ã€ŠThe Celestial Wayã€‹


 Foreword from the Author

    NOTE: This novel is written under my official pen name (Drake Vato). Hence it being on the cover art.

    Thank you for picking up this book. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did coming up with the story. (The writing part was hard.)

    I''ve always liked both space opera and dragons, and have wondered why nobody has thought of combining them before. (Dragons plus sci-fi in general has a few notable examples, but I''m talking about starships and interstellar travel.) In the end, I''ve decided to fill the gap myself, so we can finally have dragons IN SPAAACE! Also, space wizardry. Star Wars did it almost right, but borked up the dragon part...

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Yes, this is pretty much a "soft" science fiction story, although I tried to keep the in-universe lore as authentic as possible. If you''re still willing to give it a go, then I''ll do my best to keep you entertained.

    Happy reading!

 A Table of Contents

    Here is the full list of chapters that the novel contains. I''ve always liked ToCs inside books, because to me they offer a sneak peak to the whole story, and feel like a miniature tale in an of themselves. (When chapters have names, that is.)

    When I outlined the general story for TCW, I sat down and planned the chapters so they themselves would tell the essence of the novel''s story. Think of it as a trailer for a movie or a videogame. All the excitement and drama in one neat little package!

    Enjoy.

    ***

    Prologue

    PART I: Prelude to Fall

    Chapter 1 ¨C Awakening Away

    First Interlude

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    Chapter 2 ¨C Waylaid

    Chapter 3 ¨C Beginning of the Way

    Second Interlude

    Chapter 4 ¨C No Way Out

    Chapter 5 ¨C The Way of Life

    Chapter 6 ¨C Companion for the Way

    Chapter 7 ¨C First Steps of the Way

    Chapter 8 ¨C Haven by the Way

    Third Interlude

    Chapter 9 ¨C Clash of Ways

    PART II: Prelude to War

    Chapter 10 ¨C Guardians of the Way

    Fourth Interlude

    Chapter 11 ¨C Rushing the Way

    Chapter 12 ¨C Exploring Ways

    Chapter 13 ¨C Warrior''s Way

    Chapter 14 ¨C Small Way

    Chapter 15 ¨C Long Way

    Chapter 16 ¨C Changing Ways

    Fifth Interlude

    Chapter 17 ¨C Protector of the Way

    PART III: Prelude to Vengeance

    Chapter 18 ¨C Questioning the Way

    Chapter 19 ¨C Allies of the Way

    Chapter 20 ¨C Clearing Ways

    Sixth Interlude

    Chapter 21 ¨C Embracing the Way

    Chapter 22 ¨C Defending the Way

    PART IV: Prelude to Farewell

    Chapter 23 ¨C The Way Abides

    Seventh Interlude

    Chapter 24 ¨C The Way Crumbles

    Chapter 25 ¨C The Way of Love

    Chapter 26 ¨C The Celestial Way

    Final Interlude

    Epilogue

 Prologue

    PROLOGUE

    998 RE, Somewhere in the galaxy

    She stood before the vast window, contemplating the cosmic panorama. Beyond the reinforced glass and invisible layers of force fields, the planet was a dark shape against the cosmos, its outline bathed in a fiery red-orange halo from the rising star behind it. Everbright lights dotted the planet''s body in intricate patterns, echoing the golden illumination of the constellations above and to the right. A host of moons circled the spatial ocean in between, some fully visible in their many-hued glory, others mere specks of reflected photons, nearly hidden by the blinding radiance of the planet''s crystal ring.

    "We need to confer about the Lightbringer," she said.

    "What about him?"

    She turned away from the window. The room was dark. The only light came from the aperture behind her, casting heavy shadows along the walls. There was no decoration, except for a single desk.

    "The situation has escalated beyond control," she said. "The Lightbringer wants to turn reality into singularity. All of it."

    "Yes, that would be... problematic, for the rest of us," he said. He sat behind the desk, looking at her. The shadows obscured both their features, outlining only the sharp contours of his suit and the sleek lines of her attire. "I agree measures must be taken to contain the problem."

    "The time for proxies is over," she said. "His ambition imperils everything, including us. We must act directly."

    "No," he said. "It is too early. If we personally prevent this crisis, the enemy will take notice. Either way we fail. An alternative solution is required."

    "We can eliminate the entire system."

    "Annihilating a Shard? We might as well let the Lightbringer finish what he started. The results will be comparable."

    "Let us make the Consortium bring an armada then," she said. "Or the Union. Both of them have enough resources to handle the situation, despite possible losses."

    "We can''t. Thanks to the Lightbringer''s actions, the stellar civilizations have been pushed almost to an all-out conflict," he said. "If either of them sends a battlefleet to the system, it would mean war for the whole Sector. Again."

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    "What about the Fractured States?"

    "Insufficient. Even in their united power, they lack materiel and trained Conduits."

    "The H''raal?"

    "Too deep in their own problems."

    "Utopia Draconis?"

    "Out of the question."

    She crossed her arms, exploring mentally nonviable solutions one after another. Silence fell upon the room. The distant, nigh-imperceptible hum of energy sources mixed with the slowly twisting shadows as the space-borne construct followed its orbit.

    Something clicked, and a flicker cut the darkness. He dragged on the cigarette, the glowing ember illuminating his pensive gaze. "There is one elusive option," he said, watching the drifting smoke. "Volatile, but with fair odds of success."

    Her eyebrows lowered faintly. "You propose the employment of narrative causality."

    "Precisely," he nodded. "The Lightbringer, once a galactic hero, has now begun a mad crusade against reality itself. What better opportunity is there now for a champion to rise against such a villain? If done right, this is exactly a clear-cut story about good triumphing over evil."

    "Madness," she said. "We have no power to control such processes in our own reality. You know that."

    "Yes," he said, "but we can set the initial variables to ensure the maximum chance for a best case scenario, without exposing our move to the enemy."

    "And the chances are?"

    "Above zero," he said, and took another drag of his cigarette.

    She tsked and turned again to the window. "We could try other methods."

    "Such as?"

    There was no use. They had no time to develop a productive solution. Events had completely blindsided them. They both knew it. Either they could lose now, in a variety of ways, or they could lose a little later. Luck was not a factor on the scale they operated. Except it was the only variable left now.

    She sighed. "If this narrative dream of yours is going to work, we can''t just send anyone," she said, her gaze fixed beyond the window, unseeing.

    "I know," he said. "There is the perfect candidate for the job."

    "Who?"

    "The Dragonslayer."

    She gave him a sidelong look. "I thought that was a legend."

    "It is for the dragons," he said, blowing a wisp of smoke. "But the person behind the legend is real. He is currently in cryostasis. Take a look in the datalinks."

    She did. "I see," she said. "A rival-turned-archenemy of the Lightbringer. A decorated soldier, an exceptional warrior, one of the finest minds of his time. Still, you want to send only one man against possibly the greatest ?thereal in the entire galaxy?"

    "Of course not," he said. "He shall only be the pivot, the symbol around which the rest will gather. But he will be the driving force; he will be the one which in the end will face the Lightbringer. This is the narrative we want to set up. The rest... is up to the Great Cosmos."

    "We cannot simply send him there. If we do, the enemy will foresee this plan and counter us from the onset. There needs to be a cover."

    "There is. The Firstborn."

    "Her? But if she comes into contact with the Lightbringer, she... You mean to sacrifice her?"

    "Regrettably," he said, looking at the desk''s surface. He crumpled his cigarette and threw it away. "The Firstborn will be the cloak, and the Dragonslayer... the dagger."

    Again barely audible hum of transforming matter and working machinery permeated the room. The shadows quickened their twisting dance as the orbit changed. The fiery halo beyond the planetary horizon intensified, and celestial rays began to flood the room in blinding radiance.

    "Is that the way we want to determine the fate of the galaxy?" she asked.

    "That is the only way we can save the galaxy," he replied.

    They stood, she by the window and he behind the desk, looking at each other.

    "I''ll make the call," she said.

 Part I - Prelude To Fall

    PART I - PRELUDE TO FALL

    Iona Research Complex, seven centuries ago

    The Dragonslayer watched the sky, and his fist clenched.

    Great, winged shapes circled the horizon in the twilight light. Alarms and sirens blared everywhere, drowning the air in wailing doom. Soldiers and ground crews ran on the tarmac down below, rushing to their battlestations amidst the explosive chaos. Assault jets and interceptors struggled to take the fight to the skies, launching desperate counterattacks in scattered groups. The compound burned, as vehicles, armor, and supply warehouses were all obliterated by fire, metal, claws, and lasers.

    The Dragonslayer stood on the observation terrace of the central laboratories and wondered how this had happened.

    A young aide appeared at his side and gave a hurried salute. "Sir, the enemy forces have surrounded us!"

    "Numbers?" the Dragonslayer asked distantly.

    "At least twenty class-S d-units, and twice as many class-A! They also have half a dozen combat-heavy skyships escorted by fighters and paratrooper transports. Comm intel says a starcruiser is lining up for orbital bombardment. The entire AID task force is here!" The man''s face was pale. "Your orders, sir?"

    The Dragonslayer''s gaze remained fixed at the sky. "Begin general evacuation," he said darkly. "Distribute battlegroups Two through Twelve between fallback hideouts. Execute Movement-wide comm-channel switch. Battlegroup One will remain to cover the retreat. Inform the cutting crews to extract only those beasts which fall within the perimeter. They have fifteen minutes. Go."

    The aide made to leave, then paused. "Sir, aren''t you going to evacuate too?" he asked in a tentative voice.

    The Dragonslayer''s mouth twitched in a mirthless smile. "No. I will fight. Tell Maintenance to prepare my ACU."

    "Yessir," the aide saluted, and went to carry out the orders.

    The Dragonslayer remained alone on the terrace. The battle was rising in intensity, projectiles and energy beams lancing through the amber heavens. Explosions, screams, and roars from engines and powerful lungs joined the sirens in the thunderous soundscape. The Dragonslayer closed his eyes. They had lost. Somehow, the enemy had found them, and now the end of the Movement was at hand.

    Yet his personal crusade would never be over.

    He turned and entered the building. He descended rusted stairways and walked along old corridors, traversing the abandoned research complex, its halls and labs converted years ago into engineering hangars and weapon factories. Suddenly, an explosion thundered nearby, and the whole building shook violently. Orbital bombardment. The AID have finally shown their true colors, he thought somberly. Damned dragon-lovers.

    He entered the main launch bay. The place was almost empty. The other ACUs had already either evacuated, or joined the rear-guard action. Hazard lamps bathed the floor in warning light. More explosions echoed, sending tremors through the structure, and debris crashed down from the ceiling. The few remaining technicians were dashing madly toward the exits, taking whatever equipment they could with them.

    The Dragonslayer walked calmly to the lone towering mech in the center of the launch bay. He took a comm radio out of his pocket. "Echelon Five, connect me to the Second-in-Command." The radio gave only static. He tried again. "Echelon Five, come in!" No response. Comm-channel has already been switched, he realized. Pride swelled in him; they may have lost, yet they sure wouldn''t go down without a fight.

    He climbed onto the loading platform and entered the battle-ready mech. His personal Autonomous Combat Unit had been lost years ago, yet the substitute was the best hardware the former 23rd Starlight Division could provide after the Red Colony Campaign. He stepped into the mech''s operation deck and fastened the holding straps and input sensors, feeling the familiar controls. He began power-up procedures. The giant war machine came to life, status screens flickered with data, and the main view-panel displayed a two hundred-seventy degrees augmented-reality picture of the launch bay.

    "Computer, input authorization code four-two-dash-nine-zero," the Dragonslayer said. "Scan commlink frequencies for mirror encryption, and connect only to those with valid authentication."

    "Acknowledged," the interface replied. "Scanning frequencies."

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    The Dragonslayer held tightly to the controls, wrath rising inside him, hotter and brighter than any dragon''s firebreath. The thought of the winged monsters made his blood boil. He grit his teeth, harnessing the fiery rage into ice cold hate. His heart and mind burned with crystal clear will to kill, to destroy, to show no mercy until the very end. His desire was absolute and his determination was driven by one sole purpose.

    Vengeance.

    The comm screen flickered. The Dragonslayer glanced and saw the familiar, calm expression of his Second.

    "Status report," he snapped at the screen, finishing the last power-up procedure.

    "I''m sorry, Commander."

    The launch bay tremored to its core as the orbital bombardment intensified. "What?" the Dragonslayer asked, looking askance. He gave a remote command to the hangar doors to open.

    Nothing happened.

    The Dragonslayer hissed and willed his ACU to dash forward and smash the doors away.

    There was no response from the mech.

    "What is the meaning of this?" the Dragonslayer snarled, turning his full attention to the comm screen.

    "I''m sorry, Commander," his Second repeated in a flat, hollow tone. "But this has to stop. This tragedy has to end. They have suffered enough. You have suffered enough."

    "You are betraying me!?" the Dragonslayer roared. He pulled madly at the controls. The weapon systems were locked. The movement interface was disabled. The commlinks were blocked, except for the current channel. "I trusted you!" Explosions continued to thunder, rocking the launch bay, and pieces began to fall from the ceiling. The building was collapsing. "We shared a vision! Why did you do this!?"

    "I shared a vision, yes," the Second said. He looked down. "But you, Commander... you never had one. Your soul was empty. As we waded deeper into blood and darkness, I realized this... and I made my choice," he added, lifting his gaze, a resolute glint in his bespectacled visage.

    "TRAITOR!" the Dragonslayer howled. "YOU WILL REGRET YOUR CHOICE!" He slammed his fist into the screen, shattering it. He growled, overwhelmed with bloodrage. No one would deny him his vengeance. No one would stop his crusade. No one would undo what he had become.

    The Dragonslayer stayed his temper with the diamond blade of his discipline. He moved to unclasp the holding straps. He would retreat, and return to fight another day.

    Suddenly, his body went rigid and utterly immobile.

    "No!" he snarled through clenched teeth, as the ACU''s sensor nodes flooded his synapses with feedback noise. He struggled. His breathing became ragged and his vision blurred. "NO!"

    The launch bay continued to collapse, rapidly reduced to mounds of composite armature and polyconcrete fragments. In the revealing sky, dragons were tearing asunder the few remaining mechs and interceptors of the Movement. He turned his gaze upward, the bitter sight causing his grief to flow from his soul. "No..."

    One of the data screens flashed and the Second''s somber visage appeared again. "The ACU''s hull plating will protect you from harm. You¨C you have to be alive, for this to end properly."

    "I... will... never... forget... this," the Dragonslayer hissed through paralyzed jaws, putting every ounce of his anger and sorrow behind the words. "I... will... have... my... REVENGE!"

    "We were wronged," the Second said, half to himself. "We were bereaved. We suffered. Yet we should not commit wrong and turn into reavers ourselves. That is not the Way.

    "I''m sorry, Commander."

    ***

    They were all here, waiting for him.

    He was dragged to Skyborn Heaven in literal chains. Thousands had come to the summit to see the trial. He trudged along the colossal stairway. Transhumans lined the sides, walls of silent scorn. Dragons stood on the clifftops above, watching without a word. Every gaze was fixed on him, both transhuman and dragon showing only resentment and contempt. He blinked against the golden rays of light, preparing for his final moments.

    The escort led him to the top. The tribunal had already gathered on a stone podium at the end of the giant open courtyard. He felt no surprise when he saw his judges were the leaders of the AID, only dull hate. The Nemesis and the Overseer, and their companion beasts. They were joined by eight more, four other human-dragon pairs, twelve in total. He looked at each one and felt his hate rising, giving him strength. He straightened and glared fiercely, a proud warrior in his last act of defiance.

    For a long time, silence reigned at the holy site.

    "We are here today to make a grave decision," the Overseer began. "This trial shall forge the relationship between two races, and determine the fate of one who chose to try and drive them apart. May the Great Cosmos give us guidance, and may we always follow the Way in our hearts, both today and forever forth."

    Thus began his trial. They brought to light all his deeds and actions. They presented his past, his dreams, and his dearest moments. They cited the crimes and atrocities he had committed. They dragged his life forward for everyone to examine. Hours passed, and the Dragonslayer was unraveled before the eyes of the entire galaxy.

    They never mentioned the others who had helped him.

    He was alone. He was made solely responsible for the wrongdoings against dragonkind, the newest species to join stellar civilization. He was a scapegoat, and he knew it.

    He was the Dragonslayer.

    And he was going to die because of his reputation. It was the only way. He stared at the tribunal; they knew too. He was never going to back down. Never going to forgive. Never stop, until he had evened the scales. Death to all dragons. Death to their supporters. Death to those who had taken everything away from him. He stared at his Nemesis, and silently repeated his vow.

    He was never going to fulfill it.

    At last, the charade was over. The facts were reviewed. The charges were raised. The verdict was made. The crowd clamored, transhumans demanding justice and dragons rustling with their wings, growling in primal emotion.

    Only the punishment remained.

    The Overseer''s titanic companion rumbled like thunder and quiet descended upon the summit again. The Overseer stepped forward. The Dragonslayer raised his head, ready to accept his fate.

    The Overseer spoke the Decision.

    Not a single soul expected what followed.

    Instead death, the Dragonslayer was granted oblivion.

 Chapter 1 - Awakening Away

    CHAPTER 1 ¨C AWAKENING AWAY

    "Open your eyes, and Awaken."

    ¨C The Mage''s dictum

    998 RE, deep-space cryoprison habitat "Trad-0", Supernova System

    The blackness subsided so suddenly it made Airo gasp. He shuddered as something akin to actual feelings permeated his being for the first time since forever. Burning light seared him, the scouring sensation brutal and harsh, yet promising a long-awaited change.

    It wasn''t consciousness. It was merely transition from a dark, endless void into a much softer limbo resonating with the tonality of life. Still this transformation continued further, the nothingness becoming lighter and lighter, until Airo felt the spark of vitality igniting once again within him.

    That spark never bloomed into a true flame.

    Sharp, painful brightness pierced his sight. Deafening hum engulfed him, slowly tuning into comprehensible noise. He felt myriad of tiny pricks washing over, mellow, yet intense and insistent. A cold wave flared throughout his body, shocking, resolute, all-encompassing. An instant later, the world clicked, and Airo became aware.

    "Reanimation procedure complete. Subject''s vital signs within nominal parameters.

    "Subject can be retrieved from cryostasis pod."

    He opened his eyes. Light rays rammed into his retinas, snapping shut the eyelids on pure reflex. The pain made him moan and shudder. He was freezing so intensely it felt as if every fibre of his body was set on fire. He gasped again. Voices buzzed in incomprehensible murmur nearby, yet sounded distant and dampened.

    Airo slowly tried to open his eyes again. Pain washed over him yet he gritted his teeth, and kept his eyes open this time. He saw only a world of swirling lights and shadows, blurred beyond recognizable shapes. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision, and some of the shadows took on more defined outlines, but little else changed. He heard a voice again, gruff in demeanor and artificial in quality, then a swooshing noise.

    Sudden agony flooded his arm as someone poured molten lava over it. He tried to cry out but managed only a feeble hiss that nearly choked him.

    "Great Cosmos, this one is colder than the vacuum outside! Quick, prepare a medbay. Damn, how did they revive them back in the day?"

    The pain receded swiftly. He was aware of something ¨C someone ¨C picking him up and carrying him a short distance. He was placed lying on his back. He began to shiver. Soft chimes sounded somewhere beside his head, and arcing lights danced before his vision.

    "He should recover within a few minutes," said a melodious voice, again artificial in nature.

    There was a conversation, which Airo followed only with distant awareness. His breathing became steadier, and he gradually stopped shivering. His vision finally began to clear up, and he was able to examine his surroundings. He lay naked in a medbay pod inside a small featureless room. The arc-bands of the medbay emitted rays in soothing viridian light, pulsing gently at various intervals. A terminal was placed next to the medbay, its hologram display glowing in muted hues.

    Airo turned his head. Two robotic humanoids stood beside the medbay, their robust frames lacking any distinct facial features. Their visual sensors shone in soft, cyan light.

    "He''s coming to his senses," the humanoid with the gruff voice said. "Let''s get on with it."

    "Prisoner, stand up," the other commanded gently.

    He complied, or at least tried. He nearly collapsed as his feet touched the floor. They caught him under the arms and Airo was half-dragged, half-escorted along the corridors of... it had to be a prison. They took him to a nearby locker room, where he was given a plain orange jumpsuit to wear. After that, the wardens led him along a large open area on multiple levels, where rows upon rows of cryopods lined the walls. The small party moved across one of the narrow walkways and entered an elevator. The elevator arrived at its destination, opening to a labyrinth of hallways and chambers.

    The synthetic wardens escorted him to a spacious control room. Various hologram displays were lined up in the center of the room, connected to a mainframe with individual workstations. The entire far wall was taken by a vast panorama of a chamber filled with cryopods, though something in the perspective told Airo this probably wasn''t a window. A subtly elevated podium with its own terminal and a rotational seat stood before the mainframe. The lighting was currently dimmed to the absolute minimum, and the shadows were permeated only by blue glow from the view on the far wall.

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    A single individual sat in the control room. He was completely hidden by the rotational seat, only a hand and the outline of an expensive suit visible on the armrest. The hand held a lit cigarette.

    "Leave us alone," the stranger commanded. The wardens glanced at Airo, then left. He heard the sliding doors behind close with a soft click.

    The seat turned, the stranger faced Airo. His features and most of his figure remained obscured by heavy shadows, yet Airo saw he was well-proportioned and probably quite tall. The two of them studied each other silently for a minute.

    "Do you know why you are here?" the stranger asked at last.

    "No."

    The stranger took a drag from the cigarette, the reddish flame illuminating only his focused gaze. "Airo, no other name known," he intoned. "Born on Arceria, Zvezda system, annexed by the Transhuman Order in two twenty-nine RE. Date of birth ¨C unknown. Personal biography ¨C unknown. Assigned a blank blue file per standard Order protocol."

    "Graduated from the Starspire Academy," the stranger continued, "to serve as a military officer in the Order. Fought in the Red Colony Campaign on Utopia Draconis, Ver system. Decorated multiple times for exceptional sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty, promoted to division commander. Retired from the military shortly before the campaign''s end. Reasons ¨C terminal PTSD. Whereabouts in the following years ¨C unknown.

    "In two forty-one RE leads an organized mass insurgency against the native populace of Utopia Draconis and the Transhuman Order. Captured in two forty-six RE and tried for crimes against all life.

    "Sentenced to permanent cryostasis," the stranger finished.

    The cloud in Airo''s mind evaporated. Familiar names battered down the stasis of his consciousness. Memories of his life returned to him as he listened. More names and events entered his numb psyche, and he let out an uncontrollable sob. The life before. The life after. He remembered all those long, bitter years full of blood and tears, of raging, helpless anger, of endless sorrow, all crashing down on him, suffocating everything inside him. He fell on one knee, all strength sapped from him, unable to resist the surge of emotions. Moments passed. The emotional pain receded to a dull throb, and then gradually departed, leaving only a perpetual ocean of intent apathy.

    The cold cryostatic ambiguity no longer held sway over him, yet now he was possessed by a far greater remoteness.

    "Why did you wake me?" he asked, head bowed, his rich baritone raw from disuse and the lingering images in his mind.

    "To make you an offer," the stranger said.

    Dull anger rose inside Airo, and then subsided. He felt tired. "I do not believe you," he said, lifting his head, and stood up. "Nobody takes the most dangerous criminal in the galaxy out of cryostasis just so they can ask favor of him."

    "An offer, not a favor," the stranger replied, taking a drag from his cigarette. The flicker of flame revealed a faint scowl on his features. "And do not flatter yourself. These days you are only a forgotten relic, and there have been far greater threats to the galaxy since your incarceration. So, do you want to hear what I have to say?"

    "Go on."

    The stranger shifted slightly in his seat, and took another drag, exhaling the smoke. "The proposition is a simple one: escort some valuable cargo to the planet of Terra Para. You will be given a starship to do this task. Complete it, and in exchange you become a free man, Airo Blueborn."

    He glared. "This must be some kind of a poor joke."

    The stranger sighed quietly. "Do you prefer to return to cryostasis?"

    Airo paused. Something akin to fear twisted inside him. He shuddered from the memory of being reanimated, of how agonizingly cold he was, of the nothingness that was before.

    "Who are you?" he asked, folding his arms.

    "My identity is of no import to this conversation," the stranger said. "Your decision on my offer is."

    Airo did not want to return to cryostasis. Yet he remembered now why he got there in the first place. There was no future waiting him outside this prison. Only ghosts of the past. And hopefully lots of hard alcohol.

    Was there any difference?

    "You sure I am the person you are looking for?" he asked.

    "Yes," the stranger said.

    "Then I accept this offer of yours. I will take whatever you want to Terra Para. On one condition."

    "Name it," the stranger replied instantly.

    "I want my sword and my gridcaster back."

    The stranger nodded. "You shall have them." He took one last drag from his cigarette and crumpled it in the armrest. "Airo Blueborn, from this point onward, you act in the capacity of a special agent of the Galactic Stellar Consortium. Arrangements will be made for transportation to your new station. Your mission begins as soon as you depart."

    "Wait a moment," Airo said, holding one hand up. "What year was it again?"

    ***

    998 RE, Arceria, Zvezda System

    She lifted her head. The sky was crystal blue. The mountains stood proud. The river flowed gently. The air was tranquil. The forest pulsated with life in its numerous emanations. Her gaze tilted downward.

    "He is alive?" she asked, stilled in wait.

    "Yes," came the reply. "And you can go to him, if you want."

    "Go to him..." she whispered, and again looked at the horizon. The twin suns shone brightly, their steady warmth confident and reassuring. Here was a sanctuary, and somewhere out there, on another world she remembered from another time, a terrible war raged.

    He was there, and he was searching for her.

    "I want to go," she said. "Yet my life is not my own anymore..." Her gaze fell upon the small, delicate entity that lay before her.

    "It can be arranged. You need not be separate."

    "This is what he struggled so hard to achieve. The things we both endured to be done... I am not sure I want to share this with him."

    "What does your heart say?"

    A single word escaped her breath. "Love."

    "So you will come?"

    "I will forgive. And yes, I will come. I want to see him again. To make him happy, and to bring out the very best in him again." She took a deep breath and added:

    "I love him, and that is all that matters."

 First Interlude

    FIRST INTERLUDE

    Years ago, across time and space

    In a single, wrenching moment I lost everything, and was forever damned.

    Pride led my hand, and grand visions of the future overshadowed my wisdom. I believed myself infallible, and unleashed a great horror into the world, perhaps the greatest this galaxy has faced. Even then, the tarnish of my soul was tempered by the light of my life, and together we fought the consequences of my Fall.

    And then... she was no more.

    I saw her perish, gone eternally, and I howled in peerless anguish. I became alone, both in existence and before that terrifying, savage, relentless adversary. Sorrow drowned my horizon and sapped my being, yet its reign allowed a sliver of basic, primordial fear to take hold of my actions ever so briefly, and I fled that hopeless battle waged in the darkest depths.

    I raced to the surface, the air tearing away from my lungs in a wordless sonata of paramount turmoil and raw emotion. Liquid guilt bled freely, blinding my sight while I bounded up the elevated way. As I got higher and higher, the earthly pain from my flight shrieked in unison with the raging torment in my heart.

    Sound from another microcosm echoed ahead. They rushed at me, valiant guards coming to defend their dearest from irreversible harm. Their great shapes overshadowed my mere physicality, as they bore down upon me the weapons nature had blessed them with. Without a pause, I drew a blade of radiant light, a weapon of my own creation, and drove forward. I whirled into a single, fluid motion practiced across centuries, mind focused and precise. There was no clash. I deprived those opposing me of their sacred gift, never slowing for an instant, untouched. Life drained, vibrant flesh became inert meat, and they fell, demeaned, while I passed through.

    Ahead, more honorable wardens, all lashing in surprise, anger, worry. I became the avatar of their undoing, as my own deathly shadow followed behind. Time blazed in overdrive, its temporal field strained into a nigh-infinite line. My fate was sealed, and I had no chance for redemption, only one last, final duty.

    The Shard.

    If I was ever to find salvation, it was there in the world beyond worlds. There was the only possible answer, and it was the only thing which must not fall in the claws of the one I freed from justice. Drawing my power in full, I flashed across the interlinked mesh of spacetime, and reached for the pattern I needed: the Shard.

    He must not take it. And she was erased, utterly destroyed. The only chance I had to get her back was to go to the depths of the Great Cosmos itself.

    Wielding my Starblade, the most powerful of my creations, I tore open a rift inside the Shard, widening its connection until it stretched across all the endless planes of reality. With one motion I stepped inside and sealed the link permanently, so no other could follow me, be it mortal or god.

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    Then I fell between the stars.

    In one moment, I was defined, constrained, bound by the perceptions of my own core. In the next, I was infinity: blown across the canvas of Creation itself, shattered into pieces, each stretching for eternity. For unknowable time, I drifted in this endless, incoherent state, oblivious to anything save for the incomprehensible, unattainable vastness, that greatest of greatest, holiest of holiest, One, Supreme, Omnipotent, United¡­

    ¡­the Universe.

    Yet I was not dead.

    I needed her.

    This single, dawning ray of anguish brought me back to myself.

    I had to find Kalessia.

    She was gone from my reality, erased, impossible to return to form or to be drawn from the time-stream and saved thusly; he had made sure of that. Yet she was not truly gone ¨C she could never be. Nothing in the Great Cosmos was ever lost, for it always belonged to All, and returned to One, as the Celestial Way taught us. So I would find her here, in the world between worlds, find where her unique soul had departed to have another blessing under the stars of light.

    I set out to search for her, and I found her. She was everywhere, infinite and eternal. She had endless incarnations: she lived in parallel dimensions, in different states, on a multitude of planes, happy, sad, in harmony, and in ruin. Her soul played the strings of reality, as did all others. She was with me; she was without me; she was herself; she was someone else; she lived long, well, and worthily; she died in misery and pain.

    She was everywhere, yet she was nowhere.

    My Kalessia, the one, dearest projection of the One Soul, the Kalessia I loved and lived with, was nowhere. She was gone. She was transformed. She was returned to the Whole, the Formless, the Absolute, the Perfect One, and she was happy, joyous, loving, and in harmony.

    She was in peace.

    Yet I remained behind.

    I was without her.

    I was still here.

    I was still alive.

    WITHOUT HER!

    I WANTED PEACE!

    I WANTED TO BE WITH HER!

    Yet I was not.

    I was alone.

    I failed.

    Death was not a guarantee. At best, it was an escape. No, my duty was clear.

    Redemption was my road after all.

    I made others suffer, and I let suffering happen. For my sins, I was punished with the ultimate suffering.

    I had a vision. A galaxy in peace, a world in joy, a universe in eternal harmony. I wanted to leave my legacy for the reality I was part of.

    Now, my dream was meaningless. Now, I must vasten the scale to the utmost infinity. So I could turn my dream into a sacred gift to the Universe, and earn thus the chance, merely the chance, of redemption.

    I would make All into One.

    And then, I would be with Kalessia again. We would all be Together, Now and Forever.

    To do that, I had to return to where I so cowardly fled from. Struggling, I found my own reality and timeline. I found the link to another Shard: Terra Para.

    Home.

    I found the exit, and returned to my existence.

    They were startled. They were afraid. They feared me. Yet I announced before all that Salvation was at hand, for I was to bring the Gift of Unity. I led them by example, and offered my Soul first to become the Light which would bring forth Eternity. My power surged; it was incredible, potent beyond any imagination, yet it was fleeting; I needed to open the Gates and cast out my Brilliance into the Light, and Miracle would Come Forth.

    They tried to stop me, hurling themselves at me. Their attempts were futile; I merely applied my Will, and they became my heralds, unable to die, Revenant of the Coming Age of Eternity.

    Then they fled, and in a final attempt at defiance, they locked my Temple, preventing my Redemption from giving Salvation to All.

    They were fools. They did not see my Gift for the Truth it was.

    It did not matter. I was Above and Beyond, Across and Beside, Within and Without, the Messiah who would sacrifice for the Benefit of THEM ALL.

    And my reward would be my peace, my beautiful, pure, dearest love: my Kalessia.

    Yet now my soul Burned, and my Time was counted. I had to act, and be decisive.

    I did not want to force them. I wanted them to see, to enlighten themselves of their own volition, so they may Cheer when Unity came.

    Now, I will show them the Way whether they want it or not.

    I will make All into One.

    Oblivion.

    Singularity.

    Perfection.

    Eden.

 Chapter 2 - Waylaid

    CHAPTER 2 ¨C WAYLAID

    "I remember the old days of astral piracy, during the golden age of colonization. Back then, still young and adventurous, I had a short stint among a crew of suhn-scum. We didn''t pick our targets; convoys, free traders, even military ¨C we could handle anything, as long as we played smart and stayed focused.

    There was only one thing we feared ¨C dragons. If one ever showed up, we would always do two things: space out like the void, and pray the FTL would spool up before those terrors caught us."

    ¨C Shonjo Tsunami, "Memories from the Crusades", Datalinks

    998 RE, a month later, on final approach to Terra Para, Ascendancy System

    Airo gazed numbly at the glass in his hand.

    Then he tossed its contents straight into his throat.

    He sat in a small, plain room which was his personal quarters. There was little furniture, and even less decoration. Before him was an utilitarian desk equipped with a hologram-haptic interface screen. The entire projected surface of the screen was occupied by a single picture.

    He stared at the picture for a long time. He lifted his glass again and realized it was empty. He reached for the tall angular bottle sitting on the desk. Empty, too. Airo frowned and twirled the glass, then put it top-down. He took the bottle and went to the nanofabricator in the corner of the room. He jammed the start icon on the HHI and the readied program brought the advanced device to life. He yanked the bottle without waiting it to fill completely, dark-green liquid spilling on the floor.

    Then he took a deep draught.

    His thoughts swam. He collapsed back in the adjustable hover chair. His emotions intensified, rather than subside. Anger flared in his chest, and tears threatened to further cloud his vision. He bit them back with a snarl, unwilling to show them to the world, refusing to admit them to himself.

    Seven hundred and fifty-two years.

    That was how long he had spent in cryostasis. The galaxy had moved on. Ages had come and gone, and though people had access to practical immortality today, as he understood it, they had very little regard for the past. His eyes once more turned upon the picture on the screen. He nearly wept again.

    He had no desire to be here. It was only a moment of weakness, basic self-preservation which brought him here, and made him accept this meaningless task. Here he was, on a starship en route to a planet he had never heard of, alone and surrounded by technological marvels that were nothing like their crude forefathers seven centuries ago, one absurdly simple, straightforward mission away from freedom.

    He didn''t care.

    The galaxy held nothing for him. He was empty, save for a deep, aimless anger, which slept inside him like a beast hibernating away the dark winter nights. Only in this case, the sun had gone out.

    Forever.

    The starship''s intercom chimed softly. An artificial voice echoed amiably over the speakers.

    "Yeoman Cloud reporting in, Commander. You are invited to the bridge in your official capacity as captain."

    "What for?" Airo snapped.

    "We are on final approach to the planet Terra Para. The starship captain''s presence is required as part of standard protocol."

    Airo closed his eyes and sighed. "All right, coming," he said.

    "Don''t forget your armor, Commander. It''s¨C"

    "Yeah, yeah, I know, it is standard protocol. I was there when they were writing this dragoncrap in the manuals."

    He turned off the screen, stood up, and went to the room''s storage locker. Inside, the container was mostly empty, save for three things: a katana in an ornate purple-black scabbard, a gridcaster gauntlet, and a large, sleek-looking suit of power armor. The first two items were the only personal belongings Airo had remaining from his previous life; he took them, and then began donning the power armor. He was surprised the first time how light and flexible it turned out to be ¨C the suit was nothing like the hulking servo-assisted plated exoskeletons from his time, which to his mind were like smaller, inferior versions of an ACU. He finished putting on the power armor, and left the room.

    The starship decks were empty. The audible, yet discreet hum of the power plant and the main sublight drive permeated the nolreck, soothing presences for the mind of any starfarer. Airo''s head was heavy from drinking, yet he ignored his condition by sheer discipline. He took a turn, and descended to the main level via a grav-shaft ¨C another technological wonder that had nothing to do with space travel in the third century of the Restoration Era.

    Airo glanced around. Except for him, there wasn''t anyone else aboard. Well, there was this Cloud character, however he considered the starship''s artificial intelligence nothing more than a talking computer. He was glad for this unexpected solitude, yet after several weeks of confinement during the voyage even he found the silence oppressive.

    He reached the bridge. It was composed of multiple shallow terraces with furrowed alcoves, each alcove housing a reinforced padded seat equipped with an inertial nullifying field and a station terminal. HHI displays and status screens glowed on every wall, tracking all kinds of data and sensor feedback in real time. The seats before the terminals were retracted, to make the bridge seem less deserted.

    The center was dominated by a one-man Commmand-Information-Communication module consisting of a dozen adjustable displays around a medium-sized platform. Airo went to the captain''s place and sat in the large control seat. Past the CIC module was the starship''s helm and beyond it was the bridge''s one-way observation panels. The mission''s destination was currently in distant, optical-enhanced view: the shadowed, curved form of a planet, its surface a bleak mixture of dark grey and blue, highlighted by dull white.

    "Status report," Airo said.

    "All systems nominal," Yeoman Cloud replied over the speakers in a flamboyant tone. "Welcome to the bridge, Commander Airo. We are currently on high orbit around Terra Para. Awaiting further orders."

    "Cargo status?"

    "Nothing unusual to report. Everything is within acceptable parameters."

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    "What is the delivery destination?"

    "No such parameter was specified in the mission details, Commander."

    Airo thought for a second. "All right, are there any spaceports in the vicinity?"

    "Negative, Commander."

    "What about planetside cosmodromes?"

    "There''s only one registered cosmodrome on Terra Para, belonging to the Order of the Radiant Knights."

    The name meant nothing to Airo, and he waved it off. "That would do," he said. "Set course and begin landing procedures."

    "Aye, sir."

    The starship vibrated slightly and began approaching. The view tilted smoothly and the mysterious planet drew nearer, gradually increasing in size. Airo gazed absently around the bridge. He had been only three times here: when he boarded, when the starship took off from its starting point on Arceria, and now.

    He had spent the majority of the four-week voyage in his personal quarters, mostly lying on the bed awake and drunk. In the little time he had done something else, he trained barehanded or with the katana in one of the empty cargo bays, recalling moves and stances. The starship''s computer had suggested to run some psychological evaluation checks in order to propose potential therapy for his ''depressive states''. Airo had denied flatly.

    In his brief moments of sobriety he wondered what exactly was the mysterious cargo he was in charge of. It came with the starship, already loaded and sealed away when Airo came aboard. He studied the files he had received as part of this ''mission'', and found no clue what he might be carrying, except for a password-locked message. He tried hacking the lone digital document with no success, and he asked the starship computer about the password.

    "You will know it when you have it, Commander," was the only reply the SAI had given.

    Airo knew this much: whoever owned the cargo, they wanted it to make the trip from Arceria to Terra Para badly enough to employ a heavy-duty frigate armed to the teeth. What he couldn''t fathom was why he was selected for the task, and was the only one aboard.

    Arceria. The name brought distant yet intense memories. Images of his youth flashed in his mind''s eye, about the exciting journeys and the unexpected adventures, and of course... He lost the train of thought as pain stabbed his faded heart.

    He had walked briefly once more upon the soft earth of his homeworld before he went away to earn his freedom. He had wandered aimlessly along cobblestone roads and old forest paths, had visited enchanting glades and crystal-clear lakes, all basking in the golden rays of the twin suns. He had felt an odd sense of relief only to be quickly subsumed by a deep, ambient emptiness. His homeworld was different from what he remembered, and the memories were too vivid. In the end, he had left all too soon, determined to not return ever again.

    A soft tone chimed.

    "Commander, my sensors detect you are outside optimal operating parameters. Do you need medical intervention?"

    Airo broke out of his half-conscious musings. His head was pulsing. "Yes, I need something for the hangover," he muttered.

    He felt a quick prick in his neck. A moment later, his vision started to clear, and he began to feel more energized.

    "General anti-toxin drugs administered, Commander," Yeoman Cloud said. "If you don''t experience positive effects within sixty seconds, please give immediate feedback."

    Another tone echoed, this time deep, harsh, and urgent. Red lights flashed on several tracking displays.

    Combat alarm.

    Airo leaned forward sharply, searching the screens. "Status report!"

    "Commander, several unknown objects are approaching us at vector zero-zero, dead ahead. Parsing visual feedback now."

    Airo looked at the indicated screen, watching the feedback from the starship''s powerful external optics. The picture zoomed and the grey-blue body of Terra Para almost completely filled the screen. There, on the terminus between the planet''s horizon and the black ocean of space, three distinct golden shapes stood out. They were approaching very quickly.

    Airo watched the screen grimly. The shapes were wreathed in a halo of blazing light, making details difficult to pick out at such a distance. Yet the general form was unmistakable: the arrow-shaped heads, the serpentine necks, the great wings, the long tails.

    Dragons.

    "Oh, my!" Yeoman Cloud exclaimed with incongruous exuberance. "Dragons! How unusual!"

    "Activate all weapon systems," Airo ordered. "Give AR feedback on the main screen and place the data streams on the auxiliaries."

    "Aye, sir!" the starship computer said. "Entering combat mode now!" The bridge dimmed, leaving only the low glow of the emergency light strips and the cyan-amber radiance of the HHI displays. "Parsing virtual battlefield data now!"

    The main screen became enhanced by an elaborate overlay with dynamic markers such as weapon angles, speed, and enemy distance, while the auxiliaries provided various additional info on the starship''s hull integrity, 3D battlefield map, and status reports. The image of the dragons was scanned and then virtually zoomed so they appeared much closer than they were. Up close, their great shapes looked formidable, even unearthly, as it became apparent they weren''t surrounded by, but actually made of light.

    "ETA?" Airo asked.

    "Ninety-five seconds, given current variables, Commander," the starship computer replied.

    Airo gazed at the data streams in disbelief. There was no mistake: those dragons were impossibly fast, flying at near-relativistic speeds. He frowned. He had never been in astral combat, let alone against dragons. It was an area almost entirely out of his expertise.

    However, some things should always be the same.

    "Deploy drone wings to provide screening and fire support," he ordered. "Launch warheads in two-four-eight ascending pattern. Fire the spinal mount and all heavy batteries."

    "Commander, we should first determine if the unidentified party is indeed hostile, and then proceed to take measures based on extrapolated data."

    In that moment, one of the approaching dragons opened its ethereal jaws, and a blinding bolt brightened the bridge for an instant. The starship trembled. A warning alarm rang.

    "Status report!" Airo said.

    "A direct hit, sir! Shields absorbed eighty percent of impact! Medium damage to the armor plating, the hull is still intact!"

    "Fire missiles now!"

    "Missiles away!"

    Small, bright dots trailed away from the starship toward the approaching enemy. The dragons separated and flew in different directions. Quick as lightning, they effortlessly strafed the missiles, simultaneously turning their heads to the starship. Their jaws opened, but the bridge''s viewpanels automatically dimmed, shielding Airo from the blinding radiance. The starship vibrated more strongly as three energy bolts hit.

    "Evasive maneuvers!" Airo barked.

    "Aye, sir!"

    The starship turned sharply, yet it was too sluggish compared to the supernatural grace of the dragons. Airo realized he could not rely on mobility.

    "Open fire with all batteries, now!"

    "Targeting solutions are incomplete," the starship''s computer reported.

    "Fire, damn it!"

    The bridge''s audiosimulators rumbled, as two dozen weapon mounts began to spew plasma and kinetic death in the empty vacuum, and reflected laser beams crossed the void. The dragons took several direct hits. However, they didn''t slow down even for a second, instead closing the distance in a spiral pattern, hitting the starship several times with their own energy bolts.

    Sirens began to wail and displays went red with failure reports."Commander, we have a breach on deck one. Hull integrity is ninety-one percent. Armor damage ¨C substantial. Shield status ¨C failing. System status..."

    "Computer, do we have veronite weaponry?"

    "Affirmative, Commander! The aft and fore gauss turrets can¨C"

    "Load them, and fire at will! Now!"

    The starship''s turrets whirred and began to blast furiously at the dragons. One hit. The turrets needed one solid hit, and the veronite would do the rest. The dragons dashed minutely in random directions, impossible to hit at a distance of thousands of kilometers. They approached ever closer, and more energy bolts struck the starship."Systems failing! Fire on deck five! Shield status ¨C overloaded! Portside dampeners ¨C offline! Quadrant three auxiliary thrusters ¨C offline! Weapon systems¨C"

    Airo''s mind was focused on the displays before him. He had never seen such strange dragons, yet that was not the point now. He knew if the dragons reached the starship, the battle would be lost due to their adamantine claws and nova-hot firebreath. Or whatever those golden-light monstrosities used to fight with up close.

    However, the fight wasn''t over yet. "Computer, change course for hard planetfall!" he ordered. "Load the point-defense cannons with veronite ammunition, then lock on to all targets and wait for my signal!"

    "Understood, Commander!"

    Airo felt a strong pull as the engines flared at maximum thrust and the starship changed direction. He had fought dragons before, though never in space. Yet a dragon was a dragon, and if Airo knew one thing, it was how to take them down. Even if he had to sacrifice a starship in the process.

    Suddenly, the starship''s SAI called. "Commander, sensors detect a vast energy surge in the tri-terawatt range, coordinates¨C"

    A tremendous column of violet-white light erupted from the surface of the planet. It engulfed the starship, flooding the bridge in blazing radiance. Airo shielded his eyes from the sudden glare. A second later, a terrible explosion shook the entire hull.

    There was a deep, resounding thunder, and then everything went black.

 Chapter 3 - Beginning of the Way

    CHAPTER 3 ¨C BEGINNING OF THE WAY

    "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

    ¨C Confucius, Datalinks

    In the skies above Terra Para

    Airo listened to the howling wind, surrounded by darkness. He wondered if he was in cryostasis again. The thought startled him, and he opened his eyes.

    He was in a freefall high into the planet''s stratosphere. His power armor was glowing from the friction. To his left, about a kilometer away, the starship made its own plummet toward the ground, it too white-hot on re-entry.

    "Well, this is great," Airo muttered. He felt vague, primal dread rising inside him as he gazed downward. If he survived the atmosphere burn, the fall would surely kill him, power armor or not.

    Suddenly, his helmet boomed. "Commander, you are awake! Welcome back!"

    "Computer! You are still online? What the bloody stars happened?"

    "There was a critical malfunction, sir. You were disabled by the extremely exotic field the starship crossed through, and I executed evacuation procedures per standard protocol. Unfortunately, I lost access to the cargo bay, and¨C"

    "Damn, the cargo," Airo cursed, staring at the falling starship. "Computer, bring me back on the ship! The cargo is of the highest priority!"

    "Commander, I advise against it. Reactor meltdown is imminent, and you are still within the danger zone. You must authorize engagement of landing procedures at¨C"

    In the distance, the starship vanished in a ball of light. "Bloody stars!" Airo yelled as the explosion reached him. The tremendous impact wave hit him full-force, casting him into darkness again.

    ***

    Somewhere on Terra Para

    He slowly upended himself on one elbow, and grunted in pain. His view was framed by the soft viridian hues of the power armor''s heads-up display. The overlay smoothly provided various streams of data. He ignored it as he stood up stiffly.

    He took stock of his surroundings. Steel-grey sky hung above him, a raging gale twisting thick clouds. Sparse snow and lightning rained from the heavens on the ground below. He was on a small, flat area, situated on a wide ridge. Wherever he looked, peaks and summits extended in every direction. The vast mountain range spanned all the way to the horizon, snow covering the entirety of the landscape.

    He had landed, alive.

    Airo had scarcely time to dwell on this fact, when his attention was caught completely. There, in the distance, a sheer, violet-white column of pure energy streamed upward on the horizon, a great, swirling beacon visible from hundreds, possibly thousands of kilometers.

    "Great Cosmos," he muttered, stunned by the sight.

    "Welcome back, Commander. Yeoman Cloud reporting in. I''m sorry, I didn''t understand your query; please re-state."

    "You," Airo said curtly. "How?"

    "My core routines were automatically loaded into your suit during the evacuation, Commander. I remain at full capacity, though my computational resources are diminished by approximately ninety-five percent."

    "Were are we?" Airo asked. He looked around again. Nothing but endless waves of white slopes, all dominated by the great energy pillar in the distance.

    "According to nav sensors, your current position is somewhere on the northern hemisphere of Terra Para, Commander. Due to current circumstances, further establishment of precise location is unavailable."

    "I see," Airo said. The sparse blizzard continued to rage on, grazing the dark mountains. Airo ignored the elements. His mind was occupied by a single thought. "Computer, locate the crash site of the starship."

    "Yes, Commander. Engaging sensors... Commander! I''ve picked movement in the aerial delta quadrant! Shall I engage visual tracking?"

    "Okay," Airo said, a little suspicious. Instantly, a vector line blinked on the heads-up display, pointing somewhat to the left of the energy pillar. The display adjusted the view distance, focusing on several dragons battling in the skies.

    Airo peered at the dragons. These too were made completely of golden light. The dragons skimmed just above the mountaintops, engaged in a furious fight, flashes bursting as they used their firebreaths. Dark thoughts crossed Airo''s mind. A few seconds later, the dragons swooped low behind a wide peak, vanishing from sight.

    His helmet''s speakers crackled."Commander, I''ve located a signal from the starship''s cargo transponder. It is about a hundred kilometers from your current position."

    "Where?" Airo asked.

    Another vector line traced across the heads-up display, pointing straight toward the area where the dragons had disappeared. He nodded grimly and checked his inventory by habit. He found a strange device strapped to the power armor, which the onboard computer identified as a virtualizer. It was an advanced inventory container, utilizing SUHN-space for item storage. Besides the strange device, the only other things he had were his katana and a powerful-looking blaster sidearm. He had no other visible equipment upon his person.

    He shook his head, and carefully began his descent downward. The slope was steep, heavy with treacherous snow which could hide chasms or ice caverns. The helmet''s speakers crackled again.

    "Commander, would you like me to deploy the fri-ski module? I estimate up to thirty times increase in average speed if you make use of the frictionless kinetic interface system."

    Airo took a moment to comprehend the information. "I never learned how to ski," he said.

    "No worries, Commander. I will assist you via the suit''s mobility systems."

    "All right."

    Abruptly, two solid-looking skates popped under each foot of the power armor and Airo nearly tripped as the sudden loss of friction sent him down the slope with blinding speed.

    He slalomed across the mountain range, assisted by the onboard computer. He watched the terrain intently, avoiding potential pitfalls and seeking stable routes. A couple of hours later, he crossed to the other side of the mountain range, and reached a vast valley stretching for miles around. Several kilometers further ahead was the starship''s crash site.

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    There was only a loose ring of wide, shallow craters. The frigate was obliterated completely. Whatever had survived the reactor''s explosion in the stratosphere had been destroyed upon impact with the ground.

    "Computer, are you positive the cargo transponder is active?" Airo asked, glowering at the devastated crash site.

    "Yes, Commander. You are in the vicinity of the source."

    "Where does it point to?"

    "Two hundred-fifty degrees on the two-dimensional plane. Providing visual overlay of suggested route." There was a pause. "Commander, I cordially remind you I''m neither an inflexible expert system, nor a simple computing algorithm. I am a fully functional standard artificial intelligence, or SAI for short. For communication clarity you can use my personality identificator: Yeoman Cloud, or Cloud, or even simply Yeoman."

    "Are you self-aware?" Airo said curtly.

    "No, Commander."

    "Do you cry?"

    "No, Commander."

    "Do you dream?"

    "No, Commander."

    "Then, personality or not, you are a damn computer," Airo snapped. "End of discussion. Refrain from further verbal contact."

    "Understood, Commander. Switching to standby mode."

    Airo followed the signal''s indicated direction. It came from the bottom of some kind of small gulch which cut into the place where the two cliffs met. The weather had worsened, the blizzard becoming more intense, and it was difficult to see what was below, even with the power armor''s augmented reality filters. Airo weighted his options. Taking a risk, he decided to slide down.

    He descended in a semi-controlled slip. Thankfully, the gulch''s floor was covered by snow, stopping his slide before he hit something hard. According to the sensors, the signal was nearby.

    He saw something on the ground, and looked at it carefully. The snow was spattered with large spots of some kind of black liquid. Airo kneeled and examined the spots. Their blackness was glossy, with the faintest sheen of purple. A dark, ugly thought flared in his mind; in the same instant the power armor sensors beeped urgently about elevated background radiation.

    The cargo was no cargo at all.

    It was a dragon.

    Airo stood up, and gazed through the gusting blizzard. A little further away, he saw a nearly swept disturbance in the snow cover, made by some incredibly large feet. Black streaks of dragon blood ran along the faint tracks, unable to freeze despite the cold. They made a trail which led to the yawning mouth of a large cave. According to the sensors, the transponder signal came from it.

    How convenient.

    Airo approached the cave. In one smooth, deliberate motion he drew his katana. He glanced at the unusual, crystalline blade of the weapon, its pale blue color almost matching the hanging icicles over the cave''s entrance. His thoughts were roiling. They made him deliver a dragon to this deusforsaken place? Was he taken out of cryostasis to be reinstated into society by some cruel and unusual method? Why did that mysterious jerk choose him of all people trapped in a frozen hell?

    Was this entire scenario an intentional set-up?

    Cold hate enveloped him, and he clenched the katana''s grip.

    He needed to finish the mission to earn his freedom. It didn''t matter.

    Airo already had made his choice.

    He entered the cave. It was much bigger than it seemed on the outside, with a high, arching ceiling and vast passageways, which became wider as he got further in. The walls had a smooth, almost unnatural look. Large, intricate crystals grew along the sides of the cave, emitting a soft ambient glow. Ice shards mixed with the crystals, forming alternating patterns of shining lights and dark reflections.

    Airo retracted the helmet of his power armor. Cold air wafted over his face. He did not trust the helmet''s sensors, and wanted to use his own senses. Along the tunnel he found a very, very large composite collar, broken. The signal came from the collar.

    Water dripped somewhere deeper, the sound a gulping echo. Small, white puffs escaped Airo''s nostrils. Warded against the chill air by the power armor, he stalked forward. The tunnel went deeper and then forked, yet the streaks of blood were a guiding sign. He followed them, keeping to the cave wall, crouched and alert.

    The floor began to slope gently, the ice patches becoming rarer. The sound of dripping water intensified. The air grew warmer, almost heated. Airo gritted his teeth. He was close. The tunnel ahead of him was devoid of crystals, a sharp turn barely visible in the gloom. He paused, considering. Then he raised his katana and rushed into the darkness. Light suddenly assaulted his eyes as the tunnel curved and opened up.

    He dashed inside an enormous grotto, shallow pools ringing the walls.

    Water reflected the soft glow of cave crystals, illuminating the grotto''s center.

    And at the center of the grotto was a dragon.

    And it stared at him.

    Airo stilled, gripping the katana tightly.

    The dragon was the largest he had ever seen. Its size was colossal, more akin to a city-razing mythical beast than a living being. Its scales were midnight blue, colored almost black in the low light. Its fiery amber gaze held on Airo. "Human," the dragon rumbled in a deep, feminine voice that reverberated across the grotto. "I remember you."

    Airo cautiously moved forward, transfixed. How... how did this creature know him?

    The dragon lay low on the ground, one enormous claw pressed limply against the cave wall, great wings and gigantic tail folded tightly around her body. "Come closer," she said, and even as she spoke strength left her voice.

    He silently complied, struggling to hold back the storm in his mind. The dragon watched pleadingly the weapon in his hand. There wasn''t going to be a fight; he realized as much. He came closer, and slowly sheathed the katana.

    The dragon blinked, then lowered her head tiredly.

    "I... I am dying," she whispered. "And you shall be the one to witness... my passing. I came to see him... to rekindle our love... and... show the result of his efforts." She shifted her foreclaw carefully, revealing a large, dark egg. "Yet... the Great Cosmos has decided... that my Way... is complete." She pushed the egg very gently with one huge talon, bringing it before Airo. "And now," she continued, "there is no one... to look after my offspring... except you."

    Airo stared in disbelief, his throat tight.

    "No," he said, hard.

    The dragon looked at him sadly, then laid her head down, and closed her eyes. After a long time, she opened them weakly. "I only... want my child... to survive. Please... If... if you... truly know love... please, take my child... and give it life. This... is my plea." She smiled faintly. "And... no matter... your choice... I thank you... for giving me... hope. May the stars... always... shine upon your soul."

    The dragon closed her eyes again, and with a final sigh lay still.

    Airo stood motionless, watching the forlorn scene.

    The egg lay on the cave floor, partway between him and its departed parent.

    Thoughts rushed and scattered in his head. Emotions raged inside him. Memories flared into his consciousness: flashes of colors, confusion, vivid images of twisted metal, fiery blazes, roaring shadows, gleaming edge. Anger, grief, pain, tears; all rose like a great tidal wave, drowning him. He held a blade in his hand, not realizing when it had been drawn. He pointed it at the egg. Wrath burned his spirit, fear chilled his senses; and somewhere deep, in a small dark corner, was a glimmer of light. His hand shook violently. His vision blurred.

    He had a choice.

    To grant the final wish of a dying mother. To slay the spawn of a hated foe. To uphold the highest honor. To avenge his keening soul. To stand tall. To fall.

    It was too much. His tears flowed freely, his body trembled fervently. He sobbed. Willpower retreated from his limbs, and he yielded to his knees.

    And he screamed.

    "Damn you! Damn you all! Why?! WHY?!! WHY DID YOU GIVE THEM HUMANITY!!"

    He collapsed, quietly weeping.

    The rage passed. Gradually, the tears dried. Composure returned hesitantly, giving back his strength. Calm settled again upon his shoulders, and cleared his head. Slowly, he sheathed the katana with shaking hands.

    He lifted his gaze and regarded the dragon egg. It had a black, glossy shell with swirling lines of deep purple.

    He searched for something to take the egg with. Taking out the virtualizer, he fiddled for a while with it. Finally, he retrieved a flexpack from the device, the object extruding before his eyes from the virtualizer''s pseudo-spatial depths. He activated the flexpack. The compact black cylinder began to expand, becoming a thick, voluminous bag.

    He took the dragon egg and stuffed it inside. It was warm and smooth to the touch, and surprisingly heavy, yet he had no difficulty stowing it away thanks to the power armor''s built-in exoskeleton.

    As soon as it hatches, I am driving it away, he thought bitterly as he fastened the flexpack onto his back. He looked one last time at the dead dragon. He couldn''t help feeling a shade of regret as he gazed at her still form. He shook his head angrily and turned away, sliding the helmet back on. He walked along the tunnels, using the trail of blood to find his way, and left the cave.

    Outside, the storm had abated. Only the wind stubbornly blew on, along some wayward clouds who were reluctant to disperse. Airo watched the horizon blankly. He was done. He did his part in this nonsensical deal that got him out of an icy nightmare, and now he was free. Granted, he was currently in another frozen hell, if his surroundings were any indication, but he was free to do as he pleased.

    Except, he had no desire to do anything at all.

    The dragon egg weighted on his back like a mortal curse. He was determined to dispose of it at the absolute first opportunity. After that, nothing. No reason to live at all. His life... had no meaning.

    A thought crossed his mind.

    There was one more aspect to this despicable mystery.

    He took off the power armor''s gauntlet and revealed the gridcaster he wore underneath. He browsed the one protected file he had no access to. He let out a small sigh, surprising himself, and typed a single word in the password field.

    DRAGON.

    The file opened. It was a simple text message, with only three lines.

    >NEW MISSION DATA

    >Location: Terra Para

    >Objective: Find and kill Tungust Ferrtau

    In an instant, Airo''s world turned upside down.

 Second Interlude

    SECOND INTERLUDE

    Three months ago, Terra Para, Ascendancy System

    I stepped out of what one day would be called null space, and my feet touched the brilliant, azure surface of the Terra Para Shard.

    The headquarters of the Order of the Radiant Knights.

    Home.

    I breathed deeply, the evanescence of my body again present, and cast my gaze around. The Shard was as grand as the one on Utopia Draconis, a crystal mountain towering over the grey, lifeless expanses of Terra Para. During the centuries of the Order''s stewardship over this unique landmark many edifices and structures had been erected. Houses, workshops, barracks, gardens, training grounds, cosmodromes, plazas, factories, monuments, libraries and museums, all those and more constituted the largest community and safe haven the Radiant Knights had since the Dragon Independence War. It was the heart and soul of an organization which had endured and assisted in galaxy-wide conflicts spanning centuries of history.

    It was the home of the most enlightened individuals in the Sector.

    Individuals, who I was sure would come this time around and see reason, instead of casting out revolutionary, nay, visionary ideas merely out of fear.

    I was wrong.

    My sudden arrival startled my former comrades. Though I had been cast out by the very people I returned now to, they gave me a warm welcome, in light of the circumstances. They asked for Her, of course. I said nothing, biting down the hellish screams struggling to burst out from my burning soul. Instead, I drew the power of my grandest vision, and heralded before them the new, final, Great Age I was going to bring upon Creation. I told them Salvation was upon us All, and we were soon to become One. Forever.

    Oh, how foolish they were.

    The merest of pauses was their only response. After that instant, they fell upon me in absolute earnest, in complete unison. They were the wisest individuals of the galaxy; and they were also the deadliest, and most powerful, save for the greatest of dragons. And though it burdened their hearts, they carried out any hard decisions to the end.

    Yet I was prepared for such mindless, reality-bound rejection. Saddened, yet prepared. I summoned the entirety of my existence, the very definition of my being, and cast it into the mirror of the Universe to magnify its light a thousandfold. I flared with the greatest, purest radiance of the stars themselves, a Beacon for all the souls in the world, an Avatar of the Great Cosmos itself. With merely a gesture, I controlled everything: I foiled their attacks, averted their powers, prevented their retreat, and broke their resistance. My Will was Law, and with that gesture I bade them become Enlightened, see the One Truth. They were not ready for Ascension; each one burst into a brilliant spark of pure Essence, their individuality severed, yet their Spirit Enduring.

    My own soul was swiftly evaporating into the ephemeral song of Entropy, due to the terminality of my own actions. To keep the flame alight inside me, I took the warmth of others, forever merging them into my Pattern. Despite this angelic fuel, Time still cast a shadow behind my back. Yet I kept my movements smooth, and my mind clear, as the moment of Salvation was at hand.

    I defeated my former comrades most immediate to me, and turned toward the Shard itself. Near its summit, I drew my Starblade, and did what I had done to its twin on Utopia Draconis: I tore open a Rift in space-time itself, collapsing the boundaries between Here and There. Yet now I went one step further, and reached out Beyond Everything. Darkness rose, followed by Light, crashing down, teetering on the Edge of Collapse. The Spiral of Time distorted, twisting, leaping, lashing, and Reality itself began to topple. I held my Starblade high, its Radiance a blazing Purity with which I would light the Way.

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    I prepared to cast out my soul into the Abyss, and make All Into One.

    Then things changed.

    The lover of my former mentor appeared. She charged at me, bearing his Starblade. I turned to face her, almost annoyed at this trifle interruption. She was a master of the ?ther but her powers were nothing compared to mine.

    I underestimated her.

    We clashed with blade and spell, will against will, while around us the World ended. My concentration was split three ways, to keep the Shard intact, to defeat the opposition, and to protect the wavering fire of my soul. Reinforcements arrived, more Radiant Knights entering the fray, seizing the opportunity to destroy my Legacy before it was created.

    No. I would not let this Come To Pass.

    I reached into the depths of my being, gathering the Essences of those whom I had forcefully thrust into the Light. With a resolute gesture and a shout of power I brought them back again into separate existence, their mind Whole, their body pure Light, their cause Just, and their spirit Enlightened ¨C and the Revenant were here once more, Heralds of the Coming Age of Eternity.

    They became the executors of my Will and of the Great Cosmos. They charged upon their fellow companions and devastated their ranks, while I reaved the souls of the Knights to add their Essence to my own Power, to continue fighting for what was Right. For each fallen Knight I won a new Revenant at my side, and soon the field was mine again.

    And then they outwitted me again.

    In a bid of desperation, she, the lover of my former mentor, encased the Shard in an utterly impregnable energy veil, phasing it out beyond anyone''s reach, even mine. Then the remaining Knights carried her aloft, retreating into the farthest reaches of Terra Para. I stayed behind, unable to pursue; I had to stabilize the raging Entropy, or risk the entire planet destroyed.

    Thus began what they would call, after my time, the War For Ascension.

    I stood alone at the Shard, my first legion of Revenant ready to do my bidding with absolute loyalty. I could not enter the Temple, for the Keys had been torn from my hands, and cast Far Away where I could not reach. Darkness reigned, and Thunder roared; the Vortex of Void was engulfing the horizon, held back only by the sheerness of my Will. The Flame inside Me was Dying. Yet that single, burning desire, bright as the greatest Virtue, held my Vision clear, and my Mind focused on the task at hand.

    What was I to do?

    I knew only one answer: go to war.

    I was a veteran of the Supremacy Wars, of the Axiom Crusades, and of the Starblaze. I have faced the countless horrors of the Void Demons, and have survived the massacre of the Dragon Independence War. I have mastered the ?ther, and I have unlocked the knowledge of the Universe. I have peered into the Abyss, and I have walked the everlasting path of the Celestial Way. I have traveled among the stars for centuries, and I have known both peace and conflict. I have fought, and I have counseled; I have sought enlightenment, and I have risked my life in the name of my vow and the sacred duties I uphold.

    And So Shall I Do Again.

    It was time to make my own crusade.

    I was the Messiah, and yet to them I was the Devil. I rose from the darkness, and Saw the Truth. I wanted to give them the greatest Gift, and in return share Our ultimate Joy as I reunite with Kalessia while everyone Prevail in Paradise.

    Yet instead they cast Enlightenment aside, and label my Vision madness. So be it. They could Ascend willingly, or they could see the Light nonetheless, for Ascension would Not Be Denied.

    I descended from the Shard, Revenant at my heels, and went directly into battle. The Consortium, the Union, the H''raal ¨C the enemy did not matter; they were all mortal, and they all, to my greatest grief, abhorred the idea behind my Vision.

    I reaved the souls of thousands upon thousands, renewing my faltering vitality, expanding my retinue, and bringing enlightenment to those whom I assimilated. In truth, it was a terrible event, an atrocity of untold magnitude; for I sundered the very fabric of every individual, no matter how eager or ready to accept Unity, in order to keep my own self above the rest. In the end, it did not matter; I was a sinner now, a horrendous monster as my enemy wanted me to be, yet when Salvation finally came, I knew it would not matter. For then, All will be One.

    Still, as much as I searched, I could not find the Radiant Knights. They had the Keys to the Temple, without which I could not access the Shard to bring Singularity Once and For All. I devoted much of my concentration in slowing down the Reality Vortex I had torn open, yet I could not stop it completely without depleting myself beyond the critical point. So now, I was in a race against Time itself: I had to find a Way to reach the Shard before it was completely lost and before I collapsed in perpetual Failure.

    And I would not let that happen.

    Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind.

    We are yet to drink our fill.

    I regret only one thing: I, who fought against monsters so long, became one of them in the end.

    The only ray of hope was that, soon, there would be No End.

 Update about chapter serialization

    Hello, I wanted to make a quick technical update: starting from Chapter 4, all chapters above 3k words will be divided into sub-chapters.

    The reason to do this is two-fold: first, to make the story more comfortable to read in bite-sized chunks, and second, to have a higher number of updates, which will keep the novel "visible" for longer.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    My aim is for each update to be at logical breaks in the story, and to be about 1500 words long. This won''t be always possible, so there will be segments that can be considerably shorter (800-900 words), or longer (2000-3000 words). I prefer scene-appropriate breaks over wordcount consistency, so that will dictate how large each update will be.

    Thanks for your attention!

 Chapter 4 - No Way Out

    CHAPTER 4 ¨C NO WAY OUT

    "In essence, this is a densely-packed region of space, arrayed into a multi-dimensional holor, around which the local space-time continuum is folded to a nigh-infinite depth, making the general topography and surface area of the planetary body in question practically endless. To a limited extent, this reality-distortion field covers the entire star system, and local branches of SUHN-space.

    To this day only two planets in the galaxy have ever been found out to possess such an exotic trait ¨C Utopia Draconis, the fabled homeworld of the dragons, and Terra Para, a barren, hostile planet at the edge of the Sector.

    Visiting such a world without meticulous preparation and extreme caution is perilous at best, and complete insanity at worst. One is best advised to seek safer astral regions to explore."

    ¨C Mumur Momor, "Paraworlds Explained", Datalinks

    Present day, Terra Para, Ascendancy System

    Ferrtau.

    The man he had trusted with his life.

    The man who had taken everything away from him.

    His freedom. His vengeance. His comrades, what little had been left of them.

    His love.

    Airo felt rage bloom inside him, a forgotten ember which suddenly became a roaring fire. He remembered the vow he made on that night long ago, in another life. He remembered the pain of learning the truth, of having being lied to for years, and the man responsible for his anguish being the same he thought of as his one and only friend. The world around him shifted into focus. The veil of apathy and quiet despair lifted, and a single thought crystallized in his mind.

    He was going to kill Ferrtau.

    This single, incandescent idea galvanized him into action. He felt his limbs surge with strength. His lips curled into a snarl. Invigorated by a flaming desire for revenge, he started down the mountain slope resolutely, his hand clenching the katana''s grip.

    Ferrtau was alive. Here. On Terra Para.

    And Airo was going to kill him.

    He imagined a thousand ways he would do it. In his mind''s eye, the crystal blade of his katana gleamed as it cut through his archenemy again and again in a haze of blood. He envisioned himself marching all the way through the mountains and beyond, to the other side of the planet, to the edge of the galaxy itself, confronting Ferrtau at the end, and mercilessly putting him to the sword. His rage boiled, a palpable heat inside him, his body shivering with bloodlust. He lifted his eyes, gazing vehemently at the enormous energy pillar in the distance. Impulsively, he imagined Ferrtau was there, at the base of this anomaly, waiting for him, goading him to come and make his challenge. Airo activated the fri-skis and swooped down the ridge, ignoring all danger and jostling the flexpack strapped to his back. He raced purposefully toward the horizon, eating the miles with blazing fury and reckless abandon.

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    This couldn''t have lasted forever.

    Gradually, the inferno inside him died. His wild imaginings subsided; his mind became rational again. He slowed down. Some time later, the fit of primal rage passed completely. He regained his composure, and examined his surroundings again with silent detachment, yet now his soul burned with a determined, singular purpose.

    He was going to kill Ferrtau. No matter what.

    An hour later, he finally stopped to gather his thoughts. His mouth tightened with resentment as he shifted the weight on his back. He tried to establish connection with the planetary network, yet there was no signal to be found. He frowned. Back in his day, every colony world had a rudimentary commsat coverage as a minimum. Was this planet uninhabited?

    Doubtful. There were dragons here, or at least some hard-light apparitions resembling them, judging by the mysterious ambush. And the onboard computer had mentioned the presence of a society with a functional cosmodrome. In his mind, he replayed the events prior to the crash. Who wanted to send a dragon on this cold, barren rock? Did the creature wanted to come because it thought there were more of its kind here? Airo was at a loss; it was hard to come up with ideas when he was plunged head-first into the world after seven centuries of absence. Thinking about the so-called ''cargo'' made him seethe. His mind focused on the flexpack he carried, and the cursed egg-spawn that was inside. He struggled with the temptation to simply leave the flexpack behind, and willed himself to ignore the hateful weight as he continued to come up with a plan what to do next.

    In the end, the details didn''t add up. He had been tasked with a falsified mission, and now his enigmatic benefactor who took him out from the freezer had set him against Ferrtau. Airo suspected there was a connection in-between. The dragon¡­ she had said she remembered him. An amusingly impossible notion, since he had spent the better part of a millennium on ice. And in his old life, he had made sure any dragon he met to be the beast''s last encounter.

    Unless¡­

    If Ferrtau was alive, then it was possible¡­ No. That scenario was out of the question.

    Airo needed more information. For now, he had only one lead: Ferrtau was here, somewhere on this planet. And he would have centuries of experience. He would be powerful, and probably have a mountain of resources and allies at his disposal. Despite his desire to personally take Ferrtau down, Airo realized he''d need all the help he could get if he wanted to exact revenge upon his nemesis.

    And the first place to start was to find some civilization. He lifted his head, and looked again at the mesmerizing violet-white column on the horizon. For now, it was the only landmark markedly different from the somber snowscape which surrounded him.

    Airo heaved himself to his feet, and set course toward the unknown anomaly.

    He traveled the entire night, and most of the next day. At dusk on the following sundown, he was forced to stop. His body demanded food and water and sleep, shivering from fatigue. Airo reluctantly rested below a rocky overhang. He realized he had no supplies with him. He took out the virtualizer, browsing the device''s catalog, and found there were various carbo-protein blocks stored inside. However, he couldn''t get a reading on the quantities; the virtualizer had a weird control scheme, and he was still getting used to the hologram-haptic interface every contemporary device apparently had today.

    He finally decided to ask the annoying onboard artificial intelligence for assistance. "Computer, how many supplies are available in the virtualizer?"

    "Five-hundred kilograms, Commander," came the prompt, friendly-toned reply. "Calculated to last one baseline human individual for about a standard system year, per standard protocol. The supplies also come with a corresponding amount of drinking water, though due to SUNH-storage conditions, its harmonic resonance state is around three gradients below Consortium standard."

    Airo selected several carbo-protein blocks, and rematerialized them, according to the virtualizer''s lingo. His power armor had an universal slot for food processing, yet he retracted the helmet and began to eat manually. The blocks were mildly flavored in some unidentifiable way, but otherwise bland. While eating, Airo used the time to examine the virtualizer more thoroughly. The device was small and rectangular, looking somewhat like a flattened brick in plain silver color, one side covered by a purple-black veronite projection surface, used for rematerialization and accessing the HHI. Simple, yet elegant design.

    She would have liked such a gadget.

    He looked away from the virtualizer, memories suddenly assailing him. That last day... his gaze fell upon the dragon egg in the flexpack sitting across. He lost appetite. He disposed of the half-eaten food, and propped himself against the cold rocks, and tried to sleep, giving his tired body time to rest.

 Chapter 4.2 - No Way Out

    The next several days he spent traveling and climbing across the vast mountain range. On the fourth day the weather cleared, and the black-grey clouds were chased away by the bright, silvery rays of the local twin stars. The strong daylight activated the polarization filter of the power armor, revealing endless jagged outlines of gleaming white and sky-purple. The temperature remained deadly arctic, yet Airo was adequately protected by his armor. The dragon egg was another matter, but he didn''t care. If it froze to death, it wouldn''t be his fault.

    He was still headed toward the giant energy anomaly, due to a lack of better destination. Both he and the onboard computer scanned all frequencies and comm channels, yet the air was completely devoid of any signals, same as in orbit. He had no way to track his progress; he passed over several mountain ridges, and crossed a couple of high valleys, and then made his way toward a distant summit, yet the landscape around was only snow, ice, and rocks stretching endlessly in every direction. On his way, he found no traces of civilization.

    By the end of the first week, after covering almost a thousand kilometers with the fri-skis, he noticed what was wrong.

    He was traveling in a circle.

    The pattern of peaks stayed the same. He climbed the same-looking summits over and over. The valleys cropped up at precisely repeating sequence. The constellations in the night sky never changed even a fraction, according to the power armor sensors. When Airo stopped to rest during the night, he consulted the only source of information he had.

    "Computer... SAI, have I been changing directions during travel?"

    "Not to my knowledge, Commander. You always kept a completely straight heading, making minor deviations whenever necessary, but never more than ten degrees on average."

    Airo grimaced. "Then why the void I have crossed the exact same region several times already?"

    "Analyzing... Analysis done. Results are interesting and medium-level concerning. It appears you have encountered a non-Euclidean route, Commander, which has spatially looped you around the current zone."

    "What?!" Airo burst out. "A non-Euclidean route? How is that possible!?"

    "My conclusion suggests this is some sort of anomalous behavior on part of the paraworld''s multi-planar topography due to interaction with other unknown energy field or fields currently present. Sensors detect elevated background radiation and increased amount of exotic particles, which support this conclusion."

    "Wait, Terra Para is a paraworld?"

    "Affirmative, Commander. This characteristic was described in the mission files for your convenience and to ensure proper preparation for planetside operations."

    Airo shook his head. A paraworld. That explained it. He needed to change his strategy; he had already risked much for assuming for so many days he was on a normal planet. "SAI, scan and process the region''s topography at maximum range, then prepare a detailed map with all possible routes leading out of the area."

    "Yes, Commander. Please wait a minute."

    Yeoman Cloud provided the requested data. Airo followed the generated routes, seeking a way to leave the mountains. A couple more days passed. To his dismay Airo found that no matter which direction he took ¨C even opposite of the energy pillar ¨C he always ended up going toward what he determined was the center of the region.

    He was trapped.

    He began to travel haphazardly, taking turns at random points and making mid-step adjustments. He climbed peaks and overlooked the entire area, searching for an exit. He glided with the fri-skis without stopping for hours, using stimulants to stay awake, checking if it was a matter of crossing some kind of a threshold. Nothing helped. Airo felt his already dulled spirit falling even lower, sapping his willpower.

    Occasionally at night he stopped to rest, and glowered silently at the flexpack he carried. He wanted to kick the dragon egg off a cliff. He envisioned himself doing so over and over, yet every time he was about to gather enough rancor to actually do it, the final words of the dying dragon echoed in his head.

    May the stars... always... shine upon your soul.

    He would bite his lip after remembering those words, trying to quell the screams of anguish which would start bubbling in his throat. Sometimes he didn''t succeed. He hated himself for those moments of weakness. He sat for hours within whatever sparse cover he found to spend the night, trying to calm the storms of thoughts while waiting for his tormented mind to finally succumb to sleep.

    Halfway through the second week vague panic began to seep in him. He spent an entire day searching for signs of other creatures, yet the land was devoid of any life. There were neither animals, nor plants to be seen anywhere. Even bacteria were absent, as he found out after analyzing a sample of snow. He came to know his vast prison intimately, and as the days grew, he started to be able to tell where he was after merely glancing at the horizon. He stared furiously every now and then at the energy pillar in the distance, going as far as blaming it for his predicament. He spent hours querying the SAI for new plans, new routes, anything that could get him out. Yeoman Cloud assisted to the utmost of its abilities, yet in the end it was only a sophisticated machine with not enough data to work with. Airo became increasingly frustrated with the constant measured optimism of the SAI, and forced it again into silent mode.

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    By now he was forging onward by sheer will alone. His thoughts slowly turned feverish and irrational, and his sanity began to slip. His tempo flagged, and he continued to walk or glide mostly out of habit. At night, he sat in complete darkness, turning off the power armor''s HUD to avoid looking at the now-painfully familiar landmarks. He contemplated his memories of the past during these silent, deathly hours, longing for the life he had before, for the love he had found, for the light that had been everything to him.

    Zenassa.

    Her name was like a blade stabbing him in the heart. He thought about her for hours, reaching unconsciously for a bottle beside him that wasn''t there. Each time he opened her picture onscreen he felt his strength falter, felt himself unable to live with the knowledge of them being forever apart.

    Then he remembered who separated them. The fire in his veins roared back into a blazing inferno, and returned the vigor in his weakened limbs. He remembered that hateful visage, and renewed the vow he made so long ago.

    You will pay, Ferrtau.

    Then he slept, the spirit of revenge watching over him in the cold darkness of the frozen tundra.

    ***

    The landscape was the same as it had been at the beginning.

    Airo lifted burning eyes toward the cloudless sky. Two days ago, he''d reached the summit, towering over the entire mountain range, and had spent hours staring at the horizon in every direction. In the distance, the energy pillar blazed as intensely as always, its radiance reaching the very sky and going beyond. For the aeonth time Airo had tried to establish connection to the Transnet, any net, without success. Finally, he had trudged downward, shoulders slumped in bitter disappointment.

    Now, his defeat was turning into anger.

    "Why was I awakened from oblivion?" he shouted at the sky, the sound vibrating inside his helmet. Retracting it, he yelled, "To die a cold, lonely death in truth?"

    The sharp slash of icy air in his face was the only reply.

    "I should have died then!" Airo screamed. "Not her! I should have fallen among the ruins! I was the soldier! I was the killer! ME!!! SHE DID NOT DESERVE THIS!"

    His shouts washed across the silent mountain.

    "Why am I here now? Why am I carrying a dragon with me? WHY? To fulfill some cosmic plan? To claim vengeance after seven centuries in darkness? WHY NOW? WHY HERE?"

    Again, distant silence.

    He roared the words, putting every ounce of his pain and fury in them.

    "Answer me, filthy gods of Creation! Answer me, pissful Great Cosmos! Answer me, useless Ancients! I DEMAND IT! ANSWER ME!!!"

    CRACK.

    High above, a thunder echoed over the mountain. Airo turned and saw the summit''s face split. The white mantle of snow and ice fell from the shoulders of the ridge. It turned into a wide, majestic wave which began to descend, swelling greatly as it rushed downward. The rumbling crash of thousands of tons of frozen water and rocks heralded the coming of the avalanche.

    Airo ran.

    He dashed madly down the mountainside. In his panic, he completely forgot about the fri-skis. Behind him, the avalanche thundered, sweeping everything in its path. Airo bounded and leapt, narrowly avoiding tripping down the slope. He turned his head in every direction, desperately looking for a solid overhang to take shelter beneath. He had only a minute before the avalanche reached him. He slipped, overbalanced by the flexpack he carried, and tumbled head-over-heels along the slope. His fall ended at the base of a huge rock with a narrow cleft at its base. As the thunder of the avalanche came closer, Airo made to crawl into the cleft, when he noticed his load was lighter than usual.

    He turned, and saw the dragon egg had tumbled free from the flexpack, lying in the snow some twenty strides away.

    The world slowed down. Airo watched as the impending doom approached the black-purple egg. For a second, he decided to abandon it and leave the avalanche to claim it. One less dragon in this galaxy.

    Then it struck him that this creature, no matter how much he hated it, was still unborn.

    Fuck this. He rushed toward the dragon egg. He leapt across the last two paces, shielding the egg with his body, just as the billowing front of the avalanche hurtled over him. The force of the wave threw him clear off the ground, spinning him wildly in all directions. He careened among the hard whirlwind of snow and ice, clutching the egg to his chest. Debris smashed into him from all sides like hammer blows, the power armor ringing and crunching loudly. Airo gritted his teeth, enduring the overwhelming assault while his heads-up display blared with various alarms.

    Just as he thought he was going to be buried alive, the avalanche threw him off a cliff.

    Abruptly, gravity drew back. In one long moment, Airo felt completely weightless. As the cloud of debris cleared, he glimpsed a ledge and the sheer, icy wall of a precipice. Huh, I have not seen this place before.

    Next, he was falling down.

    The overlay flashed in red, indicating he was in free fall with approximately seven seconds until impact. Another message was urgently reporting the auto-landing system had failed. Struggling to keep hold of the dragon egg, Airo freed one hand and drew his katana. Wind rushed around him, carrying thick drifts of snow. Hoping he wouldn''t lose either his life or his blade, he gripped the katana and thrust its edge into the cliff beside him.

    The sudden drag would have torn his arm from the shoulder, had he not been clad in power armor. Airo gasped in pain as he stopped, dangling from the blade above the chasm''s bottom, when the avalanche caught up, and a huge boulder smashed into him.

    He had time only to grip the dragon egg before he plummeted into the chasm.

    ***

    Airo opened his eyes, and coughed. His helmet was gone, and his face was numb with cold. He was half-buried at the bottom of a fissure, sunlight streaming from somewhere high above to the left. Airo shivered and dragged himself out of the snow pile. He lifted his gaze, and saw the dragon egg right before him, lodged between two stones, its black-purple shell glistening...

    ...and cracking.

    Airo stared dully, still working out the ramifications of this fact, when the egg shook vigorously, and another crack split its smooth surface. Then another crack appeared, then several more, and in less than a minute, bits began to fall from the shell. A tiny wing tip poked from one hole, a clawed appendage burst from another. With a crack, a large section of the eggshell flew away, and a long, sinuous tail tumbled out. Then the remaining shell shook harder, and with a final push shattered. The hatchling dragon surged from the egg''s remains, unfurling its wings, and stretched its body.

    Then it lifted its head, and Airo was lost in the brilliant amethyst sea of its gaze.

 Chapter 5 - The Way of Life

    CHAPTER 5 ¨C THE WAY OF LIFE

    "Everything is turning."

    ¡ª the philosophy of the stone trolls

    It was time.

    The waiting in the dark was over. The call of life echoed across the infinity of creation. Therein in its endless dance was the Way. The Fire Eternal was alight once more.

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    The strain of clenched muscles. The push against hard, protective shell. The seeking of motherly affection. Cracks. Splinters. A quiet, vast ocean of new sensations. Partly outside. Getting more and more limbs out. Tail erupting outward with a triumph. Soon after, all the rest following.

    Freedom.

    Cool wind enveloping the body gently. Blissful sunlight caressing the skin. Wings stretching, catching the elements with delicate membranes. A deep breath, inhaling the taste of pristine clarity. Reaching out, feeling every fibre of being. Becoming alive.

    Then the eyes lifting, and sinking into a vast, grey expanse ¨C the gaze of another.

 Chapter 6 - Companion for the Way

    CHAPTER 6 ¨C COMPANION FOR THE WAY

    "Surrounded by strife! Drowned by sorrow! Engulfed by hate!

    O, tragic wanderer of the Cosmos, where is thy salvation?"

    ¨C Onis Abdo, "Let Us Get To There"

    ?therday, first day of the year 999 of the Restoration Era

    They looked at each other for a long time.

    Airo peered into the dragonet''s purple eyes. If it was not for the vertically-slit pupils, he could almost swear... no, it was impossible. Before him stood a dragon, and its gaze was indeed entirely different. As he watched, the colors in its eyes swirled gently, becoming lighter and softer. The gentle patterns made him feel a haunting familiarity, a sensation that was beyond all rationality. He tentatively reached out to touch the smoothly scaled hide of the dragonet, to assure himself truly of its existence. Its body was deep black from nose to tail-tip, the color so intense it seemed to absorb light itself, and was interrupted at irregular intervals by claw-like markings of dark magenta. The dragonet watched with interest as he brushed the fingertips of his power armor gauntlet against its fine, minuscule scales, its expression earnest and innocent. He stared back into its wide and intent eyes, and his throat clenched.

    That look... it was the one Zenassa had just before she died. He felt a pair of warm streaks running down his cheeks, his skin stinging as the tears froze in the frigid air. That same look... if only...

    The dragonet blinked at his reaction. "Why are you so sad?" it asked with a soft, clear voice.

    Airo winced and jerked away as if struck. It had spoken ¨C no, she had spoken, for the voice was definitely feminine, despite the alien overtones ¨C as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Bewildered and inexplicably furious, he glanced at the creature again. The dragonet flapped her wings in mild alarm. "What is wrong?" she asked, concern touching her amethyst eyes.

    "Nothing," he replied mechanically. He hauled himself to his feet, the trance broken completely. He looked over the dragonet more closely. Her body was bulky and rotund, and she had short, almost comically stubby limbs. She had six digits on each paw. Her wings were tiny, stunted things, in garish contrast with the heavy bone fins which ran along the length of her back. Only the tail looked normal, long and slender yet moving with hidden power, as the dragonet swished it absently.

    "Oh," she said, uncertain. "All right then. Do you know where are we?" She had a strong, long snout with broad jaws, and her head was adorned with a magnificent set of horns and twin crests. They gave her a regal bearing, completely opposite of the appearance of her body.

    "You," Airo harshly emphasized, "and I, are on a planet called Terra Para." He spotted his katana sticking in the snow nearby, and went to retrieve it.

    "Terra Para," the dragonet repeated, as if tasting the name. "How strange that sounds! Oh, what is that you are holding?"

    "A weapon," Airo snapped darkly, sheathing the katana in its purple-black scabbard. He noticed the striking resemblance the scabbard had with the dragonet''s hide, and glanced in her direction, narrowing his eyes.

    "Weapon! You fight with it, right? And is this snow around us? It is quite cold, actually! Do you have something to eat? I am hungry, and¨C"

    Airo ignored her words. He again took in the striking blackness of her body. The dragonet''s complexion seemed unusual, like it was something beyond mere coloration.

    "¨Cand the sun is so bright! Wait, there are two suns! Or maybe there are more? Is snow eatable? I tasted a little yet it was mostly water. Do you see¨C"

    He examined his gear. He found the flexpack discarded to the side, alongside the now-broken egg. The virtualizer was buried in the snow pile he had been in. The power armor''s helmet had automatically retracted. The suit was completely inert, and the auxiliary interfaces on the forearms weren''t working. So much for future technology. Airo ignored the biting cold encircling his head. He gathered his things, and prepared to depart.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    There was only one thing left.

    "¨Care you doing now? What is that strange object? Is it food? It does not seem like food. Maybe it has it inside? You should open¨C"

    "Silence," Airo hissed.

    The dragonet stopped her excited jabber, and her eyes widened anxiously.

    Airo watched her with a grim frown. Like dark clouds, the reality of the situation descended upon his mind. He laid a hand on the katana''s hilt, and noticed how the dragonet flinched slightly.

    Despite her being a mere hatchling, she was still a damned dragon.

    Yet, beyond her heritage, she had done nothing to earn his ire. It infuriated him, how she was able to talk and act independently straight out of the shell, and yet was essentially a child. Had she been an adult, he would''ve cut her down without hesitation. As it stood now, this was as impossible an act for him as restoring the crashed starship with his own two hands. What was worse, he couldn''t think about the dragonet as a mere creature; she was, in every possible sense, a sapient being, a conscious individual. A person.

    Still, he resented her to the core of his soul.

    "What is your name?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself.

    The dragonet looked at him for a second in stunned silence. Then she lowered her head, and her tail fell limply beside her. "I... I... do not have one," she quavered.

    "And yet you talk and know things," Airo said. "How?"

    "I... just know," the dragonet said apologetically. "And I heard voices from outside while I was inside my shell. And I have been... remembering, I think. Something like that," she added lamely. "But I have no name," she concluded, downcast.

    Airo watched the dragonet, yet he wasn''t seeing her. His thoughts were far away across time and space.

    Was this your idea, Zee? Was it you who instilled in them the desire to have an identity, to be able to call a unique resonance their own? Or did you merely give them the power to do so?

    "Will you... give me a name?"

    Airo blinked. The dragonet had lifted her head, and she was looking at him with bright, hopeful eyes.

    "What?" he asked, amazed.

    "Will you give me a name?" she repeated pleadingly, her voice nearly breaking.

    Airo took a breath. Great Cosmos, what is happening?

    "All right," he said flatly.

    "Yay!" the dragonet whooped, and bounced a couple of times in excitement. "What is my name?" she asked impatiently.

    Airo paused to think of something. Unsurprisingly, his mind drew blank. He debated silently to give the hatchling some crude name, like an insult or a colorful epithet yet decided it was too degrading ¨C to him. He certainly wasn''t going to give her a human name, yet he also didn''t know any draconic names.

    He remembered how his division used to bring scores of specimens to Zenassa''s lab. She named every one of them, even the dead ones they brought at first. She studied them with as much focus as the other researchers, yet she also treated them with loving kindness which baffled her colleagues. Airo never understood her either, though at the time he also had held respect for the great beasts, albeit of an altogether different caliber. He recalled one of the rare times Zenassa was out of the research center, on a field expedition to some archaic ruins. His division had been tasked with escorting the researchers, and he had observed her excited behavior with incomprehension. She talked on and on about dragons, referring to them as if they had been self-aware beings all along and had had their own ancient legends and culture. Airo, then watching carefully for trouble, had listened to the lectures with one ear, and didn''t remember anything.

    However, one name emerged from the clouded depths of memory: Veralla. The name supposedly belonged to some draconic goddess, he seemed to recall. He frowned slightly. It was a tad imperious to name someone after a deity, yet he couldn''t come up with a better alternative. Of course, he could always pretend it was a mocking gesture, and not a bestowement of some high honor.

    Airo cleared his mind, and turned to the expectant dragonet.

    "Veralla," he said simply.

    "My name is Veralla?" the dragonet asked tentatively.

    "Yes."

    "My name is Veralla," she repeated. "Ve-ral-la. Veralla. I like it! It sounds so big and ancient and wise!" She bounced around, lashing her tail and flapping her wings happily, saying her name again and again. "And what is your name?" she asked, finally calming down.

    He was just turning away, intent to leave, and stopped halfway.

    "Airo," he said after a long pause.

    "Do you have something to eat, Airo?" Veralla asked eagerly, coming closer. "I am very hungry!"

    "I do." He rematerialized a pair of carbo-protein packs, and threw them on the ground. "Goodbye," he said, and started toward an arched overhang where the sunlight poured from.

    The dragonet caught up just as he was crossing the overhang.

    "Wait! Wait! Should I eat them whole? I ate them whole! They were not very tasty and¡ª"

    "Leave me alone," Airo said in a low voice.

    Veralla''s pupils widened, and she lashed her tail left and right rapidly. "B-but why? I want to come with you!"

    "Stay away," Airo growled. He drew two inches of his katana, and the crystal blade gleamed dangerously in the sunlight. "Or else."

    The dragonet froze in place, staring at the blade in fear. He stood a few moments longer to let the threat sink in, then reset the katana, and turned away, walking along the narrow pathway leading out of the fissure.

    Behind him came the soft, keening sounds of the abandoned hatchling.

 Chapter 6.2 - Companion for the Way

    Airo forged on, trying to find a way out of the maze he was in. The avalanche had thrown him into a network of steep canyons. The walls on either side were sheer cliffs, rock eroded for aeons by the thick glaciers that encased it now like translucent armor.

    He had no success attempting to reactivate the power armor. He managed to make a crude hood and wrappings using cut pieces from the flexpack. The synthetic fabric adequately prevented the heat from escaping, yet despite this his head was completely numb after an hour. Even inert, the power armor insulated the rest of his body, and he was sure he would avoid frostbite, if only barely.

    The canyons twisted around, and often forked in many directions. Airo came upon dead ends several times, losing an hour in each case to backtrack. Despite that, his mood was somewhat improved; the canyons were completely unknown to him, which meant he may have finally escaped the deus-forsaken extraspatial trap of the mountain range.

    The whole time, she trailed him like a shadow. Airo easily spotted the black form of the dragonet amid the icy bends, yet she kept her distance, so he ignored her. Every so often he would hear her quietly whimpering, and his stride would slow down involuntarily. This annoyed him, and each time he reached out for his anger to give him resolve.

    Remember how Zenassa died. Remember what she became because of them, he told himself as he picked up the pace again.

    Sunlight shifted as the hours passed, first leaving the canyons, then fading altogether. He walked in circles, the ravines and ledges becoming a featureless mass of snow and ice. He dreaded he might have escaped one infinite maze only to have entered another. Nighttime slowly settled, and with the coming dark he finally admitted to himself he was lost. He stopped to rest on a nearby boulder, and gazed grimly at the ground.

    The silence was broken by the scrabbling of claws on ice, and a dark shape approached him in the glittering gloom of the glaciers.

    "I know a way out of here," Veralla said quietly. "Please, just take me with you. I do not want to be alone."

    Airo lifted his head and glowered at her.

    "Are you lying in an attempt to follow you?" he asked coldly.

    "No! No! I... I searched around, while you were going inside one of the closed paths, and found a trail leading to a large plain."

    At that, Airo''s frown deepened. "How did you know the canyon had a dead end? You flew over it?"

    The dragonet ducked her head under his gaze. "No," she said. "I cannot fly. I tried, but..." she flapped her tiny wings in mute demonstration.

    Airo suspected as much yet he wasn''t satisfied. "Then how?"

    "The path sounded differently as I passed by," she said with an earnest expression.

    Airo watched her for a long time. "Lead," he said at last.

    The dragonet bobbed her head, and guided him through the canyons. He noticed how well she navigated in the dark, and did his best to keep the pace, resisting the temptation to turn on a flashlight or some other illumination. They walked in silence for a couple of hours. The temperature started to drop, and Airo felt his head throbbing with dull pain, and his body also began to cool, despite the passive insulation of the power armor. He looked around for a shelter to spend the night, and saw a shallow cave in the cliff wall, when Veralla spoke.

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    "Over there," she said.

    He turned in the indicated direction, and saw the canyon path descending into white depths. He rematerialized a flashlight from the virtualizer, and turned it on. The cone of bright light revealed the opening expanse of a wide, flat plain.

    What was more, it was again a completely new area; Airo was certain of that.

    "Well done," he said levelly.

    The dragonet beamed. "Thank you!" She then became anxious again. "Can I stay with you now?"

    He sighed in quiet exasperation. "You may," he said.

    "Oh, thank you, thank you!" Veralla fluttered her wings in happiness. "Can I... have some more food? I am still very hungry."

    They camped in the shallow cave he had spotted nearby. As he settled down, he gave the dragonet several more carbo-protein packs, removing the packaging this time. He then took one and forced himself to eat it; he had lost his appetite days ago.

    The dragonet had curled on the ground a little farther away than his place. Her breathing was quickened, and despite her happy expression, it was evident she was in distress.

    Airo peered intently at her, and only now noticed she was shivering.

    He pulled off his gauntlet and checked the temperature with the grid-caster. Too cold. His own head was suffering from early signs of frostbite.

    He hauled to his feet and set out to start a fire.

    He browsed the virtualizer''s contents, and saw there was everything he needed among the inventory. He rematerialized the necessary tools and supplies, and soon a large fire was radiating joyful warmth in the dark cave.

    "Come here," Airo called gruffly to Veralla.

    The dragonet rose at once and padded closer. She settled down beside the fire, her shaking body encircling the blazing flames. Airo sat on the other side of the fire, thinking.

    He didn''t do it for her. He needed the heat. And no matter how advanced civilization became, no matter how distant stars it reached, few things could match that mystical, reassuring quality fire had in its simplest and purest form.

    He certainly didn''t do it for her.

    Had he?

    "Eat," he said, and rematerialized a dozen more carbo-protein packs for the dragonet. She lifted her head. "What about you?" she asked cautiously. She had seen his meager dinner.

    "None of your skyline," he snapped irritably.

    She didn''t ask again, and quietly gulped the plain meal. She murmured in thanks, her body relaxed by the warmth, and closed her eyes. Within a minute, she was asleep.

    Airo gazed absently at the fire, knowing sleep wouldn¡¯t come early tonight for an altogether different reason than in the previous days.

    ***

    He awoke to the sound of insistent beeping. He needed several seconds to recall where he was. Pale light was streaming through the cave''s entrance. Across the fire''s smoldering remains, Veralla hrrr-ed sleepily, the sound she made something between a hiss, a growl, and a purr, and began to stir. He stared at the dragonet''s shifting form with bitter dismay.

    The beeping continued. It was the grid-caster. Airo looked at its interface, wondering what had triggered such automatic reaction.

    The information on the display made him jump.

    His grid-caster had picked up a distress signal.

    A signal. Which meant other people. Civilization.

    Airo''s body surged with energy, the physical and mental fatigue accumulated over the weeks forgotten. Pausing briefly to gather his gear, Airo dashed outside the cave, his sudden retreat startling the dragonet.

    "Do not leave me!" she pleaded after him.

    "Then come!" he barked over his shoulder without further delay.

    The dragonet leapt after him, and soon the two of them were running across the vast plain he had seen the night before. The morning winds were strong, kicking up snow and obscuring the horizon. The cold stabbed fiercely at Airo''s face, yet he didn''t slow down. He glanced every few seconds at the grid-caster. The signal strength was increasing, and its source was somewhere close, several kilometers away at most. He rushed ever forward, the dragonet beside him barely keeping up the pace as she ran on all fours through the deep snow.

    After an hour, his tempo faltered. Struggling for breath, each gulp of air searing his throat with icefire, he slowed down, barely able to walk.

    "Why are we running?" the dragonet asked with effort. She was panting beside him, and was shivering again.

    "The signal... I have to get to it," Airo managed, stubbornly walking on. He felt on the verge of his stamina, the arctic winds choking him, the inert power armor weighing him down. Fortunately, according to the grid-caster the signal was no more than a kilometer away.

    They stumbled across the plain for several more minutes. Without warning, the winds began to die down, and the mist of snow dispersed. Airo squinted at the horizon, and then he saw it.

    In the distance, the battered shape of a crashed starship loomed amidst the plains.

 Chapter 7 - First Steps of the Way

    CHAPTER 7 ¨C FIRST STEPS OF THE WAY

    Name: Terra Para, Ascendancy System

    Location: Sector Tau 42, Octant Lambda 3, Constellation Phyrro-3312, local coordinates 0/0 (Outer perimeter of known galactic space)

    Orbital Distance: 1.8 AU / 1.5 AU

    Orbital Period: 412 local days (1.02 standard years)

    Radius: 9,009 km (perceived; see below) Day Length: 30 standard hours (1 standard day)

    Atmospheric Pressure: 1.01 SA Atmospheric Composition: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% neon, 0.1% other (high trace amount of exotic particles)

    Surface Gravity: 0.99 G Surface Temperature (Median): -36 Celsius

    Population: Unknown (estimated 1,500,000)

    <u>Travel Advisory</u>: Terra Para is labeled as a <u>paraworld</u>. Extreme weather, spatial and/or temporal shifts, loss of reality elevation, and other critical existence anomalies may be present on the surface and in-system. Visits to the planet are strongly discouraged.

    ¨C Public Information Overview, Datalinks

    Airo gazed silently at the scene before him.

    The starship had crashed nose-first into the ground, leaving a long, jagged furrow across the plains. Its silvery hull was leaning on one side at a shallow angle, partially crumpled by the impact. The outer plating was frosted with ice, meaning its main defensive systems were non-functional.

    "Wow!" Veralla said. "It is so large! What is it?"

    Airo ignored her. He started walking toward the downed starship. The starship was small, about three times the size of an orbital shuttle. Airo guessed it was some kind of in-system patrol vessel, probably for scouting and light skirmishes. He reached the starship and approached the access hatch on the starboard side. He brought out his grid-caster, and powered the hatch''s HHI. The interface bloomed in blue-orange hues, and Airo used the executive override he had been given from his mysterious employer.

    The hatch swooshed. Airo stepped inside, Veralla at his heels, silent for once. The hatch closed automatically, startling the dragonet. The airlock cycled with a hissing sound, and the inner door opened, revealing the interior of the starship.

    The nolreck was dominated by a small, cramped cargo hold. A retractable loading ramp compromised the back wall. Twin ladders at each side of the ramp led to the starship''s engines. At the front was a trio of sliding doors, leading to the bridge and the other parts of the interior. Currently, the cargo hold was occupied by a light recon ATV. A man and a young woman in white-blue uniforms were by the ATV, the man''s upper body stuck under the vehicle.

    "You know, I could use a beer right about now," he said in a muffled voice.

    "If we get out of this alive, I''m buying the first round," she said, looking at a diagnostic terminal. "Turn the bracing another two microdegrees."

    "How I''m even supposed to do that?!" came the loud reply underneath the vehicle. A metallic clang rang out. "Ouch! You almost tore off my hand!"

    "You''re slow, gamebrain," the young woman snorted. "Makes me wonder if all those stories about your e-sports prowess are true."

    Airo stepped out in the open and said, "Hello there."

    His words brought instant reaction from the two of them. The young woman whipped around to face him, martial-like. The man sputtered and emerged from beneath the ATV, holding a multitool.

    "Crap, who is that?!" he asked.

    "He''s Consortium, obviously, judging by the ID tags," she said, watching Airo warily. "Still: Who the void are you?"

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    Airo paused to consider the situation. "I am a Consortium special agent," he said.

    "Oh, wow!" the man said. "Really?"

    The young woman snorted. "I find that hard to believe," she said, skeptical. "What the void is a Consortium Paladin doing on a friggin'' backwater world like this?"

    "I am looking for information on a specific individual," Airo said. However, his reply barely registered, as Veralla came forward, and the man and the young woman stared at the dragonet in utter awe.

    "Is that a dragon?!" he burst out.

    "So adorable!" she squeed.

    "Hello!" Veralla said brightly, moving closer.

    "Hey there, little one!" the young woman said in a friendly tone. "My name is Kiana. And this clumsy oaf here is Zuckeroff."

    "Yo!" the man waved, and smiled awkwardly.

    "I am Veralla!" the dragonet said. "I am happy to meet you!"

    Kiana''s eyes became comically large. "You''re named after the great Goddess?!" she asked in shock.

    "Cool!" Zuckeroff added.

    "Airo gave me my name," Veralla said proudly. "It is very nice, yes?"

    "Wait, you mean that guy over there gave you your name?"

    Airo looked around the cargo hold. He tinkered with his grid-caster, examining data streams about the starship''s capabilities and the crew manifest. The onboard system was giving him trouble, complaining about the outdated hardware he was using to access it. He ignored the warnings of the starship''s integrated SAI, and used his override to demand data about the people before him.

    "Say, is it true dragons can get as big as starships?" Zuckeroff asked.

    "Don''t start on the ridiculous questions, gamebrain," Kiana said. "Would you like something to eat, Veralla?"

    "Oh, yes, thank you!" the dragonet replied. "I am quite hungry."

    "I''ll get some prefabs right away."

    "So," Zuckeroff began, "what about¨C"

    "You can keep her."

    Airo took no notice of the shocked silence his words brought to the room. He was reading their files. Kiana Kawanaga and St''aep''hon Zuckeroff. There was surprisingly little info beyond the names. She was listed as a starship pilot and a tech op, while he was an astrior ¨C an elite cosmofighter, equally prepared to operate on planet, in orbit, or in deep space. Both of them had an officer rank in the Consortium. However, the files contained nothing more than these sparse resumes. Enigmas; Airo didn''t like that.

    "Also," he continued without looking up, "I am commandeering this vessel, and all of its equipment."

    "Now wait a second!" Kiana said angrily. "This is our starship, and we''re fucking military! What authority gives you the right to make such claims?"

    Airo lifted his gaze. "As I said," he replied in a cool tone, "I am a special agent ¨C a Paladin ¨C of the Consortium, and I commandeer your resources in this capacity."

    "All right, all right," Zuckeroff said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "Whatever you say, Boss."

    "It''s not all right, Zuckeroff!" Kiana snapped. "We have only his word on who he is. The fancy armor might be stolen, and the ID tags forged. He could be anyone." She turned back to Airo. "I''m not giving anything to you."

    His temper flared, yet he kept his composure. "I suggest you do not try my patience," he warned.

    "Um, Ki, listen to him," Zuckeroff said, worried. "He has a veronite-enhanced singularity blaster."

    Airo hadn''t examined the oversized sidearm holstered over his left hip very closely, having no reason thus far to use it. Yet he moved his hand over the weapon to emphasize the man''s observation. Zuckeroff paled and swallowed, but Kiana only glared and said nothing. Airo saw in the corner of his vision the dragonet, who had curled up on the floor, her slit-pupiled eyes watching with wary curiosity. She didn''t move a muscle, except for the tip of her tail which waved anxiously beside her head.

    This was going nowhere.

    "Let us begin again," he said flatly, pulling away his hand. "I am Commander Airo. And you are?"

    The man saluted at once. "Officer St''aep''hon Zuckeroff, at your service, Boss!"

    "You probably already saw our personnel files," the young woman said sullenly. "But be warned ¨C I respond only to my first name, Commander," she added, drawling the last word in a sardonic tone.

    Airo studied the two crewmembers. Zuckeroff was standing at attention apprehensively, while Kiana had crossed her arms, a rebellious gleam in her eye. He was a Corelander of average height and build, with cheerful blue eyes and sun-yellow hair, his face surrounded by a fuzzy beard. She was of mixed Islander-Mistlander descent, and had a slender frame, with dark blue hair and bright, lavender-colored eyes. They both seemed very young; Kiana practically looked like an adolescent. Airo wondered if this was the outward appearance of all immortal people in the far future.

    "All right, we are presented now," he nodded tersely. "As to the matter of commandeering, I have been sent to this system to track down and eliminate a very powerful and dangerous individual. My mission... is of the utmost importance. So I am placing you under my direct command until further notice. Understood?"

    "Yes, sir," Zuckeroff replied. Kiana seemed like she wanted to argue yet only muttered under her breath.

    "What was that?" Airo demanded.

    "You haven''t shown any clearance," Kiana said. "There''s still only your word on who you are. And Paladin or not, there''s protocol to be followed."

    "Right," Airo drawled. "Protocol." He glanced down at his grid-caster''s display. Lacking a better idea, he called up the executive override and broadcast it. Across from him, Kiana gasped, though she had no visible devices on her person.

    "Omega-level clearance," she said in a low voice.

    Zuckeroff whistled. "What do you want us to do, Boss?" he asked, uncertainty plain on his face.

    Airo began to respond, but Veralla piped up. "Are we going to fly now?" she asked with excitement. "I seem to remember starships can fly!"

    "Unfortunately, we won''t be flying today, whippersnapper," Kiana said, crouching down before the dragonet. "This ship is pretty much busted. Come now, let''s get you something to eat."

    She led the hatchling dragon toward the front of the nolreck. Airo stared after them, dark thoughts circling in his head.

    Zuckeroff turned to him, expression brimming with curiosity. "So, Boss, where did you get a¨C"

    "Shut up, Zuckeroff. Finish those repairs ASAP. The sooner I... we are on the move, the better."

 Chapter 7.2 - First Steps of the Way

    Veralla was surrounded by a world of wonder.

    They traveled with the strange rolling machine the others had called an ''all-terrain vehicle''. The machine tore through the ice and snow, large wheels churning swathes of frozen beauty and auxiliary thrusters thrumming with basso voices like growling dragons. During her stay inside this beast of metal and energy, she watched the passing landscape in awe, hissing with glee and hrrr-ing with delight as she drank in the sights laid before her. Vast, flat plains stretched for miles, disappearing in the distance. Shining glaciers towered along the way, silent titans standing guard. Hulking hills of snow bulged from the ground, crests billowing in the wind. Far away, gleaming peaks of pure white loomed over everything, their sharp edges piercing the endless sky. Massive clouds fought their battles in the heavens. Lightning rumbled amid those clashes, then to be chased away by the sacred rays of the watchful suns, or the glittering congregations of farward stars.

    And on the horizon, a constant presence no matter the landscape: a great, blazing column of pure energy, tinged with purple shades. Veralla looked every now and then at the energy pillar in awe, as she did with everything else, yet each time she did so she felt a strange anxiousness overcoming her.

    "Only effing frozen wasteland around," Kiana groaned. "And that freaking mega-beam." She eyed the energy pillar straight ahead.

    "Hey, nothing a good beer can''t handle," Zuckeroff said. "If only I had one," he added wistfully.

    They traveled for many days across the ever-changing arctic wilderness. At night they sheltered beside the ATV, resting and talking. Veralla used the time to frolic in the snow, rolling and experimenting with this amazing white powder which was made of water. Gradually her body stopped reacting to the cold, though she still sensed its presence as a prickling mantle along her scales. As she felt hunger rising inside her, she abandoned her game of comparing snowflakes and ice shards, and came back to the camp to eat, listening to the others talk. She curiously noted their words, trying to understand what they meant, and asked questions when she couldn''t.

    "What is a ''beer''?" she asked Zuckeroff.

    "Oh, it''s the drink of heaven," he replied cheerfully. "Light enough to keep you going and, uh, strong enough to free your mooring, hehe! And the taste is fantastic! Hey Boss, are you taking first watch again?"

    She learned much about the other people during those days. They called themselves humans. They obviously were not dragons, though they did many things she did, like talking and eating and sleeping. They could not fly, yet neither could she, no matter how hard she tried to flap her wings. They had no tails, true, yet she could not find much use for hers except playing with it. However, she learned that she saw and heard more things than humans did, which made her wonder if that was the reason they did not like to play much. Yet, despite the similarities, Veralla was aware she was quite different. She looked at herself in secret, examining her clawed feet, peering in icy reflections at her horns and headcrests, tracing the outline of her snout, and wondering at the pair of opposable thumbs on each forepaw. Her distinctness set her apart from the others, and she felt lonely.

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    "Kiana, why are my wings so small?"

    "Uh... I have no idea. Don''t worry; they should grow in time."

    Veralla often became hungry. Thankfully, there was much food, and she ate any time she wanted. There were the same strange, tasteless blocks of stuff she had eaten before, yet now they were put in some device, gaining all kinds of different tastes. She ate this altered food with gusto, enjoying it greatly, and she found she loved meat flavor the most.

    "Zuckeroff, for fuck''s sake, stop making the dinner beer-flavored!"

    "Aw, come on, Ki! I only wanted to pretend I was having a pint!"

    The new humans were friendly. Zuckeroff was always loud and cheerful. He was surprised, shocked even, when Veralla pronounced his first name without difficulty, and said even he couldn''t get it right at all times, and that was why everybody called him Zuckeroff. Like the other humans, he had a mass of odd strands on his head called ''hair'', though in his case there was also some on his face, this different combination defined as ''beard''. He was constantly talking or making comments about things, or telling funny stories. Veralla conversed with him easily, yet in time she became bored as he started repeating jokes, and he only looked at her blankly when she asked for new ones.

    Kiana was very kind. When she wasn''t driving the ATV, she gave Veralla food or petted her on the head. She was the one who most often looked when Veralla pointed out something for the others to see, and she used many strange words the others didn''t. Veralla asked her why she and Zuckeroff had two names, and Kiana replied it was normal for humans to have multiple names, though she insisted to be called only by her first name, and was very firm about that. She only shook her head when Veralla asked her why.

    And so Veralla marveled at the open sky and the lands of snow, bantered happily with Zuckeroff and Kiana, ate heartily, and learned about the world as her knowledge expanded with each day.

    Yet she always kept close to Airo.

    She remembered her first moments out of the shell, when she had met his striking gaze, those grey eyes full of sadness and grief. She remembered how her soul, soaring happily with the song of life, had wavered when she had plunged into that dark abyss. He had lashed out at her, the sadness in him flaring from a black ember into a white-hot force of hate, making her tremble in fear.

    Yet he had carried her on his back, and had given her a name, making the essence of her soul complete. For that she was thankful to him, and when he had bidden her away, she had respected his wish; perhaps he wanted to protect her from his sadness, wanted to prevent infecting her with this unfathomable misery. But at his departure she had felt so very lonely, abandoned and alone in the harsh cold, hunger gnawing at her belly. So she had followed him, helping him and pleading him to take her, because she wanted to live and to not be alone.

    Now, no longer gripped by either hunger or cold, she took him in once more. His strong, willful features were often locked into a scowl, or twisted with sorrow from the sadness fused to his core. He kept to himself, throwing his sadness at the others in the form of gruff orders or demands for information. Yet neither Zuckeroff nor Kiana seemed affected by the outbursts of his affliction, and Veralla realized it was only his own. This encouraged her and sparked her interest, and without being able to explain why, she felt the desire to understand more about Airo''s sadness and what had created it.

    He still refused to talk to her, still rebuffed her in anger underlined by subtle anguish when she approached. Still she kept close, asking him questions about himself and the world, wanting to learn more. He never answered.

    Yet Veralla did not give up, certain in her memory she had seen something more, something greater inside Airo, when their eyes had met for that first time under the cold heavens of Terra Para.

 Chapter 7.3 - First Steps of the Way

    Airo examined his surroundings with studious will.

    He and his unofficial team had roamed for days. They kept a steady course, yet even so he knew distances meant little on a paraworld. He tracked the landscape carefully, wary of another spatial maze like that mountain range. So far, there had been no hints of repeating patterns. Yet there had been endless miles of snow, ice, and rocks. No signs of life, sapient or otherwise, and, of course, no trace of Ferrtau''s whereabouts. Only the energy pillar towered on the horizon, coming no closer despite their constant travel in its direction.

    "Have any of you been able to access the Transnet?" Airo had asked on the second day, scanning all channels and frequencies for the hundredth time.

    "The Transnet?! What the fuck?" Kiana blurted, and glanced at him sideways from the pilot''s seat. "Are you from the Ground Age or something? The Transhuman Order hasn''t existed for centuries."

    "It''s called the Viirt now, Boss," Zuckeroff said.

    "Viirt?" Airo asked.

    "Virtual Integrated Interplanar Reality Transference," Kiana recited. "Viirt for short. Has three generic levels ¨C mesh, network, grid. Local connection, big-ass infrastructure, or whole-system scope ¨C you pair the terms accordingly. Real basic stuff.

    "And to spare you the grand effort of asking again ¨C nope, we haven''t found any active nodes. I would''ve noticed instantly otherwise. And that''s mighty strange, because even with this war and all between the Consortium and the Union there still should be comsats out in orbit which respond to military tightbeams. I think something planetside is fucking things up."

    "I see," Airo said, making a mental note to learn more about ''this war'' later. "Did your starship get shot down in combat?" he asked to keep the conversation ¨C and information ¨C flowing.

    "It was hardly a fair battle," Zuckeroff said. "Our main cruiser was en route to a rendezvous point, when we got jumped by an entire task force!"

    "Yeah, those hutters caught us with a glitch in the smartclos," Kiana added. "We... we were told to reinforce a Consortium strike fleet here in the system. When we... got to the coordinates, there were none of ours, but plenty of the Union. They pummeled us in seconds. The captain sounded the evacuation order. Me and Zuckeroff grabbed the auxiliary patrol cutter, but the hutters lanced us badly during the escape. We made a controlled crash down the gravity well. After that... we put out a distress signal, and hoped our people would find us. That''s the story." She shrugged. "Instead, out of nowhere a Consortium Paladin appears, demand us to pledge undying loyalty or face halting state, and then drags us into the great unknown which is this fucking frozen rock of a planet. So here''s a counter question: where are we going, and why the fuck are we traveling toward that big-ass, blinding-bright, obviously-dangerous pillar of light on the horizon?"

    "For lack of better navigation," Airo replied.

    "You have no idea where you''re going, do you, Commander?"

    "I have not," Airo nodded. "Yet I know what I am looking for."

    There was a heavy pause. He knew Kiana wasn''t buying his story; neither was he believing hers. It was a matter of who held the bigger secret. Airo thought he was winning easily on that front.

    "What is a ''war''?" Veralla asked in the abrupt silence. Kiana and Zuckeroff shifted their attention to the dragonet, while Airo resumed his patient observation of the landscape.

    At nighttime, while the party camped around the ATV, Airo practiced his fighting routines, working moves and techniques back into his muscles after seven centuries of disuse. He trained both barehanded and with the katana, remembering a host of elaborate strikes, parries, positions, and other maneuvers he had self-learned in his youth and then refined to perfection in the Starspire Academy. The power armor, despite its advanced design, hindered some of his more elaborate movements. After this activity, Airo sat down and conversed with the others, forcing himself to get to know the people who accompanied him better.

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    Zuckeroff was a boisterous man, who was able enough and followed orders dutifully, yet was glaringly inattentive at times. He also had a propensity for slacking and spouting shallow, rarely inventive humor. He was far from what Airo would consider soldier material, let alone an astrior or a spec ops. The fact he was an officer, too, was incomprehensible.

    "Boss, do you know how many posthumans are required to change a fusion core?"

    "Shut up, Zuckeroff."

    "Oh, I know the answer to that one," Kiana grinned. "None! They have transcended the need for such technology!"

    "Yeah, right! Ha-ha!"

    "What is a ''fusion core''?" Veralla asked, eager to join in on the joke.

    Kiana insisted to be addressed by her first name from the onset, though it wasn''t an invitation to familiarity ¨C far from it. She was outspoken and insolent, showing a total lack of respect toward Airo on top of her suspicion to his claims. Airo was often vexed from her attitude; yet unlike Zuckeroff, he realized Kiana had skills which compensated for her poor discipline. She was an incredible pilot, guiding the ATV effortlessly as if she was born with the controls in her hands. After the first day of travel, she also noticed his power armor was broken, and this was how Airo learned about her real talents.

    "Yo, why are you walking around with this trash-quality hood like some sort of pre-Restoration nomad?" she asked him, narrowing her eyes. "Wait... is your fancy suit busted?"

    "...Yes," Airo admitted.

    "Damn, I thought Orion-class PPGs were fucking indestructible. Let''s see what''s the issue." Kiana closed her eyes, and extended her arm, hand open, toward Airo. She stayed focused for half a minute. "Huh, no energy flow whatsoever... main nanolanes seem fine... a few mil-amps should do the trick..." She lifted her other arm, and touched Airo''s shoulder. Suddenly, the power armor became more flexible, and the auxiliary display sprang to life with a booting sequence. "There! Fixed now. The MEM-cell had shut down for some reason. No need to thank me, Commander."

    Airo blinked in surprise. "How... how did you do this? Implants?"

    Kiana crossed her arms. "I have those too. They help quite a bit, but that''s not how the magic happens. You seem quite behind the times, Commander."

    What do you mean by ''magic''? Airo thought in amazement. Instead he asked, "Then how?"

    "I''m a Conduit," she said casually, though her voice was full of barely-restrained pride. "Technotics is my specialty. How else would I maintain my title of AVR Cyber-Security Overlord?"

    "A Conduit," Airo repeated, trying to prompt her for clarification without posing it as a question.

    "Duh," she said. "The ?ther Age isn''t called so only because it sounds fancy, or because technology got weirder. It''s because of those who have access to the ?ther, aka Conduits." Kiana walked away, leaving Airo to puzzle out her answer.

    In that moment the power armor went fully online, and an annoying voice came from the collar speakers. "Yeoman Cloud, reporting for duty, Commander!"

    Airo enabled the suit''s helmet in order to have privacy. And warmth. "SAI," he said in a low voice, deconstructing the now-useless jury-rigged hood, "give me more information on the ?ther Age."

    Yeoman Cloud responded at once."The ?ther Age is called after the ultra-region-slash-substance known as <?ther>, <ether>, <dark matter-slash-dark energy>, <quantum vacuum>, <Overspace> (the theoretical containment plane of SUHN-space), and according to some sources, <Realm of God> (or simply God), <The Great Verge>, and <imagination>. Some sources also state the ?ther is the metaphysical manifestation of the Great Cosmos itself ¨C as far as such entity might be perceived in its ontological entirety."

    The SAI also presented a few details on the nature of Conduits. Mystically inclined societies called them aethereals. Their potential and abilities varied greatly, depending on how they came into their power and how they were trained afterward. To become a Conduit, one first had to experience a profound metaphysical epiphany called Awakening. After that, the only limits ¨C at least theoretically ¨C were one''s understanding and willpower. Myriad methods and paradigms for cultivating Conduits had been developed over the centuries, from using hyperadvanced aethertech implants to emulating Ancient magical systems from the Codex to spending decades in occult temples practicing esoteric disciplines.

    Airo pondered upon the extraordinary information he received. It made him think of the fabled Magisters of his homeworld, who supposedly had ruled the land before the arrival of the Transhuman Order. Perhaps somebody had discovered the secrets of the Great Equalizing, and had made magic once more possible in this dark galaxy. He slept differently that night, his thoughts for once not focused on hate, grief, or revenge.

 Chapter 7.4 - First Steps of the Way

    During the journey, the worst of his problems was the damned hatchling dragon. She followed him everywhere, and constantly pestered him with questions. He drove her away with threats and harsh words, which seemed to work for a while yet then she would always return, silent at first, then gradually more talkative. This scenario repeated over and over until he gave up, and tried to get used to her presence, meeting any attempt for communication with determined silence. This seemed to have small effect on the dragonet''s presence, yet at least it lessened her constant babble once she realized he no longer spoke to her at all.

    The long, tortured days turned into weeks. Still there was nothing in sight except wilderness, and no connection to the Viirt was present. Tension started to rise. Airo wondered if perhaps they hadn''t fallen into another spatial trap. Kiana became more and more restless, arguing constantly they had to change direction. Airo was about to agree reluctantly when, a day later, they found something.

    They were driving across a narrow valley, with a glacier to one side, and a hill to the other. Atop the glacier was a tall, metal obelisk with a spherical, crystalline structure on top.

    "What is that thing?" Veralla asked, pointing a claw at the obelisk.

    "No fucking idea," Kiana said, while she and Zuckeroff stared.

    "It is an E-beacon," Airo said, looking at the structure. He had seen such devices on Utopia Draconis numerous times, where they had been a familiar sight. It seemed their design hadn''t changed much during the last seven centuries.

    "What''s it for?" Zuckeroff asked.

    "The beacon interdicts the surrounding area from changing under the influence of the paraworld''s field," Airo explained. "A chain of beacons is used to form a constant, set topography, like on a normal planet. They also make sure physical distances are equal to actual distances."

    "Um, yeah, it looks quite cool. Hey, Boss, how do you know all those things? I thought we had no network access."

    "It''s called learned knowledge, gamebrain," Kiana snorted, though she cast Airo a sidelong glance.

    The hill was crowned with an equally tall yet considerably larger structure, adorned with an array of sensors and antennas. Its profile was more readily recognizable.

    "A comm tower!" Kiana gasped.

    "We''re saved!" Zuckeroff said.

    Suddenly, Airo''s power armor speakers crackled. "Commander, sensors are getting heightened anomalous readings, coming from north by northwest, relative direction."

    Airo looked in the indicated direction. In the distance, strange clouds gathered in the skies. The horizon itself appeared to waver, and colors were intensifying unnaturally. Atop the glacier, the E-beacon''s crystal sphere started to darken.

    "What the fuck is that?" Kiana asked.

    "I guess it''s trouble," Zuckeroff said.

    "Very," Airo agreed gravely, watching the horizon. "That is a warpstorm. It distorts reality itself."

    "A wha-wha?" Zuckeroff''s jaw hung open.

    "You''re kidding," Kiana snorted. "There ain''t no such thing."

    Lightning flashed many miles away, and abruptly hit the communication tower as if it had fallen from the clear sky overhead.

    "And it is the worst one I have ever seen," Airo added.

    "Fuck, what''re we waiting for?" Kiana shouted. "Let''s get out of here!" She began to turn the ATV away.

    "Stop!" commanded Airo. "We are not going anywhere."

    "Are you fucking insane?! You want us to stay here and get ourselves warped to death?"

    "Boss, I think we should skedaddle," Zuckeroff agreed. "This stuff looks scary."

    "No," Airo said in a hard tone. "We wandered this frozen wasteland long enough. We have to get to that comm tower. If we run now, there is no telling where we will end up, or what the warpstorm will do to the region."

    "And how are we going to survive the clusterfuck that is coming straight at us, Commander?" Kiana asked vehemently.

    "The E-beacon will shield us," Airo said.

    Yeoman Cloud chimed in. "Excuse the intrusion, Commander, but it won''t."

    Airo was at a loss for a moment. "Why?" he demanded.

    "I have been gathering data on the approaching space-time continuum anomaly for the last sixty-three seconds. According to available information in my databanks, the anomaly''s intensity is eleven points on the Isomelev scale, which so far has never been registered. Theoretical analysis suggests the E-beacon would not hold up against such stress."

    "That''s it," Kiana said. "We run."

    "You do not," Airo snapped. "You are under my authority."

    "Fuck your authority!" Kiana shouted. "There''s enough supplies to survive for months! We can search elsewhere for a rescue!"

    "I will not," Airo said with absolute conviction, "let anything or anyone stand in the way of my mission." He clenched his gauntleted fist, eyes narrowed in fury.

    On the horizon, the warpstorm steadily closed in, and exotic clouds glowed with viridian light. Kiana looked around wildly. "He''s insane!" she cried. Zuckeroff shrugged, fear and helplessness visible on his face. Veralla was curled on the floor, anxiously twitching her tail.

    Airo ignored their reactions, thinking rapidly. "SAI," he said gravely, "is it possible for the E-beacon''s field to be boosted?"

    "Yes, Commander. Any sufficiently powerful SUHN-space or gravitic field can alter the capabilities of an E-beacon."

    "Will the ATV''s gravitation plates be enough to enhance the E-beacon?"

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    "Calculating... Possibly. Preliminary analysis shows the available power output may be insufficient to counter the anomaly effects completely."

    "This must suffice. Engineer a design then," Airo ordered. "Use only available resources for virtual prototyping. Prioritize ease of use and construction speed."

    "Aye, Commander!"

    Airo turned to the others. Kiana and Zuckeroff looked at him like he was mad. "Even if the booster proves insufficient," he said, "as long as we stay indoors we should be able to weather the worst of the storm."

    "How exactly," Kiana asked slowly, "does one weather a storm which alters reality?"

    "Through willpower," Airo answered. "A self-aware mind has its own reality-altering field, only on an infinitely smaller scale."

    Silence fell in the ATV''s cabin. "Is what the Boss''s saying right, Ki?" Zuckeroff asked in disbelief.

    "Fuck me," Kiana spat. "It is. It''s one of the first lessons they hammer into new Conduits during training: All is mind; the universe is mental. I''ve always thought it meant everything''s dreykshit insane. But my theory may still prove right." She sighed, and stared at Airo. "Okay, Commander, what''s the plan? Assuming you have one."

    "We go to the comm tower, take the ATV down, assemble a beacon booster, then we install it, return to the tower, and wait for the storm to pass over," Airo said. "Then we get access to the Viirt, and call for support."

    ***

    The comm tower had its own hangar. They took the ATV inside, dismantled it, and began to construct the device according to the schematics Yeoman Cloud had engineered. Airo''s virtualizer contained the necessary tools. They worked with all haste, racing against the coming warpstorm. Outside, the clear sky rapidly darkened, heavy clouds and high winds taking over the region.

    After an hour, they finished the device. In its completed state, the beacon booster looked like a long, bulky cylinder, with the ATV''s gravitation plates assembled on one end around a heavy coil. Airo and his small crew began their trek toward the glacier. He was at the front, Zuckeroff helping him carry the booster, while Kiana took care of the dragonet.

    "Why we broke the ATV?" Veralla asked. "It was not alive, yet if it was it would have experienced much pain, I am sure. And it helped us travel faster."

    "We need the parts," Kiana said. "Otherwise the storm will kill us. Think of it as a noble sacrifice made so we can live on," she added soothingly.

    "Was there no other way?" Veralla asked, glancing behind her back at the comm tower, where they had left the ATV''s gutted remains.

    Kiana lifted her head, and looked at Airo. "Maybe," she muttered. "Maybe there was."

    The entire distance from the comm tower to the E-beacon was a little over two kilometers, including elevation. Airo had planned for them to climb the glacier, set the booster, then return to the tower all within an hour at most. The warpstorm was now almost upon them, the horizon playing havoc on the perspective as it constantly swirled and distorted, inducing intense vertigo. The sky was engulfed by green-black darkness, causing Airo''s visor to switch to night mode.

    Then the situation became complicated.

    Halfway up the glacier, the ambient radiation ¨C which was already running high because of the storm ¨C started to enter lethal levels.

    "Boss, a few more rads and I''ll start to glow!" Zuckeroff''s oddly cheerful voice came on the commlink.

    "Why are radiation emissions so high?" Kiana asked. "You said we''re still ahead of the storm!"

    "We are," Airo replied. He looked up at the E-beacon. The metal obelisk glowed with accumulated radiation, and the crystal sphere spewed indigo lightning. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. He knew the beacon worked as some sort of storage normally, yet he thought it would act as a repulsor during a warpstorm.

    "It''s like a fucking fusion reactor up there!" Kiana said. "Our suits can''t hold against such shit! Your plan fucking failed, Commander!"

    "No!" Airo said, voice hard. He glanced upward again. "I will continue alone. You three go back to the tower and hide."

    "Boss! Are you sure?" Zuckeroff yelled.

    "I am, Lieutenant," Airo said sternly. "Now fall in line with Kiana. Take the hatchling. That is an order!" He lifted the beacon booster, and leaned it on one shoulder. Zuckeroff and Kiana just stood there, looking at him.

    "Sir," she said, "fancy or not, your armor won''t protect you from what''s up there."

    "Just go," Airo repeated. "Now!"

    "Wait!" Veralla exclaimed. She bounded forward and stopped before him. "I want to come with you!"

    "You will not," Airo said harshly.

    "But I¨C"

    "Listen!" he shouted angrily. "I was sworn to give you life, and by the Great Cosmos, I hate that. Yet what I would hate more is if you die right now, after having tolerated you for so long!" The warpstorm was already upon them in truth, punctuating his words with flashes of viridian lightning and radioactive glow. "So do as I say, and have some bloody self-preservation!"

    "What about yours!" the dragonet replied shrilly over the tearing fractal winds.

    "Mine expired a long time ago!"

    Airo began hauling the beacon booster up the slope. No one called him on the commlink, so he reckoned he had made his point.

    Ethereal winds howled across the dark sky, and the power armor''s HUD scintillated with warning indicators. He trudged upward, picking his way along the glacier''s slippery slope, carrying the heavy booster thanks to his armor''s strength enhancers. The minutes passed slowly as he neared the summit. Airo''s breath was laboring, his legs weak with fatigue he shouldn''t have.

    "Commander, the ambient radiation is at dangerously high levels," Yeoman Cloud reported. "I advise you to seek shelter or leave the area."

    "Shut up, SAI," Airo growled through clenched teeth. "This armor is supposed to have shielding technology."

    "All defense systems operate at maximum capacity, Commander. Without them, harmful-particles saturation is instantly lethal to most carbon-based life. Be advised, due to electromagnetic fallout, equipment failure probability increases progressively."

    The horizon was now a kaleidoscope of fast-moving projections. The glacier''s profile pulsed simultaneously in a thousand colors, each one as tangible as a soundwave. Airo could barely see the E-beacon ahead. He was sweating profusely inside the armor. One hundred meters left. He nearly tripped, as he vomited violently. The bile splashed inside his helmet and across his face, yet the visor immediately began to clean itself with a scrolling horizontal line of ionizing beam. Airo barely felt a needle stabbing him on the back of the neck.

    "Administering emergency life support," Yeoman Cloud said as if from somewhere far away. The SAI''s voice sounded hollow and artificial. "Warning! Seek medical attention immediately!" Airo glanced at the HUD, the radiation so intense it caused the overlay to flicker.

    He was going to die.

    He reached the E-beacon on all fours, painfully dragging the booster bit by bit. He didn''t remember when he had fallen. The sky roiled, and the ice beneath him alternated between black and pink. The E-beacon stood before him, its pylon blazing like a miniature bluish sun from accumulated radiation, the crystal sphere at the top replaced by a black void. Airo''s head was pounding, and his vision was unfocused. Viridian lightning struck nearby, almost hitting him. He struggled to rise to his feet, his entire body shaking, and put the booster next to the E-beacon. He stumbled back a few steps to get clear.

    "SAI!" he rasped. "Activate the beacon booster!"

    Only fractal thunder and resonance wavewind answered him.

    "Computer!" Airo rasped again. "Computer! Yeoman Cloud! Activate!... The booster!..."

    "System failure," the power armor replied tonelessly. Several lights blinked on the heads-up display, and the whole screen filled with static for a moment.

    "Yeoman Cloud, report for bloody duty!" Airo shouted hoarsely.

    Another, subtly different artificial voice filled his ears.

    "Yeoman Cloud, reporting for duty!... How may I assist you, Operator?..."

    "Cloud... activate the booster..."

    "I''m sorry, Operator, I didn''t understand!... Warning: your vital signs are in critical condition, Operator!... Seek medical attention immediately!..."

    "Activate all nearby devices! Executive order!" Airo screamed with the last of his strength.

    "Acknowledged, Operator!... Activation of passive devices executed!..."

    Airo fell on the icy ground, completely exhausted. Beside him, the booster bent the nearby light as if through a distorted lens, and the E-beacon sphere flashed in the surrounding darkness. The storm above the beacon began to coalesce into a giant black funnel. He stared at the rumbling heavens, saturated with the ethereal blue-white of ionizing radiation. His head felt pressed in a vise. He struggled to breathe. He pushed himself on one elbow, and slipped. Strength had left his limbs, and the power armor was almost unresponsive. Darkness descended before his eyes.

    You win again, Ferrtau, he thought as his life seeped away. Zee, I hope we meet on the other side...

 Chapter 7.5 - First Steps of the Way

    Veralla kept looking back as she and the others made their way down. She felt a small pang when Airo sank into the roaring, otherworldly blizzard. Kiana led them back to the communication tower with haste. She and Zuckeroff barricaded the building as best they could, and then settled to wait for the warpstorm to pass over.

    Now, much later, Veralla stood beside one of the viewpanels, and watched the warp-engulfed glacier, her tail and wings twitching restlessly.

    "Do you think we will survive this, Ki?" Zuckeroff asked for the fourth time. He leaned on the nearby wall, fiddling with a sniper rifle in his hands. Kiana stood next to him, her arms crossed, staring sourly at the ceiling. Their combat armors were sealed, since the strong radiation was penetrating the comm tower''s interior. Veralla had been given a small tightbeam headset so she could listen and speak over the commlink.

    "Ain''t no idea," Kiana snorted. Her tone was grim. "My head''s spinning from all the vertigo. That shit about willpower better be true, or we''re going into exotic places soon." She tapped the wall to punctuate her words; the comm tower''s sides were expanding and contracting in a rippling pattern, without doing any actual movement.

    "I''ve never been in a warpstorm," Zuckeroff said with a shaky voice.

    "Nobody here has been, gamebrain," Kiana snapped. "Just sit tight, and grit your teeth. Let''s hope the self-righteous bastard''s plan works."

    Veralla peered intently through the viewpanel, trying to see into the whirling darkness of the warpstorm. She felt her anxiety increase with each passing minute.

    "Do you think the Boss will return?" Zuckeroff asked tentatively.

    "You stupid or something, gamebrain? He''s not returning," Kiana said bitterly. "Nobody can survive what''s out there. Tall, dark, and imperious made his foolish heroic sacrifice. He''s probably dead already."

    Veralla whipped her head around, the words piercing her heart like a talon.

    Then she bolted to the tower''s exit.

    "Veralla, WAIT!" Kiana shouted after her.

    She went outside and ran toward the glacier, the storm descending upon her in full force. Furious gale whipped her webbed ears. Blinding thunderbolts laced her slit-pupiled eyes. Tiny, almost invisible particles danced at the edge of her vision, cutting and piercing the very air, slamming into her scaled skin in miniature tingly explosions, their presence tinging the air in blue afterglow. It was radiation, she realized. The land around was rising and falling like some unseen predator, disorienting her and making her crests flare with tension.

    She struggled to find purchase on the ground, her claws scrabbling the ice. She was frustrated at her body and her limbs and her wings, all of them so small and lacking in might. She wanted to take flight, to challenge the raging storm, to tear through it as she hastened to save the person who gave her her life and her name. She leapt and bounded across the valley, hissing in fear and concentration when she slipped or tumbled after a misstep. All that time she kept her head high, looking straight ahead, toward the glacier, where she could sense a flicker of life which was slowly winking out.

    She waged an unfair battle with the storm and its otherworldly nature. She pushed herself to the limit, bidding her small body to go faster, for time to slow down, to allow her to reach Airo before it was too late. She started to climb the summit, and she pushed harder, digging her talons in the ice and propelling herself upward.

    At last she went over the rim, staggering and panting heavily from effort. Here the wind tore at her with tremendous force, and she leaned hard to avoid being blown off. The E-beacon was enveloped in a mantle of piercing radiation particles, and they washed over her, raking her skin and stabbing her eyes. She looked around hurriedly, blinking against the broken perspective, and spotted Airo lying prone next to the beacon, covered in snow and ice. She swiftly came by his side, and prodded him urgently.

    "Airo! Wake up!" she cried out. "Wake up, Airo!"

    He stirred weakly, and muttered something. Miraculously, Veralla''s headset was still attached to her ears.

    "Why... come..." his voice crackled over the commlink, heavily distorted with static.

    "Airo! You have to wake up! We need to get out of here!"

    "Where... I cannot... see..."

    "Airo, PLEASE!"

    His fist suddenly clenched. His body shuddered, and he slowly rose on his knees. He coughed, the sound ringing hollow over the commlink. "What... now..."

    Veralla was thinking desperately. She couldn''t fly, yet the strong wind gave her an idea. She looked behind her. The hill on the opposite side of the valley was lower in heaight, yet the glacier''s slope was too lightly slanted. She needed a steeper incline. She glanced at the far end of the summit. She would have to loop back to get to the comm tower, if she jumped from there.

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    Yet it was the only option.

    "That way!" she shouted, nudging Airo. He dragged himself on all fours, leaning heavily on her as they reached the edge.

    "Wrong... way..."

    Veralla clambered on his back, wrapping her legs tightly around him. "You have to jump!" she shouted.

    "W-what..."

    "JUMP!"

    For a second, Airo didn''t move. Then he heaved himself, and tumbled off the edge.

    For several terrifying moments, Veralla spun uncontrollably, knocked around by the wind. Then instinct took over. Her head, neck, and tail snapped straight like an arrow. Her body rolled over, unfurling her wings, and she suddenly shot forward with tremendous speed, the acceleration nearly tearing Airo from her grasp. She screamed with unrestrained glee, and angled her wings, turning the steep dive into a twisting ascent. The storm howled in her face, and the radiation emissions bit into her flesh, drawing a hiss of pain from her. She strained to keep her wind-assisted flight under control, and banked right to loop around the glacier. But she underestimated the wind currents and was blown sideways. She began to lose altitude and lurched sharply, trying to right her wings again. She barely managed to do it in time, and raced across the air only mere meters from the writhing, warping ground. In the distance, she saw the communication tower, a darker outline against the shifting ice floes. Beneath her, Airo hung limply, clutched tightly in her claws, his limbs flailed by the squall.

    She could make it. She needed to hold on only a little longer. Pain wracked her, and her vision swam, already half-blinded by lightning and radiation. The tower was getting closer. She gripped with all her strength, feeling her talons sinking into hard composites. Only a few more moments. Airo''s body almost touched the hilly ridge. Abruptly, she reached the tower''s entrance.

    She pulled her wings, drawing her entire body back. Her speed dropped, and she crashed on the ground, rolling off Airo''s back. She lay dazed on the ice, and saw someone move towards her. She was dragged off, and put somewhere quiet, away from the piercing radiation and the rumbling storm. Someone was talking to her, holding her gently. She focused her senses with effort.

    "Veralla, are you all right?" Kiana asked her urgently. Her visor was retracted, and her face was full of concern.

    "Oh, I am fine," Veralla said in a small voice. "I am only feeling a bit tired. I think I will sleep now."

    Then she closed her eyes and became dead to the world.

    ***

    Several days later

    Airo idled along the snowy ridge. Behind him, near the comm tower''s entrance, Zuckeroff and Kiana were having some heated discussion about interstellar exploration. Airo didn''t pay attention to them, his gaze focused on Veralla, who was skittering around happily and playing in the snow. Events from the past few days were still hazy in his mind, yet he remembered one thing clearly.

    The dragonet had saved his life.

    He learned later she had brought him back to the comm tower, unconscious and near death. Thankfully, the tower had been equipped with a medbay, and Kiana and Zuckeroff had struggled for hours to keep him alive, while the warpstorm had raged. The E-beacon had been completely destroyed by the storm, and the comm tower also had been damaged extensively. However, Kiana had been able to contact the Consortium, and now help was on the way. Afterwards, a couple of days had passed until Airo and Veralla had managed to recuperate, and since then it had been another two days of tense waiting for the rescue forces.

    However, all this had registered with Airo only dimly, and now, gazing at the frozen landscape, with much needed civilization finally approaching him, for a moment he even forgot the reason he was on this planet.

    He was completely, utterly baffled that a dragon had saved his life.

    As evening came and the group retreated into the comm tower for the night, Airo walked to one of the outer platforms. Usually he took this time to practice his martial skills, but tonight his mind was wandering among the depths of thought. He sat down on the edge of the platform, the comm tower lights flickering behind him, the stars shining in the skies above.

    He couldn''t fathom why she had done it. He hated her kind, and demonstrated his outlook openly, scorning her and even threatening her. The only reason he tolerated the presence of the dragonet was because of the dying wish of her mother; and because some lines he wouldn''t cross even under the most dire of circumstances. And yet, even when he told her to stay away and save herself, she had risked her life in order to preserve his. He knew adult dragons were practically immune to radiation, but her recovery after the impromptu rescue had told a different story, at least concerning fledglings. Even if this wasn''t the case, there have been other dangers during that damned storm, both mundane and paranormal. What bothered him most was a single question.

    Why?

    He had no idea about her motives, yet the very thought of asking her filled him with disgust and, strangely, dread. He didn''t know what she saw in him. Maybe that was the reason he was afraid to ask: because she had acted merely out of kindness, and there was nothing, not a single redeemable quality to merit and give value to his life. He smiled wryly. Perhaps it was true ¨C he really had no desire to live except to enact his revenge, and then... nothing.

    He lifted his head. The night sky unfolded like a great map of the cosmos, starlight charting countless worlds, and the black void between the constellations pointed to even more distant places in the universe. Maybe even the afterlife was somewhere out there, among the infinite vastness of creation. Airo gazed at the heavens sadly. He craned his neck, turning, until he saw the tower''s entrance behind him. There, by the pile of salvaged equipment next to the medbay, slightly sideways to where Kiana and Zuckeroff sat beside their makeshift bedrolls, Veralla slept, her wings and tail tucked tightly against her body. Airo watched her silently, noting how her black scales absorbed the light, like a shadow turned liquid. After a minute, he sighed quietly, bemused. He set his sight once more upon the skylight of the Great Cosmos. He felt lost.

    Will I ever see you again, Zee?

    He didn''t wait for an answer that wouldn''t come, and went back into the comm tower. He needed shelter from the devouring emptiness in his soul, and he sought temporary solace in the dreamscapes of early sleep.

 Chapter 8 - Haven by the Way

    CHAPTER 8 ¨C HAVEN BY THE WAY

    "There is a time when each of our kind seeks solitude: a contemplative journey when only the skies, the stars, and one''s own nature are present. Such self-reflective and brooding absences are carried out among myriad places in this galaxy. This is not one of them. At best, this is merely a launch point for such affairs, yet far more likely this is a semi-remote location where fledglings can come and sulk away petty problems at their leisure, pretending to be adults."

    ¨C Kyyteeraah the Elder, clarifying common misconceptions about Dragon Retreat

    The present, Terra Para, somewhere in the northern hemisphere

    "Why are you fighting the air?" Veralla asked.

    Airo already regretted answering the first question. He took a wrong step, and missed the strike, his stance ending up in a completely different position. He sighed in exasperation and lowered his katana.

    "I am training," he said patiently.

    "Oh!" the dragonet exclaimed. "What is ''training''?"

    Airo closed his eyes. His power armor''s audioenhancers hissed almost imperceptibly as they scanned the frozen landscape for sounds. He debated for several seconds whether to say anything at all. Then he sighed again.

    "It is a complex word," he explained. "In my case it means going over a series of exercises and practice routines to keep one''s technique, reflexes, and muscle memory in optimal condition."

    "I see," the dragonet said in eager reflection. After a second she perked up. "Can I train with you?" she asked, lashing her tail excitedly.

    "No, you may not," Airo said hard, glaring at her.

    She shrank immediately. "Okay," she said timidly. "May I at least stay and watch?"

    It was the first question, repeated and rephrased. Airo snorted with annoyance.

    "You may," he said.

    Veralla lifted her head and hrrr-ed happily. Airo shook his head and restarted his routine from the beginning, clearing his focus. He tried to ignore the presence of the dragonet. He made the mistake of opening up a little to her while he was still irrationally glad for the saving of his life, and the little monster had begun to follow him everywhere, taking his taciturn conversation too avidly. He regretted his slip of discipline, for now he had to suffer such interruptions on a constant basis.

    Airo exhaled slowly, letting the world fade into the background, and began to practice again. He moved through the familiar motions, working back memories seven centuries old into physical reflexes. The katana slashed the empty space with soft, subliminal thrums. He increased the speed and complexity of his forms. Mind, body, and blade were becoming one with the surrounding coldness of the arctic wasteland and the supple boundaries of his power armor. Nothing interfered. Everything was in complete concert toward a single purpose ¨C the graceful, precise, economical movement which would end another''s life.

    Ferrtau''s life.

    His blood boiled at the thought of that name. He struggled to maintain focus, and channeled his rising fury into a reckless series of wide slashes. He was just about to perform a switch-handed flurry when the commlink hissed.

    "Dudes, we''ve got company approaching from the northwest!" Zuckeroff said in an excited voice.

    "Don''t use the general frequency!" Kiana cut in, her tone oddly strained. "Report in proper manner along the chain of command!"

    "But, Ki..." Zuckeroff sounded perplexed. "I thought, um, that we''re both under the Boss'' command?"

    "I have seniority, gamebrain!"

    Airo sheathed his katana. After having his concentration ruined for the third time, he decided he had enough for today. At least the reason for the last interruption was important. "SAI, scan the area," he said to the power armor, looking in the indicated direction.

    "At once, Commander!" Yeoman Cloud acknowledged loudly, its exuberant character unharmed from the rigors of the warpstorm. Status icons blinked on the HUD, and the overlay summoned several virtual screens scrolling with processed data. Then the image zoomed, and highlighted three large landcruisers cleaving a path through the icy wastes.

    Airo narrowed his eyes. The landcruisers looked like giant metallic boxes on tracks. Their front sides were decked out with viewpanels and floodlights, with a sensor module on the roof. It was an utilitarian design at its barest. What caught Airo''s attention was the absence of any kind of detectable weaponry or signs of military colors and identification. According to his power armor sensors, those were civilian vehicles.

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    He checked the ambient environment. The radiation levels were nothing compared to the warpstorm he nearly died in, however they were still lethal to unshielded individuals. Airo couldn''t stop himself and glanced at the dragonet, who was completely exposed. She watched him expectantly, probably not realizing he was done practicing.

    "Are you okay in this weather?" he asked her, and instantly berated himself for posing such a question to a dragon, forgetting the damned species'' physiological indifference to the elements.

    "Oh, yes, I am fine," Veralla said brightly. "The radiation is not very strong, like in that awful storm. Only the air tastes more bitter, I think." She flicked out her forked tongue to reaffirm her words. Suddenly, her expression became concerned. "Are you okay?"

    Airo snorted. "Yeah, yeah," he said gruffly.

    "Look, look, those are moving vehicles!" the dragonet said, noticing the convoy. "Rrrr, they make larger snowy clouds than our ATV did!"

    Airo peered again at the approaching landcruisers. Civilian. Not the rescue forces, then. Yet who in their right mind would trek across the hostile land of a paraworld, with nothing but thousands of kilometers of frozen wastes? And what were the chances of two such parties meeting in one place?

    Unless...

    "Officer Kawanaga," he asked over the commlink, "can you explain the meaning of this?"

    "I told you, call me Kiana," she hissed. "And I have no idea what you''re talking about, Commander."

    "You did not call the Consortium," Airo said flatly. "Why?"

    "Look, I have my reasons," Kiana said sullenly. "Me and Zuckeroff, we... you know what, go to the void. I''ve called for a rescue, and now they''re coming. Mission accomplished, go debrief yourself for a job well done."

    Airo felt his blood boil. Reasons or not, he wanted to shoot the insolent girl. Yet the landcruisers had nearly reached the comm tower, and there was no time for arguing. He had to sort out this mess himself.

    "Zuckeroff, take firing position on the north balcony at the top," he said.

    "Um... yeah. Right, Boss," the astrior said.

    "And you, Lieutenant Kiana, show insubordination one more time, and you are on your own," Airo said, voice pure steel. He cut the commlink without waiting for a reply. The landcruisers were already climbing the comm tower''s ridge. Airo commanded his power armor. "SAI, connect to the tower''s communication array and contact the nearest Consortium base."

    "I am sorry, Commander, but I cannot establish contact. It appears there is a malfunction in the communication array."

    "Whelp of a dragon...!" Airo growled, then caught himself, as the first landcruiser stopped several meters away in a spray of snow.

    The vehicle extended a walkway, and drones disembarked from its insides. They were serpentine in shape, with two pairs of grasping manipulators near the top of their body, and their heads had onyx masks vaguely resembling a humanoid''s face. The slitheroids were carrying laser carbines. They moved silently, forming a half-ring around Airo and Veralla. He saw how the dragonet tensed and sidled closer to him. The other two landcruisers stopped behind the first, and their interiors also disgorged a platoon of slitheroids each.

    "Boss," Zuckeroff whispered over the commlink, "should I shoot them?"

    "No. That will not be necessary," Airo said. He stood relaxed in a non-threatening posture. The drones'' small arms couldn''t harm him, while his veronite blaster and katana would reduce them to smithereens if it came to that. However, due to Kiana''s infuriating actions, these strangers were his only ticket out of the wasteland. So he had to play carefully.

    After the slitheroids took their positions, three figures climbed out from one of the landcruisers. The figures wore standard vacuum suits, and were unarmed. They were transhumans, and all of them were female. Two of the women flanked the third as they approached. Airo looked at them, yet he was able to discern only a few details as he gazed at the clear visors of their vacsuits: those to the left and right had blue skin and stout frames, while the one in the middle had a finned helmet, and her face had a pale complexion. The three of them stopped just short of the protective wall of drones, as if suddenly petrified.

    Airo took a step forward, ready to initiate conversation. He was debating in his head what to say, considering his power armor probably seemed intimidating to these people, when he realized they weren''t looking at him at all, but were staring at Veralla instead.

    Oh, great.

    He didn''t say anything, focusing his gaze on the middle woman. She glanced at him in appraising contemplation, yet she watched the dragonet intently, to the point Veralla shrank a little, nervous from the attention. "Are you the one who contacted us on the comms?" the question was for Airo, though she kept her eyes on the dragonet.

    "It was one of my team," he said.

    "And this here is a true dragon?" the woman asked pointedly, still staring at Veralla.

    "Yes," Airo said, jaw clenched tight.

    "Hi, my name is Veralla," the dragonet said tentatively, stepping forward.

    The woman blinked, the gesture made almost comical by her large eyes. "Veralla? This is your name?"

    "Yes!" the dragonet said brightly. "Airo gave it to me!"

    The woman turned, and finally regarded him in truth. "You are from the Consortium," she said thoughtfully. "And yet you are accompanied by a dragon ¨C a fledgling, on top of that. This is a rare sight."

    "It is not by choice," Airo said grimly.

    The woman tilted her head. "Then why did you contact us?"

    Airo stifled an angry sigh, and willed himself to speak calmly. "I... my team was stranded in the wasteland after crashlanding on the planet. I... we seek passage to an urban area from where we can rejoin the main Consortium forces."

    The woman nodded, her large eyes fixed on him, as if they could see his face through the power armor''s helmet. "So you say. Who else is part of your team?" Her gaze didn''t shift, yet one of the women behind her glanced upward, indicating they knew about Zuckeroff''s position.

    "We are four in total," Airo said. "Counting both humans... and dragons." He was thankful the power armor hid his grimace.

    The woman nodded again. Her expression was one of rapid contemplation. She reached some conclusion, and spoke to him formally. "I am Councilor Itrix, and these are Ramara and Nerisca," she said, indicating her companions. "We offer you to accompany us to our shrine-town of Dragon Retreat, where you can take time to rest and present your case to the council. What is your answer?"

    Airo stiffened. This was not what he''d expected. Beside him, the dragonet bounced. "Oh, we shall go, we shall go, we shall go!" She craned her head to regard him. "We shall, right?"

    "It is not as though I am spoiled for choices," Airo muttered. He stood at parade rest, and said, louder, "Very well, I accept your invitation. My team can be aboard within the minute."

 Chapter 8.2 - Haven by the Way

    The interior of the landcruisers was as utilitarian as the exterior. At the back was a group of tiny compartments containing cramped amenities, like a galley and a hycab. At the front was the driver''s cabin and the communication room. The rest of the interior was unsegmented, forming a d-shaped enclosure. As Airo''s team, Councilor Itrix, and her micro entourage boarded, the slitheroid drones embarked after them, folding up and attaching themselves to a row of fixtures installed along one of the walls.

    The journey went underway. The landcruisers were autopiloted, though Ramara, one of the blue-skinned women, periodically checked the navigation to make sure they were on course. The convoy drove for hours through the lifeless tundra, the AI drivers churning steadily toward their destination.

    Airo and his team settled on portable bunks in the central enclosure. Their rescuers turned out to be quite talkative, and both parties conversed with each other on trivial topics like prefabricated food or the weather. Airo didn''t participate in the socializing, and he stood silent to the side, enduring his situation sullenly. He had no idea a conversation about clouds could last so long, even when it included nephological terms like cyclonic lift or altitude boundaries. What he noted, however, was how Councilor Itrix and her escorts carefully avoided questioning him or his travel companions about their identities or goals.

    "Are there other dragons in Dragon Retreat?" Veralla inevitably asked at some point, her tail swishing in barely restrained anticipation.

    "Alas, there haven''t been any dragons in our shrine-town since the Dragon Independence War," Nerisca said. "We used to be visited from time to time by some who served as Radiant Knights, thought this also ceased to be after the Starblaze."

    "Oh," the dragonet said, her enthusiasm dampened.

    "Dragon Independence War?" Zuckeroff blurted. "When did that happen? Ow!" he yelped as Kiana elbowed him in the ribs. "What gives?"

    "You don''t know your galactic history, gamebrain," she snorted dismissively. "Might try the educational database once we get to town."

    Airo observed the exchange closely. His gaze was focused on Kiana, yet the young Conduit pretended to be watching through the viewpanel, instead of defiantly meeting his eyes as she usually did when he looked at her. He was certain she was hiding something ¨C and Zuckeroff too, by extension. Airo looked away. It didn''t matter. As soon as he reached town, he would contact the Consortium and leave the two bumbling juveniles behind ¨C and the dragonet as well. He was done dealing with unwanted burdens.

    Shortly after, something different than endless ice glaciers and snow crests appeared through the viewpanels. The convoy passed a small settlement, though the vehicles steered clear of the unvaried collection of prefabricated buildings and hab complexes. Airo magnified the view on his visor, and saw the reason: only blackened ruins remained.

    "What happened to those people?" Kiana asked quietly, gazing at the destruction in the distance.

    "They were caught in the conflict," Councilor Itrix said. She had removed her helmet, revealing a set of bright orange fins on her head instead of hair. "Terra Para had been in the iron grip of both the Consortium and the Union," she continued in a measured voice, and gave Airo a calm look. "The two stellar civilizations have clashed many times over the centuries, and now we are their latest victim in their never-ending ideological fight."

    "Who''d live in the middle of nowhere?" Zuckeroff asked, palm and face pressed to the nearest viewpanel. "The Viirt connection must be spotty in such a place, even with decent satellite cover."

    "This was one of the maintenance outposts along the Beacon Highway," Councilor Ixtrix said. She gestured at one tall structure, which turned out to be the remains of an E-beacon. "The Highway connects to every settlement on Terra Para. It is the only way to travel safely across the planet, besides suborbital flight. Or it used to be."

    "This... conflict, which you speak of," Kiana asked slowly, "does it by chance have anything to do with that eyesore over there?" She pointed at the purple-white energy pillar, which towered beyond the horizon ominously, like an ever-present blight.

    Councilor Itrix didn''t answer right away. When she did, her words carried subtle wariness. "We believe it does," she said. "A certain... chain of events started after its appearance. The Consortium and the Union began attacking each other. Communication lines broke down, and Viirt access became limited. Then almost the entire grid went dark, and through the remaining isolated connections came rumors about monsters roaming the wilderness." Councilor Itrix shook her finned head. "Terra Para never had any wildlife. We thought it was just void-talk, the same you get during any war or period of protracted adversity. But then the warpstorms hit, and they were worse than ever as far as any planetary records show. And that... pillar of light was there the entire time. We think it comes from the Shard ¨C it is where the headquarters of the Order of the Radiant Knights are. We couldn''t contact the Order. We sent volunteers to investigate but none returned. If something bad enough happened to defeat the Radiant Knights themselves, then the rest of us have little hope against it."

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    Kiana hugged herself and shivered. Zuckeroff seemed vaguely worried. Veralla stood silent and anxious. Ramara and Nerisca looked at their leader with fear and uncertainty in their eyes. Airo regarded the moody atmosphere with detachment. He couldn''t quite grasp the context, yet the significance of the events was clear. Except he wondered why the councilor would share information so freely.

    "Why tell us these things," he asked, "if you consider us your enemy?" He tapped the Consortium insignia emblazoned on his power armor. "Why risk it and rescue us in the first place, if you have already lost search parties?"

    Councilor Itrix regarded him with her calm, insightful gaze. She suddenly gave a tired smile. "Some of us were indeed against replying to your distress call," she said. "That warpstorm hit our town, too, so we had our own problems. We also had to think about searching for our brethren who left to learn what was happening to our world. Certainly, resources for a rescue mission should''ve been assigned for them first? And, after all, that communication tower was a Consortium outpost. Why help the enemy?"

    Airo hid his surprise behind a stony expression, and in the corner of his vision he saw Kiana and Zuckeroff were having less success doing the same.

    "However, some of us thought differently," Councilor Itrix continued as if her words had caused no tension whatsoever. She propped an arm under her chin. "They reminded the others about the teachings of the Way, and they asked if a true Celestian would turn away from a fellow being in time of need. In the end, their words rang true; thus we assembled," Councilor Itrix looked at Ramara and Nerisca with pride and gladness, "and braved the perilous wilderness of Terra Para for three days, despite the broken Highway and despite the pressing concerns of our shrine-town ¨C in order to help you."

    "And yet," she said with a tone of finality, "we still might have left you to your fate after all, if it wasn''t for the fact you weren''t the original occupants of the outpost."

    "How does that change anything?" Airo demanded. "We are still Consortium soldiers."

    "I had a vague feeling," said Councilor Itrix contemplatively, "your group indeed needed to be helped." Her gaze fell upon Veralla. "And I think I was right."

    The return journey was graced with good fortune. The anomalous landscape of Terra Para had warped the surrounding regions, enabling the convoy to take a drastic shortcut after Kiana used her Conduit talent to help with the navigation. Instead of three days, Dragon Retreat emerged on the horizon at dusk, merely after ten hours.

    The shrine-town was nestled in a large, solitary mesa rising among a host of ice hills. The mesa was eroded into a network of canyons and fissures, as if some giant blade had slashed across the rocky mass repeatedly. Natural terrain provided solid defense, further reinforced by hastily erected barricades and threatening outlines of automated turrets. Dragon Retreat shone brightly even from a distance, its large geodesic dome atop the mesa a glittering lighthouse in the twilight glow.

    "Heee!" Veralla squeed. "It is beautiful!"

    Kiana and Zuckeroff stared, murmuring in wonder. Airo, despite himself, felt impressed.

    The convoy drove along the shrine-town''s outskirts, and climbed into the mesa proper via a wide road. Enormous sections were carved out in the walls of the canyons: vast caverns lurked just within the cliffs, made in the past to accommodate dragons and reflect their raw majestic splendor. Besides these primeval abodes of smooth stone and crystal clusters, smaller embrasures pocked the canyon walls, entrances leading to homes of transhumans. Arching walkways and pyramidal platforms connected various points along the cliffs, crossing between the canyons in patterned geometric shapes. Wide thoroughfares circled and snaked their way at the ground level, their routes intertwined with the walkways. Huge temples with intricately-shaped facades made of inlaid metal and crystals were shaped at various levels, with broad plazas paved before their steps. The thoroughfares and walkways were lit by low obelisks with softly glowing tips. Statues of both dragons and transhumans decorated the public squares, alongside more abstract sculptures of stone and crystal, all of them illuminated by orbs of pure light atop high pylons. If he didn''t know better, Airo would have thought he was in a pre-Equalizing settlement on his homeworld Arceria. As he watched the draconic statues, he felt his mood turning foul.

    "Deus, look at the power of that architecture!" Kiana gasped in awe, taking in the sights.

    "Um, what do you mean?" Zuckeroff asked tentatively.

    "Those lights! Their energy comes from the ?ther! Whoever did this, they were a pretty badass Conduit."

    Veralla was even more mesmerized by the surroundings. "Oh!" she said, the pupils of her eyes round and wide, as she constantly craned her neck around, trying to see more from the landcruiser''s viewpanels. "Oh! It is so lovely!"

    "Should we accommodate the visitors first, or would you like to present them to the Council straight away, Councilor?" Ramara asked.

    Councilor Itrix seemed to unfocus for a few moments, then nodded. "The others are currently in a meeting. Drive us to the High Temple."

    The convoy made its way to the heart of the shrine-town, where three of the largest canyons met in one place, forming a Y-shaped valley. The widest corner of the valley was carved into a towering building, its cliffside shaped like giant draconic wings made of crystal. The wings emanated a pale emerald glow and curved inwardly, sheltering a grand entrance in the evening dark.

    The landcruisers stopped at the foot of the magnificent structure. There weren''t many people on the pathway, yet those who were nearby clustered together to watch the arriving convoy. Their curiosity quickly turned to awe as the party disembarked, all gazes focused on Veralla. Slitheroid drones came forward and formed a loose phalanx, to give some privacy and serve as an honor guard. Or perhaps the locals have more sense than trust and it is a prison escort, Airo thought cynically. The attention and the armed presence certainly didn''t help to improve his temper.

    Councilor Itrix stood before the vast entrance of the wing-shaped building, and made a welcoming gesture. "Visitors," she said formally, "you are invited to step inside the High Temple of the Fire Eternal. The town council is awaiting you to introduce yourselves and present your case to them."

    Veralla was about to ask something, but Airo bid her to stay silent with a glare. They passed through an enormous vaulted passageway, and entered the High Temple.

 Chapter 8.3 - Haven by the Way

    The interior was exceedingly spacious, made to accommodate dragonkind comfortably. There was a single cavernous chamber, its smoothed stone walls reaching high above to a series of slitted windows near the ceiling. Large clusters of energized quartz were embedded in various places, bathing the chamber in soft, multi-colored hues. Terraces and perches, natural and artificial, ranged the walls. At the center of the temple was a huge triangular dais. Great, stone talons extended from the dais'' corners, curving inward, and glowing orbs floated at their tips. Showers of motes fell quietly from the orbs, whirling in silent clouds of cyan and purple on their way to the floor.

    Standing before the dais was the Council of Dragon Retreat: two males, one female, and a synthmorph of decidedly ambiguous appearance. The organic individuals were dressed in formal, free-flowing garments. The rest of the temple was empty, though there were spimes and other sensors installed at various places. A loud debate was currently going on between three of the councilors present.

    "We should leave," the female councilor said, leaning her tall and slender Highlander frame forward in apprehension. "Our best course would be to evacuate to one of the capital cities, like Kryoon."

    "Preposterous!" replied one of the male councilors, a dark-skinned Scorchlander. "Kryoon is on the other side of the Equatorial Ice Flats, thousands of kilometers from here. And it''s under the rule of the Consortium, no less!"

    "We cannot stay here," the Highlander councilor insisted. "Whatever''s out there, it is too big to protect our people from it. In Kryoon we will be safe!"

    "This shrine-town is our homeland," the Scorchlander councilor said. His rich basso voice elevated in pitch. "It is both our and ours ancestors'' legacy, built and maintained for centuries. We will guard it with our lives if we must, but we won''t let it fall ¨C be it to the Consortium, the Union, or some other calamity!"

    "I concur with the decision to stay," the synthmorph councilor said with a dispassionate, genderless voice. The lamp-like viewsensor on their head blinked once. "I raise awareness about the logistical difficulties of moving our population across non-trivial distances."

    "We could use¨C" the Highlander councilor began, yet then the four of them noticed Airo and the rest of the approaching party.

    The Scorchlander councilor stepped forward. "Thankfully you have returned, Itrix," he said. "We welcome you back. Though I can''t say the same about the stellar barbarians you have brought along. The proud, powerful Consortium troopers, coming to ask the common folk for aid!" Then he saw Veralla, and his speech faltered. "...and that is a dragon," he added weakly.

    "She is so dark!" the Highlander councilor breathed. "Is something wrong with her?"

    "It is possible she''s been mistreated," the synthmorph councilor said. "Probably by the strangers who accompany her."

    Airo steeled himself against the outbursts which would be sure to follow such accusations. However, before either he or anyone else could say anything, the dragonet spoke.

    "What are those lights?" she exclaimed, staring in wonder at the motes falling from the hovering orbs.

    The Council stopped and glanced behind themselves, caught off-guard by the question. The Scorchlander councilor first shook off his confusion. "They are part of the architecture," he snapped in annoyance.

    "They seem so... complete," the dragonet murmured.

    "What is your name, little one?" the Highlander councilor asked.

    "Oh, I am Veralla," the dragonet said, turning her attention away from the orbs. "Nice to meet you!"

    The Council stared, flabbergasted. As one, they turned their gazes to Councilor Itrix, then to Airo, Kiana, and Zuckeroff, then back to the dragonet, their expressions ranging from disbelief to awe.

    "Who... who named you?" the Scorchlander councilor asked.

    "Airo gave me my name," Veralla said happily. "It is a very nice name, yes?"

    The Scorchlander councilor drew himself up. "Who among you is Airo?" he asked imperiously.

    Airo took several steps, leaving the ring of slitheroid drones. "I am Commander Airo," he said. "And I want to¨C"

    "Who are you to make demands?" the Scorchlander councilor cut him off. "What gave you the right to bestow the name of the Great Goddess upon a mortal? To that end, how did you end up with this hatchling? If the Consortium thinks it can come with dragon slaves in our shrine-town, then¨C"

    "Graam, control yourself," Councilor Itrix snapped. She moved forward to stand among the other councilors. "We already have discussed the issue of whether or not to help these strangers." She gestured gracefully at the dragonet. "And this little dragon here is perfectly healthy, I assure you." Councilor Itrix looked plain in her vacsuit next to the other councilors, yet her bearing was more regal than any of them. "Now these people are here with us, and it is our duty to show them the courtesy of our ways." She nodded toward Airo. "I''ve already introduced myself to them. Visorious, if you please?"

    "Affirmative," the synthmorph councilor said. The viewsensor blinked, and faced Airo and his team. "I am Councilor Visorious, and these are Councilor Graam, Councilor Letira, and Councilor Usylor. Collectively, we represent the residents of Dragon Retreat, and it is our responsibility to protect and guide this community."

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    Kiana suddenly burst out. "Can''t the people guide and protect themselves?"

    "We do not impose; only advise," Councilor Letira said softly. She looked slightly abashed. "And the others chose us on their own volition."

    Kiana muttered something under her breath.

    "Is there something wrong?" Councilor Itrix asked.

    "Let''s just say, I''m not a fan of vertical hierarchies," Kiana said mulishly. "Or any sort of governmental bodies for that matter."

    "Our roles are those of coordinators, not sovereigns," Councilor Itrix said. "We are a council in the true sense of the word. Any resident is welcome to join our meetings at any time. Most don''t do so because they trust us, and prefer to use their time for other activities."

    "Neat!" Zuckeroff chimed in, giving a thumbs-up.

    "Hmph, now then," Councilor Graam grunted, "why have you brought warmongers before the Council, Itrix? We have more important matters to attend to."

    "I wanted our visitors to explain before us why the Consortium and the Union are at war," the fin-headed councilor said. She regarded Airo, and raised a hairless eyebrow. "As their rescuers, we deserve to know what is happening to our homeworld."

    "Interrogation," Councilor Graam snorted with satisfaction. "I see. Very clever, Itrix. You didn''t raise that point during the initial discussion about these stellar barbarians."

    "I said we deserve to know," Councilor Itrix said sharply. "We should not force them to tell us," she glanced at Airo again, "and even if we wanted to, I suspect we cannot. Commander Airo seems to carry an impressive set of armaments. Yet perhaps he would explain why his team asked us to rescue them, instead of the Consortium military they serve."

    Airo saw no point in lying. "I will explain," he said firmly. "There has been a... miscommunication between members of this team and myself." He glanced behind at Zuckeroff and Kiana, trying to his keep his tone civil. "As such, they are no longer part of the Consortium armed forces."

    "What!?" Zuckeroff exclaimed. "Boss, why?"

    "You can''t do it," Kiana hissed. "You don''t have the authority! You aren''t even our CO."

    "Fine then," Airo snapped. "When an extraction squad comes, you will answer before a military tribunal."

    "There will be no persecutions," Councilor Itrix cut in. "Commander Airo, know that Dragon Retreat is an independent settlement. Consortium martial law has no power here. If you try to force your ways upon us, we will answer in kind, no matter the superiority of your weaponry."

    Airo''s patience was wearing thin. "Suit yourself," he said darkly. "These two can stay behind then, if they wish. Personally, I do not want to have anything to do with this backwater country. Just let me contact the Consortium, and I will leave as soon as they arrive to pick me up."

    "You cannot contact the Consortium," Councilor Visorious said flatly.

    "Why?" Airo asked, frowning.

    "Long-range communication is rarely reliable on a paraworld," the synthmorph explained in dry monotone. "And we have recently lost connection to all orbital comsat arrays. In actuality, the fact we received your distress call in the first place, and in the aftermath of a warpstorm no less, makes it an event with an exceedingly low probability curve of success."

    Airo heard Kiana muttering from behind. "Or somebody used their talents to make it so."

    His frown deepened. "I have to reach the Consortium at any cost," he told the council. "Do you have any suborbital shuttles or LOTVs?"

    "We have none," Councilor Itrix replied.

    "What about fabrication facilities?" Airo insisted. "If your settlement is self-sufficient in such a wasteland, surely you have the resources to build aerial vehicles from scratch?"

    "Resources," Councilor Graam sneered. "Here you are, guests in our shrine-town, and already you dispose of our resources as you see fit!"

    "You have overestimated our capabilities, Commander," Councilor Visorious added with their flat voice. "It is true we''re self-sufficient, but our shrine-town lacks the necessary supplies for large-scale manufacture. Your project proposal would require advanced materials which aren''t available."

    "I need to reach the Consortium," Airo repeated. "My mission depends on it." The moment he finished the sentence, he regretted saying it.

    Councilor Itrix'' expression became mindful. "Well, we can try to arrange some sort of transport," she said in a cool tone. "In exchange for details on the nature of your mission, Commander Airo."

    Airo was silent for several moments, weighing his options. The woman before him was no fool. He was aware she had realized something was wrong with his group and their motives. He tried to imagine the fear these people had, their planet suddenly becoming a war-engulfed voidscape because of outside forces. Then out of nowhere, members of said outside forces ask for their help, disjointed and unwilling even to give reason for the end of the world. Yet Airo saw no way to explain he was out of the loop as much as them. He wasn''t part of the Consortium, even if he wore their insignia. He was sent to this world on false pretense, and given a chance to fulfill his only desire: to kill Ferrtau. To what end? He didn''t know. He didn''t care. Revenge did not concern itself with outside matters.

    In the end, whatever tale he decided to offer these people would be as meaningless as his continued existence.

    "I am hungry," Veralla announced abruptly. "Is there any food here?"

    There was a pause.

    "We have plenty," the Stonelander, Councilor Usylor, said with a gentle voice. He had kept silent until now, his reddish features placid and calm as he followed the meeting. "Come with me, little one. Councilors, I request permission to retire from this assembly."

    "You have it, Usylor," Councilor Itrix said. "Go."

    He nodded, and with a beckoning gesture, led the dragonet out of the temple.

    Airo watched them go, relieved that one of his problems was dealt with.

    "Well, Commander Airo?" Councilor Itrix prompted. "Do you accept our proposal or not?"

    He realized he had to play the role he''d been assigned. "The information you want is classified," he said, his expression neutral. "I cannot tell you without compromising Consortium security."

    "Then we won''t help you either," Councilor Itrix said, her tone businesslike.

    "I still want to leave this place," Airo said.

    "Then cooperate," Councilor Itrix said.

    "Or, I may secure your assistance," he said dangerously. "Through force."

    Councilor Graam bristled at that, but Councilor Itrix raised a hand to stop him. "You may, this is true," she said. "However, if you do, know that not a single resident of this shrine-town will help you. You will be on your own."

    "Fine by me," Airo said coldly. "I do not plan to stay long at any rate."

    "Settled, then," Councilor Itrix said. She gestured beyond him. "Ramara, Nerisca, please assist our ¨C guests ¨C in settling down. Except for Commander Airo, who will be departing on his own volition, the others can stay in Dragon Retreat for as long as they like."

    The two blue-skinned women moved forward, and beckoned for Airo, Kiana, and Zuckeroff to follow them. As they turned around, Councilor Letira called after them.

    "Just a moment, Commander Airo," she said. He turned, and eyed her expectantly. "You didn''t mention anything about the little one, Veralla."

    "She can fend for herself," he replied flatly.

    The Council stared at him, appalled. "But she is just a hatchling," Councilor Letira said in dismay.

    "So what?" he snapped. "She is almost a month old, and displays adequate capabilities for a creature of such age. Regardless, I do not care. This conversation is over. Good day."

    Airo turned, and strode out of the High Temple.

 Chapter 8.4 - Haven by the Way

    Veralla was astounded by myriad sights before her.

    She had never been to a town before. Well, understandably, since she was very young and did not have much exposure to the world in general. Yet her imagination was starved for new experiences, and she indulged fully in the marvel that was Dragon Retreat.

    She ate a delicious meal, prepared by the nice red-skinned human named Usylor, and after thanking him went outside to wander the wide walkways. So many lights! So many new shapes! She relished the sensation of smooth stones against her feet, curious how her claws clicked against the pavement. She tried to lessen the sound, shifting her weight, changing her step, hrrr-ing in joy when she discovered different ways to walk besides the bounding gait she used to traverse the snow-laden wilderness.

    She coursed the thoroughfares, staring at everything. Her webbed ears pricked at new sounds, her forked tongue snaked out constantly to explore complex blends of tastes and smells. Her small wings fluttered at the sight of the dragon statues in their regal splendor. She compared her body with the stone-and-crystal replicas of her kin down to the last detail, noting differences and similarities with playful abandon.

    And the humans, so many humans! As she walked around town, they stopped and looked at her, calling and trying to talk to her. She was a little nervous at first, sensing their bewilderment. Yet as she spoke the others smiled broadly at her, asking her questions and inquiring about her well-being. She replied to the best of her ability, noting all the different faces and shapes as the crowd grew. In mere minutes, almost the entire town had gathered at her location, people babbling merrily among themselves, calling out to her, and marveling at her exotic appearance. She asked many questions in turn, and the others were quick to answer. After a while, the crowd dispersed, many offering her to join them for a meal and make herself at home in their abodes. She received such invitations with joy, yet she expressed her desire to continue her exploration, and moved farther along the walkways.

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    She entered various public buildings and temples, eagerly observing furniture and decorations, greeting the patrons, and happily accepting the treats they gave her. She went to the town''s communication complex, examined the interior of the fusion power station, and stepped inside the geodesic dome, where she saw rows upon rows of exotic, vibrant creatures in various kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes, all silently accepting her presence, and somebody explained they were called plants. She squealed in glee when she saw tiny beings looking just like her, whizzing around on miniature wings, and she thought she had finally found other dragons, but she learned these little siblings were called dreyks and were only distant kin to her.

    Night fell in truth, and the shrine-town submerged in a soft radiance of its own. She stood before the glowing obelisks and the light pylons, awed by the gentle pulses of energy coming out from the shining orbs. She was sure only she could see them, since no one else stopped to admire the magical display as it weaved its harmonics through the wide canyons. She spent hours watching this endless spectacle of intricate patterns, long after the walkways became empty of humans and the stars rolled slowly overhead.

    Finally, she felt her limbs growing heavier, and she struggled to keep her tail from dragging along the ground. Her jaws stretched in a yawn, and her eyes began to close by themselves. She wondered if Airo and the others were still in the High Temple. She wanted to go back to search for them and see the majestic showers of light again, but more than that she wanted to sleep.

    Veralla climbed the base of the nearest dragon statue, and curled down, taking shelter beneath one of its great stone wings.

 Chapter 8.5 - Haven by the Way

    Airo overestimated his understanding of the situation.

    Exhausted both physically and mentally from the perilous journey through the paraworld''s frozen wastelands, he went straight to sleep. After spending numerous weeks inside his power armor, the subtle freedom of movement and the comforts of a real bed utterly defeated him. When he finally woke up, the display on his grid-caster informed him he had slept for almost forty hours ¨C ten over a whole standard day. He checked the local clock and saw Terra Para had the same rotation period as Arceria. Interesting.

    He, Kiana, and Zuckeroff had been accommodated in one of the larger caverns near the High Temple. In the absence of draconic inhabitants, the large interior space had been converted into public dormitories. Individual rooms were suspended along the walls in a loose spherical pattern, leaving the central part of the cavern as an atrium. Each room had basic amenities, and was furnished with a small food maker and a computer terminal.

    Airo rose from the bed, and staggered into the hycab. He felt like he had crawled out from some deadly battle within an inch of his life. An hour later, after a max-stimulation ion shower and some solid ¨C if plain ¨C meal he was again in shape to think and act adequately.

    The door''s intercom chimed. Airo went and opened.

    Veralla stood at the threshold, looking at him happily. "Hi!" she said.

    "Get lost," Airo growled.

    "For what purpose?" she asked, perplexed.

    He closed the door in her face, and locked the access panel.

    He accessed the local mesh, and told Yeoman Cloud to subvert all major systems of Dragon Retreat. The advanced SAI had little trouble bypassing the shrine-town''s electronic defenses. Once Airo had control, he checked if what the town council had told him was true. They hadn''t lied. Dragon Retreat''s industry was almost non-existent. There were a few large-scale fabrication facilities, yet they were tied mostly to the local economy cycle. Volatiles, exotic materials, high-grade refineries ¨C none of those were present in any significant quantities, and they were required for the construction of something as complex as a suborbital shuttle or some other long-range aerial vehicle. Yeoman Cloud suggested some highly theoretical models, substituting parts and production methodologies, yet those were either too improbable to work, or they would''ve taken forever to create.

    Airo tried searching for some other options. He called up available information on the Beacon Highway. The HHI display bloomed with a three-dimensional map of the planet, encompassed by a web of bright dots, each denoting a functional E-beacon. No dots glowed beyond the equator. Dragon Retreat, along with any other settlement in the far northern hemisphere, was cut off from the rest of civilization.

    Airo checked one last thing. He tried to establish long-range communication, instructing the SAI to use all of the available network bandwidth. He managed to connect through two satellites, and reached a relay somewhere in the southern hemisphere ¨C with ninety-eight percent signal loss. Seconds later, he was disconnected automatically.

    Yeoman Cloud explained the session was overridden by someone else, although it was useless anyway. Even a tightbeam laser was no help. Reason? Probably something to do with the paraworld. Quantum entanglement comms? The shrine-town had no such facilities. Creating and launching a local satellite? See previous information about lack of fabrication materials.

    Airo angrily logged off. He thought for a while about what he could do. He replayed the audience with the town council in his mind, and the conversations during the trip to Dragon Retreat. He remembered Kiana''s off-handed comment and her reluctance at rejoining the Consortium. That was it. It would be hard to make her assist him, but Airo had no better options.

    He prepared to go outside. He paused before the mirror in the hycab. His face and body had no visible scars from radiation burns, and he felt in fine health. He was grimly impressed. Medical aid in the field ¨C and in general ¨C had definitely advanced in the past seven centuries.

    Airo donned the power armor, took his katana and the veronite blaster, and left the room.

    The cavern was well lit by glowing crystals and bioluminescent panels, and daylight poured from the entrance. Airo took the stepped walkways which led to the ground level, and went outside. It was early morning and people strolled leisurely around, each on their way to their daily routine. Dragon Retreat had an environmental shield stretching across the entire mesa, and as a result the air was pleasantly warm, and the canyons were free of snow and ice. Airo set out to search for Kiana, and his intentions were immediately rewarded ¨C she and Zuckeroff were sitting at a stone table on one of the wide terraces at the cliffside.

    He approached and sat at the table without waiting for an invitation. Kiana made a face as soon as she saw him, but Zuckeroff smiled broadly. "Morning, Boss!" he said, raising a beer can in his hand. "Wanna drink?" He jerked his thumb at a nearby food maker, styled as an open-air minibar.

    Airo shook his head. "I will pass." He noticed both officers had discarded their Consortium uniforms: Zuckeroff wore a colorful local garment which was already rumpled and looked out of place on him, while Kiana had put on some kind of ultra-stylish clothing, all sleek edges and flowing cut, and where her wardrobe exposed russet skin, subdermal tattoos pulsed with neon light.

    She folded her arms. "What do you want?"

    "I need your assistance," Airo said.

    "Oh? What happened with the military tribunal and not being part of Sol Force anymore?"

    "Sol Force?" Airo asked.

    "The official name of the Galactic Stellar Consortium''s suprastellar administrative organization governing the armed forces, Commander," Yeoman Cloud chimed in helpfully.

    "You know, for an official who claims to be from the upper echelons of the Paladin Division, you seem strangely clueless," Kiana said. "Probably no one at the office told you where you work?"

    "I have both identification and clearance," Airo said coldly.

    "Yes, you do," Kiana said. "Which makes it so inexplicable. I''ve tried hacking into Sol Force in the past; I wanted to strut around as a Paladin, too. Instead I was thrown into interrogation simulspace, and given a one-sided deal: work for the system, or face rehabilitative psychosurgery. So how did you do it?"

    "Is that why you did not contact the Consortium?" Airo asked. "You wanted to get away from them?"

    Zuckeroff slurped from his beer can. "Well, actually we¨C"

    "Quiet, gamebrain!" Kiana cut in. She turned to Airo, arms still tightly crossed. "You''re an enigma, Commander. I don''t think you''re from Sol Force at all. In fact, if I didn''t know better, I''d say you''re a time traveler, or an alien from another galaxy. Void it, you could be a H''raal agent, for all we know."

    "Or perhaps he is a Templar who pretends to be a Paladin!" Zuckeroff burst out, worry and amazement written on his face.

    "It''s possible. A bit far-fetched, but not any more so compared to the other options," Kiana said conversationally, as if Airo wasn''t there.

    "Boss, are you a Templar in disguise?"

    "Honestly, gamebrain, you''re dumber than anyone expects."

    "Look," Airo said, trying to be patient, "think what you want. However, I need to contact the Consortium."

    "Well, go right ahead," Kiana said. "Don''t let us stop you."

    "I tried," Airo grated. "And I cannot. The remaining infrastructure cannot overcome the paraworld''s interference. You, however, can create a working connection."

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    "Huh, can I? And what makes you think that?"

    "Cease obfuscating. You are a Conduit, specialized in Technotics. You admitted so yourself. You repaired my armor with willpower alone. You said yesterday you boosted the comm tower''s signal. You have the ability to contact the Consortium."

    "Okay, I have it," Kiana snapped. "So what?"

    "So do it," Airo said. "Help me contact them. When they come, you two can do whatever you want ¨C stay here, go with them, I do not care. As soon as an extraction team comes, we go our separate ways."

    She let out a drawn-out hmmm. "Well, no."

    "No?" He glared at her. "Why?"

    "Why should I help you?" she asked, spreading out her hand, palm turned upward. "I have only your word on what''ll happen. You appeared out of nowhere, you coerced us to submit to you, and you won''t tell us who you really are."

    "And," Zuckeroff burst out again between slurps, "you had a real dragon with you!"

    "That too," Kiana agreed. "Where are Veralla''s parents anyway? Or is this also ''classified information''?"

    Airo leaned forward, putting his hands squarely on the stone table. "You are not without secrets, either," he said, voice edged with steel. "Do not delve into things that are none of your skyline. Now, I give you a choice: either help me voluntarily." He made a pause. "Or I will force you to do so."

    Zuckeroff paused mid-drink, eyes wide. Kiana, by contrast, narrowed her gaze. "Don''t try to play tough with us again, gumshit!" she snapped, and slapped her palm hard on the table. Her hand scintillated with a nimbus of blue sparks.

    "Woo!" Zuckeroff said, fascinated.

    Airo chuckled darkly. "I can break your arm before you even lift it."

    "Only if you can move, asshole!" Kiana snarled, and balled her hand into a fist. The nimbus became a miniature electrical storm which enveloped her whole body, and her violet eyes lit up. At the same time, a similar spark cloud appeared on the surface of Airo''s power armor. He reacted instantly, reaching to grip and shatter Kiana''s arm at the elbow.

    He couldn''t move.

    The power armor had locked up, becoming as implacable as a skin-tight prison of nanofabricated metal and polymers. Airo struggled furiously. "Release me at once!" he growled. The other people on the terrace saw the commotion, and hurried to leave the area.

    Kiana faced Airo with a grim expression, her fist spewing bolts of static. "Zuckeroff," she said without moving, "point a gun at him."

    "Um, Ki, you sure about¨C"

    "Do it!"

    "SAI, override the controls!" Airo commanded, teeth bared. "System failure," the power armor speakers replied mechanically. "You blackguardly traitors! No wonder you want to desert the Consortium!"

    Zuckeroff fumbled through the folds of his clothing, and produced a high-powered maser pistol. He pointed it at him, and Airo saw the astrior''s hand was steady despite his uncertain expression. Kiana continued to glare, concentrated on maintaining her Conduit power.

    "Now," she said, her eyes bright with unearthly light, "time for some answers."

    "Or what?" Airo taunted.

    "Or Zuckeroff shoots you," Kiana said.

    "Fine."

    Silence. The morning suns played off the canyon walls, and the terrace''s smoothed, ochre stone blocks gleamed under their light rays.

    Kiana balked. "Fine??" she repeated.

    "Um, fine?" Zuckeroff asked, dumbfounded.

    Airo waited. He said nothing else. He was again possessed with calm detachment.

    "Uh... Ki?" Zuckeroff prompted.

    "Shut up, I''m thinking!" She met Airo''s implacable stare, and suddenly became angry. "Deusforsaken void-blooded psychopath! You really are waiting for us to shoot you!"

    Airo kept silent.

    "For Great Cosmos'' sake, say something, you uplimal half-breed!" Kiana shouted. The sparks around her intensified. "You want to die? Is that it!? That''s why you took us into the warpstorm? You have a deathwish or what??"

    Airo said nothing.

    "Uh, Ki, maybe we were wrong about this?" Zuckeroff asked. "Maybe he''s a Paladin after all."

    "Don''t be ridiculous, gamebrain! He''s a spacer out of a vacsuit as much as us!"

    "Well, what are we gonna do now?"

    "Release me," Airo said quietly. "Help me contact the Consortium."

    "Or we just blow your CPU," Kiana turned back to him, seething.

    Airo''s mouth widened into a humorless smile. "You cannot kill me in cold blood. That much is evident. And I will not give up in my pursuit of... the mission. You can either continue this stalemate, or you can cooperate."

    "Or I tell Zuckeroff to call the town council, and tell them to throw you in a cell. Without your fancy toys."

    "This is a valid leverage indeed," Airo replied sourly. "So, it appears we have to negotiate. What do you want in exchange for your assistance?"

    "Answers," Kiana shot. "Tell us who you are and what the void is happening, and we''ll call your precious cavalry."

    Airo sat paralyzed by his power armor, and realized he was on his own. Even if he contacted the Consortium and asked for their support in his dubious capacity as a special agent, it was entirely possible their reaction would be similar to Kiana''s; which meant he would be truly without allies in his quest for revenge. Fury smoldered in him at that thought. For a minute, he wondered why somebody had woken a living relic like him from cryostasis and sent him to kill a man who had lived for centuries. Perhaps he should learn more about the circumstances of his revival.

    Then he remembered Zenassa and her final moments, and everything ceased to matter.

    He desired only vengeance.

    Let us see if the half-truth will be sufficient.

    "Deal," he told Kiana. "Ask what you want."

    "First, tell us who you are," she said. "I know you aren''t a Consortium Paladin."

    "No, I am not. I was awakened from cryostasis several standard months ago, and sent on a mission to this planet in exchange for my freedom."

    Kiana and Zuckeroff stared at him. They glanced at each other meaningfully, and turned back to him. "Cryostasis? Seriously?" Kiana asked, her luminous eyes looking odd in her confusion. "They still use that tech?"

    Airo tried to shrug, but the power armor prevented the motion. "You wanted answers."

    "What about the armor? The Consortium ID? Your Omega-level clearance? Where did those come from?"

    "The... benefactor who set me free gave them to me. It was my... cover, I guess," Airo said.

    "Somebody who can pull strings in the Paladin Division just casually gave you one of the highest levels of authority in the galaxy?" Kiana asked, incredulous. "How did you come to Terra Para, anyway? Interstellar travel is expensive as fuck. Don''t tell me guy also gave you an FTL starship."

    "He did."

    "Balls," Kiana said. "What a load of dragoncrap. You believe this, Zuckeroff?"

    "Well, uh, yeah," the astrior said.

    "What!?" Kiana glanced sideways, throwing off blue sparks from her shoulder. "Why!?"

    "Well, the Boss did show up out of nowhere when we first met," Zuckeroff said. "And he did say he, uh, had a mission to catch a dangerous criminal or something."

    Kiana was speechless for a moment. "Yeah, he did say so," she conceded. She turned back to Airo. "And what about Veralla? Where did she come from?"

    Airo didn''t reply immediately. "There was a dragon aboard the starship," he said at last. "The beast... she was her mother," he added sullenly. "The starship was attacked shortly after reaching the planet''s orbit, and crashed. The dragon died in the accident. I found the accursed creature in its last moments. She swore me to look after her spawn," he spat. "I did. Now I am done with her."

    "Another closed-minded dragon hater," Kiana muttered. "Did the Union attack your ship?"

    "Possibly," Airo said noncommittally. "Remember, I am not up to speed with recent events."

    "Neither¨C" Kiana began, but caught herself. "Tell us why you were sent here."

    "I am here to... track down a certain individual," Airo answered, barely suppressing to say "take revenge".

    "Who?"

    Did a name mean anything in a galaxy full of people? "His name is Tungust Ferrtau," Airo said, the words bitter on his tongue.

    Kiana and Zuckeroff stared in mute disbelief; she with her luminous eyes and crackling aura, he from behind the maser''s blunt muzzle. The stone terrace and the surrounding walkways were completely devoid of people, so their voices echoed in the open space when they shouted in unison: "THE LIGHTBRINGER!?"

    "The who?" Airo frowned.

    "Ferrtau the Lightbringer!" Kiana exclaimed.

    "He''s, like, the greatest Radiant Knight ever!" Zuckeroff said in reverence. "Well, perhaps after the Grandmasters, but still!"

    "I see," Airo forced through clenched teeth. So, the bastard became a symbol. I will make sure to remind him his sins before cutting out his heart.

    "Why for the Dude''s sake are you searching for the Lightbringer?" Kiana asked.

    "I want to k... capture him," Airo said.

    Kiana and Zuckeroff stared at him again. Then they burst into laughter. "Apprehend the Lightbringer?" Kiana chortled, struggling to keep her concentration. "Good luck with that. The Consortium and the Union have been trying to eradicate the Radiant Knights for the last two hundred years. You have a better chance attaining escape velocity on this planet by freerunning than singlehandedly taking down the leader of the most powerful ?thereal organization in the galaxy."

    "That is my concern, not yours," Airo said icily.

    Kiana paused and regarded him. "You''re insane," she breathed. She laughed again, almost doubling over. "How... how much do you give him, Zuckeroff? Three seconds?"

    "Five," he said, wheezing with amusement. "But they''re gonna be negative. The... the Boss will realize he''s been beaten five seconds before the fight even started."

    Kiana lost control of her concentration. Her energy aura dissipated. Airo''s power armor came back online, and he stretched unobtrusively, loosening his stiffened body.

    "I have done my part of the deal," he said coldly. "Now help me contact the Consortium."

    Kiana regained her composure, and straightened. "Yes, yes," she said, annoyed. "Just remember, no glitches and cheats when the goon squad comes. I can do the same trick I did on your armor to an entire skyship," she added.

    Airo didn''t believe her ¨C she seemed quite tired from the effort of holding him for so long. Nevertheless, he had no intention of double crossing. While Kiana and Zuckeroff might have some unknown agendas, Airo couldn''t care less. As long as they didn''t stand in his way, he would rather forget about them.

    He and Kiana went to the town''s main communication array. It took her several hours, yet in the end she managed to establish a stable connection using her esoteric powers. Airo, remembering the words of Councilor Letira, connected to Kryoon. The city turned out to be the Consortium''s central headquarters on the planet. Airo presented his credentials, and spoke with several regional commanders. Despite his clearance, he was surprisingly stonewalled by the people in charge of the local Sol Force branch. In the end, he managed to request an extraction shuttle to pick him up, but he was told his location was within a hot zone, and it would take at least a day for the extraction team to arrive. Airo was fine with that.

 Chapter 8.6 - Haven by the Way

    The next day, he patiently waited for the shuttle to arrive. Despite its apparent size, Dragon Retreat turned out to be a rather small settlement, easily walkable from one end to the other within an hour. Airo spend his time wandering aimlessly along the elevated walkways and grounded thoroughfares. The locals gave him a wide berth, intimidated by his armor and dark expression. He paused in his walk from time to time to appreciate the bitter irony. Of all places on this planet, he was stuck in a shrine-town dedicated to dragonkind. Statues of the hateful winged reptiles gazed at him from every corner, as if mocking him and taunting him to take them down with his sword. He was half-tempted to do it, and to the void with this forsaken place.

    Night fell, and no shuttle came to pick him up.

    On the next day, he asked Kiana to contact the Consortium again. She was mulish and refused at first, yet she consented angrily once she couldn''t endure his coercion anymore. He presented himself to the command staff at Kryoon again, with no better results than before. Yes, they would sent a shuttle. No, it couldn''t be done ASAP, he was in a hot zone. No, they didn''t know why the previous request was ignored. Yes, in a couple of days at most; he had Omega-level clearance, after all.

    Airo spent the second day indoors. He took an ordinary datapad, and browsed the shrine-town''s database for something to read. When he became bored, he practiced martial arts on the small landing before his room. The hours dragged by. The third day he tried climbing some of the canyon walls; it was an activity he enjoyed in his youth, alongside parkour and swimming. He scaled the smooth vertical surfaces recklessly, clinging to the smallest ledges and handholds in the crystal inlays, heedless of danger, knowing the power armor would prevent any falling incident.

    Again there was no shuttle.

    On the fifth day, with one very pissed off and furious Kiana, he made one last attempt to contact Kryoon City. By sheer will he refrained from throwing threats at the desk-bound commanders on the other side of the line, knowing the futility and foolishness of such actions. After long arguments and lots of bureaucratic maneuvering, he realized he had been written off. Nobody was willing to send valuable military assets deep into the paraworld''s wastelands to recover a single person, even if they would''ve been a living Ancient. His clearance meant only he couldn''t be refused outright. He was promised an extraction again, but this time they didn''t even bother giving him an ETA.

    Days passed. Airo alternated between staying in his room, and wandering outside, growing increasingly restless and angry. He didn''t notice when he swapped the reading datapad for a bottle. He contemplated taking one of the town''s ATVs or landcruisers and just get out on his own, but groundside travel was useless on Terra Para without the Beacon Highway; he could become trapped in a spatial maze again, or caught in the open by a warpstorm. He instructed Yeoman Cloud to begin fabrication of an aerial vehicle, anything that could reach the high stratosphere and the nearest Consortium base, even if it took months to build, even if there was a one-in-five chance of a catastrophic design flaw showing up mid-flight.

    Kiana and Zuckeroff completely abandoned him, and acted like they were on a vacation: they socialized with the locals, explored the shrine-town, and behaved in a generally care-free way. Airo grew more and more isolated, quietly ostracized by Dragon Retreat''s inhabitants. He stopped returning to his room, and instead began to spend his nights in the few bars the shrine-town had, taunting the patrons into fighting him, and flinging curses at them when they ignored him.

    And, of course, there was that stupid dragon. Airo thought he had gotten rid of her; yet she came by every evening, asking incessant questions, poking her damned snout in his efforts to distract himself, and being an utter nuisance. He tolerated her, barely, clinging to the thought the moment he left this cursed town, she would stay behind, one way or another.

    In the end he abandoned all reading, training, climbing, and other recreational activities in favor of drinking, dampening his grief and subduing his anger, waiting for a bloody extraction shuttle to appear on the frozen horizon.

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    ***

    Time went on, and Veralla learned as much as she could about Dragon Retreat and its inhabitants.

    She explored the shrine-town thoroughly. She found vast caves beneath the northern canyons, full of natural crystals which the townspeople harvested to use for lights and fabrication materials. She walked around the twisting labyrinth of passages and caverns, marveling at the beauty of nature which held no less splendor than the achievements of humankind.

    During the passing days, the people of Dragon Retreat gradually became used to her. They always treated her kindly, and she talked with many of them at length. As her understanding about the world evolved, she was surprised to see there were no old people, only adults and children. She liked the second group more, as they always played with her when she wanted, laughing and running and tugging at her tail and wings. Her wings became bigger, looking more like those of the dragon statues, though she still could not fly no matter how hard she flapped. People also told her she should be able to breathe fire but she could not or did not know how to; this did not bother her much, as she liked to breathe air, even if it smelled bad sometimes.

    She began to distinguish the differences between humans, and the words they used to describe their origin such as Mistlander, Drylander, Stonelander and so forth. She also learned why they called themselves transhumans, and they had different appearances, some of them having bodies made of metals and other inorganic materials, and others had no bodies at all, and instead existed inside machines in a so-called virtual state. This variety amazed her, and she wondered how so many diverse individuals interacted between themselves. She also learned about some beings called artificial intelligences, which also had no body, yet they had no soul either, though they talked and acted like real people even if they were a bit strange. She sometimes had difficulty distinguishing between them and virtual transhumans, yet in time she learned to look for the presence of a soul to make a distinction.

    She ate all kinds of meals, like soups, fruits, salads, desserts, candies, drinks, stews, ice creams, cakes, and even drank fusion fuel when some children offered it to her ¨C yet she liked meat most. She also ate with great delight what was called ''real food'', which people told her came from the geodesic dome, and it looked just like normal food the nanomachines made yet it tasted somehow more... fully.

    She wanted to learn more about everything: how the town was created, how the fusion power plant and nanofactory worked, how new humans and AIs came to exist, why there were plants only in the geodesic dome, and many other things. Yet while people gladly told her those things, they often ended their explanations with the advice that she should read more in the Viirt network or the library. Veralla did not know how to read, so she asked Kiana to teach her. She quickly grasped how written language worked, and after several days was able to read without difficulty, and Kiana showed her how to program and use electronic devices. Veralla absorbed all that knowledge enthusiastically, spending much of her time interfacing with the vast databases of the town''s mesh, reading about all kinds of things and topics and practicing basic system instructions.

    After she learned to read and interface, she balanced her time between her offline and online states as she still found many things intrigued her outside of virtual reality. As she spoke with humans, she realized they were not all happy and kind to her ¨C some were gruff and rude, others were shy or loud or talked without end, and some were sad ¨C though none of them were as sad as Airo or had a deep cavern in their soul like him.

    Veralla stayed with Airo during the evenings, trying to learn more about him and what he did before coming here. She had little success: as always, he was like a dark cloud, those piercing grey eyes filled with sadness, and he constantly drank something called ''alcohol''.

    Yet even though she liked Dragon Retreat and its people very much, she was disappointed there were no dragons, only statues of such. There were the dreyks, and Veralla liked them very much too, talking to them and asking what flying feels like. Yet the fact that she was the only real dragon in a shrine-town dedicated to dragons made her feel a little lonely.

    Lonely... and sad.

    Veralla startled. Sad! She was sad! Why, why, why? Oh, but she was lonely because there were no other dragons around. And after she felt lonely, she felt sad. Her sadness was caused... by feeling alone.

    The revelation startled Veralla. Was this the reason Airo was so sad? Because he was very lonely?

    It could be. Veralla poked at the tiny gap in her soul. Loneliness. She was sad because she felt alone because there were no other dragons around.

    She did not know why Airo felt sad. There were plenty of humans around now. Even before that, he had Kiana and Zuckeroff with him. Yet he still was very, very alone. Veralla was sure of it now.

    She wanted to help him. He gave her her life and her name, and he did not deserve to be alone. So Veralla told herself she would always keep Airo company, and try everything she could to make him feel not lonely.

 Chapter 8.7 - Haven by the Way

    Airo went for a walk.

    He was tired of waiting, and drinking was helping less and less as he woke up each morning to a familiar rhythm he had gone through for five years, in a run-down apartment, on a strange planet at the other end of the galaxy, during his old life seven centuries ago. Things were slightly different now, yet the main aspects were the same: he was still alone in his grief, dragons still blighted the world, and Ferrtau was still here. Not by his side this time around but hopefully at the tip of his blade in the foreseeable future.

    He was drunk almost constantly now. He wandered along the walkways aimlessly, his mind barely held in a stupor by the oceans of hard liquor. People strolled about, enjoying the clear weather, their colorful garments and smartclos blending with the crystal facades in a lambent kaleidoscope. Airo was messy and unkempt, and only the integrated microionization emitters had prevented his power armor from accumulating large layers of grime.

    Somehow, he ended up in a dark place. He glanced around stupidly. It was still daytime, yet the suns had vanished. There was still light, albeit diffused and dim. He made a few experimental turns. He couldn''t figure out what was wrong.

    "Boss... is that you?" a familiar voice echoed close by.

    Airo craned his head and saw Zuckeroff''s face, which was peering from a nearby doorway. He finally realized where he was: it was the cliffside cavern across the High Temple, the one with the public dormitories.

    "Yeah," he said lamely.

    "Hey now, come inside." Zuckeroff sounded worried. "Uh, that is, if you want to, Boss?"

    "Sure," Airo said, and ambled toward the threshold.

    Inside, Zuckeroff had variformed his bed into a large vinyl couch. The computer terminal projected a wide-angle screen on one of the walls. Empty beer cans and crumpled clothing were discarded randomly. The astrior was in the process of watching sports.

    "Come, sit down," he said, gesturing enthusiastically. "You want something, Boss? I have beer and snacks!"

    "Why do you keep calling me that?" Airo asked dully. "I am not your commanding officer. I am not even a real commander."

    "Sure you are," Zuckeroff said easily. He paused and threw Airo a look. "I may be a goof, but I know a leader when I see one. And you, Boss, are ten outta ten. Sure, you may be a bit scary at times, and, uh, quite crazy at others, but you. Are. A. Boss. Plus, your rank is real enough; at least Ki says so."

    "Hmm."

    "C''mon now, have a seat! This is the best part of the match!"

    Airo sat down woodenly. He looked at the screen. The game was set on a huge, multi-layered arena, and the playing field was hovering high in the air. Two teams of considerable numbers vied for control over a trio of luminous balls. "What is this game?"

    Zuckeroff slurped from a beer can. "Skycast! The greatest sport ever! Um, only there are no more dragons in it."

    "Dragons?"

    "Oh, yeah. See those airjets and automated drones? They used to be dragons with riders instead." Zuckeroff slurped some more. He held out his can. "Beer?"

    Airo eyed the can mechanically. "Do you have hard stuff?"

    "Ah, I don''t think so," Zuckeroff said, lowering the beer can. "But I have onion rings!" he offered hopefully.

    "I think I will pass."

    They watched the game in silence for a few minutes. Airo blankly followed the futuristic spectacle. He was dimly aware of Zuckeroff gathering resolve beside him, as if preparing mentally for something.

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    "So, Boss," the astrior asked after a while. "You''re, a little tense lately."

    "Shut up, Zuckeroff."

    "You know," he went on, "when I''m feeling stressed, I like to play games or watch sports, just like I''m doing now."

    "Uh-huh."

    Zuckeroff shifted on the couch to face Airo. "Have you ever played comp games, Boss? I mean, not VR, but the really old stuff, like 3D-on-2D screens, actual mechanical inputs, and all that jazz?"

    Sudden memories flashed through Airo''s mind. He remembered his early days in the Starspire Academy. "I have," he nodded.

    "Ah, flat-space was great," Zuckeroff said wistfully. "Of course, I was born centuries after it had gone out of style. Naturally, I clicked VR and AR, too, but I always liked the hardcore retro classics the most." He paused to drink his beer. "I was the best, you know? Even won some of the tournaments."

    "Uh-huh," Airo murmured. "This is probably the part where you tell me just how good you were."

    "Oh, yeah! I was the stuff of legends, Boss. Ripped those snotty hyperelites to shreds, even though I''m only your run-of-the-fabber regular transhuman. But that''s not the point." Zuckeroff eased back, and looked at the screen. His voice became thoughtful. "The point is, um, that you''re taking things too hard, Boss. Everybody gets it a little rough most times. Look at me and Ki for example: sure, we try to have a good time, but in reality, me and her are scared as dragonshit."

    The alcohol fog in Airo''s mind made it difficult for him to follow. "Why?" he asked.

    "Ah, you see, Boss, we too were awakened from stasis," Zuckeroff said, his expression serious. "We''re Sol Force all right, not like in your, uh, weird case, but both of us just woke one day aboard a starcruiser, without a single clue how we got there."

    Airo rapidly sobered up at those words, and listened carefully.

    "The last date I remember was 791 RE," Zuckeroff continued steadily. "Half a century before Kiana was born. Her last memory is, um, I think from somewhere around a hundred and forty years ago. The next thing we know, we''re in space, alarms blaring left and right, automated systems reanimating us and other people, all from the Epsilon Corps." Zuckeroff''s eyebrows creased. "That''s another Sol Force special branch, like the Paladin Division. We specialize in, ah, special ops," he said lamely. "Ki didn''t want to tell you this, Boss, because she thinks something really bad had happened. I mean, going from an elite commando to a future no-memory guy is a bit of a shock even for me. The point is, Boss, we don''t know what''s happening, either.

    "Now, your case is even more, uh, bifurcated than ours. I dunno what''s your nova with the Lightbringer. Honestly, I shouldn''t ask. I became a soldier to look badass and have a blast. That''s why you''re the boss, Boss. You call the shots. Dudes like me and Ki, we get shit done, but we... we can''t decide which shit needs doing first. To give an exa¨C"

    "Why are you telling me this?" Airo interrupted, unable to grasp the astrior''s rambling.

    "Simple, Boss," Zuckeroff said, his idiotic grin dawning back on his face. "You gotta play computer games."

    Airo balked. "What?"

    "You gotta play computer games," Zuckeroff repeated. "You''re stressed. Stress goes away when having fun. The way I see it, you''ve probably got into the stasis pod even earlier than us, so I''m not suggesting VR or, uh, later stuff, ''cause you''d have to learn that first. But learning''s no good when you''re stressed. So you should do something that makes you relax. You said you know flat-screens. Play some, Boss."

    Airo watched mutely as Zuckeroff waved at the other side of the room. There was a small desk in the corner, with a comfortable-looking armchair in front of it. An antique computer case stood on the desk, connected to a solid-state display screen and peripherals.

    "I asked around town, and found a gal who''s actually from the Ground Age. She still plays Alpha Centauri," Zuckeroff said. He rose, and tossed Airo a bag of fabricated onion rings. "Here, have some snacks. The drive''s stacked to the registry with excellent stuff. I''ll get another room, this place is half-empty anyway." He paused by the door. "Have fun, and tell me later how it went," he winked, and left.

    Airo stared at the closed door, clutching absently the bag of onion rings. What the void happened? He felt sober, and restless. He glanced at the old computer. It wasn''t like he had anything better to do, not in his current broken state. He was sick and tired of the synthetic crap which passed for booze around here. Maybe he really needed to do as Zuckeroff had suggested and at least try to lose himself in his half-forgotten hobby.

    The image of the Starspire Academy and its recreation commons flashed before his eyes again. The three of them had spent many hours on the ancient flatscreen terminals, playing together and testing their mettle against the other cadets.

    He, Zenassa... and Ferrtau.

    Airo shook his head. It was never going to be the same. Those days were forever past.

    Yet at least he should try.

    He rose from the couch, turned off the wallscreen, and slowly crossed the room. He sat down before the old computer. He launched the device, and was greeted by a familiar, if subtly different interface. He searched for a list of installed games. There was a large number of them, thousands of titles, of which he knew only a small portion.

    He loaded up a game at random, and began playing.

 Chapter 8.8 - Haven by the Way

    After a while, the intercom chimed, and the door opened on its own. Veralla entered the room.

    "Hey!" she said brightly. "What are you doing?"

    Airo lifted his head in surprise. The room''s light had been discreetly dimmed, probably by Zuckeroff. According to his power armor''s HUD, hours had passed. "I am... playing games," he said, blinking away the confusion.

    "Oh! Games! Can I play too?"

    "If you want to," Airo said patiently, and the dragonet hrrr-ed in joy. He moved to free the seat but Veralla jumped and landed straight in his lap.

    "How do you play?" she asked, standing on her hind legs and watching the screen eagerly.

    Airo, shocked, struggled to find his voice. "You use these buttons, and..."

    "I know, I know," the dragonet said impatiently. "Kiana showed me how to use all kinds of interfaces, even a keyboard, if I had to. I ask how do I win?"

    Airo explained the rules of the game. The dragonet began to play. She clicked the keys clumsily with her claws, eyes narrowed at the flatscreen, forked tongue flicking out in concentration. Airo watched her in stunned silence, paying no heed as her absently swaying tail batted him on the head. She was heavy for her small form, weighing about as much as a well-built adult human. He noticed she had grown a little since her hatching, though her body was still rotund and puffy-looking. Her limbs had become a bit longer and her wings, though now tightly tucked against her back, were visibly more developed.

    He was about to say something, when Veralla''s sinuous neck curved and she turned her head to him. "Are there any games with dragons in them?" she asked.

    Airo winced, but nodded. "There are." He had found one entry earlier during his play. "Search the index directory for Soukou Zmei."

    She did, and loaded the game. The intro played, and then a dragon with a human on its back began flying through grand ruins amidst a vast ocean and endless skies.

    "Why I cannot turn around?" Veralla asked, frantically pressing keys.

    "The only way is forward," Airo said. "You must control both the rider and the dragon."

    Veralla grabbed the aiming sphere. The human avatar onscreen lifted his enchanted cannon, shooting a stream of glowing bolts. Enemies exploded in brilliant clouds of multi-colored lights. Epic symphony and haunting chimes flowed from the speakers. Veralla hrrr-ed, enthralled.

    Airo checked surreptitiously his heads-up display for historical data about the game. He stared at the display in awe. The game was one of the recovered infoclusters from the Codex. It had been made in the time of the Ancients, before the Cataclysm. More than thirty millennia ago.

    And yet, perfection reigned immortal.

    Veralla played for a long time. Airo sat there, pinned by her, watching her, thinking... thinking nothing. He felt eerily relaxed, despite the fact he was in physical contact with a dragon. Veralla struggled with the controls. Without realizing what he was doing, Airo bent forward, and put his hand on her foreclaw, steadying her aim. The music sang in harmonic resonance, the levels scrolled through dozens of magical vistas, dragon and human united in their quest for good prevailing over evil. Airo guided Veralla...

    ...why he called her by name?...

    ...and together they finished the game when the early light of pre-dawn paled onto the wall. Airo hadn''t realized this room had a window.

    "This was so beautiful," Veralla said in a small voice.

    Airo was silent. His tired mind was still going through the ramifications of what had happened, when Veralla suddenly turned, peering intently at him, the tip of her snout inches away from his face.

    "What do you know about dragons?" she asked.

    Caught off guard, he stared at her.

    "Why are you asking me?" he said, forcing himself to speak.

    "I want to know what dragons truly are," Veralla said earnestly. "I searched about them in the mesh, and read and read and read, but there is just so much! I found thousands of stories about dragons, and each describes them differently: some are small, like the dreyks in the geodesic dome; some are large and strong, like the statues around town; and some are... something strange, called ''symbol''. And here is this dragon," she added hastily, tapping the flatscreen, "who doesn''t look like me at all." She looked back at him, downcast. "Am I the only dragon... here?"

    "No," Airo said very quietly.

    "Where are the others, then?"

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    His gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "I fought on a distant planet long ago," he whispered. "Dragons lived there. I imagine... they still do."

    "You fought... dragons?" she asked, her purple eyes wide.

    "Yes," he said, his voice oddly strained.

    "Why?"

    "They were... not like you. Different, as you say. Lost." Strength returned to his voice. "They attacked us. We attacked in return. Some of us tried to help the dragons. There was a war, and many died, both humans... and dragons."

    "What happened to the dragons?" Veralla prodded.

    "I do not know," he said honestly. His tone was bitter. "More than seven centuries have passed since."

    "You do not remember what happened?" she gasped in awe.

    "No. I was... away, for many years. I was told many things have changed during my absence."

    "Oh," she said, relieved. "Then why have you not learned what has happened?"

    Good question, Airo thought. Out loud he said, "Maybe I should."

    "I can help you!" Veralla said. "We can use the Viirt! You can learn about anything in there! And if there is too much to learn, you can use virtual time-dilation, to use less time while you learn! Kiana showed me how to do that." She yawned widely. "I feel sleepy now. We can start tomorrow, yes?"

    "Okay," Airo said, glad this awkward situation was resolving itself. Veralla hopped off him and climbed on the couch, where she curled upon herself and promptly closed her eyes.

    He left her to sleep, and went outside. He sat on one of the observation terraces, the tables around empty in the early morning. He watched the rising suns for a few minutes, fighting his urge to keel over from exhaustion.

    Finally, he got his tired body under control. "SAI... Yeoman Cloud," he called.

    "Yes, Commander?" the power armor speakers responded at once.

    "Does this armor support time-dilation interfacing?"

    "Of course, Commander. All Orion-class PPGs are equipped with an advanced MMI suite enabling the wearer to modify their sensorial perceptions and stimuli, even in the absence of physical access sockets or implanted wetware."

    "Right... Put me into the slowest subjective time state. Collect all historical information for the last seven centuries in the available databases, and prepare the thirty-seconds version for each major event. And give me something to juice me up."

    "At once, Commander!" Yeoman Cloud boomed with zest.

    With the SAI''s assistance, Airo began the daunting task of catching up on seven centuries of history and progress.

    He read about the Supremacy Wars, and how they had led to the rise of the Galactic Stellar Consortium and the Union of True Humanity. He learned about the wonders of the ?ther Age, and studied the Axiom Crusades which followed in the wake of the first Conduits. His eyebrows rose when he read about the Order of the Radiant Knights, and went even higher when he got to the Dragon Independence War. Finally, he reached the brutal conclusion of the Restoration Era''s first millennium: the Starblaze, an event even this hyper-advanced galaxy described as supernatural, making mentions of demons and angels and superversal dimensions. At the same time, he explored all the marvels science had uncovered throughout this time: harnessed gravitonics, transcendence of the body, mind over matter, aethertech, dark energy manipulation, quantum leaps in FTL travel and starship technologies, creation of new life in the forms of true AIs and uplimals, and clinical immortality.

    However, some periods of history were strangely unknown to this modern information-laden society. He found almost nothing about his own time, or the years before, or about the Transhuman Order, the forerunner of the current galactic civilizations. Records regarding Utopia Draconis, the homeworld of the dragons, were also scarce, to the point it seemed as if there had been deliberate omissions in the archives.

    In the end, his search for knowledge was satisfied despite these historical blank spots, and he had no desire to delve into the past more than necessary.

    He had only one database query left: Ferrtau.

    He keyed in the name, and read the results.

    Tungust Ferrtau was a Radiant Knight. He had been part of the Radiant Order since its founding. He was cited as one of the greatest Conduits to have ever lived, and his reputation was on such a legendary level practically every source called him by the sobriquet he had earned: The Lightbringer.

    Throughout the long centuries while Airo had been tormented in the dark limbo of cryostasis, Ferrtau had participated in every major galactic event. He had freed their common homeworld of Arceria during the Supremacy Wars, protecting the then-backward colony from any interstellar harm. He had acted as a mediator during the Axiom Crusades, traveling around the galaxy, promoting peace and defending the weak, abiding by the values of justice, honor, enlightenment, and the tenets of the Radiant Order. And in the end, he had become a hero to all by playing a key role in ending the terrible ragnarok known as the Starblaze.

    And during all this time his companion, Kalessia ¨C whom future-past archivists referred to as the Firstborn ¨C had been at his side, equally devoted to those same ideals of the highest caliber.

    Airo saw their picture at some public event centuries ago, and the revelation staggered him. He stared at the image of Kalessia, and suddenly saw Veralla in a completely new light.

    If cosmic irony was a physical force, Airo would have been falling into the depths of a black hole right now.

    After what was probably more than a day in time-dilation, Airo emerged from virtual space. The stimulants Yeoman Cloud had given him through the power armor had worn off, leaving him utterly fatigued, and he went back to Zuckeroff''s old room. Barely an hour had passed in real-time, and Veralla still slept on the couch. Airo silently contemplated her peaceful slumber.

    After a while, he left, and went to his assigned room, the one given by the town council when he, Kiana, and Zuckeroff had arrived at Dragon Retreat so many days ago.

    And Veralla. She had come, too.

    Airo collapsed on the bed, not bothering to remove the power armor.

    He slept.

    He was awakened hours later by a sharp noise. He propped himself, and looked around sourly. Veralla was in his room, and she was making strange, high-pitched screeches, flapping her wings and swinging her tail in stilted, rigid unison.

    "What are you doing?" Airo demanded.

    "Oh, I am trying to imitate the dragon from the game," Veralla explained enthusiastically. "Do you think this is how it speaks?"

    "Hardly," Airo said, getting up. He rubbed his neck, but his gauntleted hand felt only the outer layer of reinforced composites. "The game was made by the Ancients, long before dragons were thought to be real. And if your kind developed language at any point, I am not aware of it."

    "Yes, I forgot! We had to interface the Viirt, and learn more about history!"

    "I already did," he said, looking at her and thinking about what he had found.

    Veralla made a small sound in her throat, equally surprised and pleased. "Can you tell me more about dragons now?" she asked eagerly.

    Airo took a deep breath, and gave an exasperated sigh.

 Third Interlude

    THIRD INTERLUDE

    Parallel in time, The Shard, Terra Para

    And so the Days passed, and Battle raged across spatiality.

    In the beginning of the War, I had to act swiftly, lest I became defeated in United Effort against my Vision.

    The Ancients have said: Divide and Conquer. And so I did.

    I unleashed my Revenant across the vast lands of Terra Para to rain devastation upon all, to bring terror and uncertainty into the hearts of the people.

    The Revenant swept through settlements and cities, outposts and bases, acting as Agents of my Will. They terminated the boundaries of mortality, reaving the souls of Others, and transferred the resulting sacred Essence to me, ensuring I can continue my Work. Such a process was diminished ¨C less pure than it would have been if I used my own presence to commit the Sin.

    Yet I could not leave the Shard, for I was bound to the howling infinity of the Reality Vortex by Choice, focusing my powers to contain it until Time Became Right. Even lessened, my sustenance was beyond sufficient to keep the Blazing Fire inside me, and for each living haven engulfed in the War, a new cohort of Revenant rose from the ashes.

    My legions spread across the evershifting wilderness of Terra Para, killing tens of thousands, ripping dataspheres from the skies, incinerating star vessels from the heavens, and tearing down artificial realities. Yet they could not find a trace of the Radiant Knights. I searched everywhere, to no avail. Still, I did not despair ¨C I stayed ever vigilant for their influence, for they could bring together my enemies, and unite the armies of the Sleeping Masses to march against my Heralds of The New Age.

    I listened, but the ?ther stood silent. Neither the Consortium nor the Union saw or were told the truth of these postward Events. Old grudges flared once more; ideological pride swelled in vainglorious egos; tentative promises were forgotten. The stellar civilizations set against one another, each blaming the other for the destruction wrought upon their charges by my Revenant. They lashed out, killing, maiming, lessening their own, ravaging cities and shattering space armadas, while I stood squarely in the center, picking out survivors and bringing my expansion Forth. Though my Time stood at the Brink, I was patient, methodical, calculating, and pragmatically cruel by necessity. Hordes of individuals went to waste beyond the radiant grasp of my Vision, yet ultimately I knew they were merely postponed in their joining with the dawning Singularity.

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    Thus I abided, leeching the land of life, tightening my grip over the planet, and waited for the Knights to come out and face Destiny.

    I sat atop the Shard, in the grand palace of the Radiant Order, whose master once was I, and gazed at scores of projection screens, hologram interfaces, dataflows, and virtual immersives. I had no need for these feeble technologies; I used them to see and experience Conflict the way my enemies did, and Warp their perspective to my Advantage. I listened to secure transmissions, wide-band communications, and private tightbeams, all filled with plans, orders, reports, screams of battle, impassive data, strategies, ambition, and primal emotions. I whispered along these digital rivers, changing files, re-arranging words, and impersonating chains of command, to sow chaos and discord, to keep the Masses fighting, so when it was Time, I would emerge the sole victor.

    And then¨C

    ¨CI sensed¨C

    ¨Ca PRESENCE.

    It was bright, humbling, blinding, overwhelming. In one moment, the Universe was dark and hollow, in the next, there was a Creature so pure, it illuminated Everything, shining like a beacon in the Cosmos. A perfect soul had emerged into existence, and it contained all the beauty and darkness since the dawn of Creation. For it had Power.

    Power which made it possible to accomplish my Legacy in Another Way.

    I needed to war no longer. I needed to wait no longer. I had an Alternative.

    I immediately set out to find this sacred being. I left behind the Reality Vortex, keeping it stable from afar, paying gladly the price of increased Entropy for the reward of Success. I sifted through the myriad manifolds of Terra Para, seeking for what I had Sensed, yet the search was long and winding. Still I persevered, frantic and tireless, striving to find this Second Key before my misguided brethren did. I spared no resources, summoning a legion of Revenant at my side to help in this Quest, ordering them to scour the lands from where the Presence had beckoned, myself at the helm of this paramount march to gain Control.

    And finally, I found what I searched for, locked in a small plane amidst the vastness of the paraworld manifold. There, at the edge of chaos, untouched by my holy crusade, a familiar colorful hamlet braved the rigors of remote existence.

    Dragon Retreat.

 Chapter 9 - Clash of Ways

    CHAPTER 9 ¨C CLASH OF WAYS

    "The Ancients have said: ''Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.'' Yet I say: ''Live however you like, and die however you like.'' For the way of life is yours to follow, and destiny is yours to master. You have no limit within the Great Verge, and Eternity is at your command. There is only one axiom: Remember to die still."

    ¡ª Hom Ultima Oortis, "The Last Paradise"

    Airo began to spend more time with Veralla than he anticipated.

    The days passed almost imperceptibly now. Though Airo carefully avoided any proximity like the first night, each evening he and Veralla played computer games, indulging in carefree escapism. They stuck to titles only from the time of the Ancients, and always ended their sessions by playing a level from Soukou Zmei. After they played through the series several times Veralla wanted to see more games with dragons. Airo was strictly opposed to the idea, but after being begged repeatedly from an increasingly unhappy Veralla, he reluctantly agreed to a fifty-fifty ratio.

    During daytime, they discussed a variety of subjects, generally while Airo was killing time walking around Dragon Retreat or trying to practice his martial skills again. To his surprise, he slowly started to like talking to Veralla; she was attentive, perceptive, and smart, asking him to clarify things yet never to repeat them. She had excellent memory, and quickly grasped new knowledge, learning everything she could and then making her own observations. Veralla frequently wanted to talk about dragons, but Airo usually avoided the subject. They rarely engaged in idle chat, having instead lengthy conversations on many topics covering everything from star travel and dreams to strategy and warfare to game theory and social contracts, and more.

    Throughout all this time, he secretly contemplated what he had learned about her origin. He recalled the sight of her dying mother, and somehow knowing her identity now made the memory sadder than before, even though she had tried to kill him so long ago. Yet seven hundred years later, Kalessia chose to trust him instead of striking him down. He had no idea what to make of it.

    As he learned, Veralla was also able to express some pretty vocal opinions if she so desired.

    "You should stop drinking alcohol!" she said one evening. They were in one of the rooms of the dormitory cavern.

    "Why?" he asked, sloshing a bottle of synthetic crap absently.

    "It makes your body sick, and your mind cloudy," she said. "Why do you want to hurt and think worse?"

    "Have you tried it?"

    She wrinkled her snout. "I have, and it does not taste good. However, I am a dragon, and it does not affect me like it does you."

    "Precisely. Now leave me to intoxicate in peace."

    She made an unhappy sound. "But why do you want to poison yourself?"

    Airo had had a particularly bad dream about Zee the previous night, and it had also featured Kalessia for some reason. He was in a bad mood, and needed something to detach him from the pain and confusion. "This is none of your skyline," he told Veralla coldly.

    The dragonet thumped her tail on the floor. "But¨C"

    Suddenly, harsh alarm sounds filled the room and the cavern''s common area beyond. Outside, a distant explosion boomed. Airo rose to his feet, the bottle clattering on the floor, forgotten. "Battle," he breathed.

    "A battle?" Veralla asked, excited. "I have never seen one! Let us go and participate!"

    "No," Airo said severely. "Stay here. Do not move, under any circumstances."

    "But... I want to see the battle," the dragonet said plaintively, her wings drooping.

    "This is not a computer game!" Airo said harshly. "This is real. If a bullet or a plasma charge hits you, you bleed and die. Now stay put, while I go see what is happening."

    Airo briskly left the room. Crossing the cavern''s common area, he saw people poking their heads from doors, wondering aloud what was happening. Airo made sure his katana and the veronite blaster were fastened securely to the power armor''s holding grips, and went outside.

    Kiana and Zuckeroff were on the stone terrace at the cavern''s entrance, watching the canyon valley with worried expressions. Down at ground level, slitheroid drones hurried in groups along the thoroughfares, headed to the eastern edge of the shrine-town. Towering above the flat mesas, the mysterious energy pillar hung ominously bright in the fading twilight light. Flashes momentarily bloomed against the sky, indicating usage of large-caliber weaponry somewhere beyond line of sight.

    "Any of this your fault,Commander?" Kiana whirled as Airo came near. "Did your great friends from Sol Force decide to ''negotiate with the locals''?"

    "Cloud?" Airo asked. "Are the aggressors from the Consortium?"

    "Negative, Commander," the SAI said over the external speakers to Kiana and Zuckeroff''s benefit."Neither are they from the Union. Battlefield data is contradictory. There appears to be no invading party, though sensors pick highly unusual energy signatures, and the town''s defenses are currently retaliating. Mesh and personal implants also report a spike in death rates."

    "Provide visuals," Airo commanded.

    "Dragon Retreat''s executive network booted me out of its systems when the attack started," Yeoman Cloud said. "I can re-establish connection, but I''ll have to override part of the network''s AI contingent by forceful deletion. Shall I commit large-scale property damage in illegal manner under Consortium law?" the SAI asked airily.

    "Do it," Airo said.

    "Acknowledged, Commander. Parsing visual data ¨C now."

    Next to him, Kiana gasped as if a terrible scene had appeared before her eyes. Something chimed from Zuckeroff''s clothing, and his arm glowed with the hologram-haptic interface of an omnitool. Airo enclosed the power armor''s helmet and called up a high-res image on his visor.

    The visual feed displayed a wide-angle view of the eastern entrance canyon. Panicked crowds of people ran along the walkways farther into town, while squads of drones moved in the opposite direction, trying to join the battle near the shrine-town''s barricades. Automated turrets saturated the area with laserfire, making things difficult to see. Airo switched the viewpoint to a nearby aerial drone, and narrowed his eyes in a scowl.

    Humanoid apparitions made of shining golden light swept relentlessly through the remains of the barricades. They looked exactly like the strange dragons who had attacked Airo''s starship in orbit. The lightwraiths rushed through the defensive wall of drones and turrets as if they weren''t there, and the machines fell on the ground in their wake, inert and nonfunctional. They tore into the crowds of transhumans, and people screamed.

    "They... they are tearing their souls apart!" Kiana choked. The lightwraiths plunged spectral limbs into their living targets, extracting ghostly replicas from their victims. People''s bodies fell limp in mid-motion, while their spirits struggled in horrifying confusion for a few seconds, and then were disintegrated in a burst of energy.

    "Great Cosmos," Zuckeroff whispered. "Those things can move through solid matter!"

    "Cloud, open a channel to Councilor Itrix," Airo commanded tightly.

    "Aye, Commander!"

    The Councilor responded almost immediately. "Commander Airo, the moment is rather ill-timed," came her cutting remark over the commlink.

    "Councilor, tell your people to gather at the town center," Airo said. "The... attacking creatures will have less chance to trap them in an open area."

    "We''re already doing so, Commander. However, I''m afraid there is no point in that strategy; our weapons cannot harm those abominations at all. Unless you have any ideas, Dragon Retreat is doomed."

    "Do you have veronite weaponry?" Airo asked.

    "We... do have a small cache of ammunition from dragon-sourced material. Although I''m not sure even those distasteful arms would be able to help with what we''re dealing here."

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    "They will," Airo said with conviction. "I have based them on the ultimate destructive force in the galaxy. If something exists, even if only as coherent light, veronite can end it." He made a decision. "Councilor, equip your best sharpshooters with the ammunition cache. I am going to slow the advance down." He cut the commlink.

    Kiana glanced askance at him. "You''d based what on what?" she exclaimed.

    "You two, get into combat gear," Airo said, ignoring her remark. "Kiana, take control over the town infrastructure and deploy a tacnet. Cloud will assist you. Zuckeroff, find a sniper loaded with veronite, and find a spot where you can overlook the valley. Provide me with fire support. You have three minutes each."

    "Boss, where are you going?" the astrior asked.

    "Front line," Airo replied. "Cloud, deploy the fri-skis."

    He dashed and began sliding directly across the cliffside. The fri-skis retained his initial speed, and began to gather additional momentum as he turned them at a slight downward angle. He leaned against the steep cliffside, almost touching the stone face, maintaining the impossible movement thanks to the power armor''s stability assistance. Airo skirted around the valley wall, nearing the eastern canyon delta. Below, people ran away in panic, with the murderous lightwraiths in close pursuit, any defense systems breaking down as the monsters passed through them.

    Airo heaved, and sprang off the cliffside. He landed on an arching walkway high above the ground. He unholstered the veronite blaster, aimed, and shot one of the lightwraiths. The apparition staggered, its golden halo dimming visibly. Airo pulled the trigger rapidly, getting in several more shots. The lightwraith shrieked, the otherworldly sound audible even from a distance, and dispersed in a cloud of residual energy.

    The nearest group of lightwraiths abandoned their pursuit, and charged at Airo, rising straight into the air. He fired in swift salvos, taking advantage of his high ground, and downed two more apparitions. He then jumped, his power armor-enhanced strength propelling him far onto another walkway, seconds before the remaining lightwraiths overran his previous position. He turned and took them out with the blaster. Already, another group was rushing him, larger than the first.

    At that moment, his HUD lit up with a host of data. Kiana had created a tactical network, and the power armor connected to the encrypted channel. The overlay drew a minimap of the surrounding area in one corner, and arrows at the edges of Airo''s visor showed the nearest hostile forces. Dots in different colors on the minimap represented fighters and non-combatants. Airo fired at the incoming lightwraiths, and bounded onto a cliffside temple''s ledge. He saw on the tacnet something quickly approaching from behind, and leapt off the ledge a moment before a lightwraith seeped from the cliff wall, spectral arms reaching out. Airo fell toward the ground, firing. He landed with a roll on a narrow, twisting path, statues lining both sides.

    Airo ran, firing continuously to cover his retreat. The lightwraiths slowed down their pursuit, as if wary of his ability to harm them. They circled midair like ghostly trails of light, hiding behind buildings and roofs, and Airo couldn''t jump to a higher place without risking interception. He dashed toward the path''s end, intent on reaching the main thoroughfare, when two apparitions burst out from one statue. The tacnet alerted Airo, and he dodged out of the way, aimed the veronite blaster at point-blank range, and pulled the trigger.

    Empty. He hadn''t noticed the warning on the HUD.

    The nearer lightwraith lunged at him with an eerie, alien warcry. Airo reacted instinctively, pulling out the katana from the scabbard, and swung it across the apparition''s torso. The crystalline blade connected solidly, cleaving straight through the intangible mass of light. The lightwraith''s warcry turned into a shriek, and it dispersed. Airo stared for a microsecond, surprised his blade worked against these creatures. The other lightwraith attacked, and he dodged to the side to avoid its swiping limb. He slashed into a counterattack, killing the lightwraith, and sprinted away, barely avoiding the lashing forms of more incoming apparitions.

    Airo took a sharp turn, and skidded onto the main thoroughfare. According to the tacnet, his diversion had lured away almost all enemies, and only he and the lightwraiths were left in the immediate area. He deployed the fri-skis and hurtled along the thoroughfare, hoping his efforts have given enough time for the denizens of Dragon Retreat to organize a defense. Airo headed to the canyon valley, swerving between the bodies of fallen transhumans on his way back.

    "Kiana," he said, "status report."

    "Most people were too panicked to stay in the open," she replied over the commlink. "The Council directed them to take shelter in the High Temple. We took down a few of those things, but they managed to kill many of the townsfolk." Her voice wavered. "Commander, those abominations can create more of themselves by murdering people."

    "What''re those ghosts anyway, Boss?" Zuckeroff asked in hushed tone. "They seem resistant even to veronite."

    "Focus, people," Airo said sternly. "They still die. Keep tight fire control, and we will pull through this," he added, in case more defenders were listening on the same frequency. "I am coming shortly."

    He coasted down the canyon valley to the shrine-town center, and scanned the area. A small squad of transhumans, Kiana and Zuckeroff among them, had taken position on the stone terraces over the northeastern cliffside of the valley. Airo skied over to them and slid to a halt. He examined the frightened faces which looked back at him.

    "Boss!" Zuckeroff shouted. "You made it back!"

    "Look sharp, everyone," Airo called. "Cloud, give me sitrep."

    "Approximately two minutes until contact, Commander. The tactical network shows about three scores of hostiles, approaching fast from coordinates zero-seven-eight, north-synced."

    "Right. Now who is the commanding officer here?"

    "We are," two vacsuit-clad figures stepped forward, holding assault rifles. He recognized them; Ramara and Nerisca, the blue-skinned women who had taken part in the rescue mission.

    "Are these soldiers all we have available?" Airo asked them, looking over the meagre group of half-dozen locals.

    "Yessir," Nerisca replied, pale behind the visor. Ramara seemed steadier than her, though her posture betrayed her fright. She, Nerisca, and the others had put on what protection they''ve been able to find, despite it being useless against the lightwraiths. The members of the quickly-assembled militia were all on edge, clutching tightly their veronite-loaded weapons. They looked up at Airo desperately, waiting for guidance.

    He turned to Kiana. "Do we have further retreating points?"

    The Conduit shook her head. She and Zuckeroff were both in their Sol Force blue-white cosmofighter uniforms. "We can''t leave the High Temple behind. If we change position, those things can charge right through the cliff walls and kill everyone."

    Airo stared grimly toward the eastern canyon. The sun was low, the night''s darkness mere minutes away. He glanced sideways across the valley, where the dormitory cavern was, and clenched his jaw. "Then we make our stand here," he said resolutely. "Zuckeroff, take that vantage point on the landing over by the shrine. Kiana, go to the dormitory cavern and take Veralla. Ramara, Nerisca, you are with me down at ground level; we need to bait them from overrunning our position. The rest keep guard here. And somebody give me a fresh energy cell for the blaster."

    They barely took their positions in time. The lightwraiths poured into the valley in a blazing-fast charge. Airo and the town militia opened fire with a devastating barrage. The lightwraiths'' confidence cost them almost half their number, yet the remaining apparitions quickly scattered, melding into the ground or inside nearby structures. Airo, Ramara, and Nerisca rushed in different directions, trying to lure away and split the lightwraiths.

    "Commander, pattern-recognition routines predict the enemy will try to flank your position," Yeoman Cloud warned.

    "Ramara, Nerisca, form up!" Airo called. "Move southwest!"

    He heard Kiana cry out over the commlink. He rushed across the valley''s open plazas. Instantly, the tacnet displayed several interception vectors, and lightwraiths sprang from the ground, reaching out for him. He dived sideways, firing at them, and landed heavily on the pavement. He wished there was ice and snow to reduce his friction. Airo rolled over, preserving momentum, and let the militia''s sharpshooters and Zuckeroff take out the lightwraiths.

    He sprang upright and located Kiana via the tacnet. He found her near an arched gateway flanked on either side by statues. She was lying on the ground, her assault rifle out of reach, and a lightwraith was closing in on her. He charged, drawing the katana, and slashed at the apparition''s neck. The lightwraith shrieked and disintegrated. Kiana rose tentatively, her legs shaking.

    "Th-thank you..." she stammered, but Airo shoved her hard. "Down!" he bellowed.

    Spectral claws erupted from the nearby statue. Airo angled the katana, and the lightwraith pounced into the crystalline blade, killing itself. He checked his HUD. The tacnet informed him half a dozen enemies were fast approaching behind him. He turned and charged toward them to lure them away from Kiana, the veronite blaster blazing in one hand, the katana swinging in the other.

    He shot a lightwraith to the left, and ducked sideways, cleaving another in the same motion. He aimed the blaster at a fresh target but the apparition dashed aside, and the salvo blew a bunch of statues and pylons to pieces. The blaster expended its charge, and he dropped it, lifting the katana to slash away at a lightwraith''s lashing limb. The lightwraith shrieked, its appendage evaporated, only to reform a second later ¨C but the creature''s overall radiance dimmed.

    Airo leapt back, avoiding the counterattacks of his remaining opponents. He felt the power armor boosting his reflexes ¨C but there was a limit to how much the technology could do without implants. He dodged and weaved, unable to parry the lightwraiths'' raking claws. Boosted by the power armor, he jumped high onto another gateway preparing to make a risky maneuver as the lightwraiths surged toward him.

    Suddenly, an invisible hail collided into the oncoming apparitions. Energy arcs burst out from them, and they dispersed into oblivion. Airo paused mid-motion, and took a neutral stance to catch his breath. He turned to Zuckeroff''s general position and lifted the katana in salute. In that moment, the tacnet warned him about another approaching lightwraith. He turned swiftly, preparing to meet the oncoming threat. Instead of rushing head-on, the lightwraith raised one spectral hand and pointed it at him.

    A lance of energy hit Airo in the gut. He felt agony coursing through his entire body, and then everything went dark.

    ***

    Veralla watched the battle from the room''s window.

    It was the most terrible thing she had ever seen.

    People were running around in packs, their hearts and minds full of fear and terror, and they fell, their souls torn from them, unmoving... dead.

    People died in battle.

    The strange terrible monsters made of light rampaged through the canyon valley, consuming lives, ravaging the aura of the shrine-town itself, and Veralla trembled, suddenly feeling very scared and very alone. She huddled at the corner of the window, watching the horrors below and keening quietly.

    Airo, Kiana, Zuckeroff, and some of the others from the town regrouped at the High Temple, and fought the monsters made of light. Veralla stared, rigid with anxiety as the fight raged around the stony terraces and plazas, wishing desperately that no one died.

    And then Airo was alone, fighting many of the monsters. Zuckeroff helped him defeat them, and Veralla sighed in relief. But then another monster approached and hurled a terrible bolt of light at Airo.

    "NO!" she screamed just as the blinding flash cut through him.

    Then he fell, unmoving.

 Chapter 9.2 - Clash of Ways

    Airo stirred, and opened his eyes weakly.

    He was inside a high-tech room, lying in a healing pod. The walls were lined with medical devices and diagnostic screens. Veralla, Zuckeroff, and Kiana stood beside the healing pod, their faces full of concern, which immediately turned to relief when they saw him awakening. Next to them, standing respectfully to the side, was the Council of Dragon Retreat.

    "Hey-hey, Boss, glad to have you back!" Zuckeroff said cheerfully.

    "Airo!" Veralla called, and leapt onto him, peering closely at his face. "Oh, I am so glad you are well!"

    "Ugh, keep a distance," he grunted in irritation, and pushed her head away, though gently. "How long was I out?"

    "Almost an entire day," Kiana said. "You were as good as dead, though it turned out people here have quite an advanced medical facility equipped with aethertech. We helped the Council to calm things in the aftermath of the fight during your recuperation, and came here as soon as we were able to."

    "I... see," Airo said, yet he wasn''t following. "You came here... why?"

    "Because you were wounded!" Veralla cried out. "We were worried about you!"

    "We owe you for guiding us through that voidscape yesterday, Boss," Zuckeroff said.

    "...and for saving my life," Kiana added quietly.

    Councilor Itrix stepped forward. "We also want to express our deepest gratitude, Commander Airo. Your actions saved our shrine-town. On behalf of the inhabitants of Dragon Retreat, we hereby thank you from the heart of our souls."

    "Thank you, Commander Airo," murmured the rest of the councilors.

    Airo studied the people and the little dragon before him with something akin to bewilderment. It had been too long since anyone had thanked him for anything. He turned his head tiredly to one of the walls. There was an HHI viewpanel there, simulating a window. The twin suns shone brightly in the sky, and the crystal facades of the stone temples and cliffside caverns glittered from the reflected light, warmed by the environmental shield. The shrine-town seemed peaceful, as if the nightmare of the previous day hadn''t happened. The bodies had been cleared away, and only scattered instances of ruined statues hinted at the horror which had transpired. Airo silently contemplated the scenery, feeling the anxious gazes upon him. He stifled a sigh, and grunted instead. "We cannot remain here. And neither can you," he said to the Council. "This town must be evacuated."

    "Evacuated?" Councilor Graam cried out. "To where? This man is delusional!"

    "We can go to Kryoon City," Councilor Letira remarked.

    "How shall we reach the proposed destination?" Councilor Visorius asked dispassionately. "We still lack an organized migration plan."

    "Why should we evacuate in the first place?" Councilor Graam insisted. "We defeated those abominations! They are no more!"

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    "Commander Airo," Councilor Usylor asked placidly, "why do you recommend we leave our home?"

    "Those... creatures," Airo said, "there will be more of them. This place is not safe anymore."

    "Why do you think so, Commander?"

    Airo wasn''t sure himself. "An enemy never attacks once," he said firmly. "There will be more of them."

    "But what are they?" Veralla asked. "They were not humans, yet they looked like such?"

    "This is not important now," Airo snapped. "The details can be worked out later. Currently, our goal is to get away from here. Even if we have to walk across the wasteland. Now move away from me so I can stand," he told Veralla, and the dragonet hopped off the healing pod.

    "Wait a minute, your condition is still..." Kiana began, then trailed off under Airo''s dark look. "Fine, have it your way, Commander."

    "Commander Airo, please listen to Lieutenant Kiana, she¨C" Councilor Itrix said, yet stopped short when he shot her a murderous gaze as well. "Is he always like this?" the fin-headed councilor asked Kiana, who frowned and crossed her arms.

    Airo shifted his weight, and tried to rise from the pod. Suddenly, he felt a terrible weakness in his abdomen, and his whole body convulsed. A medical alarm rang out. Airo pitched forward, but Zuckeroff grabbed him, and helped him ease back into the pod.

    "There, there, steady now, Boss," the astrior said with a concerned expression.

    The room spoke in a familiar voice. "Commander, congratulations on your advancement to Stage Two of the recovery procedures," Yeoman Cloud said merrily. "However, your vital signs are only at eighty percent from their normal parameters. You must continue to rest. I assure you I will take good care for your health. My programming includes the entire medical database of the Galactic Stellar Consortium, and several thousand illegal copies of various treatises from the Union of True Humanity."

    "I have no time for resting," Airo said gruffly. His head was swimming as if he was drunk. "SAI, give me parasomatin or some other combat-grade stimulant, and reinforce the injury with nanobandages or medi-gel."

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that, Commander," Yeoman Cloud said in a melodramatically apologetic tone.

    "You can''t?" Airo growled. "How dare you ignore my orders, you deusforsaken talking computer!"

    "Your injury isn''t physical, Commander. Your body is completely healthy, actually. The problem lies in your personal energy signature ¨C i.e. the ''soul'', as per standard colloquial terms. It has been damaged. I''ve analyzed the extent of the damage with the available aethertech equipment, and have taken proper course of treatment. However, even with energy infusors turned to maximum output, there''s unavoidable downtime in the process. You must rest during that period, Commander."

    "I am fine," Airo objected, yet his voice betrayed his words.

    "Sorry to say Commander, but your statement is untrue. However, your statement will change status at the end of your recovery, which will happen within the day."

    Airo muttered something, and winced when another wave of weakness washed over him.

    "Airo, are you all right?" Veralla asked anxiously.

    "Yeah, yeah," he said in annoyed tone. He turned his head to the Council. "I want you to organize an evacuation immediately. The sooner, the better. You saw how fast those things move, and more of them might be closing in on the town even as we speak. Another horde might be here in a month, or after three days."

    Councilor Itrix responded with something, yet Airo did not hear her. His weakness had transformed abruptly into a bone-deep weariness. His eyes closed on their own. "Remember, they come from the skies," he said. "Use missiles for long-range suppression, then employ the cannons for fire-zone saturation." He was dimly aware he was rambling. He tried to focus his thoughts. "Major... keep... keep at least four interceptors on air patrol at all times..."

    No, that happened a long time ago. Now he had to do something else... he could not remember. There was a fight. Yes. He had to prevent a fight. No... He had to start it. Yet... why?

    Airo tried to recall his current situation, yet only emptiness answered.

 Chapter 9.3 - Clash of Ways

    He awoke abruptly. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of the medical screens and the viewpanel. It was night outside. Something scraped at the edge of his hearing. He stared at the viewpanel. The stars shone brightly, yet the sky had a strange orange underglow.

    Fire.

    The lights flickered, and the viewpanel flashed with static. Airo sat upright in the healing pod. Something heavy lay on his legs. He peered in the darkness and realized it was Veralla. The dragonet had coiled upon herself, her pitch-black body looming at the other end of the pod like some floating void. Airo pulled his legs out from underneath her. She murmured sleepily, but didn''t wake. He stood carefully. The weakness was gone; he was cured. He went to the corner, where the power armor hung on a frame, with his other gear placed in a small locker beside. He took his grid caster, donned the armor, clipped on his katana, and holstered the veronite blaster.

    As soon as the armor''s helmet enclosed his head, he whispered, "Cloud, status report!"

    Something was very wrong, because the artificial cheer was absent from the SAI''s voice. "Commander, the shrine-town is under another attack. Almost half the population is dead. I suggest you take yourself to safety immediately."

    Airo rushed out of the room. He found he was inside a medical facility atop one of the cliffs. "How long ago?" he asked.

    "Nine-point-three minutes since the first perimeter alarm. Eight-point-seven minutes since the first casualty," Yeoman Cloud reported. "Commander, most of Dragon Retreat''s infrastructure is in critical condition. I advise immediate evacuation."

    "Let me decide for myself," Airo growled. "Provide tacnet access!"

    He ran outside the medical center. Immediately two lightwraiths emerged from the nearest cliff and charged him. He narrowly dodged one raking claw of the nearer apparition, and drew his katana. He made two quick cuts, destroying the lightwraiths, and paused to take stock of the situation.

    Most of the lights around the shrine-town were uncharacteristically dark. Atop the mesa, the geodesic dome was burning in one giant inferno. The environmental shield was gone, and cold snow drifted inside the canyons. The air was devoid of screams or alarms, although rifle chatter and small explosions echoed sporadically in the distance. On the horizon, the energy pillar glimmered in the darkness, ever-present.

    Airo ran down the cliffside toward the town''s center. According to the tacnet, a large concentration of hostiles was in the area around the High Temple. Airo fri-skied downward, the katana raised high, and dove straight into a melee of lightwraiths. He swung madly left and right, disintegrating a dozen of the monsters. The lightwraiths howled and made to overwhelm him, but then stopped. Airo whirled around, seeking the source of this disturbance.

    Then he saw something to the side, and froze in his tracks.

    There, on a terrace in front of a lovely cliffside home, stood a single man. He wore a massive armor in crimson color, its chestplate emblazoned with a golden star. The man wore no helmet, yet he seemed unaffected by the fiercely cold air. His short, sun-blonde hair waved erratically in the sparse blizzard. He was looking down at a transhuman couple embraced in their death, and his deep green eyes were filled with remorse.

    The man noticed Airo, and lifted his gaze. Suddenly, Airo''s helmet retracted without warning. The cold bit savagely into him, yet he held steady, gripping the katana with both hands, and his armored gauntlets creaked. He and the man stood unmoving for what seemed an eternity, facing each other, while the horde of lightwraiths hovered around in wait.

    "Airo," the man nodded.

    "Ferrtau," he said. The blood-red anger that bubbled inside him rose to white-hot fury.

    "So you have finally won your freedom," Ferrtau said, and gazed again at the fallen couple. His expression was distant and remote; his armor was battered and worn, as if he had crossed the galaxy with it. "I wondered if you were alive after all this time."

    "Freedom means nothing for me, and you know it," Airo said in a low, ragged voice. "I have only one purpose in life now ¨C to end you."

    Ferrtau sighed quietly, and his green eyes met Airo''s hateful stare once more. "The galaxy teeters on the brink of oblivion, and the first thing you do after gaining a second chance is to settle your grievances. Even after seven centuries, you still desire only vengeance. Have you ever thought to reconsider?"

    "Reconsider!?" Airo shouted. "After what you have done! After what you have TAKEN AWAY FROM ME!" Red haze filled his vision. His self-control slipped. He roared and lunged at his archenemy.

    There was a flash, and an unseen force hit him like a wall. Airo flew backward and fell hard on the stone ground, the katana clinking a stride away. Across, Ferrtau hadn''t moved at all. The lightwraiths, too, had remained barely drifting.

    "Airo, seven hundred and sixty-two years have passed," Ferrtau said softly. "There has been not a single day from them which I have not mourned Zenassa''s death. Even when I was with Kalessia..." He stopped. "My life is full of sin. Yet I intend to earn redemption for my past deeds."

    Airo rose to his feet. His anger had evaporated, replaced by cold and absolute hate. Hate for the man before him, and for the fact he could not harm him at all. Yet that cold hate also restored some of his clarity. "Is this your redemption, Ferrtau?" he said bitterly, gesturing around. "Twisting light into these perversions, and killing people with them?"

    "No, this is my condemnation trice over," Ferrtau said in a strained voice. "What you see before you, Airo, are actions born out of necessity. In order to achieve my salvation, I have a sacred duty before the Universe. And the Revenant, they are merely the heralds of the New Age That Is To Come... and regretfully, there must be an Apocalypse before Heaven can come forth."

    "First a blackguardly scholar, and now a delusional messiah," Airo said darkly. "I have seen enough. I care not for the rest of this planet, yet I am killing you for my own personal sake, Ferrtau. I vowed to it." He clenched his fists and stood ready, alone against his deadly archenemy and scores of fearsome monsters.

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    "So be it," Ferrtau said, his expression turning neutral. The surrounding Revenant quivered in anticipation. "What you will achieve is only your death, Airo."

    "One of us dies tonight, all right," Airo nodded. "And I intend¨C"

    "Airo!"

    Ferrtau turned, and froze in shock. Airo glanced sideways and saw Veralla. The dragonet was a few paces away from him, legs bent low and wings raised in trepidation.

    "Airo, what is happening here?" she asked with a wavering voice.

    "Veralla, stay behind me!" he shouted.

    "You..." Ferrtau said with dream-like wonder. "You are her daughter... Veralla!" he called. She jerked her head at the sound of his voice as if struck, and took an instinctive step back.

    "Stay away from her!" Airo growled, and moved between them.

    Ferrtau''s demeanor changed abruptly. "Airo, do not interfere," he said in a diamond-hard tone, yet his eyes were full of plea.

    "Like void I will not!" Airo replied. "You and I have a score to settle."

    "No scores," Ferrtau said. "No violence." He gazed again at the dragonet as if mesmerized. "This is the end... I will do anything. Just let me take Veralla away."

    Something stirred in Airo. "No. Fucking. Way." Beside him, he could feel Veralla practically trembling with fear. He took a step back, and shielded her with his body.

    "You do not understand," Ferrtau said, voice choked with emotion. "Airo, I will do anything. Please, let me take Veralla."

    "You. Will. Not."

    "What the void, Airo?" Ferrtau suddenly shouted. "You hate dragons! At least let me see her! Kill me afterwards if you want, but let me see her! LET ME SEE HER!"

    Airo stood his ground. "No."

    Ferrtau lost his composure. "Void it, you deusforsaken dragonslayer! I AM GOING TO END YOU!"

    "Veralla, RUN!" Airo shouted, and closed his helmet. She bolted the same instant as Ferrtau and the Revenant started to move.

    Suddenly, his senses were crushed under intense pressure. Time twisted, then stretched beyond an invisible event horizon. The world around him came to a halt. In one moment, he was rushed by an army of relentless apparitions and their mad overlord, in the next ¨C the stars turned, and the mysterious, semi-controlled ability he had possessed as far as he could remember kicked into high gear. He saw the fear and recognition in Ferrtau''s eyes as he, the Revenant, and the blizzard itself slowed down to an almost complete stasis.

    Or rather as Airo became extraordinarily, inhumanly fast. He blinked away his surprise, and instantly assessed the situation. Ferrtau, scowled in concentration, started to increase his temporal speed too. Airo had no time to pick up his katana before his archenemy struck him down with sheer will alone. So he settled for the next best thing.

    He drew the veronite blaster, and shot Ferrtau between the eyes.

    Even with its velocity reduced by orders of magnitude, the gravitic light beam was impossible to dodge at this distance. The blaster spewed a cyan-purple bolt which sang through the air, and slammed full-force into the forehead of its dumbfounded target.

    Airo wasted no time examining the results. He was already moving, firing salvos left and right, and tumbled forward to pick up his katana. The Revenant were slow to react to his supernatural alacrity, yet they were lightning fast in real time, and started to close in on him. Airo slid forward, slashing two nearby Revenant, and vaporized a third with the blaster. He rose to his feet, and blazed away at the apparitions until the blaster''s charge ended. Then he ran.

    He was surprised to see Veralla almost a hundred meters down the walkway. For some reason, her subjective time stream was also accelerated. He caught up to the dragonet, startling her.

    "Oh! Where are we going?" Veralla asked in distress.

    "As far away as possible," Airo said. Veralla had become faster on her feet since her hatching, though she still struggled to keep his pace. They reached the valley bottom and ran across the wide squares, going past many Revenant who tried to pursue them in vain. Airo felt like his whole body was being crushed by a giant invisible hand. His time-shifting ability had never lasted so long. Beside him, Veralla also seemed to struggle under the forces of relativity. "Keep running!" he shouted in encouragement. "Look for vehicles!" An idea struck him. "Cloud! Come in!"

    For three long seconds, nothing happened. Then, "Commander! That was quite the burst transmission! How can I be of assistance?"

    "Give me the location of the nearest vehicle! Preferably something fast!"

    "Right away, Commander. There is a tuned-up ATV by a repair station less than fifty meters away from your position. Transferring exact coordinates now."

    Airo turned around the indicated corner, and found the ATV parked in front of a large garage bay. He opened the driver''s door, tossed Veralla inside unceremoniously, and then climbed in the cabin. Yeoman Cloud had already overridden the controls, and the vehicle''s engine sprang to life. In that moment the timeshift receded, and Airo''s senses returned to normal.

    Airo throttled the accelerator, and the ATV hurtled away. He drove along the western road leading out of Dragon Retreat. Abruptly, two Revenant emerged on the road right in front of the vehicle. Airo turned sharply to the left to protect his lower body, pushing the ATV into a powerslide, and leaned heavily to the right, awkwardly pulling the katana out. He angled the blade horizontally just as the two Revenant phased into the cabin, and disintegrated them an inch away from Veralla''s snout, who yelped in surprise.

    Airo re-stabilized the ATV, and dashed full-throttle out into the frozen wasteland. He drove toward a glacier range ahead, snow and ice crunching under the wheels, the obliterated shrine-town and its burning geodesic dome swiftly receding in the distance behind. He controlled his breathing to get his pulse down, and glanced at Veralla. The dragonet was over-anxious, her twin crests risen to full height, her slit-pupiled eyes wide and round.

    "Who was that man?" she asked in a hushed tone.

    "His name is Ferrtau. Tungust Ferrtau," Airo said curtly.

    "Why was he attacking and killing people?" she asked. "And why did the monsters follow him?"

    "I have no idea," he said. "And honestly I do not care. My only desire is to kill him."

    Veralla sat silent for a minute. "Why did he want to take me?" she asked in a small voice.

    "I do not know," Airo said. "Probably because he is ¨C was ¨C a companion to your mother."

    Veralla suddenly perked up. "My mother? You know my mother?"

    "I..." Airo hesitated. "I will not talk about this."

    "But I want to know about my mother!" The dragonet reared in her seat. "Please, tell me!"

    "I said, I will not talk about this!" Airo snarled.

    Veralla let out a small whimper, and curled around herself. Then she sprang back. "We forgot about Kiana and Zuckeroff! We must return for them!"

    "No," Airo said. He checked the ATV''s speed. If the landscape ahead didn''t warp away or pull off some other paraworld trick, they would reach the glacier range after twelve minutes.

    "But they helped us during the reality storm! And they have been nice to me! And they have listened to your orders! We must return and help them! And we should try to save as many of the other people as we can, too!"

    "Listen," he said in a hard tone, "that town is now swarming with Revenant, or whatever those aberrations are called. Everyone is probably dead already. Dragon Retreat is no more. Forget it."

    "But I¨C"

    "I said, forget it!" Airo shouted. Veralla subsided miserably. "This is the harsh reality of life," he muttered to himself. He glanced at the rear-view display. No one was in pursuit. He thought he sensed something.

    Instantly, the driver''s door was ripped out of its housing. Airo whirled, and found himself against Ferrtau, who hung onto the ATV''s frame. "Enough," his archenemy snapped, and punched him in the face. The blow ripped Airo out of his seat, and sent him crashing across the cabin and through the passenger''s door. He flew outside and landed on the icy ground at a hundred miles per hour. The power armor protected his body during the fall, and prevented Ferrtau''s fist from pulverizing his head, albeit barely. Airo swiftly lost consciousness, tumbling amidst the frozen landscape, the last thing he heard being Veralla''s terrified cry.

 Chapter 9.4 - Clash of Ways

    Veralla tried to grab Airo as he flew past her, but it was as if she tried to stop a falling meteorite. He slammed into the door in an explosion of composites, and disappeared outside. Veralla rawr¨Ced in dread at the sound of impact.

    "Airo!" she yelled and jumped after him.

    She hit the cold ground in a huff of breath. Pain flared in her tail and left wing. She hissed and curled up, enduring the hurt. She rolled wildly, completely disoriented, and finally stopped. Everything hurt. She stretched slowly and cried out, the cry collapsing to a whimper as something inside her nearly gave out. She rose gingerly, and saw an unmoving armor-clad form nearby.

    "Airo!" she yelled again, torn, and hobbled next to him. She nudged his shoulder with her snout. "Airo, wake up!" He didn''t move. She hrrr-ed desperately, and nudged him again. She sensed a presence, and turned sharply to see who was behind her.

    The man called Ferrtau stood a few paces away. His red-gold armor glinted, light reflected from the great energy pillar on the horizon, and his hair waved as the blizzard gusted across the plain. Veralla was seeing his aura radiating like a brilliant halo, its intensity so very great, like a blazing sun. His power frightened her.

    Ferrtau gazed at her with his deep, luminous eyes, and she shuddered when she looked into the vortex that was his soul. "Veralla, I will not harm you," he said softly, and moved closer.

    She took a step back, her wings spread out, her tail quivering. Ferrtau moved very slowly toward her, gauntleted hand partly outstretched in a longing gesture. "Veralla, please, come with me," he said, the words strangled and subdued.

    She took another step back, and her hind leg bumped into Airo. She was very afraid. She was alone against this terrible man, who killed her friends and other people. And hurt Airo. As the thought came, she felt her throat rumble. Strength rose within her. She would not let this man hurt Airo or anyone else further. Veralla stared defiantly at Ferrtau, and growled.

    He froze in place. For one long moment he stood there, motionless as a statue. Then his hand fell limply to his side, and his eyes became dark as the cosmic void. "Now I truly must continue," he whispered, his voice almost lost in the wind. He raised his hand again, this time in a dooming gesture, and Veralla braced herself for the attack.

    Suddenly, the air shimmered. Ferrtau turned to look at the disturbance, and a blast of force knocked him off his feet. He flew over a dozen paces away, and landed with a grunt.

    Veralla turned to see where the attack came from. Walking through the blizzard was another human, a tall, broad-shouldered man. He wore a heavy, regal-looking robe in the same red-gold colors like Ferrtau''s armor. He seemed to be of great age, his aquiline features weathered, his hair and beard completely bleached of color. Veralla sensed his vast inner power, yet it was a restrained and disciplined presence in contrast to Ferrtau''s wildly surging aura.

    The old man stood at a respectable distance, waiting. Ferrtau rose to his feet, and sneered. "Magus," he said in contempt. "Is the Order so desperate they recalled you from your self-exile?"

    "I am not apprised of the current situation," the other man said calmly. "However, I have traveled to the Shard and have seen that something terrible has transpired there. And now I find you here, your soul twisted and you acting the villain against a helpless man and a fledgling dragon. The facts are not with you, Ferrtau."

    "I do not need your interference, old man," Ferrtau said. "You already plunged the galaxy into darkness once. I will not give you the chance to do it twice." He disappeared into a blur.

    Magus reacted, also winking out of existence. An instant later Ferrtau surged in his place, a turbulent vortex tearing the air in the wake of the attack. Magus reappeared at another location. Ferrtau turned, and narrowed his eyes.

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    "I see I was not wrong in my judgment," Magus said. "I do not want to kill you, Ferrtau, however you are too powerful to leave me a choice." He spread his arms, and blue-white lightning crackled in his hands.

    Ferrtau smiled. "Ah, Magus. Has your power diminished so much you use physical forces to attack me?" he asked.

    The old man''s response was a single, thunderous blast, a lance of energy so bright it nearly blinded Veralla. She raised a claw to shield her eyes, hissing in surprise. The blast hit Ferrtau, engulfing him in an instant. He reemerged, seemingly unharmed, though he wasn''t smiling anymore. "That was clever, hiding a quantum resonance wave in the lightning," he said, frowning.

    Magus attacked again, wasting no time for words. Ferrtau raised a scintillating barrier, and parried the blast of energy. Then both of them turned into blurry shapes, moving from one place to the next in an instant, creating passages of sonic booms, energy lances and vortices of exotic waves tearing between them. Veralla ducked her head under her wing, and watched the deadly duel in transfixed awe.

    Without warning the old man, Magus, slowed down and stopped in place, arms twisted in an elaborate stance, his face strained in concentration. A second later, Ferrtau also decelerated, his right fist enveloped by viridian light and held at eye level. His expression carried grim satisfaction. "You are beaten, Magus," he said. "I am sorry it had to end like this. You were my mentor, and I always respected you."

    "I can still fight," Magus replied with an even voice despite his obvious strain. "Even if it results in my death."

    "Death will follow us all, ultimately," Ferrtau said, and glanced at Veralla, who flinched. "Yet I will first ensure that my Legacy shall endure!" The viridian light around his fist blazed with murderous intensity.

    But then the sky thundered, and a golden shape stormed high above. It was a giant skyship, its titanic engines flaring at maximum thrust. A dozen beams shot out from its hull, each of them wide as a building, and descended upon Ferrtau in a cyan-purple blaze. He immediately surrounded himself with a defensive barrier, his outline barely visible in the storm of light. Up above, one of the skyship''s bulwarks morphed into a launch ramp, and great forms leapt into the cold night air, unfurling their mighty wings.

    Veralla roared in joy. Those were dragons!

    "ATTACK THE TARGET ONLY AT RANGE!" a voice boomed from the skyship. "WATCH OUT FOR THE CIVILIANS!"

    The dragons swooped down and unleashed streams of nova-hot plasma from their jaws, adding their firebreaths to the overwhelming assault against Ferrtau. Veralla could dimly see him moving under the torrents of energy; he was trying to do something. Then Magus broke free, and he joined in the attack, two void-black energy rays shooting from each hand. The backblast from the combined forces was hot and violent enough that Veralla''s scales began to hurt. Despite this, Ferrtau was still holding on, trying to overcome the awesome firepower arrayed against him.

    Veralla sensed a small ping in her mind. She turned, and saw Airo, who stirred weakly. His power armor was encased in a bluish energy shield, which pulsed intensely against the waves of rampant energy. Veralla squeed, and nudged him vigorously.

    "Airo!" she shouted, though the energy storm drowned her words. He reached for his side, and took out the veronite blaster. Veralla angled back her webbed ears in dismay, as Airo slowly lifted the blaster and aimed it.

    ***

    Light. Heat. Pain.

    All these didn''t matter to Airo. He willed himself to move, and drew the veronite blaster. Veralla was beside him, jostling him and shouting something, but he ignored her. His entire being was concentrated at the barest of outlines that was his archenemy, trapped inside the vortex of obliterating power.

    The power armor''s HUD produced a targeting solution and Airo prepared to squeeze the trigger. In that instant, he glimpsed Ferrtau''s face clearly through the blinding veils of light. Their eyes locked. The moment seemed to drag for eternity.

    You will pay, Ferrtau, Airo vowed silently.

    Then, in a flash, his archenemy disappeared. Almost half a minute passed before the attackers realized their target was gone and ceased their bombardment. Airo relaxed his arm. Next to him, Veralla gestured and clamored in wild excitement. "Look, look, those are dragons! Airo, those are dragons!"

    He glanced at the sky with an empty gaze. He felt exhausted and spent. His whole head throbbed with acute pain. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a red-and-gold robe walked toward them, circling around the smoldering crater left from the ¨¹ber-attack.

    "Do you know who that is?" Veralla asked quietly, her attention shifting suddenly to the approaching man.

    It took Airo several seconds to recognize the familiar figure due to the aged appearance, his exhausted condition, and seven centuries passing since they last met. He snorted halfheartedly and closed his eyes. "That is Magus Dei ¨C one of the Grandmasters of the Order of the Radiant Knights."

 Part II - Prelude To War

    PRELUDE TO WAR

    Yolo''s Landing, seven centuries ago

    The Dragonslayer opened his eyes, and saw the sky.

    Above, the city spires reached for the heavens in blocky defiance. The morning radiance glinted off the hull of an ascending orbital shuttle. His gaze traveled downward, resting upon the many utilitarian buildings and plain streets, crowded after years of intra-urban expansion.

    He was alive.

    He had survived his vertical descent, thrown against the waiting alleys below with nothing else besides his sword and sheer determination. His eyes turned back to the skyscraper before him, the broken panoramic window visible thirty floors up. He willed himself to rise, his body broken, yet his mind blazing with everbright fire. He went back into the building, ignoring the startled looks and the worried shouts. Of course, there was no one in his apartment. His Nemesis had fled, gone beyond his reach, seeking the protection of those the Dragonslayer had branded enemies. His path to vengeance was now barred by the unity of the very ones he wanted to deliver his wrath upon. For his crusade to succeed, he needed a union of his own.

    The Dragonslayer examined his lodgings. The environment was heavy with neglect, reflecting the despair in his soul. His possessions were meager, his wealth nonexistent, his wardrobe solely the uniform he had worn with pride for so long. Only his blade remained sharp and in perfect order.

    He wanted one more thing.

    The Dragonslayer left his home away from home for the last time. He traveled to the cosmodrome, and commandeered an airjet. Then he flew away from the city, to the coast, and away again, to the distant south, where the ocean waves guarded the weathered shores of an old archipelago. There he landed on a small island, and left the airjet on a verdant clearing. He walked on stone steps to the highest point of the island, where a tall edifice loomed over the horizon like a forlorn beacon.

    The Dragonslayer ascended the steps, and stood before Her shrine.

    The triune sun hung low in the sky, its rays soft upon the monument, the purple-black surface sparkling with a thousand tiny stars. The Dragonslayer stepped closer, and knelt before Her final resting place. The shrine towered above him, massive, sharp, yet vague in shape, resembling outspread wings. He looked at it with bitter despair. He had transformed Her entirely, to give himself a ghostly semblance of peace, yet he had heeded Her last wish. In his memorial farewell, he had given Her the flight of freedom.

    The Dragonslayer said no prayers. He kept kneeling before the tectonic expression of his grief, and quietly wept.

    In time, he composed himself, and slowly rose. There, at the base of the shrine, lay a gridcaster gauntlet, its sable color indistinguishable from the dark body of the monument. The Dragonslayer stepped forward and took the gauntlet. His only memento of Her.

    He put on the gridcaster, and felt a deep longing as its nanites adjusted the gauntlet to fit his arm perfectly.

    "I will always remember you, my love," the Dragonslayer whispered, and lifted his head toward the twilight heavens.

    Now he had everything he needed.

    The Dragonslayer activated the gridcaster''s commlink, and made a call.

    ***

    The meeting was arranged at the city''s edge. The apartment building was a plain, prefabricated structure, cheap housing for the swelling population of a former military stronghold struggling to reform into a proper colony center. When the Dragonslayer arrived, the remaining old guard from the 23rd Starlight Division had already gathered in the small studio. Twenty men and women lifted their heads as he strode into the crowded room, his closest and most loyal subordinates. One of them, a towering individual known as the Templar, stepped forth and saluted the Dragonslayer with a fist over his heart. "We''re glad you are back among us, Commander," he said.

    "What happened to the others?" the Dragonslayer asked.

    "Most were killed in skirmishes after the Campaign, or went off-world with the returning colony ships. Some deserted when they learned where the Order was taking things. The rest decided to side with the damn lizards."

    "Have there been deserters from other divisions?"

    "Many," the Templar rumbled with dark approval. "The higher-ups thrill and croon over the dragons, but we know them for the savage beasts they truly are. They ignored the bloodshed and the horror of the Campaign, and think they can just invite these fire-breathing bastards into our society without any consideration. But we haven''t forgotten, and we intend to fight back.

    "However, resistance is disorganized, and lots of veterans choose to do nothing, unless someone unites us."

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    Twenty pairs of eyes fixed upon the Dragonslayer. He met each of them, and returned his gaze to the Templar. "You all know my loss," he said. "You know my title. And I tell you this: I harbor only hate for dragons... and for those who choose to take their side. I want to rid the Cosmos of those monstrosities, and I will strike down anyone who stands in my way. If you are with me," he declared, "I will lead you."

    A fierce cheer came from the packed crowd. Twenty individuals pledged their loyalty as one to their former leader. "We will follow you into the blackest void, Commander," the Templar said. "Until not a single dragon lives on this world."

    "Then let us get to work immediately," the Dragonslayer said. "Our first objective will be to arm ourselves... and provide armament for those who will follow us."

    "Sir, how will we call ourselves?" a short, burly woman asked. "How will the people know us?"

    The Dragonslayer paused a moment to think.

    "We will be known as the Dragon Removal Movement," he said.

    ***

    The military compound was surrounded by the first echelon of the newly-formed Movement. The Dragonslayer watched the dark figures of ACUs and sky interceptors through the tactical helmet''s night vision. Procuring personal arms was easy in a city originating from a former army base, yet to fight dragons, the Movement needed much greater tools for war.

    The commlink susurrated. "Commander, all units are in position. Standing by for rules of engagement."

    "Employ shock grenades and stunners for main takedowns," the Dragonslayer said. "If you encounter powered sentries, use lethal force. Try to keep a low profile as long as possible. Once the alarm goes off, fire at will. Remember, these people may join us one day, yet tonight they help our enemy. Do not hesitate."

    The commlink buzzed with curt agreements. "Begin," the Dragonslayer commanded.

    He signaled his team of five, and stormed the front gate. The guards went down before even realizing what was happening. The Dragonslayer led the group forth, toward the compound''s main building. In the distance, grenade blasts punched the nighttime quiet, accompanied by muffled shouts.

    They had just cleared the entrance hall, when alarms around the compound went off. The Dragonslayer discarded his stunner, and drew a heavy pistol. He shot three rushing guards, and made his way toward the command center, while his team neutralized any potential threats.

    The commlink crackled. "Commander, Strike team Alpha has begun hijack procedures. Strike team Delta is in position, and ready to counter any additional opposition, over."

    The Dragonslayer''s team burst into the command center. There was a short, vicious melee. The Dragonslayer wiped blood from his blade. "Roger that," he replied over the commlink. "We have taken the command hub. NetSec team is ready to act when you are."

    "Understood, Commander. ETA nine minutes."

    The Movement soldiers took seats behind the control terminals. They began rapidly interfacing the system, decrypting passwords and downloading available information. Down in the field, strike teams provided hardline connections where necessary. "Sir, we have access to the system," one of the datatechs called. "We are ready to execute automation routines on your command."

    "Do it," the Dragonslayer said, watching the compound''s grounds from the observation windows.

    Seconds later, the entire vehicle contingent of the military base rumbled to life. Skyships and giant mechs ascended on powerful thrusters, while interceptors and aerial cruisers lifted off runways, all disappearing into the night. The sky alighted with searchlights and laser beams, and small-arms fire erupted down onto the tarmac, as the alarms finally drew reinforcements to the assaulted compound. Yet they were too late.

    The Movement had assembled its first warfleet.

    ***

    The dragon screeched in anger and fear as it plunged lower, trying to flee the battle. The Dragonslayer forced the ACU''s thrusters to maximum, staying in close pursuit. Green scales rippled as the dragon frantically beat its wings, its ruby-colored eyes desperately searching for an escape. It took a sharp turn, going around a bend in the wide canyon. The Dragonslayer slowed down, the clumsier mech following in pursuit. Suddenly, the viewpanel was filled by a wall of scaled muscle, gnashing jaws, and raking claws. The dragon''s running ambush had succeed, and now it tried to shred the ACU with its deadly natural weapons.

    The Dragonslayer parried the charge, but the dragon bowled into him, and they both tumbled from the sky. Alarms went off in the cockpit as the dragon tore large chunks from the hull plating. The Dragonslayer slammed the dragon with the mech''s giant fist, stunning the creature. He rolled, putting the dragon between himself and the ground moments away from impact.

    ACU and dragon hit the earth both with a tremendous crash, blowing up a huge cloud of dust and soil. The dragon roared in pain, and thrashed weakly. The Dragonslayer extended the mech''s internal blade from one arm, and plunged the veronite-tipped edge into the dragon''s chest. The winged reptile''s roar cut into a hoarse wheeze, and it stilled, dead.

    The ACU stood up and the Dragonslayer surveyed the area. Smoke rose from nearby sites, where positions had been bombarded, or enemy mechanical units had fallen. The Dragonslayer scanned frequencies. "Second, report," he commanded over the comm channel.

    "The base is completely under our control, Commander. Only minor losses on our side. Veronite extraction teams are currently awaiting instructions."

    "Tell them to take everything," said the Dragonslayer. "Prioritize the blood; it is the most potent element if it is extracted fast enough. Also, organize a salvage group. See if we can recover anything from the enemy''s equipment."

    "Understood, Commander. Anything else?"

    "I think we have gathered enough. We will try next to hit those bastards right into the heart of their domain."

    ***

    Months passed. The Dragonslayer''s crusade caught like wildfire, turning social dissent and occasional rebellion into a full-scale war. More veterans flocked to his cause every day, bringing with them experience, armament, and the will to fight. The general populace was left defenseless, and the very existence of the emerging sapient dragons was threatened. The authorities were powerless, their soldiers refusing to fight against their former comrades-in-arms. The citizens were divided between opinions, some seeing the Dragonslayer as a war criminal, others saying he was the greatest protector transhumanity ever had.

    Finally, to put an end to the chaos, the Anti-Insurgency Division was formed, a task force composed of the dragons themselves and their most ardent supporters, dedicated to fight for a lasting peace between two races who had begun their relationship through conflict.

    Thus the AID became the face of the enemy the Movement fought, and they bore the brunt of the Dragonslayer''s relentless wrath, taking heavy losses in selfless sacrifice to protect others and in hopeful desire to triumph over a single man, who had lost his mind, yet commanded a devoted army to carry out his mad will.

    The Dragonslayer cared not for what others thought of him or his Movement, whether they were allies or enemies.

    He desired only vengeance.

 Chapter 10 - Guardians of the Way

    CHAPTER 10 ¨C GUARDIANS OF THE WAY

    "Today we''re here with Ren Serenteithwyr, discussing one of the greatest interstellar organizations, the Order of the Radiant Knights! So Ren, who are the Radiant Knights?"

    "Well, it would be easier to say who they aren''t! Basics, transhumans, uplimals, dragons, even TAIs pledge the Pure Vow and take the torch of the Fire Eternal. I wouldn''t be surprised, if we ever find aliens ¨C I mean, besides dragonkind ¨C if the Order offered them to join its ranks."

    "Fascinating! Maybe I should become a Knight, eh? I always wanted to ride through space on a dragon."

    "You can try joining, Josh, but I wouldn''t gridcast on your keyboard! The Order has an incredibly rigorous training regimen. Only one in ten thousand applicants manages to go through it all and don the epic red-gold armor."

    "All right then, maybe I''ll try after a few more centuries. And what about their hierarchy, Ren? Do the Radiant Knights have military ranks or something like that?"

    "No, no, they don''t. Except for the Order''s Grandmasters, Magus Dei and Aethernalis ¨C who first founded the organization ¨C all Knights are equal in standing, and important decisions are made by open discussions in general assemblies. However, there are some latitudes in this horizontal setup, stuff like older Knights holding more respect and authority, wartime chains of command, and dynamic establishment of departments or divisions when doing larger or more long-term projects. You know ¨C anarchism, like those guys from the Autonomist Alliance, but with dragons instead!"

    ¨C "The Golden Ages Show", Point-Zero Ultracorp. archive circa 269 RE, Datalinks

    999 RE, Terra Para, at the outskirts of Dragon Retreat

    "He is a Grandmaster?" Veralla asked in awe. She kept glancing at Magus Dei and the dragons circling overhead, her attention torn between the two wonders.

    "No, I have not held such a title for some time now," the old man replied as he reached them. He paused and looked at Airo, then extended his hand. Airo hesitated for several seconds, knowing the gesture was purely polite since he wore powered armor. In the end, he took the offered hand, and rose to his feet.

    Above, the dragons continued to fly around the skyship, patrolling the area. A bright wave was approaching from Dragon Retreat. The Revenant. "May I see your face?" Magus Dei asked Airo.

    He hesitated again. He harbored no good feelings for this man. He stood before the person who had imprisoned him for seven hundred years... and this was an opportunity to confront him. Airo retracted his helmet and glared at Magus Dei.

    The merest lift of one white eyebrow was the only reaction the old man displayed. His keen purple eyes were alien and uncanny. "So, it is really you," he said quietly, more to himself than to Airo.

    "You have a lot of nerve, showing up before me again," Airo said.

    "I had no certainty of your identity before I interfered," Magus Dei said. He glanced at the skyship above. "And it is the duty of a Radiant Knight to aid others whenever possible, no matter their past deeds." He lowered his gaze and studied Veralla.

    "Aid," Airo snorted. "Now that is a droll word. Give me one good reason not to strike you down where you stand."

    "I acted on your behalf," Magus Dei said in a hard tone. "And I would have done so even if I knew beforehand who you really were. But you are free to do what you feel is right." He frowned, and inclined his head toward the dragonet. "And set an example to those around you for what constitutes righteous behavior."

    Airo ground his teeth. His hand closed reflexively around the katana''s hilt. He really wanted to kill this man. Not anywhere near as much as Ferrtau, yet he felt it a part of his revenge. He glanced at Veralla, who stared with fascination at the outlines of dragons above, and his anger turned into intense frustration. As much as he didn''t want to admit it, the former grandmaster was right. He didn''t like Veralla, yet he had come to accept her, recognizing her as the young soul she was ¨C and she had already witnessed more misery than most do in a lifetime. Adding more to it would not be encouraging in any way.

    Besides, what Airo had a harder time admitting to himself was the fact he couldn''t really threaten Magus with harm ¨C not after that spectacular display of power against Ferrtau. At least not now, when he barely stood on his legs, and his head felt like it was going to liquefy any second.

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    A strike shuttle came out of the skyship''s open bays, and descended toward the icy ground. It landed nearby, combat hatches opening automatically. "Will you come?" Magus asked patiently, his eyes not leaving Airo''s.

    "Oh, yes, oh, yes! Yes!" Veralla yipped excitedly. "Yes, we shall come! Right, Airo? Please, let us come!"

    "All right," Airo said tersely. He reluctantly let go of his katana, and closed the power armor''s helmet. His head was killing him. "Where to, anyway?"

    "I imagine they will tell us," Magus said, turning, and started walking toward the shuttle, his robe waving regally in the wind.

    ***

    Veralla had never seen so many dragons in one place.

    In fact, she had not seen other dragons at all, until now.

    She, Airo, and Magus Dei boarded the small, sleek shuttle, and the aircraft took off on its own, piloted by an AI. They quickly ascended toward the skyship. Veralla watched the approaching exterior of the hulking vessel with lively curiosity. They went through one of the launch bays, and entered an enormous hangar.

    There was a large human who waited for them at the docking station. He was also wearing red-gold armor, and Veralla paused mid-step. But then she noticed the armor was different in shape, and the human''s aura was not frightening at all, so she relaxed and looked around.

    The other dragons were coming back aboard, flying through the launch bays and folding their massive wings as they landed on the flight deck. They had different colors, each of them sporting a dazzling array of spots, stripes, markings, and other unique body traits like horns and spikes variations, crests and wing shapes. Veralla hrrr¨Ced in joy and dashed to get a closer look at them.

    She slowed down as she got nearer, however, realizing how incredibly huge the other dragons were. She surreptitiously glanced at herself, feeling rather tiny, as she was smaller even than most humans. Her hesitation lasted only for a second though, before her joy at the sight of more of her kind overwhelmed her again, and anyway she figured her size was due to her still being young, while those dragons over there surely were all adults and probably of great age, like Magus Dei.

    Veralla trotted over to the group of dragons. She noticed now some of them had red-gold armored humans by their side, just like she and Airo were together. She came before the gathered crowd and greeted, "Hi, nice to meet you all!"

    Everyone hushed and looked at her, both dragons and humans alike. Veralla had gained experience with large groups of people during her stay in Dragon Retreat. Yet now her webbed ears angled back, and she felt anxious facing real, huge dragons.

    One of the dragons who had no human companion, a male with white-and-blue patterned skin, snorted loudly. "Huh, look at this runt," he chuckled. "She looks so ugly with those scrawny limbs and stumpy wings. And her scale color is like the inside of a black hole!" He and two other companionless dragons beside him rumbled in amusement. Veralla shrank in shame.

    "Shut your arrogant jaw, Alomar!" a crimson-colored dragon with golden eyes said sharply. "That''s no way to treat newcomers, especially fledglings!"

    "Ah, yes, newcomers," Alomar said haughtily. "I forgot we were supposed to save the world or something. Well, I had my share of fighting today, even if it was a rather boring affair. No use to hang around you whelps anymore." The white-blue dragon stood and went to the other side of the hangar, the rest of the companionless dragons following him.

    The crimson dragon snorted, watching them go. She turned back to Veralla, and said, "Don''t mind Alomar, he''s just a low-flying mooncalf. What''s your name, little one?"

    "Oh," the dragonet said mildly, "my name is Veralla."

    She was both surprised and pleased when her name again caused a whirlwind of commotion and amazement.

    "Veralla! Just like the Goddess!" the crimson dragon exclaimed enthusiastically. "What a high honor!"

    "And you look so unusual, too!" said another dragon with large frills along the spine. "Er, I mean, in a positive way," he added quickly.

    "We are pleased to meet you," one of the humans said with a polite, yet broad smile.

    The group of humans and dragons started to introduce one after another. At last, the crimson dragon announced: "Right, right, we''re now all presented and proper. I suggest¨C"

    "Wait a wingbeat, you didn''t introduce yourself, Lu¨C"

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" the crimson dragon interrupted, trying to shush the heckler. "All right, I''ll do it." Her golden eyes filled with embarrassment as she met Veralla''s gaze. "My name is... Lung," she said.

    "Oh," Veralla said, tilting her head. "I think it is a nice name! Why do you seem so... disappointed with it?"

    "My name means ''dragon'' in one of the Ancients'' languages," Lung explained tersely. "It''s ridiculous! It''s like somebody would name a dragon ''Draco''." She curved her neck downward, and looked at her companion. "Why''d you name me like this, Teha?"

    "Now, now, don''t grow upset," said her companion, Tehalix, and patted her foreleg. "I think it''s a beautiful name, otherwise I wouldn''t have chosen it, you silly smartjaw."

    Veralla watched Lung''s companion, and she reminded her of Kiana. Tehalix'' Islander features were very similar, though her azure hair and green eyes were different, and she also had a stockier build. The dragonet felt a pang of sadness at the memory of her friend, and inhaled deeply. She did not want to become lonely like Airo. She focused her attention back on the humans and dragons before her, and asked, "Are you all Radiant Knights?"

    "Oh yes, we are," Tehalix laughed softly. "We are here to guard the galaxy from all evil and always bring forth the light of the Fire Eternal!"

    "Can I become a Radiant Knight, too?" Veralla asked.

    "Of course you can!" Lung said easily. Suddenly, her expression grew serious. "But first, do tell us what happened out there. We learned there was a terrible battle, and then we barely came in time to save you from the... the Lightbringer."

    "Oh, you mean Ferrtau?" Veralla''s wings twitched uncomfortably. "Yes, I can tell you what happened. It was very terrible, as you say. If it was not for Airo, I think I would have died."

 Chapter 10.2 - Guardians of the Way

    Airo rode silently in the rising strike shuttle. Veralla was in the cockpit, her snout glued to the viewscreens. Magus stood off to the side, and the old Knight''s pensive gaze kept alternating between him and the dragonet.

    They landed inside the skyship''s main docking hangar. Veralla almost immediately jumped out and ran toward the arriving squadron of dragons. Airo glared at the great winged beasts, his sword arm flexing. A young Highlander, dressed in the Radiant Order''s customary red-gold combat armor, waited at the docking station. The adolescent Knight was large and muscular, standing at seven feet tall, all fair features and golden hair typical to Highlanders. Airo noticed the man''s armor was of a much more advanced design than Ferrtau''s.

    The large Knight did a double take as Veralla rushed past, but his attention quickly turned back to Airo and Magus. "Welcome aboard the Vorzii! I..." the towering youth stuttered as he noticed Magus'' crimson insignia. "Uhh, have we met, sir?" he asked respectfully.

    "No, we have not," the old Knight said evenly. "Let us not linger. Proper introductions will be made in due time."

    The large Knight nodded in agreement. "Uh, right, of course, sir. We shall leave this area immediately. I''m Terlokhi Stamat, by the way. At your service." He saluted with an open palm to his heart, and inclined his head in deference. "And you must be Commander Airo," Stamat said, lifting his eyes.

    Airo was caught off-guard. "I am," he said, nodding curtly.

    "There is someone who wants to meet you," Stamat said. He eyed Airo''s armor-hidden features appraisingly, though his demeanor remained friendly. "Please, follow me to the bridge."

    Stamat turned and started to walk across the hangar. Airo and Magus followed him. En route, the Radiant Knight spoke over his commlink. "Zozzy, get us out of here."

    "You''ve got it, big man," came a deep-voiced reply on the open frequency. "Where are we headed?"

    "I suggest we go home. We''ve done enough on this patrol," Stamat said.

    "Ooo-kay. Operation ''Spooling Engines and Vamoose'' engaged. Bridge''s open whenever you feel like coming."

    They went to the upper decks via a gravshaft. The skyship''s interior surfaces were overlaid with a golden finish, and the lights were subtly shifted into an alternating cyan-purple hues, with the overall end design striking just the right balance between functional and gracefully wondrous. While they walked to the bridge, Airo wondered who had identified him. Was it possible Consortium representatives were onboard and acted jointly with the Radiant Knights? It seemed highly unlikely. The Radiant Order have been considered pariahs to the rest of the galaxy after the Dragon Independence War ¨C at least according to Dragon Retreat''s datalinks.

    Stamat glanced over his shoulder at Magus. "So, are you perchance a Knight, sir? Your... personal effects carry the symbols of the Order but they look different from the standard uniforms."

    "There has never been a set standard in the Order''s dress code," Magus remarked dryly. "Individual Knights have always been free to carry whatever garments they like. The current tradition is a product of a collective desire for proud display of one''s aspirations and accomplishments. Which is perfectly normal."

    "Right," Stamat said, though he seemed a bit confused. "If you don''t mind me asking, sir, where are you coming from? I can''t remember seeing you anywhere at the headquarters, and I think you weren''t aboard the Starhaven when it returned from its last voyage."

    "I was on a personal exile here, on Terra Para," Magus said calmly. He didn''t add anything further. Stamat seemed like he wanted to ask more, yet decided to not press the issue. Airo, meanwhile, was certainly ready to hear the entire story, but figured the old Knight would tell him even less than he was willing to share with other members of the Radiant Order.

    The upper decks of the skyship were quite cramped even by spacecraft standards. Stamat explained the two hangars running the length of the skyship were the only really open spaces in order to house dragons, while the rest of the available room was taken almost entirely by weapon and shield modules, gravitic lift generators, life support, and the engineering section. A series of gravshafts, both vertical and horizontal ones, led them to a large circular area which housed the crew quarters. The bridge was near the top, and as they headed that way, Airo noticed several groups of people huddling around the multi-tiered deck. His gaze lingered; he recognized them as inhabitants from Dragon Retreat.

    They entered the bridge. Like the hangar, the place was wide and open-spaced, with battlestations arrayed on three levels. Dozens of Radiant Knights in red-gold armors were present, keeping the skyship''s systems fully staffed. A spherical hologram-haptic interface over a huge circular mainframe acted as a Command-Information-Communication center.

    The lights were currently dimmed as the skyship was still in combat mode. Airo saw two familiar figures outlined by the CIC''s blue glow. He narrowed his eyes. It could not be...

    "Boss!" Zuckeroff shouted. "You''re alive!"

    "Commander!" Kiana seemed genuinely happy to see him.

    Stamat smiled widely as he approached the CIC center. "We got them just in the nick of time, but everything turned out fine. Everybody''s safe now."

    "Thank the stars! Is Veralla okay?" Kiana asked.

    "Who? The Goddess?" Stamat was confused. "Ah, the little dragon you told me about."

    "She is fine," Airo cut in impatiently. He glared at Kiana. "Did you use your powers to call another set of delusional idealists, instead of real backup?"

    "Hey, there''s no need to be rude," Stamat said, mildly miffed. "I know you Consortium types aren''t very fond of us, but we''re not the bad guys here."

    "I didn''t call anyone," Kiana said crossly. "This skyship came to us by chance. If it wasn''t for them, we''d all be dead now!"

    "Right, right," Airo relented. "That much is true," he added, trying to close the matter quickly. To his surprise, he felt relief seeing Kiana and Zuckeroff alive and well.

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    "Actually, we did come to Dragon Retreat on purpose," Stamat said. "Our patrol was originally bound for another region, but there was... well, some sort of energy spike in the local ?ther, and we came here to investigate."

    "I sensed a strange surge, too," Magus said. He gazed thoughtfully at Airo. Airo was getting annoyed at these weird inspections the old Knight gave him. He resisted the urge to punch the man.

    "Yes, you saved us, thank you," he said to get their attention and shift the conversation to more important matters. "I will consider it a personal favor if you tell me where are we headed now."

    "Home," Stamat said.

    "Which is where exactly?" Airo asked pointedly.

    "Oh. Yeah. About that. I''m not sure if it''s right to discuss the location of our base to outsiders," Stamat said, rubbing his neck and smiling apologetically. "I think it''s better to talk to Glawlrhain or Lylana once we arrive. They''re in charge after... well, after what happened at the Shard." Stamat hurried to change the subject. "Come now, I''ll introduce you to Zozzy!"

    The front bulkhead of the bridge was comprised entirely of a single one-way observation window, inclined inward. The helm was a triangular area nested slightly lower than the deck''s floor, with seats for five pilots and three command officers.

    The main pilot''s seat was taken by a bulky humanoid as large as Stamat. The armor hid many of the Knight''s features, but Airo saw enough claws and striped orange fur to realize this was not an ordinary human being.

    "Yo, Zozzy!" Stamat called. "All lights are green?"

    "As green as a Saurial''s scales," rumbled the feline creature, as it turned to greet them.

    "Wow, you''re an uplimal?" Zuckeroff asked.

    "That I am," Zozzy said with a predatory grin.

    "Do your best tiger impersonation," Stamat teased.

    Zozzy lifted a clawed finger. "Watch it, big boy," he warned, though his tone was relaxed. He frowned at Magus. "This one of ours?"

    "Yeah, think so," Stamat said, glancing sideways at the old Knight. "Any Revenant on our tail?"

    Zozzy focused his attention back on the control interface. "Even if they are, Vorzii is already far ahead of them." The uplimal suddenly turned around again. "Wait, are those Sol Force uniforms!? Stamat, what are Consortium soldiers doing onboard?"

    Before the Highlander Knight could answer, the commlink chimed. "Hey, Stamat, there''s a sweet little dragon down here that''s looking for her soulkin. She says his name is Airo. Know anything ''bout that?"

    "Yeah, Commander Airo is here at the bridge," Stamat replied. "Say, Teha, how''s Lung? That was a rather close call out there."

    "Oh, the firebreathing smartjaw is peachy. She got into a verbal fight with Alomar again, but that''s routine. Ok, I''m sending the fledgling up. Meanwhile, can I ask you something on a private channel?"

    "Sure thing," Stamat said, and switched his commlink.

    Airo quietly separated himself from the others. He found a relatively private spot near the CIC center, and took stock of his injuries. Nothing was broken; otherwise he would''ve known by now. However, most of his body felt severely stiff and sore, and his head... Airo winced. That punch had definitely put him in a bad condition.

    "SAI, status report," he said through his teeth.

    "You have a severe concussion, Commander," Yeoman Cloud replied instantly. "Other significant bodily traumas include a half-dozen pulled muscles along the back, ground collar bone, sprained right elbow joint, and possible torn ligament in the left shoulder area. You''ve been constantly administered with painkillers for the last forty minutes. The armor''s low-intensity restoration fields are trying to repair whatever damage they can, however, your head injury alone requires immediate medical attention." The SAI paused for a second. "I would''ve informed you earlier, Commander, but the standby mode you have lastly ordered twenty days ago is still in effect. I suggest¨C"

    "Keep current settings," Airo said curtly, and the interface went silent.

    He stood alone for a moment, forcing his throbbing head to think through the current situation. However, his solitary contemplation was broken by Kiana and Zuckeroff who soon joined him.

    "Boss, I can''t tell you how glad I am for you to be still brooding around," Zuckeroff began from a distance. "I thought we lost you and Veralla for sure!"

    "Yeah, how did you two escape Dragon Retreat in the first place?" Kiana asked. "The entire shrine-town was practically buried under those abhorrent light shows."

    "Revenant," Airo said absentmindedly.

    "What?" Kiana balked.

    "Revenant," Airo repeated. "At least he calls them so." The thought of Ferrtau enraged him anew, and he felt the pain receding from him, supplanted by an overwhelming, murderous desire to track down his archenemy and finish what he had started.

    "Who calls them so?" Kiana asked. "And who was that posthuman the Radiant Knights incinerated out there in the wasteland, anyway?"

    "It was Ferrtau," Airo growled.

    Kiana and Zuckeroff both gasped. "That was the Lightbringer?!"

    "Yes. And they did not kill him. He escaped."

    "Great Cosmos," Kiana breathed, while Zuckeroff stood speechless.

    There was a commotion at the bridge''s threshold. Suddenly, a familiar voice called. "Airo!!!"

    He turned and saw Veralla rushing straight at him. Thankfully, the dragonet didn''t bowl into him as he feared she''d do. "Airo! Oh, I am so very, very, very, very happy to see you are well!" she said, rearing, wings outspread. Airo made a cautious step back, in case she decided to hug him. Veralla then noticed Kiana and Zuckeroff, and rawr-ed joyously. "Kiana! St''aep''hon! You are alive, too!!!"

    "We won''t leave you easily, whippersnapper," the Conduit said, grinning widely. Zuckeroff gave two thumbs-up.

    Veralla hrrr-ed merrily, full of delight. "Are the Council all right, too?" she asked.

    Kiana''s smile faded. "Alas, no," she said sadly. "They died helping us and the other townspeople to evacuate."

    "Oh," Veralla said, her exultation deflating. "Oh, I will miss them. They were very nice, Councilor Usylor especially." The dragonet''s webbed ears perked up again. "I met other dragons, Kiana! They were very large and splendid! Some of them were not very nice, but others were very kind! And they had humans with them, too! Airo, I saw humans and dragons both talking to each other! They liked each other!"

    "I see," he said mechanically.

    "And we talked, and I told them about you, and how you fought against that terrible human, and how you saved both of us! They said they wanted to meet you!"

    "Uh-huh."

    "And they said they have never seen a dragon like me, and that it was very strange I could not breathe fire or fly, but they promised they would teach me how! Airo, why is your helmet on?" Veralla asked abruptly, worried. " Are you injured?"

    "I am fine," Airo snapped. "I just forgot about it." He retracted the power armor''s helmet.

    Veralla hrrr-ed in dismay, while Kiana and Zuckeroff goggled. "Your face looks like it hit a hardlight wall," she remarked. "Uh, Boss, did the Lightbringer do that?!" he asked.

    "I am fine. Now, are you three done pestering me?"

    "Actually, I wanna return to the part of you telling us how you and Veralla escaped the shrine-town," Kiana said.

    "Airo talked to Ferrtau," Veralla explained. "He... he wanted to take me for some reason, but Airo did not let him. I would not have gone anyway, because his soul was very dark and he controlled those terrible creatures. So he became angry at Airo, and Airo shot him. We then tried to run with an ATV, but Ferrtau caught us and tried to kill Airo."

    "Which raises some very disturbing questions," Magus Dei said as he came forth to join the group. Kiana and Zuckeroff stilled, awed into silence by the presence of the old Knight. Airo eyed him resentfully, wishing he could exert the same effect on the two Sol Force commandos.

    "I spoke to the young lad called Stamat, and what he told me was dire indeed," Magus continued. "However, his information raised more questions than it provided answers." He regarded Veralla, who shrank a little under his gaze, yet nevertheless returned him a curious look of her own. Nobody spoke, waiting for the old Knight to continue. Magus studied the dragonet at length. "You are a peculiar dragon, young one."

    "I am?" Veralla asked uncertainly.

    "Who gave you your name?"

    Veralla brightened. "Airo did!" she said happily.

    "Hmm." Magus turned to Airo. His purple eyes had almost the same intensity as Veralla''s, only they were a darker shade and lacked slitted pupils.

    "What do you want from me, old man?" Airo growled.

    "Nothing. If I wanted something, you would have been dead seven centuries ago."

 Chapter 10.3 - Guardians of the Way

    Vorzii soared above Terra Para''s frozen lands at a steady, swift pace. The skyship''s name meant ''bright claw'' in the language of dragons, Stamat had explained. Airo cared nothing about such clarifications, and instead searched for something to take care of his injuries. Fortunately, the heavily armed skyship was equipped with a state-of-the-art medbay, and he was as good as new after some downtime in a healing pod.

    After getting better, Airo spent most of his time on the bridge. He decided to play the observer, and learn more about the situation passively, since the prospects of gaining more useful information by wrangling the skyship''s crew were dubious at best. Veralla proved a nuisance as usual, asking him to come down in the hangar and meet the other dragons. He refused adamantly, and had to yell at her, something he hadn''t done in weeks, which drew quite a lot of shock and dismayed glances from the bridge personnel.

    With that exception, the trip to the Knights'' base was as uneventful as the one with the convoy to Dragon Retreat. The landscape outside the observation window remained bleak and cold throughout the entire journey.

    Once, the skyship had to ascend high into the thermosphere to avoid a warpstorm, and all Radiant Knights were on edge during the brief jaunt on the threshold of space. Veralla, Kiana, and Zuckeroff wondered what was so dangerous, but Airo remembered well his orbital encounter with the draconic Revenant. Fortunately, the risky maneuver reduced their travel time drastically. The skyship flew against the planet''s rotation, and when it arrived at its destination the night was still deep. Airo began to suspect some sort of pattern.

    From a distance, they seemed to approach some random summit in a mountainous region. However, when Vorzii got closer, the summit shimmered, and then the ridge melted away, revealing a gigantic, bevel-edged tunnel. Vorzii flew into the gaping dark. The tunnel was rather short, relative to the skyship''s proportions. Within seconds, the skyship emerged on the other side...

    ...into a great upland, sprawled with mountain peaks everywhere to the edge of the horizon.

    "Wow!" Veralla exhaled.

    "Impressive," Kiana said in a low voice.

    "Seems a bit repetitive, though," Zuckeroff commented.

    "This is a self-instanced fractal dimension," Stamat explained, his eyes bright too, despite his familiarity with the sight. "The only way in or out is through the tunnel portal."

    Beyond, a large, fortress-like structure rose from one of the mountain peaks. Huge battletowers loomed over wide courtyards. Bastions and ramparts were layered atop one another in intricate terraced patterns. Like in Dragon Retreat, the overall architecture was dominated by stone- and crystalwork, though this time there was a fair amount of light applied as a construction material. Despite himself, Airo was amazed. He hadn''t seen such wonders even on Arceria during his youth.

    Vorzii approached the stronghold complex, and landed on a clear platform near the top. The Radiant Knights began to disembark, helping the refugees from Dragon Retreat to get settled in the base. Outside, more figures in red-gold armors emerged from the nearest fortified building, bringing tools and machinery, and began to service the skyship.

    "Sir, if you would please come with me," Stamat said to Magus Dei. "I''ll introduce you to our current warleaders."

    "Can we come, too?" Kiana interposed.

    "Well, yeah, I guess," Stamat said, uncertain. He then shrugged. "Ok. The elders will have to decide what to do with the survivors from Dragon Retreat anyway. They will probably get shelter here, but since you''re from the Consortium, your case can be... well, different. And you have a dragon," he said, glancing at Veralla. "Come."

    They left the skyship. En route, Stamat answered his commlink: "Yes. I''m coming for debriefing, alongside several others." Someone shouted his name, and the large Knight turned. Coming from the skyship were Tehalix and Lung.

    "Teha?" Stamat asked mildly. "What''s up?"

    "I''m coming to the debriefing, of course!" she replied. "Deus, Stamat, you just flew away with the new dudes and completely forgot this was both our rodeo. Well, the three of us, including Miss Smartjaw here."

    "To this day, I still can''t comprehend why you call me with epithets, even if it''s done in good spirit," Lung said petulantly, though she nudged Tehalix affectionately with the tip of her snout. The crimson dragon turned to Veralla. "Is this Airo, your soulkin?" she asked, pointing at Magus Dei.

    Airo quickly paced forward to evade hearing Veralla''s reply.

    The group went inside the main citadel. They traversed a series of cavernous halls and passageways clearly made to be used by dragons as well as transhumans. Regardless of its techno-esoteric splendor, the place was spartan in decoration. At the center of the complex was a grand command room, rivaling in dimensions the High Temple of Dragon Retreat.

    A great circular table dominated the command room, serving also as a virtual map and a strataplan mainframe. Crystal orbs lined the walls, casting a rich golden light, currently dimmed to simulate nighttime conditions. Shining constellations domed a dark sky instead of a ceiling. The sea of stars turned out to be a projection; Airo''s power armor sensors informed him the ceiling was probably covered by a fine mesh of display nanoparticles, or possibly infused with pure ?ther, channeled for the same purpose.

    Standing at the circular table were two individuals: one was a female giant of a transhuman, at least eight feet tall, and the other was the smallest dragon Airo had ever seen besides Veralla. Both of them quietly reviewed streams of data and video feeds projected from the table''s HHI.

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    "Quite the retinue you bring, Stamat," the transhuman Knight said, glancing at the group, and suddenly became rigid. "Great Cosmos, is that Magus Dei!?"

    "Who!?" Stamat started, and did a double take at the old Knight. "Th-the Order''s Grandmaster?!?"

    Everyone except Airo and Veralla stopped dead in their tracks.

    "One of the Grandmasters," Magus corrected, voice distant. "I have never liked the title, and neither did Aethernalis." Airo saw a momentary flash of sorrow behind Magus'' eyes. "And remember, I am a leader of the Order no more."

    "But, sir, y-you... you''re a living legend!" Kiana said lamely, staring in awe.

    "Yeah!" Zuckeroff added stupidly, doing the same.

    The old Knight''s mouth twitched in wry amusement. "It is encouraging that my reputation ¨C any Radiant Knight''s reputation ¨C still resonates positively among some from the Consortium. Gives me a glimmer of hope for the future." Magus turned to the two elder Knights, and nodded. "Lylana, Glawlrhain. It is good to see you again. I could not recognize anyone aboard the Vorzii, like these young Knights here."

    "Magus," the dragon inclined his head. "Welcome back." Out of everyone''s reaction toward the old Knight''s identity, Glawlrhain''s had been the calmest. The dragon stood on all fours, his thin, wiry body barely topping Lylana''s height. Airo sized up Glawlrhain, and accidentally met the dragon''s deep amber gaze. Instanly, it reminded him of Kalessia. He scowled and averted his eyes, concealing an involuntary shiver, and cursed silently for not keeping his helmet enclosed.

    "Where did that fledgling come from?" Lylana asked, her stark, resonative alt breaking the brief silence. She furrowed her brow at Veralla, and her Scorchlander features, already severe, became downright condemnatory. "She looks like a hydra."

    Glawlrhain shook his head. He had a pair of long, slender tendrils growing from the tip of his snout, and they whirled as he made the motion. "Quite improbable," he said, his voice carrying those alien overtones characteristic to dragons. "Hydras can''t reproduce. And we would''ve known instantly if she had been subverted by the Dark Ones."

    "Veralla is a hydra?" Lung asked, slit-pupiled eyes blinking in confusion.

    "Oh," the dragonet exhaled, anxious. "I am?"

    "She is not corrupted," Magus said firmly. "I vouch for her personally."

    "All right, sir," Lylana quickly agreed. "Wait, did you say her name is Veralla?"

    "Yes, that is my name!" the dragonet said brightly.

    "Fascinating," Glawlrhain remarked. "Sol Force soldiers, a mysterious fledgling named after the Goddess, and one of the founders of our Order. Stamat, your latest patrol must be a notable tale."

    "There is also a bit of tragedy mixed in for drama," the young Highlander said, trying to be humorous, but his face was too pale. "We encountered the Lightbringer."

    There was a heavy pause.

    "Where?" Lylana''s tone was hard as stone.

    "Deep in the north, at a remote place called Dragon Retreat," Stamat replied.

    "How did you escape him?" Glawlrhain asked evenly, yet his draconic features betrayed serious concern.

    Stamat glanced at Airo, Magus, and the two Sol Force commandos. "He was separate from his main forces," he said. "He was... distracted by something. We rescued the surviving civilians from the Revenant, and then blindsided him at the town outskirts. We used our entire firepower, and managed to drive him away."

    "Impossible," Lylana snapped. Her eyes were almost the same shade as those of Glawlrhain, making her gaze stern and fierce. "The Lightbringer hasn''t moved away from the Shard."

    "Me and Lung saw him, too," Tehalix countered. "It was him all right. We got the drop on him, and kept scorching until he was gone. Vorzii''s systems almost melted to slag, but Stamat made the right call."

    "Even if the Lightbringer did leave the Shard for some reason," Lylana said, voice edged with iron, "what could possibly weaken him so much that your foolish bravery prevailed?"

    "Well, um..." Stamat obviously had expected praise when he was given none. "The Grandmaster, er, I mean Sir Dei, was there," he said, flustered. "He fought the Lightbringer with us."

    Lylana and Glawlrhain looked at the old Knight with hope. "Have you returned to help us fight the Lightbringer, Magus?" the dragon asked.

    "I know only what I saw," Magus Dei said, tone grim. "I have seen the Shard, and sensed the atrocity which has been committed there. Yet Ferrtau was not there when I arrived.

    "In the meantime, I sensed another ripple in the ?ther, strong and resonant. It was near Dragon Retreat, one of the former draconic eyries. When I got there, I crossed paths with Ferrtau by chance. Likely he was searching for the same cosmic resonance I was. My encounter with him was enough to understand he is an enemy now." The old Knight paused. "Tell me, what happened?"

    "Ferrtau went rogue," Glawlrhain said, baring his teeth.

    "When?" Magus asked.

    "It happened shortly after your departure twenty years ago, sir," Lylana said. "The Starblaze scarred all of us, but the Lightbringer... he took it the worst. Something changed him. He... wanted to experiment with the Starblaze. Wanted to test it on people." Lylana''s stern gaze softened with wearied horror. "We had to exile him from the Order."

    Magus let out a heavy sigh. "I should have known it would come to this," he muttered. "What happened to Kalessia?"

    Images flooded Airo''s vision, yet he remained silent.

    "She went with him," Glawlrhain said. "She was the only reason we didn''t consider striking him down then and there."

    "Where did they go?"

    "Utopia Draconis is the only possible place," Lylana said. "Nobody else in the galaxy would''ve accepted them, even the Fractured States."

    "I don''t understand," Stamat cut in. "Why exactly were the Lightbringer and the Firstborn exiled?" He, Tehalix, and Lung traded glances. "I thought they were the greatest Radiant Knights to ever live."

    "It was before your time, fledglings," Glawlrhain said sadly. "You never knew Ferrtau and Kalessia like some of us did. They were great, yes; shining examples for every living being. They had been upholding the ideals of the Order for centuries. When the Starblaze happened, they were the ones who saved us all. Yet time slowly changed them." Glawlrhain glanced at Magus. "And one day... Ferrtau wanted to... What he wanted to do was very similar to soul reaving."

    Lung hissed, while Tehalix and Stamat gasped in fear. Airo had no idea what the stunted dragon was talking about, yet apparently it was terrible and familiar enough because even Kiana stared with dread.

    "That was twenty years ago," Magus remarked gravely. "What has happened now?"

    "The Lightbringer appeared one day without warning," Lylana said. "He came from the Shard itself. We don''t know how." She studied the virtual graphics before her with unseeing eyes.

    "And Kalessia?" Magus asked softly.

    "She wasn''t with him," Lylana replied. "We don''t know what has happened to her. Most of us were on the lower tiers when..." The towering female Knight shuddered. "I refuse to think what he might have done to her."

    "Ferrtau became Blazetouched," Glawlrhain picked up from where Lylana trailed off. "Somehow, he retained all of his identity and self-control. However, his power became unstoppable. Most of the last veteran Knights were killed instantly. They became the first Revenant ¨C Ferrtau''s own version of the Blazetouched. He then proceeded to tear a rift into reality itself, using the Shard as a focal point."

    "So that''s what we''ve been seeing across the entire planet!" Kiana exclaimed.

    "Yes," Glawlrhain confirmed.

    "What are Ferrtau''s end motives?" Magus asked.

    "He wants to usher a new era of enlightenment, by destroying the entire universe," someone said across the command room.

 Chapter 10.4 - Guardians of the Way

    Everyone turned to where the voice came from. Walking toward the table was a tall, graceful Coastlander with stunning features. She was dressed in a scant, elegant robe the color of a starry night. She walked barefoot, and wore nothing underneath the robe, its extravagant cut exposing the olive skin of her well defined curves. Her toxic-green eyes inspected everyone in a cool, imperious manner. If Airo''s blood hadn''t vaporized already in his incandescent desire for revenge, he would have been hard-pressed to resist the allure of this exotic stranger.

    The Coastlander sauntered over to the command room table, forming the apex of a triangle between her, Airo''s group, and Lylana and Glawlrhain. "It is good to see you again, Magus," she said in a tranquil, vaguely sensual tone.

    "Mentoria," the old Knight nodded tersely.

    "Ferrtau has gone over the brink," she continued, her words emphasized with finality. "Now we all shall suffer for the Lightbringer''s hubris. The Cosmos itself will pay the ultimate price."

    "Cease your theatrics," Magus said gruffly. "What is really at stake?"

    Mentoria scoffed, yet her gaze was cold. "I already told you, my dear. If you wish me to repeat myself in more coarse terms for the sake of the audience, I will say this: if Ferrtau''s plan succeeds, his actions will unmake the entire Sector, the galaxy, our own subjective universe, and quite possibly reality itself."

    The silence in the command room was absolute.

    "How?" Magus asked. He leaned forward, planting his palms on the table. "He cannot do this by himself."

    "He did not share the intricate details of his mad visions," Mentoria said. "However, it seems his primary aim is to attain complete control over the Shard. Perhaps he found a way to tap into its power. Perhaps during his exile, he somehow came upon forbidden knowledge even we, dear Magus, for all of our long ages, have never come across before."

    "And why has he not succeeded?" Magus asked. He raised an eyebrow. "The Shield?"

    "Yes," Mentoria said with distaste. "I managed to activate your contraption barely before utter defeat. Honestly, my dear, I never expected this device to be needed at all."

    "The problem is, the Shield didn''t work completely," Lylana cut in angrily. She sighed, the gesture seemingly deflating her giant frame. "It interrupted the process the Lightbringer started, but it didn''t contain the rift he made in the Shard. Reality in the immediate vicinity collapsed almost completely. It''s the reason the entire paraworld became so unstable."

    "What followed next?" Magus asked.

    "After we activated the Shield, we fought a rear guard action," Glawlrhain explained. The dragon had a haunted expression ¨C something Airo had never seen on any of their kind before. "Ferrtau... soul reaved many of our number. He then raised them back as Revenant. The abominations were invulnerable to anything non-draconic or non-?ther. Their onslaught felled the rest of our ranks. We evacuated whoever we could, and fled."

    Magus'' voice dropped low. "How many of the Order remain?"

    "The fighting continued even in the skies," Lylana said, her voice hollow. "Ten dozen Knights survived. A score of them are dragons. We also saved several eggs from the hatchery."

    Magus closed his eyes. The command room remained quiet as a tomb. "Did anyone else from the elder Knights survive?" he murmured at last.

    "No, sir. Only a handful of us assisted in the evacuation." Lylana paused, her jaw setting. "Except for me and Glawlrhain, there''s nobody else older than half a century remaining."

    "A noble sacrifice," Magus whispered. "Of course." He opened his eyes, his resolve somewhat returned. "And then?"

    "Mentoria led us here, in one of the field training bases which were abandoned after the Dragon Independence War." Lylana glanced sideways. "She... assisted us in hiding our presence. We believe Ferrtau wasted no time in setting out the Revenant to hunt for us. The fall of the Shard had far-reaching consequences with the Consortium and the Union, of course. As soon as they were hit by the Revenant, they accused each other. We tried to contact them in several near-fatal incidents. They didn''t listen. At best each thinks us accomplices to the other regarding a burst of unprovoked hostilities."

    Magus frowned at Mentoria. "Why are you here, on Terra Para?" he asked her.

    The exotic Coastlander made a relaxed, teasing gesture, casually displaying her robed figure to advantage. "Oh, Magus, you know very well how long we have traveled among the stars. You first decided to settle down, creating this quaint little organization." She smiled down on the gathered Radiant Knights. "I, on the other hand, journeyed for a little while longer. Yet already I too feel tired discovering new horizons in the endless ocean of the Great Cosmos. I need some respite. Thus I sought temporary refuge on this convenient world."

    "I had told you to stay away from the Order, Mentoria."

    "And if I had done so, none of them would be alive now, and Ferrtau would stand unchallenged in his mad crusade."

    "We will discuss this further at a later time," Magus warned. "What does Ferrtau want from you? I have made the Shield impossible to disable."

    "There is an artifact that can do so under the right circumstances, my dear," Mentoria said, tossing her dark crimson hair.

    "My starblade," Magus said. He frowned. "Ferrtau made his own a century ago. Why does he need a second one?"

    Mentoria smiled coldly. "He needs his as a catalyst for the Singularity he threatens all of us with. I cheated him out of his solution, and now the once-hero of the galaxy is on a mad crusade to retrieve the only light that can help him."

    "And what are all of you doing about it?"

    Everyone stared at Airo. He stared right back at them.

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    "Ferrtau is out there, searching for a way to annihilate the entire galaxy, as you said. So what are you doing about it?" he repeated.

    "We can''t do anything," Lylana snapped. Then, her exasperation vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. "We can''t do anything," she said tiredly, her expression defeated. "The Radiant Order is almost wiped out. The Consortium and the Union are unwilling to help. The Lightbringer is too powerful. So our only course of action is to stall."

    "Stall? Until Ferrtau wins?" Airo demanded.

    "Until he loses," Lylana said, her tone hardening. She met the questioning gazes in the room, and continued, "The Radiant Knights never give up. Never. When we activated the Shield to cut off the Lightbringer from the Shard, it failed to contain the rift he had torn open into reality itself. Now this rift slowly expands across Terra Para, bringing warpstorms and oblivion to the entire paraworld. And sooner or later, the rift will engulf the planet. But it will also destroy the Shard." Lylana narrowed her eyes. "Everyone ¨C including the innocent ¨C will pay the price with their lives, but if that means the Lightbringer will be denied his madness, then we will hold him off long enough for this to happen."

    "What if Ferrtau goes to another Shard?" Airo asked.

    "The only other known Shard in the galaxy is on Utopia Draconis," Glawlrhain said, clicking his claws on the floor. "Even in his current highly potent state, Ferrtau cannot hope to overcome the thousands of my kind who call that world their home."

    "What if he finds a third Shard on an unknown world somewhere?"

    Airo''s question was met with silence, as the others considered the ramifications of such a scenario.

    Finally, Mentoria snorted, "If that was possible, Ferrtau would have left the moment his access to the Shard was cut. He needs to be here, on this particular world, whatever the reason."

    "Indeed," Magus mused. He glanced at Veralla. "And we might be able to glean his motives by examining recent events more closely."

    "Can you clarify, sir?" Lylana asked. She and Glawlrhain seemed intrigued by the old Knight''s words.

    "When I felt... the presence, resonating out into the ?ther, I followed it across the paraworld to Dragon Retreat," Magus said. "Ferrtau was also there, as I already said. And he seemed very intent on taking away this young fledgling here." He gestured at Veralla.

    The other Radiant Knights looked at the dragonet as if they saw her for the first time. Airo couldn''t resist glancing too. Comical proportions aside, Veralla''s void-black coloration truly was something he''d never seen before, either on a dragon or any other creature.

    "She''s highly unusual, that is true," Glawlrhain agreed. "Though it still doesn''t explain why Ferrtau would go after a single fledgling." The dragon swiveled his head, and asked, "Can you channel the ?ther, little one?"

    "No, I cannot," Veralla said, wings and tail drooping.

    "She can''t breathe fire either, or fly, which is very strange," Lung blurted. The crimson dragon stopped herself, embarrassed at her verbal slip.

    "It happens sometimes with fledglings," Glawlrhain said, pensive. "Although rarely."

    "This does not answer why the Lightbringer sought her out," Mentoria said impatiently. She looked at Magus. "Likely you, my dear, and your protege were both misled by some random cosmological flux."

    "No," Magus objected. "Neither I, nor Ferrtau will make such a mistake at this point. I am certain the answer is in Veralla. And I believe I know why Ferrtau wanted her." The old Knight paused, making sure he had everyone''s attention. "She may be a Primordial dragon."

    There was a collective gasp from the Radiant Knights. "Absolutely non sequitur, my dear," Mentoria said incredulously. "This fledgling cannot even display the rudimentary powers of her kind, yet is capable of being a mythical creature from draconic folklore? Impossible."

    "I concur," Lylana said reluctantly. "With all due respect, sir, Primordial dragons are nothing but fantastic tales born in the overbearing minds of dragonkind." She glanced around. "Present company excluded."

    Glawlrhain raised a claw. "Let''s not flap away all possibilities, especially those which come from the likes of Magus Dei." The small dragon unfurled his wings, thinking. "I too, consider Primordials to be nothing more than an image that the best and brightest among my kind can only aspire to, but never reach.

    "However, multiple legends say a Primordial dragon can be conceived only from a union between dragons who represent the purest expression of the beauty and power of the Goddess herself. If we vastly simplify the esoteric theory, being a potential Primordial can be a matter of heritage. Genealogy among my kind is a complex subject; in some cases, a progenitor''s powers are often inactive but present in their offspring." Glawlrhain regarded Veralla. "Tell me, little one, who are your parents?"

    "And where they are, for that matter," Lylana added.

    "Oh." Veralla''s eyes became big and round. "I... I do not know. Airo says he knew my mother, but he refuses to speak about her."

    Airo again became the center of attention. "What?" he asked sullenly, folding his arms.

    "Speak up, that''s what," Kiana taunted. "Remember, the world itself hangs in the balance, Commander."

    "Fine," Airo snapped. "Veralla''s mother is Kalessia."

    His words fell like a meteorite in the command room.

    "Well, this just keeps getting better," Lylana muttered.

    "What happened to the Firstborn? Tell us!" Glawlrhain urged.

    "She is dead," Airo said flatly.

    Kiana inhaled sharply. "The dragon aboard your starship was the Firstborn?!"

    "I realized that later, in Dragon Retreat," Airo said sourly.

    He then went on to explain to the Radiant Knights the same story he had told Kiana and Zuckeroff while they held him at gunpoint. Again, he carefully omitted details about his reanimation and true identity, mindful of the fact he knew who were the predecessors of the Radiant Order, and that one of them was in the room. The whole time he spoke, both Magus Dei and Mentoria watched him, the former with a studious expression, and the latter with open curiosity bordering on gleefulness. When Airo finished his incomplete tale, the Radiant Knights became bleak and thoughtful.

    "The Lightbringer must''ve sensed their kinship as soon as he''d seen Veralla," Lylana mused. "Perhaps that''s why he wanted to take her ¨C simply out of sentiment."

    "It could be so," Glawlrhain agreed. "However, that doesn''t explain why Ferrtau left the Shard in the first place."

    "He might''ve gone on the offensive."

    "Perhaps," the dragon said. "However, it''s unlikely. Ferrtau knows just as well as us the Reality Vortex will consume Terra Para if it''s not stopped. I think our guess he''s using his powers to contain its spread while the Revenant carry out his war is still true."

    "So what are you saying?" Stamat blurted. "That we fought a mere astral projection at Dragon Retreat?"

    "Probably," Lylana snorted. "We''ll have to review the battlefield data to be sure, but I think it''s the obvious explanation. Now," she said, turning, "why do you want to apprehend the Lightbringer, Commander Airo?"

    "My motives are my own," he said coldly. "All I request from you is to give me a means of transportation to Kryoon City."

    "What for?" the towering Scorchlander Knight scowled.

    "It is where Consortium headquarters are," Airo said.

    "You are not truly part of the Consortium," Magus Dei cut in suddenly. "You said so yourself. If you wish to accomplish your goal in truth, you should stay here. The Radiant Knights will assist you, and you can help them." The old Knight gave Airo a significant look. Airo answered it with a hateful stare.

    "I have no need for your advice, old man," he said. "And I certainly will not cooperate with people who consort with dragons."

    "Consort," Magus snorted, mimicking Airo''s earlier mockery. "Now that is a droll word."

    Airo bared his teeth, but then Veralla piped up. "Oh, let us stay here, please, Airo! I am so happy I saw other dragons! I want to become a Radiant Knight like them! We can both become Radiant Knights!" Her comment drew warm smiles from the others.

    "Do as you wish," he said harshly. "I am not staying here."

    "Please, let us both stay," she said.

    "No," he growled.

    Veralla hrrr¨Ced miserably, head bowed low in defeat. Airo stared hard at the gathered group. "Will you grant me transportation, or am I to be made prisoner again?"

    Lylana fixed him with a severe expression. "Glawlrhain, assign lodgings for our guests," she said in a level tone. "Stamat, equip Vorzii with a passenger shuttle, and prepare to escort Commander Airo tomorrow to wherever he wishes."

 Chapter 10.5 - Guardians of the Way

    Glawlrhain led Airo, Kiana, Zuckeroff, and Veralla out of the command room. Stamat, Tehalix, and Lung followed them. Airo paused mid-stride, completely surprised when the small, sinuous dragon reared upright and began to walk on his hindlegs. Glawlrhain''s height in this position became considerably more impressive, and Airo thought at first the stunted beast wanted to conceal some insecurity.

    Yet the dragon strode without forced confidence, and Airo disregarded the idea. He checked the power armor''s rearview sensors discreetly. The considerably larger dragon, Lung, had also assumed a bipedal stance, her perceived stature shifting to immense proportions, her horns almost reaching the high vaulted ceiling at times.

    Glawlrhain paused at a hallway intersection. "I''ll accommodate our guests," he said to the other Knights. "You three can go and rest."

    "Will you be coming afterwards?" Stamat asked, his expression odd.

    "Unfortunately, no," Glawlrhain rumbled low, lowering himself again on all fours. "The ramifications of Vorzii''s latest patrol will keep me up until late with Elder Lylana and Mentoria. And we also need to understand where Magus Dei stands, given his overall history with our Order."

    "I see," Stamat said. The large Knight stepped forward, and gently laid a hand on Glawlrhain''s snout. "It''s good to see you again."

    "Likewise," the dragon replied quietly. "I''m glad you have returned safely. Go with the others now. We''ll catch up with each other later, I promise."

    "C''mon, Stamat," Tehalix said. "Me and Lung are gonna make a short rec flight ''round the base. You can join if you like."

    The younger Radiant Knights went on their way. Glawlrhain then guided Airo and his team along more passageways of the stronghold complex, arriving at an area which looked like living quarters. The small dragon gave Kiana and Zuckeroff their own rooms. Then he turned and asked Veralla, "Would you like to have a separate chamber?"

    Airo started to agree, yet the dragonet was faster. "No, I want to be with Airo," she said, flapping her wings insistently.

    "Very well," Glawlrhain said, giving Airo a look. "Follow me, then." He led them to another part of the secret base, several levels above where Kiana and Zuckeroff had been left. Here, the area was divided in vast, cavern-like sections, each designed to house a human and a dragon, Glawlrhain explained. Airo made a face, yet said nothing.

    Glawlrhain pointed Airo and Veralla to one of the circular chambers. The primary space was made large enough to house dragons of impressive sizes, with one curving alcove along the wall which held human-sized amenities. Once they settled, Airo took off the power armor, made his way to the bed, and lay down on it. Veralla immediately went to him.

    "Why do you not want to stay?" the dragonet asked earnestly. "You do not like dragons?"

    "No, I do not," Airo said, staring at the ceiling, hands behind his head.

    "But you like me, do you not?" she asked.

    He sighed in irritation. "Let me just say I learned to... to make the best out of our interactions."

    Veralla hrrr¨Ced in a meaningful way. Deus, how these winged beasts can be so expressive without words?Airo thought.

    "So you could learn to accept other dragons," she said.

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    He frowned. "I will not."

    "But why?" she pressed.

    "Conversation is over," he snapped.

    Veralla didn''t stop pestering him, of course. They had a short, mostly one-sided discussion as she pleaded for him to stay while he replied with taciturn dismissals or cold silence. In the end, the dragonet was still a fledgling; weariness finally overcame her, and she went to sleep unhappily.

    Airo turned off the chamber''s lighting, and tried to get some rest too. Yet sleep wouldn''t come. He lay on the bed in darkness, thoughts swirling in his head like a turbulent sea. Old memories haunted his consciousness, his desire for vengeance at the forefront like a leader before an army, while more recent experiences hung on the dark walls of his psyche, waiting to be analyzed with cold, logical detachment. Airo recalled his encounter with Ferrtau. Even when he had shot his archenemy at point-blank range with a veronite blaster, he still hadn''t been able to escape from him. And if it hadn''t been for the combined help from Magus Dei and the Radiant Knights, Ferrtau would have killed him, without effort. Airo''s lips twisted into a silent snarl. If only he could control his time-shifting ability...

    Why did he not give Veralla away?

    The thought rose unbidden in his mind. He was confused. Why indeed had he withheld the dragonet from his archenemy? Hatred, of course. He harbored nothing but deep-seated scorn and loathing for Ferrtau, and used them to kindle the blazing fury which had supplanted his empty heart. He withheld Veralla merely to spite his archenemy. Yet some different, minuscule spark inside Airo told him things weren''t so simple. There was more to it than that.

    What else? he hissed silently in his mind. Nothing answered him.

    He turned to the side. There was a long, narrow window on the wall of the alcove. The night was moonless, and the snow-laden mountains reflected ghostly werelight into the chamber. White tendrils tore away from the ridges, carried by unseen winds. Airo gazed sullenly at the fractal wilderness outside. His original assessment he had made so many uncountable days ago held true. He could not take Ferrtau by himself. The question was with whom to ally himself.

    The Consortium had already shown they didn''t take him seriously. Even if he somehow managed to wrest control from whatever incompetents were in command of the local forces, their military probably wouldn''t be much better equipped for dealing with the Revenant than the inhabitants of Dragon Retreat. At best, Airo could expect the Consortium to have limited caches of veronite weaponry, which would be inadequate to wage a full-scale war; and full-scale it was, this conflict, judging by how many monsters Ferrtau was able to call at a moment''s notice.

    The Union was an unknown quantity, and Airo had no influence over them whatsoever. Which left only one other option: the Order of the Radiant Knights. They barely had a fighting force left, true; and yet, if anyone was prepared to deal with a former member of their own, it would be them. What Airo couldn''t stomach was the fact the Knights partnered themselves with dragons. He despised the giant winged reptiles with the entirety of his remaining soul. Yet he couldn''t deny the fact the beasts possessed great power. Power which, if used properly, could turn even the worst of tides. And dragons were able to harm the Revenant.

    He gritted his teeth. It wasn''t really a choice: his rational course of action was to take over the Radiant Order to act as a spearhead, then use them as leverage to take control of the Consortium''s logistical infrastructure. The only problem was he was going to be on the same side as the dragons.

    Great Cosmos, bloody stars, and deusforsaken depths of the black void.

    Airo rose out of the bed, and donned the power armor. He left the chamber and tried to find his way back to the stronghold''s command room. It took almost an hour of wandering, yet he finally arrived before the vast apertured threshold which led to the heart of the stronghold. He strode through the great irised door, and entered the room.

    Magus, Mentoria, and Lylana were still present. Glawlrhain was there, too. The four of them lifted their heads as Airo came by the circular table and stood across from them. He kept a straight face, showing no emotion as he regarded the leaders of the Radiant Knights.

    "I have reconsidered my intentions," he said evenly. "I will not be departing for Kryoon City. Instead, I offer you the following deal: do everything I ask, put every resource and every Knight your Order has under my command, and in exchange I will kill Tungust Ferrtau."

    His words were followed by stunned silence. After a full minute of quiet, the towering Scorchlander Knight, Lylana, shifted her hulking frame. "And what makes you think you are able to stop the Lightbringer?" she asked, her bright amber eyes full of disbelief and challenge.

    "Because," Airo said, "I am the Dragonslayer."

 Fourth Interlude

    FOURTH INTERLUDE

    For an unknown time, across Terra Para

    I winced in pain as the arctic winds stabbed me in the face. I paused in dull shock ¨C I had experienced neither discomfort nor ardor for awhile. I had begun to believe I was unable to feel anything, ever since She had been gone and I had sealed my fate by bringing upon the War for Ascension.

    Endlessly-fractal frozen plains stretched to the horizon in all directions. I knew not where I was now, nor did I care. I had escaped Dragon Retreat not because I lacked might; I had escaped because, after being numb from all feeling for so long, I had faltered... wavered... jarred, before the shock of Realization.

    Kalessia had been alive.

    She had been alive, and she had borne a child.

    The Knowledge alone of Her being alive had enough power to halt my very intentions. And She had a child: Veralla. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid my vision upon ¨C she surpassed even her mother. Her innocence, her purity, her True Nature ¨C all flowed in perfect Unity. Even her Name was a legend made Real. Veralla, Kalessia''s child, was a Primordial dragon. We ¨C I ¨C had succeeded.

    Oh, at how dear a cost.

    Cold sensation gripped me in a razor-edged grasp. It was not the icy wind or the glacial, lightless skies. It was dread, primeval and arrant, lancing me with a searing, singular question.

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    Where was Kalessia?

    I HAD TO FIND HER.

    She was here, on Terra Para. I was certain about that with absolute conviction. I gathered my power and rushed, mindlessly, recklessly, heart-achingly, to search for her. I abandoned the Revenant, I shunned my focus on the Reality Vortex, and I forsook my Crusade against the galaxy ¨C the only thing that mattered now was Kalessia, my dearest love.

    I swept across the entire paraworld, searching the infinite sub-regions in the spatial matrix, moving in a blur at the speed of thought, raking at hyper-accelerated rate every location, every habitat, every landscape, sifting everything down to the quantum level. I did not know how long I weaved through reality in this fashion, for I kept no track of time while I did so. Nothing entered my mind, for only She was there, and Her Presence was the single guidance I heeded to.

    At last, I came upon a region knotted on itself ¨C a maze in the space-time continuum which would let no one out save for Those possessing the highest Power. There, from inside a cave full of crystal wonder, I heard the faint traces of Her Aura singing through the eternal ?ther. The Dread clawing my at heart turned into overwhelming Fear. I stepped inside the cave.

    She was there.

    She was dead.

    Fear turned into Sorrow. My Mind shattered. My Will shriveled. My Body failed. Distantly, I sensed a sharp, keening sound; it was my own piercing wail, rebounding off the indifferent walls of pristine splendor. The perspective shifted, and I saw myself reduced to my knees ¨C the ultimate symbol of Surrender.

    I had no more Power. I relinquished all Control, and Everything slipped through my torpid fingers. Connections still remained, yet I was Absent. I wanted to bring a Miracle. I could not. Giving Her the Breath of Life anew would mean surrendering my own Flickering Flame to the Fire Eternal. Until the end, we would remain Separated.

    Tears bled freely, mercifully taking Clarity away. Without knowing the motion, my hands were bereft of gauntlets. Shaking, broken, I reached out, and touched Her soft, durable hide. A sob tore out my breath, and my soul. I crumbled.

    Leaning forward, I embraced Her as wide as I could, and wept in endless anguish.

 Chapter 11 - Rushing the Way

    CHAPTER 11 ¨C RUSHING THE WAY

    "Charging against the waves makes one forget the enormity of the problem at hand. In such instances, the pending result is irrelevant; one desires only release, whether through triumph or oblivion."

    ¨C Orim Anteev, "Beneath The World Storms"

    They didn''t believe him.

    Airo felt no outrage. He didn''t try to push his claim. He only turned and left, not even listening to their rationalizations. Honestly, he didn''t know why he bothered revealing his ''real'' identity in the first place. Perhaps he thought Magus Dei would''ve confirmed his story, since they had known each other in Airo''s previous life. Yet the old Knight had remained silent, bearing only that enigmatic gaze of his.

    It didn''t matter now.

    Airo was calm, detached. He felt a strange inner peace which hadn''t been part of him for centuries. There was only one thing left now.

    He would go and kill Ferrtau personally.

    Of course, the possibility of the reverse happening was strong. Ferrtau had proven to be a nigh-invincible adversary. Airo didn''t care. His course had been set the moment he had been awakened from cryostasis, and his destiny has been singular for the last seven hundred years. Besides, he still had two edges in this conflict: his time-shifting ability, even if that was unreliable at best, and the element of surprise. Few would expect a suicidal attack against a vastly superior opponent, especially at the heart of their domain.

    And that''s why Airo was considered a mad strategical genius in his past. More mad than genius these days, but this was pointless semantics to his numb psyche.

    "Cloud," he asked the SAI on the way back to his room, "can you infiltrate the security systems of this complex?"

    "I should be able to do so, Commander," Yeoman Cloud replied with enthusiasm. "However, it may take some time since I detect several advanced AI overseers."

    "Begin infiltration immediately then," Airo said. "You have the night at your disposal. By morning, I want you to prepare me the fastest aircraft that can reach the Shard. Stealth capabilities are an optional secondary priority."

    "Understood, Commander. Initiating system-wide infiltration."

    Airo returned to his room, and managed to get a few hours of sleep. At dawn, he prepared to depart the stronghold covertly. Veralla wasn''t in the room. Just as well. He interfaced the power armor. "Cloud, status update."

    "Done, Commander. There''s an interceptor-class stormjet waiting for you in the internal hangars at the top of the complex. Transmitting shortest unobtrusive route now."

    Airo followed the indicated path through the Order''s stronghold. He avoided several Radiant Knights on his way. Somebody wanted to contact him on the commlink. Airo killed the connection and disabled his positioning system. After tense twenty minutes of traversing souk-like transition halls and massive stairways made for human and dragon usage, he arrived at his destination.

    The topmost hangars were wide, low-ceilinged tunnels designed to launch fighters and drones en masse. Elevator platforms led to repair bays below the hangars. The place had numerous landing pads and probably had held a score of squadrons during its prime. Now, most pads stood empty, and only a few of the hangars contained any vehicles, half of which were disassembled to varying degrees.

    The navigation led Airo to a streamlined, dangerous-looking strikecraft. The power armor sensors identified it as a stormjet. It seemed completely intact, and its golden hull variformed away to reveal the cockpit as Airo approached. He settled into the pilot''s seat, and studied the controls. They were completely unknown to him.

    "Cloud, can you fly this?" he asked, musing how cramped the cockpit was.

    "Certainly, Commander."

    "Then start the engines and take off. Be expedient, as I expect resistance once we are airborne."

    "Destination, Commander?"

    "The Shard, wherever that is."

    The stormjet lifted silently on electromagnetic repulsors, and launched from the hangar. Once outside, its main drive fired with a thunderous boom, shooting forward with bone-crushing acceleration. Immediately, the stormjet banked sideways in a wide circle around the area. The power armor''s interface lit up with messages, commlink requests, and warnings. Airo was sure the Radiant Knights'' base had gone on full alert at his sudden departure.

    "Cloud," he asked through gritted teeth, "why are we not leaving?"

    "I''m doing a pattern search for the fractal subregion''s exit, Commander. Remaining ETA is two-point-eight seconds."

    The stormjet abruptly righted itself and sped toward the wide, dark tunnel which led away from the hidden base. Yet no light was visible on the other side as the stormjet entered the tunnel, and approached the sheer darkness with terminal velocity.

    "Cloud!" Airo shouted.

    At the last instant, the tunnel entrance melted away in a curtain of blinding radiance. The stormjet rushed past, and launched itself into the crystal-clear morning sky of Terra Para. Airo let out his breath, and slumped in the seat.

    "Did you have to wait until the last moment to open the way?" he asked mordantly.

    "I had no control over the subregion''s exit, Commander," Yeoman Cloud said nonchalantly.

    Airo balked for several seconds. "Why the bloody stars did you rush at it then?" he demanded.

    "You instructed me to be expedient, Commander. I assumed you had secured a means to control the subregion''s exit. My mistake! It won''t happen again."

    Neither of us would have made any subsequent mistakes if we had smashed against that... barrier, Airo thought. He contemplated who actually had let him leave the Order''s stronghold. None of the options which came to mind made much sense, and soon he abandoned that line of thinking. Instead, he focused his attention on the readouts on the stormjet''s dashboard and the regular stream of data scrolling on his power armor''s HUD. The stormjet quickly reached hypersonic speed and began to cruise at an altitude of forty kilometers, well away from orbit, yet high enough to diminish many of the paraworld''s anomalous effects, or negate them altogether.

    The flight was a static, boring affair as Yeoman Cloud unerringly guided the stormjet toward its destination. The twin suns, white-blue and crimson-red, blazed low over the distant horizon, creating an ephemeral, purple afterglow. The vast frozen expanses of the planet below gleamed like a mirror. Airo gazed at the raw cosmic beauty, blind to it. His thoughts were subdued, as he honed his vengeful rage into a blade of diamond determination, preparing mentally to face Ferrtau again. He wasn''t surprised the stormjet flew straight to the elusive energy pillar that constantly overshadowed the landscape.

    "Why are we going to the Shard?" Veralla suddenly asked, her head looming as she rose from the cockpit''s rear end.

    Airo would''ve startled if anger didn''t overcome him first. "What," he said, slow and harsh, "are you doing here?"

    "I wanted to come with you!" Veralla said, bobbing her snout.

    "How did you find me in the first place?" Airo demanded.

    "I interfaced the mesh, and asked your virtual advisor where you were going," the dragonet said.

    "Cloud?" Airo growled, directing the query at his interface.

    "She pleaded me to join you, and I helped her get aboard beforehand, Commander," the SAI admitted brightly.

    "Why?"

    "My original programming is focused on conflict resolution via constructive means and on restoring harmonic balance to individuals who''ve suffered through traumatic events. Of course, this is superseded by my current executive directive, which dictates I must fully comply with any order from you, Commander. However, since fulfilling the request of Veralla didn''t interfere with this directive, my decision to help her was based on my default routines."

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    Airo snorted, irritated. Another hidden complication. He retracted his helmet and turned partway to face Veralla. "Why did you come here?"

    "I want to keep you company," the dragonet said, her purple eyes bright with determination.

    "Why would you want that?" Airo asked slowly.

    "Because I can feel how sad you are," Veralla explained. "I am here to make you not feel alone."

    "Sadness; loneliness," Airo spat. "What do you know about these things? You have not lived even a year. You have no attachments. You have not known love. You do not know anything. You do not know what it means TO LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE!" Veralla flinched, her wings fluttering in the cramped cockpit. Airo stared hard at her, bright fury burning in his chest.

    The dragonet lowered her head. "I have lost my mother," she said quietly, her eyes not meeting Airo''s gaze. "Yes, I never knew her. I have only vague feelings about her from my time in the shell. But I am sad she is dead, because I am sure I would have loved her very much if she was alive."

    Airo''s anger evaporated. He looked sullenly at Veralla, who kept her head low. He couldn''t find anything to say, his mind in disarray. He turned back in his seat, vexed, flustered. The silence stretched. Even Yeoman Cloud didn''t offer an uplifting commentary, probably still imprisoned by its stand-by mode.

    "Are you going to kill Ferrtau?" Veralla asked tentatively after several minutes.

    Airo blew out a breath through his nose. "Yes."

    "Why?"

    There were many reasons, yet only one mattered. "I am not going to tell you."

    Another minute passed. "Is he my father?"

    "No. Dragons cannot breed with humans."

    "Was he a soulkin to my mother?"

    It was his turn to be silent. "Yes, he was," he said at last, recognizing the detestable term the Radiant Knights had used. He recalled his findings in Dragon Retreat about his archenemy''s life ¨C and then he remembered seeing them together for the first time... seven centuries ago. "They were very close," he added reluctantly.

    "How did my mother die?" Veralla asked in hushed tone.

    "I do not know," Airo said firmly. "She was aboard the starship I traveled with. I was... tasked... with escorting your mother to this planet. As the ship approached orbit, we were attacked by dragons made of light ¨C probably Revenant under Ferrtau''s control. The starship crashed, yet your mother was not among the remains. Somehow she had escaped, and probably died fighting the Revenant.

    "She... gave her life to protect you," Airo continued in a low, rough voice. "And when I found her, she used her dying breath to vow me into giving you life. What a wretched irony," he said bitterly. She, giving her most precious to me, the mortal enemy.

    "Anyway, I have done my part. I have no desire to deal with any dragon any more than absolutely necessary, and since those Radiant Knights refused my proposal for alliance, now I am going to face Ferrtau on my own ¨C and damn the outcome."

    He fell silent, and Veralla didn''t say anything. However, he knew her muteness wasn''t final. Soon, she spoke again.

    "Why were you tasked with escorting my mother here?"

    Airo could feel the dragonet''s gaze upon his back. "I do not know," he said wearily. "And I do not care," he continued, voice hardening. "All I know is I was awakened from cryostasis to a world vastly changed, and sent to the very edge of it. Then circumstances thrust me into the heart of a conflict that is not my own. Yet Ferrtau is here, and his downfall is my only goal. Nothing else. Nothing."

    This time, the dragonet truly stayed quiet.

    The trip lasted several hours, even with the stormjet''s hypersonic speed. Of course, Airo couldn''t have hoped the whole time would pass in quiet reflection, as Veralla inevitably became talkative again. Thankfully, her inquiries shifted to trivial matters, to which he gave terse answers, often in single syllables.

    Finally, the Shard appeared on the horizon.

    It looked like a titanic mountain made of azure crystal. Its features were smooth and minimal, bordering on formless. Its crystalline surface seemed to gently swirl in place, as if without substance. Clustered in several concentric rings were numerous structures, all of them displaying the same ethereal quality as the mountain itself to different degrees. Those were the remains of the Radiant Knights'' headquarters.

    The Shard was encased in a golden, translucent barrier, gliding and drifting in tandem with the crystal surface underneath. At the top of the mountain was what could only be described as a naked singularity ¨C a rift of pure nothingness, dark and utterly empty. Merely looking at it made Airo''s eyes hurt, and he quickly glanced away. The rift trailed upward, expanding into the sky, where it formed a giant plasma vortex arcing with viridian lightning. The vortex spewed its excess energies high above the clouds in a titanic violet-white annihilation beam miles wide ¨C which was somehow visible everywhere, even from beyond the horizon.

    All of this Airo saw from a distance, magnified on the power armor''s interface, since the stormjet slowed down immediately when different alarms rang out in the cockpit.

    "Cloud, what is the hold up?"

    "The target area is heavily surrounded by many anomalies and aberrations in the space-time continuum, Commander. Loss of reality elevation is 99.9996%," the SAI replied like a tour guide. "I''ve dedicated ninety percent of my operation cycles to calculating the intensity of the emitted energies but results are still running, already past all theoretical scales."

    "Can you land at the Shard?" Airo asked.

    "Error, Commander."

    "Error?"

    "My knowledge banks have no references about the phenomenon we''re facing. I can make speculations based on raw data, but my initial estimation is any approach to the target area would result in guaranteed termination, or similar critical existence failure."

    "Find a landing site and touch down," Airo commanded.

    "Are you sure we must land?" Veralla asked.

    "You be quiet," he said.

    The stormjet approached the turbulent region. More alarms lit up on the interface, but Airo disabled them all. The audiosimulators began to wail as the view outside shimmered and distorted. A surge of overpowering nausea hit Airo. He gritted his teeth in defiance. Disorienting flashes blinded him. The world plummeted into a spiral. Then just as sudden, the episode passed. Airo regained his senses in time to see the stormjet landing amidst a great complex.

    He exited the stormjet and stood on the landing platform. Strong winds buffeted him and deafening thunder rumbled continuously from atop the Shard, yet there were no other ill effects. Airo glanced at Veralla as she climbed out of the cockpit. The dragonet was anxious, her slit-pupiled eyes widened, her webbed ears folded tight against the stormy din, but otherwise she seemed unharmed by the reality-warping field that hit them during approach. Airo snorted and took stock of his surroundings.

    He was on one of the lower ''ring districts'' which encircled the Shard. Enormous, mega-sized roads and walkways flowed between massive buildings, each rivaling the Radiant Knights'' hidden stronghold in size. Temples, cosmodromes, fabrication sites, and living quarters sprawled in each direction, on each ring level. Airo frowned when he realized how much he had underestimated the scale of the Shard.

    "Cloud, do you detect any hostiles nearby?" he asked, scanning around. The immediate area seemed deserted, yet he unholstered the veronite blaster as a precaution.

    "No, Commander, sensors are quiet," Yeoman Cloud said, uncharacteristically subdued. "However, I find it statistically a practical impossibility we''re still functional, sane, and operating within a three-dimensional scope on an unilateral time-stream."

    "Comment noted," Airo said flatly. "Now quit quipping, and focus on active monitoring."

    "We should leave!" Veralla yelled over the thundering noise. "I do not like this place!"

    "Then you should have not come," Airo said, his voice amplified by the armor''s external speakers. He set off toward the nearest building. Veralla rawr¨Ced restlessly and followed him.

    They wandered among the abandoned galactic headquarters of the Radiant Order. Airo cautiously stalked forward, ready to fire the blaster in an instant, while Veralla crept behind, so close she bumped him a couple of times. The facilities were devoid of any presence, yet otherwise intact. Some of the buildings were constructed from what would''ve been regarded as completely fantastical substances in Airo''s time ¨C variform crystal, hard light, focused gravitic fields ¨C yet most of the infrastructure was made with ''normal'' components, which included hyper-advanced composites, nano-engineered super materials, and exotic matter.

    Airo spent an hour searching aimlessly around what was a veritable megapolis. The sky had begun to darken, and the rift atop the Shard seemed more ominous with each passing moment. Veralla pleaded him to leave every few minutes. There was no one around. No Revenant. No Ferrtau. No one. He could wander for ages.

    "Cloud, do you sense anything? Anything at all?" he asked tensely.

    "I detect no physical presences, Commander," the SAI replied. "However, some of the local network is still online. I''ve been accessing it for some time now, searching through its databases for useful information."

    "Did you find any?"

    Yeoman Cloud made an uncharacteristic delay. "Depends. Commander, can you please re-state your main mission objective?"

    What the void... "I do not like your evasiveness, SAI," Airo said dangerously. "Be forthright or face memory wipe."

    "Understood, Commander. I have found the living chronicle archives of the Radiant Order ¨C they contain augmented records of every Radiant Knight since 323 RE."

    "Including Ferrtau?" Airo asked.

    "Yes, Tungust Ferrtau''s record is included in the archives, beginning from 499 RE, and ending at 980 RE."

    "Download Ferrtau''s record," Airo said instantly. "Do not tell anyone about it." After Yeoman Cloud acknowledged and transferred the data, Airo inquired again about the presence of hostile forces. "Can you make a sweep of the region through the network?" he asked when he received a negative answer.

    Suddenly, the air wavered and the great arcs of lightning around the Shard''s vortex began to fall everywhere. Airo felt submerged in gelatinous acid, every nerve on fire. His HUD lit up with urgent warnings, and seconds later a strong electromagnetic shock all but disabled the power armor.

    "We have to get out of here!" Veralla shrieked over the forming warpstorm.

    Airo had no strength to reply in agreement. Instead, drawing his will, he beckoned the dragonet to stay close, and began to stumble back towards the stormjet. "Cloud, bring the fighter to us!" he gasped, struggling against the paralyzing pain.

    The interface buzzed with strong static, the SAI''s response barely intelligible. "... strong interference... establishing dynamic quantum... ETA forty seconds, Commande¨C"

    Airo fell on his knees, overwhelmed by the rippling reality around him. Once more he felt the symptoms of acute radiation poisoning, and fought to stay conscious. Veralla keened and bumped him with her head, urging him to rise and continue walking. The warpstorm roared, gathering power to unleash its terrible potential in truth. Another roar called in the thundering din, weaker yet nearer. Airo gasped in relief, recognizing the stormjet in the distance.

    The aircraft approached their position, main drive at full power, and landed heavily, skidding to a halt only a meter away from Airo and Veralla. They both clambered into the cockpit, barely inside when the stormjet rose in the tearing skies, and swiftly retreated from the Shard of Terra Para.

 Chapter 11.2 - Rushing the Way

    The journey back was bleak and dismal. Airo was in a foul mood, unable to face Ferrtau head on. He had no idea where his archenemy could be, and had no way of tracking him down. He felt lost; he didn''t know what his next move should be.

    He decided to return to the Radiant Knights'' hidden base to recuperate and leave Veralla behind for good. As much as he had come to tolerate ¨C even appreciate ¨C her, he wanted to be free of the distraction. Then he would head for Kryoon City and go back to his original plan to try and take control over the Consortium. It was better than to do nothing at all.

    Veralla, of course, wanted none of it. She implored him to stay with the Radiant Knights, or at least let her come with him. Airo, however, was adamant on both points, and he made that clear to the dragonet. In the end, she hrrr¨Ced miserably, and tucked herself at the back of the cockpit without uttering a word.

    Hours later, the sky already dark, the stormjet arrived at the region where the hidden base was located. Airo scanned the area, unable to find the entrance. He realized how foolish it was to expect the Knights would take him back after his sudden departure, yet before the recognition could sink in, the tunnel''s masked entrance shimmered on one of the mountain ridges. The stormjet flew through into the fractal subregion beyond. Airo approached the central landing site of the stronghold complex. He wanted to be done with this stopover as quickly as possible: take some temporary medication, dump the dragonet, and cause as little commotion as possible.

    He certainly did not expect half the base to have gathered for his arrival.

    The stormjet touched down, with Lylana Darkovitz, Glawlrhain, Magus Dei, and numerous other Radiant Knights, a dozen of which were dragons, waiting for it on the illuminated tarmac.

    As Airo disembarked, Lylana strode toward him, her towering bulk looming dangerously in the shadow of the stronghold''s lights. "Stealing aircraft, kidnapping a fledgling, and exposing a secret location to risk," she listed darkly. "You better explain yourself, Commander Airo, or whomever you try to pass yourself as."

    Veralla hopped off the cockpit. "He did not kidnap me," she said before Airo could reply. "I went with him on my own."

    "Went?" Lylana asked. "To where?"

    "Airo went to the Shard to kill Ferrtau," the dragonet said plainly.

    That caught everyone''s attention. Lylana balked. "He what?" the giant woman rumbled.

    Airo took a step forward and met her eyes. "I went to finish what I have vowed to do, even without the support I have asked of your Order," he said evenly, his expression stony.

    "And for how long have you held a murderous vow against the Lightbringer?" Glawlrhain asked, his amber gaze narrowing.

    "For seven hundred and fifty years," Airo said.

    There were quiet gasps among the gathered Knights. "Do you really claim to be the Dragonslayer?" Glawlrhain asked, still stern in demeanor, yet his down-angled wings belied his uneasiness.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "I am the Dragonslayer," Airo said, voice low and hard. This brought out more tumult from the Radiant Knights. Airo faced their furtive glances and unfriendly glares with an implacable gaze of his own. Fittingly enough, the dragons seemed more afraid of him than the humans.

    "Maybe it is true," Glawlrhain said quietly, while Lylana shook her head in disbelief. "And you say you went with this person of your own volition?" he asked Veralla.

    The dragonet obviously wasn''t sure what was happening, yet her response was certain. "Yes, I went with Airo willingly," she said. "I want to be with him."

    Strangely, her last statement rattled the Radiant Knights worse than Airo''s claims. Yet the reactions were shock and astonishment, not fear or animosity. Airo noticed only Magus Dei wasn''t dismayed by the fact Veralla had gone with him on her own. The old Knight moved forward, and instantly the noise quieted down.

    "What happened when you two arrived at the Shard?" Magus asked Airo, looking at him intently.

    "Nothing," he replied, staring right back. "Ferrtau was not there, and neither were any of his twisted creations. The Shard stood empty, save for the damage Ferrtau had done."

    That caused a third upheaval among the crowd of Radiant Knights. "The Lightbringer must''ve gone on the offensive himself!" Stamat exclaimed, and many agreed with him.

    "Shut up, Terlokhi," Lylana said sharply. "You all know the Lightbringer can''t leave the Shard. He''s tied up with keeping the Reality Vortex under control."

    "What if we''re wrong?" Glawlrhain asked. "What if Ferrtau has found a way to maintain control over distance? Stamat already reported they fought him outside his domain. Perhaps it wasn''t a mere projection but the enemy himself."

    Lylana shook her head again, and sighed. "The central question is what should we do if the Lightbringer has truly taken the field," the giant Scorchlander Knight said.

    "I can offer you the same deal as before," Airo interrupted, getting back everyone''s attention. "Give me complete command over your forces and I will make sure to kill Ferrtau."

    Lylana started to reply, but bowed her head respectfully at Magus'' raised hand. "I am in agreement with such a proposition," the old Knight said, still holding Airo under his piercing gaze. "At this point, the Order and the entire galaxy have little to lose under the circumstances. It matters not who would have been in charge should we all be engulfed by the Void in the end. Yet if someone, no matter their past deeds and current outlook, comes along and offers to save the world, no matter how small the chance or what their motivations are, I would say we should give them the opportunity to do so."

    "Sir... do you think this is wise?" Lylana asked. "If this man truly is who he claims to be... then he is the opposite of everything this Order stands for. Should we submit to his will?"

    "Yes," Magus said, still not breaking eye contact with Airo. "Yes, in this case I think we should."

    "Then I shall heed your counsel, sir," Lylana said. She saluted, and turned around. "Commander Airo, as an elder and warmaster of the Order of the Radiant Knights, I hereby declare we, the Radiant Knights, swear to be under your command until Tungust Ferrtau, the Lightbringer, is brought to justice by summary execution." Lylana turned to face the gathered Knights. "Anyone who''s not concordant to this oath is free to leave the Order, either permanently, or temporarily until the sworn conditions are met. You must decide now, and anyone who doesn''t attend at the moment must decide immediately upon learning of this declaration. What say you?"

    Nobody spoke, yet nobody moved either. When the silence stretched into a full minute, Lylana spoke again. "Then it is settled! From this moment onward, we''re sworn to follow you," she said, facing Airo. "What''re your orders, Commander?"

    "Carry on for the time being," he said. "Just point me to the nearest medical facility." He hadn''t been exposed to radiation as long as during the first warpstorm, yet he was still badly poisoned, and his power armor''s restoration fields were already declining in effectiveness.

    "Of course," Lylana said stiffly. "Stamat, please take Commander Airo to the medbay."

    "Yay!" Veralla said happily. "Does that mean I can become a Radiant Knight now?"

 Chapter 12 - Exploring Ways

    CHAPTER 12 ¨C EXPLORING WAYS

    "[...]and the conclusion of that horrifying chapter in transhuman history was the Battle for Terra Para. This saw the Galactic Stellar Consortium, the Union of True Humanity, the H''raal Exile Fleet, and the outlawed Order of the Radiant Knights banding together in an extraordinary alliance against a common threat.

    [...]The alliance proved victorious but regrettably short-lived; with the cost of victory unimaginably high, sharp dissent divided its members shortly afterwards. As a result, the two largest parties, the Consortium and the Union, prevented the H''raal from turning into a major galactic power, and dispersed them forcibly across distant star systems with the Special Non-Invasion Treaty[...] then they declared Terra Para under martial law, thus placing the Radiant Order into a permanent state of semi-arrest.[...]

    [...]With the stage settled thus, the strained cooperation between the two primary stellar civilizations once again began to deteriorate in the wake of the galaxy''s subsequent, yet by far most devastating cataclysm since the Cosmic Death."

    ¨C Kentaro Xinyi Meor, "The Starblaze Terror", Datalinks

    999 RE, the Radiant Knights'' hidden base, Terra Para

    Early morning

    "It is so beautiful!" Veralla rawr-ed.

    "Yes, this isn''t merely a bastion," Glawlrhain agreed. "In times of need, that is its purpose, yet during peace it serves as a recreation center for our Order."

    "Does this place have a name?" she asked.

    "Ilsorin," the sinuous blue-green dragon replied. "It means ''high peak'' in the draconic language."

    Veralla nodded, looking around eagerly. They were at the back of the stronghold complex, where the large mountain split into two tapering ridges. The ridges curved inward, forming a huge enclosed area, accessible only by air or by a narrow vertical gap where the outer edges didn''t quite meet. Inside the enclosure tiered parks and hanging gardens were built along the cliffs, where trees, ferns, and all kinds of vegetation thrived in the carefully maintained environmental conditions. Winding walkways traversed the enclosed area, leading down to a lake of crystal-clear water on a meadow of exotic, glowing grasses. Elegant monuments floated among the walkways and wide terraces, acting as light sources during the night. And everything was infused with ?ther energy.

    "Can I drink from the water?" Veralla asked, looking at the lake''s gentle, unbroken surface.

    "Of course," Glawlrhain snorted with amusement. "Most of the other dragons drink mainly from the lake."

    Veralla dipped her snout, and took several gulps. The water was cool and refreshing, bringing a sense of vitality beyond the merely physical. She straightened out and hrrr-ed contently. "The water tastes very nice," she said.

    "Yes, its harmonic resonance is kept to the highest standard," Glawlrhain said. He casually slashed his claw across the lake''s surface, the splashful of water twinkling with intricate shapes in the morning air. Veralla gasped in rapture at the display. Glawlrhain regarded her warmly. "Shall we proceed with the tour?" he asked.

    "Yes, yes, of course!" she said.

    Glawlrhain continued to show her around the Radiant Knights'' hidden base. They passed through the training chambers, which supported both VR scenarios and real terrain generated with variform smart materials, saw the datacenter which housed most of Ilsorin''s systems and support AIs, and visited various common rooms spread around on different levels.

    Throughout the tour Glawlrhain strolled beside Veralla, commenting on the many different decorations adorning the hallways, terraces, and caverns of the ¨C at least at first glance ¨C spartan stronghold. The place seemed quite empty, yet Glawlrhain said Ilsorin was designed for a much greater number of people than those currently present. It explained why they met so few other Knights during their tour. Veralla was glad Glawlrhain was kind to her, though she felt a bit guilty because he walked slowly on behalf of her being so small and lacking the ability to fly.

    As they delved deeper into the base, they reached the storage bays filled with supplies and replacement parts. For some reason, Glawlrhain didn''t want to linger here, and he briskly turned around after a quick overview. However, Veralla noticed something and stopped to look at it.

    "Where do these elevators lead to?" she asked, pointing a talon toward a section of loading platforms.

    "They lead to the lowest levels, where the industrial workshops and nanofactories are located," Glawlrhain replied.

    "Ooh, I want to see them!" she said.

    "Perhaps another time," the blue-green dragon said discreetly. "Mentoria has claimed that part of the base, and she doesn''t like visits without important reason." Glawlrhain swished his tail. "Say, you must be quite hungry by now. Would you like to go and have a meal?"

    Veralla indeed noticed her growing hunger. "Yes, I would definitely like a meal right now," she said.

    Glawlrhain nodded, and guided her toward a gravity shaft leading to Ilsorin''s upper levels. From there, they went to the main dining hall. There were other Radiant Knights here, and most of them glanced at Veralla when she and Glawlrhain entered, but kept their curiosity respectfully brief. Nevertheless, she was still unused to mass displays of attention, and her wings folded close to her body, as she shyly sat at one of the large tables. The facilities here were designed to accommodate users of all shapes and sizes, and the smart seat variformed to give Veralla maximal comfort.

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    As soon as she and Glawlrhain settled, a hoverbot approached their part of the table. "What can I get you?" the drone buzzed in an artificial yet friendly voice.

    "Raw meat," Glawlrhain said. "Lots of it."

    "Is the food here nanofabricated?" Veralla asked, as the hoverbot flew away.

    The blue-green dragon hrrr-ed. "Most of it," he said. "Not yours, though. Fledglings need to feed on natural products to maximize their growth. Especially in your case."

    "I do like meat very much, even raw," Veralla agreed. "But why not cook it, like the others do?"

    "Because this way it retains the most of its energy potential," Glawlrhain explained, just as another hoverbot approached with a giant pot filled with red chunks to the brim. "Here, it''s all for you. Eat heartily."

    Veralla nodded energetically in thanks, and began to eat. She carefully picked up the meat in her claws and bit precise pieces, mindful not to make a mess. Glawlrhain growled, amused. "Simply eat, little one!" he said. "Don''t worry about making things dirty. The drones will clean afterwards."

    "Oh, okay," Veralla said and tore hungrily into the food.

    She devoured the contents of the pot, reveling in the taste of the meat. She finished her first meal before she realized she had done so. She looked around for more and found another serving awaiting her already. She ate up the second meal just as fast, then a third one, more slowly, and finally was completely satiated. "I think I am full now," she said, waving off a fourth pot with a reddened claw. She watched wistfully as the meat was taken away, her keen sense of smell making her still hunger, yet her belly could not take any more. Immediately after she was done eating two hoverbots surrounded her and began to clean her from the gore with portable ion showers.

    "Now, what do you want to do next?" Glawlrhain asked when the hoverbots completed their task. He was lounging in a relaxed manner while he waited for Veralla to finish eating and get cleaned.

    "I want to see Airo," she said intently.

    "Ah," Glawlrhain said, his slit-pupiled eyes narrowing a little. "If that is your wish..." He lifted his head as if listening to something in the distance. "Then we must hurry. Please, follow me."

    ***

    Airo was standing in the command room of the Radiant Order''s hidden base. Lylana Darkovitz and Magus Dei were with him, alongside several other Knights who were responsible for day-to-day operations. All of them were young, full of vigor, and universally good-natured. It made Airo inexplicably annoyed. Thankfully, they were all humans this time. Airo had spent most of the morning getting himself familiarized with the procedures and logistics of the Order, and also had made an inventory of the available military hardware. As he suspected, it was adequate, yet far from enough to wage a war.

    "Is the skyship ready for departure?" he asked.

    "Fully staffed and prepared," Lylana said with a short nod.

    "With no dragons among the crew?" Airo looked at her pointedly.

    The towering woman stiffened. "Commander Airo, I remind you our Order doesn''t distinguish Radiant Knights based on their origin. Dragons among our ranks are like any¨C"

    "No dragons," he said, harder. "Am I understood?"

    "Yes, Commander," Lylana replied icily.

    Airo snorted, and glanced back at the interfaces floating above the strataplan table. He''d have to utilize the hateful winged reptiles soon enough. But he wouldn''t deal with them anymore than he needed to.

    "Where are you planning to go?" Magus Dei asked.

    "To the Consortium headquarters at Kryoon City," Airo replied. "They are the next step in consolidating our forces." He scanned the command room. Kiana and Zuckeroff were also present at the meeting. The Conduit was again in her postmodern not-quite-clothes, neon tattoos glowing, while the astrior was slurping incessantly from a beer can he had gotten from somewhere. Airo needed them for a specific task. "You two," he said, "get into uniform. You are coming along."

    Zuckeroff paused his slurping long enough to mumble, sure, Boss, while Kiana made a face. "What for?" she snapped, arms folded in her familiar recalcitrant manner.

    "Credibility," Airo shot back. "I may have clearance, yet I hold no real position in the Consortium." He ignored the curious gazes of the Radiant Knights. "However, if I make an appearance with two Sol Force commandos from the Epsilon Corps at my side, this will make my authority much more tangible ¨C at least upon surface inspection."

    Kiana snorted. "Uh-huh, as if an entire star system task force will submit to your will only because of your fancy access clearance and a couple of elite operatives with dubious status." The Conduit spread her arms. "Yep, if I was Terra Para''s central command, I''d totally hand over my authority to some random Paladin psi-gating out of nowhere."

    "I am open to better ideas," Airo said flatly. "But not to idle chatter."

    "What if I refuse to gridcast on your keyboard?" Kiana taunted.

    "If you fail to cooperate," Airo replied calmly, "then you put at risk the entire world, and possibly reality itself. Can you bear such guilt, or are you trying to use me as a role model?"

    The Conduit made a disgusted sound. "Fine," she spat. "You cheap bastard."

    Airo''s mouth corner quirked. "I prefer pragmatical bastard," he said. "Now, if everyone is done raising objections, I would like to depart immediately. Elder Darkovitz, carry on as usual while I am absent."

    "As you command," Lylana said tersely and gave him a rigid salute.

    The Radiant Knights began to file out of the room. Lylana and a couple of others remained behind to discuss minor details. Airo made his way out too.

    "A moment, if you please."

    He turned around with a cool, indifferent expression. Magus Dei stood a few paces behind, regal and distant in his crimson robes.

    "What is it?" Airo asked gruffly.

    "I want to talk with you about Veralla," Magus said.

    "What about her?"

    "You have probably noticed she spends quite much of her time with you," Magus said.

    "Yes, she is quite bothersome in that regard," Airo said. "I do not care for the particulars, though." He made a dismissive gesture, and turned back.

    "Listen, this is important," Magus said, matching step beside him. The old Knight''s voice lacked the usual stern undertone. "Veralla has spent an extended time since her hatching in your exclusive company. Dragons exhibit very strong emotional impulses at birth. Combined with their fully-formed consciousness, this makes them form lasting bonds with those immediately around them. In Veralla''s case¨C"

    "Forget it," Airo cut him off. "I am not interested in the subject."

    "You should listen," Magus repeated with a serious expression. "I am telling you why Veralla has become so attached to you."

    "And I said, forget it," Airo snapped, stopping to glare at the old Knight. "I am not discussing this. Now, since you are not part of the skyship''s crew, step aside." Airo started down the hallway again, leaving Magus Dei to gaze at his back.

    He went outside, and navigated the stronghold''s ramparts to the upper levels where the skyship''s landing platform was. Vorzii sprawled impressively on the platform, its huge golden hull gleaming in the twin morning light. Airo checked his gear: katana, blaster, virtualizer ¨C everything was securely attached. The power armor was at optimum operation. According to the local Viirt network, the crew was already aboard, including Kiana and Zuckeroff. Everything was ready for takeoff. Airo strode toward the lone loading ramp waiting for him.

    Just as he reached the ramp, a hangar across the landing platform opened its doors. Beyond them was Veralla, accompanied by that small serpentine dragon, Glawlrhain.

    "Airo! Wait for me!" the dragonet yelled, rushing to catch up with him.

    He squinted in her direction, and sighed in exasperation. "Cloud, did you inform her again?" he asked.

    "No, Commander," the SAI replied happily. "She found you on her own."

    "Great," Airo muttered.

 Chapter 12.2 - Exploring Ways

    Kryoon was a large domed city, erected on the great featureless plains of Terra Para''s southern hemisphere. There was no snow here, only barren grey earth and shallow seas. The temperature was still well below zero, though waves lapped the sea shores.

    "Why is the water not freezing?" Veralla asked, pointing a claw beyond Vorzii''s observation window.

    "Salinity saturation," Zuckeroff explained in a knowing tone. "I aced my test on basic oceanography in college!"

    "That''s not the case here," Stamat said. "And the temperature is too low anyway."

    "Then what?" Kiana asked.

    "Don''t know for sure," the stout Highlander replied. "It''s got something to do with the paraworld itself. Pressure''s way higher in the seas than normal, keeping them liquid, but once you draw a cupful out, it takes only a little shake to make it freeze explosively."

    "Huh, ain''t that something cool," Kiana remarked.

    The city was visible only with enhanced imaging, being currently nothing more than a glinting spec in the distance. Vorzii was several hundred kilometers away, keeping stable altitude in the high stratosphere. The skies were again crystal clear, and if it wasn''t for the skyship''s sophisticated stealth systems, their approach would''ve been detected long ago. Even so, Airo wasn''t taking chances.

    "How are passive sensor readings?" he asked.

    "Nothing has detected us so far, Commander," Yeoman Cloud reported."We''re practically invisible for baseline visual inspection, and the skyship''s hull absorbs all known spectrums while simultaneously producing low-level emissions compatible with background noise."

    "Impressive," Zuckeroff whistled. "But what if they have aethertech?"

    "I doubt it," Stamat said. "Most of it was lost during the Starblaze."

    It had taken three whole days to reach Kryoon City. Airo wanted to avoid the Beacon Highway ¨C what remained of it, anyway ¨C and thus Vorzii had to power through the perilous super-topography of the planet. The skyship frequently rose to the upper atmosphere to keep its bearing, and had to skirt around warpstorms several times. By the end of the journey everyone aboard was on edge. Only Airo''s mood improved, as he felt he was finally making progress towards his ultimate goal. He used the downtime during travel to learn about Vorzii''s combat and utility capabilities, and spent some time training in simulspace to use its systems, in case he ever needed to pilot the skyship or fire its weapons. He kept little contact with the Radiant Knights beyond learning their names and specialties.

    "Is the shuttle ready?" Airo asked, studying Kryoon City and its outskirts through the skyship''s sensors. He had ordered the Knights to strip down one of their transport shuttles, masking its appearance as a worn-out civilian model.

    "Yes, sir," Stamat said. The large Highlander served well enough as an executive officer, though his demeanor carried a degree of uneasiness all Radiant Knights had around Airo. "All modifications are done as you requested."

    "Then let us not waste any more time, and proceed with the matter at hand," Airo said. " Lieutenant Kiana, Lieutenant Zuckeroff, and I will be part of the away team. The rest of you will stay here and await our return."

    "Wait!" Veralla bounced. "I want to come, too!"

    "You cannot," Airo said firmly. "The Consortium does not take kindly to the presence of dragons." He looked around the bridge. "And neither to the Radiant Order. That is why those who are affiliated with either cannot go to the city itself."

    "But I want to come with you," Veralla keened, wings drooping. "And I want to see what a city is like."

    "Well, I can''t do anything about your first request, whippersnapper," Kiana said, glancing with disdain at Airo, "but I can show you something which may satisfy your second wish." She gestured before the dragonet. "Skyship, cast an AR screen here."

    A virtual display manifested at the indicated spot, showing a large city square ringed by tall buildings and teeming with people. The vidstream was a surveillance feed. Zuckeroff and Stamat gasped in awe, alongside the nearby Radiant Knights. "Neat trick," Zozzy rumbled approvingly from the helm.

    Airo scowled. "I had forbidden all network traffic between the ship and the city. What is this?" he demanded.

    "I''m not using the Viirt," Kiana said smugly. "This connection is made directly through the ?ther." She grinned. "I''m a hacker and a Conduit, and easily bored ¨C a combo that leads to the wizbang result you see now." Kiana gave Veralla a pair of specs. "Here, get a look through these, whippersnapper."

    Veralla put on the specs, and rawr-ed. "I see so many people!" the dragonet said happily. "Thank you, Kiana!"

    "My pleasure," the Conduit smiled. "You have access to the entire city''s sensor network. You can see around almost as if you''re really there."

    "Can I access the Viirt, too?" the dragonet asked.

    "Yep."

    "Oh, that is so nice! But I still cannot come with you?"

    "Ah, nope, unfortunately."

    "If you two are done," Airo said impatiently, "I suggest we proceed with more significant matters." He turned, and strode away. "Zuckeroff, with me."

    "On it, Boss," the astrior said dutifully, breaking into step.

    "What a killjoy," Kiana muttered, reluctantly joining the walk to the docking hangars.

    ***

    The shuttle was only seconds away from the skyship when Consortium long-range sensors detected it. Kryoon City immediately tried to respond with force, bringing missiles and other weaponry to bear. Yet with Kiana running network intrusion and spoofing targeting systems via her Conduit powers, Airo had enough window of opportunity to establish active communication. He identified himself as a Consortium Paladin to the monitoring personnel on duty, and presented his Omega-level clearance. This had an instant effect, and the attack was called off.

    Airo then requested access to the city, and to have a meeting with those in charge of the local Sol Force branch. However, the Consortium military was still suspicious about a shuttle appearing out of nowhere and interfering with their systems ¨C even if it carried a Paladin aboard ¨C so they ordered Airo to land on the cosmodrome at Kryoon''s outskirts.

    Half an hour later they were still at the cosmodrome. Nobody had contacted Airo to address his request. He made another attempt to request a meeting with the upper command, yet surprisingly his call was ignored. Airo stood in the shuttle''s nolreck, and watched grimly Kryoon City''s domed skyline through an AR viewpanel. Kiana sat in one of the passenger''s seats, zoned out into VR, while Zuckeroff was fussing with his uniform. Both of them were dressed in streamlined black commando garbs with green lines that were the standard Epsilon Corps uniform.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "Wowzers, they even got the hidden authorization chips in," the astrior said, tugging at his sleeve. "Boss, the Radiant Knights sure know how to nanofabricate stuff."

    "Forge it, in this case," Airo replied absently. He stared sullenly through the viewpanel. This was a bad start. He was held up before even making his case. What little optimism he had gathered already dissipated. He tried to think things through, yet suddenly his mind itched. He rubbed his head angrily, unable to chase away the weird sensation. "Why are we waiting so long?" Airo snapped at Kiana. "I thought Paladins were a large deal in the Consortium. You certainly made it seem so."

    "I was just checking the same thing," Kiana said. Her lavender eyes focused again, as she regarded Airo with distaste. "But proper network intrusion takes time. Unless you wanna wreck this diplomatic mission before it begins."

    "Just give me the details," Airo said.

    "The brass are scratching their heads over us, all right," Kiana said. "They''ve no idea what to make of us. Too many missing details from their point of view. But they know they have to acknowledge an Omega-level operative, especially if it''s a Paladin."

    Airo shook his head. "This does not¨C"

    "Commander, there''s a priority call for you," Yeoman Cloud interrupted. "It''s from the Consortium''s local SDO."

    "SDO?"

    "System Defense Operations," the SAI clarified. "They request a virtual meeting with you, Commander."

    About time, Airo thought. Something nagged him, however. "Virtual?" he asked dubiously. "Why not in person?"

    "Just fucking do it," Kiana sighed, exasperated. "It makes little difference either way."

    He cast her a dark look. "If that is so," he said. "Patch them through, Cloud."

    The SAI acknowledged, and brought up Airo''s power armor helmet, engaging full VR simulation. Instantly, the shuttle''s bare-bones nolreck transformed into an unremarkable office with sparse decorations and a window view to some unknown cityscape ¨C possibly Kryoon itself. Airo appeared as he was, sans helmet, Kiana and Zuckeroff also with him. He didn''t know how the astrior entered simulspace, but he reckoned Zuckeroff had his means.

    The office had a strataplan table, yet no other furniture. At the other side of the strataplan, next to the fake window, stood a man dressed in a Sol Force blue-white naval uniform.

    "Commander Airo, welcome to Kryoon City," the man said. "I''m Star Admiral Gideon Sorofoth El-Qadir, head of Terra Para SDO." The simulspace next to the admiral reformed into a screen, displaying information confirming his credentials.

    Airo took in the man. Admiral El-Qadir was of medium height, athletic, and seemed no older than his thirties ¨C though his eyes spoke of centuries of life. Except for his gaze, the admiral looked like an ordinary Drylander, yet there was some unseen quality to him that was somehow out of place, almost alien. Airo was immediately put on edge. Of all the individuals he had met since his re-awakening, from Yeoman Cloud''s artificial, yet fully-characterized behavior, the strange visages and demeanors of Dragon Retreat''s inhabitants and its Council, to Kiana''s fantastic ability to alter the world with willpower alone, and the extreme heights Ferrtau had achieved in such feats, it was El-Qadir''s normal-looking appearance which made Airo feel an uncanny disquiet, to realize how much the term transhuman had changed in the last seven centuries. If the human part was even still applicable.

    "Thank you for receiving me, Admiral," Airo said. He knew from Cloud Paladins weren''t under the command of other Sol Force branches, so he didn''t salute.

    "I hardly had choice, under the circumstances," Admiral El-Qadir said, his tone dry. "You have Omega-level authorization, after all." He eyed Kiana and Zuckeroff. "And personal escort. Though I admit, I was under the impression the Paladin Division handled things on its own."

    "My mission requires joint effort from several Sol Force branches," Airo said. " Lieutenants Zuckeroff and Kawanaga are liaisons with the Epsilon Corps."

    "I understand," Admiral El-Qadir said, though a shadow of incredulity passed in his eyes. "And what brings you to Kryoon City, Paladin-Commander Airo?"

    The vital part came fast; Airo had expected longer verbal dancing. "Mission parameters changed," he said tersely. "I received instructions from core headquarters to take command over all Sol Force operations in the system."

    Admiral El-Qadir hummed. "Our local branch hasn''t received any such notice, and we have QE communication capability too, Paladin. Might I ask you to support your claim with some further evidence?"

    Airo felt things were slipping. "I have Omega-level clearance, do I not?" he asked with all the authority he had as a division commander in his previous life.

    "You do, this is beyond doubt," Admiral El-Qadir said in a cool tone. "Which is what makes this situation so bizarre. Beyond your clearance, you haven''t presented any other identification about you, Paladin."

    "Because it is classified," Airo said evenly.

    "Classified?" Admiral El-Qadir raised an eyebrow. "I''m accessing your file right now, Commander Airo. Lieutenants Kawanaga and Zuckeroff''s, too. Your identities are real enough from the database''s standpoint, though there are some rather aberratic discrepancies in the details."

    "Using quantum bandwidth to make background checks on an Omega-level authorized agent? You play a dangerous game, Admiral," Airo remarked.

    "Not at all," Admiral El-Qadir said calmly. "You''re the one playing games, Paladin. We are currently at war ¨C a vicious one at that. Thousands have already died, and the enemy uses advanced, completely alien technology to defeat us. Then, in the middle of all this, a lone special agent appears, bearing the highest possible access clearance, and demands to take over the entire military. Tell me, Commander Airo, how would you react in this situation?"

    "I would comply with orders," Airo said with sharp rebuke, though he knew the gambit was lost already. If he was in El-Qadir''s place, he''d do exactly like the admiral implied. "At the very least, I would consult my superiors."

    "In fact, I''m doing the very same as we speak," Admiral El-Qadir said. He paused for a second. "And according to Core HQ, you aren''t given any orders to take over Consortium''s forces in the Ascendancy System, Paladin."

    "Yet if I want, I have the power to do so," Airo said.

    "You do," Admiral El-Qadir agreed.

    "Then I exercise that power."

    "And I refuse to comply, Paladin-Commander Airo," Admiral El-Qadir said with a tone of finality. His eyes narrowed. "There was a very careful fact-checking and data analysis regarding your situation. Records show you made repeated requests a month ago for an extraction team at a remote location in the far north. Yet here you are today, Paladin, flying into the city out of nowhere and not alone.

    "While you waited, your shuttle was examined. Its origin was well concealed, but we traced it to the Order of the Radiant Knights ¨C an organization outlawed in the entire Consortium for war crimes on a galactic scale." Admiral El-Qadir glared at Kiana. "And there''s evidence Lieutenant Kawanaga used Conduit powers for espionage purposes, subverting the city''s Viirt network through the ?ther."

    The admiral faced the simulated window. "We are at war with the Union of True Humanity, Commander Airo," he said over his shoulder. "They attacked us first months ago, and they have found a way to weaponize the Starblaze. We''re steadily losing strategic locations, and the conflict grows worse every day. The Union also employs dragons in their ranks, which means they and the criminal Radiant Order have joined forces. So you must realize how perilous it is to be in possession of Radiant Order technology these days."

    "Your interpretation of events is wrong," Airo said. "I saw and fought the Revenant myself. They are not a product of the Union ¨C or the Radiant Order, for that matter."

    "And whose creation are they then?" Admiral El-Qadir asked, turning back to face him.

    "A former Radiant Knight''s, who has gone rogue," Airo said.

    The admiral shook his head. "I hardly believe this is the work of a lone operative."

    "The truth does not need your belief to exist."

    "I''d choose my words more carefully if I were you, Paladin-Commander."

    "And I would listen more closely if I were you."

    "That''s enough," Admiral El-Qadir said firmly. "I consider this meeting concluded, Paladin."

    "So, you officially deny my orders?" Airo asked grimly.

    "As head of Terra Para SDO and acting commander of all Consortium armed forces in the Ascendancy system, I do," Admiral El-Qadir replied. "If you insist on visiting Kryoon City to requisition military resources and personnel for specific purposes, you may do so in your capacity as a Paladin. However, you''ll refrain from any further attempts at taking over or re-arranging the command structure. If you fail to comply, you''ll be arrested, and I will personally start an investigation in regards to the true nature of your presence here. Good day, Commander Airo."

    Admiral El-Qadir disconnected. The virtual office melted away, and Airo was again standing in the stark nolreck of the transport shuttle.

    "Won''t even bother with ''I told you so'' since the whole idea was fubar from the start," Kiana said. Airo shot her a murderous look.

    Zuckeroff seemed disappointed in a vaguely child-like manner. "What now, Boss?"

    "We change plans and adapt," Airo said darkly. He gazed at Kryoon City through the AR viewpanel. He had no further business here. "Cloud, take us back to the skyship."

 Chapter 12.3 - Exploring Ways

    Veralla explored Kryoon City through the technological marvel known as the Viirt. The AR channel Kiana had provided gave full access to the network, and Veralla experienced for the first time what it was to be swimming in the vast information ocean of the datasphere. True, she had been prepared for this moment during the time she had spent in Dragon Retreat''s mesh, yet the shrine-town''s virtual mindscape was merely a glorified chat-simulspace compared to the monumental alternate reality of Kryoon City.

    At first, she was overwhelmed by all the available data. Vidstreams, AR filters and environmental enhancers, AI node guides, VR realms, simulspace businesses and homes, even advertising ¨C the Viirt itself was enough to hold her curiosity for days, maybe even months. Yet Veralla wanted to focus on the people and the world they really lived in. So she cut all network traffic to the absolute minimum, and kept only the sensor feeds from the surveillance spimes.

    She watched the city square Kiana had shown her with rapt attention, taking in all the humans going to and fro, commuting, relaxing, talking, working, living. Time passed like a breeze. Veralla reluctantly changed the view; Vorzii would not be staying here for long, and there was still so much of the city she wanted to see and experience.

    She toured huge highways and small streets, examined the insides of arcologies and public facilities, peered into subterranean levels and maintenance sections. But, just like in Dragon Retreat, she could not find dragons anywhere. There were many colorful humans, some of them even more exotic than the ones she had encountered previously, yet none of her own kin, which dampened her spirits somewhat.

    As Veralla explored Kryoon City through its ubiquitous sensor network, she paid close attention to the people who lived there and the things they were doing. She tried to sense their mood as she usually did, yet she could not feel anything ¨C because she was not truly there. The realization surprised her, and she had an odd feeling of separation. The feeling condensed into a longing for Airo. She searched for him through the city''s sensors, but the system couldn''t find him. Veralla hrrr-ed unhappily and closed her eyes, picturing Airo in her mind.

    For a fleeting instant, she sensed his presence.

    Veralla startled, and the moment passed. Encouraged, she tried repeatedly to do the same thing, to no avail. Yet she was sure she had connected with Airo in some way, however briefly, and it gave her comfort. Relaxed, Veralla continued her disembodied tour of Kryoon City.

    Then she happened upon the scene.

    Two humans stood in a small, alcove-like alleyway. They were wearing military uniforms, their faces hidden behind opaque visors. A third person was lying on the ground. They were not human, but an uplimal; Veralla had learned about them recently, as she talked with Zozzy and the other Knights during the trip. The uplimal had a broad, elongated muzzle with large nostrils, and her thick, muscular limbs were covered in short hair.

    "Please... I haven''t done anything..." the uplimal sobbed, her clothing disheveled. She was clearly distressed.

    "You''re in violation of Code 14," said one of the soldiers. He gripped his assault rifle, and thrust the stock down hard. The uplimal cried in pain.

    "Shut up, you piece of outworld genetrash!" the other soldier snapped.

    "Please... please..." the uplimal begged in a broken voice, and tried to shield her body as the soldiers began to kick her.

    Veralla rawr-ed in terror and backed away from the AR screen.

    "What''s wrong?" Zozzy asked from his place at Vorzii''s helm. He took a look at the AR screen, and his expression instantly darkened. "Voidcursed spawn failures," he growled. "Stamat, come here!"

    The Highlander Knight strode into view. "Yes?" he asked, and his gaze followed Zozzy''s pointed claw. "Oh, Great Cosmos," he breathed.

    "I think we should mount a rescue mission," Zozzy said severely. "The Radiant Knights are sworn to aid those in need."

    "Right so," Stamat agreed, his tone becoming decisive, too. "I''ll gather a team right away."

    "Can I come, too? I want to help!" Veralla said.

    "Yes, you can," Stamat said. "Morrkerin, prepare a strike shuttle," he said over the commlink. "I want an away team of six Knights assembled. We''re going in landward!"

    "I''m afraid I can''t allow you to do that," Yeoman Cloud chimed in over the loudspeakers.

    "W-what? How?" Stamat stumbled. "Why?"

    "Unfortunately, I''m acting on Commander Airo''s orders. No one is allowed to leave the skyship. I cannot approve your mission."

    "Oh, yeah?" Stamat said. "Guess what, I don''t need your permission to follow my duty. Come on, Veralla, we''re leaving."

    She followed the large Knight across the bridge, but when they reached the doors, they refused to open. "Ship, open the doors," Stamat ordered. Nothing happened. Stamat turned to the nearest Radiant Knight. "Telinia, what''s going on?"

    "We''re cut from the skyship''s active systems, Knight Stamat," the female Knight responded with alarm. "We have no control over Vorzii!"

    "How?? Who did this??"

    "I am called Cloud, Knight Stamat," the SAI spoke with conversational tone. "My purpose is to act as a yeoman and general advisor to Commander Airo. I''m bound to follow all of his orders and tasks he appoints me with. To that effect, I''m equipped with advanced cyber-security subroutines and quantum databases, which are enhanced by ?ther energy matrices channeled through SUHN-space wormhole tunnel links. I also possess wide-band distributed computing algorithms which give me the ability to dynamically scale my operative capacity, hence my name."

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "But who let you into Vorzii''s network?" Stamat asked, dumbstruck.

    "I''ve been installed on the skyship four days prior, on Commander Airo''s orders, when he formally became leader of the Order of the Radiant Knights. I was told to monitor closely all personnel on board, and subvert control of the skyship if necessary, to prevent any behavior that contradicts active orders."

    "And this means you won''t let us go? To save an innocent woman from getting beat up!?" Stamat shouted.

    "Unfortunately, yes. I have my orders. I''m sorry, Knight Stamat."

    "Please, Cloud, please let us out!" Veralla implored. "We have to help her!"

    "I''m sorry, Veralla. I have my orders."

    "But she is in pain! She could die!"

    "I''m aware of those facts. But I cannot act against my directives. I''m sorry."

    Veralla hrrr¨Ced wretchedly. "There is no one else to help her!" she said, head and tail hanging low.

    Yeoman Cloud did not speak immediately. "There is. I''m infiltrating Kryoon City''s Viirt through Kiana''s ?ther uplink. I will send an anonymous alert to the superior officer of those soldiers. Stand by."

    Everyone in the bridge went quiet. Veralla, becoming hopeful from the SAI''s assurance, approached the AR screen warily. The soldiers were still assaulting the female uplimal, when they suddenly stopped. Before Veralla could understand what was happening, they hastily spoke into their commlinks, and then retreated from the alleyway.

    Veralla rawr-ed with relief. "Thank you, Cloud!" She anxiously watched the injured uplimal, who slowly got up and hobbled away, clutching one side. "I wish we could have helped her better ¨C or sooner, at the very least. She looks very hurt."

    "Still preferable to being dead," Zozzy muttered grimly. "At least now she''s only a hospital away to get back to full physical health." The uplimal Knight glanced at the bridge''s ceiling. "Regarding her mind, that''s another matter."

    "If you desire, I can arrange for a discrete psychological consultation for the victim," Yeoman Cloud said.

    "Do so," Stamat said. "Meanwhile, can you check if there are any other similar situations happening at the moment in the city?"

    "Certainly. Scanning... Done. There are no other incidents of such or greater caliber currently occurring on the territory of Kryoon City."

    The mood in the bridge slowly normalized. Veralla returned to her virtual tour, though she was not fascinated with the city anymore. This time, she cautiously watched the people as she explored Kryoon''s teeming vistas, worried she could once more witness a tragedy which would rend her heart.

    Such second incident did not happen. Yet now, with lowered spirits, Veralla saw many other things, and they painted the city in a very different light.

    ***

    The mood during the return trip to the skyship was somber. Airo fought to contain the anger and contempt he felt for Admiral El-Qadir and the Consortium as a whole. He was tempted to reveal Vorzii and coerce the Consortium to cooperate through force, but mass-driver diplomacy at this point would win him only short-term support at best. Worst case scenario, it''d mean the loss of potential and real military assets. No, he had to find another way. As they left Kryoon City, Airo ordered Kiana to mask the shuttle''s presence in order to dock with Vorzii as stealthily as possible.

    Back aboard the skyship, another problem awaited. The large Highlander Radiant Knight, Stamat, confronted him about Yeoman Cloud''s security oversight. Stamat was far more respectful than Kiana, yet there was a hint of insubordination in his tone, and worse, the other Knights seemed to be in agreement.

    "Sir, your SAI prevented us from fulfilling our duty as both Radiant Knights and decent sapient beings wanting to help their fellow galactyr," Stamat said. "You can''t interfere into the agency of our Order like that, sir."

    Airo wondered whether only the man before him was naive to the point of being dense, or if all Knights were like that.

    "Listen to me," he said. He eyed the entire bridge. "All of you listen well. No matter your ideals, your vows, your desires to help others, the Radiant Order is considered a criminal organization in most of the civilized galaxy. I do not know the details, and I do not care ¨C yet I know it for a fact. If you," he pointed at Stamat, "or you, or you, or anyone else here who wears this fancy Knight armor tried to appear in public in a Consortium-controlled city, you would be killed on sight, given how high tensions are in this war, and would ultimately achieve nothing." Airo paused to let the words sink in. "Worse, your meaningless death would diminish the scarce resources we have in this fight, and would ¨C as your elders have it ¨C make the destruction of the galaxy even more probable. So, while you are under my command ¨C no heroics. There are no heroes in war ¨C only survivors."

    The bridge was silent. Drawing on his experience as a division commander, Airo let the Radiant Knights ponder for a few moments, then ordered the skyship to set course for the hidden base.

    Now that he no longer had to pose as a Paladin or hide his affiliations from the Consortium, he had Vorzii move along the Beacon Highway to save time. The Highway was relatively well-preserved in the southern hemisphere, so travel would be at least twice as fast.

    Shortly after nightfall, when the skyship was about to leave the Highway and fly into the northern wilderness, sensors picked up an increased activity. Data analysis said it was a battle. Airo ordered the skyship to change course and investigate. Vorzii cycled its ammo and launched surveillance probes out of the point-defense weapons. The small capsules traveled blazingly fast, then fell apart and released miniature recon drones, which supplied real-time encrypted telemetry via a tightbeam laser.

    Airo and the skyship''s crew got a wide-angle image of a maintenance settlement, located in the vicinity of an E-beacon. Infantry in powered armor and numerous combat drones besieged the settlement. At the outskirts, a couple of military transport aircraft waited between the icy banks, guarded by sentries. The settlement''s defenders were another group of power-armored soldiers, fortified by their own drone company. Both parties were heavily engaged; neither had gained an advantage yet. Gunfire and explosions thundered continuously. Sensor data indicated high probability of civilians in the settlement, but it was hard to tell their numbers or overall condition.

    The Galactic Stellar Consortium was fighting the Union of True Humanity.

    Airo took one look at the screen and waved it away. "Set back the old course," he said. "We will not interfere here."

    "But Airo! They are in a battle!" Veralla cried. The dragonet was staring at the display in horror. "We have to help them!"

    "No. Helmsman, turn the skyship around."

    "But there are people who are dying there! We must save them!"

    "Save who, exactly? This is between the Consortium and the Union. Both of them are people. You have to kill one group to save the other."

    Veralla''s wings drooped. "Can you not stop them from fighting?" she asked miserably.

    "No," Airo said. "There is no way."

    "No way at all?" she insisted.

    "If you want to be absolute, there are ways ¨C yet they will require taking great risks, and probably some of us will die in the process, ultimately for no strategic gain. I am not going to sacrifice people for such matters."

    Veralla let out a low growl. "But... but... I do not want people to die any more."

    "Dark stars then," Airo said grimly. "Things are only going to get worse, and if you cannot endure, then you should not take part in this war."

 Chapter 13 - Warriors Way

    CHAPTER 13 ¨C WARRIOR''S WAY

    "Listen well, Aspirants! Once in battle, forget about morals, ethics, right and wrong, good and evil ¨C those things are used beforehand, and if you are already fighting, it means you have failed. In combat, it''s simple to tell apart winners from losers: at the end of the day, the winners are still breathing.

    Still, there''s a twist not many live long enough to learn: sometimes you win, only to lose; and sometimes, in order to win, you have to lose."

    ¨C excerpt from combat training lecture at the Starspire Academy, circa 229 RE

    Come morning, Airo had a short, intense conversation with Veralla. The dragonet was restless, pacing around the circular room and flapping her wings.

    "Why are you called the Dragonslayer? Is it because you killed dragons seven centuries ago?" she asked.

    "Yes and no," Airo replied. He was practicing martial techniques with the katana, going through the moves in calm and focused fashion. He had gotten better at rekindling his skills, and intended to turn this into a daily routine as he had done in his previous life.

    "I do not understand," Veralla said, after he didn''t add anything further. "How can both acknowledgment and rejection be true at the same time? Does becoming a dragonslayer require... something else, besides... killing dragons?"

    "There are no other dragonslayers," he said, slashing the air. "There is only one. Me. The Dragonslayer." He stepped forward, turning the current kata into a fluid seven-strike flurry.

    Veralla stopped pacing, and her slit-pupiled eyes fixed on him. "...why?" she hrrr¨Ced.

    Airo felt her intensity, and ceased his exercise. He faced her. "Everyone fought against the dragons during the Red Colony Campaign," he said quietly. "It took the effort of many to bring down even a single dragon. I made it possible for everyone to kill a dragon."

    "Why?" Veralla murmured again.

    "I created veronite," he said. He met the dragonet''s amethyst gaze, and struggled against the overwhelming memories it evoked. "Thousands of your kind died because of my invention. And I personally ended the life of more dragons than anyone else. Thus I became the Dragonslayer." He averted his eyes, looking through the room''s narrow window at the clear weather outside. "As to why I did it, the answer is simple: I was at war. It was not my war, and I was not even affected by it. Yet I took part in it. I watched friends die all around me, victims of a conflict which sent all of us far away from our homes across the vast ocean of stars. In the end, it was for nothing. However, it was a war all the same. In a war, you fight for your life, and the life of your comrades. Nothing else matters." Airo sighed, and sheathed the katana. "It was us against the dragons. They killed many of us, and would have killed many others, including me. So I killed them in turn. And continued to do so. Until... until things changed."

    Veralla listened to him with an unhappy, yet pensive expression. "Why did you take part in that war, if it did not affect you?" she asked, after reflecting for a minute.

    "Why indeed..." Airo uttered, his eyes focusing somewhere far away. He caught himself after several lingering moments. "I think it was ultimately a mistake on my part. I was young, and like every typical adolescent I desired adventure, a chance to see new horizons and to discover new experiences. So I went to the Starspire Academy, where the best and brightest on my homeworld were trained to become Magisters, people of honor and prestige.

    "Yet things turned out differently for me. Somewhere along the way, I was made a soldier instead. An elite warrior, trained to kill and fight at the bequest of others. I realized that too late. By then, I had experienced loss, had bled blood and tears, and had become what I am. The Dragonslayer."

    The silence told him Veralla was absorbing every single word. You are so naive, just like I was, little winged monster...

    "Have you killed other... people, except dragons?" she asked.

    "I have. Many times."

    "Why?"

    Airo turned his gaze back to her. "A warrior is concerned with many things. Yet above all, he is concerned with those who he fights and goes to war for."

    "Is this why the Consortium and the Union are killing each other?" Veralla asked. "Because they are at war, and only their side matters?"

    "Wars are like that," Airo said grimly. "It is hard to have empathy for the other while said other tries to end your existence."

    "But why are the Consortium and the Union at war?"

    "That is probably Ferrtau''s fault. He must have somehow played them, and now uses the chaos to eliminate everyone with his Revenant. Yet this is where I come in. My intention is to stop him."

    "How?" she asked.

    "By going to war against him."

    Veralla paused. "Are you going to kill more people?"

    Airo snorted. "Unless you count the Revenant people, the answer is negative. No, the plan from now on is to save people."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The dragonet rawr¨Ced with excitement. "Yay! Just like the Radiant Knights do!"

    Airo scowled and gave no reply. He checked his gridcaster. He had scheduled a number of tasks for today, starting with a general meeting with the Radiant Knight leaders. Airo prepared to leave, and began to don his power armor. There were currently no threats whatsoever within the confines of the hidden base, but his battle-ready habits were practically hardwired. "What are you going to do today?" he suddenly asked Veralla.

    "Oh," she said, surprised. "I am having a meal first, and then I am going to be on my first training day as a Radiant Knight!" She flicked her tail, beaming. "Glawlrhain is the training master! He is the one who will teach me how to be a Knight!"

    "I see," Airo said. The power armor hummed and clicked softly, adjusting to his body. He finished equipping, and headed for the door. "In that case, we will see each other in the evening."

    "Oh, really?" Veralla stared at him with hopeful eyes.

    "Yes," he assured her. Why the bloody stars I said that? "We can... well... maybe play computer games together again?"

    Veralla rawr¨Ced loudly, overjoyed. Airo hurried to get out of the room before she jumped to hug him or something similar.

    ***

    En route to the command room, his thoughts turned back to the task at hand. As he crossed the vast, empty halls of Ilsorin, the hidden base, he brooded on how to bring Ferrtau''s downfall. Yet rather than evoking murderous rage, this time the thoughts about his archenemy were logical and coldly detached, concerned only with facts and plans on a strategic level.

    For some reason, he felt particularly calm this morning.

    Then the Great Cosmos decided to ruin it.

    Airo was about to take a wide stairway which would''ve led him to the command room, when he heard a voice behind him. "Hello there, sir."

    He turned, and saw Stamat coming from a gravshaft. "Greetings," he replied, voice neutral.

    "Listen," the stout Knight began, "about what happened on board Vorzii during the last mission, I want to¨C"

    "There he is!"

    "The Dragonslayer!"

    Airo turned again, and saw a pair of Radiant Knights on the opposite side of the stairway. They were a man and a woman, both around Kiana''s apparent age, and their descents were somewhere between Corelander and Mistlander in origin. They both fixed him with angrily determined stares.

    "Dragonslayer," the man said, "we have met at last."

    "Now you shall face justice for the crimes you''ve committed," the woman said.

    Airo regarded them for a second. "Who," he said, "are you?"

    The Knights both had a near-identical voice, with an ephemeral, almost musical quality to it. "I am Emaerel," they spoke in unison. "And I am here to bring you down," they added.

    "Emaerel, stop!" Stamat shouted. "We should focus on the threat that endangers us all, not delve into our pasts! If the Lightbringer..."

    Airo held up his hand and Stamat trailed off. He gave the other two Knights a cold glare. "Are you sure you want to persist in your foolishness?" he asked them.

    "A Radiant Knight''s duty is no foolishness," the man said.

    "It is clear you harbor dark intentions," the woman said. "Surrender, Dragonslayer. You should be in stasis, where you can do no evil."

    "All right, you asked for this," Airo said. He slowly unsheathed the katana and lifted it before him in a dueling stance.

    "Commander, I¨C"

    "You stay back, Knight Stamat. That is an order."

    "Yes... sir."

    The twin Radiant Knights raised their hands, and swords made of pure energy materialized in them. Airo frowned, but held his guard. His katana had proven effective against the Revenant, so he was confident it would work against these immaterial blades.

    The Emaerel twins didn''t attack right away. They seemed to concentrate, and a barely-perceptible bluish aura enveloped them. Airo instinctively recognized his opponents were trying to timeshift themselves. He rushed at them, determined to bring them down before they could completely outclass his reactions. Simultaneously, he tried to summon his own mysterious innate ability.

    It worked. Airo''s senses strained and he felt his body pressed in a vise, as the world around was bathed in a faint red tint. The bluish aura around his opponents vanished. The Emaerel twins'' eyes went wide, and they barely raised their swords as he descended upon them with a pair of crushing blows. Airo whirled swiftly, mindful of being surrounded, and made an overhang swing at the male Emaerel. The Knight parried the strike, but then tumbled down as Airo''s power-armored knee slammed full-force into his stomach.

    Airo dodged reflexively, and the female Emaerel''s energy sword tore the air where he stood a microsecond before. He parried her follow-up swipe, his crystal blade flashing bright from the impact. He pulled her sword at a downward angle, with his elbow rising against the side of her head. The female Emaerel staggered, disoriented from the blow. Airo grabbed her, letting go of his katana, and dragged her body as a shield before the rushing male Emaerel.

    The other Knight turned aside his energy sword barely before slashing his counterpart, but Airo was already pushing hard, slamming both twins into one another. He continued the motion, striding lightning-fast, and smashed his opponents into the stairway''s wall, crushing them between his armor-enhanced strength and the cold, indifferent brutality of the composite surface.

    Airo bashed the Emaerel twins several times with merciless savagery, and let them fall on the floor, stunned, their energy swords dissipating into nothingness. Without pausing, he went after them, locking each hand around their throats.

    "Cloud, contextual defense systems!" he barked to his HUD.

    "Engaging Class Seven targeted stasis field, Commander," the SAI responded jovially. The nearest light crystals shimmered and the hallway was permeated by a golden haze, which swiftly took more solid form around the two Radiant Knights.

    Airo heaved and pulled the Emaerel twins off the ground, holding them aloft by a combination of his power armor and the stasis field. Their own armors prevented them from suffering injury, yet the restraining haze and the lack of support made them effectively helpless. Even with enhanced strength Airo strained to maintain his holds, but he kept the theatrics to hammer his point.

    "Look at me." The Emaerel twins swiveled their eyes at him, their gazes full of shock and fear. "I could very well kill you now," Airo told them. "I need only to harden my grip."

    "Sir, I urge you¨C" Stamat began.

    "Yet I will not do it," Airo continued. He glared at both twins. "Because forfeiting your life will mean two less able-bodied soldiers I can use against Ferrtau. Two less warriors to help prevent the end of the world." His voice became lower. "So I will spare you, this time. And until I am done with Ferrtau, you will follow the oath your elders gave me to the letter. Or face the consequences. Do you understand?"

    "Yes... sir..." the male Emaerel gasped.

    "I... understand..." the female Emaerel choked.

    "Good. Tell everyone else who has similar ideas to not cross my path. There will be no further leniency."

    Airo let go the twins. They fell heavily on the ground, still immobilized by the stasis field, and rolled all the way down the wide stairway. Airo went to pick up his katana, and sheathed it in its purple-black scabbard. "Knight Stamat, in case you are not notified, your presence is required at the general meeting."

    "Um, yes, sir, I... but what about..." the stout Highlander gestured in the direction of his helpless colleagues.

    "Cloud, release the stasis field."

    The golden haze disappeared. The Emaerel twins wheezed loudly, battered by the fight and their uncontrolled flight down the stairway. Airo didn''t even spare them another glance as he walked up the stairs toward the command room.

 Chapter 13.2 - Warriors Way

    Instead of starry night, the purple-tinged sky of Terra Para was visible in broad daylight on the ceiling. The crystal orbs were miniature suns and the command room seemed more like a large open terrace rather than a domed chamber. Magus, Mentoria, Lylana, Kiana, and Zuckeroff were already present when Airo and Stamat arrived. Airo approached the wide circular table and commenced the meeting.

    "Today I will explain the general strategies we will pursue in the war against Ferrtau," he told the others. "We have three essential objectives. Our first objective is to provide active opposition. Our second objective is to starve the enemy''s supply lines. In order to do these, we must know what enemy force we face on a strategic level. How does Ferrtau deploy new Revenant?"

    "From the souls of those he kills," Mentoria stated with a bored sigh. "Each victim of the Revenant becomes one more aberration Magus'' protege can call upon at will."

    Airo nodded, remembering the carnage at Dragon Retreat and how the Revenant had been tearing out the inhabitant''s life essences. "So every individual is a potential enemy combatant," he concluded. "This means our top priority will be to evacuate as many unprotected civilians as fast as possible."

    "Evacuate people?" Stamat asked, confused. "To where?"

    "Here," Airo said, pointing at the floor. "Like you did with the survivors from Dragon Retreat."

    "You are talking about hundreds of thousands of people," Mentoria objected. "You cannot seriously expect to house them all here."

    "Yes, I am aware of the limitations," Airo replied. "Yet for now this place will suffice, as it is nearly deserted, and if I am not mistaken, its operating capacity is close to six figures." He glanced at the giant Knight elder, Lylana. When she confirmed his claim, Airo continued, "Which brings us to our next objective: providing active opposition. You cannot keep hiding and evading the Revenant as you have done until now. We have to engage them and strike in turn, especially when Ferrtau is out there leading them himself."

    "Uh... excuse me, sir," Stamat chimed in, "but is it certain the Lightbringer has taken the field? I mean, you told us he wasn''t at the Shard, and we fought him at Dragon Retreat, but what if he really used some sort of image projection, and wasn''t present at all?"

    "Our expert systems reviewed the battlefield data from Vorzii, Terlokhi," Lylana said severely. "I myself was skeptical, but the analysis confirms it: the Lightbringer indeed was physically present at Dragon Retreat."

    "There you have it," Airo added. "Also, do not second-guess my orders in the future. I have no patience for that."

    "Uh... sir?"

    "What, Knight Stamat?"

    "You said we have three objectives, but elaborated only on two."

    "Our last objective," Airo said in a calculated tone, "is to raise an effective fighting force. Without sufficient personnel and infrastructure, we will not succeed at the other two objectives. To do so, we need to secure the support of the Consortium and the Union."

    "Yeah, and how we''ll do it?" Lylana asked, folding her massive arms. "I thought your diplomatic mission to the Consortium was a complete failure. I doubt the Union will receive you any better, Commander."

    Airo''s lips stretched into a thin smile. "Adaptation, Elder Darkovitz. That is the primary rule of wartime sustainability. If things do not develop as planned, change the active strategy, or reiterate the initial plan. This is an important principle in both psychological warfare and espionage.

    "In our case, we will scale down the operation by moving lower on the chain of command, and use field officers to act as intermediaries and double agents. Once we have enough of them, we can influence the entire military structure ¨C or even take it over. We shall win over the Consortium and the Union from the bottom up, by recruiting those directly on the frontlines. And there are few better ways of recruitment than saving one''s life."

    "Saving Consortium and Union soldiers?" Lylana grumbled. "How?"

    "By fighting the common enemy alongside them, and enabling them to fight it, too," Airo said. He put his palms down on the table. "So, how are you able to fight the Revenant?" he asked, shifting the topic. He''d noticed the Radiant Knights were never heavily armed, apart from their armor. Most carried only a sidearm or a blade like him, which couldn''t harm Ferrtau''s hordes. The Order had heavier weaponry, though it still would be of no use if it wasn''t veronite-based. His encounter with the Emaerel twins and their energy-willed swords demonstrated that some Knights had potential means of harming the Revenant. But Airo couldn''t rely on this; he needed something dependable and, more importantly, widely usable.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "With this," Lylana said, and gestured at the strataplan on the table. A three-dimensional image of a bulky-looking container rendered.

    "Never seen you lug one of those around," Airo said in a level tone.

    Lylana gave him an oblique look. "The container is for storage only," she explained stonily. "It''s what''s inside that represents our weaponry ¨C a sentient resonance field."

    Airo realized he wasn''t the only one who felt silent for a few seconds.

    "Wow," Zuckeroff said at last. "Sounds impressive."

    "Yes, if it actually existed," Kiana snorted.

    "It does exist," Mentoria drawled. "Like everything else which is already created, invented, or discovered, these entities have a life of their own."

    Kiana rolled her eyes. "C''mon, quit spinning my uplink dish. We live in a near-singularity today, but that kind of tech is more ascendance dream than reality. Living clouds of energy? Who can possibly make them?"

    "I can," Mentoria said loftily. "And I do."

    Magus Dei cleared his throat. "It is an impressive feat, even for you," he said to Mentoria. "Perhaps you can elaborate briefly what endeavors you undertook to yield such powerful results."

    "Oh, I think you can make the conclusion yourself, my dear," she said.

    The old Knight''s brows lowered. "You have resurrected Project Ascension."

    "I have," Mentoria agreed.

    There was a pause. Airo was sure everybody were checking their personal databases to learn what was Project Ascension. He had no need to do the same ¨C he was there when the secret program was first conceived. He focused instead on reading the expressions of Magus and Mentoria. The two of them didn''t spoke for nearly a minute; yet they probably communicated by some other means, as Magus at last scowled.

    "That is not the way," the old Knight said aloud.

    "I do not care for the philosophies of lessers, Magus," Mentoria hissed, losing her temper momentarily. "Besides, there is no wrong or right path. One forges their own destiny. I have chosen mine ¨C as you did yours in so recent times."

    "Why did you make them in the first place?" Magus demanded.

    Mentoria shrugged. "Study. Observation. Refinement of one''s technique. You know how it goes, my dear. Search long enough, and you shall find."

    "Project Ascension..." Kiana muttered. "I thought that was only a legend... like..." she glanced at Airo.

    "Everyone, back on track!" he barked, voice heavy with authority. "You can discuss history lessons and esoterics in your free time. Right now, I want to know the exact capabilities of these sentient weapons. Are they alive?"

    "In technical terms, yes," Lylana said. The giant Scorchlander Knight had kept her expression impassive during the interruption. "However, their psyche and biological functions are so divergent from what is considered standard, it is difficult to establish exactly where they stand in matters of... life."

    "To what extent can the resonance fields be controlled?" Airo asked.

    "We have complete control over them, Commander. Unauthorized autonomous action from the serefi is a non-issue."

    "Serefi?"

    "Sentient resonance fields."

    Airo nodded. "How do they function?"

    "The serefi require periodic resource consumption like all lifeforms" Lylana explained. "However, they are also able to interact with their environment by ''connecting'' with a given object. While objects are thus within the serefi''s sphere of influence, their resonance frequencies are aligned on the cosmic plane in terms of ontology, causality, and teleology. For example, we brought a particularly potent serefi into contact with the area around Ilsorin and then shifted the serefi to an adjacent paraphysical dimension. This is how we concealed the stronghold within the manifold of the paraworld."

    "Wow, that''s OP, but it doesn''t sound like a weapon to me," Zuckeroff said.

    "Ugh, gamebrain..." Kiana groaned, pinching her nose bridge.

    "Continue," Airo ordered.

    "In short, if a Revenant comes into contact with a serefi, they become vulnerable to normal weaponry within the same serefi''s vicinity," Lylana said.

    "What is the effective range of an individual resonance field?" Airo asked.

    "Most serefi can cover a spherical area with a radius of up to fifteen meters. Nine to ten is the mean average."

    "Does armor and other defensive technologies work against the Revenant while their wearer is within the resonance field''s controlled area?"

    "They do, Commander."

    Airo nodded. "That is an adequate setup then, though it limits us only to close combat scenarios. We need to be able to engage at long range."

    "With all due respect, sir," Lylana said firmly, "but I believe our draconic Knights can fulfill that battlefield role. They''re more than capable in that regard."

    "The dragons will be a significant fighting asset," Airo agreed. "However, their number is insufficient with what I have in mind. No, I need another option."

    "Battle-trained Conduits, perhaps?" Kiana suggested. "I think I can take down a Revenant or two myself, if I have to."

    Airo shook his head. "The addition of several more specialists would hardly change matters," he said. "No, we need to employ something which is easy to use and proven to work against Revenant, since at some point we will be giving it to the Consortium and the Union. And I can think of only one option: veronite." Airo ignored the looks of distaste he received. "We will need lots of it. Starting today, all dragons will contribute blood to their maximum limit on a weekly basis."

    The others paused for a moment. "All dragons, sir?" Lylana asked, her expression grim. "Even the fledglings?"

    Airo stared at the Knight elder. He knew perfectly well what she meant. He closed his eyes. "No, fledglings are exempt from this regulation," he said.

    He opened his eyes. To his surprise, the others were all smiling, looking at him with something approaching approval. Irritation suddenly engulfed him. "Let us summarize and conclude," he snapped. "Starting tomorrow, there will be continuous patrols to evacuate civilians and be on the lookout for military units in trouble. Elder Darkovitz, Knight Stamat, make the appropriate crew schedules for the skyship.

    "Parallel to that, begin mass production of ready-to-use veronite. Also, make a housing plan for the entire base, so there is no chaos once the refugees start to pour in. Factor in supplies too. Appoint a dedicated full-time quartermaster to handle these tasks.

    "Lastly, Yeoman Cloud, my personal SAI, is to be granted full and unrestricted access to all parts of the base. You can relay any reports to me through it. Now get to work, people!"

    The others muttered their agreement. "Yes, sir," Lylana acknowledged curtly and saluted him with an open palm to her heart.

 Chapter 13.3 - Warriors Way

    Veralla went to the main dining hall, where the silvery tables and furniture again variformed to give her maximum comfort while she ate. Glawlrhain was not there this time, but shortly after she took a place at a table, a hoverbot served her raw meat. The smell and memory of its taste made Veralla''s mouth water. She began eating with zest, stopping occasionally to glance around in a fit of self-consciousness.

    This time, there were many more Radiant Knights in the dining hall, both humans and dragons. They were breakfasting together, chatting and laughing, their relaxed voices echoing off the multihued crystal-inlaid walls. Veralla marveled at how tranquil her surroundings were, when things were so bleak and terrible as a whole.

    She was just finishing her meal, devouring the last of several servings, when Glawlrhain entered the dining hall. He approached the table where she sat.

    "Are you ready for training today?" he asked.

    "Yes, I am ready!"

    "Good, get cleaned up, and follow me."

    They went to the topmost parts of the stronghold. There, looming above the gardens Veralla had seen during her tour of the base, was an ancient-looking keep with a large, rectangular area at one side. The area seemed plain, yet as Glawlrhain explained, the ground was made from variform materials and the terrain could morph into different shapes during combat exercises. Viridian projector crystals lined the area on one side, able to conjure ?ther-infused illusions for sparring and practice. An indentical field rested on the other side of the keep. The weather was clear, mirrored sunlight gleaming off the snow-capped peaks, and a mild wind gusted across the fractal subplane.

    "By tradition, when someone applies to become a Radiant Knight, the process is a bit more involved," Glawlrhain said when they reached the keep. "There are trials, tests of faith, ceremonies, and so on. However, due to the rather pressing circumstances of the foreseeable future, we shall skip tradition in favor of practicality, and do things in a backward manner."

    "So, I will begin from the last thing a Radiant Knight learns?" Veralla asked.

    Glawlrhain rumbled in amusement. "In a way, yes," he said. "But first, I want to gauge your capabilities. I''m already aware you have... troubles in developing the universal traits of our kind. Can I pose a few questions to you in that regard?"

    "Yes, I will answer any question!"

    "Okay then. Can you breathe fire?"

    "No."

    "Can you fly?"

    "No."

    "Can you control your internal gravitic field?"

    Veralla flapped her wings uncertainly. "No, I do not think so," she said. She experimented stretching her claws and tail in different ways, yet nothing happened. "I cannot do so," she concluded, disheartened.

    "Hmm, this is quite unusual," Glawlrhain mused, his snout-tip tendrils waving gently in the alpine breeze. "Almost like... Do you feel uncomfortable right now?"

    "No, I am fine," Veralla said. "I can feel the cold, but it does not affect me."

    Glawlrhain raised his claw. A faint energy echo simmered from his palm, yet it was deceptively powerful. "How about now?"

    "Oh, is this radiation?" she asked, feeling the charged particles graze against her scales. "It does not bother me right now, but I cannot bear too great quantities of it."

    "The amount I used just now was enough to make an ordinary transhuman severely ill," Glawlrhain said. He hrrr¨Ced pensively. "Right, I''ve made my conclusion. We''ll keep feeding you at maximum capacity and your... condition should fade with time. I believe it''s just a matter of stunted development due to malnutrition and adverse environment at the time of your hatching. Now, onto your first training lesson."

    "Can I ask something in return first?" Veralla interrupted.

    "Yes, go ahead."

    "Can you please show me what a firebreath looks like?"

    Glawlrhain regarded her for a few seconds. "Okay," he said at last. "Watch." The blue-green dragon inhaled deeply, tilting back his head, and opened his jaws.

    Brilliant, white-hot flames rushed outward, so intense and alive they seemed almost liquid. The flames expanded, coalescing into an orb, its surface flaring and flickering with blazing tendrils. Veralla watched the display, completely enchanted by its magnificence. Glawlrhain kept it on for a little more, then finally ceased exhaling fire and closed his mouth.

    Veralla rawr¨Ced enthusiastically. "That was so beautiful!"

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    "I''m glad you liked it," Glawlrhain said. "I specifically altered my breath into a spherical shape to be more... examinable. Shall we begin training?"

    "Yes, let us begin!" she said impatiently.

    "Good," he said. "We''ll start with the basics then."

    Veralla spent the next hour listening to Glawlrhain, who explained the advantages of dragon anatomy and how to use it in different situations. Though the topic seemed somewhat obvious, she listened carefully, and learned a few tricks which had not occurred to her before, like using her wings to grasp surfaces for extra support, or picking objects with her tail. This knowledge gave her new insights about her nature and dragons in general, as well as new ways to do a host of things ¨C ranging from mundane actions to gestures uniquely available only to her kind.

    "Lastly," Glawlrhain said, "it''s important to learn to walk upright. I know, I know," he added as she looked at him with a puzzled expression, "it''s not very intuitive, given how our bodies are shaped, but you can easily adapt to a bipedal stance. The practical benefits are many, first and foremost your foreclaws become free so you can fight, craft, manipulate, or do something else with them while standing still or being on the move."

    "Okay," Veralla said uncertainly. "How do I train walking upright?"

    "Practice," Glawlrhain replied. "There''s no other way. Try walking everywhere on two legs, even outside exercises. As for how to do it the first time, it''s simple." He put one foreclaw, outspread, on the ground beneath his belly, shifting his wings and weight, then pushed up with his haunches, and stood upright, tail waving lightly.

    "I see," Veralla said, and tried to do the same. She mimicked the training master''s gestures, struggling with her shorter limbs and plump body, yet she managed to stand on her first try. The sensations of perspective and weight were highly unusual. She wavered and leaned against her tail to balance herself, marveling at her success and the novel experience.

    Glawlrhain nodded approvingly. "You''re a natural," he said. "Let''s move on, then. Since you can''t fly or breathe fire yet, I think it''s best to begin with ground combat training. Generally, this martial field is quite neglected by dragons. We tend to learn a technique or two and then stick to them, relying on our natural advantages in battle. Even I''m guilty of that to an extent; but this is an excellent occasion to refresh my memory, and teach you something useful, given your limits."

    "Combat? Battle?" Veralla asked. "Do you mean I must learn how to fight?"

    "Yes, that is an essential skill for every Radiant Knight," he said. "Is there something wrong?"

    "I do not want to learn how to fight," she said, looking down. "Fighting is what warriors do. And warriors hurt and kill others, yes? And hurting or killing others brings sadness. I do not want to be sad."

    "No, you''re wrong," Glawlrhain said softly. "Do you think the Radiant Knights want to hurt and kill others?"

    She lifted her eyes. "No," she said.

    "Fighting isn''t only about hurting and killing," Glawlrhain continued. "It is also about protecting. Learning how to fight gives you the ability to protect yourself, as well as others. And being a warrior is much more than just being able to kill."

    "How so?" she asked.

    "Warriors can be good or bad," he said. "They can be paragons of virtue, using their skills and knowledge only when absolutely necessary, or they can be selfish renegades, working merely for their personal gain. To know something does not mean to become it. Knowledge is power, yes. Yet it is the usage of power that defines one''s character, not the possession of power itself." Glawlrhain chuckled, his amber eyes sparkling. "Hmm, I guess we already started learning about philosophy, alongside your physical training.

    "For now, remember this, young one: knowing how to fight gives you the power to prevent others from hurting or killing. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, I understand," Veralla said, seeing the reason behind Glawlrhain''s words. "Then I want to learn how to fight!" she added with determination. Glawlrhain nodded in acknowledgment, and began showing her the first set of moves.

    She spend the next several hours under his tutelage. The exercises were very simple at first, consisting only of transitions between static positions and stances, with a few straightforward claw swipes added for good measure. She performed the moves well, yet Glawlrhain made her repeat them over and over again, each time correcting her for even the smallest mistake. All the while she exercised, the training master lectured her on the finer points of martial arts philosophy, giving her both practical combat advice and explaining the more esoteric reasons behind a particular strike or technique. She rested for several minutes after each hour of training, with Glawlrhain evaluating her performance during pauses.

    At some point, other Radiant Knights began to gather at the training area. Glawlrhain went to organize their practice, dividing his attention between them and Veralla. Though all dragon Knights came with their soulkin, Veralla saw that rude dragon, Alomar, who also came to the training area, alongside a few other dragons who had no human companions. They did not practice their skills very well, making instead only token efforts, while proclaiming loudly how good at fighting they were.

    The rest of the Radiant Knights, meanwhile, dutifully went through the exercises given by the training master, showing excellent teamwork while navigating the variforming terrain and battling against crystal-conjured illusions. Veralla could not stop looking at them, marveling at the armored splendor of the humans and the majestic grace of the dragons, and began to fumble through the motions Glawlrhain had told her to practice. He noticed her awe and concluded her training for the day; she had done well and there was no point in continuing when she was so obviously distracted. Though she was tired and hungry, she remained to watch the Knights until the end of their training session.

    After training, Veralla went to eat and sleep. She woke again in the late evening, and had a generous dinner, then she went to seek Airo. She found him back in their shared room, where he was reviewing some data on his gridcaster.

    "I finished my first training today!" she announced happily.

    "Good," Airo grunted, non-committal, without lifting his eyes from the gridcaster''s HHI.

    "I can even walk upright now! See!" She wobbled a little while rising, yet managed to stand on her hindlegs, her wings outstretched proudly.

    "Mhm," he said, glancing for a second at her. "You look taller that way."

    She hrrr¨Ced with pleasure. "Let us play now!" she said.

    This time Airo looked at her fully, his grey eyes meeting hers. He was confused. "Play? Play what?"

    "Computer games! You said this morning we can play together in the evening! I want to play Soukou Zmei again!"

    He sighed. For a moment she feared he would refuse. But then he said: "Yes, I remember now. All right, we will go and play games together. Cloud, find a suitable desktop somewhere."

 Chapter 13.4 - Warriors Way

    On the next day Airo''s plans were put into motion. Vorzii left the hidden base and took off toward the Beacon Highway in search for surviving settlements. Yeoman Cloud had made an extensive data analysis, projecting an approximate advance front of the Revenant. The origin point started at the Shard on the equator, and then spread in an outward circle. The skyship was tasked with skirting the periphery of this theoretical front, evacuating all mapped settlements while on the lookout for trouble. These patrolling incursions were to be done continuously, with Vorzii on constant duty, while the crew rotated between missions. Airo was aboard the skyship every time, since he wanted to personally supervise each operation, and because the mere thought of sitting idle back at the stronghold made him restless. Veralla followed him tirelessly, much to his surprise and annoyance.

    During the first incursion, they visited two settlements nearby one another, at the edge of some lowlands west of the Shard. They needed little effort to convince the worried populace to come with them; people had heard vague news and rumors about the planet-wide conflict, and jumped at the opportunity when offered shelter.

    The second incursion didn''t go so well a couple of days later. They found only snow-buried ruins where the map pointed to another settlement. It was a wretched, forlorn sight, with the ruins eerily bereft of corpses. Nevertheless, morale remained high, as the Radiant Knights finally felt they had a purpose after so many weeks of dormancy and despair.

    On the third incursion, things happened differently still. The target settlement at the southern ring of the Revenant front was deserted. Examination showed no signs of battle, but dwellings and facilities lay in disarray, which meant the inhabitants had left in a hurry. Vorzii scouted the area, and found a large refugee caravan further westward, escorted by Consortium troops.

    The caravan was in trouble. Revenant were pursuing it, refugees fleeing in panic, while the soldiers fired in vain at the rushing enemy. Vorzii appeared on the scene just in time, as the Revenant were about to close in on their targets.

    "Hostiles detected!" Stamat reported.

    "I see them," Airo replied, reading the telemetry on the bridge''s CIC.

    "Your orders, sir?"

    "Engage with onboard weaponry only. The dragons might scare the soldiers. Paradrop a combat squad if there is a risk of melee."

    "Yes, sir!"

    The skyship flew low, sweeping in a wide arc, and fired its broadside batteries. The powerful, veronite-enhanced energy beams engulfed the rushing Revenant, vaporizing the main bulk of their forces. Zozzy, who was again the skyship''s first pilot on this patrol, brought Vorzii right above the refugee caravan, and Radiant Knights stormed out of one of the huge hangars, equipped with resonance fields and jetpacks.

    The strike force engaged the remaining Revenant, coming between them and the caravan. The refugees continued to flee, and the Consortium troops, seeing an opportunity, seized the chance to disengage. The Radiant Knights caught the Revenant completely by surprise with the ability to harm them.  Within a minute, the apparitions were completely wiped out.

    "Status report," Airo said once the situation was resolved.

    "The Consortium soldiers aren''t firing at us yet, sir," Stamat said. "They seem pretty riled up though, and they demand to speak with... well, you, Commander."

    "Prepare the transport shuttles," Airo said. "I am going down in one of them. Stamat, Kiana, Zuckeroff, you are with me."

    "Can I come too?" Veralla pleaded.

    "Yes," he sighed. "Come on everyone, move."

    It took them several minutes minutes to go from the bridge to the hangars, and then a couple more while the transport shuttle brought them groundside. It would''ve been faster if the whole skyship landed, yet Airo wanted it always battle-ready, loath to take foolish risks. By the time the shuttle touched down, the Radiant Knights and the Consortium soldiers had squared off, both groups regarding each other warily.

    Airo stepped off the transport shuttle, and approached the soldiers. "I am Commander Airo, current leader of the Order of the Radiant Knights. Who is in charge here?"

    The Consortium soldiers didn''t react right away, all of their attention focused on Veralla at his side. He sighed inwardly and waited patiently for his words to override the dragonet''s magnetism. At last, one of the soldiers stepped forward and retracted the armor''s helm, revealing the severe expression of a man with a neatly-trimmed dark moustache.

    "I''m Captain Riley, Sol Force 944th combined-arms division, 12th company," the man said. "I thank you for your timely intervention, Commander Airo. You saved a lot of lives. Excuse my intrusion, but I see you and some of your subordinates are wearing Sol Force ID tags. Can you please clarify the situation?"

    "We work against a common enemy, Captain," Airo said, also retracting his helmet. The cold pierced his exposed flesh, but he ignored it. "I will explain everything in due time; for now, know that these creatures who attacked you belong to neither the Union, nor the Radiant Order, nor even the Consortium, if such rumors circulate. They are agents of another force altogether, acting towards its own ends."

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    "Believe me, Commander, this information actually explains a whole lot, given how these monsters are impervious to literally everything we have," Captain Riley said, gesturing at his company. The Consortium soldiers all had powered armor and carried heavy weaponry.

    "The Revenant are not completely immune to harm," Airo said. "And the Radiant Knights have the means to destroy them."

    "Yes, that was a very convincing demonstration," Riley agreed, glancing at the skyship. "Now, I''ve heard a few things about the Radiant Knights, and can draw some conclusions, but the question remains: why did you save us?"

    "The Radiant Order needs allies in the war against the Revenant," Airo said. "And while on a political level we are all enemies ¨C the Consortium, the Union, and the Order ¨C on the frontline we all fight for our lives."

    "Pretty speech," Riley nodded. "And?"

    "The Revenant can be fought with veronite," Airo said, tilting his head toward Veralla. While Vorzii flew across the frozen wilderness, back at Ilsorin the nanofabricators were fed draconic blood, churning out industrial-grade veronite. There were already a couple of crates aboard the skyship, ready to be given to a fighting force. "We can supply you with it."

    "In exchange for...?"

    "Unofficial alliance."

    Captain Riley nodded again, thinking. Airo regarded him while waiting for his answer. The man had kept his cool despite the extraordinary situation. He was a Corelander, judging by his facial features, though his bulky armor concealed any other details. Airo liked the Riley''s professional demeanor, and suspected he would make a valuable ally once recruited. He glanced at the other soldiers. They didn''t seem exactly relaxed in the presence of the Radiant Knights, but looked like they trusted their officer.

    "All right," Riley said at last. "I want to accept this proposal. However, I have orders which prevent me at this time from doing so."

    "What orders?" Airo asked.

    Riley pointed to the horizon. "The Union has blockaded a key mountain pass ten paraklicks to the west. Without access to it, our forces would lose control over the entire region. My company was ordered to retake it."

    "A mountain pass?" Airo repeated. "Why would you need to bring reinforcements by land?"

    "Everything''s moved by land now," Riley said sourly. "Ever since we lost the local starfleet at the start of this deusforsaken war, our aerial capabilities are near-zero. I haven''t seen a single aircraft in weeks. The brass keep tanks, ACUs, and landcruisers behind to fortify strategic locations. Commlinks also fail regularly, so we have to rely on messenger platoons, like we''ve gone back to the Ground Age. If you''re out in the wasteland, your only option is to walk and pray your supplies are enough to reach the next populated area."

    Stamat abruptly stepped forth. The stout Knight also retracted his helmet to look less threatening. "Why did you bring these people with you?" he asked, indicating the refugees. "We thought you were all fleeing the Revenant." His tone sounded faintly accusatory.

    "They chose to come, when they learned we were leaving their settlement," Riley said. A shadow of anger passed across his face. "I can''t speak for other Sol Force detachments, but my soldiers haven''t mistreated the inhabitants on this world in any way ¨C either now, or in the past." His expression softened. "We warned them of the risks, but they still insisted on coming. They''re afraid of these... Revenant, as you called them. Before today, I hadn''t seen the monsters myself, but now I understand the locals'' fear."

    "Listen," he continued, "if you help us break the Union blockade, me and my company will accept to serve you to the best of our ability without betraying our allegiance to Sol Force and the Consortium. What''s your answer, Commander Airo?"

    "Deal," Airo said. "We help you clear the blockade, and you come on our side against the Revenant."

    "Agreed," Riley said and offered his hand.

    "Wait a minute!" Stamat shouted. "We didn''t agree to this!"

    Airo stiffened. "What?" he asked in a dangerous tone, turning to face the Radiant Knight.

    "He means you want us to kill innocent people," Kiana retorted.

    "Oh, no!" Veralla exclaimed in horror. "Airo, you said you will not kill any more people!"

    "Did all of you forget what I said?" Airo snapped. He gestured at the refugee caravan. "This is war! We do not have the luxury of ideal circumstances. We must keep our priorities straight!"

    "But Airo..." Veralla whimpered, her wings and tail drooping.

    "This is wrong!" Stamat said. The other Radiant Knights behind him muttered in agreement. "You can''t trade one set of lives for another just like that, sir!"

    "Um, I can''t quite wrap my head around how a hostile force can be, uh, innocent..." Zuckeroff remarked.

    "Because their only crime would be standing in our way, gamebrain," Kiana said darkly.

    "Remember your places!" Airo raised his voice. He glared at the Radiant Knights. "You swore to follow me and do as I command!"

    "And I say taking another''s life for personal gain is against the Pure Vow to which I''ve pledged myself," Stamat said severely. "I refuse your order, sir." The rest of the Knights made similar declarations.

    Airo was furious. Stamat''s public refusal had plunged him into an ugly predicament. He could rescind his deal with Captain Riley ¨C after all, in truth he wasn''t too fond to fight one stellar civilization to gain favor with the other ¨C but if he did so and these Consortium soldiers survived, word-of-mouth could severely impede the success of such future encounters. However, if Airo held to his end of the bargain, he''d be on his own ¨C but his reputation would remain intact. Provided he survived.

    He snorted angrily. "Fine!" he said, voice bitter with resent. "Evacuate the civilians back to the base, and leave me a transport shuttle."

    "Understood, sir," Stamat said, closing his helmet. He and the other Radiant Knights turned away and began to board the transport shuttle.

    "And you," Airo said to Kiana and Zuckeroff, "are you going to desert, too?"

    "I''m with you, Boss," the astrior said, saluting with two fingers to his helmet.

    Kiana glanced sidelong at Zuckeroff. She looked like she was about to say something, then shook her head. "To the void with this," she muttered, and walked away in the direction of the transport shuttle.

    Airo looked at Veralla. "You should also leave. You are still a fledgling."

    "No, I will stay," the dragonet said. "I want to be with you. I..." she fumbled for words, "I am sad that you must kill other people, but I will stay."

    "Very well," he nodded, and instructed the power armor to put the helm on. "I warned you." He turned to Captain Riley, who had followed the whole exchange with a stony expression. "The Radiant Knights will take care of the civilians, Captain. I and my remaining team are ready to depart at your convenience."

    "Right," Riley drawled. "Well, to be frank, Commander Airo, I counted on a more significant force. But I guess even a couple of extra hands could be useful," he added, glancing at Veralla. "Let''s hope you''re good shots. The Union legionaries will give us a tough time."

 Chapter 13.5 - Warriors Way

    Leaning on the transport shuttle''s frame, Airo gazed at the horizon. Craggy mountains towered to the west. Waves lashed the coast of a primeval sea to the north. To the south, an endless expanse of barren tundra. Finally, the Shard''s anomalous energy pillar, its violet-white radiance dominating the east. The frozen landscapes of Terra Para always looked distant and harsh, no matter their topological appearance. The presence of the Reality Vortex lent them an ominous quality.

    Airo shifted his vision to his immediate surroundings. Besides him, Veralla, and Zuckeroff, there was also Captain Riley with a squad of soldiers, all waiting around the shuttle.

    "How come a Consortium Paladin became the head of the Radiant Order?" Riley broke the silence. Airo had told him the cover story he had presented before to Kiana and Zuckeroff.

    "Circumstances, mostly. The Revenant hit the Knights first, and devastated them. When I made contact with them, we entered in an agreement ¨C their resources in exchange for my influence."

    "With respect, Commander, but I find this an unlikely story. None of my business, though." Riley shook his head. "Damn, it''s the Starblaze all over again. I didn''t survive that fubar hell just to be plunged into another one." He sighed. "So it''s true the Radiant Knights still keep dragons around?"

    "Yes," Airo said.

    "A few dragons would''ve been mighty useful at the moment. We would''ve not taken any losses, even. No offense to the little one here, but she''s a whelp. I don''t think she can make any difference once the fight starts."

    "It was her choice to come," Airo said, and the conversation died down. He checked again the heavy rifle in his hands. It was a particle bolter, a powerful beam weapon with near-zero recoil, which served as the standard armament to modern infantry. Airo''s crystal-bladed katana and veronite blaster ¨C both more potent weapons ¨C were poor choices in protracted combat, the former being unusable at range, while the latter had limited rate of fire and ammunition, so he had decided to rely on more conventional arms in the coming battle.

    Once the Radiant Knights had departed, Airo and Captain Riley had formulated a plan how to assault the Union blockade. Both agreed it would be best to load the shuttle with a strike team, then make landfall at the enemy''s position, creating a diversion while the rest of the Consortium troops stormed the front. This required both forces to time their arrival on the battlefield. In the case of the strike team, that meant waiting.

    The hours passed slowly. The twin suns went low on the horizon. Gradually, purple afterglow deepened to twilight. All small talk had ceased long ago. Tension rose and with it, anticipation.

    And then, an encrypted commlink signal came in. It was a short text message. The ground forces had arrived. Captain Riley gave the order and the strike team boarded the transport shuttle. Airo, Veralla, and Zuckeroff followed.

    Yeoman Cloud took control and the shuttle ascended on its powerful thrusters. The flight to the mountain lasted another half hour. By then night had fallen. The shuttle''s interior was dark, only the helm''s screens emitting a muted cyan glow.

    As the shuttle approached its destination, Yeoman Cloud asked, "How do you want to proceed, Commander?"

    Airo examined the telemetry. The mountain pass was very large, surrounded by high, steep cliffs. A long strip of heat and electronic signatures came from the southern side, marking the outlines of a bunker complex carved along the length of the cliff. A small artificial plateau rested above, where a mobile communication array was placed ¨C and still enough place was left for several medium-sized aircraft to land.

    "Go in hard and fast," Airo ordered. "They probably have anti-air weaponry. We take out the comm array first. Then we pin them down until the wizardry arrives."

    "Acknowledged, Commander!"

    A short, piercing alarm came from the helm. "Contact!" Yeoman Cloud boomed jovially over the speakers. "Micromissiles detected!"

    The transport shuttle veered sharply to the side, lurching everyone in their seats. Down at the plateau several glowing dots appeared, sensors identifying hostile targets.

    "It begins," Zuckeroff said with a strained voice. He wore only a light combat armor.

    The shuttle rattled as dozens of projectiles smashed into its frame. It dived straight at the plateau, arresting its inertia in the last moment, and landed with a heavy, bone-rattling impact.

    "Tactical network deployed!" Yeoman Cloud announced. "Opening all hatches!" The shuttle''s side and aft panels variformed away and cold wind rushed inside.

    "GO, GO, GO!" Captain Riley shouted. The Consortium strike team surged out of the shuttle, guns blazing. Zuckeroff went after them, aiming his sniper rifle on the run. Airo followed, slowing only for a second to warn Veralla.

    "Keep your head low and stay in cover!" he told her, and dashed out into the fray. He caught a glimpse of her terrified expression before the battle engulfed him.

    The shuttle had half-landed, half-crashed into the cliff at the upper part of the plateau. Enemy soldiers were already saturating their position with concentrated fire. Airo dived to the ground, scrambling to perceive the situation via the tacnet. The Consortium strike team had positional advantage in height, but there was no cover in the vicinity. The commlink was a frenzy of noise, Riley barking orders while soldiers yelled status reports or screamed with bloodlust. Split-second calls chose who lived and who died.

    Airo rose and sprinted to the nearest large rock, firing his weapon in full auto. Something rammed him hard, twice, and he stumbled, barely reaching the rock. The power armor notified him he had been hit, but its shields had absorbed the main impact. He pressed tight against his cover, breathing hard from adrenaline. The tacnet reported an approaching hostile. Airo leaned out of cover, firing a long burst at the target. The power-armored Union soldier fell down. Airo''s particle bolter beeped empty. He inserted a fresh MEM cell and paused to gather his bearings.

    The initial attack was going well. The strike team cleared the lightly-guarded plateau, taking only one casualty. Several grenades later the communication array was destroyed. The strike team moved forward, where Yeoman Cloud had detected the primary entrances to the bunker. More enemy soldiers came out of the bunker to stop their advance. Zuckeroff immediately shot two of them down. Airo found a favorable position, where he had a clear view at nearly the whole battlefield. The rest of the strike team took similar points and kept the bunker entrances suppressed, to prevent the Union soldiers from counterattacking.

    Now they only had to hold position while the rest of the Consortium troops joined the battle, and then crush the enemy between two fronts.

    Airo felt a tingling sensation in his mind, and glanced back to check where was Veralla. He caught sight of a Union soldier sneaking behind him. He ducked, dodging the incoming burst of fire, and shot back, eliminating his opponent with three fast bursts of his own.

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    Veralla was nearby, her whole body trembling.

    "Are you all right?" Airo asked her. She looked at him with wide eyes, her slitted pupils completely round. Shell shock, he thought, surprised to see the catatonic reaction in a dragon.

    He scanned around, wondering how somebody was able to get the drop on him, and found several Union soldiers coming from a hidden exit hatch. He strafed at the soldiers to force them into cover, and called Zuckeroff over the commlink. The astrior provided covering fire, while Airo moved closer and dispatched the soldiers with his veronite blaster. He rematerialized explosive charges from his virtualizer, blew off the hatch, and began dropping grenades to halt further reinforcements from coming through this accessway.

    ***

    As the transport shuttle landed on the plateau, fear rose everywhere around Veralla, washing over her in a nauseous wave. She tumbled forward, disoriented by the sensation and the sudden stop of the shuttle. Immediately, piercing blasts of gunfire assaulted her webbed ears.

    Then the deaths started.

    They were muted, drowned by the sound of battle, yet her keen senses could pick up anguished cries and shouts of suffering. She felt the horror, surprise, and terminal serenity of the dying soldiers as their souls departed their broken bodies. It all overwhelmed her and she let out an involuntary sob. She flailed, trying to rise while people stormed off the transport shuttle. She looked for Airo desperately, wanting to tell him not to go out there. Too late; he was already dashing past.

    "Keep your head low and stay in cover!" he yelled over his shoulder, and disappeared into the terrible fight outside.

    Veralla sunk to the floor of the empty shuttle, and lay there coiled around herself. She had seen some terrible sights when the Revenant attacked Dragon Retreat, yet then she had been far from the actual combat. Back then, people''s auras had been more difficult to be felt.

    Now, at the heart of the battlefield, she was assailed with the full intensity of everyone''s emotions. She almost blacked-out. And Airo again was somewhere out there, his life in peril.

    She whimpered, scared and alone. The thought of Airo being injured again ¨C or killed ¨C filled her twin hearts with terror. She could not do anything to help him. She remembered how powerless she felt before Ferrtau, when he was about to kill Airo.

    But she also remembered how she stood her ground then, determined to not let Ferrtau harm Airo.

    The memory galvanized her. She found the strength to rise, and cautiously left the transport shuttle.

    The night enveloped her, yet its darkness was not a hindrance to her draconic sight. Gunfire and explosions kept assaulting her ears, but from further away. She scurried across the plateau, her void-black body invisible in the gloom. She tried to not look at the armored, still forms lying around, and searched for Airo.

    The fighting had moved at the plateau''s edge, yet scattered projectiles still flew from all sides, so she kept low to the ground. She sensed Airo''s aura ahead at a rocky outcropping. Suddenly, she was anxious to approach him, fearing the intensity of his emotions. But as she neared nonetheless, she felt nothing, only the cold sadness which always pervaded his soul.

    Then she saw the Union soldier.

    She moved like a shadow, despite her armored frame. She was meters away from Airo, closing in silently to eliminate him and take his position. Airo was facing the other direction, his attention focused on the raging battle in front of him.

    Veralla froze in place. The soldier had not noticed her, weapon aimed squarely at Airo''s back. Veralla watched in terror as the scene unfolded.

    Airo! No! Airo!

    Abruptly, bluish haze filled her vision. A strange, roaring feeling overwhelmed her. Her fangs bared, her wings unfurled, her whole body tensed. She was ready to tear, to maul, to kill. She fixed the soldier with a predatory stare. She would take the life of this human who dared threaten Airo. Filled with fury, she raised her claw, talons curved wickedly, and prepared to pounce.

    In that moment Airo turned and noticed the danger. He dropped low, evading a panicked attack, and fired his weapon, doing the killing himself. The human soldier fell on the ground with a dull thud.

    The overwhelming feeling rushed out of Veralla as abruptly as it had appeared. She collapsed on all fours, shaking and confused. She heard Airo''s voice.

    "Are you all right?" he shouted to her over the din of battle.

    She lifted her eyes toward him. She felt alone, lost, empty. Right now, she wanted nothing more than somebody to comfort her. She wanted Airo to come and hug her, and tell her everything was all right. She looked at him, unable to express her thoughts, struggling to find kinship behind his grim, grey eyes, hidden somewhere beneath the cold indifference of his armored helm.

    But then Airo turned away, and rushed forward, killing more people, his sadness as much a part of his arsenal as the weapons in his hands. Veralla stayed back, huddled between the rocks, alone, with only the stars above to make her company in her misery.

    ***

    The battle took a lot of time and blood. Even with their successful airborne assault, Airo and the Consortium troops fought over the bunker more than two hours. They lost nearly fifty people. The Union forces defended their base fanatically, going down to the last person. In the end, Airo was bitter he had agreed to waste so many good soldiers, which could''ve been used against the Revenant instead. Captain Riley also seemed grim by the combat''s resolution, with casualties amounting to a quarter of his company. Nonetheless, he held to his word.

    "A deal''s a deal," he said. "We''re going to resupply at the first outpost we find, and after that we''ll be ready for your future instructions, Commander Airo."

    "I appreciate it, Captain," Airo said, looking at two Consortium soldiers who were unloading crates of veronite from the transport shuttle. "I would also be thankful if you do whatever you can to avoid future clashes with the Union."

    "As long as it doesn''t go against my direct orders, I''ll do so," Riley nodded. "Anything else?"

    "Yes. Try to inform other field officers about the Radiant Order''s proposition. We are building up our anti-Revenant stockpiles, and will setup regular shipments at pre-set locations. Also, while out in the wasteland, keep an eye for any Union patrols marching through Revenant territory. I want to recruit them too."

    "Understood," Riley said. He inspected his troops. "Well, it''s time to move. By the way, what''ll be our communication protocol?"

    Airo was prepared for that. "There is a low-capacity quantum-entangled communicator inside," he said, motioning at the transport shuttle. "Take it. Use it only in text-based mode, and it should last for around a year."

    Captain Riley nodded again and offered his hand. "Thank you for helping us, Commander Airo."

    Airo took Riley''s hand with a blank expression. "Thank me when this war is over," he said.

    ***

    There was no conversation while the transport shuttle slowly made its way back to Ilsorin. Veralla lay quietly in the back of the cockpit. Her tail twitched now and again restlessly, the only lingering sign of the stress she was under. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She listened to the constant thrum of the shuttle''s engines, her eyes closing on their own.

    She woke with a start. The shuttle was just landing. They had returned to Ilsorin. Veralla felt a gnawing hunger in her belly, meaning quite a lot of time had passed. Yet something else bothered her, on a much deeper level than mere starvation. She followed Airo and Zuckeroff as they rose from their seats and disembarked the shuttle.

    It was morning, and the sky above the stronghold was clear and brilliant. But Veralla was blind to its beauty. For the first time ever, she did not want to be close to anyone. She did not go toward her room, neither to the dining hall, despite her hunger. Instead, she wandered around the stronghold''s many battlements.

    She used this quiet walk to reflect on recent events. Almost immediately, the battle in the mountain pass came fresh to her mind, and she relived the harrowing experience. She shuddered at the memories, yet found herself strangely torn. She was terrified, and she was also... something else. Tensed. Relentless. Angry. It was an all-consuming tide of feeling, which made her whole being vibrate with primal energy.

    She recognized what that was. Bloodlust. It made her wanting to tear out throats with her jaws, to disembowel bodies with her claws, to shatter bones with her tail. It made her blood boil, darkening her vision, clouding her mind to all reason except one ¨C to slay those who dared to hurt her or her kin.

    Veralla shook her head vigorously, trying to free herself from the sensation. She realized she had been growling, body bent low and wings mantling in aggressive posture. As she regained control, her bloodlust subsided, leaving behind only her misery and sorrow. Misery and sorrow, which she had experienced because she had gone to the outside world, where she had found only war and tragedy so far. She thought the missions Airo organized were supposed to save people. And they did, true. Yet they also resulted in the death of people. Airo had told her that was how war was. Yet if this was also true, then one thing was certain ¨C she did not like war at all.

    Maybe she should not go on future missions.

 Chapter 14 - Small Way

    CHAPTER 14 ¨C SMALL WAY

    "Do not cry, little star. Even beyond time, beyond that final moment of darkness, your light shall forever be part of the Fire Eternal."

    ¨C Ver Lumineo, "A Journey To The Sun"

    In the coming days things began slowly to fall into rhythm. Each morning, Veralla rose and had a hearty breakfast, then she went on training until around midday, which was followed by a meal and a short nap, then there was another training session in the late afternoon, and after that she was free to spend the evening however she liked. Usually, she had dinner. Although she started to tire always eating raw meat, yet on Glawlrhain''s insistence she munched on it.

    Then, she browsed the mesh before going to sleep, as there were still so many things which interested her. She was particularly fond of books and videos, and especially computer games; but the latter she found difficult to enjoy without Airo.

    He was constantly away on patrols. Vorzii prowled the skies of Terra Para day and night. The skyship came back to Ilsorin at irregular intervals, sometimes on the morning after its departure, but more often after days of absence. Airo always disembarked for a brief time, just to check on how things went at the base, then he went right back on board. Vorzii remained grounded only long enough to shift cargo and passengers, and to rotate the crew, then it was again in the air and heading for the next dangerous journey into the frozen wilderness.

    Every time Veralla went to greet Airo, happy for his safe return, and every time she went on the battlements above the landing platform as the skyship rose on its roaring thrusters and disappeared into the sub-region''s exit. She watched Airo''s departure with heavy hearts, afraid he will not return one day. And while she desired to be with him, she did not go on any more missions. She did not want to experience any more death.

    So she could not be with Airo. It meant she was without him for the first time in her life. It unnerved her, and she often woke up in the morning confused and anxious why she was alone. The change left her feeling lost. So she made an effort to explore and interact with others as much as possible, to make this feeling go away.

    ***

    She tried to eat with others in the dining hall, as part of her decision to interact more. It seemed a simple act, yet in the absence of Airo her confidence had faltered, and she had reverted to her earlier shy behavior.

    She stood ¨C on all fours, too stressed to stand upright ¨C at the dining hall''s entrance, casting surreptitious glances at the tables taken by Radiant Knights, who were having various breakfasts. There were not a lot of dragons right now, as Veralla had learned their number was quite small, and half of them were out on patrol with the skyship. She spotted the crimson bulk of Lung, sitting with her soulkin, Tehalix, at one of the larger tables along two more dragons and their soulkin, as well as a bunch of other human Knights.

    Veralla approached timidly, but before she could say anything, Tehalix noticed her and grinned.

    "Hey dudes, the Goddess has graced us with her divine presence!" she exclaimed, drawing the attention of her table companions.

    Veralla took a deep breath as everyone focused their attention on her. "Oh, hello all!" she said diffidently.

    "Heya, little one," Tehalix said, her grin mellowing to a warm smile. The rest of the Radiant Knights greeted her amiably too. "Come, take a seat."

    Veralla did so, and relaxed as the silvery furniture variformed around her for maximum comfort. Still, she was a bit anxious to meet the other Knights'' gazes.

    "Wanna try some berry pie?" Tehalix asked, pushing a dish toward her. "I might''ve overestimated my gastronomical capabilities by ordering a second helping."

    "Yes, thank you!" Veralla said and chomped on the pie enthusiastically, splattering a few bits on Tehalix'' armor. "Oh, oh, sorry!"

    "Null sweat, the bots will clean it. Sorry for calling you out. Usually you dragons are quite thick-skinned creatures, with the exception of Smartjaw here."

    "Teha!" Lung rumbled, bending her horned head down to look at her soulkin. "Stop calling me fragile! Oh wait, this idiom meant something else, right?"

    "It is okay," Veralla said. "I am just... not used to seeing so many large dragons in one place."

    "Ha, large!" Tehalix chuckled, then suddenly became grave. "You should''ve seen the old guard. I love my Smartjaw, but she couldn''t hold a candle to one of the real big-leagues. Say, you''ve met all of us survivors already, right?"

    "Oh, I know Richard, Teyalinar, Samantha, and Glosserax from our first meeting in the skyship," Veralla said, pointing to the two soulkin pairs. "But about the rest of you, I, uh... have not been introduced to you."

    "Damn!" Tehalix exclaimed. "Where have manners gone these days!?" She turned to the other Knights. "Dudes, why didn''t any of you say anything?"

    "Well, taking the floor from you is nigh impossible, Teha," said one of the male Knights, who was pink-skinned and completely bald. "We all figured saving our strength for the war was the more sensible thing to do, since that at least is an endeavor we have a plausible chance of accomplishing." The rest of the Radiant Knights burst into laughter.

    "Great Cosmos, we have an entry-level comedian here!" Tehalix teased. "Ok, snowflake, then you''ll handle the introductions."

    "Gladly," the pink-skinned Knight said, rising with a mock bow. "I hereby vow to donate my socializing experience to the Get Cool Foundation, so you all can benefit from better comebacks," he added, again making everyone laugh, including Tehalix.

    Drevor Klaggan The Seventh-Cloned Fourth, which was how the pink-skinned Knight was called, presented the other Knights with brief, imaginative wit. Then the breakfast returned to its laid-back atmosphere. The humans discussed training and other everyday topics, while Teyalinar and Glosserax rumbled a comment or two occasionally, more interested in their meals. Veralla was content to just sit and listen too, eating daintily from her dish so as to not make again a mess of herself or her table companions. However, the other two dragons did not have the same qualms.

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    "By the Goddess, Taar!" Richard exclaimed. "Are you trying to bury me in sauce and eat me, too?" The conservative-looking Knight had called a hover-bot to clean his armor several times already, as Teyalinar flung massive food-pieces into his jaws, spattering gobbets everywhere in the process.

    "It''s blood day today," the dragon hrrr¨Ced between bites. His dark green body seemed engorged, yet he continued to swallow food with determination, tail lashing with restless, sharp motions.

    "Rrr, I totally forgot!" Glosserax said, and began to stuff himself too, his ice-blue and cream-colored scales also becoming dirty from rapid feeding.

    "Great," Samantha muttered, as her armor and long fire-red hair were assaulted by scattered consumables. "Guess I''ll have to call a bot now, too."

    "What''s the rush?" Lung chided the other two dragons. "You can always eat longer, not faster. It''s more efficient, and you can then donate in the evening. Well? Rrrr, Teha, they''re ignoring me!"

    "You better eat too, Smartjaw. I won''t listen to your complaints at two in the night."

    "What is ''blood day''?" Veralla asked.

    "It''s when every dragon present in the base has to give part of their blood," Tehalix explained somberly, "so it can be made into veronite."

    "Uh, but how we''re able to draw blood from dragons in the first place?" Samantha wondered, giving the munching Glosserax a worried look. "I thought their scales were practically invulnerable."

    "Almost invulnerable," Tehalix muttered. "There''re some materials or energies which can pierce dragon hide. Like that vile blade the Dragonslayer uses. Consistent pummeling works too, if done long enough. Also, our own armors and armament are made in large part from veronite, which was collected in smaller increments from the older dragons before the Lightbringer came and ravaged us all."

    "But I give too much of my blood now! It''s not pleasant at all!" Lung added, while the other Radiant Knights nodded with sympathy.

    "This whole business with the Dragonslayer bothers me," Damian, a Knight with a serious expression, said. "I don''t like the idea of someone like him leading us."

    "Are we even sure he''s really who he claims to be?" Kathy, another Knight, said. She touched the side of her broad forehead. "According to the Viirt, the Dragonslayer was executed after a public trial way back, while the Transhuman Order still existed."

    "You can bet he''s the real deal," Drevor said, his pink face locked into a frown. "You should''ve seen the veronite formula he programmed into the nanofabbers. Not even our own archived research can match the purity of the end product."

    "But, what about the rumors of his death? The datalinks seem pretty solid."

    "Dude, you should check our databanks! It''s buried deep within the archives, but the evidence is there. Magus Dei himself was heading the trial against the Dragonslayer!"

    "Wait, Magus Dei is that old?!" Kathy exclaimed.

    "Of course, he''s one of the founders of our Order after all," Drevor said.

    "Whoever the Dragonslayer is, I don''t like him, or his methods," Richard said. He put a hand on Teyalinar''s huge flank. "I won''t tolerate anyone who''s mistreating my soulkin."

    "He was a war criminal, according to history," Damian said. "I don''t know what the elders were thinking when they vowed the Order to follow him."

    "Hey, hey, hey, throttle back on the FTL now," Tehalix interjected. "I know Commander Airo is a total jerk, and he can be abrasive like regolith. Because of him my Smartjaw is continuously drained dry, and I won''t forgive that anytime soon. But he is helping us to avoid spiraling into the event horizon of fubar the Lightbringer caused, and he''s given us a fighting chance. Have you taken a walk ''round the base recently? It''s full of refugees ¨C people who''ve been saved thanks to the Dragonslayer, instead of becoming haunting terrors like the Revenant.

    "Also, the Dragonslayer may not be a nice person, but try to remember this sweet little dragon here has chosen him as her soulkin," Tehalix added, nodding toward Veralla.

    The other Radiant Knights lowered their heads and murmured apologies. Veralla felt her hearts filling with warmth. She had never considered Airo her soulkin until now; yet the idea was very touching indeed. However, the feeling quickly subsided as she remembered the deep, endless sadness which plagued Airo''s soul. She was not sure she could ever banish his loneliness.

    "Ok, back to more merrier matters," Tehalix announced, then noticed something. "Speaking of which¨C Hey, Shpagus, Claw!" she called at the two Radiant Knight who were just entering the dining hall. "Come here, you lumbering airheads!"

    "Ah, Tehalix, what a pleasant surprise! I see this fine morning on the brink of the apocalypse hasn''t hurt your capacity for careless epithets even one bit."

    "You know me, walking erection guy ¨C I''ll point out the weird and whimsical ''till the universe''s heat death. Veralla, meet Bernard and Zeromon ¨C our resident tech nerds."

    "I think you meant ''hardware specialists''," Bernard said as he took his seat. He was tall and lithe in contrast to Tehalix'' short and brawny figure; of course, Veralla couldn''t actually see the Knights'' physical proportions, obscured as they were by their red-gold armors, yet she could sense their appearances through the echoes of their auras. "What''re you having for breakfast, Zero?"

    "I think I''ll try something exotic today," Zeromon said in a friendly rumble. "Perhaps some depleted uranium? No? Oh, right, you smalsies can''t handle radiation very well. Ok, then I''ll take three cubic liters of ice-cream with basalt chippings." The gray-colored dragon was the biggest so far at the table, and his six-digited claws were giant even compared to his own bulk. Veralla had no trouble understanding the reason behind Zeromon''s nickname. However, she could not say the same about Bernard''s moniker.

    "Why are you called ''Shpagus''?" she asked the human Knight. "And why Tehalix called you so... strangely?"

    Bernard paused. "Well, I¨C"

    "...can''t keep my dick in my armor for more than a single workshift," Tehalix interrupted, imitating his voice. "I have to wave my meat-sword at every opportunity that presents itself. And thus why I name thee¨C"

    "I think the little one got it," Bernard retorted in an easygoing manner. "So what? I enjoy sex. In the ?ther Age, unwanted pregnancy and venereal diseases are problems only to the technologically challenged. True, there''s the advent of total-realism virtual reality, but I prefer the charming, often irrational social interactions which come with physical mating."

    "But of course, Shpagus, you''ve a reputation to uphold as the Don Bochello of Terra Para, after all. Kathy and Samantha here can testify."

    "Ugh, did you have to bring that up?" Samantha groaned, while Kathy blushed furiously. Glosserax hrrr-ed out a chuckle. "You keep quiet, scaly!"

    "What can I say?" Bernard continued. He lounged in his seat and spread his arms on the backrest. "I''m a person of cosmopolitan tastes. I don''t discriminate on any grounds, even species. Say, Lung, wanna have a roll?" he asked, winking, but the crimson dragon growled, letting out a small flame from the corner of her snout. "Ok, ok, I get your point. Sheesh."

    "Wow, a real firebreath!" Veralla rawr-ed, amazed.

    "Haven''t you seen one before?" Lung asked, puzzled.

    "Glawlrhain showed me once, after I asked him. But I have not seen the firebreath of anyone else. Why do you not use it more often?"

    "Well, they say we make too much trouble," Glosserax mumbled between bites.

    "Uh-huh," Teyalinar rumbled in agreement.

    "In my case, I find no reason to go around blowing my fire all the time," Lung said. "It takes effort, and there''s no point of getting tired without benefit."

    "Ha, I get to use mine all the time!" Zeromon said. "I mean... while I''m in the workshop. Who would''ve guessed dragonfire is useful for so many fabrication processes. I learn new ways of application every week!"

    "Speaking of learning, I have news for you, little goddess," Tehalix told Veralla. "Since you need formal education, I''ve been officially appointed as your tutor guide."

    "That sounds nice! What are you going to teach me?"

    "All kinds of stuff. History, mathematics, physics, biology, ethics; we''ll first cover all the basics in each field, then you can choose how to further continue on your own. I suggest we take two-three hours in time dilation each evening after your physical training. You game?"

    Veralla gasped suddenly. "Training! System, display time!" A holographic projection hovered before her. "I am getting late for training! Glawlrhain is waiting for me!" She jumped off her seat and dashed toward the dining hall''s exit.

    "Heyyy, nobody''s going to kill you for delayed schedules!" Tehalix called after her. "We''re the Radiant Knights, not the Red Tape Knights!"

 Chapter 14.2 - Small Way

    Veralla''s training was progressing well, even though she could not fly, breathe fire, or grow normally. She easily memorized the motions, and strove to perform them exactly as Glawlrhain showed her. Before long, she mastered basic stances and strikes, and the training master began to instruct her in more advanced techniques.

    Glawlrhain also let her spar against ?ther-crafted illusions. Her comical proportions made her struggle to defeat the illusion-dummies, yet she managed to work around her limitation with careful observation and clever use of different moves. She was still practicing groundside combat only, but already she had learned a variety of ways to take down an opponent in different situations, be it human or dragon, and Glawlrhain said if she continued to be very small he would show her some useful tricks to mitigate her size disadvantage.

    Her body quickly adapted to the rigorous regimen of daily training, as she pushed herself to her limit ¨C and beyond! ¨C each day. She even began to spend long periods in time-dilated virtual reality, in order to study more martial theory, while physical time was used to hone learned principles into perfect execution.

    She still felt uneasy making herself proficient at martial arts and killing. Regardless of Glawlrhain''s words, she was not sure how she could use her knowledge about fighting to prevent... fighting. It reminded her of Airo, who had wanted to become an honorable champion, but had been made a warrior instead. Veralla wanted to become a Radiant Knight, although Radiant Knights had to be trained in combat. They had to, in order to be able to protect their principles and ideals, Glawlrhain had explained. This made sense to Veralla, given her dreadful encounter with Ferrtau; and she trusted the training master, as well as the Radiant Knights as a whole. So, despite her uncertainty, she gave her best to become a strong and capable warrior, to become worthy of being a Radiant Knight, in order to be able to help others and to instill kindness and happiness in the world.

    What troubled her were the violent urges she experienced often lately.

    At first, they appeared only when she slept and had nightmares: the attack on Dragon Retreat, the battle at the mountain pass, the beating of the uplimal female in Kryoon City. Veralla would wake with a snarl, not terrified or unhappy, but with dark haze clouding her vision and bright fury rushing inside her veins. She tried to ignore these moments, but she started to experience bloodlust more and more, especially during training, and ¨C for some strange reason ¨C at the reddish sight of meat when she was eating.

    She did not want to become a terrible person, like Ferrtau, or even Airo in his bad moments. She had to do something about this. She decided to talk with Glawlrhain, for he was a master in martial arts, and seemed very wise, and was a dragon, so he could perhaps tell her what was happening to her feelings and senses.

    She sought him out one day between training sessions, forgoing her afternoon nap to ask for advice. With the help of Yeoman Cloud, who was now present in every one of Ilsorin''s systems and had access to all sensors, she found Glawlrhain in the multi-tiered gardens above the lake. However, as she went there, she saw from a distance Stamat was also with Glawlrhain and the two of them were speaking, with Stamat looking very heated. Veralla hid behind a tree to avoid interrupting them. Yet she was curious what they were talking about, so she spread her webbed ears wide, until she could hear even the quiet gurgle of a fountain several levels below.

    "Don''t tell me again you have no time!" Stamat said. "I''ve returned from patrol three days ago, and we haven''t spoken for a single moment since! For Dude''s sake, even Commander Airo meets with Veralla more often!"

    "I''m the training master, Stamat," Glawlrhain said. "It''s my responsibility to keep all Knights in the sharpest form possible, especially when we''re facing a crisis of such magnitude. Also, I''ve become an Elder of the Order ¨C though it wasn''t my wish, this carries additional duties I have to perform. After we survive this, we''ll have much more time for each other."

    "Don''t give me this dragoncrap, Glal! I''m fully aware the Lightbringer may kill us all. There may be no after. Why are you doing this? Why are you evading me? I thought we were soulkin."

    "We are, Terlokhi. Only I¨C"

    "Then why haven''t we taken the twining vow yet?"

    "We will, just¨C"

    "You''re still thinking about him, huh? Well, go to the void, Glawlrhain! I still think about Alomar and Lylana, too. But that doesn''t mean I let the past engulf me!"

    "Terlokhi, wait!"

    Stamat strode angrily up the ramp which led out of the park, leaving Glawlrhain behind. The sinuous dragon watched the human Knight go, his long tendrils waving in the warm artificial breeze, his ocean-colored body so still he was like a part of the park''s decoration. Veralla sat peeking from behind the tree, unsure what to do.

    "Come out, young one," Glawlrhain sighed at last. "I can sense your vibrant aura even from the other side of the mountain."

    Feeling a bit ashamed, Veralla left her hiding place. "Why was Stamat so upset?" she asked timidly.

    "He carries a heavy burden in his heart," Glawlrhain said, turning his head to look at her. "A long time ago, I offered to share it with him. However..." The training master made an uncharacteristic pause. "I am not sure I was ready for the consequences."

    "Is he unhappy because he is lonely, like Airo?"

    Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced, his gaze returning to the empty ramp. "Yes, both of them are very similar in that regard."

    Veralla had a sudden insight. "Can you tell me how Stamat became lonely?" she asked.

    The training master looked back at her. "Why do you want to know?"

    "So I can learn! If I know what makes people lonely and sad, I can use that knowledge to make them happy!"

    Glawlrhain let out a growling chuckle. "I highly doubt things are so simple, young one, given my two centuries of experience. But all right... I see your enthusiasm is real enough, so I''ll tell you what I know."

    He inhaled softly and half-lifted his wings. "Stamat comes from a local community. His ancestors had traveled to Terra Para with the Radiant Knights who first discovered the paraworld ¨C and they''d decided to settle here. This means Stamat had grown up in a family who have for centuries held very close to the ideals of the Radiant Knights ¨C honor, truth, mercy, compassion, love, and many others. Stamat has been raised to believe in those ideals, and to always strive to bring good into the world."

    Glawlrhain paused for a moment. "In essence, he was a Radiant Knight in his heart long before he requested to be accepted within the Order. When he did so, he passed his trials and graduated the Order''s training with honors. He was disciplined, friendly, and passionate ¨C a perfect role model."

    "Then how he became lonely?" Veralla asked, confused. "Surely many people must have liked him, if he was so friendly?"

    "Yes, they did," Glawlrhain agreed.

    "So what happened?"

    "Unfortunately, Stamat turned out to be a hothead," Glawlrhain said. "His belief in the Order''s virtues was too fervent. He couldn''t tolerate even the slightest injustice. He would accept no transgression. His zeal didn''t bring any major trouble, because he had good sense when it was appropriate to act. That is, until Alomar hatched and was given to Stamat."

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    "Alomar? But why he and Stamat are not together then? And why is he so rude?"

    "Alomar wasn''t always like he is now," Glawlrhain said. "When he hatched, he was a cute little fledgling, like you. Stamat, being one of the brightest Radiant Knights, was chosen to become his soulkin. He gave Alomar his name, and the two officially took the Entwined Vow. After that, Stamat was responsible for the rearing of Alomar and assisting him to become a Radiant Knight himself when he was mature enough. Instead, things turned out in a tragic way.

    "Stamat was too hard on Alomar. He tried to instill in his soulkin the same zeal he himself had regarding being a good and noble person. The Order''s elders warned Stamat several times to be less exacting, but he didn''t listen. He lectured Alomar day and night; he constantly insisted that he train and learn about the principles of being a Radiant Knight; he didn''t rest until his soulkin performed with absolute excellence.

    "One day, Alomar had enough. It was just after his graduation ceremony. As soon as he was made Radiant Knight, Alomar publicly renounced his kinship with Stamat, and the Order as a whole. He wanted to leave Terra Para, but he was neither an ?thereal, nor there were any starships which would''ve taken him off-world. So he stayed. Although he is still a Radiant Knight, he doesn''t... act like one.

    "As for Stamat, he was devastated. At first, he managed to keep calm; albeit misguided by his rashness, he was a good person ¨C and still is. Yet one can never forget such an event, and it kept him quietly bitter. He had no one to speak about it ¨C he was too ashamed to ask his peers, and too proud to admit mistake to his elders. Yet he felt his loss keenly.

    "Back in those days, our Order was already on its last flight. There wasn''t much to do, especially for war experts. So... I offered Stamat a sheltering wing. He accepted. We began having many long talks, which seemed to help him."

    "What did you talk about?" Veralla asked.

    "We discussed all kinds of things," Glawlrhain replied. "Sometimes, Stamat came for advice, or to have a sparring match, or play some games. Most of the time, he came to share his emotional burdens."

    "Airo does not share any of his burdens with me," Veralla said, lowering her head. "I want him to talk about them so I can help, but he will not do so."

    Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced pensively. "Truth be told, Stamat also was quite secretive before... his second tragedy happened."

    "Second tragedy? What happened?"

    "How much of my conversation with Stamat did you overhear?"

    "I came shortly before the end," she said truthfully. "I heard Stamat saying he still thought about Alomar and Lylana."

    "Precisely," Glawlrhain nodded. "Lylana Darkovitz was the second tragedy in Stamat''s life. He had affections for her, yet the chances of her responding to his feelings were very low. Even so, he did his best, preparing for months, but when he finally tried to court her, she refused him. It happened a year after Alomar left him. Lylana''s refusal crushed Stamat. On top of Alomar''s departure, he was still young, and had no experience in romantic relationships. He didn''t know what to do."

    "Romantic experience? Is that related to mating and procreation?"

    The training master hrrr¨Ced in amusement. "You know a lot more than I anticipated, little one! Yes, sex and offspring are definitely part of romance, though not always."

    "Did Stamat want to mate with Lylana?"

    "Yes. He did. However, I think it was more a desire of his body, and not his mind ¨C though his drive was strong nonetheless; it''s the way nature sets things. Between his grief for Alomar, his broken heart from Lylana, and simple, biological desire for intimacy, Stamat was emotionally torn apart. At that point, merely talking to him wasn''t enough to help him."

    "What could have helped him?" Veralla asked.

    "Something which could have relieved him from his pressure," Glawlrhain answered slowly, his amber eyes unblinking. "Or someone."

    Veralla thought about it for a few seconds. "Oh, like VR simulation, then? I once heard Kiana explaining¨C"

    "Stamat constantly used simulspace fantasies," Glawlrhain interrupted her softly. "They were the very first solution he tried. They satisfied his physical desire for sex. Yet his longing for closeness remained, no matter how advanced his SAI companions were. So one night, I finally stepped in, and offered him to mate... with me."

    "Oh!" Veralla said in wonder. Silence stretched between her and Glawlrhain, the only sounds being the quiet flow water around them and the soft hum of ?ther-infused crystal environmental controls.

    At last, she asked, "Did Stamat feel better?"

    "He did," Glawlrhain nodded. "It was like dawn breaking on the horizon. It took time, but he managed to overcome the worst of his burdens. He became more relaxed, and let his emotional wounds to heal. We became a lot more closer as a result of this act, and spent many long nights talking freely... and having sex. I am thankful to the Goddess and the Great Cosmos I was able to help Stamat, for he is noble in spirit, and doesn''t deserve the prolonged torment he would''ve had if I hadn''t intervened."

    "But if you like him so much and he likes you too, then why did he shout at you today?" Veralla asked.

    Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced and unfurled his wings, spinning them in half-circle. "There are many reasons for discord between friends and lovers, little one," he said. "However, the tension between me and Stamat lies in what I told you at the start ¨C that I''m not ready for the consequences, should he and I become soulkin in truth."

    "But why would you not want to become soulkin with Stamat?" Veralla said, lashing her tail. "You said you are thankful that you helped him to not be lonely!"

    "I am," the training master nodded. "However, I... am not ready yet."

    "But why?" Veralla wondered.

    "Perhaps I can tell you some other time," Glawlrhain said gently, yet with a tone of finality. "Tell me now, why did you come to me?"

    She took a second to recall the reason she wanted to talk about. "I have strange feelings lately. When I think about certain things, I become... angry."

    "Angry, you say?" the training master asked. "How exactly do these feelings arise?"

    "Well, they happen mostly when I am training to fight or thinking about battles," Veralla explained. "In one moment, I am completely normal, and in the next I am hissing and growling, with my body all tensed up, while my mind is foggy and full of violent emotions."

    "Ah," Glawlrhain nodded, his snout-tendrils swaying. "You have started to awaken the raging essence of your soul. It''s a natural state of battlefury inherent in all dragons."

    "Oh," she said, greatly dismayed. "But I do not want to awaken it!"

    "Then it shall awaken on its own," Glawlrhain explained. "It''s part of being a dragon."

    "But it makes me want to kill people!" Veralla said. "I do not want to kill people!"

    "On its own, battlefury can lead to poor outcomes indeed," Glawlrhain agreed. "However, once properly mastered and controlled, battlefury becomes very important to any dragon."

    "Why something that makes me want to hurt others is important?"

    "How did you feel when Commander Airo killed the Union soldiers?" the training master asked her abruptly. "Recall again the events you told me about."

    Veralla tensed involuntarily. "I was... really afraid," she murmured, anticipating the horror of the memories. "And I felt very... bad, for those who died. Sad, even." Strangely though, her recollection of the battle at the mountain pass did not terrify her this time. Instead, there was the dull blaze of bloodlust stirring deep within her mind, yet it did not rise, leaving her able to examine the memories calmly, without being forced to relive them. She realized she had been like that for some time.

    "There you have it," Glawlrhain broke the silence, even though she had not spoken. "We dragons are very emotional creatures. The cosmic fire burning in our souls manifests as fiery passion any time we are happy, sad, joyful, sorrowful, confident, angry. We experience all of our feelings a hundredfold compared to others. Our emotions are as intense and bright as the stars, and they can kill us. Unless we learn to channel them. To master them. To become above them, but at the same time embrace them, to keep the beauty of life inside us. It can take years to become a master of your emotions, and many dragons never succeed, for that is one of the hardest paths to follow on the Celestial Way."

    "I understand," Veralla said. "I shall try to master my emotions, then. But I do not understand how this is connected to the violent urges I am having."

    "Battlefury is a protective mechanism of the psyche," Glawlrhain replied. "It channels a dragon''s innate powers, making one''s physical prowess even greater than it is while they''re at rest. And yet, its primal function is to shield one from their emotions, and to make them able to do what must be done in adverse ¨C or intense ¨C situations. None of us would be able to protect even our own lives if we didn''t have this mechanism ¨C the emotional feedback of hurting another and sensing their pain would be all but disabling.

    "Thus, battlefury is a necessity: it blocks our heightened empathy at critical times, making us able to hurt and kill others. But there are dragons who never realize this is only a tool, and they become addicted to the fiery power their raging essence provides, turning into bloodthirsty, violent, terrible monsters which are what many people think of our kind."

    "Well, I do not need battlefury then," Veralla said, "because I have no intention to hurt or kill anyone."

    Glawlrhain shook his head. "You must develop the instinct regardless; it''s a natural part of you."

    "But why should I be able to kill?" Veralla demanded in wonder. "I am training to become a Radiant Knight, yes?"

    "Yes, you are."

    "And Radiant Knights do not hurt or kill, yes?"

    "As a rule, they don''t."

    "Then I will not let my raging essence flourish," Veralla declared. "I have no intention of hurting or killing anyone, so I do not need it. As for my emotions, I shall learn to master them on my own, without any instincts that cloud my mind!"

    "Oh, young one..."

 Chapter 14.3 - Small Way

    After that conversation, Veralla''s mornings took on a different routine.

    When she announced her intention to reject her innate battlefury, Glawlrhain decided to instruct her in the art of meditation. So instead of training to fight, she spent the early hours of the day learning how to focus her inner energies. While there were many schools of thought regarding the finer points, there was not a whole lot of theory about the actual exercise itself, and, just like walking upright, one got better with practice.

    On Glawlrhain''s advice, Veralla meditated mainly in the gardens, where the environment was most tranquil. She liked to be at the bottom of the mountain''s hollow, by the lake, where she had picked a spot among a group of large peach-colored rubber plants growing under the soft shadow of an overhang. She sat there with her slit-pupiled eyes closed, opening them from time to time to gaze at the lake or the magenta rays skipping across its surface.

    She found meditation boring at first, as she easily got distracted. Yet gradually she began to like the exercise, feeling quiet joy spread inside her as her mind held still. Her sporadic thoughts during those serene moments were often related to Airo, and sometimes she felt like she could sense his presence across the planet. This heightened awareness never lasted long; she cherished every occasion when she managed to sense his soul, happy for being able to connect with him even in such a fleeting way. It made her all the more determined to train, to meditate, to become better, so she would be able to help Airo and make him company, so he could free himself from his sadness.

    Yet a part of herself wanted very much Airo to feel the same for her, too.

    Suddenly, she heard an immense thud, followed by four others. She opened her eyes and saw a group of dragons who had landed near the lake. It was Alomar and the other dragons who had no human companions. They had come to the lake to drink, their boisterous voices rumbling throughout the empty gardens.

    "Those freebooters are starting to get on my nerves," a wiry maroon-scaled dragon said.

    "Bah, you always find something to mantle your wings at, Hater," another dragon said, whose plain green body was adorned with large sails along the back.

    "Shut up, Scorn, or I''ll tailslap you!"

    "Personally, I don''t care for these primates as long as they don''t stand in my way," a third dragon said, flexing his spiky bulk as he hunkered down to drink.

    "It had been long since there''ve been only primates among their number, Discord," Alomar snorted with disdain. "Though I wonder why they still call themselves transhumans..."

    One of the dragons spotted Veralla and rawr¨Ced. "Hey, it''s her! That whelp who follows the Dragonslayer everywhere!"

    Alomar and the others turned their heads. Veralla tensed. She had a bad feeling, yet did not know what to do. She rose, realizing she would not be left alone to finish her meditation.

    "Well now, what a chance encounter," Alomar said with malicious glee, moving closer to her, his gang in tow. "You''re the little runt everyone talks about. I see you haven''t changed much since they first scooped you up aboard the skyship. You''re still an ugly-looking fledgling with a blubbery body and stumpy limbs." He smirked with disdain, while the other dragons growled in amusement. "And your scales will give the Goddess Herself vertigo."

    Veralla looked down at herself, noting for the aeonth time the differentness of her shape. She felt shame building inside her. But then she halted herself and took control over the feeling. She was not weak, even if she was different. She lifted her head, mind becalmed by meditation, and met Alomar''s sneering gaze. "And you are still a rude dragon!" she said defiantly.

    "Oooh, a comeback!" Alomar roared in mock surprise. He turned his head. "Hey, broodmates, this one can at least bite!" The other dragons rumbled with laughter again. Veralla shrank a little, yet kept her stare on Alomar.

    "Honestly, I can''t see why you''re so special," the white-and-blue dragon continued, his words dripping contempt. "Everybody praises you and your pitiful attempts at becoming a Knight, while I, the fiercest of all surviving dragons on this deusforsaken planet, get completely ignored. It baffles my mind. What, do they expect you''re going to win the war? You can''t even fly or breathe fire. There''s no way you are more important than me."

    "Well, it is simple," Veralla said plainly. "You are very incompetent at being a Radiant Knight. That is why you are being ignored."

    Alomar flinched as if she had slapped him across the snout, and raised his head back, momentarily silent.

    "Void damn, the whelp touched a nerve," a yellow-scaled dragon guffawed behind Alomar. "She''s probably gonna start lecturing you any minute now."

    "Keep your maw closed, Rebel!" Alomar hissed, casting a murderous glance. The yellow dragon bowed her head, cowed. Alomar turned his attention back to Veralla. "Don''t dare provoke me, little runt. I can smother you with merely a wingtip."

    "Why? Because you are too stupid to defeat me with words?" she challenged.

    Alomar snarled furiously. His wings flared, making his figure look enormous and terrifying. "I told you," he growled. "Don''t. Provoke. Me. Or I shall put you in your place, you insolent whelp."

    For a moment, Veralla became afraid. But that fear lasted only for an instant, banished by a much more powerful feeling. It surged like a tidal wave, sweeping her whole being. She recognized it; it was her battlefury. She fought the sensation down, focusing her mind as Glawlrhain had told her. She did not want to hurt Alomar, even if he was bad to her and said nasty things. Yet at the same time, she would not let him hurt her. She stood upright and raised her foreclaws in the fighting stance she had learned during training, staring with determination.

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    Alomar hrrr¨Ced deeply, amused. "My, my! Are you going to fight me, runt?"

    "No, I will not fight you," Veralla said, "because I do not want to hurt or kill you. But I shall defend myself."

    Alomar''s expression suddenly became dark. "Spoken like a true Knight," he said, baring his sharp teeth. "Very well then, let me show you what happens when the heroic talk is over..."

    He was interrupted by a whipcrack of leathery wings. The small, sinuous form of Glawlrhain rapidly descended toward the lake, and landed between them. "That''s enough, Alomar," the training master said, voice stern. "Have your drink and be gone. Until I say otherwise, you''re going to satiate your thirst only from a maker."

    "Or what''re you going to do, Glawlrhain?" Alomar hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Raise the alarm and hope someone who''s actually a match for me comes in time?"

    "I''ll warn you only one more time. Leave. Stay away from the gardens from this point on."

    "I''m not scared of you, coward," Alomar said. "I''ve heard the stories that are talked behind your back. How you''d remained behind during the Starblaze, and hadn''t been on an off-world mission for decades. How you''ve refused to fight, because your feelings have been hurt. You''re a tiny, insignificant excuse for a dragon, just like the runt you''re trying to protect. The elders probably made you a training master as some form of a joke."

    Glawlrhain did not say anything. Instead, he bent low, spreading his wings slightly, holding his tail high for balance, his whole body communicating he was ready for battle.

    Alomar growled. "I think I''ve tolerated this Order for long enough," he said. "Time to show you what real power is." He supported himself with his foreclaw, and stood upright on his hindlegs.

    Veralla''s breath caught in her throat. Standing upright, Alomar loomed in a dreadful manner, completely overshadowing her and Glawlrhain. The training master was much larger than her, yet Alomar was at least ten times bigger than him. Alomar inhaled deeply, preparing to use his firebreath.

    Glawlrhain lunged.

    She barely saw him move. He hurled like lightning straight at Alomar. The larger dragon roared in surprise, and swiped clumsily with his huge claw. The training master twisted, effortlessly avoiding the attack, and rammed his foreclaw''s elbow into Alomar''s chest. Alomar staggered, roaring again, and tried to buffet Glawlrhain with his wing. Glawlrhain dodged in mid-air, rushing upward with gravity-defying grace, and swept his tail across Alomar''s snout. The impact whipped the larger dragon''s head to the side, stunning him.

    Glawlrhain began to fall, stretching his hindleg into a downward kick, and the soles of his claw slammed full-force into the knee of his opponent. Alomar''s hindleg buckled and he toppled to the ground with a crash, roaring in pain.

    Without pause, Glawlrhain lunged again, hitting Alomar with close-fisted claws in a dozen seemingly random places. The onslaught happened in a blur. Then Glawlrhain flapped his wings once in a backward dash, and halted in the same pose Veralla had taken moments before.

    The whole fight had lasted mere seconds.

    Hater, Scorn, Discord, and Rebel stood frozen in place, watching in disbelief. Alomar groaned and tried to rise, but immediately collapsed again with a pained growl. "I... I... I lost!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "How... it''s impossible for you to move so fast!"

    "Unlike you, I am Awakened to the wisdom of the Fire Eternal," Glawlrhain said calmly. "If you had stayed and truly completed your training as a Radiant Knight, you would''ve found the light of the Goddess and the Celestial Way, too."

    "I... you... You mean I could''ve been an aethereal! Egg-suckers! You didn''t Awaken me on purpose!"

    Glawlrhain relaxed and stepped down on all fours. "You didn''t finish your training," he repeated. "Even after becoming a Radiant Knight, it takes many years for one to reach the pinnacle of their potential. In your case you squandered it... it wasn''t your fault, but it was your choice. Since the situation is dire, you shall remain in the Order. But you have a lot to learn, Alomar. You can start by giving a positive example to those who follow you so blindly.

    "Now go. As I said, don''t come to the gardens anymore."

    "But I... c-can''t move!" Alomar said, and thrashed around, snarling in pain. "It h-hurts even when I s-speak!"

    "You''ll be fine after a few hours," Glawlrhain said. "You can still control your gravitic field. Use it to help your broodmates." The training master looked at Alomar''s gang. "Take him away."

    The other dragons muttered in submissive agreement. The yellow-scaled Rebel shouldered Alomar over her back and they all took flight, and left. Glawlrhain turned to Veralla.

    "Are you okay, young one?" he asked.

    "Yes, I am all right," she said. She felt strangely disappointed. "Why did you hurt Alomar?"

    "I didn''t," Glawlrhain objected mildly. "He hurt himself."

    "But you struck him! I saw that!"

    "True, I did strike at Alomar," the training master nodded. "But it was his desire to hurt you which made him fight with me. In essence, by attacking me, he physically manifested his intention to hurt, and I merely reflected that manifestation back at him.

    "Yet I didn''t add my own hurting, and neither did I kill him. If I had done so, then the cycle of pain would have persisted, and in time it would have affected me ¨C either through Alomar, or in some other cosmic form. So I kept myself aware of my actions and took only those steps necessary to protect you.

    "As for Alomar''s injuries, he''ll recover completely in short time ¨C while being reminded about the consequences of his particular choice."

    "So by hurting Alomar you would have hurt yourself in way? That sounds... as if you and Alomar are connected somehow," Veralla said, thinking. "Like being siblings, only... on a deeper level? Does this mean the rest of us are connected, too? Everyone in the entire world, perhaps?"

    Glawlrhain grinned, showing his fangs. "Very astute questions, young one. You already demonstrate quite the insight about the Way''s philosophy without even knowing so. I regret we didn''t start your training with its teachings, as any fresh Knight does. I shall tell Tehalix to correct that mistake at once. I''ll even talk to Magus Dei to give you a few lectures himself."

    "All right," she said. "I am looking forward to learn about the Celestial Way! But I want to ask: Why Alomar wanted to hurt me? He is a Radiant Knight! He must know about connectedness, yes?"

    Glawlrhain let out a hrrr¨Cing sigh. "Alomar is bitter because of his memories of the past. Though he''d never admit it, Stamat''s lessons still resonate strongly in him, even after he rejected them. He is arrogant and dismissive toward everyone out of spite, yet because of his conflicted feelings he envies anyone who shows virtue or receives the admiration of others. I think the fact our Order was nearly wiped out by Ferrtau made him bolder than usual. I thought he at least realized the enormity of the catastrophe we all face and thus wouldn''t cause any further trouble."

    "But why do those other dragons follow Alomar? And why they have such strange names?"

    "Ah," Glawlrhain said. His amber eyes became sad. "Those four follow him because he raised them. Alomar stole their eggs after he abandoned Stamat, and hid them until they hatched. We found out too late and by then he had spent weeks with them, so they followed only him. We forgave him and let all of them stay at the Shard, but after that incident we revoked all of Alomar''s access rights, except for the food makers."

    "But how did Alomar steal those eggs?" Veralla asked, lashing her tail. "Were they not protected by their mothers and fathers?"

    "Their parents died during the Starblaze," Glawlrhain said quietly.

    "The... Starblaze?"

    "Seek not about that tragedy, young one. Your hearts are already heavy enough."

 Chapter 14.4 - Small Way

    When Vorzii returned from patrol, it often came back with refugees. As Veralla learned, while Terra Para had always been sparsely populated, many settlements had been founded over the centuries. Besides the main civilization centers of Kryoon City, Arcolant, and the Radiant Knights'' former headquarters at the Shard, numerous other places existed amidst the hostile wilderness, forming what was known as the Beacon Highway. Some of them were small, barely an outpost of isolated people huddling around an E-beacon, while others were large and thriving communities like Dragon Retreat had been.

    All of them, however, had come under siege when Ferrtau had unleashed his Revenant and when the Consortium and the Union had gone to war.

    So the Radiant Knights, led by Airo, went out there to offer them shelter, and people gladly accepted. Just as Tehalix had said in the dining hall, the Order''s hidden base had filled with refugees in a matter of days. It made the once empty hallways and gathering chambers seem less abandoned, and the living quarters became considerably more bustling.

    Veralla liked to explore anytime new arrivals came. The refugees were colorful people, each community very different from the rest. Some of them were examples of transhumanism pushed to its limit; many had chosen to live on this far-flung planet to enjoy the ability to pursue complete freedom, including in terms of appearance. There were hybrids between humans and uplimals, or several uplimal species spliced together in so-called ''chimeras''. Cryptids ¨C non-existing creatures ¨C were also a popular choice of morphology, as well as ¨C to Veralla''s surprise and delight ¨C morphs that imitated dragons in form or design. Synthetic bodies, from unusual to bizarre, and nanoswarm clouds were quite prevalent, and purely digital individuals too. Cloned, forked, hive-organized, gestalt ¨C the forms of consciousness were dizzying in their variety. It was like all these people were aliens from across the whole galaxy.

    In essence, they were: within the mirror of the inner cosmos, not the medium of the outer world, Veralla realized.

    Even so divergent, the refugees were very tolerant of each other, since they had lived within the enlightening influence of the Radiant Knights, the original colonists of the planet. Veralla walked among them in her free time, amazed by the unfamiliar sights, peculiar sounds, and multitudes of curious scenes she came across during such strolls. She was particularly fascinated by the dendroos, whose bark-covered bodies grew strands of leaves and colorful blossoms, and had the ability to subsist almost entirely on light and little else, which she found amazing.

    The refugees were equally astonished by her appearance and name, though only at first. They readily accepted her, offering friendly smiles, kind gestures, soothing soundwaves, warm-hued lights, and other even stranger methods of communication. They all thanked her for the help and shelter the Radiant Knights provided, even though she did not do anything herself. Still, it warmed her soul to see so many people who were peaceful and good. It was most endearing when she managed to witness their expression of love toward their families, their friends, and its more intimate variants toward their mates.

    She felt happy, yet she also wished to have the same. She started to miss Airo very much, and while she was happy when she was among the refugees or the Radiant Knights, she felt something lacking in herself, as if she was not truly a complete being.

    Veralla decided to visit Kiana and Zuckeroff to see if this lacking would persist in their company, since she has known the two of them for the longest time after Airo. One afternoon, when she was having a day off from training, she went to the residential section where they lived now; their old rooms were restructured into dormitories to accommodate the large influx of people, and Kiana and Zuckeroff had been assigned to one such revamped lodging.

    She followed a complex route through grav-shafts, hallways, and intersections, already familiar enough with Ilsorin''s layout so she could navigate without accessing the Viirt for guidance. She stopped on her way to marvel at a group of tall-framed idoru transhumans reciting poetry. She then arrived at a large room, divided into several smaller sections, each making a tiny apartment. She pinged the door to Kiana and Zuckeroff''s room. Zuckeroff called her in, and she entered.

    Inside, Veralla found Kiana was absent. Zuckeroff, meanwhile, sat on a hover chair before a computer terminal wearing a headset, his attention focused to the simple flatscreen.

    "Hey!" Veralla greeted him.

    "Hi there! Give me a sec, we''re just finishing." Zuckeroff turned back to the monitor, his hands moving furiously over the analog controls. "DeSabre, guard our six! Me and Sparkcloud are gonna take the last control point!"

    Veralla watched Zuckeroff play with interest. Fond memories of her and Airo doing the same crossed her mind.

    However, as the astrior''s ''just finishing'' stretched into almost ten minutes, she realized the game he played was full of violence. The insight bewildered her: she still thought the game was fun and did not sense any negative energies coming from things happening on the screen. But while nobody was hurt, an uneasy feeling rose inside her, for the game made her think about her traumatic experiences.

    Zuckeroff whooped when he won. "Yeah! We''ve done it, dudes! Champs of the day! Congratulations to the losing team, too! You definitely gave us the run for our augments, yo! Same deal tomorrow? I''m scheduled aboard Vorzii from Highday onward. Um, right! See ya!"

    He put down the headset, and turned to Veralla. "He-hey, cool dragon! What''s going on?"

    "Oh, everything is fine," she said. "I wanted to come and spend some time with you and Kiana."

    "Cool, knock yourself out," Zuckeroff said. "Uh, that means, feel right at home." He rummaged into a container next to his desk. "Want some beer?"

    "No, thank you. Say, what game were you playing?"

    "Oh, that was Combat Element Zero. It''s one of the oldies from the Ground Age. Maybe even from the time of the Ancients, I''m not sure. Very adrenaline-pumping, tho''!" Zuckeroff opened his beer can and took a gulp.

    "Yes, it was quite energetic," Veralla agreed. "However, I noticed you killed twenty-eight people in the span of five-hundred seventy-two seconds."

    "Huh?" Zuckeroff balked. "Yeah, sure. Um, so?"

    "Well, nobody died really, since it is just a game," she said, "and I admit, the action seemed quite fun. But are you not upset that the main point of the game is to hurt others, even if said others exists only in a virtual environment?"

    "Uh..."

    "What I want to say," Veralla continued, "is the game tries to make hurting and killing fun, when in reality it is not."

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    "Oh, yea, that''s ¨¹ber true," Zuckeroff said, sipping from his beer. "Killing for real is a buzzkill for every normal dude. Eh-heh, I made a pun. But there''s no harm in fragging a few heads while you''re behind the keyboard. Uh, provided said keyboard doesn''t jam to a terminator drone or a starship battlestation, ''fcourse."

    "But why one is fun, while the other feels so horrible?" Veralla asked.

    "Well, um, in games you don''t actually hurt people." Zuckeroff took another sip. "It''s all imaginary. You just play, and when you reload the game everything''s back to normal! No harm done. While in reality, uh, there are consequences. Bad consequences. Trust me, Veralla, I''m a professional when it comes to violence," the astrior added, winking.

    "Oh," she said. "So you are trained to hurt and kill others?"

    "Well... yeah," Zuckeroff said, frowning in recognition. "I guess I am."

    "But do you not feel terrible when you are hurting another, or witnessing someone get hurt? It is even worse when someone is killed."

    "Well, ah, it''s certainly not pleasant to kill." Zuckeroff''s cheerful attitude faded, replaced by a sober expression. "I didn''t know that at first. I grew up with games and sports, and never experienced violence up close as a youngster. Back in my day Sol Force had those ''Be a soldier!'' ads, um, showing all kinds of cool stuff. So I enlisted as an astrior, thinking I get to have an awesome time and wave a badass gun around."

    "What happened then?" Veralla asked.

    "I went through g-force milhab. It was hard, but I held on, thinking I was finally doing something worthwhile with my life. After basic training, the first years were quiet, without much action. So quiet, in fact, I decided to go to military university. There, everything was as I thought it was ¨C there were parties, sex, and lots of cool stuff, like, uh, weapons, ACUs, power armors, and such. Ah, there was a lot of study also, but it was all right compared to basic training. Then I graduated, and earned a place among the Epsilon Corps."

    "So you did not actually kill people, then? You were only trained to do so?"

    "Um, no," Zuckeroff said. He drained the rest of his beer, and ah!-ed loudly. "When I was born, the Axiom Crusades were in full swing across the galaxy. My homeworld, Orelia, was attacked shortly after I became a super-ninja. It was, as you say, terrible ¨C a giga-bunch of people died and lots of cities got orbital-bombarded. I killed a lot of people, too. That''s when I understood life isn''t always fun like in games."

    "But why did you kill all those people?" Veralla asked. "Did you not feel unhappy or sad when you did so?"

    "Not really, I guess," Zuckeroff said, scratching his head. "Most times it was just like in VR ¨C you shoot at the bad dudes, and they die, then, um, more bad dudes come and you shoot at them again. Only... only when people on our side started to die, I realized what death actually was. Sure, they used cortex crystals to resurrect us, but some dudes came back wrong. And some never came back, obliterated in an explosion, or spaced into the void after a hull breach, or simply plasma burned on the battlefield, while their backup was corrupted in an infosec raid... When I saw friends die, I learned why war sucks. Uh, I mean, why it''s bad."

    "But did you not feel the same about those you killed? Surely they had friends and loved ones, too!"

    "Well, they were the bad dudes," Zuckeroff shrugged. "I don''t mean I liked killing them, but, um... if they didn''t want to be killed, why did they attack our homeworld?"

    Veralla paused, thinking. Her tail began to thump on the floor. She remembered what Airo had told her about war; how everyone thought only their side mattered when warring. Was that what enabled war in the first place? Perhaps humans, too, had some ability like battlefury which made it possible to block one''s perception to the suffering of others.

    "Say, Veralla," Zuckeroff called, pulling her out of her musings. The astrior had returned to his good-humored personality. "Don''t overclock yourself on that deep stuff, like the Boss does. Relax, have a good beer, and enjoy life. Like my psych warfare instructor used to say, um, ah, ''Events and reality are objective by themselves, and only an observer determines their moral resonance''. Which I guess means that everything can be good or bad, depending how you look at it."

    "But I do not understand," she said. "I can feel why hurting is bad, but how is it possible to be good?"

    "Ah, well, it''s mostly bad," Zuckeroff agreed. "Yet sometimes, hurting is good."

    "But why?" Veralla asked with wide eyes.

    "Because pain acts like a snooze alarm," Zuckeroff said with a smile. "If you push yourself too much, pain is gonna smack you right on the head to, uh, to remind you that you must relax. If you''re hurt, you need to rest and heal. If you''re stressed, you need to have fun. And those things, um, healing and fun, are good things."

    "But can you not have fun and heal without being hurt first?"

    "Sure you can. But it''s easy to forget to enjoy life, like the Boss has. In that case, ah, hurting makes you feel alive."

    "Feel alive?" she echoed.

    "Yeah!" Zuckeroff nodded enthusiastically, excited by his own train of thought. "If you forget the good stuff about life, then only the bad stuff remains to remind you that you exists. That means, any time you are hurt or feel pain, you are actually told ''Hey, you''re alive!''. And being alive is a good thing, yeah? So, being hurt is bad, but it makes you feel alive, which is good, which means hurting is good, too! Sometimes, ''fcourse."

    "I... understand," Veralla said. She scratched the floor idly. "But surely not all bad things can lead to good things, yes? Can dying be good?"

    Zuckeroff, who was about to open another beer, stopped midway. "Huh," he huffed, becoming pensive. Then, after several seconds, he smiled again and said, "Sure."

    "Oh." She paused. "Really?"

    "Yeah," the astrior said, his tone soft and confident. "Dying can be good, because sometimes life can be bad, despite what I said. In those cases, death gives freedom."

    "How do you know that?"

    "Ah, I don''t. It''s what the Celestial Way teaches. Personally, uh, I''m more of a Dudeist myself, but both philosophies say the same stuff about death ¨C that it is never the end."

    Veralla looked down. Death is never the end... "But what follows after death then?" she asked.

    "Aw, c''mon, cool dragon, let''s talk about something more lighthearted," Zuckeroff exclaimed, waving his second beer can. "I''m a man of simple pleasures, after all. Don''t wanna become all moody like the Boss."

    "Okay," she agreed meekly, although she burned with a desire for knowledge.

    "Say, why don''t you come to the NOC-AEO tournament this evening? It''s the first time ever I''ll get to see a live match, and it took me quite a while to, uh, organize the event."

    She perked up at the sound of unfamiliar terminology. "NOC-AEO? What is that?"

    "AEO is short for ?ther Omega," Zuckeroff replied with sparkling eyes. "I still think skycast is the greatest sport ever, but AEO is the most spectacular thing the ?ther Age has ever created. It''s a sport where two or more Conduits fight with only their powers! You haven''t seen anything until you''ve witnessed an AEO match. In this case NOC-AEO means non-contact AEO ¨C so no brawling, only magic, hehe!"

    "You said fighting? Does that mean the goal of the game is for the participants to hurt each other?" Veralla asked.

    "Oh, no, no, no! It''s sport, not a real battle." Zuckeroff chuckled. "The goal is to push your opponent into the off-limits zone, or, uh, make them surrender, which gives you points. Get enough points and you win."

    "Oh, I understand."

    "It was a bit tough to persuade these Knight dudes at first," the astrior blathered on. "Seeing how they''re the only Conduits around besides Ki, and, uh, I guess some of the locals. So yeah, rather dull dudes, the Radiant Knights. They don''t know how to have fun! They only train and train and train, sometimes having some light chat in the dining hall. Well, chatting isn''t enough to have a good time! So I''ve taken upon myself to show them how to do fun! I''ve got a program of events lined right up in my omnitool for next week, and, um, I plan to make a regular calendar, featuring skycast, parkour, ¨¹berball, maybe even some R-SES! It''s good for the locals also, they''re so many, clogging Viirt simulspaces, and anyway it''ll be good for them to have physical exercises and entertainment besides¨C"

    "Where is Kiana?" Veralla interrupted him. "I want to see her, too."

    "Eh, she went to the dining hall, I think," Zuckeroff said pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "So, you''ll come tonight, right?"

    "Yes, I will come," she said. "Cloud, please tell me Kiana''s current location," she said, craning her neck toward the ceiling.

    "Of course, Veralla," came the friendly-voiced omnidirectional reply of Yeoman Cloud. "Sensor readings confirm Lieutenant Zuckeroff''s approximation. Lieutenant Kiana is currently in the L2 southwestern observation dome, two sections away from the dining hall."

    "Thanks," she said. "I shall be going now. Bye, St''aep''hon!"

    "See ya, cool dragon!"

 Chapter 14.5 - Small Way

    She left the room and bounded along the wide, rounded corridor full of people. She was supposed to be practicing her upright walk, yet running on her hindlegs felt very awkward, making her flare her wings for balance. So she just rushed with her old fledgling gait, even though she should not use it once she grew up in size. If she grew up, came an unbidden thought. She shook her head, clearing her mind. She took a gravshaft to Ilsorin''s middle levels and, led by Yeoman Cloud''s realtime AR guidance, arrived where Kiana was.

    The observation dome had variform furniture and several nanofabrication makers providing basic amenities, while the smart-material walls served as screens or windows. The place was very spacious and well lit, giving the impression of an open terrace beneath an overhang. Scattered groups of refugees sat or strolled around, enjoying the sunny atmosphere. Veralla spotted Kiana at the other end of the dome, in the company of Tehalix and Lung. The two humans seemed to be in a heated debate of some kind.

    "Of course I can do Technotics," Tehalix scoffed. "After all, Forces has always been my strongest Sphere."

    "What a sad display of ignorance," Kiana laughed. "Everybody knows Correspondence is the foundation upon which the Technotics school is built."

    "Technotics? A school? Damn, girl, I can''t believe you''re capable of mixing up your concepts so bad."

    Lung followed the exchange with a worried expression, her golden eyes alternating between her soulkin and the Sol Force Conduit. "What should I do to stop them?" she despaired in a rumbling whisper as Veralla approached.

    "Oh, maybe we can change the subject?" she suggested. "Hi there, Kiana!"

    "Not now, whippersnapper," Kiana said over her shoulder. "So, just because you''re a glorified dragon rider belonging to a fancy order, you think yourself better on technical terms than one of the top-line cybermasters in the Consortium?"

    "Hey, please stop!" Veralla said.

    "Haha, no, my mind is on something else entirely," Tehalix said with a subtle smirk, "and it''s the amusing fact that a self-taught aethereal tries to lecture me on the finer points of the Art."

    "Oh, I may be self-taught," Kiana said, her neon tattoos pulsing dangerously underneath her flowing smartclos, "but there''s one definitive way to demonstrate you who''s got superior competence."

    "Come on, stop already!" Veralla urged, Lung hrrr¨Cing in assent, yet their protests were completely ignored.

    "And what is that?" Tehalix asked with false sweetness.

    "A duel," Kiana spat. Her lavender eyes brightened with crackling lightning, as she gathered her powers. "Right here, right now. Unless you need to prepare or something, Miss Chevalier?"

    "A Radiant Knight is trained to be always prepared," Tehalix declared and golden halos enveloped her gauntleted hands. "I''m game."

    "Bring it on!"

    "Here I come!"

    They squared off, their auras visibly manifesting, their hairs flaring from the power buildup. The other people in the observation dome gasped at the display. Veralla held her breath, afraid her friends were going to hurt each other.

    Then Lung rawr¨Ced and slammed her huge claw on the floor between Kiana and Tehalix. The two of them startled, and turned to look at Lung''s looming form.

    "That''s enough!" the crimson dragon said, her voice upset. "Teha, why do you act so harsh? We are Radiant Knights! We must be humble, and kind, and helpful ¨C not cruel or aggressive!"

    "Oh, relax, we weren''t going to really trash each other," Tehalix said, dissipating her gathered power. "We were just having a snappy catfight! Meowr!" she said, imitating a scrabbling paw with her hand.

    "Yeah, this was all normal girl stuff," Kiana added, the crackling energy fading from her eyes. "I thought you doofuses understood, since we''re all female here."

    "But I thought you wanted to hurt each other!" Veralla said.

    "Yeah, me too!" Lung rumbled.

    "Aw, my poor little Smartjaw," Tehalix said affectionately and hugged Lung''s hindleg. "You''re always so caring and tender. Give me a cuddle, you big soft lizard," she added, and Lung craned her neck down to nuzzle her soulkin.

    Kiana smiled warmly. Veralla felt happy, although she also felt a pang of longing as she watched Tehalix and Lung. Kiana noticed her expression, and turned to pet her on the head, tickling her twin crests.

    "So, whippersnapper, the overwatch bot of the Commander told me you wanted to see me. What''s the occasion?"

    "Oh, I have not talked with you for quite a time," Veralla said. "Things are very busy these days, yes? But tell me, why you and Tehalix wanted to fight?"

    "Bah, it was nothing special, kiddo! As I told you, it was just girl stuff."

    "Our discussion got lively and we decided to make it more... engaging," Tehalix chuckled. Lung looked at her with disapproval. "If we were strong, posturing males, you could say it would''ve spelled trouble. But I didn''t intend to do anything more than throw a few force waves around."

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    "Ha, proves you weren''t able to use Technotics," Kiana retorted in a good-natured way. "Personally, I would''ve cheated by hacking the stasis-field projectors, if Cloud wasn''t running the system now. By the way, bonecode, for a print-of-the-fabber SAI you happen to be quite resilient to subversion."

    An AR projection resembling a nebulous humanoid shape materialized in mid-air. "Thank you for the compliment, Lieutenant Kiana," Yeoman Cloud said cheerily. "My programming indeed is held to the highest current standard, so I can be at optimal assistance during my service to Commander Airo.

    "On the previous topic," the SAI added, "if you and Knight Tehalix still wish to tussle in a friendly manner, perhaps you would like to attend the NOC-AEO tournament this evening?"

    "Tournament?" Kiana blurted. "What tournament?"

    "The one organized by St''aep''hon!" Veralla chimed in. "I mean, Zuckeroff," she added when the others looked at her with puzzled expressions.

    "Hah, so the gamebrain styles himself a one-man sports federation now, eh?" Kiana said with a mischievous smile. "And he''s hosting an AEO tournament tonight? This sounds like fun."

    "I wonder why no one invited me," Tehalix complained. "I may have become an aethereal only last year, but I''m already a nova compared to some of the dudes!"

    Kiana shot her a look, and put a hand before her mouth. "Only a year?" she giggled. "My, how rude of me to challenge such a greenhorn!"

    "Hey, I can still bust your ass!"

    "Wanna try?"

    "Rrrr, don''t start again, you two!" Lung said.

    "Ah, no need," Kiana waved her hand. "I should be saving my strength anyway. I''m gonna win me a tournament tonight."

    "Oh yeah?" Tehalix grinned slyly. "Maybe it is I who''s going to win that tournament."

    "We''ll see once the showdown begins," Kiana taunted. "Void damn, but what to do while we''re waiting?"

    "We can take Smartjaw here for a spin outside," Tehalix said, leaning on Lung''s flank. "She seems a bit fat to me lately anyway."

    "Teha!"

    "Cool, let me just grab a vac-suit, and I''m ready."

    "Can I come too?" Veralla asked hopefully. "To ride on Lung, I mean."

    "Sure you can! I totally forgot you''ve never flown."

    "Oh, no, I did fly once! But only because I jumped from very high and there was a strong wind. I still cannot control my gravitic field and my wings cannot support me on their own."

    The four of them went on the frigid battlements of the base. Tehalix, Kiana, and Veralla climbed onto Lung''s back. Tehalix sat on Lung''s neck between the spikes which ran along the length of her spine, while Kiana and Veralla nestled at her large shoulder blades. Then Lung spread her giant wings and took flight, tracing her route in wide circles around the mountain.

    Veralla had never experienced something so fantastic in her life. She watched Lung soar gracefully through the air, wings and head and tail swaying and beating in perfect rhythm, and her recalled memories of her own flight from atop the glacier so long ago. Yet then there had been a terrible warpstorm, and she had been at the end of her strength, straining against wind and radiation, fearing for Airo''s life as she had clutched tightly his unconscious body, desperate to reach shelter before both of them perished.

    Now, the weather was clear and sunny purplish sky stretched in every direction as far as the eye could see. Veralla rawr-ed with exhilaration, basking in the sensation of complete freedom that came from brushing the heavens by one''s own self.

    She marveled at the sights the heightened perspective offered, drinking with wide eyes the splendor of the snow-capped mirrored peaks and the austere magnificence of Ilsorin''s battlements. She looked for a long time, while Kiana, Tehalix, and Lung chatted casually, joking about stereotypes from different interstellar cultures. Veralla yearned to take to the sky herself, without aid, and feel the gentle arctic breeze under her wings. So she rose, determined to fly one way or another.

    She announced her decision to her friends. With help from Tehalix and Kiana, and even Lung ¨C who also was versed in the workings of the ?ther, though a novice ¨C she would try to fly, while they would safeguard her with magic. Veralla closed her eyes and gathered her resolve.

    She jumped off in a plummeting dive toward the ground. The icy air shrieked all around, while she struggled to rekindle her flying instincts. At first she failed, tumbling uncontrollably, and only a timely telekinetic intervention from her friends saved her from a falling death. Yet she tried again, growling to herself, and after several more jumps her instincts finally took over ¨C and she spiraled nimbly in the air, upward instead of downward.

    She rawr-ed with glee, and zig-zagged along the windy currents, trying to keep her altitude. But her descent remained steep and her friends pulled her back. Without wasting another moment, she jumped off again, taking flight immediately this time. She whizzed along the windy currents, exploring how her body moved and positioned itself, little by little turning instinct into conscious knowledge and effort. Lung followed her and she, Tehalix, and Kiana cheered and whooped, sharing the moment of Veralla''s triumph.

    Still she did not achieve true flight; merely a gliding aerial dance for what seemed an eternity, wings submitted to the vagaries of the winds. But even so, while that precious perpetuity slowly dipped landward she felt supremely vital, her soul singing the song of life.

    She wished Airo could have seen her.

    At some point, they encountered Bernard and Zeromon, who also had gone out in order for the dragon Knight to stretch his wings. The meeting turned into a game, where Veralla glided away and Lung and Zeromon raced to see who would catch her first. An hour later, the group decided to return together, and they had an afternoon meal. However, there was still plenty of time remaining for the evening tournament, and Kiana suggested they all play some augmented-reality LARP.

    "Just so you know, Zuckeroff isn''t the only authority on gaming in this place," Kiana stated, as she distributed the roles and set up the scenario. "Hey, bone-code, make us some flashy decors."

    Veralla had never before played a live-action roleplaying game, and the concept seemed strange to her at first, yet she had a very fun time. The scenario Kiana had chosen cast the party as the crew of a malfunctioning starship, and their task was to safely return to their home on the other side of the solar system, while simultaneously trying to contain a dangerous plague which was ravaging the passengers and NPC crew members. Three hours later, they all were a little tired but merry as the game concluded successfully. Veralla was particularly proud of herself, for it was her determination and quick decision-making that allowed them to prevail in the final part of the adventure.

    "Why did you make me the main pilot, though?" she asked Kiana. "You know how to pilot a starship in truth, and would have been much more proficient than me."

    "Well, because then it wouldn''t have been as fun as it was, whippersnapper," Kiana replied sagely. "Sometimes it''s good to be someone else besides yourself, either to gain a wider perspective, or just to experience a new form of entertainment."

    "Like when I tried to fly and pretended I am a real dragon?" Veralla asked.

    "Oh, silly, you are a real dragon," Kiana laughed. "But yeah, it''s something like that. We''ll see each other later, ''kay? I gotta prepare myself for the tournament."

 Chapter 14.6 - Small Way

    The place chosen for the NOC-AEO tournament was one of the enormous skyship hangars on the lower levels of the base. Since it was unused, it proved ideal for organizing sport events of almost any kind, and Zuckeroff had enthusiastically marshaled the services of a small army of robots, drones, and nanoswarms to restructure the entire hangar into a modular stadium. Rows of seats were arranged on several dozen elevations, spotlights were mounted strategically to bathe every possible centimeter in thousands of lumens if needed, and myriad data sensors were installed to broadcast full-immersion 3D or VR for those who couldn''t or didn''t want to watch the games physically. Additionally, the repair bays servicing the former hangar were converted into dressing rooms and team planning centers, which spoke volumes about how far Zuckeroff''s passion went.

    When Veralla arrived at the hangar-turned-stadium, the place was already teeming with people who had come to see the tournament. As a Radiant Knight-in-training, she was reserved a seat in a special section, whose rows were variformable in order to accommodate either humans or dragons. She went and sat down beside two human Knights who were already busily discussing the upcoming matches.

    "Can you believe it? Tehalix is going to participate! She did like, what, Awaken last year?"

    "I wouldn''t be so quick to write her off. She''s a swift learner, and has tenacity and sharp reflexes which can give an edge on the field."

    "Hi there!" Veralla said.

    "Oh, hello," said the nearer Knight, turning to face her. He was a straight-faced Coastlander. "You''re that dragon named after the Goddess. Veralla, right?"

    "Yes, that is my name," she said.

    "Well, pleasure to meet you personally," the Coastlander Knight said. "I''m Boyd, and this here is my wife, Merryl."

    "Hello, Veralla," Merryl greeted her warmly. She was a Corelander, whose freckled features made her appearance cute and soft-natured.

    "What were you talking about?" Veralla asked, eager to strike a conversation.

    "I was pointing out to Merryl the reasons why this so-called ''sport'' is a complete waste of one''s energy and talent," Boyd replied.

    "You know, dear, that''s precisely why your progress as an aethereal is so slow," Merryl said. "You keep your nose firmly buried in the books, searching for the answers in theories and formulas, while the truth shines amidst the vibrant resonance that is life, and the resulting cascading moments of joy from participating in it."

    "Combating my hermetic approach with your own arcane insights? I reject your methods!" Boyd said loudly, but with an easy expression.

    "And I told you, I''m going to sign on the next tournament. Seems fun."

    "Yes, fun for the masses, no doubt," Boyd grumbled, folding his arms. "It gives the wrong impression about what real ?ther combat is!"

    "Because it is not combat in the first place, my dear. It''s sport."

    "What is the difference between the two?" Veralla asked. "I have seen people who can use the ?ther fight, but they moved too fast for me to follow them."

    "You mean, people who can access the ?ther," Boyd corrected. "The Great Cosmos bows to no one, young dragon."

    "In combat, the most important factor is speed," Merryl explained. Her mouth quirked with distaste. "If you can strike first, and hard enough, your opponent will not be able to strike back. That''s why battle-trained aethereals always focus on learning to timeshift above all else. If you can make moments last longer for you, and shorter for your opponent, it gives you the opportunity to act more. All the power in the universe cannot help you, if you are unable to leverage it, or if you aren''t fast enough to do so. Thus every other form of channeling the ?ther comes secondary in warfare."

    "While here," Boyd cut in, "everything is showmanship! Pure, bamboozling performance! They don''t even use real, practical invocations, like the tried-and-true exothermic globular pyrokinetic offensive energy discharge!"

    It took a second for Veralla to puzzle out that. "You mean a fireball?" she asked.

    "Lightshow! Completely hollow lightshow!" Boyd continued. "Entertainment only, with zero sensible application. At most, such flaunted ''talent'' can merely secure you a stint or two in some trideo or XP production, provided you catch the right media fad at the time!"

    "And yet, you love absolutely every second of it," Merryl said airily.

    "And I love absolutely every second of it!" Boyd agreed loudly. "But that doesn''t mean I take it seriously."

    In that moment, the lights around the hangar dimmed, leaving only the central arena illuminated. Zuckeroff appeared on a levitating platform, dressed in ridiculously gaudy clothes, which made Veralla let out a hrrr¨Cing giggle. The gathered crowd began to quiet down, and a second later, the astrior''s voice boomed over the scattered din.

    "Fellow Solarians, brothers and sisters, humans and dragons, carbon- and silicon-based lifeforms, and, uh... how was that again?... quantum-vortexed beings! Welcome tonight to the first, official, planetary ?ther Omega tournament on Terra Para!" Zuckeroff said solemnly. "Uh, well, at least I think it''s the first one. I checked the Viirt though, so must be right, eh?"

    The crowd burst into laughter. Zuckeroff cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, tonight''s event is based on the non-contact variant ruleset! Which means, contestants are forbidden to use any physical means to, ah, interact with their opponents, and this includes conjured melee-range ?ther constructs. However, everything else about this awesome sport is as it should be! Force waves! Prismatic shields! Elemental golems! Everything!!!

    "Tonight we shall witness the best our thirty-two contestants can offer, uh, in their pursuit for the winning place! The tournament ladder is organized on an elimination scheme, which are distributed in five main rounds. To eliminate their opponent, a contestant has to push them three times into one of the exclusion zones. Um, now, for those certain young dragons among the crowd, ''eliminations'' in this case means ''losing the tournament'', not ''being killed''. Just to clarify, ha-ha!"

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    The crowd laughed again. One of the dragons, Teyalinar, rumbled loudly, "What''s the prize?"

    "The prize, you ask? Well!! Uh...The prize, um... The prize is a personal copy of Epistle 3, re-developed by Point Zero ultracorporation!!!"

    Silence drifted over the hangar-stadium.

    "Uh, nobody gets it? No?... Ok, lets start the tournament then!"

    The crowd cheered. There was a short opening ceremony, presented in the form of AR graphics of stylized fighters blasting each other with ?ther powers, and then the matches went underway. Several AR screens hovered above the arena, displaying the tournament progress, remaining participants, currently matched opponents, and other trivia stats. The first two fighters entered the arena, and the games began.

    Just as Zuckeroff had promised, there were all kinds of invocations used by the fighters; and just as Boyd had ridiculed, it was an incredibly colorful lightshow. Fighters blasted each other with blue force waves, spectral creatures clashed together as directed by their masters, amber barriers strained against lashing green beams, ominous red clouds denied advantageous spaces, and viridian sparks scintillated around the aethereals as they teleported around or channeled other awesome effects. The spectacle was not confined only to the visible spectrum: manifesting powers were accompanied by thundering booms, conflicting interferences produced piercing whines or high-pitched whooshes, and particularly intense invocations resonated with basso hums.

    Veralla was completely mesmerized by the fantastic display. She was still as a statue, her breath halted, her slit-pupiled eyes wide open, her webbed ears spread to their fullest, her head twitching in microscopic motions as she sought to capture each moment in its best perspective. Most tournament participants were Radiant Knights, though she noticed the leaderboards indicating a few outside people also. All contestants were dressed in the same loose-fitting dueling garbs, whose pearlescent fabric was either sapphire or gold in color to distinguish opponents easily from one another, and give clear markers for the live commentary provided by Yeoman Cloud and Zuckeroff.

    "Oooh, what a solid telekinetic punch! Sapphire likes skirting the rules, eh, Cloud?"

    "Well, the NOC definition framework says nothing about fist-shaped ranged invocations, Lieutenant Zuckeroff! And it looks like Gold is ready to strike back!"

    "Void damn, what a fantastic recovery! Gold re-asserts control, and pins their opponent at the edge of the X-Zone!"

    "Counterattack! Sapphire uses obfuscating invocation and disappears! Gold looks around in panic¨C"

    "There it is! A double force wave! Gold teeters¨C"

    "Sapphire pushes again¨C"

    "Aaand score! Gold went over into the X-Zone!"

    The stadium itself was designed to provide active opposition, with cutting-edge ?ther technology harnessed into a host of challenging obstacles. The terrain variformed every half-minute, changing elevation, creating walls or pits, extending or retracting platforms and walkways, and designing set-pieces in real-time to maximize the dramatic potential of matches. The game field also featured nanoclimates, able to designate zones with distinct environmental conditions, alternating between blistering heat or chilling cold, rain, blizzard, raging wind, darkness, light, each zone as large as the whole game field, or as small as a few centimeters; sometimes two or more zones with extreme differences existed besides one another, which, combined with the variforming terrain, created completely ingenious fighting arenas.

    Some matches were over quickly, one participant clearly superior; others featured fighters of equal skill, and those lasted longer, filled with tension and exciting anticipation, both released through the roaring cheers of the crowd when the match reached its inevitable climatic conclusion. Veralla rawr¨Ced with joy when Kiana and Tehalix each in turn entered the arena. The two of them displayed stylish skill in the fights against their opponents, Kiana focusing on mobility and sudden maneuvers, while Tehalix preferred defensive tactics and trickery. The crowd was also impressed by their audacious panache, shouting encouragements, and they quickly became tournament favorites.

    The first round of the tournament took a couple of hours to resolve, though time flew by as each match was unique and presented new contestants. The second round was just as interesting, because the remaining participants were those who had proven themselves, and the resulting matches were longer and more debated affairs. Veralla gazed at the arena with exuberant abandon, oblivious to her surroundings, her whole being invested in the moment-to-moment victories and defeats which happened at the heart of the stadium.

    When the third round was about to begin, she sensed a familiar aura. Craning her neck slightly, she saw an intimately-known armor-clad figure sitting beside her, his steel-grey eyes piercing with darkness that revealed a deeply-anguished spirit.

    "Airo!" she rawr-ed with joy and reared in her seat, wings and foreclaws spreading out in greeting.

    "Veralla," he nodded, and shifted subtly, which she knew was his way to express denial to any embracing contact. She folded back her claws and wings, her enthusiasm slightly dampened, yet she beamed as happiness filled her being like a day dawning over a cold night.

    "Have you come to see the tournament too?" she asked. "It is amazingly marvelous, yes?"

    "No, I am just waiting," Airo said. "The skyship needs to resupply and do some minor repairs. Until these are done, I have nothing better to do."

    "Oh, please stay!" she said, lashing her tail energetically. "Kiana and Tehalix both have reached the third round! They are very good fighters! And the others, too! It is very interesting and engaging to watch them!"

    "As I said, at the moment I am to wait," he replied. "I will stay for the duration of this delay."

    "Yay!"

    She and Airo watched the third round together. She wanted to snuggle beside him, yet she was afraid he would reject her doing so. Nay, she was certain he would reject her, and it made her a tiny bit sad, despite her happiness for his presence. She focused on the tournament to push those unwanted thoughts out of her mind. The first match was between a Radiant Knight and one of the refugee contestants who had managed to reach this far. The two of them fought on an arena set with zero gravity and riddled with exclusion zones. Both fighters favored aggressive combat styles, using mainly force waves to try and push their opponent into an exclusion zone. After a tense half-hour, the Knight made a risky maneuver, and managed to blast the refugee into the golden halo of an exclusion zone for the third and final time.

    The second match was more varied in terms of combat techniques. The fighters had to keep balance on high, narrow pillars during high winds, while the ground below was one large exclusion zone. The contestants were very inventive, luring one another with conjured illusions or delayed invocations, and one of them finally won after overwhelming the opponent with a swarm of tiny lime-colored orbs with oozing tentacles.

    Next followed Kiana and Tehalix, both of whom had garnered considerable fandom by now. Their match was just starting, when Airo spoke quietly with someone over the commlink and then rose.

    "Are you leaving?" Veralla asked him in dismay.

    "Yes," he said evenly, and turned to go.

    "Airo, please stay! I do not want to sleep alone tonight!"

    "I have work to do. If Ferrtau wins, you will not be able to sleep, alone or otherwise. I will go now."

    "Airo!" she pleaded him, but he was already leaving the stadium. She extended her claw in his direction, feeling completely powerless, and hrrr¨Ced in misery. He had not been in her company for many days now. She missed the times when they were always together, like in Dragon Retreat or while they crossed the frozen wilderness of Terra Para. She had promised herself she would make Airo stop feeling alone, yet now she wondered if it was not in fact she who needed someone in order to not feel alone.

    She turned her attention back to the game, yet its splendor had become all but lost to her.

 Chapter 14.7 - Small Way

    Veralla did not suspect at all there was an entire area of Ilsorin she had not visited by now.

    Far below the hidden stronghold, deep into the mountain, there was an immense cave full with hot springs and subterranean basins. Crystals of all shapes and sizes were embedded into the rock walls, radiating a soft, barely perceptible glow that was nevertheless completely sufficient for draconic eyesight. Winding passageways twisted everywhere, all intersecting at a single gigantic cavern at the center. The water also phosphorescented in dull orange-reddish light, creating the illusion of treasure sparkling in its murky depths. Stalagmites and stalactites pervaded almost every horizontal surface, warping and bulging in artful formations, contours smoothed over the centuries through contact with slithering visitors.

    "Woooow!" Veralla gasped as she took in the underground vista. "It is so beautiful!"

    "Yep, and it''s all made just for us fireborn," Lung said as she swooped down to bring the two of them to a flat area, where a dozen other dragons had already gathered.

    The crimson dragon had explained to Veralla this place was where dragons could come and wreak as much havoc as they wished whenever they were struck by foul mood, or felt inclined to play rougher games. The crystals were specially enchanted to absorb the energies of a dragon''s firebreath, and then transform into an ?ther generator for a time, which was how most of the base above powered its aethertech devices or structures. Also, part of the crystals morphed into radioactive isotopes when charged in this way, used later as fuel for the fusion reactors which more mundane technologies relied on.

    "But why only dragons can come here?" Veralla asked. "The radiation is not that strong ¨C I am sure with an adequate protection others can be here for a longer time, too."

    "Well, as I said, things can get rough down here," Lung answered. She landed with one elegant flap of her wings. "Especially the games Teyalinar and Glosserax like to play."

    "Hey, nothing wrong with unsheathing claws and baring teeth now and again," Glosserax hrrr¨Ced casually. "We''re the good guys, but we''re also nigh-unstoppable forces of nature living inside bodies made for ultimate destruction. Doesn''t hurt to use those perks once in a while."

    "Rrr, personally I prefer the more creational aspects our forms are capable of," Zeromon said. "So, we''re all here. What shall we do today?"

    "Play!" one of the dragons, Mina, said.

    They settled on a game of combat-oriented LARP, in which Veralla and Lung could not participate, she for being too small, and the crimson dragon for being charged with keeping watch over her. They were appointed referees, though, and the game was still fun to watch, Veralla riding on Lung''s back while she flew and clambered along the passageways in the wake of the other dragons, alert for foul play or cheating.

    After a while the game concluded, and the dragons split into smaller groups, each pursuing their own recreational activities. Veralla bathed in the central cavern with Lung and Zeromon, and the three of them watched as Teyalinar, Glosserax, and several other dragons competed who could produce the most bizarre breath and charge the crystals thus.

    "I can spit electricity in a five-stage-pattern modulated frequency!" Teyalinar boasted, and opened his jaws. A crackling lightning bolt burst forth from his maw, and struck a shuttle-sized crystal in a blast of gold-white energy.

    "Ha, see this!" Glosserax rumbled. "Ten levels of potential state below absolute zero!" His breath produced a dark ultramarine wave so frigid it froze the air around, which fell crashing into the cavern''s basin, the resulting vacuum pockets creating thunderous booms, and even from this distance Veralla felt the sharp biting needles of the unnatural cold.

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    "Not bad, but I have something more inventive in mind than you all," said a long, slender dragon who resembled Glawlrhain in shape and coloration, called Xiou Sha. "?ther-infused resonance cascade!"

    "No, no, no, no!" all the other dragons roared simultaneously. "You''ll destroy the sub-fractal region!"

    Veralla watched the dragons, fascinated by their power and abilities. She glanced surreptitiously from time to time at herself or her reflection into the basin, wishing she too was able to breathe fire or fly. Or become bigger and more stronger for that matter. Yet despite her deficiencies, the other dragons were friendly towards her, even though they were finding her appearance and condition curious.

    "Say, I heard the elders talk about you being a Primordial," Zephyr, a blue dragon whose head was intricately tipped with heavy fins, told her. "Is that why you can''t fly or breathe fire?"

    "Well, uh..." Veralla began uncertainly.

    "Nah, I''ve heard it the other way," Glosserax rumbled. "Primordial dragons are supposed to be special, like, avatars of the Goddess herself or somesuch."

    "Well, she does carry the name of the Goddess," Zephyr agreed. "But I''m concerned with why she hasn''t manifested her abilities yet."

    "I''m more concerned why she''s still so small," Zeromon said. "I attained my primary size during the first year out of the shell. How old are you, Veralla?"

    "I hatched three months ago," she said.

    "Three months!? Aw, you poor thing, you''ll probably become like the training master..."

    "Maybe she is ill from something?" Glosserax suggested. "Perhaps that''s why her scales are so oddly-colored."

    "Yeah, I''ve seen black dragons before, but this is something else entirely," Teyalinar hrrr¨Ced. "It''s makes her look like a living shadow at times."

    "Really?" Veralla asked with sinking hearts.

    "All right, that''s enough," Lung said sternly. "Stop discussing Veralla like she''s some sort of a scientific experiment or an alien from another galaxy. It''s very rude, and that''s something I''d expect from Alomar, not the rest of you."

    "But Lung, we''re just trying to figure what''s wrong," Zephyr protested. "We can''t find the truth if we aren''t allowed to discuss things."

    "Besides, we''re constantly talking about Veralla because she''s definitely odd-looking, and has such an unusual name."

    "Mina!"

    "What? It''s true. I want to help too, after all."

    "If the elders couldn''t help Veralla, then I highly doubt we''d be able to do so," Lung said, spreading her wings. "So just drop the subject, and give her some lairspace. Imagine if you were in her place!"

    The other dragons hrrr¨Ced apologetically and promised they would not discuss the issue anymore. Shortly after, the games and playful dares resumed, the others turning to more casual matters again. In an effort to ease any distress on Veralla''s part, Lung gave her some additional details about the cave''s purpose, explaining that besides recreation, the subterranean area was also used for specialized training, focusing on scenarios when a dragon might be at a spatial disadvantage, or separated for some reason from their soulkin.

    Veralla was thankful to Lung for her care. Yet when she later returned back to her room after dinner, well fed and supposedly in good spirits, she could not shake the realization about how different was she from the other dragons. It was not only because she was crippled compared to them; her strange coloration, as well as the fact she was supposed to be a Primordial dragon, made her stand apart from her kind twice over. She feared this differentness of hers, thinking she might end up always alone because of it. Alone like Airo, who was different from all others because of his ever-present sadness. She did not want to become like Airo ¨C alone and sad. At the very least, she wanted to be with him, so they could have their mutual company, and thus be together in their differentness.

    She lay alone in their shared lodgings, the room dark yet she a darker spot still. Coiled upon herself in the gloom, she gazed through the long horizontal window unhappily, even... sadly. Was she destined to be alone? Or perhaps she was doing something wrong? She wished her parents were with her, that her mother was still alive, so she could tuck under their protective wings, and cry in relief within the safety of their presence. Yet her mother was gone, and she did not know her father... who perhaps knew why she was a Primordial dragon.

    Perhaps he was such a dragon himself. She could not know for sure. Yet Ferrtau, who had been a soulkin to her mother before turning into a terrible man, he too seemed to know about her true nature, she was sure of that, remembering how desperately he had wanted to take her away.

    On the verge of tears, Veralla slithered closer to the window, and used its smart surface to access the Viirt. Then she began to search about Primordial dragons, to better understand the forlorn fate that awaited those of her kind.

 Chapter 15 - Long Way

    CHAPTER 15 ¨C LONG WAY

    "Ask me about philosophy, about religion, about the meaning of existence, and I will ask you in turn: what is the point?"

    ¨C Onis Abdo, "Let Us Get To There"

    "Great Cosmos, allow me to go lifeward and find myself in the mirror of the Universe, so my soul may sing the song of love."

    ¨C Celestine prayer

    Same interval, another perspective

    Airo stood alone in Ilsorin''s command room. Before him, numerous AR screens hovered above the wide circular table, displaying battlefield analyses, transcribed commlink records, mission schedules, and progress reports on various other tasks. The table''s smart surface was active too, projecting a complex multi-dimensional map, its spectral image alight with dots, arrows, and vectors, denoting settlements, last known locations of survivors, and predicted routes of military forces or refugee caravans. A large part of the map was overlaid with a single golden-hued filter, resembling a rippling wave, which was the estimated advance front of the Revenant. Finally, dark purple spots marked the places where warpstorms occurred most often, with the largest of them being the Shard itself, sitting at the center of the map.

    Airo studied the data streams, chose where to make his next move, and then left.

    The first few patrols were a smashing success, because there wasn''t much they could be compared to before. After several incursions into what was termed ''the hot zone'', Airo started encountering Revenant much more often, to the point he designated missions purely focused on their elimination, to reduce the chance of interference during rescue operations.

    Said rescue operations also needed adjustments, as many settlements weren''t where the maps supposed them to be, either because the local E-beacon had been broken by warpstorm or conflict, or the inhabitants had decided to relocate in the past.

    Airo put Yeoman Cloud and its increased processing power to the task of producing an as accurate as possible map of all artificial points of interest on Terra Para, by scouring every corner of the planetary Viirt the SAI had access to, and then deep-mine and cross-reference the resulting databulk; the goal was to reduce time lost in directionless wandering and following false leads.

    Occasional scout parties and assault forces from the Consortium and the Union also introduced difficulties during a mission, and the diplomatic approach wasn''t always reliable; Airo lacked leverage as when he had recruited Captain Riley and his company.

    He made some inroads with isolated or undersupported forces from the Consortium, gaining goodwill by reintegrating lost soldiers with Sol Force headquarters, or even by giving basic supplies to those who had overstayed their welcome amidst the hostile wastes of the paraworld.

    Yet try as he might, Airo had no such luck with the Union, and the few encounters he had with them always ended with their forces opening fire on the skyship. Still, he persevered, focusing in the meantime most of the rescue operations and counterattack missions on Union territory, where local forces were still defenseless against the Revenant.

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    By now, his chosen routine had started to become automated reflex. He spent most of his time aboard the skyship, returning to the Order''s stronghold to drop off rescued civilians, to change the crew on shift, and to restock on veronite and resonance fields. During this necessary downtime, he used the opportunity to check on base operations and smooth out any complications or glitches, simultaneously planning the next patrol, which was greenlit as soon as the skyship was ready to depart, catching up on sleep whenever there was a lull in the action.

    This hectic pattern reminded him of his days as a division commander during his military service. In that period, too, he''d had little time for anything besides warfare, both on the abstractly strategic and the imminently tactical level.

    Like seven centuries ago, days and weeks soon blurred into a never-ending cycle ¨C fight, rescue, supply, return, rest, repeat. Yet back then Airo had someone to fight for. Now, he fought only because the all-consuming blazing fury inside him told so.

    Despite all setbacks, the skyship returned to Ilsorin loaded with survivors and refugees more often than not. Everywhere people seemed to trust the Radiant Knights a great deal, whose reputation as champions and heroes proved to be true, at least on Terra Para. The latter vexed Airo inexplicably, yet he approved of it, since it made the job of evacuating civilians easier.

    Being mostly defensless ¨C Dragon Retreat had been an exception ¨C the settlements had been mistreated by the occupational forces as often as not. According to the historical datalinks, the Consortium and the Union were in actuality invaders on Terra Para, and their actions so far proved these claims. This, compounded with the terrifying threat of the Revenant and the local inhabitants'' high regard for the Radiant Knights, made people readily accept the offer for shelter, even if it meant abandoning homes where generations had lived, homes created after centuries of effort to transform the aberrant arctic landscapes into tiny sanctuaries of life and well-being.

    Yet the stellar civilizations'' crimes and violations didn''t dissuade Airo one bit from continuing to aid them; he needed bodies to fight Ferrtau''s supernatural legions. There were some capable warriors among the civilians, too, members of former militias or retired soldiers from all parts of the galaxy. Those he set aside, signing them up for intensive training back at the stronghold, to tap into such reserves when the time came to turn the war tides.

    While most of the missions Airo authorized ¨C supply distribution runs, rescue patrols, Revenant interceptions, settlement evacuations ¨C were well-planned to maximize the limited presence his single skyship could project, the outcome wasn''t always smooth. Fights went wrong. Settlements deemed safe for a few more days were destroyed by the time the Radiant Knights arrived. Supply drop points were never visited by expected parties. Many times, instead of scared yet still thriving settlements, Airo and the Knights arrived to derelict locations bearing signs of devastation ¨C gutted buildings with blackened surfaces, crumbled machinery and dead infrastructure, broken bodies lying where they''d been struck either by a plasma bolt or a Revenant''s intangible assault.

    The warpstorms steadily worsened, becoming more frequent and destructive. Several times the skyship was on the brink of entering one, and once it was indeed engulfed by the vengeful rage of the paraworld, surviving only because there were enough Conduits and dragons ¨C and dragon Conduits ¨C aboard to counteract the ruinous effects of the warpstorm. Afterwards, the skyship was grounded for nearly three days, its immediate missions failed or postponed, much to Airo''s chagrin. Bad supernatural weather grew strong enough to cause havoc even to the Beacon Highway, in some instances destroying weaker or damaged E-beacons, further cutting off large sections of inhabited regions from the rest of the populated areas.

    When a warpstorm passed through a settlement, there were no traces left in the fortunate cases. In the unfortunate ones, the result was a hellish landscape, riddled with anomalous fields and grotesque edifices, twisting environment and perspective into incomprehensible vortices of fragmented space-time; and sometimes, floating or strewn among these insane vistas, were unsettlingly familiar shapes, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the mutilated remains of the warpstorm''s victims. Such sights always hit the Knights'' morale hard, and whenever Airo encountered these deusforsaken places, his gaze always lifted to the sky, eyes full of anger and focused on where the sheer violet-white presence of the Reality Vortex pierced the sky.

    You will pay, Ferrtau. It will be mainly for your wrongs against me, yet I will readily add your other untold transgressions to the list once I get you.

    You will pay, Ferrtau.

 Chapter 15.2 - Long Way

    He stood in the command room again, the screens above the circular table pouring relentlessly their data over him. He had lost his personal sense of time for a while now. Cloud could always remind him exactly how many hours or days or weeks have passed since any given moment, yet that wasn''t the point. The point was that time had passed, and now at last he had accumulated enough mission data to review how this war of his was performing long-term.

    Airo rubbed his temple, gazing dourly at the AR screens. He felt strange itches in his mind more and more often, unable to understand why or how they manifested. Medical examinations showed nothing out of the ordinary, and neither did an ?ther scan. The phenomenon was a mystery, just like his poorly-controlled timeshift ability. At least contemporary science had helped him understand the latter, if not master it. While the former...

    The Revenant soon stopped playing by the same rules they did before, once faced with organized opposition. Like the apparition which had wounded Airo during the first attack on Dragon Retreat, other Revenant began to employ long-range attacks, these no less lethal than their deadly melee assaults.

    This forced Airo to change tactics overnight, as now the Radiant Knights lost the advantage of getting in the first strike before the enemy could retaliate. Rules of engagement were shifted to more conventional warfare doctrines, and the resonance fields still gave an important edge, nullifying all intangible powers once they entered their range, making armor technology still viable, even if ranged options were narrowed down to veronite weaponry.

    Yet once Airo adapted his strategy, the Revenant changed their approach again. They abandoned horde tactics and began to raid settlements in a more methodical manner, first probing defenses with a small force, then rushing in to slaughter the populace if no resistance was encountered. Airo''s nascent network of subverted officers managed to inform him in time about several such occasions, prompting the Knights to evacuate endangered regions with priority, but there was no telling how many lightning raids went unnoticed in territories under the Union''s influence.

    The Revenant-hunt missions also took a turn for the worse; in two instances the skyship was led into an ambush, after pursuing what was considered an isolated force, only to be attacked by a throng of Revenant hiding nearby. The second incident was particularly harrowing, as three Revenant dragons were present during the battle, and they alone wounded nearly fatally seven of the ten dragons that were part of the skyship''s crew. It was as if the Revenant had started stalking the Radiant Knights, and hunter-quarry dynamics were rapidly shifting.

    At the same time, there was absolutely no sign of Ferrtau. Airo forced Cloud to review and analyze all intelligence reports in every way possible, yet the result was always the same: the Lightbringer didn''t seem to be at the head of his own army. Ferrtau wasn''t at the Shard, too; Airo was sure of that. However, nobody had any idea where his archnemesis had gone. According to all signs Ferrtau had simply vanished, and in the meantime the Revenant had proven a deadly foe even without their master.

    So far no Radiant Knights had died as the war escalated, yet he knew this was more a fluke rather than a result of sound strategy. He carefully reviewed a technology called cortex crystals, which supposedly made it possible to return people from the dead, querying Yeoman Cloud on all the details. It didn''t turn out the master spell he thought it was; cortex crystals couldn''t revive someone killed by the Revenant, and the Radiant Knights weren''t implanted with them, out of philosophical principle. The latter baffled Airo, and he dug deeper for the true reason with grim suspicion, confirming it was because of the dragons ¨C they weren''t able to carry cortex crystals, or bear any other implant or augmentation for that matter.

    In contrast, both the Revenant and the two stellar civilizations, the Consortium and the Union, had means to replenish their troops, even if the latter two were able to do so at a dynamically reduced gradient.

    Which meant Airo''s forces were completely static in terms of manpower.

    Or rather, sapients-power.

    He realized this couldn''t go on forever. The long-term forecasts Cloud had made confirmed it: the Radiant Knights couldn''t support the projected attrition rates, and even modest casualties would spiral hard the probability curve of the set victory conditions towards zero.

    In this scenario, only two choices were viable: either guerrilla tactics had to be employed ¨C which was impossible under the circumstances ¨C or operational capacity had to be increased.

    That meant dissemination of technological advantages.

    Airo stood in the command room gazing at the AR screens above the circular table, yet this time he wasn''t alone. Magus Dei, Mentoria, Lylana Darkovitz, and Glawlrhain were also present, summoned to discuss once more the general course of action Airo wanted the Radiant Order to take.

    "You see the graphs," he said. "This war is lost within fifty-one days after the first five KIAs. We cannot go on like this. It is time to change things in our favor."

    "Do you have something in mind, Commander?" Lylana asked, her towering figure locked in a military at-ease posture.

    "I do," Airo said. "We must give the technological specifications for creation of sentient resonance fields to the Consortium and the Union."

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    "Impossible," Mentoria scoffed. She shifted, her provocative robe exposing even more skin than usual, and her expression became haughty. "The knowledge and means how to create these beings is far too advanced for anyone on this backwater world to understand properly."

    "If that is the case, then we need to vastly increase our production rates," Airo replied coldly. "A thousandfold would be preferable, yet even a hundredfold would significantly improve the supply deficit."

    "The creation process takes time," Mentoria said with a contemptuous snort. "It cannot be rushed, just as you cannot hurry forward the development of a child."

    "It would be faster, if you let me help you," Magus Dei said softly.

    "No, it will not," Mentoria snapped at him. "In fact, my ability to provide what is demanded from me will be notably reduced if I were to take time to instruct you in a process that took years to perfect."

    "You forget I am as old and as capable as you."

    "I have forgotten nothing, my dear. In actuality, your capability makes you underestimate the situation."

    Magus narrowed his eyes, yet remained silent.

    "Look," Airo said, glaring at Mentoria, "our veronite production is already put to its limit without incapacitating the dragons, and it barely enables the Consortium to fight back.

    "Meanwhile, the skyship is quickly becoming a moving target, and if we keep the volume of combat-heavy operations, it is only a matter of time before we lead the enemy to this place." He thumped the command table with a gauntleted finger. "Further, despite our best efforts, intelligence reports indicate Revenant numbers are still increasing. We only have so long before the ratios reach a critical point and everything comes crashing down.

    "So, unless you have a better idea, you will do everything in your power to help distribute the only technology which makes this war viable. Do you understand?"

    "I agree with Commander Airo," Lylana said. "We can''t keep up. The Order is too reduced to act as a military backbone."

    "Yes, veronite itself won''t be enough," Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced. "The other dragons constantly complain to me, and I myself am not at my peak strength. Also," the dragon added, focusing his amber eyes on Mentoria, "I think the time has come to reveal to us why you''ve barred access to some industrial sections on the lower levels."

    Mentoria stood under the gazes of Airo, the two elder Knights, and the silent Magus Dei. Her exotic features remained disdainful, slowly turning into a scowl, as she met each pair of keen eyes. Abruptly, she grinned and outflung her arms, her robe retaining only a shadow of pretense to cover her up.

    "All right, the choice is yours. I am the outsider after all, yes? I will show and explain to you anything you want to know, on one condition: do not blame me if any problems to your precious ''plans'' arise from this intrusion. That is the price of asking me to do two mutually exclusive actions."

    "I highly doubt your statement will hold true in the long term," Magus Dei said, still frowning. "Especially once this technology reaches the Consortium and the Union."

    "You have forgotten how difficult the creation of new life is, my dear. No matter, you will understand soon enough."

    "Now, if the issue is settled," Airo said sharply, "here are the changes we will enact in our warfare doctrines once the stellar civilizations begin production of their own resonance fields."

    ***

    It was night again.

    Airo walked the vast hallways of Ilsorin, lost in thought. The skyship had been damaged in a warpstorm again, and was currently docked for repairs. Yeoman Cloud and the maintenance team had provided only loose timeframes until full restoration, which meant Airo was forced to spend the night at the hidden base.

    He walked, armor-clad, katana strapped on one side, veronite blaster and virtualizer on the other, his grid-caster covering his right hand under the power armor gauntlet, his whole being radiating single-minded battle readiness. The endless days of planning and action had tired his body, weariness oozing even through the tidal wave of stimulants which kept him going. Nevertheless, his mind remained razor-sharp, focused on one purpose alone ¨C Ferrtau.

    How long it had taken him to get where he was now?

    He walked through the stronghold toward the living quarters. People gathered at the vaulted souks and interior plazas, and mingled in common rooms and recreational lounges. The walls and ceilings everywhere were covered in a riot of colorful decorations and AR graphics, an attempt from the masses of refugees to make their temporary shelter more homey in appearance and atmosphere. Strangely, there were much more people out and about than usual, despite the late hour. As Airo made his way to his room, everywhere the refugees smiled at him in recognition.

    "Commander Airo!" a short Windlander greeted him with a vigorous wave.

    "Hey, Commander!"

    "Commander Airo!"

    He nodded calmly, continuing onward. As the number of refugees increased, these occurrences became more and more common, alongside the respect and cheer bestowed upon him, whether warranted or not. Or whether he cared for it or not.

    "Greetings, Commander!" shouted a group of uplimals from various stock.

    "Hey Airo, ah, I mean, Commander!"

    "Commander Airo!"

    He noticed it just now: there was music over the din of the late crowds, and a distant hubbub of even greater revelries. It seemed there were some kind of festivities going on. He wondered what exactly they were, when Kiana, dressed in her ultra post-fashion smart clothing, accidentally met him at the landing pad of a grav-shaft.

    "Commander," Kiana nodded, her neon tattoos pulsing luridly against her russet skin.

    "Lieutenant," Airo replied levelly. "Is there some reason for the increased civilian activity tonight?"

    "Some kind of local holiday, I heard" she said. "Probably with lots of fun customs and ceremonies, so I''m going to learn more while having a wild night out." Kiana gestured over her shoulder with a slight tip of the head, and her tone became subtly contemptuous. "By the way, Commander, Veralla is in her room if you want to see her. I''m sure she won''t mind waking her up."

    Kiana left without further comment. Airo watched her as she sunk into the crowds of celebrating transhumans, and shook his head faintly. He took the grav-shaft, arriving at the upper levels of the living quarters, where the human-dragon mixed abodes were located. There were fewer people here, though the place was still livelier than usual.

    "Commander Airo," rumbled a voice with familiar alien overtones.

    He turned, and saw three dragons clustered at the other side of the intersection hall, their human soulkin with them. Airo inclined his head in return of the Radiant Knights'' greetings, and took down one of the corridors.

    He arrived at his room, and paused. He commanded the hallway lights to dim, and then opened the large irised door, its blade-like frames dilating with a soft hiss.

    Veralla lay upon the human-sized bed coiled around herself, asleep. Airo watched the deep shadow that was her void-black form. He stood there at the threshold for a minute. Then, somewhat reluctantly, he closed the door, and left.

 Chapter 15.3 - Long Way

    He saw more of Ferrtau''s living chronicle. His archenemy had been well-known, famous even, and loved both by his peers in the Radiant Order and the common people across the galaxy. Ferrtau had become the first human Conduit ¨C or aethereal, as the Knights preferred to say ¨C after the beginning of the ?ther Age somewhere at the turn of the sixth century RE.

    Airo sat in a defunct office near the top-most hangars of the hidden base. The room had probably been used by an air force commander or whatever equivalent the Radiant Knights had. The furniture was comfortable in an old-fashioned way and the decoration was in a similar retro style. It made Airo feel more at home, and perhaps it was the reason he had chosen this place to review the life of his archenemy.

    He browsed through Ferrtau''s life, seeking relentlessly for any weaknesses he could expose. Yet try as he might, he found only instance after instance of exemplary strength of character for which the Lightbringer had become renowned. Time and again Ferrtau had demonstrated bravery, wisdom, and utmost compassion, living as a paragon of the virtues the Order of the Radiant Knights held as their guiding principles. And always at his side had been Kalessia, a gentle giant as noble and bright as her soulkin. Both of them had been inseparable, whether they had been on a peace-going mission, on the battlefield, or during mutual leisure time.

    Their devotion to each other was the closest thing Airo had managed to target as leverage. Yet Kalessia was dead, making this potential exploit moot; and she had been away from Ferrtau before her demise, possibly for an extended period of time. Why or how was a mystery.

    Airo suspected the reason for such untoward separation was the root to what was happening on Terra Para. It held the key to uncovering his archenemy''s deepest motives. With this in mind, he loaded Ferrtau''s living chronicle from the mark where he had reached, and activated the power armor''s simulspace environment.

    The landscape was a breathtaking sight.

    They both were at the coast, the local star bright in the sky. The ocean waves lapped gently at the white-gold beach. The cape on which they stood rose proudly toward the horizon, defiant equally against the tide, the light, and the wind. The shoreward breeze carried the tender aromas of the sea, salty and refreshing and rich, and the alien daylight bathed everything in soft emerald hues.

    It almost reminded of home, of Arceria, if it wasn''t for the mountains of ruins stretching along the coast as far as the eye could see.

    Kalessia lay curled, her titanic form a veritable mountain on its own, and Ferrtau was reclining on her foreleg, his armor and clothes cast aside, his naked body all flawless physique. She had lain her massive head next to her foreclaws, so they could trade loving gazes. The two of them conversed at length, yet no words were uttered, their thoughts shared directly in their minds.

    Why people want to fight so badly?, she asked. I mean, I understand their concerns: I, too, am scared of the Black Void, and I know even better than most what it could truly mean for our galaxy. Yet there are still so many worlds out there! Millions of stars waiting to be explored, and it will take aeons for all of them to be colonized ¨C perhaps long enough for even a dragon to die of old age.

    That is the point, he explained. There are so many stars left, yet now they have become finite. For most, the Universe is no longer endless; it now has a terminus, an implacable border unable to be overcome by any means known to us. That is the reason behind the Axiom Crusades: the path of all sapient life is narrowed down to concrete parameters, and everyone wants to realize their visions and dreams of the future in the limited time that remains.

    Yet that time is billions of years away! So much time... It is akin to infinity in and of itself. Certainly we could find a way to overcome the Void by then, yes? I do not believe it to be an unbreakable barrier. People have always been bound by barriers which have seemed undefeatable at the time: before faster-than-light travel, before space travel, before magic, before imagination... maybe life itself had seemed an insurmountable barrier to the Universe once. No, I think the reason for all these wars and atrocities is different.

    You are right, my love. The reason is different. The Black Void is merely a pretext; just like the fall of the Transhuman Order was an excuse for the Supremacy Wars. In reality, what people see is opportunity: a chance to assert their power, to force their ideals, and to impose their will upon the rest of world.

    But why people pursue conflict so zealously? Certainly they are aware cooperation and unity are a better alternative. It is shared triumph which has given us a place among the stars, after all. While strife... selfishness... shunning the Way... it only brings misery and pain, she hrrr¨Ced silently, casting her thought wide to indicate the surrounding destruction.

    Everyone has their destiny, came his quiet mindwave. People sleep. People dream. People strive toward what they feel is the very best in the absolute totality of existence. Everyone walks the Way. Everyone is part of the Fire Eternal. Everyone is loved unconditionally by the Goddess. And everyone is destined one day to Ascend.

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    Then why... why are we here? What truly means to be Radiant Knights if our duty is already done?

    Remember the Pure Vow, my love: We are to be the examples. The guiding light that forever points toward the Celestial Way. We are the guardians, the protectors, the wardens, and the watchers of the Fire Eternal. People often forget to awaken, embracing sleep instead, because a dream can exist in either state. In sleep and in wakefulness there is both freedom: freedom of pattern in the former, and freedom of purpose in the latter. When one sleeps, they become a mirror of the entire Universe. And when one awakens, they become the one Who They Truly Are. When one sleeps for too long, they forget they have their own Way to walk. Our purpose, as Radiant Knights, is to remind people they have their own path to enlightenment. Yet we cannot force them to take that path, for this will take their freedom of choice away, and we ourselves will become merely mirrors of the ideals we strive to live with every conscious moment. Remember, my love: We Are One.

    I... remember... yet... all this..., her mind again wandered toward the scar of destruction that marred the majestic landscape.

    Hey, stay with me, he embraced her with a gentle thought. What you see before you now is what has already happened. Dwell not on it. Instead, draw strength from it. Renew your conviction. Heighten your compassion. Remain aware of your True Self. Call forth beauty from the Great Cosmos, Kalessia. See what is the good that will come. The good we will bring. I love you, Kalessia.

    I love you too, Ferrtau, she replied with a smile that reached her mortal form.

    He remained oblivious to the rows of giant teeth gleaming against him, for his gaze was focused entirely on the endless affection radiating from her amber eyes. She gently shifted her head, and nuzzled him, their feelings needing no more words, either spoken or thought.

    In the distance, among all the rubble and broken remains of the great city, welcomed selflessly by nature with light and wind, the first reconstruction crews were clearing out the past, preparing to build the future anew.

    Airo exited simulspace.

    He was overwhelmed by the current segment from Ferrtau''s living chronicle. This wasn''t the first time such aftereffects had happened. He wondered if the living chronicle was too accurate in its emotional state simulation, or if Ferrtau actually had had such intense feelings that they left a lasting impression even when experienced secondhand. Airo reckoned it was the latter, though he was reluctant to admit it. Even more reluctantly, he was sure Kalessia had been no less fierce in her love for Ferrtau. Such passion... such purity... It drove Airo crazy, yet amid the realm of his endless hate he felt a tiny sliver of begrudging respect toward his archenemy emerge.

    Respect. In his desire for revenge, he''d forced himself to work with people he despised, for they kept the company of dragons. The Radiant Knights likewise had no lost love for him, for he was the Dragonslayer, a villain of the utmost caliber in their eyes.

    Yet over the course of time, as he led them in battle after battle, guiding the remains of their Order away from destruction, stemming the tides of the Revenant, and sheltering the local populace, the Knights began to see in him a person of honor, even if, in their own words, one with a lost soul. Their animosity waned, replaced with desire to follow his leadership not out of desperation or obligation, but out of respect.

    In turn, he too, learned to respect the Radiant Knights; seeing them in action time and again, he recognized them for the valiant warriors they were, and their exceptional professionalism and bravery would''ve made him proud if they''d been under his command in his previous life. Even the dragons he learned to tolerate; then reluctantly accept; and then finally consider relinquishing all grudges against their kind ¨C for when one faced and overcame mutual ordeals together with even the most loathed comrades in arms, it was impossible to keep negativity for any period approaching infinity.

    Airo leaned back on the couch on which he sat, lost in thought. Ever since his awakening from cryostasis his life had changed, becoming more strange than he could''ve imagined. Here he was in the far future, trying to save an entire planet and possibly all of reality from annihilation, working alongside creatures he once killed without mercy, becoming a symbol of hope like the very man whose life he sought to end. In a twist of irony, he had traded places with Ferrtau, turning out the hero in his archenemy''s tragedy.

    Was it possible what Ferrtau was doing was the same thing he did so long ago, across time and space?

    Airo lifted his eyes toward the ceiling, his gaze searching the sky beyond the layers of stone, metal, and crystal. The refugees called him a hero, and the Radiant Knights praised him as their leader, yet everyone was happy because they had others who supported and loved them. Parents. Significant others. Families. Soulkin. Even in the bleakest hours, the shining light of shared love was enough to give them the strength to prevail over any adversity.

    It was love that had made it possible for him to survive through the Red Colony Campaign. Zenassa had been his light, his strength, his shining star.

    Now...

    Now his soul was empty. He had nothing to live for, nothing for which to look forward to in the future. He kept going only because of the raging desire for revenge, which blazed inside him in lieu of a true flame. Without it, he would''ve died while he was still in the skies above Terra Para. He was left with nothing.

    Nothing, except...

    He thought of Veralla. She followed him everywhere day and night, or at least did so until recently. They had spent many hours together traveling, talking, and playing videogames. Veralla was the first dragon he hadn''t tried to kill as soon as they met. She had annoyed him greatly on many occasions, and the first few weeks of their acquaintance he''d wanted nothing but to be rid of her.

    Yet she had saved his life, and had kept with him even when it made her uncomfortable to do so. Even after learning he was the Dragonslayer. Even after all the threats and rebuffs he''d made to her. Only after she had experienced directly the war he fought on behalf of his revenge, had she finally, with great misery, stayed away.

    Why she insisted so much on his company?

    Why he cared?

    Why...

 Chapter 15.4 - Long Way

    His memories recalled the sports tournament from the other day. He remembered how skeptical he was when Zuckeroff first proposed to retrofit one of the hangars into a stadium. The project had cost a small fortune in terms of resources, yet Cloud had also backed it, citing the benefits it would bring for keeping the refugees stable and occupied.

    He had come that night to see the results for himself, and had seen Veralla: enchanted by the spectacle, exploring the sights before her with the same wide-eyed curiosity just like the day she hatched. She had been elated to see him, and excited to share this new experience with him. Yet he''d been too absorbed in his troubles, too tense with desire to be away in the field, where he felt he was doing something concrete, something that gave what little remained of his life a consolatory coda.

    Now, he realized what he actually wanted: to be able to talk to someone, to share his curt sentiments on the situation, to vent his choking frustration, to rage at his meaningless existence, to... to just surround himself, if only briefly, with the illusion of being a normal person having a normal life. And the only one who had given him such ephemeral reprieve was Veralla. Yet that night he had ignored her again, reducing her to just another dragon, and had left without even the tiniest consideration of her feelings.

    Maybe...

    He angrily cast away those thoughts. Vengeance was only what mattered to him, void it! Nothing else! Nobody else. Who would even accept someone like him?

    He rose to his feet and moved next to the office''s oval window. Without being sure what exactly he was doing, he accessed the Viirt through the smart-surface glass, and called up the sensor feeds from the base''s living quarters. The holiday celebrations were in full swing and the refugees were everywhere, dancing in the large interior plazas, carousing in the lounges, and partying even in the hallways en route from one event to another. Colorful flags and draperies hung from the walls and ceilings, AR graphics overloaded the audio-visual spectrum, and fireworks were haphazardly fired in constant fashion, making the festivities dreamlike in appearance.

    Airo silently observed the celebrations. He lifted his hand and the bottle clinked when it bumped the window. When did he get this? He turned his head toward the nanofabricator in the office''s corner, as if seeing the machine for the first time. He didn''t remember getting anything. It didn''t matter. He took a deep draught and let the alcohol release him from his torment.

    His eyes returned to the glass screen. All those people... they were on the verge of losing everything, including their lives, yet they seemed so carefree and happy tonight. They raised toasts together, they embraced each other... and shared intimate moments. It was as if they were untouchable, their inner light immortal; not because they were physically invincible, but because they seemed to follow some higher principle, to live some greater truth... which he couldn''t fathom.

    He drank more. Then even more. His mind blurred, the world outside becoming nothing else but background noise. He drank further still, looking to black out even the microcosm inside him. Yet the haunting thoughts refused to go away: Ferrtau''s living chronicle, the celebrating refugees, the Radiant Knights, Veralla... Their images swirled like wayward rays of light inside the dark, grey limbo of his soul.

    He threw away what he held in his hands, and grabbed his head. His gauntleted fingers dug deep rifts into his hair. He snarled, the sound distant to his own ears, its meaning both a challenge and an unspoken question. For the merest of moments, his singular resolve broke. Deep down, amidst the blackest recesses of his being, something stirred awake.

    A desire for kinship.

    "May the stars always shine upon your soul."

    He whipped around, shocked by the words. Magus Dei, tall and regal in his red-gold robe, stood at the office''s threshold, his bearing calm and introspective.

    "What did you say?" Airo growled, struggling to not slur.

    "I said the principal blessing followers of the Celestial Way use," Magus replied evenly. He stepped inside, closing the old-fashioned swinging door. "The phrase itself is not connected to any significant moment in your life when you may have heard it."

    "Are you using some ?ther trick right now to access my memories?" Airo asked, his anger intensifying and sobering him up.

    "No, I do not."

    "Then why have you come here?"

    "To talk."

    "And?"

    "Should there be anything else?"

    "You always have had hidden agendas. Grid-cast the rest of it, or walk."

    A flash of disapproval crossed the old Knight''s face. His purple gaze met Airo''s wrathful glare. "I want you to embrace your second chance at life."

    "Second chance? At life? What life?!" Airo shouted. His hands balled into fists. "There is nothing for me to live for in this barren future."

    "There are those who are here and love you. You can live for them."

    "LOVE?! What do you know about love, old man?"

    Magus narrowed his eyes. "I have experienced both love and loss. I have rejoiced and have grieved, like everyone ever alive has done. Like you have."

    Airo''s anger exploded into a raging fury.

    "LOSS!?" he howled. "YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MY LOSS?!!" He snarled, and drove his armored fist into the antique-looking desk by the window, shattering it in half.

    "My soul was destroyed when I lost Zenassa, old man! Her death left me devastated! Empty. Furious at the heavens! Furious at the Great Cosmos! Furious at any god or goddess who allowed such tragedy to come to pass and to leave me in perpetual torment!" He kicked the desk chair, sending it flying at the office''s opposite wall, where both it and the wooden paneling crumpled.

    "The universe at least could have had the polite grace of ending me, too. But no. I was left ''alive''. Left to continue my existence, abandoned to my own meaningless devices. So I tried to exact my own judgment upon such an uncaring world, and then you, old man, you and your dragons and Ferrtau who was the most responsible of all, you all denied me my right. And then you made me suffer, made me spend an eternity in prison, sentenced my very sanity to oblivion. Made me a shell, driven forward only by the ghost of my grief which demands at least some semblance of justice. Made hate and wrath the only emotions I am capable of feeling.

    "So do not talk to me about my loss, old man. You know nothing."

    Airo finished his tirade. He suddenly felt very tired, his exhausted body and drunken mind bringing him on the verge of his endurance, and only through sheer will ¨C and the gyro-stabilizers of his power armor ¨C he managed to not keel over.

    "Then can I talk about those who care for you?" Magus asked, as if nothing had happened.

    Airo sneered. The gesture made his vision blur. "As if there are such people."

    "There is one. Veralla."

    "What about her!"

    "She cares for you."

    Airo ignored the words. He reached for his fury, holding hard to its blazing inferno, unwilling to let the grief and the hurt replace the rage.

    "She has saved your life," Magus continued softly. "She follows you everywhere. She likes you."

    "Dragons can be very needy. Your point, old man?"

    "My point is, your life is not without value."

    "Ahhh, the great Grandmaster has spoken! The Slayer of Dragons deserves to live! Funny, you did not mention that when you sentenced me to permanent cold storage."

    "Open your eyes to reality. I told you before, you would have been dead if your life was worthless. Yet it is not. Every life has value. That is why¨C"

    "YOU SENTENCED ME TO BLOODY OBLIVION!" Airo whirled violently and punched the smart-surface window. A web of cracks bloomed at the point of impact, yet the window held together. He turned, murderous hate searing his thoughts.

    "You were granted the gift to live again in a time where your crimes would no longer burden your shoulders," Magus said in crisp, decisive tone, his posture stoic as a statue. "You have been given a second chance to come to terms with your grief, to accept it, and to find the beauty of life once more."

    Airo laughed mirthlessly. "What an inspiring speech!" Abruptly his voice dripped sharp vitriol. "How come then you do not live by your own words?"

    The old Knight scowled, raising a skyward-pointed finger. "I..." He stopped. "What makes you presume I am like you?" he asked, his hand withdrawing again within the broad sleeve of his crimson robe.

    Airo laughed again. "Oh, you are obviously like me," he said bitterly. "I can see plainly your soul is wracked by guilt and grief, old man. I do not care for your troubles, yet the signs are there, no matter how well you mask them behind a mien of stoic wisdom and arrogant superiority. It takes one to know one."

    Magus stood still, silenced by this reply. The old Knight''s expression suddenly became heavy with countless ages, and Airo for the first time saw Magus Dei''s true face.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Yes, I am not living by my words," the former Grandmaster admitted quietly. "I have lived for long, far too long, and every day I carry the burdens of my choices, of my acts, of my mistakes. Every day I constantly face the memories of my shortcomings, of the wrongdoings I have committed, in spite of the power I wield. Every day, I do not welcome the light of the Fire Eternal, and instead I inhabit a world filled with grey limbo." Magus looked at Airo with profound intent. "Do you really want to take example from me?"

    "My world is already the same," Airo said, averting his eyes.

    "Do you desire to become Veralla''s world as well?"

    He cast a cold glare at the old Knight. He crossed his arms and turned back to the window, not wanting to show any more weakness to Magus. The smart surface had begun to recover, golden glow enveloping the slowly disappearing cracks. Airo stared at the window''s visual overlay and at the fractal mountains outside, unseeing.

    What if he died in the war? What if he truly left this world? Would Veralla become attached to anyone else? Would she be happier? What if he failed and Ferrtau destroyed reality itself? Then she would die, like everyone else, and only he and his nihilistic indifference would be to blame.

    Why did she care for him?

    Why did he care for her?

    He uttered a single syllable. "No."

    "Then live for her. Live for yourself. Live for both of you."

    "No," Airo said again, tone hardening. "I live only for revenge. To fulfill my vow. To make Ferrtau pay."

    "You cannot defeat him while you are the same as him."

    Airo turned, his worn and angry countenance smoothing into a neutral expression. He regarded Magus with contempt. He harbored intense dislike for the old man; they had bitter history between themselves, or at least he still held major grievances, even if the old man had discarded him as another tragic event in the endless stream of life. Airo wondered grimly why Magus persisted so much in meddling into his private hell. Perhaps the old man indeed regretted what he''d done. Perhaps he sincerely felt sorry for Airo''s wretched fate, and wanted to help him out of kindness, like a Radiant Knight was supposed to.

    Unlikely. If it was true, why the bummed geezer waited seven centuries to do something about it?

    Airo felt his interlocutor hadn''t finished. Time to see where this dead-end of a conversation leads to. "And if I ''embrace my second chance'' how would that enable me to bring Ferrtau''s downfall?"

    Magus didn''t answer right away. He asked instead, "Do you know why the Order of the Radiant Knights was founded?"

    "Yes," Airo replied sharply. "I learned enough from Ferrtau''s pretty speeches in his living chronicle." He winced inwardly at letting his mind slip so and reveal what he had found at the Shard.

    Magus raised an eyebrow. "I see. Then have you learned why he was called the Lightbringer?"

    "It is because he had been turned into a symbol of your Order and your beliefs."

    "It is because he truly walked the path of the Celestial Way," Magus corrected.

    "What is the difference?"

    "To understand the difference, you have to understand the Way itself."

    "I understand it well enough: it is a pile of philosophical crap made to placate keening souls with false promises of awakening."

    "There are no invalid interpretations of the Way."

    Airo sneered. "And what is your interpretation then, old man?"

    Magus smiled, a surprisingly warm gesture, and looked beyond the window, his purple eyes seeking the mountains and the sky above them.

    "Amidst the entire universe," the old Knight intoned, "there exist nine primal directions: Forward, Backward, Upward, Downward, Sideward, Inward, Outward, Stillward; and finally, the Celestial Way, which unites all previous directions of the Great Cosmos.

    "And from that core constellation every other Way comes forth: lifeward, deathward, richward, poorward, joyward, sorroward, freeward, shackleward, loveward, fearward, lightward, darkward, and so on.

    "Thus the Celestial Way defines All, and at the same time, encompasses All: the Alpha and the Omega, the Ying and the Yang, the Aught and the Naught, and the Ten Thousand Things that form the rest of the absolute, grand totality of existence ¨C magic, reality, energy, matter, thought, life, death, freedom, enlightenment, and ascendancy."

    Airo listened silently, assailed by sudden memories. Long ago, an eternity before, Zenassa had spoken the same words.

    "The Way is immutable and never-ending," Magus continued. "The Way is ever-changing and fleeting. The Way is an idea. The Way is a journey. The Way is a path to enlightenment.

    "The Way can be considered many things. It is simultaneously all of those things, and yet none of them. The Way can become known in time, yet it is by definition unknowable. The Way can be followed, yet it will only lead to where one desires to go. The Way shines with the immortal radiance of the stars, yet it will never bestow awakening against one''s will.

    "The Celestial Way is what one desires it to be."

    They had talked about philosophy on that day, hours before leaving for Utopia Draconis, before ascending to the stars, to join a dark, terrifying conflict on the other side of the galaxy. She had tried to persuade him for them to stay. He had told her it was their duty to go, to be peacekeepers and to become one day true Magisters.

    "Thus I cannot tell you my interpretation of the Way." Magus'' solemn tone subsided, and his voice became quiet and thoughtful. "I can endue with word my own experiences and contemplations, yet no matter how long or with how much veracity I speak, I would be unable to confer the true depths of my own unique understanding. I can merely express an evocative simile at best, or a drab, dry commentary at worst.

    "Yet what I can do is help others find their own Way. That is why the Radiant Knights exist. To give the very best example any of us are capable of, and to let the inner light of our souls and the outward brilliance of our actions inspire others to seek the transcendent beauty and unconditional love of the Fire Eternal. To Ascend, and to Awaken.

    "I want to help you find the Way again, Airo."

    She had died because of his foolishness. Even if Ferrtau was the one who had killed her, it was him who had led her down that path in the first place.

    He realized: the sole responsibility for her death lay upon his shoulders.

    And yet, she had done so much, so far away from home. She had advanced science and humanity''s understanding about the world. She had helped him create veronite. She had brought into the light an entire mythical race, opening wide the cosmic doors to both wondrous opportunities and horrific scenarios.

    He wondered what would''ve been if Zenassa had never uplifted the dragons, if the two of them had never gone to Utopia Draconis. Perhaps galactic history would''ve been different. Perhaps it would''ve been the same. Regardless of what would have transpired on a grander scale, Zenassa would have been alive. Airo never would have experienced bitter, anguished loss. He never would have broken his friendship with Ferrtau. He never would have felt crushing loneliness and...

    ...

    ...and he never would have met Veralla.

    He lowered his head.

    "You did not answer my question," he told Magus curtly.

    "I did not, because that is an answer you have to discover for yourself," the old Knight replied.

    "A bloody hint would be appreciated, anyway."

    Magus again revealed a hand, palm open, as if to indicate everything. His pensive expression became wistful.

    "Perhaps the key is the relationship between you and Veralla," the old Knight said at last. "Perhaps it is not a coincidence Kalessia has bestowed her child upon you. Perhaps reality''s salvation ¨C and your revenge ¨C is Veralla herself."

    "Riiight. Ferrtau wanted her for some reason. Being a Primordial dragon, you speculated before."

    "Remarkable memory," Magus noted dryly. "Yes, I think Veralla is a Primordial dragon. And if she manages to awaken her abilities, then she can turn around this war entirely on her own."

    Airo frowned.

    Magus went on. "At their core, Primordial dragons are a myth. When dragonkind was, let us say, restored to their greatness, they started appropriating their own culture, as usual for any species of newly-ascended consciousness. This included the development of their own origin myth, with the accompanying legends, stories, and creators. One of those metaphysical tales is about the Primordials. If we cut out the fluff from draconic lore, a Primordial dragon basically is an avatar of Creation itself who is able to transform, erase, or rebuild reality itself."

    "And how can such a legend have any basis in... reality?"

    "Because we tested it," Magus said grimly. "You know about Project Ascension. You were there when it started, and... Zenassa was part of it. Ferrtau, too. Officially, the project''s goal was the uplifting of the dragon race. However, there was another, hidden goal."

    "I knew that."

    Magus face grew darker. "Do you know the particulars, then?"

    "No."

    "Well, I will be brief. Project Ascension lasted right until the fall of the Transhuman Order. During that time, the program discovered dragons had limitless potential. They were the first to learn to channel the ?ther. They could overcome all boundaries when it came to laws of physics ¨C time travel, immunity to cosmic entropy, soul transfer, quantum duplication, multi-instanced singularity. Those results were never achieved with decisive reliability, yet the gathered data pointed decisively toward one thing ¨C all dragons, while lacking the means, had the potential to become Primordials ¨C creatures of immeasurable power, able to control and shape the very foundations of the universe."

    "And you think Veralla is actually a Primordial dragon?" Airo asked, heavily skeptical.

    "Yes, I do," Magus nodded gravely.

    "She cannot even breathe fire or fly, and you think she is some kind of a manifested god?" Airo shook his head. "This is beyond delusional even for you, old man."

    "If I am wrong, why would Ferrtau seek her out then?"

    Airo had no reply for that.

    "How did you discern her supposed true nature, then?" he asked.

    "Experience."

    Airo waited for further explanation, yet there was none. He and Magus stared at each other. A full minute passed.

    "Now you are aware of how things all tie together," the old Knight said finally. "Veralla cares for you and wants to be with you. I dare say she may even... love you.

    "In turn, if you embrace the light of the Fire Eternal once again, you may be able to help her awaken her true nature. Then the two of you may rise against Ferrtau and defeat him ¨C and thus save the galaxy. Then it will be your choice, Airo Dragonslayer, whether you will enact your revenge, or you will forgive and have once again a future to look forward to."

    Airo stood silent, mulling over Magus'' words. The old man had smoothly fallen back into his grand theatrical routine. It probably had something to do with age and immortality.

    When he awakened from cryostasis, he never imagined any of this. He simply thought himself one lonely, broken individual, whose only purpose was to take the life of another in the meaningless name of personal justice. To take a life that had been long, prosperous, and successful. To take the life of a hero.

    The realization hit him. "Answer me one question."

    "Ask," Magus said.

    "If Ferrtau had achieved such enlightened heights to be called the Lightbringer, what made him fall from grace?"

    The old Knight''s expression was unreadable. "His dreams."

    The office door banged open, nearly torn off from its hinges. Zuckeroff barged in, fully armored in a combat exoskeleton, one hand futilely searching for the door handle, the other gesticulating frantically.

    "Boss! Boss!"

    "What?" Airo snapped.

    "I, uh, um..." Zuckeroff''s concentration faltered, as he realized with some delay he might''ve intruded upon something important. He eyed the broken furniture.

    "Well? Grid-cast it already, Lieutenant."

    "There''s an urgent message from Captain Riley! He''s found some Union forces in trouble!"

    Airo''s attention snapped to that bit of information in an instant.

    "And why did not Cloud inform me about this?" he looked accusatorily in the vague direction of the ceiling, as the SAI was already integrated everywhere in Ilsorin''s infrastructure.

    "I''m sorry for failing to notify you at a moment''s notice, Commander," Yeoman Cloud replied with a tone both apologetic and flamboyant. "Unfortunately, for some reason I was completely and utterly blocked from accessing this room in any matter up until six-point-three seconds ago."

    "Blocked?" Airo repeated. He cast a dark look at Magus Dei.

    The old Knight had once again returned to his calm and composed demeanor. "What we talked about could bear no interruption."

    Airo''s scowl became a furious expression, yet he said nothing. There was no point. "Is the skyship ready for takeoff?" he asked Zuckeroff.

    "Uh, I think so, yeah. There might be some repairs left hanging, but engineering gave it a green light. Uh, Elder Darkovitz assembled a crew while me and Kiana were searching for you. Only waiting for your command, Boss."

    "Let us go, then. I already have my armor and weapons on me."

    "Um, yeah, right on, Boss. But why do you wear them around all the time? Isn''t it, uh, a bit tiresome? I mean, I know ''bout power armors, and I''m trained to sleep in one if I have to, but any time I do so, I''m always cramped and sore afterwards, and while it feels awesome to constantly look awesome, um, as in, wearing a power armor, they''re somewhat limiting in freedom of movement, even though today''s technology is advanced enough that¨C"

    "Shut up, Zuckeroff."

 Chapter 16 - Changing Ways

    CHAPTER 16 ¨C CHANGING WAYS

    "People often think the opposite, but I Awakened after the refugee crisis on Orelia.

    Up until that point, I had spent the better part of a century training consistently for decades, trying out an astroload of methods, implants, spiritual teachings, mindgeneering, and other dragoncrap in an attempt to become a true Conduit. Even when I was deep in the storm of blood which was the Mu Duus fubar in 789 RE, seeing both mind-scarring horrors and awe-inspiring deeds of selflessness and courage on a daily basis for months, I still remained a mere mortal.[...]

    Yet once that dramatic episode of galactic history passed, I found myself working temporarily as an astrologer on some backwater T4 world. It was then, during a particularly quiet night, when I paused in my work to check the sky instead the VR index, and as I lifted my eyes toward the heavens, I became Aware."

    ¨C Shonjo Tsunami, "Memories From The Crusades", Datalinks

    The message Captain Riley had sent over the QE comms was simple: Union task force went into a zone with reported heavy Revenant activity. If they keep course and you hurry, you may be able to reach them in time. What followed was a string of coordinates, indicating direction and approximate planetary location.

    Airo read the message while he rushed toward the skyship hangar, Zuckeroff clanking at his side. He simultaneously held a curt discussion with Yeoman Cloud, inspected the cargo and crew manifests in case Elder Darkovitz had missed something, and played out various scenarios in his head on how to approach the situation. The commlink buzzed quietly with mission-prep chatter, the power armor''s interface was cluttered with data, and refugees still crowded the hallways in their late-night revelry; Airo barely registered when he crossed the living quarters and ran past his room. But he did notice.

    He stopped suddenly. Veralla.

    "Hey, Boss! What''s wrong?" Zuckeroff asked, coming to a halt a few paces further.

    Airo didn''t reply. His eyes were fixed on the irised door, yet his mind was concentrated on the person beyond it, and his soul was still further focused upon something even more distant. Veralla has no place in such a crucial operation, the rational part of him thought.

    Yet was he going to leave her again for days on end? Was he going to continue to spend his time alone, dwelling on the meaninglessness of his existence? So what if she was a dragon? She was the nicest and brightest person whom he''d ever spoken to since he''d been awakened from cryostasis to receive his ''second chance''.

    Startled, he realized he missed her.

    "Boss?"

    "Go ahead, Zuckeroff. I shall join the crew shortly."

    "Yes, sir."

    The astrior continued down the hallway. Airo stood a few seconds more, then opened the door and entered the room. Veralla was still on the human-sized bed, her shadowy form gently pulsating in rhythm with her silent breathing. He went to her and called softly, "Veralla."

    A pair of amethyst orbs appeared as she opened her slit-pupiled eyes. "Airo!" she murmured with hopeful voice.

    "Yes, I am here," he said, crouching to meet her gaze. He took off the power armor''s gauntlet from his hand, and tentatively reached to pat her head. "I am here."

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    His simple gesture had instantaneous effect. She let out a quiet sob and turned her head, pressing her cheek firmly against his hand.

    "Will you stay tonight here?" she pleaded.

    "I cannot. I must leave immediately."

    She hrrr¨Ced miserably, saying nothing.

    "Yet I want you to come with me."

    She lifted her gaze suddenly, eyes glinting with both tears and anxious joy. "But I... I do not want to see you kill more people," she said despondently.

    "No, I will not kill any more. This time, saving is what I will do."

    "But... you said so before, and yet... you still killed..."

    He fell silent. If only things were so simple. Yet... perhaps he should take a first step eventually... And perhaps that was what it must be.

    "Veralla, I am going to save a group of Union soldiers. If this operation succeeds, it will give us a chance to stop the stellar civilizations from being at war. Then I will not have to kill anyone anymore, because they all will be fighting together against the Revenant. So I promise you: no more killing. Please, come with me."

    She blinked away the tears. "You promise?"

    "I promise," he nodded solemnly.

    "Then, yes, I will come," she said and smiled, her sharp teeth giving her a fierce expression despite the gentleness in her voice. "I will gladly come, Airo."

    ***

    It was an hour before sunrise, and the sky over the snow-laden landscape had begun to lighten. There was very little to indicate the surrounding area had been a battlefield just mere minutes ago; the only signs were scattered husks of defensive drones and weapon scorchmarks in the snow, alongside few residual energy particles Veralla could feel with her draconic senses. The Revenant left no remains when destroyed, and she could not even pick up any lingering traces of their auras. It was as if they were instantly and completely absorbed back into the Great Cosmos once they expired, their only legacy being the aftermath of their murderous marches.

    Vorzii was hovering high above in the sky, keeping watch over the area. Down on the ground, a team human-dragon pairs of Radiant Knights was spread in a wide half-circle some distance away, ready to take flight at a moment''s notice. Another human-only team of Knights were clustered together, currently facing a similar contingent of power-armored Union soldiers, while the main Union forces, featuring heavy armaments and armored vehicles, were positioned farther away in case the negotiations went awry.

    Veralla stood beside Airo, who was currently speaking with one of the soldiers, presumably their leader. The leader''s features were completely obscured by his bulky power armor, yet by the sense of his aura, Veralla could tell he was not exactly happy with the present situation.

    "So understand, Major Trahaearn, that this war is initiated neither by the Consortium, nor by the Order of the Radiant Knights," Airo said, whose expression was also hidden beneath his own armor. "These beings are called Revenant, and they are created by a renegade Knight named Tungust Ferrtau."

    "Ferrtau? I know him," Major Trahaearn said. "He''s the Lightbringer, the greatest hero this deusforsaken galaxy has ever had. And you want me to believe he''s behind this war? You can''t be serious, Commander Airo."

    "Ferrtau has gone rogue, Major. That is why I called him a renegade. He is no longer a Radiant Knight. His motives are still unknown, yet his actions more than speak up for themselves. Just look around."

    "Uh-huh. And what if this is some elaborate plot the Order has created to strike back at both the Union and the Consortium? We weren''t on the best of terms with you Knights after the Starblaze ended."

    "Times change. We are here now. We will give you veronite and means to fight the Revenant. All we will ask in exchange is to help us defeat the real enemy, just like we asked the Consortium to do the same."

    Major Trahaearn did not reply immediately, and seemed to think over Airo''s words. "You did save us, that much is apparent," he admitted at last. "Void damn, I never imagined I''d be working alongside dragons again." Veralla could not see the major''s face, but she was sure he was looking at her. "Did you know their firebreath can completely kill a person? They can''t be restored even from a backup afterwards. I lost many comrades during their fucking independence war. Hate the winged monsters with a passion."

    Veralla huddled closer to Airo, her wing touching his arm. "I can relate to your feelings," Airo told the Union major. "I, too, have suffered because of dragons in even older times. However, this is not about us or them. The Revenant do not discriminate. This is about standing together in the face of shared disaster."

    "Shared disaster," grumbled Major Trahaearn. "It''s like the Starblaze all over again, deus..."

    "I have heard that one before. From a Consortium captain, no less."

    "...I see. So, explain to me once more, Commander, why you didn''t go straight to system HQ with this issue? Certainly it''d be easier than stalking and accosting random field officers and convincing them one by one to join your cause."

    "You think you are the only one around who is stubborn, major? Let me start from the beginning."

 Chapter 16.2 - Changing Ways

    On the next day, Vorzii returned to Ilsorin. Veralla was filled with joy, both for being with Airo again and because nobody died. He finally stayed for the night, and they shared a room aboard the skyship, too. He tried to hide it, but his constant presence on missions was exhausting him, and she left him to rest when she rose early in the morning to prepare for her usual routine of training and meditation.

    Now, she sat in the main dining hall, wondering why her meal was late. Several times she asked the hoverbots for something to eat, but each time they replied that she should wait for a few minutes. Lately, there were a great many people coming to the dining hall besides Radiant Knights, and the place was always busy and a lot more noisy. Veralla wondered perhaps this was the reason for the food delay, though she saw that other people, even those who came after her, even dragons, were served at the usual rate. She waited long enough, and began to worry she would be late for training. She considered skipping her meal to head toward the training grounds, and was about to do so when Glawlrhain came, with Stamat in tow. The Highlander Knight greeted Veralla warmly.

    "Hey, Veralla. How are you today?"

    "I am feeling fine! And what about you?"

    "Well, I''m great, thanks for asking. Commander Airo actually gave me a few days of shore leave, so I can be together with Glal here," Stamat smiled at the training master, who returned the gesture with equal warmth.

    "Oh, I am so happy for the two of you!"

    "We''re happy for ourselves likewise," Glawlrhain said. "Now, you are probably wondering why you''re kept hungry, young one?"

    "Yes! I tried asking for food several times, yet I was always told to wait. Is there something wrong with the meat supply?"

    "No, I instructed the hover bots to withhold your meal. It is time to learn to hunt, young one."

    "T-to hunt?" Veralla asked uncertainly.

    "Yes," Glawlrhain replied. "It''s part of the natural development of any dragon. Come, follow us."

    "O-okay."

    She hopped from her variformed seat and went after Glawlrhain and Stamat. "First we''ll make a small detour, since you still can''t fly," the training master explained on the way. The three of them left the dining hall, and headed to one of the armories on the lower levels. There, Stamat outfitted her with an anti-gravity harness, which looked like a set of thick plates linked together with a mesh. The mesh was fastened to her body so the plates were evenly distributed among each cardinal direction.

    With this done, they went outside on the battlements. The weather in the sub-fractal region was bright and sunny, as usual. Glawlrhain pointed a talon at the base of the mountain, far below the stronghold.

    "We must go there," he said, unfurling his wings, and leapt off the edge.

    Veralla, who was listening to Stamat''s instructions on how to use the anti-grav harness, looked at him in alarm. "How are you going to get down there? Should you not ride on Glawlrhain''s back?"

    Stamat patted his armor. "I have an anti-grav module built-in," he said casually, though his smile had a hint of wistfulness to it. "Take off whenever you''re ready. I''ll trail behind in case something goes wrong."

    She nodded eagerly and ¨C without thinking twice ¨C jumped down toward the steep slopes. She activated the anti-grav harness, turning her plummeting fall into a controlled dive. A small roar of glee escaped her jaws, as she again felt the freedom of being in the air. It was like when she practiced gliding by jumping off Lung''s back, only this time she had complete control over her altitude. She made several wide circles, familiarizing herself with the harness'' interface, while testing if she could improve her maneuverability with her wings and tail. It definitely helped; she could imagine herself flying in truth, if she just closed her eyes and ignored the HHI her claws manipulated to control the harness.

    She could have soared in this manner for hours, but her hunger reminded her about the task at hand, and she quickly descended to the base of the mountain.

    Glawlrhain was already there. The training master was looking northward, where the mountainside was sliced into a sheer cliff with a big cleft at its center. Large, lizard-like animals were pouring out from the cleft, rushing into the open tundra. The creatures were six-legged, with a leathery, grey-brownish hide. Their snouts were short and blunt, and their thick heads were crowned with a pair of straight horns. The herd was twelve in total, running more or less in a haphazard manner, as if its members have not been outside for a long time.

    "What are they?" Veralla asked enthusiastically as she touched the ground. A second later, Stamat also landed.

    "They''re called whemoko," Glawlrhain said. "They are the prey you will hunt today."

    "Prey? H-hunt?" She was again unsure what the training master meant. "But how I am going to hunt them? And what am I supposed to eat?"

    Glawlrhain turned his head to look at her. His amber eyes had a predatory glint which made Veralla flinch. "You will eat them, young one."

    She felt as if an icy claw slashed her insides. "W-w-what?" she stammered.

    "Use the anti-grav harness to chase a prey of your choice," the training master continued. "Take it down with the skills I taught you. Then eat."

    "But I have to kill to do so! This cannot be right!" she shouted, staring at Glawlrhain, yet his expression remained implacable. "It cannot be right!" she repeated, turning to look at Stamat, but the human Knight gazed stoically at the horizon.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    She furiously stood upright, her wings unfurled wide. "I will not kill in order to eat! It is wrong to hurt or kill, no matter the reason!"

    "To kill without reason is reprehensible, true," Glawlrhain said, his slit-pupiled eyes unblinking. "Even when there is a strong justification for doing so, it''s still an ignoble way of resolving a problem. Yet sometimes, no matter how vile an action is, it must be carried out to prevent an even greater tragedy from arising."

    "A-are you saying I must kill in order to e-eat?" Veralla asked, her voice shaking in disbelief.

    "Unfortunately, yes."

    "But why!"

    "All young dragons require a period of extremely energy-rich nutrition in order for them to grow to their full potential. Your case is even more dire in this regard than usual, since you still haven''t developed your innate draconic capabilities."

    "But I must not kill to gather energy! I could consume something else! Fusion fuel, for example!"

    Glawlrhain shook his head, his snout-tendrils swirling gently. "Dragon biology isn''t concerned with the merely physical when it comes to consumption. We''re much more focused on the resonance quality of food, rather than its raw matter-to-energy ratio. And living beings possess one of the most purest resonances in the universe. They resonate with life."

    "Surely I can simply compensate the lack of resonance with a greater quantity of lower-level energy!" Veralla declared. "It is just a matter of quantum zero-point equilibrium, like Tehalix taught me!"

    "I see you progress well in your education," Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced with approval. "However, you can''t simply trade quality for quantity. It may permanently stunt your growth. No, you must consume life if you are to mature properly. It may be a crude and cruel method, but it''s the most efficient way of getting necessary nutrition."

    "If killing and eating others is the best way to obtain required food, then why I was fed with raw meat for so long?" Veralla asked, folding her foreclaws.

    Glawlrhain blinked, momentarily confused. "Young one... from where do you think your food has come?"

    She started to reply, then suddenly paused. The shock of realization silenced her completely. She examined the chain of logic with mounting horror. All those weeks... surely... no... no, it cannot be... She had eaten others! Living beings had been killed so she could consume them! Her mind flooded with images of all the pots full of reddish flesh, its smell so enticing, its taste so satisfying... She tried to banish the memories, but they remained vividly in place, down to the last detail, to the exact count of all the meals she had eaten... All the hurting she had been responsible for...

    It was too much. She let out an anguished roar, and collapsed, overcome by sheer emotion. Glawlrhain moved quickly and caught her before she fell to the snowy ground. She sobbed, leaning in his grasp.

    "I w-will not... k-kill... to eat..."

    "You must, young one," Glawlrhain said gently. "It''s the best for you."

    "B-but... k-killing is wrong..."

    "Yes, it is. Yet sometimes it is inevitable."

    Veralla rawr¨Ced. "N-no, it is not! T-there is always another way! There must be!"

    "Sometimes... there isn''t," Glawlrhain said.

    "Yeah..." Stamat agreed with a distant voice.

    Veralla pulled herself free from the training master. "Rrrr! No, I refuse to believe so! I will always find another way! Even if it means I must die of hunger, or that I will stay small and unable to fly forever! No living being, whether sapient or not, deserves to be hurt or killed, or suffer in any way, no matter who they are or what they have done! Everyone deserves to live!"

    Her words echoed across the tundra, the mountain, and the heavens, all silent witnesses to her affirmation.

    "Even Ferrtau?" Glawlrhain asked, watching her with his intense amber gaze.

    She remembered the thousand horrors Ferrtau had done. She remembered what terrible man he was. She remembered the dark vortex of his soul behind his eyes. She remembered how he tried to kill her and Airo.

    And she remembered... that her mother, Kalessia, had loved him.

    "Even Ferrtau," Veralla nodded with conviction.

    Glawlrhain blinked again, and drew his head back and upward, as if greatly surprised or humbled by her words. Stamat inhaled sharply and turned, his expression one of utter awe. After a long pause, Glawlrhain finally spoke.

    "You are truly your mother''s daughter," he said. "She would''ve been proud to see you become a Radiant Knight."

    Glawlrhain turned his head, and looked toward the herd of whemokos. Veralla did the same. The whemokos had stopped running, and were basking in the twin sunlight, white vapor coming out in plumes from their blunt, frog-like snouts. The reptilian animals seemed content to be outside despite the frigid weather, probably because they were specifically adapted to survive it.

    "You are certain you won''t hunt today?"

    She ignored the sharp ache in her belly. "Yes, I am. Not today, and not ever."

    "What about meat?"

    "Never again."

    Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced. "In that case, I wonder what to do with you. Hmm..."

    "I may have the answer to that," Stamat said abruptly, causing Veralla and Glawlrhain to look at him. The human Knight had projected a holohaptic interface from his armor, and his gauntleted hands flew across the golden hard-light controls. Stamat spoke, his attention focused on the HHI display. "We can start her on a crystal diet."

    Glawlrhain snorted. "Too dangerous."

    "What is a crystal diet?" Veralla asked.

    "Crystal diet consists of highly exotic crystals which are infused with ?ther," Stamat explained. "It has been developed by our Order a long time ago, when the Radiant Knights still have been able to focus on non-critical technological research. It''s... sort of chocolate for dragons."

    "Oh, I like chocolate very much!"

    "It''s too dangerous," Glawlrhain repeated. "There are reasons we don''t allow highly vibrant food to juvenile dragons."

    "I ran some calculations," Stamat objected. "If we mix the average meal in a three-to-two ratio with normal food, the values stay within¨C"

    "Terlokhi. I said ''no''."

    The human Knight dismissed the HHI, and put his hands on his waist. "Then what, Glal? We''ll just leave Veralla to starve?"

    "But I thought there was nothing else which could have substituted eating meat!" she chimed in. "Why did you not told me I could just eat crystals, Glawlrhain?"

    The training master looked away. His wings drooped faintly. "Forgive me for not telling you, Veralla. I didn''t lie when I told you life''s resonance is one of the purest in the world. There are other highly-vibrant types of energy as well, such as celestial matter, cosmic ley lines, and even the energy contained in warpstorms. Yet such carriers of high resonance are dangerous and very volatile, and their energies can''t be easily absorbed even by mature dragons. That is why I didn''t tell you about them."

    "But are crystals dangerous, too?"

    "Ordinary crystals, no. Yet the ones Stamat talks about are a different manner. Their energy potential could overcome your own, poisoning your body ¨C something normally impossible to happen to a dragon. It would feel the same as with exposure to excessive radiation, according to what you have told me."

    "But if I feel sick, I could just stop eating them for a while until I feel better, yes?" Veralla asked.

    "Yes, you could. Yet doing so could affect your growth. And there''s no telling how your... unique physique will react to the crystal diet."

    She lowered her head, thinking. She knew she would never eat meat again, even if it meant she would remain as she were until the end of her life. Yet she did not want to stay like this. If there was a chance she could escape the fate of her choice, she was ready to take it. There was always a way.

    She lifted her gaze, and saw Glawlrhain and Stamat watching her expectantly.

    "I want to be put on a crystal diet," she said simply. "That is my choice."

    Glawlrhain sighed. "Let us return to the mountain, then. Stamat, bring the whemokos inside. Afterward, we''ll search for some ¨C how did you put it? ¨C dragon chocolate."

 Chapter 16.3 - Changing Ways

    The gardens at the back of the mountain were as beautiful as ever. Fresh, fragrant smells came from the trees and plants which populated the hanging terraces. Shafts of light poured down from the vertical gap of the natural enclosure. The floating monuments swirled in a spiral pattern, crystal surfaces catching rays and scattering them everywhere like a shower of tiny suns. The glowing grasses around the lake pulsed, everbright, a hazy illusion causing the gardens to seemingly float above the clouds themselves.

    Enjoying this breathtaking splendor were multitudes of refugees, constantly strolling up and down the broad walkways. People of all kinds and shapes ambled along in groups, talking and laughing, or paced by themselves, content to just take in the tranquil atmosphere. The more audacious individuals were taking baths in the numerous fountains or swimming in the lake, and those who preferred to stay around more permanently had even settled in tents, organized in discrete clusters or as lone retreats upon secluded ledges on the ridges.

    Airo and Veralla were on one of the topmost terraces overlooking the entire area. They stood at the edge of the terrace, watching the crowds below go about their chosen activities. The hidden base had become much more bustling lately as the number of evacuated settlements increased, and the gardens subsequently have also seen a noticeable rise in visitation and traffic.

    "Wow, there are so many people around!" Veralla remarked in wonder.

    "Hmm," Airo mused, leaning on the terrace''s engraved parapet, holding a bottle in his hand. He was here for the first time, and his steel-grey eyes were visibly taking in the sights. "Have you not seen more when we were to Kryoon?"

    "Yes, I have, but it was different then. I was not among others, I only watched them from afar. Being surrounded by so many people now is... new to me. Overwhelming at times, yet kind of nice. It makes me happy!" In spite of her words, there had been some downsides ¨C it had become difficult for her to meditate in the gardens, so she had to move into the stone keep at the training grounds. It was nice there, too, yet she missed the quiet celebration of life that were the gardens during early mornings.

    "I see," Airo said. He took a sip from the bottle. His words still echoed with sadness and a distant, subtle anger, but there also was a... differentness. Like something had opened inside him.

    Oh, different! Yes, she almost forgot!

    "Airo, do you eat meat??"

    "Hmm? Sure," he shrugged, a barely perceptible gesture under his power armor. "Though I am not particular about it. As long as I get to procure dinner, I do not care much what it consists of."

    "You have to stop eating meat!" she urged him.

    "Hm. Why?" he asked.

    "Because living beings are hurt and killed in order for their meat to be taken and then eaten by others!"

    "What? No, no, the meat made around here comes from the nanofabricators."

    She paused, taken aback by this information. "Really?"

    "Yes. Apparently every conceivable type of food is nanofabricated in this day and age."

    "So you do not actually... eat meat?"

    "I cannot say for certain," he replied, gazing again at the gardens and the crowds below. "In my previous life, plenty of the food was also nanofabricated. Yet there were many products which were produced the old-fashioned way. Back then, I could tell the difference. Today... not so much. The times have indeed changed."

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    She tilted her head to the side, her wings flapping idly. It was her turn to say, "I see. And what about the difference in resonance?"

    "I do not know what you are talking about."

    They spoke lightly for some time. Veralla was enjoying that she and Airo were together again. The emptiness which had started yawning in her soul receded in Airo''s presence, despite his still-distant demeanor. But there was a tiny shadow of doubt which refused to be banished, and worse, threatened to grow no matter how much light was cast upon it: the fact she was considered a Primordial dragon. It was a question which burdened her for awhile now. She was reluctant to pose it to Airo, knowing his general dislike of dragons; but he had lived centuries ago, and perhaps he knew things no one else could tell her.

    "Airo... do you know what a Primordial dragon is?"

    He was silent for several heartbeats. "Hmm. I have been... acquainted with the term."

    Her twin hearts fluttered. She remembered all the information she had found on the topic several nights ago. She had searched and searched the Viirt datalinks, yet had not been able to find anything definitive. Primordial dragons were an enigma. There were legends and myths about them. Fables and proverbs were dedicated to them. Numerous philosophical treatises ¨C many of them written by dragons! ¨C discussed endlessly their qualities and possible existence, past or present.

    But no matter the mountains of circumstantial data, Primordial dragons remained shrouded in mystery. Sometimes tales referenced them by other names, such as Celestial dragons, or Ascendants Incarnae, or simply true dragons. They were often called Avatars of Veralla, and it had fascinated her how a goddess was named after her ¨C or rather the other way around; but fascinating nonetheless. Yet nothing had told her what a Primordial dragon really is, and she had spent a whole night without sleep trawling the datalinks, and asking Tehalix about it the next evening.

    "Have you seen a Primordial dragon?" she asked Airo.

    "No, I have not."

    "Then how do you know about them?"

    He turned to face her. "Magus Dei told me about them."

    "Oh!" She felt excited despite her anxiousness. It made so much sense! Magus Dei was very wise and very old. She felt awkward for not thinking of asking him. "And what did he say?"

    Airo told her what the former Grandmaster had revealed the other night.

    She thought she should have felt honored to have such grand expectation placed on her shoulders. Instead, she felt only unease and apprehension. It reminded her once again how different she seemed from the other dragons, from her unusual body to her inability to develop properly, and it made her feel different yet again. She felt like a failure for being unable to fulfill what was envisioned about her. She feared the others would be disappointed when they learned it was impossible for her to be a Primordial dragon.

    She felt sad.

    She lifted her eyes to Airo, barely holding back her tears. "D-do you think I am a real dragon?" she asked.

    He looked at her in stark silence. Suddenly, his usually severe expression softened. "Yes, you are a real dragon," he said, his simple answer carrying more weight than all the stars in the universe.

    She sniffled. "R-really?"

    "Yes, really. Trust me. I... I know about dragons."

    "O-okay." She paused, quietly thankful for his words. "Am I... different, from other dragons?"

    "Yes, you are different."

    She hrrr¨Ced quietly, her head bowing down, her misery and tears returning.

    "Different, yet no less capable or deserving," Airo continued. She lifted her head in surprise. "I have heard what others talk about you around the base. They speak of your kindness and compassion. They praise your bravery. They even point you... as my salvation." He gazed intently at her, and for the first time since she first met his grey eyes, she saw something spark alive in their boundless emptiness. "Your actions reflect the core inside you, Veralla, and that is the person you truly are. You would make a fine Radiant Knight, no matter what your outward appearance may be. I am certain of that."

    She rawr¨Ced softly, a gentle, sweet expression of the warm relief which soothed her spirit. Her tears fell freely. "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you, Airo."

    "Hmm, yes, my pleasure and all that," he said, leaning back on the parapet to gaze over the gardens, his warrior''s grace abruptly replaced by awkward shifts and unsure movements. The transition was so sudden it made Veralla giggle involuntarily, and he scowled, as if the whole situation was an elaborate joke at his expense.

    They stood so for a few minutes under the bright suns, she recovering from her emotions, he again the silent soldier. At last she worked up the courage to ask him another question whose answer worried her.

    "Will you stay another day here, in Ilsorin?"

    "I will," he nodded, once more to her enormous relief. His sharp gaze was studying the crowds of refugees in the gardens below. "There is something else I must take care of anyway."

 Chapter 16.4 - Changing Ways

    The command room was darkened, looking a lot more like a third-century stratcom center, the kind of which Airo had been used to. Given his recent conversation with Veralla, he felt the tiniest desire to reconsider his alteration to Ilsorin''s HQ. He cast the thought aside, as there were more pressing matters awaiting resolution than deciding upon interior decoration.

    The usual upper echelon of the Radiant Knights was present: Magus Dei, Lylana Darkovitz, Glawlrhain, and the arrogant outsider expert Mentoria Astarte. Stamat was also attending, standing by Glawlrhain''s side. The meeting wasn''t strictly off-limits to anyone, and Stamat also acted as an executive officer in the field, so Airo let the stout Knight stay.

    "First, let us take care of the everyday reports," Airo said. "How goes the resonance fields distribution among The Consortium and the Union?"

    Mentoria made a sour face, meaning to reply in her usual acid manner, when Yeoman Cloud materialized as a swirl of light above the command table, and boomed flamboyantly: "Allow me to report, Commander! I have all the data right here!" The exotic, scantily-clad aethereal turned her toxic-green eyes toward the SAI''s manifestation, murder plainly written in her gaze.

    Airo was not impressed. "Report then," he commanded.

    "At once, Commander! Streaming full data on indicated screens, and giving verbal overview now."

    Yeoman Cloud''s overly cheerful voice filled the command room. "Latest data analysis shows both GSC and UTH local military forces have unofficially greenlit the SeReFi technology we''ve covertly presented them with. Estimates put Consortium nine to twelve days before first prototypes and about two weeks afterward to the achievement of mass production, while the Union is around seventeen days from first prototypes and three to four weeks until mass production.

    I''ve analyzed the research notes Stellana Astarte has provided. Her invention ¨C or rather more appropriately, creation ¨C is indeed exceedingly complex, and my systematical tech audit was able to map out in clear terms only 84% of the production process. As per Stellana Astarte''s original statement, the SeReFi technology was indeed out of reach of GSC and UTH research and development capabilities currently available within the Ascendancy system''s sphere of influence.

    To that end, with the help of Stellana Astarte, Stellarr Dei, Elder Darkovitz, and a few other technology specialists among the Radiant Knights ¨C credited in the visual streams ¨C we''ve been able to modify the original tech to fit more closely within policy parameters. The underlying structure of the SeReFi has been simplified, enabling their creation in less sophisticated conditions."

    "What about our own production line?" Airo asked.

    "Thanks to the formula''s alterations, our own production can be increased by 102.8%," Yeoman Cloud announced with fanfare.

    "Downsides," Airo snapped.

    "The cost of these alterations are expressed in created individuals which are severely stunted in their development compared to specimens produced under the original specs. As in, the serefi created are severely smaller in terms of ''size'', Commander. In essence, this means their area of effect is severely reduced, to the point most of them are able to function only as passive defense and/or in scenarios where the enemy is engaged at physical-contact range."

    Airo studied the data streams to see the figures and predictions for himself. The simulations still didn''t look good, yet between the increased production and the recent breakthrough in establishing contact with the Union field military, things once more seemed merely daunting, not a complete write-off.

    "That is enough, Cloud," he said, cutting off the SAI which had blabbered on with technical details. "I shall consider this report good news. Carry on. Now, I have another question: why the nanofabricators in section nine on level twenty have been redirected from their regular veronite production?"

    "It''s because of Veralla''s new diet, Commander," Glawlrhain explained.

    Airo raised an eyebrow. "New diet?"

    "She has refused to eat natural meat which is a required nutrition during her growth. Her dietary requirements have been substituted with ?ther-infused crystals, which need aethertech fabrication in order to be produced in readily-available amounts."

    "Ah. I see. Retain current production chain, then. Now, does anyone have any issues they need to raise before we tackle the newest trouble at hand?"

    "I have a list of complaints regarding working conditions," Mentoria said with contempt.

    "Duly noted. Present them to Yeoman Cloud. Anyone else?"

    The command room remained silent.

    "Very well," Airo said, leaning forward. "Then here is the reason why I have gathered you today. Cloud, parse the data."

    The AR screens filled with several colored graphics, pointing to the occurrence of an inevitable terminal condition.

    "We are running out of our ability to house evacuated civilians," Airo said. "From the last five missions alone we have brought to shelter more than ten thousand people. We broke six figures in temporary residents two weeks ago. If we stretch our residential space to the limit, we can house around three hundred and fifty thousand people, although in extremely harsh conditions."

    He continued, "According to rough estimates, the population still at large is nearly two-point-seventy-five million. About two million of those people are living in Kryoon City and Arcolant. If we trust the Consortium and the Union to keep them alive, that leaves us with seven hundred and fifty thousand evacuees ¨C or potential victims for the Revenant. We can provide shelter to only around two hundred thousand more. This means there are still half a million people who we cannot save ¨C while the enemy can and will use. Our options of what to do with all those individuals are very limited.

    "So I ask you: What now?"

    Nobody had a suitable reply. A dark mantle fell upon the meeting, the foreboding atmosphere exacerbated by the dim lighting and muted background of the stratcom-esque interior. Airo wasn''t making a dramatic pause or anything to that effect; for the first time since he took the reins of the Radiant Order, he was at a loss about what to do.

    He studied the other war leaders. Lylana kept a stoic and reserved expression, yet her massive armored bulk shifted almost imperceptibly with the unease of one who''s encountered a dead end. Magus was calm and collected like always, though his eyebrows were locked together as if reviewing a private thought. Mentoria''s expression was unreadable, her enigmatic and sensual gaze slowly circling the gathering like an outside spectator. Being a dragon, Glawlrhain''s features were also difficult to read, yet standing beside him, Stamat carried enough concern for the both of them.

    The young Highlander broke first under the tension. "Perhaps we need to build a new base of operations!" he blurted rapidly. "Take over one of the abandoned settlements, and set it up in a sub-fractal region like we did here!"

    "This is not something done as easily as described, boy," Mentoria snorted with equal measures of derision and irritation. "This fortress is hidden in its current manner only because I used the original prototypical specimen of my project, which alone is capable of projecting an area of effect at such range. And that was done after months of preparation in advance."

    "And raises further questions about your project as a whole," Magus remarked absently. Mentoria threw him an annoyed look, yet the old Knight''s gaze remained focused on the AR screens above the command table, lost in thought.

    "Commander, maybe we should reconsider our strategy," Lylana said. Her voice was much softer than her usual crude, resonant tone. "We should contact the Consortium and the Union, and convince them to start evacuating people."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "A sensible solution, Elder Darkovitz," Airo said. "However, under my orders Yeoman Cloud has tried to pursue this strategy last week, and all attempts, even with indirect influence from our double agents in the field, have failed."

    Lylana nodded in understanding. "I suggest a less optimal approach, then," she said, folding her armored arms. "We''ll retain our evacuation schedule, but transport them instead either to Kryoon or Arcolant."

    "Again, a reasonable solution, Elder, yet again unworkable. I have discussed the issue with Captain Riley and Major Trahaearn over the QE comms, and they both are of opinion that neither military power will accept anything from the Radiant Knights, even civilians. On the contrary, they might shoot them, provided they do not engage us on sight once we come in range of their groundside defenses."

    "Let me be clear," Airo added, "I have not summoned this meeting to ask you about plausible options to this problem. This meeting is because I have exhausted all plausible options, and have been unable to form a plan. That is why I require your assistance."

    "Commander Airo, are you saying there''s nothing else left that can be done?" Glawlrhain asked, one foreclaw propped up on the command table.

    "Not entirely. There are still two actions we can take: one, we do nothing about the issue, leaving the civilians to the Revenant. That is unacceptable. Two, we continue searching for civilians... and then terminate them."

    "THAT IS ALSO UNACCEPTABLE!"

    "Yes, I am aware of that, Knight Stamat. Please control yourself. However, unless the available elements to this puzzle change somehow, we will be forced to choose one of these two alternatives regardless. I will be forced to choose. And if I have to face that choice, I know which one it will be."

    "You don''t really mean that, Commander."

    "Give me something else to work with, Elder Darkovitz, and I will gladly take the opportunity."

    "We can use Ouroboros."

    Airo and everyone else looked at Magus Dei. The old Knight was still squinting in a pensive frown.

    "You mean the dreadnought, sir?" Lylana asked.

    "Yes."

    "But it was destroyed during the Starblaze, at the Terra Para Battle."

    "Almost, but not quite," Magus replied, casting a quick glance at Mentoria. "It was severely damaged, and most of its systems are nonfunctional. However, the superstructure remains intact. I hid it away after the battle in the far reaches of the star system."

    "But why, Magus?" Glawlrhain asked. His draconic voice held a hint of growl. "Why didn''t you tell us Ouroboros survived? We could''ve repaired it. Many things would''ve been different if the Order still had a dreadnought in its arsenal! The fallout after the Starblaze would have not existed if we had something to oppose the Consortium and the Union! By the Goddess, we even could have helped¨C"

    "The Order of the Radiant Knights was too weakened from the Starblaze, Glawlrhain," Magus interrupted with stern, authoritative tone. "With or without Ouroboros, we could have not fought the stellar civilizations. They would have just brought their own dreadnoughts, and then the occupation of Terra Para would have been much worse.

    "It pains me to say so, but twenty years ago, after that fateful battle, our Order was completely removed as a galactic power, perhaps forever. I knew at that point dark days awaited ahead, even as I prepared to go into exile for my own crimes. So I kept the survival of Ouroboros a secret, in case the Order ever needed a black hole advantage ¨C like the current extreme scenario."

    "Kind of counter-intuitive to be the sole keeper of a secret if you had gone into exile afterwards," Airo remarked dryly.

    Magus gave him a look. "There were a few other Knights who were informed about Ouroboros. Unfortunately, they all have perished in Ferrtau''s initial assault."

    "Fair point. Though it is still unclear to me how a dreadnought can help our current residential problem."

    "By using it for housing," Magus said flatly. "With sufficient repairs, Ouroboros can almost match Ilsorin''s capacity to shelter refugees."

    Stamat whistled in surprise. Lylana and Glawlrhain shot him with disapproving looks. Mentoria folded her arms, agitated at something.

    "Commander, I''ve reviewed Ouroboros'' schematics from the database, and I concur with Stellarr Dei''s approximations about the additional living space which can be gained from recovering the dreadnought."

    "That still leaves us with two hundred thousand people we cannot house anywhere," Airo said.

    "It gives us time to postpone the issue," Magus countered.

    Airo paused in thought. "All right. I will accept this as a temporary solution. Now, we need to draft plans for how to transport people spaceward, and build and organize an orbital force to combat the draconic Revenant."

    "Sir, we can''t do that," Lylana said.

    "Your reasons, Elder Darkovitz?"

    "We can''t combat the dragons who''ve been turned into Revenant," the hulking Scorchlander Knight replied. "They are beyond the match of our entire remaining forces."

    "They are a difficult opposition, I agree. However, we have been able to ward them off during missions, and even I managed to hold my own against a few of them when I arrived in the star system. If we formulate an aggressive strategy, we should be able to take them on."

    "I respectfully disagree, Commander. Your perception of the issue is... incomplete. Those dragons, who are now Revenant, are... have been veterans from the Starblaze and the Dragon Independence War. Many of them were exceptionally powerful. They aren''t an ordinary opponent by any definition."

    "And if Ferrtau has transformed all of them into Revenant, then we''re facing nearly a whole battalion of them," Glawlrhain added. "There''s a reason why the Consortium and the Union are so crippled right now and lack any kind of orbital support." The sinuous dragon lifted his foreclaw and gazed at his palm as if seeking for some answer there. "And regardless of your capabilities against my kind, Commander, I think you''ve survived your initial encounter with the Revenant thanks to Kalessia''s presence more than anything else."

    Airo stood silent, mulling over Lylana and Glawlrhain''s words. A memory flared in his mind of him watching the Revenant dragons fight in the sky after his crashlanding. He felt like the event had happened an aeon ago. Hadn''t he seen another, darker shape amidst the aerial fray? He couldn''t remember. He made a query, and in an instant, Cloud helpfully loaded a recording from the power armor''s sensors during that moment.

    Yes, there it was. Midnight-blue scales so dark, they looked black against the heavily overcast heavens.

    Kalessia had given her life. Perhaps mainly to protect her then still unhatched child, yet in doing so she had also saved him.

    Once again, his resolve was rattled to the core.

    "I see," he barely managed to reply in his usual neutral tone. "Then, if regular shipping to deep space is unavailable, how are we supposed to bring civilians to the dreadnought in the first place?"

    "In this manner," Magus Dei said, gesturing smoothly at the center of the command table. An AR screen appeared, displaying a wide-angle view of a large stone square in the stronghold''s gardens. A huge, plain-looking arch rose in the middle of the square, its entire structure made out of golden crystal.

    "What is that?" Airo asked.

    "It is Ilsorin''s psi-gate," Mentoria snorted. "It will lead nowhere, unless the one aboard Ouroboros is also activated."

    Airo quickly glanced at the resume Cloud loaded on his HUD. "Mhm, top-tier ?ther-based technology. What is stopping us from remotely activating the one on the dreadnought?"

    "It comes down to the way psi-gates are built," Magus explained tersely. "They require active operation onsite, for security reasons."

    Airo snorted, his annoyance rising. "Okay, you are all mighty Conduits, aethereals, or whatever here. I have seen some of you wield powers which can make even the Magisters of my homeworld envious. Can you not simply teleport to the dreadnought, and do what it needs to be done?"

    "I''m not an aethereal," Stamat objected wistfully.

    "Neither me, nor Glawlrhain are powerful enough to perform such a feat," Lylana said. "And the rest of those Knights who''re Awakened are below us in terms of skill and experience. Yes, we may seem... overly capable in your eyes, Commander, but you lack frame of reference to understand our limits. No disrespect, sir."

    Airo looked at Magus and Mentoria. "What about you two? Founder of a galactic organization, and a creator of an entirely new lifeform. Do not tell me you are incapable of accomplishing this task."

    "It is not a matter of capability, but of circumstance," Magus said calmly.

    Mentoria''s response was considerably more overbearing. "You ask of things beyond your grasp, Sleeper," she said. "The act of ''teleporting'' on a paraworld always presents heightened peril. I will not risk transdimensional travel only to become trapped in a SUHN-space maelstrom. Besides, you need me to stay here to keep your precious war materiel production running."

    Airo folded his arms. "So, no matter of your supposed capabilities, in the end the orbital blockade still needs to be run the straightforward way at least one time, in order for an away team to repair and activate the psi-gate."

    "That seems to be the gist of it, Commander!" Yeoman Cloud chimed in cheerfully.

    "SAI, respond only if you have something useful to add," Airo warned.

    "As a matter of fact I do, Commander!"

    "...grid-cast it already, then."

    Yeoman Cloud''s swirling silhouette above the command table blinked a couple of times. "Simple plan really: you said you want to ''run'' the blockade, Commander, and fighting the draconic Revenant isn''t a viable option. My proposal is to strap the biggest engines possible onto a vac-sealed hull, equip the jury-rigged construct with an FTL drive, and keep tonnage to the bare minimum. Then blast off, clear the gravity well, and make an unfocused starfall as soon as sensors give green light. Voila, blockade bypassed!"

    Deceptively simple indeed, Airo thought.

    Yet it might just work.

    "I approve of this plan," he said. "Unless someone else has alternative proposals, this is what we will do."

    There was a brief pause. Lylana looked over the others, and then shook her head. "I think that is all, sir," she said.

    "Then we proceed accordingly," Airo said. "Cloud, begin drafting schematics. Send necessary resources and drone power to one of the available hangars. Elder Darkovitz, assemble an engineering crew. Elder Glawlrhain, Knight Stamat ¨C inform the refugees of what awaits ahead; also, select all of those who have habtech or astro-construction background; we will need them to enact repairs on Ouroboros.

    "This meeting is adjourned. You have your... tasks. I shall oversee and lead the mission myself."

 Chapter 16.5 - Changing Ways

    "You want me to what!?" Kiana exclaimed.

    The hangar was bristling with action. Drones and robots shuttled components from the fabricators, and grav-fields maneuvered hull sections into place. Technicians, all of them Radiant Knights, walked up and down, inspecting the proceedings or engaging with construction themselves when an operation required manual handling. The head engineers, a human-dragon soulkin pair called Bernard and Zeromon, directed the work crews and automated systems from the hangar''s control center.

    "I want you as a pilot for this mission," Airo repeated levelly over the commlink.

    Kiana scowled from across the AR screen. "And fly against Revenant dragons!? Nuh-uh, no chance even in a biocon hell."

    "Look, I did not pick you up because of your charming personality," Airo said. He took a breath. "You are a combat-capable pilot with experience in astral navigation, and you are a Conduit ¨C something I learned is a nearly mandatory requirement for FTL. Your skillset is what I need, not drama acting."

    "Just take Zozzy, you bonehead!"

    "Knight R''urgal is not a Conduit." Airo was mildly surprised he managed to pronounce the uplimal''s surname correctly. "Only you have the combination of qualities I ordered Cloud to look for. I, too, was not pleased when the SAI returned the askping with your name only."

    "Gah, fine, I''ll take another suicide mission because Fearless Leader says so. Just don''t expect Veralla to pull us out of this one if things go singularity. It won''t be as easy as dragging you away from a warpstorm. She coming or not, by the way?"

    "Oh, yes, I am coming too!" Veralla declared happily, standing at Airo''s side.

    "Huh, hey whippersnapper!" Kiana craned her head, peeking at the display''s corner. "Didn''t see you there for a second. That''s settled, then."

    "I guess," Airo grumbled. He turned to Veralla. "Are you sure you want to come?"

    "Yes, I am!" she said. "I am going now to Bernard and Zeromon to talk with them."

    "Fine by me." Airo replied. He opened another commlink channel as Veralla ¨C he still wasn''t used to seeing her standing upright ¨C walked away. "Zuckeroff."

    "Ah, what, uh! Oh, hey Boss!"

    "Are you in the bathroom?"

    "Um, uh, oh, yeah, I am. Uh, I wasn''t fapping or anything. Uh. I m-mean! I was in the process of, uh, taking care of, um, an e-e-entirely natural physical need! Yes, that''s what it is. Entirely natural, and, um¨C"

    "I do not need details," Airo cut the fumbling astrior off. "You are temporarily relieved of your usual duties. Your presence is required for a specific mission."

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    "Oh? Okay? Any particular reason why me? Uh, sure, I''m your guy if you say so, but those Knight dudes are pretty badass, and¨C"

    "Your file indicates you have seen heavy combat action," Airo cut him off again. "In space, no less. The Radiant Knights are exceptionally well-trained, yet most of them are too young. Not that you are any older, however you have practical experience. Just try to maintain some discipline, Lieutenant."

    "Uh, of course, sir! Tehhn-hut!"

    "No need to salute me that way."

    "Ah! No, no, no! Um, eh, I, uh, no problem, I mean, um, sorry, Boss, won''t hap¨C"

    Airo cut the commlink. He gazed toward the frantic construction work, and queried Cloud for status update.

    "You''ll also need someone to activate the psi-gate."

    He turned casually. Lylana towered a step away, her red-gold armor barely concealing the contours of her overly-muscular and absurdly endowed physique. Her long black hair and impractical curves were the only inconsistencies in her strict military bearing.

    "Are you volunteering?" he asked.

    "I am."

    Airo looked her up and down. He wondered if modern biotechnology permitted the existence of even larger individuals, and if so, how they coped with the square-cube law; dragons ignored it more or less by controlling their gravitic fields and bending other rules of known physics. He wondered what would make someone like Lylana become a Radiant Knight in the first place. So far most of them were practically indistinguishable from normal humans such as him. It made him think of Admiral El-Qadir.

    Something tickled his mind.

    "Were there not any more... compact candidates?" he asked, attempting a joke for the first time in seven centuries.

    Lylana blinked her amber eyes and pursed her dark lips, obviously confused. "Glawlrhain also offered assistance in his capacity as an aethereal, sir," she said. "But he''s even larger than me. Nobody else besides us or Magus Dei can manually recharge the ?ther reservoirs if they''ve run out. Briefing specs wanted the least possible mass to be carried by the transport vessel."

    "Yes, yes, you are correct, Elder Darkovitz," Airo said, quickly abandoning his attempt at humor. "Though why did Magus Dei not come himself? He would be more... efficient still."

    "He explained he needed to watch over something onsite, Commander. I think it''s related to Mentoria."

    "Hmm. All right." Airo, too, was severely suspicious about the overall agenda of the exotic, exhibitionist, and highly arrogant ?ther-wielding Coastlander mystic. Her behavior and presence didn''t mesh with the Radiant Knights at all, yet he didn''t have enough time to spare to get to the bottom of this mystery. All in all, although it irked him to admit so, he trusted Magus Dei, a person who was vastly more powerful than him, to be able to handle any trouble on that front better anyway.

    "In that case, welcome to this crew," Airo said to Lylana and extended his hand.

    She looked at him for several seconds. Her expression shifted subtly, and she traded grips with him. "Thank you, Commander."

    It took three days to create the custom-built starship. The engineering team used a LOTV combat shuttle as a base, then gutted everything out of it, including life support, and left only the hull and helm controls. Then they bashed together a dozen stormjet drives into a barebones propulsion cluster; no inertial dampeners, no artificial gravity module. Control surfaces were kept to a minimum, barely enough to clear the atmosphere. After that, an FTL drive was grafted onto the whole mess, alongside rudimentary passive shielding from radiation and micrometeorite impact. Finally, on Airo''s insistence, a point-defense module loaded with veronite flechette micromissiles was installed, to prevent the starship from being completely defenseless.

    When the construction project was completed at last, Kiana groaned in despair, pointing out numerous perceived flaws, which even to Airo''s untrained eye seemed like legitimate complaints. However, Yeoman Cloud insisted the design was calculated to precise specifications, and everything would work as intended. The SAI cited the results of five thousand seven hundred and forty four types of VR simulation, all of which returned positive within critical thresholds.

    Trouble was, there was no way to do a live test before the actual mission.

 Chapter 16.6 - Changing Ways

    "Wow, this thing has power," Kiana said, poking the HHI helm controls with quick, practiced motions. "Maybe we should''ve installed some inertial dampeners."

    "Too late now," Airo said. "We will have to endure the acceleration."

    "Uh... Commander, I don''t think you understand how much g-force we''re talking here."

    The FTL shuttle was lumbering through the sky, slowly making its way toward the exit of Ilsorin''s sub-fractal region as Kiana was getting familiar with the flight controls. The nolreck was cramped; a short, claustrophobic accessway along the main engines, a pair of airlocks, and a small bridge was all there was. The bridge had only five seats, two in front of the helm and fire control consoles, while the other three were equipped with the bare minimum of feedback systems as a form of emergency redundancy.

    "I feel strange," Veralla remarked, twisting in her seat and craning her neck to look at her custom made vacsuit. Her voice had a faint tinny quality over the commlink. "Can I take it off? Tehalix told me dragons are able to survive in vacuum."

    "We are taking no chances," Airo said before anyone else could reply. "You are still a juvenile, not a fully-developed dragon." He checked for the third time if all systems were green.

    "Yes, fledglings are very vulnerable compared to adults," Lylana quietly added. Her armored bulk dominated the limited space. "Hardier than baseline transhumans, but not by a significant margin."

    "Y''all ready to get this show on the road?" Zuckeroff called excitedly. The FTL shuttle was entering the large tunnel leading to the exit.

    "I''m ready!"

    "Not you, Cloud! The others!"

    "Ugh, this is the first time I''m piloting in a heavy-duty PPG," Kiana grumbled, trying to shift inside her power armor. "Seriously, Zuckeroff, how can you like to spend any amount of time wearing these things?"

    "Um, ''cause I look badass?"

    "Unbelievable." Kiana opened a channel to the base. "Homefront, this is Star Angel. Requesting passage through the exit."

    "Understood, Star Angel," came a calm, measured response from Magus Dei over the commlink. "Granting you clear passage."

    "Roger that, Homefront. Cutting radio contact in fifteen secs."

    "Copy. Be swift, Star Angel. May the Great Cosmos watch over you all. Homefront, over."

    The dark wall of the tunnel''s exit glimmered away, revealing a softer darkness outside. The FTL shuttle flew out and began to ascend rapidly in the night sky. The mission was chosen to be performed during the night, in order to gain whatever meager advantage the absence of light could provide, making any Revenant more visible to visual observation.

    "''Kay, I''m gonna keep it slow and steady until the bastards jump us," Kiana said. "Enjoy the ride while you can, folks."

    "But I cannot see much of anything," Veralla complained. The FTL shuttle was pointed straight upward, and the bridge''s viewpanels showed little else besides the black heavens and the ominous, omnipresent energy beam of the Reality Vortex.

    "I was speaking figuratively, whippersnapper."

    "Oh."

    "No boogies detected by the sensors so far," Zuckeroff reported.

    "Boogie-woogie!"

    "Uh, what''s happening to Cloud today?" Zuckeroff asked in an undertone.

    "The copy we''re bringing with us glitched or something? I dunno, gamebrain. Leave me to pilot this heap of scrap."

    Airo cut off the commlink''s general frequency, tuning out any further chatter. Waiting passively for the FTL shuttle to reach orbit, he again entered a fugue state as he became absorbed in his thoughts.

    When he first heard Ferrtau''s name after awakening from cryostasis, he had imagined a thousand ways to end his archenemy''s life. They all involved blood and destruction. Most of them envisioned him just reaching wherever Ferrtau was and striking him down on the spot.

    None of those ways saw him saving lives, or becoming a hero. He never imagined the road to revenge would lead him anywhere but on the path of war. Yet here he was: still at war, yes, although not as an avatar of death, but rather as a beacon of hope, builder of bridges, and protector of innocents. It confused him. His inner rage, the blazing fury which drove him forward so far, wavered in the light of such circumstances, and made him for the first time since re-awakening to be unsure about the future. To question his fate, and to glimpse reality again with the tiniest amount of rekindled vigor.

    A short signal interrupted his musings. The FTL shuttle was entering low orbit. Airo restored his commlink connection.

    "Uh-oh, sensors are picking up something," Zuckeroff said with alarm.

    "The party''s starting," Kiana muttered and gripped the helm controls harder.

    "Incoming vectors?" Airo asked.

    "Multiple headings, coming from thirty-dash-forty starside-zenward, eight-nine-dash-thirteen starside-nadward, three-dash-eighty portside-zenward," Lylana reported in rapid, clear tone.

    "Cloud, zoom in on the nearest signal," Airo ordered. The screen before him displayed feedback from the external cameras. The chosen target was still too far for the lens to magnify it fully, yet the distinct golden outline was enough to identify it as a Revenant dragon. Five of them in total were approaching the shuttle from three different directions.

    "Shit! Contact!" Zuckeroff yelled.

    "Kiana, get us out of here."

    "Aye-aye, Fearless Leader." The Conduit turned up the throttle, and the powerful acceleration pinned everyone to their seats.

    "Zuckeroff, prepare micromissiles for fire upon my command."

    "You''ve got it, Boss!"

    "Ow, my tail got stuck!" Veralla said.

    "Commander, I''ve detected three more hostiles heading your way. All subjects are approaching at near-relativistic speeds."

    "Sir, we have to break pursuit immediately," Lylana said urgently. "We''re nearly within range of enemy attacks."

    "But¨C they''re barely in sensor range!" Zuckeroff blurted.

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    Airo remembered clearly the combat prowess of the nigh-invincible draconic Revenant. He didn''t need to be told twice. "Lieutenant Kiana, engage FTL jump!"

    "Duh! I did that, like, ten seconds ago!"

    "Make the jump then!"

    "It''s not so easy! FTL starfall is like taking off on the runway of reality! Gravity''s a major factor how long said ''runway'' is! This close to the planet, the drive''s going nuts trying to figure out how to enter SUHN-space!"

    "I''m assisting as best as I can with parallel computations," Yeoman Cloud chimed in.

    "Elder Darkovitz, what is your estimate on the enemy''s effective range?"

    "Sending data now, Commander." An image of the shuttle appeared on Airo''s screen, situated in the center of a red circle, with a group of golden triangles quickly approaching.

    "ETA for contact?" he asked.

    "Twenty seconds," Lylana replied gravely.

    "Zuckeroff, fire all missiles as chaff!"

    "But, Boss, we''re¨C"

    "Just do it! Kiana, full throttle, now!"

    "What?! Dude, we''re going at almost 6g! If I push this thing on max, we''ll become paste without inertial dampeners!"

    "I can protect us," Lylana said. "As an aethereal."

    Airo craned his head to gaze at the Radiant Knight. Her expression was hidden behind the helmet of her red-gold armor.

    There was no time to lose.

    "I trust you," he said curtly. "Kiana, full acceleration, or we die."

    "Void damn." Kiana shook her head. "Cloud, control the curve!"

    "Acknowledged, Lieutenant Kiana."

    "Here goes..."

    The FTL shuttle suddenly surged as if coming out from a standstill. The furious acceleration ground Airo against the seat. At the same time, a strange, palpable softness wrapped around him like an invisible layer. Visual and auditory indicators signaled the weapons module release as Zuckeroff fired away the micromissiles.

    "Twelve g. Hostile targets still approaching," Yeoman Cloud intoned.

    The dots on the sensors representing the Revenant dragons were getting closer to the red zone, inside which they could employ their devastating beam attacks.

    The shuttle surged again.

    "Twenty five g. New hostiles on scanners."

    It was nearly impossible to move. If it wasn''t for the power armor, Airo wouldn''t have been able to even lift his finger. The commlink was filled with gasps and grunts from the others. Everyone struggled with the g-forces, despite Lylana''s protective field.

    "Forty g. Micromissile chaff bypassed. Red zone nearly breached."

    Airo grit his teeth against the crushing pain. His vision began to fail. He couldn''t see the screen before himself anymore, yet Cloud re-routed the relevant sensor data to his armor''s heads-up display. The Revenant dragons had become a dozen in number, and were a monomolecular-breadth away from being in range.

    "Eighty g. Hostiles still on approach. Warning, crew vital signs failing."

    "Why is it... taking so long!" Veralla was practically screaming in pain.

    "Can''t... find... starfall... point!" Kiana replied in breathless agony.

    "One hundred twenty g. Engaging automatic throttle control.

    "Notification: FTL drive ready for starfall."

    "J-j-juuump!" Airo cried out on the verge of consciousness.

    "Entering SUHN-space."

    Something bright flashed. A low thrumming sound reverberated across the whole starship. The g-forces suddenly disappeared. Airo nearly blacked out from the abrupt release, but the power armor injected him with stimulants. Everyone else breathed audible sighs of relief. Airo opened his eyes, and for the first time in his life saw how SUHN-space looked upon observation.

    He could only think of describing it as a primeval plane gone utterly wild. Geometric, fractal patterns swirled and spun chaotically, somehow fabricating shapes of sheer non-linearity which nevertheless formed linked structures. Color was entirely absent in this empyrean domain, light and all emission spectrums superseded by a deep, overwhelming glow, both completely non-illuminating yet brighter than any known light source in the universe. Time and space themselves felt separated, taking upon new meanings. Endless folds of causality, probability, matter, and energy all converged into what felt like naked singularity, threatening to engulf all identity into a vortex of pure indivisibility.

    It was the raw essence of the cosmos itself.

    "It is so beautiful!" Veralla rawr¨Ced with unbridled joy.

    "I think it''s kinda terrifying," Zuckeroff gulped.

    "Cut the chatter," Airo ordered. "Everyone, report in."

    "I am fine!" Veralla squeaked.

    "Me too," Kiana muttered.

    "Ten-four, Boss," Zuckeroff quipped.

    "Reporting, Commander," Lylana said. Her voice sounded hoarser than usual, yet stable. "I''m able to continue."

    "Team is battle-ready," Airo nodded. "Proceeding as planned. Kiana, take us out of SUHN-space."

    "I''m trying," the Conduit said irritably. "I''m missing half the astrogation sensors that are usually present, and Cloud isn''t responding. Something on your front, Fearless Leader?"

    "Hmm." Airo looked at his power armor''s heads-up display. For unknown reasons, the SAI had experienced a hard crash, and was in the process of restarting. "Stand-by. Cloud should be back online within thirty seconds."

    Suddenly, the whole shuttle rocked violently. A worryingly urgent alarm echoed over the bridge and lit up the screens.

    "Fuck, I thought we had more time," Kiana shouted. One of her gauntleted hands flew over the helm''s HHI, while the other held the controls tight. Beyond the viewpanels the primeval, twisting nature of SUHN-space darkened. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, I need a manifold sidepath now!"

    "Uh, Ki, what''s happening?" Zuckeroff asked anxiously.

    "Fucking warpstorm''s happening, that''s what! If I don''t change the local tensor field asap we''ll¨C" The shuttle''s alarms screamed afresh as a multi-dimensional phased lightning blinded the bridge. The lack of perspective made it impossible to judge distances. "HANG ON!!!" A halo of crackling energy enveloped Kiana''s armored form as she sharply pulled the helm controls. The shuttle barely seemed to move, yet the chaos outside collapsed into pure entropy.

    Airo averted his eyes from the surreal kaleidoscope, and tried to orient himself via the shuttle''s sensors. A hopeless task: streams of data scrolled furiously in more than a dozen clusters, while complex, bizarre graphics kept approximate track of position in topological spaces exceeding two hundred dimensions. And according to the system, those were the simplified calculations.

    The shuttle made another nearly-unnoticeable hard turn. Airo felt his senses becoming liquid. Zuckeroff shouted, his words becoming a distorted moan.

    "What''s happeniiiing!"

    Another signal lit up on the screen. "Reporting for duty, Commander!" Yeoman Cloud had become operational again. "Engaging emergency exit-vector calculation routines!"

    Another voice, annoyed, chimed over the virtual channel. "Move over, bone-code! Can''t you memory-detect I''m piloting now!"

    "Ki???" Zuckeroff''s head whipped to look at the Conduit''s aura-blazing form.

    "Don''t act supernova, gamebrain! How do you think I kept us alive for the past thirteen point two seconds?! Now, care to give me a hand with these calculations?"

    "Already on it," Lylana reported. "Monitoring negative temporal arrays and quantum collapse fronts."

    "I''ll discard junk data from the sensor feeds, Lieutenant Kiana. This should improve information flow and reduce computational load."

    "Uh, I know a bit of hyperlane mapping," Zuckeroff said. "Maybe I can help with that?"

    Airo realized he couldn''t do anything. His life ¨C indeed, the fate of this whole mission ¨C now rested in the hands of others.

    The shuttle weaved and slipstreamed its way through the unfathomable cosmic bounds of SUHN-space for what felt like hours. According to the onboard chronometer, only ten minutes had passed.

    "Hey, why did we not take that fractal branch?" Veralla called. "It seemed safe!"

    "Guess again, whippersnapper! There was a hidden boundary collapse three regions down that route! We would''ve been doomed had I surfed there."

    Outside, SUHN-space had distorted again, perceivable as an infinitely-stretched, silvery line, surrounded on all sides by dark regions of chilling nothingness.

    "Lieutenant Kiana, I suggest finding an exit point ASAP," Lylana said, working her console. "This hyperlane leads to the outer edges of the star system."

    "Girl, I''ve been looking for a starrise point since the moment we entered SUHN-space. And wasn''t the dreadnought hidden somewhere at the outer edge anyway?"

    "It is, but this¨C"

    "Proximity alert!" Yeoman Cloud warned suddenly. "Massive gravity well inbound!"

    "OH FUCK!"

    The hyperlane ended at a sheer wall of scintillating exotic geometry. To Airo''s vision it seemed the wall wasn''t coming closer at all, yet from what he could gather from the frantically scrolling FTL drive data, critical collapse was seconds away.

    "CLOUD, I NEED EXIT POINT RIGHT NOW!"

    "Searching..."

    "Found one!" Lylana rumbled. Her voice was strained, yet remarkably composed. "Resonance window is very brief, but we can hit threshold if¨C"

    "GOING!"

    The shuttle veered sharply, this time the motion feeling much more tangible. Alarms rang and the screens went red. Beyond the viewpanels, the fractal non-linearity of SUHN-space twisted into a giant vortex, and the perceived reality itself began to distort.

    "Kiiiii!" Zuckeroff yelled.

    Veralla roared in fright. Lylana kept silent.

    Kiana''s Conduit aura flared with the intensity of a small sun.

    Airo had time to grasp his closed fist with his other hand in the ancient praying sign the warriors on his homeworld used.

    The shuttle exited SUHN-space.

 Chapter 16.7 - Changing Ways

    Airo blacked out.

    He came back to his senses almost instantly.

    The FTL shuttle was whole. Everyone seemed fine according to the AR feedback. The commlink was live with chatter.

    "Ow, my head," Zuckeroff groaned.

    "Yeah, that reality skip was nasty," Kiana replied. She was back in her body. "We had to endure those bloody hundred twenty gees of acceleration for a whole nanosecond before proper synchronization kicked in and left us only with conserved momentum."

    "Structural damage is minimal," Lylana reported. The giant Knight sounded as if nothing extraordinary had happened. "There are possible microfractures along the hull, but the starship lacks necessary sensors to confirm this speculation."

    "I concur with Elder Darkovitz," Yeoman Cloud said heartily. "All systems are nominal. Is anyone from the crew experiencing any pain or distress?"

    "I think I am fine," Veralla said. "Oh, I feel so... floaty!"

    "Feeling skippy!"

    "It''s ''zippy'', gamebrain. Yeah, I''m ok too."

    "I have no sustained injuries either."

    "Hey, what about you, Boss? Do you hear us? Say something!"

    "Cloud, update our location on the star map," Airo said quietly.

    "Yes, Commander. Please stand by... Calculations complete. Parsing data."

    Coordinates appeared on Airo''s screen, which then translated into a three-dimensional map of the star system.

    "According to this data, we''re very close to the coordinates Master Dei provided," Lylana said. She marked a location on the map. "This is the approximate location where Ouroboros is located."

    "Right," Kiana nodded. "Looks like we arrived right on top of it. And our MEM-cells are nearly depleted. Talk about convenience, eh? Good thing this is a one-way trip, otherwise we''d be in major trouble."

    "Sooo, is being without weight what it feels to be in microgravity?"

    "Just about it, whippersnapper. Though I''ve all but forgotten the sensation by now. There ain''t no starship these days without an artificial gravity field."

    "Oh, I see. Should I tingle all over then, too?"

    "What?" The shuttle systems beeped warningly. "Where did this astroload of radiation come from?? We''d be dead now if it wasn''t for the souped-up PPGs!"

    "The source of the radiation is located in the front starward quadrant," Lylana noted. "It''s... the local neutron star."

    Kiana gasped. "What!?"

    "A neutron star!" Zuckeroff said in wonder. "Ah, I see it on the screen now!"

    "Where? Where is it?" Veralla asked eagerly.

    "Hang on," Kiana said. "Let me turn the shuttle about and get a visual on the stuff."

    The shuttle began to veer and tumble in controlled manner. Soon the bridge viewpanels filled with weak light as the black void of the cosmos gave way to something much closer, and much more spectacular.

    "Woaaaah!" Veralla said.

    "Oh... woah indeed," Zuckeroff added.

    "Voiddamn," Kiana muttered. "I never thought I''d see one of these halt-staters for real."

    The neutron star was a tiny, distant dot on the viewpanels. It glowed with a wan bluish-white color. Even from this great distance the star seemed to simmer and pulsate, as if its surface was moving. Sensors indicated it spun around its axis incredibly fast, releasing high amounts of radiation in a constant staccato stream.

    "Wait, are those clouds?" Kiana zoomed the long-range optics. The neutron star wasn''t floating alone amidst the vast emptiness. Formless, languid shapes, dark and shadowy, soared around the hyperdense star in vague orbits. They stretched around for millions of kilometers, throwing off any sense of perspective, their vast expanses barely outlined by the soft, muted light of their parent object.

    "Nebula?" Zuckeroff asked uncertainty.

    "No way," Kiana snapped. "The composition and density are all wrong. There''s also no signs of disk accretion. It''s like... it''s like a friggin sky. With normal clouds. Only, those clouds aren''t normal at all."

    "Yes, they aren''t," Lylana said in a brooding tone. "They mainly consist of ammonia, yet there are lots of other elements in lesser concentrations ¨C ice, hydrogen, silica, even exotic substances such as liquid water and helium-3." The giant Scorchlander paused, realizing she had everyone''s attention. "The neutron star also somehow keeps stable, even though it should''ve set well on escape velocity from the gravity well of the main binary, or gone on a collision course against them by now." She shrugged. "It''s not natural by any stretch, yet this is how the Order found it when the star system was discovered centuries ago. One of the many mysteries surrounding Terra Para and its paraworld nature."

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    "Oh, maybe it is because the region is filled with ?ther," Veralla said. "I can see it clearly!"

    "Enough tour guides," Airo cut in. He was just as impressed as the others were, yet he hadn''t come this far for sightseeing. "The dreadnought is there, in that dense cloud region. Let us focus on the mission. Set course."

    "Give me time for some corrective burns, and we''ll be flying en route spot on," Kiana said.

    "Did someone call me? I heard something about clouds."

    "Not funny, bone-code. But keep trying. Zuckeroff''s jokes grew old an eternity ago."

    "Hey!"

    Kiana guided the FTL shuttle toward the massive stellar anomaly. The small starship cruised slowly, relying on the gathered momentum before entering SUHN-space and conserving the energy left in its tiny power plant. The vaporous clouds ahead were thick, obscuring everything like a cosmic fog. According to the starmap, the dreadnought should be just one hundred thousand klicks away, and onboard sensors picked up some faint reading ahead even through the interference.

    An hour passed. Everybody on the bridge was oddly quiet as the tension of discovery mounted. The FTL shuttle dived into a million kilometer-wide yet thin cloud, plunging into murky darkness. Detectors beeped, indicating sudden changes in the environment.

    They passed the cloud, emerging on the other side, and Ouroboros revealed before them.

    The dreadnought had an elongated, blade-like profile, similar to that of Vorzii, but it possessed a far grander shape and more elegant design. The majestic starship was marred by numerous scars, though its golden hull remained a glimmering jewel against the dark background of space. Ouroboros drifted in a continuous, remote orbit like a valiant defender, now broken and defeated, lying in a tomb of clouds and stars.

    "Void damn, that thing is epic," Kiana said in a low voice.

    "Wait until you see it up close," Lylana replied with soft reverence.

    The FTL shuttle approached the abandoned dreadnought steadily. Ouroboros seemingly kept growing in size, as if inflated by some exotic source which made it larger and larger. And larger. And larger. The dreadnought was still far away, yet already completely dominated the bridge''s view.

    "¨¹bercool, dude!" Zuckeroff exclaimed. "I''ve never been so close to a dreadnought before."

    "Yeah, me too!" Veralla added, her voice full of excitement.

    "Ok, I''ll have to do a retrograde burn now," Kiana announced. "The view''s gonna be boring again for a spell."

    The FTL shuttle turned, firing its fusion drive at moderate power. Kiana kept deceleration at comfortable levels, taking nearly half an hour to kill the forward momentum. When the shuttle slowed down to docking speed, the Conduit re-oriented it, drifting only a few kilometers from Ouroboros.

    The view had changed completely.

    It was if they were soaring above a miniature planet or a large asteroid. Immediately before them, the golden surface of the dreadnought shone, numerous bulwarks lining the length of the hull where hangars, weapon batteries, and other external systems were hidden away by a variform shell. Glancing sideways, the hull sprawled endlessly along the longitudinal axis, and its boundaries were barely perceivable across the vertical. Here, up close, the damage was clearly visible: terrible gashes torn into the hull, whole sections warped and blasted into blackened remains, and impact sites so deep they had punched through to the innermost decks. Everything pointed at a titanic clash, from which Ouroboros had escaped just barely.

    Truly, this was a behemoth from a bygone era.

    Airo spoke before anyone could comment on the prodigious sight. "Everyone, focus on the mission at hand. The hard part is done, yet the dreadnought itself still poses an unknown risk. Cloud, transmit the necessary access codes to Ouroboros. Kiana, dock into that hangar over there. Zuckeroff, once we are on the ground, you will take point. Keep your weapons hot just in case. Elder Darkovitz, your task is to activate the psi-gate.

    "Simple plan, people: we dock, we restore basic functionality to the starship, we find the gate, activate it, and return to base. Keep sharp, and stay alert."

    "And what should I do?" Veralla asked.

    "You keep close to me. You lack zero-g training, and there are some basics you must understand first to navigate such an environment successfully."

    ***

    The two of them were standing on the same terrace again, watching the splendor of Ilsorin''s gardens below. The large psi-gate at the huge central square was active, its crystal arch glowing softly, keeping an open portal to Ouroboros'' abandoned decks beyond. The first wave of refugees in vacsuits were going through the gate in groups, all of them technicians, construction workers, and engineers who had volunteered to help the Radiant Knights repair the dreadnought, accompanied by a legion of automated drones.

    Airo leaned on the stone parapet, idly swaying a bottle in his hand. It was an hour before dawn. Out there, peril awaited at every step. Here, however, everything was so peaceful and tranquil. It reminded him of Dragon Retreat. The place where for the first time since his re-awakening he had felt something other than rage and despair.

    He glanced sideways. Veralla was sitting by the parapet, her serpentine neck stretched high, as she energetically munched on pyrolith crystals mixed with fresh fruits. He watched her eat, her wings relaxed, her tail swishing freely, her whole body language communicating ease and enjoyment.

    For the first time, he too felt unburdened contentment in her company.

    He returned his gaze to the proceedings around the psi-gate below. "That was good work today," he muttered to himself.

    Veralla paused in her busy feeding. "Oh! Thanks! Though I did not do much during the mission. Kiana and Lylana deserve the most praise."

    Airo smiled. Of course, dragon hearing. He turned to look at her again. "You did well, too," he said. "Sometimes, simply being part of a mission and keeping your composure is all that is needed from a warrior. You did well today." For one long second he hesitated, then reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

    She hrrr¨Ced happily, saying nothing, her bright purple eyes conveying her feelings as clearly as an augmented reality screen. She seemed like she wanted to do something, but instead she simply smiled in her fierce draconic way, and returned to her meal.

    They stood there by the parapet, watching the departing refugees and the magical splendor of the glowing grasses in the pre-dawn gloom. At some point, Airo stopped swaying the bottle he held and gazed at it. Drinking had been part of him for a very long time. At first to numb the pain. Then merely to give some excuse to do something at all. Now, however... Had he reached another crossroads in his life?

    "Do you want to play some computer games?" Veralla suddenly asked. "I do not feel like sleeping right now."

    He reached a decision. In a single motion, he tilted the open bottle and spilled its once-palliating contents on the stone terrace. "Okay, let us go play some games. You can choose which we shall play."

    "Yay!"

 Fifth Interlude

    FIFTH INTERLUDE

    In the past, in the present, and in the future

    My tears never dried up. At some point, I merely gained Awareness, shedding grief in an endless stream. Time had lost its meaning to me. Trivial hours or countless years could have passed, when I finally saw through the veil of Sorrow and perceived the Self again.

    Black heat burned my throat. My inner world had become a desert of Sadness. My body had given up long ago, yet by sheer torment I had willed the ?ther to flow through me, my soul bleeding afresh forever. I had wept to death.

    Yet I had Not Died.

    Slowly, unwillingly, painfully I withdrew my arms from Her. I kneeled there, wavering, stifling, fighting against Agony. I did not wipe away the tears. I left them shrouding my eyes, so I could keep the Memory of Her bright in my mind, instead of facing the dark reality standing before me with implacable finality.

    For more than seven centuries we had been together. Her endlessly comforting presence kept me sane, kept me True to myself in times of adversity ¨C when I returned to my devastated homeworld, when we both lost dear friends in the Axiom Crusades, when I despaired at the never-ending savagery of a galaxy which let a tragedy like the Dragon Independence War happen. She gave me the strength and resolve to do what I have sworn to ¨C to be a Radiant Knight and protect All That Is. We both survived through the Vortex Invasion, we rebuilt Arceria together, we endured hardship, and we championed peace across the galaxy. We were always together, in concordance and quarrel, in harmony and discord. We supported each other. We laughed together, consoled each other when the stars above were dim and the Way was unclear, kept bright the light in our hearts. We loved each other.

    I still remember the day of Her hatching with perfect clarity. High atop the magnificent ranges of Skyborn Heaven, amidst ascendant peaks, under a light so bright, with a ceremony bestowing the greatest honor in my life. I remember the storm of emotions which blazed in me as I embraced the soft, leathery body of Kalessia, and gave Her her name. I remember Her vibrant and musical voice, chirping happily Her first words to me as if it was yesterday. "Hi, you must be Ferrtau, my guardian!"

    My dear, dear Kalessia. You brought me back to the light in my darkest moments. You always shielded me from the sorrows of the Great Cosmos, loyal, brave, and ever ardent. You were my guardian; and I hope I have managed to give you even a fraction of the infinite love you have gifted me with.

    I let out a feeble sound, choked by anguish anew.

    I never imagined this.

    I never wanted this.

    I only tried to do what I felt was right. I fiercely, fervently Believed that I was following the Way, and acted out in harmony with the wishes of the Great Cosmos. I was a Protector. I was a Guardian. I was a Bringer of Light. I desired Peace. Love. Unity. I wanted to bestow the path to Ascension to the whole Universe.

    I became blinded by the very Ideals I swore to, and paid the price.

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    Kalessia was dead.

    I screamed.

    Kalessia...

    I would do anything if I was given enough power to bring her back to life. I would forsake my plans. I would cease my Crusade. I would renounce all my powers and give up on immortality. I would face punishment from the entire galaxy and would willingly endure an infinity of imprisonment, retribution, torture. I would gladly accept to be soul reaved. Anything. Anything, to be able to see Kalessia smile warmly one more time. Or to see the echo of that warmth in Her legacy, Veralla.

    Veralla... Her child. The star She had given light to. If only... if only I could hold Veralla in my arms, even for a single moment. To tell her how great her mother had been. How gentle. How loving. If I could hold Veralla and tell her these things, and glimpse in her amethyst eyes, however fleetingly, Kalessia''s spirit... That would be enough.

    That would be enough, and I would abandon Everything.

    Yet I could not.

    I had lost them all ¨C my friends, my Love, Her offspring, my very soul. I have been banished, reviled, and sentenced to death. I have brought irreversible demise to myriad of beings. I have risked the very existence of Reality. I have scarred the Flame of my own Life and It dwindled with each passing eternity, impossible to be restored. All this, in the name of my Dream.

    I was left with nothing...

    Nothing.

    Nothing.

    Veralla...

    The memory came unbidden.

    "Veralla, I will not harm you".

    She took a step back, her wings spread out, her tail quivering. I moved slowly toward her, gentle, cautious, earnestly hopeful, my hand partly outstretched in a longing gesture. "Veralla, please, come with me," I said, my voice besieged by emotion.

    She took another step and her hind leg bumped into Airo, the one who once I called a friend. She was very afraid. I wanted to soothe her, to plead her to hear me out, to simply touch her, and¨C

    She stared defiantly at me, and growled. She growled, her whole body tensed for an impossible fight, her protective instinct triggered by Airo''s unmoving body.

    Airo.

    Airo the Dragonslayer.

    HIM.

    He caused all of this.

    I had repented for years, for centuries, for what I had done to him. For what I had done to Zenassa. I had spent untold hours by his side, doing my best to lessen his grief. I had consoled him and fed him. I had called him my friend. I had never brought the courage to confess myself to him until my fateful visit in Yolo''s Landing. Yet I had done everything else in my power to do right by him.

    And Airo had found a way to exact his revenge.

    HE HAD KILLED HER!

    HIM! THE DRAGONSLAYER.

    Hate burned my veins. The heat and fury of a supernova blazed across my Being, searing away all doubt and despair. My soul Roared, bringing back Vigor into my limbs, and Power once more coursed through me with a Purpose.

    AIRO HAD KILLED KALESSIA.

    I was sure of that. It all made sense. His act before Veralla, his pretense at protecting her, his illogical, misguided sense of justice ¨C it all made sense. Airo had enacted his revenge, and he had taken Veralla away to twist her, to turn her to some dark, horrific purpose.

    Deep, overwhelming Fear chilled my senses. For agonizingly long time, I was paralyzed, Suspended between Eternity. Then, like a cosmic dawn breaking on the eternal horizon, a wave of pure Rage washed over me, thundering, blinding, bearing the mark of war of Heaven Itself.

    I summoned my diamond Will, tempering that blade of celestial annihilation into a weapon of Unwavering Resolve. I Saw what I Must Do ¨C to continue my Crusade for Ascension and bring Salvation to the entire Universe. To uphold my Vision and bring forth my greatest Dream.

    To join All into One.

    EXCEPT.

    Airo had hurt me irrevocably. He had scarred my undying soul forever. I would not pursue the path of Vengeance in futile attempts to extract phantom justice, like he did. Yet I WILL deny Eden to him. I shall leave him in Limbo, to suffer for all eternity.

    Airo. The very thought about you makes me blaze with hate. You were my friend. Now, you are only an obstacle on my Path to Ascension. I will not let you stop. I will not let ANYONE stop me.

    I WILL NOT BE DENIED.

    I SHALL PREVAIL.

    I am Above and Beyond, Across and Beside, Within and Without, the Messiah. I am Tungust Ferrtau. I lead the Crusade Against Reality.

    And my mission is to Transcend the whole Universe.

    To bring Peace.

    Unity.

    Ascension.

 Chapter 17 - Protector of the Way

    CHAPTER 17 ¨C PROTECTOR OF THE WAY

    "There is no such thing as right or wrong. Nobody is perfect. Sometimes, we will have to do uneasy, even questionable deeds in the name of the greater good. What is defined here as ''greater good'' is this Order''s overall goal to promote enlightenment, increase happiness, and reduce misery on the absolute scale of our perceived reality. Sometimes, this means difficult choices.

    Yet, do take note on the goal order: if you can, always, always prioritize positive growth in the shared consciousness of the Universe. Reduction should be used only as a last resort."

    ¨C Grandmaster Magus Dei, in address to the Radiant Order

    The present, Ilsorin, last bastion of the Order of the Radiant Knights

    Airo ran along the arctic ramparts. He steadily made his way to the top of the mountain, toward the stone keep, where the stronghold''s training grounds were located. He had chosen the scenic route deliberately, in desire to experience what was to ascend Ilsorin on one''s own, and to dwell on the sudden proposition he had been given.

    His presence had been requested for ''team training''. The notion felt absurd to him, as he still wasn''t comfortable to be around others, despite his recent changes. So coordinated maneuvers were out of the question. As for sparring, he easily outclassed all Knights, except the dragons and possibly Lylana. Again, a meaningless loss of time. Yet deep down, he actually looked forward to the idea of sparring. He hadn''t had much opportunity to be directly involved in combat since his re-awakening, except during Dragon Retreat''s fall and the recruitment of Captain Riley''s company, and his warrior''s spirit thirsted for battle.

    The stone walkways carried him upward, passing over steep slopes and jutting peaks. The walkways branched into scores of directions, each leading to an open area ¨C landing zones, external fortifications, simple overlook terraces ¨C or to entrances of the main stronghold. The path to the top looped across the mountain, cutting into sheer cliffs, or hanging above perilous crags, the rough rock tamed into a gentle servant, reinforced with crystal and composite metamaterials, or bypassed entirely by bridges made of hard light. Battlements were built everywhere, their massive bulk providing secure cover, enhanced by the protective canopy of shields emitters mounted on thick pillars.

    Airo''s hands and face tingled, and he quickened the pace, bounding up the huge stairways and broad walkways. He had shed his armor, and was dressed in a plain, comfortable uniform to fight in during training. He had taken a shields belt to protect against the cold, yet even with the assistance of advanced technology, the freezing weather still bit at his exposed skin. Airo focused on running, applying the meditative practices ingrained in him so long ago at the Starspire Academy. He tuned out everything around, until the whole world narrowed down to his breathing, moving body and the path ahead.

    At last, he reached the training grounds. He checked the chronometer. Forty minutes. Excellent time. He ascended the central stone stairway, and a scene of bustling activity revealed before him.

    The entire Order was here. A climate-controlling field had been raised over the training grounds, and the Radiant Knights had all taken off their red-gold armors, wearing simple freeflowing garments instead. They had gathered in one impressive crowd to train in a collective manner, executing joint maneuvers against ?ther illusions, sparring with each other, or did basic exercises in unison. Dragons flew above the training grounds, testing their mettle, and spewed firebreath in blasts of hypercharged plasma.

    Airo paused momentarily at the foot of the training grounds, stunned and impressed by the amazing displays despite himself. The sight of a sky filled with dragons made his mind churn with black memories. He suppressed those dark images, willing himself to focus on the bright, child-like wonder the spectacle before him brought, reminding himself for whom he tried to change. Regaining his composure, he fell into step and walked onto the training grounds.

    On all sides Radiant Knights busily went through their motions with disciplined determination. At one of the grounds, Stamat led a group of forty Knights through series of martial katas and ?ther-channeling exercises. At another area, sectioned off into individual micro-raised platforms by the smart variforming surfaces, Lylana sparred with the Emaerel twins. The huge Scorchlander woman moved in a blur despite her enormous size, and the lithe twins constantly danced around her, avoiding her lightning-fast attacks and trying to land strikes of their own. Airo exchanged curt nods with the twins when they noticed him, moving further into the training grounds. He passed by another sparring platform, where Kiana and Zuckeroff were engaged in a duel, both dressed in their Sol Force uniforms. They fought with staves, an unusual choice of weapon for a contemporary soldier, and the astrior was clearly outclassed.

    "No, it''s not fair!" Zuckeroff complained, narrowly dodging a swishing swipe to his head. "You promised the second round to be with weapons, but I thought you meant knives!"

    "Why, just so you''d wipe the floor with me again, gamebrain?" Kiana retorted, swiftly closing the distance. "You should learn not to rely exclusively on your strengths, astro boy!" She twirled her staff with skilled precision and tripped Zuckeroff.

    He fell flat on his back, his staff clanking away. "Oof! But I like my strengths! I¨C Uh, hey Boss!"

    Kiana glanced briefly over her shoulder. "Huh, so it''s not a trick." She did a double take. "Void damn, I had forgotten you wore anything else besides armor, Commander."

    Airo snorted. "And your file never mentioned you being proficient in polearms."

    Kiana grinned. "Keeping secrets about myself is fun," she said. "Especially when they turn into nasty surprises for those who try to screw with me."

    "Noted," Airo remarked, continuing on his way. "Carry on."

    "Uh, Ki, can I spar in power armor for the third round?" he heard Zuckeroff asking behind him.

    "Suuure, but I''ll use my Conduit powers then."

    "Aw..."

    Airo headed towards the stone keep which rested squarely between the training grounds. Shouts, grunts, and battle cries echoed around, accompanied by other combative sounds. Every Radiant Knight was here, as Yeoman Cloud was capable of surveiling and running the entire stronghold on its own. As far as Airo could see, only two individuals were conspicuously absent: Magus Dei and Mentoria.

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    The stone keep looked old and worn compared to the brilliant, advanced aesthetic of the grounds around it. The keep was shaped like a pagoda, giving it an elegant temple-like appearance. Its were crenelations covered by slated roofs, the edges of each floor spreading like the wings of a dragon, and the top gave the impression of a star rising toward the cosmos. Glawlrhain stood on the stone steps which led to the keep''s entrance. He watched Airo approach with his intense amber eyes, his snout tendrils waving gently despite the lack of wind.

    "So, you came after all," the small blue-green dragon said when Airo reached the stairway.

    "I did, although I do not know what exactly are your intentions."

    "It was all in the message," Glawlrhain replied calmly. "Team training. It is time you and your partner to start synchronizing and work together."

    "My partner...?" Airo''s mind tingled. It couldn''t be...

    The training master nodded, and pointed a talon beyond Airo''s shoulder. "She awaits you on the field over there."

    He turned, and saw a vacant area among the teeming grounds. Veralla stood there at its center, her gaze riveted skyward, watching the other dragons, her body language conveying fascinated excitement and, Airo discerned, intense longing.

    "Go," Glawlrhain said. "I shall watch from here."

    Airo heeded the instruction, not realizing he was obeying a dragon. He approached the designated platform, his legs suddenly feeling heavier. He stood beside Veralla and patted her soft, leathery wing.

    "Airo!" she said happily, turning to face him, her expression joyful. "You are here!"

    "Yes, I am," he said, surprisingly relieved. For some reason, he felt glad at the prospect of practicing alongside Veralla.

    "Oh, then we can begin! Glawlrhain said I am to be sparring with you! It is like fighting, only we are testing each other, not hurting each other."

    "Sparring?" Airo repeated.

    "Yes! Just like the others are doing so right now!" She turned her brilliant purple eyes back to the sky. "I have fought against illusions many times and sparred with other Knights a few times, but this is different!" She lowered her gaze again, and smiled warmly at him. "This time I shall train with you, as a team! As soulkin! It is... wonderful, yes?" she asked, abruptly hesitant.

    "Yes, it is wonderful," Airo calmly replied. He turned off the shields belt. The air within the climate field still felt cold and wintry, but bearable. He met Veralla''s eyes and somehow managed a smile of his own. "Let us train then... together."

    She rawr¨Ced happily. "Yay! We must begin with warm-up first! I could skip it, but Glawlrhain says it is very important to do it, especially for humans."

    "Yes, true enough," he said and began performing basic katas. In truth, he was already warm from his run up the mountain, yet he felt awkward about the whole situation, and took the opportunity to stall for time.

    He watched as Veralla, too, started to move in practiced patterns, noticing how different yet familiar her techniques were. He worked through his routine almost unconsciously, focused instead on her. Her body was still quite irregular, the wings and limbs stunted despite her slight growth, yet her motions were sleek and fluid, articulating well-learned proficiency.

    He contemplated how much she had changed him; by saving his life and by offering him company time and time again, even when he hadn''t wanted anything but to dwell on his own misery. Gradually, he had started opening up to her. They played computer games together. They shared meals. They talked freely, discussing all kinds of things, yet unlike during their time in Dragon Retreat where he was mostly educating and informing her, now they often spoke as equals ¨C an unique notion given how Veralla had lived for less than a year.

    He still kept his deepest thoughts to himself, locked away into the darkest corners of his psyche. However, now he felt he had someone who was willing to listen to him, even if he never touched upon his real issues. The burning desire for revenge was still present, and he still felt emptiness engulf him when memories of the past resurfaced unbidden in his mind. Yet he abandoned alcohol in favor of his companionship with Veralla, slowly learning to seek her sweet presence and idealistic demeanor, instead of drowning in rumination or the murky liquids of the bottle. Slowly learning to be normal, and have other feelings besides overwhelming rage and infinite grief.

    Slowly learning to be himself again.

    He focused on the present, and finished his favorite seven-strike kata. "All right, I am ready," he said.

    "Okay!" Veralla said. "Almost done!" She spun rapidly, twisting and coiling in elaborate forms, which seemed difficult to perform with her specific body shape. "There! I am ready, too!" She turned to face him, standing on all fours, bent to one side, right wing and tail held high and poised for strike.

    He nodded, raising his arms, one palm facing her and the other the ground, and put his foot slightly forward. "Begin then."

    "Wait! Are you not going to use a sword? Or some other weapon? There are sparring versions in the keep."

    "No thank you, I am fine such as it is."

    "But you do not have claws or teeth! I mean, you have teeth, but they are impractical for combat, and your skin, I am told, is very soft and you can easily be injured and¨C"

    "Veralla, I know what I am doing. I am trained to fight under any circumstance. Now, you can begin sparring whenever you feel like."

    "Oh, okay." She hrrr¨Ced indecisively. "Can you... attack me first? I am more comfortable with defensive techniques than offensive ones."

    "All right. Here I come."

    The fight began.

    He took a step forward, aiming a medium-fast kick at her shoulder. She evaded the blow and lashed with her tail at a downward angle. He easily dodged her strike and tried to hit her with his fist, but her profile was too low. Sidestepping her follow-up lunge, he adjusted stance, feet spreading wide, putting his center of gravity near her level. She reared, swiping claws at him in a simple combo, and he closed in, slapping one strike away and blocking the other. Having made first contact, he kicked again, choosing her hindleg as another non-vital spot. Yet she twisted away, bringing her wing to bear, and buffeted his left side.

    He stepped back. It wasn''t a solid hit, but it surprised him nonetheless. He readjusted his tactics, taking into account the skill she displayed with all available limbs. They exchanged several more strikes and counterstrikes as he tested her capabilities. She knew what she was doing, but lacked experience.

    He decided to press her hard and rushed forward, ducking under her thrust, bringing forth a powerful jab at her chest. She surprised him once more ¨C she leaped over him, tail and wings spread wide for balance, a kick of her own flying toward his back as she was landing behind him. He narrowly parried the blow with an outflung arm; his muscles stiffened from the hard impact with her sturdy hindleg.

    He disengaged, and took a second to reevaluate his judgment. He was surprised at the combat aptitude she was demonstrating despite her utter pacifism. If this was all Glawlrhain''s work, then the stunted dragon truly deserved his tittle of training master. Airo watched Veralla stalking closer, uncertainty and determination both visible in her amethyst gaze.

    Well, she is a dragon, after all.

    He squared his shoulders and decided to not hold back himself anymore. He rushed at her anew, using his favorite seven-strike kata to rain a flurry of deadly blows. She was caught off-guard by his sudden assault and he landed several punches, her juvenile scales giving in under the full-force strikes. She growled briefly as she went on the defensive, using mobility to keep out of harm''s way. Her low profile was still giving her the advantage, yet he was starting to adapt to the challenge of fighting her thusly. He began to think how to end this match.

    In one sudden motion, she stood upright and threw off his momentum. His leg swipe turned into a last-moment roll, barely evading the tail aimed at his hip. He rose to his full height, right on time to perform a series of blocks and dodges as she counterattacked him in a martial style very close to his own, her claws closed into fists. Her reach wasn''t great, crippled by her short limbs, yet her footwork was nearly on par with his own. It was a perfectly-timed strategy switch, taking him effort to recover; but her tactical brilliancy was ultimately short-lived as he stifled her advance, and moved to defeat her as they fought in a position more convenient to him.

    Something flashed across his mind. The perspective changed, as if he had a sudden out-of-body experience, seeing his own sweat-drenched uniformed self.

    Wait near--take blow--kick behind shin...

    What???

    Airo stumbled, as his senses returned to normal. His strike missed completely, his calf outflung underneath him, his balance utterly removed.

    He fell on the ground with a thud.

 Chapter 17.2 - Protector of the Way

    Veralla put all her speed and strength into the kick, hoping at most to overbalance Airo. To ensure at least this partial success, she committed to take his attack in full, bracing for the jarring impact.

    Instead he missed, making the wrong step, and she forced him flat on his back.

    "Airo! Are you okay?!" she cried, worried he had been injured by the heavy fall.

    For one long second, he did not reply. A moment later, she felt his essence surge outward, linking with her mind for a single instant in perfect harmony. She felt his fears and dreams as her own in a single burst of overwhelming sensation, and heard clearly his own thoughts.

    Tell continue--then recovery counter-trip...

    "I am fine," came Airo''s physical voice. "Continue."

    In the same instant, his leg flashed quick as lightning. Yet Veralla was ready. Warned from the abrupt mental contact with Airo she jumped back, her tail lashing frantically to keep the balance of her bipedal posture.

    The moment passed, and the link vanished.

    Airo swiftly rose to his feet. He was determined to continue the sparring match, Veralla sensed. She, too, was not going to back down. She wanted to show him how capable she had become, to show Glawlrhain how hard she studied, to show everyone that she deserved to become a Radiant Knight. She watched Airo''s eyes carefully, since Glawlrhain had told her that was where she could truly learn the intent of her opponent. She watched those deep grey orbs, facing fearlessly the sadness, the rage, and the cold emptiness, seeking only to perceive the immediate flashes upon the surface, avoiding to be plunged into the darkness lurking behind them.

    She resisted that terrible gaze not because of bravery. Not because of courage. Not because of valor.

    She resisted it because she had seen the light inside.

    She peered at his gaze as she had done many times before, but never for so long or with such intensity. It made time stretch over the horizon of personal perception, like an overclocked simulspace; revealing everything that had transpired between him and her like a data stream on the screen of reality, from the first time their eyes met amidst the frozen beauty of Terra Para, to this very moment atop the Ilsorin stronghold.

    He no longer hated or resented her. He had accepted her, and had accepted her kind. He had made physical contact with her on his own volition. He played games with her and he wanted to spend time with her.

    He said kind words to her.

    And now they were facing each other, having hurt each other despite merely sparring, she fighting against her rising bloodlust, him holding back the rage burning his soul. Yet they were here because each of them wanted to be here, wanted to be with the other, to be against the other, to test themselves...

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    ...and rise together as a team and as soulkin.

    Veralla shook her head and came back to her senses. Before her, Airo made a minimal motion, shifting his weight to launch an attack. She flared her wings, bringing her tail to one side, intent on feinting, then give him a solid bap on the head.

    Actually... when did sparring matches end?

    "That is enough," Glawlrhain suddenly said.

    ***

    Something was wrong with the training grounds. The environment had become too quiet.

    Airo, however, had no spare moments to dwell on side matters. He was focused completely on Veralla, anticipating more surprises from her. He had abandoned all restraint, the old bloodlust of the Dragonslayer resurfacing in his mind, as he prepared to utterly destroy the dangerous creature before him.

    "That is enough," growled a characteristic, alien voice.

    Airo winced as if taken out of a trance. Veralla relaxed too, all tension leaving her. He glanced to the side, and saw Glawlrhain who was standing by the outer edge of the sparring platform, glaring sternly at both of them.

    Airo instantly became aware what had caused the strange stillness.

    The Radiant Knights had stopped their training. All of them had gathered around the sparring platform silently, forming a wide circle of over a hundred individuals. The dragons towered behind the humans, displaying the same hushed awe their mortal companions did. Even Alomar and his pack had come to watch, their expressions scornful yet their eyes betraying keen interest.

    "You have dueled well," Glawlrhain broke the silence again. "Both of you."

    Veralla smiled timidly, bashful under so many gazes. "We did great, Airo! High five!" She raised her claw.

    "What?" he balked.

    "Let us have a high five," Veralla repeated. She glanced with comical alarm at her claw. "Oh, well, s-since I have six fingers, it is not exactly a five. Maybe high six-five?"

    Airo eyed her. She was uncertain, yet her gesture was hopeful, even heart-touching. She seemed so vulnerable, waiting expectantly for him to respond.

    Great Cosmos, what has my life become?

    He raised a hand, and they high-fived.

    The Radiant Knights exploded in cheers. Humans shouted excitedly and applauded, while dragons gave approving hrrrs and thumped with their tails.

    "I knew you weren''t gonna leave her hanging, Boss!" Zuckeroff clamored from the front rows.

    "Well done, Commander!" Kiana added with a yell.

    "You were fantastic, Veralla!" Lung rumbled loudly.

    "Best fighting technique I''ve seen after Glawlrhain!" Zeromon roared.

    Veralla turned her head in all directions, beaming with happiness and trying to look humble at the same time. Airo let the crowd cheer on, contemplating what just happened.

    He had never high-fived a dragon before. It felt... strange. Since the tragedy which had taken Zenassa away from him, he never again had been keen on physical contact. Yet when his and Veralla''s palms touched, the sensation was electrifying. Her draconic hide felt so smooth, so... natural. It was as if this ultra-brief moment of intimacy had reborn him anew, reawakening his soul from some long, dreamless sleep.

    He felt alive.

    The cheering was cut short when a long, shrill alarm echoed over the training grounds. The Radiant Knights quieted down, bewildered.

    "Sorry for interrupting your spontaneous festivities," Yeoman Cloud''s artificial voice boomed from no particular direction. "I think there is a situation requiring everybody''s immediate attention." The SAI wasn''t jovial as usual, sounding instead much more solemn.

    "What is happening?" Airo asked the question for everyone.

    "There is a ninety-nine point eight percent likelihood one of the dragon eggs in the storage incubators will begin to hatch within ten minutes."

 Chapter 17.3 - Protector of the Way

    Airo had never seen people move so fast, not even during emergency evacuations.

    The hatching ceremony was swiftly organized in one of the large observation domes. The Radiant Knights again were all present with no exception, and even some refugees had managed to find their way into the dome. Magus Dei had also arrived, although Mentoria remained nowhere to be seen. The egg was brought into the dome, stark white in color, and carefully placed on a wide, low podium. Everyone, humans and dragons alike, stood at a respectable distance from the podium, leaving a large empty half-circle before the observation deck of the huge chamber.

    "A white egg," Airo heard one nearby dragon murmur. "This can''t be good."

    Stamat was chosen to have the honor. Lylana offered Magus to perform the ceremony, yet the old Knight declined on grounds he''d been exiled from the Order twenty years ago, and thus no longer true part of it. So Lylana stood besides the dragon egg and Stamat, blessing them both to always be able to see the Way and to forge a lasting bond in the light of the Fire Eternal. The Highlander Knight constantly glanced toward Glawlrhain during this short and evocative speech, and the sinuous dragon nodded encouragingly every time. Stamat also took a couple of quick looks at Alomar for some reason, yet the temperamental dragon gazed with a stony expression. Airo realized something significant was going on behind the scenes, since even Veralla held her breath as the event unfolded.

    The blessing ceremony concluded promptly. Lylana withdrew from the podium and everyone began to wait for the dragon egg to hatch.

    Soon it became apparent Yeoman Cloud had fumbled something.

    "It''s not hatching," Stamat said, his voice shaking with emotion.

    The gathered crowd made scattered comments. The dragons were increasingly concerned with the egg being white in color for some reason.

    "Au contraire, Knight Stamat," Yeoman Cloud objected blithely. "Here, have another look." The SAI summoned a cloud of golden particles around the dragon egg. The particles flashed and swirled, solidifying into a large lens, amplifying the view a thousandfold. Tiny, web-like patches of cracks had appeared in different spots upon the egg''s smooth, glassy surface.

    The crowd became even more agitated.

    "I have never seen anything like this," Lylana said.

    "Neither have I," Magus replied. "However, this does not change things." He lifted his arms high and wide, and his voice boomed with absolute authority. "Silence! The ceremony continues."

    The noise died down and the observation dome became quiet once more.

    Moments went by, then minutes, then hours. Beyond the panoramic window behind the podium, the twin suns lowered into twilight. Stamat stood by the dragon egg, nervous and concerned. The tiny cracks visible on the lens grew excruciatingly slow, deepening by infinitesimal amount. The crowd rustled, exchanging whispered conversations and stirring stiffened joints. Airo wasn''t sure about the egg, yet by his reckoning the tension within the chamber had reached the breaking point.

    At last, there was an audible pop.

    The lens around the dragon egg disappeared. A second later, one of the cracked regions of the egg''s shell caved in and broke. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief. Another spot broke free, and the top of the whole egg flopped away in several large, fractured chunks. The hatchling emerged.

    The sighs turned into shocked gasps. Besides Airo, Veralla hrrr¨Ced with horror.

    The dragon hatchling was a wretched sight to behold. Its scales were completely leached of color, whiter even than its shell, and its eyes were luridly purple; not in a healthy way, but rather in the limpid clarity of one whose sclerae and irises were completely transparent, showing the blood behind. The hatchling clawed weakly, and tumbled out of its remaining shell. Its body was nothing but scales and bones, giving the dragonet''s already ghostly visage a skeletal quality.

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    It had no strength to rise from the floor. Its thin wings flapped helplessly. Its albino eyes lifted toward Stamat, a glimmer flashing inside them for the merest of moments, and the dragonet hrrr¨Ced with exhausting effort.

    "S-so c-cold..." she stammered in a high-pitched, fragile voice. "I-I a-am... s-so c-cold..."

    Stamat stood frozen in place, his face a picture of utter shock and dread. Everyone else in the observation dome were also paralyzed with stillness. Airo himself was stunned by what he was witnessing, despite his hardened psyche. He simply couldn''t fathom the sight of a malformed dragon.

    "C-c-cold..." the dragonet moaned.

    It was Glawlrhain who first regained his wits. "I can sense this hatchling is in immense pain," he said quietly. "Her life essence is almost non-existent. With great sorrow, I think she must be... released."

    His words were met with dazed silence. Then Magus said, "Regrettably, that is the right action in this case."

    "Do we have no other choice?" Lylana asked with strained voice.

    "Unless we want to prolong the inevitable, no," Glawlrhain replied.

    The misshapen dragonet moaned again. The other Radiant Knights suddenly burst into a tumult, fear and confusion gripping their voices.

    Stamat broke free from his transfixed state. "I shall take upon this severe task!" he shouted over the din. "Mine shall be the responsibility to do what''s necessary."

    "Silence!" Magus demanded, and the chamber became quiet. "Are you consciously making this choice?" he asked Stamat sternly.

    "I am," the Highlander nodded gravely, his face pale. He looked at the dragonet who was watching him pleadingly. With great effort, Stamat looked away and struggled to continue. "I... I was chosen to be a companion to this individual and... mine should be duty to bring her back into the light of the Fire Eternal."

    Several long seconds passed. The misshapen dragonet hrrr¨Ced miserably, her voice desperate and weak.

    "Very well," Magus said. "Then¨C"

    "THIS IS DREYKSHIT!"

    Everybody turned their heads. Kiana strode forward onto the podium, an avatar of fury. "How can all of you let this happen!" she shouted, turning to face the crowd. "How can you even THINK about it! You are the deusdamned protectors of the galaxy, by the Great Cosmos! And you dare to contemplate killing a helpless being! What kind of fucking Radiant Knights you are! Where the bloody stars is mentioned in the teachings of the Celestial Way that killing is fine?! What happened to your morals, people?! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CONTEMPLATING ENDING THE LIFE OF A HATCHLING?!"

    "Because our choice may be a hard one, and yet it is the kindest choice, given the grim circumstances," Magus Dei said in resolute tone.

    "Kind choice, my stardust ass!" Kiana retorted violently. "Just cure her or something!"

    "We cannot," Magus replied. "I cannot. Glawlrhain cannot. Lylana cannot. No one else cannot. The miracles of modern technology cannot. Her very core is lacking. She is dying."

    "Load of dragoncrap! What about Mentoria! That fucking bitch found a way to create fucking life! It''s impossible she can''t help this dragonet!"

    "There is nothing impossible in the Universe," a calm, cold voice said. The crowd parted, and Mentoria stepped forward, exotic and austere in her scant starnight robe. She continued evenly, "And in this case, I have been bestowed with the possibility of being unable to intervene."

    Kiana grit her teeth. She whirled, arms thrown wide, gesturing at everyone. "How the fuck did the most advanced organization in the known universe suddenly become so powerless!? Can''t you voiddammit do anything?!"

    "We dragons are still an enigma, even to ourselves," Glawlrhain murmured. "Our fates are immutable. And sometimes... twisted. I have seen this phenomenon before. We have tried averting it. There is nothing we can do for this one. She is doomed."

    "Right," Kiana spat, "if you say so, oh great one." Her voice dripped with scorn. Her eyes scanned the crowd. "Then if no one from you will do anything, I shall take upon matters."

    She turned and strode to the center of the podium. "Move away, dumb muscle," she told Stamat and he hurriedly stepped back. Kiana knelt down and took the sniffling dragonet in her arms.

    "C-c-cold..." the dragonet whispered, reaching a tiny claw for Kiana''s shoulder and looking into her eyes.

    "Shhh, it''s okay, little whippersnapper. Everything''s gonna be okay." Kiana petted the dragonet''s head, and gently embraced her shivering body. "Cloud, increase the room temperature."

    "It''s already at thirty degrees, Kiana."

    "Raise it further."

    "T-t-thank y-you..."

    "Hush now. I''ll get you nice and warm. Do you want something to eat?"

    "Y-yes..."

    "Good, good." Kiana began to massage the dragonet, rubbing her wings and back. "Let''s get the blood flowing within you. You''ll be warm in no time. Now, what do you want to eat?"

    "C-c-can y-you... p-please... g-give me a n-name... f-first?"

    "Yes. Yes, of course." Kiana paused for a second. "I shall name you Nightsong."

    "W-why s-so..."

    Kiana smiled with a warm, sad smile. "Because it reminds me of something. Of someone. You remind me of someone, Nightsong."

    "N-n-night... s-song... I l-like i-it..."

    "I''m glad you do, whippersnapper. I''m Kiana, by the way."

    "K-k-Kiana..."

    "Yes?"

    "C-can y-you... s-stay w-with m-me... p-please?"

    "Yes, Nightsong. Don''t worry. I''ll stay with you. I''m not going anywhere until you get better."

 Part III - Prelude to Vengeance

    PRELUDE TO VENGEANCE

    Yolo''s Landing, seven centuries ago

    The Dragonslayer drank deeply, ignoring the dark sky outside.

    Five years had passed.

    Five years since his loss, since when everything was bereaved of Meaning. The Campaign had ended; the world had moved on, and now peace applied its healing powers upon bloodied wounds and shattered fates. Yet nothing was able to soothe his weeping soul.

    The apartment was nearly as dark as the night outside. Illumination panels and light strips stood non-functional, broken or torn away in fits of rage and grief. Bottles and other trash littered the floor. Furniture lay overturned in chaotic patterns. A lone portable lamp cast a reddish glow from the corner. The Dragonslayer sat behind a table, his mouth searching for the bottle in his hand, the motion once a desperate hope for escape, now a half-dead habit.

    He turned his unfocused gaze to the panoramic window. The cityscape glimmered in faint night-light, too young to blaze in full earth-bound radiance. The stars were bright, yet the sky was shrouded in shadow. The moons had retreated beyond the horizons. The Great Cosmos was ever-present and beckoned the bravest to its infinite reaches. He wondered for the aeonth time if he should answer the call in the ultimate manner, and search for Her out there, across the oceans of eternity.

    The intercom chimed vibrantly. The Dragonslayer did not respond. The entrance door swooshed open nonetheless. Two figures stepped inside.

    "Now, do not be startled," a familiar voice whispered. "He is quite... troubled, yet I am sure he will receive you well. Ugh, so dark in here! A sec, here is the light switch..."

    There was a negligent change in illumination. The sparse rays of additional lighting fell upon the newcomers. The Dragonslayer shifted his hazy eyes and recognized the confident, spirited posture of the Rival.

    "Airo! Airo! Wake up!" he said. "Look who I have brought here!"

    "He seems... very ill," someone else said. "Is he sad about something?"

    "Yes, my dear. Yet we are here to make him better," the Rival said. "Now, be polite to our host and greet him."

    "Hello," the other said with timid, shy voice.

    The Dragonslayer finally registered the Rival''s companion. She was slightly larger, her dark blue scales flowing in different hues under the faint light. Her wings were partly outstretched in anxious excitement, and her amber eyes were full of vitality, curiosity, and joy. She exuded happiness, displaying a soft demeanor whose innocence was written plainly on her reptilian face.

    The Dragonslayer saw only enemy.

    The fog in his mind evaporated in an instant. He jolted upright, his every fibre wire-taut in primal hatred. "Who... what have you brought here!" he demanded angrily.

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    "Airo, take it easy," the Rival said. "This is Kalessia. She¨C"

    "I do not care if the beast was given a name," the Dragonslayer growled. "Did you forget how dangerous they are? Did you forget what they are capable of!"

    "Airo, listen to me. Dragons are not mindless brutes! They have had the potential for self-awareness all along. They¨C"

    "Shut up, you brainless idiot! You dare bring a dragon here! Into my home!" The Dragonslayer overturned the table and stood up, an avatar of burning wrath.

    "Calm down!" the Rival shouted. "Airo, she will not harm anyone!" Indeed, his companion already had backed up a stride, wings mantling in nervous alarm, slit-pupiled eyes watching fearfully her host.

    The Dragonslayer possessed no clarity in his soul. "She is a dragon!" he roared and flew into rage, fists swinging, teeth bared, jaw locked, murder in his fiery gaze. The Rival dashed, grabbing him, and the two struggled madly.

    "She hatched barely two weeks ago!" the Rival yelled. "She is just a child!" He stood in the way, shielding the dragon with his body.

    "The Stars curse you!" the Dragonslayer screamed at the top of his lungs. "It was their fault! Zenassa died because of those bloody monsters! The dragons infected her!" He swung, but the Rival seized his arm.

    "By the Great Cosmos, it has been five years! Let go of your grief before you lose your mind completely!"

    "Never! She died because of them! I will kill them ALL!"

    The Dragonslayer pushed against the Rival, trying to reach the enemy beyond, yet the man before him held tight. They fought in this stilted manner, each recognizing a steadfast friend in the other, now turned into a strained ally. They clashed verbally, arguments forgotten in place of raw emotions, the Dragonslayer''s pain matched against the Rival''s love, while the focal subject of this microcosmic battle watched it unfold with frightened tension. But as the Dragonslayer descended into boundless fury, so did the Rival became more desperate to find a solution, until he snapped.

    "Stop! Stop it, Airo!" the Rival shouted. "It was my fault!"

    The Dragonslayer sputtered mid-scream, and his grip lessened. "W-what?" he asked in confusion, still half-lost in bloodlust.

    "It was my fault!" the Rival repeated. "Zenassa was transmogrified because of me!"

    The Dragonslayer ceased struggling, and regarded him with an empty stare. "You...?" he whispered in disbelief.

    "Yes," the Rival said, voice bitter with sorrow. "She was hesitant to experiment with the draconic strain. I convinced her to do the tests."

    "Why..."

    "We needed progress on Project Ascension. The uplift branch was nearly completed, yet the transcendental branch... During her work, Zu was the only one who somehow developed partial immunity to the draconic strain, and we... I am sorry, Airo. We took every precaution. We... I thought everything would be fine. I should have never persuaded Zu. I have regretted this decision of mine every day since the incident.

    "Please, forgive me."

    The Dragonslayer became very still. The Rival paused, breath held, his expression a vessel of desperate plea. The Dragonslayer stared, his friend''s confession slowly reaching his consciousness. As the revelation dawned on him, he felt how the last star on his inner horizon winked out and only darkness remained. He shifted his gaze minutely to the dragon behind, then back to the human who stood before him.

    The Rival became the Nemesis.

    A new light suddenly filled the Dragonslayer. It seared his heart, and gave him a singular, blazing purpose, encased in cold clarity. Vengeance.

    Before him now stood only the enemy.

    There was a familiar pressure upon his senses the Dragonslayer had not felt in years, as time literally slowed down. He saw the Nemesis'' eyes fill with terror, the only available reaction in the blur of distorted temporal flow. The Dragonslayer reached for his sword, drew it in one blinding motion and set it flying to the Nemesis'' heart.

    The world was shaken by a roar. A winged figure tore through the veil of relativity. A powerful claw swiped, turning away the Dragonslayer''s strike. Somehow, he retained his grip on the blade, despite the bone-shattering blow. Then the dragon slammed into him full-force, and he lost contact with the ground.

    Pain wracked the Dragonslayer''s back as his body hit an obstacle. The window burst in a whirlwind of glass. The winds of two environments met in a howling vortex. Gravity reached, and pulled with dooming inevitability.

    Yet the Dragonslayer was possessed by a far greater force. An inviolable, absolute vow engraved itself in his being in the same instant as it escaped his breath. He fell into the darkness with a single, chilling scream.

    "YOU WILL PAY, FEERTAAAAU!"

 Chapter 18 - Questioning the Way

    CHAPTER 18 ¨C QUESTIONING THE WAY

    "When you have no strength, no wits, no will,

    When you are small of stature, dark of mind, weak of spirit,

    What are you to do?

    Remember, you are Light.

    Your soul is vaster than any illusion before your eyes."

    ¨C Ver Lumineo, "A Journey To The Sun"

    The Present, somewhere within the "Hot Zone", Terra Para

    Airo fired a shot over his shoulder, running toward the grav-shaft, when another Revenant burst from the wall ahead and barred his way.

    Brandishing his katana in one hand and the veronite blaster in the other, Airo slashed at the apparition using his momentum. The Revenant raised a spectral appendage and parried the blow. The action caught Airo off-guard, making him reel. He nearly kicked by reflex, yet remembered the horrific nature of his opponent and shot the Revenant with the blaster instead, the power armor assisting to make the awkward attack work. The projectile hit home, and the Revenant dissipated in a cloud of brilliant energy.

    Airo saw motion in the corner of his eye and turned rapidly, falling on one knee. He fired at the pursuing Revenant, their deadly energy beams missing him by mere inches. Taking them out, he quickly jumped backward, entering the grav-shaft''s field. Ascending upward, he took a second to catch his breath. That Revenant had parried the strange crystal blade of his katana. Without an active resonance field in the vicinity. This was trouble.

    The skyship''s nolreck was eerily calm. There were no explosions or alarms, only a disquieting chime coming from the PA system. The cyan-purple interior lighting pulsed in rhythm with the sound. The attack had come at the worst possible time ¨C while Airo was sleeping. Stimulants or no, his body was already pushed long ago to its limits, and he couldn''t rest in standing position anymore by locking the power armor''s joints. As for rest at all, he needed it ¨C however fleetingly ¨C otherwise his performance dropped beyond the critical threshold: that of the absolute peak.

    And now entropy had finally taken its toll.

    Airo left the grav-shaft, arriving before the bridge. A dozen Radiant Knights were fighting a furious battle at the bridge doors, as Revenant poured from every possible angle. Airo dashed into the fray, firing the veronite blaster and slashing with the katana left and right. Fortunately, the Knights were all carrying resonance fields with them, the whole area simmering faintly as the exotic creatures equalized the scales, reducing the effectiveness of the Revenant''s attacks significantly. Yet the enemy had overwhelming numbers, with more and more Revenant appearing as the Knights cut them down with their own weapons made of light or shot them with heavy particle bolters. Airo fought his way to the bridge, and entered without slowing down as the doors opened to admit him into the nerve center of the skyship.

    Inside, the situation was even more critical. The bridge had turned into a battlezone. Crew stations were blasted or destroyed. Revenant were everywhere, relentlessly engaging the defenders. The bridge''s observation window was shattered, cold wind howling inward as a blizzard raged outside.

    "Cloud! Status report!" Airo shouted, and staggered as a Revenant beam hit him. He dived for cover behind the CIC mainframe, returning fire.

    "We are surrounded, Commander," the SAI responded at once, tone completely matter-of-fact. "Sensors indicate no less than fourteen hundred enemy combatants. The skyship has sustained moderate damage, mainly to its weapon systems. The bridge helm is critically damaged, and four of the five manual control sets are currently inoperational."

    "What about our forces!" Airo shouted, shooting tenaciously in every direction. The blaster beeped empty, and he swiftly ejected the battery slot, slapping a fresh MEM-cell, continuing the fusillade.

    "All dragon units are deployed and engaged with priority targets. Auxiliary combat teams are fighting to repel boarders. Piloting crew is mixed status. Commander, I have registered multiple KIAs."

    "Bloody stars, get us out of here then!" The sounds of battle were everywhere, with screams and bellowed orders filling the commlink.

    "Unable to comply, Commander. I''m currently under a cyber-?ther attack. If my current resources don''t remain committed for counter-intrusion tasks, I shall be erased from the system."

    "Void it, I will do it myself!" Airo yelled, and sprinted across the bridge, relying on his power armor to keep him alive. Energy beams lanced into him from several directions, making the armor''s shields flare up. A Revenant glided to bar his way, but Airo bowled into the apparition, driving it away, the serefi-facilitated contact feeling strange and plainly wrong.

    "You two, cover me!" he shouted to the nearest Radiant Knights, and the shaken red-gold armored warriors quickly drew to his side.

    Putting away his weapons, Airo reached the helm. He checked his HUD to see which was the still-working control set and took its place, the two Knights guarding his back. Outside, beyond the broken observation window, the bleak sky was an arena of another brutal clash, dragons flying and fighting hundreds of humanoid and several draconic Revenant.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Airo worked the helm controls, recalling how they functioned, and flared the powerful engines to maximum thrust. He disabled the inertial stabilizers, and everyone fell on the floor, while the Revenant, with their momentum-ignoring natures, trailed behind rapidly as Vorzii accelerated forward.

    The skyship gained speed, and escaped from the initial ambush ring. This heartened the defenders both outside and inside, and tipped the scales in their favor. Airo kept his hand pressed on the throttle HHI touchpad, monitoring the battlefield in VR. He issued multiple orders across the mindscape, once again impressed at the discipline and swiftness with which the Knights responded. Somebody finally regained control of the weapon systems, andVorzii spewed massive barrages at the deadly draconic Revenant, tearing great holes in their immaterial golden bodies. The colossal apparitions retreated, surprised as the tides turned, and disappeared into the storm clouds of the blizzard.

    Given this window of opportunity, the dragon Knights regrouped, driving away the rest of the pursuing Revenant horde. Using the enormous jetpacks strapped to their backs, the dragons reached the skyship, taking shelter within its large hangar bays.

    It was a close call, yet the ambush was broken.

    Airo double-checked if everyone was on board sans casualties, then re-enabled the inertial stabilizers and spaced out with all haste.

    ***

    Ilsorin, the Radiant Knights'' hidden base, Terra Para

    "And next time, you will call me to the bridge exactly when I specify," Airo said. "You are not the one to determine whether or not I need ''five more minutes of rest''. Is that clear, Knight?"

    "Yes sir," Stamat replied, eyes cast downward, crestfallen.

    "Now, report on Knight Mina''s co... soulkin. Is his status still MIA?"

    "No, sir. We, uh... witnesses were interviewed. Knight Hywel did a suicidal charge against the enemy once... once Mina fell. The data streams confirm it. He''s dead, sir. In truth, sir... his sacrifice gave the rest of us enough time to regroup."

    "What about the settlement? Were any colonists evacuated?"

    "All dead, sir. The Revenant used them as live decoy to lure us. They struck just as we were launching the transport shuttles." Stamat''s voice was barely above a whisper.

    "I see. Remember this lesson well, Knight. This is what mistakes cost in a war." Airo cut the commlink.

    Seven Knights were dead. Eight now, counting Mina''s soulkin. And of course, the dragon herself, making the total casualties nine. Thirteen more were injured, kept alive thanks to the resonance fields and the Order''s advanced regimen and technologies. This was too close. In one brutal strike, the Revenant had nearly decimated the Radiant Knights, who were already stretched too thin as it was. It was by far the most concentrated attack Ferrtau''s monstrosities had ever done, to Vorzii or to anything else, and all signs pointed to this being a deliberate action.

    The Revenant were out to get them.

    Airo made his way to Ilsorin''s medical level. The stronghold''s hallways seemed subdued and bleak, although the amount of hubbub was the same. The refugees still hadn''t caught on what had happened. There were no Radiant Knights around; all of them had gone to attend the funeral ceremony, and now Airo sought out to summon the two people who weren''t informed of the events: Veralla and Kiana.

    Three people, if he counted the sick dragonet. Yet he doubted she was going anywhere ¨C except heavenward.

    Ilsorin''s medbay was the most advanced facility Airo had ever seen. It was so advanced, in fact, that at first it failed to make proper impression upon him. Most of the machinery was practically invisible, their presence detectable only as pointed edges of various projectors, or arcing bands of silvery emitters, like the ones in Airo''s cryoprison. The medical level was equipped with holding tanks full of revitalizing liquids, their size fitted to accommodate humans, while immense pools with the same setup were provided for dragons. Some areas were sectioned off for non-intensive care, where patients could rest in comfort, and those areas could be further redesigned in different room configurations by variform walls and floors. Like everywhere else in Ilsorin, the place was decorated in silvery-golden style, with lots of abstract crystal sculptures which doubled up as illumination sources, casting a comfortable amber glow.

    Airo went to one of the recovery rooms. Inside, the temperature was sweltering. One wall was seamlessly converted into a picture-perfect window, showing the cloudy twilight outside. A large nanofabricator was installed in the corner. Next to the wall perpendicular to the wall-window, a miniature version of the healing pools was placed, and inside, half-floating, half-lying, was Nightsong.

    The dragonet was still deathly pale and very weak, moaning softly every few moments. Veralla and Kiana both were beside the healing pool. Veralla carried an expression of deep worry, her tail twitching as she sat restlessly on all fours. Kiana, by contrast, looked almost as sorry as her charge. Her hair and clothes were damp with sweat, and she hadn''t slept for some time, evidenced by the dark spots beneath her eyes and her slumped posture. She was kneeling besides the pool, and spoke quiet encouragements to Nightsong, holding the dragonet''s tiny claw in her hand, and a plate with small meat chunks in the other.

    "Must I eat now?... I feel so tired... and cold..." Nightsong said plaintively. She wasn''t stammering anymore, yet her frail body now shivered without pause.

    "No, you don''t have to if you don''t feel like it," Kiana said, putting the plate down and squeezing lightly Nightsong''s claw. "Rest now. Just tell me when you''re hungry, okay?"

    "Okay..."

    Airo watched silently for a minute, his presence completely unnoticed. Veralla seemed torn between Nightsong''s condition and the plate with meat lying besides Kiana. The Conduit, for her part, was focused entirely on the sick dragonet, her lavender eyes bright with compassion and determination despite her fatigue. Nightsong closed her eyes, seemingly drifting into stupor, though she continued to moan and shiver.

    "How is she?" Airo asked quietly at last.

    "Airo!" Veralla hrrr¨Ced softly, turning her head to see him.

    Kiana glanced at him with a weary expression. "Barely holding," she said. "Cloud''s doing everything possible, and I''m pouring my own life essence to keep her alive." She smiled wanly. "You''re never one to inquire after others, Commander. What''s the reason for your visit?"

    He gave a brief report of the mission, and then told the grievous news.

    "No! No! It cannot be!" Veralla rawr¨Ced in horror. "Not Mina! No..." She coiled upon herself, sobbing, her slit-pupiled eyes filling with tears.

    "Great Cosmos..." Kiana muttered, and looked down at the fitful Nightsong. "Fuck this war... Fuck the Lightbringer. People always''ve been such selfish bastards... I''d fucking cry now if I wasn''t so dried up..." Despite her words, her gaze glistened.

    "The last rites will be performed shortly," Airo said. "The Knights are already gathering. I came to ask if you would come."

    Veralla spoke with effort, voice shaking. "Yes. Yes, I will come."

    "Pardon me, Commander," Kiana said softly. Her gentle grasp didn''t let go Nightsong''s claw even for an instant. "I shall honor the dead in due time. They can wait. For now... I must stay with Nightsong."

    "I understand," he nodded. "Let us go, Veralla."

 Chapter 18.2 - Questioning the Way

    The funeral was a short, heartbreaking ceremony. It took place at a large square, atop one of the tallest mountain summits on Ilsorin. All of the Radiant Knights present carried a torch, or channeled the ?ther into a living flame in their open palms. The dragons who were not yet Awakened had their foreclaws doused in burning substance, and set alight. All the humans were without helmets, despite the bitter cold. Night had fallen, its soft starlight coalescing with the smaller fires carried by the wake watchers.

    Veralla stood closely to Airo, her tail wrapped tightly around his leg. His pose was that of a warrior at parade rest. Although she could sense he felt uneasy about the extent of her contact, he did not object, keeping his bearing poised and respectful. She snuggled even tighter, seeking his reassuring presence in the face of what unfolded before her eyes.

    There were no bodies. None of the dead had been recovered from the Revenant ambush. Instead, the living chronicle of each lost Knight was projected for everyone to see, displaying the greatest moments of their lives. The nine Radiant Knights smiled, acted, and dared, reliving their past triumphs as silent specters of cyan-purple light beneath the cold, barren sky of Terra Para. Their names were writ upon the air itself with the power of the ?ther:

    Knight Lisa Seres

    Knight Ithel Yamazaki

    Knight Ea Gorog

    Knight Nassuu Y

    Knight Harold Troybaum

    Knight Blaise Zeelen

    Knight Zoriak ''Zozzy'' R''urgal

    Knight Mina

    Knight Urien Hywel

    Lylana stood before the projections, facing the host of living Knights. Her towering form was stoic and her expression solemn. She raised her flame-enveloped fist and spoke, her clarion voice tinged with sorrow.

    "Fellow Knights of the Radiant Order! We have gathered here to give a final farewell to our dear sisters and brothers, who have fallen in their line of sacred duty. They have performed the most noble of sacrifices ¨C they have given their lives to protect others. They have upheld their Pure Vow with honor and love.

    "And now, their Way has come to an end. Their immortal souls are ready to take the next journey, beyond the transient reality where our current lives reside. Thus, we return our sisters and brothers, gladly and with love, back to the Great Cosmos. We return them, and celebrate the infinite enlightenment and joy they shall receive in the warm, everpresent embrace of the Fire Eternal. We return them, so they may become One again.

    "May the stars always shine upon their souls."

    Veralla could not hold the tears anymore, and sobbed. Besides her, Airo reached tentatively to pat her wing. She cried and flung herself at him, hugging him fully, praying silently for him to not repulse her. He did not. He stiffened, tense with coldness for several terrible seconds, then... in wonder, she felt him ¨C slowly, warily, hesitantly ¨C felt him returning her hug.

    "Now raise your light, fellow Radiant Knights!" Lylana continued. "Raise your light in honor of those who have fallen! Raise your light in honor of those who live! Raise your light in honor of the Great Cosmos and the Fire Eternal! Raise your light in honor of the entire universe!

    "Raise your light, fellow Radiants, and renew your Vow!"

    "We vow! We vow to be undying champions! We vow to follow the Celestial Way! We vow to be humble and to be hallowed, and to always carry the love of the Fire Eternal! Thus we vow!" the Knights roared, everyone, human and dragon, lifting their lights, their vow resounding with the power of a hundred throats.

    "Master Dei," Lylana said formally, beckoning, "please, step forward, and bless our fallen sisters and brothers."

    "I thank you for granting me the honor, Knight Darkovitz," Magus said, holding high a brilliant silvery flame in his robed hand. "However, I cannot do as you wish. I went in exile twenty years ago, and denounced my Radiance. Regrettably, I am part of this Order no more."

    "One can''t ever truly leave the light of the Fire Eternal," Lylana said, her armored arm still outstretched. "You and Aethernalis taught us that, Master Dei. This is a time of conflict and darkness, a time where the very reality of our existence is in peril. No one is perfect, Master. Even the Lightbringer failed. Every one of us carries the burden of our finitude. So I plead you to come back, and offer your wisdom in service of the Way once more."

    Magus did not say anything for a long time. The summit had grown quiet, the Radiant Knights awaiting the response of their former leader. At last, without speaking, the old Knight made several steps forward, his heavy robes flowing around his broad-shouldered frame. He stood so, his back to the gathered host, facing the spectral images of the dead Knights, and lowered the flame in his hand. Veralla held her breath.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "Be blessed, brave guardians," Magus spoke. "Go now, and rest. Ascend to the stars, and become One with All!"

    He flung his flaming hand skyward again. Instantly, the spectral images of the dead Knights vanished, turning into bright beams of golden light. The nine rays shot up into the night sky, becoming shining sparkles among the stars, then winked out for the final time.

    Veralla cried again. She was not the only one.

    ***

    That night she pleaded Airo to sleep with him on the bed again, like she had done so long ago in Dragon Retreat when he was injured and nearly killed. Thankfully, he accepted, and Veralla gratefully climbed up, lying down beside him. Soothed by his immediate presence, she managed to fall asleep, although her dreams were troubled.

    The following days were dismal and unhappy. Veralla was very upset about the dead Radiant Knights, much more so than she had been about the councilors of Dragon Retreat. She wanted to be strong and tried not to cry anymore, yet she sniffled spontaneously now and again when no one was watching, mostly during meditation.

    She visited Nightsong at every opportunity, spending long hours keeping company to the other fledgling. She tried to cheer Nightsong, telling her of all the wonderful things she had learned about the world, about science, about magic, about people, and about other dragons in particular. Nightsong listened to her with the curiosity inherent in every new being, yet she was always in pain. No matter what Veralla did, no matter what she talked about, Nightsong was always in pain. Sometimes, the sick fledgling slept, yet Veralla sensed that even in her sleep she was still hurting. It made Veralla sad witnessing someone experience so much pain without her being able to do anything, and, combined with her sorrow for the dead Knights, it became harder to keep herself cheerful, trying to pass on her happiness to Nightsong day after day.

    Kiana was always by Nightsong''s side. She never left the fledgling even for a second, caring for her constantly. She was kneeling, or sitting beside the healing pool, petting Nightsong affectionately or soothing her with gentle songs which Veralla had never heard before from her. Kiana often channeled the ?ther, her body coruscating with a blue-white nimbus as she funneled some of her life essence into Nightsong. It was a very distressing thing to do, and Kiana always seemed exhausted afterward, and Veralla asked her why she did it.

    "Because I must, whippersnapper," she said with a raw voice. "I want to save Nightsong. It''s... what I have to do."

    Veralla was sure Kiana and Nightsong were destined to be soulkin, and she was very sad Nightsong could die. It would break Kiana''s soul, she was sure of that. But if Kiana died... Veralla thought her soul might break, too.

    When Nightsong sometimes felt a bit stronger, Kiana fed her with raw meat, which filled Veralla with trepidation. She did not want the whemokos to die, so Nightsong could eat; yet she also did not want Nightsong to die. She tried suggesting pyrolith crystals, but Nightsong was too sick to eat them. So she sat silently during meals, watching the fledgling consume with effort the flesh of others, and wondered miserably if this was what Glawlrhain meant when he said that sometimes there was no way. No way to choose right. No way to choose for all.

    No way for everyone to live.

    She wanted to go on missions, since Airo no more killed people, yet she felt the need to stay by Nightsong''s side. She knew what was to be alone, to be different, and wanted to protect Nightsong from those feelings. Kiana was there too, of course, but she was not a dragon ¨C or rather, she was not a strange dragon, like Veralla was.

    So she kept seeing Nightsong, coming to the medical bay after training or lectures. Her contact with others became minimal, save for Glawlrhain, Tehalix, and Lung. She wanted to help a kindred spirit, because Nightsong was different, and, being different herself, Veralla thought she could... she could...

    ...no...

    In truth, after Nightsong hatched, it made Veralla fully understand how unlike she really was compared to the other dragons. Small. Non-flying. Without fire. Scary-looking. ''Like a living shadow'', Teyalinar had said. ''She may be a Primordial dragon'', Magus had said.

    She was all those things. She was different.

    That was why she did not want to speak to the others. Despite Lung''s warning, the friendly dragons still looked at her with a mixture of pity and puzzled wonder, while Alomar''s gang cast acidic glances at her and heckled her when she passed them in the hallways. Strangely, Alomar said or did nothing ¨C as if she had become invisible to him, or because he experienced some inner turmoil himself. Perhaps Nightsong''s plight had changed something inside him too.

    Veralla''s differentness made her feel lonely and sad: the very feelings she was afraid to have. She worried she would always be like that ¨C different, and because of it, always lonely, and always sad.

    She feared she would become like Airo.

    To her surprise, it was Airo who drove away her fear.

    He stayed more often at the stronghold, resting between missions, and he talked with her during the long, depressing nights. His rich, confident voice carried something Veralla had not sensed before: warmth and affection. He spoke softly to her, his grey eyes flickering with life again. Veralla sought closeness, and he did not push her away. It was like Airo had become a different person.

    Different, yet better.

    Veralla drew strength from this realization, from the warmth in Airo''s voice, from the spark of endearment in his hesitant touch, and that strength drove away the shadows of doubt and loneliness from her soul like the dawning light drives away the darkness of the night.

    But... why Airo had changed?

    Because she never left him.

    She never gave up on him. She always was there for him. She had promised herself to make him not feel sad and alone, and to bring happiness to him.

    And she had succeeded.

    Despite being different, despite being small and powerless, despite feeling sad and lonely herself, she had succeeded. Her desire to help Airo and her willingness to be with him had alighted anew the fire of life in him.

    She did not have to feel lonely and sad.

    She had Airo, her soulkin!

    And if he could find the light again, even when burdened with his endless sadness, then so could do Nightsong, despite her overwhelming sickness and frailty.

    So could anyone.

    Anyone could find the light, no matter what.

    Even Ferrtau could probably do so!

    With renewed conviction, Veralla put her head down next to Airo''s as they again prepared to rest for the night. She fell into sleep peacefully, determined to keep her spirit high ¨C no matter what.

 Chapter 18.3 - Questioning the Way

    Airo made another command room meeting. Like the simulations predicted, the situation had become dire, and many tactical paradigms needed readjustment. He was even considering to replace the Order''s whole warfare doctrine; they simply didn''t have enough sapients-power to continue following their current strategy.

    The meeting concluded, and Airo was about to retire to make some private revisions, when Magus approached him on the way out of the command room.

    "Walk with me for a spell," the old Knight said.

    Airo was irritated at this casual display of authority. Even so, he followed Magus silently. The two of them strolled along Ilsorin''s vast hallways and took a cargo elevator to the uppermost levels. Here there was almost no traffic, as the area lacked residential amenities in general, and most sections were hangar space for fighter craft or repair bays. Airo was about to ask what was the point of this, when Magus said:

    "I wanted to tell you something."

    Airo bristled. "Is this another one of your talks, old man?"

    "No. No ''talks'' this time." Magus stopped before a cluster of aethertech megafluxers and looked him in the eyes. "I want to apologize."

    Airo paused, frowning. "What?"

    Magus sighed, an unusual gesture, and looked away. "I am sorry I did not prevent what happened to Zenassa," the old Knight said, making visible effort to meet Airo''s gaze again. "I am sorry you had to endure such a tragedy."

    Airo watched him silently. He was too shocked to form a reply.

    "I never realized the extent of your suffering," Magus continued. "Or your ability to turn that suffering into such a terrible strength. If I had known sooner... I tried to help both of you ¨C you and Ferrtau. In his case, I found a way to heal the guilt which ripped his soul apart. Yet for you... I failed to give you the means to ease your grief."

    "So you decided instead to throw me into permanent cryostasis, where my soul could rot away?" Airo asked.

    "My intention never was for you to stay imprisoned forever. The idea was... to put you away temporarily, until I could find a way to help you."

    "It took you long enough."

    "On the contrary," Magus objected, some of his reticence returning. "I found a way, and the world paid an abysmal price because of it. It was a discovery that had unforeseen consequences, consequences which imperiled everything. That is why I set my findings aside, and engaged with the pressing matters which had arisen. Yet in so doing, you were left alone and abandoned."

    "It is too late to grow a conscience, old man," Airo snapped. He folded his arms. "And I never wanted your help, anyway."

    "I am aware of both points," Magus said. His lips pursed, another unusual expression. "Yet the events of late... they reminded me some things. About forgotten truths and ignored signs. This is why I give you my apologies, even if they are seven centuries out of date. I am sorry, Airo."

    He was taken aback at the sincere emotion in the old Knight''s voice. "Is there anything else?" he asked, surprised he had to put effort to actually sound annoyed. Magus caught his hesitation.

    "There is," the old Knight said. "It is something I realized when I saw you and Veralla at the funeral. You never needed my help, Airo. Your fate as the Dragonslayer was never set in stone. You needed compassion and love, not pity and sympathy. You needed acceptance." Magus continued softly, "So feel accepted, Airo. Even when you are alone, you still walk within the light of the Fire Eternal. Even when you follow a terrible path, you still do so among the stars of the Great Cosmos. Feel accepted, Airo, and you shall see the Way.

    "And know this: I accept you. Everyone who follows you in this war accepts you. Veralla accepts you."

    Magus Dei turned and walked away, leaving Airo to comprehend what he had just heard. He gazed after the withdrawing form of the old Knight, and he rubbed the back of his head with a gauntleted hand.

    "Always the dramatics with this guy," he said, pensive.

    ***

    Veralla moved through Ilsorin''s halls with a purpose. She was determined to help Nightsong get better. The first step was to understand why Nightsong could not get better.

    To learn that, she was going to see Magus Dei, who was very wise and very powerful, and ask him why he cannot cure Nightsong.

    "Cloud, can you tell me where is Magus?" she asked out loud, stopping at a large intersection of hallways, grav-shaft clusters, and rampart exits. Ilsorin was vast, and without guidance she could wander for days before finding the old Knight, and she did not even know where he slept or liked to spend his time.

    "I can, Veralla," Yeoman Cloud replied helpfully, the SAI''s artificial voice sounding directly in her head. "However... is it necessary for you to see him now?"

    She was confused by the question. "Well, I think so," she said tentatively. "I want to ask him about Nightsong. Is he busy at the moment?"

    "In a manner of speaking, yes. He''s currently engaged in conversation."

    "Conversation? With who? Perhaps I could join?"

    "I don''t think this would be a good idea, Veralla. Stellarr Dei is speaking with Stellana Mentoria."

    "Oh, but I do want to know more about her! She is always so... strange. And distant. And unfriendly. Perhaps she is lonely? I can help Magus make her good company!"

    "I... don''t think that''s exactly the case here, Veralla."

    "Oh. Then what is it?"

    "It''s... well. Do you want to see for yourself?"

    "Yes!"

    "Okay. See that niche between the dragon sculpture and the grid-access terminal, by the farthest-most exit? Please go there, and I''ll show on the screen the relevant video feeds."

    She did as Yeoman Cloud asked. Few people passed along the high walkway here, as it led only to isolated parts on the mountain outside, and so the location was quite private. Veralla dodged a pair of delphinidae uplimals in mobile hydration suits, who were babbling merrily about the wealth of fish recipes Ilsorin''s food makers could replicate. She nestled at the indicated spot, and the screen before her flickered to life.

    The video feed displayed an image from the stronghold''s lower levels. Magus and Mentoria were located in some sort of enormous laboratory, surrounded by workstations, fabricators, transparent holding tanks, high-energy zones, and other wondrous devices. Silvery hazes of nanoswarms hovered in various sections, performing or regulating some tasks which were unfamiliar to Veralla.

    She was captivated by the sight, and decided to visit the laboratory as soon as she could, yet what suddenly got her attention was the desolate voice of Magus, and the grave, forbidding expression of the listening Mentoria.

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    "Allow me to make amends, then."

    "You should halt your attempts to change the past, my dear."

    "You took my meaning too literally."

    "You have always been very literal, my dear."

    "You know I never stopped loving you."

    "Do I? How do I know that? From where comes such knowledge?"

    "It comes from your heart, Mentoria."

    "My heart? The one you broke time and again? You abandoned me, Magus. We had each other for centuries, for millennia, for aeons long forgotten, and we shared something impossible to destroy, impossible to unmake. Then that overgrown lizard came along, and shattered our union."

    "Aethernalis and his kin were special."

    "Special!? What makes them so special! We have seen dragons before, Magus. Many times, in many forms, across many realities."

    "Yet they have never been the same. And each iteration has given us new, unique perspectives. Also, we have kept the company of dragons in the past, Mentoria. We have even lived as such, and in many other forms. Why it had to be different this time?"

    "Why indeed? Why did you devote so much attention to those who are lesser than us, Magus? Why did you fawn over your pet so much?"

    "Aethernalis was never a pet. Mine or anyone''s else. He was a dear friend who had a vision about the world. A vision far grander than any of us ever imagined. And Aethernalis held that vision not with implacable zeal, but with unconditional love. He was a messiah, Mentoria. He reminded me who I was in truth, and he showed me the Way."

    "So your Way was to leave me. I see."

    "I never left you, Mentoria!"

    "You actions speak otherwise, Magus."

    "What would you have liked for me to have done?"

    "Love me. Have sex with me. Keep me in your arms, and have the two of us wander the stars together until the end of time, like we promised each other."

    "And leave the legacy that caused the Cosmic Death unattended? Neglect the conflict we both spent ages fighting in? Ignore the Void and leave the universe to collapse?"

    "Yes, Magus! That is exactly what I wanted! Everything comes to an end, sooner or later. We did our part, and it did not matter. We sacrificed enough. The least we could have done was to have a well-deserved rest. Even now, it will take aeons more before oblivion consumes us all. And we could have enjoyed them in full. No crusades. No grand quests. No dragons. No damned never-ending save-the-world journeys, so others can reap the rewards. I want my happy ending!"

    "I wanted a happy ending, too. I thought we dedicated ourselves to our cause because of that. What happened to your compassion, Mentoria?"

    "My compassion died with your love toward me, Magus."

    "I never stopped loving you!"

    "Then why did you not show me that?"

    "...because I made a mistake. Forgive me, Mentoria."

    "There is nothing to forgive. I have already moved on, Magus. Go spread your ideals and dreams in peace. Just do not bother me, or distract me from my work."

    "Your work? Since when you have decided to continue Project Ascension?"

    "I have to do something, my dear. I had no goals in my life for too long. I figured I might as well create some out of whole cloth."

    "And you chose to bring from the ashes one of the greatest hubris this galaxy has ever tried to accomplish?"

    "I am no mere mortal, Magus. And neither are you ¨C or at least you used to be. We each have our perspectives which transcend those of lesser beings."

    "So where does your perspective end, then? You know my aspirations; it is only fair you tell me yours."

    "Power."

    "Power?"

    "Power. Plain and simple. Power to make my own destiny absolute."

    "You know what happens when means become ends, Mentoria. Ferrtau is a proof to that."

    "Spare me your lecture! Look at where your ends got you, and then dare challenge my aims. Ferrtau was your protege. He was completely indoctrinated in your beliefs and philosophies. Where that led him to? Like so many saviors before him, he lived long enough to see himself become the villain. It is the same fate that awaits you, Magus. If it has not already happened."

    "Perhaps. Everything comes to an end ¨C you said so yourself, Mentoria. Yet I fear your path will skip the heroic part and shape you straight into a malefactor. Perhaps... I should stop you before it is too late."

    "Perhaps you should try."

    "..."

    "..."

    "I came to apologize. To try and make things right. I never wanted to hurt you."

    "On that, we can both agree. I, too, thought you never wanted to hurt me. Yet we were both wrong."

    "So, no chance?"

    "No chance."

    "I see." Pause. "Answer me one question: Why the serefi?"

    "As pedestrian as it sounds, the reason is non-corporeal life forms are often considered unimaginable, and left unexplored. Yet one who seeks knowledge takes all possibilities into account."

    "Knowledge alone is not enough for one to Ascend."

    "Who said I wanted to do that? I am content to stay in this reality indefinitely."

    Veralla reached out and turned off the video feed. What she had heard made little sense to her, yet she was sure it was because she lacked proper context. And even without context, the information itself sounded very important ¨C and vaguely unsettling. She felt at once confused, scared, and sad.

    She needed Airo to make her feel better. As for Nightsong, she was not so certain anymore if Magus could help her; he seemed to have problems of his own, and they were much, much older than anything Veralla had ever known.

    ***

    Everything threatened to come crashing down.

    In the days following the devastating attack, Airo carefully monitored the morale among the Radiant Knights. He did not like the results. Nearly everybody had become dispirited, like when he had first arrived at the hidden base. In some cases it was worse; people had to be rotated out of active mission duty, lest their lowered combat readiness brought trouble to everyone. This put additional strain on the operational schedule, and the skyship started to spend more and more time grounded, because there was no available crew to safely fly it. Its damaged state didn''t help matters, either.

    As such, there was a drastic reduction of mission types. Vorzii could no longer stay afield for days on end and perform multiple objectives in one outing. Counterattacks on the Revenant were abandoned. The enemy was now actively on the hunt, and another ambush ¨C or even a pitched battle ¨C would be disastrous. Evacuation efforts were similarly downsized to the absolute minimum. People living in the hot zone had started leaving their settlements, making themselves harder targets for rescue missions and easier to be killed by the Revenant or the paraworld itself. Airo quietly told Cloud to focus operations on supply and recruitment of Consortium and Union field forces, hoping the soldiers would be able to save enough refugees and hold back the advancing Revenant on their own.

    The weather had worsened. Warpstorms coming from the Shard were now a daily occurrence, and several times Airo had to cancel or relocate supply drop-zones because the chosen region abruptly became screwed in its very space-time continuum. Terra Para''s intense turbulence also cost him a number of contacts, when the warpstorms inevitably reached Consortium and Union territory.

    He persevered through all these hardships. He continued to slowly build rapport with the lower echelons of the stellar civilizations. He supplied resonance fields and veronite, evacuated people whenever he could, and led the Radiant Knights to the best of his ability.

    Yet even he wasn''t impervious to the low morale which permeated the Order''s stronghold. The memory of the dead Knights hovered like a stark reminder of how absolute the stakes in this war were, but what truly disheartened everyone was the plight of the sick dragonet, Nightsong. The other dragons constantly asked about her, while the humans shook their heads and murmured in regret. Kiana, who looked after Nightsong, hadn''t slept for days according to Cloud''s report. In the wake of Zozzy''s death Airo urgently needed an experienced main pilot for the skyship, yet he knew it was pointless to press Kiana with the issue.

    "Cloud, who are Nightsong''s parents?" he consulted the SAI one evening, thinking the answer to the hatchling''s illness might be found in her genealogy.

    "I don''t know, Commander. That information had not been transferred to the local datalinks from the central archives at the Shard."

    "What about the blood samples?"

    "The tests came back negative, Commander. All present dragons are neither a parent, nor a sibling to Nightsong. Obtaining viable results was a challenge, as dragons'' physicality is quite flexible on the quantum level, and their DNA-equivalent is a triple-tripartite nonary helix, which¨C"

    "That would be all, Cloud."

    In truth, while Airo never admitted it to anyone, he was worried for the hatchling too.

    He didn''t know what to think anymore. Too much had happened recently. The brutal Revenant ambush. His confrontation with Magus Dei. The respect he had earned from both the Radiant Knights and the refugees. Nightsong''s hatching. The promise he had made to Veralla. The sparring match they had, and the spark which it had ignited.

    Airo felt the grip on his psyche slip. The emptiness inside threatened to rise again, not to numb him, but to hurt him. His rage lunged and thrashed in his soul like a monster trapped in a cage. Anguish, shockingly fresh and clear for the first time in seven centuries, seared his being, putting forth a range of emotions he thought himself impossible to experience ever again.

    During the day, he struggled to suppress this newfound vulnerability, focused on the war and his revenge on Ferrtau. Yet at night, he found solace from it in a place he never expected: Veralla''s company. He enjoyed talking to her, and her very presence soothed him. She wanted to be close to him, and he did not mind ¨C indeed he started to get used to the touch of her soft, smooth scales. At times, he even forgot she was a dragon. To him, she was Veralla, a bright, idealistic person and a dear friend; she was the one who stood by him, the one who accepted him as he was, the one who forgave him everything. Veralla gave him a reason to live: her.

    And she did something more. She made him feel alive again.

    The realization rocked Airo to his core. It gave the answer why he was so overwhelmed ¨C why his grief for Zenassa had arisen anew, why he worried about Nightsong, why his demeanor had softened, why his senses were slipping. The newly-ignited spark of life once more had blessed him with vitality, giving all to him, both good and bad. He was no longer an empty shell, hardened and driven by a singular, hollow purpose; he was alive, and free to feel the pain and the joy that were part of the most holy of flames in existence.

    And he was free to heal.

 Chapter 19 - Allies of the Way

    CHAPTER 19 ¨C ALLIES OF THE WAY

    "Having arrived in our galaxy scarcely two decades ago and isolated from both the Consortium and the Union, it is understandable they still present a major mystery. Regardless, against intense interest from both the public and from highly-respected academics like xenologist Paval Juykone, governmental and private institutions refuse to establish stronger diplomatic or cultural relations with these exo-galactyrs. In fact, such endeavors are actively discouraged. One can only speculate why the leaders of transhumanity so audaciously disregard such prodigious people who had achieved the remarkable feat of crossing the intergalactic medium, a miracle beyond our current capabilities due to the ruinous constraints of the Black Void."

    ¨C Archivist Nakatori Jel, "The H''raal Enigma", Datalinks

    Up close the Revenant vaguely resembled the human it had been in life. The golden, spectral shape carried an echo of features, a hint of eyes, a trace of posture. It didn''t speak. It didn''t try to get free. It did nothing at all, its ethereal visage completely devoid of all discernable expression.

    Airo and Veralla stood a few paces away. The Revenant was restrained by a barely-visible set of ?ther barriers, emitted by several projectors from the nearby walls. The makeshift prison was installed on Ilsorin''s medical level, since the area had the most readily-available aethertech designed for outward interaction. Two Radiant Knights were posted on guard until the interrogation was concluded. They were the Emaerel twins. The irony wasn''t lost on Airo.

    "So how did you capture a... a Revenant?" Veralla asked, staring at the apparition, her wings and tail twitching nervously.

    "A roaming band of them stumbled upon one of the supply meetings," he said. "We were well within capability to eliminate them, so I ordered several Conduits among the Knights to focus on a single target and attempt to restrain it. A spontaneous opportunity, though transporting the thing proved challenging."

    "Conduits? I thought Awakened Knights were called aethereals."

    "Well, semantics," Airo snorted. "The Consortium uses a more pragmatic term, while the Order sticks to its symbolic lingo. It is probably because of the old man."

    "Old man? Oh, you mean Magus." Veralla flicked her forked tongue in thought. "So, what are you going to do with this Revenant?"

    "Cloud will attempt to question it for information. Experiment on it, see the extent of these monsters'' capabilities. Then kill it."

    "Kill it?" Veralla startled, her purple eyes full of concern. "But¨C"

    "Give me a break," Airo snapped. "That thing is not a living being anymore. It is not even a spirit, according to others. Look at it!"

    She did so. "Yes, well, you are right," she murmured. "Although..."

    "Are you sensing something?" he asked, suddenly intent.

    "I... no, I am not sure." She shook her horn-crested head. "Its aura is too terrible for me to dwell on it."

    "All right," he said. "Do not strain yourself. You are not expected to take part in this anyway. How is Nightsong?" he asked, cursing himself at changing the subject so clumsily, and with such choice of topic.

    "Oh," she said, her wings drooping a little, "she is still very sick. Kiana is still caring for her, but she is very tired. I want to help but I do not know how." Her voice was despondent. "I am afraid they both might die."

    Airo didn''t know what to say. He was never one to use false assurances, and had no idea how to console Veralla in the current situation. He petted her head, and she rubbed thankfully against his touch. He told her the only thing which came to mind: "Do you want to visit them now?"

    "Oh, yes! Let us visit them."

    ***

    After visiting Kiana and Nightsong, Airo headed toward Ilsorin''s command room. His heart was heavy from seeing the sick dragonet again. She was just like the day of her hatching, only scales and bones, moaning and on the verge of death. He had instructed Cloud to spare no resources, yet Nightsong''s passing seemed inevitable. But while her ultra-short life was a foregone conclusion, there was the rise of dark tides on much more important fronts. Airo pushed aside his rediscovered compassion, focusing on the issues that this time threatened to defeat him and his defiant forces once and for all.

    He traversed Ilsorin''s ever-brilliant hallways with haste, ignoring the friendly greetings of the various refugees. The power armor''s HUD informed him Lylana, Glawlrhain, Stamat, and Magus were already in the command room. He reached one of the huge irised doors and stormed into the room, beginning the meeting without any preamble.

    "Three more attacks last week," he said. "Two of them during supply missions. Draconic Revenant are sighted within the atmosphere regularly, and several times we had to evade them. The enemy is definitely hunting for us.

    "We are short on everything," Airo continued. "Personnel, firepower, and raw materials. Veronite production is halved in order to keep dragons on field duty at peak capacity. Resonance fields continue to be in sharp deficit, even with the optimized formula. Meanwhile, the Consortium and the Union are both whittled away each day by the advancing Revenant.

    "These are the final hours, people. Cloud, show the figures and simulations."

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    The strataplan screens lit with data. Everyone watched grimly the scrolling numbers and graphs. Lylana sighed heavily and leaned with her armored arms on the command table.

    "So this is it, then?" she asked with a defeated tone. "We hole up once more and wait for the Reality Vortex to destroy Terra Para."

    "That is one available option," Airo nodded gravely. "However, I do not intend to pursue it. No, I think we should commit in the ultimate manner."

    "How?" Glawlrhain growled in aggravation, the word nearly unintelligible.

    "By striking at Ferrtau directly," Airo said. "We must gather all of our power, and launch a lightning-fast assault. Take him by surprise, like you did at Dragon Retreat, and finish him off."

    Lylana, Glawlrhain, and Stamat all started to say something, yet fell silent at Magus Dei''s raised hand.

    "The problem with this plan is two-fold," the old Knight noted calmly. "First, we cannot defeat Ferrtau in direct combat, even if we have the benefit of surprise. He merely retreated from the confrontation at Dragon Retreat, and I suspect he did not do so because he felt overwhelmed." Magus cast a glance toward Lylana and Glawlrhain. "Second, even if we accept for the sake of discussion the remnants of the Radiant Order can overpower Ferrtau, there remains the issue of his exact whereabouts ¨C which are unknown to this moment, as far as I am aware."

    Airo scowled. "I was told Ferrtau originally stayed at the Shard. He probably has returned to it by now."

    "And what if he has not?" Magus asked. "What will you do if you strike in the dark and miss?"

    Airo didn''t reply, staring at the old Knight sullenly.

    "We must be able to do something!" Stamat said hotly. The Highlander Knight smacked a fist against his palm. "We were faced with hard situations before. I''m confident we can overcome this one, too."

    "No, we cannot," Airo said. "This is not a new problem, kid. It is the same one that shadowed us from the start, and it finally caught up. Our power base is crippled. Unless we receive serious support in terms of logistical infrastructure, supplies, and soldiers, we cannot wage this war any further in a meaningful way."

    "What about the people we saved?" Stamat asked stubbornly. "We can ask for their help. If we tell them the stakes, they''d all join to the last galactyr!"

    "Even if we draft civilians," Airo objected, "they will be without experience and without armaments. Useless, in other words. And we lack the means to correct those flaws in any reasonable time."

    "Let''s contact the Consortium and the Union again then! By now they should''ve figured who''s truly responsible for this war!"

    "They have not. And they are not listening, as usual. Yeoman Cloud tries to reach them every week."

    "Maybe we should try to shore up our forces with defectors from their ranks," Lylana mused. "What''s the status on the shadow alliances?"

    "There was no success in recruiting anyone of significant station," Airo said grimly. "By Cloud''s estimates, we have gained the favor of only about twenty percent of the forces the Consortium and the Union have available, and none of the officers among them hold posts higher than battalion commander. We make a steady headway among the rank-and-file, yet war casualties almost cancel out this increase. Riley and Trahaearn also informed me the stellar civilizations have caught wind of our rogue operations and have removed several officers on espionage charges. So this backup solution has become a dead-end."

    "And without majority support, we cannot instigate a coup," Lylana shook her head.

    "Do we have any further alternatives?" Glawlrhain asked quietly.

    "No. We have none," Airo said.

    Silence descended upon the command room. Stamat embraced Glawlrhain with a disheartened expression, and the small dragon draped a wing around the young Knight''s shoulders. Lylana stared forward, unseeing, her professional countenance half-broken, her thoughts in some private hell. Magus Dei kept his hands clasped before him, hidden within the broad sleeves of his crimson robe, his face grim and foreboding. Airo gazed at one end of the command table, noting the absence of Mentoria. Her presence wasn''t strictly necessary ¨C or welcome, for that matter ¨C yet the exotic aethereal never missed the opportunity to flaunt her superiority and gloat bizarrely in the face of all-encompassing doom. He didn''t like her one bit, yet he couldn''t deny her aid was invaluable. Aid. Hmph. Airo''s strong suit has always been his rational, strategic approach to problems. He has never been one to engineer sudden turnarounds, or plan for them in advance. Which was why...

    He took a random stab in the dark. "Hey, old man."

    "Yes?" Magus raised an eyebrow, the gesture somehow conveying the entire weight of sharp disapproval he had for such an address.

    "Do you have any other tricks hidden in those antiquated sleeves of yours, or the stratagem with the dreadnought was the only one?"

    "Not exactly," the old Knight said dryly. He frowned, and then sighed as if he just made a decision. "We could try to visit the H''raal."

    "The H''raal?" Stamat exclaimed. "I thought they had left the system long ago."

    "They did, though not entirely by their own will," Magus said. "However, a... number of them have remained here, for their private reasons."

    "I remember the H''raal well," Lylana said, folding her arms. "They are notoriously... difficult to deal with. Is there any chance at all they would be willing to help us in this war?"

    "That is why I suggested a visitation," Magus pointed out. "This is not a clear-cut solution, merely a chance for reaching out and getting luck."

    Airo silently requested from Yeoman Cloud all pertinent data on the subject of the H''raal. He rapidly scanned the condensed summary. The H''raal were a sapient alien species, one of the very few to be discovered after the uplifting of dragonkind. Or rather, they showed up on their own during the Starblaze. Initial relations had been extremely hostile, yet the Radiant Knights had managed to secure the H''raal''s favor for long enough to end the conflict which had ravaged the galaxy at the time.

    He cleared his heads-up display and asked, "What is the approximate strength of their armed forces?"

    "As survivors and exiles from another galaxy," Magus replied, "the H''raal are extremely militant, and virtually have no civilian populace. All of their kind are exceptionally well-trained in the arts of war and battle."

    "Wait, they are not from Solaria?" Airo asked, his interest piqued.

    "No, they are not. The H''raal are intergalactic refugees, although their point of origin was never learned."

    "And to this day, they never told us what they were running from," Lylana added, her expression grim.

    "That," Airo emphasized, "is a problem of another scope and another time. At this point, I am interested of the potential help we can receive from them. Do they possess any starships?"

    "Plenty," Magus said. "The last time I saw them, they were completely space-bound."

    "This is still the case," Lylana nodded. "If the armada which stayed originally within the Ascendancy system is still intact, we are looking at no less than several dozen dreadnoughts and a mothership which rivals in size any Fortress-class starship we have ever created."

    Airo felt galvanized by that information. With that many capital starships, this war could be completely turned around. Not only they could take the fight to the draconic Revenant, they could also force the Consortium and the Union to cooperate. This was a game-changer.

    "Why has no one told me about these potential assets from the start?" he asked, struggling to keep his tone level.

    Lylana, Stamat, and Glawlrhain looked vaguely guilty, yet Magus snorted with surprising vehemence.

    "Assets?" the old Knight said, narrowing his eyes. "You are too hasty adding the H''raal to your side. Persuading them to join will take much... discretion."

    "Which is why you are coming along, old man," Airo snapped, already thinking up ideas and plans in his mind. "It is time to put that overdone eloquence of yours into practical use. This is war, and we need to win. One way or another, these aliens are helping us. Cloud, schedule a diplomatic mission. We are finally going to make a breakthrough."

 Chapter 19.2 - Allies of the Way

    Aboard Ouroboros, on the outer edge of the Ascendancy System

    On the inside, Ouroboros had much in common with Ilsorin. The walls were in the same golden-platinum color, made from ultra-advanced alloys resistant even to dragon claws. Crystal structures featured prominently, their function ranging from decoration and light sources to power conduits and energy matrices. The decks were enormous and open-spaced, in order to accommodate with equal ease the residence of regular-size transhumans and the immense forms of dragons, who ¨C judging by the design ¨C were well able to reach truly awesome statures. On the whole, the titanic dreadnought''s interior looked more like a city than the insides of a starship, the illusion reinforced by the presence  of numerous artificial gardens and biospheres, and the perfect simulation of daylight from their ceilings.

    Many sections were completely destroyed, making it impossible to restore Ouroboros to its former splendor without extensive orbital docking facilities. Yet with the aid of temporary walkway tunnels and sealing bubbles, it was possible to make all decks usable again. Though the near-termination of evacuation missions made the need for additional housing space moot, Airo still wanted the dreadnought functional.

    Currently, over ten thousand workers were busy repairing the enormous starship. Yeoman Cloud, Bernard, and Zeromon were tasked with coordinating this significant workforce. Airo was reluctant about putting a dragon on non-combat duty, strapped as he was for firepower, yet Bernard refused any assignments without Zeromon, and since the human Knight was the best industrial engineer in the surviving Radiant Order, Airo had no choice but to pair them. Somewhat surprising to him, the dragon Knight proved an excellent choice as well in terms of a technical mindset, and in addition was able to apply his awesome might when the situation called for, significantly speeding up operations in various instances. Airo was forced to admit that a dragon could be very useful even outside combat, a thought that felt alien to him.

    Airo, Veralla, and Magus Dei had arrived aboard Ouroboros through the psi-gate. The plan was to take one of the remaining assault laserships still present in the dreadnought''s extensive hangars, and use it to find the H''raal fleet. The three of them crossed the massive octagonal caedome where the psi-gate resided and headed toward the aft decks, where their transport waited. The environment was kept at micro-gravity for the duration of the repairs, and many grav-shafts were still not restored, which meant traversing the giant starship was a slow-going endeavor.

    "Should I really wear this again?" Veralla complained, floating along the brightly-lit deck and pawing at her emerald-colored vacsuit. She was covered horns-to-tailtip, with only the helmet''s visor being raised currently, revealing the upper part of her reptilian face.

    "I am taking no chances," Airo said, eyeing the emergency handholds along the way. He wasn''t very skilled in zero-g movement, yet the power armor corrected any errors he made. "Environmental protection equipment is mandatory during orbital or deep-space repairs in case of emergency. Also, while not applicable in your case, this starship is still flooded with background radiation due to its proximity to a neutron star."

    "Why then are you not wearing a scaphander, too?" Veralla asked, turning to Magus. The old Knight had a regal bearing even in microgravity, and was dressed in his usual heavy crimson robe.

    "Do not mind me, little one. I shall be fine," Magus replied, drifting forward in a perfect line. Airo suspected he was using magic to do so.

    "Oh, okay. Where are we going?" Veralla had already seen her fill of Ouroboros'' magnificence, which was why she fussed over her vacsuit at all and had become her usual talkative self.

    "We are going to meet the H''raal. They are an alien civilization," Airo explained tersely. "They can help us defeat the Revenant."

    "Oh, that sounds very interesting! But why are only the three of us going?"

    "The smaller the diplomatic party, the better," Magus said. "Larger escorts may be taken as a sign of fear or belligerence ¨C both of which can doom this attempt at communication."

    "So why I am here?" Veralla asked. "I mean, I would like to see aliens very much, and I am sure they will be splendid. However... I am a dragon, yes? And while I try to be good and compassionate, I cannot ignore the fact my appearance is... somewhat ferocious?"

    Magus eyed her, then laughed ¨C a rare sound.

    "The H''raal apparently have... affinity for dragons. So bringing one could make a good impression," Airo said flatly. He then smiled. "And I myself would feel more... happy, to have you accompany me on this mission."

    Veralla hrrr¨Ced with pleasure.

    "Everybody loves dragons," Magus said with a sage expression.

    Airo snorted sourly. Yet he caught Veralla''s gaze, who beamed at him, and he smiled again.

    After a long trek, they reached the specified hangar. Three laserships were waiting on the launch pads, their sleek and dangerous profiles bristling with weaponry.

    "This is not what I would call a ''diplomatic transport''," Airo remarked dryly as he, Veralla, and Magus approached one of the assault starships.

    "These are one of the few functional deep-space vessels we have available," the old Knight said, unperturbed. "Better to fly only one of them, instead of several."

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    "We could¨C"

    "Crew capacity is minimal."

    They went aboard and settled in the cockpit. Another copy of Yeoman Cloud installed instantly on the lasership computer. The giant outer wall of the hangar variformed away, revealing the black expanse of the cosmos. The SAI activated the propulsion systems, and took off into the void.

    The neutron star was the same small bright dot in the distance, steadily spewing more radiation than visible light. The anomalous sky clouds orbited around the exotic stellar body, dark shapes billowing and drifting and swelling across millions of kilometers, creating the illusion the lasership was sailing at a vast, stormy sea, rather than astrogating through the endless nothingness of space. The large amounts of radiation charged up the clouds, resulting in the release of huge mega-lightnings thousands of kilometers long, forked in dozens of directions and tinted in shades ranging from orange-yellow to dark cobalt.

    The lasership was a vessel optimized for stellar combat. It had no bridge, but a small cockpit, with room barely for its maximum crew of four; all available space of its lean hull otherwise was packed with armaments, shields generators, layers of armor, high-capacity power cores, and a set of powerful engines. Life support was stripped to bare necessities. The lasership lacked an artificial-gravity module, though its inertial-nullifiers were top of the line. Airo felt oddly frustrated having to spend so much time in microgravity while inside a starship, after his journey to Terra Para had been in complete comfort. It reminded him of the realities of interstellar travel during his time ¨Cdark, dreadful moments, fraught with peril and regular accidents.

    Yeoman Cloud took the coordinates Magus Dei provided and charted a course. According to the old Knight, the H''raal were actually in the same intra-astral region as Ouroboros, supplying their fleet from the massive resources which made up the exotic clouds around. It was the perfect setup, Airo realized: the clouds could hide entire armadas from both sensors and visual inspection, and their rich diversity of elements enabled nanotech-assisted manufacture of almost any sort, easily able to support an advanced society.

    Which was why ¨C even with Magus'' knowledge of their approximate location ¨C the H''raal were still nigh-impossible to find.

    They searched for hours. The lasership circled the coordinates, diving into clouds and skimming around in highly elliptical orbits. Airo knew it was useless to stare at the screens, as Cloud would spot anything long before him. Veralla was fascinated by the mega-lightnings, reveling in their variety. She constantly pointed them out to Airo, and he conversed with her out of boredom, making light, pleasant chat. Magus Dei sat strapped to his seat, engaged in some private thoughts. He still hadn''t donned a vacsuit, and waved away any hints Airo made about dangers from sudden decompression or other environmental hazards.

    At last, the sensors picked up something. Several million kilometers to the portward side, there was a large cluster of highly-reflective objects. Cloud flew towards the indicated direction. The SAI positioned the lasership so there was a clear line of sight, then magnified the feed from the external cameras and revealed the H''raal Exile Fleet.

    For a few seconds, Airo couldn''t comprehend what he was seeing were actual stellar vessels. The H''raal starships had nothing in common with what transhumanity used to travel among the stars. They looked like giant silvery-blue spheres, whose hulls lacked any sort of visible engines, communication arrays, weapon ports, or other modules which could point out that yes, these were indeed constructs used to cross the intergalactic medium. The sphereships'' outer layers seemed to swirl gently like some form of liquid, giving the impression of tiny ocean planets. Airo didn''t know whether he should feel impressed by the level of technology the H''raal had achieved, or if their mindset was so alien that any comparison to transhumanity''s engineering was futile.

    Even Veralla didn''t seem very enthusiastic about the sight. "These starships look so... plain," she said, her wings sagging in disappointment.

    "They are anything but on the inside," Magus said. The old Knight leaned in his seat intently. "Proceed with caution now. If we are aware of them, the opposite is also true."

    "Cloud, any inbound connections on the commlink?" Airo asked.

    "None, Commander. Should I send a hailing signal instead?"

    "Do so. Tell them we¨C"

    "¨Cwant to exchange important information," Magus interrupted with a hard tone. Airo cast a sullen glance at him, yet said nothing.

    "Understood!" Yeoman Cloud exclaimed cheerfully. "Re-configuring language banks now. Done! Message sent."

    As the lasership drew closer to the H''raal fleet, the alien armada became clearer in detail. The sphereships'' swirling surfaces glimmered with reflected light from the distant neutron star, looking even more otherworldly and ephemeral. The fleet consisted of fifty spherehips in total. One of the spheres was much larger than the others, almost three times in size; that one surely was the mothership.

    The commlink chimed.

    "The H''raal responded to our message, Commander," Cloud reported.

    "And?" Airo prompted when the SAI didn''t continue further.

    "I''ve received docking instructions," Cloud said blithely. "Nothing else."

    At that moment a tiny, blinking spot appeared on the surface of the giant H''raal mothership.

    "Proceed to dock, then," Airo said flatly.

    Yeoman Cloud guided the lasership toward the flashing beacon. Its powerful engines quickly closed the distance, diving straight into the heart of the H''raal fleet. Approaching the mothership felt like entering the orbit of a planet or a giant ocean-covered moon. The blinking spot turned out to be a docking accessway, extruded straight from the main hull, its surface blazing with the radiance of a hundred suns. As the lasership came within close range, the blinding glare faded, revealing the bluish, liquid-looking shape of the accessway.

    Yeoman Cloud docked with smooth grace which would''ve made even Kiana envious. Airo and Magus Dei removed their seat straps. Airo beckoned at Veralla. "Come on, we have to go."

    "But this starship looks so much more interesting from up close!" she said, watching the brilliant, flowing surface of the accessway.

    "Remember, we are on a mission."

    "Oh, right!"

    They disembarked the lasership. Airo insisted he and Veralla seal their suits, yet Magus again remained apparently unprotected. The airlock hissed open, and the three of them stepped into the accessway. They crossed the long corridor, heading toward a portal visible at the other end.

    The H''raal mothership looked strange and alien on the inside as much as on the outside. The walls, floor, and ceiling were not made of ordinary matter, yet rather of pure, solidified energy. They had no clear boundaries between one another, creating the illusion of one single, unified surface with Moebius-like perspective. The solidified energy was blue-green in the visible spectrum, and crackled when touched, sending ripples of flashing light along its frame.

    Airo, Veralla, and Magus reached the portal at the end of the accessway. It turned out to be some form of an airlock hatch, made from the same type of solidified energy, although lighter in tone. Magus stepped forth, pressing his hand against the simmering surface, and the portal brightened in magenta hues, admitting him inside. Airo and Veralla followed suit, Airo feeling enveloped by a wave of static electricity as he stepped through the portal. They arrived inside a medium-sized chamber, bereft of any shape or decoration which could imply its function.

    It was where the H''raal were waiting for them.

 Chapter 19.3 - Allies of the Way

    They were two dozen in number, all standing at the other end of the chamber in two staggered rows. The H''raal were large and very thickset, towering ten feet in height. Their bodies were covered in dense azure plumage, but they looked reptilian in nature, with large, heavy tails and emerald-green scaly skin visible on their clawed limbs and elongated snouts, where the plumage tapered off. Their orange-yellow slit-pupiled eyes gleamed coldly as they assessed the group before them.

    One of the H''raal made a gesture, indicating for Airo and Veralla to take off their helmets. Airo checked the atmosphere readings. There was air and pressure, and both were within human standards. He retracted the power armor''s helmet, while Veralla slid up the visor of her vacsuit. The interior was quite dark, even with light coming off from the energy surfaces, yet somehow everything was perfectly clear to see. Although Magus didn''t do anything, Airo got the impression the old Knight removed some kind of barrier around himself.

    As soon as Veralla revealed her face, several of the H''raal hissed sharply. One of them pointed an arm downward, and a spear of solidified energy flowed from the floor into its hand. The alien brandished the dangerous weapon, making a threatening step towards Veralla, who yelped in alarm and backed away. Airo shouted and instantly drew his crystal-bladed katana, moving between Veralla and the H''raal, ready for battle.

    Magus Dei stood beside Airo with a halting gesture, and spoke to the aliens in an unknown, fierce language. Airo''s power armor translated his words: "Wait. She is not a hydra."

    The spear-carrying H''raal bared its sharp teeth and made to move closer, yet stopped when another H''raal raised its clawed hand to bar its way. "Magus Dei," the other H''raal intoned, the words uttered in Standard One. "So you have come again. Are you here to fulfill the promise you have given?"

    Magus spoke again in that strange language. "I am honored to be welcomed into your sanctuary. Alas, I come for different reasons, in order to seek your aid in a matter of grave importance."

    The H''raal narrowed its slit-pupiled eyes. "Do not waste the holy ?ther to mimic our language," it said. "Only the juvenile Great One here would be able to properly learn it anyway. We understand your speech. Use it instead." The H''raal''s voice was rumbling and faintly sibilant, closely resembling the same general tonality a dragon had. Airo wasn''t sure, but judging on this comparison of his, he deemed the speaking H''raal to be female.

    "As you wish, Te''ylna Ynrolshuoay," Magus nodded, and gestured for Airo to sheathe his katana. He did so reluctantly, while Veralla sidled closer to stand beside him.

    "Shy. Call me Shy," the H''raal said, and motioned to her companion. The other H''raal dismissed the energy spear. "Otherwise it would be difficult for your warrior clan-kin to address me. Now, why have you come here, if it is not to fulfill your promise, Magus Dei?"

    "One of our greatest warriors has fallen to the influence of the Starblaze," Magus began gravely. "He nearly unmade our guardian clan, and took control over the Terra Para Shard. Somehow, he attained the knowledge how to channel the Shard''s power directly, and his madness has compelled him to use that knowledge to... to bring order to the universe. By destroying the entirety of all reality."

    The H''raal named Shy was silent for a few moments. "That is a dire threat indeed," she agreed. "Especially given the connection between the Void and the Starblaze."

    "We came here to ask you for your aid," Magus continued. "We implore you to support us in our fight against this all-encompassing menace. Please, Te''ylna Shy, help us defeat this enemy of the Great Cosmos itself."

    The H''raal leader paused again before making her reply. "You say only one of your warriors was corrupted by the Starblaze, correct?"

    "Yes, that is correct," Magus said.

    "Which one of your clan-kin was that?" Shy asked.

    Magus bowed his head, plainly wanting to avoid the answer. He lifted again his gaze and spoke quietly, "Tungust Ferrtau."

    Heavy silence descended upon the energy-walled chamber. Airo felt a slight tightening of the power armor around his right leg, as Veralla wrapped him in an instinctive tail-hug. The host of H''raal all stood perfectly still, their unblinking orange-yellow eyes focused on Magus.

    "The Lightbringer? He was corrupted by the Starblaze?" Shy asked.

    "Yes," Magus confirmed.

    "What about his soulkin, Kalessia the Firstborn?"

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    "She is dead."

    Shy raised and flexed her clawed hand, as if taking upon a decision. Airo tensed. The air in the energy chamber crackled.

    "Will you help us defeat Ferrtau, Te''ylna Shy?" Magus asked.

    "No," the H''raal leader said sharply, narrowing her reptilian eyes. "My clan and I will not help you."

    Magus let his clasped hands fall to his sides, visibly taken aback. "What is your reason for refusing us, honored Te''ylna? This conflict affects your clan as much as it does us. It affects everything and everyone!"

    "That is correct, Magus Dei," Shy rumbled. Her heavy tail thumped the energy floor once, creating a tide of magenta lightnings at the point of impact. "We refuse your request because the risk is too great. To fight would mean to face a chance of failure. And failure cannot be borne, when the destiny of the Great Cosmos is decided."

    The H''raal leader stepped forward, her giant, feathered form looming ominously. "That is why we will take no chance. We will gather the entire might of our armada, and we will destroy Terra Para."

    "Such action will bear terrible consequences!" Magus said, raising his voice. "The Shard is a point in the space-time continuum with immense power. Destroying it will annihilate the whole star system, and can set a chain reaction which will devastate the entire Sector!"

    "A weeping price indeed," Shy agreed with a growl. "The blood of my clan and my sisters, and the blood of many others shall dry forever, and numerous stars shall cease their songs of roaring fire. Even so, it is a worthy sacrifice in the name of all those who shall come after, to live and hunt beneath the watchful gaze of the Ever-Blazing-Heat-Radiance."

    "I¨C" Magus began.

    "Listen¨C" Airo started angrily.

    "Our decision is made," Shy hissed. "Leave now, and make your final meditations. Hunt your truth with grace."

    With those parting words, the H''raal leader turned around. A large aperture opened behind the gathered aliens. They started to depart, when Veralla suddenly let go of Airo, and leapt forward.

    "Wait!" she cried. "Please, do not leave! Do not destroy the planet!"

    The H''raal stopped, and turned to face her, silent and dour.

    "Please, reconsider you decision!" Veralla continued. She sobbed, tears glistening in her purple eyes. "All of my friends are down on that world! Millions of innocent people are down there! They all need help! I do not want to see them die! Please, do not hurt them!"

    Shy spoke quietly, "We already made our choice, Great One. We regret going against your will, yet the path which can be taken without error is the one that begets obliteration. It is the only way to make sure Tungust Ferrtau will not unmake All."

    "This is the same way Ferrtau chose!" Veralla shouted defiantly, scowling to squeeze away the tears. "A way that hurt and killed a great many of people and that will bring enormous destruction upon the universe! Choosing this way will mean to walk the same path as him!" She sniffled, yet her voice remained loud and clear. "It is an easy way, yes. Yet there is a difference between an easy way and a right way. An easy way merely gives. A right way shines. To walk a right way means to be everything you want to be, and act that way. You want to protect the universe? Then the right way to do so is to save the people of Terra Para and help us stop Ferrtau!"

    "And what if we fail?" Shy asked calmly. "What if we give aid to your clan, and Tungust Ferrtau still prevails over our combined might?"

    "We will not fail!" Veralla said. "We will fight to save the Great Cosmos itself, yes? That means we will fight for everyone who has ever lived or shall live! We will fight for the planets and the stars, and for the very future. We will fight for light and love, and we will do it with light and love!" Veralla rose on her hindlegs, and her wings flared. "That is why we will not fail no matter what ¨C because we will fight with out hearts, not to hurt and kill, but to heal and redeem!"

    The H''raal mantled their azure feathers, awed by her words. The illumination in the muted energy chamber seemed to become brighter. Magus Dei clasped his hands, his expression one of fierce approval. Airo stood silent, at once amazed and proud of Veralla. He felt in his mind the familiar tickling sensation, which by now he had realized signified somehow the connection between him and her.

    "What is your name, Great One?" Shy asked in a surprisingly mellow, almost musical voice. Her plumage fluffed, and her expression softened, making her predatory appearance much less forbidding.

    "I am Veralla," Veralla said dutifully. "Airo gave me my name."

    "Veralla," Shy repeated, pensive. Evidently, the name had no meaning to the aliens. "Who are your clan progenitors, Veralla? Your..." the H''raal leader fumbled for the word, "parents?"

    "I do not know my father," she said. "My mother is Kalessia. She was soulkin to Ferrtau."

    "Yes, I recognize your aura now," Shy said. "You carry much of your mother''s essence, Veralla. And you have the same ardor both she and her soulkin had. Your words have great power for one so young, Great One."

    "I follow my heart," Veralla said simply. "And I want to become a Radiant Knight. To make people happy, and to make the world happier too. That is what I feel is right."

    "Happiness. Such an elusive grace..." Shy murmured. "It escapes even the greatest hunters. Only when one calls off the hunt and drinks from the crystal waters does it come..."

    The H''raal leader seemed to ponder for a few moments. Then her gaze turned to Airo and Magus. "We have altered our decision," she announced. "Our clan shall aid yours in whatever way you request, to prevent this dire threat from coming to pass. I give you my word as te''ylna of the Yssyy clan."

    "Yay!" Veralla cheered, swishing her tail. "Thank you, Te''ylna Ynrolshuoay!"

    "I thank you, Veralla," Shy said, mildly surprised. "You reminded us why we made peace between our clans in the first place, and why we should stand united against the Void."

    "So, when your armada can be on the move?" Airo finally asked the question which interested him the most.

    "We shall need a day to inform the rest of our clan and to mobilize," Shy said. "Then, it will be up to you to guide all of us to triumph. Hunt your truth with grace, fellow clan-kin."

    And with that, the diplomatic mission was concluded.

 Chapter 19.4 - Allies of the Way

    Ilsorin, the Radiant Knight''s hidden base, Terra Para

    Nightsong was still as weak and shivering as when Veralla saw her last.

    After returning from the H''raal fleet, the first thing she did was to go to Ilsorin''s medical level. Nightsong''s room was the same, lacking any furniture save for the nanofabricator. The sick dragonet lay in the healing pool, her wan visage looking almost translucent under the clear midday light streaming from the wall-window. Kiana sprawled beside the healing pool, a simple bedroll placed beneath her. Her face seemed drained of all color, and Veralla could sense she was almost as ill as Nightsong.

    "Hey... whipp... kiddo," Kiana greeted, her tongue slurring. She had forsaken clothes completely, and her neon tatoos pulsed in muted, anemic manner.

    "Ah... cold..." Nightsong moaned. Kiana reached with a hand and petted her on the head.

    "Kiana, is there something I can do to help?" Veralla asked, lashing her tail anxiously. She worried every time she came to visit, fearing either Nightsong or Kiana will not be alive anymore.

    "Thanks... for the... offer... but... this is out of... your league, wh... kiddo..."

    "But you are so very tired! You should rest and sleep!"

    "I''m fine..." Kiana waved feebly. "Sleep''s not... a problem... ''cause I''m... a tr... transhuman... you know?..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Trouble... comes... from giving my... life essence... to... to Nightsong..."

    Nightsong moaned again, and shuddered. Kiana hauled herself on her knees and embraced the small dragonet.

    "Shh... shh... everything''s going to be okay, Nightsong," Kiana told her. Her arms trembled and her blue hair hung limply from her head, yet her lavender eyes were bright and filled with love.

    "I''m hungry..."

    "Okay, I''ll get you a snack right away... Veralla... could you please fetch a thing from the ''fabber?..."

    She murmured in affirmation and went to the nanofabricator in the corner. Her twin hearts were heavy with misery as she selected a nutrition-rich meal from the interface.

    "Cloud, can you not do something to heal Nightsong?" she quietly asked, glancing toward the forlorn pair of soulkin.

    A reply blinked on the nanofabricator''s HHI screen. "The ?ther-restoration fields are working at maximum capacity, and the healing pool is kept at peak efficiency at all times. Anything else is beyond my capabilities. I''m sorry, Veralla."

    "What about... Kiana? Can you not make her less tired? If you can help her, she would be better able to help Nightsong."

    "Kiana''s also under the influence of the restoration fields. If that wasn''t the case, she would''ve been dead by now."

    She stared at the screen in mute shock.

    "Veralla..."

    "Oh, c-coming!"

    She took the meal tray in her foreclaws and carefully walked toward the healing pool, still somewhat unaccustomed to holding items even after so much practice. She put the tray on the healing pool''s rim, and Kiana took a piece and offered it to Nightsong. Nightsong nibbled at the food, yet her teeth slipped and she cut Kiana''s finger.

    "Oh!... S-s-sorry!..."

    "It''s okay, Nightsong... Don''t worry..." Kiana took another piece without bothering to tend her wound, still embracing the sick dragonet with her other arm. "You just eat... You can even drink my blood, if you like it... ha-ha..."

    "R-really?... I can do that?..."

    "It was a joke... but sure, I don''t mind it..."

    They lay so for a long time, Kiana hugging and feeding Nightsong, while the dragonet enveloped her with frail wings and tail, shivering incessantly. Veralla watched them, the misery and sadness inside her growing.

    "Kiana, I do not want you to die!" she said in desperation.

    "Me neither... whipper... snapper..." Kiana smiled weakly. "I intend... to live."

    "I do not want Nightsong to die, too. But... if she... if she cannot be saved... I..." Veralla could not finish.

    "Ahh, hush now!... No such talk!... Me and Nightsong will pull through..."

    "But..."

    "No ''buts'', kiddo... I won''t let us give up so easily..."

    "Kiana..." Nightsong murmured.

    "Yes, my dear?..."

    The dragonet shuddered more strongly as she struggled to speak. "If you can''t... keep the cold away... anymore... I will understand... and..."

    "No-no-no... don''t finish that sentence... You and me, Nightsong, we will make it... we will make it, I promise..." Kiana''s aura flared, and energy crackled around her body as she began to unleash her ?ther powers.

    "No, do not push yourself anymore, Kiana!" Veralla pleaded, her vision blurring as the tears came unbidden.

    "I will... save Nightsong... ''cause it ain''t right... leaving her... alone... leaving anyone... alone..."

    One of the walls variformed away. A large group of Radiant Knights, both humans and dragons, stood in the spacious hall outside, their expressions determined. The Knights, all of them armorless, were led by Lylana. The hulking Scorchlander stepped forth and kneeled before the healing pool, her voice gentle and warm. "You have done enough, Kiana. Let go now, and rest."

    Kiana''s eyes lit up defiantly. "Like... void... I''d do... that..." she said, her crackling nimbus intensifying. "If you came... to force me... to rest... you can... go fuck..."

    Lylana shook her head, lifting one hand in a placating gesture. "You misunderstand me. You have done enough. You have tirelessly dedicated yourself ¨C and even given parts of your very life ¨C to save another. Even in the face of certain failure, you persevered and held your faith strong. You refused to let tragedy come to pass, and were willing to sacrifice your own flame to keep the light going. For that, we deem you a true Radiant Knight, Kiana. And we are here to share your burden."

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "You... you are... going to help... me?..." Kiana asked, her exhausted features twisting in amazement.

    "We are," Lylana nodded solemnly. She gestured at the waiting Radiant Knights. "We all are. All Awakened among us volunteered to come. We are going to help by giving part of our own life essences."

    "Yeah, we''re gonna help Nightsong get her might back in her wings!" Tehalix called from among the gathered Knights. "Me and Lung, and all the dudes here will trade shifts until she''s healthy or until we become dust. Because this is the duty of the Knights. You reminded us, Kiana, that no matter the problem, big or small, no matter the chances, certain or none, we must always aid everyone along the Way."

    "But... but... what about... the war?... If you spend... your strength... helping me... then..."

    "To the void with the war," Lylana snapped with passion. "This is a far greater battle, one which our hearts and souls depend upon. We won''t make the same mistake and abandon Nightsong again. Or you, for that matter." Lylana raised her hands and they glowed with golden light. "Now rest, Kiana. Let us share your burden."

    Kiana''s lip trembled. A lone tear streaked down her cheek. She lowered her gaze at the shivering Nightsong, who looked at her with heartfelt affection.

    "Whaddya say... whipper... snapper? D''you wanna... have some tinglies... from... someone else?"

    The sick dragonet nodded her small head fervently. "Yes... yes, Kiana... if it means... you can rest... then yes..."

    "Alright..." Kiana sagged, and the crackling nimbus of energy around her abruptly vanished. "I''ll... nap for a bit..." She slumped backward, leaning on the wall next to the healing pool, and became dead to the world.

    Yet she never let go of Nightsong, embracing the dragonet even as she lost consciousness, who hugged her in turn with equal amounts of boundless love.

    ***

    "And then Lylana gave from her life essence to Nightsong!" Veralla explained excitedly, her tail bouncing left and right. "And Tehalix gave some of hers to Kiana, because Kiana was very tired! I am sure Nightsong will live, because there are so many people now who care for her!"

    "Yes, those are encouraging news," Airo said, smiling at her enthusiasm. They were both on the bed, he propped on his elbow, and Veralla lying down next to him.

    "Right? And it is even better, because we persuaded the H''raal to help us, and now we can save everyone! We can save even Ferrtau!"

    "Now, now..." Airo was momentarily flustered. "Let us... do things one step at a time. We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

    "Yes, that is right. But I think we will be able to do a lot more at once very soon." Veralla yawned, showing her sharp fangs. She then flicked her forked tongue. "Time to sleep, yes?"

    "Just so," he nodded.

    "It is strange, though. I feel less and less the need to sleep, even when I am tired. Is something wrong with me?"

    "No, dragons sleep less as they grow up, until they lose the need to do it altogether."

    "But I like to sleep! I have dreams when I do so, and many of those are very nice and beautiful!"

    "You can still sleep afterward, if you want to. The only difference would be you chose to sleep, without requiring to do so periodically."

    "Oh." She evidently was intrigued by the idea. "So I will be free to sleep whenever I want to?"

    "Yes," Airo said, and reached to pull up the blanket. He realized how acutely he missed this ancient, ingrained feeling of security, sleeping on a soft surface and covered with a warm fabric. Veralla snuggled beside him and yawned again.

    "But what about you?" she asked.

    "What about me?" he echoed, confused.

    "Do you not feel... frustrated, that you must sleep whether you want to or not?"

    He shrugged, thinking. "It is how we humans are made. I have had... problems with this condition, yet in the end, this is how things are. ''Pray to have the strength to overcome those challenges which you can, and pray to accept those challenges which you cannot'' ¨C so goes one of the proverbs of the Ancients."

    "Oh, oh, I remember that one! It is called the Serenity Prayer, written by an Ancient priest: ''God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to always know the difference.''"

    "Yeah, that was the one. Though I consider accessing the Viirt for quotes to be cheating."

    "I did not access the Viirt! I did not cheat!"

    "Just let us sleep, Veralla."

    "Okay."

    The lights in the chamber went out. Airo lay in the dark, watching the moonless sky of Terra Para through the window. He waited until Veralla''s breathing became quiet and even. He then waited some more, just in case. Finally, he carefully separated from her, and rose silently. His mind tingled. He froze, casting a glance at Veralla, yet she remained motionless, probably dreaming about him. He smiled unknowingly, feeling once more deeply relieved and grateful for her warmth, for the life she had gifted him with again.

    He went to the chamber''s spacious closet. Inside, he donned his power armor, whose nano-circuits whirred softly as the protective suit closed around him. He didn''t need the armor, yet old habits died hard.

    He left the chamber. The residential levels were quiet, as most of the refugees had retired for the night. He headed toward his by-now-familiar retreat, the retro-styled flight commander''s office at Ilsorin''s top levels. En route, he summoned Yeoman Cloud.

    "What is the status on the captured Revenant?" he asked the SAI.

    "Oh, that''s a bit of a bummer, Commander! The interrogation project was forcibly shut down almost immediately after its beginning."

    "What!? What the bloody stars happened??"

    "The gestalt Radiant Knights Emaerel crossed the protective barriers, and eliminated the Revenant after you left, Commander. Since the barriers were designed to restrain quasi-immaterial beings, they had little effect on physical subjects."

    He bristled with fury. "THOSE DEMENTED FA¨C"

    "They acted on orders from Elder Darkovitz, Commander," the SAI continued. "She explained to me that any Revenant who enters inside the sub-fractal region could reveal Ilsorin''s location to Ferrtau. Elder Darkovitz declared such risk to security as unacceptable. Since this aligns with your own directives, Commander, I''ve agreed with her assessment, and did not report the incident until a more opportune time, such as now."

    The information helped him to calm down. He thought the implications through, and realized Lylana had been right; Ferrtau had absolute control over the Revenant as their creator, and given his level of power, it was entirely possible he could access their senses at will, from anywhere. Airo frowned at his own stupidity ¨C he had made a fatal mistake, and only Lylana''s quick reaction and ¨C hopefully ¨C large quantities of luck had averted a terminal disaster.

    He shook his head. This war had lasted long enough. He''d been in longer conflicts, yet never with such high stakes, and never with odds so stacked against his side. Yet things were about to change, and Ferrtau was about to get what was due to him.

    You will pay, Ferrtau.

    Old habits died hard, and old vows perished even harder.

    He reached the retro office. Inside, the furniture was completely restored, as if the consequences of his rage during the fateful talk with Magus never happened. He sat down on a discrete sofa upholstered with dark vinyl. He loaded Ferrtau''s living chronicle in the power armor''s interface, but his mind paused, hovering on the decision to engage simulspace and dive into the memories of his archenemy.

    He still wanted revenge. Yet... Did he wage this war against Ferrtau still only out of desire for vengeance? Did he not have other concerns now? What... what else he cared for?

    Veralla. He cared for Veralla.

    He wanted to see her happy. And that, by proxy, meant he was concerned for the wellbeing of others, because she cared for them. She cared for everyone. Even for Ferrtau, who nearly killed her.

    That is why Airo wouldn''t forgive him. Ferrtau caused Zenassa''s death, and he tried to do the same to Veralla. He was a monster, a blackguard who hid his treacherous nature beneath a mask of nobility and enlightenment. He...

    Or what if... what if Airo had it backwards the entire time? What if he was wrong for all these years, all these unlived centuries? He gazed at the power armor''s interface, where the program patiently awaited his command. All these memories, all those intimate moments... Was it possible at all such ardent displays of emotion to be false?

    No. Kalessia would have never become soulkin to Ferrtau if that was true. If she had been even a fraction like her daughter, she would''ve seen through such deception, would''ve been able to clearly read Ferrtau''s soul and discern the truth there, just like Veralla had done with Airo.

    Airo had all the answers before him. They were there the entire time, even when he was unwilling to accept them.

    Why, then, he continued to review Ferrtau''s living chronicle? What did he seek in his archenemy''s memories he hadn''t seen already a thousand times?

    Perhaps he wanted to be sure. Wanted to be sure he was wrong, because a part of him stubbornly refused to admit he had made a mistake, refused to forgive, refused to let go of the only thing which had kept him going when there hadn''t been anything else to keep the flame inside him alight.

    Perhaps he felt obligation to see what had been the life of the man he was going to kill.

    Airo launched simulspace and entered once more in another world, in another time, in another fate.

 Chapter 20 - Clearing Ways

    CHAPTER 20 ¨C CLEARING WAYS

    "...Paragons of virtue, reachers of stars,

    Bringers of peace, enlighters of knowledge...

    ...Passing the zenith of wisdom,

    The Stalwart crumbled into tyranny.

    ...Knights rose against Masters,

    Battled both Orders, fought for naught,

    Victory left an empty Cosmos.

    ...Devoid of hope, bereft of horizons,

    Scions kindled hunger in their hearts,

    Sought the quest for power,

    Spilt the blood of kindred spirits,

    Coveted the prize of grand suzerainty.

    ...Thus began the endless war for Supremacy."

    ¨C "True Legends of Reality", Datalinks

    Early morning, Ilsorin''s gardens, Terra Para

    The remaining dragons of the Radiant Order, excluding Alomar and his gang, had gathered by the lake alongside with their soulkin. The dining hall had become too crowded with refugees for the dragons to maneuver safely around, so they had begun to eat their meals outside. Veralla lay contently on the glowing grasses, taking in for the aeonth time the majestic sight of the gardens. The Radiant Knights chatted pleasantly among themselves as they had breakfast, the humans sitting on folding chairs at outdoor tables, while the dragons lounged around like Veralla did.

    "Hey Claw, what''s Shpagus'' conquest count already?" Tehalix called with a sly grin. She stabbed a piece of deep-fried cheese and chewed it. "I bet he''s the talk among the refugees by now."

    "Ah, sex and food," Bernard said in a relaxed manner, reclining in his chair. "I see you''re a master at mixing flavors, Teha."

    "Honestly, I''m a little concerned with some of these people Bern takes into our room," Zeromon replied. "A few have asked me if I''m willing to mate with them."

    "Oh, what a shocking development!" Tehalix said with exaggerated surprise, while several of the other dragons hrrr¨Ced with a mix of indifference and distaste.

    "I don''t see anything extraordinary," Bernard said easily. "I like girls who have an adventurous spirit like myself."

    "Only girls, Shpagus?"

    Bernard waggled a finger. "Don''t mistake omnisexuality with lack of preferences, dear Teha. I can have an intercourse with everything that moves, but I still pick my partners. Like I''ve said, good cuisine and good sex ¨C they have a lot in common. Both can be satisfied in myriad of ways, yet quality is what sets apart mere indulgence from wholesome gratification."

    "Yah, in that case, you''re the burger joint of the galaxy, by your own comparison," Tehalix said, winking. Some of the Radiant Knights laughed at the joke, while the rest continued to converse on other topics.

    "Is it wrong for a human and a dragon to have sex?" Veralla asked.

    "No, it isn''t wrong," Samantha replied, brushing a strand of her long red hair away from her face. "We Knights don''t hold taboos, and if everything is agreeable to all parties involved, then there''s no problem. Including relationships between disparate partners."

    "Yeah, we even had sex once," Glosserax said casually, munching on a pyramid-sized dessert.

    "Rax!" Samantha slapped her soulkin''s flank, blushing furiously. The blue-and-cream dragon growled in amusement and leaned down, licking her with a forked tongue. "Ew, stop it! You''re smearing chocolate on me everywhere!"

    "According to statistics, only about a third of human-dragon pairs within the Order ever enter into... bodily union," Richard said, his conservative bearing evident even when he sat on something as informal as a folding chair in a garden. "To be frank, I consider such activities needlessly wasteful. Me and Teyalinar are perfectly happy to be as we are ¨C elite fighters of exemplary quality and one of the finest scholars in the galaxy."

    "Uh-huh," the dark-green dragon agreed absentmindedly when he heard his name, mainly interested in his meal.

    "Every time I''m around, it all has to be about sex," Bernard sighed. "Can''t you people just enjoy the weather or something? By the way, whose''s that giant pile of... food?"

    "Not mine," Zephyr said, who was lounging beside it. The ''pile'' was a huge mound of nanofabbed meats and fruits, mingled with more exotic stuff like quartz and fiberglass, all covered under a thick layer of petrol and cream.

    "Not mine either," Lung said, who was on the other side of the pile, and nudged herself away.

    "Oh, oh, it''s mine!" Glosserax said, licking his jaws. "Turns out the bots can really carry stuff around!"

    "You intend to eat all that!?" Samantha exclaimed. In response, her soulkin rumbled happily. "Just no dragon kisses this time, big boy; I can live without fiberglass gouging my eyes out."

    "Speaking of food," Lung chimed in, "I heard you and Alomar arguing the other day. What was that about, Glosserax?"

    "Hmm? Oh, I caught him sneaking into the internal habitat on Level 4. He was eating whemokos."

    Lung mantled her wings. "That cruel scoundrel! I''ll teach him a lesson myself! How did he get into the habitat? I thought Glawlrhain revoked all access rights from him?!"

    "Perhaps we should just throw Alomar and his flock of miscreants out of this Order for good," Tehalix said darkly.

    "Wait, wait, you do not understand!" Veralla said. The others looked at her curiously. "Alomar has not eaten any whemokos! He..." she paused for a second, sad at the memory. "He was getting whemokos to bring them to Nightsong to eat."

    "How do you know that?" Richard asked.

    "I saw him," Veralla said. "He did it because he wanted to help. He said he felt sorry that Nightsong suffered so much. He did not know what else to do, so he volunteered to bring... fresh meat, killing... a whemoko at the last possible moment, so Nightsong could eat food with the highest resonance possible."

    The Knights were pensive for a moment. "Huh, I guess this could mean the abrasive rascal is finally starting to turn around," Tehalix said. "Small victory, but victory nonetheless."

    "I still think he''s a rude mooncalf," Lung snorted. "It''d take a lot more than this to convince me he and his gang of egg-suckers aren''t anything else than a loud and troublesome group of overgrown whelplings."

    "Language, Smartjaw!"

    "Hey, Veralla, tell us how Glawlrhain chomped Alomar''s tail," one of the other dragons said. "Is it true the training master totally wiped the floor with him?"

    "That''d be one astroload of wiping, I''ll tell you," Zeromon said casually. "Given the size difference between them. Trust me, I''m an engineer, I know the math!" His comment brought forth a round of laughs.

    "By the way, how''s Nightsong doing?" Teyalinar asked, displaying interest for something other than food since the breakfast''s beginning.

    "Still in trouble, but stable at least," Tehalix said with a sigh. "Boyd and Merryl are currently with her and Kiana. Their bickering couple routine proves helpful for a change, since that Sol Force girl desperately needs some distraction."

    "Speaking of trouble, what''s the matter, Sha?" Glosserax asked. "You''ve been awfully quiet these last few days."

    The others turned their attention to Xiou Sha, who had coiled upon himself, picking at his food halfheartedly. The sinuous dragon lifted his head at the mention of his name, his snout tendrils waving from the motion. "I am thinking about Mina," he said in a ghostly whisper. "Me and her... we liked each other. I was going to propose to her to become my mate on the same day... the same day she died." Sha hrrr¨Ced, the sound low and miserable. "Now she is gone, and I''m trying to accept that, but sometimes... sometimes I like to imagine what would''ve been if she survived, and we got together." He lowered his head, and his soulkin embraced his snout, patting him soothingly.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    The Radiant Knights fell quiet, their conversations dying down. Everyone was reminded of the terrible conflict they were part of and the horrible loss they had experienced so recently ¨C a loss the people of Terra Para continued to suffer from daily.

    Veralla gazed down unhappily. She poked with a talon at the large bowl laid before her. It was full of pyrolith crystals, mixed with fresh real-grown fruits. Though her spirit was dampened, her juvenile appetite remained relentless even in the face of the greatest adversity, so she continued to eat.

    She liked pyrolith crystals immensely, and they had become her favorite food. They came in myriad of rainbow-spectrum colorations, each combination carrying different flavor, yet all were so fantastically sweet and full in taste, in a way which went beyond description, and was something only a dragon was able to experience. Veralla found she liked orange-red flavors most, and sunset-colored pyrolith crystals were often present in her dishes.

    She chomped hungrily at her crystals and fruits mix, and emptied the bowl in short order. She stood then like that for a few seconds, snout hovering just above the bowl''s rim, wondering is she wanted another helping or not.

    Suddenly, a strange sensation tingled somewhere inside her.

    She lifted her head sharply, and took stock of herself. The tingling sensation intensified, the origin of the feeling coming from somewhere... where? She did not know. It was at once everywhere and nowhere, growing stronger with each second. Her headcrests flared anxiously, her neck shot straight, and her wings quivered.

    "Veralla, are you all right?"

    She did not reply. The tingling was unbearable now, a great, invisible tide which roiled across her whole body. She started shaking and sprang to her feet, a whimper forming in her throat. Her whole world seemed to shift. The whimper turned into a growl, the tonality furiously rising further. Powerful, extreme surge coursed through her, and overwhelmed her senses, a single, engulfing wave of force and primal potency.

    Veralla angled her head back and shrieked, which turned into a deafening roar ¨C and then a great, blinding blast of silvery firebreath rushed forth from her gaping jaws.

    ***

    Airo was in the command room alongside Lylana, Glawlrhain, and Magus. The four of them were compiling the intelligence data available to the Radiant Knights, which was then to be sent to the H''raal to coordinate a battle plan against the draconic Revenant who guarded Terra Para''s orbit. Yeoman Cloud was also busy downloading covertly whatever reconnaissance it could from the military networks of the Consortium and the Union, and Captain Riley and Major Trahaearn also did whatever contribution they could. The idea was to build as complete as possible picture of all Revenant forces, so once the H''raal established orbital control, they''d be able to do fast and decisive strikes against the largest concentrations of enemy forces, thus breaking the Revenant''s advance across the planet for good. Afterwards, the goal was a mass evacuation of the surviving populace. Securing Consortium and Union support was a parallel goal, one which was to be executed right after clearing the orbit.

    Airo gazed at the host of AR screens hovering over the command table, checking simulations and monitoring comm channels. Suddenly, something flashed through his mind. Startled, he felt a great amount of distress, yet somehow it wasn''t his own. Something terrible just happened. His face probably gave away his trepidation, because Lylana asked what was wrong.

    "Veralla," he breathed, and dashed away.

    He burst out of the command room and sprinted along the vast brightly-lit hallways. Base''s surveillance reported Veralla was currently located in the gardens, so he headed that way.

    "Cloud! Full speed boost! Now!"

    "But, Commander¨C"

    "THAT IS AN ORDER!"

    "Acknowledged."

    Airo felt the power armor tightening around him, the nano-circuitry and strength-enhancing microfibers lending their aid, boosting his nerves and muscles into overperformance. He rushed forward, pushing himself to his limit, frightened refugees and service bots barely getting out of his way as he raced across the stronghold. He mapped his route entirely on foot, bounding up stairways and traversing through the large interior souks, ignoring grav-shafts and elevators as they were too slow for his frayed condition.

    During his frantic hurry his mind was in near panic, his thoughts focused only on Veralla. Was she okay? How it was possible something to happen to her, here, in the heart of the Radiant Order''s domain? Did that insolent overgrown lizard, Alomar, hurt her somehow? Why were there no alarms ringing?

    He finally reached the top-side transition to Ilsorin''s gardens, situated closer to the command room than the central mid-level entrance. He flew through the fortified double doors and crossed the observation terrace, his armored feet almost throwing sparks against the rock floor. He grabbed the stone parapet, stopping shy of going over the edge, and leaned over the ecological splendor spread below him.

    "VERALLA!" he shouted.

    Irrational panic made him forget everything about modern technology. He retracted his helmet in his desire to see better, to remove the constant data that cluttered his vision. Below, the great masses of refugees in the gardens were roaring and waving in cheers, excited for some incomprehensible reason.

    "Veralla!" he shouted again, looking around wildly. He remembered the dreadful feeling in his mind and gripped the parapet to fight the abrupt vertigo, disoriented by intense anxiety, a sensation he had not experienced in seven centuries. "Veralla!"

    Suddenly, a black shadow rushed before him and swiftly rose in the sky above.

    It was her.

    "Airo! I can fly! Airo, I can fly!" Veralla screamed with glee, flapping her wings furiously as she continued to gain altitude.

    He stood on the terrace, watching her in dumb amazement. She restrained her ascent and looped around several times, rawr¨Cing with pure joy. Inept though she was, her movements were full of vitality and grace, infused with the primal, majestic aura of a dragon in flight, and it was the most beautiful thing Airo witnessed in his second life. Veralla angled her wings, flying downward, and landed awkwardly right into him; he remained on his feet only thanks to the power armor.

    They stood so for a moment, he holding her with utter shock, she clinging to him with a radiant expression ¨C and then she nuzzled him, hrrr¨Cing happily. Below, the crowd clamored anew, refugees roaring as if they were witnessing some grand event. Airo realized he wasn''t hearing only human voices among the rejoicing tumult. He gently leaned away from Veralla and smiled warmly.

    "Airo, I finally became a true dragon!" she said, overjoyed, her purple eyes bright with relief and happiness. "I really am a true dragon, Airo!"

    "Yes. Yes, you are," he said, feeling his soul singing. "And I am proud of you."

    ***

    "And so I can fly, I can breathe fire, I can control my internal gravitic field, and¨C oh, oh, oh, I can do this!" Veralla said, lifting her foreclaws. Her eyes narrowed and her forked tongue flicked out in concentration. A second later, a glowing sphere of cyan-purple light appeared between her claws.

    Everyone gasped in awe at the display. Airo and Veralla had come down to the lake, where the other dragons and their soulkin still stood, astonished by the event which had transpired. Magus, Glawlrhain, Stamat, and Lylana had also joined the group in short order.

    "Great Cosmos, you have Awakened!?" Tehalix exclaimed loudly.

    "That''s super awesome!" Zuckeroff whooped, having appeared from the crowd of refugees, wearing another set of ridiculous clothing.

    "You can do magic! I''m so happy for you, Veralla!" Lung hrrr¨Ced, sounding suspiciously close like a squee. The other dragon Knights rumbled with equal amount of enthusiasm, while the human Knights murmured with approval and bewilderment.

    "How did this happen?" Glawlrhain asked, his snout tendrils twitching with barely-restrained emotion.

    "Oh, I do not know," Veralla said, her expression becoming a bit guilty. "I was just eating my meal, when suddenly there was this strange, yet powerful feeling in me, and I..."

    "She roared like an elder dragon and blew this giant wave of firebreath!" Glosserax said, arching his body and unfurling his wings, eyes wide in wonder.

    "Yeah, she displayed an ability at least ten times her strength!" Zeromon added, waving his huge claws in excitement.

    "Maybe it''s because she''s a Primordial dragon!" Zephyr chimed in, his fin-tipped jaws slightly agape. "She really is an Avatar of the Goddess!"

    "Settle down now!" Glawlrhain commanded, as the other dragons began to hrrr and babble in rising exhilaration. "Let''s not draw hasty conclusions. We''ve had fledglings Awakening before," the sinuous dragon said, casting a glance at Magus. He turned then to Veralla. "Tell me, young one, do you truly feel the ?ther resonating within yourself?"

    "Oh, yes, I do," she replied, flapping her wings eagerly. "It is like I am inside an ocean of vast, flowing energy that is so... connected! I feel as if I can touch even the most distant of places, even those beyond my perception, and I can see and hear the souls of everyone around me much more clearly!"

    "Hmm, so it would seem," Glawlrhain said, his expression thoughtful. "I definitely sense much more power radiating from you. Can you shape the ?ther in any other way?"

    "Well, I can try," Veralla said, sounding uncertain. "There is one test Kiana showed me, and told me it is often performed by new aethereals." She turned to the lake and extended a foreclaw. Her snout furrowed in concentration again, and everyone held their breath.

    Something stirred beneath the reflective, cerulean waters. Seconds later, a smooth grey pebble rippled on the surface. The pebble slowly rose in the air, tiny droplets trickling down as it rotated on its axis.

    This caused another uproar.

    "Deus, she did it on her first try!"

    "Look, there''s hardly any trace of residual energies!"

    "Veralla, you wield telekinesis like a natural!"

    "Well done, young one," Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced with approval, after Veralla released her will and the pebble dropped back into the lake. "I see you have truly Awakened to the wisdom of the Fire Eternal. You will receive special tutoring at once, and the rest of your training shall be altered as well, now that you have full access to the gifts of your heritage." Glawlrhain''s amber eyes sparkled. "I''m curious, though: how complete is your control over your gravitic field?"

    "Oh, oh, I can control it fully!" Veralla said. "Let me demonstrate!" She closed her eyes and bowed down her head, and then her body lifted, hovering a couple of feet above the ground.

    "No way!" Lung rawr¨Ced. "I needed two years to achieve this level of self-control!"

    "Yeah!" Zeromon added. "I still put on a grav-harness just in case something goes wrong. This is spectacular!"

    "I know what would be more awesome!" Glosserax exclaimed. "Seeing Veralla breathe fire again!" The other dragons rumbled loudly in agreement.

    "Rrr, do I have to breathe fire now?" Veralla said anxiously. "I do not feel ready yet to do it again."

    "Nonsense!" Zuckeroff burst out with a cheerful shout. "You''re the coolest dragon I''ve ever met, Veralla! And the fact you can breathe fire now makes you even cooler! Uh, or maybe hotter? Anyway! Don''t let nothing stop you! You''re the best!"

    "Well, okay..." Veralla took a deep breath, her chest swelling slightly from the effort. The gathered Radiant Knights stilled in anticipation. Veralla then opened her jaws wide and exhaled sharply. A stream of white-hot plasma rushed forth, twisting and surging almost as if it was alive.

    "Ouch, you burned my tail!" Lung exclaimed.

    "Oh, oh, sorry, sorry!" Veralla said anxiously, instantly ceasing her firebreathing.

    "Ah, just kidding, that was amazing!"

    All of the Radiant Knights started talking at the same time. The dragons clustered around Veralla, congratulating her, giving her advice, or asking her a slew of questions in a loud and jubilant manner.

    Airo stood by Lylana and Magus Dei, watching the festivities from the side. Again, he felt a warm, peaceful sensation flow through his being. It was happiness. He had forgotten the feeling, having spent so much of his life in darkness, yet now his soul once more became aware of its uplifting music. He took his eyes off Veralla and gazed toward the bright, clear skies of Terra Para.

    Great Cosmos... thank you.

    "This is an auspicious event," Magus remarked, his weathered features calm as always, but his voice was full of mirth.

    "I agree, sir," Lylana said, her stern expression replaced by a wide smile. "It reminds us that even in the bleakest of moments, the light of the Way shines as strongly as ever."

    Airo''s commlink chimed. It was Yeoman Cloud.

    "Commander, the H''raal are ready to move. They await your signal."

    "Excellent. Let us go and turn this war around at last."

 Chapter 20.2 - Clearing Ways

    A few hours later, aboard the H''raal Exile Fleet, on approach to Terra Para''s orbit

    The bridge of the H''raal mothership had the same uncanny, darklight interior as the rest of the structure. The walls of blue-green solidified energy swirled and pulsed, lightnings flashing along indistinguishable boundaries. The bridge was gigantic in size, comparable to the High Temple of Dragon Retreat, and also shared many similarities with its layout. H''raal were manning energy-made battlestations everywhere around the bridge, soft halos around their heads and ephemeral tendrils at their clawtips being the only indications they were interfacing with the mothership.

    Airo watched the gathered H''raal carefully, trying to see any differences in them. They all seemed identical down to the last detail, and wore no clothing, or any distinguishing accessories for that matter. To his eye they were all like clones.

    "Ugh, vacuum felt so strange," Veralla said. She stood next to him, this time without a protective vacsuit, her attention divided between the bridge''s environment and her own body. "I had not realized how pleasant breathing is."

    "Well, you chose to not wear your scaphander," Airo replied.

    The bridge was spherical in shape, and they stood at its bottom. Airo focused his attention to the large hologram screen projected in the center, displaying an external view of the cosmos outside, Terra Para being a small, bright dot in the ocean of stars.

    "Are you ready, Clanleader Airo?" Shy asked. The massive H''raal te''ylna loomed behind, her demeanor stoic and unreadable.

    "I am, Te''ylna Shy," he said.

    "We shall begin our assault then."

    Airo nodded and focused his attention to the hologram screen again. Besides the external view a stream of additional data was displayed at the edges, the most important of which was the virtual battlefield plane, showing an abstracted image of all combatants and their positions in the local starscape.

    Airo had ordered the H''raal into motion as soon as possible, even though the Radiant Knights had advised him to fight the draconic Revenant on the following day. He couldn''t afford to wait; each day, the Revenant grew more numerous and the planet''s warpstorms were getting worse than ever, threatening to make any groundside operations impossible. Rushing the schedule meant there was less time to establish operational protocol, yet Airo had deemed this a minor problem compared to what was at stake.

    Terra Para gradually grew larger on the screen as the H''raal starfleet made its way to the planet''s orbit. The sphereships were arranged in a conical pattern, with a distance of several million kilometers between each ''tier'', and the formation was led by a lone spacecraft.

    "How will you engage the Revenant at such range?" Airo asked, baffled.

    "Our vessels are equipped with the equivalent of what you call DEI cannons," Shy replied.

    "Understood," he said. Inwardly, he queried Yeoman Cloud. "What is a DEI cannon?"

    "The name is an acronym for Dark Energy Impulse cannon," the SAI explained with vim over Airo''s commlink. "This type of weaponry is among the most destructive devices ever created in the galaxy. The nomenclature is a mild misnomer, as what is often identified as ''dark energy'' is in fact the ?ther itself, although interestingly enough, DEI cannons don''t fire pure ?ther. Nevertheless, they are very rare and are usually found only on the most prized or advanced starships, and are never mounted on anything less than a heavy cruiser."

    The H''raal starfleet continued to approach Terra Para. The mothership was at the rear end of the formation, which meant the planet was still more than fifteen million kilometers away, while the leading sphereship was merely several hundred thousand. Airo had a vague idea what the H''raal were trying to accomplish with this type of formation and was about to ask Shy for comfirmation, when the battlefield telemetry warned about enemy contact.

    The image on the hologram screen shifted, displaying a view from the leading sphereship''s sensors. The golden, spectral shape of a draconic Revenant had appeared out of nowhere and was quickly approaching. Seconds later, numerous other draconic Revenant came within sensor range, swiftly joining the fray.

    The H''raal sphereship fired its weapons.

    Or rather, its weapon.

    A titanic, violet-white ray of sheer power shot out from the sphereship''s silvery hull, looking a lot like the residual energy beam of the Reality Vortex. The ray of dark energy engulfed the draconic Revenant and when the flash cleared, there was nothing left.

    Then the H''raal retreated.

    The sphereship flew toward the next tier of the starfleet vanguard, the Revenant in furious pursuit. More of the spectral abominations appeared, coming from all over Terra Para''s orbit, forming a steady stream of reinforcements. The leading H''raal sphereship reached the next group of five ships and the six of them fired their DEI cannons, annihilating rays blasting against the enemy. The draconic Revenant tried to evade the attack, yet even at such an extreme range the H''raal''s aim was true, and five specters were destroyed, while another was injured and taken temporarily out of the fight.

    The H''raal retreated again, hurrying to regroup with the next, larger picket of the starfleet. In that moment, Airo realized the aliens'' plan ¨C they sought to draw the Revenant into a crossfire and string them in one long, easily dispatchable line, relying on the apparitions'' lack of battle tactics.

    But the Revenant, while devoid of self-awareness, possessed a sense of wicked cunning and they were far from foolish.

    The gathered sphereships fired another ruinous salvo, killing nearly a score of draconic Revenant. The Revenant slowed their pursuit and spread out their ranks, making themselves a harder target while waiting to gather in numbers. The H''raal also slowed their retreat, attempting to bait the enemy into following.

    That was a mistake.

    The draconic Revenant abruptly surged forward with more speed than before. They came into range of their terrible energy bolts and attacked the sphereships en masse. The H''raal fired in response, killing more Revenant, and tried once more to retreat. Yet now their speeds were matched and the Revenant swarmed the H''raal, lancing them with volley after volley of energy bolts. The apparitions focused their attacks on one of the sphereships, damaging it severely, and it was soon lost among their advancing ranks, its swirling, silvery hull torn and sundered under the Revenant''s relentless assault.

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    Seeing their fellow clankin in danger and their plan foiled, the rest of the H''raal starfleet formation moved forward, joining the battle. Now, the fifty-five H''raal sphereships faced nearly a hundred and fifty draconic Revenant, as well as numerous smaller Revenant, who emerged from the lost H''raal sphereship, harvested from the souls of its crew. The two forces clashed in the depths of the cosmos, the flashes of high-energy blasts brightening the stellar background into near-invisibility.

    Airo watched the vicious conflict unfold on the hologram screen. The battle had an eerie, surreal quality, for there was no sound on the mothership''s bridge ¨C no alarms, no audiosimulators feedback, no comm chatter. The occasional subdued growl among the crew and muted flashes on the energy walls when the mothership took a hit were the only signs what was happening on the screen was real. Airo glanced around. Beside him, Veralla mantled her wings, her eyes wide, obviously distressed. He petted her quivering headcrests soothingly and she wrapped her tail and wing around him in an instinctive hug. Behind them, Te''ylna Shy stood motionless, a halo of viridian energy indicating she interfaced the same strange network the H''raal used for operation and communication.

    The Revenant battered the H''raal defenses without pause, and many of the sphereships were taking heavy damage. However, each of those ships was as big as a dreadnought and had correspondingly devastating weaponry ¨C perhaps even more so, to Airo''s limited expertise. The H''raal gave fierce resistance while they maneuvered their sphereships into position, and managed to envelop the Revenant in a limited crossfire zone. The Revenant still might''ve won, if it wasn''t the unique design of the sphereships, which could fly in any direction and had complete freedom in their firing arcs, able to aim their DEI cannons at any possible point while on the move.

    After a long, bloody battle, the Revenant were defeated down to the last monster. An hour passed while the surviving sphereships were sweeped for infiltrated Revenant and damage reports were presented. Out of fifty-five sphereships originally part of the H''raal starfleet, forty-nine had survived, and three quarters of them were fit for further combat duty. The casualties were extreme, yet considering the opposition, Airo thought with cynical pragmatism they were completely acceptable.

    "Three million of my clan have died to save three million of yours," Te''ylna Shy said to him with a barely-restrained growl. "I hope their sacrifice won''t be in vain, Clanleader Airo."

    "It will not," he said with determination. "Remember, this was not merely a tradeoff in lives, Te''ylna. This is about the survival of everyone in the galaxy ¨C including your people."

    "I am very sorry that so many died," Veralla said. "I will miss them, even though I did not know them. But I also thank you and your clan deeply for helping us, Ynrolshuoay."

    Shy''s azure plumage fluffed, making her appearance softer. "And I thank you again for your words, Great One. Do not worry. Our clan has already given its word, and we won''t renege on it. Even," Shy growled again, "if it means we must all give our lives to carry out our duty."

    "Hopefully, it will not come to that," Airo said, folding his arms. "Now, if your fleet can move again, Te''ylna, I respectfully ask you to enter low orbit of Terra Para, and provide me with communication links to the Consortium and the Union."

    ***

    At first, both stellar civilizations ignored Airo''s call. After one ?ther-assisted viral invasion from Yeoman Cloud into their respective Viirt networks, the Consortium and the Union quickly abandoned their sense of superiority and agreed to a virtual summit meeting.

    Now Airo, Veralla, Te''ylna Ynrolshuoay, Admiral Gideon Sorofoth El-Qadir, and Admiral Vilor Ederor Jarmil, the commander-in-chief of Terra Para''s Union forces, were all in simulspace, sitting in a picturesque garden gazebo. Airo, in a fit of nostalgia, decided to craft the virtual reality in an idealized image of his homeworld Arceria, and as such the surrounding environment looked like something out of a pastoral drawing: cobblestone pathways winding between emerald hills, a majestic forested mountain rising over timber houses, and flowering gardens built along the sandy coast of a calm, great sea.

    Initially, Admiral El-Qadir and Admiral Jarmil barely spent a glance at Airo, or even Shy, their gazes fixed for a solid minute on Veralla. Typical. She always gets the attention, Airo mused as he waited patiently for the aeonth time for Veralla''s supernatural magnetism to wear off.

    "The deal is simple," he said without any preamble. "The Consortium and the Union will start to cooperate, both between themselves and with the Order of the Radiant Knights, effective immediately. Additionally, you are to provide complete support in any matters the Knights or the H''raal request, and you will house any refugees who are sent to either Kryoon or Arcolant. You will agree to these terms unconditionally, and will enforce them until the end of this crisis."

    "And on what grounds do you make such demands of the Consortium, Commander Airo?" Admiral El-Qadir asked, his Drylander features twisted in distaste.

    "Well, for one, I still have Omega-level clearance," he said with a thin smile. "I can completely lawfully take control over your forces."

    El-Qadir rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration.

    "The Union of True Humanity is a sovereign state beholden to no one," Admiral Jarmil said, his expression one of sullen defiance. He was a giant man, as large as Lylana, and even though his dark uniform was made from smart materials, it still looked like the fabric barely held his bulging muscles. The Union admiral snapped, "Why we should submit to you, abberant freaks?"

    "In your case, because we can wipe out your entire force," Airo replied coldly. "This, by the way, is also true for the Consortium."

    "I''ve listened to a fair amount of threats in my life," Admiral Jarmil said. "If you think¨C"

    Suddenly, Shy rose to her feet. Admiral Jarmil was built like a living mountain, yet he couldn''t compare to the ferocious-looking H''raal clanleader. The Union admiral stopped mid-sentence, eyeing warily the feathered alien. Admiral El-Qadir also had his attention on the te''ylna.

    "Three million of my clan have given their life to fight the Revenant," Shy growled in a low, menacing voice. "They have died, because the Yssyy clan has given its word to aid the Radiant Knights in their task to defeat Tungust Ferrtau. If it has to, our clan shall give three million more of their number. If it has to, the clan shall give even more. If it has to, the clan shall give everyone to fulfill its word.

    "Or," Shy continued, "if it has to, the Yssyy clan will kill whoever stands in the way of our allies ¨C to whom it has given its word. Now, humans, decide ¨C shall you stand in our way, or shall you join a worthy cause?"

    The two admirals were visibly shaken by her words. "The... whole... clan..." El-Qadir mumbled, while Admiral Jarmil glanced left and right as if the lawns around the gazebo held squads of armed enemies.

    "We have over thirty dreadnoughts at our disposal," Airo snapped. "Let this sink in."

    It didn''t take long for that to happen. "It seems there''s no choice in the matter," Admiral Jarmil said with resignation, getting his composure under control first. "As supreme commander of the Union of True Humanity''s armed forces of the Ascendancy System, I cede control to you, c... Commander Airo."

    "Hmph, so be it," Admiral El-Qadir said. "As head of Terra Para''s SDO of the Galactic Stellar Consortium armed forces in the Ascendancy System, I formally relinquish command in favor of you, Commander Airo."

    "There, you can finally hear the true facts about this war," Airo said. "Now¨C"

    "Wait!" Veralla suddenly interrupted. "Airo, you have to tell them to stop hurting people!" The two admirals looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

    "Yes, thank you for reminding me," Airo nodded. He fixed the admirals with a hard stare. "Also, in addition to cooperating and ceding all control, tell your soldiers to stop terrorizing the local populace and conduct thorough investigations in any case involving mistreatment from your respective forces toward native inhabitants. Fail to comply, and there will be consequences."

    For some reason, his words seemed to galvanize the two admirals.

    "You are playing a dangerous game, Commander," El-Qadir said. "Don''t push too hard, or we can call an entire starfleet to invade this system."

    "Even the H''raal cannot stand before the might of the entire Union," Jarmil threatened.

    "Yes, you could do that," Airo said flatly. "However, it would take them time to arrive here, and when they do, the only thing they would find would be the smoking remains of orbital bombardment."

    There was silence.

    "Understand something here, gents," Airo continued. "We are all on the same side here. We want to help you. Yet to do so, you need to play by our rules ¨C so step in line and check in your gung-ho elements. Keep things civil. After all, you do claim to be representatives of stellar civilizations."

    Airo smiled at his own words. Yet, what truly aroused his mirth, were the reactions of El-Qadir and Jarmil, who both balked at him for using a pun at such a moment.

    "Now, if you are done playing tough soldiers, hear me out."

 Chapter 20.3 - Clearing Ways

    After the summit meeting concluded and peace was established between the Consortium and the Union, Airo and Veralla said their goodbyes to the H''raal and left for Ouroboros. They had come aboard the H''raal starfleet again via a lasership, so now they flew once more in cramped quarters on the way back.

    Veralla was getting rapidly used to the sense of weightlessness that was microgravity, and even enjoyed it. Now when she had attained all the talents of a real dragon, she appreciated the sensation a bit less, being able to reproduce it anywhere, but it certainly was more fun this way, without having to constantly concentrate. Vacuum, on the other claw, she was not very fond of. It felt strange, hostile even, causing her whole body to tense and tighten as if preparing for battle. She also could not breathe in vacuum, and it felt like she was being cut off from an ephemeral yet vital energy source. While she was mildly surprised to learn dragons did not need to breathe to survive, she certainly liked the act of breathing and the flow she experienced through it.

    As she and Airo traveled back to Ouroboros, Veralla thought about all the nice H''raal who had died in the horrible battle against the Revenant. She felt sad because they had died only because they had promised to help. It seemed unthinkable to her that people would die because they wanted to do a good deed. Yet was it not sometimes exactly because someone wanted to do good that they ended doing something bad? She remembered Ferrtau''s words, whispered to her so long ago: Veralla, I will not harm you. Yet if Ferrtau did not want to harm her, why had he killed so many others? Why was his soul so dark and terrible? Why had he abandoned the Way? She dwelled on those and many other thoughts, quietly musing about the world around her. So quiet, in fact, that Airo, who normally liked silence, asked her if something was wrong.

    "No, I am okay," she replied. "Can we visit Nightsong once we are back?"

    "Of course," he replied. "Hopefully she will get better soon."

    Veralla nodded eagerly. Her mind bloomed with light and hope. She looked at Airo happily. He was more close to her than ever and she could feel his presence in her mind almost continually now, a small, yet resolute flame which was becoming brighter and warmer. She felt as if she could talk to him with thoughts alone. She smiled, joyful to have succeeded in her desire to help Airo overcome his sadness and become once more the person he had been before the tragedy that had broken him.

    They returned to Ouroboros, and then used the psi-gate to travel to Ilsorin. As the two of them walked toward the medical level, Veralla grew anxious again. She hoped ardently Nightsong was better, or would get better soon, because she wanted to say so much things to her, and wanted Kiana to be happy, and wanted the other dragons to be happy, who also were concerned about Nightsong''s wellbeing. She felt Nightsong as a sister, as a fellow fledgling who had endured much hardship. Veralla, too, had had many difficult moments in her life, and had managed to overcome them all ¨C and she believed Nightsong could also do so. That was why she hoped brightly, hoped passionately, hoped very much for Nightsong to get better and become a healthy dragon.

    "You are glowing," Airo suddenly said. "What are you doing?"

    "Oh, oh, nothing," she replied. She used a meditative exercise to clear her mind, and the soft magenta light around her disappeared. "I was... thinking too hard, I guess?"

    "Hmm. Better learn to control your new talents before they get you into trouble," he said with a stern expression, but his tone was warm and relaxed. "Huh, this is a surprise."

    Kiana greeted them outside Nightsong''s room. She looked much better than before, and had put on her clothes again. Veralla was slightly disappointed, because she thought Kiana looked much more beautiful without clothes. She had never fully grasped the idea exactly why humans always wore clothing, even when they did not need protection.

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    "Heyyy, whippersnapper! Fearless Leader!" Kiana waved at them. Her voice sounded tired, yet she smiled and her lavender eyes were full of relief. "How did the epic space battle go? You don''t seem too rattled for having gone toe-to-claw with a horde of Revenant dragons."

    "For starters, it was not epic at all," Airo said matter-of-factly. "The Revenant were all soulless brutality and pummeled the H''raal until they were destroyed down to the last specter. Thankfully, the planetary orbit is now completely clear of Revenant."

    "Yes, but unfortunately many people died!" Veralla added with intensity. "Te''ylna Ynrolshuoay told us three million of her clan had died, and that is very, very sad!"

    "Deus," Kiana said, closing her eyes. "And I thought an armada of dreadnoughts would''ve kicked the asses of those lightshows." She sighed. "And what of the stellar civilizations? Did you have to fight them too, to get them to listen?"

    "We avoided direct conflict," Airo replied. "They have issued a formal cease-fire between themselves, and from now on will openly support us. With their aid and the H''raal starfleet, this war will be finally turned around and concluded soon."

    "Thank the Great Cosmos. Finally some good news," Kiana breathed deeply. She then smiled again. "I have some of my own too, by the way."

    "Oh!" Veralla said, her headcrests rising in anticipation. "Pray tell us! Is it something about Nightsong?"

    "Yes, as a matter of fact. She... has finally fallen asleep."

    Veralla flinched from the sudden shock, but then realized Kiana was not using metaphors. "Oh! You mean she is sleeping normally?"

    Kiana chuckled, albeit a bit forcefully. "Yes, she is. It happened just as you departed for deep space, and hasn''t wakened since. Which is... what? Twenty hours? I freaked out at first and almost went mental with worry. Thankfully, Tehalix reminded me this was barely more than half a day, but I''d become so used to Nightsong mostly napping fitfully for a few minutes at a time I thought it was a halt-state or something."

    "Can we see her?" Veralla asked.

    "Yeah, sure. Come inside."

    Kiana led them into the room, which was much more spacious than before. Tehalix and Lung were there, and for some reason Alomar was also present. The blue-and-white dragon was lying in the far corner, watching the healing pool where Nightsong was. Airo and Alomar traded silent stares, and then nodded almost imperceptibly to each other. Tehalix waved heartily, sitting on her knees next to the healing pool. Lung turned her horned head and opened her jaws to greet them, yet a muted fist-smack from her soulkin stifled her words.

    Nightsong floated in the center of the pool, a buoyant pillow put under her small head to keep it above the healing waters. She looked peaceful and relaxed, her wings and tail splayed wide, like a draconic lily in a tiny pond. Veralla was so touched by the image she hrrr¨Ced.

    "Oh! She is so beautiful!" she exclaimed, and then grabbed her snout in shock. Her words had echoed loudly in the quiet room.

    Nightsong hrrr¨Ced softly and stirred. "Oh, whippersnapper," Kiana groaned in despair and went to her. She patted the tiny hatchling on the head. "Shhh, sleep now, my dear, sleep..."

    "But I don''t want to sleep," Nightsong said. "I''m hungry."

    Kiana froze, astonishment and shock written on her face. Veralla also felt the change in Nightsong''s voice, and her breath halted. Nightsong hrrr¨Ced again and stood on her legs. She yawned widely, and then shook her head and wings, opening her eyes.

    They were red.

    Her scales had lost their ghostly pall. They were still pure white, yet now they reflected the light like pristine mountain snow. She was not shivering anymore. Nightsong curiously looked her body over, then turned to Kiana. "I''m not cold anymore!" she announced happily.

    Everyone in the room stilled. Then, an enormous wave of relief and happiness washed over Veralla, nearly overwhelming her senses, as the others rejoiced about Nightsong''s recovery.

    "You are well! You are finally well!" Lung rawr¨Ced with delight.

    "Way to go, little one!" Tehalix cheered.

    Alomar rumbled in what was both surprise and elation.

    Kiana was in tears.

    "Nightsong! Oh, Nightsong!" she cried, throwing her arms around the dragonet. "Great Cosmos, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

    Veralla could not control her emotions anymore. She lunged at Airo, who was standing calmly with a warm smile on his face, and hugged him with all the joy and love that were swelling inside her at this beautiful moment.

    And he hugged her in turn.

 Sixth Interlude

    SIXTH INTERLUDE

    Across Terra Para, deep within the fractal manifold

    With renewed Determination, I raised the Power within me, and took stock of the condition of my Crusade. Gazing through my Inner Perceptions, I saw the sad state of matters: I had lost control over the Reality Vortex, my Revenant were beaten and scattered in disarray, and my very Life was on the brink of Death.

    All of this was Irrelevant.

    With a single Thought I restored my connection to the Vortex; Distance made it Tenuous, and its Effects were Irreversible, yet it would not Grow any longer, until I bade it so. Then, I sent a Message to my Holy Heralds, so they should Gather under my radiant Banner, bolstering the fires of my Crusade Anew. And at last, I called sheer Willpower to stem the Ebbing Flow of my Sacred Essence, to grant me Time to walk the last steps on the Path to Ascension.

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    I was Ready.

    I cast Her one final glance, my soul bright with scarlet bleed, and then I rose High Above, from cave to surface to mountains to clouds to sky beyond. I gazed at Her final resting place, and using my Power, I bade it be Hers forever. I Shaped the spatial labyrinth, sculpting it into a magnificent shrine, and then I sank it into the Depths of Terra Para, never to be found again.

    That Done, I turned toward Destiny and rushed to meet it Soon. Tranquil Fury gave me strength, and Divine Vision guided my soul.

    I had to save Veralla. To save her from The Dragonslayer, and make her the ultimate Sacrifice, the one who shall grant the blessing of All to Ascend. To wrench her free from the grasp of the usurper, and make her Light.

    I am coming for you, Dragonslayer.

    I am coming for you, Airo.

    I am coming for you. And you shall regret the moment when you Chose to stand in my Way. You shall regret the heinous crimes you have done against the child of my Love.

    You shall regret everything.

    I am coming for you, and Triumph shall be mine.

 Chapter 21 - Embracing the Way

    CHAPTER 21 ¨C EMBRACING THE WAY

    "Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides,

    What is the secret of their durability?

    Is it because they do not live for themselves,

    That they endure so long?"

    ¨C Lao Tzu, Datalinks

    The present, Ilsorin, last bastion of the Order of the Radiant Knights

    With the aid of the H''raal and their immense fleet, and with the transhuman stellar civilizations working together, the war on Terra Para at last was turned around. The Revenant were beaten back and their previously unstoppable march was checked, while Kryoon City and Arcolant were bolstered with much needed aerial transport, and Consortium and Union forces were deployed for a series of rescue operations to ensure everybody beyond the cities was given a safe haven. Plans for planetary evacuation were set in motion, with the idea to use the H''raal sphereships to get everyone off-world, and let the Reality Vortex finish the job by imploding the planet.

    At Ilsorin, the Radiant Knights celebrated. Airo rewarded their bravery and perseverance by granting all of them an extended rest, thus freeing their time for something else other than war. Even then, many Knights volunteered to pick up the slack wherever it was needed, assisting Consortium and Union troops in the field, acting as liaisons with the H''raal, or handling parts of the now-monumental logistical chains in the united front against the Revenant.

    Of course, the Radiant Knights went completely ecstatic when they heard about Nightsong. The news of the dragonet''s recovery flashed across the stronghold like a supernova, and the day after her heartwarming waking dozens of people crowded the medical level, everyone wanting to express their congratulations and to share in the joy of such a miraculous event. Kiana was beaming beside Nightsong, and people hailed her as a true hero, and both she and Nightsong were considered inspiring persons deserving to be made Radiant Knights, one for her courageous endurance and the other for her undying resolve.

    "Hey, Ki! Hi, Nightsong! Good to see you both are okay now!" Zuckeroff said with a broad, idiotic smile, waving as he emerged from the celebratory crowd to greet the glowing pair.

    "Void it, gamebrain! You didn''t come see me even once while I was literally pouring my soul to save Nightsong!" Kiana said with a playful scowl, folding her arms, and blew a lock of dark-blue hair obscuring her face. "You forgot about me, huh?"

    The astrior stammered, taking her verbal jab for real. "Uh, no! No! I, um, was, well, doing, um, stuff? Ah, I mean, uh, I had to be, uh, on missions and, um, stuff, and the sitrep was really bad, and, ah..."

    "I''m just kidding, you doofus! Come here for a hug!"

    "Hugs!" Nightsong yipped. "Can I get some too?"

    "But of course, whippersnapper! C''mere!"

    In the wake of three consecutive events ¨C Veralla''s Awakening, Nightsong''s recovery, and the H''raal victory over the draconic Revenant ¨C morale was fully restored and many were saying the worst was over.

    Airo, however, wasn''t so quick to let his guard down. He wasn''t the only one either: Magus, Lylana, and Glawlrhain were all still on edge, because one key aspect remained yet unknown ¨C Ferrtau. The former Lightbringer was nowhere to be found, and all attempts to learn his whereabouts were met with failure. The fact Ferrtau wasn''t at the head of his scattered forces was troubling; there were very few explanations what else he could be doing, and all of them presented  dark and sinister scenarios.

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    While Airo wasn''t willing to let his archenemy stay in some strategic blind spot from where he could potentially strike, his daily routine became too busy to give this problem any more attention than the absolutely necessary. The H''raal alliance and the takeover of Consortium and Union military had suddenly placed Airo atop a huge conglomeration of different forces, resources, and people, all of whom required tight coordination in order to work together.

    Airo spent most of the day in Ilsorin''s command room, making QE commlink calls and listening to various reports, and personally reviewed mission plans and patrol schedules during every spare minute. He overhauled the whole chain of command, making it so interactions between the Radiant Knights, the H''raal, the Consortium, and the Union went smoothly. This required the removal of Admiral El-Qadir and Admiral Jarmil, and Airo replaced them with Captain Riley and Major Trahaearn, who fortunately quickly fell into step with their new duties.

    With this issue resolved, Airo returned to handling the war itself, for while the Revenant were beaten back, the monstrous apparitions were far from defeated. Even worse, the condition of Terra Para''s supernatural climate had continued to destabilize, and tremendous warpstorms ravaged the entire planet almost constantly. Even with the vastly increased military support, operations were more difficult than ever to perform in such conditions, and Airo closely monitored all commlink traffic and ongoing missions, careful to not let any disastrous slip-ups.

    At night, however, his world changed completely. As soon as sundown came, he would transfer command over to Yeoman Cloud and his subordinates, and retire to his room, where he spent the evenings with Veralla. Following her Awakening, she had started to grow rapidly, becoming larger and losing her comical proportions, her limbs turning long and graceful, her smallish wingspan exploding in breadth, and her claws, horns, and crests thickened and expanded in size. Yet her nature remained gentle, her amethyst eyes full of light and affection, and her fierce-looking smile was always ready to show at the merest hint of happiness.

    Over the long, grueling months he and Veralla had become very close, to the point he could scarcely believe it. They talked like lifelong friends, played computer games holding each other, and slept in a single bed, she snuggling against him with a soft hug. Given her increased growth, a new bed framework had to be nanofabricated, but this was the least thing occupying Airo''s re-emerging sense of wonder.

    So much had changed in his life. He had friends again. He dwelled among dragons, and one such creature was his dearest companion. His life had begun anew, and the memories of his previous existence now seemed like ghosts from a distant past. They were no less clear than before, yet they were much less troubling. They still hurt, yes, yet it was a healing pain, one which gave him release. He was alive once more. His soul shined with light. He was happy again.

    He thought about all people he had met on his incredible, unlikely journey. He recalled the deeds he had done since his re-awakening from cryostasis. He remembered again the struggles, the anguish, the bitter hate he had felt throughout all this time, and the key moments which had given him the chance to ultimately rise above and embrace the light of the Great Cosmos once more.

    And, in the center of all this, was Veralla.

    She had never given up on him. She had stood always at his side, offering her support and inexhaustible joyfulness. She had saved his life, both in body, in mind, and in spirit. And she asked nothing in return, his smile and the brightness in his eyes a reward enough for her.

    She was, without doubt, his soulkin.

    And now when his mind wandered, his thoughts were about Veralla, not Zenassa.

    There was a tingle, and a tiny chord of harmony replied him.

    Realizing this life-changing shift, Airo once more reflected on the past. His grief seeped away from him, like a morning mist evaporated by the sunny rays of dawn. His rage melted, enveloped in the warm embrace of love. Hope sang within him, promising forgiveness and redemption. His past choices might have been wrong, yet now he had the freedom to choose again. He had the power to make the right choices.

    And one of them was to let go of his revenge.

    It was a difficult choice. So much of his life had been shaped by this singular purpose, had been guided by this burning desire. A choice which had dictated his actions for as long as he had been a free person.

    To make Ferrtau pay.

    Yet, Airo no longer had the heart to pursue such a goal. In truth, he never had any heart in it at all. He had been dead inside, and merely sought an escape, an illusive remedy that would''ve given him an excuse to not face his sorrow, and to not let himself grieve the loss of Zenassa. Now, however, he was alive once more, and he was free. Free to grieve, free to heal, and free to love again.

    And free to forgive.

    Airo felt ready to let go of his revenge. He felt ready to let go of his past. He felt ready to let go of his old ways, and embrace the future in full. Perhaps, once this war was over, he could start anew with Veralla. He would put down his sword and renounce his title of Dragonslayer. He would leave behind his warrior''s legacy and would finally live in peace.

    He would be free to embrace his second chance.

 Chapter 21.2 - Embracing the Way

    Veralla was happy beyond belief. People were not killing each other anymore! Everyone was going to be saved! The Revenant would be defeated! To her young, idealistic mind, the war was already over, and now she could enjoy life in full, without worry or sadness.

    Since Airo was still very busy during the day, that left her with much free time when she was not training. The Radiant Knights were given a vacation of sorts, while the refugees continued to be ever-present in great number, so the base became a bustle of all kinds of activity.

    Zuckeroff, being an energetic and cheerful person full of ideas, was the front and center of much of the things that happened. He constantly organized tournaments, leagues, and contests of all sorts: sport events were hosted at the stadium every day, such as ?ther Omega, ¨¹berball, and parkour, while VR and retro-styled games were hosted all night around Ilsorin at specially-held LAN parties. Zuckeroff even started teaching the Radiant Knights how to play skycast. The dragons loved it, and as soon as they grasped the concept they practically mandated at least one match had to be arranged per day. Veralla watched them every time with joy, imagining how one day she would also play when she grew up.

    And grow she did, to her great delight. After she Awakened and became truly a dragon like the rest, her size swiftly began to increase. As her limbs elongated and her wings widened, it became much more easy for her to train, and Glawlrhain started to instruct her in entirely new ways of fighting which were previously impossible for her to do, like aerial combat and techniques for using her firebreath. She studied diligently, because she wanted to become perfect at fighting, so in the future she would be able to prevent anyone from hurting or killing others.

    Yet what made combat training now even more interesting was the fact Nightsong also started doing it, and she and Veralla practiced at the same time.

    The two of them almost immediately became best friends. During the day, while Veralla was away from Airo, she and Nightsong went everywhere together, whether it was to hurry for training, to have a meal, or just hang around. Kiana accompanied them most of the time, but she would as often as not leave them to themselves with a knowing smile, and then Veralla and Nightsong could do anything they could come up with with gleeful abandon.

    They flew around the mountain, chasing each other across the ramparts, and even soared through the high-ceilinged hallways of the stronghold, giggling and hrrr¨Cing as they scrambled through grav-shafts or took narrow turns along the covered souks. They made long dives in the lake and marveled together at the glowing grasses. Veralla showed Nightsong around the base and introduced her to the many people she had met since her arrival. They talked constantly between themselves, and Veralla was proud to show or explain Nightsong the things she had learned, becoming twice prouder when Nightsong grasped them as quickly as she did.

    In a sense, the two of them became inseparable, and parted ways only when each of them went to their respective soulkin. Veralla was overjoyed to have found such a dear friend in Nightsong, and she made everything possible to ensure the other fledgling felt included. Still, it troubled her that Nightsong continued to eat natural meat.

    "Have you tried pyrolith crystals?" she asked her one evening, as the two of them walked towards one of the learning halls, where Tehalix schooled them in the arts of science, magic, philosophy, and knowledge in general.

    "Oooh, I have, I have," Nightsong nodded eagerly. "I wanna eat only crystals and fresh fruits, like you do, but Kiana said no. She says I''m still too delicate to risk eating so and for now I''ll have to continue eating meat. But she allowed me to have one crystal per meal!" Nightsong added, beaming. "They''re very sweet!"

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    "Yes, they are," Veralla agreed, though internally she was a bit upset. She recalled the image of the cute whemokos, and became sad at the thought they had to be killed in order for Nightsong to be well. Yet perhaps... perhaps sometimes this was how things had to be.

    She remembered what Zuckeroff had told her about death: that it was never the end. Meaning, when the whemokos died, they did not cease to exist ¨C they probably went somewhere else. Perhaps they were happier there.

    Perhaps.

    "Come on, we''ll be late for lessons!" Nightsong told Veralla. The two of them hurried toward the learning hall.

    As soon as Nightsong had become healthy, she had been sent to be tutored by Tehalix alongside Veralla, in order to gain all necessary education to function comfortably in modern society. Veralla always enjoyed these learning sessions, fascinated by the vast knowledge which was available for every imaginable aspect of life, but Nightsong, although a good student, was considerably less enthusiastic about them.

    "Why do we have to learn about optics and their relations to spectrum wavelengths?" she hrrr¨Ced plaintively. "I wanna play Soukou Zmei Atro! It''s more fun than studying how languages are spoken!"

    "But knowing linguistics makes you able to understand what the people in the game say," Veralla replied. "This way it is much more fun!"

    "Hmm, if you''re bored with the conventional didactic methods, we can try some V-LARP games for a change of pace," Tehalix offered.

    "Buuut do I have tooo learn stuff?" Nightsong complained. "I mean, why should I know more about magic when I can do it, like Veralla does?"

    "You can?" Veralla asked in pleasant surprise.

    "Sure," Nightsong replied and lifted her foreclaws, concentrating. A ball of light appeared between them. "Here, just like you showed me."

    Tehalix'' jaw slacked. "Well, illuminate me," she said, dumbfounded. "This is the first time in my life I see a fledgling bend the ?ther right out of the shell."

    Kiana, when she was told about the event, was similarly impressed.

    "My little whippersnapper, a natural aethereal!" she squeed, hugging Nightsong. "I''m so proud of you, my dear! But if you want to progress and do the things I can do, then you must study hard! Power and skill don''t come by themselves, you know!"

    The other Radiant Knights were also ecstatic.

    "You''re an aethereal, too?" Lung rawr¨Ced with delight. "Oh, now we three can make a battlewing, or something! Oh, oh, perhaps we can form a team and participate in one of the tournaments! I heard the others talking about making an AEO specifically for dragons!"

    "Perhaps after they have grown more," Glawlrhain objected. "For now, they can test their talents against one another if they so wish, but any serious invocations are to be done during training only. Don''t look at me like that, young ones. Channeling the ?ther can be dangerous if you overestimate your abilities. It''s much like plunging from a great height without having one''s wings properly developed. You, Veralla, should best understand what I''m talking about."

    Since her Awakening, Veralla learned so many new things in a very short time it felt staggering. Great, vast expanses of new frontiers had opened before her, and between the celebrations about the war''s coming end and her studies as an aethereal, she was in a constant state of rapture.

    Yet, at her core, what made her most happy was Airo. She always showed him what she had learned after her lessons, and beamed every time he praised her. She gazed in his piercing grey eyes and watched with gladness the light in them shining brighter with each passing day. She could feel the bond between her and Airo deepening, growing stronger and more profound as they spent time together.

    She liked to hug him at every opportunity. She had been unaware of how much she needed closeness, and sought near-constant physical contact because of that. She sensed it made Airo uncomfortable at times, but before she could ask what was wrong, he would relax and let the moment be. They talked at great length every time Veralla felt like doing so, and she was happy she could now say as much things as she wanted and Airo would listen and reply in turn. Yet, she rarely wanted to ask questions anymore, instead talking about the many things she knew and the things he and others knew, or just wanted to hear his opinion on a matter.

    Yet even then, there were times when she simply wanted to be with Airo, without any conversation or any other activity. Indeed, she realized she did not feel a very great need to speak with him anymore. More and more often she was content just to be with him and he with her, and they kept quiet, enjoying each other''s presence, sharing a connection that was much greater and more harmonious than everything else ¨C and in such moments, words were unnecessary.

 Chapter 21.3 - Embracing the Way

    As the flurry of activity at Ilsorin continued, one day Kiana and Nightsong announced they were going to become soulkin officially. The news was received with much cheer from the Radiant Knights, and they even decided to make Kiana and Nightsong members of the Order.

    The ceremony was swiftly prepared, and events were to take place in Ilsorin''s largest public hall. All of the Radiant Knights ¨C even the renegade dragons ¨C came to attend the ceremony, and thousands of refugees gathered to witness the spectacle. As before, the Knights employed little pomp in the proceedings, the humans wearing their majestic red-gold armors, while the dragons were magnificent by way of their very nature. A variform platform was raised at center of the grand hall, in order for everyone to see the proceedings clearly.

    Kiana and Nightsong emerged from the crowd decorated as Radiant Knights, the Conduit wearing a red-gold uniform and the fledgling dragon carrying a glowing star-shaped pendant around her neck. They ascended the stairs leading to the top of the platform, where Lylana waited for them. Again she was leading the ceremony, and as she began her commemorative speech the noise died down.

    Lylana remarked on the accomplishments of Kiana and Nightsong, noting their bravery, dedication, and honor. She then spoke about the duties of the Radiant Knights, the difficulties they faced, and the great responsibility of being one. At last, she declared that the Order accepts Kiana and Nightsong as Radiant Knights, and asked them if they wish to take upon the duty as such, her clarion voice carrying across the hall. They responded in kind, saying solemnly they were ready to be knighted as part of the Order.

    "As you enter this fateful moment of your lives, you step fully into the brilliant radiance of the Fire Eternal, and become the sacred defenders, protectors, guardians, and wardens of All That Is," Lylana intoned. "To complete your initiation, there is one last step you must take: you must pledge the Pure Vow, the fundamental, sincere belief which makes a Knight who they are. Repeat after me."

    Lylana spread her arms wide, lifting her head skyward, and said:

    "No matter darkness, I am light.

    No matter fear, I am love.

    No matter death, I am transcendent.

    Even in failure, I accept the beauty of All.

    Even in defeat, I prevail in my soul.

    Even in despair, I walk fully aware the Celestial Way.

    I am an exemplar to all who seek the light of the Great Cosmos.

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    I am a beacon to all who yearn the embrace of the Fire Eternal.

    I am the shining star, the guiding light, the undying champion.

    I am a Knight hallowed in Radiance.

    And I vow to bestow my flame, my heart, and my soul to any and all."

    "I am a Knight hallowed in Radiance, and I vow to bestow my flame, my heart, and my soul to any and all," Kiana and Nightsong uttered in unison, finishing the Vow.

    Lylana lowered her head and smiled.

    "You are now Radiant Knights," she said warmly. "Welcome to our Order, dear sisters."

    The crowd exploded with cheers. The dragons roared in approval, and the human Knights applauded. Zuckeroff used an air-horn. Yeoman Cloud played an uplifting instrumental piece over the audiosimulators.

    Lylana made a gesture for silence.

    "And now," she said, once the hurrahs settled, "these two Knights before us desire to pledge themselves into the most holiest of unions: they wish to become soulkin."

    "By tradition," she continued, "such a union is always blessed by the leaders of our Order, whose brightest of lights add their everlasting shine to the joy and love that rests within and springs from such a sacred bond."

    Lylana turned toward Airo, who was standing with Veralla at the front of the spectating Knights, and beckoned. "Commander Airo, until the vow we have given you is fulfilled, you are the leader and example of our Order. Please, come forth, and bless these two souls into oneness, so their kinship may last eternal."

    Airo stood dumbstruck, while the gathered host of people watched him expectantly. He didn''t know what to do. He never... had done such a thing. What was he supposed to do?

    "Come on, Airo! Go!" Veralla exclaimed and nudged him forward with her snout.

    "But I... have no idea of the proper protocol," he said with a quiet, urgent voice.

    "Just wish them to be happy!"

    He nodded, and turned, surprised at the sudden lump that formed in his throat. He straightened, gathering his resolve, and walked toward the raised platform. He ascended the stairs under the gaze of thousands, nervous and composed at the same time, joyful and pained in the same instant. He never felt himself a hero, not even before Zenassa''s death. He never felt as an honorable champion. He never thought he would be the one others looked up to.

    Yet he felt determined not to let them down.

    He reached the top of the platform. Lylana made a respectful bow and stepped aside. Airo stood before Kiana and Nightsong. Kiana looked at him and smiled, nodding. Nightsong was practically radiating with joy, her nascent control over her ?thereal powers causing her to glow faintly.

    Airo looked at both of them, and took a breath.

    "For you to want to become soulkin, it means you two must love each other very much," he said. "As one person taught me long ago... love is the greatest gift in the universe. So I give your mutual gift my blessing, and may you live long, happily, and in harmony. Congratulations!"

    The cheers abounded anew, nearly drowned out by the deafening roars of the dragons. Kiana and Nightsong embraced, smiling to each other. Airo searched for Veralla and found her among the Knights, fully upright on her hindlegs with outspread wings and a joyful expression. Their gazes met; he saw the warm light in her purple eyes, and felt his soul sing.

    Suddenly, the massive double doors of one of the entrances slid open with a crashing boom. The thunderclap cut across the chamber, killing every other sound in an instant.

    Magus Dei stood at the threshold, his regal figure looking foreboding in the backscattered glow from the hallway beyond. Airo wondered how he hadn''t noticed the old man''s absence until now.

    "Arcolant went off the grid," Magus said. "Ferrtau is on the move."

 Chapter 22 - Defending the Way

    CHAPTER 22 ¨C DEFENDING THE WAY

    "There are innumerable living beings in the universe.

    I vow to help them all to Awaken.

    My imperfections are inexhaustible.

    I vow to overcome them all.

    The Dharma is unknowable.

    I vow to know it.

    The way of awakening is unattainable.

    I vow to attain it."

    ¨C The Bodhisattva''s Vow

    At first, Airo didn''t even comprehend what Magus had said. Everyone else in the hall was similarly shocked into silence, trying to understand the extreme gravity of the situation after being utterly jubilant only seconds ago.

    And then, Airo witnessed something he had never heard since he came to the Radiant Knights'' hidden base.

    Alarms began blaring across Ilsorin''s halls, their urgent wail echoing across the entire stronghold.

    "General alert! General alert! Code Blue is in effect! Code Blue is in effect! All active personnel report for duty! All active personnel report for duty!"

    "Cloud, what the bloody stars is going on?" Airo asked his power armor''s interface, while the alarm message continued to repeat. The crowd of refugees stirred fearfully and if it wasn''t for the Radiant Knights who prevented people from panicking, the situation would''ve turned ugly.

    "Commander, what Stellar Dei said is true," came the SAI''s oddly subdued reply. "The city of Arcolant was attacked and completely overwhelmed. They managed to send only one message for help before we lost contact altogether."

    "Great Cosmos," Airo breathed. "Darkovitz," he snapped, turning to Lylana. "Call Glawlrhain, and call Stamat¨C call everyone and tell them to come to the command room. We must take immediate action."

    He climbed down the platform''s stairway and headed toward the hall''s exit. Veralla made her way through the crowd to join him. Most of the Knights soon followed.

    The reason why Ilsorin''s command room was so vast finally became apparent. The stronghold had been made to house ninety thousand Knights during its prime, which meant there had to be a place where hundreds of commanders could meet at any given time, especially when some of them very likely had been dragons. With all remaining Radiant Knights present, the command room still did not quite manage to look packed, yet the atmosphere was very different from when there were only a handful of people present.

    Airo stood before the command table with Veralla next to him, and Magus, Lylana, Glawlrhain, Stamat, Kiana, Nightsong, and Zuckeroff ninety degrees to the side, while the rest of the Radiant Knights were in a circle a few meters back. They all listened to Yeoman Cloud''s situation report.

    "Number of casualties: unknown. Number of survivors: unknown. All communications to the city are severed, including ?ther-based and quantum entanglement ones. Attempts to re-establish communication or conduct short-range reconnaissance have failed. Long-range reconnaissance reveals severe amounts of large-scale structural damage and high quantity of exotic emissions.

    "Logical conclusion dictates there are no survivors.

    "By latest reports, Arcolant housed one-point-nineteen million civilians, twenty-five Union brigades, numbering a total of one-hundred and two thousand soldiers, and ten H''raal dreadnought-class sphereships, with a total crew of three-point-zero-one million.

    "Surveillance feeds show a great number of Revenant united into a single front, led by an extremely-powerful aethereal. Profile matches ninety-nine-point-eight percent with that of Tungust Ferrtau, former member of the Order of the Radiant Knights."

    Airo looked over the gathered host. Everyone was here, grim and somber in the face of the grave news. Even Mentoria had come to the emergency meeting. In a single stroke, the stars had turned yet again, and Ferrtau had at last revealed the extent of his terrible power.

    "The whole city..." Stamat whispered. "All those people... W-where... where are they going next?"

    "Kryoon, no doubt," Airo said darkly. "Cloud?"

    "I concur, Commander. Intelligence data suggests the Revenant''s next target is Kryoon City. However, satellite telemetry is extremely unreliable due to the constant presence of continent-wide warpstorms, so the estimated time of arrival is unknown."

    "One thing I can''t fathom is why now?" Kiana asked out loud. "Why the Lightbringer didn''t demonstrate his full might before? Why he counterattacks when we had nearly defeated the Revenant?"

    "Hmm," Magus Dei mused, and put a hand to his bearded chin. "Perhaps there had been previously something which had inhibited Ferrtau from making a proactive move." The old Knight glanced at Airo. "Perhaps it is has been the same factor ¨C or factors ¨C that prevent him from leaving Terra Para to accomplish his plan on some other world."

    "The question is, where does this put us?" Glawlrhain asked, clicking his claw against the floor.

    "Ferrtau wants to draw us out. That is his goal," Airo said with certainty. "He knows how we will act, and relies on that."

    "Make us show up? Uh, but to what purpose?" Zuckeroff wondered. "Like, why..." The astrior''s stare fell upon Veralla. "Oh..."

    Everyone around the command table followed his gaze. Veralla''s eyes widened slightly and she hrrr¨Ced quietly.

    "Ferrtau wants me to show up?" she asked anxiously.

    "Quite possible," Magus said. "Now when you have developed your draconic traits and proved capable of shaping the ?ther, I am even more convinced than before you are a Primordial dragon, young one."

    "Hmph," Mentoria suddenly snorted, and looked at Veralla in a way Airo didn''t like.

    "Perhaps she really is of exceptional legacy, after all," Glawlrhain admitted tentatively. "Then again, whether Ferrtau is after Veralla or the starblade, we must not let him get ahold of either."

    "That is besides the point," Airo said. "What we face now is the fate of this entire war. Cloud, what is the progress status on the evacuation of Kryoon?"

    "Twenty transport shuttles are completed," the SAI reported, appearing as a swirl of lights above the command table. "If we add the rest of the high-volume aerial units from our available forces, this will give us a total of seventy vehicles. Depending on coordination efficiency with the H''raal, the population of Kryoon City can be evacuated between eighty to ninety hours."

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    "Begin evacuation then," Airo ordered. "Contact Te''ylna Shy and tell her to position the H''raal sphereships in the atmosphere. Then contact Captain Riley and tell him to recall all forces in the field, and gather everything we have at the city. We shall make our stand there."

    "Stand?" Lylana burst out. "What stand?! We can''t fight the Lightbringer head on, Commander! You see what he''s capable of!"

    "What I see, Elder Darkovitz, is a sudden, brutal, and decisive strike from our enemy," Airo said, his tone hardening. "Yet that by no means denies our ability to fight back. We still have the Consortium at our side. We still have the H''raal. We have seen what the enemy can do, and we can prepare against it. If our forces stand united and fight, we can still defeat the Revenant."

    "And," he continued, turning to address all of the Radiant Knights, "we still have a whole city of people who depend on us to protect them. If we fight, we can give those people enough time to escape."

    Lylana banged the command table with her giant fist. "And what about the Lightbringer?" she challenged. "How could we possibly stop him?"

    "I shall take on Ferrtau personally," Airo said with a cold, adamant voice. He sensed the old smoldering hatred inside him ignite once more. "I have fought him before. And I will fight him again. Until only one of us remains."

    His words echoed over the gathered Knights who watched him in silence.

    Lylana shook her head. "You will only perish," she said with a sad expression.

    "Not if he wields the starblade," Magus Dei said very quietly.

    Glawlrhain perked up. "Magus, this is unwise," the dragon said, his amber eyes full of concern. "We can''t risk Ferrtau capturing the starblade. Your suggestion imperils everything!"

    "Perhaps it is destiny," the old Knight continued softly, steepling his fingers. "Perhaps Ferrtau must end the universe. Perhaps not. Whatever way events are fated to go, I ask you all: How else would Airo fight Ferrtau without the aid of such an artifact? How would any of you fight him?"

    The Radiant Knights lowered their heads; and then lifted them again, all turning to Airo to see his reaction.

    "We can either win or lose," he said, seizing the moment. "No matter the outcome, there are more than a million people out there who depend on us. If we do not fight, they will all die. Yet if we fight, we can save them, and even have a chance to end the war then and there. I ask you this: what do your hearts say?"

    There was a prolonged silence.

    "So, we go?" one of the Radiant Knights asked.

    Lylana took a deep breath, and sighed. "We go," she said.

    As one, the Radiant Knights let out a shout of approval, raising their fists and wings.

    Suddenly, Veralla jumped, squeezing Airo in a tight hug.

    "No! Airo, do not go!" she cried. "I do not want you to go!"

    He patted her soothingly on the head, reaching out to stroke her twin crests. "I cannot stay," he said, closing his eyes. "I am a leader. My duty is to lead. I must go."

    "But I do not want you to die!"

    "I do not want to die anymore, too," he said with a sad smile. "Yet we are in a war. And people die in war. This is how things are."

    She sniffled, pressing her snout in his shoulder. "Then I will come too! I will be with you, even in war!"

    "No, you cannot," he said gently, but firmly. "You must stay here."

    "But I want to come! Please, let me come with you!" she pleaded, pulling her head away.

    "No, Veralla," Airo said. He opened his eyes, and met her amethyst gaze full of tears. He shook his head. "Ferrtau is looking for you. If you come, he will take you and... I do not know what he will do to you. So you must stay."

    "B-but I..."

    "You must stay, Veralla! Do you understand?"

    She nodded wordlessly, sobbing. "Promise me, Airo," she hrrr¨Ced plaintively. "Promise me you will not die."

    "Veralla..."

    "P-please..."

    He watched her, struggling to control his own storm of emotions. "I promise you my Way will not end there. I will return, Veralla."

    She nodded again and wrapped her wings around him. He felt a familiar tingle in his mind, and returned her hug.

    Magus Dei stirred and said, "Do not worry, young one. I shall watch over Airo and protect him with my life."

    "You are coming along?" Airo asked, surprised.

    "I am," Magus said. "The coming battle is too important for me to hold back my waning powers. It is time to take a direct part in the efforts to shape a favorable outcome in this war."

    "I''m coming too, Boss!" Zuckeroff declared boisterously, lifting a finger and winking. "Imma gonna spec your six and fight the bad guys, and show ''em who ''r'' the pros!"

    "We will also join you," rumbled a deep voice. The Radiant Knights turned toward Alomar, who had spoken. He made a stride forward, his gang ¨C Rebel, Scorn, Discord, and Hater ¨C emerging on either side of him. "We went on missions before," the blue-white dragon continued, "but we never... behaved, or listened. We now want to do our part in truth and help properly. Like... Knights are supposed to do." The other four dragons hrrr¨Ced their consent.

    "And I will come, too," Kiana said, moving closer. The russet-skinned Conduit smirked. "Since I''m now, y''know, a Radiant Knight."

    "No," Airo said, motioning toward her. "You must stay."

    Kiana flung her arms. "Yo, Fearless Leader, the first time I volunteer for something, and you shaft me! What for? You know I can pull my weight!"

    "Because," Airo said, pointing, "you have other responsibilities now." Kiana followed his gesture to see Nightsong.

    "Oh," she said.

    "It''s okay," the dragonet said in a very small voice. "If you promise like Airo did to Veralla... I can wait for you."

    "Oh," Kiana repeated. "Oh, whippersnapper, I can''t just leave you."

    "Then I can come! Ferrtau isn''t looking for me!"

    "No, no, no, whippersnapper. You... I... We... we are soulkin. And you''re still... so small. It will be wrong to ask of you to take part in something like this. Not now. Not when..." Kiana glanced toward Veralla. "Not when others have already lived through such horrors." Her shoulders sagged slightly. "We should stay. It''s better that way."

    "Oh... okay," Nightsong said, seeming relieved. She turned to Veralla. "Don''t worry. I''m sure Airo will return to you too."

    "I know," Veralla said and tried to smile. "I believe so. I pray for it." She hrrr¨Ced, trying to stifle another sob.

    Airo again patted her on the head, nodding encouragingly when he saw her bright eyes full of silent plea. He then put a hand on Kiana''s shoulder.

    "You did your part in this," he said to her. "Nobody questions your bravery."

    "I know, Commander," she sighed. "I just... Just go and kick the Lightbringer''s ass, ''kay?"

    "With pleasure." He turned to Magus. "Let us not delay any longer. This starblade you spoke of, where is it?"

    Magus cast a discerning look at Mentoria.

    "You know you have to relinquish your hold," he told her.

    Mentoria frowned and folded her arms, for once not putting her shapely body on display. "Follow me," she snapped, and started walking toward the nearest exit. The Knights parted to make way for her.

    Airo and Magus followed Mentoria, and the three left the command room.

    ***

    She led them down to the lowest levels of the stronghold. They were barely a floor above the dragon cave which Veralla had told him about, by Airo''s estimate. There were no gravshafts and elevators here, only a long series of plain stone stairways and corridors, dimly illuminated by raw crystals embedded in the walls. The purpose and function of this archaic complex was unclear. The path ended at a single, moderately-sized chamber.

    Inside the chamber was a simple basin-shaped shrine. At its center stood a miniature sun. Though it was as intense as any real star, the sun''s glare did not hurt Airo''s eyes or even irritate them.

    He stopped at the chamber''s threshold, watching in wonder. Beside him Magus made several steps toward the shrine and turned, looking at Mentoria, his brows creased in an enigmatic inquiry.

    She folded her arms again, contempt written on her beautiful face. "I never disputed your ownership," she said, a trace of hurt noticeable ever-so-slightly in her silken voice. "I used it to defend your own charges and nothing more."

    "I see," Magus murmured, deep guilt twisting his features for an instant. The old Knight gestured for Airo to move closer. "Come."

    He moved forward, his attention divided between the artifact and the hidden interaction the two aethereals had exchanged.

    "This is my greatest creation," Magus said, indicating the glowing sun. His tone sounded reverential. "Using all power and knowledge I had gathered during my long life, I managed to harness the potential of an entire star. I called my creation a starblade, even though this hand-wrought miracle can perform feats far grander and more noble than mere combat. And yet the raw, cosmic might of a sun is by far easiest to apply in its destructive aspects. Thus I wielded it most often in that manner."

    "And now," Magus continued, "the Fire Eternal wills it that I pass this starblade onto another, so existence itself can prevail. Thus I release my bond willingly." The old Knight extended his arm. The miniature sun flowed like liquid and transformed into an elegant, radiant blade. Magus gestured for Airo to take the blade.

    He hesitated, watching the great artifact. It looked like the swords of light Awakened Radiant Knights were able to summon, yet somehow it was... more than that. Wholesome. Overwhelming. Absolute.

    Certainly something mythical, even in this wondrous age.

    "Go on," Magus said. "Remove your gauntlets, and take it."

    Airo took off the power armor''s gauntlets and the grid-caster beneath. Then he slowly tucked his hands under the starblade and lifted it. It felt light, almost weightless, and gave off a gentle, pleasant warmth.

    It was almost as if it was alive.

    "I will show you how to attune to it," Magus said. "The most important part is to learn how to channel your latent timeshifting gift through the blade, in order to command it at will. Everything else shall rest on your own abilities. Remember ¨C fighting with the ?ther is like fighting with any other weapon. Speed, balanced action, and awareness of oneself and one''s surroundings are the key to success. Mastery is merely a refinement upon those founding elements."

 Chapter 22.2 - Defending the Way

    The Radiant Knights prepared to depart for Kryoon City. Everybody gathered at the psi-gate in the middle of Ilsorin''s gardens. The large golden arch cast a pale glow in the morning gloom, its transdimensional portal shimmering around the edges, showing the grand decks of Ouroboros beyond.

    Airo checked for one last time his combat gear, making sure the virtualizer, the veronite blaster, and his crystal-bladed katana were all in place. The starblade was securely withdrawn somewhere into the depths of his higher self, after Magus had shown him how to attune himself to it. It had been surprisingly easy, and Airo couldn''t help but speculate the starblade somehow took ownership of him instead of the other way around.

    Veralla insisted on taking a very long goodbye with him. She wished him to return safe multiple times, nearly suffocating him with her growing draconic strength expressed in constant hugs, to the point where he had to ask her to stop so he could perform the starblade''s attunement process with Magus. She finally let go of him reluctantly, one last time bidding him to keep his promise, and stood anxiously nearby, while he gave a final briefing to the Knights, making sure everyone knew their squad composition and chain of command.

    With the Radiant Knights fitted for ultimate battle, Airo prepared to give the signal for everyone to move out, when he saw Magus coming toward him.

    "I have to admit, old man, your dramatics and high-handedness might be well warranted after all," he tried to humor, keeping his tone light. "If it was not for the amount of god machines you pulled on several occasions, this saga would have been cut short aeons ago."

    Magus fixed him with a stare. "Are you still after revenge?" the old Knight asked with a soft voice, his purple eyes mournful and intent. "After everything that has transpired?"

    Airo paused, stunned by the abrupt gravity of the situation. He averted his gaze and glanced reflexively at Veralla. She laughed along with the others, while Zuckeroff was telling a corny military joke. His life was different now. He had new horizons to look up to, and new responsibilities to bear.

    Yet his past was still the same. And it demanded resolution.

    He wondered why Magus asked him this question. He felt he knew the answer. Ferrtau had been Magus'' protege, and perhaps the old man still held hopes that his former student would redeem himself. Perhaps Magus, whether intentionally or not, had tried to establish himself as a mentor to Airo too, and sought to prevent whatever mistakes he had made with Airo''s archenemy. Perhaps Magus genuinely cared for him or Veralla, and wished to protect either or both of them. Airo, while no longer resentful of the old Knight, didn''t care for his motivations regardless.

    In truth, the question was a symbol to an internal conflict which had stormed inside Airo for some time now. He was torn between revenge and forgiveness.

    Given life anew by Veralla, he had regained his capacity for compassion and kindness. Fighting alongside the Radiant Knights, he had been given a wealth of new perspectives and new paradigms to strive for and live by. Having seen firsthand ¨C through the living chronicle ¨C the tragedies Ferrtau had endured in his life and the sort of person he had become nevertheless, had made Airo understand the lengths his former friend had gone to honor the memory of Zenassa and to aspire to be a better person because of that. Combined, these events and knowledges had coalesced into the core from which Airo''s new life springed, shaping his future outlook, vision, and ideals.

    Yet the old part of him was still alive, and still his. The part he had lived with for years, the hollow demon who knew nothing but rage and fury, bitter sorrow and endless anguish. And while he no longer needed that aspect of his persona, to ignore or to refuse it would weigh on his soul as much as shunning the chance for a new life.

    Airo wanted to embrace the future, yet first he needed to lay the past to rest.

    "I still seek revenge," he said to Magus. "Even if it is not for personal reasons anymore, I want to make Ferrtau pay. To face justice."

    "Do you think there was true justice for you, seven centuries ago?" Magus asked quietly.

    Airo was momentarily silenced. "That was different," he snapped, his tone defensive. "And I did endure a harsh enough sentence ¨C one which many would consider a fate worse than death."

    "Yet it did not turn out that way, did it? You are here today. Do you consider your life right now a fate worse than death?"

    Airo again glanced at Veralla, feeling the familiar tingle in his mind as he regarded her dark, unique form. "Ask me again when Ferrtau is a threat to all of us no more."

    "All I want is you to consider the words you just spoke," Magus said. "Once, you too were a threat to all. And now you are on the other side. Please ¨C be kind."

    Airo nodded curtly. He raised his fist, gathering the attention of the Radiant Knights. "Everyone, move out!" he shouted, and pointed toward the awaiting psi-gate.

    They crossed the gate in groups, teleporting to Ouroboros. Gravity aboard the great starship was still absent, so the Radiant Knights quickly crossed the enormous decks, using the zero-g environment to their advantage. They reached one of the access hangars and exited into the void beyond.

    In the near distance, a H''raal sphereship drifted on the same orbit as Ouroboros, a bright, silvery globe visible among the giant anomalous clouds soaring around the neutron star. The Radiant Knights activated the powerful jetpacks they had strapped to their armors or backs and flew toward the sphereship like a constellation of trailing comets. There was no chatter on the internal commlinks. Everyone was grim about the upcoming battle and tried to prepare themselves for the difficult odds they''d face.

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    After several minutes, the Knights arrived at the sphereship and boarded the exotic spacecraft. Airo had instructed the H''raal to keep one of their vessels nearby, because each of them had their own psi-gates which enabled instant transportation between their fleet. The technology was different, yet it operated on the same principles, so keeping Ouroboros and a sphereship together gave the Radiant Knights the ability to quickly cover vast distances, moving in and out of their hidden stronghold, eliminating their reliance on Vorzii.

    Airo led the Radiant Knights through the H''raal psi-gate and they emerged on the other side, entering the main deck of the H''raal mothership, which was located several score kilometers above Kryoon City. Airo had a short conversation with Te''ylna Shy, checking if there were any unexpected problems with the evacuation. Once that was done, the Knights left the mothership and paradropped toward the domed city far below, making the last leg of their swift passage.

    Transport shuttles were already taking civilians off-world, making constant circuits between the sky-parked H''raal fleet and the busy cosmodrome north of Kryoon. The weather was wracked by a severe blizzard accompanied by constant thunderbolts, with a raging warpstorm on top. Emergency E-beacons were set everywhere, their crystal cores glowing from the accumulated energies. Even then, the landscape wasn''t quite right-looking, manifesting strange refractions and aberrant mirages. It was amidst these perilous and surreal conditions the united forces of Terra Para had to pull off both the largest evac operation in the history of the colony and withstand their toughest battle in this war.

    As Airo rapidly descended, guiding his freefall with the power armor''s antigrav module, it reminded him about the starship crash he had survived when he first arrived on the planet. Almost a year had passed since that fateful event, yet to him it seemed like an eternity ago. Suddenly his commlink chimed, taking him out of his reverie.

    "Commander Airo," Captain Riley greeted with a terse salute on the AR display. "It''s good to have you among the ranks. Ought to bolster morale a bit, but mostly we''re damn glad you''re taking personal command of this fubar. I know I''d be shitting polyconcrete right now if I was leading the show." The connection was spotty, garbled by heavy interference from the warpstorm. "Combat HQ''s assembled on the central battle platform. We''re ready to receive you."

    "Understood," Airo replied. "I will be there shortly." He opened a commlink channel to the Radiant Knights. "To all units, take positions as you see fit and connect your Viirt meshes to the Consortium network. If the warpstorm becomes too worse to bear, seek shelter near one of the E-beacons. Zuckeroff, Dei, you are with me. The rest, keep close to your squad leaders and do not take any unnecessary risks. Remember, we are here primarily to evacuate the civilians. That is all."

    The commlink buzzed with acknowledgments, and the Knights scattered in different directions, humans and dragons disappearing into the blizzard to remain only as colored silhouettes on the AR overlay. There were three antigrav platforms occupying Kryoon''s airspace, one hovering above the cosmodrome and two smaller ones positioned above the city itself, each bristling with weapon arrays. Airo flew toward the larger platform and landed at one of the docking bays.

    He made his way to the platform''s CIC center, the soldiers on duty giving him hurried salutes when they saw his ID tags. Airo entered the CIC center. Inside an army of screens took up almost every available surface and more displays occupied AR space, monitoring traffic, tactical networks, weather patterns, power grids, and status reports down to smallest detail, like tracking the amount of ammo left in the weapons of individual combatants. A sizable team of technicians and administrative staff watched carefully this ocean of data, assisted by an equally large number of SAIs.

    Airo waded through this impressive setup, spotting Captain Riley at the other side of the war room. There was another person who was with him, someone Airo didn''t expect to see ever again.

    "Major, how did you survive?" he asked, coming closer.

    Major Trahaearn turned. He was wearing a power armor without the helmet, and Airo saw the Union veteran was a Stonelander with rich dark-brown eyes and pleasant features. But Trahaearn''s expression was grim and unsmiling.

    "I was out in the field when Arcolant fell," Trahaearn replied in the same direct manner. "Supervised a mission personally to instruct fellow legionaries how to fight the Revenant." The major glanced skyward in a flash of regret. "Only around a company of us escaped by happenstance. When the dust settled, we called for help through the QE communicator you''d given me, Commander Airo, and a H''raal starship came by to save us."

    "Where are the rest of the Union soldiers now?"

    "Most of them volunteered to crew the evacuation shuttles. It''s better this way, since we won''t have trouble with Consortium personnel, and anyway we''ve always had better pilots."

    Captain Riley snorted. "I''d like to dispute that statement."

    Airo nodded, meeting Trahaearn''s gaze. He was glad the Union veteran survived ¨C that anyone survived ¨C Ferrtau''s massacre. Yet this wasn''t the time for sentiment. "Anything unusual to report?" he asked, turning to Riley.

    "Other than the completely anomalous climate of this deusforsaken planet?" The Consortium captain snorted again. "Besides trying to kill us or drive us insane, the warpstorm makes the evacuation problematic. We''re moving slower than I''d like, although progress is steady. Maybe those Union fanatics are really better than our own flydudes." Riley traded glances with Trahaearn. "The rest is a game of nerves. We sit and wait for the impeding doom, and pray to somehow come out on top of it. That''s why I appreciate you being here, Commander."

    "Do not thank me yet, Captain," Airo said. "You and Major Trahaearn ¨C if you allow him to help you ¨C will remain in direct command of our forces. My highest priority is to confront Ferrtau. I cannot allow any distractions when I meet him on the field."

    "You... you''re going against the Lightbringer?" Trahaearn asked, mouth agape. "By yourself?"

    "I am," Airo confirmed. "That is why I count on you, gents, to hold the fort on the wider front."

    "Void damn," Riley cursed. "Well, if that''s how things have to play out, then we''ll do our best."

    Airo talked a few more minutes with the two commanding officers, familiarizing himself with the composition of the defensive forces. He then went outside on the weapon platform''s battlements, where he was joined by Zuckeroff and Magus Dei.

    "How will you take part in all this?" he asked the old Knight.

    "I will not hold back any of my power," Magus said with an ominously neutral expression. Again he carried no obvious protective gear, his crimson robe waving in the furious blizzard, his voice clear and distinct as if he spoke on a calm day. "I can start by giving us a clearer view." Magus raised one of his arms high, palm facing the sky.

    Abruptly, the clouds began to clear off. The warpstorm remained, a dark pall spewing thunder and lightning amid the rapidly emptying heavens, yet visibility swiftly improved, until it became clear enough to observe everything with a naked eye. The commlink exploded with bewildered chatter, as people sought the source of the sudden change.

    "Show-off," Airo drawled, nodding. "All right then. Cloud, inform our command staff this was our doing." He turned to Zuckeroff. "Do not let any Revenant come near the old man."

    "You''ve got it, Boss!" the astrior said, straightening and saluting. He slapped the heavy sniper rifle he preferred to carry. "I''m your guy! You know it!"

    "Hmm," Magus seemed like he wanted to argue, yet kept his silence.

    Airo''s commlink chimed again. "Sir, everyone''s in position," Stamat reported. "What... what do we do now?"

    "Now, we wait," Airo replied, and stared grimly at the warping horizon.

 Chapter 22.3 - Defending the Way

    He flew to the highest spot on the battle platform and stood upright, arms crossed, observing the war theater spread all around him. Warned by Arcolant''s fate, Captain Riley had managed to raise impressive resistance, recalling all field units and concentrating them in one spot. Landcruisers and tanks had dug themselves around the cosmodrome, creating a fortified barrier. ACUs patrolled around the city''s perimeter, their large, lumbering forms ready to turn into deadly machines of destruction at a moment''s notice. Spread in a strategic grid, the Radiant Knights kept themselves aloft, primed for battle. Kryoon''s dome was charged with some sort of protective field, glowing with a faint blue aura.

    Airo hoped there was enough veronite and serefi to go around for a protracted combat, otherwise all these defensive measures were meaningless. He asked Yeoman Cloud to check the data. They were barely covered; still, a battle of attrition wouldn''t be good, as the Revenant could replenish their losses with every life they take.

    The transport shuttles flew without pause, taking passengers from the cosmodrome and carrying them to the H''raal sphereships waiting high above. The worst part of this scenario was the fact the alien fleet wouldn''t fight at full strength. Each loading or loaded sphereship had to stay away from the action, since the H''raal couldn''t afford to risk combat engagements while their already packed-to-capacity sphereships were further crowded with masses of half-panicked civilians. Which meant the longer this battle continued, the less orbital support the defensive forces would have, while the Revenant would have more opportunity to wear them down.

    Airo sighed. He had done what he could. The rest now lay within the will of the Great Cosmos.

    And his own hands, when he got to Ferrtau.

    He ignored the occasional chatter of the commlink''s command channel, clearing his mind of all thoughts. He let tranquility fill his being, waking his warrior spirit. He stood ready, watching the horizon, and waited.

    Hours passed. The twin suns advanced across the sky. The warpstorm continued to twist local vicinity. The Reality Vortex loomed far distant, threatening as ever. The evacuation continued with all haste, with nearly a third of all refugees safely aboard already.

    Then the Revenant came.

    They shimmered on the horizon, rushing toward the city with tremendous speed, swelling and surging, like a giant wave of golden light. As soon as he saw them, Airo leapt and flew upward, until he soared high above the battlefield. He examined the approaching Revenant. Their faint energy signatures and the warpstorm''s interference made it impossible for sensors to provide accurate numbers, yet combined telemetry estimated there were around a hundred thousand enemy units present. It was an army.

    The Revenant crashed into the first line of defensive forces, and the battle began. The battle platforms opened with a barrage of heavy projectiles made from veronite, hammering the Revenant''s center. The apparitions cast their deadly energy rays, yet thanks to the serefi protection the armored frames of the platforms withstood the attacks. Thousands of Revenant went into the air, attempting to storm the battle platforms, but the Radiant Knights descended upon them, repelling their charge. The Knights split into two groups, one remaining to guard the platforms, while the other went to keep the airspace around the cosmodrome safe.

    Down on the ground the clash was furious and bloody. Much of the Consortium forces were engaged point-blank with the enemy, and only the serefi fields prevented them from being utterly overwhelmed. The Revenant kept pressing relentlessly, more and more apparitions joining the fray as their army pushed forward.

    Airo stayed above the raging action, carefully searching for Ferrtau. Below, the battle was like a strategy game, units and squads moving, firing, and taking casualties, the illusion enhanced by the AR overlay which displayed status data when focused on a particular detachment. Yet the difference was that events were real, not part of some simulation.

    Things were going badly for the defensive forces. Without warning, a great golden comet fell from the sky, smashing thousands of Revenant into non-existence, while a cyan-purple lightning storm simultaneously devastated their front ranks.

    Airo glanced back and saw Magus standing at the top of the central battle platform, his hands wreathed in an effulgent glow, his purple eyes blazing, while Zuckeroff was kneeling next to him, picking off Revenant with his sniper rifle. Airo''s expression soured, returning his attention to the horizon; the old man truly had incredible power, yet Airo couldn''t fathom why he hadn''t used it earlier. Something wasn''t right, and Airo for the aeonth time realized he was playing in a game where he was seven centuries behind developments.

    And then he saw what he was looking for, and all thoughts left his mind.

    Ferrtau was levitating in the distance. He was surrounded by a golden halo, soaring above the Revenant, like a sun orbited by an ocean of smaller stars. Ferrtau was swiftly approaching the city, and his manner seemed determined and distant as before, when he and Airo had first met at Dragon Retreat.

    Airo flared the jetpack attached to his power armor and rushed straight at his archenemy. In less than a minute, he crossed the battlefield, coming a mere hundred meters away from his target. Ferrtau noticed him and smiled grimly.

    "Ah, so I have finally drawn out the Order from hiding," Ferrtau said, his voice clearly audible over the thunderous din. "Now it all ends h¨C"

    Airo didn''t stop to listen. He charged at full thrust, focusing his will, and summoned the starblade in his double-handed grip, pointing it straight at Ferrtau.

    There was a flash, and Airo was shoved back by a crushing force, spinning uncontrollably, his power armor blaring with warnings. He swiftly re-oriented himself, channeling the starblade''s powers, and faced Ferrtau, blade held ready.

    "So, Magus gave you his starblade," Ferrtau said. He made an unsheathing motion with his hand and a glorious sun-sword of his own appeared in his grip. "This ought to make things interesting," he added, and rushed at Airo.

    Airo parried Ferrtau''s flurry and made a sharp riposte. The Lightbringer easily avoided the strike, whirling aside. They made several more exchanges, their starblades clashing with basso thrums which seemed to resonate straight into Airo''s soul. Airo swung straightforward, careful not to overextend himself, and dodged Ferrtau''s counterattack with a sideways dash. He kept the anger inside him under control, and studied his opponent. He realized Ferrtau was doing the same, not yet committing his full might, wary of Airo revealing some other unexpected advantage.

    And for some reason, Airo realized, Ferrtau was also stifling a deep anger.

    "I have to admit, your efforts are admirable, yet ultimately futile," Ferrtau shouted, momentarily disengaging from the duel. He drifted away, making a sweeping gesture at the battle around them. "The Radiant Knights, too ¨C valiant and perseverant down to the last one, yet so very misguided." Ferrtau lifted his gaze and his emerald eyes were full with contempt and fanatical conviction. "End this charade, Airo. You have lost. Give me Veralla and I may still allow you Ascension. Where is she?"

    Airo flew in a slow circle around Ferrtau, trying to figure out a way to penetrate his guard. Even armed with the starblade, he felt his old enemy was invincible, especially when Ferrtau had a starblade of his own. If Magus and all the Radiant Knights concentrated their power, Airo could then probably take Ferrtau down.

    He checked how the overall battle went. In the skies above the cosmodrome dragons spewed firebreath against hordes of Revenant, protecting the transport shuttles. Much higher, the still unloaded H''raal sphereships blasted the Revenant army with their devastating DEI cannons. Down, on the barren wastes around the city, towering mechs swung their huge actuators, crushing swathes among the enemy lines. Tanks and soldiers waged ceaseless battle, their veronite and serefi fields depleting rapidly. Faced with all that fierce resistance the Revenant still advanced, relentless, merciless, endless, reaving hundreds, even thousands of casualties among the defenders.

    There was no one to help him.

    "Where is Veralla?" Ferrtau repeated, his tone menacing.

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    Airo retracted his helmet, removing with it all of the surrounding chaos. No distractions. No commlinks. No status reports. Only him and Ferrtau. One warrior against another, each fighting for their own ideals. Airo had no doubts, but for one question in his mind: to stall, or to take his revenge?

    He decided it was time to face his past.

    "You want Veralla?" he taunted. "Then perhaps you should have been around when her dying mother sought desperately for someone to take care of her unhatched child."

    "I know it was you!" Ferrtau shouted, his anger lashing out in a tangible wave of force. "YOU killed Kalessia!"

    "I did not," Airo replied bitterly, whirling his starblade to deflect the force wave. "It was the Reality Vortex and your dumb monsters who killed her."

    "Do not lie, you bloody MURDERER!" Ferrtau screamed, his face twisting with rage. "Give me Veralla, and I may yet show you mercy!"

    Airo set his jaw and tightened his grip around the starblade. "First Zenassa, then Kalessia, and now you want to kill Veralla," he said, putting all his hate and anger into the words. "You are nothing more than a deusforsaken blackguard, Lightbringer."

    "So says the righteous Dragonslayer," Ferrtau snarled viciously. He lifted his weapon. "Out of my way."

    "No."

    They both charged.

    Airo channeled the starblade, bidding it to awaken his latent timeshift ability. Opposite of him, Ferrtau also began to timeshift. The world slowed down to a crawl, and then stopped altogether. Reality plunged into a red haze. Dragons, war machines, soldiers, and Revenant became statues, their weapons flung and aimed at one another, projectiles and beams frozen in mid-air. The warpstorm twisted and writhed, its surreal nature forming a giant web of blue-black lattices across the battlefield, where spacetime itself unraveled.

    Evenly matched in their supernatural speed, Airo and Ferrtau clashed furiously. Their starblades met with resounding clink, nanonova flares bursting forth from the points of impact. They blazed across the sky, twin comets entangled in a series of onslaughts. Ferrtau flashed straight at Airo, moving like a living beam. Airo dodged, his reaction equally fast, and lanced back in retaliation. Ferrtau parried, the impact exploding the air around, and then flashed again, making another assault, to which Airo responded in kind. They criss-crossed the whole battlefield, dashing for hundreds of meters, each trying to outmaneuver the other, the two starblades erupting when their masters brought them into contact. Though he was engulfed by bloodlust, Airo was mindful to not pass through the strange web-like lattice that was the warpstorm. He concentrated all his skill and ability on fighting Ferrtau, yet he wasn''t used to such a fantastic way of dueling.

    Ferrtau, on the other hand, was in his element. He dashed around with ease, coming at all kinds of angles, his attacks not pausing even for an instant. Airo, while filled with rage and determination, realized he was one mistake away from losing the fight. He couldn''t break through Ferrtau''s defence, for he was the weaker combatant in terms of absolute power.

    And Ferrtau knew that.

    He pressed Airo by casting a volley of energy lances, without ceasing his constant assault. Airo barely evaded or deflected the deadly rays, his defences already strained to the limit. He tried to timeshift further, invoking his own advantage, but then Ferrtau pointed a hand at him. Airo momentarily blacked out, his mind suddenly drowned in a sensory overload. He dashed aside blindly, panicked to not let his guard down ¨C and flew right into the warpstorm''s blue-black boundaries.

    For one long second, his very core was torn to shreds. He was submerged into a maelstrom of raw chaos, everything and everywhere merging into one endless wave of possibilities. Staring at this infinite kaleidoscope, his mind unraveled, replaced by ever-growing universes of information and entropy. Then there was a glimmer of light, and he reached out on reflex. It was the starblade.

    Airo regained his consciousness, emerging on the other side of the warpstorm node, just in time to see Ferrtau closing on him in the blink of an eye. Airo instantly raised the starblade and Ferrtau slammed into him with the force of a falling star. They hurtled at supersonic speed and crashed into Kryoon City''s protective dome. Pain flared across Airo''s whole body, and then again as he and Ferrtau exited from the other side of the dome. Fighting through the haze of agony, he twisted and shoved Ferrtau away, and swung the starblade, creating a wave of hyper-hot plasma, which detonated in the direction of his opponent. Ferrtau snarled as the fiery explosion engulfed him. Airo used the precious few seconds he won to catch his breath, drawing power from the starblade to heal his injuries.

    Ferrtau emerged from the plasma explosion, full of fury. "Where is Veralla?" he repeated with cold, murderous voice.

    "This ends today, Ferrtau," Airo replied, holding the starblade high over his shoulder. He prepared to overcharge his timeshift even further, adjusting his grip for a swift, decisive blow.

    Ferrtau suddenly stilled, overcome by a terrible revelation. He looked around the battlefield, as if seeing it for the first time. "She is not here," he uttered, his expression unsettled.

    Airo willed the starblade to timeshift him and lunged, faster than ever.

    Ferrtau was even quicker.

    He parried Airo''s strike and knocked him away within the same motion. "She is not here," he repeated in shock, his body enveloped in a blue haze, as he also kept timeshifting. "She is not here!"

    Airo barely recovered before Ferrtau dashed at him in rage. "She is not here!" he shouted, slashing, his starblade elongating and widening, becoming a wall of light. "Give me Veralla!"

    Airo tumbled away to evade the impossibly large blade and mimicked the attack, swinging at Ferrtau from dozens of meters. The speed of battle hadn''t faltered one bit, and now the two of them strafed and zig-zagged, their flurries of blows enhanced by the absurd proportions of their weapons. Airo was still disoriented by his contact with the warpstorm, and always a tiny moment behind every new tactic Ferrtau used. Yet he didn''t waver and faced his opponent with all the skill and bravery he had, determined to win ¨C and to kill Ferrtau.

    "Give! Me! Veralla!" Ferrtau shouted, launching attack after attack in a whirlwind of strikes. Airo parried every one of them, his body trembling from adrenaline and tension. He grit his teeth and abandoned his reckless charges, formulating a plan instead. He concentrated on his defence and began to slowly move toward Ferrtau, closing in blow by blow, searching for an opening.

    "Where is she!?" Ferrtau continued his relentless assault, each word punctuated by dozens of attacks. "Where is SHE!?!? WHERE IS SHE!!!"

    "You shall never see her!" Airo shouted in kind, meeting Ferrtau''s starblade at every turn in a burst of primal energy. "You shall never lay a hand on her!" He was very close now, only a short dash away from his enemy.

    "I will not let you stand in my way!" Ferrtau screamed, his face distorted in wrath. "I will not let ANYONE stay in my way! I will NOT be denied! For the last time, GIVE ME VERALLA!"

    "It is time to pay, Ferrtau!" Airo bellowed, and swung the starblade with all his strength and speed. The sun-sword sang through the strained spacetime continuum, aimed true at its target.

    And then Ferrtau''s blazing aura surged in a great wave.

    "I WILL MURDER YOU ALL, WICKED DEMONS! I WILL TAKE YOUR SOULS AND END YOU! WITNESS MY POWER!!!"

    The wave blasted Airo, sending him tumbling in the sky. The pressure on his senses from the timeshift suddenly vanished and the world went back into motion, the massive battle resuming with a thunderous crash. The warpstorm also returned to life, tearing and shattering the very air in thousands of crystal shards, creating a series of implosive booms.

    Ferrtau''s aura continued to rise and expand across the entire battlefield, then Kryoon City, then the horizon and beyond, enveloping everything in a shroud of pure, blinding light. Airo shielded his eyes from the burning glare, yet the light still pierced his vision, pierced every fibre of his being.

    And then some force tore straight into his soul.

    Airo screamed, yet there was no sound. There was no light. There was no continuity. Reality wasn''t linear anymore.

    Instead, Terra Para revealed before him like one great unbroken scene, every place, every moment, every being present in all possible variations of its existence. And at the center of it all was Ferrtau, shining like a beacon. His light impaled everyone, pulling them with terrible force, toward a radiant maelstrom of singularity which was the Lightbringer himself, his Essence seeking to unravel the Essences of others.

    Ferrtau was soul reaving everyone on the planet.

    Airo tried to resist this terrible unraveling force. He concentrated all of his willpower, willing himself to stay whole, to stay alive, yet Ferrtau''s power was too great to defy. He struggled, seeking wildly in this unreal state of existence, and realized his soul was the brightest among all the others, carrying a light no one else possessed. The starblade. Airo focused the core of his identity toward the artifact, invoking all of the tamed sun''s might and bidding it to protect him.

    It worked. He felt a vast canopy spreading all over, shielding him like a cool starry evening after a blistering hot day.

    The pull from Ferrtau''s singularity lessened, though it didn''t disappear. Yet Airo held strong and his soul didn''t yield its Essence. But the other souls had no such protection and Airo watched with horror how they dissolved, thousands upon thousands, all engulfed without a trace by the Lightbringer. Desperate to save them, to save any of them, Airo willed the starblade to extend its protection. He recalled every person he knew, Radiant Knights, Consortium and Union soldiers, refugees, humans and dragons, even Te''ylna Shy, and as their images appeared in his mind, the starblade acted upon his intention, casting a ray of protective energy, giving distant souls an anchor to resist utter dissolution.

    Airo kept passing names and faces through his memory, forcing himself to remember anyone he ever met on Terra Para. He held tight to the starblade, his will concentrated on nothing else but surviving and helping others survive. It lasted so for an eternity, his world reduced to memory, people, focus, and an endless, blinding maelstrom of light. He had no idea who he was anymore. He knew he only had to survive and had to keep remembering people. He had to. Survive. Had to. Remember.

    Had to...

    And then, something stirred in this eternal torment. Another vortex opened across the maelstrom, calm and inviting. Its tug was gentle, yet insistent, promising a safe haven. Airo gladly let himself be taken by this new force, on the brink of sanity and life. The vortex pulled him within its liberating reach, taking him away, far away from this terrible unreality.

    The world became coherent once more, and Airo was teleported safely, leaving behind the desolate ruins which were now Kryoon City.

 Part IV - Prelude to Farewell

    PRELUDE TO FAREWELL

    Iona Research Complex, seven centuries ago

    The Dragonslayer felt his dying heart as he traced the titanic figure outlined against the sky.

    They had told him what had happened.

    An enormous dragon towered in the center of the research complex, its wings eclipsing the dawn light, its tail crushing buildings in a sweeping arc, its claws lashing viciously at everything in their path. The colossal monster roared in overwhelming fury, the sound so fierce it created an impact wave across the entire area.

    No! Great Cosmos, no! Zee!

    Inwardly, the Dragonslayer screamed in anguish. His soul wailed louder than any of the blaring avarial alarms of the base, torment rending his very essence. Outwardly, he was poised as a steel statue, his bearing a paragon of discipline, himself a champion of will and determination. He moved decisively, each running stride tearing him into a million fading pieces, yet his warrior spirit blazed with the fire of honor and nobility, compelling him to go above and beyond the call of duty, to save others.

    And to end a tragedy.

    "All personnel evacuate! This is a red alert!" the PA speakers blared distantly. "Repeat, red alert protocol! Evacuate immediately!"

    The thunder of interceptor wings boomed in the sky overhead, squadrons rushing alongside ACUs to contain the threat, while land cruisers of rescue teams scrambled into the lethal battlezone. The dragon turned its murderous attention to these new targets. Its jaws opened, releasing a blinding blast of firebreath, engulfing squadron wings in a nova-hot inferno. One massive claw slashed, smashing an ACU to pieces, then smashed another on the backswing.

    The Dragonslayer ran along the main runway, parallel to the carnage, a hundred meters away from his personal mech. The Templar''s voice crackled over the commlink."Commander, we''re taking heavy casualties! Half the patrol force is already down!"

    "Concentrate on evacuating the civilians," the Dragonslayer ordered. "I am taking the field."

    "Commander, this isn''t wise, the situation¨C"

    "You have your orders, Major! Tell the others to hold the line, and let the interceptors distract the target." Pain pierced his throat as he uttered the last word, yet his voice remained iron-hard. "I will deal with this personally. Understood?"

    "Yes, Commander," the Templar acquiesced, and cut the commlink.

    The Dragonslayer reached his ACU and climbed swiftly up the mounting platform. The mech was already pre-activated and the technicians quickly cleared away from the bulky humanoid vehicle. The Dragonslayer stomped the move thread to full throttle and the ACU dashed forward, sending tremors and making cracks in the polyconcrete ground with every ponderous stride.

    In the distance, battle raged and destruction thundered, with the titanic dragon at the epicenter of the chaotic maelstrom. Its dark crimson form loomed terribly like an avatar of blood and death. It tore mechs and incinerated fighter jets relentlessly, roaring in fury between its devastating attacks as it obliterated the remaining forces from the 23rd Starlight division. Half the research complex lay in ruins, soldiers and pilots sacrificing their lives valiantly to give time for the survivors to evacuate.

    Zee! Oh, deus, Zee... Why...

    The Dragonslayer rushed headlong, rubble and debris crushing under the ACU''s heavy legs. The area was shrouded by dust clouds and thick fire fumes. Emergency lights from rescue vehicles flashed in scattered locations. People struggled to get away from the battlezone. The Dragonslayer saw a familiar face atop an emergency stairway of a laboratory section.

    "Ferrtau, take cover!" he shouted over the ACUs loudspeakers. There was the briefest image of the Rival''s terrified expression on the zoom-in camera, then the Dragonslayer continued onward without a second glance.

    Ahead, the dragon plowed through the wreckage, laying to waste everything in its path with blasts of white-hot plasma. The Dragonslayer pointed his ACU and activated the specially modified mega-thrusters. The mech''s forward momentum accelerated immensely, covering the remaining distance in a blinding dash. The Dragonslayer extended the veronite arm-blades of the mech and aimed them at the dragon before him.

    Zee... I am sorry...

    The ACU cleaved into its target with shattering force. The dragon roared in pain and surprise as its side was torn open, black-purple blood gushing, and fell with a tremendous crash, lifting up a thick cloud of debris and smoke. The Dragonslayer arrested his momentum, the mech''s grip pads spewing sparks as it skidded to a halt in a battle-ready pose.

    "All units, retreat!" the Dragonslayer shouted over the commlink. "Everyone, retreat NOW!"

    The comm channel buzzed with scattered acknowledgments and the surviving interceptors and mechs began to disperse. The Dragonslayer scanned the devastated area, searching the ACU''s viewpanels for the colossal dragon hidden in the obscuring smoke. A flash engulfed his vision and he pulled sharply at the controls. He barely escaped the blast of firebreath, yet alarm warnings still blinked across the control interface. There was a roar, so close it rattled the mech''s cockpit, and the dragon emerged from the settling fog, a blood-red epitome of annihilation and infinite fury.

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    My love... Please come back...

    The dragon swiped with its claw and the Dragonslayer fired the ACU''s thrusters, jumping out of the way. There was the grinding tear of metal and more alarms appeared on the interface.

    The Dragonslayer landed out of reach and considered his opponent. He blinked away the tears to clear his vision and raised the mech''s armblades. Across him, the dragon moved swiftly to make another attack, nothing but primal rage in its eyes.

    So be it...

    They clashed in a spectacular battle of steel, flesh, and fire. Despite its titanic size the dragon moved in a blur, clawing and lashing with blinding speed. The Dragonslayer immediately went on the defensive, his reflexes and experience strained to their limits. He dodged and leapt around, maneuvers enhanced with the thrusters, impossible for him to parry such massive attacks. He barely kept the cumbersome mech out of reach from his deadly agile foe.

    The dragon lunged suddenly, tearing a great chunk of the ACU''s torso. The Dragonslayer staggered inside the cockpit; the mech shuddered violently and status alarms went off in amber frenzy. He concentrated, trying to call up that mysterious power of his which extended time beyond perception. Seconds passed. Nothing came. The dragon blasted him with firebreath, then smashed the remains of a building with its tail, narrowly missing the dodging mech. He tried to make a counterattack, yet an enormous wing swooped upon him, nearly knocking the mech down. The ACU''s energy reserves were rapidly depleting, its thrusters were beginning to overheat, and its major systems were minutes away from giving out due to damage. The Dragonslayer realized he had to commit ¨C in the ultimate manner.

    I see. It is better for both of us, this way...

    The dragon came at him again.

    This time, the Dragonslayer took the blow, parrying, the impact so hard it tore off the mech''s arm completely. He forced the overbalanced ACU forward, and slashed twice with his remaining arm-blade. The dragon bellowed in pain, as two more deep wounds bled freely from its flank and belly. It swiped at the mech, another almost-direct hit, its claws tearing along the ACU''s axis. In the cockpit, viewpanels blinked out, sparks flew, systems went off. The Dragonslayer had seconds before he lost his battle armor.

    He made one final attack.

    The mech shot up, mega-thrusters flaring at full power. The dragon reared its head, preparing to unleash its lethal firebreath. The ACU''s whole frame twisted into a sideways kick and the Dragonslayer activated the emergency ejection system, just as the mech''s massive leg actuator smashed squarely into the dragon''s snout.

    There was a crashing boom as armor-hardened metal collided with supernaturally-tough flesh, followed by a screech, then an explosion when the ACU self-destructed. The Dragonslayer fell toward the ground, the impact foam of his pilot suit swelling. He landed hard, the wind knocked out of his lungs. He lay dazed, and stared in determination while the dragon reared once more to its full height, wounded, bleeding, yet alive and full of fury.

    The Dragonslayer rose to his feet and drew his sword. He had no chance now. Still he rose, weapon drawn, bent in pain, ready to fight until he reached an end. The dragon shrieked and opened its jaws to incinerate him.

    He felt it then, the pressure upon his senses. Time slowed down, then stretched and became a near-infinite line of motion. Before him, the blast of nova-hot plasma delayed, turning into a hazy cloud, heated air flowing ahead like an inverted shadow.

    The Dragonslayer blinked, then without further pause dashed, getting out of the firebreath''s path. The heat wave still seared him, burning his suit and blistering his flesh. Gritting his teeth, he ran with incredible speed, the dragon moving to intercept him, but he dodged past its slowed swipes. He pounced at an angle against a lashing claw and sank his crystal-bladed sword to the hilt in the dark-red scales.

    The dragon roared, the bone-rattling cry of pain sounding eerie and drawn-out in the distorted temporal field. It shook its limb violently, trying to dislodge the Dragonslayer, and he used the momentum of the swing to launch upward, pulling out the sword and aiming it right at the dragon''s eye.

    For one long moment, their gazes locked to each other. In that eternity of a second, the Dragonslayer''s soul sang a single note of remorse. Then the apex of his leap passed, and the end came.

    He missed, for the distance was greater than he anticipated. Yet as he plunged downward, he shifted his strike, and the blade tore into the dragon''s neck. The Dragonslayer continued to descend and flesh parted freely, slashed open from his extraordinary sword. Veins were severed and a torrent of black-purple blood spout forth.

    Time returned to its normal pace. The Dragonslayer again met the hard embrace of industrial polyconcrete. Behind him, the dragon made a pitiful cry and collapsed, rattling the ground and blowing a new cloud of dust in the ash-filled sky.

    The Dragonslayer slowly rose, and turned to regard his fallen foe. The dragon lay its head just meters away from him. Its brilliant purple eyes watched him, while the life in them quietly drained away.

    The Dragonslayer''s sword clattered on the ground, and he fell to his knees. Tears streamed down his face, yet his throat was held in a vise, unable to make a sound.

    What have I done???

    The dragon blinked, and sighed softly. "Thank you... Airo," it said in a rumbling, yet recognizable voice. Her voice.

    A shock ran through him, piercing his heart. "Zenassa?!?"

    "Yes... I am here... Airo," she said, twisting her snout into a weak smile.

    Agony and hope burned simultaneously in his mind. Then horror. "Zee!" he wailed. His voice shook. "I... I... I killed you!"

    Her smile became sad. "You... did the right thing, Airo. You saved... many people. You saved them... from me. And you... freed me. So I... thank you... again."

    "Why, Zee?" he asked pleadingly. "Why you??"

    "I... could not control... myself. When I changed... there was... like a pair of shadowy wings... falling upon me. Now, as life escapes me... my vision is clear again. I saw it, Airo... I know why they struggled... for so long..." She closed her eyes, exhausted by her wounds.

    "Zee!! Stay with me!" he shouted frantically. Sirens echoed in the distance, a fleet of rescue team cruisers rushing to the scene. "Do you hear me!? Zee!!"

    She opened her slit-pupiled eyes weakly. The brilliance of their purple color was gone, but the love inside shone brightly as ever. "Airo... do not blame yourself... for what happened today. This was...is... my fate. My Way ends... here." Her voice was tired and faltering. "Yours, however... continues. You must..."

    "No, no, no, Zee! Stay with me! Please, stay awake! Oh, Great Cosmos! Please, Zee!!"

    "Airo... Listen... One day... we will meet again. I... promise. Yet now... I must... depart. Farewell... my love. We... will see each other... at the Fire Eternal.

    "May the stars... always... shine upon your soul."

    Her eyes closed, and she moved no more.

    "NO! ZEE! NO! NO! NO! OH, ZEE, NOOO!"

    The Dragonslayer angled his head upward and screamed in pure anguish. His howl drowned out the approaching sirens, rushing toward the grime-shrouded skies. In that moment the winds blew, chasing away the clouds of dust, and the sun bathed the devastated research complex in numerous shafts of light. There, amidst the ruins, many lost their lives on that day, while one man lost the flame of his soul.

    Despite Zenassa''s final words, Airo Blueborn had lost his Way.

 Chapter 23 - The Way Abides

    CHAPTER 23 ¨C THE WAY ABIDES

    "Now is the time to see beyond the final garden, to unmake the veil of illusion, and to enlighten the self. Ascension is always here, eternally present; neither infinite darkness nor the blackest void can banish the sacred warmth of the Fire Eternal. Embrace the heavens, sing with the stars, love the universe, and become One with All."

    ¨C Hom Ultima Oortis, "The Last Paradise"

    999 RE, Terra Para, on the other side of the teleport

    The world turned back to normal.

    Airo gasped, gulping gratefully the freezing air as he lay on smooth, polished stone. His whole body felt wracked and devoid of life. He managed to haul himself up on one elbow and saw Magus Dei kneeling beside him.

    "Where are we?" Airo asked with raw voice.

    "Ilsorin," Magus replied, his voice equally torn. The old Knight seemed to be holding, but his face was ashen and his eyes looked lifeless.

    "The others... what happened?" Airo asked, confused. His mind was still distorted, struggling to comprehend its surroundings.

    Magus shook his head sadly. "They are all gone."

    The old Knight''s words snapped Airo into focus. He willed himself to rise and looked around. They were on a wide terraced courtyard at Ilsorin. The rest of the Radiant Knights were sprawled around, trying to recover from the terrible conclusion of the battle at Kryoon City. Airo commanded Yeoman Cloud to take stock of their number. Not everyone had returned.

    "They are all gone," Magus repeated and then gasped, clutching his chest.

    Only now Airo fully realized what had happened. The horror hit him in the gut. He turned slowly, staring at the large courtyard and the ragged Radiant Knights. Scarcely moments ago the united people of Terra Para had been fighting a battle for their survival, while Airo had faced against Ferrtau. Then the Lightbringer had unleashed the true potential of his power, and what had followed was something Airo would never forget until the end of his life.

    Great Cosmos...

    Another groan made Airo return his attention to Magus.

    "Are you all right, old man?" he asked, kneeling to help the old Knight get on his feet.

    "I will manage," Magus spoke through clenched teeth. "I channeled too much energy in too short time... my broken body cannot keep up anymore..."

    "How did you get us here, back at Ilsorin? I thought this place..."

    "Quantum multi-instanced point-to-endpoint correspondence transmission. ''Mass teleport'' in plain-speak... I contacted Mentoria and asked her to grant me access... the fractal sub-region had..."

    "Airo?"

    He lifted his gaze at the sound of his name. There, at the end of the courtyard, Veralla stood at the top of a low stone stairway, Kiana and Nightsong at her side. Kiana was wearing a shields belt to stave off the cold. Airo felt his heart racing. "Veralla!"

    He made sure Magus was steady and sprinted toward her. He climbed the stairway in three swift leaps and threw his arms around Veralla. He hugged her tight, burying his face into her smooth, scaled hide. He held fast, seeking her comforting presence to banish the dreadful images that lingered in his mind. So many people had died... it reminded him of the war he fought so long ago, of the friends he had lost, and the merciless destruction that had been reality every day for years. Yet those bloody memories paled before the annihilation he had witnessed now, dwarfed into insignificant tragedy by the sheer magnitude and the vividness of it. The knowledge that millions had died in the span of mere moments, their very souls torn and disintegrated into nothingness, kept him on the edge of sanity. Airo clutched Veralla, glad that she was alive and well.

    "Airo, are you all right?" Veralla murmured, as she embraced him in turn.

    "Did we win?" Kiana asked tentatively, yet her tone sounded wan. "We... didn''t win?..."

    "No, we did not," Airo said, his voice hollow. He pulled away from Veralla. "We lost everything. We lost the war."

    "But how??... What happened!?"

    Airo''s shoulders sagged. "Ferrtau tried to soul reave everyone on the planet."

    Kiana gasped, her lavender eyes wide with terror. "Deus..."

    Veralla grabbed Airo afresh in a tight hug of her own. "Thank you, Airo," she sobbed, "thank you for keeping your promise."

    "If things had been bad, why didn''t you retreat earlier?" Nightsong hrrr¨Ced in confusion, whose youth made her unable to grasp the full impact of events.

    "I am more interested in how you survived the Lightbringer''s most potent assault," another voice said. Airo looked up, and saw Mentoria coming into view. Like Magus, she was completely unprotected against the harsh weather, barefoot and half-naked as always, yet the cold didn''t bother her visibly in the least. "Was it you, dear Magus, or did the Dragonslayer use the starblade?"

    "We can discuss all of this inside," Airo cut in, regaining some of his composure. "Right now, we have to take stock of the situation." He cast another look at the courtyard. "Cloud, dispatch emergency units to assist the survivors and carry the critically wounded to the medical level."

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    "At once, Commander," the SAI responded and the Viirt lit up with activity.

    "The rest of you," Airo spoke over an open commlink, "follow me."

    ***

    "Did Ilsorin''s guardian survive Ferrtau''s planet-wide attack?" Airo asked.

    He hadn''t bothered to go to the command room. The survivors had gathered at the first larger hall that could fit them all, dragons coiling next to huge support pillars while humans slumped upon silvery stairways or against gleaming walls. Projected screens hovered at the center of the chamber, forming a wide circle of datastreams enclosing the nebulous avatar of Yeoman Cloud. Airo and the rest of his command echelon were standing around the circle.

    "Barely," Mentoria replied coldly. Her ''sensual enchantress'' act had vanished completely. "The Lightbringer''s vile assault injured it heavily, yet I was able to keep it alive. For now, the location of this fortress continues to be obscured, as much good that would do us."

    Airo nodded at her words. He took stock of the survivors. Alongside the Radiant Knights, Magus'' teleportation had saved a handful of soldiers from the Consortium and the Union, all of them people Airo personally knew. From tens of thousands, a pitiful number of about four hundred had survived the battle at Kryoon City, and a quarter of those were Knights. Another quarter had been taken to the medical level, which left only three hundred able-bodied warriors from what only half an hour ago was an army. Airo turned to Lylana Darkovitz.

    "What will happen once the Reality Vortex goes out of control?" he asked.

    "The whole paraworld will be no more" she replied, her tone subdued. "On a normal planet, there''d be merely some kind of a short-lived singularity, or a catastrophic explosion of the core. But on a world like Terra Para... it''ll be pure entropy. Even local SUHN-space could be wiped out."

    "And that is the optimistic scenario, no doubt," Magus coughed, standing next to Lylana. The old Knight had refused medical aid, despite his weakened condition. Airo wondered distantly what had made the ancient ?thereal so vulnerable to wielding his own power. But there were more urgent matters to deal with now.

    "It is as we told you before, Commander," Glawlrhain said. The small training master had gone into battle with great reluctance, and now his amber gaze was haunted by some re-awakened sorrow. "The Lightbringer may have triumphed over us, but in the end the demise of everyone, including his, is guaranteed to happen here. If the Shield still holds the Shard in its protective field, then our death will be tragic still, but not in vain."

    Airo gazed at the people around him. Glawlrhain, Lylana, Stamat, even Magus were all shaken and defeated. He understood what was going on inside their heads ¨C he himself hadn''t fully overcome the horror that resulted from facing Ferrtau. He felt dispirited and beaten, ready to give up entirely. Yet deep down he had the soul of a warrior, and it allowed him to carry on even when things seemed hopeless.

    Given the circumstances, there was only one course of action left to pursue.

    "We still have two dreadnoughts at our disposal," Airo said. "Round up the refugees in the stronghold and send them through the psi-gate. Terra Para may be doomed, yet that does not mean we should die along with it too."

    "But Ouroboros'' FTL drive is destroyed!" Stamat exclaimed. "We can''t leave the system!"

    "Can''t we use only the H''raal starship to escape?" Captain Riley asked, his appearance disheveled and haggard. He and and Major Trahaearn were among the lucky few who had been saved and teleported away, and both of them now stood with the command echelon, stoically following the proceedings. "It''s going to be helluva cramped, I''d imagine, but we merely need to reach the nearest colony."

    "The H''raal are without faster-than-light travel too," Airo said, lowering his head. "Several of their sphereships were damaged during the orbital battle against the draconic Revenant. The one that was left alongside Ouroboros was among those damaged vessels. It will take months to be repaired without an orbital shipyard or groundside docking facilities."

    "What''s the point in going aboard then?" Stamat asked. "We''re dead without a way to traverse SUHN-space!"

    "Let us tackle problems one step at a time," Airo said. "For now, we need to survive the Reality Vortex. We can then think about what comes next."

    "Getting off-world won''t save us," Glawlrhain hrrr¨Ced. "The consequences of Ferrtau''s actions will reach us even in deep space."

    "What does that mean?" Airo demanded.

    "Elder Glawlrhain means that the energy potential of the spacetime anomaly dubbed ''the Reality Vortex'' is too great, Commander," Yeoman Cloud chimed in. "According to the data I''ve accumulated and analyzed over the past six months, the anomaly has a cosmic profile several orders of magnitude more powerful than that of a N1 black hole. Coming into contact with the inherently volatile spacetime continuum of Terra Para has triggered a sort of potent catalyst, able to spark various processes on a galactic and even universal scale." The SAI pointed a shapeless limb toward a set of datastreams on one of the screens. "If this catalyst isn''t harnessed toward a specific purpose, its default state progresses into series of cascading quantum zero-point decays, until the active components disintegrate into mutually-fueled annihilation. Such an event would spiral the entire star system into what the Ancients had once termed ''domino effect''.

    "To put it simply, you''d be dead no matter where you are located within the Ascendancy System, Commander."

    Yeoman Cloud''s report was met with deafening silence. What little hope the gathered survivors had remaining perished in the wake of realization that there was no escape. Terra Para was doomed ¨C as well as its remaining inhabitants and protectors.

    This was truly the end.

    "Take the refugees off-world anyway," Airo ordered. "Tell them nothing, to avoid panic. Maintain appearance that we are making planned evacuation. Cloud, contact the H''raal and inform them of the... situation. Tell them to spare no effort in making repairs. We will find a way out of this," he finished, yet his own voice sounded disheartened.

    The Radiant Knights and the soldiers murmured, asking questions and seeking clarifications even knowing the ultimate answer.

    "You are all forgetting a pertinent facet to this drama," Mentoria suddenly cut in, her voice ringing with authority and anger. Everybody quieted down and looked at her. "Your precious Lightbringer has consumed the souls of an entire planet. Granted, a paltry-populated one, yet even the scarce few millions he has reaped could prove enough for him to break down the Shield." Mentoria''s face twisted in a scowl and she balled her hands into fists. "So do not congratulate yourselves upon a pyrrhic victory. Ferrtau may yet succeed, and all of your foolish idealism may have been for naught."

    "That may be true," Magus replied amid the silent crowd, "yet I myself do not believe it. If Ferrtau still had power over both the Shield and the Vortex, then he would have ended everything by now. However, we still stand." The old Knight drew himself to his full height and looked around the large hall, his regal crimson robe a reminder to everyone he had been once the leader of a great organization. "Ferrtau will not erase existence, thanks to our efforts. Terra Para will be destroyed, and its destruction will put a scar on the whole galaxy, yet the stars shall continue to shine for many ages to come. We have achieved that much at least." Magus fixed Mentoria with a stare. "Ours may be a tragic destiny, yet it is also one of the most noble sacrifices any of us could have made."

    "My times as a martyr are long over," Mentoria snapped. "I have no intention this forsaken fractal piece of rock to become my grave." She turned and stormed off, her star-night garments trailing like a mantle of ribbons.

    The emergency post-war meeting continued for a little while longer. There wasn''t anything more to be said and done, yet nobody in the hall, regardless of their bravery, wanted to face the inevitable fate that waited within the very near future. At last, reluctantly, the Radiant Knights and the surviving Consortium and Union soldiers started to disperse, each going to complete their final duties, and then contemplate the last days of their life in solitude or with what precious little company had remained present.

 Chapter 23.2 - The Way Abides

    Later, Airo and Veralla were alone in their room. She lay on the bed, quiet and downcast. He sat on the bed''s edge, pretending to read his grid-caster, the screen scrolling before his unseeing eyes. The lights were dimmed, giving focus to the night sky outside the long window, and serene music drifted from the room''s surround system. At some point, Veralla put a foreclaw on Airo''s thigh and he lifted his gaze.

    "How long do we have until we die?" she asked in a small voice.

    He met her vivid, purple eyes. He wanted to tell her that not all was lost, that they would find a way to make everything right. Yet he never had been a person to rely on false hopes and she, while still juvenile, was a creature much wiser and more mature than her age would indicate. Platitude had no place in their communion.

    "Cloud estimates it will take between fifteen to twenty days before the Reality Vortex reaches critical stage," he said with a sigh. "The end will come without warning. In one moment we will be alive, and in the next ¨C everything will become pure entropy."

    "Is there really no way to stop this?" she insisted, her expression earnest and desperate in equal measure. "Should we not try to escape anyway, even without translight travel?"

    He shook his head. "The Vortex will collapse all of the local astral region. We can probably clear the danger zone before this happens, yet once the stars within the system fall into the entropy field, all three will go supernova. The ensuing cosmic explosion will vaporize us on the spot and will reach both Consortium and Union space, where the resulting gamma-ray bursts will destroy whole colonies, or at the very least damage them severely. There is even a small chance that the explosive front will reach Utopia Draconis, and destabilize the Shard located there severely enough so the whole process would repeat, which would destroy most of the populated galaxy."

    "Oh," she said, her slit-pupiled eyes widening. Her twin crests flared, and her wings unfurled partway as she absorbed this fatalistic scenario. "That is so... sad. So many more people will die."

    "Yes," Airo said, lowering his head. "And they do not even know how little time they have left."

    They fell silent again. Veralla shifted forward and coiled around Airo, wrapping both of them with her wings. He leaned into her embrace, laying a hand atop her foreclaw. He felt the familiar tingle in his mind which he had come to associate with some kind of emotional or spiritual connection between them.

    "What should we do, when we know we will die soon?" she hrrr¨Ced quietly.

    "We can try to be together as much as possible," he said, reflective. "To be among friends and kin, sharing what joy and love remains in us."

    She snuggled tighter around him. "I would like that very much."

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    "Me too, Veralla."

    The serene melody once more filled the room for a nanoscale eternity. Smooth, calm, it transitioned into a brighter tonality, inviting the mind to soar toward higher perspectives, notes strung together like tiny aural stars in a panorama of soothing, cosmic cadence.

    "Do you still hate Ferrtau?" Veralla asked.

    Airo sighed, a deep, heartfelt sound, and with it he finally released the last burden weighing on his soul. "No, I do not hate him anymore," he said.

    Her slit-pupiled eyes became very wide and very round. "So you do not want to kill him anymore?"

    "No, I no longer want to kill Ferrtau."

    She rawr¨Ced, a happy little sound, and embraced him even closer. "Thank you, Airo."

    Her draconic grip was already shy of crushing, yet he let her cling to him, keeping his body as relaxed as possible. Smothered thus by her scaled, dark bulk, he let the words he had spoken ring within him.

    He no longer wanted revenge. His hate and his enmities were gone. His ill-will toward Ferrtau or anyone else had faded, transformed into something lighter, something better. He had seen the path where anger led to and what fury, true fury, was capable of when given power. He had seen millions killed by the fires of rage, without mercy or delimitation. And that boundless rage, that overwhelming fury, that primal anger, it all had come from one source: grief. Looking back to their personal fight, Airo realized Ferrtau''s true motives. It had not been insane visions which had driven him to his mad crusade; it had been loss, giving rise to pain and suffering, both of which must have been as deep and all-encompassing as Airo''s own sorrow had once been.

    Ferrtau was no monster. He was a sad, broken man who sought peace, yet couldn''t let go of the pain. Airo truly understood his former friend, and at the same time Ferrtau had shown him a perfect mirror to what his own tormented nature had looked like when seen from the outside.

    "What are you thinking about?" Veralla asked, pulling Airo from his reverie.

    "The past," he replied. "I am saying my farewells to it."

    "Oh," she said, all childish wonder as usual. "Will the past not be sad if you do so with it?"

    "No, it will not," he replied, and smiled, feeling more free than ever. "In fact, it will become much happier. It has waited for a long time for me to release it."

    "Oh." Veralla uncoiled somewhat, so she could look at him, her snout inches away from his face. "I did not know that temporality from the spacetime continuum was able to possess or express emotions."

    "I did not know either," he laughed, meeting her amethyst gaze. There was so much warmth there. So much limitless light, enough to save trillions like him. Even so close to doom, he was forever grateful to the Great Cosmos for giving him the companionship of such a loving soul. "So, what do you want to do in the days we have left?"

    "Is it right if we still play computer games?" she asked.

    "Of course."

    "Can we play some now?"

    "Let us do that tomorrow," he said. "It is best now if we go to sleep."

    "Aw, but I do not want to sleep!" she hrrr¨Ced plaintively. "We have only days left to live! I want to experience them as much as I can!"

    "I am tired, Veralla. I need some rest."

    "But can you not... resist sleep somehow? I want to be with you!"

    "I want that too. Yet remember, I nearly died because Ferrtau tried to reave my soul ¨C it is not as if I merely have sore muscles or a hangover. Some conditions are restored only through sleep."

    She made a small sound, lowering her head and wings. "I understand."

    "Do not be sad," Airo said. "I promise you we will not sleep tomorrow. Then we will have some extra time to be together or among others."

    "You promise?"

    "I promise."

    She hrrr¨Ced, and nuzzled him. "Okay. Good night, Airo."

    "Good night, Veralla," he said, and commanded the room through his gridcaster to stop the ambient music and turn off the lights.

 Chapter 23.3 - The Way Abides

    Despite his bone-deep fatigue, he didn''t sleep. He waited Veralla to drift off and then quietly left their room. He didn''t put on the power armor. The was little point anymore. He took only a shields belt to keep the cold at bay and then went outside the stronghold, taking a walk around the mountainous ramparts.

    He found a suitably panoramic spot, a wide curving esplanade, and went to the parapet at its edge. He leaned on the solid ornate stone and gazed at the heavens. Even though the rest of Terra Para was in constant turmoil, the sky above Ilsorin was calm and clear, kept pure by the giant serefi guardian that encompassed the entire fractal sub-region. The horizon wavered faintly now and then, yet there was no other indication the world outside was plunged into a maelstrom which defied the very fundamentals of spacetime. Airo stood alone on the ramparts, quietly watching the stars.

    His journey was over. He had at last seen the Way. His life had begun anew and he had found new friends to celebrate it with. His faith had been restored and he had new ideals to strive for. He had been given salvation, and the light within his soul was shining brightly once more.

    Only, it was too late. Ferrtau had won. Terra Para was doomed. Airo''s second chance was destined to be short and surrounded by despair. And Veralla... she wouldn''t even have a year to live. Airo had thought it was chance which twined their fates, yet now he wasn''t sure anymore. Too much had happened to write it off as coincidence: his re-awakening from cryostasis, her heritage as Kalessia''s child, and the fact that everything was put into motion when Ferrtau had gone mad from grief.

    If anything, it was destiny. And as Magus had told Airo, there were no wrong interpretations of the Way. Perhaps everything happened exactly as it should and in the end all would be right. Airo only regretted he would not live to witness this final truth. Yet no matter what happened, he had Veralla, and for him that was enough.

    He smiled, watching the skylight of the Great Cosmos, and then the last part of his redemption came.

    He heard nothing. He sensed nothing. However, something made him turn around and he saw Ferrtau, standing only a couple of paces away.

    His former friend still wore his Knight armor, the suit battered and antiquated from centuries of use, even though nanotechnology should''ve kept it pristine. Perhaps it was a symbol of Ferrtau himself ¨C struggling, wearied, yet still poised and determined to achieve his visions.

    Airo didn''t know how Ferrtau had gotten here. Then it dawned on him that this must be some kind of a mind trick ¨C for his former friend didn''t attack and his tall, armored form had a faint surreal quality, like a dream too lucid. The two of them looked at each other for a silent minute, Airo calm and awaiting, Ferrtau dour and fulminating.

    "The war is over, Dragonslayer," the Lightbringer finally spoke. "You and the pathetic Radiant Knights that follow you have lost."

    Airo said nothing and kept watching Ferrtau.

    "So much effort," Ferrtau continued. "So much sacrifice. The Dragonslayer, ready to do anything, even work alongside dragons, to achieve his revenge. And all that hypocrisy for naught. You astound me, Airo. The lengths you are willing to go just to defend your ambition. You think I am the monster? Look at you! You would burn whole worlds in order to enforce your views upon them! Look at yourself, Dragonslayer. This is all your fault!"

    "Yes, I did terrible things in my life," Airo said quietly. "I made them, because I was misguided, and because I was in love. A love that was taken. If only either of those things were part of me, I would have been different. Everything would have been different."

    "Love?" Ferrtau laughed bitterly. "You mean Zenassa? After all this time you still think about her. You are a fool, Airo. Zenassa was neither remarkable, nor particularly pure ¨C she played with both of our feelings for so long, remember? And then she chose you, but as she made that choice, she continued to have affection for me. Did you know that? Did you ever realize your love was not equal, Airo? You were merely a tool for Zenassa, a brute who dragged beasts for her to study. Your love was built on basic convenience, Dragonslayer!"

    Airo again remained silent, letting the Lightbringer''s wave of scorn wash over him. He knew the truth. He knew why Ferrtau acted like this, why he did the things he did. Airo knew perfectly well the feeling that ravaged his former friend''s soul.

    Ferrtau was in grief.

    "Well now, how does it feel? How does it feel to know your life has always been meaningless, Dragonslayer? You never managed to eradicate dragonkind, and now you will never have your revenge. You will never make me pay, Airo. You have lost. Forever!"

    "I seek revenge no more," Airo said calmly.

    Ferrtau paused, and fixed him with an incredulous look.

    "I was wrong," Airo continued. "And I was cruel. I remember, Ferrtau... I remember when you first introduced me to Kalessia. I remember now the light in your eyes and the warmth of your voice. You were happy then. Even when you were drowned by guilt about what happened to Zenassa ¨C yes, I remember that too ¨C you still found the strength to embrace happiness. I was wrong, and you were right."

    Ferrtau tried to say something, yet only managed to grimace wordlessly.

    "I let my grief consume me." Airo turned away and leaned on the battlement, searching the starry heavens on the horizon. "Or rather, I did not let my grief to pass through me, to pain me fully, to cleanse me, and make me able to love again. I remained trapped in the past, while you proceeded toward the future, toward salvation. You allowed life inside you to bloom again, to make your love a thousand times greater, and you shared that love with the whole galaxy, becoming the Lightbringer, the greatest Radiant Knight to ever walk the stars.

    "While I chose to be tormented by that which could be no more." Airo faced again his former friend and his grey eyes met Ferrtau''s emerald gaze. "And now, our fates are reversed. I found the strength to live again, and you have fallen into the abyss. Yet you know it does not have to be this way. You need not walk that Way." Airo extended his hand in plea. "Set your grief free, Ferrtau. Stop this mad crusade. Be the hero everyone knows. Shut down the Reality Vortex."

    After a long pause, Ferrtau said, "So, you have changed." Suddenly, he shook his head violently. "You think a single change of heart makes you know the Way? You think you know me, Airo!? You do not!" Ferrtau folded his armored arms. "You still are so naive. You have no idea what the stakes are. Perhaps if you have lived these past seven centuries, you would have seen what I truly fight for!"

    "I know what I see," Airo said. "And it is the death of millions. How can that justify anything?"

    "You lack the perspective!" Ferrtau exclaimed. "You cannot see how things are on a cosmic scale! If my Vision becomes true, all those deaths would be without consequence!"

    "How could that ever happen?"

    "Because I seek to bring Paradise, Airo! If I accomplish my gift to the Universe, I will unite everything into singularity! We shall all become One! We shall all live in peace, in happiness! We shall be immortal, eternal, endless! We shall be Love itself!!!"

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    "And why do you want to do that, Ferrtau?"

    "Why?? WHY??? How can you ask such a question!? Would you refuse the gift of Ascension? Would you shun a perfect utopia? Do you want to never experience death, loss, suffering? Do you want to see Zenassa again?"

    "Yes, I want to see Zee again. Yet I do not know if I would have chosen to reunite with her in this way. Maybe. Maybe everyone wants the things you offer, or maybe there are those who do not want even Heaven itself. Yet what I ask, is why you seek to do this ¨C to end the world as we know it and bring something else in its place."

    "What I seek," Ferrtau began, and then abruptly faltered. "What I seek... is redemption." Tears welled in his eyes. "I seek to undo my mistakes. I seek the same thing you did, Airo."

    "Then halt yourself, Ferrtau," Airo said. "See the error of your actions, and how they bring the same suffering to so many others. Forgive those who have wronged you, and move on."

    "I cannot. There is no one to forgive... except myself. I was solely responsible for what happened to Kalessia. For what happened here. So now I must restore the terrible damage I have done in the ultimate manner ¨C by renovating Everything."

    "That is not the Way," Airo shook his head.

    "What do you know about the Way!"

    "I know what I have seen from you. I have seen your living chronicle. I know you for the exemplar you have been."

    "Then you know what drives the shadow in my heart!"

    "I know what drives the light in your soul."

    They argued ardently for hours. Airo didn''t feel the passage of time, as he sought to make peace with Ferrtau and tried to make him see reason. Yet his former friend was unwavering in his conviction. They wrangled back and forth, each seeking emotional or philosophical victory over the other. But Airo''s belief in the Way was still tentative, while Ferrtau''s will was implacable. In the end, try as he might, Airo realized words would not resolve this. Ferrtau was too far gone.

    "Then at least give the galaxy another chance!" Airo shouted at last. "We can rebuild the Radiant Knights! We can return the light in people''s hearts once more!"

    Ferrtau made a negative gesture. "I am sorry, Airo, but I cannot do that. I have no time left. And after every triumph, fall inevitably follows. I can no longer bear that. I can no longer tolerate meaningless discord, to which I myself fell prey to. I have a Vision, and everyone shall thank me once I achieve Destiny."

    "Ferrtau, listen to yourself, this is not¨C"

    "Farewell, Airo. You have, in the end, proved yourself worthy of Ascension. That I shall not deny you, once the time comes. Do not despair. Everything will be all right. We all shall soon be together... now and forever."

    And with those words, the Lightbringer vanished, his departure so sudden, it made Airo blink in confusion.

    He glanced around. There was no one on the arctic ramparts, either physically or otherwise. Airo leaned on the stone parapet, again left with his musings.

    He was no longer the person he once was. He was free to choose his path and to shape his own actions. He thought one last time about his past. He had changed so much. The world had changed so much. Ferrtau himself had changed, having lived through all these long centuries; not the tormented individual that had visited Airo now, but the true Ferrtau ¨C the one who is and will always be remembered as the Lightbringer.

    It was that person Airo wanted to see in this moment.

    "Cloud, is it possible to project a simulspace right now?"

    "I can, Commander, if you give me a few seconds to reprogram that shields emitter over there," came the SAI''s artificial voice from somewhere nearby. "However, be advised there might be side effects in the form of minor to moderate headaches and sensory aberrations, as I''ll have to beam a considerable amount of highly-modulated signals straight into your nerve centers over a large distance."

    "I can handle that," Airo said. "If anything, I know my way to the medical level. Play Ferrtau''s living chronicle."

    "As you wish, Commander."

    The calm starry night melted away, replaced by an entirely different setting.

    The walls, floors, and ceilings were all silver-gold, illuminated by bright, cyan-purple light. Every surface was strong and functional in its design, yet elegant and aesthetic in its simple curves. The place was familiar. This was Ouroboros, or perhaps some of the other dreadnoughts the Order once had.

    They were in an observation section of some sort, one of the walls entirely transparent, offering a grand panorama to the cosmos beyond. Vast armadas drifted amidst the stellar background, thousands of vessels separated into three distinct constellations, the largest gathering the galaxy had ever witnessed.

    And in the center of all these battle-ready behemoths was a lush, lustrous planet, bejeweled with a host of moons and caressed with radiance by a trinity of suns. The knowledge came instinctively ¨C this was Utopia Draconis. And glimmering in its intimate orbit was another astral army of smaller, yet far more threatening forms ¨C those of space-bound warrior dragons.

    Ferrtau and Kalessia watched silently the epochal scene, the Lightbringer fully dressed for battle. Both of their psyches were in great distress, tinged with sorrow, yet it was him who was more vulnerable to despair at this very moment.

    It is hopeless, he mindcast, transfixed by the impending doom outside. Neither side wants to listen to us.

    What would happen if they were left alone?, she queried, her webbed ears making the tiniest of flutters.

    Carnage. The greatest tragedy ever to happen after the Cosmic Death. And whoever wins shall plunge the galaxy into a new era of darkness.

    Then we have no choice. We have to fight them all.

    He stilled in shock. Fight against both sides!? But those are your people, Kalessia!

    And those are your people, too, my love. Her titanic form shifted minutely. You remember what Master Dei said to us. Sometimes, we have to make difficult choices. I am not making my current choice lightly. Yet it is the only choice that will ensure even the smallest approximation of peace.

    But it will be interference on the grandest scale! Our duty is not to dictate the future of the galaxy! We are sworn to protect the galaxy, not to impose our will on it!

    We have interfered before, she replied with a note of sadness. We have made rulings before. As much as we strive for our ideals, in the end we are still flawed beings ¨C and that is what makes us so inspiring. That we try our best, despite our imperfections. And in the end, every choice we make, we make it with love ¨C love for ourselves, love for others, and love for everything. It is Who We Are.

    Yet... If we fight... The Order... The Order would be no more, Kalessia. Our shared dream would die. We cannot allow that! To what fate we doom the world if our sacred light winks out? Who would watch over the Way?

    Shhh, she lowered and nudged him soothingly with her enormous snout. It is okay, Ferrtau. Our light shall not yet fade. Even if it does, another shall take its place in time. The Fire Eternal burns forever. Nothing can extinguish Its sacred flame.

    I... I know that, my love. And yet... such a great sacrifice... to take so many lives... His mindwave pulsed, indicating the entire star system and the forces arrayed around it.

    Ferrtau, she gently thought, embracing him in a microcosm of tail, claw, and snout. Do not worry about the future. Do not dwell on the past. Remain in the present, and focus on what is Now. Call forth your Light. Heighten your Awareness. Renew your Vow. Remember your True Self. See the beauty in every aspect of the Great Cosmos, Ferrtau. Accept everything with an open heart. I am here with you, my soulkin. I love you, Ferrtau.

    I love you too, Kalessia, he replied with a hopeful expression. My dear angel, comforting me so well... you are the greatest blessing this world had ever had. You truly are a Knight hallowed in Radiance.

    We all are, my love. We all are. We are the guiding beacon that lights the Way. She lifted her fierce amber gaze and looked at the cosmic panorama. And sometimes this light of ours burns, because that is one of its properties. We must accept that, just as we accept all of its other aspects. What we must do now, we do with heavy hearts. Yet we also do it with souls full of light and love.

    She sought his eyes again, the same instant he lifted his tear-filled vision to meet hers.

    "May the stars always shine upon our souls", they both said aloud, and their words resonated alongside their thoughts, sending into the wider world a blessing, a prayer, and a grace all at once.

    Airo commanded Cloud to terminate simulspace. He did not need to see the terrible battle that followed. He did not need to see any more of Ferrtau''s chronicle.

    He had seen enough.

    He silently declared that this was the way he would remember Ferrtau ¨C as a man of honor, integrity, and boundless compassion. No matter his current crimes, no matter his past transgressions, to Airo, Ferrtau would always be the Lightbringer. Airo would remember his former friend with the good he had done and the galaxy he had protected for so long. He would remember both Ferrtau and Kalessia, the greatest Radiant Knights to ever live.

    And if the Great Cosmos had willed it for Reality to be no more, then Airo would take those memories with him into Singularity, so that they would always shine unto Infinity itself.

    He glanced one last time at the stars. Then he left the ramparts and went back to his room, where Veralla was sleeping, to spend the final days of his life together with her.

 Seventh Interlude

    SEVENTH INTERLUDE

    From the perspective of one who sought Ascension

    In a fit of righteous Rage, I did the unthinkable.

    I consumed the souls of everyone on Terra Para.

    Except those who the Dragonslayer saved, by shielding them from my Grasp with the Power of the Stars.

    As I realized my plan had failed, the Fury inside me broke free. Blinded for consequence, I unleashed ultimate Destruction across the planet, reaving the Essence of Everyone and Everything I could Reach. I swelled enormously with Power, Tall, Undefeatable, Implacable before my Enemies. I was ready to crush the Radiant Knights, to grip them in my Fist, and will them to Reveal where they kept Veralla, while I robbed the Dragonslayer of his Starblade.

    Yet they fled once more, narrowly escaping my Wrath.

    Fools! They could not fathom the Might that was now inside me! The Forces I could wield now! It was the closest I have ever felt to a be like a god Myself, with command over Reality itself! I needed Not a Benediction anymore to spark my Dream! And so I went in the blink of an instant to the Shard, ready to cast down the Gate that barred the Way to the Temple and...

    No, no, no! THIS CANNOT BE! How did I lose so Much, so Fast?? Why my Life drained away so swiftly??

    The Vortex. It was so vast, so peerless in its intensity. It seeped away my Light, like a hungry Beast beyond Space and Time, immortal and indiscriminate. During my Period of Weakness the Vortex had grown Without Restraint, and now even I was Subject to its limitless Desire for Termination. Now, It had Recurred me once more into Normality, revoking my Supreme Vitality.

    I needed to renew my Essence. I needed... souls.

    Then I realized my mistake.

    In one decisive, overreaching Strike on my part, the Stars had Turned. I was left without ways to replenish my Power. I ended the War for Ascension, yet I was not its Victor. Without further Opposition before me I would perish and die, alone and forever cursed, with Time as my inevitable Judge. Those who rallied against my Crusade needed only to wait.

    In that moment, I could have left Terra Para and tried to raise the entire galaxy to aid me; I could have conquered other worlds as easily as I did this. Yet I would always have been on Edge, always fearful of the possibility of creating another fatal Mistake, always glancing to see the Judge looming behind, with Verdict ready in hand. And Terra Para itself was at the mercy of Temporality, for I myself had created the Blight that now devoured its barren landscapes and the Prize that lay among them. To leave now would be to spell doom for the Universe.

    Without realizing it, the Knights and the Dragonslayer have won.

    They have won, because I overplayed my Action and now I was to be eternally a Monster, the Villain That Good Defeated.

    No! I refuse to accept that Narrative! There must be another Way!

    I dismissed all of my Revenant, for They had No One to fight now. I shored up my waning Light, applying all effort to keep the Flame of my Soul last as long as possible. Then I desperately Searched, Contemplated, Looked, Cogitated for a Solution to my Utter Predicament.

    Where the Radiant Knights had gone? I have explored the deepest reaches of Terra Para, have traversed the endless layers of the local manifold, and have not found even the merest Thread that would point to their Location. Impossibility ¨C for I was in complete control of every part of this immediate Cosmos, down to the very Laws of Physics, as I had demonstrated with the Reality Vortex. How can Anyone hide their Presence from me??

    Unless...

    Of course.

    The vessels of their souls were safely shielded from Detection, yet their very Essences were wide open, interconnected with the Universe as always. It was so Simple! How have I not become Enlightened to this Idea sooner? I extended my Perception and in an instant, I Beheld Them All ¨C The Knights, the Dragonslayer, even Veralla. She was so Close...

    Now my Crusade shall finally be completed! I needed merely to reach out, and apply my Will... yet something prevented me from asserting Supremacy. Some sort of field. A lifeform? How inspiringly unusual.

    No matter. I still had Access, for this Defence was no Shield of paramount Aegis. There were other Methods I could use to achieve my Aim.

    I stood a few moments, studying the soul that was Veralla. She was so vast, and yet so pure. Without the merest shadow of doubt remaining, I was certain she was a Primordial, a god among mortals, a benevolent deity that was a blessing to us all... like her mother had been...

    I watched her peaceful sleep and dared not disturb it. I dared not to see her horror of me again. I chose to keep this perfect image of her oneiric tranquility that made her so beautiful. Veralla, the daughter of my soulkin...

    With Reluctance, I tore my Awareness away from Her. Then I focused my metaphysical Gaze on the one person who was responsible for All This ¨C Airo.

    I found him standing atop the Ramparts of High Peak, the one place of the Radiant Order that had escaped my Notice. Now it made Sense. I should have realized it earlier ¨C for that was where the Knights hid, yet the particulars of Where still remained obfuscated. Ah, but Digression.

    I appeared before the Dragonslayer, an Avatar of scorn and mockery. I cursed his efforts and the memories of his Loved One. I tried to goad him into action, to force him into seeking me again, so that I could Win This Time Around.

    Yet my Efforts were in vain, for the Dragonslayer responded with Kindness. He pierced Through my Manipulation and saw the True Reason for my holy Crusade ¨C my Grief. His Words echoed with Remorse and Verity. He, Airo the Dragonslayer, spoke with Candor, his Heart Wide Open. Even... even if he had killed Kalessia ¨C Kalessia who had Survived my Greatest Mistake ¨C he no longer had the spirit of a Scourge. He was no longer Dragonslayer ¨C he was simply Airo, one who had found the Light again, even when he had Chosen an Ultimate Fate.

    If even the Soulless could find Salvation, then I was Right In The End ¨C We could All be Saved and brought together in Eternal Harmony. Even Airo proved himself deserving of Ascension.

    Yet he could not See the Divinity that was my Grand Vision. He appealed to me, argued with me, tried to mirror me. He spoke of the Way, and of Beauty. I spoke back, bringing forth my Pain as Absolution, and the goal of Total Unity as my Merit. In the end, be it Philosophy, be it Passion, be it Perspective, I could not endue Airo with Understanding and neither he tarnished the Monument of my Conviction. Time Went On, so I Parted Ways, and left with Promise in lieu of Farewell.

    Once again, I was Bereft of Avenue. I had to draw the Radiant Knights Away from their Sanctuary, for they kept the Keys to the Temple. Brooding, I wandered their secret haven, glancing inside their hearts and minds. Therein were Lylana and Glawlrhain, the only survivors from the Old Guard. There was Magus, wise, sagacious, and distant as ever, yet his faith was Broken, his power Crippled, and his days Numbered. None of this halcyon trio was vulnerable to any Influence ¨C and none of the others had any Authority to warrant interference on my part.

    Except.

    There was her mind: Mentoria Astarte. She was Ancient, like Magus, yet her power was Pristine. And yet she harbored deep, forlorn Turmoil. It was like a disease in her Soul, eating, consuming, twisting, making her Hollow yet hungry, oh so hungry, hungry for power. Power to control, to rule, to determine. Power to Ascend.

    Yes. I could work with That.

    I found her alone, raging and desperate against the Fate that I had decreed to All, and thus vulnerable to Subterfuge. I made an Appearance within the mirror of her Perception, and Offered the Knowledge to make her Ambition True. Her reaction was predictable: scorn, refusal, even open hostility. However, my word was Reason and she had long sought fervently for Answers. The way she had set up her Abode within High Peak was a Sign enough.

    "You do not even know what I want," she said haughtily, her curvaceous figure drawn in a stance of contempt and wariness.

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    "To the contrary," I replied with Nonchalance that bordered on Ennui. I cast my glance around, noting the surroundings. Aethertech. Trinary datacenters. Quantum-field emitters. Sophisticated infrastructure even for the standards of the Order ¨C oh, yes, and the origin place of these strange lifeforms... Sentient? No, sapient energy fields, able to exert dominance upon Resonance itself.

    I focused my Intent upon Mentoria ¨C the defense of her mind was spectacular, and not easily Breachable. Yet I had no Need ¨C her Inner Desire was plainly visible for anyone to see in the spatial history of her Domain, and that was something she had no way of hiding.

    "Stalling," she stated rather than ask. "You have always been poor at subversion, Ferrtau." Despite her bravado, my Presence unsettled her. I knew Why ¨C she Wondered how could I have gotten Within this Sanctuary.

    I conveyed a thin-lipped smile. "You seek to become a dragon," I said, Plain and To The Point. "A true dragon to be exact; an Avatar with Perfect Form."

    Her silence was Proof Enough.

    "I know your path," I continued. "I sense your frustrations. I see your efforts. The experiments you have prepared. The failures you had endured. I cannot be fooled ¨C this place here, this very research complex is an heir to Project Ascension. And I worked on that project. So I truly know what you seek, Mentoria Astarte. You seek to become one of Them. You seek the godhood that is dragonkind. It is a Secret many have coveted and yearned to attain."

    "And I can tell you how to achieve it," I added.

    "What?" Mentoria blurted, bereft of Word despite her immortal Grace.

    "Even better," I said, feigning blindness to her alarm, "I can entrust you with insight of how to become the truest of Watchers ¨C a Primordial Dragon."

    Had I blasted her with a supernova, I could have scarcely approximated the Might of the Blow I delivered to her. Yet she was Ancient, and she knew my Agenda. She and I were Enemies, and she knew what that Meant.

    She refused. But her Choice was already Made. She merely postponed the Inevitable. For to have a True Desire was to have a Paramount Readiness to pay a Price in exchange for Satisfaction.

    I goaded her. I appealed to her sense of superiority. I danced with and around her psyche, until everything came down to the one Question I wanted from her, the one Result I was after.

    "What do you want in exchange?" Mentoria Asked.

    "I want you to bring me Veralla," I said. "You will need her anyway, for she is the Way to your Ascension."

    I recalled the vast Understanding I had gained during the immeasurable time I had spent Between The Stars, the one enigmatic realm to be known in the future as Null Space. Sifting Through those Endless Oceans of Knowledge was a difficult and consuming task. Yet I had an Anchor, guiding me through the Primal Chaos, a Light of Intimacy, and that Enlightened me to the necessary Details.

    "If you agree to bring her to me once your transformation is complete, I will impart you with the wisdom you seek," I told Mentoria, waiting, yet knowing her Ultimate Reply.

    "I see," she said after a long pause, her expression Neutrality itself. "Sentimental. Just like your mentor. You want her because she is your soulkin''s daughter?"

    "Yes. I want to hold her in my arms and have her remind me of her mother."

    "What about your ambition? What point there is for me to do anything, if you seek to destroy everything?"

    "Because I lost. I made a grave error, and now my powers are waning. I do not have long left. So I want one last happy moment, before my End comes. Thus, I am willing to trade, for I will not have a care what happens to this reality once I depart it."

    "How can I know this is not a trick to enter my mind?"

    I pointed at her armada of synthetic machinery. "I can merely put the data there. Review it at your leisure."

    She dwelled on my Reply, yet it was all Theatrics.

    "I agree. Give me the knowledge to finish Project Ascension ¨C to become a Primordial, and you shall have the fledgling."

    ***

    And so I Left, with a New Plan in Motion.

    Not for an Instant I believed she would Uphold her Agreement. She would use the Sacred Wisdom to Augment herself unto Divinity, and then she would fly Against me, for my Crusade would unite All in Eden, be they mortal or god. Believing herself Greater than I, the Ascended Mentoria Astarte would issue a Challenge, seeking to Halt me in the Ultimate Manner.

    That was exactly what I expected her to do.

    Her Attempt was doomed to Failure. Two linear decades ago, before I was Exiled from my own Home, before the End of the War that Blazed the Stars Themselves, I had taken an Unique Gift from a Primeval Enemy ¨C the ability of complete Dominion over Dragonkind.

    This Gift still resonated in my soul, still resided in my mind, ready to be Summoned At Will. It was this horrific Boon that enabled me to commit Kalessia to my Greatest Sin, and gave me the means to overpower the Radiant Knights so easily. This Gift would be the downfall of Mentoria.

    And then she would become the Key to finally open the Gates to the Temple and make my Crusade Complete.

    I needed a Second Starblade no more. I needed not Veralla, no matter my faded heart. One Key was as good as Another, and what only mattered now was to Fulfill my Dream. Because... because...

    Cold wind howled across the ether. The Shard towered, a cerulean titan besieged in darkness. Warpstorms raged, hurling snow and ice in surreal patterns. The Vortex cascaded in unraveling tendrils, its blinding phallus piercing the heavens. I stood at the heart of this apocalyptic world, lulled into waiting. With nothing else to do besides anticipating, I fell into the abyss of self-reflection.

    Why did it come to all this? Why did I have to destroy so much and kill so many people? When did I start down on this dark path? I wanted to promote peace. I was a protector. I had sworn myself a Radiant Knight, and my duty was to save others. And I failed, time and again, to uphold my vow; no matter my efforts, the galaxy always fell into darkness, centuries among the stars marred by conflict and misery. People knew sorrow better than love, celebrated death moreso than life. The light had come and gone, and then gone again.

    Was I to accept this and do nothing? Was it right to stand by when I had a duty to uphold? What example would that be from one who was considered a paragon of virtue?

    That is why I wanted to enact change. I wanted to end the suffering. I wanted to create a lasting legacy, one which would bring happiness to us all, a gift worthy of the Fire Eternal Itself.

    Instead, I was shunned. My dream was declared apostasy and my ideas were considered atrocity. My own companions exiled me, renouncing their support. Stripped of rank, bereft of light, abandoned by kin, I was left alone in my quest for Awakening.

    Pushed to desperation, perhaps it was then I took the first step that would lead to this tortured struggle for eternal paradise. I was ready to do anything to bring lasting prosperity to the galaxy. No idea was too vile, if it meant the joy of all people.

    And with this perspective in mind, I turned to the one person who had chosen to stand by my side, my dearest, my deepest love, my soulkin ¨C Kalessia. I used her and deceived her, and in the end I pushed too far, blinded by my ambition ¨C and because of that, I lost her. And in the process, I unleashed a terrible evil upon the world and had to defile an entire Shard to postpone my error.

    Which left me without choice, but to do exactly what I was doing now. The only way to contain a great threat was to wrap it into an even greater salvation.

    I quivered, weakened, as tears streaked down my eyes. Forgive me, Kalessia. If only I had listened to you... You were always the voice of reason, my dearest, sincerest, loving guardian angel. If I had listened, things could have been so much easier... and so less painful. Without destruction, without death, without anguish. We would have been together, and we had so many ages left. I could have waited. I could have continued to search for a proper way. Why was I so foolish? I had lived for centuries, and yet in the end I still acted rashly, without foresight, like a mayfly over the river of reality... And because of that I had lost you, Kalessia.

    Now I truly stood alone on the Way.

    Like in that tale, told to me so long ago.

    Long, long ago, there existed an order of knights, mighty and powerful beyond peer, for they carried the greatest weapons and armors in the world, and they had dragons at their side as their faithful companions. The knights were Conquerors, able to vanquish any foe and invade any land, no matter how dangerous they were. Thus the knights raided and destroyed for untold time, unchallenged and undefeated, terrors upon the world who everyone cursed, yet none could resist.

    In time, however, the knights became tired from their constant conquest, for there was no prospect in destruction, and there was no trial anymore in annihilation. The knights decided to become Protectors, to keep harmony within the world instead of sowing discord, in order to challenge themselves with new quests in new fields. Thus the knights warded and guarded everyone, be it commoner or saint, keeping the lands free and just, and within these tasks they found the secret of Enlightenment.

    Seeing the beauty of Harmony and feeling the love of Kindness, the knights kindled Compassion in their hearts, and saw in this spiritual mirror the woe that their nature was, with all their weapons, armors, and dragons. Aligning themselves more with their new ideals, the knights relinquished their ruinous weapons, keeping with themselves only their swords, a symbol to be raised in defence of others. Thus peace flourished across the lands, and the world became a brighter, more honest place.

    The knights, however, were still dissatisfied with the state of their new existence, wanting to shine light further into the souls of the people. To bring an example of this, they shed their mighty armors, embracing the protection of their ideals instead. Thus love unfurled around the world, bringing people together and uniting communities under one sky.

    With time, violence and cruelty disappeared from the world, and the knights did not need to protect the people and the lands anymore, whether from the outside or the inside. The knights cast away their swords, for their symbol now was Enlightenment itself and their only duty was to sing its symphony so it resonated everlasting within the souls of their sisters and brothers. Thus Awakening came from the skies and bloomed within spirits, bringing forth the long-lost paradise of Eternity.

    And so the ages came and went, and the knights were needed no more, for their work was complete. The knights gathered one last time and abandoned their most closest companions, their dragons, because where they went after, their dearest could not follow. This last meeting concluded with sorrow, and yet also with great joy, for this was not a farewell, but a continuation of a journey that never ended.

    Finally, the knights stood alone, ascending to the stars, where they discovered the ending of the Way, the last, greatest, infinite shore that led to a magnificent flame which burned with eternal light. There, the knights were embraced with unconditional love, free of any sin, any burden, any sorrow, their souls cleansed with pure joy ¨C for they had at last, returned home.

    I lowered my head, and wept.

    For me there was nothing left, but to try and return home. To return all of us home. To brings us together in joy and love, and to burn away all the sins everyone had ever committed.

    I focused my Power and relocated atop the Shard, in the Heart Of Darkness that was my own making, and willed the Reality Vortex to bend one last time to my Bidding. Therein I stood, and waited, knowing my Crusade could only end in one of two ways: Absolute Damnation, or Divine Ascension.

 Chapter 24 - The Way Crumbles

    CHAPTER 24 ¨C THE WAY CRUMBLES

    "It is believed the legacy of the fabled Magisters of Arceria was lost forever during the Great Equalizing, when the Transhuman Order arrived in the Zvezda System. According to the world''s local history, the Magisters knew all secrets of the Great Cosmos and could practice any kind of magic, without regard for limits such as energy expenditure, quantum flux resonance, and ontological paradoxicality. Knowledge from this caliber is regrettably beyond the grasp of modern Conduits. Seven centuries later, even the most advanced biomorphologic augmentations or the greatest of mystical schools struggle to break the hard limits seemingly wrought into reality itself.

    Some believe transhumanity will never surpass those barriers. Others believe that we, as a species of shared consciousness, have simply not attuned ourselves properly to the ?ther."

    ¨C Sir Dr. Reibwyr Draus, "Forlorn Laments Of The ?ther Age", Datalinks

    Three days later, Ilsorin, the Radiant Knights'' last bastion

    "Are you sure about this?" Airo asked.

    "I am," Kiana replied. "I want to show what''s left of Dragon Retreat to the whippersnapper. It''s the only place where I''ve been at peace since I awoke to this whole fubar."

    "What about the constant warpstorms? How are you going to brave them?"

    "Heh, I''ve got it planned." Kiana thumped the fuselage of the stormjet behind her. "Turned out these bad boys can operate even in space if necessary. I''ll just climb into low orbit and then descend upon the location of our destination."

    "If it still exists geographically," Airo muttered.

    "Oh, I bet it does, Fearless Leader. That settlement had some top-notch E-beacons ¨C ya, I didn''t know about them before, but I used my time there to educate myself ¨C same as you."

    They were in one of the hangars at the top of the mountain stronghold. Kiana, with help from Bernard and Zeromon, had modified one of the Radiant Order''s remaining stormjets, so she could fit alongside Nightsong in the cockpit, since her soulkin now was slightly larger than an adult human, but her wings and tail gave her an additional bulk.

    "I do not know how much more we will all live, but I do hope you will return," Veralla said. She was about the same size as Nightsong, as the two rapidly grew in almost parallel fashion.

    "Oh, we''re definitely gonna return," Nightsong replied. "I just wanted to see the outside world at least once, and Kiana''s suggestion sounds very nice indeed if... well..."

    The two fledglings hugged, saying nothing more. Airo turned his gaze back to Kiana and clapped her shoulder.

    "Take care," he said. "Both of you."

    "We will," Kiana nodded. She then smirked. "Aww, has Fearless Leader suddenly become all soppy and emotional?"

    "Hey, I am a different person now," Airo protested, frowning.

    "Yah, and I''m a Radiant Knight," Kiana said. "Oh wait, I am. Hot damn, the world''s gone crazy!"

    "In more ways than one," Airo added, and they both laughed.

    "Guess we gotta go," Kiana sighed, and made to put on the helmet of the heavy-duty vacsuit she wore, when suddenly someone shouted from the other end of the hangar.

    "Kiiiii!" Zuckeroff shrieked breathlessly, approaching at full sprint. "Ki, wait for meeee!"

    "Gamebrain, you dork!" Kiana snapped as the astrior stopped before her and Airo, panting heavily. "I told you I was leaving an hour ago! What smacked you to arrive late again?"

    "Sorry, sorry," Zuckeroff waved his arms, having regained some stamina. "I was a referee in a combat card game and, uh, the match went on for too long, and, uh..."

    "Didn''t Cloud warn you or something?"

    "He did! Ah, three times, I think!"

    "Unbelievable," Kiana shook her head. "Well, we''re leaving."

    "But what about the neutron ginger beer sipping contest??" Zuckeroff exclaimed.

    "It''ll have to wait. C''mon, Nightsong." Kiana put on the helmet and turned to climb into the stormjet''s cockpit.

    "Ki," Zuckeroff said.

    "What?"

    "High-five?"

    "Sure," she nodded, raising a hand, and they high-fived. Nightsong and Veralla said a hearty goodbye to each other, and then the snowy fledgling climbed into the stormjet after Kiana.

    Airo, Veralla, and Zuckeroff cleared the docking pad. The stormjet''s main drive roared to life, a showoff on Kiana''s part, since the interceptor was perfectly capable of lifting off on its electromagnetic repulsors alone. She maneuvered the stormjet into position, and then the aircraft shot out from one of the slanted launch bays into the sky outside. Thirty seconds later, Yeoman Cloud confirmed the stormjet had cleared the fractal sub-region and was now truly away.

    The sending party stood watching after the departed stormjet. After a few moments, Airo turned to Zuckeroff. "So, playing games, huh? Are you not worried the end of the world is coming soon?"

    The astrior gazed at him and Airo saw his face lacked the usual goofy expression. "There''s no shame in doing your favorite stuff during your last days," Zuckeroff said, his voice wistful. He shrugged, smiling ruefully. "We''re all going to die, and there''s nothing to be done about it. Might as well have fun, say your goodbyes, and hope your life''s been good enough to''ve been worth living. Ah, at least that''s my take on it. Oh, and there''s always time for one last pint."

    Airo nodded, surprised by the astrior''s unexpected insight. Knowing about one''s death always changed people, and often revealed hidden depths nobody ever suspected about.

    Stolen story; please report.

    "Do you have something planned to do now?" Veralla asked Zuckeroff. She tried to be the same kind, cheerful dragon she always was despite the approaching doom. Yet Airo could sense the distress in her tone and every movement, and admired her for being so brave at so young an age in the face of such a terrible burden.

    "Uhhh, yep!" Zuckeroff said. "I think it''s just about time for the daily skycast! The others are probably outside already. Wanna play with us?"

    "Oh, yes, let us do that!" Veralla exclaimed. She cast one last sad glance at the open launch bay. "Shall we go and play, Airo?"

    "All right," he said. He petted her on the head soothingly, the gesture possible because Veralla was on all fours. "You will have to teach me the rules, though."

    "Aww, yeah!" Zuckeroff burst out and pumped his fist. "Leave that to me, Boss! Imma master of ol'' kinds o'' rules!"

    Veralla let out a hrrr¨Cing giggle, and her eyes brightened.

    Airo sighed. "Under other circumstances, I would have regretted this decision deeply. Lead the way."

    "Tooo battle!" Zuckeroff cheered, raising high an imaginary blade.

    The three of them went off. Ilsorin''s corridors and transit sections were empty. Most of the refugees had finished migrating to Ouroboros yesterday, and the Radiant Knights'' hidden stronghold once again was quiet and deserted in the same way like when Airo first set foot in its luminous halls. But walking through this huge bastion was not the same as it had been months ago. Signs of habitation had multiplied as more and more people had been granted shelter here: colorful holograms hung in the air, nanofabricated draperies and interior waterfalls graced the walls, furniture of all shapes and sizes had sprung up everywhere, giving rooms, chambers, and souks a lived-in atmosphere.

    Airo walked beside Veralla, both following Zuckeroff, and watched the abandoned scenery around them. It was a harsh reminder of the fate which awaited everyone. Airo didn''t feel like playing games at that moment; the stubborn, resolute warrior inside him wanted to strategize, to plan, to seek solutions, and then act on them to get out of the mortal predicament that threatened him. He resisted the urge, for there was no use. He had already spent the previous night pondering what could be done, no matter how absurd or fantastic, wrangling Yeoman Cloud, consulting Lylana, Glawlrhain, and Magus, yet to no avail.

    Indeed, he had given up, and these hopeless efforts were merely a denial on his part. The rest had already accepted their fate, and tried to make as much use of their remaining time as they could. The Radiant Knights, understandably, were the most serene and philosophical in behavior. Theirs was an example of dignified celebration, expressed through a combination of meditation and mellow joy, consciously freed from the worried world of subjective perception. The surviving Consortium and Union soldiers for the most part had turned toward hard indulgence of vices, closeted away in VR or in private company with unending supply of intoxicants. The last remaining refugees, vaguely aware of some veiled turmoil yet ignorant of the truth, were busy packing their meager belongings and taking the psi-gate to what they hoped was salvation aboard Ouroboros.

    "Wait, this is not the way to the hangar," Veralla remarked as they went toward Ilsorin''s grand entrance.

    "Yeah, I know!" Zuckeroff said. "We''ll be outside from now on. I reckon we could use some clear sky to have a bit more space, so, uh, I ordered some bots to make us a skycast field at the main courtyard outside. It''s very nice!"

    "Oh, so we dragons can use our wings fully to help ourselves fly! Thank you, St''aep''hon!"

    "You could have told us upfront we are going to be outside," Airo grumbled. "If I was not in my power armor, I would have... expressed a strong opinion."

    Veralla abruptly rawr¨Ced. "Airo!" she turned to him, full of eagerness. "Since I can now fly, and I am already bigger than you, this means you could ride on my back!" She spread her wings, accidentally bopping Zuckeroff on the head. "We can be just like the other Knights!"

    "Hmm, are you sure you are ready for that?" Airo asked, thoughtful. He glanced appraisingly at Veralla. Standing upright, she was two heads higher than him and weighed nearly half a ton when not manipulating her gravitic field. Impressive from his perspective, yet still a runt by dragon standards.

    "Oh, yes, I feel quite ready," Veralla nodded, her purple eyes bright with anticipation. "It is completely right for soulkin to fly together."

    "Also, it''s in the game rules, too," Zuckeroff added, rubbing his head with a derpy grin.

    They just arrived at the huge antechamber of the grand entrance via a grav-shaft, when suddenly the whole stronghold tremored. Something thundered outside beyond the vast vaulted doors. Alarms rang out, and immediately died.

    "What is happening?" Veralla asked anxiously, mantling her wings.

    "Cloud, status report!" Airo barked, immediately sweeping his gaze in every direction.

    There was no response. A second later, the ambient illumination dimmed, as if some sinister presence had overtaken Ilsorin itself.

    "Boss, we''ve got company!" Zuckeroff yelled, pointing at one of the side passages. A group of security drones with oblong, slab-shaped frames were swiftly approaching, their reinforced shells gleaming menacingly.

    "Get behind me!" Airo shouted. "Cloud, come in, bloody stars!" The SAI stayed silent. Airo cursed again, weaponless as he was, and raised a hand toward the drones. He tried to command them, yet now he realized how much he''d relied on Yeoman Cloud to automate things for him, as he stood powerless, unable to even summon up his HUD.

    "Halt!" he shouted to the drones, hoping they''d recognize his voice and obey. Each of the slab-like robots cracked its frame into four identical struts and rushed forward with rapid spinning motion.

    Airo immediately dove to the side, avoiding the charge. Zuckeroff tried to duck, yet one of the security drones slammed into him full-force, and the unarmored astrior hit a wall, collapsing. Behind Airo, Veralla cried out in fear. He turned, shouting in fury. One of the drones extended a fractal manipulator and swept it at him. He jumped high to evade the strike and kicked mid-air another drone coming at him, his power-armor enhanced strength sending it flying. He smashed his fist into another drone as he landed, the force of the blow breaking the robot''s split frame in half.

    He quickly dispatched the third drone and looked for Veralla. She was fighting a half-dozen robots, with just as many rushing his way, while more drones were coming to join the fray from several grav-shafts and corridors. Airo focused and called the starblade into his hands. Yet before he could summon the artifact, the environment wavered, and a terrible nausea hit him. He fell to his knees, and heard the characteristic whine of hypercharged capacitors. He lifted his gaze and saw one of the security drones pointing a laser pulser at him.

    Airo raised his arms instinctively, and the robot fired. Searing pain pierced his chest, drowning the world in a red haze. He gasped, astounded why the power armor didn''t protect him, and slumped to the floor, fighting to remain conscious.

    ***

    Veralla was very afraid. She did not know why the robots were hostile, and she worried for the others inside the base. She dodged and parried the blows of the security drones, her growing draconic strength more than a match for their heavy metallic limbs, and she struggled to remember Glawlrhain''s combat lessons as she resisted her battlefury from overtaking her mind.

    Then she saw Airo fall down, clutching his head.

    "Airo!!!" she shouted and lunged, bowling through the security drones who surrounded her. She rushed to help him, yet she could not get in time before one of the robots lifted some sort of weapon, and shot him point blank. Airo gasped in pain and fell down.

    Veralla screamed in horror. Her scream turned into a roar, and battlefury overwhelmed her, plunging everything into a blue mist. She pounced at the mass of robots, her claws and teeth flashing, tearing off limbs and ripping frames to pieces. Her tail lashed, knocking down those who tried to flank her and her wingtips impaled any drones within reach, scattering them away with savage shakes. Veralla roared again with rage and opened her jaws wide, unleashing a brilliant, silvery firestorm. Her firebreath vaporized a score of security drones, yet more arrived to take their place with relentless mindlessness. She gathered breath to incinerate those new enemies, when abruptly she sensed some ephemeral presence above her. She aborted her attack and looked up to see several waves of resonance, humming with an etheric echo, life vibrating between their quantum folds.

    Serefi.

    They flashed straight at her, fast as thought. Before she could do anything, the resonance fields went inside her, enveloping her in their immaterial waves. Without warning, her every fibre flared with intense pain, and she shrieked. She tried to resist the pain, but it was as if she was thrown into a neutron star, her whole body crushed and burned at the same time. Her shriek turned to whine and then went silent altogether as she exhausted the air within her lungs. Yet the serefi never let go even for an instant and the pain did not stop, drowning out everything, until there was nothing but agony.

    Veralla finally succumbed to the merciless assault, and blacked out.

 Chapter 24.2 - The Way Crumbles

    Airo was dimly aware of somebody hauling him. The pain from his wound had receded, yet so had done the strength in his body. He could barely move, his limbs slack like sacks of rope. He willed his eyes to stay open, gazing at the high golden ceilings of Ilsorin as his captors carried him. Up there was a constellation of machinery and art: holographic projectors embedded in crystal-inlaid mosaics, energy emitters set next to hydroponically-fed hanging greenery, the glowing surfaces of planets and stars carved in bas-reliefs with grooved orbits. This parade of sights from a new perspective helped Airo to stay awake, and gave him some a vague notion to where they were taking him.

    He knew he was being taken to the lower levels when the ceiling vistas disappeared, replaced by utilitarian designs and the looming profiles of large-scale nanofabricators, aethertech megafluxers, and other industrial-grade hardware. His captors took him still further down, into Ilsorin''s depths, where Mentoria had made her private sanctum.

    Heavy doors opened with a booming thud and the illumination changed yet again, becoming a riot of competing light sources. Worked stone and inlaid crystal made way to simple composite tiles. Decoration faded away; servers, power stations, and yet more fabricators took up free space. Brightly marked areas were free of any objects, demarcating high-energy weaver fields. Storage tanks, cisterns, and distilleries bubbled quietly, unseen fluids coursing through their pipes.

    At last, Airo was placed down beneath the circular profile of a stasis-field projector. The projector''s phasor transducers lit up and a golden haze enveloped Airo, immobilizing him completely. To his surprise, the field floated him into upright position and he finally was able to take stock of his surroundings.

    He had come down here only a couple of times, yet it was enough to recognize this was indeed the laboratory where Mentoria worked. The whole place was a single enormous space the size of a geodesic dome, similar in shape, with equipment arranged into distinct sections. At the center of the dome was the tall cylindrical frame of an ?ther forge, surrounded by HHI workstations, matter-to-energy modulation transformers, and variform magnetic-pressure injection nozzles.

    And standing beside the ?ther forge was Mentoria.

    The exotic aethereal paid Airo no heed, her toxic-green eyes focused on a cluster of security drones. Airo couldn''t move, though he saw what had gotten Mentoria''s attention: a couple of drones were carrying Veralla''s unconscious form, her wings and tail splayed helplessly.

    "Veralla!" Airo tried to shout, yet the stasis-field denied him freedom to move his jaw, and he only made a high-pitched moan. The effort nearly made him black out; the wound in his chest wrenched, the sensation not quite a pain ¨C but overwhelming nonetheless.

    The drones placed Veralla at the ?ther forge. Mentoria watched the proceedings carefully, her expression one of predatory anticipation. There was a commotion and the exotic aethereal turned. Two more security drones came into view, their slab-like shapes flanking a hazy, liquid-looking globe swirling with a multitude of colors. Someone was inside the globe, their body warped by the surreal refraction. A face, its features twisted, emerged near the globe''s surface ¨C and Airo recognized Magus Dei.

    "Mentoria! What is the meaning of this!" the old Radiant Knight demanded, his voice heavily distorted.

    "I told you, dear Magus, I have no intention to die here," Mentoria replied with a cold smile. "It was about time I made my own move. I do not have patience to gather so much resources in one place a second time."

    "Your move?" Magus repeated. "You have enough means to escape Terra Para! Why do you arrest us?" His warped face turned. "Why have you taken Veralla?"

    "Power, dear Magus," Mentoria replied. Her voice had a maniacal edge. "The power to Ascend."

    Magus took one look at Veralla''s unconscious form.

    "No!" he shouted.

    "Oh, yes," Mentoria said. "I have finally discovered the key to attaining the form of ultimate might. I can become a Primordial."

    "Mentoria, do not do this!" Magus yelled. "This is not the Way! This is not who you are!"

    "Silence, you fool! Who are you to tell me my destiny! You wasted your powers trying to bring back the dead, while I begged you to return to me! Where was your compassion then, Magus?! WHERE!?"

    The liquid-looking globe suddenly burst into clouds of shimmering waves, with Magus standing in the center, his whole body coruscating with a blazing aura.

    "I LOVED Aethernalis! He returned the light to my sight! He gave me a second Awakening and saved me from downfall! He is the one because of whom you seek the power of his kind! You refused to see that, just as you refused to see my true motives in building the Order!"

    The shimmering waves rushed back against Magus and encased him once more into that strange hazy globe, scintillating with energy discharges.

    "Enough!" Mentoria snapped. "You had your chance to create a lasting legacy, my dear. Now it is my turn. Rest easy, for I shall not ruin the remaining scraps of your precious Order ¨C it is why I bothered to capture them alive." She made a gesture and the globe went off, Magus stumbling inside it.

    Mentoria then turned and finally fixed Airo with a cold, calculating gaze. He glared at her, putting all of his hate and rage into his stare.

    She chuckled. "The mighty Dragonslayer, defiant as always. You have something dangerous in your possession, warrior. I will take it now."

    Pain like a thousand drills bored into Airo''s mind. His whole being went supernova, melted and scattered down to the very atoms of matter. The ocean of agony was so swift and brutal he had no time to react. By the time he drew breath to scream the nightmare was already over, and only the excruciating shadow of torment remained clinging to his deadened synapses.

    A miniature sun parted from his body and drifted outside the stasis field. Mentoria took the sun in her cupped hands, and deposited it on an anti-grav stand at one of the workstations. The sun bloomed, taking the form of an elegant sword made of light.

    "A remarkable product of artisanship," Mentoria said, watching the starblade. "Yet it is but a toy compared to the potential I shall unlock today." She glanced at Airo. "Throw him with the rest."

    The stasis field shut down and Airo collapsed to the floor. A security drone picked him up and carried him to a wall of opaque darkness. The drone heaved, hurling Airo straight at the wall. He passed through without resistance and landed heavily on the other side.

    "Commander Airo!" somebody gasped.

    He hauled himself onto one elbow. Radiant Knights, both humans and dragons, stood in a wide, empty section of Mentoria''s laboratory, surrounded by energy walls which were all entirely transparent on this side. Airo struggled to rise, but his body gave out and he fell down. He heard the rush of many feet and somebody tuned him over to lie on his back. The worried faces of several human Knights filled Airo''s vision, including a few draconic snouts looming further above them.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "What''s wrong with him? Is he injured?"

    "Quick, who here has Life Sphere expertise!"

    "We can''t do anything! This place is nullifying our powers!"

    "Bernard, do something!" one of the Knights exclaimed. "You''re the gearhead among us."

    "I''m a technician, not a healer, Samantha," the engineer Knight snapped. "I can''t even see his injury!"

    "Check his armor then!" Samantha said. "It must have onboard diagnostics!"

    "Right." Bernard leaned over Airo. "Ok, he''s wearing an Orion-class powersuit. Consortium make, cutting-edge model. MEM micro-core power plant, aethertech architecture, four-point-two zettaflops distributed CPU¨C"

    "Bernard!"

    "Listing things helps! Here! According to his medical status, he has sustained a mil-grade laser wound to the chest."

    "How''s that even possible?" another Radiant Knight cut in. "There''s not even a trace of damage on his armor."

    "I don''t know, but his vitals are bad, and only the armor''s restoration fields keep him stable. He''s steady, but he can''t stay in this condition forever."

    "Veralla..." Airo moaned.

    "Well, if he can keep like this for a week more..." a deep voice rumbled.

    "That''s not funny, Glosserax! Bernard, is there any way to put the restoration fields into some kind of overdrive?"

    "Hnnh, I can boost the MEM-core''s output and reroute the extra power straight to the fields'' emitters, but it might fry the underlying circuitry."

    "Any better ideas?"

    "I guess not. Give me a nanosec."

    In a few moments, Airo heard his power armor beeping and then he felt a tingle, like an electrostatic wave washing over his body. His pain receded and the weight from his chest diminished, although it didn''t disappear. His eyes widened as he focused the group of Radiant Knights who had gathered over him.

    "Veralla!" he burst out. "Veralla!" He tried to stand, but Bernard put a hand on his shoulder.

    "Commander, calm down," the head engineer Knight said. "You''ve been injured¨C"

    "Out of my way!" Airo shouted, shoving away Bernard''s arm, and then rose to his feet, the Knights giving him space. His actions rewarded him with fresh stabbing pain in his chest and he stumbled, barely keeping himself upright. He looked around and saw Mentoria standing at the ?ther forge over Veralla, the energy barrier ¨C a thin, hardly-perceptible haze ¨C the only obstacle between him and them.

    "Veralla!" he shouted, and ran toward the barrier. The Radiant Knights shouted warnings at him, yet he ignored them. He lacked weapons, but the power armor he wore was weapon enough. Reaching what he sensed was the boundaries of the barrier, he swung, and smashed his fist with all his enhanced strength against it.

    In an instant, his mind became dark. He lost consciousness within a second, the last sight registered by his senses being the helpless body of his soulkin.

    ***

    Veralla opened her eyes and saw Mentoria. She tried to move away, but some kind of energy field was suspending her in place, keeping her floating in front of her captor.

    Mentoria smiled and Veralla saw her green eyes were as terrible as those of Ferrtau; but they also carried a great sadness like the one Airo had held in his gaze for so long.

    "Why have you taken me away?" she rawr¨Ced. "Where is Airo?" She looked around, yet she saw only a large laboratory full of devices, probably located somewhere on Ilsorin''s lower levels.

    "Relax, little dragon. Your soulkin is safe, for the time being," Mentoria said, her face darkening at the word. "Cause not any trouble, and you two shall be reunited, eventually."

    Veralla tried to focus her mind on Airo. She could not sense him at all and this alarmed her. She struggled against the restraining energy field to no avail. "Where am I? What do you want from me?" she whimpered, fear and panic clawing at her twin hearts.

    "You are in my sanctum," Mentoria purred, raising a hand. Her powerful aura scintillated between her fingers, and machinery stirred into operation all around the laboratory. "As for why you are here, I need to take a small part of you, little dragon."

    "Take a horn or a claw then," Veralla consented meekly. "Take anything you must. Just release Airo and my friends, and leave us be."

    Mentoria laughed, a dry, mirthless sound. "Oh, it will not be so easy, little dragon," she said. "Trifle things such as your body will not suffice for what I have in mind. I need a part of your Essence."

    "My Essence?" Veralla asked in a very small voice. "You mean my soul?"

    "Yes," Mentoria said. "It would have been much quicker just to kill you outright ¨C but I must uphold my agreement, in case he watches." She looked around, raising her voice. "Do you hear me Ferrtau? If you are watching, witness that I am keeping my word as promised!" The energy field around Veralla began to hum and more devices and equipment came online. Her scales began to itch, when something ephemeral yet transgressive pierced into her aura.

    Mentoria''s smile became very cold and her eyes blazed with dark hunger. Veralla whimpered, but she could not shy away neither from her captor, nor from the dreadful implement which had impaled her spiritual being.

    "Trite as it sounds, this is going to hurt," Mentoria said, and balled her fist into a nimbus of flaring strands.

    Something ripped straight at her soul, and Veralla screamed.

    ***

    The flood of tingling sensation in his mind brought Airo back to consciousness. He jumped to his feet, shouting for Veralla, yet immediately a dozen armored arms restrained his movement.

    "Commander Airo, stop!" Lylana Darkovitz yelled. "Your condition¨C"

    Her words were cut short by Veralla''s scream. The Radiant Knights all stared in horror at the scene before them. Airo struggled against their lessened grip, but this strained his wound and he toppled with fresh weakness.

    "Great Cosmos, what are they doing to her!?" one of the Knights exclaimed. Beyond the hazy barrier of their prison, the ?ther forge fired a series of hypercharged pulses, their resonance frequencies spread across the whole cosmic spectrum as their energies passed through Veralla.

    "Mentoria tries to complete Project Ascension," Magus Dei said very quietly. Several of the Knights looked at him in incomprehension. But Airo''s eyes widened in realization.

    "Bring that barrier down at once!" he ordered, pushing himself upright with effort. "Do it now!"

    "Commander, we can''t¨C" Lylana started to object.

    "Just do it!"

    Veralla screamed afresh, her whole body spasming from the torment exerted by the ?ther forge. Several of the imprisoned dragon Knights roared in sympathetic anguish and furious hostility.

    "You savage egg-sucker!!!" one of them cried.

    "Mentoria!" Airo bellowed. "MENTORIA! Come here and fight me, you bloody witch!"

    "Airo, she can''t hear you," Glawlrhain hissed, his tone feral. Stamat clung to his body with a haggard expression. "Nothing can pass from this side of the barrier, be it matter or energy. Even our air is limited." The dragon''s slurred explanation was punctuated by another agonizing shriek from Veralla.

    Airo yelled wordlessly, his mind drowned in rage. He whirled toward Magus. "How did this happen! Why did you allow it to happen!!" His fist trembled, half-raised in the old Knight''s direction.

    "I am sorry. I am very sorry," Magus said, his voice broken. He sat on the floor, shoulders slumped and face drained of all color. Airo had never seen the old man in such a humiliating condition, and it blunted his anger. "I should have stopped her earlier," Magus continued. "I saw the signs, yet I gave her a chance to mend her ways. I should have stopped her." His gaze fell. "I am sorry, Airo."

    Airo summoned all his willpower, trying to think clearly. "Almost all of you are aethereals!" he said, scanning the imprisoned Knights. "Do your routines and remove this barrier!"

    "We can''t," Lylana repeated. "This place is nullifying our powers. We tried already to escape."

    Airo ground his teeth, screaming himself as Veralla did so again. "IS THERE NO BLOODY WAY OUT!"

    "Dragonbreath can probably punch through the barrier," Bernard chimed in, stroking his chin with quick, nervous motions. "But since it''s some kind of energy, it''d probably reform back instantly. We probably can keep firing at it to keep it open, but then we can''t leave as nothing can pass through the heart of a dragon''s most potent ability."

    "How Mentoria created this prison in the first place!" Airo demanded. "She overpowered us all at once, even Ilsorin''s security systems! How was she able to do it?!"

    "The serefi," Lylana muttered darkly. "They helped her."

    "You said we had complete controls over these things!"

    "We certainly thought so," Glawlrhain growled. "But the so-called master resonance turned out a hoax. The serefi had been all that time beholden to Mentoria, without any of us knowing. With a single command she turned all of them against us."

    "Even the Guardian, whose influence encompasses this entire fractal sub-region," Lylana concluded.

    "AIROOOOO!" Veralla shrieked between screams. "HELP MEEE!"

    "VERALLA!" He turned, and would''ve ran against the barrier once more, if it wasn''t for Lylana''s swift, powerful grip. He fell to his knees with raving sobs, his reason drowned out by helpless rage and the cold, absolute fear of another loss.

    "Veralla!" he cried, a defiant arm stretched in her direction. "I am here!!! Veralla!!!"

    She lay beyond, trapped within the ?ther forge, tortured by the merciless indifference of the machine, while Mentoria loomed to the side, her scant-clad body enveloped in a blazing aura, her expression one of gleeful anticipation. The scene burned itself into Airo''s maddened psyche, until the tears took away his vision, leaving only soul-piercing sound.

    "Damn rude to say it," Tehalix remarked grimly, "but it''d be a small mercy when her voice gives out."

    "Unlikely," Glawlrhain replied, subdued. "Our kind''s vocal chords are just as enduring as the rest of our bodies."

 Chapter 24.3 - The Way Crumbles

    She had lost all sense of time and place. It could have been hours, or days, or years. She did not remember where she was. She had almost forgotten who she was.

    She knew there was only pain, infinite and absolute. So endless was her agony, she knew not whether she was alive or dead. Whatever her state was, it was perpetuated by primal torment, focalized right into the very core that was Her. Nova-hot, limitlessly-sharp edges cleaved her essence, crawling in all directions, deep and less deep, vast and narrow, within and without, searching for something.

    She had no memory how long it took.

    She only understood, distantly, on the rim of her perfectly-fixed awareness into the pain, when Separation happened.

    She was Lessened.

    Her Essence was Diminished.

    Her soul was Reaved.

    In the span of a singular eternity, the pain was gone. She sagged, so drained of vitality her being had no strength to even slip into blackout. She watched, her eyes opened by default, as a mote of her very life ascended from her and floated into the shower of light which kept her prisoner to another.

    The another, Mentoria, raised extremities and made sounds of praise.

    "He was telling the truth! At last my path to transcendence is open! Not even Heaven itself can stop me now! I shall possess the ultimate power!"

    Mentoria lowered herself and gazed at Veralla.

    "Are you ready for us to become sisters, Great One?" she laughed, and with a ripping motion stripped herself naked. She made a graceful step and entered the energy field. They floated next to each other, the torn essence of Veralla''s soul hanging above them, tethered by a single silvery thread to its rightful possessor.

    Then Mentoria severed the thread and absorbed the essence of a Primordial dragon.

    ***

    "By the Ancients, what''s that crazy bitch doing!?" Tehalix exclaimed.

    Veralla''s torture had continued for hours. By then Airo had become half-insane, wounds which had barely healed torn open once more in his mind and soul. The Radiant Knights had tried to console him as best they could, yet even they were driven into despair by the incessant agony of their dear friend.

    Now, without warning, the screams had stopped. The comparative silence was deafening. The Knights all pressed forward, trying to see what was happening. Airo suddenly lifted his head and hauled to his feet, his physical injury searing his chest.

    "The Goddess protect us," Lung rawr¨Ced. "She has taken part of Veralla''s soul!"

    Airo pushed away the Knights just in time to see Mentoria undressing herself and entering the ?ther forge alongside Veralla. There, a small, ephemeral orb hovered above both of them, and to Airo''s eyes the orb was somehow simultaneously made of the purest light and the greatest darkness. Then Mentoria reached out, and absorbed the orb within her body.

    As one, all of the Radiant Knights gasped in horror.

    "Great Cosmos," Magus Dei whispered.

    Mentoria abruptly left the ?ther forge, naked as she was. She made several stumbling steps, her lascivious shape swaying, and she laughed as her whole body began to glow.

    "Yes! Yes! Oh, YES!" she called, her laughter becoming hysterical as the primeval werelight engulfed her. "I can feel it! I can feel the greatness rising in me! I¨C"

    Her rave turned into a primal screech. The supernatural glow consumed her, leaving behind only shadow, yet at the same time kept perfect clarity, as if the change about to take place was no mere metamorphosis.

    Mentoria''s shape began to twist and deform, molded by an unseen force. Her body vastened, growing and bulking into monstrous proportions. Her limbs realigned, tail and wings sprouting from her back, followed by heavy bony protrusions. Her neck elongated and thickened. Her face contorted and extruded forward, becoming a fierce jaw filled with rows of gleaming teeth. Great, broad horns thrust out from her skull. Her flesh darkened, skin turning into rippling scales, and her fingers and toes extended with huge, wicked talons.

    Mentoria''s screech turned into a deafening roar, as she fully transformed from a human into a dragon.

    Yet Veralla''s Essence wasn''t done with her. She continued to grow, becoming many times larger than any of the Order''s dragons. Her limbs and torso bulked up with muscle, flesh swelling beneath solid scales. Her wings stretched, giant and vast, covering the entire laboratory end to end. Her tail surged and snaked, reaching twice and more the length of her body. Mentoria fell on all fours, overwhelmed by the metamorphosis, yet she didn''t cease expanding in size, until her massive shoulders pressed firmly against the soaring ceiling of her sanctum.

    And she grew still more.

    Her draconic body enlarged without pause and the inanimate matter surrounding it gave under the static assault. Worked stone, futuristic metal, and sculpted crystal all parted away with shrieking wails. Mentoria burst through the floor of Ilsorin''s next level, then a second level, and then a third, debris raining down her enormous girth. Sections collapsed into clouds of crushed structure. Her body darkened altogether, becoming black as the cosmic void, while large, claw-shaped stripes of brilliant silver emerged upon her scaled hide

    Her roar, pain and triumph equally present in its reverberation, finally died down.

    Mentoria''s growth came to an end and the supernatural glow around her faded. She stood tall among the ruined interior of Ilsorin, like a god who had half-broken out of its shell. Her titanic form radiated raw power, a Primordial dragon made real. She shifted herself to test her body, smashing more walls and sections in showers of debris, and grinned with a million teeth, her blazing silver eyes full with lust and arousal.

    Throughout this whole process, Airo watched with a patient, unblinking stare, his mind focused only on two things.

    Suddenly, there was another thundering rumble.

    The explosion''s echo felt more absolute than the demolition of mere matter. Reality staggered for a moment, then readjusted focus in a nanosecond.

    Mentoria lifted her giant draconic head and roared in surprise.

    Somewhere out there a great, nebulous being perished and the air vibrated with a subtle change.

    The resonance barrier fell.

    Airo''s teeth flashed.

    He rushed forward before anyone else could react. He crushed the ?ther forge''s frame with a power-armored fist, the blow reaching and pulverizing the delicate components inside. An emergency shutdown initiated and Veralla fell free from the machine''s grasp. She turned weakly to meet his gaze. One look into her amethyst eyes was enough to mend his bleeding heart.

    This time, he would save her.

    He continued onward and stood before Mentoria''s titanic dragon form, himself an avatar of fury and love.

    "Time for payback, you bloody witch!" he shouted.

    Mentoria let out a roaring laughter, the deafening sound shaking the walls. "You think you can fight me, you pathetic has-been?" she asked, her voice a cavernous rumble, her silver slit-pupiled eyes full of hunger.

    Airo had no weapons and he had no magic. The starblade was lost somewhere among the rubble and his power armor was nothing before such an enemy. Yet he stood his ground, his warrior soul bright and unwavering.

    "I am the Dragonslayer, beast," he declared. "Your life ends here!" Laying everything down on a gamble of faith, he raised a hand and then shouted the most absurd words he had ever spoken: "I SUMMON THEE, STARBLADE!"

    And like a wish come true, the glorious sun-sword appeared in his grip, its radiant glow washing over him, erasing all of his injuries and exhaustion. He stood, starblade in hand, its glow outlining his figure and that of the monster before him.

    Mentoria roared in rage and fear as Airo let out a battlecry and charged her.

    He leapt high, calling forth the power of the starblade, making it colossal in breadth and reach, while remaining weightless as a ray of light. He swung this stellar weapon, yet Mentoria ducked under the blow, her speed and reflexes heightened a thousandfold. Without pausing, Airo timeshifted, channeling his latent power through the starblade, the world closing around him with preternatural pressure upon his senses. Mentoria lashed out in counterattack, her enormous claws crushing everything in their path, coming empty as Airo blinked away, already blazing into temporal overdrive.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    The starblade flashed in a torrent of light, each strike fueled by righteous fury and deadly determination. Airo''s enemy put claws and wings in his path, raw cosmic energy erupting from the impacts of celestial fusion and living flame. The Primordial dragon before him roared, relying on sound and intimidation as her weapon, yet the Dragonslayer was implacable. His onslaught came from all angles, accelerated to a liminal line of guided intent, walls crumbling, crystal-clad datacenters exploding, nanofabricators bursting apart, thresholds collapsing as the enemy tried to claw him down in vain. He danced in a constellation of timeshifted jumps, his insignificant size compared to her majestic magnitude granting him the one advantage he''d never have under any other circumstances ¨C positioning.

    Still his enemy was an unparalleled adversary, fighting with peerless prowess regardless of her predicament, each minute shift of her body being a defense and assault at the same time, her form flowing like a dark river intent on drowning a single dashing mote of light.

    But in the end they both knew.

    Airo was going to kill Mentoria.

    She launched a desperate attack, risking the loss of her foreclaw for the price of his life. He did not commit to the exchange and instead lunged sideways, airborne as he was, and thrust the starblade underneath Mentoria''s belly. She bolstered her scales to avoid herself being severed, yet Airo swept the starblade crosswise between her legs, willing the artifact to augment his might, and heaved, knocking Mentoria to the ground with a crash. He finished the trajectory of his jump and landed right before her head, lifting the enormously-sized starblade for the finishing blow.

    Mentoria had waited precisely for such an opening.

    "Enough!" she roared, and her silver eyes flared. Twin rays of dark viridian werelight shot out from them and struck Airo, enveloping him completely.

    In an instant he became nothing, erased from existence itself.

    ***

    Veralla was still weak from the severance of her Essence when Airo freed her. Without pausing, he went on and challenged Mentoria into battle, bringing the holy power of a sun against the primeval might of dragonkind. Veralla wanted to help Airo. She growled in defiance at her weakness, willing herself to rise, when a large, heavy claw pressed her back.

    "Let me go!" she hissed, turning to see Magus, Lung, Tehalix, Glosserax, Samantha, Teyalinar, Richard, Boyd, Merryl, and many other Radiant Knights who watched the unfolding duel with apprehension and awe.

    "Are you crazy?" Zeromon exclaimed, who was holding her. "You can''t enter this fight, Veralla!"

    She struggled to break free, but the larger dragon kept her pinned. "Airo is in danger! I need to help him!"

    "He has a freaking starblade to use against this eldritch... thing!" Tehalix shouted. "What can you possibly do to help!?"

    Her words were punctuated by explosions and a deafening roar. "Defensive barriers, now!" Lylana shouted, and screens of translucent energy shimmered as several Radiant Knights cast invocations to protect the group from shrapnel and impact waves.

    Airo had timeshifted, becoming a blur of motion, his starblade trailing after him like a giant golden comet. Mentoria roared again, barely deflecting his blows. Her lashing strikes destroyed machinery and equipment, gouged walls, and tore the ruined surroundings into pieces, yet not once she found her target. Airo dodged with flawless grace, the trailing light of his starblade sweeping ever closer. Mentoria growled, her enormous bulk sapped of mobility between Ilsorin''s walls, her invulnerable scales susceptible to harm against the potency of an entire sun.

    Veralla followed the battle closely, her twin hearts full of fear and hope for Airo. The Radiant Knights also gazed after, humbled into inaction by such a titanic clash. None of them could have interfered in any meaningful way, and it was evident that this was a fight to the death.

    Mentoria lifted a foreclaw to lash out and Airo blinked out instantly, appearing to her side. He thrust the starblade between Mentoria''s legs while in mid-air and swung, tripping her. Mentoria crashed and Airo landed in front of her, ready to strike her down. But Veralla sensed a terrible wave of energy gathering around Mentoria and saw her gaze focusing on Airo.

    "No, no, no!" she cried out, straining against Zeromon''s grasp.

    "Veralla, stay back!"

    "Airo!"

    "Enough!" Mentoria roared, and cast her gathered power through her gaze, the terrible spell reaching Airo instantly. Its dark energy touched him ¨C and then he was no more: his body, his mind, his soul, his entire life ¨C removed, washed away from creation.

    "NO!" Veralla roared, reaching a claw out toward his last spot, screaming his name even as the very memory of him began to fade. "AIROOO!"

    ***

    He stood at the edge of infinite dark limbo. He knew not whether this was afterlife, or someplace else. Identity itself seeped away, passing through an hourglass funnel into primal entropy. Sense of existence receded, spiraled into collapse.

    He turned. Nothing beyond.

    He turned. Nothing to the side.

    The unraveling deteriorated. No longer the self. Time faded. Sun went down, drifting, darkening. Pathways closed. Strands thinned, severed, lessened. Even darkness ceased...

    ...seconds... left... trace... away... the... last... eternity...

    ...a sudden light.

    And then ¨C from a distant shore, came a single call, carrying his essence with the song of love.

    "Airooo!"

    ***

    Wracked with terminal anguish, Veralla screamed, putting every ounce of her being into her cry. She focused onto this one infinite moment, casting her power, her love, her entire self into it, and reached out, willing the very universe for Airo to be returned.

    The world became bright beyond measure. Everything stopped, halted into perfect stasis. A clear, pure note chimed. For an instant, she saw a great, radiant flame, blazing endlessly across the cosmos.

    And then Airo stood once more amidst the ruined laboratory, where Veralla still stretched her claw at, the starblade slipping from his numb fingers onto the floor. She collapsed, utterly drained from the exertion. The Radiant Knights cried and roared in shock and astonishment. Mentoria herself paused at this fantastic feat.

    "So the offshoot fledgling has finally awakened her full potential," she growled, her voice booming with scorn. "No matter. My goal is not to kill any of you. Yet I shall replenish myself with those who you have taken under your aegis."

    Mentoria drew herself to her full four-legged height, damaging further Ilsorin''s gutted interior, and the silver stripes on her void-black body began to glow. Her voice thundered again. "And then I shall spare you in the ultimate manner, by defeating the one who tried to bring the end of us all!"

    "It was him, was it not!" Magus Dei shouted, coming forward as more debris fell. "Ferrtau has given you the means to complete Project Ascension!"

    "He did indeed," Mentoria rumbled. Her giant teeth flashed into a grin. "And now the fool shall learn the error he had made. Suffer no more, dear Magus. I shall succeed alone in saving this galaxy where you and your entire Order have failed!" She lifted her head, and the glow on her stripes intensified.

    "Mentoria, wait!" Magus shouted. "You do not know the full extent of Ferrtau''s powers! He is luring you into a trap!"

    Whether she heard him or not, Mentoria made no reply. She let out a low, basso roar, her glowing stripes flashing once ¨C and she vanished, leaving in her wake only the scattered crash of loose structure and the distant wail of avarial alarms.

    Veralla at last gathered enough strength to rise. Without pausing to think, she rushed at Airo, crying out his name. He turned, confusion written on his face. She tackled him, burying him under her, wrapping around in a tight embrace and began to cry, relieved he was really alive.

    "What... happened?" Airo asked slowly.

    "You were erased from existence," Magus said, approaching with the rest of the Radiant Knights. "Veralla... she brought you back."

    Airo stared in numb astonishment, while she continued to cry and nuzzled him fervently with her snout.

    "Mentoria?" he queried.

    "She escaped."

    "Airo!" Veralla cried, tears flowing down her snout. "Airo! Airo!"

    "Shh, relax, everything will be all right," he said, patting her soothingly. "I am here now."

    Except, nothing was going to be all right.

    ***

    It was Kiana who in the end had saved them all from Mentoria''s imprisonment. She had carried a serefi with herself as a precaution against Revenant and the constant warpstorms, and she and Nightsong had just reached Dragon Retreat when Mentoria''s kill-switch command had triggered even across half the planet.

    "And then the voiddamn thing tried to strangle me!" Kiana fulminated as she recounted her harrowing experience. "I''d been done for if it wasn''t for Nightsong, who clawed the bastard to shreds! Dragons for the win, dude!"

    "But how were you able to defeat the serefi that surrounded the fortress, Ki?" Zuckeroff asked. "That, uh, monster, I guess, had created a whole mini-dimension!"

    "I''d taken a heavy veronite cluster bomb with me; insurance policy, ya know." Kiana explained. "After the serefi I''d taken along freaked out, figured something must''ve gone very wrong back home. I scrambled the jet and when we arrived, whaddya know ¨C the mountian looked all weird, the hidden exit flashing like a bad case of software crash, refusing to let us inside.

    "So I blasted this giant serefi right in the strobing ass, and it was enough to kill it. Then me and Nightsong rushed to the rescue, but the party had already finished. Anyone mind telling me what the fuck actually happened?"

    The Radiant Knights brought her up to speed, but even they, living among the greatest wonders of the ?ther Age could scarcely believe the events that transpired, even though they witnessed them firsthand. Kiana''s reaction was a general summation of everyone''s feelings.

    "You''re telling me Mentoria became a fucking dragon god!? And Veralla did WHAT!!?"

    Following Mentoria''s escape, the Radiant Knights reasserted control over Ilsorin and took stock of the damage done. The lower levels of the stronghold were all in ruins, with the base''s industrial capacity almost completely destroyed. With the demise of the largest resonance field, the Guardian, Ilsorin was no longer hidden within the manifold of Terra Para, so Ilsorin''s emergency E-beacons had to be activated. The Knights were on alert for the lesser serefi, yet Mentoria''s creations seemed to have fled by unknown means.

    Yeoman Cloud reported it had been shut down by them, which enabled the security breach in the first place. Thankfully, everyone was alive, captured either by the resonance fields or the subverted security systems, and were subsequently freed once the serefi had scattered. It was a very minor relief compared to the tremendous amounts of tension, confusion, and fear prevalent in the wake of what happened.

    But no one was prepared for the true horror, when the Radiant Knights went spaceward to check the situation there.

    Mentoria had soul reaved everyone aboard Ouroboros.

    There were bodies everywhere. Thousands upon thousands of people lay among the decks, the control sections, crew quarters, hangars, service tunnels ¨C all now lifeless shells. The artificial gravity had been finally turned on and the dreadnought''s interior looked like an enormous morgue.

    Throats were choked and breaths cut short, as the living stared in dread and shock at the horrid scene.

    "Great Cosmos..." Magus Dei uttered, even he becoming pale at the sight.

    They tried contacting the H''raal sphereship. When they received no response, Lylana, Glawlrhain, and Stamat formed an away team to investigate. The three of them returned quickly, bearing the same grim news: the aliens had all been killed, robbed of their souls.

    They were all alone. A mere hundred Knights, a company of Consortium and Union soldiers, and a handful of remaining refugees. The last survivors of Terra Para, whose time was fading away even as they struggled to not succumb to utter despair.

 Chapter 25 - The Way of Love

    CHAPTER 25 ¨C THE WAY OF LOVE

    "And when they have brought forth and reared this perfect virtue, they shall be called the friends of god, and if ever it is given to their kind to put on immortality, it shall be given to them."

    ¨C Plato, "The Symposium"

    The Radiant Knights and the rest of the survivors had gathered on Ouroboros'' bridge, away from the terrible sights which awaited them on the other decks. The command center was impressive in scale like the rest of the enormous dreadnought, vast enough to house a starship of its own. Despite the bridge''s grandeur the atmosphere was bleak and there was little talking.

    Airo and Veralla stood by the CIC podium, wrapped in a hug. Kiana and Nightsong were nearby, the Conduit petting her soulkin with a bitter expression. Glawlrhain, Stamat, Lylana, and Zuckeroff were also in the vicinity. Magus Dei wasn''t far off either, absorbed and troubled.

    "At least that insane bitch is now powerful enough to smack the Lightbringer hard ''nuff to turn him into singularity," Kiana said out loud to everyone''s benefit. "I''d bet exactly zero IOUs on it, but she might be even fucking generous enough to close the Reality Vortex."

    "Mentoria cannot defeat Ferrtau," Magus said quietly, his tone one of absolute certainty. "He will subjugate her, and use her to bring down the Shield."

    "Excuse me, but how the fuck?" Kiana objected. "We''re talking about an aethereal who''s had who-knows-how-many centuries of experience transformed into a fucking dragon who can alter fucking reality! If Veralla here can snap her talons and bring people back to life within an instant, think of what that bitch can do! No fucking way even the Lightbringer can compete with her, planet-busting powers or not!"

    "Hey... if you can bring people back to life, can''t you... make these here alive too?" Nightsong asked Veralla tentatively.

    "I tried," she hrrr¨Ced miserably. "I cannot... I do not know even how I brought Airo back," she said, and sobbed. Airo stroked her twin crests soothingly, and she buried her snout in his shoulder.

    "Ferrtau needs not to face Mentoria in terms of force," Magus said, lowering his head. "He has an ability like no other; he can fully and without resistance take away the will of any true dragon. Since Mentoria became one, Ferrtau now can exert complete dominion over her."

    All Radiant Knights around the bridge perked up at the words of their former grandmaster. Glawlrhain shot Magus a look.

    "We were never told Ferrtau could hold such a sway over my kind," the training master said, his amber eyes full of unspoken accusation.

    "It happened during the Starblaze," the old Knight sighed. "All then was hanging in the balance, as it is now. Drastic measures were taken and carried out by Ferrtau and Kalessia. In the end, our Order, united with the rest of the galaxy, defeated all threats... yet the two of them were changed because of what had to be done.

    "You have noticed it too, how Kalessia and Ferrtau became different... I believe he never tried to suppress his change. This is what has given him the ability to raise the Revenant and it is... what enabled him to overpower the Order in the first place."

    "You''re saying the dragon Knights were overtaken when Ferrtau assaulted the Shard, sir?" Lylana interjected. Her expression became shocked as she worked out something in her mind. "That explains it... why so many... so utterly..."

    "And now the same fate awaits Mentoria," Magus concluded.

    "Wait... does this mean the Lightbringer will succeed to destroy reality after all?!" one of the Radiant Knights exclaimed.

    "Yes... that is exactly what he will do," Magus said. "All of our efforts, all of our losses ¨C they were in vain."

    Silence descended upon Ouroboros'' bridge. The Radiant Knights and the rest of the survivors drooped, their spirits utterly defeated.

    "Then we must go and stop Ferrtau."

    Everyone lifted their heads. Airo carefully let go of Veralla and stepped forth. He was still confused and overwhelmed, as if his continued existence was somehow wrong on a fundamental level, yet the core of his will was intact ¨C and he was as determined as ever. "If Ferrtau threatens to destroy reality, then we must go to the Shard and stop him," he repeated.

    "How? How can we possibly do so, Commander?" Lylana asked with a strained voice. "We already stood up against the Lightbringer and he all but eradicated us. What else is left for us to do?"

    "Precisely," Airo answered, his tone clear and intent. "What else is left for us to do but go and try to stop the man who wants to end the universe as we know it?" He scanned the gathered host, noting the surprised looks he got. "What else any of you have left? To stay here and wait to die? Or would you rather die trying to save the universe?"

    "What do you suggest?" one of the dragon Knights, Teyalinar, challenged. "That we should go and just throw ourselves at Ferrtau, to feel better as we die?"

    "I never said we should go without a plan," Airo replied firmly.

    "It''s still a suicide mission, dude!" Tehalix burst out. "Plan or no plan, what''re our chances of facing the Lightbringer a second time and coming out on top, when he has every advantage?"

    "Above zero," Airo said, deadpan.

    "I concur with Commander Airo''s estimate," Yeoman Cloud chimed in.

    Nobody spoke in dispute, yet there was no assent either.

    Airo again broke the silence.

    "You pledged a vow to follow me until Ferrtau has faced justice," he said. "I hereby free you all from your vow."

    He turned to address all survivors. "Now, it is your choice whether you come with me or not ¨C be you a Radiant Knight, a soldier, or a civilian.

    "Regardless of your choice, I am going. I am going to stop Ferrtau. That is my choice."

    "I am coming, too!" Veralla straightened, and stood beside him. "No matter where you go, I will follow, Airo." They looked at each other and Airo saw encouragement and affection in Veralla''s gaze ¨C one he returned with his whole soul.

    There was the merest pause after his declaration.

    "I''m with you, Boss!" Zuckeroff called suddenly, making an overdramatic military salute. "It''s been an epic time under your command, and I won''t miss the final mission-boss-sport round for anything!"

    "Gah, I won''t die a coward either," Kiana added, rolling her eyes. "A fool maybe, but at least a brave fool. Count me in, too."

    "Me too! Me too!" Nightsong piped. "I''ll go wherever you go, Kiana!"

    Glawlrhain let out a small roar and rose on his hindlegs. "Two of our ranks have chosen to make the most noble of sacrifices: to imperil their lives for the good of all," the training master hrrr¨Ced. "It is only right the rest of us Radiant Knights join their cause, so our shared light can protect us all and ensure the success of the task our sisters have undertaken. What say you?"

    "Ita vero! I go!" Stamat shouted, raising his fist.

    "ITA VERO! WE GO!" the Radiant Knights cried out as one, raising fists and wings.

    "Per arda ad astra," Major Trahaearn called. The tall Stonelander made a step forward. "There is no finer reward for a soldier than to protect and serve their fellow comrades, the people, and their shared home. I come at your service, Commander Airo."

    "We are all coming," Captain Riley said, putting a hand on Trahaearn''s shoulder. "Nothing separates us in this conflict ¨C human or dragon, Consortium or Union, warrior or commoner, we''re all fighting for our lives, for the lives of our very galaxy. Only death or glory remains!" The two officers exchanged nods.

    The entire starship bridge reverberated with a cheer, everyone resolved to dedicate themselves to one last, final hope.

    "Fine! Fine! Fine!" Tehalix shouted as the clamor died down. "All right, we all doomed ourselves to certain death and we''re happy ''bout it. I say let''s get back to topic ¨C I heard something ''bout making plans and actually solving the problem of saving the universe from total destruction. Care to elaborate?"

    "Our strategy will remain largely the same as in the previous open battle," Airo said. "All of you shall keep the Revenant at bay, while I will engage Ferrtau personally."

    "Wait, you''ll do an encore?" Kiana asked incredulously. "What stops the Lightbringer from just handing your asses again? Our asses, since me and Nightsong are on the line too this time around."

    "Do you have better ideas?" Airo replied with a go ahead gesture.

    "Yeah. We bum-rush the grandiloquent bastard and overkill him into femtoscale dust."

    "And who handles the Revenant meanwhile?"

    "...we act fast?"

    Airo shook his head. "Just remember Dragon Retreat. Also, Magus said Ferrtau can instantly take down dragons, so we cannot set them against him."

    Kiana shuddered and raised her hands in defeat. "''Kay, you win, Fearless Leader. We''ll handle the damn shiny ghosts. But what stops the L¨C¨Cwhat stops that bastard Ferrtau from just trying to make a mass vampire impression? I mean, soul reave everyone again?"

    "He will not," Airo said with conviction as resolute in his mind as in his words. "I will not allow him a second attempt."

    "Let''s assume we take your statement for granted, Commander," Lylana said. "How do you propose we engage the Revenant with a tactical disadvantage in numbers and armament, now when we no longer have serefi at our side?"

    "With this," Airo said, sweeping his arm wide. "We will bring Ouroboros planetside. An entire dreadnought of the Radiant Order, made of the most advanced technology available in this galaxy ¨C including its veronite-plated hull, which shall stop the Revenant dead."

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Everyone looked around like they were seeing the starship for the first time.

    "That''s... actually an awesome idea indeed!" one of the Radiant Knights said.

    "Yeah, but what about operational capacity?" Bernard asked. "We managed to patch up this marvelous beauty pretty good before all this... shit happened, but it''s nowhere near done."

    "As long as it is combat-capable, that will be sufficient," Airo said. "Cloud?"

    One of the bridge CIC''s hologram screens flickered to life. "All primary systems are in working order, Commander," the SAI reported. "This includes main drives, inertial dampeners, artificial gravity modules, and life support. Power draw is done currently through secondary energy reserves, but these will be sufficient for heavy-duty operation for up to thirty standard days."

    "What about the weapon systems?"

    "Ah, there''s a moderate-high issue in that department. All offensive and defensive modules are down. Using virtual diagnostics alone, I can restore functionality to some of the onboard weapons, which includes one of the three spinal mounts, a forward-starside section of the main batteries, and an aft-portside section of the same-class system."

    "These will be impossible to aim at human-sized Revenant," Lylana frowned. "Won''t be much good even against larger targets, if we''re going to be at knife-fight range. Aren''t there any smaller weapon arrays which can be brought online?"

    More screens lit up around the bridge, scrolling with data. "There are, Stellana Darkovitz. I estimate 30.6% of the available point-defense weaponry ¨C all of which is veronite-enhanced ¨C to be in diagnostics-restorable condition."

    "Facing the Revenant with a whole voiddamn dreadnought at our side," Tehalix said with approval. "Even if it''s a busted one, I like the odds a lot more."

    "Not only that," Airo added. "There are still-functional laserships in some of the hangars, which will add to our overall firepower. Combining them with the dragons among us shall provide a large enough squadron to form an escort or a skirmish picket for Ouroboros."

    The gathered host rumbled in agreement at this information. "Hey, we might get alive from this after all!" one of the surviving soldiers called out.

    "Aren''t you all forgetting something?" Glosserax rawr¨Ced, spreading his wings anxiously. "What are we going to do about Mentoria? If Ferrtau can control her and she''s a Primordial dragon now..." The blue-and-cream dragon trailed off. "You saw what she did!"

    "Well, I''ve no idea what we can do about her," Samantha said.

    "Nobody here has," another Radiant Knight added. "Unless somehow Commander Airo or Master Dei could work around that..."

    Everyone on the bridge turned their gazes at them. Airo traded glances with Magus.

    He considered the problem from a purely theoretical standpoint. On the absolute scale, Mentoria wasn''t invulnerable. Yet physically she was faster, stronger, and more powerful than anyone else in the entire galaxy, and possessed the skill and mental power to use her advantages to their fullest potential. How could such an opponent be defeated? Conventional or ordinary means wouldn''t work. One needed to apply methods which transcended known boundaries. Yet such stratagems had to be contained within the realm of availability and feasibility of one''s resources...

    "Airo?" Veralla asked uncertainly.

    "Is the H''raal sphereship still functional?" he spoke at last.

    "Yes, sir, barring the damage it has sustained previously," Lylana replied.

    Airo turned to Magus. "What will happen if Terra Para experiences a planetary-destroying impact at ground level?"

    The old Knight knit his brows. "The manifold would probably absorb it in full," he said. "As long as no ruinous damage is wrought from beyond orbit, a paraworld is completely immune to cosmic-scale harm in theory. In practice, large swaths of the manifold will become fragmented, utterly barren landscapes, or worse."

    "Can the Shard survive such an event?"

    "Possibly," Magus said, putting a hand to his chin. "However, I cannot provide certitude on the subject. The Shard is incredibly enigmatic and many of its aspects remain secret. But if ground zero is not directly aimed at it, it should endure."

    "Good enough for me," Airo nodded, and turned back to Lylana and Glawlrhain. "Can any of you manage to pilot a H''raal capital vessel?"

    "Not by default, but we can discern their function promptly enough," Glawlrhain affirmed with a bob of his head, snout-tendrils waving.

    "Yo, Fearless Leader," Kiana cut in. "What''s with these red-shift nebulae questions all of a sudden? We need to figure out how to defeat Mentoria so we can defeat Ferrtau so we can save the world, not go all academical from brain-stress."

    "We can drop a starship on her," Airo said, his voice thoughtful.

    "Say what!?" Kiana balked. Her reaction was echoed among the rest of the bridge, as everyone gasped and rawr¨Ced in surprise.

    "You mean to crash the H''raal sphereship into Mentoria?!" Lung asked.

    "Could it work?" Zephyr wondered out loud.

    "Unless a Primordial dragon is immune to the forces of a miniature supernova, then I reckon yes," Zeromon said, breathless.

    "She can be, if she raises her defenses in time," Magus noted.

    "That''s the problem with this plan," Tehalix said. "Mentoria will probably just timeshift and then evade or deflect any attack, no matter how awesome it is."

    "Which is why surprise and speed are key," Airo said. "We only have one shot at this, so the sphereship has to be accelerated to the maximum physically possible velocity, to become impossible to spot before the very instant it crashes. To do that, we need to achieve lightspeed."

    His words again stunned the crowd.

    "Who-hoa!" Zuckeroff blurted. "Lightspeed? As in out-of-SUHN-space lightspeed? Don''t things kinda go weird once you start to catch up with sun rays?"

    "Even way earlier, gamebrain," Kiana agreed, her expression skeptical. "Get above sixty percent c, and Koko is no more in Tansas."

    "I am not asking if it can be done," Airo said. "I know the theory. I am asking if it can be done without side effects."

    "Yes, it is possible with the right invocations of the ?ther," Glawlrhain said, trading looks with Lylana. "However, to accelerate so fast would require a tremendous launching distance. And even with H''raal technology, it can take weeks, or even months, to actually reach the speed itself."

    "Course computation and correction?" Lylana added to the list of troubles.

    "Cloud can handle those," Airo said. "It is already familiar with H''raal software architecture. Time remains the bottleneck." He turned to Magus. "Can you solve that problem, old man?"

    "It will tax me heavily to alter the timeflow for an entire starship and those aboard for such an extended period. Yet I can do it," the old Knight replied. He seemed grim about something. "Speaking of time, we can still fail because of it. Ferrtau may very well start Singularity before we even reach the Shard to do battle, if he has not done so already." Magus'' grave tone silenced everyone momentarily.

    "Be that as it may," Airo spoke amid the hushed bridge, "such an occurrence is beyond our control. We can only pray the Great Cosmos shall give us a window of opportunity wide enough to do our part. Which is why we should not waste more time," he added, raising his voice. "Is there anything left of significance to require deliberation?"

    "Two things, actually," Kiana said, raising V-shaped fingers.

    "List," Airo snapped.

    "First, what happens to the crew which will pilot the H''raal sphereship? They die as heroes, or can we actually do something to try-catch their fate? For that matter, what about the rest of us? If we''re in the vicinity of Mentoria when the ban hammer drops, we''d all turn into photons."

    Airo rubbed his forehead. It was a really obvious oversight. He looked at Magus. "Contribute."

    The old Knight''s mouth corner quirked. "If I attune to your respective auras, I suppose I can shift all of us briefly into SUHN-space upon the exact moment of annihilation, and then return you safely within our ontological plane of origin." Magus sighed. "Doing so would probably kill me, in quite direct terms, especially if the complications from a paraworld''s turbulent manifold are factored in. Yet one certain casualty is naturally preferable to complete failure in the task at hand." He smiled wryly.

    "Sir..." Lylana began, the other Radiant Knights murmuring alongside her.

    "It is okay," Magus stopped them with a raised hand. "The Way ends sooner or later for everyone. And then begins anew, elsewhere. The Fire Eternal burns forever."

    "Yes, master," Lylana said, lowering her gaze, her long raven-black hair shadowing her face.

    "Issue Number Two," Kiana reminded. "Let''s say this Point Zero-levels of unhinged plan actually works. Who''s gonna kite Mentoria long enough and lure her into the blast zone in the first place?"

    "Does it matter?" Stamat asked with a mild shrug. "I mean, obviously it''ll be¨C"

    "You didn''t get the point," Kiana snapped. "What''s stopping Mentoria from instantly killing ¨C correction, erasing from reality ¨C anyone who goes after her, the way she did with Airo?"

    "Oh."

    Another glaring oversight. Airo set his jaw. There probably was a workaround for this one, but time was of the essence. They''d have to figure this one out en route. If...

    "So, we need then someone who can alter reality too, right?" Zuckeroff mumbled, scratching his head. "Ah, I mean, if you can control reality, that means you can''t be controlled by someone who controls it also. Or something like that?"

    "Ugh, gamebrain," Kiana facepalmed. "Even if your ramblings are true, where..." she stopped, startled by a realization.

    "Veralla!" Nightsong chirped brightly, like she figured out the answer to a game.

    All survivors focused their attention on the one person who could possibly face Mentoria. Airo met Veralla''s gaze. She looked at him anxiously, her amethyst eyes wide and uncertain, yet there was also determination within them. He placed his gauntleted hands on her scaled shoulders, ache rising in his gut.

    "I will do it," she said, tears welling in her eyes, but she did not blink. "I will hold Mentoria long enough and far away enough... so she can be stopped."

    "Veralla..." Airo said, his voice choked.

    "No, it is all right. I... I do not wish for anyone to die, yet if it means many others will live¨C"

    "No, Veralla, I..."

    "She needs not to die," Magus cut in.

    Airo flinched and stared at the old Knight, his mind and the knot in his abdomen both suspended in fervent anticipation.

    "If she is a Primordial, she can defend herself against Mentoria," Magus continued more quietly. "They are on par with one another."

    "On par!?" Airo burst out. "How can a kid compare to an esoteric master who has lived for as long as you!? What can possibly even the scales?"

    "Knowledge," Magus answered. "One I can impart."

    "We are kind of pressed for time, old man," Airo retorted, annoyance mixing into his voice.

    "Instant knowledge," the old Knight amended in a severe tone. "The ?ther can make everything one can imagine become reality. Including educating someone in zero time. Such a process, however, has downsides when done on such an extraordinarily short notice." Without waiting, Magus approached Veralla, reaching out to her.

    "Wait!" Airo called. "Is... will this hurt her?"

    Magus faced him with a firm expression. "You will have to accept the risks, Airo Blueborn, otherwise there will not be any future choices for you to make."

    Airo gritted his teeth, summoning all of his willpower attained over years of endured hardships, and nodded once. Magus mirrored his gesture, and turned back to Veralla.

    "I need your permission, child," he said softly. "Do you allow me to do as I deem fit for this very occasion?"

    Veralla growled at the back of her throat, the sound almost inaudible. "I do," she said, stepping lightly aside to disengage from Airo''s touch. "I am ready."

    "It will take but a moment," Magus said and placed a hand atop her head.

    They both closed their eyes and then the dark magenta claw-stripes on Veralla''s scales glowed softly. She growled again, a low, tense sound, and shuddered slightly. A second later Magus removed his hand, opening his eyes.

    "Done," he said.

    Airo moved closer, gently cupping Veralla''s head in his hands. She blinked and her webbed ears fluttered.

    "Are you all right?" he asked.

    "Y-yes, I think so," she replied with mild confusion, flapping her wings. She looked at Magus. "But I do not¨C"

    "Your mind and body shall know what to do on their own," the old Knight explained. "It was the fastest way to give you the abilities you will need. Now, if Mentoria tries to use the ?ther against you to warp your very being, you will respond instinctively with the right counteraction. To avoid long-term issues, I have made it so these artificial reflexes shall dissolve within three days. Any form of mundane assault you must defend from on your own."

    "I will do my best," Veralla nodded. Airo caressed her snout and she nuzzled him in turn.

    "And now I guess we march to our death," Kiana sighed.

    "I think not," Airo said firmly, letting go of Veralla. He stepped on the CIC podium and scanned the bridge. "Everyone, listen me well."

    The gathered host stirred with a quiet murmur and moved closer, all gazes drawn to him in questioning anticipation.

    "A battle plan is now formulated," Airo said. "The details will be refined once we are on our way. But that is not the important part. As almost all of you know, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

    "What is important is that we all go in this together, united in thought and purpose. Whether we live or not, our destiny from this point onward is shared, because we set out to do the right thing. We are making a conscious choice and thus we are not burdened by doubt. We go in this with bravery guiding our actions, with purity kindling our spirits, and with love liberating our hearts."

    "We are the last survivors of a hellish war," Airo continued, raising his voice. "We are beaten, terrified, and bereaved. We are outmatched and broken. And yet we are the last hope for the future of the whole galaxy ¨C and beyond!

    "So we go forth and cast ourselves into this hopeless battle in the name of everyone and everything! We sacrifice ourselves, because we believe in the choice we have made. We believe in ourselves, because we have chosen love ¨C love for our fellow brothers and sisters, love for the Great Cosmos, and love for our very selves. We love, and we love our choice, because there is no greater force and no fairer truth than Love itself.

    "I spoke of enemies. We have no enemies. I spoke of battle. There will be no battle. We go forth free from hate, free from fear, free from death. Our mission is to save all existence. Our duty is to bring light to those who need it. Our vision is to transcend all limits and walk the Celestial Way. We hope to succeed in triumph, yet we accept destiny no matter our fate. We go forth as One, blessed with the everlasting flame of the Fire Eternal.

    "People," Airo shouted, "no matter your devotion, no matter your past, no matter your ideals, in this very moment we all are Knights hallowed in Radiance!"

    He summoned the¨C no, his starblade, holding it high in a brilliant halo of light, and the crowd let out a roaring cheer.

    "May the stars always shine upon our souls."

 Chapter 25.2 - The Way of Love

    Shortly afterward Magus, Lylana, Glawlrhain, and Stamat departed for the H''raal sphereship to timeshift it and then accelerate it to lightspeed on collision course with Terra Para. Nobody who remained on Ouroboros had prior experience with operating a dreadnought, yet between Kiana, Zuckeroff, Bernard, Zeromon, and a few other Radiant Knights who had participated in astral missions before, there was enough shared knowledge on board to make-do under the circumstances, especially with assistance from Yeoman Cloud.

    Within minutes after Airo''s rousing speech, Ouroboros fired its main drives and headed at full speed toward Terra Para. However, even with maximum acceleration and ?ther assistance, the journey would last several hours. Onboard maintenance drones were dispatched to clear the dead from needed critical sections and people were assigned into two groups ¨C those who''d remain aboard as crew and those who''d be in the escort squadron.

    With those tasks done, there was nothing else to do but wait for time to pass.

    Airo and Veralla were together amidst a cluster of communication stations on one of the bridge''s elevated platforms, where they could have some privacy. He was still dismayed at the string of recent events. Mere days ago everything seemed all right ¨C the war, the future, his own life. And then the world had come crashing down in every way imaginable. Victory was replaced with sheer defeat. A powerful ally had turned into a terrifying enemy. Millions had died, their souls defiled and gone.

    He himself had been dead. Worse, he had been erased from reality. He shuddered at the thought. Under any other circumstances, he''d never believe that fact, or would''ve been paralyzed with existential fear whether his resurrection was true or he was in some illusory afterlife. Yet as miraculously as it sounds, he not only had died, but he had been returned to life by Veralla. Only because it had been her who saved him he believed it happened, and found at the same time enough strength to overcome the dread arising from such a harrowing nightmare.

    He turned, seeking her eyes, and she craned her neck, meeting his gaze. He sat on the edge of a rounded floor casing, and she sat on her haunches next to him, her wing wrapped around his shoulders. He smiled and she returned the gesture with a happy hrrr. They both looked at the bridge at large.

    Zuckeroff was in the process of boasting his academical knowledge of astral combat, while both Kiana and Cloud corrected him at every other sentence. Kiana had quickly gotten the hang of Ouroboros'' systems and when she wasn''t busy caring for Nightsong she was giving a multitude of orders to make the others familiar with their stations. It looked amusing, having a slender girl standing at the command helm of a titanic starship, bossing around heavily armored soldiers, futuristic career heroes, and dragons.

    "Kiana better not get used to the idea of being in command," Airo remarked in a pensive tone. "Otherwise the rest of us will never hear the end of it."

    "I think she is doing fine," Veralla objected lightly.

    "Well, she is," he agreed. "I was just joking."

    "Oh."

    In truth, she would make a fine starship captain, he added privately to himself, watching as Kiana grew more and more confident with each instruction. Merely a couple of hours had passed and already she looked like someone who had done this for years. It was possible her performance was just a byproduct from the hyperfocus of a life-or-death situation, yet it was impressive nonetheless.

    Oh, yes, I think the same, too!

    "What!?" Airo nearly jumped. "How did you do that?"

    "Do what?" Veralla asked with mild alarm.

    "There was this... warm wave... and then I felt you... speaking in my mind!"

    "Oh," she said, inclining her snout in apology. "Should I have not done so? I thought you simply wanted to change to non-verbal talking."

    "No harm done," he said, petting her twin crests. "I was just... I had no idea you could communicate telepathically, let alone hear my thoughts."

    "Oh, this is new for me too," she said, swishing her tail. "I started to sense what you are thinking only an hour ago or so. I was very happy and wanted to tell you something too, but your thoughts were a little confusing and absorbed, like you were speaking to yourself. So when you made this clear remark about Kiana, I thought you wanted, well, for us to talk this way."

    Airo was surprised, and even a bit overwhelmed. He had heard before at the Starspire Academy, in his previous life, theories how people''s mental processes often were like a broadcast to those who could perceive them. He had trained himself to be able to think ''quietly'', yet he had done so mostly out of discipline, not because he ever expected such a skill to be useful.

    "This is truly fantastic," he said to Veralla. "And you say it happened to you so recently?"

    "Yes," she said. "Why, is it something wrong?"

    "No, no, I am just surprised. Can you sense the thoughts of others?"

    "I am not sure," she hrrr¨Ced. "I guess I can probably do so if I channel the ?ther, but I can sense you so easily, as if we are in the same place at once! Oh, Glawlrhain told me about this ¨C it is called ''mindlink''! It happens when soulkin become very, very close to each other."

    "I see," he replied. Mindlink... a phenomenon whose prerequisite was genuine intimacy between individuals? Like Ferrtau and Kalessia... so in the end they hadn''t flaunted their arcane prowess as mere display of power to fashion a more profound way of communication. They had been speaking mind-to-mind because they already had had deep feelings for each other. How was such a supernatural trait facilitated? Still... was the answer important right now?

    As he reflected upon this revelation, Airo employed long-learned techniques to shield his thoughts from interception. He looked at Veralla and decided to test his half-forgotten skill. "Do you sense what I am thinking about now?"

    She snaked her neck this and that way, her concentrated expression almost comical in its sincerity. "I can sense you are thinking and feeling in general, but not what in particular," she said. Her frown suddenly melted into a smile. "Oh, can you try sensing my thoughts?"

    Airo blinked. "Well, I..."

    "Come on!" she urged. "Please, please, please! I am going to keep them as clear as I can!"

    "All right," he said. "Let me focus."

    He closed his eyes and calmed his mind. Almost immediately, he felt another presence. It was simultaneously away and within; free in its own manner, yet close like a warm embrace. He reached out gently and touched this presence. Instantly, he recognized Veralla.

    She responded to his mental touch, her thoughts flowing in a swirl of tender resonance, carrying kindness and joy. Hers were pure feelings, notions beyond any words, flights of brilliant light more vivid than any image, lucidity perceived straight by the soul. It was beauty given form. Airo was perfectly aware what he sensed.

    Love.

    He opened his eyes and reached out, cupping her snout softly. "Thank you, Veralla."

    She hrrr¨Ced at his touch, rubbing her cheek against his palm. "But I have not formed my thoughts yet!"

    "What I sense is enough to make my spirit soar. So I thank you again."

    "Oh, okay," she said, her voice a little uncertain, yet she swelled with happiness. He could feel it through the mindlink.

    "I am glad I am your soulkin, Veralla" he said, making sure his feelings resonated in his mind as brightly as possible.

    "I am glad I am yours too, Airo" she said, smiling in her fierce draconic way. Her eyes lowered. "Although I wonder... can we be truly soulkin without being Radiant Knights?"

    "Of course we can," he said confidently, frowning at her sudden worry. "Nothing, neither no one, says we must be part of the Order to have affection for each other ¨C especially when we have reached a point where our mutual fondness gives us extraordinary traits like the mindlink."

    "I know, I just... Kiana and Nightsong became Knights first, and then they declared each other soulkin..."

    "That is what bothers you?" Airo chuckled. "My dear, we can become Radiant Knights right this instant if you so desire, even though I already proclaimed everyone aboard as such regardless."

    "We can?" Veralla perked up, full of hope. "But we have to take the Pure Vow and there is no one to guide us through the rite of initiation."

    Airo smirked. "You forget I am still the leader of the Order. We need no one." He quirked an eyebrow. "Do you want us to?"

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "Yes!" she said eagerly. "Let us both become Radiant Knights now, Airo! I am ready!"

    He began without pause, leaving his mind wide open. "No matter darkness, I am light."

    And she continued, her voice and thoughts in perfect harmony with his. "No matter fear, I am love."

    "No matter death, I am transcendent."

    "Even in failure, I accept the beauty of All."

    "Even in defeat, I prevail in my soul."

    "Even in despair, I walk fully aware the Celestial Way."

    "I am an exemplar to all who seek the light of the Great Cosmos."

    "I am a beacon to all who yearn the embrace of the Fire Eternal."

    "I am the shining star, the guiding light, the undying champion."

    "I am a Knight hallowed in Radiance," they both sang out. "And I vow to bestow my flame, my heart, and my soul to any and all."

    They finished the Vow, their eyes locked together in a loving gaze.

    "There," he said. "We are now official Radiant Knights."

    "Oh, Airo, I am so very happy!" she rawr¨Ced, her purple eyes bright. "And now we can also be soulkin, too!"

    "Yep, even though I told you before we can be soulkin no matter what," he said warmly.

    Veralla rawr¨Ced again, looking around the starship''s bridge as if she wanted to embrace the whole world with her beaming spirit. Abruptly her wings drooped. "I am very glad, Airo" she said quietly. "It makes me infinitely happy we became Radiant Knights and that we are soulkin, and that our hearts and minds soar with each other. If only... we could enjoy ourselves... a little longer..."

    "I feel the same way," he said, and leaned to hug her. She returned the gesture and they sat so for a minute, basking in their shared presence. Then he gently broke the contact and smiled. "Since both of us will face the risk of death soon, I might as well give you this now."

    He took out his virtualizer and rematerialized one of the device''s stored items. It was a large, translucent bracelet, its structure criss-crossed by a matrix of intricate, amber-colored crystals. Airo took the bracelet and fastened it to Veralla''s foreclaw.

    "This is an aethertech gridcaster," he said. "Its outer layer is made from damage-resistant polymer and has additional length to allow for adjustment as you grow."

    "Oh, Airo, this is so nice!" Veralla squeed. She rotated her foreclaw, looking at the gridcaster from different angles, her drawn-out hrrr mirroring the excitement in her mind. "Thank you so much!"

    "I wanted to make you a present, so I asked Bernard and Zeromon to craft it," he said, happy at her reaction. "They say it is among the most advanced designs currently in the galaxy. I was going to give it to you after the war, yet now when there may be no after... I thought this was the next best opportunity."

    "Thank you again, Airo!" Veralla exclaimed. "I will keep this forever." She clutched the gridcaster, admiring it for a while. Then she lifted her head "Now," she said, her webbed ears twitching, and he felt a strange hesitation in her mind, "I want to give you a present, too."

    "Oh," he said, taken aback pleasantly. "What kind of present?"

    "A kiss," she said, her voice shy.

    "A kiss?" he asked, amused. His smile widened. "Sure, go ahead. Although I do not know how a human and a dragon would... you know, do such a thing."

    In response, her large serpentine tongue licked him across the face.

    "Okay... that also works."

    "Was it a good kiss?" she asked anxiously.

    "It is difficult for me to decide," he replied mildly. "This is the very first time I receive a kiss from a dragon. I have no previous experience to¨C"

    Veralla licked him again, dazing him into silence.

    "What about now? Was the first kiss good?" she asked.

    "You... you kissed me again only so you can ask the same question?" Airo balked.

    She showed her teeth in a devious smile, her slit-pupiled eyes sparkling. "I will continue to kiss you until you have enough experience to answer me."

    "We have been mindlinked soulkin for less than two hours and already your dragon nature pushes for dominance," Airo groaned. "Not fair."

    "I think it is fun," Veralla hrrr¨Ced.

    They both laughed, but then became grim again. Ouroboros was blazing toward Terra Para, where the fate of everything would be decided in a few hours. What had happened and what was about to come weighed heavily in the atmosphere, dampening their spirits.

    Yet even then their love sang, keeping their resolve and their hopes strong against the sheer odds. Airo felt a strength inside him that made him able to endure everything, to accomplish anything, to stop at nothing no matter what, if it meant he would be with Veralla.

    He had felt such a strength once before. And... by all reckoning it should have been his last. Not merely because of his deadened heart; he had died in truth, before the realization that he still carried the holiest of flames in his soul. He had experienced this moment of the absolute, and nevertheless was here again within the mortal realm.

    All of it thanks to her.

    "I guess you have saved my life twice now," Airo said quietly, his thoughts suddenly roiling. "I... do not know what to say. I can never thank you enough for your selflessness, especially when you have given it to me knowing what kind of a person I¨C"

    "You have saved my life two times also," Veralla interrupted him softly. "And you are my soulkin now. Whoever you have been in the past, that is over. Now is what matters from here on."

    "Two times?" he echoed. He was infinitely glad for her words, and made sure she knew by letting out his thoughts flow outward, and sensed her reassuring response.

    "Yes," she flapped her wings. "Once, when you accepted me still unhatched from my dying mother," she said, her voice betraying the faintest tremble, "and once, when you protected me from Ferrtau at Dragon Retreat."

    He nodded, humbled by her words. Indeed, even in his darkest moments, he always had carried the light within. Regardless how far he had strayed, the Way had always been there for him, always available, always ready to forgive and to redeem.

    He remembered that night at the secluded town amidst the frozen wasteland, where he had first met Ferrtau after seven centuries of separation. He remembered his former friend''s pleading eyes and his strangled voice. He remembered how Ferrtau had begged him to take Veralla. With the impenetrable curtain of revenge gone now, Airo re-evaluated the whole encounter and realized how wrong he had been.

    "I protected you, yes," he agreed. "But Ferrtau never intended to hurt you. He merely wanted to assure himself of your existence and to have you remind him of his soulkin. Perhaps, if I had never come between you and Ferrtau, none of this would have happened. None of us would be in the situation where we are now, even Ferrtau himself."

    "Maybe this is true," she said hesitantly, and he felt a wave of regret and sorrow in her mind. "Yet even so, I still did not want to go with Ferrtau, because he was very terrible, and that scared me. I was small and scared, and there was no one to help and guide me.

    "So when you protected me, Airo, you gave me the assurance that I was not alone in this world. That there was someone who would help me, and guide me, and keep me company."

    "Veralla..."

    "Please hold me, Airo."

    He did so, taking her in a tight hug. He fought the sudden tears which threatened to blur his vision, yet through the mindlink he sensed she had let hers flow freely, and followed her example. Their thoughts and feelings merged, mutual, matched, intense. Their passionately tender communion brought their spirits closer than ever, leaving no gaps, no secrets, no fear ¨C only light, everywhere.

    Except one place.

    Airo gasped softly, startled by the memory. It was time for his last, final wound to heal and go away. He carefully pushed himself apart.

    "Veralla, there is something I must tell you."

    "Anything," she said instantly, lifting her glistening eyes. "You can tell me anything, Airo."

    He sighed. "You once asked me why I was so sad. These were the very first words you spoke after you hatched. These were the first words we exchanged when we met. You then asked me a lot of other questions." He struggled to continue despite the lump in his throat. "I think it is only right that I finally answer your questions. I think it is time for you to know fully who I am. This is my story, Veralla. This is how I came to be who I am."

    And then he told her everything. At first he stumbled over his words, unsure from where to begin and what to explain first. He told her how he became a warrior; how he yearned to accomplish great things and how he met the love of his life. He recounted his perilous journey to the stars, and the distant place where they took him. He described his first encounter with a living dragon, and brought forth memories of the Red Colony Campaign ¨C a war in which hundreds of thousands had died, the casualties terrible on both sides. He recounted his military career, from his humble beginning as a fresh cadet to his apogee as a division commander. He told her about his greatest invention, veronite, and how he created it, sparing no ugly detail. Gradually, his tale unfolded, his voice becoming stronger and more confident, old pain unburdening his heart with every spoken word.

    For her part, Veralla listened, for once not asking a single question. She sat still, her purple eyes alert, her webbed ears spread fully, her whole attention focused entirely on what he said.

    So he went on, adding detail and context to places and events, sometimes repeating himself to reveal new aspects of his life. He described the green, magical plains of Arceria, where it all had begun. He talked at length about the wonders of the Starspire Academy and the legendary reputation of its Magisters. He remembered the night of the Great Equalizing and the arrival of the Transhuman Order on his homeworld. He portrayed the brutal, savage landscapes on Utopia Draconis, every day there a battle for survival, and he reflected on how that world had been different than his.

    He spoke of all the people he had met: from those he had encountered on his travels from the outer provinces to the Academy, through those he had interacted with during his training and graduation, to those who had died before his eyes and in his arms.

    Most importantly, he spoke about Zenassa and Ferrtau, and how the three of them had become friends, and then how rivalry had risen between him and Ferrtau, because it had turned out they both loved Zenassa. But in the end, she had chosen Airo.

    And finally, rising to his feet from sheer emotion, he told the story of the love he and Zenassa had shared: from the moment when their eyes had first met, to the last, tragic second when their gazes had separated forever, he recounted their life in full, each sentence wracking him with emotion. Their first kiss. Their first night together. Their wedding ceremony. Their mutual worry and relief during the long, final years on Utopia Draconis.

    And then Zenassa had died.

    Airo had been left alone.

    He spoke of his tortured struggle afterward, yet he didn''t dwell too much on that period of semi-existence. He recounted it for the sake of completeness and moved on, for that was not the point. But the point had already been made, and thus this brought an end to his tale, and an end to his pain.

    He was free.

    "Zenassa," Airo breathed, as he drew to a close. "I will never forget her. She was the greatest thing to happen in my previous life, and I always loved her with all my mind, heart, and soul."

    "You loved her very deeply," Veralla murmured.

    Airo turned. "Yes, I did," he said with a sad smile.

    "Do you love her still?"

    He paused, rocked at the openness of her tone. There was also a frailness to it, which made him afraid to answer. Yet he couldn''t force himself to say to Veralla anything but the truth. "Yes. Yes, I still love Zenassa. Not in the same way as when she was alive, yet I carry her in my memory, and will always think fondly of her and of the time we have spent together."

    Veralla sat on her haunches, her wings and tail limp, suddenly looking small and vulnerable. She lifted her snout and looked at Airo, her amethyst eyes deep and intent.

    "Will you love me as you did Zenassa?" she asked in a very small voice.

    Airo held his breath. Moments passed, suspended in eternity. Never in his life he had heard a more profound question.

    And never he had felt more certain of the answer.

    "Yes, I will," he said. "I will love you now and forever."

    Happiness and joy swelled in her mind, overflowing in her every fibre, and her claw-like stripes glowed warmly. He made a step forward and she rose, both of them meeting halfway in a heartfelt embrace.

    "I love you, Airo."

    "And I love you, Veralla."

 Chapter 26 - The Celestial Way

    CHAPTER 26 ¨C THE CELESTIAL WAY

    "The journey will never end, yet we will always return home."

    ¨C Leikanto Planeo, "Stars Beyond Reach"

    The Shard, Terra Para, at the heart of the Reality Vortex

    "WARNING! LOSS OF REALITY ELEVATION IMMINENT!" Yeoman Cloud boomed over the commlink.

    Ouroboros tore through the cosmic void, going at nearly twenty percent lightspeed. The titanic dreadnought cleaved into Terra Para, plunging within a mere instant into its grey-white expanses.

    "Dump velocity NOW!" Kiana screamed.

    Ouroboros fired its mega-charged inertial nullifiers, assisted by dozens of ?ther-channeling Radiant Knights. In the span of a second, the starship lost nine-point-nine tenths of its forward momentum, decelerating explosively sixty kilometers above sea level. The dreadnought shook from the hypersonic boom of its own atmospheric re-entry as its terminal dive continued, its golden hull passing a mere klick apart from the violet-white gigablazar of the Reality Vortex. Twenty kilometers below, past the ultra energy jet, the Shard''s crystalline bulk lay besieged by a maelstrom of warpstorms.

    Airo and Veralla stood ready in one of the forward assault hangars. Red lights flared everywhere, a barring signal raking their stiffened nerves. The hull variformed away, revealing the hellish landscape in naked truth, unshielded by AR screen filters. Sensors could detect no hostiles, battered by the intense full-spectrum interference.

    Then, a swarm of luminous shapes poured out of thin air right in the dreadnought''s path and proximity alarms blared as over a hundred draconic Revenant charged skyward.

    "Contact! Hostiles straight ahead!" Yeoman Cloud reported."Bearing 0-0-0, numbers high, advise immediate action! Rerouting additional shields power!"

    "Battlestations! Everyone, battlestations!" Kiana shouted across the commlink. "Strike teams, deploy now! Repeat, full deployment!"

    "Puskam Srbsko!" Yeoman Cloud added with egregious enthusiasm.

    The commlink exploded with chatter and adrenaline-pounding, turbofolk soundtrack. Ouroboros fired its forward point defense cannons, blasting a barrage of veronite energy lances at the oncoming swarm of Revenant. The draconic apparitions scattered and the dreadnought tilted, maneuvering into combat position.

    A second later the whole world was rocked by a supernatural, bone-rattling roar and an enormous black shape emerged from the storm-shrouded ridges of the Shard, swiftly ascending toward Ouroboros.

    "Red alert! Red alert! Alpha Target in sight! Alpha Target in sight!"

    "Deploying Spark One!"

    Veralla dashed forth toward the launch bay''s containment forcefield as the hangar lights all turned blindingly green.

    "GO, GO, GO!"

    Take care!, Airo thoughtcast hastily, his mind rigid from tension.

    You too!, she cast back, her own hearts racing. She spread her wings, the heavy jetpack strapped between them roaring to life, and with a leap disappeared into the pandemonium outside.

    The lights turned red, hundreds of reflective surfaces radiating in forbidding glare.

    "Spark One is away! Spark One is away! Preparing deployment of Spark Two!"

    "Countdown initiated!"

    Airo''s heads-up display filled with giant oversaturated digits, adding another obvious mark for his hyperalert psyche to follow.

    10...

    9...

    8...

    He stared at the numbers, each second taking an eternity to pass.

    7...

    6...

    5...

    In that eternity, he cleared his mind of all distractions, leaving only tranquil emptiness.

    3...

    2...

    1...

    The lights again turned green.

    "Deploying Spark Two!"

    Airo rushed three steps forward, passing through the cyan forcefield, and left Ouroboros.

    The warpstorm megafront hit him with brutal tenacity and deafening thunder drowned out his hearing even through the armor''s insulation. He felt a powerful thrust when the armor''s own propulsion system kicked in, carrying him forward. The superstorm buffeted him, its gusts jarring beyond physicality, dislocating all levels of his being in different microfractal directions. High-pitched whine pierced his skull, the heads-up display lighting up in amber frenzy.

    Reality elevation 5%!

    Reality elevation -90%!

    Reality elevation -285%!

    Airo pushed his will, summoning his starblade, and the overwhelming entropy subsided. He looked around, taking a read on the situation. The horizon was nowhere to be seen and neither land nor sky nor perspective were discernible, all devoured by sheer non-existence. Somewhere above, Ouroboros and the Radiant Knights clashed against the Revenant, their fate reduced to an ocean of fuzzy telemetric AR data. Deeper in the superstorm, Veralla did battle with Mentoria, her mind an incandescent beacon in the primeval chaos.

    And far underneath was the monolithic, immovable presence of the Shard.

    Airo peered at his destination. Down below, the Shard was shrouded in darkness, barely recognizable from when he had last seen it. The superstorm had all but buried the Shard and its cobalt surface was no longer enveloped in the protective golden haze of the Shield. The Reality Vortex had grown to staggering proportions, its raging singularity a mountain of its own, the secondary nucleus of plasma and lightning now a monstrous chimera of viridian tentacles, lashing in hyper-forked fractal arcs, forming a lattice of instant disintegration. Blasting outward from this nightmare was the planetary-scale energy beam, its lurid light casting the only illumination in this decaying locality.

    Airo rushed parallel to the titanic energy beam at full throttle and headed toward the Shard''s summit, knowing Ferrtau was somewhere down there, in the heart of the storm.

    ***

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Veralla had never felt more scared in her brief life. Ever since she returned Airo to life by her will alone something happened, and now her senses were drowned with constant, near-infinite input. She was seeing myriad waves of complex images and was hearing whole symphonies of discordant resonances. Her scales were tingling from the ceaseless touch of pure reality and she could smell a legion of exotic substances, not all of them material. She felt completely overwhelmed by these new experiences and only Airo''s presence gave her any semblance of stability, preventing her from going mad from the exposure. She clung dearly to the calming stream of his mindlinked thoughts, anchored against this vast, frightening tide by the light of his love.

    But Airo was not here now, and she was alone in the terrifying warpstorm. She could still feel him somewhere away, his bright resolve like a beacon in the utter darkness. She drew strength from that, bolstering her own will to carry out her task.

    She raced past the huge forms of the oncoming Revenant, dashing and veering to evade their lancing energies or flashing claws. None of the apparitions gave chase after her, all of them busy battering Ouroboros with volleys at range, and the dreadnought replied in kind, spitting its own devastating barrages. Radiant Knights formed a protective ring around Ouroboros, harrying the Revenant or trying to press them between the phalanx and the dreadnought''s weapon arrays.

    Veralla left the furious battle behind her. Ahead, the great shape of Mentoria dominated the stormy darkness, her own void-black body perceivable only thanks to Veralla''s overloaded senses. Mentoria approached like a falling meteor, coming straight at her. Veralla braced for the imminent clash, preparing to dodge aside, ready to defend herself however she could.

    Within a wingbeat Mentoria reached her ¨C and rushed onward without pause, continuing toward Ouroboros.

    Veralla froze in panic. She had to catch Mentoria''s attention, otherwise everything was lost. She had a single moment to make a decision. In blind desperation she lunged forward, jetpack at maximum thrust, and raked her claw against Mentoria''s enormous tail, just as its tip snaked right past her.

    The colossal dragon stopped mid-air with a violent roar. She turned and two giant silver eyes, full of blazing fury, stared through the raging warpstorm right at Veralla.

    ***

    As Airo descended closer to the Reality Vortex the world became ominously calm, the crash and thunder of the warpstorm falling behind. Even the light from the energy beam faded, and only the starblade in his hand gave off any illumination. Sheer, absolute nothingness lay ahead. Airo began to doubt his navigation, when the azure outline of the Shard''s summit finally emerged amid the shrouding singularity.

    Distances were impossible to gauge at this point. The Shard was a mass of crystalline surface below. To one side was the impenetrable, broken darkness of the super warpstorm. To the other was the boundary of the Reality Vortex itself, a wall so empty it unraveled the mind just observing it. And standing between these two cosmic forces, dressed in his old Knight armor, was Tungust Ferrtau.

    Airo adjusted his trajectory, moving by the power of his starblade, his power armor and all electronics long since non-functional. He made a somersault and landed right before Ferrtau on one knee.

    "I should have known you would make one last attempt," Ferrtau noted solemnly, turning partly to Airo. He was holding his arms high and his hands blazed like miniature suns. "It is entirely in your style, and the Radiant Knights probably have not been difficult to persuade to make such a pointless sacrifice."

    Airo rose quickly and took a sidestep, turning his back to the wall of emptiness to avoid looking at it. He lifted his starblade, staring at his former friend with determination. "Nothing is ever pointless," he said, shunting his helmet. "It is the act that defines the person, not the end result. However, this time I also intend to define the result."

    Ferrtau extinguished the lights he held and lowered his arms. "Brave words, Airo." In the warpstorm his blonde hair look like gleaming metal and his green eyes mirrored the maddening abyss of the Reality Vortex. "How will you back them up?"

    "I will try with reason and kindness first," Airo called, shouting over the sudden gale and thunder which began to stir. "Let go of your grief, Ferrtau. Embrace again the light of the Way. Be the Lightbringer everyone knows. Be the friend I had. Be the soulkin Kalessia had.

    "Please, stop this madness, Ferrtau. Let us help you."

    Ferrtau''s chromed hair glinted, as his shoulders trembled faintly. He made a sad, pained sigh, meeting Airo''s gaze. "No. My crusade must be completed."

    "No?" Airo repeated, tightening his grip. "So be it. Then you leave me no choice." He willed the starblade to timeshift him, supercharging his reflexes to strike down Ferrtau with one decisive blow.

    Without warning his senses were ripped into million pieces. Black wave washed over him, as if the Reality Vortex tried to pull his entire being into its dreadful limbo. Airo reeled, all but collapsing on the crystalline ground, barely staying conscious.

    "Can you not feel it, Airo?" Ferrtau asked with a sweeping gesture. "The ?ther here is dead. The hunger of the Vortex is absolute. I am the one thing keeping this island of existence stable. You are alive only thanks to your starblade and my sheer generosity. Yet time is of the essence, so I cannot keep my goodwill toward you for long."

    Airo coughed, recovering on his feet just as Ferrtau made an unsheathing motion and summoned his own blue-white starblade.

    "Forgive me now, Airo. Or forgive me in Paradise. It matters not, for Ascension is at hand," Ferrtau said and made a step forward, raising the brilliant sun-sword.

    ***

    Mentoria lashed her gigantic claw and unleashed an unseen wave of terrible force, sending it tearing across the warpstorm. Veralla''s mind twinged, making her lift her foreclaws instinctively and the reality-altering wave hit them with a hard, painful impact, as if she had fallen on them from a great height. Across the fractured distance, Mentoria roared, her silver eyes blazing with hate and murder. Veralla peered into this frightening stare, seeing the invasive madness which plagued the aethereal''s psyche.

    "Mentoria! Please hear me!" she screamed. "Fight it, Mentoria! Resist Ferrtau''s will! Come to your senses!"

    For an instant the titanic dragon closed her eyes and Veralla dared to hope she was heard. But then Mentoria jerked her head and her eyes opened at the same time her jaws did, unleashing her firebreath with a shattering roar. A great, overwhelming cone of blindingly-bright fiery death rushed forth, expanding wider and wider, until it filled the entire horizon.

    Veralla had no room or speed to evade this attack. As Mentoria''s firebreath came toward her within mere moments, she did the only thing she could think of: she rapidly swelled her chest and used her own firebreath.

    The silvery flames crashed against one another, locking into a flowing, surging opposition mere meters away from Veralla. She flamed on, pouring all her strength into her firebreath, yet she could not move Mentoria''s essence even an inch. Endless seconds passed, each one putting more and more strain on Veralla. She had few moments left before the much stronger dragon overwhelmed her. Struggling, she separated a tiny portion of her concentration, and attempted an ?ther invocation.

    Glawlrhain had told her only once about it, yet she had to either do it or die.

    Imagining herself away from where she was, becoming there where she wanted to, Veralla summoned her will... and teleported.

    She re-appeared right behind Mentoria, soaring at the same distance as before. Somewhere further away, the battle between the Radiant Knights and the Revenant raged, drowned by the warpstorm''s din, scattered lances of energy flashing astray, quickly lost into the broken manifold. Fear and tension made battlefury rise inside Veralla, and seeing the exposed back of her enemy, she let forth a blast of firebreath, shaping it as a ball of plasma so it could reach its target across.

    Mentoria flapped her enormous wings, meeting the attack. The titanic dragon intercepted the plasma ball with an open claw and the projectile stopped mid-flight. Then it began to grow, swiftly increasing in size, until it was as tremendous as the claw which held it. With a casual flick, Mentoria flung the ball.

    Veralla dashed away from the path of her backfired attack, only to see Mentoria hurtling right at her, teeth and claws gleaming with lethal sharpness. Veralla flared her jetpack to maximum thrust, narrowly escaping a slashing talon that would have torn her in half. She flew in a steep curve, using her gravitic field to assist her acceleration, and managed to loop around Mentoria, coming again at her rear.

    Veralla paused for the merest instant to spit another bolt of flame and check if Mentoria was following her, and then she fled for dear life.

    ***

    Airo parried Ferrtau''s first strike and countered with a riposte of his own. Yet his opponent''s skill and reflexes were as sharp as ever and he barely made an attack before being forced to go on the defensive again. Ferrtau swung in a fierce overhang strike and Airo met him halfway, both starblades flaring in a blast of energy. They clashed in a series of blows, low-high-low-high, mixed with sideways swipes and slashes, each trying to wear down the other''s guard with sheer speed and force.

    All around them, the decaying reality boomed and thundered, spacetime particles raining as a hail of steep fractality, pure quantum vacuum discharging in bolts of hyperstrung lightning. Airo had no time to think up a strategy or study Ferrtau''s technique, his awareness focused entirely on deflecting and making attacks, his starblade guided only by instinct. The same, however, did not apply for his opponent.

    Twice Ferrtau came at his side, trying to flank or outmaneuver him. Airo stifled each of these attempts, yet doing so made him turn partway, glimpsing the wall of pure nothingness. The sight unnerved him deeply and he tried to keep his back to the Reality Vortex.

    It was a mistake. Ferrtau noticed his aversion and began to circle him, forcing him to face the naked singularity. Airo was stuck between stepping closer to the Vortex or fighting Ferrtau against the backdrop of utter insanity.

    Both choices terrified him, so he abandoned caution and charged across the swirling crystalline ground at Ferrtau, bellowing a warcry. He slashed the starblade in a sweeping arc and missed, his efforts rewarded with hot numbing pain in his entire right shoulder.

    But his desperate gambit succeeded, for Ferrtau had jumped away, landing in the opposite direction. Without pausing, Airo rushed again to keep the pressure upon his opponent. Ferrtau counterattacked yet Airo didn''t parry, blocking instead the riposte, trying to knock back his opponent with his charges. Keeping up the constant onslaught exhausted Airo, yet he realized he could end the fight if he just pushed Ferrtau into the Reality Vortex.

    Focused as he was on this opportunity, he didn''t see the brilliant blue-white sun-sword that came at him from an entirely different angle, until it was too late.

 Chapter 26.2 - The Celestial Way

    Veralla hurtled through the warpstorm, half-blind from fear and sensory overstimulation. She had no idea where she was or where she was heading; she only knew she had to take Mentoria away from the Shard, away from where Airo was. So Veralla focused on his presence through the mindlink and moved in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

    Mentoria chased after her, a great menacing aura tailing behind, shackled by another''s will. The titanic dragon roared, the wordless challenge full of rage and frustration that her quarry continued this futile elusiveness. She was swiftly gaining upon Veralla, her reality-altering willpower unparalleled to something as trivial as a cutting-edge aethertech jetpack.

    Veralla had a mere second of headway, and it was going to disappear soon. She could not evade pursuit in a straight chase, and worse, she must not to. Once far enough from the Shard, she had to keep Mentoria in a relative stationary position, until... until the starship fell upon her and killed her.

    The presence behind her grew closer. Too closer.

    Veralla checked the jetpack''s odometer. This was far enough.

    She pulled upward sharply and then instantly switched into a diving spiral. She felt a giant claw slashing the air mere inches away from her left wing. She looked back. Mentoria had already changed direction, roaring as she came upon her. Veralla cried out, veering sideways, and avoided being disemboweled, yet Mentoria''s tail slapped her on the follow-up strike. Veralla spun out of control, pain across her whole body leaving her breathless.

    She fell through the featureless darkness, sleets of reality particles beating her scaled hide, tearing openings in spacetime, catching glimpses of Mentoria baring her enormous fangs in triumph, swooping for the finishing blow.

    Reality particles, windows to temporal spatiality, hailing in a warped, fractal whirlwind...

    Leading elsewhere.

    Veralla summoned her hyperfocused will, Mentoria''s claw reaching out to crush her, and plunged through a passing fractal manifold.

    And re-appeared above and to the side, a hundred wingbeats away.

    She had done it.

    Exhilaration filled her. But it lasted only an instant as Mentoria turned, roaring, and charged at her. She sought the nearest reality particle large enough to pass through and dived into it, willing it to shift her elsewhere.

    She appeared in another place, even further away. Mentoria faced her again, a roar erupting from the throat of the titanic Primordial, her wings and foreclaws flaring in a deadly gesture as she cast out another reality-unraveling invocation. Veralla again reacted instinctively, negating the lethal ?ther spell, yet Mentoria was already charging in, covering her attack with the spell. Veralla particle-shifted barely in time and came out under Mentoria, winning a respite for a few moments before she had to evade the next assault.

    This turned into a dangerous game. Veralla jumped from one fractal to another in the howling warpstorm, Mentoria every time on the verge of catching her. The Primordial dragon roared in fury, blasting her firebreath, making ligthning-fast lunges, hurling more existence-erasing invocations, yet Veralla always managed to evade through sheer determination and luck. Mentoria tried to follow her through the miniature holes in reality but the local spacetime had become so unstable she could not control the manifold''s exit points. She now pursued Veralla madly, becoming more and more riled up as endlessly long minutes passed and slowly accumulated.

    Veralla realized if she could keep up, she could hold Mentoria pinned in place.

    But she did not want Mentoria to die.

    "Mentoria, stop! Please!" she cried, as she emerged once more from a reality particle. She had acclimated her will to the effort of passing through, and the strain was already bearable. "I do not want hurt you!"

    In response, the titanic dragon gaped her jaws, unleashing a silvery torrent of flame. Veralla ducked, particle-shifting through a mirror-like fractal in the last instant. She emerged, hearts pounding, confused, exhausted, and frightened. Mentoria was again coming at her and she shifted again, emerging this time distantly enough to catch her breath.

    How much time had passed? Ten, fifteen minutes? An hour? Hundreds of years? She had no idea. She had only to stay in one area and wait for the strike. She had to hold out until the starship crashed.

    Yet she wanted to save, not to kill. She was a Radiant Knight.

    "Mentoria!" she shrieked. "Please! Hear me! You are strong! You are a dragon now!"

    Flashing claws, shifting, roaring firebreath, shifting. Veralla looped around, jetpack blazing frantically, the warpstorm and the whole world an unrecognizable blur. She had no more endurance. She was battered and weary, and her reactions were getting slower. Her willpower was weakening. If she particle-shifted now and emerged near Mentoria, she would be done for.

    "You can overcome Ferrtau''s control! You can do it! Just fight it, please!"

    Across the dark, almost-gone reality, Mentoria stretched to her full terrifying size and she rushed forward, fangs bared in a snarl.

    "You are a Primordial now, Mentoria!" Veralla screamed, voice pleading. "You can do anything! You are free! You are free to choose! Choose freedom!!"

    Those last words struck home. Mentoria halted mid-charge and stared at her with feral, silver eyes. A tremendous growl escaped her jaws and the titanic dragon shivered, her gaze brightening in a semblance of recognition.

    Veralla held her breath, hoping ardently she had reached Mentoria. Mentoria growled a second time, but the sound was more pained and desperate than before. She snarled and convulsed violently ¨C and to Veralla''s horror, her eyes dimmed once more, the spark of self-awareness dying inside.

    The moment passed. Mentoria roared, lunging forth with a gleaming claw. Veralla looked around in panic for a reality particle to shift through, but right at that moment there were none.

    She closed her eyes, her last thought being her love for Airo.

    Then an invisible will pulled her hard into some vast otherworld, and the starship crashed.

    ***

    Airo parried in the last possible instant, losing his balance. Ferrtau pressed the advantage, forcing him backwards. Airo stumbled in an awkward sideways dash, but Ferrtau intercepted his move, driving an armored fist in his temple. Airo reeled, his vision fading, and lifted the starblade instinctively. Rain of blows fell upon him and he backed away, his guard overwhelmed.

    Ferrtau needed one hit. His starblade would do the rest. Airo held on to dear life, summoning all his strength and speed to deflect the relentless assault, yet it was too much, too fast. A few more exchanges at most and he was done. He would die. The galaxy would die. Everything ever existing would die.

    Veralla would die.

    Airo screamed and turned his desperate parry into a furious retaliation. Ferrtau''s blue-white starblade barely missed his face, all senses on his left side replaced by sheer pain. It mattered not ¨C for a fiery light ascended in Airo''s soul, renewing his vigor and giving him a burst of strength.

    Ferrtau staggered momentarily, surprised by Airo''s suicidal rebuff. Airo let out another shout, turning back the initiative with a flurry of swipes and slashes. He risked his defense in order to close the distance, misleading his opponent with two defiant feints, and then he executed his deadly seven-strike kata.

    Despite the sudden onslaught Ferrtau evaded every attack, blocking the last one with an abrupt step forward, stopping dead Airo''s starblade with his own. The two warriors halted before one another, their sun-swords locked in a solar-sparking nova of fury and bodily might.

    "Again with your seven-strike technique," Ferrtau hissed, leaning forward. His eyes were full of bloodlust. "You never managed to learn the full nine-kata version."

    "Neither did you," Airo snapped, pushing hard against the bladelock.

    Ferrtau grinned madly. "Oh, but I had centuries to practice."

    Before Airo could react, Ferrtau shoved, breaking the contact, and his starblade whirled with impossible speed. Airo summoned every ounce of his skill and determination, warding off blow after blow after blow in mere instants. Somehow, he deflected Ferrtau''s entire assault, but he raised his weapon high to stop the last attack ¨C leaving his guard wide open.

    Ferrtau kicked him squarely in the abdomen.

    Airo fell to the ground, stunned from the pain. This was the end.

    Ferrtau lifted his starblade, preparing to deal the finishing blow.

    Something happened.

    All of Airo''s senses suddenly were crushed by sheer pressure. The tenuous reality around the Shard compressed. Time slowed down.

    Then a bright dot appeared somewhere on the black horizon.

    Timeshifted as he became, Airo managed to lift his starblade to shield himself just as the H''raal sphereship crashed into Terra Para, washing everything with a blinding, overpowering explosion.

    ***

    The total annihilation lasted for an eternity. When the supernova front finally passed, Airo blearily saw Ferrtau, who watched toward ground zero, shading his eyes with a hand.

    "What a desperate tactic," Ferrtau remarked as the painfully-bright horizon faded, revealing a starry sky free of warpstorms. "Yet as clever as it is extreme..."

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Airo didn''t wait for him to finish. He leapt upright, lunging forward, and brought to bear his starblade just as Ferrtau began to turn. Ferrtau reacted instantly, stopping his attack cold, and then made a series of swipes with such speed Airo couldn''t block them before arresting his momentum and he fell on his knees, nearly killed by the assault.

    Ferrtau paused with a wry smile. "Really, Airo, you were the martial pride of the Academy, but you should have learned to dodge more often in a duel. Alas, your Way ends here."

    Suddenly, there was a flap of powerful wings. Veralla emerged from the night sky with outstretched claws, diving straight at Ferrtau. He jumped back a dozen paces, his face mixed with surprise and wonder. Veralla landed with a roll and rose upright, wasting no time to engage Ferrtau using her bulk and reach.

    She made a series of lashing attacks, yet Ferrtau repelled them without effort and then rammed her in an attempt to knock her down. Veralla leaned into the blow with a hiss of pain, spreading her wings wide, but the strike was so fierce it knocked her back, her hindclaws leaving luminous trails as they gouged the Shard''s crystalline surface. Airo raised a hand and cushioned Veralla''s inertia as she came by his side.

    They were together again.

    ***

    Her twin hearts soared at Airo''s physical touch, the contact between him and her becoming complete on every level for an instant. Invigorated, she flicked her tail and brushed it against him in a quick caress.

    Are you all right? she mindcast, relaying her own condition through the mindlink, alongside the waves of love and relief she felt at their reunion.

    I will manage, he replied, sending a mental status of his health as he rose. Let us do this.

    They looked at one another, finding strength in their mutual love, and then as one glared at Ferrtau.

    The Lightbringer stared back with amazed dismay. He lowered his starblade and laughed bitterly. "So you two have become soulkin. What an unlikely couple: the Dragonslayer and the Primordial, bound together. How very romantic."

    "It is over, Ferrtau," Airo called. "We are two against you now. You cannot overcome us both." He lifted his starblade, ready to charge, and Veralla leaned forward, prepared to follow him.

    Ferrtau laughed again. "Airo, you forget ¨C she is a dragon."

    Veralla sensed Airo''s terror through the mindlink in the same instant as Ferrtau looked at her, his eyes becoming a pair of golden orbs.

    Suddenly, the mindlink was gone. She could not control her body anymore. Her awareness blurred and she was plunged into a deep fog. Panic overcame her as something huge and frightening entered her mind, taking over her senses, her will, and her own thoughts.

    Veralla tried to scream, yet she was not herself anymore.

    ***

    Airo shouted in fear when he lost the mindlink with Veralla. He called her name, terror tearing his heart, yet she didn''t respond. Instead, she walked slowly towards Ferrtau, as if in a trance. Airo shouted again, gripping his starblade, and charged at Ferrtau. Then Veralla turned, her expression slack and her purple eyes dimmed by a golden haze. Airo stumbled mid-step, frozen in place by Veralla''s horrific Revenant resemblance.

    Ferrtau laughed in manic triumph. "Yes, two against one! But the balance is in my favor, Dragonslayer!"

    "Veralla!" Airo shouted. "Veralla!"

    She gave no indication she heard him. Slowly, she bared her teeth and approached him like a predator, her glazed stare fixed at him.

    "Veralla! It is me, Airo! I am your soulkin! Veralla, stop!"

    A growl escaped her throat, and a flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes. Yet it went out in an instant, and she made another step, her foreclaws hooked wickedly, her hindlegs tensing to pounce. Her whole body trembled, the terrible power which influenced her too great for her to fight.

    Airo realized she was going to kill him.

    Facing such hopeless knowledge, Airo became perfectly calm. He let his guard down. This was it. His Way ended here. He felt no fear. His heart was full with peace and compassion.

    He looked at Veralla. She was his light. She was his soulkin. He would never hurt her willingly. He would never fight her, no matter what.

    He loved her.

    And he believed love existed above all else.

    "Veralla, I am here," he said softly, moving to stand before her. She growled again, shaking violently as she struggled to free herself from Ferrtau''s influence.

    "I am here, Veralla" he repeated and placed his hand on her dark, scaled cheek.

    She reacted instantly, her snout flashing. She sank her fangs deep in his armored forearm. Pain seared his entire perception, yet he did not move. He did not flinch. He stood, blood flowing from his mangled limb, and he smiled with warmth and kindness.

    "I love you, Veralla," he said, his soul singing. "I love you with all the light within me and across the universe. You are my soulkin, Veralla. You are forever shining upon my soul. I love you, Veralla."

    He looked into her amethyst gaze and let her see the truth written in his core essence.

    She returned his gaze, her slit-pupiled eyes locking with his ¨C and then, like a radiant star ascending over the long dark, comprehension dawned in them.

    ***

    She struggled and strained and leaned against the hold, but there was no use. She was submerged into a bottomless void, alone and without strength. She could feel herself only distantly, a faint movement over a still lake, a shadow passing before her unseeing spirit.

    She pushed hard, trying to lift upward, to drive away the invading presence. But her efforts were against smoke, her struggles crippled without power. She was alone, so very alone, held down in the dark where there was nothing. She was falling down into oblivion, the darkness becoming deeper and deeper, closing around like a drowning tomb, snuffing out her very essence.

    She cried, keening for help, for release, for death, for something to set her spirit free from this utter emptiness.

    Then, a single ray pierced the darkness.

    Rise up, my child.

    The ray ignited a spark of flame.

    And Airo''s voice came to her. "I love you, Veralla. I love you with all the light within me and across the universe. You are my soulkin, Veralla. You are forever shining upon my soul. I love you, Veralla."

    The words echoed across the span of her being, a chiming wave of harmony, kindness, and peace. The emptiness receded, its devouring mirage laid bare before a starry sky. The stars and the words infused the very core of her soul. She suddenly soared, free and bathed in pure, everlasting light. Her spirit roared with joy and love, blazing off the fog from her mind and burning away the invasive presence. Her senses, her body, her mindlink with Airo, everything was restored. She was once more Veralla.

    She was free.

    Regaining control, she realized what she had done. Her jaws were still clamped around Airo''s forearm. She could taste the blood, his blood. She could feel his pain and the horrific damage she had wrought. She sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks, her vision blurring from her grief for her soulkin.

    "Shhh, it is all right," Airo said, smiling. He dismissed his starblade and patted her head tenderly with his good hand. "It is okay. I love you, Veralla."

    I love you too, Airo, she mindcast, more tears cleansing her forworn being. I love you very, very, very much. I love you forever.

    At last, she found strength to gently release his arm, the limb nearly severed. Scarlet blood seeped from the punctured armor, leaving starlit trails upon the Shard''s cerulean surface.

    Do you... do you still trust me?...

    I trust you, Veralla. Now and forever.

    She nodded hesitantly, unable to stop the tears. She was glad. So very glad that she had Airo. She loved him, and would forever be his.

    But they still had one last trial before them.

    They both turned to Ferrtau. His face was dark with rage and disbelief. Veralla sensed the terrible storm stirring in his soul.

    "Ferrtau..." she began.

    "No!" the Lightbringer shouted, trembling. "This is not possible! Not even She could overcome my Gift!"

    "Ferrtau, please stop," Veralla said. "I do not want to see any more people die. I do not want you to die. Please, let us help you. We can heal you. You can be a Radiant Knight again. We¨C"

    "You will not stop my Crusade!" Ferrtau screamed madly. "No one will stop me! I shall bring forth Ascension! I SHALL HAVE MY REDEMPTION!"

    "Ferrtau, this is not the Way," Airo said softly. "You¨C"

    "NO MORE WORDS!" Ferrtau bellowed, and charged at them.

    Airo instantly summoned his starblade, lifting it in his good hand. Veralla rushed forth, moving to defend him.

    Ferrtau flew at her, sun-sword arcing with killing intent. She ducked under the blow, her wing outflung for a buffeting strike, but Ferrtau ignored the blow and slammed his armored fist in her face. She staggered, opening herself wide for a counterattack. The blue-white starblade descended¨C

    ***

    ¨Che lunged forward, parrying the death-blow in the last possible instant, his own starblade sparking violently against its counterpart. He twisted, turning the block into a bodily throw, yet Ferrtau sidestepped, elbowing him in the ribs. Breathless, he tried to disengage, too slow to deflect¨C

    ***

    ¨Cshe pounced a second time, Ferrtau at once redirecting his swipe, the sun-sword slashing her flank. She roared, the pain nova-hot, and collapsed to the ground, helpless¨C

    ***

    ¨Cwar cry bursting forth, he rammed into Ferrtau, using weight to bring him down, his enemy ceasing his mangled arm, a shout of agony, a brutal shove, and he was flying downward, hitting the crystalline ground¨C

    ***

    ¨Cshe saw Ferrtau raising high the sun-sword and she surged, her body coming between her soulkin and the blow¨C

    ***

    ¨Che refused to lose her, rising, meeting her halfway, shielding her, yet she didn''t yield, both of them halting in a final embrace on the starblade''s path...

    ***

    ...and Ferrtau''s hand paused for the tiniest of moments.

    And Airo, his warrior''s instincts true even in the face of death, had his own hand flying a split second too slow, yet that single eternity made all the difference.

    The starblade struck home, stabbing Ferrtau all the way through the torso.

    Airo pulled it free, yet there was no visible wound. Rather, the blade had harmed something more ephemeral than mere matter. Nevertheless, the injury proved mortal all the same, for Ferrtau widened his eyes in surprise and toppled.

    ***

    Airo and Veralla lay atop the Shard, catching their breath for an endless minute. The night sky was alight with countless stars. Cold, cleansing wind blew from Terra Para''s frozen expanses. The world was calm and tranquil, like an infinite ocean after a great storm.

    Ferrtau stirred weakly.

    They edged toward him. Airo pulled him in his bloodied arms. Veralla leaned her head closer. Ferrtau coughed and opened his green eyes. They were clear from madness ¨C and life was quickly leaving them.

    "Finally..." he whispered. "I saw... the Way..."

    "You never left it," Airo replied softly, holding him. His voice was thick with emotion. "You have always walked the Way, my friend. You merely forgot that truth for a while."

    "Airo..." Ferrtau lifted his arm feebly, offering his starblade. "Take it... take yours, too... use them... to seal the Vortex..."

    "I will, Ferrtau. I will. Hold tight, my friend."

    Ferrtau coughed again and gazed with fading eyes at Airo and Veralla. "You two are so beautiful together... I just wanted... to build... a lasting legacy..." He paused, grimacing, and struggled to continue. "How blind I have been... you... you two... shall be my greatest deed... you are my true legacy, mine and Kalessia''s... Oh, Kalessia... I miss you so much..."

    Veralla keened quietly. Airo held on to Ferrtau, ignoring the pain in his bleeding arm, sadness welling inside him as he watched his friend die. Ferrtau noticed both their reactions and sighed with remorse.

    "I am... dying..." he whispered. "Yet... before... I pass... Airo... please... forgive me... forgive me for what I did... to Zenassa... and... for making you suffer... for so long..."

    "I forgive you, my friend," Airo said, a lone tear running down his cheek. "I forgive you for everything."

    Ferrtau nodded weakly, and looked at Veralla. "And you, Veralla... I am sorry... for what I have done... to your mother... and to you... I am sorry..."

    "I forgive you, Ferrtau," Veralla hrrr¨Ced, her purple eyes sad.

    Ferrtau nodded again, and then smiled at them faintly.

    "Thank you..." he sighed. He took his last breath, closing his eyes, and died.

    Veralla sobbed. Airo kept Ferrtau in his arms for a while longer, until an ominous thrum from behind reminded him what had to be done.

    He carefully laid Ferrtau down and took the blue-white starblade, lifting in parallel his own golden sun-sword. He rose to his feet, Veralla looking at him uncertainly. He turned toward the Reality Vortex. The sheer wall of emptiness had receded, blown away from the starship''s supernova explosion. The Vortex had been reduced to a blindingly-bright rift in the crystalline body of the Shard.

    Airo strode forward with determination, holding both starblades. As he approached the rift an instinctual certainty ignited in his mind. He paused before the Vortex. He then drove both sun-swords straight into the rift. Agony shot out from his injured arm and Veralla instantly flooded him with power and vitality through the mindlink, their combined wills overcoming the searing torment.

    The starblades sank into the rift, flaring for a second brighter than the Vortex itself, and then they melted, leaving no trace of defilement upon the Shard''s azure surface.

    Airo sat down, exhausted. Veralla huddled next to him. The two wrapped one another in a warm embrace. The cold, freezing wind blew on, biting into Airo''s exposed head. Veralla draped her wing over, shielding him from the elements. The air carried a faint otherness with it, an echo of some sort, a mirror dimension where the calm was always prevalent and the night sky graced the earthly heavens forever.

    "Do you know the way out of here?" Airo asked.

    "Yes, I can lead us back to the others," Veralla replied, her mind bright with certainty and love.

    "We need not to hurry anymore... right?"

    "Yes, we are safe now."

    "Do you want us to stay for a while and watch the stars?" he asked.

    "Yes, I do," she said happily.

    The two of them snuggled closer and their gazes ascended toward the Great Cosmos.

 Final Interlude

    FINAL INTERLUDE

    From the perspective of one who sought redemption

    It was time for me to go Home.

    My eleventh-hour Scheme had paid off. Mentoria had risen in the skies of dark, her form mantled with the power of Divinity Itself, seeking Battle against me, certain in her Superiority over mine Ascendancy. Yet that Conflict was never destined to Be, for when she Descended to Strike, I used my Gift of Dominion, and her Will was No More. Master of her Unlimited Potential, I flung Wide Open the Gates of the Temple, and the Road to Eternal Paradise was at last Clear In View.

    Triumphant, I set out to Work the Miracle of Ascension, to Light the Shard and start the Singularity. Impatient, I worked with Care; Excited, I checked myself with Temperance; for Time was Short and I had no Right to Mistake, for the Environs bore not the Marks of Before. The Reality Vortex raged like a Distant Kin to the Void Itself, tearing at the Cosmos in a state of downcast Control, and only the Command of my Will and the Shard''s own Resonance kept its Hunger in check.

    Thus Progress was Slow and I Advanced a Step At A Time, weaving Strands of Essence and lifting the Veils of Undone Reality. Time Passed, yet it carried No Meaning, for I was at the heart of Entropy, Focused and Poised to Heighten the Truest Purpose of the Temple, and Bring Forth the Greatest Legacy.

    I was so close...

    And then They came.

    They all came ¨C Desperate, Fierce, Defiant to the Last: the Knights, and the Soldiers, and the People ¨C led by Airo and Veralla, now joined as One. They All Came. They Descended from the Heavens like Avatars of Justice, carrying their Light, their Hope, and a Leviathan from Days Past. They came to Defend, to Protect, to Ward, like True Knights Hallowed In Radiance.

    It was magnificent.

    In one Blazing, Final Collision, my Legacy would Endure the Tides of Chaos, in a Battle that was Beyond Good and Evil ¨C it was a fight for the Unity of All.

    With Strength borrowed from Mentoria, the Ancillary Primordial, once more I Called Forth my loyal Revenant, the Heralds of the Coming Age of Eternity, and cast them into Battle, Thrice as Stalwart, Hundredfold as Bright, and Incandescent as Ever. They clashed with Holy Passion against that Unwelcomed Interference, Bolstered by the Ancillary Primordial''s Presence.

    Oh, how foolish Those Against Me acted. The Knights, Valiant to a Fault, took headlong charge against my immortal Revenant. Veralla, filling my heart with Sorrow, faced Alone her Primordial Counterpart. And Airo, Warrior Unyielding, came Down to Lift a Bladed Sun against me.

    And he tried to Make me see Reason.

    Reason!? Blindness is within you, Dragonslayer! My Vision is Eternal!

    We crossed Blades, as Words were without Dimension when such Future was At Stake. My Time was coming to an End, my Life seeping Away, yet Confidence guided my hand, for I was Invincible and Salvation was my Goal. I cast aside the Dragonslayer''s mighty blows with Supremacy in Skill and defeated him, letting him to Breathe his Last.

    Then Annihilation Happened.

    In a hopeless Gambit, They made an astral vessel into a Falling Star ¨C Erasing Everything in Pure Radiance.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    I Held True within that Cleansing Storm, my Soul already beyond Light, and I Marveled at this Desperation given Beauty. Then I Rejoiced, for this Divine Judgment Purified the Temple, and now I needed a Mere Moment to bring forth Miracle.

    Turning, I found the Way Barred Still; for now They both stood before me ¨C Airo, the Redeemed Dragonslayer, and Veralla, the True Primordial.

    They tried to overcome me with Force, yet I cast Them down with Ease. They rose Again, yet I unleashed my Gift of Dominion, shattering Veralla''s Will. Thus Separated, They were turned against Each Other, with No Hope of Triumph, and this was the End.

    Or so had I Thought.

    There was no Combat between Them. He offered Sacrifice, and this Noble Act enlightened Her Core, freeing Her of my Implacable Grasp.

    Impossible! If They had such Power, if Their Perception had soared to such Magnificent Heights, why They did not See the Truth? Why did They reject Paradise? Why did They fight against Eternal Bliss? WHY?

    They rose Again, bloody and torn, and assaulted me with both Words and Force, determined to Stop my Vision. Their Ardent Will was Endless: They fought not as Themselves but as All, and for All. Theirs was the Fire Eternal.

    Yet I brought Them on Their knees Again, myself Furious, Shaken, Weakened ¨C I was Right and They were Wrong! I brought Unity and They defended Discord. Could They not See! Why do you Resist, o, Blind Guardians! WHY!? I Struck, and Cursed, and Called my Power to bring Them into Oblivion.

    Yet They rose again, implacable, immortal, eternal. Already dying, They held to Their Truth until Their last breath.

    I fought for Freedom, but so did They.

    The fate of the Universe hung in the balance as I Crushed Them Utterly, and lifted my Sun Blade in Final Judgment¨C

    ¨Cand then¨C

    ¨Cin one endless second, watching them take hold of one another, inseparable even in death, I saw what I thought I would never see again until the very end.

    Love.

    Pure, unconditional, true Love.

    Between Them, between Time, between Eternity.

    Love for All.

    And for me.

    My hand halted for the briefest of moments ¨C and Airo struck me. The Starblade sang in the void, seeking my innermost core, and it pierced through all sins, all sorrow, all grief, ending my mortal existence. In this eternal flash of release, I saw redemption.

    I was free.

    I fell, and with that fall so did all of my burden, my fear, and my despair. Free from blindness and suffering, I saw light, and lifted my hand to touch it, yet I no longer had the vitality to do so.

    I was not alone in my final moments.

    Airo took me close and Veralla cast over her bright presence. They held me so, comforting me as my life came pouring into memory. All my deeds, all my crimes, I became aware of them. I realized how far had I gone into the abyss. Yet Airo and Veralla held me, giving me solace, nothing but light and love in their souls.

    They... I...

    I released my will upon my Starblade and gave it up for good. The two of them were so beautiful. They reminded me... of what had been between me and Kalessia. Passion. Purity. Love. A union of souls, bonded by the greatest force there ever was. Nothing could ever compare. Not even my wildest dreams or my grandest visions. Despite all atrocities, despite all destruction, a transcendent spark had bloomed amidst the darkness, and its light had in the end prevailed. This was the legacy that would arise from this poignant tragedy.

    And now... my time had come. My Way had ended. I felt light pouring out from me, millions of tiny motes departing, disjointed, eager, returning to the limitless vastness of the Great Cosmos. They were the nuclei of the souls I had consumed. They were at peace, and so was I.

    I sought dearly only one last thing: forgiveness.

    Passing into eternal night, I asked Airo and Veralla to forgive me. To forgive me for what I had done to them ¨C my true legacy.

    They forgave me. For everything. Hearts filled with kindness, souls bright with compassion, they forgave me.

    I... I... I accepted gladly.

    Light shone upon my soul once more, and I wept, tears no longer gracing my outward aspect, yet their essence flowed freely within my spirit.

    The only thing harder than giving forgiveness is receiving it. I wanted to tell Airo and Veralla that. I wanted to tell them so much more, so many other things. Yet as I lifted my eyes to them both, I felt my life swiftly swirling away.

    "Thank you..." I told them, pouring every ounce of kindness and gratefulness I had into the words. With all my remaining strength, I smiled, and that final act of mine was the last love I left behind on this world.

    Fading further away, I leaned back, until my gaze came upon the stars. I heard clearly their endless, everlasting music. Out there, on the shores of infinity, was the Fire Eternal. Out there was Kalessia. She sang with the stars, and they all called to me. She called to me. She loved me still, loved me always, forever, and was ready for us to meet again. To join together, and become One.

    I closed my eyes, and Ascended.

 Epilogue

    EPILOGUE

    One month later

    ?therday, first day of the year 1000 of the Restoration Era

    Airo turned this way and that, inspecting his reflection with a critical eye. The room had been altered into a much more sunlit design and light poured through the arched window, showing the clear purple-tinged sky outside. Airo remembered he was in the far future and reached out for the free-floating HHI, adjusting the mirrored variform surface of the wardrobe to show him the angle he wanted. He wore no actual clothes, his current garments wholly virtual; this way he didn''t need to wait for the nanofabricator to print each set individually before finding the ideal match. It was a strange setup to him, as many other things had been, yet he was quickly getting used to the speed and convenience it offered.

    He chose the next outfit, his mind wandering. The days had flown by, and he had barely noticed them. They had won. The price had been terrible and the death toll nightmarish, yet they had won and had survived. And at the very end, the dead had known peace. Even Ferrtau. Every reaved soul had returned once more to the Fire Eternal, to begin its Way anew, and to shine forever among the countless stars of the Great Cosmos.

    And those who had lived on, they grieved and they rejoiced.

    Airo lowered his head, sparkles in his vision blurring momentarily the brightness radiating from the window.

    "Are you ready yet?" Veralla called, coming to stand beside him. "I am surprised you can spend so much attention to these details."

    Airo swiftly wiped the evidence of his weakness, and turned to face her. "It is easy for you," he said. "You wear no clothes."

    "Well, why do you not do the same? You look rather nice this way," Veralla hrrr¨Ced playfully, looking him up and down. He tried to stay relaxed, resisting the impulse to cover himself.

    "Thank you for the compliment, but you have to take the others into consideration," he replied. Why he felt shy standing naked in front of Veralla? She did it all the time and he never even took note of that fact until now. He wondered what opinion dragons had on the matter in general.

    "But we are getting late for the ceremony," she said. "And it will probably take very long, and you still have not given me a present!"

    He stopped mid-turn toward the wardrobe. "What? Ah, right, today is your hatchday."

    "Yes!" she piped brightly. "And I want a present!"

    "I gave you one already," he said with mock sternness, pointing at the aethertech gridcaster on her foreleg.

    "Well, I want another one."

    "But... I do not have any more presents prepared."

    "Oh, I think I have an idea..." she hrrr¨Ced, stepping closer.

    Airo took in her void-black, magenta-striped form. Already she was twice larger than Glawlrhain and her growth showed no signs of stopping soon. He looked at her thick, sharp claws, her vast wings, her scaled bulk, her magnificent set of horns and crests upon her head. He sensed she was looming eagerly. He lifted his brows in awkward confusion. What is going on here?

    Let me show you, she replied, smiling in her fierce draconic way. She bent lower, taking another step, and her massive chest pressed into him. He could feel an ocean of emotions pouring through the mindlink, smothering in their intensity and fiery in their nature. Emotions dominated by...

    Oh, no.

    "Veralla, are you sure about this?!" Airo said, distressed at both her advance and his failing voice.

    "Oh, yes, I am," she rawr¨Ced, a note in her tone he hadn''t heard before. Lust.

    "Are you not... too young... I mean..." He was forced to step back as she kept pressing into him.

    Veralla let out a hrrr¨Cing giggle. "Do not worry, I have spoken with Glawlrhain. He says it takes only a year or so for dragons to reach mating age. And I already have started to experience... urges..." she crooned, leaning further to lick him with her forked tongue.

    "Urges?!" Airo gasped, making another three steps back to avoid falling over.

    "Yes~ And I need help to overcome them~ Or I may turn into a very naughty dragon~"

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "But the ceremony!..."

    "They should either wait, or make another one. I want you now, Airo," she said, showing rows of gleaming teeth as she smiled wider, her amethyst eyes bright with glee and passion.

    "Veralla, wait... Wait!" Airo cried, tripping over what he realized was their shared floor bed. "Veralla!"

    She giggled again, and then everything he perceived was all dragon.

    ***

    Magus Dei leaned on the window sill, gazing at the memorial ceremony. The arctic wind blew from the open aperture, daring his heightened senses.

    Out there, Ilsorin''s slopes shone with pristine snow under the bright sky. The central courtyard was full of people. A pure golden bonfire blazed against the horizon in a magnificent crystal basin. Terlokhi Stamat, his shoulders straight, stood proudly before the bonfire, Lylana Darkovitz and Glawlrhain on either side of him, and his clarion voice carried across the whole courtyard.

    "...Yet today is also a day of mourning. We have gathered here to honor those who are no longer among us. We are here to say our farewells to our brothers and sisters, to all of them, no matter their origin.

    "Today we return our beloved back into the warm, everpresent embrace of the Fire Eternal, and as we guide our gazes toward the Great Cosmos, we let our tears flow freely. We mourn, yet we accept our pain and sadness, for those who have died have never done so in vain ¨C and they shall find infinite enlightenment and joy as they become One..."

    "Sir, won''t you attend the ceremony?" a voice queried behind Magus.

    He glanced over his shoulder and saw Lylana. Down there, she continued to stand at parade rest on the courtyard, and nothing gave indication her awareness ¨C indeed, merely part of it ¨C was elsewhere. Her astral projection wore a simple white tunic.

    "Is my presence that much needed?" he asked, turning back to the open window, his mind distant. "Airo and Veralla are also absent, and they are the ones we should heap praise over."

    "Theirs is easy to figure," Lylana said with a grunted half-chuckle. "It was a matter of time before her forwardness overcame his blindness... And now their absence provides the conclusion to that story.

    "You, sir, on the other hand, are a greater enigma."

    "I have never been one for ceremonies," Magus said.

    "Neither was Aethernalis," Lylana replied. He could sense her folding her arms. "Yet I knew him and you, sir ¨C both of you liked viewing them from afar."

    "Indeed," Magus said distantly, the memories rising unbidden. His gaze fell, yet he stopped before his head moved even a fraction. The freezing gusts of Terra Para blew relentlessly. He felt tired.

    "But there is something else here," Lylana insisted, her voice coming closer. "Something weighs heavily upon you, sir. Your guardedness, your aged appearance, your failing light... You never overcame his death, sir. Am I right?"

    "...today is also a day of joy. For we commemorate life as well as death.

    "We sing, praising the Great Cosmos for having blessed us with another dawn. We dance, walking illuminated the brilliant, transcendent path of the Celestial Way. We thank those who have stood by us, and we thank ourselves for standing by them. We share this moment, bound together..."

    "I tried to bring him back, Lylana," Magus said in a hushed voice, so low the words lost themselves in the waves of sound and wind coming from the window. Yet he knew she heard him perfectly clear. She said nothing. He felt a faint touch upon his shoulder, where she placed her large immaterial hand. Her projection came to stand next to him.

    "I tried to bring Aethernalis back," he repeated. "Many times. Via many ways. Resurrection. Time travel. Bending the Cosmos itself. For long, endless years, I toiled away, wasted away my power, my life, and my sanity. I never gave up. Until one day I succeeded. Horribly." He lifted his altered eyes to meet her amber gaze. "The Starblaze happened because of me."

    "... Raise your light for those who have fallen!

    "Raise your light for those who live!

    "Raise your light for those you have saved!

    "Raise your light for those who have saved you!

    "Raise your light in honor, virtue, and love! Raise your light, and become awakened..."

    "We all have forgiven you, sir," Lylana spoke softly. "Even if we didn''t know the truth. We have been taught to keep our hearts open and our souls always alight, and so we have done, sir. The truth does not change that."

    Magus nodded, a single, brief gesture. He knew her words were true. He knew all his crimes were absolved. He knew he was free from judgment and given nothing but kindness and compassion.

    What remained was he to forgive himself.

    "...We are all people under one sky. We are all rays of light within the everbright flames of the Fire Eternal. We live among the stars, and the stars live in our hearts. Each of us is a shining beacon in the night. Each of us is an exemplar, an undying champion who wards All That Is. Each of us dreams, and we all shall Awaken.

    "We are Knights hallowed in Radiance! And we bestow our flames, our hearts, and our souls to any and all..."

    Magus gazed through the window again, his eyes seeking the horizon. He thought about the road so far. Terra Para had endured destruction, defilement, and loss ¨C and had carried on. The galaxy had been brought down by devastation again and again, yet it always persevered, its stars forever brilliant. The Radiant Knights, his and his soulkin''s legacy, had faced extinction, yet their spirit lived on.

    Perhaps... it was time he did the same.

    "What do you intend to do now, sir?" Lylana asked hesitantly. "Will you stay with us, or will you... return to your exile?"

    He lived on borrowed time. For many years now, each dawn brought him one step closer to the end of his Way. Each effort, each strain, each invocation was one less drop in his cup of life. He was no longer immortal, and it scared him.

    "...And may the stars always shine upon our souls."

    He smiled to himself. He had lived for so long, he had forgotten that nothing ever lasted forever. Everyone sooner or later returned to the Fire Eternal. And one day, he too would have to complete his journey, and return Home.

    Until that time came, he was free to choose his Way.

    "I think I will stay," Magus told Lylana. "There is something here I missed during my exile."

    "And what is that, sir?" Lylana asked, her voice full of joy and hope.

    "Future," Magus said, leaning on the window sill, looking at the world beyond. "The future we all can build together."

    This is an End, yet the Celestial Way continues ever onward...

 Acknowledgments

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Given its troubled and arduous production process, The Celestial Way wouldn''t have seen the light of day if I hadn''t received support from various people in key moments.

    I want to thank Gabriela Terzieva for being the novel''s sole alpha reader. We didn''t mesh very well, Gabi, but nonetheless, I thank you for your perseverance and continued interest.

    My thanks also go to Desislava Pavlova and Kalin Nenov, who were my first beta readers. Especially Desislava, who blazed through the book in under a week(!), and her most salient feedback was to ask me awkward questions about how sex between a human and a dragon works. Also, I give an astroload of additional heartfelt thanks to Kalin, who provided numerous and invaluable advice on how to make the book better, and made it possible for The Celestial Way to be presented before the world at CoNZealand 2020 (WorldCon 78).

    Shout out and cheers to the rest of TCW''s beta readers: Joe Jackson, Andrei Hristov, Justin Williams, and my brother, Alexander "Heijaz" Dimitrov. In particular, additional thanks to Joe for catching a megaton of mistakes and teaching me how to hunt them on my own, and more thanks to Justin for some incredible in-depth critique and analysis on the early parts of the text, which helped shape TCW as a better reading experience.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Also, my deep gratitude to the proprietors and crew of §¥§â§å§Ô§Ú§ñ§ä §Ù§Ñ§Þ§ì§Ü (Castle.bg) for providing me with a great writing space. I started working on TCW when the hobby club first opened, and I wrote most of the book within the hallowed halls of this gaming temple dedicated to Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons&Dragons, and myriad of other tabletop and role-playing games.

    Special thanks to Antonia Doncheva, part of the Castle crew, for working on the cover for the book. She has created a truly beautiful and evocative illustration, and thanks to her TCW is that much more of an awesome project. My heartfelt thanks for your perseverance and dedication, Toni!

    I give my love and gratitude to my parents, Elissaveta and Emil, for their continued support and firm faith in my ability to finish this story. The person who I am today is thanks to the foundations of moral values they have instilled in me and the love they have given me.

    Addendum 2024: Many thanks to Emanuil Tomov, Alexander Popov, and Vladimir Poleganov, who teach the course "How To Read Science Fiction" in English and American Studies at Sofia University. Their expertise and the course''s awesome curriculum offered me a completely fresh look at speculative fiction, motivating me to give TCW a brand new re-edit prior to its online serialization. Kudos to you, gentlemen! Your efforts, methodology, and knowledge-sharing are worth every moment.

    Shout out to all other people who have expressed interest in the novel or have given me moral support during production throughout the years. Thanks!

    And finally, I thank you, the reader. For picking up this book and allowing its story to open a door to yet another world among the infinite horizon of our universe. May the stars shine upon your soul.