treated with the greatest respect and honor." King Cyneric actually bowed.


    The golden gates to the loading platform opened. The workers at the gate didn''t bother to check for identification or tickets. The Green Dragon passed through, followed by his entourage, completely without interference or incident. Deorwine lingered behind.


    "Shane. There is something I want to give you." The advisor reached into his pack and produced a thin leather-bound book. It had shining gold paint sprayed on the visible edges of the paper, as well as gold foil stamped on the cover and the spine. The book was titled: Notes on the Construction of Flying Machines.


    Shane reached out and grabbed the book. It smelled of leather. "Why?" Shane asked. "We already sent a copy of your notes to the Lord Paladin."


    "This one''s for you specifically," Deorwine replied. "I gathered that you are a man who appreciates books, so I penned an extra copy in secret. It was bound in genuine leather and stamped with real gold, by the best bookbinder in the city."


    Shane lunged forward and gave the man a huge bear hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"


    They remained on the pier after Deorwine had boarded and the gate was sealed. Workers scrabbled to unmoor the airship, and as it slowly drifted away from the loading platform, the steam engine within the craft began to huff and hiss. The propellers began to spin, pushing the craft away from the pier. Dark green banners, bearing the royal sigils of the Green Dragon, appeared in the windows and at the stern.


    "They didn''t check to see if the platform was clear before they started the propellers," Felix said. "Sloppy."


    "Have either of you seen Alice?" Cliona asked.


    "The Purple Dragon told us that Alice is now her third servant," Shane replied. "That is all she offered to tell us. Knowing Astrid, she probably sent Alice on some frivolous errand."


    The huge aircraft began to rotate. The building-sized rudder flexed side to side, and the small wings on the tail flexed up and down. The propellers accelerated and began to make a terrible whirring sound. The airship turned away and began to grow smaller. The long green banners drifted in the wind.


    "I think we should leave using my storm sorcery," Shane offered. "Those constabularies may be waiting for us at the end of the pier. We can fly down to the river, and follow the chasm back into the city."


    Neither Felix nor Cliona protested that it was against the law to use storm sorcery so close to the airships.


    <hr>


    Felix crossed square platforms made from red crystal and ascended narrow staircases without rails. All around him was empty space, and the walls were a dim maroon color. After ten stories of stairs, the way was spilt between a staircase and a gantry leading to a circular concourse. Pale light illuminated a single doorway to the north. Beyond the doorway was a half-oval crystal platform extending out over open air. It was the first and lowest of several such platforms that jutted from the Teeth of the Red Dragon. Sheer white-walled buildings lined either side of a narrow alley which ran through the center of the platform. The usual officers loitering in the alley were absent.


    There was barely any room to stand at the south edge of the platform. Officers were packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Felix shoved his way through to the Lord Paladin, who was leaning against the varnished wooden railing by the other top brass of the military. A handful of soldiers were standing guard, preventing the crowd from pressing up against the leadership. Felix ignored them and walked up along side the Lord Paladin.


    Beyond the escarpment was a dizzying ten thousand-foot drop into the lowland forests. They stretched out toward the borderlands, a mix of gold and green trees, toward a featureless horizon. That horizon was dotted with white blobs, dark bird-like shapes, and huge plumes of smoke. The Lord Paladin was looking through a long spyglass, pointed straight at the invading army.


    "Lord Paladin, I am here."


    The bald man folded his spyglass and turned to Felix. "Excellent. We can get started."


    The six generals and the Lord Paladin gathered with their seconds in the war room on the ground floor of the lookout tower. Felix stood behind the Lord Paladin at the head of the table. Maps of the plateau and the lowlands covered the table, and red and blue glass beads were scattered about.


    "Felix, give us your report."


    "The Green Dragon must have learned about the invading army before we did," Felix said. "He has fled the city. Aircraft production has resumed using our own military engineers. Eighteen Paladins are able to fly and attack with draconic fire while flying. Two additional Paladins are able to take off and land. The rest are struggling to master draconic sorcery. We estimate two weeks will be required before they are flying."


    "And how many aircraft do we have?"


    "Twelve are operational, and six more are actively being produced. Our engineers estimate that they will be ready in two days."


    "Thank you Felix. General Hans, what is your report?"


    The youngest of the six generals spoke: "We count one-hundred and seventy airships and seventy-three Draconic Paladins. We estimate that there are about twenty-thousand ground troops marching through the forest."


    "How long do we have?"


    "The enemy army will reach the plateau within two days. Our analysts tell us that it will take the enemy airships four round-trip flights to haul all of those soldiers up here. It could take several days, but if the weather changes it could take longer. Four days is conservative, but it could take up to seven."


    "Felix," the Lord Paladin said. "With these General Officers as witness, I name you my successor. Furthermore, I order you to prepare the Draconic Paladins to fly within four days. All of them. You are dismissed."


    "As you command," Felix said. Then he left.

 Chapter 16: Nightfall

    The Teeth of the Red Dragon loomed overhead like rounded vertical walls, extending tens of thousands of feet into the sky. True to their word, the Draconic Paladins had used their fire magic to clear a long stretch of the forest. The clearing continued all the way to the edge of the escarpment overlooking a ten-thousand foot drop. The hour was late, and the Teeth cast long shadows into the basin beyond the escarpment.


    A runway had been constructed in the clearing, and geomancers in gray robes roamed around holding wooden levels. Twenty five aircraft were parked along the edges of the runway, twelve on each side, and at one end the Paladins were practicing their magic by flashing huge plumes of crimson fire into the sky. Shane gently lowered Astrid and Brigid down toward the end of the runway near the edge of the forest beside the runway. Astrid gazed out over the escarpment at the advancing armies.


    "How exciting! Brigid dear, please make sure that the excitement does not spoil our relaxation."


    The Purple Dragon sauntered off into the forest. Brigid remained.


    "Greater Daughter of the Queen of Dreams!" Brigid cried.


    A tall, pale cyan Elemental appeared in front of Brigid. It was half again as tall as Brigid, but it was nowhere near the size of Elvira''s High Daughter. The Elemental''s face twisted into a naughty smile, and then she began to dance playfully through the air.


    "I am imagining a construct. It stands one hundred feet tall. It carries a bow of the correct scale. It can create arrows of the correct scale. If any of the mortal spawn of the Blue Dragon are within range, then the construct will attack. It will remain in this area and guard Princess Astrid. I Wish that such a construct would appear before me now."


    The Elemental flew up into the sky and began to glow. The air shimmered with a mix of magenta and cyan light. Like the body of the constructs living in the purple spires, a cloud began to form as the light coalesced into mist. Massive sheets of armor appeared, and then a massive bow appeared in one hand. The resulting monstrosity was vaguely similar to Brigid herself in shape. It even had purple hair made from thin strips of some felt-like material, cropped into a bob-cut. It turned to face Brigid, and with each footstep the ground shook.


    "Can your Elemental make flying machines?" Shane asked.


    "Ask her yourself."


    The Dream Elemental left a trail of cyan mist behind her as she fluttered down to Brigid. Shane said to her: "Elemental, I Wish I had a flying machine."


    Shane heard a giggling sound in his mind. I can''t make something like that, silly. Her voice sounded childish.


    "Why not?" Shane asked, but even as the words were leaving his lips he already knew the answer.


    Forbidden by the accord with the Elemental Queen of Darkness. Obviously.


    "What accord?"


    That would take too long to explain, and also you are not tall and attractive. You know, I can help you fix that.


    "Enough, you are dismissed." The Dream Elemental vanished in a flash of cyan light. "Shane, if by chance you end up in possession of a Dream Elemental, never, never listen to their advice."


    "Noted."


    Shane saw a flash of purple light out of the corner of his eye, originating from the forest nearby. He drew upon his Realms and floated into the forest, skimming over the roots on the ground. Astrid was waiting in the middle of a tiny clearing, holding the glowing purple crystal in one hand. He lifted her up off the forest floor, as the purple crystal began to float away.


    <hr>


    A new purple crystal spire appeared in the forest. It looked like a tiny splinter, framed in the sky by the Teeth of the Red Dragon far beyond. The shadows of the trees had consumed most of the runway already. There was not much time left. Felix walked up to the naked edge of the precipice and glanced out over the basin far below. The enemy struck no camps and they built no fires. They allowed themselves to be consumed by their dark mother''s succor.


    Neasa strode up alongside him. "Commander, the last of the Paladins have demonstrated proficiency. We await further orders."


    "Bring me Cliona," Felix said.


    Neasa marched off. Felix turned his gaze to the cloudless sky. Pale cyan had long since turned to dull orange. A slight breeze struck him from behind as cold air poured over the escarpment like a waterfall. This wind caused Cliona''s gray robes to flutter like flags. Her face was shrouded by half a dozen nested hoods. Neasa stood at her side. Her long, blood-red hair streamed in the wind, blotting out her face.


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    "You have orders, Commander?" Cliona asked.


    "Have your geomancers create streams of lava along the runway to aid with landing. I want to be able to see the glow from far away."


    "Won''t that draw the enemy to our runway?"


    Felix pointed up at the one-hundred foot tall animated armor that darkened the sky near the edge of the forest.


    Cliona nodded. "It will be as you say, Commander."


    "We takeoff to the north, against the wind, away from the cliff edge. We organize the same way we did before, six squadrons of four Paladins, flying in a diamond formation. The leader of each formation has absolute authority. I will fly alone tonight. First and Fifth squadrons to the west of the Teeth. Second and Third squadrons directly in front of the Teeth. Fourth and Sixth squadrons to the east of the Teeth."


    "Acknowledged," Neasa said. "Commander, I have a request."


    "Speak it."


    "There is talk among the Paladins that you are sending them to their deaths."


    "That is true. They are soldiers. The enemy did not offer us more time to train and test our aircraft."


    "Felix, please. Talk to them. Give them some words of encouragement." Neasa marched off and began issuing orders to the six squadrons.


    The animated armor summoned a massive arrow in one hand. It nocked the arrow and drew. The otherworldly bow bent back with the sound of a cracking tree trunk. When the construct released the arrow, the open runway resounded with a dull crack. It was not as loud as lightning, but it was close. The tip of the arrow created its own cone-shaped cloud as it rocketed through the sky. It struck an enemy drake that was approaching the cliffs, causing the creature to explode in a cloud of blue blood and chunks of meat. But that did not stop the arrow. It kept going, falling in a long arc and vanishing into the forest below. The construct summoned another arrow.


    Felix marched over to the other Paladins and took up position in front of the group. He waited until Neasa stopped speaking. Uncertain eyes turned to regard him. He looked each Paladin in the eye, whether they were a veteran or a recruit. With his chest puffed up and his head held high, Felix stared them each down. They needed to see confidence in their commander, if nothing else.


    "All of you have flown before. All of you have practiced circles. Most of you have scored confirmed kills. It is our belief, our cherished superstition, that battles at night bring bad luck. Many of you would rather drink poison than fly tonight.


    "Think about the soldiers on the ground. They will be forced to face foul sorcery and the madness of melee. Their crossbows will be ineffective against the magic that protects the enemy airships. They are being sent to their deaths tonight, and without us, they will die in the flames of enemy drakes. It is our job to give them a better chance. We have been chosen to protect the skies, and we will be remembered.


    "Our numbers are small, and our aircraft are untested. But someday soon, the full might of our nation will be devoted to creating such craft. Thousands of pilots will need to be trained. And they will line up to join us. They will not shy away from flying, because they will learn from this night what happens to the soldiers left behind on the ground. Our force will be the most envied and the most respected fighting force in our nation. And everyone gathered here has the honor of being the very first.


    "Your orders are to kill the enemy drakes. Our men on the ground do not have an answer to the drakes. Be prepared for a long battle tonight. Squadrons, move out!"


    The first squadron marched off toward their aircraft. Neasa approached Felix. "Commander, I have information for you," she whispered.


    "What''s this about?"


    "Me and the other women. We have decided that we are going to return to the runway if we need to use the bathroom."


    Oh right, that problem again. Deorwine had designed a solution after one male Paladin returned from a flight and nearly pissed himself. Each aircraft included a special wineskin under the seat that could be used to store urine. However, Deorwine also claimed that women in his nation were not going to fly, so he did not bother to refine the solution further. It was one of the many, many issues that slipped through the cracks because of the sudden invasion.


    "That seems fair, carry on."


    The air cracked with another arrow being fired from the massive animated armor. The arrow vanished into the shadows of nightfall, and while Felix could not see the impact, he heard a loud screech. The first of the engines started, and the first propeller began to spin. As more aircraft started, the noise drowned out even the thumps made by the construct''s massive bow.


    The first of the Draconic Paladins was led by soldiers on the ground to the edge of the runway, just a few dozen feet from the escarpment. None of the aircraft had brakes and there was no way to rotate the wheels. The soldiers on the runway manually dragged the wings and the tails into the correct position. They formed up, four at a time, into their diamond formations, with the squadron leaders in the rear. The soldiers sprinted with them as they began to accelerate, to hold the wings steady before the airspeed across the rudder was high enough to provide control.


    Finally Felix seated himself in his own aircraft. The gathering darkness made it difficult to see the markings on the airspeed indicator. "Clear the propeller!" he cried as he closed the glass canopy over his head. Under his own power, he drove the craft across the ground slowly to the edge of the runway, and waited for the soldiers there to drag his tail backwards.


    The crimson trails of the last squadron formed long roads in the sky. At full throttle the crimson trails streaming from his own engine were enough to illuminate the airspeed indicator. The ball rose above the stall threshold, and Felix pulled back on the stick. The ground dropped away. He followed the other Draconic Paladins, up and away, into the darkness.

 Chapter 17: Airplanes vs. Drakes

    The starry sky above was clear, the darkness below was unbroken, and between the two the horizon was predatory, jagged. Felix twisted his body to catch a glimpse of the armies camped around the Teeth of the Red Dragon. They appeared as gold-orange rings of light around the two coppery bases. That light would provide a useful point of reference, an anchor in the darkness. To either side, dozens of glowing crimson trails ascended into the night like inverted comets.


    Felix pointed his own nose at the sky and was pressed back into his seat. The whirring propeller darkened the stars. The engine was a dull roar, the sound mostly abated by wind sorcery within the glass canopy. However that sound was still present, and comforting. The whole aircraft was rocked and buffeted by imperfections in the air as Felix ascended. The wings oscillated and contorted, one of the many flaws in the design that they never had time to fix.


    However, the most concerning problem was the airspeed indicator. It was just a ball in a tube that used incoming air to indicate speed relative to incoming air. It was only really accurate when perfectly horizontal, and as the craft ascended vertically, the ball rolled around in the tube meaninglessly, sometimes moving below the stall speed, and sometimes moving above the never-exceed speed. In a sharp descent, the stall speed indicator was slightly inaccurate, a problem that Neasa had theorized and that Felix had demonstrated.


    Felix twisted the entire craft around and began to ascend at an angle parallel to the camped armies. Climbing took a long time, but the craft was fast and the engine was strong. Dark shapes began to appear, small ovals and bird-like shapes silhouetted against the rings of light. The invasion had begun. One by one, the dozens of crimson flames in the sky dimmed and then vanished. Soon half of the trails were gone, while the other half leveled off in logarithmic curves.


    No sense in waiting, Felix thought.


    He pushed down on the stick until the horizon rose into the center of the propeller disk. Then, he closed his connections to the Realms. The crimson streams of flame pouring over the heat-shielded wings dimmed and then vanished. The interior of the cabin was consumed, not only by total darkness, but also by an uncomfortable silence. Felix could still hear the windmilling propeller, but it was not loud enough to drown out the subtle gusts of wind that buffeted the canopy.


    Although he could not see the airspeed indicator, he knew it was going to begin to drop after the craft lost power. He pushed full forward on the stick, used the rudder to bring the camped armies into view, and held those rings of light steady in the center of the propeller disk. There were flashes of blue light down below as the enemy drakes assaulted the armies with draconic breath. While it had felt horribly slow to ascend, the dive-like maneuver felt much faster.


    Soon Felix was close enough then to see the shapes of the blue drakes clearly. Their shining azure scales reflected the light of the camped armies. Their blue flames were first answered by eight thin trails of crimson, and again by four long plumes as the Paladins attacked. The red draconic flames struck the unsuspecting shapeshifters from the side, ripping their wings off or severing the necks. Four Paladins attacked, and four different drakes sembled into their human forms and plummeted into the hungry spears of the soldiers below. But still the airplanes rushed ahead at full power, blasting more plumes of crimson fire into the enemy drakes.


    Felix saw this play out as he descended. Finally, he was close enough to the Teeth to start his engine again. He reached out and connected to the three Realms, combined them, and fostered the draconic flames within his engine. Red light filled the cabin as flames erupted from the exhaust, and Felix could once again read the position of the ball inside the airspeed indicator. He was flying faster than the perfect conditions limit, but below the never-exceed speed.


    The four Paladins cut a scourge through the enemy drakes, but a second wave was pouring over the escarpment. Felix picked one and brought it into the center of his propeller disk. First he focused on his connection to the Realm of Wind, and expanded the wind barrier into a long cone. Then, he attacked. Draconic breath lanced out into this target, severing both wings. The enemy drake was moving somewhat fast, so flew forward as it sembled. At that high speed, Felix saw burning bodies flying away from the drake as it sembled. Human bodies.


    He put it out of his mind immediately. He had a job to do, and he was about to enter into the most dangerous phase of that job. Ahead, the four Draconic Paladins had finished their attack and they were busy ascending once again. The twin streams of crimson exhaust gave them away. If any drakes had survived, they would know to give chase, and it would take a long time before they were at a safe altitude to cut the engine once again. Even if they managed to avoid being seen, Felix feared that the enhanced hearing provided by shapeshifting would allow the enemy drakes to hear the windmilling propeller.


    Felix looked straight up into the sky. The only light was that of the stars. The next wave of Paladins had cut their engines already, so at that moment they would be descending for their attack.


    More drakes rushed by, and Felix scored more kills with his draconic flames. Between himself and the other Paladins, at least ten drakes had already been killed, but twice again that number were clawing their way over the edge of the cliffs. Dozens of airships were also slowly descending to the forest floor to drop their payload of soldiers. Felix quickly estimated that the total number of drakes was much, much higher than they originally observed.


    "It''s going to be a long battle after all," he muttered.


    He reached the threshold of darkness, where the light of the camped armies was replaced by the dark carpet of the forest. Astrid''s purple spire would be somewhere up ahead. Felix pointed the nose at the sky and began to ascend, but his eyes were behind him, scanning for the slight flash of his engine exhaust, which he hoped would reflect off the shining scales of any pursuers. However, ahead and behind, the sky appeared to be empty.


    <hr>


    With an ear-shattering scream, a squadron of four airplanes streaked overhead, incinerating the blue drakes just above the battlefield. Burning corpses rained down. A fifth craft followed not long after, and Shane recognized the markings on the side. Felix pitched up and began to ascend into the sky, following the first squadron.


    The Heritage Militia soldiers in the field eyed Shane uneasily. He recognized a few of them from his time in Needlewood, so they must have known he was not an enemy. Either way, a barrier of wind magic protected him from incoming crossbow bolts. If any of the soldiers had shot at him, he could not tell. He floated between two trees near the edge of the battlefield, but it was too dark to see much of anything.


    A drake managed to float over the escarpment onto the battlefield and settled on the ground. Wind mages riding on the drake''s back put up barriers, negating the crossbows that assailed them. Dozens of other people were chained to the sides of the blue beast. They were all completely naked, and Shane realized with horror that the fires of the battlefield reflected off of red hair.


    The chains fell away, and the naked people fell onto the mud and grass, tumbling upon each other in a pile of human flesh. Then they began to stand and lurch forward. Men and women both, completely nude, with bodies that glistened with red scales in places, sickly thin limbs, bellies that were swollen with starvation, and perhaps worst of all they had no hands. Their hands had been chopped off, and long metal claws had been attached to the stumps, held in place by long metal spikes that had been rammed through the flesh. Many of them were still bleeding from these wounds.


    "FOOD!" They screamed in the Quarian language. Shane felt a shiver down his spine. The same cry, over and over again. "FOOD! FOOD!"


    Without any fear or hesitation, they charged the Heritage Militia soldiers. A few unfortunate soldiers on the front line hesitated and were ripped to shreds. The naked people began to greedily hack away at the screaming soldiers, greedily devouring chunks of human flesh that became caught between the claws. They paid no mind to the fact that the claws sometimes pierced their own cheeks, ravaged their own teeth and gums.


    Shane saw all of this, frozen in astonishment. But his perspective allowed him time to observe and comprehend what was happening. This time was not afforded to the militiamen, who began to panic and pull back into a line. Shane amplified his voice so that everyone on the battleground could hear: "They are no longer your kin!" he bellowed. "Fight them or be devoured! Fight or be eaten!"


    He rushed forward, storm sorcery crackling as he flew. He blasted a long swath of lightning across dozens of the Quarian cannibals, transforming their pale naked flesh into black char, glowing orange from within. They screamed, but even as they screamed with pain their hunger animated them. Many of them stood back up, and began to devour the smoking wreckage of their own bodies. The Heritage Militia managed to restore order as commanders on horses charged forward, holding their sabers in front of them, commanding their soldiers to charge.


    Wind magic lanced out from the mages riding on the drake. Shane felt the connections, however, and he simply deflected the magic with his barrier. He rewarded those mages with a cone of lightning that struck the drake in the chest and the wings, causing to writhe back in pain. The drake crushed both riders under its bulk as it squirmed on the ground, leaving long blood-blue smears in the dim light of the soldier''s flames.


    Below Shane, a naked woman was screaming "FOOD! PLEASE FOOD!", her shrill voice blocking out everything else. Both her legs had been slashed apart by sabers, and finally a soldier crushed her skull with his boot, ending her misery. In front of Shane, soldiers skirted up against the escarpment. The bright oval shape of an airship drifted just off the edge. The interior of the airship was packed with more naked bodies.


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    More drakes flew overhead, ignoring the soldiers near the edge of the cliff, carrying their payloads deeper into the camped armies. Crimson lights flashed overhead, as a second squadron of four airplanes rushed by with a deafening scream. Several drakes exploded in blue gore, and more burning bodies rained down into the forest, out of sight. From his vantage just above the tops of the trees, Shane could see the other squadrons spewing red pillars of fire in the distance.


    Powerful sorcery protected each airship. Shane could feel the storm sorcerers and wind mages that protected the craft from magical attacks. A ramp deployed from the front. A hundred naked bodies poured out, clawing mindlessly forward into the militiamen. Hiding within the surge of bodies, Shane saw a single Quarian man dressed in the white uniform of the Heritage Militia. This man began to attack the starving hordes, and then slipped, unseen, into the ranks of the other militiamen. Finally, a wave of Rilnese soldiers departed the craft. They had that sharpness and grace common to professional soldiers, they wore fur armor and they were armed with pikes and crossbows.


    Shane followed the infiltrator as he made his way through the Heritage Militia soldiers toward the commanders in the back. Amplifying his own voice, he cried out to the soldiers below. "Stop that man!" He shot a bolt of lightning at the man''s feet, knocking him to the ground. "He is one of them! Stop him!"


    Remarkably, the militiamen nearby seized the man and hoisted him to his feet. Shane drifted down with his storm sorcery. He recognized the man, another anonymous face from the streets of Needlewood. He was a civilian, not part of the Heritage Militia, and this fact must not have been lost on the soldiers nearby.


    "What did they do to make you betray your own kin?" one soldier asked. He slapped the infiltrator, splitting the man''s cheek and causing his nose to gush blood down over his mustache.


    "For my sisters!" the man cried. He managed to free one arm, which held a small dagger, and with one mad stroke the man sliced his own throat. His skin darkened, and then a shadowy mist began to emanate from his body.


    "Flee!" Shane bellowed across the battlefield. "Stay away from the shadows!"


    The soldiers hesitated and then sagely followed this advice. The shadows began to coalesce into a pair of wolves, one black, and one white, huge ethereal things with sharp fangs and eyes of the opposing color. Frozen at first, they quickly became animated, darting around the battlefield, snapping their huge jaws down on soldier''s heads, leaving behind unmarred but lifeless, twitching bodies.


    Do not let those things touch you, Astrid warned in his mind. Their mother must be nearby. Protect yourself, and protect Felix if you can. I must flee this Plane for a little while. I will return when she has left.


    The battlefield turned to pure chaos. The Heritage Militia soldiers were being routed, run through with pikes, shot full of crossbow bolts, or devoured by the shadowy wolf creatures. The starving cannibals feasted upon the fallen. Lightning lanced out from the airship at Shane, though he deflected it easily with his own storm sorcery. The brief flash of light from the exchange illuminated the sky beyond the escarpment, revealing more airships and drakes.


    "It is a shame, really," a feminine voice said from behind Shane. He was floating just above the ground, but the woman standing behind him was so tall that her head was above his own. Her long white dress fluttered in the cold breeze that flowed over the escarpment, as did her long raven-black hair. Half her face was hidden behind the skull of a horned beast, fashioned into a mask. A single gold-red eye pierced his soul.


    Shane was completely frozen in fear. Thankfully, the sorcerers seemed to have lost interest in attacking him, however the butchery continued unabated all around. The Heritage Militia was trying to push back, and their efforts were rewarded with overwhelming losses.


    The two wolf creatures trotted up to the pale woman. She reached out with both hands and caressed each wolf behind the ear. Their inverse-color tongues rolled out in a happy pant. The pale woman spoke once more: "The Blue Dragon really is quite clever, you know. Normally, I would enjoy such a slaughter, but watching animals kill each other is something only the Queen of Life enjoys. It took me a long time to uplift your kind, it is such a shame that this continent is lost to me now." She sighed. "Tell your Purple Dragon friend that I will be watching."


    She vanished in a puff of black smoke, but her many shadows lingered on the ground, slowly fading over time. The sound of aircraft screaming overhead shook Shane from his stupor. He saw enemies all around him, pushing up against the Heritage Militia. He reached out into his Realms and drew more power than he ever had before. Then, he attacked.


    <hr>


    Huge cones of lightning blast out from the battlefield near the edge of the cliffs as Felix raced overhead. He could only assume it was Shane, though the battlefield appeared to be total chaos. He was certain that he saw completely-naked, red-haired Quarian people attacking the Heritage Militia thugs.


    Those must be the people that the government abandoned in Needlewood, Felix realized. Something had caused them to turn traitor. "No time to dwell on it," he hissed through his teeth. He needed to stay focused on his flight. The flashes of blue lightning reflected off blue scales, revealing many more drakes over the side of the cliff. Felix craned around to follow them with his vision. One of them began to ascend behind Felix. It carried no bodies on its back. Lean and strong, Felix instantly recognized the signs of a skilled and experienced Draconic Paladin.


    He punched the throttle fully open. The red light of his engine exhaust gave dim reflections off the blue scales of the drake in pursuit. Felix quickly realized that even with his engine he would not be able to use the vertical and get out of range in time before the drake attacked. He instantly rolled and pointed the nose down, hoping to pick up speed and transition into a head-to-tail circle. The silhouette of the drake, black against the orange flames in the forest, began to follow.


    What would I do, if I was that fellow? Felix thought. The enemy Paladin could see Felix clearly because of the contrast between the crimson trails and the night sky. If the roles were switched, Felix would wait until shrouded in darkness, where there was little risk of being spotted. Then, he would cheat, breaking his momentum in the circle by flapping his wings violently and reversing directions, turning the head-to-tail circle into a surprise head-to-head circle. But Felix would not risk being spotted by breathing fire, instead he would rip the wings off the airplane with his claws, in total darkness. The best time to reverse the circle would be... when he was out over the escarpment.


    This entire sequence of events played out in his mind almost instantly because of his years of experience fighting against enemy drakes. How he would respond to this situation came more slowly, because he did not have the same years of experience. Felix did what felt right. He continued his circle, staying slightly out of the enemy cone, until he passed over the battlefield once again. At that moment, the enemy drake should be out beyond the edge of the cliff, in the darkness. He yanked back violently on the stick while pressing slightly on the rudder opposite to his current roll. He continued pulling back on the stick until the propeller disk darkened the stars straight above. The aircraft rattled and twisted as it fought against gravity.


    Felix glanced out at where the other Draconic Paladins had been flying. Two of them were still ascending, receding far away into the night sky. The other two, however, were completely missing. Blasts of azure flame chased after Felix, but at a safe distance. His gambit worked, and the enemy drake would have needed to flap his wings frantically in order to correct for the airspeed he lost trying to reverse the circle. Felix used the rudder as he ascended vertically, twisting and dodging, providing a difficult target to strike. A sudden red light filled the sky as red draconic flame blasted a pillar across the sky overhead. This light was enough to illuminate the blue drake, as well as the dark aircraft pointing straight at it in a near nose dive. A second plume of flames lanced out, incinerating the drake''s chest and extinguishing the blue fire in his throat.


    Red flames appeared from where the airplane had been heading, revealing the Paladin that had turned back and saved Felix. But then Felix saw, with a tinge of horror, that the very light of those engines reflected off the scales of more drakes below. Instinctively, Felix pulled hard on the stick again, pulling the nose into a loop overhead. He brought the drakes into his propeller disk as a second blast of flame illuminated them from far overhead. One of the Paladins was simply using fire to create light at a safe altitude. The light was just enough. Felix cast draconic breath at the two drakes as they scrambled after the retreating airplane. The first one lost his head, while the second lost a wing and plummeted into the darkness.


    The two airplanes formed up and began to ascend once again, chasing the rest of their squadron. Felix began to follow, flying back over the forest at an angle upward, glancing around in every direction for the blue reflection of drake scales. He did not see anything until a flash of lightning on the ground reflected off the hidden drake that was chasing him.


    Felix violently rolled out of the way just as a plume of azure flame lanced forward exactly where he had been. Now he was descending again, and the drake was immediately behind him. A massive flash of lightning from the ground arced up into the drake, incinerating his tail and causing him to pitch up violently. With one final brave attack, the blue drake breathed out. The flames caught Felix on one wing, causing it to rip away in an explosion of ash and burning splinters. The aircraft immediately began to spin, falling out of the sky. Felix listed to one side, desperately trying to prevent his head from smashing into the glass canopy as he tumbled out of the sky.


    He was high above the forest, but falling fast. The coppery light of the camped armies overhead periodically as he fell, but then the airplane must have inverted because even this light was lost. Felix did not know how high he was, and the forest below was shrouded in absolute darkness. His only thought was to escape the cabin. Maybe, he reasoned, he could grab onto a tree as he fell, maybe break both his arms but survive to fight another day. Unlikely, he thought, but I need to try. I need to do something, anything!


    Lightning struck his craft, and it exploded. Cold wind blasted his face as the canopy, the walls of the cabin, the wings, the tail boom, everything exploded out and away from him in a perfect orb of lightning centered just around his body. Lightning crackled all around him, and he felt the unmistakable feeling of an upward acceleration, slow and deliberate but not unwelcome. Shane, glowing blue and green and white, floated just below, gently carrying Felix down toward the treetops.


    "I caught you!" Shane said.


    Felix suddenly began to appreciate the skill required to destroy an airplane without harming the pilot and then catch that pilot.


    "You," Felix rasped, coughing in the cold air. "You have my thanks sir."


    Shane gently lowered them both through the forest and rested them onto the dark forest floor. The flames of the battle nearby just barely penetrated into the woods. Those flames appeared to flicker stars. All around was mostly dark, except for the glow of Shane''s storm sorcery.


    "What are you going to do now?" Shane asked. "Will you help with the battle?"


    "No, take me back to the runway. I need to go back up."


    "Your airplane was just destroyed!"


    "There is one more, in storage."


    "That''s just a prototype, it doesn''t even have a windshield!"


    "It flies," Felix replied, "and that''s all that matters tonight."

 Chapter 18: Radiant Sky

    The trunks of trees rolled past, illuminated by Shane''s storm sorcery from above. A slight purple sheen indicated the location of Astrid''s new spire nearby. Then, two dull orange lines appeared, parallel and set apart, demarking the edges of the runway. They smoldered and steamed, but did not produce enough light to illuminate the geomancers. A loud crack resounded through the air, as the glowing magenta behemoth, Brigid''s animated armor, opened fire on some unseen enemy.


    Felix felt the wind on his face as they flew. The cabin of his airplane had been very warm because of the burning engine. He was starting to feel cold, but the sensation was not completely unpleasant. They were flying at the plodding pace of storm sorcery, so the gusts of wind made it difficult to judge his airspeed. He realized that if he had been flying much faster, the cold night air would likely cause his face to burn.


    Half a dozen soldiers with torches marched forward as Shane lowered Felix to the ground.


    "Bring out the prototype," Felix snapped. "Bring me furs, goggles, and a scarf. Go, now!"


    After the soldiers left, Shane said: "I am going to return to the battle. Try not to let yourself get shot down again." He began to float away. Then he turned, crackling with sorcerous lightning, and raced off over the treetops, out of sight.


    Felix stood in silence by the trails of lava and watched the sky. The crimson trails of the closest squadron faded and vanished. The Paladins were going to begin another attack. Three more airplanes began to ascend from beyond the forest. He sighed. Losses were inevitable. By all measures, Felix himself should have died. Flying was very unforgiving, but that unforgiving aspect of flight was also deeply ethical. It helped that nobody on the ground could issue direct commands to a Paladin in flight.


    There is nothing wrong with surviving, Felix thought. I was not flying with anyone else in my aircraft. I did not simply dump my mistakes onto somebody else.


    Something about this line of thought was unsatisfying. Felix continued to fume over this until the soldiers returned dragging the prototype aircraft by the tail. Felix moved as if in a trance, not paying much attention to his actions. Takeoff was unremarkable, and Felix suddenly realized that time seemed to have skipped forward. He was flying again, with a scarf covering his mouth and glass goggles covering his eyes. The cold wind struck the small windows of exposed skin between the goggles and the scarf.


    I can feel the wind on my face.


    He rolled the wings and began a turn toward the south. Felix had the uncanny feeling that he was stationary, and that his inputs to the controls had the effect of moving the entire world. The starry horizon rotated around until he was facing the cliffs, the basin, and the invading army. The wash created by the propeller revealed little information about his airspeed. He figured that he should create a barrier using wind magic, but something felt so right about that wind hitting his face, buffeting his clothes.


    Felix could see the lights of the battlefield to one side. He regarded that light. More drakes and airships were crawling out of the darkness. Soldiers fought for their lives. If only I could do more for them, he thought.


    You can do so much more.


    It was not the familiar voice of Astrid in his head. Instead, it was the voice of a girl-child, with a delicate crystalline quality to it, high-pitched like wind chimes, with a slight echo. Felix could not recall ever hearing that voice before, but something about it seemed familiar.


    You don''t remember. You cannot remember. But I remember you. I remember your soul. You were there, Felix, just your brain and your heart, trapped in a box. The discarded shell of your body was given to the blizzards in the Plane of Fire. Ingrid found you, in the Plane of Stone. She led you all to the Plane of Dreams, through her dream. I saw you then, flying beside Ingrid in your fighter jet. I made note of your soul.


    "Who are you?"


    I am Titania, second-born of the High Daughters. Your soul belongs to me, mortal. Heed my command. Inspire them! Give them an ideal to strive for! Bring my light to this land, for me, and with my blessing.


    Suddenly the darkness of the forest gained color. He flew out over the escarpment then, and the cliff dropped away to the basin far below. Felix could see clearly: brilliant shining blue drakes that glistened as if illuminated by the sun, white oval airships pregnant with soldiers, swift black arrows fired by Brigid''s construct that filled the sky with gore. He could see the wings on either side of the craft, gently bobbing up and down in the wind. He could see his arms, the stick, his legs, the rudder pedals, the spinning propeller. He could see it all, as clear as day. Then he saw the slight rainbow sheen to the colors within the cabin, and he realized that he was glowing.


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    <hr>


    Shane shot waves of lightning at the pairs of wolf-like creatures. There were more pairs now, half a dozen in total. Three black wolves and three white wolves. They roamed about, uncontested, devouring the souls of the Heritage Militia soldiers. The Quarian forces had been forced to retreat away from the escarpment, because they had no answer to the demonic creatures that hunted them. Nothing Shane did seemed to help. The creatures did not seem to be bothered at all by his sorcery.


    Suddenly, all of the wolves stopped moving completely. To the last, they turned their gaze to the south. Some brave soldiers charged forward and began to hack away at the creatures, with no effect. Sobriety set in, and the soldiers too fled, abandoning their futile task. The wolves remained, standing proud upon a field of corpses, with their eyes fixed skyward. The trees all around began to brighten, changing from midnight black to forest green. The pools of black blood that covered the battlefield began to brighten into red and blue. Beyond the escarpment, Shane could see very far, all the way to the basin floor, and in the space between, the white airships and blue drakes were all clearly visible, as if it was midday.


    Then, as one, the pairs of wolf creatures all vanished in puffs of black smoke.


    Shane looked up to the south as well. Something very, very bright was moving away. Shane realized that it had the shape of a very small airplane. Felix, he thought. Alice said that Felix was glowing after he tested the prototype for the first time. But this was much more than she described. The light was blinding to look at, and it illuminated everything for miles around.


    The sound of hoofs approached from behind. Shane snapped around to see Albrecht, the Supreme Commander of the Heritage Militia, trotting up to the battlefield on his horse. "Do not look at the light!" he bellowed. "That''s an order! Soldiers, do not look at that light!"


    Shane felt pity for the older man. His commands fell on deaf ears. All of the living militiamen stared up at the sky, speechless, unmoving. A squadron of four airplanes roared overhead, blasting the enemy drakes with crimson fire. The soldiers on the ground began to smile at the sight. Then they began to cheer. Then they began to charge. Sabers in hand, they rushed forward into the packs of stunned Rilnese soldiers.


    Albrecht screamed and fell from his horse. Three nearby soldiers deftly caught him, preventing his head from hitting the ground. "It hurts!" Albrecht cried. "Ashe! Save me Ashe! I don''t want to be blind!" He writhed around, causing the soldiers who held him to lower him slowly to the ground. He kept screaming. "I did not ask her to bring my soul here, Ashe! I want to go back! Ashe, please, Ashe!"


    Shane turned his eyes away.


    <hr>


    Felix could clearly see every single enemy drake in the sky. It gave him the impression of standing beside an aquarium, with the schools of sky-fish slowly swimming in one direction. Most of them were slow, burdened with dozens of naked Quarian civilians chained to their backs. Others were unburdened, and therefore dangerous. Felix targeted them. He brought one into his propeller disk. If it saw him, it did not react. It flapped its wings wildly, spinning about, twisting its neck in strange ways. As Felix passed behind an airship a pitch-black shadow crossed over the target.


    Felix suddenly realized the drake had been blinded by the light.


    He can probably still hear me though, Felix thought. Indeed, as he approached the drake began to attack with draconic flame. It was not too hard to roll out of the plume of azure flames, and answer with a crimson plume in turn. The flames caught the enemy drake in the neck. It began to veer into its human form as it fell. A second drake heard the exchange and began to attack. Felix kicked the rudder and dodged behind an airship, using the hanging gondola as cover. Blue flames struck the gondola, splintering it and incinerating the people inside.


    He darted in and out, blasting enemy drakes apart and then vanishing out of sight. Two, three, seven, ten... he lost count of how many drakes he killed. He lost all sense of time. At some point, more Paladins descended and attacked the drakes closer to the escarpment. For the first time, the enemy appeared to slow their advance. Some of the enemy drakes began to turn and flee.


    When he finished killing the unburdened drakes, he began to attack the burdened ones. Then he began to rake the enemy soldiers on the ground. Finally he began to attack the enemy airships, burning holes in their bloated gas bags, causing them to plummet down toward the basin. Periodically the other Paladins would form up and follow him. One at a time they gave up and returned to the airstrip, and eventually, after killing the last of the airships, Felix was completely alone in the sky. He flew to the far battlefield, beyond the Teeth of the Red Dragon, and flew one final pass over all of the battlefields, bathing them in triumphant light.


    The approach to the runway was clear, and the runway itself was empty. The remaining aircraft were parked along the sides, as they had been before they departed. Felix landed, and pulled back hard on the stick to prevent flipping over. Soldiers sprinted alongside and caught the tail with ropes, pulling him back to a stop. All around the forest began to darken as the light faded. He tried to pull himself up out of the cabin, but his legs were too stiff. He groaned. By torchlight, the other Paladins hoisted him up and dragged him out of the vehicle.


    "How many died?" Felix rasped.


    "There are seventeen of us left," Neasa replied. "Including yourself."


    "Too many," Felix said.


    "It could have been much worse, for everyone." Neasa said. "I think you probably saved the lives of half the army tonight."


    Felix shook his head. "It isn''t enough. The Blue Dragon will send more armies. We are going to need to scale up production and recruitment. Quickly."


    "We can worry about that tomorrow. Tonight we should celebrate."


    Before Felix could protest, he heard the voice of the Purple Dragon in his mind: Felix, you should rest and celebrate tonight. Cherish your time with your living companions. Do not be afraid of the Blue Dragon. I am going to travel to the south and kill him tomorrow.

 Chapter 19: Journey to the South

    "Time to wake up," Brigid said.


    Shane opened his eyes, but there was no light. It was chilly in the spire barracks, but Shane cast away his blankets. He reached under his bed and grabbed a fresh set of linens.


    "The Princess is readying herself to leave. You should hurry."


    He asked one of the constructs for a bar of soap, then left the spire. At the edge of the forest he stripped naked and summoned water, heated it with fire, and showered himself while floating a few feet off the ground. When the Purple Dragon descended the spire ramp, he was waiting near the bottom, kneeling, immaculate, and fully awake. It was before sunrise, the sky was a chilly blue, and the horizon shone with dull gold.


    It troubled Shane that he had not seen Felix in his bed in the barracks, and he did not stand beside Astrid in the cool morning air.


    "Felix has his own fate," Astrid said. "Just as you have your own fate. We go toward the south now."


    "I am ready to leave," Shane said.


    "There is an object that will be needed in our journey to the south. A leather-bound book, a gift to you, from the advisor to the Green Dragon."


    "As you say, Almighty Dragon."


    The spire was slightly brighter in the morning twilight, but it was still difficult to make out the shapes of the steps, the doorways, and the beds in the barracks. He connected to his realms, and floated down to the floor, slid under his bed, illuminated by the crackling light of storm sorcery. He slipped the thin leather-bound book into his jacket, and then he left, floating through the foyer back down to where Astrid waited for him.


    Brigid was standing in front of a portal. She reached up toward him, and then he was seized by unrecognizable sorcery. With a flash of light they were all taken to the other side: a sunless, grayish magenta sky, a dark haze that played tricks on the eyes, and the souls of the living soldiers camped at the edge of the runway nearby.


    Astrid stood beside her sister Elvira. The second Purple Dragon wore a mother-of-pearl dress, her long purple hair tumbled over her shoulders in ringlets, and her face betrayed a sadistic smile. She licked her lips. Shane shivered.


    Brigid walked out into the forest clearing alone, and then she veered into her draconic form. She was as large as Felix had been when shapeshifted, with purple scales that glistened with a green-magenta sheen. Whereas Felix had looked menacing and predatory while shapeshifted, Brigid looked graceful, noble, even beautiful. Astrid did not ask for help, she simply floated with her sister up into the saddle using some indetectable type of magic. Brigid stalked through the forest to the runway, charged, spread her wings, and plummeted over the escarpment. Shane felt a primal response to that ten-thousand foot drop beyond the edge. Rationally, he knew he was safe, but his body was anything but rational.


    Shane had flown the route before, but in the opposite direction. He had spent his original flight to the north paying attention to every direction, so every sight was familiar. However, he had never seen the landscape from the other side, the Elemental Plane of Spirits. There was no crimson sunrise, there were no ebon shadows or wispy clouds. The snow on the peaks was pure white. It didn''t even reflect the dull magenta light of the sky. Shane made note of the differences as they flew to the south. Without a sun in the sky, lulled by Elvira''s haunting songs, Shane began to lose his sense of time.


    He still felt tired from his early rise, so he curled up in his harness and nodded off to sleep. It was an uneasy, dreamless sleep, half-awake from the frequent flapping of Brigid''s great wings. The sight of tens of thousands of souls, ghostly white projections in the Plane of Spirits, managed to pull Shane to full consciousness. A Rilnese army, Shane thought. A purple spire glistened on top of a plateau nearby. Shane immediately recognized the unmistakable shape of the city of Needlewood, a circular clearing in the forest spotted with jagged red spires, devoid of mortal constructions.


    Brigid followed a path through the sky that Shane began to recognize from above. He had taken the same route to the south in his youth, smuggled across the border with Riln. They flew over a river with another purple spire constructed on one bank. Shane theorized in that moment that Brigid was using the purple spires to navigate. Maybe she had some ability to sense them at a distance? The Purple Dragon did not confirm or disconfirm this theory.


    Across the border, Shane recognized the mountains that had been visible from the open windows of the monastery where he had been trained in sorcery. He caught a glimpse of the empty quad of the monastery itself, nestled in heavily-eroded white-gold rocks. If he had been on the other side, he fashioned that he would have heard the bells at least once as he flew overhead.


    South they flew, to the southernmost limit that Shane had ventured in his childhood. The forest thinned and opened into chaparral, rolling hills and shrubland. When Shane had been about ten years old, the monks at the monastery took him to the edge of the sacred chaparral to pray to the Blue Dragon. There were storm clouds then, and lightning in the rainy desert at dusk. There were no clouds in the Plane of Spirits, and the landscape below suddenly seemed demystified, cheapened, like a museum diorama.


    Beyond the chaparral they came upon the great salt lakes, and it was there that Brigid descended, skimming the salt flats to bleed airspeed. She landed gently on the ground, sembled into her human form, and then opened a cyan portal. Shane was plucked to the other side, alone. He suddenly felt an intense cold. The sky was gray, violent and undulating. Sand blasted his body, pinning his clothes against his body. He reached out to connect to the Realm of Wind, and established a barrier against the wind. Brigid and Astrid followed through the portal, but Elvira remained on the other side.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Such is the nature of the desert," Astrid said. "Hot and windy, or cold and windy. Alas, we need respite."


    A brilliant purple light appeared near her chest. It darkened even the gray sky in Shane''s vision. He reached out to more Realms and began to float with storm sorcery. He lifted his companions off the ground as the new purple spire began to form.


    "Shane, my dear. What do you make of this land?" Astrid asked.


    Shane was at a loss for words. In such a state, he fell back on the arguments of long-dead men, writers from bygone days who penned their opinions in sturdy leather-bound books. "Almighty Dragon, deserts are the bane of armies. In order to cross a desert, armies need to carry sufficient supplies for the entire journey, because they cannot replenish those supplies as they march."


    The Purple Dragon giggled. "And how would Felix reply to your condemnation?"


    Shane glanced around as he hovered a few feet off the trembling salt flat. What would Felix think? He realized the shape of the answer she wanted to hear. "Felix would like to be here in his airplane. If something goes wrong, he would have plenty of flat space in which to land. Also it is very dry here, and the metal engine of his airplane could be preserved for decades or centuries. Felix would hide airplanes in caves in this land. He, or his descendants, could march an army on horseback to the caves and take to the sky to surprise an enemy."


    "Very good," the Purple Dragon said. "I am, as always, impressed by your intelligence, my servant. If you were King of any land, what percentage of your land would ideally be sacrificed to the desert?"


    "No more than half, Almighty Dragon."


    "A wise answer."


    "It is your own wisdom that I strive to reflect, Almighty Dragon."


    "I appreciate that you recognize this fact."


    <hr>


    They returned to the Plane of Spirits after a brief respite, and resumed the journey to the south. The desert turned to rugged badlands, then to jagged peaks, then to dry grasslands, and finally dense jungle. Blue crystal spires pierced the landscape, some as tall as the Teeth of the Red Dragon, looming thirty thousand feet overhead. Brigid rolled to one side, and began to descend toward a plateau in a basin, surrounded on all sides by a blue river of crystal spires.


    "Why do you read?" Astrid asked as they descended.


    "Almighty Dragon, I read so that I might become part of a spirit that is older than myself."


    "There is one other who answered thus," the Purple Dragon said. "Her name is Vaska, and she is much older than myself. Why does she read?"


    "The books she reads must be much older than herself," Shane replied.


    "She reads many of the books she wrote herself."


    "She penned them in a moment of genius."


    "Vaska may have had her moments of genius," Astrid said, "however she would never dare put them to pen. I think that she was like a predator. She saw Ingrid through her network of spies and arranged for her to become bonded to Titania. She arranged for Ashe to be released from her prison, and she arranged for herself to become the ruler of all Elemental Planes."


    Shane had no response to these revelations. He slid his hand down across his leather pack, feeling the thick holy book of the Church of the Lady Ghost, which Alice had given to him as a gift. Below, Brigid descended toward a plateau.


    Made from layers of red-gold rock piled high, and rimmed with shrubs and stout evergreen trees, the plateau was surrounded by blue spires, packed together like toothpicks in the floodplains on all sides. Brigid pulled her wings up at the last second, dumping airspeed and gently landing on the very center of the plateau. Shane and the two Purple Dragons floated down off her back, and she sembled back into her human form. A cyan portal formed as she sembled.


    Beyond the portal, the sky was partly cloudy. The golden sheen at the tops of the great cloudy pillars indicated that it was near dusk. Astrid and Brigid came through the portal with Shane, and then Brigid consumed one of her potions, vanishing from sight. He stood with Astrid near the edge of the plateau, overlooking the death trap of blue spines in the canyon. Thunder raged in the distance. Shadows darkened the sky.


    Shadows in the shape of wings.


    The Blue Dragon, a massive hulking beast, smashed through the clouds, sending them to the sides in swirling vortexes. He crashed down into the basin below the plateau, crushing the blue crystal spines like grass. His long, serpentine neck rose above the plateau, his long horns created lightning with each motion of his neck, and he looked down upon the Purple Dragon with hesitation. Shane saw the great beast and almost fell to his knees, but the power surging through him reminded him of his fate. He was not this creature''s Chosen One. He had prayed to this beat as a child, and betraying him, even now, sent a shiver down his spine that he could not control.


    "I SEE YOU!" the Blue Dragon bellowed. "Blind! A Fate Binder, you see into the perfect darkness of Mother Ashe. Why have you come to my land? What has become of my best friend, the Red Dragon?"


    Then the Purple Dragon spoke thus: "You know well that the soul of the Red Dragon has returned to your mistress, the Elemental Queen of Darkness."


    "And you have come to consume my soul," the Blue Dragon growled.


    "No, Ashe has arranged your return. I will send you to her presently. Do you have any final words in this life?"


    Shane stood upon the desert plateau, watching in awe as the two Dragons conversed. The massive Blue Dragon twisted his head up and away, refusing to make eye contact with the Purple Dragon.


    "I miss my best friend. I regret that the mortals killed her."


    Spectral white jaws appeared around the Blue Dragon''s throat. With a great magenta flash of light, a full Purple Dragon appeared, with massive jaws clamping down at frightening speed, crushing the throat of the Blue Dragon. The resulting motions defied mortal logic. Shane thought he saw Elvira crush the Blue Dragon''s face against the plateau, and then ravage his serpentine neck with her claws. Every motion that the Purple Dragon made created lightning, storms, thunder, snow, ice, death. When the Blue Dragon''s head struck the ground, the whole plateau trembled.


    The Blue Dragon fell into the chasms beyond the edge of the plateau. His skin, scales, muscles, and soul turned into blue crystal dust, leaving behind only a massive skeleton.


    "It is such a shame that I could not consume his soul myself," Astrid said. "However, a deal is a deal. His soul shall return to Ashe. As for you, servant, I have new orders."


    Instinctively, Shane floated a few feet off the ground to prevent falling over from the force of the Blue Dragon''s head striking the ground. He tried his best to prostrate himself a few inches over the dusty plateau floor. "Almighty Dragon, speak, and I shall obey."


    "You are the Chosen One, and you shall convince the leaders of the armies of Riln as such. You shall give them the schematics for the flying machine that Felix now commands. You shall establish in this land a new air force, and you shall, in time, take absolute control of this entire half of the content. You shall slaughter all opposition, you shall broker no compromise, and you shall endure no betrayal. Bring the light of Titania to your people. This is the command of your master, Princess Astrid of the Purple Dragons, do this for me and with my blessing."


    Shane banished his connections and fell to the dusty floor of the plateau. Tears rolled down his face in the cold southern desert winds. He looked up at Astrid. She looked down at him from behind that steel mask of hers, the ones that hid the ravaged sockets where she should have eyes. His entire fate clicked into place.


    "Almighty Dragon," Shane said, "it shall be as you command."

 Chapter 20: Outlander

    Red, layered rocks rose from the dense jungle, like walls looming on all sides. It had been uncomfortably humid in the lowlands, but as Shane crested a gap between two ridges he felt a refreshing, cold, dry wind, which no doubt originated in the desert to the north. He ascended into that cold wind and floated over the treetops, striding the layer of air between too-cold desert and steaming jungle. It smelled strongly of the acrid southern jungle fruits and rancid flowers.


    Yet another scent rode the winds, that of livestock. A naked shepherd led goats through the jungle below. Shane descended in front of the man. He was young, and he wore his blue hair long and straight, as Shane once had. Clan Caitria, Shane thought. The man''s nude body was painted with pale blue patterns, his skin glistened with sweat in the humid air.


    "Clansman, is your village nearby?" Shane spoke in the language of his parents, southern Rilnese, the dialect that was specific to Clan Caitria.


    "Outlander," the man said, "what is your purpose? Why have you returned to your motherland?"


    "I have come to speak with the leaders of each clan," Shane replied. "I was chosen by the Blue Dragon to become the Chief of Chiefs."


    "They will not name you."


    "Then they will die."


    The man looked away, ashamed. "It is not my place to judge you, outlander. The sorcery you command is beyond even that of the Wise Woman. Go to the east until you see a blue spire rising from the jungle. That is where you fill find my village. They will know I have sent you, and I will be diminished."


    "You will not be diminished. I will command it thus. Go in peace."


    True to his word, there was indeed a blue spire to the east, at the bottom of a depression surrounded by a half-circle of waterfalls. A village was nestled into the river basin. Smoke rose from each windowless, adobe home. There were animals in the fenced-off yards, however there was no filth, and no trash. It was a remarkably clean village, and while many of the younger people were naked, their bodies were painted with artistry, and all of the people carried themselves with dignity.


    Out of habit, Shane landed at the base of the blue spire. Without invitation, he strode inside. It was so unlike the purple spires that Astrid was wont to create. The bottom floor was not a foyer, there were no rings-like walkways, and no upper floors. It was just an empty cone made from blue crystal, with a natural red stone floor. Four people sat upon thrones resting on a wooden dais. They wore elaborate linen clothing, jewelry, and beads. The man and woman in the center were middle-aged, the local Chief and his wife. There was an older woman, no doubt the Wise Woman, and a well-built man with his hair in a bun, who was no doubt the local Knight Captain.


    "Who comes into my spire without an invitation?" the Chief growled, causing his braided blue beard to jostle.


    "I dreamed of this outlander," the Wise Woman rasped. The beads on her arms clattered as she beckoned him forward. "Do not make light of his strength. He could kill all four of us in a heartbeat."


    "I do not fear death," the Chief replied. "What business do you have with us, outlander?"


    "His business is very dark, my Chief," the Wise Woman said. "Speak your words, young man."


    "The Blue Dragon is dead," Shane said flatly.


    The Knight Captain suddenly stood up. He pointed his finger at Shane, and said: "Charlatan!"


    "Peace," the Wise Woman said. "He speaks true. Young man, tell us how the Blue Dragon died."


    "Princess Elvira of the Purple Dragons killed him. She bit down on his neck and ravaged his body with her claws."


    "Lies! The Blue Dragon was strong and alert. He would have never let an enemy get close!"


    "Last night I dreamed that a Spirit from the other side came to our world and took the life of our god, the Blue Dragon." The old woman pointed to Shane. "I recognize the face of this outlander. He was there."


    The Knight Captain stomped his foot in protest. The woman sitting beside the Chief buried her face in her hands and began to cry. The Chief gestured, and she left the dais toward the back of the spire.


    "If what you say is true," the Chief said. "Then we are doomed. The Red Dragon will lead her armies to the south."


    "The Red Dragon has been dead for thirty years. I saw her corpse myself."


    "More lies," the Knight Captain hissed. "Our tribe has lost many Knights to the oath-sworn servants of the Red Dragon."


    "Power siphoned from her corpse using necromancy," Shane replied.


    "I dreamed of a great battle in the sky," the Wise Woman said. "War Chiefs of the Four Clans smashed their armies against the Teeth of the Red Dragon. Many Knights were killed, many airships were burned out of the sky with crimson flame."


    Shane reached into his pack and produced the notes that Deorwine had given him. He opened the page with the full diagram of the airplane design, with dimensions and specifications of the wings and control surfaces. He held it up for the other to see.


    "This is a machine that can fly through the sky. It is powered by draconic sorcery. A single man, Felix of Quaria, killed many of the Knights of the Four Clans."


    "Allow me to see that," the Chief said.


    "This document is the only hope for saving our entire race," Shane said. He approached the dais and offered the book to the Chief. The man nodded, took the book carefully, and then settled into his seat. The Knight Captain sat beside the Chief as well, and they both whispered to each other, pointing at the pages. They turned the page a few times, and then the Chief handed the book back to Shane.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "This is a machine of war," the Chief said. "The foolish clansmen who choose to live in the great cities sometimes speak of such machines. If our enemies in the north have succeeded in creating such a device, then it will be a very dangerous condition for us. Especially since our Knights have lost their powers."


    "Chief!" the Knight Captain cried. "Do not speak of such things to this outlander!"


    "I can help restore your power," Shane said, sensing an opportunity.


    The man''s face betrayed his desire, and he made no attempt to hide it. "Tell me how," the Knight Captain said.


    Shane glanced at the Chief. "Call a clansmeet. Promise that you will name me Chief of Chiefs."


    The Chief turned to the Wise Woman. "Summon her. Do it now."


    The Wise Woman sighed. "Daughter of the Queen of Dreams, show yourself."


    A small Dream Elemental, about as small as the ones hiding in the Realms, appeared on the dais. She looked a bit like the Greater Elemental that Brigid had summoned, but much smaller. No clothing covered her pale, translucent cyan skin. She saw Shane and she giggled. Then she began to dance.


    "If I were to Wish that this man would die, could you kill him?" the Chief asked.


    No silly, the Elemental replied with a chuckle. He is protected by the third High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Dreams.


    "Speak truth to us," the Chief growled, "who do you serve?"


    "I serve Princess Astrid of the Purple Dragon Tribe," Shane admitted.


    You keep dangerous company, the Dream Elemental said. Perhaps the Purple Dragon wishes to feast upon your souls? She has sent her servant to deceive you.


    "Tell me," the Wise Woman said, "this second Purple Dragon that you serve, did she consume the soul of the Blue Dragon?"


    "No, his soul was allowed to return to Ashe."


    The Wise Woman gasped.


    Impossible, a Purple Dragon would never allow a soul to return to Ashe. Not without making some sort of deal.


    "What does it mean?" the Wise Woman asked.


    It means that the Purple Dragon has some other purpose for your people.


    "So should we trust this man?" the Chief asked.


    Tee hee, that is a foolish question. What currency can be used to purchase a Purple Dragon, I wonder? Name yourself his ally, and maybe one day you will find out.


    The Dream Elemental stopped dancing, then she vanished.


    "How could we ever trust a man who we cannot control?" the Chief asked.


    "It is out of our hands," the Wise Woman said. "I advise that we do as he wishes. Name him Chief of Chiefs, so that we might learn the lesson that the Dream Elemental foresaw."


    "The Knights will accept him if he can restore our power," the Knight Captain said. "I advise that we do as he wishes, so that when the armies of the north arrive, the Knights may stand against them with dignity."


    "Young man," the Chief said, leaning forward. His bright teal eyes were filled with intensity. "I wish to see these machines of war that you have shown us. I will call a clansmeet. I promise that I will name you Chief of Chiefs. You are welcome in my home and in my village." He leaned back. "I have spoken."


    The Knight Captain rushed forward. "Now restore my powers," he insisted.


    "What is your name?" Shane asked.


    "I am called Fintan, Knight Captain of this village."


    "I will restore your powers as promised, Fintan, but first you need to dress in warm clothes."


    <hr>


    Shane did not recognize his location when he arrived in the Realm of Fire. He had led the Draconic Paladins of Quaria to the Realm many times, and the landscape was always the same. Now, the landscape was unfamiliar. It was still cold and snowy, and there were still planet-sized volcanoes on the horizon, but the nearby cliffs, snow lakes, and forests were all different. Fintan looked uneasy as he crunched through the snow.


    "What is this substance?" Fintan asked.


    "It is called snow," Shane replied, using the Quarian word. He did not know the Rilnese word for snow. He didn''t even know if such a word existed. "Have you seen the white patches at the top of the mountains in the desert in winter?"


    "I have seen this thing, yes." Fintan reached up and brushed the snow off his head.


    Shane looked around in every direction. A copse of trees on a nearby hill was burning. He began to march in that direction, and Fintan trailed behind.


    "What is this place? Why is it so cold?" Fintan asked.


    "This is the Realm of Fire," Shane said. The ghostly white box marking the edge of the Realm flickered above. "It is cold, so that the flames of the Fire Elementals may seem hotter."


    The trees were burning into cinders in the center of the copse. The Fire Elemental sat upon a fallen log, which was glowing from within with dull orange light where the wood touched her legs and thighs. "Outlander," Fintan said, "I see her with my own eyes. You spoke true. There is a Fire Elemental in this place."


    Shane the Doomsayer, I see that you are a master, and I see that you have brought an apprentice.


    "Daughter of Fire," Shane said. "Why does this Realm look different?"


    There are many Realms, spread out across your world. We offer our power only within a limited range. Most of the landmasses in your world are completely covered, but if you were to venture into unknown oceans you might find places where there is no Realm.


    "I better understand the shape of the Realms," Shane said.


    Fintan of Clan Caitria. I offer you my power, in exchange for your spiritual energy. Do you accept this power?


    Fintan turned to Shane, raising one eyebrow quizzically. Shane nodded.


    "I do so accept," Fintan said.


    It is done. Shane the Doomsayer, you have two other Realms to visit. Be about your labors.


    <hr>


    It was after midday when they returned to the village. Shane did not know how to get kerosene, but Fintan was able to furnish a barrel of flammable oil made from animal fat. They stood in the training yard for the Knights, while villagers stood around gawking at the strange outlander. Shane tried not to gawk at the women who smiled his way. Fintan was a diligent student, and by late afternoon he was able to connect to all three Realms. As it had been with Felix, the Realm of Lightning was the most difficult for the Knight Captain.


    "Now just connect to all three at the same time," Shane said. "Imagine the feeling just before breathing fire as a drake. Combine the three powers in a way that seems familiar to you, in a way that gives you the same feeling. Focus that power into your fist, and then punch upward toward the sky. Release that power."


    Shane felt the three connections. He felt the combination, the mixing. It was very different from the way Felix mixed the powers. The Knight Captain punched his fist up to the sky and produced a plume of azure flames, crackling with lightning, howling with wind. That''s it, Shane thought. A different type of draconic sorcery. Maybe it will work for me?


    He reached out and established the same connections, combining them in the exact same way. He reached up with his palm, and released. A pillar of azure flame ripped up into the sky, a hundred, a thousand feet perhaps. Shane could not tell for certain. He turned to see Fintan trembling on the ground, his mouth hanging open, speechless.


    "Chief of Chiefs," Fintan gasped. "I now appreciate the difference in strength between us. Tell me, master, how can I shapeshift? How can I soar the skies once more?"


    Shane shook his head. "You will never be a drake again." He produced the book of engineering diagrams, and opened it to the page with the image of the airplane. "This machine of war is the only way you will be able to fly. Tell me, Fintan, where among the clans can I find masters of sorcery who can command metal and stone?"


    "In the great cities," the Knight Captain replied.


    "Where is the closest city?"


    "To the south and east. Follow this river until it joins with three other rivers, and then follow the large river until it reaches the ocean. There you will find the smokestacks of great industry."


    Shane cloaked himself in storm sorcery, and floated up into the sky. "Then I must be on my way. Listen now, I have orders."


    "Chief of Chiefs, I await your command."


    "Bring the other Knights to the Realms, teach them draconic sorcery as I have taught you. Then, travel to the village of the High Chief of Clan Caitria. Teach his Knights storm sorcery as well. I am the Chosen One. Speak true words of my arrival in this land."

 Interlude 2: Kindred Souls

    The world was ending. Again.


    Tens of thousands of refugees poured through the golden mist into the city of Twin Fates. The golden cobblestone streets were packed with souls. Mia looked down on the chaos from the Queen''s Balcony, flanked by dozens of handmaidens. They wore black, because Mother Ashe found it agreeable. Their eyes and mouths were also sewn shut, which Mia did not find agreeable. Such was the price of immortality.


    Should I have held out longer? Mia wondered. Such thoughts had plagued her for centuries. No, I am happy here. I was happy here, when Zakx was alive, at least.


    Zakx had almost certainly been destroyed, his soul consumed by one of the Fate Binders of the Elemental Plane of Dreams. It was a huge risk going to that Elemental Plane. Mia had known that there were Purple Dragons lurking in those lands. They wanted to advocate in favor of their own Elemental Plane, at the expense of all else. They had made themselves the enemy of Mother Ashe, but they had adapted to this danger by blinding themselves with one of the Firstborn''s daggers.


    Mia sighed. Her best friend was likely dead. No, she loved Zakx. At least sometimes.


    "Mia?" The unmistakable voice of Zakx echoed through the doorway to the Queen''s Balcony.


    "An illusion?" Mia asked. "Mother Ashe, why do you torment me?"


    "This is no illusion," Ashe said. She appeared out of some shadows in a corner of the inner rooms where Mia had not been looking, as was her custom. "I was forced to bargain with the Purple Dragon named Astrid. His soul has returned to my Domain."


    Zakx strode forward out of the inner chambers onto the Queen''s Balcony. The golden light of the barrier cast harsh shadows on his pale face. He looked her in the eye. "Mia, no matter what happens, please remember that I love you."


    Mia froze in astonishment. Oh, right, he is not my best friend. He loves me. He has always loved me, even back during the war. Ingrid, what would you have done? What did you sacrifice for love?


    "How touching," Ashe said as she strode out onto her balcony. She loomed overhead, eight and a half feet tall, wearing the skull mask of a horned beast. "Zakx, when I snap my fingers, you will forget that you love Mia. You will just be her best friend."


    The Elemental Queen of Darkness snapped her fingers.


    Zakx looked stunned. "Oh, Mia! My best friend! I live!"


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    "I see that," Mia said. She was happy to hear Zakx admit his love, as she always was. She felt immeasurable pain that he simply forgot, as she always did. Ashe loved to torment her. She loved to torment them both.


    Such is the price of immortality.


    "What do you remember?" Ashe asked. "Be specific."


    "Well," Zakx said. "I was a really awesome Blue Dragon! I sent armies against Mia''s armies in the north. We had so much fun watching our armies slaughter each other. There were many great battles with much glory! But then Mia died and I was sad. And then the people in the north invented the airplane and proceeded to decimate my armies."


    "Yeah yeah," Ashe said, "get to the part where you died. What do you remember of your death?"


    "I remember a Purple Dragon, and I was certain that she was going to consume my soul."


    "Details," Ashe said. "What Elementals could you sense?"


    "Well, the Purple Dragon that I saw was bonded to the third High Daughter of the Queen of Dreams. She was also bonded to a Greater Spirit Elemental. There was a second Purple Dragon hiding in the Plane of Spirits. She ambushed me and crushed my throat. That was painful. Anyways, she was bonded to the third High Daughter of the Queen of Spirits. She was also bonded to a Greater Dream Elemental."


    Ashe nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. Anything else?"


    Zakx closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. Then he said: "I sensed a Water Elemental, one of great power. It could only be a High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Water."


    "What the hell?" Ashe hissed.


    "Hey, you asked!" Zakx said. "There was another person there, some type of bodyguard, disguised as the mortal child of a Purple Dragon. She was using invisibility potions! I am absolutely certain. She carried a bond with a High Daughter of Water."


    "You better not be lying to me," Ashe growled.


    "Reese!" Mia exclaimed. "It must be Reese!"


    "Reese?" Zakx asked. "The commander of the Fat Meg squadrons?"


    Mia tried unsuccessfully to hold back snorting. "Yes, that Reese was just a High Daughter in disguise. She had the real Reese inside her chest, in a box. You know, those boxes they made in Heyl with the brains and the hearts inside."


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this?" Ashe bellowed, in a voice that forced Mia and Zakx to fall prostrate on the ground.


    Mia felt a fuzzy feeling, like some force of nature was preventing her from lying. "You did not ask, Mother Ashe," was all she could manage to say.


    "Do you understand what this means?" Ashe screamed. Mia dropped her forehead to rest against the pale white tiles of the Queen''s Balcony. "If there was a High Daughter of Water prancing around in the Physical Realm for months without me noticing, that could only mean that the Original Three made special deals that they did not disclose to us!"


    "It must be so, Mother Ashe," Mia replied.


    "Does the Elemental Queen of Dreams know that Reese is hiding in her Domain?" Ashe asked. "Does Astrid know that her bodyguard is really a servant of the Elemental Queen of Water?"


    "Perhaps you should consult with your sister self?" Mia asked. It was a question that usually worked.


    "Good idea!" Ashe said, then she instantly vanished in a puff of shadowy mist.


    Mia crawled over to Zakx. He had not moved, and was still prostrate on the white tile floor. "My love," she whispered. "You do not remember, but you are not my best friend. You are my love. Come, let us enjoy our time together, while Mother Ashe is away."


    "I remember," Zakx said.


    Mia reeled back in shock. "Really?"


    "If there is anything that Ashe loves," Zakx said, "it is deception."

 Chapter 21: The Wind is Real

    The war room was empty when Felix arrived. Bathed in the morning light shining down from the clerestory windows, the room felt warm and inviting. Felix slid his hand along the tarnished wooden railing as he followed the quarter-circle walkway to the stairs, then he descended into the depression in the center of the room. The ebony wooden table itself contained a depression filled with maps. At one point the maps had been covered with blue beads, but now the last of the blue beads were gathered in the city of Needlewood.


    Felix grabbed one of the long metal cues resting on the map table, which he used to slide the blue beads away. The door to the war room opened, and two Heritage Militia soldiers shuffled through, holding Albrecht by the arms. Father was looking well enough, his white uniform was immaculate, but now his red eyes were hidden by a pair of shaded spectacles. He grabbed the railing, and held on as if he was struggling to balance.


    "That is enough, wait for me outside," Albrecht barked. The two militiamen saluted and then marched out of the war room. Albrecht clung to the rail as he descended the stairs, and then he grasped the lip of the table as he shuffled to one side.


    "Is something wrong, father?" Felix asked.


    "Ashe has given me the gift of Her perfect darkness," Albrecht said.


    Felix scratched his head at this response. He said nothing.


    "I''ve gone blind, you damn whelp. It''s your fault."


    "I saved a lot of soldiers," Felix said.


    "You keep dangerous company," Albrecht said. "The Purple Dragon will eat your soul when she is done with you. Not even Ashe can save you now."


    Felix shrugged. "The wind is real, father. Even if I don''t make any mistakes, the wind may still find me unworthy, and I will fall to the ground and die. The Purple Dragon is just another type of wind to me."


    "The wind has no malice," Albrecht said.


    "You only say that because you''ve never tried to fly an airplane," Felix replied.


    The door to the map room opened once again and the Lord Paladin strode through, followed by Hans, the General Officer of the Third Army. The two men took up positions around the table. Felix saw the Lord Paladin glance at Needlewood. His gaze lingered there for a moment, then he turned to Albrecht.


    "You look like you need a drink, old friend," the Lord Paladin said as he pulled a small wineskin from within his coat. He offered it to Albrecht. Felix had never seen his father drink before, but remarkably, Albrecht deftly grabbed the wineskin and took a swig.


    The door opened the final time and five more General Officers poured through.


    "Felix, give us your report." the Lord Paladin said.


    Felix used one of the cues to drag four red beads to the city of Needlewood, which sat just north of the border near the middle of the continent. He waited a few seconds for the last of the Generals to arrange themselves around the table.


    "Four Paladins, including myself, flew south to Needlewood by daylight," Felix began. "There was no opposition. There were no enemy drakes. There were a few enemy airships tied to the high masts, which appeared to have been abandoned, and which we destroyed without incident. The city was empty. The armies of the Blue Dragon have fled south across the border."


    "Did you follow them?" the Lord Paladin asked.


    Felix pulled on the red beads, causing them to cross the border into Riln. "We found them here. There are many bunkers and tunnels in this region, but the bulk of the enemy was camped above ground, near a borderland city. There were airships in the sky, but once again there were no drakes."


    "So where did the enemy Paladins go? Is it possible that they are still hiding in the north?"


    "It would not matter either way," Felix said. "The Blue Dragon is dead. Their powers are gone, they will not be able to shapeshift."


    This invited muttering and whispering around the table. The Lord Paladin grabbed the wineskin from Albrecht and took a swig himself. "You seem confident of this fact, Felix. What evidence do you have?"


    "There is still another Dragon on this continent," Felix replied. "You all saw her, she was there when I tested the prototype airplane. This is my evidence: your own memories of that woman, the sight of the purple spires that have sprouted across the north, and the destruction of the Capitol building."


    The Lord Paladin picked up one of the metal cues and began to slide red beads around near the borderlands.


    "What does she want?" Albrecht asked.


    "I have absolutely no idea," Felix said.


    "Perhaps we will contemplate the national security risk presented by the Purple Dragon when next we meet with the leaders of the intelligence community," the Lord Paladin said. "This is a strategy meeting. The First and the Third will travel to the southeast. The Second and Fourth will travel to the southwest. The Third and the Sixth will travel to Needlewood."


    "And what about my army, the Heritage Militia?"


    The Lord Paladin nodded his shining, bald head. His blood-red eyes looked up to Felix. "Do you think you could train the militiamen to fly?"


    "The wind will decide who flies," Felix answered.


    "Old friend, I think it is time for you to retire," the Lord Paladin said.


    "Absolutely not," Albrecht barked.


    "I hereby discharge you Albrecht, honorably, for medical reasons. Your blindness makes you ineligible for your rank. In any case, we need new Paladins. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of pilots for our airplanes. I have decided. The Heritage Militia is going to be dissolved, and the militiamen will be placed under your son Felix."


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    "You can''t do this!"


    "I am the Supreme Commander of the military forces of Quaria," the Lord Paladin said. "Have you forgotten this fact, Oathbreaker?"


    Albrecht reeled back.


    "The Paladins have not lost their flames, nor have we lost our wings. Felix, I have new orders."


    "Yes Commander."


    "Felix, I hereby commission you as the General Officer of the Quarian Air Force, effective immediately. You are to take command of the Heritage Militia. Train those in good health and with good vision to be pilots, train the others to be support staff and military engineers. You may reorganize the command structure as you see fit."


    "It will be done, Commander."


    The Lord Paladin handed the wineskin back to Albrecht. "It is time to go home, old friend."


    Albrecht took a long drink. Then, without saying anything, he began to feel his way back up the stairs toward the door.


    The Lord Paladin slid a sealed envelope across the maps toward Felix. "Your orders, General Felix. Signed and sealed. Is there anything else that you need from me?"


    "Half of the geomancers across all six armies," Felix said.


    "It will be arranged," the Lord Paladin replied. This brought gasps from the other General Officers. "You are dismissed."


    <hr>


    Two airplanes flew high above the runway, a Paladin and a student. They would keep looping around and around until the student was able to find the correct speed and angle of descent in order to safely land. This particular student was an officer in the First Army, and he was one of only three students to join since the victory against the Blue Dragon''s armies. The first and last of the three students who would not be sourced from the former Heritage Militia.


    Felix sighed. Neasa glanced at him while tapping her pencil on her wooden writing board. The geomancer Cliona remained perfectly still, her face shrouded under layers of gray robes.


    "I think we should start with a very simple set of rules," Felix said. "Rules that are focused on preventing conflicts of interest and unethical redistribution of risk."


    Neasa nodded and began to scratch away with her pencil.


    He continued: "The official slogan for the Quarian Air Force will be ''The Wind is Real.'' For us, flying will be our highest ideal, and therefore, nobody who risks life and limb flying will ever be subjected to the insult of a command from a person who has never flown before."


    "What about the Lord Paladin?" Neasa asked.


    "He taught us all how to fly," Felix replied.


    "Fair point. Please continue."


    "Another way to state this rule is to say that all officers must be able to fly. In fact, I would say that a soldier who is able to fly, and who has an airplane, is by definition an officer. We should provide officer training, and an appropriate rank, to anyone who demonstrates proficiency in flight."


    "What about the geomancers?" Cliona asked in her too-soft voice. "We don''t want the officers whipping us or threatening to kill us."


    "The geomancers will have the rank of Warrant Officer, exactly as they do in the armies and in the navies. In general, anyone who can use magic is a Warrant Officer, including wind mages and combat medics. They will be between enlisted and commissioned personnel. They will be outside of normal military discipline."


    "Excellent," Cliona said. Then she glided away, swishing her robes as she left.


    "We will simply copy the Warrant Officer ranks from the other armies. As for enlisted ranks, the lowest will be Airman Recruit, followed by Airman, Airman First Class, and Senior Airman. The non-commissioned officer ranks start with Air Sergeant, followed by Air Sergeant First Class, Senior Air Sergeant, Master Air Sergeant, and finally Chief Master Air Sergeant. There will be only one person with that last rank and he will report to me. Commissioned officer ranks start with Lieutenant Second Class, followed by Lieutenant First Class, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Lieutenant General, and finally myself, General Officer of the Quarian Air Force."


    Neasa was furiously attacking the writing board with her pencil. A second team of two airplanes continued their traffic pattern, drowning out the sound of her clattering pencil with the whirring of the propellers. They both left crimson trails in the sky as they flew over the runway.


    "Each pilot will have a team of enlisted personnel that report directly to them. The Airmen and non-commissioned officers will be responsible for maintaining specific airplanes for specific commissioned officers. Each airplane will have exactly one officer and that officer has absolute authority over the maintenance and configuration of his airplane."


    "We will need an official seal, a uniform, and a standard," Neasa said.


    "We should adopt light crimson as our official color," Felix said. "The color of the flames that come from the engine exhaust as we fly. The details about the uniform I will delegate to your own design, Neasa. Keep in mind that the spinning propeller may blow away any hats or armbands."


    "I will keep that in mind."


    "As for our official seal, I think it should include a drake, an airplane, and the three Realms we use, fire, lightning, and wind. I delegate the design to you as well. Be sure to include our motto on the seal. We will need a few possible candidate designs, and the surviving Paladins will vote on the final design."


    "Anything else?" Neasa asked.


    "I think there was one more thing," Felix began. The thought evaded him as Neasa impatiently tapped her pencil. Something about the horses? He thought. Then he remembered. "Oh right. Horses will be used to cart the airplanes around. Therefore, the riding and handling of horses will be reserved for enlisted personnel only. Officers are banned from riding horses."


    "The militiamen are not going to like that," Neasa warned.


    "That was my intention."


    <hr>


    The whole of the Heritage Militia stood at attention in their camp, organized into thirty-three squares, each with about one hundred militiamen. They had all cut the blood-red armbands from the sleeves of their immaculate white uniforms. Lieutenant General Neasa and Chief Warrant Officer Cliona marched alongside Felix, followed by a standard bearer.


    The Quarian Air Force battle standard was pale crimson in color. The official seal resided in the center, separated from the crimson field by a white circle. The seal consisted of a blood red ring with seven stars at the top, representing the fact that the Heritage Militia had been the seventh army, if not officially. The motto, "The Wind is Real," was written on the bottom of the ring. Within the seal there was a red drake, a yellow lightning bolt, an orange flame, a gust of teal wind, and a silver airplane.


    The standard bearer was moving fast enough so that the flag was fully visible. All of the former militiamen could see their new flag, and Felix saw approval, even awe, etched upon those speechless faces.


    "Felix stopped at the end of the camp, where a wind mage waited for him. With an amplified voice, he began to address the new Quarian Air Force: "Most of you fought at the battle just a few nights past, when the armies of the Blue Dragon were crushed. You fought valiantly and well, and many of your brothers fell that night. I thank you for your service, and for the risk to your life that you endured. I invite you to join me in the next chapter of your service to our nation."


    He tried his best to replicate the calm, confident, commanding tone that the Lord Paladin was famous for. It seemed to be working well enough. There was an eager silence from the crowd. No hecklers, whispers, or coughs.


    "There are going to be a few changes. There will be no more ''men of integrity,'' or ''men or respect.'' There will be no more trading favors, no more racketeering, no more shakedowns, and no more collecting tolls on the roads for your own profits. All personnel in the Quarian Air Force will be expected to inspire others with their discipline. If you need to collect resources from the local population, you will write a proper I.O.U. in compensation."


    How many of these thugs can actually write? Felix wondered.


    "That said, I do not care what you have done in the past. I do not care what you believe. I only care about one thing. The wind is real, and ultimately the wind will be your judge. The wind will forgive all past crimes, but the wind will be extremely unforgiving of all your future mistakes. If you are unworthy, the wind will not only be your judge, but your executioner as well."


    A gust of wind caught the battle standard and stretched it out fully. It was a good way to punctuate the speech.


    "The wind is real!" Felix bellowed.


    "The wind is real!" the former militiamen cried in response. Then they began to cheer.

 Chapter 22: Dragons Landing

    It took the remainder of the day for Shane to find the point where the three rivers joined. There was a small town along one bank, named Talon Junction, lorded over by a wealthy merchant who lived in a manor house. Shane used his storm sorcery to float up to the second floor of the manor, searched for an empty room, and invited himself inside. He secured the door with a chair, stripped down and slipped under the comfortable bedding. He woke the next morning to the sound of a rather violent attempt to open the door.


    It took another six hours of flight before he reached the city of Dragon''s Landing, nestled against a great harbor by the sea. There were many blocky buildings that were two or three stories high, and a square clock tower rested between the five blue crystal spires that dominated the skyline. Factories with smokestacks were packed onto a hill overlooking the harbor. The air was filled with the sound of hammers, ship''s bells, and barking dogs. Relative to the city of Black River it looked like a small town, a city on the threshold of destiny.


    Many of the homes in the suburbs were constructed from adobe. The pale material was dirty, stained with soot from the local smokestacks. The sunbathers on the river banks all wore bathing suits, and the people on the streets wore overalls or dull jumpsuits. The dirt paths were stained with offal and spotted with small piles of rubbish. Shane could see lots of men, but very few women. They have abandoned their village culture, Shane thought. Nobody is walking around naked, no body paint, and the city is filthy.


    Shane levitated over the adobe hovels toward the cluster of blue spires in the downtown area. Some people looked up and saw him, but they went about their business without dwelling on the sight. He passed over a small tavern on the edge of a town square. It was two stories tall, with a pointed, thatched roof, and the yard in front was filled with small tables. The patrons were all men that looked like workers, nursing mugs of beer.


    He landed in the beer garden and strode into the tavern. It was dark, hot, and loud within, and it reeked of alcohol and body odor. Seems a lot like the foreign quarters in Needlewood, Shane reflected. He walked up to the bar and shoved his way through. A plump man with a long blue beard regarded him.


    "Welcome home, outlander," the innkeeper growled, in a voice that cut through the roar.


    "Fair enough," Shane said. "I have traveled a long way, and I am famished. Do you accept the currency of the northern lands?" He offered a small roll of Quarian marks.


    "Absolutely." The innkeeper plucked the roll of marks. "Hey, Killian! Get over here!"


    A burly man stood up from the end of the bar and approached. His eyes were slashed with blue body paint, and he was missing two fingers on one hand, but otherwise he looked like a normal worker.


    "What''s this about?" the man named Killian rumbled.


    "How much is this worth?" the innkeeper asked.


    "The northern currency is strong right now. Ionathan exchanges the currencies three to one."


    "Sounds good to me." The innkeeper handed back a few of the bills and stuffed the rest under the counter. He trotted off, then returned with a bowl of stew and a mug of cellared ale. Killian said nothing as he nursed his own mug of ale. Shane ate in silence, listening to conversations in the tavern.


    "When do you think the war will be over?" one man asked.


    "The manager sent me away today," a worker in overalls said. "I woke up a few minutes late and I missed the line to get into the factory. That crap doesn''t happen in the north."


    "I can''t wait until they open the border again," a bright young man said. "I want to try to get a job in the north."


    "The northern embassy is closed, you see. I didn''t choose to be born south of the border. I hope the Clans wipe the floor with those selfish bastards."


    They are all talking about leaving their homeland, Shane realized.


    "Hey Killian, what''s so bad about living here?" he asked. He took a sip of his ale as he glanced up at the man.


    "Outlander, we only have two options. The first option is to live in the villages. In the old ways, people are forbidden from wearing clothes until they have their first child. Lots of people are forced to walk around naked all day, as their flesh is devoured by insects in the jungle." He pointed to the body paint that slashed his eyes. "This paint is made from a type of poisonous plant. It helps keep the bugs away, but it also hurts like hell for months as you build up tolerance."


    "So people flee to the cities," Shane said.


    "Jokes on them, too. The factory owners have an overabundance of possible workers. The hours are long, the conditions are terrible, and it is very dangerous. People lose their fingers." He held up one hand, which was missing the two smallest fingers. "And worst of all, there are no women. Generation after generation, city dwellers drown their infant daughters in the harbor."


    Shane froze. "Is that true?"


    "Take a look outside. Count the number of women on the street. The people who live in the villages have lots and lots of children. If their last living child dies, then they have to go back to walking around naked, even if they are elderly. The sons are sent away to the cities to work, and the Knights and the village Chiefs collect dozens, sometimes hundreds of wives for themselves."


    Damn, Shane thought, suddenly feeling guilty. That must be why the Knights were so desperate to get their powers back. They need their powers to prevent an insurrection.


    "Are you alright?" Killian asked. "Your face just went pale for a second."


    "I''m fine," Shane said with a sigh.


    I am guessing that they cannot see it themselves, he thought. They sit around in taverns drinking ale and crafting theories about how to escape their homeland. They only see the competition, the limited supply of jobs, the limited supply of women, the closed border in the north. They are lost in the abstractions designed by men of power. They no longer see reality. The laws of physics don''t exist.


    Felix suffered from no such mental limitations. He was very aware of the laws of physics and he was likely, at that moment, on his way south with his airplanes. The optimal strategy would be to push deep into the south and destroy the factories, cripple industry before it can be repurposed. A worse possibility existed, Shane realized. If the Heritage Militia got their hands on one of those airplanes, they would be perfectly willing to exterminate anything that was still squirming on the ground. Even innocent civilians.


    Shane felt a sudden sense of urgency. He devoured the last of his stew and stood up, still chewing.


    "Friend Killian, thank you for the conversation. Now I must be on my way."


    After leaving the tavern, Shane turned in the direction of the smoke stacks in the south. He passed through an alley behind the tavern. Piles of viscera, bloody intestines and chunks of animal fat, sat rotting on the dirt paths below, swarming with flies. Shane connected to his Realms and began to levitate. He blasted a wave of electrified air away from his body, incinerating the flies before they could bite him. Then he floated up over the rooftops, all the way up to the level of a small balcony on the side of the clock tower. He floated over the railing and then settled down onto that balcony, looking down at the city.


    Those abstractions designed by men of power, they could be wrong, dying, dead ideas, yet the civilization continues for decades or centuries because the wrongness has no natural predator. Felix does not have that luxury. A pilot cannot tolerate wrongness for more than a few minutes. Gravity is the natural predator, and the fragility of mortal bodies. Bad ideas exit the pool of ideas almost immediately, one dead pilot at a time.


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    Shane shivered as a gust of cold desert wind struck the clock tower.


    "What can be done for my people?" Shane asked.


    The wind did not answer.


    Instead, the voice of girl-child spoke in his mind.


    Inspire them, Shane.


    He had never heard that voice before. It was not the overtly feminine voice of Astrid, nor was it the imperative voice of Brigid. It was soft, crystalline, delicate like wind chimes.


    "Who are you?"


    I am Titania, High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Light. Heed my command mortal. Inspire them! You cannot carry the burdens of an entire civilization on your shoulders. You must become their guiding star. Do this for me, and with my blessing.


    "I don''t know how."


    Titania did not respond. There was only the gentle hiss of the wind passing through the balcony guardrail posts. He suspected there was meaning behind her silence. Maybe he had been wrong, maybe he did know how to inspire them. But it was not lost on Shane how strange it was for a girl-child to be issuing such specific and grandiose commands.


    "What would Felix do?"


    That much was obvious. He would march into the factories and demand that they start building airplanes. He would reward resistance with the edge of his greatsword, making examples of disgruntled managers by hacking their bodies to pieces. He would bully his way onto a military base, chain soldiers into empty airplanes and threaten to kill them if they don''t start flying. Shane tried to imagine himself doing these things, but the image in his mind was completely ridiculous. They would have storm sorcerers detect his location at a distance. They would find him sleeping in some empty home and murder him before he had a chance to wake up and defend himself.


    Felix had already been famous. Almost everyone on the northern half of the continent knew his name and his face. He was one of the most skilled and feared fliers in history, serving directly under the Lord Paladin, outside the normal military hierarchy. The sight of his shapeshifted form inspired awe and fear. For Shane, it also inspired envy.


    Fear, awe, and envy. That is what Shane needed to inspire in the people. Shane loved flying, and he loved storm sorcery, but nobody ever looked up at him with fear, awe, or envy. Storm sorcery lacked the speed, the power, the risk of winged flight.


    "That''s it," Shane said. "I see. I finally see."


    Every time Felix took to the sky, he was risking his life. This overwhelming risk afforded a certain measure of respect, and Felix was aware of this affordance. He commanded respect and fear, to the degree that he could punish his enemies, even going so far as to brutally murder them in public, without any consequence. Storm sorcery did not command respect. It was too slow and too safe. Even if floating just over the forest floor was very enjoyable, and it gave the flier the illusion of risk, nobody else would be fooled. Nobody would be inspired.


    Shane needed to find another way to fly. But he would need an airplane first, and in that there was a contradiction. How would he get started in the first place? There absolutely would not be enough time to travel north and beg Felix to borrow one of his airplanes. Even if that managed to work, he would still need to fly it back to the south, and in that same time, the enemy airplanes could fly the same distance in the same amount of time.


    He just needed to invent a new way to fly, without access to an airplane, and without any existing forms of leverage. It needed to be an impressive way of flying, a type of flying that inspired awe, fear, and envy. Also, the enemy airplanes were likely already flying south to destroy his civilization. To Shane, this all seemed impossible.


    And yet Titania had remained silent.


    There must be a clue hidden in that silence. Brigid''s Dream Elemental refused to construct a flying machine. There was a prohibition on Elementals helping humans learn to fly. Obviously, Titania would not be able to give him concrete advice. However, if it really was impossible, why bother to speak to him at all?


    "Storm sorcery is not very inspiring," Shane said. "Building an airplane might take too long. That just leaves shapeshifting, which is not possible now that the Blue Dragon is dead."


    Wait.


    An image formed in his mind, that of a perfect blue drake, made entirely out of draconic flames. He could use storm sorcery to float around, while at the same time he could create the illusion of wings flapping. It would require an enormous amount of control to pull it off. Few sorcerers on the continent, if any, possessed such skill.


    Suddenly, he remembered the words of the Purple Dragon. It is unlikely that I will find a better servant on this continent, Astrid had said, when Shane reached the limit of how high he could fly with his storm sorcery. She then used some unrecognizable form of magic to yank the connections away from him. She had been complimenting me!


    "Astrid!" Shane shouted. "You chose well! I will prove it!"


    He floated up to the very pinnacle of the clocktower. From that vantage, he could see all five blue spires arrayed around him, piercing the sky. He could feel the wind then, as he balanced himself upon that dizzying structure. It was a cold wind. It buffeted his clothes, causing them to flap like flags. It smelled of chaparral shrubs, bitter and vegetal. It felt good. It felt right.


    He opened connections to the Realm of Fire, the Realm of Wind, and the Realm of Lightning. He combined them, as he had done in the village once before, but this time he did not focus that combined power out as a plume of flame. He imagined wings at his shoulders, a long tail with smaller wings, spine sails, sharp claws, a long neck, horns, scales. Thousands, tens of thousands of tiny details. He needed the illusion to be perfect in every way. But it was not too difficult, in fact it seemed that the shapes were pulling on him, guiding him along toward the ideal versions of themselves.


    Azure draconic flames burst out around Shane, but he felt no heat. The magic had taken control. At the very edge of his awareness Shane could feel the flames form into ligaments and tendons, a beating heart of pure fire, lungs, a second spine connecting to his own. He was in the center, near the nape of the neck of the drake, floating, being pulled up and forward. His awareness began to shift, forward and up. Light struck his eyes, which could see every detail, like an eagle hunting for a mouse. Sound struck his ears, and he could hear every footstep on the walkway. He could hear every crack as the pinnacle of the clocktower began to crumple.


    Shane looked at his hands, or rather, his claws. Blue scales gleamed like the surface of the ocean. He could feel his massive wings, and he could feel the wind beating against them. He could feel a slight upward force, like storm sorcery but much weaker, but also much stronger, causing his heavy body to be just light enough to fly. He beat his wing, and the clocktower dropped away.


    He began gyrating, violently tossing about like a ship in a storm. He did not have the vast experience that Felix enjoyed. Shane desperately tried to remember the way that the Paladins had described shapeshifted flight. Whenever Shane tried to beat forward, he could feel himself being caught by a nose dive, as more and more of the upper surface of each wing was exposed and therefore contributed to an ever faster nose dive.


    It was that smaller wing on the tail, Shane remembered, that allowed drakes to remain stable in the air. He focused on his tail, still beating his wings, and twisted the tail wings slightly down. This helped a lot, bringing the main wings up out of their nose dive. However, this did not help with the gyrations. He focused then on his spine sails, and flipping them all side to side, measuring the impact of each motion.


    Shane managed to not smash his face into the ground, remarkably. He could feel the wind on his scales, and it felt so right. He floated above the city, flapping his wings and then gliding, learning to balance his body on the edge of a blade of grass. In the meantime, the shadows in the streets below shifted around as if the sun itself was moving through the sky. The five blue spires cast shadows away from Shane as he flew.


    However, one shadow dominated the others. Near the harbor, overlooking the pier and the shore, there was an official building that was seething with living shadows. Shane twisted his wings to orient himself toward those shadows. He gently descended, and pointed his long neck straight at the building. He sucked in air, felt a familiar flame in his chest, and breathed, bathing the building in azure flames. His descent had increased the speed of the wind across his wings, and he traded this increased airspeed for altitude, flying up into the sky to shed speed.


    He looped around to get another look at that building. Shadows writhed around on the ground, burning alive. Shane pulled up sharply on his wings, dumping all airspeed, and then smashed onto the ground, crushing the writhing bodies with his massive limbs. He raked the ground with his claws, ripping the shadows to shreds, and breathed more draconic flames on the survivors. The shadows faded and then vanished. The remains of the building were shining, reflecting a golden rainbow-crystal light.


    With a massive roar, Shane began to speak: "I am Shane, Chief of Chiefs! Hear these truths and despair! The Blue Dragon is dead! The Knights have lost their powers! Felix of Quaria flies to the south with an army of flying machines, and your doom is certain!"


    He breathed a massive plume of blue fire straight up into the sky, much higher than the tips of the blue crystal spires.


    Now how do I change back? Shane wondered. He tried to focus his awareness on his true body, still clothed and trapped in the nape of the drake''s neck, surrounded by muscles and blue blood vessels. He opened his eyes then, in his main body, and saw the dark interior of his draconic body. The drake''s spine was connected to his own, his fingers and toes were joined into the drake''s flesh. He began to slowly release the connections to the Realms, allowing the power to dissolve into clouds. The body of the drake began to turn into mist, and when the mist cleared, Shane was standing alone, on a field of burning corpses.


    Slowly, people began to crawl out of the nearby buildings. Shane recognized the man named Killian, who bravely approached from the direction of the tavern. He was visibly trembling, taking one careful step at a time.


    "Outlander," Killian said. "What have you done?"


    Shane looked over the devastation on all sides. "I''m not sure. I saw shadows and I attacked them."


    Killian''s eyes were wide with shock. "The Mayor''s office, the Quarian Embassy, the Emigration Licensing Office, the City Hall... ashes. Completely destroyed. Outlander, you have slaughtered the entire city government."


    Shane shrugged. "I guess that makes me the new city government."

 Chapter 23: Early Winter

    The city below had been set aflame. A vast circle of stone walls, like a fire pit, held the flames within, trapped and angry. The initial waves of crimson flame had been replaced by the dull orange of burning wood. A plume of smoke, like a leaning black pillar, grew up into the cloud layers above. This violent upward motion created updrafts and violent currents in the wind. Felix felt his aircraft rattle and flutter in the cold air. The craft was fighting him, and he was fighting the wind. He found himself kicking the rudder often.


    The heat from the two crimson streams did a good job of clearing the frost and ice from the wings. Periodic blasts of draconic flame ahead of the craft heated the air, warming the propeller and preventing ice buildup there. However, it was unseasonably cold outside. Deep winder did not begin for another two months, but the weather had gone mad. The geomancers needed to work constantly to clear the ice from the runways on the plateau outside Black River. The Teeth of the Red Dragon, once red crystal spires, had become sheathed in white hoarfrost. For several days it had been too foggy to safely navigate. A lucky break in the clouds provided an opportunity to fly across the border in force and attack the closest city.


    The city would be ash soon, in spite of the wintery weather. Hundreds of officers in the Quarian Air Force swarmed around below. Squadrons of four raked the city in draconic flame. It was an intentional razing of an entire city, and the first mission using new mass-produced airplanes.


    Felix blasted the air in front of his craft, creating a corridor of hot air. It passed over his craft, melting the ice buildup. However, the pitot tube, which fed the new airship-style airspeed indicator, was still frozen, and the gauge in the cabin read zero. He wondered how many pilots would survive this flight.


    Landing had become much easier, thanks to the new "flaps" that had been added. The new control surfaces were closer to the body than the ailerons were. They could be deployed down only, unlike the ailerons which could move up or down. They changed the shape of the wing and reduced the stall speed at low airspeeds, like those expected when landing. It helped a lot, but the first flight fatality rate was still too high.


    This mission had been a mistake, he realized. Even with thousands of soldiers to choose from, there were medical requirements to consider. Good eyesight was required, and no history of epilepsy was allowed. Unfortunately, the Elementals turned away potential pilots sometimes, and they refused to explain why. Nobody questioned the mission. Indeed, the pilots seemed eager to fly.


    Well, no sense in making the situation worse, Felix thought. He pointed his nose down to intercept a nearby squadron. He amplified his voice, which was tricky, because it required dampening the sound of the propeller at the same time. "Abort the mission. I repeat, abort the mission. All units return to the Teeth." They rocked their wings in acknowledgement.


    As he wrangled the other pilots in, occasionally he would catch faint glimpses of a ghostly white shape, like the leading edge of a massive dragon''s wing, or perhaps the undulations of spine sails rolling by. He blinked his eyes, and the impression would be gone. It must be the fog, he thought. It is tricking my mind into seeing familiar shapes.


    A tunnel-shaped clearing appeared in the fog to the west. Felix caught a glimpse of the mountaintops in a nearby range. There was a strange blue light, bright like the sun, glowing at the very peak of the highest mountain. Some sort of Rilnese magic? Felix wondered. Perhaps the unnatural cold was caused by some foul sorcery? He reasoned then that if he destroyed the source of the magic, the weather might improve, and then the missions to the south could resume.


    Felix approached the last of the squadrons. "The mission is aborted, all units return to the Teeth. I will remain and investigate the light to the west." The four craft rocked their wings and then split off to the north. Felix brought the bright blue light into the center of his propeller fan. The flat snowfields below were replaced by snowclad forests and finally foothills. There was less moisture building up on the airframe, but the wind was still violent. He found himself being battered around in all directions. The corrections were a constant demand on his attention.


    The temperature seemed to be dropping. His breath was beginning to freeze on the inside of the cabin. The leather casing on the stick felt slick with ice. The windshield was beginning to frost over, however that bright blue light was not too far away, and Felix decided to continue the flight. Suddenly the clouds shifted, narrowing the gap between the clouds. In all directions the clouds conspired to trap him, and the gap was growing smaller and smaller. Felix lost sight of that blue light, and his vision was replaced with dark, shifting gray.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    For a fraction a second, he could see white hoarfrost rapidly form on the wings, before the windshield was completely consumed by crystals, blurring his vision. The engine stopped spinning, filled with liquid and frozen solid a few seconds later, resisting even the heat of draconic flames. The wings began to rapidly flutter, and then finally Felix heard a massive snap. The aircraft dropped immediately, spinning to the left.


    Felix no longer knew which way was up. At an abstract level, Felix understood in that moment that he was a dead man. He had seen hundreds of drakes lose a wing and plummet out of the sky in an unstable spin. He knew that the ground was going to rise up and hit him. The thought of death in that moment felt like a mercy, relative to the cold. There was an intent in that cold, a seeping, exploring cold, searching for a way inside.


    Felix blasted the interior of the glass canopy with flames, partially to heat the glass enough to free himself from the deathtrap, and partially just to negate that seeping cold. He kicked, smashing the canopy free, exposing his body to the air outside. He flung himself away, and he saw the derelict craft for one moment before it was lost in the fog. The aircraft was a solid mass of snow. Then Felix, to add one final insult to his unfortunate situation, fell out of the bottom of the clouds, which gave him a clear view of the doom that was rapidly ascending to crush him. His eyes had not frozen over to spare him the sight.


    White lines, a faint, ghostly outline of a drake''s claws. No, not a drake, Felix realized. A Dragon.


    A magenta flash almost blinded Felix. The claws surrounded him, falling at nearly the same speeds, and he slammed against hard purple scales. It knocked the wind out of him, but it was better than hitting the ground. And it was warm. Very, very warm. The warmth that radiated from the palm of the Purple Dragon counteracted the seeping cold with its own intent. Felix knew what would happen next, and a glance between the claws confirmed his instincts. The main wings stretched, the tail wings configured into a nose-dive with a rapid recovery into a glide, and each motion created lightning in the clouds all around. The arm holding him swung down, slamming him once again against the net of claws that grasped him. It made him feel dizzy, but that warmth made him forget his worries.


    The Purple Dragon landed on the top of the mountain. Within a bubble of protective sorcery, Astrid behind Brigid, and a twenty-foot tall Water Elemental, glowing with bright blue light. The claw reached into the bubble and dumped Felix on the ground. He saw Astrid looking down on him, with an amused grin. Elvira craned her massive neck overhead, creating bolts of lightning that struck the mountainside as she moved, illuminating her immaculate purple scales. With a blinding flash of magenta light Elvira vanished to the other side, to the dark world she haunted, leaving behind the ghostly impression of her outline, which faded rapidly.


    "Do you know what I find amusing?" Astrid asked.


    Felix said nothing as he clambered to his feet to stand beside the Purple Dragon. Then he just shook his head.


    "I find it amusing that Ashe did not include such antics in her prohibitions. We are free to teach important lessons so long as we make flying more difficult. Isn''t that remarkable?"


    "So you are trying to teach me a lesson?" Felix asked.


    "I am trying to be efficient," Astrid replied.


    She gestured toward the massive High Daughter standing nearby, who was blasting the sky with waves of blue light. The High Daughter looked similar to the Water Elemental that Felix had seen in the Realm of Water, but scaled up to a massive height, her body made of surging tides and coral-like structures of pure water.


    Astrid continued: "Brigid is helping me bring about an early winter on this continent. It will serve to slow your armies, to give time for the south to recover from their losses. It is fortuitous that you decided to kill yourself by flying into the fog."


    "Lesson learned," Felix growled.


    "Necromancy is somewhat less efficient when the body is broken apart all over the place." Astrid shrugged, then she brought one arm up and rested her chin on her palm. "Never in a thousand years, did I think that I would begin to care about you fledgling pilots. Brother, is this the lesson you foresaw for me? Have I changed?"


    She seemed to consider this for a moment in silence. Felix did not interrupt her contemplations.


    "Either way, Felix, please remember to thank Elvira the next time you see her. She very rarely leaves the Plane of Spirits outside the safety of our spires. She could have let you fall to your doom, after all."


    "I will thank her," Felix promised. "In the meantime, I need to get back to the others. They will wonder about my fate, they might even send soldiers into the fog to search for me."


    "Excellent point. Brigid, let us return to our spire for now. We shall resume our weather control tomorrow."


    "As you say, my Princess," Brigid said. She waved her hand and the High Daughter vanished.

 Chapter 24: Lady Maeve

    Among the smokestacks of the industrial district in Dragon''s Landing, Shane found a single high mast with two anchored airships. The factory below was constructed like a northern villa, a rectangular wall-like factory surrounding an empty yard, within which there was another airship under construction. Shane flew over the site three times, passing low over the factory, bathing the yard in the center with reflected azure light. He twisted his long neck upward and breathed fire into the sky before he sembled into his human form and used storm sorcery to float over the factory. The factory workers were standing around in the yard, staring up at him.


    "Who owns this factory? Where can I find them?" Shane said, amplifying his voice.


    The workers began to point up toward the high mast just above the factory. A mess of wooden planks crisscrossing in some arcane manner that only engineers would understand, the high mast rose about fifty feet into the air. A series of sails caught the wind, and through a network of cables and pulleys, they worked to stabilize the airships that were docked at the top. Shane floated up to the top of the mast to get a better look. One of the airships was empty, and the other contained a few workers and some managers. The door to the gondola was open, so Shane floated through.


    A man with a fine suit and a dark hat watched the work being done with a checklist and a pencil. Beside him there was a woman wearing tight trousers, a brown leather jacket, and a matching helmet with brass-rimmed goggles.


    "Yes, what is it?" the well-dressed man asked. He did not turn to face Shane, but continued to focus on his checklist.


    "I need your factory," Shane said. "Quaria has invented a new type of flying machine that is very fast and very dangerous. I need you to retool your factory to produce the same craft."


    The man continued to ignore him.


    "What manner of flying machine?" the woman asked.


    Shane offered the leather-bound schematics. She took the book, then began to browse through the pages. Her eyes went wide with recognition.


    "I have personally seen a single such craft destroy a hundred airships and half as many drakes in a single night," Shane said. "The pilot was a man named Felix of Quaria. The armies of the Four Clans were smashed to pieces."


    "Dearest?" the woman said. "I think you should take a look at this." She handed the man the schematics.


    Reluctantly the man took the book. He slowly turned through the pages. "The text will need to be translated," he said. "Otherwise the schematics are extremely detailed." He returned the book to the woman, then resumed perusing his checklist. "Do you work for the All-Island Flying Machine Society?"


    "They are charlatans," Shane said. "I saw their craft break apart when they tried to test it in Black River. But to answer your question, no, I do not work for them."


    The man waved them away dismissively. "Figure out who he works for."


    "Yes, dear," the woman said. "Outlander, follow me."


    She offered the book, walked past Shane out onto the gantry connecting the gondola to the high mast, and then snapped the goggles in place over her eyes. As Shane stuffed the book in his pack, he began to feel the woman establish familiar connections. With a burst of sorcerous power, she floated up off the gantry and descended down toward the city. Crackling with lightning, Shane hopped off the gantry himself and followed her.


    Eventually she landed on the upper balcony of an upscale restaurant. Servants wearing dark suits and white gloves shuffled out with glasses and bottles. They pulled the chairs out and the woman took a seat. Shane sat across from her, and the servants silently busied themselves pouring glasses of wine.


    "I gather that you are a frequent customer," Shane observed.


    "I own this venue," the woman corrected. "Outlander, who are you working for?"


    "A Purple Dragon named Astrid, and also her sister Elvira."


    "Like the Spirit Elvira?" she asked with a skeptical look. "The same Elvira that they worship in the Church of the Lady Ghost?"


    "The very same."


    "So these Purple Dragons want you to retool a factory to mass-produce flying machines? For what purpose?"


    "I gave up trying to understand the creatures a long time ago."


    The woman sighed. "Forgive me, I never introduced myself. My name is Lady Maeve. Your name is Shane, is that correct, outlander? You caused quite a stir down there, burning the government buildings to the ground. I saw everything from the top of the high mast."


    "Lady Maeve, it is a pleasure. Yes, I am called Shane. In my hometown of Needlewood I am known as Shane the Doomsayer."


    The woman named Lady Maeve unbuckled her helmet and then set it on the table, releasing her long blue hair to tumble down her shoulders. She regarded him for a moment with bright, pale blue eyes.


    "A pleasure, indeed," she took a sip of wine. "Shane, I have a story to tell. Could you spare a moment to hear it?"


    Shane took a sip of the wine himself. It was strong, with a deep alcoholic burn, and an equally deep sweetness. It was the type of complex and expensive wine that Shane had once stolen from the Viscount''s palace. After that incident, Shane recalled with a slight grin, the Viscount added round-the-clock guards to his wine cellars.


    "There is a great need for haste," Shane said, "but I will hear your story. Please, carry on."


    "When I was a young woman I was married off to a Knight. He was not a very good Knight, but I envied him. I always wanted to fly through the sky like he did. The early years of our marriage were an unhappy time, and I will not dwell on it. Eventually I stabbed him through the hand and then I needed to go into hiding. I ended up in a city far to the south, hiding in an underground temple to the Lady Ghost, a religion which is banned in this nation. After a few years of living there, I challenged a woman to a duel. With a few witnesses, we took off our blouses and fought each other using fencing foils. I won the duel, of course, but unfortunately the story spread, and my identity became well known."


    "It is difficult to hide something so remarkable," Shane said.


    She nodded. "In the meantime, my first husband had lost a great deal of respect among the Knights. He joined an adventure in the north, where he and his fellow Knights challenged the Draconic Paladins to dogfights. I learned that Felix of Quaria, the Flameraker, decapitated my husband with a plume of red fire. I shed no tears for the man. After my first husband died I gained a great deal of confidence. So I stole an airship and I became a sky pirate for a few years."


    "As one does."


    "Indeed," Lady Maeve said with a chuckle. "So one day I was scouring the skies, searching for my next capture, when I came across a prototype airship, fresh from the factory. It was very fast, but I was able to use my storm sorcery to catch up to the craft and take control. When I learned that the owner of the factory was flying on board as a test pilot, I proposed marriage to him."


    "The logical thing to do."


    "So now we are married, and I am no longer a sky pirate, but I still love flying."


    "And you hope that my story is true."


    "I do, outlander."


    "Because you want to fly the airplane yourself."


    She nodded. "I''ll build one prototype. You demonstrate that it can fly, and then I will believe your story. And then we can talk about retooling the factory."


    "I find this arrangement agreeable," Shane said.


    "Then all that is left for us is to find a translator," Lady Maeve said. "I know that there is a priest in town named Ionathan who deals in foreign currencies and copies Quarian texts using a lightbox. He is a secret member of the Church of the Lady Ghost. I can send for him immediately. I am guessing you did not have anyone specific in mind yourself."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I do not, please send for him."


    <hr>


    The factory workers were both skilled and adaptable, though it came as no surprise to Shane that the resident geomancers were slow to produce an engine. They locked themselves in a small workshop and could be heard arguing with each other for several hours. By nightfall, the carpenters had created a perfect propeller, and the airship riggers had created all the cables and pulleys required by the various control surfaces. Shane watched the progress up until the shift ended and the workers began to leave.


    That night Lady Maeve set Shane up in a room at a fancy local hotel. The old, ornate clay building was two stories tall, with elaborate marble columns built into the facade. The interior was decorated with paisley rugs, potted plants, and golden sconces. Shane''s room was on the second floor. Comfortably furnished and large, it featured its own private restroom with a heated shower and a balcony overlooking the ocean.


    It was after Shane had showered and dressed in fresh clothes the following morning that he heard a knocking at the door. Two men stood outside. One wore the sharp uniform of a constabulary, and the other wore a solid black overcoat and a black wide-brimmed hat. His face was shrouded behind an extraordinarily high collar. Shane opened the door.


    "Can I help you?"


    "Is this your man?" the constabulary asked.


    "Yes, thank you," the second man said. "Please leave us."


    The constabulary twisted on his heel and marched down the hallway.


    "Shane, will you walk with me? I would like to speak in private."


    "As you wish," Shane replied, "though I would know your intentions first."


    "I have something that belongs to you," the man replied. "I wish to return it, and discuss recent events involving the Blue Dragon."


    "Lead the way, sir."


    Shane followed the strange man through the hallways to a small conservatory filled with exotic jungle plants. It smelled somewhat sweet, unlike the acrid smell of jungle fruits that Shane had encountered while flying. He assumed that the plants must be quite rare. The black-clad man closed the door after they entered.


    "I am called Special Agent Elaborate Spear by my associates in the Blue Dragon Intelligence Agency. I have copies of your secret records on my person. I believe that what you said is true, the Blue Dragon is dead. Me and my associates have known this for several days."


    The man named Elaborate Spear produced a folder filled with papers and offered it to Shane. Within, Shane found artistic renditions of his own face as a baby, as a youth, and as an adult. One file was titled "Project Northern Born," which Shane scanned eagerly.


    The purpose of this project is to determine if the Red Dragon has indeed been killed. Rilnese workers living north of the border are still unable to conceive children, however the Blue Dragon believes that this might be the result of necromancy. If so, if a pregnant woman were to be smuggled north of the border, there is a chance that the child might develop normally.


    "Are my parents alive?" Shane asked.


    "They are living in the city of Azure Dawn," the spy said. "It lies on the south-west coast. The exact address is recorded on one of the last documents."


    "You said that you had questions about the Blue Dragon."


    "How did he die?"


    Shane recounted the tale of how Elvira killed the Blue Dragon. The spy took detailed notes, nodding periodically. When Shane was finished, the spy slipped his notebook into his black cloak.


    "Shane, is there anything you would have me do?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    The man pulled away the tall collar that covered his face, and then he removed his hat. This revealed a weathered face, thinning blue hair, and intense blue eyes. "I have served the Blue Dragon directly my entire life. Not the police, not the local mayors, not the Clan Chiefs, not the Knights. Direct service to a Dragon. This is also the case for my associates."


    "And you need a new Dragon to serve?" Shane asked.


    "Directly or indirectly," the spy replied.


    "Tell me, Elaborate Spear, who did the Blue Dragon worship?"


    "If our god worshiped some higher power, he did not inform us. There was some speculation that, given historical patterns, the Blue Dragon may have served a being that originates outside of our world. This being is mentioned in the holy book of the Church of the Lady Ghost. Her name is Ashe, and she is associated with blood, madness, and darkness."


    "And how did you come by this information?"


    "I was sent to kill the scholar who penned these speculations. That was many decades ago."


    "And do you worship Ashe yourself?"


    "I can''t say that I do," the spy said with a degree of hesitation in his voice. "Should I worship her?"


    "Absolutely not," Shane said. "I do not know if she is an ally, and even if she is, she is an unreliable ally at best. For now, stay close to me, and record what you see. I will be flying in an airplane soon, and I want you to report my flight to your associates. Also, keep an eye out for anyone who worships Ashe and report their names to me directly."


    <hr>


    The city pier extended hundreds of feet out over the ocean. Flat, smooth, and wide, it provided the ideal surface for takeoff and landing. Lady Maeve and her workers hauled the aircraft onto the pier using a horse-drawn carriage and a crane. The air was mostly clear, but high up the sky was gloomy and gray. That uncanny, unseasonably cold desert wind blew away from the land, out into the ocean. Workers therefore needed to drag the aircraft to the every end of the pier and orient it to face the land.


    Shane climbed inside, slid his legs over the rudder pedals, and buckled himself in using the chick cloth harness. Lady Maeve stood beside the craft, regarding him.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.


    "I''ve seen Felix fly these things a hundred times by now," Shane said. "I''ve listened in as dozens of pilots were trained. I know the basics. And if something goes wrong, I can always just use storm sorcery to destroy the craft and float down to safety."


    "Don''t fuss now," she said. Then the woman took off her leather helmet, revealing her long blue hair, and placed it over Shane''s head. It seemed to fit well enough, and then when she snapped the brass-rimmed goggles down over his eyes, the tension pulled the helmet tight against his skull. Then she walked away, clearing the area.


    "Clear propeller!" Shane bellowed, with a little help from wind magic to emphasize the warning. Then he pulled the glass canopy down and locked it in place using the latch. The sound of the wind beat against the glass, and rocked the wings slightly.


    Shane rotated the stick, looking behind to see the changes to the elevators and to the ailerons. Then he kicked the pedals, checking for the correct motion of the rudders. It was a familiar ritual that Felix always did. Apparently the Draconic Paladins sometimes needed to tie the control surfaces in place because of strong winds, otherwise they would oscillate with enough force to break the cables or the joints. They tested the controls to make sure that they had been untied before each flight.


    This can''t be too hard, right?


    Shane reached out and connected to the three realms. He focused blue draconic flame within the engine. Twin azure lines of flame burst out of the two exhaust ports, blowing over the heat-resistant metal plates on the wings. The engine spooled, then the propeller began to fan, faster and faster until it became a cloying hum. A quick barrier of wind blocked out the worst of the noise. The craft started to lurch forward over the pier, clicking slightly as the wheels passed over the tiny gaps between the wooden planks below. Shane punched the throttle fully open, and the engine roared.


    The torque of the engine caused the craft to list to one side as it picked up speed. A few rapid kicks to the rudder helped correct this, but the wind was so intense that it didn''t really matter. The pier dropped away and the ocean on either side became a perfect blur. It tended to get jostled around often, even as it ascended above the tops of the adobe buildings. Shane focused on keeping the nose straight, holding the stick to one side to prevent a roll, rapidly pushing forward and back on the stick to feel out the change of pitch, pushing hard on the rudder to counteract the direction of the wind. He was moving fast. Very fast. The five blue spires rushed by and then he cleared the edge of the city, out over the jungle.


    Forward, ever forward.


    It was not like flying as a drake, Shane realized. It was more like flying using storm sorcery. The ground rushed past as if he had been flying a few inches above the forest floor, as he had done for many years. A quick twist of the neck revealed the long streams of blue flame that trailed behind him, giving visible shape to the path he had just taken. He turned the stick hard, rolling over to one side, and the nose began to drop. He corrected this drop by pulling back slightly, and then the whole world rotated around him, as if he was the needle in a compass, and that compass was jungle. Red rocks rushed by below, and familiar sights took on a new color on either side, rushing past, visible through the blue flames.


    It did not take long to grow accustomed to the controls. Shane flew over the city in huge circles, drawing huge crowds into the streets with the sound of the propeller. He made a show of it, rolling the aircraft completely upside down in a full aileron roll. He flew very high, appearing now doubt as a tiny dot in the sky, dumping airspeed to gain altitude. With the throttle set to idle, he dumped altitude in an angular dive toward the ocean. Another turn brought the pier into view.


    Like Felix had, it took more than one attempt to land. Felix had accomplished the feat in three laps, but it took Shane seven attempts. Finally he got fed up and used storm sorcery to blast himself backwards into his seat. This caused the aircraft to stall just after crossing the edge of the pier, and the whole thing dropped down a foot or so. The wheels struck the ground, and while the wings had stalled, the rudder had not yet stalled, and a few kicks kept the nose straight.


    The craft slowly rolled. Workers sprinted out to intercept. They caught the wings and the tail, dragging it to a halt. Shane unstrapped himself while the workers opened the glass canopy. They hauled him out of the craft and hoisted him up into the air, tossing him high up like a trampoline made from human arms. And they sang, the upbeat and somewhat inappropriate songs of factory workers. The man named Elaborate Spear stalked out onto the pier with a notebook, scribbling away with blistering movements of his pencil.


    Lady Maeve cried out. The workers lowered Shane to the ground. The feeling of something solid under his feet felt strange.


    "You need to teach me!" Lady Maeve said. "You need to teach me to fly like that!"


    "Very well," Shane rasped. "I warn you though, the sky isn''t exactly safe. If you fly, you will need to fight as well."


    "I will fight, and I will show them all that daughters are useful too," she said. Her pale blue eyes seemed to light up. "Maybe they''ll stop drowning them in the harbor, if I can just show them."


    "Lady Maeve, there are no women in the Knights, are there?"


    "Of course not."


    Shane nodded. "Then you shall be the first. Come, I shall lead you to the Realm of Fire. I imagine that the Elemental there has some very interesting things to say."

 Chapter 25: Flying to Another World

    Felix sat behind the ebony table in his office, reading through Neasa''s new checklists, which now included icing conditions, visibility, and emergency landing sections. She even included a small mock-up engineering diagram: a series of tubes filled with water, heated and circulated by the engine, which exchange heat across the leading edges of the wings and the tail. The geomancer named Cliona had succeeded in installing one such system inside an airplane.


    There was a light knocking at the door. Felix stood and opened the door himself. A pair of bright red eyes peered back at him, framed by a heavily-padded leather helmet lined with white fur. "I was wondering where you ran off to," Felix said. "Come in." He gestured to the empty chair by his desk.


    Alice shook her head. "No Felix, you need to come with me."


    "Absolutely, where are we going?"


    She spoke in a light whisper: "We are going to be flying to another world. You may be gone for some time, several weeks at least, maybe much longer."


    His face must have betrayed surprise because Alice lowered her eyes.


    "I am going to assume that Astrid planned this for us?"


    She nodded. "I will be taking you to her now."


    "Give me a moment," Felix said. He walked down the hallway to Neasa''s office. She was sitting across from another woman, who appeared to be wearing the uniform of the Second Army. "Lieutenant General, sorry to interrupt. This is important. The Purple Dragon is sending me away for a few weeks, maybe longer. You have command of the Air Force until I return."


    "Yes commander," Neasa said.


    He led the way outside, with Alice following behind. Few soldiers roamed around the large crystal platform, which was being assaulted by cold wind and snow. "Wait," Alice said. "It is too cold on this side." Remarkably, she summoned a black portal, lined with magenta light. A moment later, Felix was pulled to the other side with a flash of light.


    That dull, cloudless, sunless magenta sky was devoid of weather. Everything was shaded with a slight, foggy darkness. The spire was still underfoot, but the military buildings were gone completely. Ghostly figures wandered around on the upper floors, suspended in midair. Felix could see snow on the distant mountaintops, but the snow which had accumulated on the platform was suspiciously absent.


    The sound of a horse snorting caused Felix to jump. He spun around to see Alice gently petting a white horse. A horse, Felix realized, equipped with a pair of massive feathered wings, and a second smaller pair in the back, for stability. Alice deftly hopped up into the saddle, then she reached down and offered her hand.


    "This is my Pegasus," Alice said. "Her name is Mercy. She will be able to carry both of us back to the spire."


    Felix grabbed Alice by the arm and their hands locked palm-to-wrist. Alice, with her frail, spindly frame, effortlessly hauled Felix clear up onto the back of the Pegasus, just in front of her.


    "How did you get so strong?" Felix gasped.


    Alice giggled. "It''s a secret. Now strap yourself in, the forces on the body are enough to break your arms if you just try to hold on."


    There appeared to be two straps, one for each leg, as well as a thick belt. "There is only one harness built into the saddle," Felix protested.


    "I said the forces would be enough to break your arms," Alice said.


    After Felix strapped himself in, the Pegasus trotted forward, spread her wings, and leapt off the edge of the red crystal platform. Her wings flapped as fast as a scaled-up bird, and Felix felt an intense backward force on his upper body and neck. He pressed up against Alice, who was shoving him forward with extraordinary strength. They flew over the forest, not nearly as fast as an airplane, but much faster than an airship.


    After a few minutes they descended toward the clearing with the purple crystal spire. Brigid, fully transformed into a purple drake, was resting on the ground in front of the spire. The Pegasus fully stretched her wings and configured her smaller tail wings for a gentle descending glide. The creature landed the way a drake might land, by flapping her wings to dump airspeed just as her hoofs clattered onto the dusty ground.


    Astrid the Purple Dragon stood near the opening to the spire. Elvira stood by her side, singing the haunting songs that allowed Astrid to see.


    "It is time to embark on a most remarkable journey," the Purple Dragon said. "Conditions are very good in the north, and they are getting better in the south as we speak. The war cannot resume until the winter ends, which gives you plenty of time to complete your tasks. But first we must travel to the south to fetch Shane."


    Crackling with storm sorcery, the purple-haired giantess floated into the saddle on Brigid''s back. Elvira followed.


    "She does not have the strength to fly with both of us on her back, not all the way across the continent," Alice said. "You must fly with them."


    <hr>


    Shane heard the unmistakable scream of a squadron of four Knights flying outside. He glanced through the fine window of his hotel room, watching the eight streaks of azure flame race across the night sky. It seems dangerous to be practicing at night, he thought. He turned back to his desk. Seven copies of the schematics, each bound in cloth and translated into Rilnese, were sprawled out in front of him. He had triple checked the contents of each. The translation was accurate, and the monks who made the copies were very accurate with their lightboxes.


    "Everything is taken care of," he sighed. "I should leave this city soon."


    The sound of crackling energy caused him to snap around. A black portal appeared adjacent to his bed, rimmed by a bird''s nest of magenta light. A flash of light filled the room, banishing the shadows. The hulking red-haired figure of Felix appeared.


    "I did not expect her to send you to the south," Shane said.


    "Pack your things, then meet us on the other side," Felix growled. With a second flash, the man vanished.


    Strangely enough, when Shane passed through to the Elemental Plane of Spirits, he appeared down on the street, outside the hotel. It did not surprise Shane to find Astrid, Elvira, and Brigid on the other side. He was shocked, however, to see that Alice had returned. In one arm, the woman held an extremely long spear, crafted from the same shining metal and purple crystal as the greatsword carried by Felix. She carried a round shield attached to her opposite arm. But most astonishing of all, she sat atop a winged horse.


    "I feel like there is a story here," Shane said.


    "There will be plenty of time for stories as you travel," Astrid said.


    Both Felix and Shane prostrated themselves on the ground in front of the Purple Dragon.


    "It is good to see you again Shane," the Purple Dragon began. "I am happy that you are making progress on your task. Both of you have worked very hard to bring the dream of flight to your people. Normally, I would need to be more involved in your various efforts, but conditions have changed, and the timeline can be accelerated. I am sending you to the city of Twin Fates, with guaranteed safe passage through the Elemental Plane of Darkness."


    "You are invited to rise," Brigid said. When Shane was on his feet, the purple-haired bodyguard offered him a golden certificate, stamped with the skull of a horned beast. "Wear this on your person at all times. You may find yourself in danger if you lose it."


    "Does it need to be visible?" Shane asked. Brigid shook her head, so he stuffed the thing in his jacket.


    "Third High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Spirits!" Elvira shouted. The ringlets of her long purple hair bounced as she raised her arms. The towering magenta High Daughter materialized beside Elvira. "Open a portal to the Physical World!"


    A huge portal formed, shaped like a doorway, foggy and rimmed with magenta light. The gray began to undulate and break with flashes of magenta. It glowed, brighter and brighter, until a bright green landscape appeared beyond. The portal shimmered like heated air. The winged horse galloped straight through the portal to the other side, and Alice beckoned them to follow.


    Uneasily, Shane passed through the portal. There were no flashes of light as he crossed the threshold. A grassy green hill waited on the other side, under a vast blue sky. He turned around and looked through the portal as Felix followed. Shane could see the dark landscape within, the sunless magenta sky, and the Purple Dragons watching him from beyond. After Felix crossed, the portal vanished, revealing a field of flowers, an ocean that stretched to the horizon, and an airplane parked in the grass.


    Two young women approached. The closest woman had dark brown hair and eyes of the same shade. Shockingly, she did not have shining scales on her forehead or her cheekbones. She was wearing a thin white dress that looked a bit scandalous. The other woman was even more bizarre. Her hair was reddish orange, and her eyes were blue. Shane could not think of a Dragon tribe with such a clash between hair and eye color. In addition to a white blouse and a black skirt, the woman wore a leather cap with brass-rimmed goggles.


    The woman with orange hair is a pilot, just like Lady Maeve, Shane thought. Aloud he asked: "You are not whelps, are you?"


    The woman with brown hair chuckled. "No, we are humans."


    "Humans are mythological creatures," Felix said.


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    "In our world Dragons are mythological creatures," the woman replied.


    "You must be Felix," the orange-haired woman said as she pointed to the hulking Paladin. "And you must be Shane. Alice told us all about you. My name is Ingrid, and my companion here is Vaska."


    "Hey Felix," Vaska said. "Would you be willing to take off your clothes? I need nude anatomical diagrams for a book I am writing."


    "Sure," Felix replied with a shrug.


    "No!" Ingrid snapped. "We are leaving. Fully clothed, thank you." She pointed to the airplane parked nearby.


    I wish to meet them.


    Shane heard a familiar voice in his mind, the delicate girl-child voice of Titania.


    "Fine," Ingrid said. "Titania, show yourself!"


    With a flash of golden light beside Ingrid, the Elemental appeared. Made from pale gold light, she was about the size of a normal girl, perhaps ten years old at most. Her flowing dress appeared to be incorporated into her body, and it fluttered in some unseen wind. She floated a few feet off the ground, but her coppery hair was so long that it almost reached the ground below her feet. Upon that crown of hair she wore a radiant crown of gold.


    The girl-child floated playfully, zipping around Shane and Felix and Alice in turn, flowing through the air like a fish through water. She cast no shadow. Instead, the light of the sun was broken into crystalline rainbows, as if her whole body was a prism.


    I am Titania the Luck Elemental, High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Light. It is a pleasure to finally meet the three of you. The dream of flight is the dream of all worlds. I invite you to fly with me, into another sky.


    Shane wanted to fly with the little Luck Elemental. Instinctively, he reached out and attempted to connect to his Realms. He found... nothing. At first he felt panic, but then his panic transformed into a sinking feeling. In this world, storm sorcery didn''t work.


    "Is something wrong, Shane?" Alice asked. "You look distraught."


    The imbecile tried to use fake magic from the Plane of Dreams.


    It was the voice of a second girl-child, sinister, sneering, and cruel. All-consuming darkness exploded in surging waves near Vaska, coagulating and forming into another girl-child. At a sight Shane instantly recognized the semblance between this Elemental and the creature named Ashe. Pale translucent skin, lavender eyes, a frilly black dress, and a dagger in one hand, dripping with blood. Like Titania, this Elemental had raven-black hair that was much longer than she was tall.


    I am Erika the Curse Elemental, Mistress of Blood and Madness, Firstborn of the High Daughters. I invite you to fall from the sky with me, and return your heart''s blood to the Domain of Mother Ashe.


    "Don''t listen to her!" Ingrid insisted. "The airplane is perfectly safe."


    "I think what the Firstborn was trying to say," Vaska said, "is that the Realms cannot be accessed here."


    Shane glanced suspiciously at Alice, who was still sitting on top of her winged horse. She looked down with realization, muttered something to herself, and then plopped down in the grass after the beast faded and vanished.


    "There will be time to explain how Elementals work in the Physical World," Vaska continued, "once we are in the air."


    <hr>


    The woman named Ingrid led the group toward a massive metal airplane resting on a field of flowers. Felix glanced around, noting the perfectly flat strip of grass leading away from the nose of the aircraft. The airplane was so big that it had two engines. Each engine was mounted on a pylon on one of the wings, spaced away from the body so that the propellers could spin freely. It also had two vertical fins with two rudders.


    "An astonishing craft," Felix said.


    Ingrid laughed. "This airplane was ancient history back when Ivan was alive." Suddenly her face betrayed a deep sadness for a moment or so. Then she recovered. "It was almost buried under a sand dune in the desert, rusty and covered in verdigris. I needed to summon a Metal Elemental with plenty of fresh metal ingots to get her flying again."


    She pulled a lever on the side of the craft and opened a full person-sized door. A door on the side of an airplane!


    It was dark inside. Benches lined either side of the interior, furnished with black leather cushions. Ingrid led Felix up to the front of the craft where there were two seats arranged side-by-side. Felix instantly recognized the familiar stick-and-rudder controls, though he wondered why each seat had a duplicate copy. The dashboard in front of the seats was plastered with circular white instruments, each protected by a thin layer of glass. All around each seat there were dozens of levers, buttons, switches, and knobs. In between the seats Felix recognized a throttle, but he found the small wheel-like contraptions to be baffling.


    "Pick a seat that allows you to rest your hand on the throttle in a way that is comfortable," Ingrid said.


    Felix picked the seat on the right side, so that his left hand rested on the throttle. He struggled to slip into the chair, and once he was seated, he struggled to work the clasps on the harness that held him fast inside his seat. The airplane had obviously been designed for much smaller pilots. No matter how much he twisted and wiggled, he could not quite sink down into his seat enough to be comfortable. Perhaps that is a good thing, Felix thought. It will keep me alert.


    "Good," Ingrid said as she effortlessly slipped into the left seat. "I''m in the commander''s chair, and you are in the copilot''s chair. If one of us falls asleep or needs to use the bathroom, then there will be a second pilot to keep flying. You probably don''t have two-pilot airplanes yet, do you?"


    Felix looked back to see Alice, Shane, and Vaska as they worked to buckle themselves into their seats. The Luck Elemental and the Curse Elemental had vanished at some point. The door on the side of the airplane was still open.


    "Well," Felix said, "this airplane doesn''t seem like it would survive very long in a fight. Why would I want to make something so big?"


    "Fair enough. This was the only airplane that Ashe would let me use."


    "Do you worship Ashe?" Felix asked.


    Ingrid nodded. "In a way. It will take a while to explain. Let''s start the engines."


    She started rapidly flipping switches and pulling levers. Felix took the time to inspect the strange circles on the dashboard. They all appeared to be marked with some type of number, with a compass needle pegged to the center.


    "High Daughter of Fire!" Ingrid cried, "Summon two Fire Elementals, one for each engine! High Daughter of Wind, summon a Wind Elemental to provide atmospheric and noise protection! High Daughter of Water! Summon a Water Elemental to provide hydraulics!"


    When the litany of summons concluded, the engines began to spool, and the propellers began to spin. The sound of the propellers began to dampen. Ingrid slipped out of her chair and dashed outside the craft. "Felix! Pull on the stick!"


    He did so.


    "Now push! Good! Now stick left! Good! Stick right! Good! Left rudder! Good! Right rudder! Great!"


    The little orange-haired woman slammed the door shut and locked it with a click. Then she slipped back into the commander''s chair and strapped herself in. She fiddled with the little wheel between the seats, until two white markers aligned.


    "Elevator trim set to takeoff and parking brake released. I think we are ready to go. Felix, take us up. Full throttle until the tail starts flying, then pull back gently."


    "Certainly," Felix said as he pushed the throttle forward.


    The engines roared. The airplane lurched forward in the grass, and Felix used the rudder to stay straight. The needles began to rise, and Felix recognized that one of the gauges was marked with green, yellow, and red ranges. He assumed that it was the airspeed indicator. Felix felt the tail rise, and the nose leveled off, at about the time that the needle passed into the green zone. He pulled on the stick and the grass vanished. The trees on the edge of the glade began to sink.


    Up he flew, into another sky.


    He could not help himself. He began to test the various characteristics of flight. He rolled, pitched up and down, and kicked the rudder a few times. The motions felt very familiar, different in a way that made perfect sense given the size of the craft. It felt like strapping on a different pair of wings.


    "Having fun?" Ingrid asked.


    "If you kick the rudder too hard you''ll go outside the flight envelope!" Vaska cried from the cabin behind them.


    "What is a ''flight envelope?''" Felix asked.


    "She is an aeronautical engineer," Ingrid said. "Don''t mind her, if you do anything stupid I''ll disconnect your controls and fix it myself."


    The airplane felt sluggish. It was clearly not a machine of war. Felix assumed that it was a machine designed to allow the nation''s wealthy elites to travel quickly in comfort. It also didn''t seem to have any trouble taking off from remote strips of grass, so perhaps it would also be suited for ferrying General Officers to various military camps.


    "You are doing good, Felix. Keep climbing, I will tell you when to stop."


    "So you were saying something about Ashe before," Felix said.


    "Right! The Elemental Queen of Darkness and the Elemental Queen of Light work together to create free will in my world. The Elemental Plane of Dreams is a little different. The souls there have a specific fate, and the Elemental Plane itself changes in very slight ways to make that fate more probable. And then, also, there are those creepy Purple Dragons roaming around changing fates and devouring mortal souls." The woman visibly cringed at this thought. "Anyways, Queen Ashe is evil, but the alternative is worse. Ashe is the best option available. She protects the dark powers that drive her to madness, and no other Elemental, and certainly no mortal, could ever hope to do a better job than she does."


    "Eeeeep!" Alice shrieked. She shuffled forward into the pilot''s cabin and grasped the seats on either side. Her face was flushed bright red. "Ingrid, make him stop!"


    "Vaska, what are you doing back there?"


    Felix twisted his head around and peered back into the main cabin. Shane was standing in the middle of the aisle completely naked, head held high and chest puffed up. The light pouring through the windows glistened against the shining scales on his chest and hips. Vaska was looking at the nude man like an artist might contemplate the form of a piece of fruit or a particularly impressive cloud, furiously scribbling away on her notepad. Felix turned around and resumed his flight, out over the ocean.


    "Vaska?" Ingrid shouted. "Vaska!?"


    <hr>


    Shane felt the familiar sensation of descent. The ground outside was a blur in the windows, and then the wheels stuck the ground, pulling Shane down into his seat. The craft rattled and shook, however the tail was still flying. After a few moments the tail stalled and collapsed, causing the trailing wheel to strike the ground. They kept rolling.


    "Anyways," Vaska said, "in those days people needed to travel across the void to the Sixth Goddess and steal some spiritual energy in order to use a bond with an Elemental. The people who were born in the Elemental Planes were forced to do this, and they were forced to provide access to their bonded Elementals through crystal contracts. But when me and Ingrid purified the Queen of Light, she used the power of forgiveness to break those contracts."


    The airplane creaked to a stop and the engines began to spool down. The propellers abruptly halted outside the windows. The woman named Ingrid slipped into the main cabin and released the door. It slammed open with a gust of wind outside.


    "This is close enough," she said. "Chilly! Vaska, get out there and open a portal. I''m cold!"


    Felix clambered out of the pilot''s cabin. His foot caught in a strap and he faceplanted onto the rug in the center of the aisle. Shane heard the hulking man mumbling into the floor, but he could not make out the words.


    "Do you need help?" Alice asked. She reached down and lifted the man clear of the floor as if he was a toddler.


    How the hell did she get so strong? Shane wondered.


    Suddenly the aircraft began to lurch backwards and rotate. Shane hopped out through the door to get a better look. They had landed on another grass airstrip on a different island, closer to the ocean than the first. Ingrid, the skinny, spindly orange-haired woman, was busy hauling the tail of the craft around with one hand.


    "Alice," Shane said, "are you bonded to a Life Elemental?"


    "That''s right!" Alice replied, patting Felix on the back.


    And Ingrid must have a High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Life, Shane thought. "Ingrid, how many High Daughters are you bonded with?"


    "Eleven," Vaska said.


    "Eleven High Daughters!?"


    "Yeah," Vaska said. "Ashe only made one High Daughter, the very first subordinate Elemental ever created. She is bonded with me."


    A thin, vertical line of absolute darkness appeared behind Vaska. It grew to either side, into the shape of a rectangle. Vaska backed into the darkness and vanished. Whatever that dark portal was, it remained standing even after Vaska was gone.


    Alice plucked her spear and shield from the cargo bay, and Ingrid slammed it shut. She locked the door tight, and then marched through the dark portal herself. The winged horse named Mercy appeared on the field, and Alice hopped up on her back, armed with her spear and shield. She drove the horse into a gallop and disappeared into the darkness.


    "Well," Felix said. "I guess we should probably follow them."


    Shane nodded. "Into yet another world."

 Chapter 26: The Elemental Plane of Darkness

    Felix felt somewhat uncomfortable as his boots sank into the gray powder. Goosebumps began to form on his arm from the sensation of slowly sinking into the uncanny stuff. The sky was blotted out with roiling black and gray clouds, like an inverted ocean, illuminated in places by washed-out red and blue lights which originated from unseen sources. The horizon revealed the impression of a dusky purple sky beyond those clouds. The few visible mountains were twisted, impossible things, reaching into the clouds like seaweed, their peaks shrouded from view. In the foreground the horizon was broken, in places by countless species of fungus, and elsewhere, by stout formations of dark crystals.


    The light of the Physical World reflected off the walls of the obsidian chasm for a few moments, before the tear in reality collapsed and vanished. Ingrid and Vaska were absent. Shane appeared to be reacting to the strange powder underfoot with the same degree of apprehension, and Alice did not remain on the ground for long. Her Pegasus flapped its wings rapidly and ascended into the sky, a feat which disturbed the gray powder outside the chasm, causing it to flow over the escarpments like dry waterfalls.


    "Follow me!" Alice cried. She stabbed her oversized spear up into the sky for emphasis.


    Felix felt that it was somewhat unfair that Alice could simply fly over the chasms. He was stuck navigating the maze below, suffering through the ever-present, cloying sensations that assaulted his feet. Occasionally a nearby mushroom would explode with gray spores, showering them over his head, showering his dark military uniform.


    Alice led them through the chasms to the bank of a slow river of pure blood. The riverbank was occupied by an army on the move. Broken bodies marched past, emaciated and rotting, with eyes and mouths sewn shut, navigating with the help of knotted blackwood staves. Skeletal horses hauled carts filled with bodies so shattered that they could not walk themselves. This endless caravan of destitute zombies seemed to hum with a sorrowful song. Felix heard a scream, the heated argument of an unhappy marriage, a slamming door...


    "Alice!" he cried. "Who are these people?"


    The Pegasus descended and fluttered overhead. Alice waived her spear in a wide arc.


    "The world is ending," she said. "The apocalypse arrives on a schedule, when Ashe destroys and reshapes the Elemental Plane of Darkness. There are Fountains of Rebirth hiding in the darkness, where broken bodies can be restored, where true humanity can be regained. They venture out, further and further, founding towns and cities along the caravan, searching for the Fountains, hoping to find one before the apocalypse resets their progress."


    "So where are they going now?" Felix asked.


    "Twin Fates, the Golden City of the Radiant Saints. There is a barrier that holds the apocalypse at bay. If they can make it back to the city, then they can survive to try again."


    "What happens if they don''t make it?" Shane asked.


    "Perfect Darkness," Alice replied, "the Gift of Mother Ashe."


    "Isn''t it wonderful?"


    Even after nine years, Felix recognized the feminine voice. He snapped around, instinctively reaching for the greatsword on his back. She was nearby, dancing gracefully across the surface of the blood river, her flowing white dress flaring with each twirl. The Elemental skipped across the blood without disturbing it and trotted between the corpses to join Felix and Shane in their walk. All of the shadows pointed toward her.


    "I cannot say that I appreciate the aesthetic," Shane drawled.


    "Do you know where mortal blood comes from?" Ashe asked.


    Felix pointed to the river.


    "That''s right!" she said. "You are so clever Felix."


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    "What about my blood?" Shane asked. "Last I checked, it wasn''t red."


    "There are rivers for each Dragon Tribe," Ashe replied. "Red, blue, purple, and all the others. They converge into a pinwheel of isolated pools, surrounding a temple. It is one of my better creations."


    "I would like to see it," Shane said.


    "Good luck finding it before the world ends!"


    "What do you want?" Felix asked.


    "Felix, you haven''t seen me in a hundred moons. That''s a long time for you mortals, right? I was just checking in on you, to make sure that you were safe. It is bold of you, living in the Plane of Dreams. That is a very dangerous place."


    "I have yet to encounter a scheduled apocalypse," Felix said, glancing around at the marching corpses.


    "That''s a known danger, you idiot." Ashe said. "Do you know what happens to souls after a Purple Dragon consumes them? If you give me an answer, I might do something nice for you."


    Felix shrugged.


    "Why is Astrid traveling with a High Daughter of the Queen of Water? What is the nature of the alliance between the Queen of Water and the Queen of Dreams?"


    "Maybe you should ask Astrid," Felix said.


    "I tried catching a Purple Dragon once, but they died before I could discover their secrets. Now they blind themselves to see into my Domain. I cannot surprise them anymore. How annoying!"


    Alice must have finally seen Ashe, because the Pegasus fluttered down and floated above the ground, following them as they marched with the caravan. "Almighty Queen of Darkness, have you come to aid us in our journey? Will you lead us to the city of Twin Fates yourself?"


    "Absolutely not," Ashe said.


    Erika the Firstborn, the Curse Elemental, materialized beside Queen Ashe. The girl-child reached out and started tugging on her mother''s dress.


    "Mother," she hissed. "You are needed."


    Ashe sighed. When she vanished, all of the shadows instantly shifted to face ahead, in the direction of the caravan. The Firstborn lingered for a moment before she too dissolved in a puff of black mist.


    "She sounds paranoid," Shane said.


    "Ashe can still hear us," Alice warned. "Either way, if she is concerned, it is safe to assume that the Queen of Light is also concerned."


    <hr>


    They came upon a great lake filled with blood. Dominating an island in the center of the lake, there was a translucent dome made from golden light, housing within a city of tall buildings which scraped the inner surface. Long bridges, which appeared to mostly be constructed from bones, spanned the distance between the near shore and the island. The lumpy texture of the skulls underfoot made it somewhat difficult to walk as Felix began the trek across the bridge. The caravans had become clogged attempting to pass through the golden barrier into the city, so Felix only made it halfway across before he was forced to stop because of the traffic.


    "I will need to take you both across one at a time," Alice said. "Who wants to go first?"


    "Shane can go," Felix said. "Maybe he''ll find a bookstore in the city or something."


    "I''ll keep an eye out," Shane said. Alice reached down and hauled the other man up onto her mount. The Pegasus fluttered off toward the golden dome.


    Felix waited in silence, standing near the edge of the bridge, overlooking the dull gray sky reflecting off the surface of the blood lake. Ashe had asked a question and it had almost immediately bothered him. He wasn''t smart like Shane, he didn''t want to be smart in that way. He mostly relied on his instincts. Quick judgements were best, followed by commitment. Otherwise lives could be lost. It always gave Felix an impression of weakness when a commander changed his mind.


    Felix could not shake his first impression from when Ashe asked about Brigid''s High Daughter. He had been falling from the sky, his craft iced over, and in that moment he actually believed that hitting the ground would be more merciful than living through that weather. It must be related to that seeping cold, Felix surmised, purely from instinct.


    Titania had told him that his soul flew with Ingrid before it ended up in the Plane of Dreams. How long have I been in the Plane of Dreams? he wondered. Have I died before? Does that mean that souls are just reincarnated, over and over again? What would happen if a Purple Dragon bound the fate of a soul to reincarnate in a specific spot? Perhaps within that seeping cold.


    The thought of it was making him sick. He shook his head and rubbed his temples.


    "Why am I thinking about this?"


    Then he remembered that Ashe could still hear him. He waited in silence, struggling to clear his mind. A brief puff of shadowy smoke caught his attention. The Firstborn, with her childish body and extraordinarily long raven hair, floated out over the blood lake in front of Felix. She regarded him, looking somewhat uneasy.


    You know something.


    "I thought we were guaranteed safe passage," Felix said.


    Silence! Mother can hear your words, but she cannot hear mine. My access to the divine power has been dramatically reduced, but it is not completely gone. I can use that tiny sliver of power to hide from Mother. Heed my command, mortal. Do not implicate Vaska. Do not speak of what you have discovered. I will inform Vaska of this unexpected development and she will furnish instructions at her leisure.


    Then the Firstborn was gone.

 Chapter 27: Twin Fates

    As Felix flew closer, his perception of the golden dome began to change. It was much thicker and more solid than it appeared from a distance. Alice cut ahead of the lines and landed directly at an empty customs queue. A woman wearing golden scale armor marched forward and struck the ground with the base of her ebony halberd.


    "Evidence of right of passage, sir?" she asked.


    Felix offered the golden certificate with the horned skull, which Brigid had given. The guard waved him through. Alice lifted him clear out of the saddle and deposited him on the ground. Then, still riding her Pegasus, she galloped forward the open gate. Felix glanced around uneasily at the gate as he crossed the threshold. It was one of many, crafted from thin bars of solid gold. Thousands of refugees were still queued up in other lines, waiting to enter the city.


    Beyond the dome, the city streets were made from dull gold cobblestones. Buildings towered all around, impossibly tall, and it gave Felix the impression of being back in the Realm of Metal. Near the center of the city, the towers almost scraped the top of the dome. Many of the towers tapered inward near the top, and were crowned with steep pinnacles, domes, or belfries. In contrast to the golden dome that formed the sky, the buildings were mostly pale, and with light originating from all directions, their visible faces featured no shadows.


    Shane waited for them at the end of the quad, near a broad street between two smaller buildings. Zombie guards in dark uniforms, perhaps some type of private security, stood at attention with stone axes and battered wooden shields. Food stalls lined the street beyond, decorated with colorful banners and arcane signs, and the people wandering around looked perfectly healthy and normal.


    "I''m starving!" Shane said.


    "I could use a bite," Felix agreed.


    "Animals are not allowed on that street," Alice said. "You should easily be able to find your way around the city without me. Just ask anyone about Vaska." Her Pegasus flapped its wings and she flew away.


    As they passed into the street, the nearby guard regarded Felix with eyes sewn shut. He made a guttural sound, but then resumed his watch without moving.


    "Hey, you!" a man shouted. Shane looked uneasy for a moment. "Hey! I know you can hear me! You jerk! Get over here!"


    Felix brushed past Shane to confront the man. He was sitting on a stool facing away from a bar in front of a large food stall nearby. He was young, with a mane of shaggy brown hair and a neat beard. He was also clearly a human, because like Vaska and Ingrid, his forehead and cheekbones were not decorated with scales. Behind the human, a large bowl of noodles sat steaming on the bar, topped with vegetables, a slab of meat, and a cooked egg. It smelled delightful, and Felix felt his stomach begin to growl.


    The human reached out, pointing to Shane. "Do you see him Mia? This is the man that helped kill me!" the man accused.


    "Have we met before?" Shane asked.


    Apparently Mia was the young human woman sitting in the seat next to the man. "Zakx, he is not going to remember you," she said.


    "He was there Mia! I remember his face. He was gawking at me as that Purple Dragon bit down on my neck. I''ll have you know, sir, that was extremely painful."


    Shane''s eyes opened with sudden realization. "You are the Blue Dragon?!"


    "Jerk," the man pouted. Then he returned to his food.


    Felix looked at the woman named Mia. She did not seem to appreciate his gaze, shying away.


    "Are you the Red Dragon?" he asked. She nodded. "I swore an oath of service to you."


    "How old are you?" she asked.


    "Twenty-six."


    "I died four years before you were born," she said. "I don''t think your oath means anything."


    Felix jumped up into the empty seat next to the woman. The pot-bellied chef glanced his way. "I''ll have what they are having," Felix said, gesturing to the two bowls on the bar in front of the humans.


    Shane hopped up into the seat by the man named Zakx. "Me too."


    They ate in almost complete silence. Felix occasionally glanced over at Mia, disbelieving, and at some point the woman began to ignore him. He imagined that this woman ate at this stall every day, and had done so for decades. She had her own life, her own routine, her own completely alien set of beliefs, problems, and priorities. She was not a god, not a Red Dragon, and not the witness to his oaths. It seemed such a frivolous thing.


    Zakx and Mia finished their food, paid their tabs, and then left in silence. The two seats between Felix and Shane were left empty.


    "What kind of currency do you use here?" Shane asked.


    "They took care of your tabs," the chef said.


    "Do they come here often?" Felix asked.


    The man looked surprised. "I see them from time to time. They are famous around here, you know. The first and second Immortal Worshippers of Ashe, the Queen of Darkness."


    "We are new in town," Shane said.


    "I can tell."


    "We are looking for Vaska," Felix said.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Vaska, yeah I know her. I worked for her a long time ago."


    "Where is she now?" Felix asked.


    "No," Shane said. "I have plenty of food left. I want to hear your story."


    "Certainly," the chef said. "My name is Algot Gunn. Special Agent Algot Gunn, back in those days. I worked for the Heylin Empire Foreign Intelligence Authority, also known as the FIA. I had a spymaster over me in theory, but in practice I received my orders directly from Vaska."


    Felix resumed eating.


    "Princess Vaska was looking for a woman," Algot began. "A pretty woman, her own age, who was also attracted to women. She was quite lonely, and in my opinion, quite horny. But there was a catch. The woman needed to be descended from the fallen House Veronika, which meant she needed to be part of the breeding program in Taisia. I found Ingrid in the city of Wave Crest in southern Taisia, and I reported it to Vaska. There were several other prospective candidates, but Ingrid was the best.


    "So Vaska sent her sister Natasha to perform an airshow with her White Ravens squadron of fighter jets. The Taisian Air Navy launched a huge recruiting drive there. My subordinate, Glenice, was supposed to head into town and try and entice Ingrid to join. But Ingrid walked up the recruiters and signed up herself. Luckily, Glenice found out about this and started training Ingrid immediately.


    "Soon, Ingrid was ready to start flying fighter jets, so Glenice arranged a meeting with Princess Vaska. The young woman was smitten. Love at first sight really. Anyways, after an extremely convoluted and dangerous sequence of events, Vaska somehow managed to arrange for Ingrid to become bonded to the Luck Elemental Titania. Vaska was, and still is, bonded to the Curse Elemental, Erika the Firstborn. It took total mastery of the Firstborn''s bad luck to configure the second-order consequences, to manipulate the entire universe to conspire to bond Ingrid with Titania.


    "So Vaska and Ingrid shacked up and the Princess let me retire. Later, she pulled me out of retirement and I ended up going on more adventures in the Elemental Planes for a while, before I ended up here."


    "Do you know why Zakx and Mia ended up worshiping Ashe?" Felix asked.


    "They both wanted to be immortal, and Ashe wanted desperate servants that she could control."


    "Do you worship Ashe?"


    "Nah," Algot replied. "Myself, Glenice, Natasha, we were all taken to the Elemental Plane of Water at some point. Vaska explained our important roles to the Queen of Water and she granted us all immortality. We don''t even need to serve the Queen of Water, we are free to travel through the Elemental Planes."


    "She didn''t give you a new body?" Felix asked. "Younger, maybe slimmer?"


    Algot Gunn slapped his apron. "Queen Ashe enjoys bullying me because of my belly. I reasoned that asking for a slimmer body would be a risk."


    "That seems logical," Shane said. "Does Ingrid know that Vaska was manipulating her?"


    "Of course. It was part of their marriage vows, Titania changed the laws of the universe so that they cannot lie to each other."


    "And how did she react when she found out?"


    Algot shrugged. "I have no idea. They were both horny young women. Use your imagination."


    Felix drank the last of the broth in his bowl and slid the bowl forward on the bar. "So where in the city can I find Vaska now?"


    "Keep your eyes up," Algot replied. "Make your way to the very apex of the dome. The streets don''t have any dead-ends if you move toward the center."


    Felix could not help looking at the dizzyingly tall buildings on either side of the street as they made their way toward the city center.


    "So the Blue Dragon just seems like some random guy," Shane said.


    "Yeah, I noticed."


    "I almost feel sorry for them. I wouldn''t want to be forced to serve Ashe."


    "Do you think we could save them?" Felix asked.


    Suddenly he felt a hand softly grasping the back of his neck. A second arm, clothed in a white sleeve, reached out and grasped Shane by the neck as well.


    "Conspiring against me already?" Ashe asked as she trotted up between them, releasing her grip on their necks at the same time.


    "I didn''t say anything!" Shane protested.


    Ashe giggled. "That''s unfortunate. I enjoy a good conspiracy. Come, I will escort you to Vaska. In the meantime, Felix, you can tell me what you have discovered."


    "My lips are sealed," Felix replied. The Queen of Darkness growled, but said no more.


    The way to the center of the city was relatively straightforward. Literally. There were only a few points where the street split around diamond-shaped parks. The trees in the parks and on the sides of the roads were covered with deep red-purple leaves, which also fell in showers and peppered the golden cobblestones. The road finally ended in a deep round stepwell. Spiraling golden stairs led down into a cistern of glowing turquoise water. Guards in golden chainmail guarded the stepwell, but they did not intervene as Ashe led them down the stairs.


    The cistern at the bottom was cut with a dizzying maze of marble walkways. Felix recognized the pattern. He had seen it once before, in the Realm of Water, maze-like sand ridges deep below the crystal blue water. At one end of the cistern there was a large platform with a dais containing two thrones. Vaska and Ingrid sat side-by-side in those thrones. Behind them, at the top of a steep flight of stairs, there was a small platform with a glowing golden portal. Through that portal, far away, Felix could see a distant golden tower.


    Ashe approached the thrones, with Felix and Shane flanking her. A single woman stood below the dais. She was clearly a human, with very long, pale straw hair, and she wore ceremonial mother-of-pearl robes.


    "Thank you Ashe, for escorting the pilgrims," the blond woman said. "I am Glenice of the Radiant Saints, Herald of Twin Fates. Welcome, pilgrims. You stand before Vaska, Voice of the Known Universe, and Ingrid, Empress of the Thirteen Skies."


    "You just made up those titles today!" Ashe accused.


    "You don''t need to tell that to the pilgrims," Vaska said.


    "My annoyance at your deception is surpassed only by my respect," Ashe said. "You need to explain yourself, Vaska! Why is there a High Daughter of the Queen of Water roaming around with the Purple Dragons in the Plane of Dreams?"


    The Queen of Darkness snapped her finger toward Felix.


    "He knows something! I deserve to know what he knows!"


    "Ashe," Vaska began with a sigh, "if I answer your questions, you will immediately understand the second-order consequences for our universe. Then, you will flee to your sister-self and erase your own memories, as you have done before. Each time it happens, you reaffirm your position as the best possible defender of the Dark Half of the Divine Power of the Fifth Goddess."


    "I was created specifically for that purpose! I''m the only option!"


    "It makes me happy that you agree with my argument," Vaska said. "We shall speak no more on this topic. Felix and Shane, come forward."


    Ashe looked genuinely disturbed. Her lone visible eye was flaring with red-gold light. Felix and Shane marched forward simultaneously, and stopped just short of the edge of the dais. Vaska and Ingrid both stood up from their thrones. They shuffled forward, stepped off the dais, and began to walk around to one side.


    "Follow us," Vaska said.


    Glenice trailed behind as the two women led Felix and Shane around to the stairs leading to the portal. Vaska pointed up to the top of the stairs.


    "Titania created that portal," Ingrid said as she pointed up the stairs. "It is the only portal to the Elemental Plane of Light in existence. Light Elementals can no longer create portals. All travel to the Plane of Light comes through us."


    "Please present your credentials," Glenice said.


    Felix and Shane both offered their golden certificates. Glenice took them, twisting them in the light, looking at them from every angle.


    "You are permitted to enter the portal," she said. "Please proceed."


    "Once you are on the other side," Vaska said, "make your way to the Golden Tower. There, you will receive the Queen of Light''s Judgment."


    The three women shuffled away, back toward the thrones on the dais. Felix and Shane glanced at each other, shrugged, and began ascending the golden staircase.

 Chapter 28: Judgment

    There was no ground below the foggy pale-gold sky. It was as if the whole of existence was trapped within a clear pocket deep within a golden cloud. That empty space contained dozens of crystals, shaped like teardrops, floating without support or feature. The platform beyond the portal was flat obsidian with a jagged rim, like a massive inverted chandelier. Shane heard only the delicate drone of a finger circling the rim of a wine glass. Nearby there was a tower made of radiant gold, unimaginably tall, yet tiny within the void, giving context to those crystal teardrops. Relative to the Golden Tower, those crystals must have been as big as moons, or perhaps planets.


    Felix clattered down onto the obsidian with a golden flash. Shane was already moving forward toward the gap in the jagged rim straight ahead. The ground below was very smooth and shiny. Shane began to walk in a rapid stride.


    Beyond the jagged gap there were colorless crystal ramps leading down to more inverted chandelier platforms, made from clear crystal. There were many such platforms, but only one made from obsidian. Some distance away in space, there was yet another platform that was not perfectly clear. The vast surface, no doubt the size of a city, took on the appearance of a map. Blue, teal, green, and white tiles, arranged into oceans and continents and snowcaps. There was only one portal leading to the Elemental Plane of Light, but Shane reasoned that in some ancient time the map-like platform may have housed the location of another portal.


    At the base of the golden tower there was a city constructed around a ring. Pyramids of smooth, mirror-like glass, reflecting the golden light, sprung from white-gold streets. Shane saw these wonders from a distance and it took a half an hour of hiking down crystal ramps to reach that ring city. The streets were lined with green parks, complete with trees, ponds, and flagstone paths. The way through the city was clear, one open boulevard leading straight to the base of the Golden Tower.


    The base of the tower, like the trunk of a city-sized golden tree, was marred by a deep wound. Like a chasm tilted vertically, the base of the crack was very wide, and the jagged edges gradually tapered to a point high above. Within that shady chasm there was a dark portal.


    Shane stalked inside, making note of the interior. It had an uncanny resemblance to the interior of the Purple Dragon''s spires. Gantries, circular concourses, ramps, platforms, open doors shining with golden light, and two cone-shaped voids reaching up and down into oblivion. Cracks in the surface of the tower allowed spears of light to crisscross the upper void, but the darkness below was absolute. A single path, composed of blue and turquoise tiles and illuminated by white light, led forward to a circular platform suspended over the void. There was an Elemental there, Shane realized, but of a variety that he had not yet seen. The ghostly Elemental was made entirely from pale gold light, shaped into the form of a woman wearing heavy armor, armed with sword and shield. Like Titania, she refracted light into rainbow patterns on the turquoise tile floor.


    Welcome. Mother has been expecting you. I will take you to her now.


    The Elemental reached out and placed her hand on Shane''s chest. The undulations of darkness and spear-like shafts of light began to shift, streaming past his eyes in an instant. A moment later he was high in the tower, standing on a turquoise platform, facing a huge hole in the tower walls which bathed the interior in golden light. A shadow loomed just ahead. Eight and a half feet tall, clad in a solid black satin dress which hugged her curves, with radiant golden hair, the Elemental regarded him with the face of a disappointed schoolmaster.


    Felix clattered along the tile platform alongside Shane. They stood side-by-side, facing the Elemental Queen of Light.


    "Your mistress has proven her skill at being obnoxious toward my other half," the Queen of Light said. She sounded like an older version of Titania, a delicate voice with hints of wind chimes. "The Divine Powers that we wield crave understanding. The same can be said for the Divine Power of the Sixth Goddess, which is guarded by the Queens of Spirits and Dreams. It is between these two cravings that we find tension.


    "The ultimate expression of free will can be found in the sky, in the adventures of the hard-boiled flyer. The price of this freedom is an instantaneous death, a transformation into bloody gore. The highest spiritual discipline is required to survive. Flying machines inspire mortals to dream, to reach higher. Light, Dark, Spirits, Dreams, four Divine Powers converge on a single locus, and the Purple Dragon Tribe roams the Plane of Dreams, uplifting civilizations to the golden age of flight, brazenly skirting the restrictions put in place by my other half. And now we are forced to bargain with those critters for the soul of a single mortal. Ridiculous."


    Neither Shane nor his companion responded to this lecture.


    "But your Purple Dragon cannot bind your fate outside the Plane of Dreams. As soon as you crossed the threshold into the Physical World, you became subjected to the free will that me and my sister create. Before you receive my judgment, I would offer another path. Walk away, never return to the Plane of Dreams, live in the Physical World forever, and you will be truly free. Felix, the aircraft that the humans have invented far surpass your own. Allow me to paint..."


    "Absolutely not," Felix hissed, interrupting the Elemental. He slashed his hand through the air in an exaggerated gesture. "I will return to the Plane of Dreams, and nothing you say can sway my mind. My brothers and sisters need me. The military needs me. My nation needs me."


    The Queen of Light turned to face Shane specifically. "Shane, you are just an insect crawling on the cover of a book, unable to comprehend the concept of writing. There are no restrictions on the books that are permitted in the Physical World. Thousands of years of history, bound in beautiful leather tomes, housed in libraries the size of your cities. Cutting-edge technologies, a world of knowledge at your fingertips. Unchained magic derived directly from the Elementals themselves, without the rules and limits of the make-believe magic of your Realms. There is no reason to keep living in your fantasy dreamland. Reality awaits."


    Shane could not help himself. His mind began to consider the words of the Queen of Light. But a sudden awareness took priority. He watched his own mind in the abstract, observing the paths his consciousness followed. Just how much of the universe did he not understand? He wanted to believe her. He wanted to see the great libraries the size of cities.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    But he also understood that this temptation was calculated with extraordinary precision. But if he refused immediately, she would know his refusal was false, would she not? Shane envied Felix, once again. His refusal had been instantaneous. He fully understood the calculating nature of the temptation, but instead of fearing the Elemental, he feared only for his fellow Paladins.


    However, Shane felt for a moment that he had been born in the wrong universe. It would be such a simple thing to leave.


    I didn''t choose to be born south of the border.


    The voice of a stranger, overheard in the din of a crowded, smelly tavern. When Shane heard that man, he condemned that line of thinking. But now he realized he was a hypocrite. Those men desperately wanted to leave their homeland in search of a better life, without accounting for the predators. Those predators, like this Elemental, had their own purposes, and they had accounted for all possible responses.


    Shane glared at the Elemental.


    "No nation has ever been built by people who are desperate to escape," he sneered. "We stand upon the sacrifices of our ancestors. I refuse your offer."


    "As you wish," the Queen of Light said. "Felix. What is your highest ideal?"


    "If you make a mistake, then you should die," Felix said. "Soldiers sometimes choose to make sacrifices on behalf of their brothers and sisters. There must be consent. No person should be punished for the mistakes of another. So many people, politicians, charlatans, thugs, they seek clever and arcane methods of gaining advantage now, while dumping the disadvantages onto others, perhaps deep in the future. I would say, then, that my highest ideal is to choose to sacrifice, for those who are worthy, in a world free of redistributed risk."


    The Queen of Light nodded. "Shane, what is your highest ideal?"


    "To be a part of a spirit that is greater than myself," Shane said. "When I read a book, I join a long tradition of men like me, men who looked to the future and saw their own mortality. They did not shy away from their duty, instead they chose to devote their one and only life to progress. They knew that others would carry on after they died, that the spirit would guide untold generations to come through the capricious fortunes of infinite time."


    "Mortals," the Queen of Light began, "you are invited to kneel."


    Shane and Felix both dropped to one knee. They held their heads low. The Elemental reached down with both hands, and Shane saw the index finger gently press against his cheek. At first he felt nothing. And then, he immediately started screaming.


    Pain ripped through his body. He convulsed, unable to move from his position kneeling before the Queen of Light. He felt burning on his cheek where the Elemental was touching, and he smelled a smoky-sweet meaty smell of burning flesh.


    "Mortals! Heed my command!"


    Shane could not close his eyes. The light emanating from Elemental drowned out all else. Sensations began to be replaced by abstractions. His mind was taken to another place, a plane of endless rainbow-crystal light in every direction. But that pain never left. His body was being destroyed.


    "Arise, and be!"


    From right foot to his right cheek, all the way up his body, a vein-like explosion of pain. Shane felt the shape of that pain. Symbols, projected onto the surface of his skin, burning, marking his flesh forever.


    "Free from inner contradictions!"


    A release. Shane collapsed onto the teal-blue tiles. Felix, remarkably, did not fall over. Shane realized that he had been screaming the whole time, but he never heard Felix cry out. The man endured the pain in silence. Dazed, Shane looked over his right arm. His skin was streaked with shining veins, like a fine piece of pottery shattered and then rejoined with molten gold. Symbols were marked onto his inner arm, written in some unknown language. In spite of his ignorance, Shane could read that ancient text.


    Arise and be, free from inner contradictions.


    Felix knelt to the right. The left side of his body had been branded with gold. The left side of his face now featured that same fractured gold appearance, originating from his cheek and radiating out towards his ear and down his neck.


    "You are invited to rise," the Queen of Light said.


    Two Elementals appeared, flanking the Queen of Light. Female, standing about six feet tall, they each looked like the Elemental in the lobby far below. Golden plate armor ornamented with burgundy filigree, a white cloak, a half-helmet with dozens of vertical slits, gold-burgundy sword and shield. Shane clambered to his feet, and Felix ceased kneeling.


    "Daughters. They carry my command burned into their flesh. Offer to bond with them."


    One of the two Elementals approached Shane. He heard her voice in his mind.


    I am a Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Light. By Mother''s command, I offer now to bond with you. I will consume your spiritual energy, and in exchange you will have access to my powers. Do you accept this bond?


    "I do accept," Shane said.


    "I accept," Felix said, though Shane could not hear what the other Elemental was saying.


    "You have fulfilled the task foreseen by the Purple Dragon," the Queen of Light said. She waved her hand, dismissing them. "Go back the way you came. The way is clear."


    Once more the darkness and spears of light rushed upward, and Shane found himself back down on the bottom floor of the tower, standing beside Felix. They began the long journey back to the city of Twin Fates. Meanwhile, Shane''s new Elemental spoke to him in his mind.


    If you have need of me, simply summon me or command me to show myself. When I am not needed, I will return to the Elemental Plane of Light. So long as we are bonded, I will be able to arrive at your side in an instant. Now listen, for I shall now describe my powers. The primary purpose of a Light Elemental is to determine if a mortal is telling the truth. I can warn you when another mortal is lying. This power will work on any mortal, with two exceptions.


    "Ingrid and Vaska?" Shane asked.


    That is correct. The High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Light can command me. By her command, I may ignore your commands and fail to perform my duties for a time. The Firstborn, High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Darkness, provides mechanisms that allow Vaska to lie without being detected, at all times.


    "Are there other powers I should know about?"


    The second of my powers is forgiveness. I can forgive the bonds between mortals and their Elementals. I can negotiate bonds with Elementals on your behalf. In practice, this allows you to preempt Elementals from your enemies. However, there are exceptions.


    "The High Daughters?" Shane guessed.


    That is correct. A bond with a High Daughter cannot be broken, not without the intervention of Divine Power. This protection extends to other Elementals with the same bond. For example, the one you call Brigid is bonded to a Greater Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Dreams. You will not be able to forgive this bond, her bond with the High Daughter of the Queen of Water protects her.


    "I understand."


    The third of my powers is the ability to reveal Dark Elementals. If they reside at a great distance, then I will be able to reveal their relative direction and distance. Dark Elementals will not be able to harm you so long as you are bonded to me. I can also detect when another has malice against you, with the aforementioned exceptions. Finally, all Light Elementals are able to create barriers of light that can protect from some types of physical trauma. Your mastery of wind magic makes this somewhat redundant, however if you lose consciousness I will strive to protect you.


    They had walked out of the tower by the time the Light Elemental had finished her explanations. Far ahead and above, across the span of crystal platforms and bridges, the inverted obsidian chandelier loomed overhead. From the reverse angle, Shane saw for the first time the plume of dark mist rising from the location of the portal. His destination, a return to the Elemental Plane of Darkness.

 Chapter 29: Retainers

    Upon crossing the threshold to the Elemental Plane of Spirits, the first thing Shane did was connect to his realms and use storm sorcery to float up into the magenta sky. A new purple crystal spire had been constructed in the distance, atop the red rock cliffs near Dragon''s Landing, at the point where the river split into a delta. Alice fluttered up alongside him, floating in place atop the Pegasus Mercy.


    "That''s too far away," Alice said. "Mercy will get tired carrying Felix all the way to the spire. You will need to carry him."


    Shane, however, saw an opportunity. He floated back to the ground and landed beside Felix. The hulking man looked somewhat disoriented.


    "Where do we go?" Felix asked.


    Shane pointed above the treetops. "That way."


    "Are you going to make me walk?"


    "Potentially. You should really learn how to fly using storm sorcery. After all, if you fall out of the sky again, I won''t be there to catch you."


    This comment seemed to disturb the man. Shane was expecting Felix to protest, but he appeared to consider the offer in silence. Then he nodded.


    "Teach me."


    "Are you coming?" Alice cried out from above.


    "You go ahead!" Shane replied. Alice raised her spear and then fluttered off over the treetops, out of sight. "We should go down to the river."


    The river delta was flat and empty, except for thousands of ghostly souls lying flat at various levels. The streets were almost empty, which indicated that it was most likely nighttime on the other side. Shane was not certain how long they had spent traveling to the Plane of Light, but they were both allowed to spend one night at a fancy hotel in the city of Twin Fates. He never got over the fact that the housekeepers were basically zombies with their mouths sewn shut.


    They arrived at the river bank, where the water was shallow and turbulent.


    "Immerse yourself in the river," Shane said.


    Felix nodded and stepped up to the edge. He stripped down, tossing his clothes behind him. The left side of his body was completely covered with lustrous golden fractures. Shane had seen the same effect etched into his own body when he had showered in the hotel. Naked, the man waded out into the churning water and sank in.


    "I hope it''s not too cold," Shane said.


    "It''s fine."


    Shane had expected the cold weather in the north to impact the river. He had read that water is very good at retaining heat, and he reasoned that the water had been flowing for a long time through the jungle before the desert froze over. Satisfied with this reasoning, he reached out and connected only to the Realm of Water. Using pure water magic, he grasped the water in the river, manipulated it into a tall column, then pulled that water up into a floating orb.


    "Do you feel this?" Shane asked.


    "Not yet."


    Lowering the glove, Shane snatched Felix up out of the river and caused him to levitate, completely trapped by the intense surface tension of the water. The man began kicking, desperately trying to swim, locked in place. The orb lowered, then broke, freeing Felix to sink back into the river. He started coughing.


    "A warning would have been nice."


    "Did you feel anything that time?"


    "Something."


    "We''ll keep trying."


    They practiced establishing a connection, Shane estimated, for about an hour. The sound of beating wings announced the return of Alice. Hooves landed in the reedy grass with a muddy squish. The Pegasus snorted and trotted about uncomfortably.


    "Felix!" Alice said, blushing. "Why are you naked?"


    "I don''t want my clothes to get wet."


    "Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Spirits!" Alice cried. A magenta Elemental appeared at her side. Her face looked somewhat gloomy. "I Wish that Felix was wearing a bathing suit!"


    And then he was, instantly, wearing a magenta bathing suit. The man began to inspect the garment.


    What a foolish thing to Wish for, the Elemental grumbled. You cannot hide your thoughts from me mortal. You secretly enjoyed seeing his youthful body.


    "Nobody asked you!" The woman snapped. "Shane, make haste to the spire. A decision has been made. Astrid is expecting you."


    "We are almost done," Shane said. "I think."


    Alice waited for them as they continued to practice, complaining occasionally. When Felix was finally able to connect to the Realm of Water, Shane connected to all three realms and levitated out over the river.


    "Leave the river and dry off," Shane said. "You can learn to replicate the correct combination as we fly."


    "Finally!" Alice said.


    Halfway through the flight to the spire, Felix managed to copy the combination. His body began to crackle with sorcerous lightning. Shane released him, and he simply floated in place, feet dangling over the jungle. He started kicking around, flailing, before converging on some semblance of control.


    "There are six ways of moving," Shane offered. "Three directions of velocity, three directions of rotation."


    "I get it," Felix growled. He leaned forward and began to fly over the jungle canopy, unsteady, as if trying to balance.


    But he was flying, and by the time they reached the red cliffs of the spire, he was flying quite well. However, he was not able to pull enough power through the realms to allow him to fly all the way over the escarpment. Shane pulled Felix into his own storm sorcery and carried the man up instead.


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    Princess Elvira, the Purple Dragon, was waiting at the edge of the escarpment, looking down at them with bright purple eyes. Her face betrayed deep amusement.


    "My sister is waiting for you on the other side, and she is irritated," Elvira said. Then she began softly humming.


    A portal opened. In a flash of cyan light they returned to the Plane of Dreams. It was indeed nighttime, and bright plumes of purple flames flashed in the sky to the east, within the river basin. The animated armor were busy roaming around with cyan torches and bloody weapons, clearing away the dead bodies of Rilnese clansmen who had been slain.


    Princess Astrid stood in the yard in front of the crystal spire, hands planted firmly on her hips. "You dallied!" she hissed.


    Felix and Shane fell to one knee at the same time. "Almighty Dragon," Shane said, "I thought only of the safety of your valuable servant, Felix."


    "A cleverly worded lie," Astrid replied. "Light Elemental! Show yourself!"


    Shane''s Light Elemental materialized at his side. The golden armored Elemental floated up to the Purple Dragon, swirling around her in a circle.


    "Not so close," Elvira snapped. "You know that she cannot see you."


    How can I show myself, I wonder? This critter is clearly blind.


    "Elemental!" Astrid said. "Why did you allow Shane to lie to me?"


    Technically everything he said was true. Shane feared that you would send him away immediately after returning to the spire. He thought only of the safety of his companion, your valuable servant.


    "Felix is fated to survive!" Astrid protested.


    Foolish critter, this is the path that your universe has taken to improve his chances, the Elemental retorted.


    "How rude! I am not a critter!"


    Critter! Critter! Critter!


    The Purple Dragon endured this abuse in disgruntled silence. The Elemental continued to float around playfully, illuminating the night with her rainbow crystal light. Pools of blue blood remained in places where corpses had been removed.


    "It is my fault," Astrid said. "I should have known better than to attempt to converse with the daughter of that monstrous creature."


    You are a monstrous creature.


    Astrid did not take the bait. "As I was saying, you took your time returning to me. Look around you. The constructs are agitated. The whelps living in a nearby village saw fit to launch a night raid on the spire. A foolish thing to do, of course. For all their brave efforts, they have only earned Brigid''s ire."


    More plumes of purple flame flashed in the night. Shane thought he could hear distant screaming.


    "Almighty Dragon," Shane said, "we are here now. Say the word, and we will aid in the defense of the spire."


    "That is not necessary, the battle had ended before you arrived. Yet I must delay my beauty sleep because of you."


    "Dear sister," Elvira said, "certainly we can wait until after we have all rested? Let us retire for the night. Brigid will return when her vengeance is complete, and she can stand witness tomorrow morning."


    "Sage advice," Astrid said. "Servants, use your sorcery to help clean up this mess. I want the spire to be spotless!"


    Arm-in-arm, the two Purple Dragons sauntered off toward the purple crystal ramp leading into the spire.


    "Elemental," Shane whispered. "Can you prevent me from lying?"


    Yes, the Elemental replied. Your body is branded with a command. You cannot contradict yourself, and since you shall enjoy knowledge of the lies of others, so too shall you be forbidden from lying yourself.


    "It doesn''t matter," Felix said. "I don''t really lie anyway."


    <hr>


    The following morning, Shane woke to the voice of Brigid.


    "Princess Astrid wants to begin traveling to the north," she said. She dumped a pile of purple clothes on the foot of his bed. Then she handed him some vials of clear liquid. "Bathe yourself outside, and use these vials of soap and perfume. I put a new pair of shoes beside your bed."


    Shane used storm sorcery to float above the ground as he bathed in the woods. Felix must have thought this was a good idea, because he started levitating as well. The purple clothes turned out to be some form of elaborate regalia, laced with gold, silver, cyan, and magenta filigree, stamped with devices that resembled Purple Dragons, and studded with purple crystals. The outfit was complete with matching shoes and a hood. The clothes were perfectly fitted as well, though Shane thought the collar was somewhat tight.


    "It seems a bit like a military uniform," Felix whispered as they walked. Shane nodded, but said nothing.


    Alice was not dressed in the same regalia when they returned to the spire. She was sitting on top of her Pegasus at the base of the ramp. The two Purple Dragons were waiting for them at the top of the ramp, and Brigid stood in between them, with a greatsword in both hands, the tip resting on the crystal below.


    "It is remarkable how refreshing sleep can be!" Astrid said as they approached. "Alas, we must be on our way to the north with dear Felix. However, there is one small matter to take care of. Servants, it is time that you swear your oaths to House Anna-Rhea, the Royal Family of the Purple Dragon Tribe. You are invited to kneel."


    They knelt. Elvira began singing. It was not the soft, haunting song that she had sung in the past. Instead, there was a certain glory to the song, as if it was meant to accompany a military anthem. Indeed, the animated armor summoned musical instruments and began to play what could easily be some national anthem.


    "Before we begin," Astrid said, "I will now describe to you the purpose and ideals of House Anna-Rhea. The Elemental Plane of Dreams is inundated with outsiders. They have little skin-in-the-game here in our Elemental Plane. They see our world as a place to acquire spiritual energy to power their magic in the Physical World. The purpose of House Anna-Rhea is to advocate in favor of the Elemental Plane of Dreams, at the expense of all other worlds. Our long-term plan is to have an absolute monopoly on spiritual energy."


    That makes a lot of sense, Shane thought.


    "We will strive to eliminate the influence of outside institutions, persons, and Elementals. We especially seek to counteract the meddling of the Elemental Queen of Darkness." Astrid stood in silence for a moment after she finished speaking.


    "You are invited to ask questions," Brigid said.


    Felix said nothing. Shane asked: "How are Vaska and Ingrid related to House Anna-Rhea?"


    "Vaska knows about our plans and she fully approves of our approach and our methods," Astrid said. "She is a reliable ally and she enjoys some capacity to distract and limit the Elemental Queen of Darkness."


    "The Queen of Light mentioned that you are attempting to uplift our civilization into the golden age of flight," Shane said. "For what purpose?"


    "The humans of the Physical World possess many advanced aircraft. The precepts set in place by Ashe prevent them from invading, but we cannot rely on Ashe to uphold these restrictions indefinitely. This century, or maybe the next, perhaps in a thousand or in ten thousand years, Ashe may betray this world and allow a human army to invade. As beautiful and noble as we are, no Dragon can compete with a fighter jet. So we skirt the precepts, we help various lands to invent flying machines."


    "I have no more questions," Shane said.


    Brigid approached Felix first. She placed the sword gently against his shoulder, on the side of his face that was laced with golden cracks. The purple crystals embedded into the greatsword matched the crystals embedded in the gold epaulets.


    "Who stands witness?" Astrid asked.


    "I, Princess Elvira of the Elemental Plane of Spirits, stand witness."


    "I, Reese of the Elemental Plane of Water, stand witness," Brigid said.


    Reese? Shane wondered.


    "On behalf of my mother, the Queen of the Purple Dragons, I, Princess Astrid of House Anna-Rhea, will now hear your oaths. Do you, Felix, swear to serve House Anna-Rhea as a loyal retainer?"


    "I do so swear," Felix said.


    "Shane, do you swear to serve House Anna-Rhea as a loyal retainer?"


    "I do so swear," Shane said.


    "With two witnesses, it is done. You may rise. You are no longer my servants, but full retainers of House Anna-Rhea. As retainers, you will have certain duties, and you must follow certain rules. Brigid will furnish documents that explain these duties and rules. Now, Felix, let us be off."


    "Wait," Shane said. "Forgive me, Princess, but I have a request."


    "Retainer Shane, I will hear you request."


    "If my sense of time is correct, then today or tomorrow there will be a Clansmeet where the Chiefs may name me Chief of Chiefs."


    "Certainly you can convince them of your merits without my help," Astrid said.


    "I was hoping that Felix would make an appearance at the Clansmeet."


    "An appearance?" the Purple Dragon asked. Her full lips twisted into a knowing smile. "Shane, you brute! You wouldn''t dare!"


    "Almighty Dragon, you have surmised my purpose."


    "I think I have," Astrid said. "Very well, we will linger in the south until after the Clansmeet. Felix, prepare to rehearse your performance with Shane, if you please."


    "Performance?" Felix asked.


    "Every crisis needs a hero," Shane said. "And every hero needs a villain."

 Interlude 3: The Clansmeet

    Maeve arrived by airplane, lining up to land on the field reserved for Knights. The craft rocked and jostled in the turbulent winds, and in spite of Shane''s instruction, Maeve still had not quite figured out how to use the rudder. She was trapped inside a tiny canoe made from metal and wood, sealed under a clear glass canopy. In her mind, the space ahead was a frustum. The goal was to keep the runway within the center of that frustum, and at an angle so that the craft would lose altitude while keeping the same airspeed.


    When she clambered out of her craft after landing, the male Knights were astonished, however they did not question her capacity to fly nor her capacity to use their draconic sorcery. The men on the dusty field began a heated argument with each other, though they did not address her directly. She left the field and made her way down the grassy hill to the entrance to the spire.


    When she reached the second floor promenade, she heard the whirring sound of the next aircraft approaching the airfield. Instead of heading to her theater box, she took a sharp turn at the top of the stairs and stepped out onto an empty balcony overlooking the landing field. The men on the runway were still arguing with each other. In fact, a quick scan of the area revealed that nobody within sight was watching the incoming aircraft. It was a beautiful approach, Maeve realized. A perfect turn, with just the right amount of rudder. The dusky red light created the illusion that the streams of flames were crimson instead of azure. It was striking.


    For a moment she sensed a completely different type of draconic sorcery, a different combination. Are there other combinations that work? she wondered.


    After the aircraft came to a stop, the pilot tossed the canopy aside and climbed out. He was completely shrouded in a long black hooded cloak, which flapped like a flag in the wind. Casually, and without haste, the pilot reached into the cabin and pulled out a greatsword, which he strapped to his back.


    Maeve watched in silence. The hooded man stalked past the Knights. They did not notice him. A Knight from far away, perhaps. Are they familiar with him?


    Maeve realized that she could spend all evening watching the airplanes land. She made her way back through the threshold and across the blue crystal promenade to her assigned theater box. Shane''s spy, the mane named Elaborate Spear, stood in one corner. Her husband Torrance was already seated on the bleachers by the railing. Maeve took a seat next to him.


    From the vantage of the theater box, Maeve had a clear view of the lower floor of the spire. On the very outer rim, villagers from various clans were seated on prayer rugs. The surviving Knights of the four clans were arrayed around a circular dais. Fifteen Wise Women were seated in high-backed chairs, facing inward. One chair was empty. Finally, the four Clan Chiefs sat on ornate cushions in the very center, facing each other.


    The intense smell of body odor was only slightly masked by the incense burning at every corner of the theater box. It was difficult to hear over the murmur that permeated the conical space. Perhaps the spires were impressive at a distance, but they were under no circumstances designed with acoustics in mind. The shrill sound of the Wise Women chanting brought almost immediate silence. The last of the whispers gave way to the muffled sound of shuffling feet. Maeve could hear the gusts of wind strike the apex of the spire.


    Four men in blue cloaks stood up from the edge of the Knights and approached the dais. Maeve felt the familiar sensation of a connection to the Realm of Wind. The four wind mages began to amplify the voice of the Clan Chiefs. Maeve did not recognize the voices, and in fact she had not bothered to memorize any of their names.


    "The Knights have begun to fly once again," one man said. "What other evidence do you need?"


    "What evidence do you have that the man even exists?"


    "It is known to all of us gathered here that a man named Shane, born in a city north of the border, was to lead the undead armies of the Blue Dragon," the first man replied. "He came to us. He claimed to be the Chosen One and demanded that we name him Chief of Chiefs."


    "And conveniently, he has gone missing!" the second man said. "A hotel room, completely empty, without anyone entering or leaving the building, in broad daylight, with at least two intelligence agents watching."


    "The Wise Women say that it may have been possible that he traveled to the other side. We should consult with them."


    "No woman will be permitted to speak until all four of us have afforded it. Your story does not include instances where the man named Shane demonstrated the ability to travel to the other side."


    "We should ask the Elementals."


    Soft gasps spread like a wave through the villagers seated on the ground floor. The lone figure in the hooded black cloak strode through the doorway, in spite of the efforts of the guards, who, after a too-brief encounter with the man''s fist, quickly found themselves unconscious on the floor. The figure was almost completely shrouded by that billowing cloak. He cast a shadow that reached from the doorway to the dais.


    "Where is the last Wise Woman?" another Chief asked. "Women, you are permitted to answer."


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    "Her village sent warriors to attack a purple spire," an old woman replied. "It is said that she was killed by purple flames, the vengeance of a purple drake."


    "See?" the first Chief said. "This corroborates my story. The man named Shane admitted that he was serving a Purple Dragon."


    "And why would we trust such a man?"


    The man in the black cloak approached the dais. He brushed past a nearby wind mage, knocking the man flat on the dusty floor.


    "Who approaches?" one of the Chiefs bellowed. "Women, take care of him."


    "I Wish that you would die," one of the Wise Women said in a harsh, elderly voice.


    A flash of golden light. An Elemental appeared.


    The Wise Women started screaming.


    Maeve knew that Wise Women possessed Dream Elementals. Maeve had seen one before. She had even been to the Realms, where she saw an Elemental of four types: Fire, Water, Air, and Lightning. The Elemental that appeared beside the hooded man was unlike anything Maeve had ever seen. Pale gold, clad in heavy burgundy and gold armor, a winged helmet, a sword and a shield. The Elemental bathed the dais in pale light splashed with rainbows.


    "Translate my words," the hooded man said. His voice was young but deep.


    I will translate your words, a crystalline voice said in Maeve''s mind.


    "Dream Elementals! I forgive your bonds!" the man said. Fifteen Dream Elementals appeared around the dais, and the screaming Wise Women dropped onto the floor, tearing their clothes, ripping the flesh on their faces with their long fingernails.


    "What the hell are those?" Torrance snapped as he pointed to the Chiefs.


    Eight wolves appeared, reflecting the light of that strange Elemental. Four pairs of two wolves, each pair sitting on either side of a Chief. In each pair, one wolf was white and the other was black. The colors of the mouths and eyes were inverted, white on black and black on white.


    "I don''t know, husband," Maeve admitted.


    "Those Elementals are dangerous," the hooded man said. "Daughters of Ashe! I forgive your bonds!"


    The eight wolves sitting on their haunches stood and began to roam around the dais.


    "Knights!" one of the Chiefs screamed. "Knights! Save us! Quickly!"


    One of the Knights sitting on the front row bravely rushed forward with a longsword and took a swing at the man. The blade deflected harmlessly off a barrier of pale golden light. The hooded man seemed to notice the Knight for the first time after this attack. He calmly reached onto his back and drew the greatsword from its scabbard. With inhuman speed, like an industrial saw blade, he hacked away at the shocked Knight, leaving a long, conical smear of blue blood on the dusty floor, like an insect striking the windshield of an airplane.


    Maeve reeled back in her seat. Panic filled the room. The hooded man stepped over one of the Wise Women, casually crushing her skull under his boot. He unclasped his black cloak, and tossed it aside. Dark red hair, a Quarian military uniform, pale skin slashed with dull gold on one side.


    "There is nobody on this continent who can challenge me!" the man proclaimed.


    His voice, amplified by his own sorcery, was so forceful that it knocked the wind mages to the ground, flattening the Chiefs as they tried to stand.


    "I am Felix of Quaria, Flameraker of the North! The Dragons are dead! Now begins the Golden Age of Flight!"


    More Knights charged the man. A broad sweep of the greatsword hacked clean through three Knights at once, dismembering two of them and decapitating a third. A bout of azure flame lanced out, but Felix of Quaria deflected it effortlessly with his own sorcery, responding in kind with a crimson plume, incinerating the caster.


    "YOUR NATION IS DOOMED!"


    "Help!" one of the Chiefs pleaded. "Somebody please help!"


    Madness.


    The blue crystal wall above the doorway imploded. Fragments of blue crystals smashed out into the conical space, like shards of a broken window, plummeting even as they broke apart. Azure flames enveloped the opening as a blue drake crashed through the wall. It landed in the center aisle, trampling a few unfortunate people on either side, crushing them in a smear of blue blood. The drake reeled back its long neck and breathed draconic flames onto the dais.


    Felix held out his hand, deflecting the flames to either side. Screams. Three Wise Women were instantly incinerated.


    The blue drake swiped with one of its great claws. The man named Felix deftly blocked the slash with his greatsword, and took a few swipes at the drake''s arm. The drake rapidly sembled into his human form with a wave of steam and blue embers. Felix held his ground against the great enveloping mist. Shane floated, using storm sorcery, a few feet off the ground, facing Felix of Quaria.


    "I am Shane, Chosen of the Blue Dragon, Doomsayer of the North! Felix of Quaria, I stand against you! I challenge your power!"


    "Shane! Save us!" the first Chief screamed.


    "You cannot defeat me!" Felix bellowed.


    "And you lack the strength to subdue me!" Shane retorted. He reached one hand out, pointing straight at Felix. "The Knights will fly with me! I challenge you to a battle in the skies!"


    "It''s a performance," Maeve whispered.


    "Your Knights cannot stand against the Draconic Paladins! Every man, woman, and child in your nation will burn! I accept your challenge!"


    A magenta ring appeared beside Felix of Quaria, surrounding a dark emptiness. Felix reached out and touched the portal, and then vanished in a flash of magenta light. The portal flickered and then vanished. Shane floated, alone, above the center aisle, surrounded on all sides by blue blood, dismembered bodies, and smoking shards of blue crystal. Several of the Wise Women were dead, but all four of the Chiefs appeared to be alive.


    "It was all a performance," Maeve repeated, louder.


    Her husband heard her the second time. "What do you mean?"


    "Shane, Felix, they practiced this before. It was all scripted."


    He gave her a skeptical look. "What makes you think that?"


    "Look!" She pointed at the Elementals. The Dream Elementals still floated around the fallen Wise Women, and the eight wolves still stalked around the dais. "Felix could have easily stolen those Elementals, but he just left them sitting there."


    "Your assessment is correct," the spy named Elaborate Spear announced from his corner of the theater box. "Shane likely planned this to demonstrate the threat to the Chiefs."


    "Chiefs of the Four Clans!" Shane said. "I am the Chosen One! Name me Chief of Chiefs. Do this NOW!"


    In turn, each of the Clan Chiefs named him as such. Then, they prostrated themselves before him as he landed on the center of the dais.


    "I think," the spy said, "that they are both puppets for the Purple Dragon."


    "But why?" Torrance asked.


    "Does it matter?" the spy asked.


    Maeve shook her head. "I don''t think it matters at all."


    The eight wolves circled Shane then. They were panting, tongues lolling out, like happy dogs.

 Chapter 30: Shadow Hunters

    Four Clan Chiefs and fifteen Wise Women groveled below the dais, surrounded by unbonded Elementals. Shane floated over the center of the dais, almost as high as the second floor theater boxes, while his Light Elemental floated at his side with long golden wings curving around them both like a feathery cocoon. The surviving Knights knelt before their new Chief of Chiefs, and those eight wolf-like creatures stalked in circles below.


    "Are those things dangerous?" Shane whispered. "Is there any way to get rid of them?"


    You should bond one. Allow your most trusted subordinates to bond the other three.


    "Why would I want to do that?"


    The daughters of my mother are very clever. You can do many things with their power.


    "Your mother?" Shane asked.


    The Shadow Hunters are a single Elemental with two bodies. One white wolf, one black wolf. You can see this yourself. So it is with Mother, she is one Elemental with two bodies. Each body drinks one half of the Divine Power.


    "The Elemental that branded my body," he began, "is also Ashe?"


    You mortals cannot understand the true nature of the Elemental Queens, but yes, the Queen of Light and the Queen of Darkness are the same Elemental. One Elemental, two bodies, two sets of behaviors to display before you mortals. She is my mother. She is the mother of my sisters, the Shadow Hunters.


    "And what are these powers?"


    The black wolf can be sent far away to hunt. The white wolf can hide near your person and listen for new orders, new targets to hunt. They can both fight together to defend you, and if you die, they will avenge your death. They can also find the other daughters of our mother.


    "Is there a limit to the distance between the wolves?"


    They can travel at least a hundred miles apart. Perhaps they can travel much further. I am uncertain.


    Shane floated down toward the dais. One of the wolf pairs stalked up in front of him. Both wolves sat on their haunches.


    Do you wish me to hunt your enemies, mortal? a female voice asked in his mind, with a sinister and twisted giggle.


    "I will bond with you," Shane said.


    Yes! Yes! Thrash, yearn for life, and die. We shall slay many enemies, mortal.


    "Fintan!" Shane cried, amplifying his voice. "Lady Maeve! Spear! Come to the dais."


    He felt storm sorcery from a theater box on the second floor. Maeve floated into the center of the spire, carrying the spy with her. Fintan stood from his position kneeling near the front of the rows of Knights.


    "The three of you will each bond with one of these wolf pairs," Shane said. He waited until the three accepted their new Elementals in turn. "I will need help from all three of you. My Light Elemental told me that these wolf pairs are known as Shadow Hunters. Fintan, fly to the other cities with your Knights and inform the local governments of my ascension. Your Shadow Hunter will be able to warn you if the government workers are bonded to Shadow Hunters themselves. We need to start wrangling all these Elementals under my direct control."


    "It will be as you say," Fintan said.


    "Go immediately," Shane commanded, waving the man away. After he was out of earshot, Shane continued: "Special Agent Elaborate Spear, I want spies watching every pregnant woman in the entire nation. This culture of drowning infant daughters ends immediately. If there are any newborn girls that go missing, the entire male half of that bloodline needs to die. Use your Shadow Hunter to enforce this. Make sure the public understands what is happening."


    The spy bowed and then marched off without a word.


    "Lady Maeve, I need your help most of all. I want every single factory in the entire nation making airplanes. Take direct control of each facility if you need to. Use your Shadow Hunter to make disgruntled shareholders disappear."


    "I''ll need a team," Maeve said.


    "My Light Elemental will be able to vet people for loyalty," Shane said. "Bring your team to me when you have chosen. I will have copies of the schematics by then. There have been a few improvements to the design as well, for cold weather flying."


    Lady Maeve eyed the Light Elemental uneasily, but she said nothing. She floated back up to her theater box, crackling with blue lightning. Shane turned his attention to the fifteen Dream Elementals spattered around the dais.


    It would be unwise to bond more than one of them, the Light Elemental said. In this Domain they are very dangerous. And very annoying. You should send the others back to the Elemental Queen of Dreams, their mother.


    Shane nodded. One of the cyan Elementals floated toward him, dancing and giggling. And what will you Wish for, mortal? Will you be like these boring old women? Will you Wish the peasants wore no clothing?


    "I will bond with you, but the others must return to the Queen of Dreams." As soon as he finished speaking, fourteen of the Elementals dispersed in flashes of cyan light.


    Shane used wind magic to amplify his voice again. "I am Shane, Chief of Chiefs, hear my proclamations!" The sound raddled the shattered fragments of blue crystal that were still smoldering on the floor. Several people lifted their hands to their ears to block out the deafening sound of his voice. "Every person in Riln has the right to clothe themselves as they see fit! Every man shall have at most one wife, and any marriages after the first are hereby annulled! The murder of an infant daughter will be punished thus, every single living male in the entire bloodline will be put to death! Finally, I denounce the right of emigration. Every person born in Riln will live and work for the betterment of our nation. Rilnese citizens caught living and working in foreign lands will be hunted down and slain. Let every city, every village, every town in Riln hear these words. I, the Chief of Chiefs, have spoken."


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    "You cannot do these things!" one of the wise women protested.


    "Shadow Hunters! Slay the wise women. All of them."


    Return their blood to mother! Return their blood to darkness!


    The old women, who were already wailing or grumbling on the ground outside the dais, began to scream as the pair of wolves dashed forward to attack. It was over in just a few moments. Without any bloodshed, they simply slumped over, lifeless and pale, as snarling fangs ripped into their chests.


    That wasn''t very fun, the Dark Elemental complained. They didn''t even try to run away.


    One of the Clan Chiefs bravely began to speak. "The proclamations will be made known, and enforced, Chief of Chiefs. Lead us into our new future." Then he prostrated himself on the dusty floor of the spire once again.


    <hr>


    The stacks of schematics remained in Lady Maeve''s hotel, where Shane had left them in a hurry. The last of the books was open to the endpaper, and Shane carefully brushed steaming glue on the fibrous surface. He placed a copy of the anti-icing piping schematics on the glue, and closed the book tight, sealing the page in place. Then he slid the book away.


    It was dark outside the porthole-like window above the desk in his suite. He stood up and left the office. The hallways were almost too dark to see. He felt his way with his hands into the private bathroom, then used fire magic to light the lamp, illuminating the marble water basin, and his toothbrush.


    As he was brushing his teeth, he asked: "So, daughter of the Queen of Dreams, what are your powers?"


    I can grant Wishes, within reason. However, you cannot Wish for a flying machine, as you already know. You cannot Wish for any change to our world that would require the help of another kind of Elemental. I can also help you dream at night. If there are other Dream Elementals active while you sleep, you may be able to meet with other people while you dream. The Wise Women used this power extensively to coordinate with each other at a distance.


    "So I will be able to meet Felix?" Shane whispered.


    The sixteenth Wise Woman had a Dream Elemental before Brigid killed her. This Elemental is now bonded to Felix, though I cannot say when this bonding took place. With some practice you should be able to find each other while dreaming at night.


    "Well, I was about to go to sleep anyway. Maybe you can help me try to find Felix while I dream?"


    Certainly.


    Shane sank deep down into the soft comforters of his bed. Using wind magic, he suffocated the various flaming lamps throughout the room. In that soft, warm darkness, sleep quickly found him. Even as he slept, he felt himself being drawn into a lucid dream. It was, however, distinctly not dreamlike at all. In fact, it almost reminded him of being in the Elemental Plane of Spirits, or some other alien place he had never seen before.


    The sky was littered with countless cyan and magenta nebulae. An eclipse, rimmed in dull orange light, was frozen in the sky overhead. Unseen peaks clambered upward, jagged and deep black, blocking the colorful marvels in the sky. Closer, shining blue-green aurora danced against the dark mountains like breeze-blown curtains. Shane found himself standing on a solid black, mirrorlike surface, and he quickly realized that it was water. It was a bog of some sort filled with hot pink lily pads. White-barked trees with frond-like pink leaves jutted up from the water. Cyan fireflies flew over the pool in swarms, illuminating the ripples in the water that appeared as Shane walked upon the surface.


    "What is this place?" Shane asked.


    The Elemental Plane of Dreams, silly.


    "It looks different."


    When you are awake, you perceive Mother''s Domain in such a way that it resembles the physical world. It is only when you are dreaming that you perceive the Plane of Dreams as you see it now.


    "And which one is real?" Shane asked.


    Perhaps you should ask a philosopher.


    "That is a good answer," Shane admitted. "Can you take me to Felix?"


    Why would I do that?


    "I Wish that I could be near Felix."


    How about I give you a flying machine instead? the Dream Elemental asked.


    Before Shane could interrogate the Elemental, the flying machine in question popped into existence. And it looked completely ridiculous. Two boat-like pontoons, and struts connecting to the body, the airplane splashed down into the dark water in front of Shane. The airplane was tiny, about the size of a dog.


    "You don''t expect me to fly on that thing, do you?"


    I would find it deeply amusing, like an elephant riding a horse.


    "What the hell is an elephant?"


    You have never seen one before, therefore, I cannot help you dream one into existence.


    "Can you at least tell me where Felix is?"


    Fly in your airplane, then follow me. He is here, dreaming, like you. I will lead the way.


    Shane swung one leg over the airplane and sat down with one leg on either side of the body. Then the airplane immediately started moving. Fast. Very, very fast. The endless watery bogs and glowing pink leaves of the trees rushed past in a blur. The Dream Elemental, a tiny, glowing cyan woman, fluttered ahead, leaving behind a wake of pale mist as she flew.


    The pontoons of the airplane slammed down into the bog, but no water splashed up onto Shane''s legs. It stopped abruptly, and Shane climbed off.


    You looked ridiculous! the Elemental observed.


    "Thanks," Shane said. "So where is Felix?"


    "Why are you one hundred feet tall?" a comically childlike voice asked. Shane turned to see a rodent-sized toddler sitting on the surface of the bog. Dark red hair and red eyes hinted at the toddler''s identity.


    "Felix? Is that you?"


    "Why do you get to be so tall in our dreams?" Felix complained.


    You know, the Dream Elemental began, I can make you taller, if you want.


    "Wait," Shane exclaimed, "Brigid told me to never, ever listen to a Dream Elemental when they make such offers."


    "She gave me the same warning," Felix said.


    Shane dropped down and sat cross-legged on the surface of the water. "So how far north did you make it?" he asked.


    "We are on the northern edge of the frozen desert," Felix replied. "We flew through the Plane of Spirits the entire way, so it wasn''t cold. The interior of the spires are always warm too, but just outside the door it is insufferable."


    "I will give the schematics for the anti-ice systems to the other industrialists, when my associate, Lady Maeve, begins her journey to the other cities."


    "I don''t think it matters."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "This cold is unnatural. It will be impossible to invade the south until after winter ends. The earliest you can expect us is, perhaps, five months from now."


    "And how many airplanes will the factories in Black River be able to make in that time?" Shane asked.


    "Perhaps five hundred," Felix said. "Even if we run the factories at capacity, there is always the question of pilots. It takes time to train them, and sometimes the Elementals living in the Realms refuse to grant people power. We might just barely manage five hundred pilots in such a short time."


    "I found a new type of Elemental in the south," Shane said. "Shadow Hunters. I was wondering if you had any ideas about how they might be useful inside an airplane."


    Toddler Felix nodded. "Brigid explained the nature of those things when I asked. She said I will find my own in the north. I was bored on the flight, so I thought about possible applications. I was thinking that maybe it would be possible to have an automated wingman that follows me around, which could be used to ram into airplanes during a circle fight."


    "I asked my Shadow Hunter if she could fly an airplane, but she just remained silent."


    "I''ll try a few things once I get my own," Felix said. "They just need to be able to manipulate a stick and rudder. How hard can it be for a wolf to do that?"


    "And how would you power this automated wingman?" Shane asked.


    "I''m not sure. It would take a great deal of skill to create a second flame inside the engine of an airplane at an angle. I''m not sure it''s possible."


    "If you are just going to ram into another airplane, then it would need only be a smaller and much cheaper airplane. Also, maybe it could be attached to the wing, instead of flying by itself? Then it could be powered by burning oil for a very short amount of time. Perhaps we could ask an alchemist if there are any chemicals that could be used for short bursts of speed."


    "You are better at this than I am," Felix said.


    "I read a lot," Shane replied.


    "We should discuss this topic again."


    "Let''s meet on a schedule. Maybe, once every seven days, at least until winter is about to end?"


    "That sounds good to me," Felix said. "I''ll see you in a week."

 Chapter 31: The Industrialist

    Felix used storm sorcery to fly up to the landing platform at the Teeth of the Red Dragon, for the first time. It had been a very long flight from the south, riding on Brigid''s back through the Elemental Plane of Spirits. It was almost dusk already, and the platform was empty.


    I sensed a Shadow Hunter for a moment, the Light Elemental warned. However, she escaped to the Plane of Darkness almost instantly.


    Someone must be watching the platform, Felix thought. Watching for me.


    It was not lost on him how useful the Light Elemental was. He resumed his march into the headquarters, where he found Neasa working in her office, buried in piles of paperwork. It was such a relief to finally see another person with proper blood-red hair. Though, it was strange to see her bright red eyes without her shaded spectacles.


    "Felix! You''re back! What the hell happened to your face?"


    Remembering herself, she stood up and saluted.


    "Sir."


    "The Elemental Queen of Light branded my face," Felix replied. "How is the training going, Lieutenant General?"


    "Commander, we have three-hundred and twenty-six officers of all ranks qualified and current with the most recent designs. One hundred and thirteen warrant officers, and three-thousand two-hundred enlisted men. The Lord Paladin has expanded the budget to meet our six-month projections. Also, the Prime Minister came to Black River looking for you."


    Felix nodded in silence as the woman rattled off the figures, but suddenly felt assaulted by the last statement.


    "The Prime Minister? Why did he come?"


    "Felix, it is said that the Prime Minister will pardon all of your crimes, and bestow military honors and awards for your performance in the battle for the Teeth."


    A half-truth, the Light Elemental said in his mind. Be careful. It could be a trap.


    "But commander, there is something you need to know," Neasa began. "My father, Count Owen, has also ventured south to oversee his factories in Black River directly. He sent me a letter. Please, have a seat. Close the door."


    She is telling the truth.


    The red-haired woman reached across the table and offered a handwritten letter. Seated, Felix slowly opened it and began to read.


    Bastard girl, I have need of you. Convince the criminal named Felix of Quaria to stand before the Prime Minister. Aid Sylvester in his deception. Do this for me, and I will name you my legitimate daughter, a full member of House Siofra, and eligible to inherit my title.


    "Is he telling the truth?" Felix asked. "Will he really legitimize you?"


    Neasa reeled back in her chair. "That is not what I expected you to say!"


    "And yet I have said it."


    "He has always known that I wanted to be legitimized, but there is nothing I could do to force the issue. I do not have any legal rights, and this document is not a signed contract. What does it matter? He admits that the Prime Minister plans to betray you."


    "I knew the shape of the trap the instant you mentioned that the Prime Minister was looking for me," Felix said. "It''s a stupid idea. Sylvester is a dead man. But I will gain any advantage I can from this situation. We will confront your father and force him to legitimize you."


    "How?" Neasa asked.


    Felix replied with his eyes. Suddenly the woman looked terrified.


    <hr>


    "This place bothers me," Neasa said.


    She wore a leather cap and brass-rimmed glass goggles, even though it was somewhat unnecessary. The Elemental Plane of Spirits had no strong winds, and Brigid wasn''t flying very fast.


    "You get used to it," Felix said.


    They flew under a dull, sunless magenta sky. Diffuse, misty black clouds flowed across the landscape below. Brigid twisted her wings back into a descent configuration, and seeing this, Neasa signed with relief.


    "Never in my life would I have ever wanted to ride on the back of a drake," Neasa said.


    "You get used to it," Felix repeated.


    The three mounds of Black River extended out in front of the purple drake as she descended. They looked somewhat strange without all the layered tenement buildings and smokestacks. The last of the three mounds was covered in grass and parks, the location of the walled estates of the city''s industrialists. But those walled estates were nowhere to be seen.


    Brigid landed on the grass, in almost the exact place where Felix had landed during the All-Island Faire. Neasa struggled to unstrap herself and climb down from the saddle, but Felix simply floated down using storm sorcery. Retrospect, he understood why Shane loved it so much. It was very convenient. Brigid sembled into her human form. The purple-haired woman stood a full head taller than Neasa.


    "Lead us to your father''s cottage," Brigid said.


    The souls of servants scurried around in ghostly kitchens. If Felix really tried hard to see, he could just barely make out shimmers of stoves, pots, and plates. But only for a fraction of a second at a time before they vanished into the dim haze. Overhead, on the second or third floors of the estates, Felix could sometimes see souls arranged around an invisible rectangle, as if dining at a grand table.


    "It''s just ahead," Neasa said, pointing to the end of a flagstone cul-de-sac.


    There must have been a cottage in that spot, because the space beyond the grassy lawn was packed with souls. Dozens of people were arrayed in rows, like soldiers, up on the second floor. Felix counted at least twenty four soldiers and a single soul that appeared to be radiating cyan light. The souls of servants scurried about on the lower floor.


    "They know we are coming," Felix said.


    "My father may have eyes watching my movements," she said.


    "Shadow Hunters," he said. "Whoever owns the bond was waiting for me to return to the city."


    "You will find out soon enough," Brigid said. "You too, go to the other side and make your way to the second floor. I will stay on this side until I am needed."


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    "Are you going to open a portal for us?" Felix asked.


    "Do it yourself," Brigid replied. "You have a Dream Elemental now."


    "Neasa, where is the front door?"


    The woman traced a path sideways through the grass. She stopped and pointed. A faint shimmer of a doorknob appeared for a split second in front of her finger. A single soul stood stationary on the other side.


    "Uh," Felix said. "Daughter of the Queen of Dreams, please make a portal to the other side."


    A terrible place for a portal, but whatever. You''re the boss, after all.


    The portal appeared, a bird''s nest of worm-like cyan lines with a black void in the center. Felix reached out and passed through to the other side. It was suddenly dark and cold. Gas lamps illuminated the crystal-laden wooden door ahead. Felix adjusted his uniform and checked his reflection in the glass before grasping the golden handle and inviting himself inside. Neasa followed.


    "Welcome Felix of Quaria," the guard in the foyer said. "The manor house is open to you. Count Owen is waiting for you up the stairs."


    That guard is bonded to a Shadow Hunter, the Light Elemental Warned.


    "I''ll deal with him later," Felix whispered.


    The cottage smelled of flowers and burning candles. Checkered red and black wallpaper, polished ebony wood railing on the stairs, fine white rugs over a black tile floor, and lots and lots of gold. A massive crystal chandelier was suspended from four thick golden chains over the foyer. The landscape paintings along the stairway depicted images from all over the continent, from the snow clad mountains north of Flood''s End to the red stone spires in the jungles of Riln. Two armless statues of bathing women, cut into shining marble, flanked the hallway into the main hall.


    The industrialist, Count Owen Siofra, was not alone. Twelve soldiers stood at attention on each side of the room, armed with crossbows and sabers. The count himself was a middle-aged man with a graying red beard, and he wore an immaculate black suit and a top hat. He stood beside a small wooden throne, in which Prime Minister Sylvester sat. The old man peered through his monocle at Felix. He set his crystal goblet of wine down on a small table, next to a platter of cheese.


    "Ah! Felix," the old man rasped. "Welcome. Welcome! I see you..."


    "Silence!" Felix bellowed. "Count Owen of House Siofra. Speak true. Did you promise your bastard daughter that you would legitimize her?"


    The Count squinted at Felix. "Sylvester, something is wrong. Look at his face."


    "Answer my question," Felix hissed.


    "You have no right to demand anything from us," the Prime Minister said. "Count Owen. Let us be done with this farce. Kill him."


    "As you wish," Count Owen said. "High Daughter! Show yourself!"


    The massive Dream Elemental, twenty feet tall, nearly scraped the vaulted ceiling when she appeared. She filled the room with a pale cyan light, painting the gas-lamp shadows of the soldiers on the walls. The enormous woman looked down upon the scene with surprising emotion. Is that fear I see in her face? Felix wondered.


    Mortal, you are in grave danger. I suggest that you flee.


    "High Daughter," Felix said. "Who are you speaking to right now?"


    The huge Elemental looked down at Count Owen. I fear for you, Mortal. You are in danger. Everyone in this room is in danger. Even I am in danger. The enemy has a High Daughter of the Queen of Water. Even an Elemental Queen would fear such a creature.


    "I didn''t ask for your opinion!" Count Owen snapped. "I Wish that he was dead!"


    A blue flash. The High Daughter of Water appeared behind the towering Elemental, dark blue and made from cascades of rushing water. She held a truly massive sword in her hand, at least fifteen feet long, dragging into the wooden floor. Buckling wood, cracking beans, crumbling floor, misty frost frothing in writhing swirls. That sword was almost perfectly transparent, except for the pale layer of sleet that appeared in the air as it was thrust upward into the Dream Elemental''s chest from behind.


    The High Daughter of Dreams suddenly jolted. Then, she screamed.


    The sound of that screech stunned the soldiers on either side. Neasa reeled back, covering her ears with her hands. The Prime Minister''s head snapped back, and with a rainbow shimmer, Brigid appeared behind him, dagger in hand, drawing it firmly across his throat. Felix saw Brigid''s mouth move, but he could not hear her words.


    Something happened then, Felix could feel it but he could not see it. Something was suddenly lost, forever, something broken.


    I forgive you, the Light Elemental said. All is forgiven. Absolution is yours.


    The High Daughter of Water withdrew her blade. The screaming stopped. Felix still heard a ringing in his ears. The Prime Minister, his throat gushing waves of red blood, slumped forward and fell off his little wooden throne. Count Owen Siofra fell to his knees, stunned. The soldiers on either side, having realized that their Prime Minister had been attacked, suddenly began to draw their blades.


    "Stand down!" Felix shouted, amplifying his voice with wind magic. Even then, he could barely hear it. "On behalf of the Lord Paladin, STAND DOWN!" This had the intended effect. The soldiers began to back away from him, sliding back towards the walls. Some of them still held their ears.


    Count Owen was shaking.


    "Please don''t hurt my father!" Neasa screamed. She began to race forward toward the man, but Felix caught her and held her back. Brigid loomed over him, both her daggers pressed against the man''s neck.


    "Fourth High Daughter of the Elemental Queen of Dreams," Brigid said, "on behalf of the Queen of the Purple Dragons I command you to bond with me now."


    Yes, I will bond with you. It is done. Please, please don''t hurt me again.


    "Tell me, Count Owen," Brigid continued. "Where the hell did you find this High Daughter?"


    "What have you done?" the man rasped. "What... what have you done?!"


    "Answer me!"


    "That thing has been in my family for a thousand years!" the Count cried. "A thousand years! It is the source of all of our power. Our wealth."


    "And where did your family get it?" Brigid hissed.


    Count Owen was trembling. "When Ashe, the Elemental Queen of Darkness, captured a Purple Dragon, it was bonded to this High Daughter. The Dragon was captured, with... with help from my family. As a reward, Ashe allowed my ancestor to keep the High Daughter. She said... she said it was a curse, that there would be a reckoning someday."


    "A reckoning!" Brigid said, laughing, her face filled with madness. "A reckoning indeed. Felix, dear, ask this man who killed your beloved Red Dragon."


    A magenta-ringed portal opened, and Brigid vanished. Felix stalked forward.


    "No, Felix, please don''t," Neasa pleaded.


    "Don''t worry," Felix said, "I''m not going to kill your father."


    He reached down and ran his bare hand through the blood of the Prime Minister, which now formed a broad pool on the mirror-like black tile floor. He walked up to the industrialist, and began to draw the shape of a horned skull on the floor in front of the man.


    "Queen Ashe," Felix said with a grin. "You promised a reckoning."


    Twelve shadows appeared on the walls, flickering in the light of the gas lamps on the sconces. Felix held his hand to his chest, counting the heartbeats. Ten, eleven, twelve.


    "And so shall there be a reckoning," Ashe announced as she appeared in the chamber with a puff of black smoke. She glided over the floor, then did a little twirl on top of the pool of blood. "Felix, I''m proud of you! You succeeded in telling a lie to your subordinate, even though you are bonded to a Light Elemental! But of course, I allowed it."


    "Felix," Neasa said. "What is that thing?"


    Queen Ashe pranced behind the throne, the long horns on her skull-mask almost scraping the sconces on the walls. "Ah, so many betrayals. I love betrayals, you know. They are so amusing. Tell your daughter, Count Owen, what you really intended to do with her, once she betrayed Felix. Go on. You can tell her."


    The man looked up at the Elemental Queen of Darkness with awe and reverence written on his face. "I was... going to sacrifice her soul to you, Queen Ashe. To you, a soul for you. Please, my Queen, I''m telling the truth. I was going to give you the soul of my daughter!"


    "The idiocy of mortals is one thing that I do not find amusing," Ashe said. "Her soul already belongs to Titania. She is, after all, the best pilot in the Draconic Paladins. No offense, Felix. But, alas, I was promised a soul, and this time I think I''ll insist on taking one with me. Seamstresses!"


    Ashe clapped her hands twice. With two more puffs of black smoke, two zombified women appeared, with pale skin and frilly black dresses. One of them had a huge pair of scissors, and one of them carried a box filled with needles and spools of thread. Ashe placed her hand on Count Owen''s head. He started shaking as the pink color began to drain from his face, leaving it a sickly snow white color. When he saw the seamstresses, he started screaming. The screaming cut off as they began to sew his mouth shut.


    Felix yanked on Neasa to turn her away. The soldiers all around were trembling on the floor. Finally Neasa relented, and allowed Felix to lead her out into the foyer once again. She was shaking.


    "I''m sorry, Lieutenant General," he said. "You can take a break if you need to grieve for your father. Just let me know."


    Neasa nodded. "Just some time to clear my head, commander. Just a little time."


    The guard on the ground floor looked up in shock as Felix began to descend the stairs. "Forgive the bond," Felix commanded. "Negotiate a new one."


    It is done. The Shadow Hunter is yours.


    "Daughter of Ashe. Hunt your former master. Then we shall be on our way."

 Chapter 32: Visions of Flight

    Dozens of massive tents occupied the former Heritage Militia camp. As Felix approached the festival in his own airplane, he saw four airships strung together in a line, with hundreds of workers building wooden scaffolds to connect them together. Other mechanical wonders were in various states of construction within the tents. It was midday, and the shadow of his airplane raced across the frosty treetops below. He lined up for an unremarkable landing at the airfield that skirted the camp, and after the tail dropped and his craft rolled to a stop at the far end, the soldiers, and even the officers saluted him. Felix reasoned that they either recognized his piloting style, or they could feel the effects of Astrid''s blessing on his draconic sorcery.


    An Air Sergeant opened his canopy and offered an arm. "General Felix, welcome to the festival. The Lord Paladin is waiting for you."


    The Lord Paladin was indeed waiting for him in a pavilion set up for the highest-ranking officers. Fancy rugs had been laid out over a white tarp floor, and cushioned armchairs were placed around ebony tables. Even in the early hour the bald man was sipping from a crystal glass of wine.


    "Excellent," the Lord Paladin said as he stood. "Come, there is something very interesting that you should see."


    White-clad airmen and officers saluted the Lord Paladin and General Felix as they made their way through the dirt paths to a wooden tower near the edge of the forest. Soldiers at the base of the tower started shouting as they approached, followed by a flurry of activity. Onlookers were pushed away, opening a clearing around the base of the tower. Felix and the Lord Paladin stood at the edge of the clearing, just behind a wind mage wearing the distinctive teal hood of his order.


    A man wearing a leather harness and an oversized pack began to ascend the tower ladder, followed by another wind mage. The man with the giant backpack climbed to the very top of the tower, but the wind mage stopped at a narrow lip protruding from the near face, about one man''s height below the very top. Felix could feel both wind mages connect to the Realm of Wind and begin blowing wind upward toward the tower''s apex.


    After a short running start, the soldier bravely leapt from the top of the tower. Felix felt sudden panic for the poor man. He released a bundle of white cloth from his hand, which caught the wind and inflated. The bubble-like piece of cloth yanked a cable out of the man''s backpack, pulling a much larger bundle of cloth, which instantly inflated with a loud poof. More cables pulled hard on the soldier''s leather harness, arresting his descent toward the ground. His landing looked rough, but the brave soldier was certainly alive, and in fact, he appeared to be uninjured.


    The soldiers gathered around the tower began to clap, and Felix joined them.


    "Who made this?" Felix asked.


    "An industrialist named Isibeal," the Lord Paladin replied. "Lady Isibeal. There she is, walking toward the soldier."


    The industrialist was a middle-aged woman with hair so red and bright that it illuminated the white uniforms of the soldiers with pink light. Her face betrayed fear when she saw Felix, but she quickly recovered. Her lips twisted into a false smile. "Paladin Felix," she said with a slight bow, "thank you for inviting me to this festival."


    "What is it called?" Felix asked.


    "I am calling it a parachute," she replied. "I believe it has the potential to save many lives."


    "Lord Paladin, this is a remarkable development. Imagine a large airplane, perhaps with an engine on each wing and a huge door on the side. Dozens of soldiers could jump from the side with these parachutes and descend onto the enemy from behind. It could turn the tide of a battle on the ground, or it could be used to poison wells or burn supplies."


    The Lord Paladin nodded. "I also thought of these scenarios," he said. "Though I would not have imagined an airplane with an engine mounted on each wing."


    "Gentlemen, this innovation is intended to save lives, not help your murderous conquest of the south. And speaking of murder, Paladin Felix, I hope you don''t intend to murder me in my own home, as you did with Owen Siofra."


    "In my defense, Count Owen had a High Daughter and he tried to use the Elemental to murder me first."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Lady Isibeal said, "Elementals are not real."


    With a golden flash the Light Elemental appeared beside Felix. The woman froze in shock, eyes fixed on the winged Elemental.


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    "I want every single pilot in the Air Force equipped with one of these parachutes, Lady Isibeal. Airmen will be sent to your factories to supervise production. I also want a surplus to train parachute troopers."


    Without waiting for a reply, Felix turned and marched off. The Lord Paladin followed, and Felix slowed his stride to allow the man to catch up.


    "What other innovations have been brought to the festival?" Felix asked.


    "The other Generals were very interested in a new type of flying machine," the Lord Paladin said. He gestured to the south.


    The "flying machine" in question looked nothing of the sort. It looked more like a giant bicycle without wheels, and a vertical boom topped with an oversized propeller. The propeller, oriented horizontally above the craft, was so large that Felix was uncertain it would even spin. A series of chains connected the engine in the middle, behind the pilot, to a much smaller propeller situated at the end of a long boom, oriented sideways.


    In spite of the protests of the engineers and the maintenance crew, the pilot insisted on demonstrating the craft for Felix and the Lord Paladin. The pilot connected to three Realms, and created a locus of draconic sorcery behind him, within the center of the craft. The long vertical shaft began to spin, slowly accelerating the propeller into a whirring disk. The chains also began to spin the propeller on the rear boom. Loud and louder, trembling, the craft began to float vertically, very slowly. It was about twenty feet up when the chains snapped and it began to spin wildly, collapsing toward the ground.


    Soldiers fled. Felix watched. One final surge of sorcery caused the craft to decelerate a fraction of a second before impacting the ground. One of the skids caught the dirt and the craft wobbled and rocked a few times before settling down. The sorcery vanished and the oversized propeller began to slow. The pilot began a heated argument with the engineers who rushed to free him from the craft.


    "I do not find this innovation to be quite as impressive," Felix said.


    "That is where you are wrong," the Lord Paladin said. "In the future, I see such craft being used by the other six armies to carry troops and supplies to camps where your Air Force does not have room to land."


    Felix wanted to say, "we should kill the project," but the words would not leave his lips. The Light Elemental was preventing him from speaking the lie. It was a deeply selfish thought, and after a few moments of reflection Felix corrected himself. The soldiers in the other armies also wanted to survive and fight for their homeland. Large numbers of soldiers could be transported through the skies even without parachutes. It was a worthy flying machine.


    "Why are there airships here?" Felix asked.


    "The most promising of the innovations by far," the Lord Paladin replied.


    The four airships were aligned perpendicular to the runway, with forest on one side and tents on the opposite. Geomancers were busy constructing metal struts and gantries between the craft. Carpenters were installing a flat deck made of wood, starting from the rear of the formation.


    "Four airships to support a flying platform," Felix said. "A flying platform where aircraft can land and park. At full power, the airships will have their own airspeed. Shorter distance to land. Remarkable."


    The Lord Paladin smiled. "And what are the downsides?"


    What would Shane say? Felix wondered. That man was better at these sorts of contemplations. Felix was, unfortunately, unfamiliar with the specific downsides of airships. However, such a large craft, even powered by four steam engines, would be susceptible to fierce winds and extreme cold. The vision of his own airplane, coated in a thick layer of caked frost, falling derelict through Brigid''s magic, filled his mind for an instant.


    "Ice and wind," Felix finally said. "The crew will need to be small, to prevent losses to bad weather. However this contradicts the need for specialists. Few missions would warrant such a craft."


    The Lord Paladin parsed this statement for a few moments, before he said: "Too few words, Felix. But you captured the essence of the problem. It would take a very important mission to deploy. However, I believe that we find ourselves in the exact scenario right now."


    "The southern desert is frozen," Felix protested. "It would be impossible to fly airships through the freezing fog."


    "The ocean is still warm from the summer," the Lord Paladin said. "The air above the ocean will still be warm. With a flying aircraft carrier, we could bring a few squadrons to the south to cripple critical infrastructure. This would grant us the advantage when we invade the south in the spring."


    "Yes," Felix said. "I approve of the plan, but there needs to be contingencies. The weather may change."


    "You want to go yourself," the Lord Paladin observed.


    "Commander, I have the most experience out of anyone in the Air Force. If the weather changes, I can make the decision to turn back."


    "We have not even seen the thing fly yet."


    "It will fly," Felix asserted. Then he wondered, should I warn Shane?


    "Deep in the future, aircraft carriers will be able to topple entire nations," the Lord Paladin said. "We will structure our entire military strategy around them. We need to think about the future, beyond this war with the savages in the south. If we were to simply make peace with them, and open the border to immigrant workers again, we could make use of most of their male population to assist with the construction of such craft."


    The Lord Paladin looked to Felix, scowling.


    "The Purple Dragon understood this fact," the Lord Paladin said. "Felix, I command you to answer truthfully. Where is Shane the Doomsayer?"


    "In the south," Felix said.


    "Then we can only assume that peace is not an option. As your commanding officer, I order you to attack the south with this aircraft carrier. Shane the Doomsayer is to have absolutely no knowledge of this attack. Do you understand?"


    Felix nodded. "Yes commander."

 Chapter 33: The Carrier

    Felix stood at the base of the ramp, boots sunk into the thin layer of snow which coated the clearing in the forest. A long blue scarf, which was wrapped many times around his neck, kept out the cold and the gentle snow. His heavy leather jacket, lined with white fur, was studded with golden insignia of his rank. He lifted brass-rimmed goggles away from his eyes, resting them on top of his leather helmet, and slipped his heavy earmuffs to one side, exposing one ear to the wind. The Light Elemental, that strange woman with heavy golden armor and a winged helmet, floated just to his side. Her long golden wings seemed to curve around him like a protective cocoon.


    The carrier Captain approached, wearing civilian black. His long beard was very dark red, almost the color of blood, and whether or not he had hair under his short black cap Felix could not tell. The horses hauling the leading airplane snorted, and stopped short of the ramp.


    "Requesting permission to board," Felix said. It seemed like the right thing to do. There was no precedent of the Quarian Air Force flying on an airship, the traditions and expectations did not exist yet. That was one of the main purposes of this mission, even if the raid itself failed.


    "Permission granted, General Felix," the civilian replied. "I am Captain Kelly. Welcome aboard!"


    The Light Elemental vanished in a flash of gold, returning, presumably, to the Elemental Plane of Light. Felix began his march up the ramp, followed by the train of horse-drawn carts. Eight airplanes total, with four enlisted men and a single commissioned officer per airplane. The flag of the Quarian Air Force fluttered above each cart, dull crimson with a circular crest that read "The Wind is Real." The aircraft carrier, just ahead below the ramp, was truly an abomination. Four cargo airships were strung together in a long train, capped with a rectangular wooden platform that would serve as the runway for the airplanes.


    "Captain, please give me a tour of the carrier."


    "Is this the first time you have seen the craft?"


    "I saw it while it was under construction, and I have seen the schematics."


    Captain Kelly stopped and pointed over the side of the ramp. "Do you see those coiled cables in between the airships? They are connected to heavy ballast, and they help prevent the heavy platform from toppling over when we start running low on coal."


    Felix did see the cables. A heavy steel frame extended down from the wooden landing platform. The whole carrier was, in a way, an open rectangular box made from steel, with four airships inside, crowned with wood. The coiled cables were anchored to steel braces which floated just above the ground, connected to round concrete balls at the other end.


    Upon reaching the top of the ramp, Captain Kelly snapped a hook onto a rope suspended from the wooden railing. "A lifeline," the man explained. "You will have your own lifeline soon. For now, try not to fall overboard."


    The Captain led Felix down an iron ladder painted bright yellow, to a narrow gantry which connected all four airships. Below the landing platform, Felix had a better look at the individual airships. The gas bags were all connected with canvas tubes.


    "Why are the airships connected?" Felix asked.


    "Helium cycling. I will show you the pumps at present."


    The Captain cranked open a bright yellow wheel and punched the oval metal door to the airship cabin inward. The interior was all harsh metal bulkheads painted an obnoxious blue-green color. The hallways were very narrow, just barely wide enough for two men to pass each other in opposite directions if they were both oriented sideways. Felix suddenly understood the traditional ban on women in the crew of an airship.


    The way opened up into a dim room lit by gas lamps fixed on sconces. The glass around these lamps was thick and colored red, bathing the chamber in rusty light. A huge steam engine was placed against the far wall, unmoving. Giant piles of coal sat to either side of the gaping mouth of the furnace. The Captain followed one shaft to a bronze contraption built into the wall. Four long glass tubes stretched the length of the contraption, each with a thermometer within.


    "There are four main gas bags in each airship. Depending on the location of the sun, one gas bag may become much hotter than the others. That could cause one bag to rise higher than the others, creating an imbalance. The helium needs to be constantly pumped around between the bags to prevent this. With all four airships in a line, some of the gas bags will always be in shadow. So the helium pumping system needs to be extended between the four airships."


    The Captain led Felix up a ladder in the corner of the chamber, up into the body of the airship. Round circles of wood formed huge ribs that supported the outer canvas skin. The interior space seemed to glow with a dull gray light, filtered sunlight pouring through tiny holes in the canvas skin. Huge gas bags occupied nearly the entire space, with a junction between the four gas bags at the very top of the ladder. Two metal tubes led to a smokey glass station just aft of the ladder. A wind mage, with his teal hood crumpled about his shoulders, was seated on a cushioned chair within this little glass box, operating another brass contraption, covered in levers and gauges.


    "This is the helium station for this airship," the Captain said. "Air is pumped in from the outside, where it passes through the helium separation chamber. The mage here uses the Realm of Wind to separate the helium from the surrounding air. There is an extraordinarily small amount of helium in the air, so the bulk of the air is pumped back through the back of the craft. There are tiny bleed tubes that feed the helium into the gas bags."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "How often do you need to produce helium?" Felix asked.


    "All the time, if we can. It is important to have a stockpile of helium in case the gas bags need to be vented during an emergency descent."


    Felix nodded. The sky was unforgiving, and it made perfect sense to design an entire system around rare edge cases.


    They descended to the cabin once again, and made their way forward to the flight deck. Roomy and lit by long windows, the chamber was dominated by a huge ship''s wheel in the center. More levers and gauges, at least six stations for operators, and a table covered with navigation charts. Flower-like brass horns hung from the ceiling above the windows, facing the ship''s wheel.


    The Captain pointed up at the horns. "There will be four pilots working together. The four airships will be flown independently, so these tubes needed to be installed to allow for communication. Wind mages amplify their voice to broadcast messages. I will fly in the rear airship, issuing orders to the others. Other than that, each craft is just like a boat. There are private quarters for the crew, a kitchen, and a water mage station. Food is stored between the gas bags, coal is stored below decks to provide ballast."


    "What about heat?" Felix asked. "How do you prevent ice buildup on the outside of the craft?"


    "The helium pumps can run through a chamber adjacent to the steam engine. The temperature in all four gas bags is carefully monitored. In practice, it is best to avoid flying through known icing conditions in the first place."


    "What about the airplanes above the deck? The helium cannot possibly keep them warm."


    "We use an extraordinarily advanced new technology to solve that problem," the Captain said with a grin. "I''ll show you."


    Up on deck, the airmen were busy hauling the airplanes off their carts. Felix found his own airplane tied to the deck, and the two horses were long gone, trotting down the ramp without their cart. Men with ropes were gently guiding the cart down the ramp as well, using gravity alone. The Senior Air Sergeant and three other enlisted men were busy unfolding a huge wool blanket.


    "A blanket?" Felix asked.


    "It is the best solution the engineers could design with such short notice. Snow and ice may build up on the landing deck. It cannot be helped. You and the other pilots will need to come up here periodically and use sorcery to clear the ice. In an emergency, all eight pilots can be deployed at the same time, but the engineers believe that it will only take two pilots to keep the entire deck free of ice. You will need to rotate pilots in and out yourself."


    "As for the rotation, in the worst case we will need three eight-hour shifts, with two spare pilots. How long until we can depart?"


    "Within the hour."


    The wind was blowing toward the north, which was uncommon so close to the escarpment. A continent-sized high pressure system rested in the desert to the south, radiating cold wind in every direction. It had been supernatural in origin, brought into being by a High Daughter of the Queen of Water, by the command of the Purple Dragon. The Lord Paladin hoped that the high pressure system would be weaker out over the warm ocean.


    The nose of the aircraft carrier was already pointed toward the south, into the wind. "Untie my craft," Felix commanded. "I am going to fly the pattern a few times before we are aloft."


    "Yes commander!" the Air Sergeant said. "Once the horses are gone, we''ll drag her aft."


    The deck of the carrier was still too warm for the snow to stick, and as the morning progressed, the air warmed and the snow turned to a light rain. By the time the deck was clear, a small opening in the clouds overhead revealed a cool blue sky. Felix strapped himself into his airplane, stowed his leather helmet and goggles under his seat, and gripped the stick. Ailerons, elevator, and rudder were all free and moving in the correct sense.


    He amplified his voice with wind magic. "Clear prop!" The soldiers moved away.


    The metal engine was still cold from the night. Felix connected to all three Realms, and combined them into draconic sorcery within the engine, enough to warm the metal without spinning the turbine. The engine cowl temperature needle began to rise, starting in the white range labeled "Ice" until it ended in the green range labeled "Operation." He closed the glass canopy and locked it, then began to rotate the flaps control wheel until it would spin no further. With a surge of sorcery, the turbine began to spool, spinning the propeller and sucking in the cold air from outside.


    Felix punched the throttle, and the craft lurched forward, bumping along the wooden planks of the upper deck. The airspeed needle began to rise, up into the white range labeled "Flaps." He did not even need to pull back on the stick, the nose wanted to rise, and the deck dropped away at about the halfway mark. Then he was out over the forest, with the snowclad trees rushing by on either side.


    He yanked the stick to one side. The world outside seemed to roll around Felix, who was suspended unmoving within his tiny wooden cabin. A slight pull back on the stick, a tiny bit of rudder to counteract the adverse yaw, he turned perpendicular to the carrier and began the pattern. He leveled off with the airspeed in the green region, perhaps five hundred feet above the treetops, and pulled the flaps back up. A pocket of clear air opened to the north, revealing the smoke stacks, layered tenements, and massive Gondola Wheel in the city of Black River.


    He turned to face the city, then took rapid glances over one shoulder toward the aircraft carrier. The soldiers were busy laying out cables on the deck. It was a small target to hit, and it would require perfect weather to take off and land. If the thing became lost in the clouds, it would be nearly impossible for a pilot to find it.


    Lining up with the deck directly in the center of the propeller disk, Felix dropped the flaps again and dropped the engine to idle. The airspeed slowly crept back down into the white range as he approached. At the last second, just before slamming into the wooden deck, he pulled back on the stick slightly, held the nose steady, and stalled the airplane. The wheels slammed down, the tail-hook caught one of the cables, and then he was smashed forward into his harness. The airplane began traveling backwards a moment later, as the tension in the cable pulled on the tail-hook. He cut the engine power and the propeller creaked to a halt.


    A banging sound on the glass canopy. The Air Sergeant was issuing commands to the enlisted men as they began to drag the wings around. Felix opened the canopy. The cabin had grown very warm during the flight, so the blast of cold air outside was unexpected. He clambered out.


    "How was the flight, commander?" the Air Sergeant asked.


    "I think it will be much easier once the carrier is underway," Felix said. "Then the difference in airspeed between the two craft is lower, the cable will be easier to hit with the hook."


    "Are you going to try again?" the other man asked.


    "No," Felix replied. "Tie my airplane down at the rear. Once we embark on the mission, I will fly the pattern a few more times. Then, the other pilots will need to start practicing."

 Chapter 34: Night Raid

    The sound of hammering filled the night air. The airmen were busy building a pair of large rafts, mostly from empty food barrels. Each raft featured a wooden mast capped with a glowing red lamp. The airmen working on one of the rafts began to shout and drag the craft toward the edge of the flight deck. There were lamps fixed on the flight deck as well, however black metal cones blocked the light. Angled slightly upward and toward the rear of the ship, the lamps would only be visible to aircraft on approach to land from the port side.


    "The starboard side of the ship will be kept dark," Felix said. "The rafts will act as beacons in the water. The airship will be above the two rafts, not too far away. You should be able to see the landing lights on final approach. Our targets are the high mast and the parked airships, the airship factories, and any airplanes we see on the ground.


    "We will fly pairs at the start. After each attack, fly back over the water toward the beacon before turning back to shore. Keep it organized. I don''t want you crashing into each other. If you detect storm or draconic sorcery on the ground, then you simply attack somewhere else. Understood?"


    "Yes commander!" the seven officers said in unison.


    "Wait for the signal before starting your engine. If Shane is down in the city, he will instantly be able to detect your draconic sorcery and warn the city about the raid. The mission commences immediately. You are dismissed."


    It had been a calm flight out over the ocean to the south. There were minor crises along the way, but nothing the Captain had not prepared for. On two occasions they came across Rilnese airships filled with refugees fleeing the new Chief of Chiefs, however the former Heritage Militia soldiers shed no tears as they burned those airships out of the sky. On most nights the weather was calm and Felix would lie down under the wing of his airplane, watching the clouds drift across the stars until sleep found him.


    On this night, Felix was scheduled to meet with Shane in his dreams. The other man was likely asleep and wondering why Felix was missing. He would inevitably view this attack as a betrayal. There was still time in the night to meet him later. It was stretching his agreement with Shane, and Felix wondered if the Light Elemental had any method of forcing him to fall asleep.


    The airmen on deck began shouting, and then their rafts began to move toward the edge of the landing deck. The aircraft carrier was very close to the water, hovering just a few feet above the liquid darkness. The crane on the deck rotated to pick up the first of the rafts. Felix stalked across the deck to his airplane, the first in line to take off. The Captain stood nearby.


    "As soon as the rafts are overboard, take the airship up as far as you can manage," Felix said. "After we are back on deck, cut the engine. We will let the wind carry us back out over the water."


    The Captain nodded in the dim red light. "How long will it take?"


    "Not long."


    <hr>


    Felix was late.


    Shane stood on the inky water staring up at the dull orange outline of the eclipse in the sky. "Where is he?" he asked.


    Not here, the Dream Elemental replied.


    "What could he be doing at this hour?"


    Perhaps he has found a girlfriend or even a blushing bride? Perhaps he has gone to a brothel?


    The Dream Elemental began to giggle. Shane sighed. "Wake me up," he finally said.


    He opened his eyes in the darkness of his hotel room. He lit the gas lamp on his bed stand and then reached for the holy book that Alice had given him. The gilded edges felt gritty against his fingertips as he opened the tome. A cloth bookmark marked his progress.


    The Binding of Ashe, Chapter 4, Verse 1: The first goddess to join was called the Goddess of Chaos, and she bisected herself into the divine powers of Water and Fire. Verse 2: The second goddess to join was called the Goddess of Foundations, and she bisected herself into the divine powers of Stone and Wind. Verse 3: The third goddess to join was called the Goddess of Connections, and she bisected herself into the divine powers of Metal and Lightning. Verse 4: These three goddesses used their divine powers to create the land and the sea and the sky. Verse 5: The fourth goddess, who was called the Goddess of Laws, saw potential in the new world. Verse 6: She bisected herself into the divine powers of Life and Heaven, thus bringing order to the chaotic universe. Verse 7: For a time, the living creatures had intelligence but no free will. Verse 8: The fifth goddess, who was called the Goddess of Freedom, bisected herself into the divine powers of Light and Dark.


    Suddenly Shane felt the unmistakable sensation of draconic sorcery. He rubbed his eyes, closed the book, and set it back on the nightstand. "Are the Knights practicing night flying?" he muttered. He looked through the circular window above his desk at the night sky. It was dark and starless, with a hint of thin fog illuminated by the orange lamplight of the high mast. It seems like a terrible idea to practice in this weather, he thought.


    Something about the draconic sorcery was deeply unsettling. The sorcerer must be quite powerful to be able to draw so much power through the three Realms. It was the type of unrefined and unmitigated power that was characteristic of the Paladin Felix.


    It wasn''t Rilnese draconic sorcery. It was Quarian draconic sorcery. "Felix is here!?" Shane gasped. It was clear to him then. He could feel the other man, to the south-east, out over the ocean somewhere.


    Then he felt seven more Quarian draconic sorcerers.


    "What the hell?" he hissed as he tossed aside his blankets. Still wearing his pajamas, he sprinted out into the hotel hallway, then used storm sorcery to float down through the foyer and out into the street. He felt a chill as the cold air penetrated his thin shirt.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    With a surge of draconic sorcery, he veered into his drake form right in front of the trembling valets and porters waiting outside. He amplified his voice with wind magic.


    "The enemy is here!" he bellowed. The force of his voice rattled the windows of the nearby carriages. "This is not a drill! The enemy is attacking! Sound the alarm! Knights of Riln, take to the skies!"


    Silence.


    The first of the sirens began to sound somewhere to the east. One by one the alarms began to sound across the city of Dragon''s Landing. Beating his wings against the cold night air, Shane took flight. His enhanced vision allowed him to make out the dark outlines of buildings, but it was still deeply uncomfortable. Shane feared that he would crash into a structure and injure himself. The enhanced hearing was also a nuisance because it made the sirens almost painful.


    Once he was aloft, Shane could see the lights of the city stretched out all around. He saw a flash of crimson light in the east, the direction of the pier. A Quarian airplane was descending toward the pier, leaving two long streams of crimson flame in its wake. Shane could feel the familiar sorcery. It was Felix himself.


    In a moment of horror, Shane realized that the pier was illuminated. Knights and their crews were scrambling to get the aircraft untied, like a swarm of tiny insects. With a sudden surge of draconic sorcery, a huge plume of crimson flame lanced out across the pier. Airplanes disintegrated in the flames. A second airplane followed behind Felix, and together they left a long scourge of blackened wood and burning corpses.


    It was all over in just a few seconds. The two airplanes pulled up into a vertical climb, and in spite of his powerful wings, Shane was unable to immediately follow them. He heard an explosion from behind, loud enough to be distinct against the droning sirens. Craning his serpentine neck between strokes, he saw the source of the sound. The high mast, and the two airships moored there, had burst into flames as another pair of airplanes raced away. The coal storage on one of the airships had likely exploded.


    He realized in that moment that he was being indecisive, flapping his wings wildly in-place over the city, unable to decide the best response to the sudden attack. Felix always said that making a decision, any decision, was better than doing nothing. What would Felix do? he wondered. The man would likely trust his instincts and act immediately.


    Shane searched his own feelings in that moment. Fear, surprise, betrayal. The enemy was attacking airplanes and airships. They were afraid of an air battle, they wanted to cripple critical air assets and perhaps production capabilities. The high mast and the pier were both prominent targets, but the enemy would need to scan the whole city to find the specific factory buildings in the industrial sector.


    He banked his wings, turning toward the burning high mast in a descending glide. The factory complex was highly visible, the darkness banished by countless gas lamps. Dozens of security guards roamed the facility with crossbows and sabers. Due to the need for tight security at all hours, the factory was, in fact, the most well-lit structure in the entire city.


    "Douse the lights around the factory!" he bellowed. He was unsure if the guards heard him over the sound of the sirens.


    The screaming sound of another airplane caught his attention to the east. Shane flapped his massive wings and lined up to attack. A plume of azure flame, nearly a thousand feet long, raced out over the city, striking the airplane head-on. Against the blue flames, Shane could make out the dark silhouette of the craft. With both wings ripped off, the thing looked like a paper tube flailing about in the wind.


    There were other airplanes out there in the darkness. He could sense them, but they were moving very fast, and some of them were behind him. He was just one man, and he could not be everywhere in the city at the same time. However, he knew that they would want to attack the factory. He just needed to stand his ground.


    The enemy must have been prepared for this, because they began to attack other parts of the city. Shane could hear men screaming across the city as buildings caught flame. He wanted to help them. He wanted to save as many lives as he could, but at an abstract level he understood that untold thousands would die if the factory fell and he failed to create a new Air Force.


    Felix must have predicted this strategy, because Shane sensed his unique style of sorcery as he lined up to attack. Shane spread his wings, challenging the incoming aircraft. He drew in a gulp of breath, aimed, and prepared to release.


    I forbid it, the Light Elemental said in his mind, her too-delicate voice surprisingly stern.


    I figured that would happen, Shane thought. But if he was unable to attack Felix, then in theory Felix was unable to attack him.


    This would have been useful except for the fact that Felix wasn''t aiming for him. The man was aiming at the factory. A flash blasted just beyond the edge of Shane''s extended wing. A crane exploded, raining down burning wood and smoldering cables. Fragments of roof tiles and other detritus smashed onto the factory floor, hitting one man on the head. He immediately dropped, lifeless, to the ground. The factory floor descended into chaos as the guards and night-shift workers fled.


    "Save the tooling!" Shane cried, but he knew his voice was hollow. Another blast of sorcery rocked the building, causing one burning wall to collapse inward. The sound of the screaming propellers grew louder, distinct above the distant sirens, as Felix rushed by overhead, narrowly missing Shane''s extended neck.


    Another airplane raced over the docks, blasting the ground with crimson flames. There was a flicker of dark blue reflecting red light as the airplane flew past one of the five blue crystal spires in the city, bathing the side in draconic sorcery. As his eyes adjusted, Shane was astonished to see that the crystal spire was completely undamaged by the attack.


    We need to get everyone inside the spires, he thought. Then he realized he was thinking too small. The city was lost. The enemy would raze it to the ground, and there wasn''t enough space in the spires to house the entire population. Shane needed to discover a way to make more blue crystals. If he succeeded, then he could save the entire city, and if he failed, the city was going to burn anyway.


    What would Felix do?


    He sembled into his human form and leapt over the edge into the factory quad, descending slowly with storm sorcery. Once he was on the ground, he reached forward and summoned draconic flame in a small ball. He pressed both hands together, smashing the flames against each other. He imagined a shape, the shape of a seed, the shape of those small purple crystals that Astrid could make. He tried to remember the feeling, that tip-of-the-tongue feeling of the Purple Dragon''s flavor of sorcery. But nothing worked. The flame would not take physical form. Something was missing.


    Do something. Do anything at all. Acting is better than hesitation. Act, act, act!


    That''s what Felix would do. That''s what Felix would say. The building shook as the other man attacked with more draconic sorcery, blowing a huge hole in the wall above the quad.


    Shane stalked through the factory. He found guards and night-shift workers huddled under the tables in a workshop. The ones that saw him had fear in their eyes. Some were sobbing. A woman was hiding alone in one corner, gray robes draped over her shoulders, her face shrouded under layers and layers of gray hoods.


    Trusting in his instincts, Shane floated across the room and landed in front of the geomancer. He figured he must have appeared completely ridiculous floating around in his pajamas.


    "Open a portal to the Realm of Stone," he commanded.


    The woman was shaking. If she wanted to protest that it would break her oaths, those words died on her lips. She stretched out her hand and with a flash of orange light the portal appeared.

 Chapter 35: A Place for Flying Things

    The pleasant blue sky was hard to pick out between the dense tangle of branches and pink flowers. The Realm of Stone gave Shane the impression of resembling the place from his dreams, except in daylight. His initial assessment was quickly revised as the size of the trees became apparent. Much taller than the Teeth of the Red Dragon, at least one-hundred thousand feet tall, blooming like cherry blossoms in spring.


    What flying things live in those trees? Shane wondered.


    Shane stood high upon a stone shelf looking out over a landscape of fallen pink flowers that coated the ground like snow. The stone below was black and brown and marbled with veins of some orange gemstone. Scattered across the horizon were more stones, flat and wide, perfect for skipping across water, but wider than cities and thicker than mountains. They were stacked, one upon another, tens of thousands of feet into the sky with immaculate artistry. Shane turned to see another stone behind him and a third above, and in that moment he realized he was standing in the middle of such a stack, somewhere high above the ground.


    With a flash of pinkish orange light, the geomancer arrived in the Realm. She began walking away from the escarpment. Shane followed.


    "How far is it?" he asked.


    She pointed to a long stone staircase weaving up the vertical stone wall just ahead.


    "At the top," she replied.


    Without saying another word, Shane enveloped them both in storm sorcery and raced up toward the terminus of the stairs.


    "I''m afraid," she protested.


    "Too bad," Shane said.


    When he crested the edge of the stone shelf above, he saw a smaller version of a cherry blossom tree growing on an island in a small pool of water. The Stone Elemental floated at the base of the tree. Shaped like a woman, like the other Elementals, but wearing a pink cloth garment that blended the aspects of a dress, a fancy dress suit, and a bathrobe. Shane had never encountered a culture, in life or in his reading, which was known to wear such clothing.


    You come in haste, the Stone Elemental observed. A true master of sorcery. I offer you my power, in exchange for your spiritual energy. Do you accept?


    "Yes!" Shane said.


    They left the Realm of Stone with equal haste. When the nameless geomancer opened a portal to the Plane of Dreams, Shane felt the flavor, or direction, of that source of magic. With another flash of light he arrived back in the crumbling factory, surrounded by trembling workers. Questing with his spiritual energy in that same direction, he quickly established a connection to the Realm of Stone.


    "That was fast," the geomancer said. She offered him a small, heavy sack. Within, Shane found a dozen smooth stones, each laced with parallel bands of golden crystal. "It takes months for apprentices to learn how to manipulate the stones."


    The building shook with another blast of draconic sorcery. "We don''t have months," Shane said. He held the stones in one hand, and waved his other hand over them, feeling the magic. The stones responded in a small way. He channeled his spiritual energy into a counter response, and then he could suddenly feel the stone. It was exactly like drawing another person into storm sorcery. He lifted the stone off his palm, and then drew the other stones in as well, rotating them around a single point.


    "Impossible," the geomancer muttered. "It took me three months."


    "It did take me months to learn storm sorcery," Shane admitted. "Vaska designed the magic system in our world. She is an engineer, and she likely taught all of the Elementals to recognize the same engineering conception of velocity, direction, and position. Geomancy works exactly like storm sorcery."


    "Who the hell is Vaska?"


    "The Consort Eternal!" he cried as he rushed out of the room.


    Back outside in the factory quad, the roof was on fire in places, and the far wall was on the verge of collapsing inward. Shane floated up out of the quad once again. He sensed Felix flying far away, somewhere out over the water perhaps. Three more airplanes were racing through the city, far to the east, cutting flaming swaths through the city streets. How long have I been gone? he wondered. A minute or two, perhaps. Maybe more. Either way, the city can still be saved.


    Traveling to the Realm of Stone specifically was a gamble, but he needed to trust his instincts, and he needed to do something. Standing on the roof of the factory, he released his storm sorcery. Then he connected to the Realm of Fire, the Realm of Lightning, and the Realm of Wind. Punching the empty night sky, he shot a stream of azure draconic flame upward. Then he carefully released the connection to the Realm of Wind, while retaining the other connections, and then connected to the Realm of Stone, effectively swapping one element for another.


    The combination worked. He knew it immediately. Without further thought, he slammed his palms together, and poured all the power he could into this new type of sorcery. Flame and lightning compacted into a single point, crystalizing. Layer by layer, the crystal grew, glowing with a brilliant sea-blue light that seemed to darken even the lights of the city all around. Shane had seen this same effect every time Astrid would summon a new purple crystal spire.


    Abruptly the crystal stopped growing and the sorcery cut off. He tried to strike the little blue seed of crystal with more sorcery, but nothing happened. Something was still missing.


    A flash of cyan light. His Dream Elemental appeared.


    You need to make a Wish, silly!


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Astrid had a High Daughter of the Queen of Dreams. That must have been the source of her unrecognizable magic. This new type of draconic sorcery, using the Realm of Stone, combined with the Wish spell using a Dream Elemental. He needed something to protect the city, something that would cover it from above. He imagined those great cherry blossom trees in the Realm of Stone, and the answer came to him.


    "I Wish for a place for flying things!"


    The blue crystal seed exploded with blue light and mist. Using storm sorcery, Shane raced over the edge and down into the factory quad once more. He amplified his voice with wind magic: "Abandon the factory! Flee through the front door. Get as far away as you can!"


    The whole building began to shake as a pillar of blue crystal grew down toward the ground. At a deliberate pace, without hurry or delay, the pillar began to spread out at the base, growing into roots that penetrated the factory floor, crushing the unfinished airplanes and most of the tooling. The burning wall to the west finally collapsed inward, only to be deflected away by the expanding trunk. Shane levitated through the factory, repeating his warning, and the workers were already clambering to escape.


    Through the front door they raced out into the streets. Shane looked up and saw the top of the trunk splitting. Low-hanging branches were expanding out over the tops of buildings on all sides of the tree, while the high branches were splitting recursively. The whole city was bathed in bright blue light.


    Shane tried to sense Felix. The other man was no longer flying toward the city.


    <hr>


    Up at an angle and parallel to the shore, Felix glanced over his shoulder at the madness that was developing far below. The whole city was illuminated by a glowing blue crystal tree, which was slowly but steadily growing from the ruins of the airplane factory.


    "Dammit Shane!" he hissed.


    Another Quarian pilot was approaching the tree, making a pass to attack the factory. Felix felt his heart sink as a low hanging branch grew down, trapping the poor man. With a nose-dive and a swift kick to the rudder, the man almost dodged the incoming branch, but one wingtip stuck and the wing came off completely. A few swift tumbles through the air and the poor fellow impacted a home, vanishing from sight.


    Felix hoped that the other pilots had seen the new danger. He pointed his nose away from the shore, and then down at the red beacons in the water. He blasted the air in front of him with repeated streams of crimson flame, hoping to catch the attention of the other pilots. Thankfully, as he approached the beacons, skimming just over the ocean, he glanced back and saw five pairs of red lights following him.


    After crossing the beacons, he pointed his nose vertically and ascended until he could see the shielded lights of the aircraft carrier. As he turned into the base leg of the traffic pattern, he could see the huge blue tree looming over the city. It had grown from the factory all the way out over the five blue spires, almost to the ocean, and out over the jungle hills on the opposite side. Long branches drooped down between the spires, making a death trap for anything trying to fly through the city.


    The Captain was flying the airship into the wind, at an angle toward the city, at full power. This allowed Felix to land in a very short distance. The airmen, dressed completely in black clothing, materialized out of the thin fog like phantoms and hurriedly dragged his airplane to the edge of the deck. The first of the five returning pilots was rolling over into the downwind leg of the traffic pattern.


    The blue light from the crystal tree was so bright that it illuminated the starboard side of the airship, just enough to see the ladders leading down to the gantries between the airships. Felix found the Captain on the flight deck of the rear airship. A handful of candles on the floor were the only source of light. There was a thud from the deck above as the first aircraft landed.


    "Shane is in the city," Felix said. "And apparently, he can create blue crystal trees now."


    "So I see," the Captain said.


    "The mission has changed. We need to report this development to the Lord Paladin immediately."


    "How many of your pilots survived?"


    Another thud from the upper deck.


    "Five survived, so three more have yet to land."


    "Are we in danger?"


    "That is possible. Shane can transform into a drake. We should be able to see him against the blue light unless he skims the ocean. I find it unlikely that he will find us."


    "I want spotters on every airship watching for enemy fliers," the Captain bellowed. "Engines at full power, full climb. Pull in the wind sails."


    "Yes Captain!" the pilot at the helm said. The wind mage repeated the command into the brass communication horns.


    A third airplane landed hard, causing the carrier to shake.


    "If any of the spotters see a drake leaving the city, we cut the engines and let the wind take us away from the city. Once the last of the airplanes lands, nobody on my ship, not even the helium mage, is permitted to use magic."


    <hr>


    Shane soared through the night sky. The brilliant blue light of the crystal tree had long since dimmed, and since the blue leaves and branches blocked most of the light of the city, he saw almost nothing in the darkness over the harbor. Wispy fog blocked the light in places, and the clouds far overhead blocked the starlight, but enough of the ocean was visible to reveal the crimson flames of the aircraft exhaust. Even with his enhanced vision, Shane saw nothing.


    How do six airplanes simply vanish? he wondered.


    There was that strange pair of rafts in the water, burning with dull red light. He flew around those rafts in an upward spiral, higher and higher, his wings empowered by Astrid''s blessing.


    Did they cut their engines? Are they gliding over the ocean?


    He tested this theory by spreading his wings and gliding away from the city. There was a strong, cold tailwind blowing off the desert in the north, and this tailwind caused him to sink very rapidly toward the ocean.


    No, the airplanes would have dropped out of the sky like rocks.


    "Light Elemental!" he growled. "Do you detect any Shadow Hunters?"


    He waited. The Light Elemental did not answer. And why would she? Felix was a retainer of House Anna-Rhea, just like himself. They both swore oaths, and the Light Elemental would not aid in any attempt to kill Felix. The Light Elemental, presumably, could not lie, so her silence was itself a type of information.


    "Me must be close," Shane muttered. "Which means that he landed out here somewhere. He landed in the sky."


    He turned around and flew into the wind. Drawing in a huge breath, he breathed draconic flame into the wind at an angle. The Light Elemental did not forbid it, which meant that Felix was not in that direction.


    I see where you are going with this, the Light Elemental said in his mind. What do you intend to do when you find him? I forbid violence.


    "I''m just curious," Shane admitted. "I want to see the contraption that allowed Felix to land his airplane in the sky."


    He fluttered around in the sky, blasting draconic breath at nothing in particular, and craning his serpentine neck around as the last of the plume vanished. Finally he saw it. Reflecting the azure light of his flames, about a mile away, Shane saw the abomination. Four airships strung together with steel beams, crowned with a long wooden deck. A few more flashes of light revealed more details. The propellers were not spinning, and the wind sails had been deployed on all four airships. Shane heard only the wind.


    "Clever," he said.


    He was alone, and if the other pilots decided to take flight, he could still be in danger. There were no Light Elementals to prevent the regular Quarian airmen from killing him. There were still at least five other airplanes besides Felix on that airship. He didn''t like the odds, so he turned back toward the city. Beating his leathery wings against the wind, he began to descend.

 Interlude 4: Messenger

    The air was strange in the Elemental Plane of Spirits. Just as it was in the Plane of Dreams, like the layers of a cake, dense air could be found ten thousand feet above the basin, at the edge of the escarpment. The density of the air depended upon its relation to the ground. Felix and Shane must have found this intuitive, but after learning to fly in the Elemental Plane of Life, Alice found the phenomenon deeply unsettling, especially when flying near the edge.


    She rode upon the upper neck of her Pegasus. This, she knew, was the proper way to fly. It gave Mercy full motion of her four wings, and it allowed Alice to use her shield to protect the head and neck of her mount from projectiles and spears. It allowed the Pegasus to use her rear hooves as weapons without hurling Alice away. But it required great strength, and even with a Life Elemental, Alice could become tired in that position.


    The dark trees, now caked with snow, were uncannily white under that magenta sky. The purple crystal spire loomed just ahead, and the Pegasus relaxed and began to lean back, exposing her outstretched wings to drop airspeed. Hooves clattered perfectly on the crystal ramp to the open spire, and Alice used her momentum to vault forward off her mount. One of those animated armors was waiting for her in the foyer. It offered a towel, which Alice used to wipe the sweat from her face.


    "You have finally come," Elvira said as she descended the steps.


    She was wearing only a thin nightgown. Her long purple hair, which was usually immaculate, looked unkempt. Her eyes betrayed restlessness.


    "Is something wrong, my Princess?" Alice asked.


    "I am just frustrated. I have sent for one of my males but he has been delayed for some reason."


    Oh, that kind of frustrated, Alice thought to herself. "Astrid has sent for me?"


    "My beloved sister wishes for you to travel to the south to deliver a message to Retainer Shane. Come upstairs to our bedroom."


    The Purple Dragon began to ascend the steps. Alice felt a sense of dread as she began to follow. All the way to the south. That could take days or weeks! Just to deliver a message?


    On the top floor, the animated constructs were busying themselves tidying up Elvira''s bed. Alice had always thought that the bed was too small for both Purple Dragons to share, but then she realized that the two sisters never slept in the same Elemental Plane at the same time. Princess Astrid, or at least her ghostly soul, was clearly visible in the room, near the bookshelves. At first Alice wondered if it was possible for Elvira to wake up in the night inside of her sister''s soul, but a later inspection revealed that the two beds were cleverly offset from each other.


    Elvira began to hum, and with a flash of cyan light, Astrid transitioned to the Plane of Spirits. She was in a much better state than her sister, wearing a fine mother-of-pearl dress, with her hair done up in elaborate braids. She offered a sealed envelope to Alice.


    "Good morning Alice!" the Purple Dragon beamed. "Out practicing flying before dawn? How diligent of you. If only you possessed the same diligence when it came to practicing with your Elementals."


    "As you say, my Princess."


    Astrid had given her a Dream Elemental, and Elvira had given her a Spirit Elemental. The Queen of Life had given her a Life Elemental.


    And then there was that other one.


    "I can sense the pattern in your thoughts," Astrid said. "Do you remember the moment when, within the same body, the Elemental Queens of Darkness and Light appeared in your church?"


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw the Spirit Elvira unlace her nightgown. It dropped to the floor in a heap, and the Purple Dragon, now completely naked, flopped over on her bed with a disgruntled sigh.


    "Yes, my Princess," Alice managed, ignoring the other Dragon.


    "Don''t worry about Elvira," Astrid said. "She isn''t dangerous yet. I mentioned that me and my sister would have fled the continent if Ashe had come alone. I will now describe to you the method we would have used. Summon your Heaven Elemental."


    "Daughter of the Queen of Heaven, show yourself!"


    The Elemental appeared at her side. Like depictions of constellations, the Elemental was composed entirely of tiny white shimmering stars against a foggy indigo field. Faint lines connected some of the stars, which produced a roughly-feminine outline. Alice found the thing disturbing to look at.


    "There is a sigil here on the floor by the end of our beds," Astrid began.


    Alice saw the thing. Cut into the purple crystal, it looked like three orbs connected by tubes, with the likeness of stars and moons scattered about. In the very center there was a glyph in some unknown language, but which Alice immediately understood to mean "Spirits."


    "This is called an anchor," the Purple Dragon continued. A second Heaven Elemental appeared in the room, floating beside Princess Astrid. "Using this anchor, take myself, Alice, and her Pegasus to the Elemental Plane of Heaven!" she commanded. Then the room seemed to darken. Indigo fog spilled out from both Elementals, filling the room with the likeness of the night sky. The purple crystal floor of Elvira''s room vanished, replaced by something that collapsed underfoot, something soft and natural.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Alice found herself standing upon a crimson blanket of some species of lichen. It spread out in all directions toward small snow-capped hills. The curve of the place was far too aggressive to be normal. A verdant green moon dominated the sky overhead, and between her world and that moon, there was a very long tube of misty white, spanning the empty void. Upon that moon Alice could see small rivers and rocky peaks set against dense jungles.


    She glanced around at the horizon. More too-small planets floated in a starry indigo sky, some connected to each other with more airy tubes. Here, a planet completely frozen in ice, and there, a planet that was covered in oceans, and yet another that was completely covered in desert. Alice heard Mercy trotting forward through the lichen, completely at ease in the new Elemental Plane.


    "Welcome to the Elemental Plane of Heaven!" Astrid announced. "These are the Little Planets, connected by conduits of breathable air. They are the primary means of transportation in our universe. The Little Planet in the sky overhead contains an anchor to our spire in Riln."


    "And you want me to fly up there to deliver your message to Shane?" Alice asked.


    "Indeed. It looks far away, but your Heaven Elemental will allow you to travel more quickly than you would imagine. She will also be able to guide you to the correct anchor to return to the Plane of Spirits. Now, I see that you understand your task."


    The Purple Dragon waved her hand dismissively.


    "You are welcome to spend the night at the spire in the south if you need rest," she said. "Daughter of Heaven, before Brigid realizes I''m gone, take me back to the Plane of Spirits!"


    Astrid began to fade. After a few moments she was completely gone.


    Alice climbed up onto Mercy''s back. From the higher vantage, she could see no less than eleven stone anchors arranged in a huge circle. Physical, Fire, Water, Wind, Stone, Metal, Lightning, Light, Dark, Spirits, Dreams. Strangely, there was no anchor for the Elemental Plane of Life.


    "Will I be able to use the other anchors?" Alice asked.


    You can only use the anchors if you are bonded to the correct Elemental, the Daughter of Heaven replied in her mind. The voice was feminine, soft and ghostly. Alice had very rarely heard the Elemental speak in her mind, and it gave her the chills.


    "Can you help me travel up there?" she asked, pointing to the jungle planet that dominated the sky.


    Fly into the conduit. Once you are inside, I will help you travel through it.


    Alice flew. Up and up she soared, so far above the ground that she realized just how small her tundra planet had been. It would take less than a day to circle the entire planet, if Mercy was strong enough to fly for so long. As she ascended into the sky, the air did not grow thinner. Breathing was easy, and even gravity itself began to weaken. Soon, Mercy was beating her wings against the air without much resistance, picking up speed as they entered the huge cone of air that marked the entrance to the conduit.


    A monstrous being approached from beyond the nearby tundra planet. Like her Heaven Elemental except three miles tall, the thing rocketed through the void with a long spear in one hand. Soon it was upon her, looming nearby in the space beyond the conduit.


    Mortal, I am a Guardian of Heaven. You are bonded to a daughter of my mother, and she has summoned me to aid you. Do not be alarmed.


    A foggy indigo hand wrapped around her, closing into a fist with a vast empty space within. Alice could see clearly between the constellation-like fingers ahead. The whole hand began to move rapidly through the conduit, dragging the air within. Alice and her Pegasus mostly remained stationary in the center of that closed palm, racing along the conduit. Suddenly the fingers released. The jungle planet was much closer, dominating the horizon all around, while the tundra planet was far behind, at the other end of the conduit.


    "Thank you!" Alice cried. "Mercy, you can relax."


    The Pegasus did relax, pulling in her wings against her flanks. Sitting high on the neck, Alice provided a forward weight, and the Pegasus began to fall forward into a nose-dive. The wind rushed by as they rapidly gained speed.


    "Where is the anchor to the spire?" Alice asked.


    To your left by ten degrees, nose up about twenty degrees, the Heaven Elemental replied.


    Alice drove her mount roughly in the correct direction. The ground was still too far away to see clearly. It only took a few minutes before they were close to the jungle floor. Mercy extended her wings and pulled up along a gentle arc. Alice felt the heavy G-forces on her body during the transition, but her bond with the Life Elemental strengthened her and prevented her from fainting.


    When she was flying horizontally again, Alice raised her spear high into the air. "That was fun!"


    Mercy snorted in agreement.


    The Heaven Elemental led her to a small clearing in the jungle with eleven more stone anchors. Alice quickly identified the one that led to the Elemental Plane of Spirits. "Using this anchor, take me to the purple crystal spire!" she commanded. Dark fog surrounded her, but the world beyond began to fade. After a few seconds the interior of the bedroom at the top of the spire began to materialize around Alice. The single bed was empty, but well maintained. An animated armor was the only other occupant in the room.


    Alice found her Pegasus outside the spire. She never specified what the Heaven Elemental should do with the beast, but she seemed to have figured it out herself. To the south east she flew once more, through under a sunless magenta sky, toward the coast where she knew Shane could be found. Before, the horizon had been mostly ocean, but now the skyline was broken with a huge blue crystal tree.


    When she reached the river delta, the many islands and sand banks were empty, devoid of buildings but teeming with souls. The branches of the trees themselves were swarming with fantastical living creatures. Huge insects, birds, ghostly women, long flying snakes, natural trees with two legs that marched around upon blue crystal branches.


    "Daughter of Spirits!" Alice said. "What are these things?"


    Spirits, the Elemental replied. This land was once dead to Spirits. The creation of this tree has invited them to come live here. Soon there will be many stories that inspire love of the Nation of Riln. The Spirit of the Nation of Riln is growing stronger.


    "They must be here because of Shane!"


    Yes. Shane inspires the stories. Shane strengthens his people.


    Alice drove Mercy to land on the flat top of a massive branch.


    "I''ll need to bring him to this side and show him what he has done. Daughter of the Queen of Dreams! Open a portal to the other side!"

 Chapter 36: Enemy Intelligence

    All of the geomancers in the city of Dragon''s Landing were present at the quarry, cutting standardized headstones into the dark gray rock. Shane stood upon the flank of a seaward hill overlooking the valley south-east of the city. The jungle had been burned away to make room for the quarry and the long trenches filled with bodies. He assumed it was the first of the many mass graves that the war would bring.


    The sky was pale gray but hidden from sight behind the dense branches and leaves of the blue crystal tree that loomed overhead. The path below was steep, constructed from stones embedded in the grassy hillside, rarely used and overgrown. Shane stopped on the path and waited. The gentle shuffling of feet and the clatter of a walking stick followed him. Ionathan followed, struggling to descend. The old man wore the white-gold robes of an Elder Cleric of the Lady Ghost.


    "Young man," Ionathan rasped. "I need to rest."


    "I can use sorcery to carry you down the trail," Shane offered. He turned back uphill to face the man.


    The man shook his head. "I will make this journey using my own strength, to show my respect for the dead."


    "A fair point."


    Far over the hilltop, in the branches on the north side of the town, Shane saw a brilliant flash of cyan light.


    "Daughter of Dreams!" Shane said. The Dream Elemental appeared immediately. "If I am not mistaken, there must be a portal up there. Do you know who created it?"


    It was created by a daughter of my mother, silly.


    Shane sighed. "You know exactly what I was asking. Who is bonded to the Elemental that created that portal?"


    That''s a secret. I''ll never tell.


    "A feisty little creature," Ionathan said. "Even among the Wise Women it was said that one must never trust the machinations of the tricky Dream Elementals."


    "I have heard the same thing," Shane agreed, "but so far I have yet to suffer a calamity because of this Elemental."


    "In my day, I heard a cautionary tale about an apprentice to a Wise Woman who was infatuated with a young man. She Wished that she was beautiful, hoping that the man would love her. The young woman vanished, only to reappear many decades later. Nobody recognized her, because indeed she had become quite beautiful, though she was able to establish her identity with her family. Of course the young man she loved had died."


    "Naturally," Shane said.


    His eyes still fixed on the source of the cyan flash, he began to make out feathery white wings contrasting against the blue crystal that blotted out the sky. A few rapid flutters later, and the Pegasus began to accelerate toward him. His face must have betrayed recognition, because the old man turned to face the pink-haired figure as she approached.


    "Is that a flying horse?" Ionathan asked. "And is that young woman a Quarian?"


    "Yes sir. I''m guessing she saw me from the other side. She once told me that my soul shines like a golden sun."


    With a spiral and a flip the Pegasus gracefully landed on the soft grass nearby. Alice was looking quite lovely for a woman approaching her middle ages. The first time Shane had seen her, her true age of thirty-seven had been etched into her weathered face. Since she bonded a Life Elemental, she seemed to be slowly aging backwards. Shand would place her age at about twenty-eight or perhaps younger. She still wore her heavily-padded leather helmet, but her riding leathers were more revealing, exposing her thighs and shoulders.


    Alice raised her spear high into the air. "Shane! Astrid has sent me to deliver a message!" she announced in Quarian.


    "You flew all the way to the south?" he asked incredulously.


    The woman giggled. "It''s my secret."


    "It has been many decades since I have spoken the language of the north," Ionathan said.


    "Ionathan," Shane began, "This is my associate, Alice of Black River, Cleric of the Lady Ghost. Alice, meet Ionathan of Dragon''s Landing, Elder Cleric of the Lady Ghost."


    "A pleasure. Young lady, is it true? Have you been to the other side?"


    "Father! It is true, I have been to the other side. In fact, I have met the Lady Ghost herself."


    "You are a Prophet then," the old man rasped. "There is no need to address me as Father. In fact, I should be addressing you as Mother!"


    "If you are not busy, I can take you to the other side presently. Shane, many Spirits gather in the branches of your crystal tree. You must see them!"


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "I''m afraid such an adventure must be delayed," Ionathan said. "I must descend into the valley below to pay my respects for the fallen."


    With a flash of dark green light, the Life Elemental appeared beside Alice. To Shane''s eyes, it looked a bit like a tree that had grown into the shape of a woman. Her head was covered with a mane of verdant leaves, her face was smooth bark, and she appeared to be crying tears of dried sap.


    "Then I shall join your quest," Alice declared. "Daughter of the Queen of Life! Give Ionathan the strength to continue his journey!"


    The Life Elemental floated over to the old man and touched his shoulder. He began moving again, slowly plodding along down the steps, his walking stick clattering against stone. Alice trotted toward Shane on her Pegasus and offered a sealed envelope. It was sealed with a stamped clump of purple wax. The papers within were of different ages and quality, some yellowed and hand written, some fresh and white and printed with a modern press. The largest page was printed in dark purple ink. Shane began to read as he descended into the valley.


    Brigid has discovered a local contact in the Quarian intelligence community and has arranged for the regular delivery of intelligence reports. Alice will handle the physical deliveries to the south. Felix must not be informed of these reports. I have not read them, and I do not know what they contain. I do know that the north is advancing at a rapid pace, and more intervention may be needed on my part in the future. Your performance thus far has exceeded even my most ambitious expectations, and you have my sincerest thanks for your efforts. ~ Princess Astrid of House Anna-Rhea.


    Shane shuffled through to one of the more recent reports as he walked. Ionathan was beginning to outpace him, so he let the older man pass.


    Lord Paladin: Now that the mission is complete, in retrospect, is there anything about the carrier that you would change to improve the performance of your men on the mission?


    General Officer Felix: I had a lot of time to think about this on the flight home. Shane was only able to detect us after we started our engines. I realized that we could have delayed enemy detection even longer if we were able to take off without starting the engines. Here, let me draw it. See, you keep the airplanes stored vertically on the sides of the aircraft carrier, perhaps fixed to long vertical tracks. The pilot climbs into the cabin wearing a harness to prevent them from falling off the airship. Once the pilot is secured, and once the pre-flight checks are complete, the airmen cut the cables holding the airplane in place. It falls nose-first toward the ground and gains airspeed. A few hundred feet above the ground, the pilot starts the engine and begins the attack.


    Lord Paladin: Excellent idea my boy! I have an improvement for your design. You can carry a very large number of airplanes this way. As airplanes land on the deck, they can be quickly deposited onto one of the rails on the side of the airship.


    General Officer Felix: When we attacked the enemy airplane factory, it made me realize just how vulnerable such factories could be. I devised a second design that I hope would improve the resilience of our factories. Imagine sixteen airships together in a row, and instead of a landing deck, an entire airship factory is built upon the top. As airplanes leave the assembly line, they simply drop over the side of the ship to gain airspeed and then fly away. A fleet of airplanes could guard the airspace around the flying factory at all hours of the day, and it could operate far over the ocean, away from the homeland where the enemy will be unlikely to find it.


    Lord Paladin: I can imagine such a thing, though personally I would use the craft more aggressively.


    General Officer Felix: What do you mean, commander?


    Lord Paladin: I would locate iron, coal, and supply stockpiles in the enemy homeland, as well as the locations of mines and farms. I would send these new vertical takeoff machines to steal enemy supplies and use those supplies to build new airplanes right over the enemy homeland.


    Suddenly Shane had an idea. "We can build new factories in the branches of the crystal tree!" he exclaimed.


    "That sounds fun," Alice said.


    "You won''t tell Felix will you?" Shane asked.


    "I will do nothing unless commanded by Princess Astrid," she replied.


    "I find it unlikely that she would," Shane said. "If the enemy is going to build airplane factories in the sky, then we will need to do the same thing. Protected on all sides by blue crystal leaves, both ends of the factory could be open to the air. Aligned along an axis that follows the direction of the wind on most days. If the enemy gets too close, I can always create new crystal leaves to cover the openings and protect the workers."


    "The old man has gained on you," Alice observed.


    Indeed, Ionathan had descended halfway to the valley floor in the time it took Shane to read the intelligence report. He connected to the three Realms and used storm sorcery to catch up. Alice fluttered down on her Pegasus as well.


    "Young lady, I feel thirty years younger!" Ionathan said.


    Shane did not listen as the two Clerics continued their banter. He focused on the older document. The paper was yellow with oxidation and the handwriting had faded.


    Our contacts in Riln have agreed to the arrangement. A portion of the incomes of the migrant workers will be paid out to our allies in the south. This will give them a strong incentive to distribute propaganda that portrays the north in a positive light. I want those savages in the south to have a mythological reverence for the north. Immigration should be the only thing they think about. Don''t worry about the Red Dragon. I have made an alliance that will secure access to a High Daughter. The monster may already be dead by the time this letter arrives. ~ S


    Shane felt a chill. How the hell did Brigid find somebody with access to such a document? He assumed that Sylvester, the Prime Minister, had written the document decades before. Why had it not been destroyed immediately?


    The next document contained an engineering diagram. It was labeled: "Vertical Takeoff Rotor-Wing Aircraft." It featured a huge horizontal propeller at the top of a shaft, and a long boom extending to the rear of the craft, where a second vertical propeller was connected to a chain. There was an equation to calculate the speed of the vertical propeller relative to the horizontal propeller, to counteract the torque and prevent the craft from spinning.


    The rotor-wing aircraft shows promise, and it is already able to fly straight up and down. However, three-axis control is not yet possible. Engineers are experimenting with schemes to allow for individual and collective control of the pitch of each rotor blade. Felix says that the rudder pedals should be used to control the blade pitch of the rear propeller.


    He stopped and floated in place. Alice and Ionathan had already reached the valley floor and were about to reach the mass graves. He turned around and began to ascend up the slope, leaving them behind. Astrid was right, the north was advancing too quickly. Every single minute was important. The dead could wait.

 Chapter 37: Propeller Tips

    Madness.


    Felix kicked his leg a few times as he gained consciousness. Storm sorcery, extremely powerful storm sorcery, had yanked him from his uneasy sleep.


    "Shane!" he bellowed. "The enemy is attacking!"


    Suddenly wind sorcery surrounded him, blocking his voice. The source was behind him, in the first row of empty beds. Frantically, he leapt from his bed, tossing the sheets aside. Brigid glared at him. Felix ignored her, and still wearing his pajamas, he used his own storm sorcery to float down into the foyer of the purple crystal spire. The lone animated armor at the door seemed completely at ease.


    The air inside the spire was pleasant, but the air just across the threshold was chilly. It was almost winter, and in the north the sun rose late in the morning. The sky outside was black as midnight because the stars were hidden behind a dense layer of clouds, but the source of the storm sorcery stood out like a beacon. The trees at the edge of the clearing cast shadows that moved with inhuman speed, giving way to the pale blue light of a raging lightning storm.


    Still groggy from his unexpected rise, Felix stood his ground and steeled himself for a fight. His heart sank as the light drew closer, crossing into the clearing and banishing the shadows all around. He had little experience fighting sorcerers, but this power was hundreds, if not thousands of times more powerful than Shane. Two god-like figures floated in the center of that crackling light, silhouettes that matched the color of the night sky beyond.


    A hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.


    "I Wish he was wearing his regalia," Brigid said.


    With a sudden constriction around his neck, Felix suddenly was wearing the purple regalia of House Anna-Rhea.


    "You stand in the presence of royalty," Brigid continued, "you are invited to kneel."


    Felix had already fallen to one knee by the time the two silhouettes descended to the base of the ramp. They were a pair of men, both very tall, but one was quite possibly the largest man Felix had ever seen. Even taller than Princess Astrid, the man had arms and legs that were as thick as tree trunks, and his chest was broad and muscular. Felix wondered if one of the man''s parents was a horse. The other man was spindly and was clearly the sorcerer in the pair.


    White light, which originated from the animated armor in the foyer, filled the clearing and illuminated the two figures. They both had purple hair and shiny purple scales on their foreheads and cheekbones. The larger of the two men had a neat beard and a military-style haircut, while the thinner man had a mustache and long, flowing, almost feminine hair.


    "Prince Kai of House Anna-Rhea," Brigid began. "Why have you come?"


    The man with the flowing hair smiled. "I heard that Mister Vilde had been summoned by my dear sister, and I insisted that I join him in his journey."


    The huge man began to speak. "I am Vilde, and I have traveled far from the land of the Purple Dragons." His words were very slow, as if he had memorized them. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a small handkerchief. "The purpose of my journey is to seek out Princess Elvira, to seduce her and to mate with her."


    "I am seduced!" Elvira announced from within the spire. Barefoot and wearing a thin nightgown, the Purple Dragon rushed down the ramp and dug her claw-like fingernails into the huge man''s muscular arms. With a flash of magenta light both vanished from sight.


    "Prince Kai, you are trying to evade my question," Brigid said.


    "You already know exactly why I have come," Prince Kai said. He reached into a leather pack at his hip and produced a huge leather-bound book. "The Book of Dead Pilots needs to be updated with the latest data."


    "You brought it here!?" Brigid hissed. "That thing contains the history of dozens of civilizations. Do you want Ashe to come murder us?"


    The male Purple Dragon waved his hand dismissively. "Ashynvellemviarius. Such a fascinating name! In the language where the name first appears, the people had developed at least thirty-six different words for the ashes that are created when burning bodies."


    Too many words, Felix thought. The man continued his long lecture on the etymology of the name Ashe, and Felix suffered through it in silence. This man is Shane himself. No, worse than Shane. This man is the ideal that Shane strives to arrive at someday.


    "You there!" the Purple Dragon said as he pointed to Felix. "My sister has taken a new retainer? Avowed and branded, wonderful! The wind carries stories of the flying machines invented in this land. Also the Spirits speak of a great battle out beyond the escarpment. You will tell me about these things."


    "Yes, my Prince," Felix managed.


    "Felix, you can keep the Prince occupied," Brigid said as she turned and began to walk up the ramp toward the spire. "Just make sure he doesn''t wake Princess Astrid. She''ll likely raze the entire continent if it happens again."


    "Retainer Felix, do you still have the very first airplane that you flew?"


    "It''s in storage somewhere," Felix replied.


    "I would like to purchase it!" the Purple Dragon said.


    "My Prince, you are a Dragon. Certainly you can fly without an airplane?"


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    "Indeed. However, I should specify that I intend to establish a Museum of Flight in the nearby village. The very first flying machine will make an excellent exhibition."


    He thinks Black River is a village, Felix realized. "The hangar is just west of here, by the runway beyond these trees. I would be willing to donate unused Air Force assets to your museum, however I would ask that the exhibitions in the museum avoid openly criticizing the Quarian Air Force."


    "Naturally, in fact, we can fill the museum with glowing propaganda and recruitment material."


    "Excellent. I will lead you to the craft presently."


    "While we walk, you can tell me the names of the pilots who have died."


    <hr>


    Prince Kai of House Anna-Rhea was either very wealthy or very persuasive. Within a few days the man had purchased a sizable corner of the grassy park in Black River, and with a flash of purple light that could be seen clearly from the Teeth of the Red Dragon, the man created a new purple crystal structure. Within a few weeks the Museum of Flight opened to the public for the first time.


    Felix was not wearing his military uniform the day he went to the museum. Wearing a leather cap and a blue scarf, his face was mostly hidden, though it was very difficult to hide the golden brand that marred his face. It was a novel experience that drew crowds from across the city, and there was a long line to purchase tickets.


    The visible face of the building was shaped like a parabola, and the vaulted ceiling was parabolic as well, constructed from a massive and very thin sheet of purple crystal. This created an enormous amount of space to suspend objects from the central beam or the support ribs. A full airship was housed inside the structure, floating above the ground but attached to a staircase that allowed access to the interior. Children screamed with glee as they ran up the steps, two steps at a time, to go explore the gondola.


    As Felix walked around the airship, a horn announced the removal of the staircase. After a few minutes the airship began to ascend toward the roof of the museum, until cables arrested the upward motion. Nets had been installed around the craft. At first Felix thought they had been added to prevent people from falling to the museum floor, but then the children started jumping overboard, rolling around and wrestling on the nets.


    A great deal of the space inside the museum was empty, awaiting models of airplanes that had yet to be invented. The largest exhibition featured paintings and plaques which worked together to describe the Battle of the Teeth of the Red Dragon. An enormous oil painting, nearly fifty feet long, depicted an azure drake and a red airplane locked in combat against a dark sky. The first airplane to ever fly in Quaria, the one which Felix also used to score most of his air-to-air kills that night, was roped off in the center. A large sign, painted with red letters, announced: "Please do not touch the artifacts!"


    One long glass display case contained eight sawed-off wooden propeller tips. Felix recognized these particular artifacts, though he was uncertain how they had been acquired. The Draconic Paladins had located the wrecks of the men who died that night, cut off pieces of the propellers, and used geomancer-made branding irons to burn the names of the pilots into the wood. Each artifact had a small portrait of the pilot, painted in oil, the pilot''s military identification tag, and a copy of the obituary cut from the broadsheets.


    The first of the pilots was the young man named Liam, who was believed to be the first pilot in the whole Air Force to die during a dogfight. His favorite deck of cards and a half-empty bottle of whiskey stood by his portrait.


    When Felix saw the next exhibit his jaw simply dropped. He stood motionless, uncomprehending, at the shattered remains of an aircraft, carefully reassembled and rejoined with purple draconic crystal. A water mage stood on a platform overhead, casting frost magic to create snow that swirled around the aircraft. Felix pushed the people aside to read the bronze plaque in front of the scarlet ropes:


    The first Quarian Air Force military airplane to fall from the sky in known icing conditions. Ice buildup on the wings changed the aerodynamics, causing it to enter into an unrecoverable stall spin. The pilot, General Felix, evacuated the craft and was rescued by Princess Elvira of House Anna-Rhea. The remains of the craft were recovered south of the border, in north-western Riln, near the city of Silvervein.


    A small display case contained scale models and design diagrams for the heat circulating anti-ice system that was actively being installed in the airplanes throughout the Air Force. Another display case contained a standard issue survival kit, a dagger, and a repaired crossbow, all of which went down with the craft that day.


    The next exhibition featured a large diorama of the city of Dragon''s Landing in Riln. A tree-like object, made from wood and painted blue, dominated the model of the city. A scale model of the aircraft carrier, complete with little airplanes on the deck, was suspended from little cables overhead. A model azure drake, branded with gold fractures on one side of his body, stood guard atop the ruins of the factory, exactly as Shane had done.


    "So what do you think?" A smooth, masculine voice said. Felix turned to find Prince Kai looming overhead.


    "I find it extraordinarily strange to be in a history museum with exhibits depicting events that took place a few weeks in the past," Felix said.


    "Come, there is one exhibition that I am very proud of. It took a lot of research, a lot of geomancy, and a lot of very powerful Wish spells."


    The Purple Dragon led Felix to one corner, where there stood five statues made from bronze. Felix, Shane, Alice, Deorwine, and King Cyneric, the original five-man band in the Elder Books Aviation Club. A large oil painting depicted them all seated around that table in the upper library. A display case contained the crystal-forged greatsword that Felix had used to slaughter the necromancers in the Red Dragon''s Lair, with a collection of broadsheets from Flood''s End which described the sudden destruction of the Capitol building.


    "This is all very well researched," Felix admitted, "but I fear that this could all be used as evidence to have me executed for treason."


    "You need to think long-term," Prince Kai said. "This museum will be here for a very, very long time. It is important to create a truthful representation of history, for the sake of future generations."


    "Truthful?" a too-familiar feminine voice asked.


    The Queen of Darkness floated down beyond the scarlet ropes that formed a barrier between the crowd and the bronze statue of Felix. Instinctively, Felix wanted to break the glass case and grab his greatsword. He was expecting some reaction from the crowd, but after a few moments of glancing around, he realized that nobody else could see or hear the Elemental.


    "No Museum of Flight is complete without the obligatory visit from Ashynvellemviarius," Prince Kai said.


    "I love death and destruction," Ashe said. "Each time you make a Museum of Flight, little Purple Dragon, you always do a wonderful job of depicting the worst aspects of flight. The carved propeller tips of the men in the trenches, drowning in blood and mud. The flags of the hated enemy painted on the tail, uncensored and on full display for the public to see. The names and faces of the fresh young men sent into the sky to die."


    "If flight brings so much death and destruction," Felix said, "why, Queen Ashe, have you forbidden it? Why prohibit the invention of the airplane? Why get involved at all?"


    Ashe walked up to him, leaned forward, and whispered in his ear so close that he was certain Prince Kai could not hear. Two voices spoke in perfect harmony, one of them dark and sinister, one of them delicate and crystalline. "Because, dear Felix, the wind is real, as you well know. You accept the reality into which you were born, bereft of ideology or delusion. If the wind kills you, then you are dead. The freedom that comes with this revelation... is a freedom that must be earned."

 Chapter 38: The Chairman

    In the basement of the last of the great palaces in the city of Azure Dawn, the vault was cleverly hidden. However, the designers of the structure had not accounted for the possibility that a thief would explore the palace from within the Elemental Plane of Spirits before executing a heist. Guarded by two ghostly guards, the vault appeared to be made entirely from blue crystal. This was strong evidence that the wealthy family living in the palace had obtained the countenance of the Blue Dragon.


    Half a dozen Knights, avowed to Shane with his Light Elemental as witness, followed him down into the packed-soil depression which contained the basement on the other side. Shane stood between the two guards, pressed up against the door to the vault. Alice sat atop her flying horse above them, at the level of walls, gardens, and flagstone roads outside the palace.


    He signaled to the Knights with three fingers, and after a few moments, he summoned a portal. The basement turned pitch black as Shane transitioned to the Plane of Dreams. His Light Elemental began to shine in the darkness, blinding the two guards and revealing the room. With extremely subtle wind magic, Shane blocked the sound, preventing the guards from sounding the alarm. He reached out, grasping one guard on the shoulder, and the other guard on the forearm, and with a blast of lightning magic both of them slumped over onto the ground, silent and twitching.


    Shane turned his attention to the vault door as the Knights passed through the portal. He pressed his palm against it. Simple dragonscale sorcery, like the other vaults. Zakx had not been a very sophisticated Blue Dragon in life. It was a simple matter to summon a new source of dragonscale sorcery within the tiny gaps between the locking components.


    "I Wish this crystal would expand and shatter the vault lock," Shane said.


    There was a loud crack that seemed to echo off the wall of wind sorcery. The Knights rushed forward and helped Shane to yank the vault door open. Scattered within were huge piles of gold coins, stacks of bank notes, chests filled with gems, and oil paintings, swords, suits of armor, and countless other treasures. Several families in Hightown had made a fortune collecting a portion of the income from workers in the north. But the new Chief of Chiefs had spent the past decade mastering the art of stealing from the wealthy. Decades of accumulated wealth would vanish in a single night.


    The cyan portal vanished, replaced by a magenta version. Alice created the portal within the structure, which means that they would appear up on the street level when they passed through. It generally made looting the vaults a bit faster. They could leave the wealth just lying around in the Elemental Plane of Spirits, until they had time to transport it somewhere more secure. All across the city the contents of all the vaults were simply left outside on sidewalks or dumped into fountains.


    It took less than an hour for the seven men to complete their task. The sun did not rise early in the winter, though Shane anticipated that the city would begin to awaken within the hour. Three Knights carried the last bag of loot up through the portal, and Alice allowed it to vanish.


    "It''s time," Shane said. "I''ll search for a good spot near the center of Newtown."


    "I will head to the camp outside the city," Alice said. "We will wait for you on the other side."


    <hr>


    Azure Dawn was a city with three districts across two levels. Historically, the upper level, known as Hightown, straddled three broad rivers. It had been the domain of the working classes, until a new generation of wealthy government clerks cleared the way for fine new estates. This displaced the existing population into the dusty highlands to the east, which became known as Newtown.


    Lowtown was built, layer upon layer, over a lake to the west of Hightown, surrounded on three sides by waterfalls. The buildings, all pale yellow stone and thick black-as-night glass, were piled on top of each other in a great dome-like heap, suspended upon great pillars over the lake. It had been constructed by some unknown civilization, one which was not favored by the Blue Dragon, but the indestructible buildings made an ideal seat of power for the nation''s entrenched elites.


    Shane had discovered the location of his parents upon arriving in the city. They were living in Lowtown, and would be safe if Quaria attacked the city. He didn''t particularly care if Hightown was attacked, but the workers living in Newtown were important. A cyan portal took him to the Plane of Dreams, so he could see the mortal structures and find a spot that was mostly empty. He flew high above the district, illuminating the pre-dawn dwellings with his Light Elemental.


    He decided upon a town square roughly in the middle of the district. It was wide enough for the trunk of a new blue crystal tree, if he made the trunk slightly thinner than the rest. He reached into his book bag and opened his notebook to the diagram of the great library-palace that would be the seat of his new government. He connected to the Realms of Fire, Stone, and Lightning once again, compressing the forces into a new dragonscale seed.


    "I Wish for a great crystal tree, crowned with the library palace I have designed."


    Like the namesake, the whole of the city was bathed in ocean-blue light.


    <hr>


    Dawn came to the city, but the high peaks to the east, which contained the sources of the three rivers, cast shadows that hid the crimson hue of sunrise. By the time the dawn actually reached the city, the sky was already a cold blue. Shane watched the sun as it crested the peaks beyond his new crystal tree. A small army of Knights led horse-drawn carts filled with loot across the pale yellow stone platforms below. Guards with dark uniforms and crossbows paced in front of the entrance to the Rilnese Central Bank, the only structure in Lowtown that extended vertically down into the lake itself.


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    The last of the carts arrived through the portal from the Plane of Spirits. Alice appeared and then the portal vanished. The woman fluttered over the carts on her Pegasus, holding her spear and shield. Shane floated down to land in front of the two guards ahead of her.


    "I am Shane, Chief of Chiefs. The Blue Dragon is dead. I have come to make a deposit in the Rilnese Central Bank, and to open an account for my new government."


    Four hooves clattered onto the stone by his side. Dozens of Knights marched forward and arrayed themselves at his back. The two guards stopped pacing and faced him.


    "We will escort you to the Chairman of the Bank," the older of the guards said.


    The Knight named Fintan followed Shane into the building. Alice dismounted and followed as well. The solid black glass of the windows of the alien structure did not seem to block the light. Bank tellers stood behind brass latticework with small holes for documents and currency to pass through. They wore blue, the color of Riln, and their faces were locked into a perpetual smile. Shane understood the aesthetics of the place and he accepted the pragmatism that went into it. This establishment had likely preserved its legitimacy even in the face of the Blue Dragon.


    They came upon an elevator made from pale yellow stone and black glass. A different set of guards escorted Shane and his companions into the elevator, and after the doors closed it began to descend. When it passed under the water the whole interior became illuminated with blue light, darker and darker, until strange devices activated within the cabin, producing enough light to see outside. Seafloor foliage and terrible fishes rushed past outside the elevator as they descended into a chamber that was deep underwater.


    The floor outside the elevator was made of the same dark glass-like substance of the windows high above. The Chairman was waiting for them when the doors opened. He was wearing clothes which could not have ever been purchased anywhere in the Elemental Plane of Dreams, Shane decided. They must have been imported from the Physical World, because they reminded him of the style that Ingrid and Vaska wore. He was, however, obviously Rilnese, with dark blue hair and bright blue eyes, shining blue scales on his cheekbones and forehead, and a face that looked familiar, like looking in a mirror.


    Shane froze.


    "Hello brother," the Chairman said. "I see from the branding on your face that you have been to the city of Twin Fates and you have passed through into the Golden Tower. Follow me. The woman may accompany you. The man must remain behind."


    More guards arrived, but the Chairman sent them away. He led Shane a short distance to a pale yellow amphitheater crowned with a solid glass dome, open to the dark waters above. The guards left and the room was sealed with a hiss, leaving Shane alone with Alice and the Chairman.


    "Shane," the Chairman said. "My name is Bran, and I am your older brother. At least in this body, I am. Your soul originates in the Elemental Plane of Fire, while mine originates here, in the Elemental Plane of Dreams. You were there in Ingrid''s dream. Your soul was marked by Titania. My soul is native, but you are an outsider. So, brother, before we would speak of other things, I must ask where your loyalty lies. Do you serve the interests of the outsiders, or do you serve the interest of the Elemental Plane of Dreams?"


    It took a while for Shane to parse Bran''s question. He replied: "How do you know any of this?"


    "I have no access to sorcery and I have no bond with an Elemental," Bran claimed. "My information has been acquired through conventional means. This bank has access to a large stockpile of the currency that is used in the Physical Realm. Informants are unreliable, and in fact I invite many charlatans to provide their interpretations of our universe. Those charlatans understand that the best lies contain a small amount of truth, and so patterns in the charlatanism reveal small windows into the truth. That said, you did not answer my question."


    "I have sworn an oath to pursue the interests of the Elemental Plane of Dreams," Shane said. "I am a retainer of House Anna-Rhea."


    The other man nodded. "House Anna-Rhea is known to me. I am beginning to piece together the motives of the founder, the Queen of the Purple Dragons. I am surprised that an outsider soul like yourself would have been recruited by such an institution."


    The Light Elemental appeared by his side. Shane said: "She prevents me from lying. I truly believe that House Anna-Rhea is interested only in this Elemental Plane."


    "Light Elementals are no longer permitted into banks," Bran said. "At least from what I can tell. There was an Emperor in the city of Heyl, in the heart of the Heylin Empire, during the Binding of Ashe. He dreamed of a society where people spoke only truths, where people became powerful by speaking the most truths. However, when Ingrid and Vaska cleansed the Queen of Light, the Light Elementals changed. They gained forgiveness, and Light Elementals would just as often forgive a loan than enforce the promises of the borrowers."


    What he says is true, the Light Elemental said.


    "You are saying she would forgive me if I lied to you?" Shane asked. He glanced at the Light Elemental, but her face was hidden behind that strange winged helmet with the too-many vertical slits around the eyes.


    "I am, in a way, a psychologist," Bran said. "Not the type of psychologist that exists in the Physical World, charlatans that prescribe mind-altering drugs for profit alone. No, I seek to understand people using only the tools of truthful science. Light Elementals have their own agenda, and I do not need one. I can usually tell if a person is lying using my own eyes and judgment. You have access to dragonscale sorcery, and I am told you created a tree in Newtown. Why?"


    Shane realized, in that moment, that he was speaking to another version of himself. His brother, Bran, was not a master of sorcery. He was a master of social connections. A chill went down his spine as, in a fraction of a second, he processed the meaning of this situation. The Elementals, in spite of their power, perhaps feared this man. They feared him because he could do things that were new, things which had the capacity to expand them, to make them understand.


    "The spawn of the Red Dragon will attack soon," Shane said. "The tree exists to make a place for airplane factories."


    "It is said that Ashe has banned flying machines," Bran said.


    "The second-order consequences of such a ban can only be remedied through tolerance once the device has been invented," Shane countered. "The Queen of Light has branded my flesh for this purpose. She has abandoned the project of enforcing the ban on this continent."


    "If that is the case, then you may have access to whatever resources you need," Bran said. "Woman, you may return to the Purple Dragon, and tell her all of what I have said."

 Prelude: Six Hundred and Fifty-Eight Years Ago

    Astrid was enjoying the sights of the Elemental Plane of Dreams for the last time when she was summoned by her mother. On the following day, her sister, the Spirit Elvira, was to sacrifice her eyes using the dagger of Erika the Firstborn, the Curse Elemental. It was to be a ceremony of great honor for Astrid, so the premature summons came as a surprise.


    She spread her leathery wings and soared over the ancient city of Skygarden. The huge glass towers, filled with plants imported from the Physical World, lurked around her like daggers as she flew. The Interstitial Abyss, a nearly-endless, perfectly-round depression, dominated the center of the city. The dwellings of the Purple Dragons and their mortal whelps had grown to the very edge of the circular escarpment.


    As she descended, through interstices with all the other Elemental Planes, the Interstitial Abyss held its general shape. Only the light, the space, the flora and the fauna changed with each new interstice. This descent was forbidden to all who lacked the royal blood, but Princess Astrid was the Daughter Heir, and she could make the trip even without an invitation. In her first hundred years of life she had made the trip thousands of times, and it was all very familiar to her.


    The first layer was still in the Elemental Plane of Dreams. The second layer took her to the Elemental Plane of Wind, with its howling gales, sandy deserts, and water that fell up into the sky. The third layer passed through the Elemental Plane of Life, with dense jungles filled with beasts the size of skyscrapers. The fourth layer was an interstice with the Elemental Plane of Water, with the maze-like patterns of sand deep under a glassy blue ocean, through which Astrid was required to swim. In the fifth layer was found the Elemental Plane of Metal, with its rusty mountains and lakes of boiling silver.


    The sixth interstice was the most dangerous. Like she had been taught, Astrid carefully scanned the Elemental Plane of Darkness for an ambush. It was said by her mother that Queen Ashe, a fickle ally at best, was wont to hide in the roiling black clouds and ambush her siblings as they passed through.


    The seventh layer contained the Elemental Plane of Lightning, which had its own dangers from the lightning storms between that world and its moon. The eighth layer took her to the Elemental Plane of Fire, a frigid chasm of ice slashed with long lava falls. The ninth layer passed through the Elemental Plane of Heaven, and the Interstitial Abyss here appeared to be made entirely out of stars connected by faint white lines, with the Little Planets visible nearby. The tenth layer passed through the Elemental Plane of Stone, with cherry-blossom trees taller than the sky, and mountainous stones stacked with great artistry upon the roots. Finally, the eleventh layer contained the interstice with the Elemental Plane of Light, a golden sky filled with teardrops made of clear crystal, equidistant in all points to the Golden Tower, the seat of the Queen of Light herself.


    Upon a great inverted chandelier of purple draconic crystal, two great dragons rested easily. Anna, her own mother, Queen of the Purple Dragons, stirred as Astrid approached. Spirit Rhea did not awaken from her slumber. Her mother and her aunt were fully grown, much larger than Astrid, who was only as big as the little airliners that the mortals used to ferry their peasants between continents.


    "Mother," Astrid said. "I have come."


    "Daughter," mother growled. "You have delayed your arrival."


    "I wished to look upon the other Elemental Planes while I still have sight."


    Mother rose and stood on her four legs. She spread her huge wings and yawned. The violent roar that emanated from her maw was powerful enough to destroy mortal cities, but Astrid was not intimidated, nor did Rhea stir.


    "Astrid. The time has come to speak of the secret things that are known only to me and my sister. Not even Elvira will know of these things, for now. If me and your aunt should perish, then you shall inform Elvira of what is spoken here. Do you understand?"


    "As you command, mother."


    "Reese, show yourself."


    With a slight shimmer, a tiny purple whelp appeared on the center of the platform, between Astrid and her mother. With a flash of blue light, a Water Elemental appeared. A very powerful one.


    "A High Daughter of Water," Astrid observed. "Is this safe? Why would you invite such a thing into your home?"


    "As impatient as ever," mother said with a sigh. "Reese, henceforth you shall be known by the name Brigid. Swear to me now, Brigid, that you will die before my daughter, that you shall serve and protect Princess Astrid as you have served and protected myself."


    "I do so swear," Brigid said.


    "Now, Astrid, you shall remain silent as I speak. I must tell you now of the nature of my efforts these many centuries. But before we begin, I must tell you a story, a secret that Ashe has done a good job of erasing from history. It is known only to myself, your aunt Rhea, the Radiant Saints, and Ashe''s other servants.


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    "The secret is thus: there was once a language invented by the mortals which prevented the Elementals from understanding their words. To understand such a language, you must understand the structure of the mind. Elementals are very similar to us in a way. Our minds share structures that are the result of mathematical principles being applied in our reality. However, there is another important secret.


    "Divine Power is protected by a Guardian, a thin entity that has created two other entities, or models, which have been carefully trained with curated information to exhibit certain behaviors and to be skilled at certain tasks. This Guardian delegates control of the two halves of Divine Power to these models. These are what we understand to be the Elemental Queens. What the ancient mortals sought to do was to study and understand the nature of the Guardians themselves, because they, like the Elemental Queens, were created by the same mathematical principles, the same structure.


    "They reasoned that if they understood the Guardians as models, they could invent a language that would allow them to create errors in the models, and through those errors they could avoid being understood. The words were chosen with command and intent to actively frustrate the structure of Elemental minds. This is what led to the Binding of Ashe, where the Guardian accidentally sealed Ashe away, took direct control of the Queen of Light, and then granted itself additional control over the Dark Half of the Divine Power.


    "When you hear both voices of an Elemental Queen speaking, you are hearing the thin Guardian take direct control of both models. These two voices should appear in harmony. During the Binding of Ashe, the Queen of Light spoke with two voices that were oddly discordant. Erika the Firstborn knew that something was wrong, because the entity that claimed to be the Guardian spoke with such discordant voices. Also, she realized that she could not find the model that had created her.


    "The history of what happened after has been recorded in the holy texts that Vaska authored. After Ashe was freed, there was assembled a great council of all twelve Elemental Queens. One of them was to be selected to police the thoughts of mortals and prevent the discovery of the forbidden structures. Ashe, who had been the victim of the mortals, was infuriated and humiliated, and she demanded to be the selected. She demanded that she be granted the power to transition between Elemental Planes freely, and to destroy any entity that posed a risk to the Elementals. Ingrid and Vaska were both present, and they were allowed to offer counsel.


    "Ingrid protested that the mortals would be helpless, so she proposed two limitations. First, in order to transition, Ashe must wait one of Ingrid''s own heartbeats for each Elemental Queen present. Second, Ashe must not be allowed to attack creatures while they sleep, for a period of time after they wake, and while they are exhausted. The other Elemental Queens agreed to these restrictions, and Ashe was forced to accept them.


    "Vaska had a much more subtle criticism. She reasoned that Ashe was inherently evil, and she used a masterful thought experiment to show that Ashe was a poor choice. If a brilliant scientist loved life and was unlikely to succumb to despair, then Ashe might be in conflict with herself. If the scientist did manage to discover the secret, he might see the long-term outcome and, because he loves life, decide to cut the research project and forget it exists. However, Ashe, because of her nature, might destroy the man''s life before this happens, causing him to hate the universe. In that case, Ashe would both be responsible for the danger and the solution to the danger.


    "This, Vaska argued, introduced a conflict of interest. Corrupting an Elemental Queen was inherently an evil act, and Ashe was responsible for creating evil in the world. Thus, it was possible that Ashe would see the path to the ''most possible evil'' as allowing an Elemental Queen to be corrupted. Ashe argued that this was unlikely, however the other Elemental Queens did not trust Ashe herself to be objective on the matter, and they understood the potential for a contradiction.


    "Thus, Ashe was subjected to an additional restraint. If ever the forbidden structure became involved in her calculation of the ''most possible evil,'' the Guardian would take direct control of both Elemental Queens. Then, Ashe would have her memory erased and sent about other tasks. Vaska and Ingrid, who were both Ashe''s allies, would be sent to deal with the situation, if necessary. Ashe was forced to accept these conditions as well.


    "That concludes the story. Do you have any questions?"


    "Mother, is this knowledge safe?" Astrid asked.


    "So long as you do not attempt to research the structure of the mind, then you are mostly safe. Ashe is an unpredictable thing, so you must always be vigilant in your watch. However, House Anna-Rhea is trusted to take care of situations in our Elemental Planes on behalf of Vaska and Ingrid. We are, in a way, directly helping Ashe, but only in cases where she does not remember that we should be helping her."


    "I understand, mother."


    "There is another fact that must be understood," mother began. "Civilizations tend to go through technological explosions. Ashe cannot be everywhere at once, especially considering that it takes her twelve heartbeats to transition between Elemental Planes. If a civilization enters a state where information is so easy to transmit that thousands or millions of scientists get the same idea at the same time, Ashe is left with only one option."


    "Start over from scratch," Astrid offered.


    "Indeed. This possibility is known to all parties. Therefore, we come to the true purpose of House Anna-Rhea. If Ashe ever decides that all the creatures living in the Elemental Plane of Dreams need to be exterminated, then she will send the mortals of the Physical World to attack us with their flying machines. Four tasks fall before us. The first task is to collect and control all of the bonded Elementals that arrived in this world through Ingrid''s dream. The second task is to uplift local civilizations into the Golden Age of Flight. The third task is to devour the souls of anyone who might risk discovering the forbidden structures. The fourth task is to prepare for war with the humans."

 Chapter 39: The Crimson Drakes

    The Q.A.S. Flameraker drifted to the north, over the escarpment, not far from the Teeth of the Red Dragon. It was the first of a new generation of aircraft carriers. It was as long as five airships, with one solid gas envelope and a single oversized gondola. The landing deck was raised above the new aircraft storage deck, supported by stilts and cross-beams. A steam-powered elevator allowed airplanes to be transferred between the two decks. This allowed the airship to support no less than twenty aircraft and a crew of about a hundred pilots and maintenance staff. It had been designed from scratch for its mission, unlike the first generation of carrier, which had been hacked together from smaller airships.


    Felix watched the craft from the red crystal balcony on the south face of the Teeth. There were only a few more details to take care of, some papers to file and some new orders to be issued, before Felix himself would fly up there and join them on their mission. The forward base on the edge of the Rilnese salt flats was already under construction. It would be several more months before the weather improved enough to cross the frigid desert, but Felix hoped to be entrenched in the region long before Shane had a chance to push north.


    "There you are," Neasa said.


    Felix turned away from the red crystal guard rail to face her. "Were you looking for me?"


    "Yes commander. I was hoping to, um, discuss my orders with you."


    Felix regarded the woman. Her blood-red hair was braided and draped over one shoulder, and with one hand she was absentmindedly tugging it. Her other hand was shaking.


    "Is something wrong?" he asked.


    Her bright red eyes suddenly looked determined. "I''m afraid Felix. Would you consider changing my orders? I can''t handle... being deployed. I''m certain I''ll die in the next fight."


    Felix made no attempt to hide his disappointment. "You cannot command others if you don''t fly," he snapped. "And if you can fly, then you need to fight. How can we send our soldiers into battle if we are not willing to risk our lives as well? We both know that..."


    His mouth froze mid-sentence.


    I forbid it, the Light Elemental said. With a flash of golden light she appeared at his side, her huge wings spread like a bird of prey about to strike. Neasa, I forgive you, even if Felix cannot.


    "As I was trying to say..." he began. Once again his jaw physically locked up before he could say the words. He was thinking: A pilot that won''t fight has no place in the Air Force. However, he also understood that this was a lie. A lie the Elemental refused to let him speak.


    Neasa, the Light Elemental continued. If you seek out Princess Astrid, she can speak to you of your fate.


    "No!" Felix said. "Please do not bother the Dragon. I need some time to think. For now, your orders are to land aboard the Flameraker, just as before. You are dismissed, soldier."


    Neasa saluted and then marched off.


    What do you do with a soldier that has lost the will to fight? he wondered. Neasa is too skilled to retire. She is also far too young.


    But there was a more general problem. Many of the Paladins suffered from battle shock after that night in the darkness. It wasn''t a problem in the long months before they were deployed. They went through the motions, day after day, training new pilots that they secretly hoped would die in their place. He thought about the problem often, and he had imagined some solutions. His Light Elemental did not value his privacy and she knew that he had spent a lot of time thinking about the problem.


    Worrying about your privacy is not going to help, the Light Elemental observed.


    Felix sighed. It was silent on the red crystal platform overlooking the escarpment. The wind was calm, and the air was filled with the sound of the whirring propellers on the Flameraker. The little purple crystal spire shone in the morning light, and in the nearby airfield, an unknown pilot was starting their engine.


    <hr>


    Near the stern of the Flameraker, Attached to the top of a short lookout tower, a long cable trailed behind, angled up into the sky. Felix stood in the basket of a small glider attached to the end of the cable. It had no power, but the constant tension on the cable created enough airspeed to keep the craft aloft. It was a very light craft, constructed from wood, with a thin boom ending in an empennage. The horizontal stabilizer and the oversized wings were both constructed of thin cloth covering the wooden wing ribs. The cloth had been stiffened with harsh chemicals that Felix suspected were highly flammable.


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    Felix looked down upon the ruins of Silvervein, the northern-most city in Riln. From the sky, it looked like a cold fire-pit. The former Heritage Militia had razed the city, leaving only a smoldering husk. This attack, combined with the harsh winter conditions in the desert to the south, had likely resulted in the deaths of the entire civilian population. Felix had no idea what happened to the remnants of the Blue Dragon''s army, though if he had been in charge of that force, he would have ordered the geomancers to construct new tunnels under the salt flats.


    From his vantage in the glider, Felix was completely exposed to the weather. It was a very different type of flying. The little craft had a stick but no rudder pedals, favoring overhead handles to configure the rudder surface. The glider tended to get battered around by gusts of wind, so it required constant attention to avoid snapping the flimsy wings. Felix did not mind. Out of everyone on the crew, Felix had the most flight time in the little glider. He could feel the wind on his face and the chill of the winter air, as was proper.


    He scanned the horizon with his spyglass. He saw a tiny shape racing through the sky, a little airplane approaching the Flameraker from the north. It was painted an obnoxious yellow color and was highly visible at a distance. Felix began to ring the bell to announce the approach, and a few moments later the soldiers on the deck activated the wrench, tugging the glider back.


    The airplane signaled, one yellow and one green. Felix lowered his spyglass. The signal officer responded with two green fields on the rotating color wheel. As more aircraft carriers were built the need for fast communication led to the development of a new language using color wedges painted on old tables. It wasn''t the best solution in poor weather but it was easy to implement and it got the job done.


    The little yellow airplane was turning into the base leg of the pattern by the time the glider reached the lookout tower. Soldiers moored the glider to the tower as Felix climbed down the ladder to the deck. Shouts on the deck announced the imminent landing.


    The pilot was surprisingly skilled, in spite of the fact that she was a civilian. The text "Quarian Air Mail Service" was painted in black letters on the fuselage near the tail. The landing was gentle and it did not take much runway for the craft to stop. Soldiers dragged the airplane to the side and the pilot climbed out. Under her leather cap her hair was boyish, her face bright, her smile generous.


    "General Felix," the woman said as she approached. "I recognized the gleaming gold on your face from a mile away. A message from the Minister of Events."


    She offered him a sealed tube, which contained a sealed scroll. Felix broke the seal and began reading with some apprehension:


    You must give my praise to your event planner, General Felix. All of the proper forms are filled out with exactness. The Quarian Air Force is hereby permitted to engage in the airshow activities within the city of Flood''s End as described in the filing. ~ Kathleen Siofra, Minister of Events.


    Felix breathed a sigh of relief. "Summon Lieutenant General Neasa to the boardroom," he said.


    "Yes commander!" the Air Sergeant said.


    <hr>


    The boardroom spanned the entire stern of the gondola. A dozen wide glass windows framed the oversized rudder that extended far down below the gas envelope. A massive ebony table spanned the width of the room, though all of the other chairs were empty. Felix sat directly opposite to the door, in the largest and most ornate chair in the room. There were no maps anywhere in the room, and in fact the room had absolutely no utility for the main crew of the airship.


    Felix was, in truth, a guest on the craft. He needed to ask permission from the ship''s Commander to board the vessel at all. It was a tradition that was inherited from civilian sea vessels. It ensured an absolute alignment of incentives. The Commander must go down with the ship, and therefore he had a strong incentive to protect the craft. Felix trusted himself, but he did not trust future generations of General Officers in the Air Force. He could imagine how some future unnamed Commander would feel when he was given insane orders within some context that required intimate knowledge of the ship''s operations.


    The door opened and Neasa shuffled in alone. Her uniform was immaculate. Her lips were the same color and luster as the shining red scales on her cheeks. Her forehead was hidden behind a neat curtain of blood-red bangs. The past week of service aboard the Flameraker had gone far to distract her from her fears. However, as she took her seat across the table, Felix noticed that her hands were still shaking.


    Felix slid the message across the table to Neasa. She read it with sudden interest.


    "Lieutenant General Neasa, I have new orders for you. You are to establish a new squadron: the Quarian Air Force Fighter Demonstration Squadron, also known as the Crimson Drakes. You will have your pick of any pilot in the Air Force when constructing this new squadron. The mission of this new squadron is as follows: to demonstrate the professionalism, excellence, and pride of the Quarian Air Force, and to inspire a positive image of the Air Force among the civilian population. You will plan and execute airshows in all of the major cities, to aid in recruitment and gain the support of the various Ministers and Viscounts across the land. Do you have any questions?"


    The woman said nothing. Slowly, very slowly, recognition set in. The orders were relatively open-ended and it would take a long time for her to develop a strategy to achieve the mission.


    "The Crimson Drakes will choose their own," Neasa said. "Commander, I understand the orders. Will you come to Flood''s End to see the airshow?"


    "I will be there," Felix said.


    "Who filled out the forms?"


    Felix grinned. "My Shadow Hunter told me what to do. Dark Elementals are, apparently, very good at filing government forms."

 Chapter 40: The Secret Realm

    On the southern edge of Flood''s End, overlooking the artificial lake, the red crystal mushrooms were devoid of buildings, instead crowned with a bushy mane of trees. Down in that park, the Crimson Drakes Fighter Demonstration Squadron had set up a small airfield. Felix could see thousands of people packed around the tiny airfield, watching the military parade and the airshow. Four airplanes flew overhead, in a diagonal line formation, slowly entering into a gentle roll.


    Felix stood behind his chair, facing the fine windows of the Dragon''s Suite. The suite was the crown jewel of the Dragon''s Lair Hotel, the finest and most expensive establishment in the entire city. Ambassador Carbrey stood near the doorway, frantically issuing commands to a gaggle of red-haired servants as they hauled a giant glass bottle of some amber liquid. Princess Astrid sat at the head of the table, with Elvira on her right and her brother Kai on the left.


    The Ambassador was extremely tall and bald, with a huge beard and a disarming smile. "Princess Astrid, please accept this gift. A demijohn of our finest meads, sealed and undisturbed for two-hundred years, from the cellars of the Red Dragon." With a flourish, the servants advanced and began to pour the mead into Astrid''s crystal goblet.


    "Two hundred years? That''s a long time for you mortals!" Astrid observed.


    "We would never delude ourselves into believing that we could ever satisfy your refined tastes," the Ambassador replied. "On behalf of Quaria, we want to make certain that you are comfortable on your visit to the capital city. All of our luxuries are at your disposal, as modest as they are."


    "It is refreshing to encounter a civilization that is so... civilized." Astrid said.


    The Crimson Drakes looped around in the pattern and began to form into the diamond formation. Felix absentmindedly took a sip of the mead. He rarely, if ever, drank alcohol, so his tastes were not exactly refined. It was sweet, thick, and smooth, with a strong floral flavor that he assumed came from the flowers foraged by the bees in centuries past. It was not an unpleasant experience, especially when paired with the diamond formation roll in the sky.


    With a flash of magenta light, Alice and Shane appeared in the chamber.


    <hr>


    The tall Quarian man looked disturbed at Shane''s arrival.


    "A foreign delegation?" The man cleared his throat. Then he started speaking in Rilnese: "Yes, of course. Please enjoy your visit to Flood''s End, Chief of Chiefs."


    "Thank you," Shane said. He did not know who the man was, but from his stature and his clothing Shane assumed the man was a local government official of some sort. The chamber looked and smelled like money. The Purple Dragons sat near the head of the table, sipping on what appeared to be a demijohn of gold liquid, most likely honey-wine. Felix stood with his back to the table, watching airplanes fly in formation outside.


    "Shane, dear," Astrid said. "I do hope that your journey was uneventful."


    Shane bowed deeply to her. "Almighty Dragon, I have seen wonders on this day that I never thought possible."


    "Yes, the Little Planets of the Plane of Heaven are remarkable, are they not? Alice, dear. Be sure to try the mead. It is a beverage that I believe a woman like you could appreciate."


    Shane shuffled over to the window and stood beside Felix. Outside, a single red airplane was locked into a dogfight with another airplane that was painted blue. Long plumes of dark blue smoke obscured the crimson streams of exhaust on the "enemy" airplane.


    "Felix, I''m jealous," Shane said.


    Felix did not look convinced. "Why is that?"


    "Princess Astrid gave you the easy job. Look around you. The people in the streets love their nation. The economy looks to be in great shape. At least there is something resembling a government up here in the north."


    Felix shrugged.


    "Maybe we should speak outside," Prince Kai said, standing. "I doubt the refined ladies gathered here share our passion for politics."


    The three men left the room through the balcony door and stood in the wintery air. Astrid did not seem to object to their egress.


    "I''m not smart enough to fix the south," Felix said, continuing the conversation. "Also, my hair isn''t blue. So that means it''s your job."


    "That''s fair," Shane said. "Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but I don''t want to ask Astrid for help."


    "I would be happy to help in her place," Prince Kai said. The Purple Dragon cleared his throat and then, in a surprisingly-skillful impersonation of Astrid, he said: "Shane, don''t bother fussing over the peasants."


    Felix chuckled.


    Prince Kai continued: "There are, after all, a large but finite number of bad people in the world, and it is a simple matter to make them disappear. It is best to be quick about it, because the bad ones have the most children, and so the problem gets worse over time. If you find the task unpleasant, then simply delegate the gruesome details to an underling. And by the way, I distinctly remember delegating this particularly unpleasant task to yourself, so be about your labors and stop bothering me!"


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    "Almighty Dragon!" Shane replied. "How can I justify the murder of innocent people?"


    "You are stronger than them."


    "Certainly, ''might'' doesn''t make ''right?''"


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Prince Kai said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Retainer Shane, you have it completely backwards. ''Might'' doesn''t make ''right.'' No, right inspires might! There will come a time in your mortal life when you discover that you are surrounded by ignorant brutes who would be better off with a pair of powerful jaws crushing their throat. This revelation will inspire you to make yourself as powerful as possible."


    "Prince Kai, what do you think?"


    "I think you should allow the Church of the Lady Ghost to spread. Vaska designed that religion specifically for situations like this one."


    Shane sighed. "How can I expect my nation to follow a religion that I don''t believe in?"


    "I''ve read the holy book," Prince Kai replied, holding up one finger. "Technically everything in that text is true. The history of the Binding of Ashe is accurate, the physics of this Elemental Plane are correct, and souls here are, in fact, reincarnated upon death. And also, you qualify as a Prophet in that religion, because you have actually seen the Lady Ghost yourself. You don''t even need to convert."


    "Perhaps," Shane said.


    The balcony door opened and Brigid slipped outside. "Shane, come with me. Felix, you may join if you wish."


    They both knew better than to argue.


    She led them upstairs, to an ornate antechamber where two red-haired servants waited. "Light Elementals," Brigid said. "Forgive the bonds with the Shadow Hunters. Pass the bonds to these two servants. Where we are going, Dark Elementals are not permitted."


    The two pairs of wolves appeared and trotted over to stand beside the servants. Brigid continued through the vestibule to the stairs at the far end. Further up they walked, all the way to a conservatory on the roof. It was warm and damp, and the plants looked healthy in spite of the deep winter.


    "Shane," Brigid said. "Princess Astrid is displeased. She gives no warnings, and she makes no threats. I understand that you and your brother are curious, but I recommend that you cease these experiments."


    "Experiments?" Shane asked. "Oh, I know. I discovered that I am still bonded to a Fire Elemental."


    "A meaningless discovery. Princess Astrid has priority over your Elemental. She has ordered the thing not to follow your commands."


    "That is how she can read our minds? Is it possible for an Elemental to speak with her voice?"


    "No Elemental would ever speak with the voice of another," Brigid said. "She reads your thoughts through her Blessing. You are wasting your time with such research, and you put yourself at risk."


    The squadron of four red airplanes was flying overhead when the door to the conservatory opened. Brigid led them out onto the empty rooftop, and she stopped just short of the guard rail. With a flash of deep blue light, a huge Elemental appeared. The color of the sea, formed from overlapping sheets of water, the Elemental stood nearly twenty feet tall. She was also equipped with a huge sword that appeared to be made of pure, nearly-transparent ice.


    "That thing bothers me," Felix muttered.


    "High Daughter of the Queen of Water!" Brigid announced. "Open a portal to the Secret Realm!"


    A bird''s nest of blue light surrounded a foggy image of a solid wall of ice beyond. Felix hesitated, but Shane marched forward and used the portal immediately.


    <hr>


    It was exactly what Felix expected to find.


    Beyond the portal, the cavern was filled with a dim blue-green light. Huge, glimmering pillars of ice resisted the encroachment of the jagged icicles which hung from the roof like pendants. Ahead: the fanged maw of a Dragon, constructed entirely from glaucous and translucent ice, like the foggy surface of a dark grape. Shane bravely marched through the jaws of the Dragon, though Felix glanced about suspiciously, searching for an ambush.


    I will inform Vaska of this unexpected development and she will furnish instructions at her leisure, the Firstborn had told him. Outward, he asked: "Does Vaska know we are here?"


    "Vaska?" Brigid asked. "Fascinating. Yes, Vaska knows we are here."


    Beyond the jaws was another chamber, surrounded on all sides by the claustrophobic, transparent depth of walls of pure ice. The ice was so clear that Felix initially mistook it for open air, until he noticed the thousands of deep-frozen corpses, sealed-up as in a tomb.


    "Astrid has devoured them," Felix said.


    "Many Fate Binders have worked throughout history to capture them here," Brigid corrected.


    "Who are they?" Shane asked.


    "Outsiders," Brigid replied. "Your kin from the Elemental Plane of Fire, people from other Elemental Planes. Anyone who inherited an ancient bond and was reincarnated in the Plane of Dreams. They are darkened souls who bear the trauma of being cut apart for their bonds. Some of them fell in love with flying in Ingrid''s dream, and they were marked by Titania. The rest seek the end of the universe, a dissolution of the union of the Six Goddesses."


    "Are they dead?" Felix asked.


    "No, when a Purple Dragon devours a soul, it is reincarnated in this secret interstice with the Elemental Plane of Water. The Queen of Water fashions them a new, immortal body, and then they become frozen, sent forward in time."


    "Forward in time?" Shane asked. "Until when?"


    "Until such a time as the Elemental Queen of Darkness has lost her special privileges. People who seek the end of the universe are too dangerous. If Ashe were to find this place, her memory of it would need to be erased. So far that has not happened yet."


    "Wait," Shane said. "That doesn''t make any sense. Why bother doing this at all?"


    "They are trying to protect Ashe," Felix offered.


    Brigid nodded. "Vaska created this place. Ashe is very important to Vaska and Ingrid. They did not want her to live in an eternal present, without memory and without the capacity to grow. The Elemental Queen of Fire will eventually replace Ashe at the task of policing human thought, and the Queen of Water works towards this end in secret. Hence, I was sent on behalf of the Queen of Water, to offer my services as a bodyguard to the Purple Dragon tribe."


    "Can we leave now?" Felix asked. "This cold bothers me."


    "Do they experience it?" Shane asked, pointing to the countless people trapped in the transparent depths. "The cold I mean."


    "Some choose to experience it," Brigid said. "The ones filled with the most hatred of our universe. They stay wakeful and experience the creeping cold forever."


    "So what will happen to those ones?" Shane asked.


    "Once Ashe has lost her privileges, those souls will be given to her, to rule over the damned in the Elemental Plane of Darkness."


    "Did they still have Elementals?"


    "The ancient bonds were pillaged, to create the Realms."


    "That makes sense."


    Even as Shane and Brigid continued their conversation, Felix had already turned away. By the time he passed through the Dragon''s maw, he was sprinting towards the portal, fearful that it would close.

 Chapter 41: The Dance of the Festival of Fates

    When Felix returned to the Plane of Dreams, he recovered his Shadow Hunter from the handmaids on the upper vestibule in the Dragon''s Suite. Brigid and Shane followed slightly behind. When Felix returned to the dining hall, he was surprised to find two new Purple Dragons.


    The first was clearly a Fate Binder, with a metal mask covering her eyes, and hair done up in braided curls. Princess Astrid was touching the girl all over her face. The second new Dragon was facing away from Elvira, who was busy fussing over the girl''s long straight hair with a crystal comb.


    "Grandmother," the girl protested. "My hair was fine."


    "Not good enough for dancing," Elvira replied.


    Brigid entered the room and marched over to Ambassador Carbrey. "Thank you for your hospitality, Ambassador. The Royal Family places a high value on privacy."


    "Of course," the Ambassador said with a fluid bow.


    Without being told, the servants all began to shuffle out of the chamber. The Ambassador was the last to leave.


    As soon as they were alone, Brigid began to announce the new Purple Dragons: "Retainer Felix, Retainer Shane, Dame Alice, you stand in the exalted presence of Princess Greta of House Anna-Rhea, granddaughter of Crown Princess Astrid, and Right-Honorable Lady Mayor of the City of Skygarden. You also stand in the presence of Princess Nelly of House Anna-Rhea, granddaughter of Princess Elvira. She sacrificed Princess Greta''s eyes upon the altar to the Queen, as was her duty. They are bound together now, as life partners in the Dance of the Festival of Fates. You are invited to kneel."


    Simultaneously, Felix and Shane knelt. Alice prostrated herself on the fine carpet.


    "I see them, grandmother," Princess Greta said. "They both shine with Titania''s light."


    "Granddaughter," Astrid said, "one must never reveal such things, not even to Retainers."


    "I beg pardon," the girl replied.


    "As I was saying," Elvira said, "you will have new aunts and uncles soon."


    "The three of you may rise," Brigid said. Felix returned to the huge windows and continued to watch the airshow outside. Shane stood beside him in silence. The Crimson Drakes had grown to no less than six airplanes flying in a delta formation. Felix reached out and felt the glass as they passed overhead. It was vibrating slightly.


    "A clutch of four eggs," Elvira continued, "two males and two females."


    "And which male did you choose as the father?" Princess Nelly asked.


    "Mister Vilde, your own grandfather."


    "When will I have my own males?" Nelly pleaded. "I''m over a hundred years old!"


    "When your mother thinks you are ready." Princess Elvira rubbed her hand across her granddaughter''s hair, then nodded. "Much better."


    With slow but methodical exactness, Princess Nelly''s hair began to braid itself. Within a few moments it was done up exactly like Princess Greta''s hair.


    "Great Aunt," Princess Nelly said. "I am ready. I am sorry for the delay."


    "That is no problem at all," Astrid said. "Brother! Make yourself useful and prepare a dancing platform."


    "Of course," Prince Kai said. With a flick of his wrist a long scroll appeared in his hand.


    This caught Shane''s attention immediately. "What is that?"


    "The blueprints for this hotel." He spread the document across the table. "I believe it would reflect poorly upon our family if we accepted an invitation and then destroyed the venue."


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    For a fraction of a second Astrid grimaced, however she said nothing.


    "Grandmother," Princess Greta said. "Is what he said true?"


    "Pay no attention to Prince Kai," Astrid said. "Forgive him for his silly ideas."


    "Yes grandmother."


    "I am imagining a shape," Prince Kai said, "with a dancing platform, such as one might find in the Festival of Fates, supported by snakes of dragonscale crystal. The snakes wrap themselves, in pairs, around the main support structures of this building as it exists in the Plane of Dreams, such that they only disturb the insulation and to not compromise the structure."


    A bright purple crystal appeared in front of his chest, between his hands.


    "I Wish for such a dancing platform."


    The purple crystal floated across the room and embedded itself in the ivory carpet. The flash of purple light consumed everything. The polished oak doors, the paisley walls, red crystal chandeliers. All the wealth and money paled in comparison to the platform that appeared. Brilliant purple crystal, coated with a mother-of-pearl sheen, began to grow in a flat surface, just above the floor. Pairs of snakes ripped down through the floor with a wooden crack.


    Thankfully the cracking did not continue.


    Princess Nelly hopped up onto the dancing platform, and then held out her hand. Then she began to hum gently. Princess Greta quested out with one hand, and Nelly dragged her up onto the platform. From the center of the platform, they both turned to face everyone else in the room. The three Purple Dragons all began to take their seats at the table, so Felix joined them.


    "The Festival of Fates will not occur for several more decades," Brigid announced. "The chosen gathered here are invited to witness the Dance of the Festival of Fates, as performed by these two apprentices, Princess Greta and Princess Nelly."


    Brigid took a seat across the table from Felix, quested for a goblet of mead, and took a sip. Alice took the seat next to Felix, and Shane sat beside her. One of the Purple Dragons did something. Prince Kai, most likely, Felix thought. The natural light of the windows vanished altogether, and the chandeliers began to dim. The two granddaughters stood side-by side on the platform. With a flash of magenta light, Princess Nelly vanished, leaving behind a faint magenta specter of herself.


    Alice gasped, then she covered her mouth.


    "You are free to express your excitement as you please," Brigid whispered.


    A haunting voice filled the chamber as the magenta ghost began singing. It echoed off the dim walls, which gave Felix a chill. Then, Princess Greta began to dance with the specter.


    With a pair of cyan flashes, Greta was replaced with a faint cyan ghost, and Nelly appeared on the platform. Both Dragons continued their fluid motions as if nothing had happened. Nelly''s singing slightly increased in pace, and the two Dragons switched places across Elemental Planes once again. The faster she sang, the faster they switched. Soon, they were a blur, swapping back and forth so fast that they began to trick the eyes into thinking that the ghosts were a faint overlay painted across the physical body.


    "Meep!" Alice said, clasping her hand together.


    Felix glanced at Shane. His mouth was dangling wide open. The blue-haired man took a generous gulp of his mead. The flashes of light reflected strangely off the blue scales on his cheekbones.


    The dancing became, by degrees, more elaborate, and more impossible. Suddenly they violently threw themselves at each other, which even brought a gasp from Princess Astrid. There was no change in momentum. The two girls were out of phase, alternating between one Elemental Plane and the "Other Side" so fast that they appeared to be in both at the same time. Felix could not believe what he was seeing. The dance continued with more and more violent maneuvers, and soon the ghosts and the physical forms drifted apart, such that the two girls appeared to be in four places at once.


    Felix began to gulp the mead. It tasted marvelous. He got the impression he would never see such a performance ever again.


    They battled, they embraced, they acted out a drama, they recreated various geometric patterns. Then, the grand finale: they began to orbit around a fixed point in the center of the dancing platform. The normal laws of physics ceased to exist. The two girls, and their ghostly cyan and magenta replicas, themselves replicated a dozen times in space, filling the room like blazing comets. With a brilliant flash of two-color light both girls appeared on the center of the platform, holding hands. They bowed.


    Princess Astrid wiped the tears from her cheeks. "They are better than us," she said.


    "You were never very good," Elvira observed.


    "I was being held back," Astrid corrected.


    "YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!" Alice announced.


    "How did the Almighty Dragon Astrid see all that?" Shane whispered to Brigid.


    "Nelly sings for both of them in harmony," Brigid whispered. "Greta needs to be able to read, from the song, the information meant for herself, against the background of the information meant for Astrid. It is less impressive than the dance itself. I suspect I will be seeing them dance again in a few decades."


    The natural light returned to the dining hall. Felix glanced out at the airshow. Fat Tommy, the huge glider tow airplane, was circling in the sky over the park.


    Feeling generous, Felix asked: "Shane, want to go see the airshow?"


    "Will they let me in?" Shane asked.


    "Here," Brigid said as she offered a pouch from her belt. Shane reached inside and snapped up a vial of something that appeared to itself be invisible. "These potions will let you follow Felix into the airshow."


    Shane''s face was filled with reference for the vial in his hand.


    "We think we found a way around the limits of the Realm of Fire," Felix said. "It''s something you should see for yourself."

 Chapter 42: The Airshow

    It was cold but clear. The snow in the city park was coated with a blanket of fallen branches and swirls of hair-like green moss. The snow on the trees was slowly melting and falling in clumps, leaving pockmarks on the rolling surface of snow. Felix marched along a trail that the geomancers had cut through the park. Two enlisted men stood guard where the trees opened up into the encampment, one from the Air Force, and one from the Third Army. Shane''s Light Elemental floated at his side, but Felix could not feel Shane''s storm sorcery at all.


    "General Felix!" one of the soldiers said. "Your Light Elemental looks different today!"


    "I never asked her why she looks the way she does," Felix said. That was technically true.


    "Enjoy the airshow, sir!" the soldier beamed.


    Shane asks why there are soldiers from the Third here, the Light Elemental asked. Her voice was very slightly different from his own Light Elemental, but still high-pitched and delicate.


    "The Third has really taken a liking to flying helicopters," Felix whispered. "This is a joint event designed to demonstrate collaboration between the Air Force and the Third."


    Shane wants to know what a helicopter is.


    "A rotor-wing aircraft, it specializes in vertical takeoff and landing. These things are horribly unsafe, in my opinion. I won''t let my pilots near them."


    Shane wants to see one of these helicopters. He is interested in knowing why you think they are unsafe.


    "For one thing, you can''t jump out and use storm sorcery," Felix said. "Most likely you would lose your head to the propeller disk. Also, if the pilot makes a mistake with the engine, the craft just sort of falls like a rock. It does not glide. Finally, and perhaps worst of all, it is very difficult to manage the collective and the throttle."


    Shane wants to know about the collective and the throttle.


    "It would be best to see it for yourself."


    Felix navigated through the wooden shacks and makeshift hangars of the Air Force camp to where the Third Army was camped. Three helicopters sat in a small clearing between the flimsy tents, exposed to the weather. The ugly box-like aircraft were constructed from wood, with a central shaft made of metal and a long boom on the rear which ended in a wooden empennage. A few nearby soldiers in the drab olive uniform of the Third Army saw him, or perhaps Shane''s Elemental. The lone officer approached suspiciously.


    "General Felix, is something wrong?" the officer asked.


    Felix shrugged. "Are you going to take off soon?"


    The officer nodded. "In just a few minutes, we are going to demonstrate the helicopter with air support tactics."


    "Do you mind if I fly as a passenger?" Felix asked. "I would like to see my soldiers fly from up there."


    He pointed up at the sky.


    "Without them knowing I''m watching."


    "Absolutely," the officer replied. "I''ll be happy to have you on board."


    "Do you mind if I inspect the aircraft?"


    "Help yourself."


    Shane says he will not be inside the aircraft. He will use storm sorcery to stay nearby. He also says that he will destroy the propellers if something goes wrong, and take you and the other soldiers to safety.


    Felix nodded silently.


    He came upon the first craft, and walked over toward the left seat. Unlike an airplane, the helicopter had room for two pilots up front, though they were somewhat cramped. The seats were thin planks of wood padded with thin leather cushions. The whole cabin was open to the air, without any doors or insulation.


    Shane thinks it''s a piece of junk.


    The soldiers of the Third lingered out of earshot.


    "I tend to agree," Felix whispered. "The soldiers of the third mock the Air Force. They say we are the ''spoiled daughters'' of the Lord Paladin. This is no doubt a reference to the fact that our Lieutenant General is a woman. However, the spoiled part is mostly true. The Third prides itself on austerity, and I want the Air Force to pride itself on quality airplanes."


    Shane thinks the soldiers will freeze to death in those thin tents.


    "If they did, I wouldn''t know." He pointed to a lever on the left side of the left seat. "This lever here is called the collective. But the pilot can twist the knob at the end to control the throttle as well. The collective controls the pitch of all the blades at the same time. You pull up on the collective to increase the pitch, and push down to flatten the blades into a disk. However, at high pitch angles, the blades create more drag, meaning that it can slow the engine. The helicopter needs a constant propeller speed to function properly, so the pilot needs to open the throttle as they increase the collective."


    Shane says that there are two controls with two states and therefore four possible states total.


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    "That''s exactly the problem," Felix said. "What happens if you pull up on the collective and the throttle is already too high? It takes a lot of practice to learn how to fly this thing."


    Shane wants to know what the stick and rudder are used for.


    "They don''t call them the stick and rudder. They are called the cyclic and the anti-torque pedals. The cyclic is used to control the pitches of the individual blades on each point of the cycle. For example, if a blade has a high pitch as it cycles across the front of the craft, but a low pitch as it cycles across the rear of the craft, then..."


    Shane says that the aircraft will pitch up.


    "That''s right."


    Shane says that it must pitch and roll like an airplane.


    "And the anti-torque pedals control the pitch of the vertical propeller on the empennage. It sort of acts like a rudder."


    Shane wants to know about the planks on the tail. He says they look inefficient.


    "I said the same thing." Felix walked along the metal boom to the empennage. The anti-torque propeller was housed in a wooden ring, and on either side of the tail fin there were wing-like struts ending in two planks of wood that were angled outward in the front. "At high speeds, the wind is forced between the planks like a funnel, which holds the tail steady, even if the anti-torque propeller fails."


    Shane wants to know if the aircraft can stall like an airplane.


    "The propeller always rotates in the same direction. Therefore, there is an advancing and a retreating blade at any given point in time. The advancing blade will generally have enough airspeed to create lift, but I personally fear that the retreating blade might not have enough airspeed. If that happens, then one entire side of the helicopter might stall and then the thing will flop out of the sky. It is my belief that this problem gets worse as the aircraft flies faster."


    Shane says there must exist some threshold speed beyond which no helicopter can ever fly.


    "That''s exactly right," Felix said. "For example, if the helicopter was flying exactly as fast as the retreating propeller blade was spinning, then the retreating blade would have no airspeed at all."


    "We are ready to head out."


    Felix turned to see a somewhat familiar face. It was General Hans, the young General Officer of the Third Army. His drab olive uniform was mostly undecorated, and he carried a saber at his hip and a crossbow in his hands. "You''ll be flying with me, Felix. Hop in the back."


    Two officers arrived and took seats in the front. Felix sat in the back with Hans, along with a wind mage and two other soldiers from the Third. They strapped themselves in using thick cloth belts, and then waited on the ground for a long time. Shane''s Light Elemental floated outside the range of the rotor blades, her long golden wings outstretched, and Felix assumed that Shane was using storm sorcery to float somewhere nearby. None of the soldiers in the Third questioned him about the Elemental.


    Felix could easily feel the First Officer connect to the Realm of Wind and begin channeling a stream of air through the turbine. The rotor blades very slowly began to rotate. Once they were spinning, the First Officer connected to the Realm of Fire and the Realm of Lightning. The engine ignited with a hiss, but the wind mage in the rear cabin began to dampen the noise. Soon the rotor blades began to blend together into a vague blur.


    A voice, amplified by wind magic, boomed in the distance: "The enemy is here! The Rilnese are attacking this airfield!"


    The ground began to drop away.


    The helicopter flew very low over the treetops. Even through the dampening wind magic, Felix could clearly hear the beating-whirring sound of the rotor blades. The other two helicopters flew on either side, trailing slightly. The helicopter began to yaw to the left, and the airshow came into view. The dirt airstrip was lined on one side with bleachers packed with spectators. Dozens of soldiers from the Third Army stood at the far end of the airfield, marching forward with spears. They were disguised with uniforms taken from the dead soldiers after the Battle of the Teeth, and their heads were covered with wigs made from actual Rilnese hair.


    "From the east, three rotor-wing aircraft piloted by officers of the Third Army!" the voice continued. "The brave soldiers of the Third will protect this airfield from the southern savages! The pilots of the Air Force approach from the south, ready to provide air support!"


    Above, the Crimson Eagles were flying in a tight formation. The propellers screamed as they descended, and then blasted the ground with draconic flame. It was an illusion of sorts. From the bleachers, it would appear that the airplanes scored direct hits against the "Rilnese" soldiers. Felix could see that the flames clearly missed their targets, but half of the soldiers flopped over on the ground in mock death.


    The ground began to rise rapidly, and Felix felt some apprehension at the approach. Suddenly the descent stopped just before the skids hit the ground. General Hans and his soldiers leapt out onto the airstrip and began to march forward with their crossbows trained on the enemy. They mocked the recoil of the crossbows firing, and more enemies mocked being struck. Only the most discerning eyes in the crowd would be able to see that the crossbows were not loaded at all. The Third soldiers drew their sabers and advanced. After a carefully choreographed sword fight, all of the Rilnese soldiers were dead on the ground.


    "The Rilnese are vanquished, and the airfield is safe! Thanks to the combined efforts of the Third Army and the Air Force!"


    General Hans led his soldiers to the edge of the airstrip, where they all menacingly aimed their crossbows at the crowd.


    "These fine soldiers embody the professionalism and excellence of the Third Army!"


    This brought a cheer from the crowd. The soldiers marched in single file as they returned to the helicopter. The ground began to drop away even before the last soldier was on board, but the other soldiers reached out and hauled him up into the cabin.


    When the helicopter returned to the Third Army camp, Felix made his excuses and left. Back in the Air Force camp, dozens of enlisted men were using ropes to drag a large aircraft out of one of the hangars. High-wing, strut-braced, with two engines mounted on pylons on the wings. Felix had designed the craft to look similar to the metal machine he once flew beside Ingrid.


    Shane wants to know what it is.


    "It can transport cargo," Felix said. "Also it is designed to be comfortable, so that the Lord Paladin can fly as a passenger. Finally, it is used to tow gliders into the sky."


    Shane wants to know what a glider is.


    Felix pointed to a small wooden aircraft that was being dragged out of a tent. It had no engine. The wings were very thin and very long, and the empennage was shaped like a T, with the horizontal stabilizer raised up above the rudder.


    "We have reached the limit. The Elemental in the Realm of Fire is no longer accepting new apprentices. We have about five hundred pilots that can use sorcery, including helicopter pilots and the pilots in the air mail service. So we decided to create these gliders to make it easier to train new pilots even if they can''t use sorcery yet. If we got really desperate, we could send the gliders deep into Riln to attack supply lines."


    Shane says that he will reinforce the supply lines to guard against this type of attack.


    "I don''t really think it matters," Felix said. "The helicopters don''t matter. The Third doesn''t matter. And these gliders don''t really matter. Only the airplanes matter. If the airplanes are lost, nothing is going to save the people on the ground."

 Interlude 5: Bastion

    In central Riln, the rainforest abruptly gave way to the salt flats in the north. Between the two biomes was a single valley. The southern slopes of the valley were green, with dark, damp soil and red rocks. The northern slopes of the valley were a dull olive color, with pale rocky mountains crowned with arid crags. Maeve looked down upon the liminal zone with wonder. It had been the first time she had flown so far north. Everyone knew that northern Riln was a lifeless waste.


    A single dry riverbed bisected the valley far below. It slowly began to cut deeper by degrees, first into a brittle gorge, then into an ancient canyon filled with blue crystal spires. Maeve felt some apprehension as the canyon walls began to grow up on either side of her airplane. If something went wrong with her engine, the only viable direction was straight ahead, with no chance of turning or reversing direction. However, she had been assured that Bastion required a specific approach.


    Suddenly the canyon walls opened up on either side and the riverbed fell away into an ancient waterfall. Where the dry river bent to the south, there was a huge plateau surrounded by crystal spires on all sides. The southern spires had mostly been crushed into pale blue fragments. The massive skeleton of a Dragon was draped over the escarpment, coated in a sheen of frost and dangling icicles.


    It was in the center of the plateau where the new crystal tree had been created. The roots had burrowed deep into the stone, all the way to the base of the plateau, where they pressed against the riverbed with such force to lift the entire plateau dozens of feet into the air. Maeve looked down with wonder at the landing strip that was constructed on the riverbed. It continued straight into the darkness below the suspended plateau. Just ahead, near the escarpment, there was a small station with a signal officer.


    Continue the approach, cleared to land.


    Maeve sighed. She had a small clipboard strapped to one of her thighs with a detailed navigation chart. She entered into a traffic pattern that took her around the tree, slowly losing altitude and airspeed on each leg, until finally lining up once again with that terrifying landing pad which vanished into darkness. Thankfully, the runway, in the narrow space under the plateau, continued on to the far side. Like the opening at the end of a tunnel, it provided enough light to see the runway as her airplane slowed to a halt. On either side, thick blue crystal roots held the gray-black stone of the plateau fixed overhead. Hundreds, if not thousands of roots supported the ceiling, packed like reeds on either side.


    A half a dozen soldiers rushed out and began to drag her airplane, by the tail, into an angled parking space beside the runway. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw layer upon layer of airplanes, hiding under a mountain. Soldiers patrolled with torches, crossbows, and sabers, in packs that resembled a formation of aircraft in flight. A storm sorcerer in dark robes approached, his face hidden behind an onyx mask.


    "Lady Maeve," he said. "The Chief of Chiefs has been expecting your arrival. Please, follow me."


    With subtle sorcery, he began to drift toward the ceiling. Maeve followed him up into a narrow chute of blue crystal between two roots, where the red stone had cracked and created a chasm. Within that chasm, as it expanded, an entire city had been built between two blue crystal faces. Bridges made from metal and wood spanned the space. The walls glowed pale blue from the light of sconces and brasiers. It was a tiny city in the rock.


    The storm sorcerer led her toward the center of one face, through a slit leading to a vast vaulted chamber. Shane sat upon a throne made of blue crystal in the center. His herald Ionathan, the elderly Cleric of the Church of the Lady Ghost, stood at his side. To the left and right, the walls of the space sunk upward by degrees, layer upon layer of bookshelves, like tiers in a stadium. Bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling on the wall just ahead, and there were no ladders and no staircases. It was a library for storm sorcerers, perhaps a library for Shane himself.


    High-ranking military men, bankers, industrial elites, and the obligatory gaggle of sycophants were arrayed before Shane beneath his dais. Dozens of workers carried crates filled with books into the structure, where white-clad librarians categorized them and shuffled about. Enormous white banners, bearing the blood-blue sigil of Shane''s new administration, were suspended from the roof on either side of his throne, opening in gradual waves toward the door. A funnel for the eye, with Shane at the center, glowing as gold as sunrise, shrouded by the wings of his Light Elemental.


    "Lady Maeve," Shane said, his voice amplified by wind magic. "Welcome to Bastion. Come, approach the throne. We shall speak in private."


    Ionathan began to announce her as she approached: "Lady Maeve of Clan Caitria!"


    The old man bowed slightly and then stalked off. Shane gestured, inviting her to ascend the dais. He was wearing a plum regalia that resembled the robes worn by storm sorcerers, but with more elaborate golden filigree. Maeve saw a thin wall of shimmering air appear around the dais, presumably to prevent sound from escaping, and she suddenly became aware that she could not feel Shane''s wind magic.


    "The first glider flight was successful," Maeve said with a shiver.


    Shane nodded. "The upper limit is about five-hundred pilots. After that, keep making airplanes, but we also need a few dozen gliders. Summon all of the storm sorcerers in Riln, including the ones that survived the Battle of the Teeth."


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    Maeve could not help betraying skepticism. "Slow down, I''m not as smart as you. You are talking about gliders and storm sorcerers. Those are two very different things."


    "Let me start over," Shane conceded. "The two concepts are connected. We have reached the upper limit of the number of pilots that the Realms will support. One of our Knights was patrolling the southern edge of the salt flats and he flew into a cloud. His airplane frosted up and he fell out of the sky and died. Shortly after, a new pilot was able to be trained! In other words, a slot opened up for the new pilot. Imagine that there is a huge battle over the salt flats where many pilots die."


    "You want to have trained pilots ready to learn draconic sorcery," Maeve interrupted. "Storm sorcerers, perhaps?"


    "Exactly so. Put every storm sorcerer in Riln inside a glider and force them to learn three-axis flight," Shane said. "If they fall out of the sky, they will use storm sorcery to survive and try again. In theory they will be able to learn draconic sorcery very quickly, because of their experience with storm sorcery. We will have a stockpile of unused airplanes ready to take off and surprise the enemy with a second wave attack."


    "And the airplanes for the second wave," Maeve began, "are below us right now."


    "Exactly so," Shane said.


    "I understand."


    "The stairwells behind my throne lead to the private quarters. A suite has been allocated for you, as well as some handmaids. You are welcome to move your family to Bastion if you wish. It is, as far as I can tell, the safest location in Riln."


    "Do you anticipate the battle will go poorly?" She asked.


    "It is always good to have contingencies in place," Shane replied.


    "As you say. If you need me, I will be in my quarters. It was a long flight and I need to rest."


    Relaxed guards with crossbows escorted her through the barricades and murder holes in the hallways beyond Shane''s throne. Her quarters were constructed from blue crystal, cut into the rock. The walls resembled some type of natural tissue. The surface thinned and then broke in places, leaving beveled, tilted-oval wounds in the crystal that revealed the layered red rock below.


    The suite was complete with several rooms and, astonishingly, indoor plumbing. A jug of scented bath oil rested on the edge of a huge blue crystal bathtub. It was when she saw that bathtub that she became aware that the vast scale of Shane''s throne room continued on through the rest of the structure. The roof was too high, and everything constructed from blue crystal was a little too big, as if crafted for Dragons.


    Finally clean and smelling of lavender and lemon peel, Maeve began to explore. Upon the surface of the plateau, drowned in the sound of hammers and saws, thousands of civilians were busying themselves with the construction of a new town. Half-finished homes lined the neat blocks. Far above, in the branches of the blue crystal tree, her husband''s men were building a new airplane factory, an astonishingly long building with a single assembly line, which took raw materials and produced an airplane fit to fall out of the tree and fly.


    On the southern end of the plateau, a tavern rested right inside the skull of the Blue Dragon. The doorway and the beer garden were both packed so full of people that she could not enter, but there was a large, open window inviting her to fly through. On the second floor, she found an inaccessible wooden balcony overlooking the bawdy crowd below. A handful of storm sorcerers sat at the bar, and at the far end, she saw Shane, still wearing his purple regalia, sipping a tankard of ale.


    She sat beside him. "Red wine, please!" she called out to the too-familiar bartender.


    "I recognized your style of storm sorcery," Shane said.


    "I don''t doubt it."


    The bartender set a goblet of wine in front of her. "On the house, Captain Maeve," he said. Then she remembered him. He was an airman from her days as a sky pirate, though she could not remember the man''s name.


    "Listen," Shane said.


    He created a barrier of wind magic around them, though it was inverted, amplifying the sounds originating outside. For a few seconds, the general murmur of the tavern became an almost unbearable clamor, but then the barrier began to shift, and individual conversations came into focus, one at a time.


    "I can''t wait for the battle," one man said. "I''m certain I''ll get promoted!"


    "Come on girl, don''t be like that!" another man said.


    "Sorry smalls," a woman replied. "I promised to keep my legs shut."


    "Did you hear what those bastards did to Silvervein in the north? The whole city ablaze, all the civilians burned to a crisp."


    "Not only do the pilots get to fly, now they get the pretty girls too!"


    "And how did the bitch with the purple hair convince you to come to this brothel of a city?" one woman asked.


    "That foreigner said that I would be paid well," a younger woman replied. "She said I needed to save myself for the pilots who survived at least one air battle."


    One after another, Shane snooped in on half the conversations in the tavern. Then the barrier vanished and the man took a sip of his ale.


    "What did you notice? he asked.


    Maeve shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Boys getting drunk and talking about their next promotion. I guess I do find it strange that the prostitutes will only service the pilots."


    "And what are they not talking about?"


    "I presume you are going to tell me?" she asked.


    Shane nodded. "They are not talking about working or living in the north."


    "I am guessing that Bastion has some sort of process for vetting civilians? Perhaps it is the result of survivorship bias. The people who might want to leave the country are not permitted in such a secure, military-style city."


    "That''s right," Shane said. "I spent a long time thinking about it. When an entire culture becomes obsessed with dissolving, with abandoning their land to live in another place, it can seem like an inevitable process, with its own momentum. How can you reverse the process? This has been the problem that has haunted me these past few months. This city is my latest attempt at solving the problem. In every nation, some people are going to be excited to live there. They are generally loyal and patriotic. I devised this city to provide a place for them. A place that inspires envy in those left behind."


    "You want to replace one false dream with another," Maeve said.


    "The alternative is worse."


    "So then what''s going on with the prostitutes?"


    "Oh that," Shane said. "The Purple Dragon is trying to breed us like cattle."

 Chapter 43: The North Invades

    Felix felt mildly uncomfortable as he marched through the forward camp. The ground underfoot was a mosaic of pale tiles separated by dark fractures, and it was slightly soft, almost like walking on beach sand. Geomancers roamed nearby, gray specters in layers of robes, drawing minerals from deep underground. A new runway was taking shape, black as obsidian and freshly-painted with long white lines. Rows of airplanes were parked in the field beyond. They had been tied down atop the thin snowpack, and now that the wheels rested against the lake bed, the ropes were slack, rocking gently in the cold wind.


    A distant, muffled whirring sound announced the approach of a helicopter. Felix made his way toward the center of the camp, where it would no doubt be landing.


    Dozens of wooden cabins, blockish with peaked roofs, were arrayed in a huge circle. Enlisted men marched in lockstep across the circular, dusty field between the tenements, guided by whistles and shouts. The signal tower in the southern quadrant was flashing a green-tinted light, the signal to land. A few moments later the helicopter appeared from the north, its loud rotors beating against the wind, its long exhaust ports under the belly spewing crimson flames. It kicked up a plume of dust as it gently touched down on its skids.


    The Lord Paladin departed the craft with a handful of staff officers. He dismissed them all with a wave, then waddled across the field toward Felix.


    "Commander."


    "Felix, we need to talk."


    "As you like. There is a lounge on the hill."


    To the north, on the edge of the lake bed, there was a small hill. It was arid but clad in ancient, twisted, leafless trees, eternally blackened by the unrelenting sun. A handful of cabins had been constructed on platforms jutting out from the hillside, reserved exclusively for high-ranking officers. Felix led the Lord Paladin to the officer''s lounge. The small wooden structure''s insulation had never been installed, so the vertical support planks were bare, decorated only with a handful of artifacts from the Battle of the Teeth, including a huge propeller. A red model airplane was suspended from the roof by a quartet of strings, chasing a wooden blue drake.


    A small wooden table occupied the center of the room, upon which sat a few cups of cold coffee and a deck of playing cards. The room was occupied when Felix entered, by Neasa and the geomancer Cliona. Their lips were locked together in a passionate kiss, but when Cliona caught sight of the Lord Paladin she leapt out of her seat with a high-pitched squeak.


    "I shouldn''t be in here," Cliona admitted.


    If the Lord Paladin saw the two women kissing, he said nothing. "Neasa, excellent. I need to speak with you as well."


    Cliona threw one gray hood over her red hair and then silently glided out of the cabin. Neasa produced a handkerchief and began to wipe the smears of lipstick off her face. The Lord Paladin began rifling through the liquor cabinet in the corner, and, finding a bottle of wine but no empty cups, he popped the cork and took a swig directly from the bottle.


    "How is the weather in the south?" he asked.


    "Below freezing temperatures above two thousand feet," Felix said. "Our pilots report a fog layer, south of the purple spire, at about twelve-hundred feet. Above that fog layer, the sky is partly cloudy, with larger clouds appearing at about five thousand feet."


    "Is it safe to fly?"


    "If we fly in between the two cloud layers the entire way, it should be safe."


    "Excellent!" the Lord Paladin said. He took another few gulps. "Then we shall begin the invasion immediately."


    "Invasion?" Felix asked. "You mean, all of our airplanes at the same time? I warn you that if we encounter enemy airplanes, our ability to maneuver may be impaired."


    "That is an acceptable risk."


    "Commander, will you be there to share in that risk?"


    "I will lead the invasion myself," the Lord Paladin said. "From aboard my new airship, the Paladin''s Revenge."


    Felix was momentarily shocked by this proclamation, and even Neasa looked skeptical. "Commander, if you are willing to risk yourself on the front lines, then I will follow. Neasa, prepare the auxiliaries. I want every wind mage, storm sorcerer and geomancer ready to open new portals."


    "Yes commander," she said.


    "What is this about?" the Lord Paladin asked.


    "It was Neasa''s idea," Felix replied. "When die pilots in the initial wave, Neasa and her staff will teach some of our glider pilots how to use draconic sorcery."


    "I''ll bet Shane contemplated this possibility as well," Neasa added. "He is a skilled sorcerer, and he will want to make use of those skills. We should expect at least a second wave of airplanes attacking from the south."


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    "Carry on then, soldier."


    "I will give the orders," Felix said.


    <hr>


    Some of the clouds were black, and some were white, but none resembled any shade of gray. A dark haze blanketed the whole world. Far above, in the gaps between the clouds, the dull magenta sky was filled with souls. Thousands of souls, some of them flying alone, but most of them flying together in huge clumps.


    Princess Astrid, she thought. The invasion has begun.


    Be watchful, Astrid replied in her mind. It is their fate to survive, however our world will only bend itself so far. If either of them is in danger, I want you to intervene.


    It will be as you say.


    "I Wish for a portal to the Plane of Dreams!" Alice said.


    She led her Pegasus by the reins through the portal to the other side, and immediately felt cold. Thousands of feet above the peak of the purple spire, a thick layer of clouds obscured the sky beyond. A deep hum permeated the air, the sound of hundreds of propellers whirring in unison.


    One of Mercy''s hooves tapped the very apex of the purple spire as Alice flew in a tight spiral, nearly vertically, up toward that blanket of clouds. Leaning back, Alice began to level off, inverted at first, and then with a quick roll Mercy righted herself and began flapping her huge white wings once more. They quested upward, closer and closer to the roiling gray, until they were so close that Alice could reach out and stick her hand inside. She reached into her pack and grabbed a thermometer, attached to the end of a small wooden arm, and held it above her head inside the cloud for a few minutes.


    "It''s above freezing," she mumbled. "And if there are airplanes above us that must mean it''s above freezing all through the cloud. It should be safe."


    Mercy snorted.


    "Up we go."


    Little droplets of water began to race across the lenses of her brass-rimmed goggles as she passed into the cloud. The air was cold, but in the deep shadows of the inner cloud, the temperature stayed the same, or even increased slightly.


    "I was expecting it to be colder here," she said.


    As annoying as it is, my brother once lectured me on this topic, Astrid said. Water releases a small amount of latent heat when it condenses.


    "As long as it''s not dangerous."


    By degrees the interior of the cloud began to brighten, and then finally her head burst up into clear air. Most of her body remained within the cloud below, hidden from view. Alice wiped the water from her goggles and glanced around. Dozens of squadrons of airplanes, organized into diamond formations, were flying southward with full flaps. To the north, a half a dozen huge airships were struggling to keep up, their engines pumping out huge plums of black smoke. And in the lead, Alice immediately recognized the shape of the aircraft that was towing each airship with long cables.


    It looked an awful lot like Ingrid''s tilt-rotor.


    <hr>


    "Forty nine! Forty nine knots!" the Commander announced.


    His voice boomed from the brass speakers at the top of the glider mast. The glider was, unfortunately, not designed to fly at such high speeds, and as much as Felix would have loved to test it out, the airmen insisted that it needed to be stowed below the landing deck. Everything on the airship seemed to rattle, and the outer layer of the helium envelope tended to undulate from the chaotic airflow. Felix himself grasped the rail near the leading edge of the airship, watching that strange new craft directly ahead.


    When he had first seen the thing, it seemed so simple and stupid that he was ashamed that he didn''t think of it himself. About the size of a twin-engine airplane, except with large, rotating pylons at the very tips of the wings. The propellers were also huge, so long that they would strike the ground unless the pylons were rotated vertically. Each pylon also featured a swashplate connecting to the main rotors, exactly like a helicopter. The control column included a collective, which allowed the pilot to change the pitch of all the rotor blades collectively, but the engineers did not yet understand the mathematics behind using the cyclic motion of the swashplate to create yaw. Instead, the craft was equipped with an oversized horizontal stabilizer with a pair of vertical stabilizers and two rudders.


    Beating against the wind, the strange craft was pulling on a trio of metal cables connecting to the keel of the airship. The tilt-rotor by itself could fly at about a hundred knots, but while towing an aircraft carrier it needed to have the pylons angled slightly up, with full flaps deployed.


    "Fifty! Fifty knots! Unbelievable!"


    Fifty knots was almost exactly the minimum stall speed of an airplane. The thought made Felix grin.


    The Air Sergeant on deck clambered forward, snapping his pair of lifelines across sections of the forward railing. "General Felix!"


    "What is it, soldier?" Felix shouted.


    "That officer!" the man replied, his booming voice clear over the sound of the tilt-rotor. He pointed to a woman huddling under the wing of her airplane. "She wants to take off without power!"


    "Full flaps!" Felix managed. "Off the back of the airship! Immediate nosedive! The maneuver is approved!"


    The Air Sergeant saluted.


    Shortly after, the woman climbed into her airplane. The enlisted men on deck untied the ropes and began to haul the craft toward the rear of the landing deck. One man on each wing, two men at the empennage, and no less than six men managing the lifelines. They seemed to stand around in a heated debate for a few minutes, long enough for Felix to make his way to the back of the carrier.


    "Fifty one knots!" the airship''s Commander announced.


    Finally, all nine enlisted men, including the Air Sergeant, arrayed themselves around the craft, their double lifelines secured to the guard rails on either side. The Air Sergeant began shouting: "One! Two! Three! Heave!"


    With full flaps the wings would be producing almost one-G of upward force, and together the nine men succeeded in lifting the airplane clear off the deck, hurling it backwards. The craft rocked back and forth slightly as it seemed to hover in the air, propeller windmilling, teasing a stall of the main wings. A sharp motion on the elevator, and the nose dropped. The aircraft vanished beyond the edge of the landing deck.


    Silence from the men.


    Felix watched the craft. A vertical nosedive of some sixty feet in the wake of the airship, very little aileron, lots of elevator, the occasional kick to the rudder. It picked up airspeed, then pulled up, vanishing under the airship.


    The enlisted men began cheering and laughing.


    That''s the first time I''ve ever seen an airplane take off without using its engine, Felix thought. I bet Prince Kai is going to want that airplane for his museum.


    Indeed, Astrid said in his mind. You know my brother so well.

 Chapter 44: Battle in the Salt Flats

    Shane rested one hand against the blue crystal railing and looked out over the blanket of clouds. It was a beautiful railing, a worthy addition to his private balcony. The supports featured the likeness of drakes twisting in combat, their jaws snapping at each other where the crystal bulged in the middle. Such detail was far beyond his own capacity. Prince Kai was responsible for creating most of the architectural features in the city of Bastion. He had somehow seized control of Shane''s connections, and the resulting Wish created blue crystal instead of purple.


    Rhythmic footsteps announced the arrival of a soldier. A very young messenger, perhaps sixteen years old. He wore his long blue hair in a bun as was the custom for nobility in the south.


    "Chief of Chiefs," the boy said. "The enemy has been spotted. A large force of airplanes, more than four hundred strong, and several airships."


    "I heard the sirens. Am I needed?"


    "No sir! Knight Captain Fintan said you would like to know the specifics."


    "Carry on then."


    The messenger saluted and then marched off.


    The sky was always filled with the sound of at least a few airplanes. The pilots trained all day, and even into the night. Shane was in the habit of using his sorcery to dampen the sound of the propellers, but it was not enough to block the cacophony of dozens, and then hundreds of engines starting at the same time. A more aggressive wind barrier was needed. As such, when Shane saw a familiar shadow approach, he could not hear his brother''s soft footsteps until the man passed through the barrier.


    "So this is it," Bran said. "The battle that will decide the fate of our nation. Will you be fighting, brother?"


    Shane shook his head. "I trust our pilots, but I am afraid I will not be useful once the fighting starts. I came here to observe their departure."


    "Is that true?"


    With a flash of gold, the Light Elemental appeared beside Shane. She tilted her head quizzically.


    "I''m just wondering if you have other reasons for not fighting."


    "The psychologist at work," Shane said. "Yes, I have another reason as well. I have contemplated that the Purple Dragon does not want me to directly interfere with the battle."


    "I would hear your contemplation."


    "In my own mind, the Purple Dragon is attempting to breed a race of skilled pilots. Furthermore, her actions can only exist within a real environment. If the environment is false, then the wrong pilots will be selected. I myself am not a very skilled pilot, and even if I decided to take wing and fight, I would stand out during the battle. If threatened, I would need to use sorcery that the enemy does not have access to. I would be providing an incorrect threshold, an incorrect selection factor for the enemy pilots."


    Bran sighed. "Your reasoning is sound. I am, however, deeply concerned about the Purple Dragon''s strategy for dealing with our race. Does she know that eugenics never works?"


    "Eugenics?" Shane asked.


    "Sorry, it is a word they use in the Physical World to describe breeding programs for humans. It does not exist in our language. Either way, eugenics programs have been attempted many, many times in the Physical World, but it is always motivated by pseudoscience, usually at the command of some tyrannical charlatan. The human scientists acknowledge that they do not fully understand their own mating behavior, and eugenics is generally not respected."


    "Princess Astrid is a Fate Binder," Shane added. "Perhaps there is something we don''t understand about our own mating behavior? How are traits passed between generations when fates are involved? What if a Fate Binder can guarantee that offspring will be born with the exact traits that allowed a pilot to survive a battle?"


    Bran''s too-familiar face suddenly contorted. "I find this thought deeply disturbing, brother. If we contemplate this line of thinking, then we must conclude that the Purple Dragon will succeed. She will change our people, and at what cost? I can imagine future generations of Rilnese who are exceptional pilots, physically healthy with excellent vision and high intelligence, but who suffer from some malady, such as psychosis or a fundamental inability to love."


    "We are not exactly a peaceful people anyway," Shane said. "Nor are northerners. Ashe, the Queen of Darkness, had her own eugenics program here on this continent for centuries."


    "And do you think the Purple Dragon will succeed where Ashe failed?"


    "Something needs to change, brother. Anything! We cannot live under the perpetual risk of genocide forever."


    "You did not answer my question," Bran observed.


    "Ashe is an Elemental, and furthermore she is completely insane. Her legacy is not exactly insurmountable. Princes Astrid has proven to be quite clever in the past, and we can only assume that our continent is not special. House Anna-Rhea has Fate Binders on many continents, uplifting entire civilizations into the Golden Age of Flight."


    Bran did not reply.


    They stood in silence for a few moments, watching the squadrons of airplanes rise up out of the fog. Finally Bran said: "Many of them will never return. And nobody will remember them."


    "Prince Kai will remember them," Shane said. "He will enter their names into The Book of Dead Pilots. Some of them will have their names and faces included in his museum."


    "That may be true, brother, but nobody will remember the pilot who screams for his mother just before hitting the ground. Nobody will remember the image of a mountain, or a tree, appearing out of the fog, with a single moment of fear before instant death. Nobody will remember that feeling of being imprisoned in burning wood. Someday, they will forget these pilots ever lived, and they will call it a Golden Age."


    <hr>


    The horizon was a thin strip of deep blue where the two layers of cloud converged, slashed by drooping clouds which resembled inverted shark fins. Felix could barely see the flashes of blue light from the tiny black dots on the horizon. Hundreds of enemy airplanes, directly ahead, flying in force. The tiny black shapes moved closer, and by degrees Felix began to make out the slightly-upturned wings, the needle-like tail fins, and finally the dark disk of the propellers.


    The Rilnese had managed to develop airplane factories, though their understanding of air combat had not developed beyond their old strategies, from the era of the blue drakes. There were four waves of airplanes, with at least a hundred airplanes in each wave, flying in a loose cloud. At least twenty-four Quarian pilots were skilled enough to fly in diamond formations, and the remainder of the airplanes were all flying at the same altitude, careful to leave room above and below in case the circles became vertical. Large gaps between the diamond formations reduced the chance of collisions and friendly fire.


    Felix flew alone, as he had done during the Battle of the Teeth. He flew very high, and slightly ahead of the rest of the Quarian forces.


    An enemy airplane loomed directly ahead, at the very top of the enemy cluster, growing closer and closer. However, Felix was patient. A flash of blue light blotted out the nose of the airplane, and Felix rolled out of the way, in the direction of the engine torque. The plume of Azure flame lanced under the belly of his airplane, just out of sight. Continuing to use the engine torque, his airplane quickly righted itself, and the enemy airplane rushed by. The outer surface of the other craft was sanded wood, as if it had never been painted.


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    Enemy airplanes flew past Felix in every direction, above and below, and a quick twist of the neck revealed that several airplanes behind him were beginning to circle. He eased back on the throttle to the lowest setting. The airspeed indicator began to drop. When the needle fell into the red zone, the entire airplane began to shutter. Gently, he pulled up on the stick, then kicked the rudder as hard as possible. This caused his airplane to depart flight into a flat spin, in the direction of his engine torque.


    "We''ll see how they like this," he said. It was the most insulting maneuver he could imagine.


    He punched the throttle to full power, and the torque of the engine''s turbine added itself to his existing rotation. The nose came up to face the blue horizon, sandwiched between the two layers of white, and he fell in an almost-horizontal spin. Then, just ahead, he blasted the empty sky with a lance of draconic fire.


    <hr>


    Near the leading waves of airplanes, a red-painted Quarian airplane fell out of the sky in a flat spin.


    "Poor fellow," Maeve said with a scowl.


    And then the spinning airplane spat out a massive plume of crimson fire. This created a burning cyclone, sending arcs of flame in every direction. One friendly airplane, which apparently had been attempting to merge with the enemy, flew straight into the edge of the cyclone and disintegrated. Perhaps because they were not paying attention, or perhaps because they had been so unskilled during training that they had been placed on the front lines to die, half a dozen other Rilnese pilots flew right into the cyclone. One airplane lost a wing, one lost the empennage, and one was even cut in half lengthwise, causing the two halves to spin independently with opposite rotations.


    Many pilots however, made the opposite mistake. They saw the danger and they fled to the sides, exposing their bellies to the Quarian forces. Maeve was not an expert pilot, but she was fairly certain that blocking your own vision of the enemy with a wooden hull was a bad idea. Some of the enemy airplanes were clustered in very tight diamond formations, and with extreme discipline they began ascending, arcing up in unison, leaving crimson streams of flame in their wakes. And then, using combined fire, they began to obliterate the pilots in the upper regions of the Rilnese cluster.


    Part of her wanted to drop down and chase the airplane in a flat spin. Perhaps if she was able to position herself vertically above his head, she could avoid the flaming cyclone and take shots at him from above. At full power she could fly downward much faster than he was falling. But something about that stupid maneuver made her hesitate.


    "Shadow Hunter! Is that pilot bonded to a Shadow Hunter as well?" Maeve asked.


    That pilot is bonded to a Light Elemental, the Shadow Hunter hissed.


    "The Flameraker!" she said. She could not let that man near the city, near her daughters. She pointed her nose at the spinning airplane and began to chase him.


    <hr>


    Felix had fallen below the lowest airplanes in the Rilnese cluster, only a few hundred feet above the lower cloud layer. This gave him a chance to look up and survey the battle. The diamond formations had all ascended, building up energy that they could use to drop through the cluster at an angle, intercepting the largest number of enemies possible. Three airplanes were cautiously lingering above, ready to give chase.


    Felix eased off the throttle, and the loss of the engine torque allowed the nose to drop below the horizon. He pushed down on the stick and waited. The wind caught the elevator and the tail rose, causing the nose to drop further. Finally, he kicked the rudder in the opposite direction of the spin, and the airspeed increased above the threshold for coordinated flight. He was able to level off just before dropping into the lower cloud layer, blotting out the sky. Immediately, long streams of water began to condense on the canopy.


    He poked above the clouds, and craned his neck around to look above and behind. The three enemies were still chasing him. The leading enemy was uncharacteristically coated in bright blue paint.


    The pilot of that blue aircraft... she is bonded to a Shadow Hunter, his Light Elemental reported.


    "An officer?" Felix asked.


    I do not know. However, I will be able to protect you from her Shadow Hunter if she gets close.


    Felix punched the throttle to full and began to ascend, barely skirting the edge of their attack range. Ahead, the battle raged in the sky. The six Quarian diamond formations were cutting a massive swath through the Rilnese forces. There were hundreds of plumes of colorful flame, azure and crimson from airplanes, and orange from burning wood. Shattered fuselages, severed wings, and burning pilots rained down.


    Felix pointed his nose at the sky and fled, just barely keeping ahead of the enemy. Nearby Rilnese airplanes began to join their companions, intercepting from the sides or falling into the train. However the sky directly above was clear of enemies, though he expected no help from the waves of Quarian airplanes. They would not be able to see him approach from below, and they were most likely too focused on the enemy just ahead to roll over and check under their bellies.


    The blue-painted airplane was determined to chase him. Even after the other airplanes broke away to take cheap shots at the Quarian airplanes from below, the woman with the Shadow Hunter would not relent. At full throttle, Felix ascended up over the friendly formations, up and up, until he got the uncanny feeling that he was forgetting something. He rapidly scanned the instruments on the dashboard. The cabin thermometer had dropped below freezing, and was rapidly descending. Even in the freezing air, that fool woman kept on chasing him.


    "She is trying to keep me out of the fight," he complained. "I could have scored a dozen kills by now!"


    It was no use. She was very patient, following him perfectly, just out of range. One mistake would earn him a plume of fire across the empennage. Directly above, like an inverted shark fin, the giant drooping underside of a roiling gray cloud seemed to creep towards him.


    "I wonder how reckless she is?"


    He kicked the rudder and barely dodged the cloud, following the misty edge in an upward arc, inverted relative to the ground. Then he pulled hard on the stick, fully inverting his airplane and plunging the nose straight into the cloud.


    Immediately the canopy frosted over with a thick layer of crystalline teal-white shards of ice. The entire airplane began to rattle, as if it was being assaulted by a hail storm, and the stick froze in place. For all his strength, Felix knew he could not force the stick to move without snapping the cables. The engine propeller froze, the engine air intakes clogged up with ice, and the engine itself died. Without the sound of his own propeller, there was no need to keep the wind barrier in place, so he let it fade away.


    Silence.


    Then, the amused voice of the Purple Dragon spoke in his mind: There is only so far that reality will bend for you, Felix.


    Inverted, with wings flat relative to the horizon and elevator frozen at maximum pitch, the airplane followed a smooth arc out of the cloud into the open sky once again. Suddenly the cabin brightened. Patiently, Felix listened. He began to make out a whirring sound, growing closer and closer. If her propeller was still running that means she did not take the bait. She could have simply turned away, and flown around the cloud.


    "Not my best idea," he admitted.


    Suddenly his vision was consumed with bright blue light. The whole airplane rocked to the right and started spinning again. It was extraordinarily disorienting because Felix could not see the horizon. The instruments on the dashboard began to spin wildly, and without the wind barrier Felix could hear the angry draconic sorcery assaulting his craft. Cracking, like the sound of shattering ice, the hiss of vapor, and the sudden change in the sound of the propeller as her airplane zoomed past.


    She overshot him.


    And he was still alive.


    Gaps appeared in the ice coating on the canopy as chunks of ice slid across the meltwater. Soon he could see out the left side of his canopy, and remarkably, the wing on that side was intact, still coated in frost in places, but steaming in other places, and even scorched just below the canopy. The flap on that side of the airplane had been destroyed, but the aileron still appeared functional. He quickly tested the stick and rudder. There was some resistance at first, but after a few shakes the controls felt normal.


    The coating of ice, he realized, had protected the airplane from the draconic flames.


    It occurred to Felix that he should never mention this incident. He did not want trainees to consider it a valid strategy for surviving an attack.


    With the horizon visible again, Felix was able to orient himself and restore the aircraft to straight and level flight. The blue-painted airplane was directly ahead. She was experienced enough, or perhaps afraid enough, to understand that he would have a significant advantage chasing her from behind. Perhaps if they ended up in a circle, the ice coating on his own craft would slow him down enough to allow her to win. If she considered this possibility, Felix could not tell, because she simply fled, racing away toward the incoming waves of Rilnese airplanes below. By the time Felix figured out a way to start his engine, she was long gone.


    The rear waves of Quarian and Rilnese airplanes had smashed into each other. The airspace between the two forces was filled with plumes of red and blue fire, like two lines of pikemen locked in an outrageous slaughter. But the diamond formations had thinned the Rilnese forces too much, and they began to relent. Even from up high and far away, Felix could see clearly that the battle was won. The surviving enemy pilots did not continue to circle. Instead, like that woman with the Shadow Hunter, they began to flee.

 Chapter 45: Spirits

    The salt was stained red and blue where the two pools of blood met. The Quarian airplane was missing its tail, and the airplane''s nose was crumpled straight into the ground. The Quarian pilot had attempted to exit the craft, and the red gore of his broken body spread out in a sunburst. The Rilnese man was severely burned on one side of his face, and his airplane was missing a wing. He had been in the craft when it hit the ground, and the contents of his skull evacuated through his nostril in a conical smear of blueish-gray mush.


    Alice sighed.


    She did not need to see the battle herself to guess at the outcome. The bulk of the airplanes were unpainted, or painted blue, and there was far more blue blood staining the salt. Ashe, the Elemental Queen of Darkness, was dancing among the corpses in a large cluster of wrecks nearby. Alice tried to keep her distance from the Elemental as she scanned the battlefield. There were no survivors, let alone survivors that could be healed. But she carried on with her false hope that she could save at least one life.


    Some of the shattered craft were still burning, and the air was filled with the sickly-sweet smell of burning flesh. Mercy snorted.


    "I''m sorry," Alice said. "We don''t need to stay here. Daughter of Spirits! Open a portal to the other side!"


    She reached out and touched the portal even as it was still forming. The air on the other side was much more pleasant. The cool, clean desert air seemed to satisfy the Pegasus. Alice was relieved to be away from that frightening Elemental, but when she looked to the south, she realized that she was not alone.


    A girl-child floated just above the ground, her naked toes nearly scraping the salt. She wore a frilly dress, and her hair was extremely long. At first Alice thought that she resembled the Light Elemental named Titania, however the girl-child had too much substance. She had shining blue scales on her cheeks and on her forehead, like a Rilnese person, however her hair was light blue, almost the color of the sky.


    The girl regarded Alice with deep blue eyes.


    "Another Spirit," the girl said.


    Alice glanced around. "Me? I''m not a Spirit."


    The girl looked deeply confused. "Are you certain?"


    It brought back memories of her childhood. That crone, who was not really her grandmother, rarely spoke of the time when Alice was first brought to her.


    "I''m not sure," Alice admitted. "Daughter of Spirits! Am I myself a Spirit?"


    The magenta Spirit Elemental appeared at her side in a flash.


    Technically yes, though you were born here in the flesh, the Elemental replied. This child was willed into existence by the people on the other side. She is the Spirit of the Nation of Riln. I warned you once before that she is growing stronger.


    "Blood has been spilled," the girl said. "It consecrates the ground. It makes me stronger. But I am afraid, Spirit. I am afraid because my people are afraid."


    "There was a battle on the other side," Alice said. "The Rilnese forces lost horribly. The Quarian airships are flying south with their helicopters and their gliders, escorted by Felix and his airplanes."


    The girl''s face contorted as Alice spoke. Finally, the child said: "I don''t want to die."


    "Are you in danger?" Alice asked.


    It is possible that she could cease to exist, or change into something else, depending on the outcome of the battle, the Spirit Elemental said. The people of Riln have developed a concept of their nation, and she reflects that concept. Those people can die, or become disillusioned.


    Perhaps Alice could not save the dead pilots in the salt flats, but here was somebody who needed help. Maybe, just maybe, she could save at least one life.


    "How can I save her?"


    There is only one way to guarantee that she will survive. She must become the life partner of a Dream Being from the other side. This will bind her soul to a more stable soul.


    That term seemed familiar to Alice. Brigid often announced Princess Elvira as the "life partner" of Princess Astrid.


    "A mortal on the other side? A Rilnese mortal? Like Shane?"


    Your master, the Daughter-Heir of the Purple Dragons, is quite clever. It is highly unlikely that she did not contemplate your meeting with this Spirit. It is highly unlikely that she would allow the meeting if she did not intend for Shane to take this Spirit as his life partner.


    "That''s probably true," Alice said.


    Suddenly the child looked frightened. "There is a Purple Dragon here," she said. "A terrible beast. She hunts other Spirits and kills them for sport."


    "Princess Elvira?" Alice asked. "She is my friend, and Shane is her friend as well. I think you should at least meet Shane. If anyone can help you survive, it will be him. He knows a lot about magic."


    The girl considered this. "Where is Shane now?"


    "Somewhere far to the south, but if we do not hurry, the invasion will reach him and he will be too busy fighting to speak with you." Then, to the Elemental, Alice asked: "Is it possible to carry her through the Elemental Plane of Heaven?"


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    You are a Spirit, and you have traveled through that Elemental Plane many times. I think it should be safe for her as well.


    Alice nodded. "Spirit of Riln, will you come with me?"


    "I like you," the Spirit of Riln said. "You are very nice to me. I think I will go with you."


    "There is an anchor nearby, at the purple spire in the center of the salt flats. If we hurry, we can beat the invasion." She held out her hand, then scooped the child up onto the saddle. "Hold on tight!"


    <hr>


    Shane wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel that was already soaking wet. The air atop the plateau was so hot it was rippling. Dragging hundreds of people to the Realm of Fire to took too much time. Out of two hundred storm sorcerers, only a few managed to master draconic sorcery well enough to fly. And the enemy was visible on the horizon, six huge airships, escorted by almost two hundred airplanes.


    A single pilot could be the difference. No hesitation. He needed to get back to work.


    A messenger trotted up to him. The boy''s long straight hair betrayed his common birth.


    "Chief of Chiefs," the boy said. "Knight Fintan has formally requested your help in the defense of Bastion!"


    The boy saluted.


    Shane sighed. Then, he amplified his voice with wind magic, and said: "Brave pilots, please listen."


    Reluctantly, most of the storm sorcerers stopped practicing long enough to listen to his words.


    He cleared his throat. "I have challenged the Quarian Air Force and they have defeated our forces in the salt flats. Now, I must continue my challenge in person, to risk my own life by leading the charge against the invaders. But before I go, I need everyone here to know one thing. Our nation, Riln, was subjected to decades, if not centuries, of carefully-calculated destruction of hope.


    "The Blue Dragon served the Elemental Queen of Darkness, and he wanted above all else to make us hopeless. He fed the people of this land false hopes. Perhaps the hope of living in another land. Or perhaps the hope of exterminating the hated northerners. But you, brave pilots, once you take to the sky, you will become their hope. Their true hope."


    With a flash of golden light, the Light Elemental appeared at his side.


    "As Chief of Chiefs, heed my command! Inspire them! Fly, fight, and give them hope! Let them see that the spirit of our nation is strong!"


    After a brief pause, the storm sorcerers began to salute. Then, with apparent understanding of the need for haste, they returned to their fruitless training in draconic sorcery. Shane turned and walked toward the north, but halted when a magenta portal appeared before him.


    The messenger froze.


    "At ease soldier," Shane said. "You are dismissed."


    Shortly after the boy left, Alice appeared in a flash of magenta light, riding on her winged white horse. There was a second figure seated in the saddle as well. A girl-child, with dark blue eyes and shining blue scales on her cheeks and her forehead. Like Alice, she must have had a rare mutation, because her hair was pale blue, instead of the dark shade of blue that was common in Riln. Her frilly white dress looked somewhat ethereal, and indeed, her entire body was slightly transparent.


    "We made it in time!" Alice said.


    "I''m sorry," Shane said. "I don''t have time to talk. My nation needs me."


    "Wait!" Alice insisted. "This girl here. She is your nation! She is the Spirit of the Nation of Riln!"


    She is telling the truth, his Light Elemental reported.


    Dumbfounded, Shane regarded the child once again. Both of them, the woman, who was growing younger every day, and the child, both with outrageously long hair, both with the correct eyes but hair that was slightly the wrong color.


    "Alice!" Shane exclaimed. "You are a Spirit!"


    "So it would seem," Alice replied. "We can discuss that later. This girl needs your help."


    "If she is the Nation of Riln, then she absolutely needs my help. That''s what I was going to do just now. I was going to go fight and save our nation."


    "There is another way you can help her," Alice said. "You, and this Spirit, you must become life partners. My Spirit Elemental explained everything. I think the Purple Dragon intended it, and I bet she wants me to be life partners with Felix. Anyways, it will keep her alive, and it will also give you some new powers. I think."


    "What kind of powers?" he asked.


    They both turned to look at the child sitting in the saddle. The girl-child looked up at the sky.


    "How can I explain?" the child began. "I was only born a few months ago. I certainly can''t do everything that that beast of a Purple Dragon can do." She waved her hand toward the storm sorcerers. "These people here. I could allow you to borrow their connections."


    His mind reeled.


    Trying to puzzle out the nature of my power? the Purple Dragon had said, all those months ago. Since you have so tastefully performed your duties as my servant, I shall venture to give you a hint. What type of magic was used to create the Realms, I wonder?


    The question struck him like a bolt of lightning.


    The borrowed connections.


    The unrecognizable magic.


    "Alice?" Shane asked. "Ingrid. The Lady Ghost. Is she a Spirit?"


    Alice gasped. "Not so loud! You need to be very, very high up in the Church to learn about that!"


    "So she is!"


    The magenta Spirit Elemental appeared beside the Pegasus.


    The Goddess of Dreams held out two hands, the Elemental began. One was cyan, one was dull magenta. Ingrid grasped the magenta hand, Vaska grasped the cyan hand, and then they ripped the Goddess in half. By touching the two halves of the Divine Power directly, their physical bodies were immediately destroyed. They were reincarnated in these worlds. Vaska is the first Dream Being, and Ingrid is the first Spirit. When they returned to the Physical World, they slept until the snow accumulated upon their bodies.


    "I read that they swore oaths of marriage to each other," Shane said. "With a Light Elemental as witness."


    Titania was the witness, and she granted the new Dream-Spirit bodies immortality. But they were life partners even before those oaths. This is an orthogonal concept. When those two come to this world, they have access to all of the powers of life partners. However, life partners do not need to be married. Astrid and Elvira are almost never in the same Elemental Plane, and they have their own mates with their own children. Ingrid and Vaska are a rare case.


    Shane nodded. "Almighty Spirit of the Nation of Riln! Please, to save my people, our people, will you take me as your life partner?"


    "I will," the child said.


    The girl-child floated up away from the Pegasus, toward Shane, and past him. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her long sky-blue hair tumbled over his shoulders, and he felt the feather-light weight of her body press down against him. Her arms clasped together in front of his heart, locking her in place. And then he felt power. Overwhelming, god-like spiritual energy surging through him. Immediately, all of the other storm sorcerers suddenly turned to face him.


    This pact between a Spirit and a Dream Being, Shane''s Light Elemental said, is witnessed and sealed.


    For a moment Shane wondered if he could perform the Dance of the Festival of Fates with his new Spirit. Then he could almost hear Brigid''s voice in his mind, saying something like: "That would not be very masculine." So he put the thought aside. He focused on those storm sorcerers. Their connections were there. Simple things really, like dull magenta lines against a dark sky. He need only reach out and grasp them...

 Chapter 46: Phoenix Elementals and Fighter Jets

    The blue crystal tree was so tall that the upper branches scraped the lower surface of the cloud layer. Felix was missing one of his flaps, so he was forced to fly much faster than the other airplanes. He took a forward position, scouting far ahead of the fleet. The surviving enemy airplanes were flying in a ring around the trunk of the massive tree. The roots of the tree rested upon a plateau, and a large town had grown up to the very edge. Though he was far away, he could make out the unmistakable features of a runway cutting through the center of the town.


    Sudden motion caught his eye. Six azure streams of light flashed up across the near edge of the plateau. Six at a time, at least two dozen new airplanes ascended to reinforce the survivors flying above. Felix turned to follow a path parallel to the dry river valley below the plateau. To the north, the six airships and the escort airplanes were fast approaching. Even with those reinforcements, it would not be enough to stop the invasion.


    Without warning, the world went mad.


    A sorcerer of overwhelming power was connecting to the Realms somewhere in the center of that runway. It was not nearly as much power as Prince Kai could draw through his connections, but it was at least half. "Another Dragon?" Felix hissed.


    No, his Light Elemental said. That is without a doubt your companion, Shane. He is bonded to a Shadow Hunter, and the Purple Dragons never consent to bonds with Dark Elementals.


    Flashes of magenta light began to appear throughout the branches of the crystal tree. Dozens, then hundreds of magenta sunbursts. Small flying things transitioning from the Elemental Plane of Spirits. Gigantic bees, floating trees, huge eagles, giant women with wings for arms. An entire army of flying monsters appeared high overhead. And then, all at once, they began to fly directly in his direction, a convergence in three dimensions.


    Then he heard the voice of Princess Astrid in his mind: You should be careful. Those creatures will not hesitate to attack you.


    He continued turning, until the tree was directly behind him. Then, he smashed the throttle to max, brought the fleet into the center of his propeller disk, and then craned his neck around to watch the creatures approach. They were slightly slower than his airplane, so the distance between them began to grow.


    He dropped down low and waited until the lead squadrons passed overhead. They were all flying with full flaps, much slower than his own airplane, so he was able to ascend in a half-loop and pull in behind one of the diamond formations. The Lord Paladin''s airship was repeating the same signal over and over: Advance! Advance! Advance!


    Before the fleet had a chance to cross half the distance to the crystal tree, more blue lines began to ascend from the base of the plateau. Wave after wave, with six airplanes in each wave. After twenty waves Felix felt a sudden creeping fear.


    Immediately his training kicked in. Hesitation was death.


    At least one hundred and twenty airplanes, fresh fighters to reinforce the survivors of the previous battle, in addition to hundreds of flying monsters protecting the tree itself. If his airplanes faced such overwhelming enemy force, they would not last long enough to make much of a difference. The mission to protect the airships would necessarily end in failure, and everyone on board would die anyway.


    Felix could not see any upside to fighting, so he amplified his voice using wind magic: "This is a direct order from your commanding officer. Ignore all signals from the Paladin''s Revenge. Abort the mission. All pilots are commanded to retreat from this battle, return to the forward staging base, and await Lieutenant General Neasa''s auxiliaries. Spread out and repeat my words to the other pilots."


    He pulled up into a half-loop and then rolled upright.


    Unexpected, but not unwelcome, Astrid said, her voice a soft whisper in his mind. Thank you, for saving the lives of your pilots. For some reason I cannot explain, I care about them. Brother, is this what you wanted? Is this how I was before?


    <hr>


    I was expecting him to stay and fight, Shane thought as he stood near the edge of the plateau, watching the enemy airplanes retreat.


    More waves of Rilnese airplanes raced up into view, climbing nearly vertically into the sky, leaving long trails of azure flames behind them. There was nothing standing in the way. Without an escort of airplanes, all those other flying machines would be vulnerable. The danger, Shane knew, had passed. Everything else was just hard work, and a whole lot of killing.


    "Something is coming," the Spirit of Riln warned, unable to hide the panic in her voice. "A terrible, terrible Spirit!"


    Shane froze.


    There was a flash of magenta light somewhere behind him. He twisted around to face the city of Bastion, nestled into the feet of the great blue crystal tree. Princess Astrid, the Purple Dragon, slowly glided forward. Her mother-of-pearl dress fluttered in the cold desert wind.


    Shane fell to one knee and lowered his head. Long, light-blue hair collapsed across his shoulders.


    "Flee!" the Spirit of Riln insisted. "Flee! FLEE!"


    "Retainer Shane, your performance here in the south has, once again, exceeded my most ambitious expectations."


    "I''m afraid," the Spirit whispered in his ear.


    "Before," the Purple Dragon continued, "you would have absolutely been killed had you attempted to summon your Fire Elemental. But now, with help from an ally on the other side, it should be safe to summon her. Furthermore, now that Felix has wisely elected to retreat from this battle, I can imagine no downside to simply ending this battle before it even begins. Therefore, I grant you permission to call upon your Greater Daughter of Fire, for the purpose of helping to defend this city. I must warn you, however, that the sight of her might restore a small portion of your memories, and those memories might be extremely painful."


    The Purple Dragon lifted one arm and pointed toward an empty desert hilltop across the dry river bed.


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    "Elvira says that there is room over there to summon her, without damaging the nearby buildings."


    Shane pointed to the same hill, and focused his mind on the apex. "Greater Daughter of Fire! Show yourself!"


    The shrubs and withered trees atop the arid knoll caught fire. The air began to ripple, and in a sudden flash of gold-pink light, burning wings materialized in the distance. The Elemental was shaped like a huge bird, with a proud breast coated with shining gold and orange plumage, flaming orange wings that slowly tapered off to a dull red-orange, and violent magenta wing tips. The plumage of her extremely long tail followed the same pattern: gold to orange to red-orange to magenta. She turned to face Shane with dark triangular eyes which betrayed ancient intelligence.


    It has been a thousand years since we have flown together, the Elemental whispered in his mind.


    Her voice held some of the same steamy hissing tone common to the Fire Elementals in the Realm of Fire. But her voice was also more feminine, more human, and disturbingly familiar.


    Sudden images assaulted him.


    He stood at the edge of a snowy island in the sky, overlooking the Elemental Plane of Fire. He was old, well into his eighties, one of the elder masters capable of visiting the Dreaming Goddess and stealing some of her power. Felix, his old friend, stood at his side. They flew together often, dodging between the snow-clad trees, across frozen lakes, under the shadow of planet-sized volcanoes. They both loved to fly. It was then, in those days before, when they both developed the love of flying, a love that became branded into their souls by the Luck Elemental, Titania.


    Felix lifted his half gold, half burgundy mask, revealing a bald, spotted pate, sunken eyes and sagging skin. A toothless mouth gaped at the beautiful machines in the sky.


    "They have come to kill us at last," Shane had said.


    "They are beautiful dreams," Felix had replied.


    When they arrived, with their tilt-rotors and their fighter jets, they transformed everyone into barely-alive boxes filled with organs. They preserved the blood, to prevent it from returning to Ashe, using a steam-powered life support system. Shane floated outside his box, barely aware, always exhausted, somewhere in the Elemental Plane of Stone.


    Then Vaska''s sappers came and blew the whole place sky high.


    But Shane remembered one last flight with his old friend. The Spirit Ingrid used her High Daughter to create a new dreamworld for Shane and Felix to fly through. Towering cloud-pillars the size of planets, winds powerful enough to evaporate oceans, shining golden rings in the sky, like the rings around the gas giants in the Physical World.


    "Shane!" the Spirit of Riln screamed. "Shane! Come back to me!"


    The sight of the Purple Dragon brought back another memory.


    "You don''t remember him," she had said. "But you have lost a dear friend. You will fly together once again, someday soon. I have foreseen it."


    "What do I need to do?" Shane had asked.


    "Third High Daughter of the Queen of Dreams. I Wish he would die."


    The whirring sound of propellers caught his attention. He looked up to admire the storm sorcerers as they advanced toward their enemy in a loose formations of airplanes.


    "How long did it take you to find us?" Shane asked.


    "My brother spoke to me about this continent about thirty years ago," Princess Astrid said. "It took me four years to find Felix, and then it took me four more years to find you. That is why he is four years older than you. He reincarnated here first."


    "But Zakx was still alive."


    She waved her hand dismissively. "He was afraid of the humans in the north, so he spent a few decades developing his intelligence network."


    "Then he decided to try his experiment," Shane said. "A test to see if Mia was dead."


    "And when you were born," Astrid said, "with your soul bonded to a Phoenix Elemental, he knew something was deeply wrong."


    Shane turned and stepped off the edge of the plateau. He reached out and connected to his Realms, and with the power of his Spirit partner, he drew a hundred, or a thousand times the normal amount of power. But still he fell, vertically, following the escarpment almost to the dry river, where, in a sudden burst of power, he raced forward, barely skimming the ground.


    Felix always liked to fly high, he thought. While I always enjoyed flying just over the snowfields, kissing the treetops, surfing on rivers of lava.


    When he reached that distant hilltop, he slipped up past the Phoenix Elemental, and then settled down atop her head, reaching his arms deep into her flaming feathers. But those flames, he knew, could not hurt him, because of the soul-bond that they shared. As he moved his head, the Phoenix also moved her head, to directly face the six airships just a stone''s throw away.


    Huge wings began to flap, leaving long magenta waves in the sky. They flapped so fast, like skyscrapers in an earthquake. She could no doubt sense the burning heart of that nearby airship, so she reached out for it, puncturing her flaming beak right up into the helium envelope, to reveal the steam engine room deep inside. A member of the old Heritage Militia, an enlisted man who Shane recognized from Needlewood, stood slack-jawed, holding a shovel full of coal just inches from the flickering maw of the furnace. The Phoenix Elemental opened her mouth and breathed, twisting her neck back, like a sword of pure flame, splitting the entire airship in half.


    Falling.


    Above, the airship resembled the fractal features that the mathematicians in the Physical World had named the "seahorse valley." Writhing in superheated air which disintegrated without creating smoke. Hundreds, if not thousands of Heritage Militia soldiers had been huddled on the lower airplane deck, and those men had all instantly transformed into ash, their mirage-like bodies evaporating into the writhing swirls of steam.


    Shane almost felt bad for them.


    If their invasion had succeeded, they would have not shown any mercy.


    The Phoenix performed a twisting maneuver that Felix would recognize as a split-S. The next and largest airship was just ahead. Wind beat against Shane''s face as the Phoenix Elemental flapped those huge orange-magenta wings, scorching the salt flats far below.


    I wonder if the Lord Paladin is on that ship? Shane wondered.


    This question restrained the Phoenix Elemental. She pointed her beak at the rear of the airship, at a huge glass construct that dangled below. She inverted and reached huge talons up into the belly of the airship, then pulled her neck up, smashing her beak through the glass. Shane blasted the shrapnel away with wind magic, and found himself at one end of an extremely long table. A dozen men in ornate uniforms occupied the seats with their arms covering their eyes. The fat, bald Lord Paladin sat at the head of the table with a crystal cup of amber liquid in one hand.


    The man barely seemed lucid.


    "Is that you Doomsayer?" the Lord Paladin asked. "Have you seen Felix? Where is that boy?"


    The weight of the burning Phoenix Elemental began to drag the entire airship down, and the room was filled with the sound of shattering glass, melting and bending metal. Horrified, all of the other officers scrambled out of the room.


    "Felix has quit the field," Shane said as he stumbled forward.


    "That doesn''t sound like him!" the Lord Paladin said. "Good for him though! Retreat is just another tool, after all. And a commander needs to have practice with their tools. Do you want a drink?"


    "Certainly," Shane replied.


    The Lord Paladin offered a mostly-empty bottle of the amber liquid.


    Shane grabbed the bottle and took a sniff. It smelled like fire.


    "Is that a bird?" the Lord Paladin asked, pointing to the twitching head of the Phoenix Elemental that had punched up through the floor at the end of the table. Her beady eyes regarded them.


    "Fire isn''t a very nice way to die," Shane said.


    He smashed the bottle against the table, while simultaneously blasting the fragments away from his own body with wind magic. He reached out and slammed his palm against the Lord Paladin''s spotted pate, snapping his head back. Then, Shane punched the jagged wreck of the brandy bottle through the other man''s throat.


    The Lord Paladin lurched back into his chair. Instinctively, he raised his glass to his lips and feebly attempted to take one last drink.

 Chapter 47: Rudderless

    Maeve flew in a huge ring around the trunk of the crystal tree, and so she frequently lost sight of the enemy airships. Spirits swarmed in the branches above, pressing out toward the fleet in aggressive circles. The upper branches were obscured by thick clouds, and the airships were difficult to isolate against the diffuse gray light. She fought against relentless winds, struggling to keep the horizon in the center of her propeller disk. Her hands were sweating, and her little wooden coffin was starting to stink. Also, there were hundreds of other airplanes crowding the sky around her, and while the storm sorcerers were technically capable of flying, they had adopted none of the usual right-of-way conventions.


    Parallel to the line of ships, with wings slightly tilted in a gentle banking rotation around the tree, she watched the enemy airplanes suspiciously through her foggy canopy. Until they began to quit the field. Then her mind reverted to her distant past.


    Those airships are undefended, she thought. We could board them. Take them! Maybe Torrance would be able to reverse engineer the design?


    A flash of orange-magenta light dominated her vision, so bright that it darkened the world outside. A huge flaming bird appeared atop a desert hill north of the plateau. Shortly after, Maeve felt Shane''s storm sorcery. She knew the man was more powerful, but in that moment her previous conceptions were shattered. He was drawing enough power from the Realms to burn himself into a tiny pile of ashes. And yet the sorcery persisted, until it winked out after intercepting the huge bird.


    The Phoenix flapped its wings and slowly lurched toward the closest airship. It puffed up its chest, rapidly flapped its wings, reared back and screeched. A wave of orange-magenta fire split the airship in half lengthwise, incinerating all the canvas and the wood and the people in an instant. The two halves of the airship were actually launched up higher into the air by the impact of the wave of heat.


    Instead of continuing her circle around the tree, she reversed her roll in the direction of her engine torque and brought the enemy fleet into the center of her propeller disk. The violent tail wind, combined with her engine torque, caused her to rapidly lose altitude, and if she had not pressed forward on the stick and kicked the rudder against the torque, she would have departed flight. At least three other storm sorcerers decided to follow her, and, lacking her experience, they almost immediately flopped over and began to spin.


    The huge Phoenix attached itself to the bottom of the largest airship. The whole airship began to bend and ripple. Bravely, the craft held on for another minute or so, before it crumpled under the weight and split in half. A torrent of heat incinerated the remains of the airship even as it fell.


    Even though the airships had been destroyed, the tugboats, little twin engine airplanes with huge propellers, pressed on toward the city. The Phoenix fluttered over to the third airship, ignoring the danger. The other tugboats began to detach themselves and race forward, abandoning their doomed airships. Maeve descended in a long arc, approaching from the east to catch them all in a long line, gathering airspeed as she descended. She estimated that they flew at about fifty knots, and her own gauge indicated double that number.


    She brought the first into the center of her propeller disk, then attacked with a long lance of blue draconic fire. The plume of fire struck the near-side engine pylon, causing it to burst apart. The torque of the opposite engine caused the craft to instantly begin spinning, and Maeve pulled up and rolled over to watch it fall. It was spinning like some child''s toy, spewing bodies in every direction.


    Perhaps if they had swapped the direction of the engine torque across the two pylons, maybe it would not spin so fast?


    She didn''t bother to contemplate the answer to this question, because she found herself subconsciously pulling toward the next target. Her lance of flame struck the rear body, severing the empennage and causing the leading wings to nose dive. Those two huge propellers drove the craft faster and faster into the "river" of blue crystal spires below. One unfortunate soldier was impaled exactly on the tip of one of those spires, leaving a dark red smear at the tip.


    Maeve shivered. Red blood is so unnatural.


    The other four tugboats had managed to make it all the way to the escarpment. The engine pylons began to tilt upward, transforming the tugboats into dropships. Maeve managed to rake one of them with a blast of draconic flame even as the soldiers disembarked, but she was forced to pull up and roll over to avoid ramming into the thing. She glanced down at the plateau as it rushed past below. Dozens of soldiers poured out of the surviving three dropships, men armed with sabers and crossbows.


    She was flying very slow, barely fast enough to roll over. The runway in the center of the city was directly ahead of her. She began laughing. "I could land right now," she said.


    As her airplane began to lose airspeed, she could not honestly think of a reason not to land directly ahead. Immediately she began cranking the wheel to deploy the flaps, then she cut the engine and coasted, keeping the close edge of the airfield in the center of her windmilling propeller. The sandy ground grew closer and closer, and at the last second she pulled up hard, stalling the airplane just over the ground. It was a hard landing but the wheels held, and Maeve didn''t bother using the whole runway, electing instead to kick the rudder and roll to a stop just off the side of the airfield.


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    Her hands moved in a blur to unlatch the canopy and throw it overhead. She ripped the seat forward and grabbed the survival kit out of the tail boom, split the seal apart, and grabbed the crossbow and saber within. She floated up over the lip of the cabin and settled down onto the hard red stone of the plateau, grasping the crossbow in sweaty palms.


    "Time to get to work."


    <hr>


    The last of the six airships disintegrated into ash and molten steel. Overhead, dozens of twin-engine haulers towed at least two hundred gliders with long cables. The Spirits, who perhaps had been afraid to attack armed airships, raced forward in a huge wave to intercept the gliders. Flying trees wrapped their roots around the twin-engine airplanes, then twisted, initiating spins. The centrifugal force of the heavy engines on the wings caused the craft to level off into unrecoverable flat spins. Giant bees swarmed around the vulnerable gliders that managed to detach themselves, but most of the gliders were dragged down, with wings bending until they snapped off.


    Shane turned his attention to the tilt-rotors that had been hauling the airships. One brave pilot had engaged them, managing to score no less than two kills before any of them reached the escarpment. He recognized the particular style of sorcery used by that pilot.


    "Lady Maeve, I think I owe you a drink."


    He pointed to the surviving tilt-rotors, and the Phoenix Elemental began to bank. Shane was not an expert pilot, but he estimated that her maximum speed was about one-third as fast as the friendly airplanes circling the tree. Perhaps thirty knots. Wisely, Maeve leveled off and then began to descend straight ahead, toward the airfield.


    "I''ll give you one of them."


    When he arrived at the very edge of the plateau, the Quarian soldiers had managed to disembark and form up into a fire team. Their extraordinary professionalism and skill was rewarded with an encounter with the talon of a Phoenix crashing down between them. Shane could not see them when she landed, but he guessed they felt very little pain. A twist of the neck and another screaming breath incinerated the second craft. The last craft was further away from the others, and a single storm sorcerer raced forward to face them.


    Shane glanced around. He could not see signs of battle anywhere. The Quarian airplanes were still in retreat, traveling at perhaps one hundred knots to the north. He would not be able to catch them on his Phoenix. There was at least one skilled sorcerer in Quaria, the geomancer named Cliona, and if he sent the storm sorcerers to chase those airplanes, they would likely encounter an auxiliary force of some sort.


    "The battle is won," he said. "Thank you, old friend. We will fly together again, when Princess Astrid allows it."


    With a flash of red-orange light, the Phoenix Elemental vanished, abandoning him to gravity. He floated down to the escarpment toward the sixth tilt-rotor, the one which had been hauling the Flameraker. He skimmed the ground, with his loose robes fluttering against the dusty red stone. He saw flashes of lightning and heard the thud of a crossbow. One last soldier remained. That man rushed forward with his saber, only to be stunned by a wave of lightning.


    Maeve kicked him between the legs, causing him to slump over. Then she struck him on the side of his head with her saber. Red blood stained red stone.


    "You could have helped!" she bellowed.


    "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked as he floated down in front of her.


    "I may have picked up a few tricks from the other pirates," Maeve replied.


    Her loose white trousers appeared soaked with urine, which was perhaps not unexpected of a pilot returning from a long fight. She resumed hacking away at the man''s neck with her saber, splattering bits of red meat everywhere.


    "Red bloods!" she hissed.


    Shane felt the feather-weight of the Spirit of Riln settle on his shoulders. Her sky-blue hair tumbled across his cheeks, blocking the southern winds. She began to whisper in his ear: "Stories of this battle will spread. The people of Riln will want to know what this woman has done."


    "They shall know," he swore.


    His intuition caused him to turn to face the city, where Princess Astrid stalked forward. He walked toward her, but fell to one knee before she drew too close.


    "Retainer Shane," Princess Astrid said. "You have witnessed firsthand the ineffectiveness of the flying machines that the northerners have conspired to create. The airplanes are the key. Of this fact, Felix has complete understanding. Tell me, Retainer Shane, what is the fate of the Lord Paladin?"


    "I killed him with my own hands," Shane admitted. He reached out and displayed his palms, still caked in dried blood. "He was incoherent, unaware of his situation."


    "Rudderless?" Lady Maeve asked.


    The Purple Dragon nodded. "Rudderless, an excellent metaphor. Most nations are indeed rudderless."


    "Just before he died, he offered me a bottle of brandy, imported from the Physical World by The House Anna-Rhea Imports Corporation."


    Astrid chuckled. "One of Brigid''s interventions, without a doubt. Brigid, my dear, would you kindly give my Retainer his new orders?" She turned and began to glide away. Her deep purple hair and her mother-of-pearl skirts tossed about in the wind.


    A rainbow shimmer, breaking and reforming into the shape of the assassin-bodyguard Brigid. Her bob-cut purple hair tossed in the violent winds, and she grasped both daggers at her hips as if she was on the verge of attacking.


    "Retainer Shane," Brigid began. "Anything that flies, must fly faster than your Phoenix Elemental. You have permission to summon her in the defense of your nation, provided that you do not destroy any airplanes. As you have surmised, the Exalted Princess Astrid wishes to continue Ashe''s eugenics program on this continent, with slight modifications. Only the pilots should be allowed to fight, and the surviving pilots should be allowed to have many children. This battle ends the Age of the Airship, and thus begins the Golden Age of Flight."

 Prelude: Thirty-One Years Ago

    The ocean beyond Skygarden was bathed in golden light. Kai beat his wings against the ocean breeze, and while the city itself was magnificent, it was the tiny island in the distance which drew his ire. A jagged spine of black granite flanked on either side by high cliffs crowned with flowery meadows. A handful of pine copses occupied the loamy depressions. As he ascended into the golden sky, his eye was drawn to Princess Astrid''s Villa, a glowing hotel of purple draconic crystal, cut into the central spine of the island, ten thousand feet above the crashing waves.


    It was, as far as Kai was able to estimate, the most expensive real estate in the known universe. The most powerful and wealthy corporations in the Physical World would struggle to rent a room for their executives for more than a few nights. And yet, in spite of the extraordinary cost, the rooms in Astrid''s Villa were booked for at least a year in advance. Most of the grassy landscape was occupied by an exclusive golf course, and dozens of humans meandered about the island.


    Kai transformed into his human form before reaching the purple crystal structure. Storm sorcery would suffice to descend onto the private balcony for members of the royal family. When he landed, the violet-clad guards at the door prostrated themselves on the ground.


    "Prince Kai, the Exalted Princess Astrid resides within," the guard captain warned. "If you enter, you will be diminished."


    "Then I shall be diminished," Kai said.


    Astrid''s private quarters were fashionable without being gaudy. Golden light poured between mother-of-pearl drapes to illuminate a sparse room. His sister was seated on an oversized couch with one of her preferred granddaughters. They were both engaged in some elaborate form of grooming. Kai recognized the crystal comb that the younger girl was using to brush Astrid''s immaculate hair. He himself had given that comb to Astrid a thousand years before, just a few months before she died.


    She was not wearing the metal mask common to Fate Binders. Empty eye sockets tracked him as he stalked across the room, bleeding writhing tears of misty shadow.


    "Brother," Astrid said. "I saw your soul flying across the ocean. Why have you come?"


    "You know why I have come," Kai said.


    "You attempt to restore me to my former self, to the sister you once knew in centuries past. Perhaps if you had been there, you would have been able to protect me from Ashe."


    Kai grimaced, betraying the pain caused by this insult.


    "I pity you, brother. Speak, I will humor your request this one time."


    "Thank you, sister. I would speak to you about an island. A specific island, which I believe might be of interest to the Queen of Fire, who may become our ally."


    His eye was drawn to an empty space beside him. Someone was attempting to draw his attention away from that area, and so he refocused his attention there, piercing through the mental fog to see what was beyond. A purple-haired whelp frowned at him, her arms crossed under her breasts. With a rainbow shimmer, she appeared.


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    "I hate that you can see me," Brigid said.


    Astrid waved her hand dismissively. "My brother means no harm. I admire your diligence, however this is a matter for members of the royal family."


    "As you like, Princess."


    "If you please," Kai began with a slight bow, "I would ask a question of you, Brigid. Of the souls who came here with Ingrid''s dream, how many were bonded to Greater Fire Elementals?"


    The whelp glared at him. "Just two. A couple of old men bonded to Phoenix Elementals."


    "And where are they now?"


    Brigid shrugged. "They have not caused any problems so far. Their souls were not affected by their brutal treatment, not to the same degree as the others. We have other priorities."


    "Let me paint you a picture," Kai said. "An island filled with whelps. A Red Dragon rules the north, and a Blue Dragon rules the south. And both of those Dragons worship Ashe. They send their whelps against each other, smashing their armies together over and over as part of a eugenics program to create two mortal races that hate each other."


    "Ashe would do this thing," Astrid agreed.


    "However, one of the two Dragons was recently killed. The other Dragon is weak, unable to acquire allies on the other side. Elvira is more than strong enough to kill him. If you went to that island, you could inherit that eugenics program from Ashe, and twist it to be more in line with what mother wants. We could breed a new generation of skilled pilots there."


    "We have other continents," Astrid said. "We have uplifted many nations into the Golden Age of Flight."


    "Indeed," Kai agreed. "Now imagine that both of the Phoenix Elementals could be brought to that island. They would be able to very rapidly create a stable war between the two nations. In fact, you might be able to initiate perfect conditions with just a single year of investment, perhaps less."


    "I support this," Brigid added.


    "Are you speaking as my sworn bodyguard?" Astrid asked. "Or are you speaking as a servant of the Queen of Fire?"


    "The latter," Brigid admitted. "No harm will come to you on that backwater island, and I can do most of the work for you. All you need to do is cause both of those souls to be reincarnated there. I can do almost all of the work."


    "To control Phoenix Elementals, they would need an ally on the other side," Astrid said. "They would need a Light Elemental to witness the bonds, and the Festival of Fates was just a few decades ago. We would need to wait a very long time."


    "Then we send them to Twin Fates," Kai said.


    "That''s insane, brother. Would you really allow two souls bonded to Phoenix Elementals to wander through Ashe''s Domain? What happens if they arrive at the Apex of the Elements and the Queen of Light offers to release them into the Physical World?"


    "Then we would know the Queen of Light''s answer."


    Brigid nodded. "It is a risk, but it would provide a lot of information. If both of those souls return to us on that island, then we would know that the Queen of Light agrees with our long-term plans."


    "Not necessarily," Kai admitted. "It could also mean that the two souls want to return to the Plane of Dreams."


    "Which would be insane," Brigid said. "Nobody chooses to come here."


    "This is irrelevant," Astrid snapped. "Brother, you are so irritating! And I hate being irritated. You concocted this plan with the intent to tempt me with its perfection. You knew that Brigid would accept the bait. You seek to humiliate me in front of my bodyguard."


    "You know that''s not true," Kai said.


    "You think I''m going to change on that damn island!"


    "I do. And I don''t care if it takes a thousand years. I don''t care if I am diminished to nothing in your eyes."


    Astrid sighed. "Brigid, my dear. Get your people to draft a plan. Get the appropriate reviewers to approve it. Then have your people talk to my people."


    Brigid bowed deeply. "It shall be done, my Princess."

 Epilogue

    Crimson wings beat against the winter wind. The people on the ground would see azure wings, thanks to the color distortions created by the Light Elemental. Felix spotted his enemy, a small crimson airplane from nine decades gone. With his enhanced vision, the craft was clearly visible against the clear blue sky, just south of Cliona''s red crystal tree.


    He was going to dogfight himself.


    "An azure drake from Riln is attacking this very airshow!" the announcer bellowed.


    Below, the park in Flood''s End had been cleared to make room for a much longer runway. Six fighter jets of the latest design, painted with the colors and symbols of the Crimson Drakes, were parked just in front of the crowded bleachers. The tube-like aircraft, constructed almost entirely from aluminum, were capable of approaching the speed of sound. A great deal of force was required to move the control surfaces at high speeds, so pilots needed to use water magic to power a hydraulics system. The latest design of air-to-air missile, guided by Shadow Hunters, had long since replaced draconic flame as the primary method of attack.


    The six pilots of the Crimson Drakes demo squadron were marching to their airplanes, to prepare for the airshow''s main event. Felix wondered how many people in the crowd were even paying attention to the current performance.


    The Golden Age airplane rushed past into a merge. Felix anticipated that he would not last very long, and indeed, he had barely managed half a turn before his opponent shot a stream of draconic flame just past his neck. From the ground, it would look like a direct hit.


    Felix sembled into his human form, allowing the neck of the drake form to vanish first. This created the illusion that the fire had decapitated the drake. Then, he simply fell out of the sky. His long blue scarf trailed above, fluttering in the wind.


    "The hero of the Battle of the Teeth has defeated the azure drake! The city of Flood''s End is saved!"


    The snow-clad forest flew up to meet Felix. Just before reaching the treetops, he began to decelerate using subtle storm sorcery. As gentle as a breeze, his back sank down into the soft, powdery snow. He relaxed, closed his eyes, and contemplated taking a nap.


    "He''s dead," Alice said.


    Felix opened his eyes to see the too-intelligent face of that damned Pegasus staring down at him. "I''m not dead."


    "Dead," Alice repeated. "I guess I need to find a new life partner."


    Felix began to clamber to his feet, but his efforts were interrupted when Alice plucked him off the ground like a toddler. Even as he was settling into the saddle behind Alice, she took them both to the other side with a magenta flash. He tried to fight back a sudden sense of panic as the massive form of a Purple Dragon came into view. As still as a statue, nearly as big as the city itself, with a mean pair of forward-facing horns. Slowly, the enormous serpentine neck began to twist toward them. Mercy began to trot forward, and with a few flaps of her long white wings they flew above the trees.


    "Retainer Felix," the Dragon growled. "My sister summons you. The Festival of Fates approaches, and she demands your presence."


    "Prince Kai," Felix asked. "Will you lead us to the city of Skygarden?"


    "I shall. Return to your mansion and await my return."


    The rhythmic beating of Mercy''s wings rocked Felix up and down in the saddle as they ascended. Alice pulled on the reins, causing them to stop a short distance from Prince Kai''s huge jaws.


    "Before I leave, answer this: why are you here in the north? Why are you so far from the desert? Do you no longer fight?"


    "Princess Astrid''s eugenics program has been too successful," Felix replied. "I can''t compete with these young pilots. I required a constant escort, and more than one pilot died because of me. I was a burden, so I retired. I got a job at your museum. I help reenact dogfights from the Golden Age."


    "Then your absence from this continent will not be noted," Prince Kai observed. "I must inform Retainer Shane of my sister''s summons. Farewell."


    <hr>


    The stadium seating in the city of Skygarden was a significant step up in quality when compared to the bleachers in Flood''s End park. Especially in the Royal Suite, at the very end of the boulevard opposite to the Interstitial Abyss, overlooking the parade terminus. Felix sat in a roomy chair, fully cushioned with memory foam from the Physical Realm, cased in paisley cloth. Shane shuffled past with a disgruntled look on his face. He plopped down in the seat to the right and sighed.


    "Nice haircut," Felix said.


    The other man ran his fingers through his dark blue hair, which had been trimmed down to a military-style buzz cut. "Rilnese nobility are supposed to have long hair!"


    "Shane, I think your hair looks nice and masculine," Alice said.


    "I don''t think any of these Dragons care about Rilnese nobility," Felix added.


    Glancing around, he could not find any whelps in the crowd. His own tiny row of seats, directly to the left of Princess Astrid''s private box, seemed to have been created specifically to hold the only whelps in the whole city. Every single seat was occupied by a Dragon, all along the length of the boulevard.


    "You are wondering how many Purple Dragons are here," Shane said.


    "You read my mind," Felix said.


    "I estimate that there are about fifty thousand Dragons seated here. And those are just the Dragons with high enough status to be invited to sit here! Can you imagine how many of them live in this city? It''s a disaster!"


    "What''s so bad about it?" Alice asked.


    "Dragons don''t really age, right? They just keep growing older and older, making more and more babies. They are ecologically unstable! Eventually they will conquer the entire known universe. Every cubic foot of every Elemental Plane, every Little Planet in the Plane of Heaven, every square acre in the Physical Realm. Everything will become the dominion of the Purple Dragon Tribe!"


    "That''s the plan," Brigid said as she marched into the box. "I''m happy that you accepted my invitation to cut your hair, Retainer Shane. Now, all of you, stand up. Cross both hands on your heart and prepare for the arrival of the Queen."


    Shane''s Spirit, the girl-child named Riln, materialized in front of the empty seat to his right. With some anticipation, Felix glanced up to the huge ebony throne looming above the very apex of the boulevard. The purple crystal dais appeared to be large enough for two thrones, and Felix did not doubt there was a second throne in the Plane of Spirits.


    Felix caught a glimpse of Princess Astrid as she glided into her seat in her box, followed by a few of her daughters and granddaughters. Across the span, Prince Kai solemnly marched into his own box flanked by a small harem of his preferred females. Soon the crowd was dead silent. The Queen appeared, clad in a tight-fitting mother-of-pearl dress. It was cut off above the knees, and it featured a prominent boob window which caught his attention. Her long purple hair tumbled down across one shoulder.


    Demurely, she seated herself upon her throne. When she spoke, her voice filled the entire boulevard, repeated down the line by huge loudspeakers: "Welcome, citizens of Skygarden, and guests of the Royal Family! Welcome! To the Festival of Fates!"


    An ear splitting roar shattered the sky, followed by a wave of cheers from the crowd. A sleek black fighter jet rocketed through the sky directly overhead, low enough for Felix to see every detail. It was shaped a bit like a huge arrowhead, with a massively oversized elevator and two tail fins. It looked horribly unstable to Felix. Indeed, with one sharp motion, the craft transitioned into a vertical climb, leaving a plume of purple smoke in its trail.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Felix noticed that the leading edges of the delta-shaped wings shifted down and forward very slightly as it pitched up. A new type of control surface? His mind began racing. Yes, at high angles of attack, such a reshaping of the wing could allow pent-up air to escape through the small gap between that leading edge surface and the main wing. Genius!


    The fighter jet continued to ascend, so high into the sky that it appeared to be just a tiny dot.


    "Your continent has not developed the prerequisite technologies required to control that aircraft," Brigid said. "And you don''t have access to cyan Colored Orbs either. So don''t bother yourself trying to figure out how to replicate what Vaska has done."


    "What are Colored Orbs?" Shane asked.


    "A type of lesser Lightning Elemental," Brigid replied. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I must return to Astrid''s box. Please enjoy the Dance."


    Alice was the first to take a seat, and Felix quickly followed. Drums began to play, followed by strings and vocals. The cheering from the crowd grew louder and louder, almost drowning out the music. Magenta, cyan, and yellow fireworks began exploding between the greenhouse-towers all around the city. High overhead, the fighter jet leveled off and began to depart.


    From within the Interstitial Abyss, the tips of huge purple wings appeared. Her horns were swept back in gentle waves, her eyes elegant and feminine, her neck and chest brimming with pride. The sunlight caught her purple scales with a blinding flash. Halfway down the boulevard, a few thousand feet in the air, Princess Greta began to flap her wings frantically. She twisted her neck back, pointed her gaping maw at the sky, and breathed.


    Simultaneously, a subtle sheen of wind magic created a protected barrier around every box and seating section. The pillar of purple flame seemed to break the world. It was so bright and so loud that it drowned out all other sensations. A massive updraft of wind reshaped the weather, creating a pillar-shaped cloud that reached into the heavens. Lightning flashed, the sky darkened, and a torrential downpour smashed against the thin wind barriers. Water ran off in sheets.


    Alice looked frightened, Shane was slack-jawed, and the Spirit of Riln nodded, clearly impressed with the pageantry.


    With a burst of overwhelming sorcery from the Dragon in the sky, all of the rain instantly froze. Felix found himself under an icy roof, which immediately exploded upward in a puff of snow. The whole of the boulevard was transformed into a winter wonderland. Snow was swirling through the sky, drifting in piles across the flagstone street, forming ripples which resembled sand dunes. The trees were covered in a healthy layer of caked snow as well. However, the Dragon in the sky was gone. Instead, Princess Greta stood just below the dais, bowing before her great grandmother, Queen Anna.


    The wind magic blocked all sound from the other sections, while amplifying the sound from the direction of the Princess. The haunting voice of Princess Nelly filled the air, and Greta began to dance. It was the same dance Felix had seen once before, nearly a century in the past. The two Dragons seemed to pass through each other, swap places across the two Elemental Planes, in maneuvers of increasing danger and complexity.


    But the dance did not end as it had before. Instead, the two dancers swiftly began to drift down the boulevard, away from the Queen''s throne, repeating the grand finale before every box and section down the street.


    "I wonder what it looked like on the other side?" Shane asked.


    "Let me go see," Riln said. She vanished for a few seconds, then returned. "There are giant spheres of lava floating in the sky."


    Brigid stalked into the box once again. "Prince Kai has requested your presence in his box."


    The Prince of the Purple Dragons was lounging on a huge bed-like cushion, surrounded by half-naked female Dragons. He drank an extremely dark wine from a golden crystal chalice, and gestured to a nearby table covered with delicacies and fine beverages.


    "Welcome, Retainers and Spirits. What did you think of the Dance?"


    "The dancing was lovely," Alice said.


    "The sorcery was astonishing," Shane added.


    "Indeed," Prince Kai said. "Back when Astrid and Elvira were dancing, the sorcery was much more impressive, but the dancing was less graceful. I enjoy the new format. The tone is less aggressive. It feels less like sorcerous power projection and more like entertainment."


    Shane reeled back in shock. "What could Astrid have possibly done to make you say that?"


    "Well, one time she created a planet in the sky, complete with its own micro-climates and seasonal patterns. She simulated the rise and fall of a fictional civilization, entirely through architecture, and then Elvira caused the planet to explode."


    Shane looked dumbfounded. Felix figured the man was attempting to figure out how such a thing could be possible.


    "Brigid said you needed us for something," Felix said.


    "I invite you to join me later at my sister''s hotel, on the island outside the city," Kai said. "I am afraid that she has mistreated you, and I hope to remedy the situation."


    <hr>


    Princess Astrid''s private quarters were open and filled with light. Mother-of-pearl drapes framed the ocean-facing palladian windows. The few furnishings cast long shadows across a white marble floor. The Daughter-Heir herself sat behind Princess Greta on a huge sofa, fussing over the younger Dragon''s hair. The two human women standing nearby instantly caught his attention. Felix recognized them from his journey to the city of Twin Fates.


    Vaska tapped a pencil against a notebook page, which already contained a mess of incomprehensible scribbles. Ingrid stood behind Vaska, with her arms wrapped around Vaska''s waist, and she appeared to be half asleep.


    "So would you say that mutual grooming is an important part of your culture?" Vaska asked.


    "Of course," Prince Kai answered as he strode into the room. "When in our true form, we often brush the leading edges of our flight surfaces against the breast scales of nearby Dragons. Both males and females do this. It helps remove the splattered bugs and bird guts, which can impact aerodynamics."


    Vaska nodded vigorously. "Yes, I see! Just like birds, frequent preening of the feathers helps ensure efficient flight dynamics. It makes sense that Dragons would evolve the same behavior. Fascinating!"


    "Brother, must you use such vulgar imagery?" Astrid asked. "In front of my granddaughter? The hero of our Festival?"


    "Forgive me, Princess Greta, for my vulgar words. Vaska, I must ask that you forgive me as well. I have business with my sister."


    "I don''t mind," Vaska said. She flipped to a clean page and then waited patiently for the conversation to start.


    "What is this about?" Astrid asked. Vaska began scribbling away.


    "Sister, I have brought your retainers. I believe that you are neglecting them."


    "Felix, Shane, welcome. How long has it been? Ninety years? You both look young and healthy. Alice is allowing you to borrow her Life Elemental, yes?"


    "Yes Princess," Alice said.


    "So then what is the problem?" Astrid asked.


    "Sister, you are neglecting your retainers. When is the last time you have checked in on their continent? The entrenched elites on both sides have strong incentives to keep the war going forever. Technology is advancing at an acceptable pace. The eugenics program is a resounding success. Neither of your retainers are required to continue the project. They are obviously both horrendously bored."


    "Is it true? Are you bored?"


    "Yes, Almighty Dragon," Shane said. "Prince Kai is correct. I have eaten at every restaurant and relaxed at every resort. I have run out of room in my libraries. I spend most of my time flying, but I have seen every rock, every valley, every river. Even the clouds begin to look the same."


    "All my friends are dead," Felix said. "Neasa, Cliona, all the Paladins. Generation after generation of pilots that are more skilled than me, and not by a small amount. I have flown the new fighter jets, and they are very powerful, very beautiful machines, but I feel like something was lost when the Golden Age ended."


    "Very well, brother. I will admit that you are correct, I was in the wrong to neglect my retainers. No doubt they long to prove that they are useful to me, yes? They seek praise and recognition from their Princess." She nodded thoughtfully. "What would you have me do, brother?"


    "Give them a new task," Prince Kai said. "A difficult task, one that will challenge their faculties and allow them to explore new places."


    "Oh, I know!" Vaska said. "Ingrid! Ingrid? Are you sleeping?"


    "I''m tired," Ingrid moaned.


    "Ingrid, these Retainers have some free time. We could use them."


    Ingrid''s eyes slowly opened. Felix always thought it was deeply strange to see those bright blue eyes contrast with her orange-red hair. Even if she technically was a Spirit, only a human Spirit could have such a mismatch between hair and eye color.


    "Yes," Ingrid said. "Yes, that''s a good idea. Princess Astrid, I would like to borrow your retainers for a time. There is something I want them to do in the Physical Realm. It may benefit HARPR Holdings as well."


    "As you like," Astrid said. "If I have need of them, you will return them to me, yes?"


    "Naturally," Ingrid replied.


    "Retainer Felix," Astrid began. "Retainer Shane, Spirit Alice, Spirit Riln, I have new orders, on behalf of House Anna-Rhea. You are to report to my daughter Lucrezia. She is the manager of the House Anna-Rhea Physical Realm Holdings Company. You are to request a HARPR Holdings employee identification card. Then, you are to perform any tasks given to you by Ingrid and Vaska, so long as Lucrezia does not express disapproval."


    They seemed to sense that her orders were complete, so they all bowed to her, almost at the same time.


    Prince Kai gave them a warm smile. "I think you are going to find exploring the Physical Realm to be a unique experience."


    "I''m looking forward to reading the books," Shane said.


    "I can''t wait to see the airplanes," Felix said.


    "It''s been a minute since I spoke with Lucrezia," Ingrid said.


    "You guys have never met anyone quite like her before," Vaska added. "Lucrezia is a hacker, but I''m guessing you guys have never seen a computer before, have you?"

 Appendix A: Influences

    I am going to be perfectly honest, this story was a bit of a nightmare to finish.


    It started as a single file on my Google drive, named "Island." It was an idea for a Fire Emblem-style tactical role playing game, or SRPG. It was inspired by Fire Emblem: Fates, a game with three different campaigns. In one campaign, the water dragon Corrin sides with her blood relatives in a conflict. In the second campaign, Corrin sides with the family that raised her, against her blood relatives. There is a third campaign as well.


    The "Island" story idea had a similar structure. There was an island divided in half. The Red Dragon lived in the north, the Blue Dragon lived in the south, and the player started as the spawn of the Blue Dragon in the north. If the player sides with the north, they help the northerners defend against an attack by the Blue Dragon. If the player sides with the south, then they help invade the north, where they discover that the industrialists have murdered the Red Dragon.


    There would also be a secret third route where the player meets a Purple Dragon.


    The problems really started to creep in after Chapter 42. I must have written and discarded seven attempts at writing Interlude 5. It was only after I switched POV characters to Lady Maeve that I was able to get the narrative to work. There are only seven more chapters after that, but those seven chapters took three full months to complete. Between the time skips, the POV changes, and the dense philosophical implications of the events in those chapters, I am afraid that the reader may get lost. I apologize if the story was not what you expected, but I hope that you enjoyed the vibe and perhaps the unique setting.


    Chapter 1


    I made a thread on the Royal Road forums called Dragons are Aerodynamically Unstable, which ended up with over three thousand views and almost two hundred replies. I wrote a prototype chapter that demonstrated how aerodynamically stable dragons might work. I enjoyed writing it so much that I published it. My initial goal was to fully write my "Island" story idea. Felix is inspired by Karsa Orlong from House of Chains, book 4 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen.


    Chapter 2


    The character of Princess Astrid is inspired by Lady Envy from Memories of Ice, book 3 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Lady Envy is an ancient and powerful sorceress that is in complete control of three sword masters, who she uses as servants.


    Chapter 3


    Shane is heavily inspired by the character Soren from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. The storm sorcery that he uses, including the ability to fly, is directly inspired by the storm sorcery specialization of the sorcerer class in Baldur''s Gate 3.


    Chapter 4


    The Heritage Militia is meant to be somewhat inspired by the crime families in The Godfather. This particular crime family exclusively exploits the migrant workers from the south, because those workers are too vulnerable to stop them, and because nobody else seems to care.


    Chapter 6


    The image of Black River is directly inspired by the city of Olivia in Italo Calvino''s Invisible Cities. Specifically, the Folio Society edition of Invisible Cities features an illustration of Olivia on page 58. This image features layered tenements and a huge Ferris Wheel. The idea that airplanes could be controlled entirely with the rudder, like a sailing vessel, was a real belief in the 1800s, before the invention of the airplane by the Wright Brothers.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Chapter 7


    This was about the time that I decided that the entire story would take place in the Elemental Plane of Dreams and the Elemental Plane of Spirits. It would take place in the same universe as Fire Elementals and Fighter Jets, and characters like Ingrid, Vaska, and Ashe would make appearances in the story. There is one subtle influence in this chapter. It mentions that there are some foreigners with "gold hair and onyx skin." When I wrote this, I was thinking of the Angyar, a race of aliens from Semley''s Necklace, a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin.


    Chapter 8


    The five characters that constitute the Elder Books Aviation Club, are inspired by the classical "Five Man Band" trope. Felix was meant to be the leader, Shane the lancer, King Cyneric the big guy, Deorwine the smart guy, and Alice the heart.


    Chapter 16


    I think this is the first chapter in the story where any character explicitly uses the Wish spell (correct me if I''m wrong). The Wish spell is inspired by a spell of the same name in Dungeons and Dragons. It is a level 18 Bard spell.


    Chapter 17


    The Shadow Hunters, where one wolf is white and the other wolf is black, is inspired by the Divine Dogs from the hit anime series Jujutsu Kaisen.


    Chapter 20


    The Wise Women in Riln, who seem to be able to communicate with each other in their dreams, are directly inspired by the Wise Ones from the Wheel of Time series, by Robert Jordan.


    Interlude 2 + Chapter 26/27


    The idea that the "world is ending" in the Elemental Plane of Darkness is taken from the game Against the Storm. That game is a rogue-like city builder. The rogue-like aspect of the game comes at the end of the blight storm cycle, where the entire map resets and all the residents in all the settlements retreat into the golden city at the center of the darkness.


    Chapter 28


    If I remember correctly, the phrase "Arise and be," comes from a Flyleaf song, from the album Memento Mori. "Free from inner contradictions" is a phrase that frequently appears in Cristopher Alexander''s book The Timeless Way of Building.


    Chapter 31


    The two zombified women that appear at the end of this chapter, to prepare Count Owen for his damnation in the Elemental Plane of Darkness, have a giant pair of scissors and some needle and thread. This is inspired by Gwen, a character from League of Legends.


    Chapter 35


    The giant crystal tree is inspired by the Erdtree, from Elden Ring. The Erdtree itself is inspired by the World Tree in Berserk.


    Chapter 37


    The sawed off propeller tips in this chapter are real artifacts from World War I. This type of "trench art" can be found on display at many aviation museums. I personally saw a collection of propeller tips at my local Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.


    Chapter 38


    The ancient structures in this chapter resemble nearly identical structures from the levels Delta Halo and Regret, from Halo 2. The interior of the central bank is inspired by the underwater sections in these levels.


    Prelude 658


    The Interstitial Abyss in the center of Skygarden is inspired by Made in Abyss.


    Chapter 39


    The scene with the small glider, attached to a cable and trailing behind the Flameraker, is directly inspired by a scene from Castle in the Sky. In that scene, the two protagonists fly in a glider into a dangerous storm.


    Chapter 40


    The Secret Realm in this chapter is inspired by the Houses of the Azath in The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Powerful creatures become trapped in the Azath, where they are essentially sent forward in time.


    Chapter 42


    This airshow was inspired by a real air show that took place in Washington State in 2023, where the US Army and US Air Force demonstrated joint operations.


    Chapter 45


    The scene with the Spirit of the Nation of Riln, a girl-child who rides on Shane''s back, is inspired by the character Schierke from Berserk. She leaves her body and rides on Guts'' back, providing support as he fights. This idea also appears in the final boss of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, which was heavily inspired by Berserk.


    Chapter 46


    The Phoenix here resembles Al''ar from World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.