《Fire Elementals and Fighter Jets》


 Chapter 1: The Flying Princess

    With one brave leap Ingrid boarded the trolley as it groaned along on steel rails. The trolley was a recent addition to the seaside town of Wave Crest. The cobblestone streets had first been cut with the help of Stone Elementals, and then raw ingots had been shaped into tracks by Metal Elementals. At the time, Ingrid could not imagine the wealth required to bring those Elementals to her town. She had been a fool.


    She grabbed onto an empty pole and stood, hanging half over the edge of the trolley, and peered out on the festivities. At that moment the trolley was crossing a bridge, and below the bridge a steam engine roared, blocking the view with acrid smoke. Ingrid coughed and covered her eyes.


    In the center of the town square a live band played military songs while an Air Elemental amplified the sound across the entire town. Even as the steam engine clanked through the concrete channel below the bridge Ingrid could hear the tune clearly. As the trolley rounded the corner and began to follow the train tracks, soldiers with neat uniforms and rifles marched in lockstep through the streets. The homes on this side of town were tall and packed together. Painted white with brown trimming and pointy roofs, they were broken only by the occasional round turret at the top. Each home had a flagpole near the window to the attic, and the stripped blue-green-white flag of Taisia fluttered from each. Blue, green, and white confetti fell from the rooftops as children hurled handfuls down into the street.


    The trolley passed a beer garden, where soldiers and women with fashionable hats danced together under colorful umbrellas. The older gentlemen drank great tankards of bitter ale, and the older ladies drank grape wine as red as blood, imported from the Heylin Empire. Ingrid looked upon them with wonder. She had grown up in an orphanage, and more recently she lived in, and worked at, a bakery. She had never left Wave Crest, and the town had never hosted such a jubilee.


    Her astonishment was shattered in an instant as cute little airplanes, towing great Taisian flags, flew low over the town, carefully avoiding the billowing smokestacks to the north. The trolley was following them to the south, to the green pastures in the highlands across the river. There, below the towering white peaks, the farmers had been evicted and the land had been transformed into a military base for the Taisian Air Navy.


    The trolley reached the outskirts of town where it crossed one last bridge over a river and began to ascend into the pasturelands. An enormous airship, with great helium tanks in its core, and propellers spinning in all twelve quadrants, rumbled overhead. Far above the airship loomed two black storm clouds with a chasm of pure blue sky between.


    It was at that moment that Ingrid heard something impossible. Something that quenched the music of the bands in the town square, something that dominated the whirling propellers of the great airship. It sounded like a snake''s hiss, except the snake stood a hundred feet tall. A low-high rush, a dry wind through a narrow tube, the sound of the sea cut only by the crackle of a campfire. Far above, in the blue skies beyond the dark storm clouds, a tiny fleck of shining silver light glistened unseen by everyone on the trolley save for Ingrid. It vanished beyond the dark bluffs and went away for a time. The sound faded slowly.


    The trolley halted in a flat field filled with people. Ingrid needed to shove her way through to reach the rope barrier. One airship had landed across the field, and the grass had been painted with long white stripes in a line parallel to the airship. Tents had been placed all along this line, at some distance. Near the barrier there were mostly men. Plump men at that, with great bellies fashionably hidden under ornate vests. Many wore spectacles but all wore dark hats.


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    Suddenly there was a great cry and an even greater noise. So great that Ingrid dropped to her knees in front of the ropes and covered her ears. A swift white tube with stubby wings and a pointy nose flew overhead. It had a black tail fin and the likeness of some bird was painted in white on that black tail. The thing flew just a few house-heights above the crowd. It flipped over and spun playfully and then rocketed vertically into the dark clouds, vanishing from sight. The air was filled with the sound of torrent and fire.


    As the smaller airplanes landed in the field, Ingrid was sure to pay close attention to the sound of the white tube, and she was always the first to cry out as it approached, pointing her finger in the direction of its approach so that the others around her might see. Finally, after it had passed over many times, it crept down from the storm clouds one final time with smaller surfaces on the back of the wings pitched down, like a bird intending to strike prey.


    The belly of the bird opened up in three places, and long, silvery struts extended below the openings, ending in black wheels. The front strut was equipped with a brilliant light, probably a gas lamp. The struts gently compressed as the thing landed and skipped, like a stone on water, a few times before coming to a rest up on the grass field. There, it slowed and was met by a crowd of men who deftly dodged its approach but managed to seize the wings and halt its advance. Young children clambered over it and hugged the landing struts, fearful, just as Ingrid was, that its flight might have been a dream.


    When the glass canopy to the tube opened Ingrid was astonished, not for the first time that day, to find that the pilot of the machine was a tall woman with dark hair and a cacophony of gems in a golden lattice upon her chest. She also wore a leather helmet complete with brass-framed safety goggles. She waved to the crowd as often as she plucked children off the ground and kissed them. As she passed by, a great voice boomed across the empty field: "Hail Princess Natasha of the Heylin Empire! Commander of the White Ravens!"


    "The White Ravens," the woman said next, "are the demonstration squadron for the Imperial Air Navy. We will be performing our airshow acts in your city in just a few days!"


    The crowd began to cheer. Ingrid was stricken. She never thought that the pilot of that ivory bullet would have been a woman, let alone a foreign princess. But before her reason returned to her, the man''s voice continued: "Come, come! Join us! If you wish to fly like the Princess, come to join the Taisian Air Navy!"


    Ingrid followed the voice, as did many others. Armed soldiers vetted them, allowing Ingrid to pass. She presented herself before the recruitment officer, not a stone''s throw from the Imperial Princess, and declared her intentions.


    "I want to be like her!" Ingrid said, pointing to the Princess. "Can I fly too?"


    A graying man in a neat white uniform sat behind a fragile table in a wooden chair. He looked her over, estimating. "Ah," he said. "I only have a few questions."


    Behind him, a woman in a dark uniform held up a rectangular board covered in text. The recruiter pointed to it.


    "Please read to me the smallest text you can read on that board," the recruiter said.


    "Thus each Elemental Queen has a sister-self," Ingrid said.


    "Oh my, the smallest text. Ho Ho! And one more question, do you have any history of epilepsy?"


    Ingrid shook her head vigorously. "No, sir, I can''t say that I do."


    The recruiter nodded, then gestured to her to carry on past him. "Excellent! Welcome to the Air Navy!"

 Chapter 2: Takeoff

    After a brief exchange with the recruiter, in which he wrote her name down as "Ingrid Baker," she swore an oath of service to Taisia. She was quickly led across the field to a little airplane with a blonde woman standing beside it.


    She wasn''t much older than Ingrid, maybe a few years at most. Like the other pilots she wore a white shirt and a black skirt, sturdy boots, and a leather hat with goggles. She approached Ingrid with a warm smile. "I am Airman First Class Glenice," she said in somewhat accented Taisian.


    "I''m... Junior Airman Ingrid!" Ingrid replied.


    She thought that''s what they said her rank was. She must have been correct because Glenice nodded.


    "We are going to do a walk-around," Glenice said, patting the wing of her airplane.


    The cute little airplane was a lot bigger than Ingrid had guessed from a distance. It was like a squared tube that grew narrow towards the tail, with high wings supported by diagonal struts. Glenice reached up and started to manipulate the surface near the tip of the wing.


    "This is the aileron," Glenice said. "This is how we turn the airplane. The aileron on the opposite wing moves up when I move this one down. Notice that the stick inside also moves around when I move this."


    On the back of the airplane, there was a cross-shaped structure with a smaller pair of wings and a vertical fin. Glenice grabbed the surface on the smaller pair of wings and lifted it up.


    "This is the elevator. This is how we can aim the nose up or down. And here," she said as she grabbed the fin and twitched it side-to-side, "this is the rudder. It has a variety of uses. Mostly, you use it to stay straight when the wheels are on the ground, during takeoff and landing."


    Ingrid nodded. "Aileron and elevator. Turn or point up or down. Rudder on the ground. Got it."


    Glenice walked to the wing again and pointed to the surface that did not move, on the inside of the wing. It was clearly a separate piece of metal from the wing itself.


    "This is one of the flaps," Glenice said. "It goes up and down in tandem with the flap on the other wing. It changes the shape of the wing to increase lift at the cost of reducing speed. It is used to land, because we will want to be going slow when we land."


    Glenice opened the door to the machine and grabbed something from inside. She held it in her open hand towards Ingrid, a smooth, oval crystal only slightly smaller than her palm. It was a swirl of red and blue, as if two liquid resins had been mixed only slightly and then instantly hardened before the colors became indistinguishable.


    Ingrid gasped.


    "Take it," Glenice said.


    "But that," Ingrid said. "That is worth so much! Before today, I''ve only ever seen two Elementals in my entire life!"


    "The Air Navy leases these from the bank. And the bank is owned by House Nadiya. The Air Navy is also owned by House Nadiya. The bank sends us a bill. We add it to our budget. It''s just paper changing hands."


    She grabbed Ingrid''s hand and placed the crystal in her palm.


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    Ingrid admired it. Such a thing could be leased from the bank with paper krismarks. It took years to save enough money working as a baker to lease such a thing for a single day. Decades even. And the kirsmark as a currency was pegged to lease time.


    Hello mortal, a cool, feminine voice echoed in Ingrid''s mind.


    Ingrid flinched, dropping the stone into the deep grass.


    "You grow accustomed to it quickly," Glenice said, bending over to pick it up. "And they grow accustomed to you as well. In the early days they will tend to try and play pranks on you."


    "They?" Ingrid asked. "Who is trying to play pranks?"


    "The beings on the other side. In the Elemental Planes. This crystal is a contract that allows those beings to be summoned. Each Elemental Queen has a sister-self in a different Plane. The Planes are linked, you see. This crystal is the contract that can be used to summon either a Fire Elemental, or a Water Elemental. However, they are not sisters. Take it again."


    Ingrid took it, and once again she heard a voice.


    CONSUME. CONSUME.


    This time the voice was an angry hiss.


    Ingrid regarded the stone with suspicion. Glenice handed Ingrid a piece of paper. "Read this."


    "Fire, I invoke the ancient contract," Ingrid said slowly with a weak voice.


    The crystal began to glow. The air began to ripple. In front of Ingrid, to the side of Glenice, the ripples began to form into the shape of a tall woman. Her curved and naked form began to solidify. She had just the impression of a face, but other details of her body were indistinct. She began to glow orange and then develop texture. The colors fluctuated, from orange to darker red-orange, like a log left long in the fire.


    Who shall I CONSUME? the elemental hissed.


    "Go into the engine," Glenice said, pointing at the airplane.


    This again, the elemental said, resigned. Then, she began to flow into the airplane, through holes in the front of the engine. Then she was gone, and the propeller began to spin slowly.


    "Hop in," Glenice said. "Let''s go."


    The inside of the airplane was upholstered with leather. The seats were soft as if filled with down. Glenice sat in the right seat, with Ingrid in the left seat. There was a stick between Ingrid''s legs, which her long skirts needed to be lifted to accommodate. There were four pedals, two at each foot, one above the other. In front of Ingrid there was a console covered in a variety of circular gauges with needles inside, marked with numbers.


    "You have the commander''s seat," Glenice said. "I will give you instructions. Grab the stick with your left hand, and grab this knob with your right, but do not pull it out yet."


    She pointed to a black knob in between them.


    "Also put both feet on the upper pedals. The upper pedals control the brakes. You use your feet to steer on the ground at low speeds, and at high speeds you use the lower pedals. The lower pedals control the rudder."


    Glenice flipped a switch on the dashboard and the propeller began to spin very quickly. A lever between the two seats caused the craft to lurch forward along the ground slowly.


    "It''s moving!" Ingrid said.


    "Press both upper pedals," Glenice said.


    Ingrid did so. The movement stopped. With some effort, Ingrid began to practice moving the craft around on the ground. Relaxing one leg allowed it to turn, relaxing both legs allowed it to move forward. Compressing both pedals caused it to stop. Under Glenice''s direction, Ingrid drove the craft slowly across the field, to the far end, and rotated the nose to face into the wind, lined up with the long white line painted on the grass.


    "Press the brakes in all the way and then pull the knob all the way out until it stops," Glenice said.


    Ingrid pulled the knob out, and as she did so the propeller began to whirl violently. The nose began to drop, then the craft began to bounce in place.


    "When we start to move I will keep us straight using the rudders. Now, release both brakes."


    The craft shot forward. It immediately began to drift to one side, but then recovered as the rudder pedals moved on their own. Glenice must have been using her feet to control them. Faster and faster it went, and the ground below began to blur. The engine roared. Waves of heat-rippling air flowed from the two dark exhaust pipes on the sides of the engine cowl. The craft rattled and bounced on imperfections in the grass field. One of the needles rose rapidly until it was pointing to a slice of the gauge that was colored green.


    "Pull on the stick," Glenice said.


    As Ingrid pulled, the nose went up, and the ground dropped rapidly. It was not so much that she was flying, but that the space outside was going down.


    Ingrid was flying.

 Chapter 3: Flying Lesson

    "Turn left," Glenice said casually. "Continue to pull up on the stick slightly."


    Ingrid pulled the stick to the left side, and the airplane began to tilt, with the left wing dropping and the right wing rising. The ground was still dropping away rapidly, but the world began to rotate to the right. Soon they were facing the white-capped peaks in the distance.


    "Push right on the stick until the wings are level," Glenice said. When the wings were level, she said "every time you turn you do three things. Push the stick one way while pulling on the stick slightly so you don''t lose altitude. Hold the stick there until you want to stop, then push the stick to the opposite side until the wings are level."


    "Understood," Ingrid said.


    Glenice pointed to a gauge with two needles inside, one of which was moving more quickly than the other. "This is the altimeter. When this gets to three on the fat needle, turn left again." Then she pointed to the needle in the green arc. "This is airspeed. The green arc means we can fly. If the airspeed drops below the green arc, we will stall and the nose will drop on its own. If you keep pulling up during a stall, we fall out of the sky and die."


    Ingrid''s eyes went wide as she looked over at Glenice in the right seat. Glenice nodded.


    "I''m serious. If airspeed starts to fall you push down on the stick until it goes back up."


    The fat needle on the altimeter reached three, and Ingrid began to turn left as instructed. Then she leveled the wings. As they flew parallel to the airfield far below, Ingrid could see the top of the great airship that had landed. The entire top of the airship was a smooth, flat surface painted with white and yellow stripes. There were a few small airplanes parked on that flat surface.


    As they flew, Glenice asked Ingrid to repeat the principles of flight that she had learned so far. Ingrid''s answers were correct. "I''m surprised, I wish all my students were like you," Glenice said.


    "This is really easy," Ingrid said. "But I am guessing that I might panic if we fall out of the sky."


    "You are bright. I like you. What were you doing before you enlisted?"


    "I was a baker."


    "Can you read and write?"


    Ingrid nodded. "Yes, the matron of my orphanage taught us all how to read and write and do numbers."


    "How old are you?"


    "I''m not sure. My mother never told the matron how old I was when I arrived. I''m probably about eighteen or nineteen."


    "I can believe that," Glenice said.


    To the left, across the grasslands and past the town, the ocean was gleaming in the afternoon light. The angle of the sun was dropping. They turned left once again, and began to fly towards the ocean.


    "Do you have a special man?" Glenice asked.


    Ingrid shook her head vigorously. "No way. The girls I grew up with all got pregnant and now they have to work all day long to take care of their kids. And besides, I do not..."


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    "You do not... what?"


    Ingrid said nothing.


    "You do not like boys maybe? If that''s the case, then you''ll fit right in. Half the girls in the Air Navy are like that. They would rather sleep with each other. The other half are flexible. Even I''ve slept with a girl once. I don''t regret it."


    Ingrid blushed. "That''s private."


    "I don''t really think it matters much. So, is it true? Do you swing the other way?"


    "Yes," Ingrid admitted. "You must be from a big city, to be so comfortable talking about this with a stranger."


    "I''m from the Empire," Glenice said.


    "Oh! So that is why you have an accent," Ingrid said. "Wave Crest is a small town. Some of the people say mean things about me when I''m not there."


    "Well, now you can get away from them."


    As they flew over the town, Ingrid looked down upon it and saw it from the sky in great detail for the first time. She recognized every street, every building, as she had seen them all thousands of times, just not from this angle. She could see the aftermath of all the confetti falling onto the streets, and even the little umbrellas of the cafes. She could not hear the music from the town, however. In fact, the roar of the engine was not too strong.


    "How can we hear each other?" Ingrid asked. "The engine should be very loud, right?"


    Glenice held up a swirling crystal of turquoise and orange. "Air Elemental," she said. "I never dismissed it after I landed. You cannot see it, but it is blocking most of the sound from the engine. We would go deaf in just a few minutes otherwise. This airplane has a turbine engine attached to a propeller. It''s not as powerful as the turbines that the fighters use, and it doesn''t need to be. However, it is still quite loud."


    They passed over the shore and then flew out over the ocean. The water was blindingly bright in the spot where it reflected the light of the sun. The harbor was filled with steel warships with enormous guns. They each had a rope from bow to stern dotted with countless colorful flags.


    Out over the ocean, Glenice began to explain the relationship between pitch and airspeed. When climbing in altitude, the airspeed went down. When pointing the nose down and descending, the airspeed rapidly increased, and the throttle needed to be relaxed to compensate. Soon, Ingrid was changing altitude and controlling the throttle at the same time.


    "You are a natural!" Glenice said. "I don''t usually do this, but I''ll let you land the plane. Turn around and go back to the airstrip."


    They lined up far away from the airstrip, with the nose pointed down towards the white line in the middle. With the throttle pulled back to slow down, Glenice pointed to a lever between them with three settings. "Drop this down one notch," She said.


    The flaps on both wings began to drop slightly, the nose went up slightly and the airspeed went down.


    "Push the nose down slightly and then drop the flaps one more notch. Keep the airspeed constant right here," She said, pointing to a spot on the airspeed gauge below the green area.


    "That''s below the green," Ingrid said.


    "Yeah, but the flaps are down, and it''s still in the smaller white arc. Like I said, we will need to be going very slow to land."


    With all three notches of flaps down and constant adjustments to the throttle, Ingrid pointed the nose at the edge of the airfield.


    "Pull up on the stick at the last second and hover across the airfield. It is fine to float for a while, since this is your first time. Keep the nose pointed just above the airfield as you push the throttle all the way in slowly."


    As Glenice had warned, the airplane did seem to just float over the airfield for a while, before a loud horn sounded and the airplane dropped violently onto the ground. The shock of the bounce knocked Ingrid forward slightly. They went forward but were losing speed, and soon they were going slow enough to use the brakes.


    "Good enough landing I think. Use the throttle and the brakes again to take us over to where those planes are parked."


    As they drove across the ground, Ingrid said: "This is such a wonderful machine. So, so wonderful." She felt tears in her eyes, partly for the joy of flying, and partly for the loss of that joy while back on the ground.


    "They are cheap and very easy to make," Glenice said. "The metal is all shaped by a Metal Elemental almost instantly, and the other parts are mass-produced in factories. There is a factory in the Capital that can assemble twenty of this type of craft every single day. The rest of the factories produce fighters. They can make fifty fighter jets a day right now, but there are plans for more factories to bring that number up to two hundred."


    "Sounds like you will need a lot of pilots," Ingrid said.


    "You have absolutely no idea."

 Chapter 4: Vaska

    After three days, the usual training on the little airplanes ended. and Ingrid was taken through the morning mist to a fighter jet for the first time. It was quite tall, and there were two ladder-like pieces of metal hanging from a very long canopy opening. Like a long tube with a pointy nose and stubby triangular wings, it had a large mouth-like opening on the bottom and the usual cross-like configuration of surfaces on the back. It was painted bright white with a handful of blue and green stripes. There were four long tube-like things hanging from the wings, facing forward, each with a sharp cone at the tip. These tubes looked to have their own small fins on them.


    Princess Natasha was standing under the forward landing gear inspecting one of those tubes.


    Wait no, not Natasha, Ingrid realized. This woman had a mysterious sadness in her eyes and in her gait.


    She was younger than Natasha, and she did not wear the uniform of a pilot. Like Natasha, she wore a cacophony of different colored gems on a golden mesh about her shoulders, and her hair was the same dark-brown color, though cropped above the shoulders.


    Ingrid locked eyes with the woman for a moment, and the woman looked away.


    "Princess Vaska!" Glenice said. "What are you doing here?"


    "I arrived yesterday," Vaska said in a voice that sounded not unlike the rapid chirps of a shy female cat. "I wanted to observe the trainees directly. I don''t trust these idiot Taisians to not modify the results. They see everything as a chance to make propaganda."


    Her eyes glanced back at Ingrid.


    "No offense," she added.


    Ingrid gave Vaska her best, most heartfelt smile.


    "You speak the truth Princess Vaska," Ingrid said, and bowed as best as she could. She had never seen royalty before, let alone tried to bow to royalty. She didn''t know the proper way to do it. She must not have been far off the mark, because Vaska chuckled.


    "What do you know about the concept of truth?" Vaska asked.


    "Well," Ingrid said. How could she possibly reply to that question? She just said the first thing that came to mind: "I think that there are a lot of people who wear smiles on their faces even as they say mean things when you are away. I think acting like that is probably not the truth you are looking for."


    "To find truth in the negative, by finding what it is not?" Vaska asked, excited. "So you get it! You get it!"


    Ingrid was astonished by this outburst, and she must have shown it on her face because Vaska''s excitement vanished.


    "Sorry, I got excited and said the wrong thing again," Vaska said.


    "No, what you said made me happy."


    "Regardless, I have stolen too much of Glenice''s valuable time. I will stay silent and just observe from now on."


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    Glenice gave Ingrid not one but seven individual gems. There were no less than four of the red-blue gems, one of the turquoise-orange variety that could summon Air Elementals, and two solid black gems without any swirls.


    "Why do the black gems not have any swirls?" Ingrid asked.


    "OH!" Vaska shouted. "I forgot to ask you your name. Also, why are there only seven gems? Glenice, why are there only seven gems? And you left out the most important ones!"


    Glenice looked at Ingrid and waited. Her eyes seemed to say you answer first, this happens all the time, the Princess is indeed a scatterbrain.


    "My name is Ingrid."


    "It''s nice to meet you Ingrid!" Vaska said. "I am Vaska, and I''m not just a princess, I''m also an aeronautical engineer. There are tons of princesses in the world, but I bet you could fit all the aeronautical engineers in the whole world in a single airplane. A very small one at that."


    "Very true," Ingrid said. Vaska looked satisfied with herself.


    "Princess," Glenice said. "If there are usually additional gems given to pilots, I have not been authorized by my superior officer... to speak of such things in front of the students. It might just confuse them."


    "Nonsense," Vaska said. She plucked two gems off her shoulders and handed them both to Ingrid. "Here, take these. You can keep them. I''ll tell the banks to never summon them back to the Empire. They will wonder why I returned without them, after all."


    Ingrid was completely astonished. One crystal was a swirl of green and purple. The other was a pure black crystal like the others, but much, much larger. "Keep... something so valuable. Why?" She asked.


    "I can''t explain it," Vaska said. "Something feels wrong about this. These ones will help protect you as you fly. I promise!"


    There was a brief silence, broken only by Glenice saying: "There is one red-blue crystal for the engine, one for the hydraulics, and two that are used for the Ice-Two missiles. The turquoise-orange crystal is for the sound and oxygen in the cabin. The two shadow crystals are for the Dark-Three missiles."


    "Tell her about the two I gave her," Vaska said.


    "The commander..." Glenice began.


    "Tell her now." Vaska hissed. "I command it!"


    "Fine. The green-purple crystal is used to strengthen the body against G-forces. The large shadow crystal is used to summon an ocular demon, which is used for navigation in bad weather and at night, and also to warn against incoming missiles. Also, experienced ocular demons can give advice on how to avoid incoming missiles."


    "That all sounds very important," Ingrid said.


    "It is," Vaska said. "Wasting time training students without those crystals. Idiot Taisians. No offense."


    "Let''s just get started," Glenice said. She handed Ingrid a sheet of paper with seven commands on it.


    "Also missing the important commands," Vaska noted. "Ingrid, summon the green gem. You just need to say ''Life!''"


    "Life!" Ingrid said, and a swirl of green mist congealed in front of her. It was very tall, and looked something like a mix between a woman and a tree.


    Vaska pointed to Ingrid. "Strengthen her body against the forces of flight!" The green tree-woman dissolved into Ingrid, and then was gone.


    The large shadow crystal summoned a pair of large yellow eyeballs with red irises, each imbedded in a purple body shaped like an octopus. These little octopus-eyeball creatures just sort of floated around. Ingrid heard a pair of female voices speaking in tandem in her mind: Time to go flying?


    Ingrid was speechless.


    "Read the rest of them," Glenice said.


    "Fire, go into the engine!" A Fire Elemental formed and was sucked into the craft through the mouth-like opening on the bottom. "Water, provide hydraulic power!" An orb of water appeared, and that too was sucked into the craft through the air intake. "Wind, protect our ears and preserve a sea-level atmosphere!" A misty woman with a flute appeared and floated up into the cabin. "Water, hide in the inner missiles, and prepare to seek fire elementals!" Two women that looked like they were made out of ice appeared and vanished towards the wings. "Shadow, hide in the outer missiles, and prepare to hunt souls!" Two wolves made out of darkness appeared and then also vanished.


    "Alright, everything is ready," Glenice said. "Climb up and take the front seat. I''ll teach you how to fly a fighter jet."

 Chapter 5: The Fighter

    Ingrid sat in the forward of the two seats, with Glenice sitting behind her. The canopy came down and was locked in place with the pull of a heavy lever. In front of Ingrid the inside of the bubble-like canopy was lined with a support with three mirrors nailed onto it. Through these mirrors Ingrid could see behind the aircraft.


    "I will take off by myself," Glenice said. "Pay attention to what is different."


    Unlike the high-wing trainer with the propeller, the fighter had a nose-wheel that could turn, and did not rely exclusively on the brakes while on the ground. Glenice skillfully drove the craft out of its parked position and lined it up along the white line on the runway.


    "Flaps down one notch," Glenice said. Ingrid could not see the flaps drop, but she saw the lever drop one notch. "Up we go."


    The throttle went forward to full, but the brakes kept them in place for a second. When the brakes were released, the craft lurched forward. The rudder kicked in, and the nose stayed straight on the line. The grass of the field began to rush past in a blur. The nose pitched up and the ground dropped away. The ground rotated away below and the cloudy sky drifted into view.


    "Gear up," Glenice said. A large lever went up and there was a low rumble for a bit. The altimeter was spinning wildly, and the ground was dropping away fast in the mirrors. The parked airship soon appeared in the mirror, and shrank rapidly until it could fit entirely in a single mirror. In just a few breaths they had flown vertically ten-thousand feet into the sky. Even then the altimeter was accelerating upwards. Ingrid was pressed back into her seat.


    With some effort, Ingrid twisted her neck and looked out at the ocean. The hemisphere of her vision was rapidly expanding out over the water, and the town had become an indistinct carpet of grayish squares. The great battleships looked like toys. Even the mighty mountains looked like small ripples in a blanket after being kicked away at dawn. The engine hummed and hissed and a long trail of smoke was left in the wake of the craft, dominating the mirror above Ingrid''s head.


    Twenty-thousand feet. The nose began to pull down slightly, and they entered into a long arc over the mountains. By thirty-thousand feet the nose was almost at the horizon, however they were not level until thirty-five thousand feet. Beyond the mountains below there was a vast snowfield in the highlands between Taisia and Ayaru. The clouds were wispy and far apart.


    "Alright, grab the stick and turn left." Glenice said.


    Ingrid tilted the craft to the left. It just kept going mostly straight, even with the wings slightly tilted. "It won''t turn," Ingrid said.


    "Keep going until we are completely sideways, then pull up on the stick gently."


    Indeed, as Ingrid pulled the stick to the left side, the craft went completely sideways on edge but went straight ahead without turning. This was completely unexpected given that rolling the smaller airplane even slightly caused it to begin changing direction. When Ingrid pulled the nose up, then the craft began to change direction towards the sun. She continued the turn until the sun was hidden below the body of the aircraft.


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    "Level off, then it''s my airplane."


    With Glenice in control, the airplane flipped upside down rapidly and then the nose came up and pointed straight at the ground. They were descending fast, with the gauge reading tens of thousands of feet per minute. Then she pushed down on the stick, causing the airplane to return to a level position but still inverted. With a jerk of the stick the craft flipped over and they were flying straight again.


    The motions were very fast, however Ingrid saw the pattern right away. Rolling the craft only rolled the craft, it did not change direction. Directional changes came from pitching the nose while rotated in some way. This property applied no matter which way the nose was facing, even straight up or down.


    "Still my airplane," Glenice said. As they leveled off, she said "I am going to use the rudder."


    The pedal at Ingrid''s left foot shifted forward, and the nose drifted to the left rapidly before the world went mad. The wings rolled hard and the nose dropped up towards the ground as they almost inverted.


    "What happened!?" Ingrid asked.


    "Rudders are very strange," Glenice said as she recovered to face the horizon again. "The reason is because when changing direction using the rudder like that, one wing moves forward faster than the other. Moving faster means more airspeed, which means more lift, which causes the craft to roll. As the craft rolls, the rudder starts acting like an elevator which causes the nose to drop, but the roll will overshoot and the nose drops towards the ground."


    Ingrid imagined the sequence of events in her mind. Indeed, it made perfect sense. Pushing hard enough on the rudder could flip the aircraft upside down and face the ground at an angle.


    "The lesson that I want you to take away," Glenice said, "is that you probably should not kick the rudder unless it''s an emergency. The rudder causes a lot of non-linear interactions and it takes a lot of practice before you know when and how to use it."


    With that small lesson, Glenice had Ingrid practice a variety of motions. The fighter jet could easily roll all the way around so that the ground was the sky and then the ground once again, all in a near instant. At any point during that roll, the pitch could be moved up or down to move in almost any direction or orientation.


    When Glenice was satisfied with Ingrid''s understanding, they began to descend and return to the airfield. They had strayed very far away, out over the snowfields of the borderlands. As they descended, the airspeed began to increase dramatically. As they came closer to the ground, Glenice pulled up on the stick and they skimmed the air. The mountains, while still below them, were not so far as to seem small, but they rushed past in a blur. Small alpine lakes, snow fields filled with tiny copses of trees, a farmhouse with puffs of smoke escaping the chimney...


    "I am going to deploy the air brakes," Glenice said near the ground. "They are designed to dump airspeed as you approach for landing."


    Still the airspeed was extremely high, and it took the entire trip back to line up towards the airfield to dump the airspeed from descending thirty-thousand feet. Even with the flaps fully deployed they were traveling faster than the top speed of the smaller propeller-driven craft, and the air brake was still deployed. Just before the threshold to the airfield, they were flying faster than the top speed of the propeller aircraft, and they did not land so much as skip like a stone across water while simultaneously stalling the aircraft so the nose dropped. The metal of the craft rattled as they ground to a halt.


    "Alright," Glenice said. "Your airplane. Drive us back to the line, takeoff and land on your own. Good luck."

 Chapter 6: Sacrifices

    Ingrid woke to the sound of sirens. She kicked the blankets off and reached down under her bed for her clothes. All around her in the other beds women in various states of undress were doing the same. Ingrid stripped naked and fished for fresh undergarments. The other women were doing the same. There wasn''t a lot of privacy in this place even on a good day.


    "AYARU ATTACK!" the Air Sergeant yelled from the doorway to the vast tent. That beast of a woman. Ingrid shivered. "All airmen prepare for battle immediately!"


    A strange aircraft flew overhead as Ingrid ran out of the tent. It had a massive propeller at the end of each wing, and it was very loud. It was painted in a white and red livery decorated with the emblems of the Heylin Empire. It was escorted by no less than six fighter jets. They were flying north.


    The airfield outside the tent was filled with countless fire elementals, shining like candles in the murky twilight. The sky looked mostly clear, and the horizon was a blood red color between the peaks to the east. Ingrid could see her breath. Men were streaming out of the tent for the men who had been recruited in town. They were being prodded along by soldiers towards the Air Sergeant, who was organizing everyone into groups of four airmen.


    When it was Ingrid''s turn, she ended up standing behind Boris, the shoemaker''s son. The two other men looked familiar but she did not know their names. Boris turned slightly and whispered to her, "Ingrid, why do the soldiers look like they are going to shoot us?"


    Ingrid had not noticed. A glance at the soldiers confirmed what Boris said. The soldiers held their rifles with a firm grip and their eyes darted about uneasily. An officer approached, a well-built man with a mustache wearing a dark blue cloak over one shoulder and many tiny medals pinned to his chest in a square.


    "Lieutenant Cole, this group is ready," the Air Sergeant said as she pointed to the formation of airmen grouped into quads.


    "Airmen! MARCH!" the Lieutenant bellowed with a voice that could be heard in a hurricane. Nobody had practiced any marching yet, and Ingrid tried her best to just stay with her little quad without being kicked in the shins or stepped-on by the group behind her. He led them, escorted by half a dozen armed soldiers, across the airfield to rows of fighter jets parked in groups of five. They all appeared to have their engines already running.


    When the Lieutenant got to Ingrid''s group, Boris asked "Are they going to make us fly today? We''ve only had two days flying in these things!" The Lieutenant drew his pistol and pointed it at Boris.


    "Disobey a direct order and I will kill you now!" Cole screamed at Boris. The boy went pale. "Your gems are inside the cabin and the engines are already running. Cast the ladder away when you climb into the cabin, then wait for instructions from your Formation Commander. GO GO GO!"


    When Ingrid climbed into the cabin of her fighter, there were two small glass boxes that she did not recognize nailed onto the dashboard. They each had glowing magenta spheres filled with lightning-like tendrils. One of the boxes started talking.


    "This is your Formation Commander. You will follow my instructions exactly. Any deviation and I will shoot you out of the sky myself. Cast away your ladders and close your canopy."


    After Ingrid had locked the canopy, she reached into her pocket and grabbed the two gems that Vaska had given her. She discreetly summoned the two elementals, fortifying her body and acquiring the two little eyeball helpers that crawled up onto the dashboard. "What is this thing?" Ingrid asked, pointing to the talking box.


    That is a Colored Orb, a type of Thunder Elemental, the demon said with two female voices in harmony. It is linked to another and is capable of broadcasting sound.


    "Does it work both ways?" Ingrid asked.


    No


    "What about this one?" she asked, pointing to the second box.


    Likely a backup or maybe an officer with a higher rank.


    The Formation Commander gave them instructions to taxi the craft and line up for takeoff. He took off first, and then gave them instructions to take off and hold varying airspeeds once airborne, with a specific heading. As Ingrid was pulling back on the stick during takeoff, her little demon said: Your elementals are not bound to you.


    "Is that bad?"


    They are receiving instructions from another.


    "But the gems are right here," Ingrid said, pointing to a pouch inside a mesh at her side.


    Ah, that must be the purpose of the second box. To give specific instructions to specific Elementals on specific aircraft. The Elementals cannot drift too far from the gems, you see, or they will be dismissed. However they can still follow instructions from the person who summoned them or nearby people.


    "Can they follow my instructions?" She asked.


    Yes but the other pilots won''t know that.


    "Oh gods..." Ingrid said. "We aren''t soldiers, we''re sacrifices!"


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    That is likely. They will put you on the front to absorb missiles sent by the enemy.


    "What can I do?"


    Your first order of business is to dismiss all of your Elementals and then summon them again. This will not be a problem for most of them, however the Fire Elemental in the engine will be a problem if your commander notices that you have lost power. He will likely fall behind with the main force and send you ahead to die. After you are a little ways ahead you can do the swap.


    "Do you think he will really shoot us down?"


    Unlikely, he will want to save his missiles. He might command your Fire Elemental to explode. Other pilots will see the explosion and think he shot them down.


    "That makes sense. That''s why he went up into the sky first! He didn''t need to be behind us to kill us. He only needs his voice."


    The Formation Commander organized them into a line, the wings not too far apart, and commanded them to fly in a giant oval as the other jets took off to join them. They roamed around in the sky for a long time, and Ingrid wished she had been biologically correct before she left the tent.


    "Does this thing have a toilet?"


    Take your shirt off and pee on that.


    "What!?"


    The demon said nothing. It actually wasn''t too bad of an idea.


    When she was finished, she slid her sopping wet shirt down beside the seat and resumed her flight wearing just her bra. The cabin smelled like urine. She plugged her nose.


    Seeming to have noticed her discomfort, the demon said: You can have the wind elemental filter out the smell you know.


    All the other Formation Commanders must have left the ground already, because they were all organized into one giant line, three dozen fighters long. Then they changed heading to the south, and flew at full throttle. Meanwhile, Ingrid carefully dismissed and then resummoned all her Elementals with the exception of the one in the engine.


    They were far over the snowfields of the highlands when the Formation Commander ordered them to maintain their current speed and then fell back into a massive formation of fighters in the rear. She took the opportunity to dismiss the engine Elemental and resummon it. She lost speed rapidly, but was able to maintain some semblance of her former formation. They flew straight for a long time. Ingrid was somewhat bored.


    The enemy is just ahead, the demon said. They have launched missiles at your companions but none have targeted you yet.


    "I don''t see them!" Ingrid protested.


    Be prepared to defend.


    "What does that mean?!"


    They didn''t teach you how to defend? Oh, that actually makes sense... By defend, I mean you will need to roll inverted and then pull the nose up hard. Point the nose at the ground, fly down and drag the missile down into denser air. They are powered by chemical propellants which will eventually run out and they start to lose energy. They lose energy faster in dense air.


    "So what do I just smash into the ground then?"


    Before hitting the ground pull up hard and skim over the ground, less than a hundred feet above the ground at most. Try not to hit anything. Fly fast and make sharp, sudden changes in direction. The missile will likely overshoot and hit the ground instead of you.


    The maneuver made perfect sense to Ingrid. She imagined the motions she would make at each step of the process. She made mock motions with the stick.


    Boris suddenly exploded, instantly and without knowledge of his doom. She didn''t see the missile, but she saw the flash of his exploding airplane. The craft immediately lost all sense, and pitched about violently, like a paper tube thrown into a strong wind. The nose seemed to point in every possible direction in just a few fractions of a second, painting a trail of flames as it did so.


    A second fighter jet in her formation also exploded, with an identical result.


    "Dark-Three missile Elementals," the Formation Commander said, "pick souls to hunt and launch! Ice-Two missile Elementals, launch at the enemy and track their Fire Elementals!"


    All across the long line of fighter jets the missiles on the wings launched forward. All except for Ingrid.


    A Dark-Three has locked on to your soul. Defend now!


    Ingrid''s hands were shaking. Tears were welling up in her eyes.


    Defend now!


    She gritted her teeth and screamed through the gap, a guttural hiss. Then she repeated the motions she had imagined and mocked.


    Ingrid flipped upside down and made a very hard turn towards the ground. Pointing the nose straight down, her airspeed increased very rapidly as her altitude plummeted.


    It''s still tracking, keep going, the demon said.


    "Ingrid what are you doing!?" the Formation Commander screamed at her from the second box. "Fire Elemental, destroy the airplane! Destroy the airplane!"


    Nothing happened. Ingrid continued her descent.


    "If you survive this Ingrid I am going to make an example of you myself," the box said fruitlessly. As if he could intimidate her with the prospect of being killed while defending against a missile.


    It ran out of fuel and is flying using only its fins. It''s working, you should survive.


    She pulled the nose up and just barely skimmed the treetops of the snowfield. She lost all sense of direction and thought only of her next turn. Her fighter flew out across a frozen shore over a lake completely covered in a layer of snow.


    Turn now!


    She smashed the stick, causing the craft to tip over, and then yanked it back in the sharpest turn she could do. Nothing happened as she made a long arc above the lake.


    Then the surface of the lake behind her exploded. She could see the explosion in the mirrors above her head, and it sent a voracious crack across the frozen lake, tossing the snow and black water.


    She was alive, and still flying. She breathed heavily, hissing through her teeth with anger and fear. The lake gave way to hills and she was forced to gain altitude in order to avoid the snowy treetops.


    Sense returned to her, and she rotated her nose to point north, far away from the battle, towards her hometown.


    Leaving already? You have not fired your missiles yet. Your allies might try and shoot you down.


    "Then I will defend against those too," Ingrid said.


    Her hands were still shaking. She noticed for the first time that beads of a yellowish liquid were spattered on the inside of the canopy. Even her skirt was wet. She rolled her eyes.


    "I''m going home, and then I''ll desert. This is fun, but it''s not worth it. The banks will eventually summon these gems away and I won''t be able to fly anymore. So I might as well run away while I am still alive."


    Suddenly a massive turquoise flash consumed the horizon in front of her. She had to cover her eyes because it was so bright.


    Enemies in front of us, behind the main force! That... impossible! That''s a portal to the Elemental Plane of Wind! That should break the contract!


    "A portal?" Ingrid asked. "To another plane?"


    NO MOTHER NOOOOO!!!!!! the demon screamed.


    Ingrid was astonished.


    I DON''T WANT TO GO MOTHER!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!


    Then both eyes vanished. The plane was still flying fine, and the other Elementals had not abandoned her. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the large shadow crystal again.


    Except it was no longer a shadow crystal.

 Chapter 7: The Portal

    The crystal was a copper-white color, and it gleamed with an oily mother-of-pearl light. The light etched strange rainbows on the inside of the glass canopy. After an initial attempt to resummon the ocular demon, which failed, she tried a different approach.


    "Light! I summon you!"


    It probably should have worked. And indeed, it did seem to work. A small, child-like being made of pure-light manifested. She, and it was definitely a she, was shaped as if she was wearing a fluffy dress, though she was uniformly copper-white, as if the dress was a part of her being. Ingrid heard a voice in her mind, like windchimes: I can see the stars.


    Ingrid looked up at the canopy. She could not see the stars. The sun was already rising and even far before sunrise the twilight sky was pastel and unbroken.


    It has been many moons, tens of thousands of moons since I have seen the stars, it seems.


    "Who are you?" Ingrid asked.


    Mother speaks.


    The childlike being of coppery light contemplated in silence for a while. Ingrid was gaining altitude while maintaining airspeed. The snowfields of southern Taisia were growing distant. The mighty mountains below appeared to be little more than ripples on the bottom of a pond, viewed through a glassy surface. Undisturbed.


    The Light Elemental regarded Ingrid for a moment.


    We must close the portal.


    "We?" Ingrid asked.


    You were the only one they could agree on.


    "Who are they?"


    This seemed to disturb the little Elemental. She did not respond.


    You have contracts nearby, but I have not claimed them.


    This was absolutely not something that Ingrid considered to be a proper response to her question. "What contracts?" The Elemental pointed to the pouch of crystals behind the net near Ingrid''s thigh.


    Contracts.


    "You mean crystals?"


    Contracts.


    "What do you mean? Can you claim these crystals?"


    If you command, I will make it so.


    "Who has claimed the contracts now?" Ingrid asked.


    Deep underground, another of my kind. They could vanish at any moment. You are in danger. The vessel you occupy depends upon these contracts.


    The banks, Ingrid realized. The banks owned these contracts, that''s how they could summon the crystals away from people at the end of a lease.


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    "I do command, claim these contracts."


    It is done.


    Ingrid shivered. The banks would probably realize instantly that their contracts had somehow been accosted. But would they know it was Ingrid who did it? Who in the world knew she even had the shadow crystal that had suddenly transformed into a light crystal?


    Glenice.


    And Vaska.


    That must be it. Vaska had given the shadow crystal to Ingrid. Could she have known this would happen? Could she have intended this to happen? How would she have known about the battle just before, about the recruits being sacrificed to absorb missiles? This seemed unlikely.


    In spite of this, she somehow felt connected to Vaska. "The one who gave me your crystal is named Vaska," Ingrid said. "Do you know of her?"


    Dangerous.


    "What do you mean?"


    Mother speaks.


    Ingrid waited. The Elemental said nothing.


    We must close the portal. If you fail to close the portal, Mother has permitted me to kill you.


    "Kill me!?" Ingrid exclaimed. "Fine! Fine! Tell me how."


    There are six crystals in the Elemental Plane of Wind that allow the portal to continue to exist. You must allow me to claim those crystals, then dismiss the Elementals after you leave the Plane of Wind. This will cause the portals on both sides to collapse.


    That actually made perfect sense in a way. "So I have to go through the portal?"


    Yes.


    "How long do I have?"


    Ingrid was approaching the portal then. The enemy fighter jets had left to chase down the main force in the south. Most likely Lieutenant Cole would be dead soon. Not a great loss. The air was mostly clear, except for a giant airship that was lurching forward away from the portal.


    Toward the town of Wave Crest.


    Her question was answered as the airship began to drop something, a lot of somethings. They fell fast, into the streets where Ingrid had grown up as a child, upon the roof of the bakery where she had worked and made a living. The town erupted in light as stone and wood exploded into the sky in great red pillars.


    She had rolled slightly as she flew over the harbor to see. She pulled up on the stick to make a long arc over the water, her eyes transfixed by the town below. Her hometown, indeed the very building where she would have been kneading dough at dawn, had just been completely erased in fire and ash.


    She would have been doomed, whether she joined the Air Navy or not. She would have died this morning, in that instant. In that moment she wasn''t a victim of some Lieutenant''s schemes, she wasn''t a deserter from her duty to her nation. She was alive in spite of her fate, and she watched her fate play out with detached horror.


    There had been children on the roofs of those buildings just days before, throwing confetti down on the parade. Those children had been asleep.


    As long as you can tolerate, the Light Elemental said.


    Hands shaking once again, Ingrid said: "I will go inside."


    She rolled and pulled on the stick to begin to face the portal. Only the one airship had left the portal, and it was busy murdering everyone Ingrid ever knew. She was in the sky, they were not. She had a light crystal, they did not. And if anyone in the world could save anyone still alive, it was her.


    She pointed her nose at the portal and then accelerated, full throttle.


    "Do you know if there are enemies on the other side?" Ingrid asked.


    How would I know that?


    "What happened to my ocular demon?"


    Once again, no response.


    Something is wrong.


    "Yes I gathered that. If you can''t detect enemies, then what can you do?"


    I can claim contracts. I can also bring the contracts close to your being. I can tell when a mortal is lying or telling the truth. I can protect you from some physical harm, and I can kill some mortals who have malice against you. Mother tells me where the portals are.


    She was approaching the portal then. Through the dark, glassy opening in space, another world awaited. The sky beyond was black with turquoise clouds in the space where stars would have been. There was a single, massive turquoise moon that dominated most of the sky. Far below, there was a blanket of sand dunes, tiny like the ripples on the floor of some tide pool. All across the horizon there were great vortexes of spinning wind and sand. Castles, floating in the sky, loomed like needles on the horizon.


    Ingrid saw two fires floating in that void above the sand dunes. Faint and far away, but instantly recognizable by their shape and speed.


    Enemy fighters, in another world.

 Chapter 8: Dogfight in the Plane of Wind

    As Ingrid flew through the portal the nose of her fighter began to twitch and the airframe began to shutter. The airspeed indicator began to wobble chaotically, and her fighter was being tossed about. With effort she was able to resume some semblance of coordinated flight. The wind seemed to be changing directions rapidly, at least near the portal. As Ingrid got farther from the portal, the wind still changed directions but not as often.


    A bright turquoise light appeared in the mirrors over Ingrid''s head. She turned back to look at the portal. Three large glowing lights were arranged like a triangle around the portal, connected by a faint turquoise line of light shaped like a circle. The entire circle was rotating slowly.


    Those are your targets, the little Light Elemental said.


    "I wonder if I can sneak past them," Ingrid said as she eyed the approaching fighter jets with suspicion. "Maybe they will think I am one of their allies and ignore me."


    No, they will have the aid of ocular Dark Elementals. They have keen eyes and they will see that you are an enemy.


    "Which means that they are going to start shooting missiles at me any minute," Ingrid said.


    Ingrid did her best to point the nose at the sky and gain altitude in spite of the constant struggle against the wind. Turning her neck to eye the fighter jets as she went, she noticed that they too were struggling to fly straight. However, they had noticed her and had changed directions.


    The sky straight above was dark and filled with strange, distant clouds colored teal and cyan, with a hint of magenta in places. Even the moon was closer than those clouds. All along the horizon tall towers rose from flying castles. Those castles must have been flying very high, because from this vantage Ingrid could still see the underside of the eroded islands of rock that supported those castles. She checked her altimeter.


    It read zero. She was at sea-level.


    Indeed as she flew up and up the altimeter never budged. It barely wobbled. In fact Ingrid was expecting the airspeed to drop as she gained altitude, because the air should be thinner.


    "Does this place have gravity?" Ingrid asked.


    The matter and beings here are not subjected to gravity as such. The Queen of this Plane decides what the rules are. However, you and the objects you have brought with you are still subjected to the laws of physics in the general sense.


    "Could I speak with the Queen? Ask her for help in closing the portals?"


    Do not speak to the Queen, it is forbidden by the contract.


    "What contract?"


    No response.


    "Why don''t you answer my questions?"


    You must close the portals.


    Useless. Ingrid looked down at the enemy fighters. They were beginning to try and climb to reach her. An idea occurred to her. She flipped upside down and pointed her nose so that she would pass straight over the nose of the two fighters, but at a much higher altitude.


    As she predicted, they began to fire missiles at her. Most likely Dark-Three missiles, tracking her soul. These missiles were tossed about in the wind, and began to lose energy as they struggled to stay straight. The air had the same density everywhere, so being at a high altitude was strictly better because the missiles were still subjected to gravity. She didn''t need to drag them down to the ground where they would gain energy as they fell.


    One of the fighters seemed to notice this, because the pilot did not fire any more missiles. The second fighter launched a second missile, but by then the first pair of missiles had stalled out and had stopped tracking Ingrid, flying off into the violent winds instead.


    "Left-side Dark-Three" Ingrid said.


    WHO SHALL I HUNT? The voice in her mind was a mix between the rasp of an old woman and the snarl of a wolf.


    "Target the soul of the closer pilot."


    YES YES HUNT KILL.


    "Right-side Dark-Three, target the pilot in the other fighter."


    WHOOOOOO


    "Dark-Three missiles launch!" That is what the Formation Commander had said. It must have been the correct command, because both missiles left the rail simultaneously. They rocketed down at the two fighters. The pilot that shot the second missile tried to begin defending, but must have been in a bad position because the violent motion caused him to rotate like a top while still being flat. The effect gave Ingrid the impression of a falling leaf.


    "Gods," Ingrid said. With that motion, there was no air flowing over the major control surfaces. The wings would be producing no lift. That machine was a tomb. Even if the missile completely missed, the pilot would be killed when the aircraft hit the ground.


    The second pilot must have been more experienced because he managed to defend better. His motions were more nuanced and ultimately more effective. He was reading the direction of the wind and flowing with it.


    The unfortunate fighter falling in a flat spin exploded as the Dark-Three missile impacted him. His fire Elemental burst into a fireball and the airplane disintegrated into large chunks of flaming metal. The debris left long trails of black smoke as it fell towards the sand dunes below.


    Ingrid shivered. She had just killed somebody for the first time. Even though it was far away, even though it was just a faceless fighter jet in the distance, there was another person in there. Maybe a young man like Boris, or even a young woman like herself.


    To kill another is never right, but in this circumstance you were not unjustified, the Light Elemental said.


    The other fighter simply ran away for a little bit and the violent winds knocked the missile around too much to track him for long. Eventually the Elemental gave up and the missiles listed to the side, rudderless.


    That pilot was going to be a problem. He still had at least one Dark-Three missile, and possibly some Ice-Two missiles as well. The enemy fighters might be equipped with more missiles than the fighters in the Air Navy. Ingrid wasn''t sure. She was still much higher than him.


    "Do you have any advice for how to beat him?" Ingrid asked.


    I do not. These flying machines have the touch of Metal Elementals, but these did not exist in the time when I was awake.


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    Ingrid wanted to know more about what it meant to be "awake" but she knew that the Elemental would just go silent, so she dropped the thought. She still had both Ice-Two missiles. What had the Formation Commander said? Ingrid thought she remembered him commanding the Ice-Two missiles to track enemy Fire Elementals. That would mean the engines.


    She wondered if she could dismiss her Fire Elemental the instant the enemy fired their Ice-Two missiles, if they even had any. For all she knew the missiles operated on completely different mechanisms. Her training in the Air Navy had been useless. Were the Taisians even informed of enemy tactics by the Empire? Did the Empire even care to share their information?


    It became clear from the way the other pilot was flying that he was much more experienced than Ingrid, and this realization snapped her out of her mental digression. He was dutifully climbing to reach Ingrid''s level, and he was patient enough to not get baited into pointing his nose at her and launching a missile. Ingrid tried to climb as well, but the other pilot was slowly gaining on her.


    Ingrid realized that it would be a mistake to be anywhere in front of the enemy fighter jet. The best place to be would be behind it, where the missiles would not be able to turn sharp enough to reach her. She figured it wasn''t too complex of an idea: don''t be in front of the thing trying to kill you. It would have been nice to have thought of it sooner, because as she tried to maneuver her fighter in relation to her enemy, the other pilot was able to predict her motions and move in relation to her as well.


    This isn''t working, the Light Elemental noted.


    "What can I do?"


    Anything except what you are currently doing is probably better than continuing.


    She tried to think about what the other pilot would be thinking. He knew he was a better pilot, and he seemed to be patient enough to not lob missiles at her as he tried to get in position. He must be thinking something like: don''t make any mistakes, wait for this inexperienced pilot to make mistakes and then punish those mistakes.


    What could she do against that? What advantage did she have?


    Wait.


    "How far away can you bind crystals?" Ingrid asked.


    Not too far. In your terms, maybe twenty feet away at most.


    If she flew straight at the other pilot, but just barely dodged impacting him, she might be close enough to bind his crystals and then dismiss his elementals. Without an engine he would stall out and without hydraulics he could not control the plane. Then, he would likely fall out of the sky and eventually crash.


    The other pilot didn''t know she could do that. The other pilot would assume that she had some other purpose, something that made sense given his training and experience. What was that training and experience? How do fighter jets even fight? It was such a basic question that in retrospect could have been easily answered by Glenice.


    The other pilot was not shooting at her from below. Maybe they were afraid they would run out of missiles if they kept trying. Maybe, if she went straight over his nose and then dove straight down at him, maybe he would try and loop around and shoot down at her for a guaranteed hit.


    He was getting close. There wasn''t much time. She let him get behind her to some degree, while still keeping an eye on his wings in the mirrors. He continued to be patient. This also wasn''t working, she couldn''t find an opportunity to flip over and face him.


    Something needed to change.


    Ingrid looked out at the wings. Her airplane continued to vibrate and shutter in the wind. The missiles on the wings were also vibrating slightly. They were just weight, just drag on the wings slowing her down. They were not going to help her against this enemy, especially since she wanted to be high above him.


    "Both Ice-Two missile Elementals, target the enemy Fire Elemental and launch now! No questions!"


    The missiles left the rack but did not shoot very far forward, instead they drifted off to either side and vanished from sight as they attempted to loop around. Now her wings were clean. The other pilot would know this and not fear her any longer. They would be patient. Probably.


    Or Ingrid would be dead.


    The extra maneuverability was small, but the loss of weight was noticeable. She ascended a little faster, and found it easier to stay away from the enemy nose. Her missiles must have given up because the trails of flame stopped tracking the enemy fighter and just kept flying straight until they flamed out.


    She was far above the portal now, and the three glowing orbs of light were distant and faint. She had flown over the base of the castles in the distance, but the needle-like towers still dwarfed even her formidable altitude.


    The enemy fighter tested a missile. Ingrid twisted and flew up and away. The enemy was much closer but still the missile seemed to be moving slow enough to see, and the violent winds were interfering with it. It was still tracking, however.


    No time.


    "Fire Elemental! I dismiss you!"


    Ingrid kicked the rudder.


    The missile stopped tracking her, and the violent motion of the rudder caused her to dodge it as it flew past her where she had just been. It must have still had some proximity sensor of some kind, because it exploded. Ingrid heard the sound of metal striking her aircraft. Her controls stopped working.


    Leaks in the hydraulic pipes, the watery voice of her Water Elemental said in her mind.


    Ingrid''s hands were shaking on the controls. Involuntarily, she pissed herself again. She didn''t care. There wasn''t time to care, she was going to be transformed into a fireball. She looked at the enemy fighter as it flew straight at her, nose on. Almost close enough to ram right into her.


    "Get ready!" Ingrid screamed. "Claim his contracts and explode his Eire Elemental!"


    He rocketed by, just barely missing Ingrid''s fighter by a few feet.


    It is done, the Light Elemental said.


    Pale blobs of light, as bright as the sun, flashed in the mirrors. It was quiet. There was only the sound of the wind violently tossing the aircraft about in the sky.


    Ingrid breathed. She wasn''t dead. At least not until the ground came up and hit her.


    She had left the controls in a relatively neutral position after kicking the rudder. Even without hydraulics the airplane was still moving forward in a long arc towards the ground. However, Ingrid was losing airspeed. One thing she did not want to happen was for the motion of the wind to knock her into a flat spin. She summoned the Fire Elemental inside her engine and started fiddling with the throttle. Too much power, or too little, and her direction began to change. With some effort she was able to adjust the nose to counteract changes in the wind, though only slightly, just from the thrust of the engine. She wasn''t spinning, but she was still flying almost straight toward the ground.


    You have Metal Elementals, chimed the voice of her Light Elemental. The little glowing girl made of light pointed at one of the two boxes that contained Lightning Elementals before she dismissed them. I can sense the contract.


    Oh, right. The same crystal can be used to summon either Metal or Lightning Elementals. The dark and light crystals seemed to be the only exception to this.


    "Metal, I summon you! Inside the airframe!"


    What metal shall I shape? a voice like grinding gears hissed in her mind.


    "Can you repair the hydraulic pipes?"


    Pipes, pipes, broken pipes. Metal shards everywhere. Yes, holes in the pipes. I can fix them.


    The airplane continued to list onward, the controls dead. The ground was rushing at her. In the mirror Ingrid could see the long flaming trails of wreckage from her enemy.


    Pressure is restored, the Water Elemental said.


    Ingrid pulled hard on the controls to bring the nose up. Then she sobbed. Hot tears rushed down her face. It felt so good for the controls to work. "I could have died, over and over again today. How, how do people live like this?"


    The area nearby was empty, though Ingrid could see no less than a dozen airships in a long line in the distance, black shapes silhouetted against the bright turquoise moon. Hundreds of tiny specs surrounded those shapes.


    "No," Ingrid said. "No more fighting today. I will not go over that way."


    You must close the portal.


    "If I claim these three crystals, will this portal close?"


    No response.


    You must close both portals.


    She ignored this comment. Instead, she flew in a large circle around the portal, inverted at the top, and claimed all three of the crystals. As she flew back through the portal to the other side, the air instantly became calm.


    "Dismiss the elementals," she commanded.


    The portal shimmered, then began to violently undulate and sputter with turquoise sparks. The turquoise light grew and grew, and the surface of the portal cracked. The individual shards of the portal shrank, then fizzed out. It was gone.


    Off, over the town, two airships were locked in battle. The Air Navy had arrived. A fighter jet pulled up alongside Ingrid. Her heart skipped a beat. However, it had the white, blue and green paint scheme of the Taisian Air Navy. The pilot inside regarded her. She did not recognize the pilot. However, she dropped back and followed him. He seemed to be moving away from the enemy airship.


    Her hometown was almost completely destroyed. Thousands of people lined the docks, frantically trying to board the armored ships. Humans packed into tiny boats.


    No time to mourn. She wanted to be far away from the fighting.


    The other fighter led her across the countryside. A second Air Navy airship loomed on the horizon, protected by dozens of fighters.


    Safety. Probably.

 Chapter 9: The Captain

    Ingrid followed the friendly fighter in a very long hook through the sky, lining up far behind the airship. Ingrid deployed the air brakes and flaps, allowing the other pilot to pull far ahead. When he got close, he also deployed his flaps and slowed down, following behind the airship albeit traveling much faster. The runway on the roof of the airship was quite long, about as long as the airfield on the ground where she had practiced.


    After the other pilot left the runway, Ingrid lined up and accelerated, following the airship. The higher altitude, thinner air, and lower airspeed was compensated by the fact that the airship was moving forward also. She performed a relatively standard landing, as she had practiced with Glenice. This seemed to confuse the crew on the deck. Men ran around wearing brightly-colored vests and holding batons in their hands. She didn''t understand the signs they were making with those batons, but she assumed they wanted her to pull off the runway and park.


    She stopped awkwardly, dismissed the Fire Elemental, and opened the canopy. Soon soldiers arrived with a ladder and hooked it onto the open canopy.


    "You are in violation of protocol, soldier. Who is your Sergeant?"


    Ingrid was trying to cover up as best as she could. The soldier regarded her.


    "I don''t know," she replied. "I was serving under Lieutenant Cole. He might be dead."


    "Stay here."


    After a while a second soldier appeared. A woman. She handed Ingrid a fresh shirt.


    "Come with me," she said.


    Ingrid grabbed her sack of crystals, awkwardly climbed out of the fighter, and even more awkwardly climbed down the ladder. She hoped that nobody was looking at her too closely. She tried to adopt a shy, uncertain gait as she followed the woman. A few glances around the deck told her that nobody was really paying attention to her. The little Light Elemental floated nearby.


    They cannot see me, the Elemental said in Ingrid''s mind.


    Inside the airship the hallways were more restricted. The woman led Ingrid to a series of narrow hallways. There were oval bulkheads spaced out that required a bit of a hop to fit through. Soon these hallways were lined with bunks, and at the end there was a long, tiled room with a row of showers along the wall. The soldier opened a compartment on the wall and took out a bar of soap, handing it to Ingrid.


    "Can I have some privacy?" Ingrid asked.


    "I''m going to get your new uniform. Hurry up, but stay here."


    Ingrid spilled her gems on the tiles below her and began to shower, allowing the soapy water to pour down over them. She hid the light crystal in her closed palm. When the soldier returned she regarded the gems and said: "Leave those here. Get dressed."


    After putting on a shirt, Ingrid hid the light crystal in the chest pocket.


    The woman led Ingrid through the bulkhead-lined hallways once more, to a stairwell that spiraled up and up. Ingrid passed a window and could see the deck just below her. The stairs continued to spiral above, however. When they reached the top, the soldier led her through a short series of hallways to a large, ornate door.


    "In here," she commanded.


    The room beyond the door was somewhat dim, though lit with the pale light of large, circular clock-like devices. A man in a stiff uniform sat in a tall chair, black wood gilded with gold filigree. Another man, possibly the pilot that Ingrid had seen, stood at his side. A few other men stood in the room in front of consoles covered in gauges. Those gauges had a variety of red and black markings behind the needles. One wall was lined entirely with round portholes. A few brass tubes penetrated up through the floor, ending in horn-like openings, and large telescopes were mounted on poles. There was a large black steering wheel, like the ones found on old wooden ships. A man stood holding the wooden pegs, peering out through a porthole into the open sky.


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    "You are dismissed," the man in the chair said, gesturing to the woman. She left. "What is your name and rank?" the man asked.


    "Junior Airman Ingrid."


    "Junior Airman Ingrid, I am the Captain of this vessel. Please follow me. Both of you." He pointed to the other pilot.


    The Captain led them both around a bend to a second, large door. This door opened to an unoccupied room. There was a large, square table in the center of the room, covered in tan paper charts. There were a few cushioned chairs surrounding the table.


    "Have a seat," the Captain said. When they were seated, he said: "Did you see the portal close?"


    "I closed it, Captain," Ingrid.


    "Please describe how you closed the portal," he said. "In fact, describe in detail everything that happened once you entered the portal."


    Do not reveal the true method, said the voice of the Light Elemental in Ingrid''s mind.


    Ingrid told the story of the two fighter jets. She changed the story slightly, claiming that both fighters were destroyed by Ice-Two missiles, and did not mention firing Dark-Three missiles at them. Then she explained the floating crystals slowly rotating around the inside of the portal. She claimed that there were workers riding on those crystals, and she was able to target those people with her Dark-Three missiles. After destroying two of the crystals, the portal began to collapse. Finally, she explained in detail what it looked like inside the portal, with the sand dunes, floating castles, the giant turquoise moon, and the enemy airship fleet.


    The Captain asked her to explain it all again. So she explained it all again, adding more details about the Plane of Wind, including the shifting winds and the nebulous clouds in the space beyond the moon.


    The Captain turned to the other pilot. "This corroborates what you said."


    "Yes Captain, I saw her fly into the portal with four missiles and I saw the burning wreckage of at least one enemy falling across the face of the portal as I was flying near it. When she left the portal, it collapsed. Her description of the inside is perfect, sir."


    The Captain nodded. Then he pulled out a pistol and shot Ingrid.


    Light. Brilliant, brilliant light filled the room.


    Malice


    Ingrid had instinctively raised her arms, as if she could block a bullet, the instant she saw the gun pointed at her. The bullet however never reached her, instead hitting a barrier of golden light that manifested in between her and the Captain.


    Malice


    A ghostly figure appeared, standing on top of the table, made from a pale yellow mist. It was the shape of a woman wearing heavy armor, holding a tower shield and carrying an enormous sword in one hand. The Captain looked horrified.


    "No, impossible," the Captain said. He was breathing hard. "The medals! The medals should be mine! The first confirmed kill in another world!? The honors should be mine! Not... not some commoner!"


    The Elemental stabbed the Captain in the face with the sword. He went limp instantly. Where the sword had struck, the skin was glowing with a brilliant light, as if the Captain''s insides were made of some other plane of existence, spilling out into the world. This light began to spread, consuming his body. The other pilot panicked and ran for the door.


    Malice


    With a lightning-fast swing of the sword the other pilot also collapsed. Once again the light consumed his body. The Captain, now almost completely made out of glowing golden mist, disintegrated. The body vanished completely, leaving only a spattering of gems on the ground. A similar fate awaited the pilot.


    Ingrid stood in an empty room filled with charts. Eyes wide, she pointed to the table.


    "Can you summon my crystals here?" she asked.


    After a pause, beads of light appeared across the table. They grew, taking on the shape of her crystals. Then the light faded, leaving her crystals behind. She picked up the Captain''s crystals as well, and pooled them into a pile in the center of a chart.


    "Bind them all to me," she said.


    It is done.


    She grabbed the chart by the corners and lifted them, spinning them together to make a makeshift bag for all the crystals. She calmly opened the door and walked, unescorted, back through the room with the ship''s wheel. Nobody seemed to notice her, or the bag of crystals by her leg.


    Find another machine, fly to the other portal. Close it.


    As Ingrid wandered through the narrow halls, almost tripping on bulkheads, she muttered: "these are horrible people!"

 Chapter 10: The Civilians

    Just above the deck level, Ingrid looked out through the windows of the stairwell. She scanned over the airplanes. White, blue, and green. There were fighter jets, and smaller, high-wing planes with propellers, but only a few. It was a longshot, but maybe there would be one of those red and white airplanes that she saw at dawn, the one with the giant propellers. Maybe the Imperials would know where Vaska had gone.


    "Are you looking for something, soldier?" a deep voice asked. A tall man with a trimmed beard approached her from the stairwell.


    These are horrible people, she thought.


    "I''m looking for any Imperial Aircraft," she said, honestly.


    "I was just going to see the Captain. Excuse me."


    Horrible people under a horrible Captain?


    "Captain''s orders," she lied. "It involves the first confirmed kill in the Plane of Wind, or something. He said to keep quiet about it."


    Remarkably, the man nodded. "Follow me."


    He led her through the narrow passages again down to the deck. Then, he led her down to the back of the ship, to the blind spot that she could not see from the window. The aircraft that awaited them was silvery, pure metal, no paint at all. It was like the airplane that she trained on, with high wings supported by struts. However, instead of a single propeller in the front, it had two propellers mounted on pylons built into the high wings. It was also larger, and had a giant open door. Half a dozen men, in civilian clothes, waited inside.


    "Soldier," the man said. "Excuse me."


    One of the civilians approached her. He was wearing tan trousers and a black leather jacket, with a brown leather helmet and pilot''s goggles.


    "The Captain sent me," Ingrid said. "You are with the Empire?"


    "Technically we are civilians right now," the man said. "If the enemy finds out we were here, then there is a paper trail that explains things. Spies exist, after all."


    Ingrid was deeply confused. These people were Imperials, pretending to be civilians. The man leaned forward and began to whisper.


    "Technically if anything happens, we would be criminals, you see. It wouldn''t be military aggression by the Empire. Just some civilians breaking the law."


    That made sense. She reached into her paper bag filled with gems, and looked for gems that she could not recognize. Those ones most likely belonged to the Captain. She handed them to the civilian.


    His eyes went wide.


    "There are quite a lot of crystals," the man said. "More than the regular fighter pilots carry around. My name is Vladimir. You must have important business to be carrying these around casually. What did the captain want?"


    "He needs you to take me to Princess Vaska," Ingrid said.


    "What the hell? That doesn''t sound right at all. Nobody in the Taisian Air Navy knows about Vaska except..."


    He went silent.


    "Except who?" Ingrid asked.


    "Except, you need to piss off," the man said. "I don''t like talking to liars."


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    "Wait! Wait!" Ingrid insisted. "I saw an airplane this morning, it had two huge propellers and it was painted white and red. Do you know where that plane was going? Was Vaska on that airplane?"


    "You have no idea what you are talking about. An airplane like that was not flying in Taisian airspace today. I can prove it."


    "What is taking you so long?" A familiar feminine voice asked. Glenice, wearing civilian''s clothes, and with her long blond hair in braids, stepped out of the little airplane onto the deck. "Ingrid!?"


    "Glenice? Wait, why did you not fly out with Lieutenant Cole?"


    "I had the Marines come and extract me," Glenice said, "in a tilt-rotor. However they didn''t want to be seen over the ocean in daylight with that livery, so they abandoned me here, then I swear to the goddesses, they parked the thing in a barn. I had to call in these civilians."


    "Is that something you want to be telling this woman?" Vladimir asked.


    "This woman is of special interest to Vaska I am afraid," Glenice said. What did that mean?


    "Vaska! Please take me to Vaska!" Ingrid said.


    "Fine, hop in. No, stand down Vladimir. Let her fly with us."


    Do not listen to this one. She is lying. Vaska is very dangerous. All of the Great Houses are very dangerous. Turn back now.


    Ingrid hesitated for a second.


    She regarded Glenice. Everyone today has betrayed you so far, she thought. Her mind raced. Vladimir watched her carefully.


    "Glenice," she muttered, "I''m afraid."


    "I assure you Ingrid," Glenice said. Her voice was soft and sincere. "Once we get to Vaska, she will take very, very good care of you. I promise."


    Ingrid reluctantly climbed into the aircraft and strapped herself into one of the seats. The seats were made from white leather and the straps appeared to be made of a very dense black cloth, almost like the harness inside a fighter jet. Men shuffled inside with their rifles. It was cramped, but at least Ingrid smelled nice.


    The men with the colorful vests and batons on the deck led the airplane as it moved along and lined up for takeoff. It was loud at first, but the civilians quickly summoned air elementals to reduce the sound.


    "Who are you really?" Ingrid asked.


    "I told you I''m from the Empire," Glenice said.


    She glared at the woman. "These men are also Marines? Maybe?"


    "We are all Imperial Marines," Glenice said.


    "Well, we were Marines," Vladimir said. "Now we are civilians. Technically."


    Ingrid had no idea what Marines were. Apparently they were burly men who took on false identities in foreign lands and made very good actors. She suspected there were probably some boats involved, and maybe some fighter jets. And maybe some local lawyers.


    "And now technically I am an Airman in the Taisian Air Navy," Glenice added.


    The airplane lined up and the engines roared. A pair of jet engines with propellers attached made a lot of noise, and even through the sound barriers Ingrid needed to plug her ears. The craft lurched forward and almost immediately began to leave the deck. A very short takeoff indeed.


    First they flew over farmland, then the coast, and then the open ocean for a very long time. With a very discrete request, she was introduced to a truly modern marvel. The aircraft had a latrine, complete with a mechanism that used pressurized water to flush the waste away. Brilliant!


    She had been awake since before dawn, and it was after midday. Ingrid was tired, though she didn''t want to wake up to these Marines trying to murder her and end up getting themselves dissolved into a flash of light. She might actually have to go learn how to land this airplane, and she didn''t know where Vaska was.


    Why do you delay? the Elemental asked.


    "I would rather go into the Plane of Wind with a bunch of fighter jets, rather than just one for myself," she whispered. This seemed to satisfy the Elemental.


    Far over the ocean they flew, until they began to descend. Ingrid felt the descent immediately, even before the engines began to lose power. After a long time the flaps on those long, wide wings began to tilt down and the drag increased. The engines became even louder at slow speeds.


    Ingrid perfectly predicted the moment of impact from her experience landing. She did not predict the intense noise of the propellers just after, not the extraordinarily rapid halt that caused her to lurch forward in her seat.


    When she stepped outside the ground was swaying. She was at sea, on a ship, with a landing strip on the deck. It was probably too short to land a fighter jet, however the high-wing aircraft seemed to manage the landing just fine. At one end she saw what she was looking for. It was a red and white airplane, except the engines and massive propellers were at the end of the wing. Strangely, those massive propellers were facing up, not forward. Ingrid realized that the entire pylons must rotate, allowing the craft to take off vertically, then use the same huge propellers to generate thrust and therefore lift under the wings.


    She had seen that craft at dawn. Or at least she had seen one exactly like it, but Glenice said it ended up in a barn.


    "Vaska is here now," Glenice said. "I''ll lead you to her."

 Chapter 11: Light Crystal

    Inside the ship was very similar to the interior of the airship. Narrow hallways with frequent bulkheads, pipes running along the ceiling, and the occasional porthole. The difference was that everything moved so much as the ship tossed about in the ocean.


    They found Vaska alone in a small office. She appeared to be sketching some type of engineering diagram.


    "You!" Vaska said when she looked up and saw Ingrid. "I remember your face! You are Ingrid! Glenice told me you wanted to speak to me."


    "I will excuse myself," Glenice said with a slight bow. Then she turned on one heel and continued on her way down the narrow hallways.


    Ingrid offered the Princess the crystal with her hands cupped to hide it. She opened them just enough for Vaska to see. "Close the door," Vaska said. The firmness of her command clashed with her cat-like voice. With the door closed and Ingrid seated at the table, Vaska held out her hand. "May I see it?"


    Ingrid handed Vaska the light crystal.


    Dangerous, the Light Elemental complained.


    "Can you make it so that she can see you and hear you?" Ingrid asked. Vaska looked a little puzzled.


    If you command.


    "I do command."


    Vaska must have seen the little Light Elemental appear, because her face betrayed shock.


    "This isn''t like any Light Elemental that I have ever seen before in the bank vaults," Vaska said. She inspected the crystal. "Where did you get this?"


    "You gave it to me," Ingrid said. "The dark crystal you gave me transformed into that. It''s yours."


    Vaska shook her head. "Clever, so clever." She handed the crystal back to Ingrid. "Ingrid, if I walked down that hallway with that crystal in my hand it would probably just summon itself back to you. You don''t understand how light crystals work do you? You probably don''t even know just how powerful you are because you possess this."


    "I don''t know anything," Ingrid said.


    "What caused it to transform?" Vaska asked.


    "Well I was flying, and... maybe I should start from the beginning. It''s been a very bad day."


    Ingrid explained, in every embarrassing detail, everything that happened since she woke up. The people from her hometown being sacrificed on the front lines to absorb missiles, her frantic dogfight in the Plane of Wind, and her accidental murder of an airship Captain. Vaska did not interrupt.


    When Ingrid finished, Vaska said: "My own sense of ethics does not allow me to lie or withhold information from you. So, I will hold nothing back. Thank you for being honest with me, and thank you for visiting me. I was very lonely by myself here, and I enjoyed our conversation greatly."


    "Anytime," Ingrid said.


    "I am sorry that all those terrible things happened to you. Do you need time to rest? You may shower here and I can have a bed furnished for you. Maybe some more comfortable clothes. From the sound of it, a career in the Taisian Air Navy is likely, not ever going to happen."


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    Ingrid shook her head, "No I need to hurry."


    You must close the portal, the Light Elemental said. If you decide to refuse this, then I will kill you.


    "There is no need for that kind of talk," Vaska said to the little Elemental. "I can aid you, however the Marines will not be able to help you in your quest. We need to transfer to an Imperial Air Navy ship. For now, I need to explain some things to Ingrid. I''m so sorry."


    She was apologizing, to an Elemental?


    "First off Ingrid," Vaska said, "I must get something out of the way. My family used their Light Elementals to found the Empire. You could form your own nation with that crystal. Because Light Elementals can tell when a person is lying, you will always be able to surround yourself with truthful ministers. In addition, the ability to summon gems allows absolute power over enforcing contracts. Trust and written contracts are all that is needed to start a new country. Do you need to go to war? Just appoint a minister who knows how to construct a military. Do you need to found a bank? That is slightly more complicated. And so we get to the part where I am forced to reveal a great deal about my family and the world in general."


    "You don''t have to, if you don''t want to," Ingrid said.


    "I must. I cannot in good conscience withhold information from you. You see, the banks in the Empire, and indeed all the banks in the world, operate in the same way. The light crystal remains bound to a single person their entire lives. It cannot be stolen or lost. It does a good job of protecting people from common forms of danger. You can imagine that the holder of a light crystal is extremely powerful. So then why do the banks not overthrow the Emperor? They must have their own light crystals, right?


    "Deep underground there are entire cities below the banks. Beautiful cities with marble buildings and fountains, gardens, temples, and markets. Food and other supplies are imported into the cities through special rooms that act almost like airlocks. In those cities there is only one religion allowed. People are not allowed to leave the city or decide to live there.


    The most devoted woman in the community over the age of thirty is chosen to hold the light crystal. This woman is a religious fanatic that is absolutely indoctrinated into the religion. She enforces contracts and interviews people to see if they are telling the truth. She is the one that creates the nation, while up on the surface, the Emperor rules by virtue of his position within the religion. Sort of. The Emperor is effectively like a high priest. All the nations in the world do this."


    Ingrid was completely speechless. Her head sank down, and she supported it with her palms.


    "Why are the light and dark crystals pure?" Ingrid asked. "Why don''t they have swirls?"


    Dangerous! Dangerous! the Elemental protested. Your purpose is to close the portals, not ask stupid questions!


    "Because in ancient times my ancestors helped kill a goddess. It was humans who sealed away the Elemental Queen of Darkness. It was humans who made it so that the Elemental Queen of Light could become isolated from her sister-self. That is why the crystals have no swirls. The other Elemental Queens are still connected to their sister-selves. That is why most crystals do feature the swirls, and can be used to summon two different types of Elemental.


    "The process that was used to kill the goddess is unknown to me. It had many limitations and restrictions. I do not know all of them. It seems that attempting to communicate with one of the other Elemental Queens weakens the seals. Creating portals to the Elemental Planes also might weaken the seal. That may be why your little Elemental here is so adamant that you close the portals."


    She knows too much. We must kill her.


    "You are pretty violent for a girl-child in a dress," Vaska noted.


    Make her angry, give her malice towards you. Then I can kill her.


    "We are not going to kill her," Ingrid said firmly.


    "So you are basically a world leader now," Vaska said. "What title will you give yourself?"


    Ingrid giggled. "That''s funny. Yeah, I guess you are right. I am Princess Ingrid now."


    "Of what nation?" Vaska asked.


    "Ingrid, Princess of the Skies."


    Vaska held out her hand. "Acting on behalf of the Empire, I would like to extend an offer of diplomatic and military alliance between the Empire and Ingrid, Princess of the Skies. Do you accept my request?"


    Ingrid took her hand and shook it. "I will have my finest diplomats talk to your State Department to work out the details," Ingrid said dryly. "But in the meantime, my nation is in dire need of some fighter jets. I have a portal to close, after all."


    "This is fun," Vaska said. "We should talk like this all the time."

 Chapter 12: The Feathers

    The airplane with the large propellers did behave as Ingrid had predicted. The engines on the end of the wings could rotate, from vertical to fully forward, allowing the craft to take off vertically. The propellers could spin in opposite directions, and were extremely loud. It took several Wind Elementals to create the barriers to protect their ears.


    Vaska rifled through Ingrid''s crystals, which were now placed in a proper handbag instead of a navigation chart. Ingrid looked out the window of the aircraft, down at the vast open ocean far below the misty clouds.


    "Here, this one is strange," Vaska said. She handed Ingrid a teal-orange crystal, except it was lopsided. It was more teal than orange, and wasn''t swirled as much. There was a symbol made from orange crystal, three dots in a triangle and two circles, in a large section of teal.


    "How many are there?" Ingrid asked.


    "It looks like there are three of them," Vaska said.


    "Those must be the keys to the portal. When I summoned all my crystals in the Captain''s map room, they must have also been included."


    "Can I study these for a while?"


    Dangerous, she will open the portals again, Paranoid said. Ingrid figured that the little Light Elemental needed a name.


    "Absolutely!" Ingrid said.


    The aircraft began to turn, and make a wide, sweeping arc through the sky. The engines slowed, and they were also beginning to descend. Ingrid assumed that the airplane was on approach for a landing.


    "I wonder where Ayaru got these things?" Vaska said. "I mean, were they just lying around in some temple somewhere?"


    "Does the Empire have any of these crystals?" Ingrid asked.


    "If we do, my father would know."


    Ingrid looked around at the other soldiers on the airplane. They were wearing civilian clothes, like those Marines.


    "Who are these people?" Ingrid whispered.


    "Oh, yeah. I guess you are not from the Empire, so you don''t recognize the colors. The airplane is painted with the Marines livery. However, these men are... Fia."


    "Fia?"


    "Foreign Intelligence Authority, FIA." Vaska said. "Spies, saboteurs, and well technically they are all civilians."


    "And those Marines I flew with?"


    "The same story. Right now our interactions with the Taisians go through the FIA. So any Imperials you encounter on a foreign airship will be FIA. They are temporarily transferred for the duration of their mission."


    They had descended very far, perhaps just a few thousand feet above the ocean. The engines roared again, and the pylons rotated vertically. They began to slow. Ingrid was surprised when the deck finally passed under the airplane, much slower than she expected.


    The airship was similar to the Taisian version, but larger and the airplanes parked on the deck were also larger. In fact, Ingrid strayed away from Vaska to take a good look at those fighters. They were maybe half again as large as a Taisian fighter, with three missiles on each wing. They had two tail fins angled slightly outward. There were two bubbles made of glass, one on the top and one on the bottom, just behind the canopy.


    "What are those bubbles behind the canopy?" Ingrid asked as Vaska walked towards her.


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    "Those are for the ocular demons, so they can see above and below. One eyeball goes into the top, the other goes down into the bottom. Then there are no blind spots."


    "So the Empire keeps the good designs for themselves," Ingrid said.


    "Taisian aircraft are more likely to be captured. We make sure that we don''t risk too many of our more advanced designs. If the Taisians want better airplanes, they can design them for themselves. We''ve done enough, I think."


    Vaska led the way through the airship to the command deck. Like the Taisian variant, it was a dim room filled with glowing clock-like devices in the walls, portholes, telescopes, and steering wheels. The Captain of the airship appeared to be a stern, experienced woman. She had scars on her face, light brown hair, white trousers, and a dark green sleeveless shirt with thin black stripes. They had no marks of rank. Perhaps a FIA airship Captain?


    "Elizabeth, let''s meet in the map room," Vaska said. "The other members of the team have already been summoned."


    While Vaska explained the situation with the portals to Elizabeth, Ingrid stood by a porthole and watched the deck. A large, propeller-driven airplane landed on the deck. Unlike the other airplanes that she had seen, this one had low wings and a sleek, predatory shape. Also, the tail dragged across the ground supported only by a tiny wheel.


    Maybe it was an older version of a fighter jet? One with a propeller?


    "What is that?" Ingrid asked, pointing to the airplane. Vaska needed to stand on her toes to see out the porthole.


    "Oh, Ivan is here," Vaska said.


    "Still flying that old warbird?" Elisabeth asked.


    "Looks like it. Ingrid, those things are called warbirds. They were used in the Unification War almost fifty years ago. Ivan was only thirteen years old when he joined the Air Navy and that was the airplane that he flew in. He lied to the recruiter about his age, and I''ll admit he is quite tall."


    Ivan arrived a short time later and he was indeed quite tall. He took off his leather helmet and goggles, revealing an almost completely bald head with a tiny bit of gray fuzz above the ears. He was pot-bellied, but his old military uniform fit him well.


    The next to arrive was a thin, hawk-nosed man in an immaculate striped suit. He also had a pair of large spectacles. "This is Rudolf," Vaska said. "He is the Imperial Ambassador to Taisia."


    "I had to fly here from the Capital," the man complained.


    "I think you have already met the last member of the team," Vaska said as the door opened and a woman stepped through. It was Glenice. "And she is our contact with the Marines, while also serving as a mole in the Taisian Air Navy."


    "My father is the Secretary of the Military," Glenice said. "The Marines are a... family inheritance, you might say. As you can imagine, I am very popular with the FIA and other institutions. Such as this fine one." She waved her hand across the room.


    "Ingrid," Vaska said. "Allow me to welcome you to The Feathers. Glenice, Rudolf, Ivan, Elizabeth, myself, and now you. Feathers, this is Ingrid, Princess of the Ten Skies."


    "You added the word ''Ten'' in there," Ingrid whispered.


    "It sounds better, trust me," Vaska replied. "There are ten Elemental Planes, so if anyone asked what airspace you are the ''Princess'' of, you can answer without clashing with any existing nation."


    That seemed reasonable.


    "I have called this emergency meeting of the Feathers," Vaska said, "to discuss a situation that has recently developed in southern Taisia. Rudolf, you no doubt have already learned about the situation."


    "Unfortunately no," Rudolf said with a nasal voice. "These Taisians don''t report anything accurate to their superiors. They want it to appear rosy and sweet up until the moment the Capital is sieged by the enemy."


    Vaska nodded. "Indeed." She held up the three crystals she had identified earlier. "These crystals can be used to open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Wind."


    Silence.


    Vaska repeated (thankfully leaving the embarrassing bits out) Ingrid''s entire story. Rudolf just nodded. When Vaska described the dogfight in the Plane of Wind, Ivan was transfixed. Glenice looked horrified when she learned that Ingrid had been invited to speak to the Captain.


    "He tried to shoot you didn''t he?" Glenice asked.


    "Let me finish," Vaska said.


    "Well Ingrid did score the first confirmed kill in human history during a dogfight in one of the Elemental Planes. Even I would have tried to shoot her and take credit for that. In fact, where is my gun? Ingrid, hold still."


    "Our first order of business is to close the portal in Ayaru," Vaska said, ignoring Glenice.


    "I disagree," Rudolf said. "We cannot invade Ayaru with Imperial forces, even if disguised as FIA. There is only so far we can stretch the law."


    "Is it possible to use those crystals to open the portal?" Elizabeth asked. "We could fly our airships into the Plane of Wind from here and then close the Ayaru portal from inside. I don''t see any legal problems with that approach."


    "I agree," Vaska said. The others nodded in agreement as well.


    "Fine," Ingrid said. "However, I want a better airplane. The best airplane that the Empire has to offer."


    "We have our objective," Vaska said. "Feathers, get to work."

 Chapter 13: Plane of Wind Incursion

    The best airplane that the Empire has to offer, it turns out, was a prototype. In addition to the normal Elementals, there were two dozen additional Fire Elementals that needed to be summoned and placed into canisters. These canisters were carefully loaded into a special rail system inside the body of the fighter.


    "Pull on this trigger to start launching the canisters," Glenice explained. "Any Ice-Two missiles have a chance to track the canisters instead of the main Fire Elemental in the engine. By launching the canisters you can confuse enemy missiles. Unlike Dark-Three missiles, the Ice-Two missiles do not pick a target before launching. That is why they can be used at medium range, they pick their targets after being launched and sometimes they change targets while flying."


    Otherwise the fighter was the same as the ones she saw on the deck of Elizabeth''s ship. It had two bubbles for the ocular demons, a larger size, and more missiles.


    "This is almost exactly like the other fighters," Ingrid said.


    "These canisters are called flares, they are cutting edge technology," Glenice said.


    "Is it possible to create flares to block Dark-Three missiles?"


    "There might be some Imperial black sites out there doing some research," Glenice said. "My father might know. Certainly Vaska''s father."


    Ivan approached the aircraft. He walked around it, looking disappointed.


    "It still doesn''t have any cannons," Ivan protested.


    "You know how these modern designers are," Glenice said.


    "In my days the warbirds had eight cannons, four on each wing. In those days, we didn''t have missiles."


    "Ivan," Ingrid asked. "When I was fighting against that other pilot in the Plane of Wind, he flew straight at me. He barely missed hitting me. Do you know why?"


    "That''s called a merge," Ivan said. "The other pilot wanted to merge with you, he was probably confident that he would be able to win. Did he fly one-circle or two-circle?"


    "I don''t know what that means," Ingrid said. "What is the difference?"


    "I''ll have to show you sometime. After a merge, if your nose faces the enemy nose over and over again, that''s a one-circle. If you chase the enemy tail, that''s a two circle. But the geometry exists in three dimensions, so there are lots of examples, some of them are unintuitive. In general, a two-circle depends on the shape and quality of the airplane. In a one-circle, you can use the vertical dimension to change the geometry and gain an advantage."


    Ingrid was completely stunned by this outburst by the old man. Glenice whispered: "He is always like this, though he did score a bunch of kills as a teenager fifty years ago. So maybe he knows what he is talking about?"


    "I beg to differ," an arrogant voice replied. Ambassador Rudolf approached them and regarded the fighter. "This aircraft does not have a cannon because the world has changed. You see, fighter jets are glorified artillery. The commander on the ground points the airplane to some spot and the pilot follows instructions to fire a missile. Through a sound high-level strategy, and through absolute obedience of the pilots, the day can be won."


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    "And what happens to the strategists when they are wrong?" Ivan asked.


    "Yeah," Ingrid said. "What happens if they shoot their missile at the enemy and then the enemy dodges it?"


    "What happens if they maneuver in general?" Ivan asked. "By the time the commander on the ground is able to understand the situation and give new instructions, the actual pilot might have found himself in a merge. The other guy might already be offensive."


    "Nonsense," Rudolf said. "The best minds in the Empire are hard at work on this problem. It is imperative that we create a culture of obedience for pilots, so that our high-level strategies can be executed."


    "The best minds in the Empire don''t die if they are wrong," Ingrid snapped. Ivan nodded. "The pilots do! There is no incentive for those people to care about what is actually happening in the sky."


    "Foolish," Rudolf said. "Whether or not somebody dies if they are wrong is beside the point! What matters is what is true!"


    "True things do not let others die on their behalf," Vaska said dryly as she approached. "Ingrid I will give your feedback to the other engineers and maybe we can design an airplane with a cannon."


    "Thank you," Ingrid said. She closed the canopy, and the others left.


    Their force had grown to six airships with over a hundred fighter jets. In addition, they had a dozen troop transports with over a hundred Marines. The fighters were also more advanced than the ones they expected to find on the other side.


    Ingrid was the first to take off. She flew far ahead of the airships, clasping the three turquoise gemstones against her chest. Unlike her first flight into battle, now she had a two-way communication device using Colored Orbs. She gave regular updates to Captain Elizabeth to distribute to the other airships.


    The airships were far behind her, though relatively speaking she had not gained altitude. She was even below the wispy clouds over the ocean. "Wind!" she commanded, "open a portal to the Plane of Wind!"


    Her three gems began to glow, and then the elementals appeared in a triangle in the sky. This caused the stones themselves to be summoned into the sky outside. The lines of the triangle formed, and the gems began to rotate, forming a circle. It took a long time for the circle to complete, and even longer for the portal to form. Ingrid flew inside.


    Unexpectedly, the sky, with its great turquoise moon and nebulae, was below Ingrid, and the turbulent ocean was above. Ingrid flipped upside down, but still felt gravity facing down towards the "sky." It was as if the Plane of Wind was inverted over the ocean in the real world. Indeed on the horizon she could see the edge of the inverted ocean and the flat surface of the sand dunes.


    The six airships and the contingent of fighter jets followed her into the portal. The enemy was not in sight.


    As Ingrid passed the threshold of the shore, the ocean above ended in an inverted waterfall flowing up into the sky. The sand dunes below ended in a sand-fall flowing down into the sky below. The Queen decides the rules of this place, she remembered Paranoid saying.


    Once the other airships had passed into the Plane of Wind, she turned back and landed on Elizabeth''s ship. Soldiers hoisted a ladder up to allow her to exit her fighter. Vaska was waiting on the deck.


    "Back already?" she asked.


    Ingrid walked up to Vaska, and whispered in her ear: "It doesn''t cost me anything. Besides, the airship has certain... facilities that my fighter lacks."


    Once the portal was open the others did not need Ingrid anymore. They navigated south through the changing winds towards where Ingrid had seen the enemy fleet days before. The fleet was gone, however there was evidence that they had moved south. There were airplanes flying to and from one of the flying castles.


    "There is something at that castle," Vaska said. "Glenice, prepare your Marines. We are going to need them on the ground up there."

 Chapter 14: Palace of the Winds

    The floating islands in the Plane of Wind were very high in the sky. However, the density of the air remained constant, so the airships would have been able to reach that altitude if time was not a factor. In fact, the airships were far too slow to ascend that high. The Ayaru airship captains seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because they remained at about the level of their own portal far to the south. Instead, two long lanes of fighter jets connected the enemy airships to the flying castle, with the jets in each lane flying in opposite directions.


    Ingrid flew very high in the sky, so high that those fighters looked like tiny dots. Ivan wanted to approach the enemy from behind the great tower to avoid detection. Half the fighters were deployed on this mission, about fifty of them, and they flew in formations of five airplanes in a line. Ingrid was flying some ways behind these formations. In spite of the extreme height, which Ivan had calculated to be about seventy thousand feet, the towers of the castle went half again as high. The floating island below was quite large, about the size of a city, and the entire island was covered by the sprawling white palace.


    The magenta orb began to pulse, and the man''s voice said: "The winds around the tower are too violent. We can''t fly near it. Divert around the tower and prepare to engage the enemy."


    The ocular demons in the enemy airplanes no doubt saw the airplanes taking a wide arc around the tower. This caused some confusion along the lanes of enemy fighters, as they began to frantically flee away from the castle. The bright flames of missiles flashed near the tower, creating long trails of smoke through the sky, like gray rain. There were explosions far below.


    "Give chase," the voice from the orb said. "We have the altitude advantage. If the enemy fires a missile at you, defend by flying up, not down."


    One of the lanes formed a long curve and those fighters began to retreat along with the lane already moving in that direction. The unfortunate fighters caught near the castle were quickly destroyed. Most of the friendly fighters stayed at a high altitude. However, a few formations descended to get a better look at the castle. Ingrid joined them.


    The castle did not quite reach the edge of the floating island, leaving a small lip of grass just outside the walls. Ingrid needed to be quite close to see that the castle was made entirely from polished white marble laced with veins of turquoise. The outside surface of the tower was not completely smooth, but featured a subtle wave-like pattern. The pillars that supported the rooftops were like twisted ribbons of marble. The castle featured no straight lines that Ingrid could see.


    There were gardens in a courtyard in the center. There was an inverted pool of dark water above each garden. Waterfalls flowed up into the sky from those pools, as with the edge of the ocean. Along one edge of the floating island the field of grass was long, thin, and mostly flat. There were enemy fighter jets and other aircraft parked on that strip of grass.


    There were also people. Not just a few people, but hundreds. Ingrid''s formation flew a low pass over the courtyard, and Ingrid could see that the people down there were wearing gold, burgundy, and white uniforms. They also wore masks, divided into two colors along a vertical line. They seemed to be fighting against the Ayaruans, who were trying to retreat in panic. There were also burn marks on the white tiles and in the grass, with the charred remains of bodies and weapons nearby.


    "Vaska?" Ingrid said to the second of her Colored Orbs.


    "What do you see?" Vaska asked.


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    "There are people living here. And it looks like the Ayaruans are attacking them."


    "The Marines just left, they will arrive in about a half hour."


    One of the fighter jets on the field started moving, which quickly earned it a Dark-Three missile from one of the fighters in Ingrid''s formation. It didn''t even have time to line up before it exploded, hurling flaming debris clear off the edge of the island. The Ayaruans still ran for their fighters, gambling with the chance to be shot by a missile rather than face the hordes of masked men inside the castle.


    Far to the south the Ayaruans had regrouped and organized their fighters into a long battle line. They were attempting to climb to the same level as the Imperial fighters. Dozens of bright lights rose slowly in the distance as the Fire Elementals burned the air at maximum intensity.


    "They are turning back to face us," Ingrid said. "The enemy fighter jets. They must really want what''s on this island."


    "Or perhaps they really do not want us to find something on this island," Vaska said.


    Lines began to cross the sky as the two lines of fighter jets started lobbing missiles at each other.


    "Demon, what is happening up there?" Ingrid asked.


    The enemy is defending by dropping towards the sand, the ocular demon said. They must not have any experience fighting in this Plane. The enemy is taking heavy casualties.


    The Marines did take about a half hour to arrive. They flew in dozens of high-winged airplanes and a handful of the type with the large propellers, which Vaska had called tilt-rotors. They were escorted by a squadron of ten more fighter jets, though by the time they arrived the enemy remnants of the Ayaruan forces had been completely eliminated. One by one they lined up to land, while the tilt-rotors remained in the air, waiting for a chance to land somewhere inside the castle grounds.


    By the time Ingrid could line up for a landing, the Marines had already begun their assault on the masked people inside the castle. There appeared to always be a headwind blowing along that little stretch of grass, making it an ideal spot to land. The airplane was equipped with a nifty ladder-like square rod with rungs alternating down the length, which folded out from under the canopy. After landing, Ingrid deployed the device and stepped down onto the grass.


    Outside the airplane, the wind was quite strong. Ingrid could hear gunshots from inside the castle, as well as men screaming. There was an opening in the wall with two of those twisted-ribbon pillars supporting a lumpy roof. More Marines, wearing ornate black uniforms trimmed in red, ran across the grass into the structure. Glenice was waiting near the opening.


    "We are clearing out the castle now," Glenice said. "They have Air Elementals that we have not seen before, and it is taking some time to figure out how to counter them."


    "Who are these people?" Ingrid asked.


    "We don''t know. We captured a few of them, they are being held just inside. However, they do not speak any language that we know about."


    Glenice led Ingrid into the structure. It was much larger than it looked from the air. The walls were at least fifty feet high, the inverted pools of water had massive waves churning on the dark surface, and the trees in the gardens were at least a hundred feet tall. And the central tower was dizzying to look at from below.


    They arrived at a row of prisoners chained together who all wore masks with different colors. One was white-black, one was white-gold, and the last one gold-burgundy. They all wore the same white robes and golden jewelry.


    Suddenly, Paranoid appeared in her full plate-armor form, and stabbed her blade of light through the man with the gold-burgundy mask.


    "What?" Ingrid said. "Stop! I command you to stop!"


    The Elemental ignored her command, and proceeded to stab the man with the white-gold mask. This caused the woman with the white-black mask to panic and thrash about. Glenice drew her saber and smashed through the chains connecting the woman to the other two men, who were being consumed with golden light. She shoved the woman away, into the arms of one of the Marines guarding them, just in time to dodge the next swing by the Light Elemental.


    Follow that woman, she must die, Paranoid said.


    "Absolutely not," Ingrid said.


    "Your Elemental has gone rogue," Glenice said. "You should go back to your fighter jet, and go far away from these people. We need to be able to question them alive."


    Ingrid nodded and then left. "What was that?" she demanded.


    Paranoid said nothing.

 Interlude 1: The Ghost of Taisia

    The command deck of the Luan was in chaos. Lieutenant Colonel Ervin Dren peered through a telescope out the porthole into the Plane of Wind. An enemy force of about a hundred fighter jets was approaching from the "north."


    "Admiral, those are Imperial fighters," he said. "There is absolutely no question about that."


    Admiral Zef looked genuinely disturbed. "Biagio," he said. "Does this appear to be a declaration of war?"


    "I am uncertain," the advisor from the Federation of Kanti said. "The High Council will likely not see this as an act of direct aggression because it took place in one of the Elemental Planes. In addition, it would be difficult to justify a war with the Empire to the citizens of the Federation. They will wonder why we have invested precious funds into fighting a war in another Plane, instead of helping the poor in our own world."


    "Dren," the Admiral said. "Take your men, go out there and fight. Score as many kills as you can. We need to save as many of our fighters as possible. I am ordering a full retreat back through the portal."


    "As you command," Ervin said.


    Biagio nodded. "That is very wise, if the Imperials follow us and attack our forces in Ayaru airspace, it will be a different matter altogether. They likely have orders not to attack once we cross the portal."


    Ervin left the command center. Soldiers in drab olive uniforms and black berets stalked the halls with rifles and fire extinguishers. He needed to squeeze past many of them through the narrow bulkheads as he made his way to the deck. He walked out into the otherworldly sky, with its eerie darkness and turquoise moon. The wind was changing directions as the airship moved through the sky. The soldiers on deck saluted him.


    "Summon my wingmen, and prepare the fighter that the Federation sent us."


    The man''s eyes went wide. "Yes sir!"


    The Federation was stingy with their technology, but they did provide a single higher-quality fighter for emergencies. It was larger than the tiny rocket-tubes that they had sold to Ayaru. It had two tails, two engines, and a wider, flatter shape. He waited on the deck, watching the fires of the enemy fighters approach from far away, until a soldier drove the fighter to him with the canopy still open.


    Ervin and his three wingmen took off in turn, flying in a large circle around the Luan before forming a tight diamond formation and facing the dark sky. At full throttle, his airplane was able to fly upwards at a rate of fifty thousand feet per minute, but his wingmen did not have two engines, and so he had to let off the throttle to keep the formation. Plus the dense air and the constantly shifting winds slowed down his ascent as well.


    The enemy was still far away, but they had correctly positioned themselves at a high altitude. Two squadrons of Ayaru fighter jets were flying below, desperately trying to defend against missiles and escape. The pilots were failing to adapt and fell back on their training, trying to defend by flying down instead of up. They were dying by the dozens.


    More lost lives.


    Ervin had lost two friends already in this strange place. They had flown ahead of the fleet to follow behind the initial airship invasion of Taisia. The ocular demons reported that an enemy fighter entered into the portal and killed both of them. Alen had been killed instantly. Jadran, one of the fleet''s most experienced pilots, had for some reason exploded without being hit by a missile. Then, the portal closed.


    The men were beginning to murmur about the Ghost of Taisia.


    Superstition of course. The forward airship must have had a bank spy on board that panicked when he saw a Taisian fighter fly into the portal. Maybe the banks summoned those crystals back to Kanti to prevent capture. Even Biagio had no idea what went wrong. But why would Jadran just explode like that?


    Unless...no. Impossible.


    "Report on the enemy," Ervin commanded to his ocular demon.


    The enemy fighters number forty-two, the demon said. They are arranged in a long line. There are tilt-rotor aircraft landing inside the palace, most likely Imperial Marines. There is a larger fighter, of a type that is unknown to me, following far behind the others.


    The assault on the palace had been a disaster. Admiral Zef had hoped to steal the crystals in the palace to open another portal. Crystals that the bank of Kanti had not bonded yet. The Federation had been an unreliable ally so far and the bungled assault on Taisia had shattered the Admiral''s confidence in external support.


    They seem to be forming a defensive formation around the larger fighter in the back.


    "If they want to be defensive, then they will be doing our work for us," Ervin said. However he felt wrong.


    Zef had given him clear orders: save as many men as he could. However, the Admiral was not here, he did not have the information that Ervin had. The Admiral prided himself on local autonomy, on the judgment of soldiers with "boots-on-the-ground." He was certain that in a direct conflict with Taisia, Ayaru would win because the local command was better.


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    "Men," Ervin said into his Colored Orb. "We are going to try and engage with the fighter in the rear that the others are falling back to defend."


    "Yes sir!" three voices responded in unison.


    Ervin flew up, even higher than the line of enemies, which were lobbing more missiles down towards the retreating Ayaruans. As he flew up, his target also flew up.


    She flies just like the Ghost of Taisia, the ocular demon said.


    "That pilot is a she?" he asked.


    I am certain. She is absolutely Taisian, not Imperial, with red hair and freckles.


    Ervin shivered.


    They continued their race into the sky. Ervin was uncertain about how high they could even fly. Did the air stay the same density all the way out to those turquoise nebulas in the sky beyond the moon? Could they just fly up forever, and then maybe open a portal on the real moon outside? Doubtful.


    His question was answered after he flew higher than the top of the palace tower, at which his aircraft immediately stalled, and fell back down into the dense air below. The altimeter was violently spinning during the process.


    A vacuum? He tried again, with the same result, and his wingmen wisely did not attempt to hold formation as he did. They were at the same level then, him and his target, with a hard ceiling just above. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and had no idea what the woman in the rear was capable of.


    Thankfully, the wind was very calm just below the vacuum. That would make missile shots easier.


    The enemy seemed to have also discovered the vacuum just over their heads, because they dropped down a few feet to prevent a stall. they were converging quickly, almost in missile range. They were still too far away to see in detail but the ocular demon gave constant reports.


    "Men," Ervin said. "Spread out and target the defenders with your Soul Hunter missiles. Take out as many as you can, and they will certainly be shooting back at us. Be prepared to defend. Save your Fire Hunter missiles for the target. If we can''t kill enough defenders we need to run away."


    Missiles launched from both sides, and fighters on both sides diverted down and away in standard defensive maneuvers. One of the enemies attempted to defend by flying up, stalled in the vacuum, and ended up falling tail-first back into the missile. Poor fellow.


    Ervin''s men had been hand-picked, and they were able to defend against the enemy Soul Hunter missiles. Those missiles, which the Imperials had named Dark-Three, lost a great deal of energy flying through these violent winds below. The enemy pilots were not so lucky. Eight missiles had launched at the enemy, and seven of those missiles had struck home. The Taisian woman was still too far away to be targeted with Soul Hunter missiles.


    There were still a few defenders left, however, and some of the enemy fighters below seemed to have noticed the battle at the edge of the vacuum and were flying up to help. A second volley of enemy Soul Hunter missiles rushed out towards Ervin and his men. This time Ervin defended by flying up, having lost altitude during his previous defense, and one of his three wingmen did the same. The other two, however, unfortunately continued to defend by flying down.


    "Up!" Ervin yelled. "Alternate defending up and down!"


    It was too late, one of the enemy missiles was tracking very well. His wingman dumped his two missiles hoping to defend better. Ervin closed his eyes. He didn''t want to see another man lose his life.


    "Launch one of your Fire Hunters!" Ervin commanded both of the living wingmen.


    Two Fire Hunter missiles lanced out. The enemy had moved closer and the range should be just about right for them to track. Indeed, both missiles struck home and killed two enemy fighters. Ervin, having a larger airplane with two additional Soul Hunter missiles, launched both of them, killing the last of the defenders. The woman in the large Imperial airplane was much closer now.


    Enemy Soul Hunter missile has targeted you, defend!


    "Kill her with your Fire Hunters!"


    His two wingmen, and Ervin himself, launched all their remaining Fire Hunter missiles. She defended just as Ervin began to defend as well. He craned his neck to look back at her. Dozens of brilliant orange lights began to erupt from her airplane.


    The enemy is summoning Fire Elementals into canisters powered by chemical explosives and jettisoning those Elementals from her airplane! Genius!


    "It''s not a good thing, demon," Ervin said dryly. All the missiles started tracking those little glowing orange lights and veered off behind the woman, completely missing her.


    Now he and his men were completely out of missiles. He had defended by flying down, but his men were still above him. Even though they did not have missiles, the men fell back on their training as they flew past the woman as if to merge with her.


    Then they both exploded.


    She did not shoot missiles at them, in fact she wasn''t even facing them. They just exploded in the sky.


    "The Ghost of Taisia," Ervin said. "We need to run, now."


    The enemy still has missiles, the demon said.


    "I know, but I have two engines. We''ll see if she can run faster than me."


    She could not run faster than he could, and she did not attempt to shoot more missiles at him. In fact, the way was clear ahead, and the surviving allied fighters had fled through the portal. The enemy fighters did not attempt to follow or intercept him. It was just that woman, heading straight for the portal.


    She ignored him as he flew near the portal, watching her with suspicion. The woman flew in a vertical loop around the portal. Then the surface of the portal began to vanish.


    The portal is closing! his demon warned.


    Ervin pointed his nose at the portal and punched the throttle to full. Turquoise cracks began to appear in the surface of the portal, they spread like fractures in a glass plate. "No! No! No!" Ervin screamed as he passed through the portal.


    It had collapsed an eye blink before his nose passed through it. He looked out upon a vast turquoise moon to the south. The portal was closed. He was stranded in the Elemental Plane of Wind, with no food, no water, and no weapons.


    The Ghost of Taisia fell in behind him, pointing her nose at him. She rocked her wings. Ervin rocked his wings as well.


    He followed her sheepishly back to her airship. After he landed, all of his gems vanished. A dozen marines pointed their rifles at him when he climbed out of his fighter.


    The woman with the red hair approached him.


    "You must be the one they call the Ghost of Taisia," he said. One of the Marines translated this to her. She said something in Taisian.


    "She says that her name is Ingrid, Princess of the Ten Skies," the Marine said. "But she likes the name ''Ghost of Taisia.'' She considers it very quaint."


    The woman named Ingrid said something else. Then, in front of his eyes, a massive woman appeared, made of pure golden mother-of-pearl light, wearing the likeness of plate armor and carrying a sword and shield. A Light Elemental. He glanced at the sigil on her breastplate: an open hand holding a glowing star, surrounded by a darker sunburst.


    No... impossible. The banks do not have access to a Light Elemental of this rank. The Queen''s right hand has not been seen since the time of Ashe''s imprisonment.


    Ervin fell to his knees in front of the Elemental.


    They had been betrayed.

 Chapter 15: Order of the Ten Skies

    For many hours the airplane flew north, first over the ocean, then over the snowclad forests of the Heylin Empire. Ingrid sat by the rounded-rectangle window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. The wing was just behind Ingrid''s seat, and she could clearly see the whirling turbine engine. Vaska climbed over Ingrid, supporting her weight by putting one palm on Ingrid''s thigh, and pointed out the window.


    "Over on that mountain, there is a ski resort where me and my brothers and my sister learned to ski. They have this huge gondola! It''s really a marvel of engineering." Vaska looked down at Ingrid. "Oh! Right, personal space. Sorry."


    "It''s not a problem," Ingrid said as Vaska returned to her seat. "Maybe you can take me to see the gondola sometime."


    The engines began to wind down, and the airplane began to tilt forward. They were beginning to descend. Vaska continued to invade Ingrid''s personal space to point out every nearby city or volcano. Meanwhile the airplane descended, the flaps changed the shape of the wings, and finally the landing gear deployed with a grinding sound.


    "This is my favorite part," Vaska said. "Get ready!"


    They were still about a hundred feet off the ground when a sheer cliff appeared just below, wet black rock streaked with veins of ice. Just beyond the edge of the cliff the runway rushed past in a blur underneath the airplane, and in that instant the nose rotated up in a flare. The airplane dropped a few feet with a thud that caused Ingrid to jolt forward in her seat.


    "The runway is on the top of a cliff," Ingrid said to Vaska. "Is that what you mean?"


    Vaska nodded. "My father''s estate is on the top of a plateau on the edge of a forest. It cannot be accessed from the ground by people, so it provides a great deal of privacy and security. There are many mountain goats that live on the plateau, so it makes an ideal hunting ground."


    When they deplaned, ten soldiers followed them and lined up outside the airplane. They wore a brand new uniform that Glenice had designed. White trousers and a solid black coat bearing a new crest: ten circles of different colors arranged in a circle. Red for the Plane of Fire, opposite to Blue for the Plane of Water. White opposite to purple for Light and Darkness, green opposite to magenta for Life and Heaven, turquoise opposite to tan for Wind and Stone, and gray opposite to yellow for Metal and Lightning.


    The crest of the Order of the Ten Skies.


    Ingrid herself wore a black fur coat bearing the crest as well as a silver crown fitted with ten crystals. The gleaming Light Crystal was featured prominently in the center. Her long red hair had been carefully braided and held up by those braids to expose her neck and accentuate the crown. Vaska was wearing a white fur coat complete with her signature golden mesh fitted with dozens of crystals. An ornate horse-drawn carriage waited for them. Ingrid climbed inside the carriage and peered through the velvet drapes out the frosty window. It was only a short distance, however Vaska insisted that they arrive in style.


    The soldiers marched alongside the carriage as it strolled through the metal gates of the estate. The estate grounds were a true marvel, and while the grounds were buried under a blanket of snow, this only added to the charm of the brilliant sculptures made entirely out of crystal clear ice, crafted by Water Elementals. It was snowing lightly and the trees were caked in snow.


    A tall man with a graying dark-brown beard waited for them when the carriage stopped. He was wearing fur armor complete with a helmet, ornate but also practical, with a hunter''s rifle slung over one shoulder. A dog, which looked half wolf, was standing silently at his side. He held Ingrid''s hand as she stepped down from the carriage. The soldiers stood at attention and saluted the man.


    "Ingrid," Vaska said, "this is my father, Emperor Artem of House Maryy. Father, you look well. Did we interrupt your hunt?"


    "Daughter!" he said jovially. "You have come at the perfect time, your brothers and their wives are already inside. Who is your lovely friend?"


    "This is Ingrid," Vaska said. "We will discuss Ingrid''s business after we have had a chance to dine."


    Ingrid''s soldiers were sent to the hangar to eat with the pilots. The Emperor led Ingrid and Vaska to the main lodge hidden behind two rows of snowclad trees. The roof was not covered in snow, instead there was a barrier made of snow all along the outer walls of the structure created by intentional avalanches. Inside the lodge it was warm and dim, lit by flickering gas lamps and furnished with wooden furniture. The walls were decorated with plaques featuring the heads of animals or rifles. Servants in pure white uniforms roamed about with trays of delicacies or glasses of bubbly white wine.


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    Half a dozen children swarmed around in the central room, calling out "Grandpa!" to the Emperor so they could boast about the games they played together. The Emperor''s two sons and their wives were already seated in the dining hall when Ingrid arrived.


    After a delicious salad drowning in red wine vinaigrette, the main dish seemed to be some type of meat that Vaska did not enjoy, most likely something the Emperor had just killed. It was better than the food back at the orphanage when Ingrid was a child. Vaska sat at her father''s right hand, telling him about Ingrid''s deeds in the Plane of Wind.


    "The first fighter jet killed in the Elemental Planes!" the Emperor exclaimed. "So then, who taught you how to fly?"


    "Do you remember Kuzma''s daughter Glenice?" Vaska said.


    "I do. That man taught the girl to fly when she was still just a child. He also taught Natasha to fly when she was a child."


    When Vaska got to the part of the story where they assaulted the castle and found the masked men, she asked her father "do you know anything about those men? Who could they be?"


    "I have seen masks like those before. The day I took the crown as Emperor, they took me down below the bank in the Capital to meet the Matron who held the Light Crystal. Her servants all wore masks like the ones you described. Always two colors: white, black, gold. I do say Ingrid, that must be the Light Crystal that you wear on your crown."


    Ingrid nodded to him.


    "Do you know why Ingrid''s Light Elemental would want to kill them?" Vaska asked.


    "I''m afraid I know very little about their culture," he said. "I do know that those people are forced to dedicate their lives to the worship of the Elemental Queen of Light. Perhaps your Elemental was afraid those people would break their oaths?"


    "I''m surprised she doesn''t try to murder your father," Ingrid whispered to Vaska.


    "I had not thought of that, good point. Maybe we should move on from this topic." Then, to her father, she said: "After that, Ingrid captured an Ayaruan officer named Ervin Dren. Have you heard of him?"


    "The Dren family. Very old blood. Yes, I do know of Ervin. He will make a good ransom. That family is very wealthy, even now."


    "Perhaps we can use those funds to further our objectives," Vaska said. "Which brings me to our important business, father."


    "Alright then," the Emperor said. "Like jumping into cold water, it''s best to just be done with it."


    "I wish for you to sign an Imperial Decree, of my own devising, to establish a new Order of Knights under the direct control of Ingrid and myself. The Order of the Ten Skies. This decree would also formally recognize Ingrid''s title as Princess of the Ten Skies."


    "Sure, I can do that. Is that all? Are you going to ask for half the family wealth to fund this new Order?"


    "Ambassador Rudolf is going to pull some strings. We are going to plunder the Taisian military and restructure them, and force them to fund the Order as we get set up."


    "Hah! Rudolf is a resourceful man. So, where is the decree? I can take a look at the text right away."


    <hr>


    The beds in the lodge were very fluffy and warm. Ingrid sipped on a glass of that bubbly wine as she admired the signed decree in her hand. After finishing her wine she went to her own private bathroom to brush her teeth with a toothbrush made from ornate, lacquered wood.


    Vaska was in her doorway when Ingrid returned. "Ingrid," she said. "Can I sleep with you?"


    Ingrid was astonished.


    "I''m feeling lonely right now. I hope it''s not a problem."


    "No, you are welcome to sleep here, these beds are too big anyway."


    Vaska doffed her fluffy robe, and climbed under the covers wearing only a thin shift.


    "When I was a child," Ingrid said as she climbed into her bed, "the orphanage only had a few beds and I needed to share my bed with several other girls. The first time I slept alone was after I had already started working at the bakery."


    "I try not to sleep alone if I can help it," Vaska said. "Natasha used to let me sleep in her bed, but then she got married."


    "You know Vaska, if you are ever feeling lonely you can send for me."


    "Thank you, most people want to run far away from me. I''m cursed, you know."


    "Nonsense," Ingrid said.


    "It''s true," Vaska insisted. "I have my own personal goddess that follows me around and changes probabilities."


    "Probabilities?"


    "Don''t you know anything about mathematics?"


    "I''m not an engineer like you. I know how to calculate sums and give change to customers, but I don''t know any more than what I had needed as a baker."


    "Probabilities are the chances that something will happen. Like when rolling a die."


    "I don''t like gambling," Ingrid said.


    "So that''s why you gamble with your life in those fighter jets?" Vaska asked dryly.


    "I don''t know what I can say to that. It''s just... addicting in its own way, learning how to fly those beautiful machines."


    "Anyways, some outcomes are good and some outcomes are bad. The chance for each might depend on some number. For example, say that one in ten times, a bad thing will happen, and nine in ten times, a good thing will happen. My personal goddess reorders the world so that the bad thing happens first every time."


    "Sounds like superstition to me," Ingrid said.


    "You didn''t live my life," Vaska said. "Oh, sorry. I wasn''t supposed to say that."


    "It''s fine."


    Vaska hugged her, hard. Ingrid struggled to breathe.


    "Excellent, now I don''t need to be alone."


    "Are you going to let go?" Ingrid asked.


    "Nope!"


    Ingrid gasped. Maybe this had been a mistake.

 Chapter 16: Border Portal

    Wake up! Wake up! Paranoid screamed in Ingrid''s mind.


    Ingrid''s eyes jolted open and she groaned. She attempted to sit up in her bed, however she was being held down by Vaska.


    "What is it?" Ingrid asked.


    Another portal has been opened, to the south east.


    The south east, that would be somewhere in Ayaru, maybe just across the border. Vaska moaned and released Ingrid from her vice grip, rubbing her eyes. Ingrid hopped out of bed and opened the shutters to the porthole. It was dawn outside, and the sky was mostly clear with only the occasional wispy cloud floating past the airship.


    "I need something a little more precise than ''south east''" Ingrid said. "How far away in nautical miles, and what heading?"


    One-hundred and twenty nautical miles, heading one-five-one degrees, as you would understand these to mean.


    Elementals were very strange. It turns out they could speak in any language, and none at all. They seemed to be able to communicate directly using meanings, according to the way the listener would understand it. They could even be used as a translator.


    Ingrid activated her magenta Colored Orb embedded in the wall by the door.


    "Ingrid," the voice on the other side said, "this is an emergency channel..."


    "Portal in Ayaru, distance one-two-zero nautical miles heading one-five-one."


    "Copy one-two-zero nautical miles heading one-five-one." The Colored Orb deactivated.


    "We were supposed to sleep for another hour at least," Vaska complained. Ingrid walked into her personal bathroom and started the shower. Having her own quarters, or at least her own in theory, was a huge step up from her experience the day she joined the Taisian Air Navy, where she had to share the showers with a hundred other women. She even got to pick her own soap, which was perfumed with lavender and lemon peel.


    Now that Ingrid was one of the leaders of her own paramilitary organization, she felt even more obligated to not make exceptions for herself. It was a quick shower, no longer than the ones the soldiers would take, and Vaska helped her shave her legs. She went straight into a pilot''s uniform, a black skirt, a white shirt with epaulets, and a leather helmet and goggles. She stuffed her crown, with the Light Crystal still embedded in the metal, into her pack.


    The officers in the hallways were hurrying about with their tasks as Ingrid emerged alone from her quarters. "All hands on deck! Captain''s orders, all hands on deck!" The voice boomed through the hallways from Colored Orbs, amplified by Wind Elementals. The officer''s quarters were thankfully close to the stairwell leading to the command deck. Ingrid climbed effortlessly up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, like a little boy.


    Captain Elizabeth was sitting in her chair on the command deck. An aide stood nearby holding a silver platter with a cup of steaming coffee and some pastries. "Is it true?" Elizabeth asked. "Or are you just testing Vaska''s protocols to measure our response time?"


    "Paranoid," Ingrid said. "Tell them."


    I hate it when you call me that name, Paranoid said as she revealed herself to the others. It is true, another portal has opened. I do not know where it leads, but I know that it has opened.


    Elizabeth nodded. "Rudolf is encountering resistance from within the government," she said. "This will be the perfect chance to demonstrate to the Taisians just how effective we can be."


    "Heading one-five-one," the Helmsman barked. "Full power, airspeed twenty knots, estimated time enroute six hours."


    "We will send scouts up ahead to judge the enemy strength and give visual reports about the portal," Elizabeth said.


    "I will go with them," Ingrid said. "Otherwise Paranoid will spend the next six hours screaming at me."


    "I will go as well," Ivan said as he stepped up to the Captain''s chair. He grabbed one of the pastries from the platter and devoured it.


    "You should take one of the fighters," Elizabeth said. "That old warbird will take at least an hour to make the journey. The fighters can be there in just a few minutes."


    "Knowing how long it takes those fighters to just get ready and take off," Ivan replied, "I might already be at the portal by the time they arrive."


    Ivan was correct. His warbird was in the air in less than a minute after he strapped himself inside and summoned his Elemental. Ingrid stood by her fighter for at least twenty minutes as the other soldiers fussed over the missiles and inspected the landing gear.


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    "An unfortunate oversight," Vaska said as she arrived at Ingrid''s fighter. "This airframe was only intended to be an experiment, but you''ve been flying it every day for weeks now. The landing gear was based on the old model, and it is beginning to fracture."


    "I guess you''ll need to get me a new one," Ingrid said. "Maybe one with two engines, like the one we took from Dren."


    "I''ve spoken to my team about that," Vaska said. "We are still not sure exactly how the excess heat from the two engines can be managed without making sacrifices in other areas. It could take months for the engineers to design a solution to the heat problems in a way that we can integrate into our own designs. Plus, I have higher priorities right now."


    Ingrid took the opportunity to find a bathroom while she waited for the maintenance crew. By the time she had waited in line for takeoff and actually left the deck, forty minutes had passed since Ivan left. She flew high and fast over the snowfields of southern Taisia, towards the border with Ayaru, following a delta formation of fighters in the lead. It took less than twenty minutes to reach the portal.


    The edges glowed with a dark emerald light. "Green," Ingrid said into her Colored Orb. "The same color as the Life Elementals."


    "Are there any enemies there?" Captain Elizabeth asked.


    I do not see anything, Ingrid''s ocular demon reported. Nobody, not even an airship.


    Ingrid reported this to Elizabeth. "See if you can''t get a look inside," she replied.


    "I made it inside already," Ivan said. "There are no enemies at the portal right now, but there are some airships far ahead. My demon reports they are in a bad way. Something is attacking them."


    "Scouting unit," Elizabeth said. "Go through the portal and try to get visuals on the enemies inside."


    Ingrid pointed her nose at the ground and descended rapidly. Out in the countryside of northern Ayaru the snowy highlands gave way to a vast steppe filled with brown and pale purple brush. Dusty dirt roads extended off into the distance, with small towns at the crossroads. Moving at an alarming airspeed, Ingrid took a long arc over the steppe to bleed speed before deploying the air brakes. The ocular demon had been correct, the sky was empty.


    Ingrid flew through the portal behind her formation. Beyond the portal, the sky was a very pale green color, almost white, and obscured by massive brambles. A single dark emerald moon dominated the horizon, and those brambles in the sky were even farther away than the moon itself. The brightness of the pale sky was a sharp contrast to the Plane of Wind, which had been dark. The ground, instead of being made from sand dunes, looked like an extremely dense jungle. Gigantic flowers, with stalks thousands of feet tall, were spaced out through the vast jungle.


    The altimeter did not misbehave at all when crossing into the Plane of Life, so presumably the air density behaved the same inside. Ingrid saw Ivan floating around in the sky just ahead, practicing maneuvers. "The air seems normal," Ingrid said.


    "I agree," Ivan said. "Gravity and air density both act normally."


    "Go up," Elizabeth said. "Try to get a better look at what the enemy is doing."


    Ingrid pointed her nose up and went full throttle. The altimeter spiraled and the jungle began to shrink far below. Directly up in the sky there appeared to be clusters of flying trees, tethered together by their roots. She eyed them suspiciously as she flew past them, and she got the feeling that they were eying her suspiciously.


    Contacts, the ocular demon said. In the trees. Be careful.


    "Contacts! Contacts!" the commander of her squadron cried. "Stay in formation, move away from the trees!"


    Ingrid followed the men as they retreated. In her mirrors she could see dark shapes following through the sky. They were quite large and moving very, very fast.


    "Descend! Use gravity to gain speed!" Ivan cried. They did so, but this went both ways. Their pursuers were also gaining speed flying down at the ground. Ingrid was behind the others, with the dark shapes approaching fast.


    "Dark-Three missiles, do they have souls?" Ingrid asked. "Can you target them?"


    NOTHING TO HUNT, one of the missiles replied.


    They were close enough to see clearly now if she craned her neck around to look at them. They were a mix between an eagle and a hummingbird, with wings that flapped blazingly fast. They had long, needle-like beaks and massive talons. The muscles in their wings must not be constrained by the normal laws of physics for wings of that size to move fast enough for the birds to be able to pursue a fighter jet.


    One was approaching her, fast. It was right behind her, dancing in the sky around the flames of her engine, trying not to get burned. It must have realized that the engines in the back were what was creating the heat, because it flew up to one side and overtook Ingrid. Its long beak was just outside her canopy, and its beady black eyes seemed to see her just before it reeled back to strike. Its beak shattered the canopy glass.


    A flash of light blocked the beak. It tried again and again, poking holes in her canopy like a woodpecker, but each time its beak was repelled by the barrier of light.


    "It''s attacking her!"


    "What do we do!"


    "Our missiles can''t target them!"


    "Commander?"


    Voices of panicked men, distant and barely audible over the sound of shattering glass. A second bird rushed up alongside and started scratching at Ingrid''s wings with its talons.


    Blood, exploding blood washed over her wing. With a whirling whoosh and the sound of cannon fire, Ivan rocketed past into a merge, taking out the bird on Ingrid''s wing with perfect shots. The propeller whirled close to the bird that was attacking her canopy, and it panicked and fled. Indeed, the other birds seemed to be terrified of the propeller, even as Ingrid fell out of the sky she could see them trying to avoid Ivan''s warbird.


    Ingrid pulled up, hard. The bird on her wing had taken out one of her ailerons, however the elevators and rudder still worked. Not ideal, trying to use the rudder to straighten up after pulling up so hard. In fact, the rudder didn''t seem to be working very well at all for rolling. Indeed, she was going down. Fast.


    "Punch out!" Ivan screamed. "Red lever, below you! Pull hard! Punch out!"


    Ingrid reached down and found the lever just in time. She pulled with all her might. It was surprisingly solid, unwilling to budge. Finally it gave way.


    Explosives in the canopy launched it open. Then the cabin was consumed by flames.

 Chapter 17: The Elemental Plane of Life

    Drifting. Drifting in a sky of light. Ingrid woke up. She did not know where she was or how long she had been asleep.


    She was strapped to a chair in the sky, with a vast jungle below her. Ropes held her chair, suspended from a half-dome of cloth in the sky above her. There was a fire in the jungle not too far away. A glowing mother-of-pearl light was tied to her hand with chains also made of pure light.


    Then she saw the birds, and Ivan''s little airplane shooting at them.


    Right. She had been flying, and then, hundreds of knots of airspeed smashed into her face. Her Life Elemental must have kept her alive, but she lost consciousness immediately. She fell, slowly, down past the canopy of the trees. The parachute caught on the canopy above and her chair remained suspended in a column of light in the pitch black jungle. Ingrid could not see the ground.


    "Paranoid, can you create light?" she asked.


    The little Light Elemental appeared as a small girl in a flowing dress. She began to glow, too bright to look at directly, and bathe the jungle all around in light. I wish you would stop calling me that, she said in a delicate voice that resembled wind chimes.


    All around Ingrid, giant insects the size of dogs drifted lazily in the darkness, a cacophony of different iridescent colors, many of them partially or fully transparent. Far below the treetops the floor of the jungle appeared to be a dark bog of some sort, covered over in places with twisting roots.


    "Ingrid!" Ivan''s voice boomed through the sky, likely amplified by an Air Elemental. He flew just overhead, his engine no longer making a lot of noise. He was most likely gliding. "I see the light, Ingrid! Stay!" His engine restarted and then he flew away.


    She didn''t move from her seat, not that she had anywhere to go. After a while she heard his engine coming back towards her again.


    "Stay there! A tilt-rotor is on the way!" Ivan bellowed. "Check under the seat for food!"


    Ingrid carefully checked under her seat with her hands until she found a large pack. She had no idea how long it would have taken her to find it if she did not already know where it was. It contained food, a canteen of water, a coil of rope, a compass, a pistol, a knife, and a red-blue crystal, most likely for starting fires or purifying water.


    "Summon the crystals that were in my fighter into this bag," Ingrid said. Lights appeared inside and then the missing crystals materialized.


    The tilt rotors, with propellers full forward, could travel at about two hundred and forty knots. Assuming it took a few minutes to take off, it would likely be about a half hour before help arrived. The birds would not likely come back as long as Ivan was flying around nearby. They did not seem to like his propeller, and would enjoy the presence of the tilt-rotors even less.


    "Dark, keep a lookout!" she cried. The little ocular demon appeared, a pair of floating yellow-red eyeballs with purple octopus-like bodies.


    Pretty location, the demon said.


    Thankfully the insects seemed mostly docile. They floated through the trees like gentle spirits, singing their own little songs. Ingrid was certain that she saw a pair of them mating. She waited for a few minutes and just took in the view.


    Danger approaching from your left, the demon reported. I can see it through the trees, it is approaching us directly. It is as tall as the trees. I think it wants to eat you.


    That sounds very large, Paranoid said. My barrier will not be able to stop so much raw force. You must flee!


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    "How!?" Ingrid asked.


    You will not be able to climb up out of its reach, the demon said. Its neck is very long.


    Use the rope, go down, Paranoid said. Hide from it somehow.


    Ingrid glanced around. She was completely exposed up there. If something knocked her off her chair, she would fall down into the water and die, if she wasn''t eaten outright. She started breathing heavily. "I, um, don''t know how to tie a rope in a knot."


    You better learn fast, the demon said.


    Ingrid released the straps on her seat and frantically pulled the rope out of the pack. The straps, she realized, could be secured once again. Presumably the forces on those straps would be quite strong while a fighter jet was flying at top speed. She assumed it would hold her weight. Hopefully.


    She let one end of the rope dangle down. It did not quite reach the ground, but the drop onto the roots did not look far. She wrapped the rope around her waist, but it tended to slip up or down as she moved it.


    Try wrapping it in a loop around each leg before putting it around your waist, the demon said. It wasn''t a terrible idea. Though wrapping the rope around each leg was somewhat difficult while seated on a tiny chair high up in the air. This consumed even more of the rope, and it took two attempts to gain enough slack for the makeshift "knot" at her belly. It seemed to hold, even when she tested it against her full weight by dangling off the side of the chair. It crumpled her skirt and tended to ride up uncomfortably.


    Holding the part of the rope which was dangling down from the seat straps, Ingrid used both her hands to very slowly, and very painfully, lower herself down into the darkness below. She could hear a loud splashing sound from the direction of the beast, but it was still too dark to see. As she descended Paranoid followed, creating flares of light on the trees which moved down at Ingrid''s pace.


    When Ingrid ran out of rope, she dropped down onto the gnarled mess of roots. They bent slightly as she landed, but were surprisingly thick and strong. She slung her pack over one shoulder then walked around the nearby tree to get a better look at what was approaching.


    Splash.


    She saw it then, just at the edge of the darkness. It looked like a horse but with very long legs and an extremely long neck. It was indeed as tall as the trees. Its skin appeared to be made out of black scales, polished to a shine and reflecting the light of her Elemental. It had horns, sharp teeth, a prominent nose, long tube-like ears, and... no eyes. At least not that Ingrid could see.


    Splash.


    Each footstep required the great beast to lift its leg out of the water to move it. There appeared to be about ten feet of the leg hidden under the water, in Ingrid''s estimation. The entire beast was maybe a hundred feet tall. Its giant nostrils flexed as it sniffed the air, then looked straight at Ingrid. Yes, it had no eyes on its face.


    "Wind, prevent the sounds and smells from my body from escaping!" she cried out. A turquoise woman with a flute appeared and then dissolved into a barrier around Ingrid, which then faded and vanished from sight. Ingrid snuck along the branches, away from the beast.


    Splash.


    It wandered towards where she had been, bent its massive neck down, and began sniffing the roots. It followed her scent on the roots, from where her feet had touched the ground.


    "That''s bad," Ingrid said. She ran, sprinting along the root floor and leaping across gaps over the bog. The beast continued to chase her but very slowly, sniffing each footstep.


    Splash.


    "Fire, burn the roots behind me!" she cried out. A tall, naked woman made of pure flames appeared over the roots in front of Ingrid.


    CONSUME!


    "Yes, consume!"


    The Fire Elemental started shooting fire out her palms, sending up plumes of black smoke. The giant beast sniffed the air again, and then screamed. "Wind, protect my ears!" Ingrid managed. The sound subsided, but the giant creature still bellowed outside, like a dying animal. Then, it galloped away through the water so fast that all the roots shook.


    Splash, splash, splash, splash.


    Ingrid caught her breath and checked her surroundings. She had moved about fifty feet along the roots before she stopped to set them on fire, relative to where she had landed. The parachute and the chair of her fighter jet still dangled from the canopy far above. A single shaft of sunlight penetrated through the darkness. The insects did not approach her, as they had not before. She sat down on the roots and snacked on the bread and cheese in the bag while she waited.


    The loud whirring sound of the tilt rotors was unmistakable when it finally arrived. A man on a rope with a harness descended slowly into the hole in the canopy, cutting the ropes on the parachute with a machete. Ingrid waited just below the opening for him to arrive.


    "Do you have working communications?" She cried out to the man as he descended.


    "What do you need?" he asked.


    "Tell Ivan that he saved my life," she said. "And tell him I want to learn to fly his warbirds."

 Chapter 18: Derelict

    "Absolutely not," Vaska said. "This has been a disaster so far. The only person in the world who can close the portals... needing to be rescued! If Ingrid died the Order of the Ten Skies would immediately fall apart. As such, I''m imposing a new rule. Ingrid is not allowed to fly with the scouting party ever again. In fact, Ingrid will be allowed to close the portal... only when the area is proven to be very secure."


    "That seems reasonable," Ivan said.


    "How can we ask our soldiers to put themselves at risk," Ingrid asked, "if we are not able to take those same risks. We would be no better than that Lieutenant who sacrificed the recruits from my hometown."


    "Your concerns are noted," Vaska said. "The new rule stands. The rest of you, leave us."


    Ivan and Elizabeth stood up from their seats in the map room and left. Vaska stood up and walked over to Ingrid.


    "Do you know what would happen to me if you died?" she asked.


    Ingrid said nothing.


    "I told you about my curse," Vaska said. "Everything good in my life goes away."


    "You once said, that true things do not let others die on their behalf." Ingrid said.


    "Then we will change the oaths. New recruits will be warned! They must take the risks that you cannot take. That way, people will decide not to join the Order if they disagree with our rules." She turned to leave.


    "Wait," Ingrid said. "My Elemental is no longer trying to murder you. I think. Do you know why?"


    "After you showed me the light crystal," Vaska said, "I told my father about you. I included the detail that your Elemental wanted to murder me. Then, it stopped."


    "When it first transformed, it said that I was the only one ''they'' could agree on. Do you have any idea who ''they'' could be?"


    "Whoever ''they'' are, it is possible that my father knows them, or is one of them," Vaska said. She went silent for a time, one hand on her chin. "Perhaps, when the first portal opened, ''they'' contacted my father somehow. They offered to make a new light crystal, but my father did not have time to give the Elemental very clear orders."


    "Can somebody else give my Elemental orders?!" Ingrid asked.


    "Straightforwardly yes," Vaska said. "It works for any Elemental really, as long as those orders do not contradict the wishes of the binder. Unless you command it to not follow any orders from anyone else. Maybe there was not enough time to give very clear orders to your Elemental, and then my father clarified later that she was not allowed to murder me."


    "If your father is involved..."


    "That would help explain why he was willing to recognize you as the Princess of the Ten Skies, without even negotiating. At least, that is my working hypothesis. We need an experiment that disconfirms this hypothesis."


    "What about the people with the masks?" Ingrid asked. "Why would my Elemental want to murder them?"


    "We still have one of them as a prisoner," Vaska said. "We have a linguist, a bit of a savant, who is trying to communicate with her. It would help if we could hear her talking with another person. She doesn''t say much, and I think she might have figured out that we are trying to study her language."


    <hr>


    As the tilt-rotor reached the peak of the portal from the inside, Ingrid bonded the last of the three crystals and looked out over the Elemental Plane of Life towards the enemy airship in the distance. A quick glance through a telescope revealed that it was moving towards them, billowing black smoke, while being chased by birds. The sky around the portal had been cleared, however the sky surrounding Elizabeth''s airship, which had been renamed Ten Skies, was filled with black smoke as well. Rockets exploded in the air above the airship, leaving small spheres of fire and smoke, and making a loud pop that seemed to scare away the birds.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "That''s all of them," Ingrid said.


    "Mission complete," the commander of the Marines said. "We are returning."


    The rotors began to tilt vertically and the airplane descended towards the deck. The airship began to rotate to the left. Ingrid took one last glance through her telescope at the enemy airship. It seemed to be heading straight for the portal. As soon as her foot hit the deck she sprinted off towards the command deck, taking the steps two at a time up the stairs.


    "Elizabeth, we need to go back," Ingrid said. The Captain regarded her.


    "What''s this about?" the Captain asked.


    "There could be people alive on that airship. If we close the portal, they will be stranded here with these monsters. They will all die horribly."


    "They are the enemy," Elizabeth said. "Nobody forced them to open this portal and fly in here."


    "We can take them prisoner. Maybe there are some officers that are still alive, noblemen that we can hold for ransom. It would be a waste to leave that ransom money here in this Plane."


    "Would you risk our own soldiers to save the enemy?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Take a good look at their airship," Ingrid said, "and then tell me those men are a risk to anyone."


    "Report, what is the status of the Ayaru airship?"


    "Captain, the enemy airship is under assault by birds. No signs of life on board the craft, though it is still steering in the right sense. There are no enemy aircraft defending it."


    Elizabeth nodded. "Very well. Turn the ship around. Prepare the flak cannons. I want every soldier with a rifle on deck. Space out the tilt-rotors on deck, and get those propellers spinning."


    Ingrid watched through a porthole from the command deck as Ivan took off in his warbird and the tilt-rotors began to spool up.


    "The colors Captain!" the communications officer said, peering through a telescope. "The enemy airship has stricken their colors! They are surrendering!"


    "Send a message to the enemy airship, tell them that we accept their surrender, however we will be engaging with our weapons against the birds. If they fire on us, we will shoot them down without hesitation."


    The communications officer began rapidly flashing a bright light through the porthole. The room was silent until he received a reply.


    "The crew is almost entirely dead, Captain. There are less than fifty men alive, and they need the tilt-rotors to come rescue them."


    "When the sky is clear, tell the Marines to land on their ship."


    The birds began to notice the approach of the Ten Skies and diverted their flights to intercept. They were moving fast, as fast as a fighter jet. The gun commanders were patient, however, and the flak cannons did not fire. The birds began to coalesce into a swirling, undulating swarm, as thick as a school of fish. The torrent of their wings began to form a violent cyclone, drawing the Ten Skies closer.


    Suddenly all the flak cannons fired at once, filling the vortex with fire and shrapnel. The birds were ripped apart, like the red mist from grapes in a wine press. Soldiers on the deck fired their rifles in a great volley, sending a deadly wall of bullets into the survivors. Rockets lanced out, filling the sky with sound. Finally, Ivan flew over the deck of the ship, the eight cannons on his wings glowing white hot as he shot the birds out of the sky.


    A cluster of birds evaded the massacre and bravely assaulted the deck, only to meet the whirling propellers of the tilt-rotors spaced out to protect the soldiers. They danced about, uncertain, even as they were plucked out of the sky by marksmen.


    "This," Elizabeth said, "is why we will no longer be allowing you to join the scouts. I do not trust anyone in the world more than the crew of this airship. Once we have a strategy, we can be certain that you will be safe in the sky. And now I, too, ask you to trust them."


    The Marines landed on the enemy airship after the birds had fled. For a half an hour they waited and scoured the derelict ship for survivors before returning to the Ten Skies. Ingrid went down to the deck to see them.


    Only about thirty enemy airmen and half a dozen officers emerged from those tilt-rotors. They were haggard, clothes torn to shreds and bleeding. Grown men were sobbing, lamenting the deaths of their friends and fellow crew. Ingrid remembered the great horse-like beast down in the jungle, and shivered.


    Later she watched from the command deck as the main cannons of the Ten Skies scuttled the enemy airship. The door swung open and a soldier appeared on deck. "Captain!" he said, pointing behind him to a man in chains. Ervin Dren, the man Ingrid had captured in the Plane of Wind, stood in his prisoner''s uniform.


    "What is the meaning of this, soldier?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Captain, he demanded to see the Princess of the Ten Skies. He said it is his right as a nobleman! Prisoner," the soldier said. "Tell the Captain what you said to me."


    "I said," Dren drawled, "that I know things that you will want to know. I will tell you everything."


    "In exchange for what?" Elizabeth asked.


    Dren looked straight at Ingrid. "Allow me, and the rescued men, to swear oaths of service to the Order of the Ten Skies."

 Prelude: Six Months Ago

    Lieutenant Colonel Ervin Dren leaned against the rail of the balcony outside the command deck of the Luan. Jelka, the Capital of Ayaru, sprawled out below as the airship drifted in the winds. Most of the buildings on the street directly below had been demolished to make room for flak cannons and bunkers. Soldiers and military engineers scurried about with weapons and blueprints, construction workers drove trucks filled with iron ingots, and towering Metal Elementals shaped the skeletons of buildings. Dogs barked.


    "Some of those buildings were built seven hundred years ago," Admiral Zef said.


    "It''s a damn shame," Ervin said. "The architecture of these buildings was superb."


    A diamond formation of four fighter jets roared past to the east, leaving trails of white smoke behind them. They broke formation and began to deploy their flaps. The landing lights on the front were bright enough to be seen even in the afternoon sunlight. One by one they lined up and masterfully landed on the deck, leaving just barely enough space between them to park before the next airplane landed.


    The Bank of Jelka was a large enough complex to warrant its own ancient stone wall. Shaped like a perfect circle many blocks across, the bank resembled a small city within a city rather than a single building. A triangle made of grass lawns and gardens, perfectly situated so that the three vertices touched the stone wall, separated the outer buildings from the main bank building in the center. It was at the nearest vertex that the High Mast towered over the stone wall, high enough into the sky for the Luan to attach.


    Attaching the airship to the high mast required using all of the propellers to counteract the wind. An airman on the deck threw a metal cable to a worker on the high mast, who began to reel the airship in using a wrench. Ervin never quite grew accustomed to the primitive technology. Certainly the engineers could have devised a better method of anchoring an airship.


    A small helium barge carried Ervin and Zef down to the surface. As Ervin walked down the marble stairway at the base of the high mast onto the great lawn, two men waited for him in immaculate suits. Ervin recognized one of the men as being Biagio, an advisor sent by the High Council of the Federation of Kanti to oversee the manufacture of fighter jets in Ayaru. He looked a bit too young for such an important position, and Ervin suspected he was sent to Ayaru to prove his worth. The other man Ervin did not recognize. Tall with graying hair and a neat beard, his clothes and jewelry were no doubt more expensive than any of the fighters on the deck of the Luan.


    "Ervin Dren," the unknown man said with a slight bow. "Admiral Zef. My name is Marin Lovre, and I serve as the Chairman of the Bank of Jelka and the Ambassador to the Matron of the Light Crystal. Come with me, the others await your arrival."


    Lovre led the three men along the cobblestone road in the middle of the gardens towards the glass dome in the center. First through crystal-clear glass doors and then through a stately lobby of polished marble, he led them finally to a chamber in the center of the dome with a massive circular hole in the ground, lined with a gentle spiral staircase. Glass tubes with elevators were placed on three points around the pit. As the elevator descended into the pit, it became too dark to see, and the four men stood in an awkward silence.


    A dim light appeared in the darkness below. It was deceptively far away, because it moved toward them very slowly for a long time. Finally the glass elevator stopped and the doors opened into the natural stone terminus of the spiral pit, lit by burning torches. The massive opening of the pit was just a tiny speck of dusky golden light far above. Lovre continued by turning to one side leading them to an iron door in a stone hallway. The door was so large that it required a motor, powered by Fire Elementals, to open. Beyond was a ledge overlooking an underground city.


    It was the first time Ervin had seen one of the secret underground cities of the banks. In the center of the city, suspended from the stone roof, there was an inverted glass dome glistening with the flickering flame of a Greater Fire Elemental, bathing the entire cavern in yellowish light. All across the city there were towers made of glass that spanned the space from floor to ceiling, overflowing with the green life of plants within. Great fountains of pure water, powered by Water Elementals, were strategically placed in every quadrant. The blockish stone dwellings were two-stories tall at most, with a glass dome on the roof and cloth banners hanging from the windows. Many of the people wandering the streets wore robes and masks of two colors: black, white, burgundy, and gold, in various combinations.


    In the center of the city the quartet found their goal: another glass dome with crystal-clear glass doors. Another marble lobby awaited inside. In the center there was another circular pit, much smaller and very shallow, with a triangular depression at the bottom. There was an altar at one point of the triangle, with dozens of banners hanging around the rim of the pit. A woman in golden robes with a gold-black mask stood beside the altar. Beside her a second woman stood, made entirely out of light and wearing the semblance of a knight''s armor.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    A Light Elemental.


    Two other figures stood in the chamber. Ervin instantly recognized King Teodor, wearing ornate golden robes and a crown studded with crystals of various Elemental Planes. Each man in turn bowed deeply to the King.


    The second figure was a stern old woman with a mean face and a trim military uniform. Zoja Eduard, the Minister of the Military. "Ervin Dren," she said. "Vanja''s son. I am certain that I taught you how to use a spoon."


    "And I am grateful for that Zoja," Ervin said. "My King," Ervin said with reverence, "why have you summoned us to this place?"


    "I''m afraid that I have been summoned here as well," King Teodor said.


    "We all were," Zoja said. "I''m guessing that all of us were summoned here independently."


    "By who?" Admiral Zef asked. They all glanced at the Matron of the Light Crystal.


    "It was not her," Lovre said. "She has been questioned by the Light Elemental and found to be truthful." Lovre produced an invitation, and the sight of the signature made Ervin shutter.


    "That is my signature," Ervin said. "It is a perfect forgery."


    The Matron screamed. She pointed behind the altar, at a disk of pure shadow that appeared suspended in the air. Even the Light Elemental looked frightened. "Not here!" the Matron cried. "This is not the place!"


    She fled, vanishing around the wall behind the altar. The Light Elemental remained even as the black disk opened to reveal a dark sky beyond. Angry black clouds speckled with glowing blue and red light, like storm clouds at dusk. A figure made of shifting shadows slipped through the portal and stood behind the altar. Zef and Ervin both stood guard in front of the King with their hands on their pistols.


    The figure walked around the altar into view. It was a woman wearing a pure black dress and a solid white mask. She was shrouded in a cloud of shifting, twisting shadows that seemed to suck in the light of the room. She spoke with several overlapping female voices in unison: "It was I who summoned you to this place."


    "Name yourself!" the King commanded.


    "I am called the Keymaker," the woman said. "I bring you a message from the Queen of Light."


    "That is the Elemental Plane of Darkness," Advisor Biagio said. "The Bank of Kanti sometimes opens portals to that Plane, and I have witnessed it. The sky is unmistakable."


    "Ask your Elemental," the Keymaker said, pointing to the Light Elemental at the altar.


    This one speaks no lies, the Elemental said in his mind, her voice like wind chimes. Though I know not how, for I cannot speak to Mother myself.


    The Keymaker casually tossed a handful of gems clattering onto the stone floor. They were turquoise-orange gems of the variety to summon Wind and Stone Elementals, however they were lopsided, with more turquoise than orange and without the common swirling pattern. "The Heylin Empire is growing too powerful," the Keymaker said. "Their alliance with Taisia must be stopped."


    "As I have said before," King Teodor said with a nod.


    "Careful," Minister Zoja hissed. "This creature forged our signatures, should we trust her?"


    "The Queen of Light sees your plight, King of Ayaru," the Keymaker said. "She offers these six keys. Three of them can be used to open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Wind. The other three can be used to open a second portal once inside. You are to use these portals to launch a surprise war upon Taisia."


    "That... that is forbidden!" the King said. "We agreed to never open the portals and use them in such a way!"


    "You have permission from the Queen of Light until Taisia has been crushed."


    "What happens if the Light Elemental at the Bank of Taisia is sent out into the field?" Chairman Marin Lovre asked. "What happens if they close the portal behind our soldiers? We could end up being trapped in the Plane of Wind."


    It was a sensible question.


    "I guarantee that none of the Light Elementals from any of the banks will leave their underground cities," the Keymaker said. "I have spoken and fulfilled my task. More sets of keys will be provided as needed. Crush Taisia, for the Queen of Light and with her blessing."


    The Keymaker turned around and stepped through the portal. Then the surface of the portal fractured and the whole plate of darkness vanished.


    "Did she speak any lies?" King Teodor asked.


    She said nothing that was not true, at least in her own mind, the Elemental said. She is a mortal however, and I know not how she became bonded to a Dark Elemental of such power. Such a thing has not happened... since the days before this age, when men took the burdens of the Elements upon their own spirits.


    "Is it possible for a mortal to lie to a Light Elemental with the aid of a Dark Elemental?" Zoja asked.


    No mortal may speak untruths without my knowledge.


    The King sighed. "Admiral Zef, do you think it is possible? Can you launch a surprise attack on Taisia using a portal to the Elemental Plane, like the one she was using?"


    "My King," Zef replied, "it would be a small matter."


    These crystals are not bound, the Light Elemental said. Should I bind them? If they become lost, I can recover them if they are bound to me.


    "Yes," the King said. "Bind them immediately, and thank you. Minister Eduard, prepare a task force in secret. Dren, begin practicing opening portals from within your fighter. They need to be large enough for airships to pass through. Biagio, travel to the Federation and speak with the High Council. If they wish to veto this, I will respect their wishes."


    "I will go at once," Biagio said.


    "Chairman Lovre," the King said. "Bury this."

 Chapter 19: Warbirds

    Ingrid waited on the deck of the Ten Skies and watched the horizon. The fur coat was not quite enough to keep her warm in the wintery morning air. A thick layer of clouds blanketed the landscape below, hiding all but the snowclad peaks. The only sound was that of the wind.


    This silence was slowly broken by the increasing hum of propellers. Three warbirds flew overhead and broke formation to begin their approach to land. They had low wings, angled slightly upward along the length, a single propeller in the front, and a small wheel under the tail. When the first one landed, the tail seemed to float above the runway for a while before dropping.


    After the first airplane parked along the side of the runway, the canopy opened and Ivan climbed out. Ingrid waited until the propellers on all three airplanes had stopped spinning before she approached.


    "I brought a spare," Ivan said, pointing to the third aircraft. "Just in case you break yours."


    "How thoughtful," Ingrid said.


    "The thing to remember is to not slam on the brakes when you are moving fast. If you do, the airplane can flip over on its nose and destroy the propeller. Landing and stall speeds are marked on the airspeed indicator. Any questions?"


    "No, I think I should be able to figure it out."


    Ingrid climbed inside her airplane and closed the canopy. Because the tail was resting on the small wheel on the ground, Ingrid was leaning back and the console was above her to some degree. The airplane had a stick and rudder pedals like a fighter jet, long levers to control the flaps and the landing gear, and two trim wheels, one for the rudder and one for the elevator. Inside the cabin it was cramped and everything was colored a somewhat drab gray. There was a gun sight directly in front of her at eye level.


    The airplane was equipped with a hydraulics system to aid in control at high speeds, and Ingrid summoned the standard five Elementals to get the warbird started: fire, water, wind, life, and an ocular demon. Ivan had left a magenta Colored Orb summoned for communications. It pulsed.


    "Just float off the front of the airship at full power and point the nose down to pick up airspeed," Ivan said. "The trick is, to not let the airship smack you on the way down."


    Ivan''s airplane began to roll along the taxiway. He did not bother to line up at the far end and gain speed. Instead, he simply flew over the edge of the airship and dropped straight down. Ingrid took her time and lined up at the far end. At full throttle the engine produced an extreme torque, causing the airplane to veer towards the other parked aircraft on the deck. Ingrid attempted to use the rudder to counteract the engine torque, but the nose left the deck before it had any impact. She used the stick to maneuver once airborne, avoiding a collision with the command tower and causing the soldiers on deck to run away in fear. Once she cleared the edge of the airship she used the rudder trim to counteract the torque, allowing her to fly with some semblance of control.


    "I thought I should be able to fly any airplane after flying in a fighter jet," Ingrid mumbled.


    "You should see some of the airplanes I have flown," Ivan said. "There was one with a propeller that broke the sound barrier at the tip, it was so loud it made people on the ground sick, even though they were standing twenty-five miles away."


    Ingrid rolled the airplane over and began to chase Ivan''s warbird. It handled well and was quite responsive, even though it was slower than a fighter jet. Rolling with the torque of the propeller was quick and easy.


    "I am going to fly head-on," Ivan said. "Do not hit me, please. Stay to the right as we merge then veer to the right."


    Ivan barely missed hitting her with a whoosh. Ingrid rolled right and pulled up on the stick, making a tight turn. She could see Ivan''s warbird in the mirrors above her head. He turned to his left. This caused them both to eventually loop around and point their noses at each other again.


    "This is a one-circle," Ivan said. "Nose-to-nose. Keep looping but do not hit me, please."


    Periodically they would point their noses at each other, and Ingrid was certain to stay on the outside of his motion. They continued to loop around and around, his nose pointed at her for a few fractions of a second every rotation.


    "In a one-circle, the only thing that matters is turn radius. You can use geometry to gain an advantage, because you can use the vertical dimension to reduce the radius of your turn. Watch..."


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Just after their noses were pointed at each other, Ivan flew up and made an inverted roll.


    "My nose is pointed at you now," he said. Ingrid craned her neck up to look back at him. His nose was pointed at her far before she could react. She continued her turn. "Go out, we can merge again. Turn in the same direction."


    This time Ivan turned to his right. They remained chasing each other through the sky, however they never crossed noses. In fact, Ingrid was chasing his tail, and he was chasing hers. This went on for several rotations.


    "Good, this is called a two-circle. What matters here is not radius, but turn rate. The better your aircraft is at turning, the better you will perform in a two-circle. Pull hard on the stick and reduce power to try and put my airplane in your gunsight."


    Ingrid did so, however she lost a lot of airspeed in the attempt. The stall horn even began to blow, and she was forced to point the nose at the ground to recover airspeed. The thick blanket of fluffy clouds below dominated her sight.


    "My nose is pointed at you again," Ivan said. He was above her then, chasing her as she fell. "You can always try to point your nose at the enemy at the cost of shedding speed," he said. "If you run out of airspeed to spend, you need to go down to get more. Do you know what that means?"


    Ingrid thought about it for a moment, puzzling over the words in the question. "What happens if you cannot go down?" she asked.


    "Then you hit the ground and explode," Ivan said. "That is called a rate fight on the deck. If you are too low to trade altitude for airspeed, then you are on the deck. If you have a higher turn rate, then you can drag your enemy down to the ground where they will never be able to afford to exchange airspeed for turn rate."


    Ingrid looked down at the clouds. "Or, into the clouds."


    "Yes, the clouds can be used to hide from human eyes, however ocular demons will still be able to report on your maneuvers. Also, Ice-Two and Dark-Three missiles will be able to follow enemies through the fog without any problems. "


    "So what happens when you point the nose at the enemy?" Ingrid asked. "What if they are too close to use the Ice-Two missiles?"


    "You use your cannons," Ivan said. "At close ranges you use your cannons, at medium ranges you use Ice-Two, at longer ranges you use Dark-Three."


    "I need to get a cannon on my fighter then," Ingrid said. "I''ll talk to Vaska."


    They continued to rotate in a two-circle, chasing nose-to-tail. Suddenly Ivan pointed his nose at the sky and started flying up.


    "This is called using the vertical," Ivan said. "If you were in a fighter jet with those big engines, you could easily fly so high that my warbird would stall."


    Ingrid craned her neck again and watched him vanish into the sky. She tried to follow him, however he was pointed straight at the sun and she had to cover her eyes against the glare.


    "Ivan?" she asked. "Where are you?"


    Whoosh!


    He merged with her again from above, looping around. "You are dead," he said as he pointed his nose at her. "We keep flying until you point your nose at me and I admit that you scored a hit."


    She did not score a hit.


    Every time she tried to point her nose at him, he simply rolled over the cone in front of her airplane and resumed his maneuvering. "I''ve been doing this a long, long time," Ivan said. "My guns are loaded, yours are not." He actually fired his cannons, a white-hot stream of bullets just barely missed Ingrid''s wing.


    "What are you doing?" Ingrid exclaimed.


    "Emperor''s orders, I need to make it look like an accident. I do hope you are a good student."


    "Not funny," Ingrid said. However, Ivan was turning to point his nose at her. Glowing bullets lanced out at her. "Really, really not funny."


    She desperately tried to stay in a two-circle fight with him as he dragged her down towards the clouds. Then, he broke off and merged with her again, catching her in a one-circle. She kicked the rudder to stay out of his cone of fire as they crossed their noses.


    The clouds loomed closer and closer. Ingrid pointed her nose down and flew into the clouds, skimming the surface just out of sight. The world was consumed with a milky white shroud.


    "My ocular demon says that you are about to crash into a mountain," Ivan said. Ingrid pulled up, just as a stream of bullets passed by her wing.


    "I give up!" Ingrid said. "Can we go back now, please?"


    "What am I going to tell the Emperor?" Ivan asked.


    "I get it, I need to practice more. Drop the act."


    Ivan flew in right behind Ingrid and pointed his nose at her. "Maybe we should continue this exercise after you have had a chance to eat," he said. "Hungry pilots do not learn as quickly."


    Ingrid breathed a sigh of relief. "No, no, you need to not be shooting bullets at me when we do this again!"


    "The enemy will absolutely understand your sentiment," Ivan said, dryly.


    "Fair point," Ingrid said.


    They flew back to the Ten Skies and Ingrid watched him land one time before attempting the maneuver herself. The trick was to bleed off speed and allow the tail to drop down onto the deck without using the brakes. The flaps were marginally helpful, and Ingrid ended up horribly off-center because of the engine torque.


    Ivan waited in his airplane until Ingrid had left hers. When he finally did emerge Vaska had arrived. She slapped the old man, hard.


    "How dare you shoot at her!" Vaska screamed. "What would have happened if you hit her?"


    "I''ve been doing this a long time," Ivan said as he adjusted his belt. "She was never in any danger."


    "New rule!" Vaska said. "All training aircraft will be inspected personally by myself to ensure that the weapons are not loaded! We cannot risk losing the only person in the world who can close the portals."


    Ivan winked at Ingrid after Vaska left.


    "The Emperor prefers to hunt his prey himself," Ivan said. "You were ever in any danger. I promise."


    "That is not condescending at all," Ingrid said. "Next time, I get a real fighter jet, and you only get your warbird."


    "Be sure to fly up then," Ivan said. "Go up, and lob missiles down at the enemy. No hesitation, no mercy."

 Chapter 20: Deep Ayaru Portal

    Wake up! Another portal! Paranoid whined in the darkness of the morning.


    Ingrid sighed as she untangled herself from Vaska''s arms. "Where is the portal?" she asked. Vaska groaned.


    Heading one-seven-nine, distance four-hundred and twenty-three nautical miles.


    "That is near Jelka," Vaska said, her eyes still closed. "The Capital of Ayaru."


    "I suppose it was only a matter of time that they learned about us," Ingrid said. She stood up.


    "Come back to bed," Vaska said. "There is nothing we can do about it right now."


    Ingrid walked to the Colored Orb by the door and activated it. "New portal, heading one-seven-nine, distance four-two-three."


    "Heading one-seven-nine, distance four-two-three," the soldier on the other end replied. "That puts it right by the enemy Capital."


    "Make sure the Captain is made aware when she awakens."


    "Affirmative." The communication cut off.


    Ingrid climbed back into bed and was consumed by the tangle of Vaska''s greedy limbs. Vaska fell asleep almost instantly, but Ingrid''s mind lingered in the darkness. Paranoid floated nearby, casting a faint mother-of-pearl light on the wall.


    "What will happen," Ingrid whispered, "if I fail to close the portal."


    The Queen of Darkness may break free, and allow evil to seep into the world once more.


    "Evil?"


    In the time before, the Queen of Darkness released evil into the world. It was a physical thing. The Queen of Light gave humans an example to aspire to. She allowed them to cleanse the evil, if they so wished.


    "There seems to be enough evil in the world already," Ingrid muttered. The Elemental did not reply.


    <hr>


    Vaska called a meeting of the Feathers after sunrise. Elizabeth ordered the ship to change headings in the night, and by morning they were close enough to the Capital of Taisia for Ambassador Rudolf to join in-person. Even Glenice was present, wearing the uniform of a Taisian airman. The final person to join the meeting was, surprisingly, Ervin Dren.


    Glenice dropped an envelope filled with papers on the desk, covering the navigation charts.


    "What is that?" Ingrid asked.


    "I managed to get access to the records office on board our airship," Glenice said. "This is your recruitment profile and personal record."


    Ingrid opened the envelope and looked at the first sheet. It still had her signature on it from when she swore her oaths. It was stamped with a red square containing the letters KIA. Ingrid rubbed her finger over the red ink.


    "Killed in action," Glenice said. "If the clerks in the records office are to be believed, all the recruits from your hometown were marked KIA before you ever left the ground that morning."


    "That means you technically are not a deserter," Rudolf said. "I have good news as well Princess," he said, looking towards Vaska. "I have made a great deal of progress with my schemes in the Air Navy. I have secured six airships and almost a thousand soldiers that we can conscript into your little... group."


    "How did you manage that?" Vaska asked. "Actually... I don''t want to know."


    "I want to know," Glenice said.


    "Ah it was a simple matter," Rudolf said. "I started a pyramid scheme that involves promising individual commanders airships that don''t exist yet. Think of it as... borrowing airships from the future."


    "I will accept that as your report then," Vaska said. "Ivan, what is the status of Ingrid''s training?"


    "She is able to merge and fly a basic one-circle and two-circle pattern and stay away from my nose well enough. I think that she needs more practice leading with her cannon to compensate for the motion of the enemy as the bullets are in the air."


    "Dren," Vaska said. "What do you know about the portal in Jelka?"


    "Nothing," Dren said in heavily-accented Imperial. "I only knew about the initial set of keystones that the Keymaker gave us."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I did not know you could speak our language," Ivan said.


    "I cannot speak a single word of Taisian, but I can manage Imperial well enough," the man replied. "Anyway, I did not know about the keystones to the Plane of Life. Whatever keystones are being used in Jelka right now, must have been given to us after I was captured."


    "What about the soldiers that joined when you did?" Ingrid asked. "How did they get the keystones to the Plane of Life?"


    "Only one officer had anything to say about it," Dren said. "Secondhand knowledge I''m afraid. Apparently the Keymaker arrived inside the command deck directly, as the airship was flying. She gave the Captain signed orders from his commanding officer, as well as a sack of keystones."


    Vaska looked deeply disturbed. "If our enemy can be so precise..."


    "This information is not necessarily accurate," Dren added.


    "Can we trust any written orders from our own commanders?" Ivan asked.


    "Yes, yes," Rudolf said. "This could be a considerable problem if this ''Keymaker'' can forge signatures. I will inform the leadership of the Taisian military to get verbal confirmation for orders if they encounter the Keymaker."


    "Either way," Vaska said, "we need eyes on that portal. We need spies in Ayaru. Reliable spies. Dren, do you have any contacts back in Jelka that will be willing to feed us information."


    "Not in Jelka. I do know of a potential spy in the Ayaru Air Navy."


    "Who?" Vaska asked.


    "Me," Dren said. "You still have my fighter jet. Let me fly home. I will take a look inside the portal and report back anything I find."


    "That would be stupid," Vaska said.


    "Not necessarily," Elizabeth said, speaking for the first time. "Ingrid, make your Light Elemental question him."


    "Paranoid, show yourself." Ingrid said. The Light Elemental appeared in her armored form, standing on top of the map table and looking down at Dren with contempt. "Tell me if he is lying or being truthful. Ervin Dren, do you intend to betray your oaths to the Order?"


    "I do not intend to do so," the man said.


    "Will you remain loyal to me and the rest of the Feathers if you are allowed to return to Ayaru?"


    "I will do so. The Keymaker is a threat to my nation. Working with you is the best way to save my men and my homeland."


    He speaks no lies, Paranoid said.


    "I will give the order to prepare his fighter," Elizabeth said. "The choice is yours, Princess."


    "I do not like it," Vaska said. "However, I do think that it is our best option right now. Elizabeth, give the order. Dren, you are dismissed."


    Elizabeth and Dren stood up and left the map room.


    "For my report," Vaska said, "I have located one of my father''s black sites and made contact. They are working on some very... disturbing new technologies. Similar to the flares that can distract Ice-Two missiles, the new canisters can distract Dark-Three missiles."


    "How did they manage that," Ivan asked.


    "I''m guessing that there are chopped up people that are technically still alive inside those canisters," Vaska said. "That would be my guess. Convicted criminals go into the compound and never return."


    "That''s horrible!" Ingrid said. "It''s evil!"


    "Let''s not dwell on this," Vaska said. "I have my own project that is producing excellent results."


    Vaska presented a common metallic-yellow crystal and summoned a cyan Colored Orb. It floated above the map table, bathing the room in a pale blue light.


    "I still think it''s evil," Ingrid mumbled.


    Vaska pressed one finger to her lips and shushed at Ingrid. "I have devised a reliable method of training this type of Lightning Elemental to aid in creating the illusion of aerodynamic stability."


    "Astounding!" Ivan said.


    "What does that mean?" Ingrid asked.


    "It means that we will be able to design aerodynamically unstable fighter jets," Vaska said. "It will allow them to have much more powerful control surfaces for maneuvering. Come with me down to the deck, and I will show you the new airframe that me and the other engineers designed."


    Vaska led them to the rear corner of the airship where the new fighter jet was parked by itself. It had almost no resemblance to the little tubes with stubby wings that she had been flying thus far. It was shaped like an arrowhead, more flat and wide with a pointy nose and a large mouth-like air intake underneath that nose. The two wings together formed a giant triangle, and it had no horizontal stabilizer as such. In fact both rear surfaces were pitched down together, being oversized elevators. It had no flaps, instead the giant ailerons were angled down slightly to simulate flaps. A single prominent tail fin with a massive rudder loomed over a single engine.


    The other fighters on the deck looked almost comical in comparison. This thing looked like a real weapon of war.


    "It is beautiful," Ingrid said. "Let me fly it, right now."


    Vaska handed Ingrid the glass box with the cyan Colored orb inside. Soldiers brought out a ladder and Ingrid hungrily climbed inside. There was a gunsight, like a warbird would have, featured prominently above the dashboard.


    "Does it have a cannon?" Ingrid asked.


    "Just one, yes," Vaska said. "Two hundred bullets, six barrels. Go ahead and shoot the cannon when you are up there and get a feel for it."


    After strapping herself in and summoning her Elementals, Ingrid shoed the rest of them away and taxied to the edge of the runway. At full throttle the little arrowhead-like airplane took off rapidly. Ingrid pointed the nose at the sky and the airship shrank rapidly in the mirrors overhead. The controls were very responsive and precise as Ingrid made a series of long sweeping turns through the sky. Clouds seemed to form on the back of the airplane each time she maneuvered.


    The sky was a playground for the little fighter jet. Ingrid flew down towards the ground, zipping over the small towns and snowfields outside the Capital. She danced through the sky, leaving long trails of white mist in her trail. When she rocketed past the airship again, Ivan''s warbird was busy leaving the deck.


    "Are you ready to practice merges?" Ivan asked.


    "You want to merge with this?" Ingrid asked.


    He did, and so she lined up and merged with him. They ended up in a one-circle, but by the time he pointed his nose anywhere near her direction she was already far above him, ascending vertically above the wispy clouds.


    "Where did you go Ingrid?" Ivan asked. "I can''t see you."


    "I can see you," Ingrid mused as she pulled his tiny warbird into the gunsight.


    "Oh, I see you. Ingrid, I''ve been flying for fifty years, and I''ve never seen anything turn like that airplane."


    "Let''s hope the enemy pilots share your surprise."

 Chapter 21: The Elemental Plane of Water

    "Exactly where Dren said it would be," Elizabeth said as she sat in the Captain''s chair on the command deck of the Ten Skies. Still wearing her white trousers and dark green striped shirt, her only mark of service to the Order was a black patch on her shoulder with the ten colored circles inside.


    Ingrid ran to the telescope to get a better view. It was far away on the horizon, a thin hole in the sky that glowed a deep blue color in contrast to the red glow of dawn. A portal to the Elemental Plane of Water.


    "Heading two-seven-three, full power," Captain, or rather Admiral Elizabeth said. "Bring the fleet around to the west and approach the portal from west to east."


    The process of the airships lining up and changing heading was very slow, and Ingrid stopped watching the portal. Instead she pointed the telescope down to watch the scouts take off in their fighter jets.


    "I told you that you are not allowed to fly with the scouts!" Vaska declared.


    "I''m not flying with them," Ingrid said. "I''m just watching these beautiful machines take off."


    "You are thinking about it though," Vaska said. "I won''t let you fly off to die and leave me all alone." She wrapped her arms around Ingrid''s waist, preventing her from moving away from the porthole.


    "None of that here," Elizabeth snapped. Vaska let go and backed away.


    "Why do you design them?" Ingrid asked. "Why do you make these things?"


    "The same reason you want to watch them take off."


    "So you get it."


    "I get it," Vaska said.


    "Admiral," the navigator said. "The enemy has sent fighter jets through the portal."


    "They are going to see us," Elizabeth said. "Then they will wait inside for us to come through one at a time. They may close the portal behind a single airship as it passes through, then attack it with many airships waiting on the other side. Any fighters we send through will likely not get far without being bombarded with missiles."


    Her eyes darted side to side behind those scarred cheekbones. She looked straight at Ingrid.


    "Ingrid, get to your fighter," she said. "Take off now."


    "Absolutely not!" Vaska said.


    "I will not have some damned politician on my deck giving orders," Elizabeth sneered. "Ingrid, we cannot suffer the enemy control of the portal. Bind the crystals and close the portal. We will reopen it on our terms to gain maximum advantage."


    Ingrid nodded. "I''ll go," she said. Vaska whimpered.


    "Ivan will know what maneuver will be best to get inside the portal without being shot at," Elizabeth said.


    "I''ll just kick the rudder and then loop once inside," Ingrid said. Then she left, sprinting through the hallways and down the stairs to the deck.


    The scouts were still busy lining up for takeoff, however they allowed Ingrid to preempt the line and take off from the midpoint of the runway. She tipped the nose off the edge of the airship and dropped straight down to gain airspeed. A formation of six fighters formed up in a ring around her.


    "We will go inside the portal with you," the Formation Commander said over the communicator. "Burst formation, protect the Ghost."


    "Burst formation, affirmative," one of the other pilots replied.


    "It could be dangerous," Ingrid said.


    "That''s our job," a third pilot said.


    They took a long sweeping arc through the sky to line up near-parallel to the portal at an oblique angle. The enemy fighters had fled back into the portal but remained unseen.


    "Elizabeth, can you hear me?" Ingrid said over her second magenta Orb.


    "I can hear you."


    "What happens if they are colluding with their own bank? They could recall the crystals as I get close to them."


    "That is a risk I am willing to take," Elizabeth said. "Be quick."


    The six escorts flew ahead and entered the portal nose-on. They vanished from sight, and Ingrid continued her approach at a near-parallel angle. Just before crossing the threshold she used the rudder to tip the nose inside. The crimson sky of dawn was replaced with a sky of pale purplish-blue.


    One of the glowing blue crystals was straight ahead, and Ingrid passed very close to it.


    It is bound, Paranoid reported. Continue to the other two.


    Ingrid pulled hard on the stick to face the blueish sky. Far above, deep out in the space beyond the sky, there were dozens of massive, transparent blobs of water the size of planets. They refracted the dark blue light of the single giant moon on the horizon. The nose tipped up and the fighter inverted at the top of the loop. The second crystal passed by just within range to bind.


    "Enemy airships, heading one-three-five, distance uh... twenty nautical miles maybe," one of the scouts reported.


    The enemy has fired missiles at the others, her ocular demon said. Indeed, hiding behind the portal and high in the sky a squadron of fighters was lobbing missiles down at the scouts as they spread out in the burst formation.


    There were a lot of missiles. They were all going to die, Ingrid realized.


    That''s our job.


    The nose continued to flip over and Ingrid faced the ocean below. The nearly-transparent ocean looked like a maze of light and dark. The dark areas were very deep ocean, and the lighter tan areas were made from sand just a short distance under the surface. Where the sand ended, there was a perfectly vertical drop down into the depths. And this pattern of light and dark, water and sand, stretched out to the horizon in all directions in a dizzying and impossible maze.


    Ingrid passed the third crystal. The scouts had started defending by flying down towards the ocean. With a final glance at them she rolled over and used the rudder to veer back out of the portal into the crimson dawn outside.


    "I can close the portal at any time," Ingrid said. "There are enemies hiding above and behind the portal waiting for anyone to enter. The scouts are being fired upon right now."


    "As I expected," Elizabeth said.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I''ve lost my wing, I''m going in!" one of the scouts said.


    "Here we go..."


    Screams.


    "Close it," Elizabeth commanded. "Now."


    It will be done, Paranoid said. The portal began to fracture and collapse in the mirrors. Three pale disks of light appeared inside the cabin and pressed gently against Ingrid''s chest, immaterial and without momentum. They matched the speed of the airplane before they formed into the three keystones. Lopsided blue and red.


    "Ingrid, fly Heading one-three-five distance twenty nautical miles," Elizabeth said. "Approach that location at heading three-one-five and open the portal at five-zero thousand."


    "Heading one-three-five twenty miles," Ingrid said. "Spin around and open the portal at five-zero thousand."


    Hundreds of fighter jets left the decks of the fleet and formed a huge series of rings in the sky at various altitudes. When the entire force had left the decks, there were over five hundred fighters in the sky, armed with at least two thousand missiles.


    "All Formation Commanders," another man said over the magenta Orb, "follow the Ghost through when the portal opens and prepare to drop down onto the airships on the other side."


    The Ghost, Ingrid thought. Even our own soldiers have taken to using that name. It must have been those Ayaruans that joined, spreading their own stories. Ingrid pointed her nose at the sky and rocketed up to fifty-thousand feet, then turned south east. At over four-hundred knots across the ground it only took three minutes to reach the location where the portal would be reopened.


    "Demon! Remember this exact spot on the ground below," Ingrid said.


    I can remember it, the ocular demon replied.


    She looped around, pointing the nose at heading three-one-five and crossed the same spot again.


    Now.


    "Water! Open a portal to the Plane of Water!" The gems began to glow a deep blue color. As with the portal to the Plane of Wind, the three crystals were summoned into the sky in a triangle in front of her, and three lines of blue light connected them. She overshot the triangle and needed to loop around once again, because the portal took a long time for form. Half a thousand fighter jets flew inside in earnest when the blueish sky appeared through the circle.


    "Once the fighters are through," Elizabeth said, "close the portal and return to the Ten Skies. Open a portal one nautical mile ahead of our line."


    Once again it only took about three minutes to return to the other airships. The airships were only flying at about twenty knots, and Ingrid was flying over twenty times that speed across the ground. She dropped out of the sky as she flew, increasing her airspeed even more, and stopped descending at about five thousand feet to match the level of the airships. They had formed into a long line, with the Ten Skies in the lead.


    Only a few dozen fighters remained as escort for the airships as they passed through the third portal. The enemy fighter jets that had previously been hiding behind the portal had moved to engage with the invading allies far above, however they were being overwhelmed. A few stragglers were running away, straight towards Elizabeth''s line.


    "Dark-Three!"


    "Dark-Three!"


    Voices began to clutter the communications as the fighters nearby began to launch missiles at the fleeing fighter jets. Twenty miles to the south-east, the enemy airships were surrounded by explosions as volleys of missiles from the allied fighters above lanced down. Ingrid hid in the shadow of the Ten Skies as it slowly turned to face the enemy, however even with her flaps fully deployed it was flying far too slow to be an effective hiding spot for long. She quickly overshot the airship.


    A Dark-Three missile has locked on to you, the ocular demon reported. Incoming on your right and above, you should defend.


    Ingrid rolled over and began to defend towards the water. The air was normal here, as it had been in the Elemental Plane of Life, so she dragged the missile down into the dense air just above the surface of the ocean. She barely skimmed over the water, watching the burning light of the missile in her mirrors as she flew. The waves were massive, rolling things, like shifting hills as tall as buildings. The water was nearly perfectly transparent, like the pure waters in the pool of a fancy seaside resort. Ingrid watched the waves, carefully timing her turn to hide in the shadow of one as it bulged just behind her.


    The missile struck the wave and exploded. Ingrid could see every detail of the explosion through the transparent surface. A flash, an orange bubble, a clear bubble outside of that filled with black smoke, a pillar of white water bursting twenty feet into the sky. Ingrid tipped the nose up to prevent hitting a wave and then began to ascent once again. Just below her, bravely sailing the mountainous waves, Ingrid saw a tiny boat.


    It looked big enough to hold a single person, and indeed Ingrid saw the briefest flash of a nude woman holding the ropes. The craft had a single mast, a large squarish sail on a rotating boom and a smaller triangular sail between the mast and the tip. Ingrid made note of the craft but flew onward over the ocean. Missiles lanced out through the sky far above with more explosions appearing in the mirrors.


    The endless maze-like pattern began to appear below as Ingrid gained altitude. She flew directly over a large island, and in the center of the island there was a mountain with a tall wooden tower at the top. The tower must have been a thousand feet high, because at that altitude it was just barely below Ingrid and to one side.


    No wooden structure should be that tall, Ingrid thought. Though, many things had violated the laws of physics in the other Elemental Planes. A massive red pennant fluttered in the wind from the top of that wooden tower. There were dwellings on the island, a city even. Tiny dots walked through the streets.


    Perhaps more of those masked people lived in that city? Ingrid felt it was plausible.


    "Ingrid, where are you?" Vaska asked with fear in her voice. "Are you alright?"


    Ingrid replied with a description of the boat and the city on the island. As she spoke the ocular demon interrupted her mid-sentence.


    One single enemy, away from the others. He sees you!


    "Vaska I will tell you the rest later," Ingrid said. "I have a contact here."


    Dark-Three missile incoming, from directly ahead at about twenty thousand feet.


    "Right now Vaska," Ingrid mused, "I kind of wish I could have some of those canisters with the chopped up criminals."


    "Noted," Vaska said. "I''ll be sure to remind you of this moment if you continue to protest."


    "Tell me when I am in the shadow of the tower," Ingrid said to the demon. Then she turned towards the island and flew low over the peak of the mountain, slowly rotating her heading until the demon told her to stop. She deployed her air brakes and full flaps to fly as slowly as possible over the water. The missile exploded against the wooden tower, however the tower appeared to be completely undamaged.


    "Time to run," Ingrid said. She punched the throttle to full and brought the flaps and air brakes back up. Her airspeed increased rapidly as she skimmed the rolling ocean.


    Another Dark-Three missile incoming, the demon reported. I do not think there is time to get behind the tower again.


    "I agree," Ingrid said. It was also coming at too high of an angle to use the waves again. It was somewhat far away, however. She continued to fly straight away from it.


    Curving will not help, the missile is in the middle of a circle and you are on the edge. Just fly straight away.


    "I know," Ingrid said. The light of the missile''s flame died. Ingrid rolled and pulled up hard on the stick, making a sharp turn, just barely missing the waves. The missile struck the water at a near vertical angle where she would have been flying just moments before. Another pillar of water pierced the sky.


    Saved by Vaska''s new aerodynamic instability, Ingrid thought. That thing was going very fast.


    I do not see any more Dark-Three missiles on his wings, the ocular demon reported. He is flying high still, a little ways past the island.


    Ingrid continued her turn and then faced the enemy fighter, pointing her nose up at an angle. "Tell me if he shoots any Ice-Two missiles at me," she said.


    Will do.


    I CAN HUNT HIM! one of her Dark-Three missiles announced.


    "Launch!" Ingrid screamed. The Dark-Three missile left the rail and rocketed off into the sky towards the enemy. Gravity would slow it down, and it was probably doomed to miss.


    He is defending, the ocular demon said.


    "Perfect, that will give us time to get close."


    There is no way that is going to hit, the demon said.


    "It doesn''t matter," Ingrid said. She was flying straight at the enemy. She saw the flames of his engines. Two engines, a flat airplane like the type that Ervin Dren had flown, but lacking some of its missiles. It must have used more of its missiles against the scouts, she realized.


    She barely dodged him.


    They merged.


    He flew south, and Ingrid jerked the nose to the north to form a two-circle. "I have the better airplane," Ingrid said, "I think. I should win in a two-circle."


    She was high above the ocean, caught in a long tail-to-tail two-circle loop with the enemy fighter jet. It had two Ice-Two missiles still mounted on the wings. The enemy pilot must have noticed that Ingrid''s airplane was winning the rate fight, because he pulled her into his nose cone with a violent maneuver that cut into his airspeed.


    Ice-Two missile incoming!


    Ingrid dropped flares. The missile followed the flares and exploded far behind her. The enemy pilot attempted the maneuver again but ended up stalling. His nose drooped and he began to fall into a vertical dive to recover airspeed.


    "Ice-Two," Ingrid said. The missile left the rail and rocketed towards him.


    She closed her eyes as the man died.


    "I think I like the new airplane Vaska," Ingrid said over the magenta Colored Orb. "These other pilots... It''s like dogfighting against children."

 Chapter 22: Reese

    The two fleets of airships were locked in combat with their cannons in the skies far away as the Imperial Marines descended towards the ocean in a tilt-rotor. Ingrid peered through a pair of binoculars at the tiny boat. The nude woman must have noticed them flying to meet her and found herself some clothes, because she was wearing a blue blouse and white trousers by the time they arrived. Her short, graying black hair, her clothes, and indeed the very ocean whipped about violently as the powerful rotors hovered above the crests of the mountainous waves. One of the Marines descended on a cable to retrieve her. She did not resist.


    When the Marine deposited her inside the tilt-rotor, Ingrid got a good look at the woman for the first time. Her clothes were a bit thin and torn up in places. She had the facial features of an Imperial herself, and her eyes were hazel. She had an empty sheath on her belt. The Marine that retrieved her had confiscated her dagger and handed it to Ingrid. It looked to be made from modern high-quality steel though the pommel was somewhat plain.


    Ingrid sat in the chair opposite to the woman as she was deposited on board. The Marine slowly prodded the woman forward towards Ingrid. Paranoid did not suddenly appear and try to murder her. That was a very good start. The Marine closed the door and the engines began to whirl at full power.


    "Imperial Marines," the woman mused.


    "You can speak Imperial!" Ingrid exclaimed.


    "I can," the woman said. "My name is Reese. Who are you? You look important."


    "I''m Ingrid, Princess of the Ten Skies, and leader of the Order of the Ten Skies. Except Elizabeth is our Admiral and she gives all the real orders. Anyways, it is nice to meet you Reese."


    "Do you have food from the outside?" Reese asked. "I''m dying for some cheese. It''s been decades."


    One of the Marines handed her a box of rations. Her eyes went wide as she devoured the slices of cheese inside. Her eyes rolled in her head and she moaned. "Five goddesses thank you!"


    The tiny boat was vanishing out of sight in the ocean far below as the tilt-rotor began the journey to return to the Ten Skies.


    "What are you doing out here in the Plane of Water?" Ingrid asked.


    "Excellent question," Reese said. "I''m in exile."


    "Exile? From what?"


    "I was one of the candidates to become the Matron of the Light Crystal in the Imperial Capital," Reese said. "I was passed over for the role and was sent into exile here. I am not allowed to set foot on the big islands, and I have to hope that people on the islands with boats will feel charitable enough to bring me supplies. There are some small islands with fruits that I can eat, and the fish don''t taste too bad if I can find wood to burn. Also, the water is pure and drinkable. It''s not salty like a regular ocean."


    "My companion Vaska has been interviewing a woman who wears a mask," Ingrid said. "However she just repeats the same things over and over. Do you know anything about the masked people?"


    "I know quite a bit about them," Reese said.


    Ingrid frowned. "Paranoid, why haven''t you tried to murder this one yet?"


    The Light Elemental did not reply.


    "Who is ''Paranoid?''" Reese asked.


    "She is my Light Elemental," Ingrid replied. The woman''s eyes went wide.


    "Are you one of the Matrons then?"


    "I am not," Ingrid said. "I was given this light crystal by somebody, maybe the Queen of Light, for the purpose of closing the portals that Ayaru is making all over the place. However, when I met some of the masked people, she started murdering them!"


    "I was a candidate to become Matron," Reese said. "I have been close to light crystals many times and the Elemental never attacked me. If one of the sacrifices finds a way to escape to the other side, the Light Elemental will absolutely attack them."


    SILENCE HER Paranoid bellowed. Make her angry so she has malice! Mother please! Please let me kill her. Mother! Mother?!?!


    "My Elemental is going mad," Ingrid said. "What are the sacrifices?"


    MOTHER CANNOT HEAR ME.


    "The people with the masks," Reese said. "You would need to see them for yourself I think. If you want, I can show you where they are kept on the island."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Do you want to go?" the Marine commander asked. "We can turn around."


    "Call for reinforcements and turn around," Ingrid said. "We should go see what she is talking about."


    The Queen! The Queen of Water hears me! Hurry mortal, take me to the other world immediately. I need to speak to Mother.


    "No, I will not," Ingrid muttered to herself.


    Unexpectedly, a cool, watery voice, like the sound of a small fountain or a trickling mountain creek, spoke to her in her mind: The foolish daughter of the Queen of Light speaks to Mother.


    "Can you hear me?" Ingrid asked.


    The daughter of Light can also hear you, so do not speak. There is another who arrived with you, unknown to us, who has bonded a daughter of the Queen of Darkness in the old way. I wish to bond with you in the old way as well. Do you accept this burden upon your spirit, mortal? Do not answer yet.


    Ingrid said nothing. What did that even mean?


    You grow close to those sacrifices who bathe in the burdens of the other world. Witness their plight before you give your consent. I will not accept this bond in ignorance.


    "You look distracted," Reese said.


    Ingrid nodded. "It''s nothing."


    "The place we want is on top of the mountain," Reese told the Marine commander. "Under the wooden tower."


    More tilt-rotors arrived, five in total, along with an escort of fighter jets. The Marines began their approach towards the island with the wooden tower and the red pennant. The rotors began to tilt as they flew far over the waves that were smashing into the sheer cliffs of the island. The cliffs passed under Ingrid''s window in a blur. The top of the mountain was covered in tall grasses. Those grasses flowed like the ocean in the gentle wind. The tilt-rotors settled down and the door opened. Marines rushed outside with their rifles to secure a parameter.


    The wooden tower loomed just overhead. The long red pennant, which Ingrid assumed must be extremely heavy given its size, drifted weightlessly against the wind, in the wrong direction. Ingrid shivered, remembering the way her fighter jet pitched about in the Plane of Wind.


    "Clear, out here Ingrid," the Marine said. "No hostiles. My men will scout ahead, you follow behind a safe distance."


    Under the wooden tower there was a tunnel, also clear of hostiles, which led down into a dark cavern lit only by glowing teal mushrooms on the ceiling. The Marines used chemical torches to produce additional light. Ingrid and Reese followed them as they descended through the caverns. "It''s not much further," Reese declared.


    They arrived at a large opening underground. Or rather, in the center of the planet. The area below the island was open and clear, however the edges of the island delimited the sharp edge of dark water, which extended down for miles. Directly below, Ingrid could see a foggy emptiness. The interior of the planet was completely hollow. Blobs of transparent water floated in that empty space.


    Above the party was an inverted city of dwellings hanging from the stone roof under the island. A sturdy bridge led up to one of those dwellings. The Marines snuck in first, but met no resistance.


    "The large building just to our left," Reese said, pointing to a cylinder hanging from the ceiling. The paths to this structure were guarded. However the masked guards were no match for the stealthy Marines who snuck up on them and choked them until they fell unconscious. Ingrid watched these dangerous men with awe.


    Inside the structure there were open floors of beds. Thousands of beds, occupied by sleeping masked people. Ingrid studied them with her binoculars. More masked people wandered around, feeding the sleeping people soups perhaps, or changing bedpans.


    "What the hell?" Ingrid muttered.


    "These are the sacrifices," Reese said. "Have you ever wondered why it seems like the crystals you use give you infinite free energy?"


    "Um, you mean like the Fire Elementals?" Ingrid asked.


    "Yes, nothing is free," Reese said. "The crystals are contracts, they allow you to summon the Elementals and consume the spiritual energy of somebody else. That somebody else is living in one of the Elemental Planes. These people are religious fanatics that believe that they will go to Paradise after a life of service to the contracts."


    Paranoid was sobbing in Ingrid''s mind. Please kill her, the Elemental whined.


    "So all this time I''ve been using the Elementals," Ingrid said, "some poor, misled person is having their ''spiritual energy'' stolen away?"


    "That''s right," Reese replied.


    The Marine commander whistled. "Well that''s something to think about."


    The watery voice once again spoke in Ingrid''s mind: You see the cost now, you see the burdens that are placed up on those who live in this world, on behalf of the other world. In the old ways, there was no transfer of the burdens. This thing is profane.


    "Does the Queen of Light know this is happening?" Ingrid asked.


    "I have no idea," Reese said. "If she did find out, it would break her. Or maybe that''s what happened. Maybe that''s what started everything."


    I am a daughter of the Queen of Water, do you consent to a bond with me? No contract on behalf of another. When you summon me I will consume your spiritual energy directly. Do you consent?


    "I do consent to this," Ingrid whispered to herself.


    And I am a daughter of the Queen of Fire, a second voice burned into her mind, like the sound of a campfire, or the engine of a fighter jet. Will you consent to a bond with me as well?


    Ingrid was astonished. A Fire Elemental? In the Plane of Water? In a way it should not be too surprising. The crystals were a mix of red and blue, and they could be used to summon either Fire or Water Elementals.


    "I do consent to this as well," Ingrid whispered. "Are you two... sisters?"


    Who are you talking to!? Paranoid screamed.


    We are not sisters, the watery voice said.


    Only Mother has a sister-self, the fiery voice said.


    The daughter of the Queen of Light is foolish and led our Mothers to you.


    Ingrid turned away from the sight of all the sacrifices being fussed over in the chamber below. "I need to talk to Vaska about this," she said. "We should leave." The Marine commander passed on the command to the rest of his men. They found no resistance as they retraced their steps. When they reached the surface, the airship battle had ended. Ayaruan airships, broken and burning, fell into the ocean in the distance. Hundreds of tiny lights burned triumphantly through the sky.


    And hundreds of sacrifices pay the price for those engines, Ingrid thought.


    "You look very disturbed," Reese said.


    "I am," Ingrid replied. "Thank you Reese, this is... not something that I was prepared for. I need some time to think."

 Prelude: Ten Hours Ago

    "Urgent message for Princess Vaska Maryy," Ervin said to the magenta Colored Orb. "A fleet of Ayaruan airships will open a portal from the Elemental Plane of Water at heading zero-one-seven distance three-seven-seven from the city of Jelka in eight hours time."


    "I hear you," Vaska said. "I will let Elizabeth know so that we can be ready to intercept."


    "Go easy on them," Ervin said. "I would hate to hear my intelligence led to the deaths of my countrymen."


    "You don''t need to be sorry about that," Vaska said. "We will offer our intelligence to them and ask them to parley before attacking. Your men will not be in any danger."


    "Thanks," Erven said. "Now I need to find a way to reach Minister Zoja Eduard. She knew something was suspicious about the Keymaker. If anyone knows what our options are, it will be her."


    "I am certain that you will find your way to meet her," Vaska said. "Good luck."


    The communication cut off. Ervin''s heart was racing. He had just committed high treason against his own men. He stepped out of his alcove in the back corner of a caf¨¦ in Jelka and peered around suspiciously. Did anyone hear?


    The room was old and the walls were made from clay, painted pale yellow and decorated with colorful images. It was a foreign design, Ervin was certain, but a caf¨¦ that he knew was just about to close because the foreigners who frequented it tended to board a ship and leave the city before this hour. Merchants mostly. It was not a venue for foreign nobility.


    The streets of Jelka were dark and narrow. As Ervin walked slowly with his head covered by his hat, he heard shouting behind him. "Halt! Police!" the voice cried. Ervin ran.


    He found a narrow alley and ducked inside. He had scaled the wall of this alley as a youth, and his muscular form from his service in the military would suffice, he hoped. With hands and legs pressed out against the walls in the alley, he hopped vertically to the roof and pulled himself up with ease. The police ran by with torches in their hands, peering down the alley briefly before moving on. The shadows of the policemen, with tall hats on their heads and batons in their hands, flashed briefly on the wall of the building across the street. The police ran off and their shadows on the wall vanished.


    Ervin dropped down onto the street and sprinted in the opposite direction, searching for more police as he went. A running car was waiting for him on the cobblestones near the lobby of a high-class hotel. Admiral Zef awaited inside with a prostitute at his neck.


    "Zef," Ervin said. "My business is concluded. The police are searching for me, I need to get to the Minister''s house."


    "Damn," Zef said. "Get in, hurry."


    Ervin opened the door and glanced around nervously. The hotel porters had been sent away at Zef''s request. With a graceful, curving leap into the car and a simultaneous, and silent closing of the door, Ervin slipped inside and the car began to roll forward. It smelled of booze. An unapologetic reek of alcohol.


    "There is a police checkpoint up ahead," The driver warned.


    "Love," Zef said. "Take off your clothes Ervin. Wear her clothes through the checkpoint. I''ll tell them I want to watch both my girls tonight."


    "Good idea," Ervin said. The prostitute hissed like a cat at him, but she began to disrobe.


    When they arrived at the police checkpoint Ervin had already dressed himself in the woman''s raunchy clothes. He had not shaved nearly as much as a woman would, and he hoped the dim light would be enough to hide him. Thankfully, the prostitute was a quick thinker, because she climbed on top of him to hide his masculine figure.


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    Admiral Zef gave the officer his credentials. "I hope that we can keep quiet about this to my wife," he said, pointing to Ervin and the woman who was now attacking his lips with her own. Zef handed the officer a huge quantity of bank notes. "I enjoy watching women kiss."


    "Carry on, carry on," the officer said. The car rolled forward over the cobblestone streets, shuttering each time it crossed a pair of steel trolley rails.


    "Don''t worry," Zef said. "Once we are back on my airship the police will not be able to arrest you. This whole business with your family and the ransom, I am so sorry."


    Zef was doing his best in spite of his obvious intoxication. The car raced through the darkness but they found no more police checkpoints on the way to the Minister''s house. They pulled up to the gate and Zef stepped out of the car while it was still moving. The guards at the gate must have recognized him, because the gate shuttered and opened. The car pulled around into the cul-de-sac of the Minister''s compound, stopping in front of the stately white pillars of marble and glass doors to the walled Eduard estate.


    "I only have one more errand with the Minister," Ervin said. "Then we can return to the airship and I''ll be safe."


    "What if there are police inside?" Zef asked.


    "If I do not return quickly, then leave," Ervin replied. "Assume that I have been captured by the police."


    The Eduard estate was as moneyed on the inside as it was outside. Priceless red-gold rugs lined the floors between white marble pillars. Small, arched alcoves hid ancient paintings on either side of the foyer. One of the paintings depicted an ancient Queen of Great House Maryy. She had the hint of looking like Vaska.


    "Welcome back from your adventures in Taisia," Minister Zoja Eduard walked alone down the red steps of the foyer wearing a tight black dress with a too-low bustline. "Such a handsome man, did you come here seeking more adventures, at this hour?"


    Her voice was sensuous. Hungry.


    "Zoja I have something I need to tell you," he gasped. "About the Keymaker."


    "Disappointing," the old woman sneered. "Very well, come to my private quarters and we can talk. My guards have been sent away." He followed her up the staircase into the darkness, glancing to the sides suspiciously. Any shadow could hide the Keymaker.


    "Are you certain you don''t want to have some fun Ervin?" Zoja Eduard asked. "It would be so easy..."


    "Zoja, this is serious," Ervin snapped. "You were right about the Keymaker, we cannot trust her."


    "Young men such as yourself," Zoja hissed, "do not come into my home at this hour without reason."


    "I have a reason," Ervin insisted. "The Keymaker is playing us!"


    They arrived at a dark corridor lined by glowing doorways. The sound and smell of lovers permeated the hallway. She led him to an open door. A brilliantly furnished room awaited inside. "I find this amusing," Zoja said. "The Keymaker is indeed playing somebody. She was just here, in fact she might still be here. She gave me a wonderful collection of keystones to the Elemental Plane of Metal. They have been sent downstairs to your friend Zef."


    "Gods," Ervin said. "I need to warn him. I..."


    "Treason," a cacophony of female voices pierced his ears from the darkness of one corner of the room. Zoja closed the door and glanced at him with a predatory gaze. The shadow in the room shifted, instantly appearing behind Zoja. The woman stabbed Zoja through the brain with a dagger made of shadows. The old woman collapsed on the floor in a twitching heap.


    "Who?" Ervin asked. "How? How did you know? Only one other person in the world knew where I was going..."


    Ervin fell to his knees.


    "VASKA!" he screamed. His voice was lost in the lovemaking of the hallway.


    The Keymaker removed her mask. The face of madness stared back at him. It was Vaska, looking not too unlike the ancient Queen of Great House Maryy portrayed in the foyer.


    "Gods," Ervin muttered.


    "What can be given can be taken away, Dren," Vaska said.


    "Why?" Ervin asked. "Why now?"


    "The other Great Houses have grown fat on the contracts of the sacrifices," Vaska said. "We have kerosene turbines now, and a radiolocation system we call radar. We don''t need Elementals anymore.


    "Ingrid," Ervin said.


    "Sleeps in my bed," Vaska said.


    "Titania..."


    "The framers prevented her return without consent. She was given a task that is too narrow, and I now understand the limits of that task."


    Ervin shivered. It was complete. Perfect. This scion of Maryy was the splitting image of her ancestors. That family simply outclassed all the others. It was over.


    Vaska smirked. "So you get it."


    "I get it," Ervin said. "My men, what will happen to my soldiers?"


    "Elisabeth has a plan," Vaska replied. "Total massacre." Then her dagger of shadows pierced his skull.


    Nothingness.

 Chapter 23: Family Business

    Ingrid brought no soldiers and made no display of her station on her second visit to the Emperor''s lodge in the Heylin Empire. Emperor Artem Maryy was once again dressed as a hunter when he received them. He asked after Vaska''s health but otherwise said little as they made the trek through the two rings of trees to the great doors of the lodge. Once inside the dim room he led them to a conservatory with three chairs arranged around a small table. There was a larger table nearby featuring glasses of water, bubbly white wine, cheeses, dates, meats, and sliced bread. Ingrid greedily gathered some onto a small plate before she sat at the smaller table.


    The servants were sent away and the conservatory was sealed. Ingrid''s eyes wandered around the ornate glass structure. The various plants were all denoted with small plaques describing the species and origin. Some of the plants were from the Federation of Kanti.


    The Emperor took a sip of his wine and regarded Vaska. "Daughter," he said, "what is this about?"


    Vaska remained silent for a few moments, most likely trying to find the right words. "I wish to discuss some important family business," she finally said. "I, well we, have some questions."


    "I have my own questions as well," he said. "Answer my question first and then I will consider answering yours."


    "Perhaps," Vaska replied.


    "How did you find out about my black site with the new soul flares?"


    "Oh that," Vaska said. "I have friends in the FIA."


    "That''s a lie," the Emperor said. "The Matron of the Light Crystal interviewed everyone in the FIA who knew anything. Also Kuzma and his daughter Glenice. None of them were involved. Try again daughter."


    Vaska sighed. "I have a spy plane."


    "An airplane? That is also a lie. The ocular demons at the sites would report seeing it."


    "It flies at seventy-thousand feet," Vaska said.


    The Emperor whistled. "You designed it yourself?" he asked.


    "I did. I constructed it using Metal Elementals summoned with some of Ingrid''s crystals. There is a painter in a chamber behind the pilot, he uses a high-magnification telescope to make small watercolor paintings of suspicious structures."


    "I believe you. I am going to tell the FIA about this and they are going to take over your project. Give me the schematics and any documentation you have. Also, I forbid you from sidestepping FIA like this ever again."


    "Yes father," Vaska said.


    "So what is your question?"


    "Actually, my Emperor," Ingrid said with a slight bow, "I have a question myself."


    "Out with it."


    "My Light Elemental. Did you... have you ever given it any instructions or orders?"


    "Obviously," the Emperor replied. "The Queen of Light contacted me when the first portal opened in Ayaru. I actually had to visit the Queen herself in person. All the way at the top of the Golden Tower! Can you believe that? That creature bothers me."


    The Emperor actually shuttered.


    "When the Queen created your crystal I demanded that I have priority. Otherwise, you could have just walked into my cabin and murdered my entire family with that thing."


    "Thank you," Ingrid said.


    "Why did you omit that information during our last visit?" Vaska asked.


    "She did not ask during your last visit. As much as you like to tout your personal code of ethics Vaska," he said, "you have just demonstrated the truth to your little girlfriend here. See Ingrid? She does lie, even to her own father. She does tell half-truths. She does withhold all sorts of important information."


    Vaska''s face went red. Ingrid looked at her, but she looked away, refusing to make eye contact.


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    "Father that was uncalled for."


    "Titania!" the Emperor said. Paranoid materialized at his side, a golden woman in heavy armor, glowing like a saint. "Titania do you have any information about Ingrid that I should know about?"


    "Yes Artem," Paranoid, or rather Titania replied. "Mother spoke to me. This mortal named Ingrid has become bonded to one of the High Daughters of the Queen of Fire. Also the Queen of Water as well. Without contracts."


    "Bonded without contracts?" the Emperor asked. "Like how Vaska bonded that Dark Elemental?"


    "Father!" Vaska exclaimed. "Do not talk about that in front of Ingrid. That is very private family business."


    "I was under the impression that the exact purpose of this meeting... was to discuss private family business!" the Emperor said.


    "I''m sorry," Ingrid said. "If you wish, I can leave."


    "No, you stay right where you are," the Emperor said. "Vaska, what is it that you wanted to ask about?"


    "Did you know, father, that there is an entire civilization in each of the Elemental Planes, filled with religious fanatics that waste away sacrificing themselves so that we can use our crystals to summon Elementals?"


    "So that''s how that works," the Emperor said. "I did not know that information, and thank you very much for informing me. I assume that the framers of the contracts did not want us to know about that. Perhaps they felt that future generations may experience certain... shifts in morality and ethics that could place the contracts at risk."


    The Emperor consumed his entire glass of bubbly wine and stood up to grab a second.


    "I hope," the Emperor said to Ingrid, "that you understand just how foolish it would be to summon your Fire Elemental here in my cabin and attempt to take my life. With Titania here, the best you could manage is some property damage and maybe some torched servants."


    "I would never do that," Ingrid said. She split a date open and plucked out the pit. "So what do you plan to do about all those people trapped in the Elemental Planes?"


    "What would I do?" he asked.


    "Save them maybe? Liberate them, tell them the truth about their situation. Give them a fair chance at life. Something. Anything really!"


    "And why would I want to do that?" the Emperor asked. "The central bank issues krismarks that are pegged to those contracts. Being able to summon crystals back to the bank vault is one of the central assumptions of our entire economy. It would be stupid to give up that power."


    "Does the Queen of Light know about it?" Ingrid asked.


    The Emperor shrugged. "Hell if I know. I don''t know exactly how the crystals work and I don''t need to. I think that is the entire point. My ancestors saw a vision of a future where House Maryy dominated our rivals with the power that they gave us. They designed the system and then made it difficult to change."


    "What if..." Ingrid began. "What if we could isolate the sacrifices that serve the enemy banks? We could damage their economy if we rescued just those people, even at a distance."


    "I have no idea if that is even possible," he replied. "And I do not think that this line of conversation is worth my time."


    "Are you saying that there are no criticisms of our current system?" Vaska asked. "No dissenters in the central bank?"


    "Well there is the issue of deflationary spirals," the Emperor replied. "There are those in the bank who believe that our economy could be improved with a completely fiat currency. But their number is small and they are generally not respected."


    He stood up.


    "This conversation is over. Vaska, I am expecting you to send me the documentation for your new airplane immediately. Ingrid, please enjoy your evening."


    As Vaska led Ingrid through the dim hallways of the second floor of the cabin, they encountered a woman standing in a windowed turret overlooking the snowclad landscape. From behind, she looked almost exactly like Vaska against the darkening red sky. The woman turned around as they approached.


    "Oh Vaska!" she said. "I did not expect to see you smiling."


    "Hello Natasha," Vaska said. "Ingrid, this is my sister Natasha."


    "Ingrid is it?" Natasha asked. "Ingrid, I have known Vaska her entire life and she is just so grumpy all the time. Vaska, happy? Impossible. Whatever you are doing to my sister, it is working so don''t you dare stop."


    "It''s my curse," Vaska muttered. "Why I''m grumpy, I mean."


    "Oh that silly curse again. For an engineer, you certainly are superstitious. Ingrid, it is a pleasure to meet you."


    "I once saw you," Ingrid said. "In my hometown in Taisia, at the military parade. You were flying in a fighter jet. It was... why I wanted to join the Air Navy in the first place."


    "You poor thing," Natasha said. "Now, I didn''t know about this at the time, but Lieutenant Cole always intended to sacrifice all the recruits he found during his little parades. Nothing in Taisia happens without the top brass knowing about it. I believe the orders came from the very top, the Minister of the Military even. I apologize for my part in it. As I said I did not know."


    "It''s not your fault," Ingrid said. "Do you know what happened to him? Lieutenant Cole?"


    "Killed in action himself I''m afraid," Natasha said. "After the portal opened nobody came back alive. Such a shame really. Well it is getting late, don''t let me keep you standing in the hallway forever." She gave them a little wave with her immaculate fingers.


    Inside their bedroom, Vaska stripped down completely naked and flopped down on the bed. Ingrid stripped down as well, but she was busy putting on a thin evening gown when Vaska stopped her. She reached up and whispered in Ingrid''s ear: "My sister is right you know."


    "About what?"


    "About you making me happy."


    Ingrid glanced up and down at Vaska''s body. It was dark in the room but her pale skin stood out even in the darkness. "Vaska."


    "Glenice told me all the details about the one time that she... fooled around with another woman. She said, you see, that it was quite enjoyable. A worthy hypothesis, however we need to design an experiment that can be used to disconfirm the hypothesis. I will require your participation as we perform this experiment."


    Ingrid was speechless at the outburst.


    "Kiss me," Vaska said.

 Chapter 24: Enemy Technology

    Ingrid stood upon the bow of the Ten Skies beside the runway, holding in front of her face a watercolor painting of the city of Veninmark in central Taisia. Long, open boulevards surrounded by tall buildings with peaked roofs, rounded bell towers, teeming markets filled with people wearing colorful hats. Ingrid lowered the painting and frowned. A massive scar ran in a line across the city. She could see it even against the dimming sky, in contrast to the other streets lit by gas lamps. The scar was black, smoking, malicious. The outskirts of the city were unchanged, but the city streets were filled with refugees, medical tents, and Taisian soldiers.


    "A surgical attack," Vaska said. "The sheer quantity of bombs dropped on this area, it would require an airship. However, our scouts were able to arrive in time to see the portal close and there were no airships inside."


    An engine roared on the deck behind them. Ingrid turned to see a large airplane with extremely long, thin wings being dragged across the deck with ropes by a dozen soldiers. Midnight black, the color of the night sky, reflecting little of the light of the lamps carried by the airmen on deck. Vaska let out a long sigh.


    "I am going to miss that airplane," she said.


    "Why is it here?" Ingrid asked.


    "FIA wanted their own pilots to deliver it to the Empire. I do not want my father to know where my workshop is, so I brought it here."


    They returned to the command deck where Elizabeth awaited in the map room. She had a series of charcoal sketches in front of her. A man wearing an apron stood by her side, his hands stained black. A blinking magenta Colored Orb sat on the table in a glass box. Vaska picked up one of the sketches, her face filled with determination. It depicted a fat airplane with pylons jutting out in front of the wings.


    "What is this?" she asked.


    "I am in contact with Taisian medical staff on the surface," Elizabeth said. "These sketches were described to us by victims of the attack."


    "A flying pig," the man added, "with wings like a bird and a tail like a whale. It dropped bombs on the city, and then flew back through the portal when it was done."


    "Elizabeth, abort the takeoff of the spy airplane."


    "What?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Contact the deck, abort the takeoff now! I need to give something to the FIA pilot for my father."


    Elizabeth left the map room, and the artist left with her. Vaska flipped over a map to the blank side and rapidly started making marks with a pencil. Equations. Small diagrams of wings and engine pylons. Then she started sketching a big image in the center of the sheet. A long tube of a body, massive wings with no less than six engines mounted far forward on pylons. A wide tail with two vertical fins, a massive opening door on the bottom where bombs could be dropped.


    "That was quick," Ingrid said.


    "This thing would be completely helpless in a fight against fighter jets. It would be far too easy for Dark-Three missiles to pick out the airplane with lots of souls on board. And the sheer quantity of metal and materials for bombs would mean that something like this would be unfeasible in a normal fight. And yet... if you could open a portal directly over the city you want to bomb, then make a surgical strike, that would be a perfect use case for a machine like this."


    "Does the Empire not have anything like this?" Ingrid asked.


    "No we do, or at least we did. Not the Air Navy, but the Imperial Air Force operates jet bombers that are too large to land on airships. During the Unification War, we had much smaller bombers with two propellers in the Air Navy. Six engines and the capacity to destroy an entire city. This is not something that I was anticipating."


    Vaska started writing long paragraphs of notes on the bottom of the sheet. Elizabeth returned and said: "the takeoff has been aborted."


    "The Imperial Air Force is going to need to build bases in Taisia," Vaska said. "Runways that are several miles long, a weapons factory on the site itself, support staff, Metal Elementals to repair damage to the landing gear."


    Vaska finished writing her notes and shuffled out of the room. Ingrid followed her.


    On deck, the airmen brought out a ladder for Vaska to climb up to the canopy of the spy plane. She handed the folded map to the FIA pilot. "There is a diagram with some notes on the back of this map," she said. "Give this to your director and make sure copies are made for the Emperor and the Air Force top brass. Do not let anyone else see this sheet of paper."


    "Yes Princess," the man said.


    Two airmen ran with the airplane holding the wings level with ropes as it began to speed up along the deck. The ropes released from the wings shortly after, once the airplane had started rolling faster than they could run. At that speed the ailerons would not stall, and the pilot could prevent the wings from striking the deck. It rushed away in a hiss and vanished into the night sky.


    As the faint red glow of sunset fell away to the deep darkness of night, Ingrid and Vaska retired to their quarters. "Ingrid," Vaska said. "I have something I want to say."


    "About what?"


    "It''s about the other Great Houses, the ones that control the light crystals. They are very dangerous."


    Very dangerous, Titania agreed. Ingrid had begun thinking of the little Light Elemental by her proper name. She never protested when addressed this way.


    "The incident with the bomber today, I hope that it demonstrates just how dangerous these people are. With the near-infinite power of the Elementals, the delicate balance between the Heylin Empire and the Federation of Kanti, and the rapid technological explosion occurring on both sides. The world stands on the brink of a catastrophe. Can you imagine entire nations being enslaved and sent to the Elemental Planes to help power more contracts?"


    "I do not want that to happen," Ingrid said. "I want to help people. I want to save the sacrifices if I can."


    No, no breaking the contract, Titania protested.


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    "I didn''t ask for your opinion!" Ingrid snapped. Vaska''s eyes went wide. "Sorry, I was talking to Titania. I would never talk to you like that."


    "I see. The important thing I want to ask, Ingrid, is... know that everything I do, is for one purpose. And that purpose requires the total annihilation of the other Great Houses. All of them. All of the Light Crystals under the control of House Maryy."


    "That seems ambitious," Ingrid said.


    "Ingrid, will you make me a promise?"


    "Like what?"


    "Promise me, that no matter what happens, no matter what secrets I still keep from you, that you will stand by my side in this war against the other Great Houses, and help me with my ambition. Please, I am begging you."


    Ingrid looked Vaska in the eyes. She was begging. She needed this. Ingrid wrapped her arms around Vaska.


    "I do promise," Ingrid said. "I don''t think there is anything you could say to me that would make me betray you, as so many people have betrayed me."


    "Wonderful," Vaska said. Then she dragged Ingrid down into the bed.


    <hr>


    Ingrid roamed the sky in a loop at fifty thousand feet, as she had done for three mornings. She only returned to the Ten Skies to use the bathroom. She asked Vaska if she could design a fighter with a toilet. Vaska gave her a choice: "You can have a toilet or an ejection seat."


    Ingrid was certain that Vaska could spend at least a little bit of time trying to find a working design, but she didn''t push the issue.


    The attack on Veninmark had since been analyzed by Elizabeth''s staff, and they concluded that the bomber had targeted primarily military installations inside the city. A munition factory, a recruitment center, soldier barracks, and a fighter jet component factory. Ingrid now flew in a large circuit between three other cities that also contained military installations. Elizabeth had identified these as being likely targets. Additional fighters roamed near each target.


    Ingrid could see the sunrise, however the light of the sun had yet to reach past the tall peaks on the horizon. The landscape was still blanked in a thick layer of shadowy mist. She could see the flat tops of billowing pillars of clouds far below her. It was quiet. Peaceful.


    The sky belonged to her.


    Portal! Titania said. Another portal!


    "Dammit," Ingrid said. "Where is it?"


    Heading zero-six-one forty nautical miles.


    That was close. Very close. Just a few minutes away.


    Ingrid rolled over and pulled up hard on the stick, leveling off at the correct heading.


    "Portal, heading zero-six-one, forty nautical miles," Ingrid said. "It is not inside one of the cities. I am not sure what they are thinking."


    "The others will be informed," Vaska said over the magenta Orb. "Do not engage."


    "I am just five minutes away, I want my demon to get a visual on the bomber."


    "Don''t get too close."


    Directly below and not too far away, Ingrid spotted the massive glowing portal.


    "Dark purplish gray," Ingrid said. "That is the color of the portal."


    "The Elemental Plane of Metal," Vaska replied.


    Ingrid pointed her nose at the portal and began to descend. The airspeed indicator rocketed up into the yellow zone. The engine roared and the aircraft shuttered. The portal continued to grow larger below her.


    Incoming missiles from the portal, her ocular demon warned. Three, no seven, no fourteen. Dark-Three missiles, all of them.


    "Fourteen missiles!" Ingrid cried. She pulled hard on the stick and entered into a loop. When the nose was pointing perfectly away from the portal she rolled upright. She could see the flickering flames of the missiles rocketing towards her in her mirrors. "How many fighters were down there?"


    I only saw an escort of two fighter jets, the demon said.


    "Just two fighter jets? That''s impossible. They would need to be carrying seven Dark-Three missiles each."


    Yet that is what I saw.


    She pointed her nose straight at the sky and flew vertically until the airplane almost stalled. "Where are the missiles now?" she asked.


    Fighting gravity, and losing. I think you are safe up here.


    "Certainly they are out of missiles," she said.


    I saw many more on the wings.


    A thought occurred to Ingrid. "Those fighter jets cannot maneuver," she said. Over her colored orb, she said: "Vaska, imagine a fighter jet that is terrible in a dogfight and cannot do even basic maneuvers."


    "Why would anyone want an airplane like that?" Vaska asked.


    "How many missiles could you put on the wings?"


    Silence.


    Ingrid flew high and fast in a circle around the portal. Long, smoky contrails were forming over the landscape below as friendly fighter jets converged on the location. Ingrid turned back to face the portal again. With other fighters nearby, maybe the enemy would spend their remaining missiles killing her men.


    "With an internal missile bay and sawtooth mounting structure covered in hardpoints," Vaska said, "Each airplane could carry up to twenty-two missiles if it had two engines."


    "Well guess what? The Ayaruans are flying something exactly like that. They just shot fourteen Dark-Three missiles at me!"


    "Stay away," Vaska said. "Let the other pilots do their job."


    Everything Vaska had said that night suddenly converged in Ingrid''s mind. The world stands on the brink of catastrophe. Portals opening to the Elemental Planes, fighter jets armed with dozens of missiles, bombers that can destroy cities.


    What did she have?


    An aerodynamically unstable fighter jet, and nobody on the ground telling her what to do.


    "Vaska," Ingrid said. "I''m sorry."


    She cut off the Colored Orb and flew straight at the ground. The enemy ocular demons would see her, even through fog. The enemy was also flying low, perhaps five thousand feet above the fog.


    "Tell me what you see," she said.


    The two fighter jets are escorting a much bigger aircraft, the demon said. They are facing forward, I think they see your incoming allied jets.


    Ingrid pulled up, forming a quarter-circle through the sky, leveling off just skimming the blanket of fog. She brought the portal in the distance into her gunsight. "Do they see me?"


    If they see you, they are not reacting right now.


    Another sudden thought occurred to her. She smirked.


    "I get it."


    She hugged the surface of the fog, flying directly towards the enemy airplanes at full power. The sun peeked over the mountains, casting a bloody red glow across that pale fog. Still the enemy did not react to her approach. They were focusing on the other fighters.


    She pulled up behind and below the enemies. She got close enough to visually see the smooth bottom of the fuselage of each airplane. Unbroken. There were no glass bubbles to hold ocular demons underneath.


    "The price they pay," Ingrid said as she brought one fighter into her gunsight. A missile lanced off his wing towards her men in the distance. She pulled the trigger.


    A white hot hose of bullets streamed out in front and hit the enemy right in the canopy. The airplane instantly went completely silent, the engine flames vanishing. It listed to the side lifelessly. The other pilot panicked and attempted a maneuver that she would only expect Ivan to ever try in his little warbird. He couldn''t quite complete the maneuver and only succeeded in stalling his wings.


    "Ice-Two," Ingrid said. She didn''t bother to watch the missile as it flew at the fellow, but she did see the flash of an explosion out of the corner of her eye. She turned her attention to the bomber, which apparently did not notice her, or had no way of reacting.


    It was massive, painted dark green. Just like Vaska had drawn, it had six engines and two massive vertical tail fins attached to the ends of its oversized horizontal stabilizer.


    She brought the nearby wing into her gunsight and pulled the trigger. Bullets sprayed out at the point where the wing connected to the fuselage, throwing up sparks and flames on impact. She held the trigger, emptying all of her ammunition into the thing. The wing snapped off violently, and the airplane immediately developed into a spin, plummeting out of the sky. For all its size, it still needed both wings to fly.


    The airplane vanished into the pinkish fog. Light, brilliant, angry orange light erupted below that fog.


    Ingrid reactivated her Orb. "Vaska," she said.


    "What the hell Ingrid!"


    "Vaska, it turns out all those bomb and missile bays come at a cost. Were you able to incorporate an ocular demon bubble into your sketches?"


    "Where are you? What the hell are you doing?"


    "Answer my question," Ingrid said.


    "No, it was just a sketch. It will be fully fleshed out by the other engineers."


    Other fighters from the Order of the Ten Skies arrived and formed up around Ingrid as she flew.


    "Those airplanes were likely prototypes then," Ingrid said. "They are gone now. I shot them all down. I don''t think they ever saw me."

 Chapter 25: The Elemental Plane of Metal

    The Ten Skies was the last ship in the long line waiting to pass through the portal that Ingrid had created over central Taisia. She flew her fighter slowly with full flaps and landing gear out, bleeding airspeed before turning to land on the deck. It was a smooth and unremarkable landing. As she descended the ladder to the deck, Reese was waiting for her at the bottom, wearing the black and white uniform of a Lieutenant.


    "That was such a beautiful landing!" Reese said. "I hope I can learn to fly like that someday."


    "Ivan is a good teacher," Ingrid said. "And I''ve had a lot of practice."


    "Thank you again for your recommendation that I be brought in as an officer. This means so much that I will get to fly in these beautiful machines."


    "You trained to be a Matron. That is a lot like being a noblewoman in our world," Ingrid said. "Speaking of the other side..."


    Ingrid looked up. The purple-gray portal loomed over the bow of the airship directly in front of the Ten Skies. She did not get a very good look inside when she did her quick loop to claim the keystones, however she did notice that the ground and the sky were both uniformly reddish. The inside of the portal was deeply confusing and she put it out of her mind while flying, instead focusing on her task.


    She walked to the bow of her own ship and waited as it slowly crept towards the portal.


    "I''ve never seen this Plane," Reese said.


    "Which ones have you seen?" Ingrid asked.


    "The Golden Tower in the Plane of Light, the little planets of the Plane of Heaven, the Queen''s Prison in the Plane of Darkness, and of course the mazed oceans of the Plane of Water."


    "This will be a surprise for both of us then."


    Ingrid did not know what to expect inside the portal, but what actually awaited her was so completely alien that her brain simply shut down for a few moments as she gaped at the scene. It was like some artist, who thought he was clever, decided to paint a scene with a heavily distorted perspective, as an inside joke with other artists. Finally her eyes and her mind adjusted and she understood what she was seeing.


    The world was completely inside-out.


    Perhaps, she thought, this world just had a different shape than her own world. A glance around in each direction confirmed this shape. It was a cylinder. A massive, world-sized cylinder, and they were inside it, not too far from the inner surface. At the far end, a dim grayish sky could be seen through the circular hole at the end of the cylinder, filled with the oily, multi-hued light of sparse nebulae. One section of a purple-gray moon filled part of that hole.


    The inside of the world-sized cylinder was completely covered in reddish mountains with veins of yellow, white, black, and even tiny bits of blue or green, as if a painter had dragged a paintbrush across the mountains leaving streaks of colors. These mountains were cut by great rivers of silvery, molten metal, pooling into lakes and oceans that steamed, creating great clouds, vortexes, tornadoes, hurricanes...


    And then there were the giants. At least three miles tall, the mercurial humanoids perfectly reflected their surroundings like a mirror, with a tinge of oily chrome. They roamed about, extremely slowly, making rapid but infrequent movements and then standing perfectly still for some reason. They could be seen as bright, silvery specks all across the inner rusty lining of the cylinder.


    Perhaps even more bizarre than these behemoths was the inverted pyramids of metal in the sky. The flat surface on top of those inverted pyramids was visible at some angles, and Ingrid could clearly see the skylines of cities. She reasoned those cities must be where the masked people lived.


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    "Urgent message for Lady Ghost!" a soldier said as he rushed up to her on the bow of the airship. "I mean, Princess Ingrid! The Captain, I mean the Admiral, requests your presence at once."


    "Carry on," Ingrid said as she turned towards the command deck.


    "I better get back to my duties," Reese said. "The maintenance crew says I need to be able to fix my little airplane using Metal Elementals."


    Elizabeth was waiting for her in the map room, looking over reports. A handful of other men in Order uniforms stood around her. Vaska stood at the porthole in the back of the room.


    "Ingrid, when you closed the first portal, at about what altitude was the bottom keystone?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Maybe, between fifteen and twenty thousand feet," Ingrid replied.


    "That is consistent with our predictions, Admiral," one man said. Ingrid recognized him as the new Captain of the Fleet, who gave orders on the Ten Skies now that Elizabeth was the Admiral. He continued: "The giants are at least fifteen thousand feet tall, and they appear to move chaotically."


    "It looks like they are moving slow enough," Ingrid said.


    The man shook his head. "Unfortunately that is not the case. We have high-magnification telescopes and we have spotted giants elsewhere in the cylinder that move very quickly. They sprint about, flailing their arms as they go, and then return to the slow motions they exhibit normally."


    "The service ceiling of this airship is just over eight thousand feet when stationary and all propellers used for upward lift," Elizabeth said. "In practice the safe operating ceiling is about six thousand feet. If one of those things starts sprinting at us, it could rip one of our airships in half in an instant. Maybe even the entire fleet."


    "Presumably the Ayaruans knew this as well," the Captain of the Fleet said. "That is why they sent that bomber instead of airships. The bomber could fly above the heads of the giants with an escort. It might also explain why the portal opened in such a strange location, far away from nearby targets. They might have been weary of nearby giants who happened to be roaming near the target."


    "Thank you for your answer Ingrid," Elizabeth said. "Send the order out to the other airship. Pull out immediately, it is not safe here at this altitude."


    "Such a strange place," Vaska said as she approached the table. Elizabeth and the men shuffled out of the room, leaving Vaska and Ingrid alone.


    "How so?" Ingrid asked.


    Vaska pointed down to a drawing of a cylinder with some calculations winding down the page. "I calculated the gravity on the inside surface of a cylinder this size if it was rotating. Specifically, how fast it would need to be rotating to create gravity equal to our world. Of course, this was pointless because the cylinder is not rotating at all."


    "How do you know that?"


    "The moon is stationary, as are those nebula clouds. Either the entire universe is slowly rotating with this cylinder, or it is stationary as well. The world outside the portal is also stationary, so I am inclined to believe the latter."


    "Why would that be important?"


    "Because centrifugal rotation creates gravity of different strengths at different altitudes for fixed objects. Our airships, I do not know how gravity would behave for us. Either way, gravity here appears to be uniform and therefore defies the laws of physics. Elizabeth''s service ceilings are still accurate. The Ayaruans likely discovered this as well."


    Ingrid scratched her head, still uncertain as to the meaning of Vaska''s rambling. She assumed that another engineer would find her observations important.


    "I think we need to fly to the other portal as soon as possible," Ingrid said. "Like we did for the Plane of Water. We can cover the four hundred knots in an hour with our fighters. We do not want the enemy to close the portal on their own. We would lose track of those keystones."


    Alarms on the airship began to sound, amplified by Wind Elementals. Ingrid covered her ears.


    "I think it''s a trap!" Vaska yelled. She walked up close to Ingrid to speak in her ear directly, but still needed to almost shout. "Closing the portal to the Plane of Wind! Just a few feet from Jelka airspace! Is not something! That we will likely be able to repeat!"


    The entire airship jolted, almost knocking them both on the ground. Then it reversed direction, drifting backwards towards the portal once more. The alarms stopped.


    "So what can we do?" Ingrid asked. She still spoke loudly because her ears rang.


    "I think we need a conventional invasion of Ayaru," Vaska said. "While that is happening, we send a squadron of fighters through the Plane of Metal far above the giants here and close the portal from this side while they are distracted."


    "Are we ready for that?" Ingrid asked.


    "I will speak with Rudolf. If that doesn''t work, I will speak with my father. And if that doesn''t work, I may need to tap other resources."

 Chapter 26: Inverted Pyramid

    Two long lanes of fighter jets and other craft floated high in the sky, far too high for some of them, Ingrid assumed. The high-magnification telescope was somewhat hard to use, prone to blacking out her vision at some angles when peering through the lens. Those lanes were unmistakable however, she had seen them in the Plane of Wind.


    "Do we know what they want?" she asked.


    "They seem to be traveling back and forth between the portal and a nearby inverted pyramid," Vaska said, pressed up against Ingrid in the cramped lookout room at the top of the command tower.


    "I see airplanes with propellers. How high is that pyramid?" Ingrid asked.


    "We estimate they are about forty thousand feet above the metal oceans," Vaska said. "I know what you are thinking, that it should be impossible."


    "Nothing about these places surprises me anymore," Ingrid said. "I should have wondered how the people up in those cities can breathe." She pulled away from the viewer and brushed past Vaska towards the tiny ladder in the center of the circular room. Her boots clanked on the metal grating.


    "Thank you for letting us know," Vaska said to the lookout by the door after they both descended the ladder.


    The command deck waited for them just beyond that door. Ingrid saw a flashing light through the porthole. Taisian airships dotted the horizon.


    "Admiral," the communications officer said. "The Taisian Air Navy wishes to express their deepest regrets, however this airspace is reserved for their use. They are asking us to close the portal and leave."


    "Tell them that we are engaged in sanctioned military activities," Elizabeth said.


    "It will be done Admiral," the Captain of the Fleet said. He was a graying man with a beard and unlike Elizabeth he wore the formal uniform of the Order.


    "When will we get our invasion?" Ingrid whispered to Vaska.


    "The Taisians are preparing about eight hundred fighter jets to lead an air raid on Jelka. Our intelligence reports mention surface-to-air missile stations inside new military sectors recently constructed in the city."


    "Dark-Three missiles launched from the ground?" Ingrid asked. Vaska nodded. "What are the Taisians going to do about it?"


    "The same thing they always do. Ignore the problem, then neglect to tell their soldiers about the danger."


    "Vaska," Elizabeth said. "What do you make of the visual reports?"


    "Me and Ingrid are in agreement. The unique properties of the Elemental Plane may make it possible to fly heavier-than-air aircraft much higher than their normal service ceilings."


    "We should send the scouts inside to verify," Elizabeth said.


    "I will give the order," the Captain of the Fleet said. "The scouts are prepared to take off immediately."


    "Captain," Vaska said. "Please send for Lieutenant Reese, have her meet us at the brig."


    Through the narrow hallways and over the bulkheads they walked. Military engineers were still busy repairing some of the damage to the airship caused by the sudden reversal of direction the day before, when they fled the portal. Metal Elementals were very good at finding and fixing overstressed load-bearing structures.


    When they arrived at the brig Reese was already waiting for them. The three women walked between the empty cells to a large cell at the far end. A single woman was sitting on the floor inside the cell, making childish drawings on construction paper with crayons.


    "Ingrid, do not get too close," Vaska warned.


    "Who is this?" Ingrid asked.


    "Glenice picked this one up in the Plane of Wind," Vaska said. "I sent for her after we found Reese, however I have had other priorities. The Ayaruan interest in that pyramid... shifted those priorities."


    "Oh, right. She was wearing a mask so I could not see her face."


    "Our linguist failed to find out anything about her language. Some types of Elemental will translate the thoughts of two people who cannot otherwise speak, however they refuse to translate this specific language for some reason. Reese, can you please try asking this woman her name?"


    Reese began speaking in a language that Ingrid had never heard before. It was a fluid and beautiful way of speaking, Ingrid thought. Poetic, with stressed and unstressed syllables. The woman suddenly became very animated. She started speaking in the same language.


    Kill her! Kill her! Titania protested.


    "Please translate it for us," Vaska said.


    "She says that the time of suffering has ended," Reese said. "She said that everything was a lie. They had suffered long enough for the Goddess to return."


    Oath breaker! Oath breaker!


    "Ask her how she knows that ''the time of suffering has ended.''"


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    Once again Reese conversed with the woman. "She says that the sight of the flying men outside her home was proof that the priests were lying to them all."


    "Why were the Ayaruans attacking them?"


    "She says the young people like herself began to rebel. They refused to serve as sacrifices anymore until they had a chance to visit the outside world. Then the outsiders arrived to punish them."


    The young oath breaker admits her crime! Ingrid, get closer. Let me kill her PLEASE! PLEASE!


    "I think you broke poor Titania again," Ingrid said.


    "Then we know why they are going up to the pyramid," Vaska said.


    "We need to save them," Ingrid said. "We can bring Reese with us, and use Wind Elementals to broadcast a message to the people. We tell them that we can save them."


    "You will need to stay in the sky. Titania would start murdering them if you got too close."


    The woman slipped one hand through the bars and pointed at Ingrid, shouting something in her language.


    "What is she saying?" Vaska asked.


    "She is saying something very complex, it roughly translates to ''fire in the right hand, ice in the left''"


    Vaska''s eyes went wide as she turned to Ingrid briefly. Then she said "Ask her why she thinks that is true."


    "She says that her Wind Elemental told her. Her Elemental cannot hear what she says, but it speaks often, for as long as she can remember."


    The woman pointed to Vaska and began to speak again.


    "She says that the Firstborn is known to her."


    "She has a bonded Elemental," Vaska said. "This entire time, she was bonded to a Wind Elemental."


    "Except other people can summon it with a crystal," Ingrid said. "That must be true of all the sacrifices."


    A soldier appeared at the door to the brig. "Message for Vaska!" he said.


    "You may remain and speak with the woman for as long as you like," Vaska said to Reese. Ingrid and Vaska approached the soldier. "Is this about the scouts?"


    "Yes Princess. The scouts say that above twenty thousand feet, the altimeter starts falling. The vertical speed indicator switches to the opposite direction as well."


    "Forty thousand feet would be at sea-level atmosphere then," Vaska said. "The service ceiling of the tilt-rotors is twenty-five thousand feet, which means they can make it through the inversion without any problems. Soldier, tell the Admiral that we are going to that pyramid. We will fight the Ayaruans and keep them from getting what they want."


    <hr>


    The sky was filled with explosions. Long, angry black arcs of smoke falling towards the eerie chrome giants below. Even at forty thousand feet, or sea level indicated, those giants were still quite impressive, as tall as volcanos. The Order of the Ten Skies had arrived in force and decimated the Ayaruan airplanes. For a brief moment the door of the tilt-rotor was opened to the sky as they approached the edge of the pyramid, allowing Ingrid to see the carnage.


    A stray enemy fighter jet was approaching. Its dark shape was clearly visible against the white metal ocean-hurricane far below. Ingrid panicked for a brief moment. If that thing targets us we are dead. It helped that there were a few dozen other tilt rotors in the sky, and the probability of survival was quite good.


    A long white streak and a glowing light flew straight at the airplane. Ingrid knew he was dead. Indeed, the impact ripped both wings off the enemy fighter and it fell in three pieces, two flaming wings and a pointed tube that quickly vanished from sight against the rusty mountaintops.


    "Good kill!" the Marines began to shout. "Good kill! Good kill!" It took a brave man to fly into this hellstorm, Ingrid knew. Or a stupid one.


    The threshold of the pyramid passed them, an ominous blue-gray metal edge followed by the blur of green parks and lawns. The rotors finished their tilting and the pilot masterfully set the craft down in the tall grass. The Marines hurried out with their rifles to clear the area. Ingrid took the opportunity to visit the lavatory.


    When she was finished she stepped out of the door onto the ground. She quickly realized this was a mistake because it was more of a marsh than a lawn, and she almost sank into it. One of the Marines was waiting for her outside. "Lady Ghost," the young man said. "The area is clear."


    The top surface of the inverted pyramid was completely flat, and an entire city had been built not far from the rim. Buildings a hundred feet tall lined the horizon in front of her, with wide metal streets between them, polished like mirrors. As she walked down those streets she could see herself below, as if walking past puddles in the rain. All around her were the bodies of Ayaruan soldiers, with the occasional Marine being carried away to safety. People in masks looked down upon her from the windows.


    "They got no weapons, Lady Ghost," her escort said. "But if one of those ''Ruans is hiding up in the windows, it could be bad."


    "My Elemental can stop bullets," Ingrid said. "I do not fear assassins inside the city."


    She reached a fountain in a town square. All around her the sheer, glassy buildings rose up in all their harsh verticality. The sky was a rusty red color, the opposite side of the cylinder, dotted with shiny silver specks. People began to walk into the street, first a trickle and then a crowd. Her lone Marine shouted at them to leave her, however they seemed wise enough to remain out of range of Titania''s attacks. They wore robes and two-color masks, as had the others. They watched her with interest.


    "Fire, my own fire, I ask to summon you here," Ingrid said, "at my right hand."


    I will partake of your spirit, a hissing campfire voice replied. Your spirit is still weak. You will fall into a deep sleep.


    "Water of my spirit, I summon you as well, at my left hand."


    Sip, do not consume, just savor, and allow her this moment, the watery voice from before said.


    Ingrid raised both hands. This brought a hush from the crowd.


    Two brilliant lights appeared beside her, one red and one blue. The red one materialized first, forming into a nude woman made of flames, twenty feet tall. Her features were indistinct, as were all the Fire Elementals, however she wore a mask over her eyes and a crown studded with dark rubies of flame. The blue light formed into a second nude woman made of water, also indistinct, and also wearing a mask and a crown studded in dark sapphires of water. These things loomed over the fountain the the town square, the Fire Elemental on the right and the Water Elemental on the left.


    Ingrid instantly began to feel something being taken from her. Her identity, her resolve, her willpower, her very soul, being drained away slowly. She shuttered.


    "Lady Ghost you look unwell," the Marine said.


    "Soldier," Ingrid said. "I will fall asleep and you will need to rescue me."


    "Um... yes Lady Ghost. I will keep you safe." He finally looked up, dutifully watching her even as she summoned the Elementals. His face was awestruck.


    "Can you translate something for me?" Ingrid asked.


    It is forbidden, the Water Elemental said. Of course it was forbidden.


    The masked people prostrated themselves on the ground before her. Not just a few, but the entire city must have shuffled out to see her and throw themselves upon the mirrored streets. Even the Marine was kneeling.


    Something struck her, as if her lungs and heart were ripped out of her body. She looked down at herself, noting that she was perfectly intact. Her knees felt weak.


    "Lady Ghost I have you," the young man said. Just a boy really. Probably my age, she realized.


    She collapsed into his arms. The world began to fade.


    "I''ll get you back to the airship," the Marine said. "You can count on me!"


    As the darkness consumed her vision Ingrid heard one last voice.


    I hate you, Titania said. I so wish that man would let me kill you.

 Chapter 27: Dogfight in the Plane of Metal

    Slowly the nothingness receded. Ingrid''s senses returned, and she found herself in a bed inside of a cramped metal room with rounded square windows, like the ones inside a tilt-rotor. Glenice was sitting in a chair by the bed.


    "How..."


    "So she is awake," Glenice said.


    "How are you here?" Ingrid finally managed.


    "The Marines cut the trees and I landed your fighter up here."


    Ingrid tried to sit up but she was too weak. "Where am I?"


    "Not far from where you collapsed," Glenice said. "There was a medevac with the rest of the Marines. It turns out Vaska was right about a trap. Hundreds of fighter jets were hiding behind the portal waiting for you to arrive there. They are being cleaned up right now, and therefore we are grounded up here."


    "How long?"


    "About three hours I think. The Taisians have left for Jelka. I left my Taisian airship not long after you collapsed, and then I flew here, as I said, in your fighter jet."


    Ingrid attempted to sit up again and this time she succeeded. She looked around, then pointed to the lavatory. Glenice released one of the rails on the side of Ingrid''s bed and helped her stand up.


    After snacking on military rations and drinking a glass of water, Ingrid''s condition began to rapidly improve. "I want to go for a walk," she said.


    Glenice grabbed a magenta Colored Orb from within her pack. "She wants to talk around."


    "That''s good," Vaska said through the Orb. "The first time is always the worst, Ingrid. We will need to practice together from here on out, I think."


    Hundreds of people with masks were gathered outside a line of Marines with rifles, blocking them from approaching the aircraft. They cheered when they saw Ingrid, however she quickly turned away and began walking toward the edge of the inverted pyramid. The stumps of felled trees lined one of the bog-like fields of grass near the edge. The mirrored metal edge of the pyramid was more than wide enough for the landing gears of a fighter jet. Ingrid''s fighter was resting closer to the grass with a great deal of buffer against the edge.


    "One of the Ice-Two missiles is gone," Ingrid noted.


    "I went hunting on the way here," Glenice said. "Just to see how she files."


    "And how did it go?"


    "I''ve never flown anything like it," Glenice said. "Vaska said that it is aerodynamically unstable. Anyways, I scored my first kill ever. Trainers like me don''t see much combat."


    The ladder was still mounted on the lip of the cabin. Ingrid eyed it with longing. "Is the airspace around the portal clear?" she asked.


    "I have no idea. Are you feeling good enough to fly?"


    "Yeah," Ingrid said. "I feel better every minute. Whatever was wrong with me, it was not physical. It was something else, something worse." She walked up to the edge and looked down at the red landscape far below. It felt so strange to be standing forty thousand feet in the sky in the open air. If there was a battle down below, Ingrid could not see it.


    "Are you sure you want to be so close to the edge there?" Glenice asked.


    "It''s fine. Do you have the crystals?"


    "Yes, right here." Glenice pulled a stack of gems out of her pack and handed them over. Ingrid fished out one of the dark crystals and summoned the ocular demon.


    "What do you see down there?"


    Few enemies remain. The fighting has dropped down below the level of those giant creatures. Both sides are using the giants to block missiles.


    "How many enemies?"


    I only count six. No five, one was just killed.


    "I am going to close the portal," Ingrid said. "Then I''m going to fly back to Vaska. Have the Marines leave the pyramid."


    Glenice shrugged. "It''s not my sky to take away from you Ingrid."


    "Well said."


    Ingrid quickly learned to appreciate Glenice''s skill as a pilot as the fighter gained speed on the tiny strip of mirrored metal at the very edge. The slight engine torque inside the airplane was enough to cause the nose to drift away from the grass. The nose left the ground before it became a problem, and Ingrid rocketed off in an aileron roll over the edge, following the surface of the inverted pyramid in a nose-dive.


    The purple-gray light of the portal flashed briefly in the distance. She rolled over and pointed the nose at that light, descending rapidly. As she did so, the altimeter increased rapidly as the air density decreased toward the inversion. Mercurial giants marched along the mountaintops far below.


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    Two enemies passed through the portal, the ocular demon reported. One is a fighter jet, the other is a... very old airplane. It has been many moons since I have seen an airplane like that one.


    "A warbird?" Ingrid asked.


    In your language, yes. I recognize the pilot''s flying style. That must be Bertrand Vike.


    "I have no idea who that is."


    My pilot was killed by that man maybe, sixty years ago in your sense of time.


    It must be a very old man. Similar to Ivan maybe, Ingrid thought. Both enemies were still too far away to see, but the portal was slowly growing in size. Soon Ingrid could see the neat, grid-like patterns of the streets of Jelka beyond the portal. Explosions flashed in those streets.


    Incoming Dark-Three missile, the demon said.


    I can hunt the one moving faster, one of the shadow hunters hissed. Let me go!


    "Dark-Three missile launch!" she said. Her missile was leaving the rail as she veered up to drag the incoming missile into the dense air above, against gravity. "We''ll see how good he is at defending."


    Fortunately for Ingrid the enemy pilot was not very good at defending, and there were no nearby giants to hide behind. The enemy missile ran out of energy and fell short of hitting Ingrid, however her missile struck the nose of his airplane. The ocular demon reported that the entire cabin had been destroyed in the fireball, leaving a headless airplane to spin out of the sky. It had just been a bright flash to Ingrid''s eyes.


    That left the warbird, which was also too far away for Ingrid to see. However, the pilot was bravely approaching her, his propeller against the thinning air. He will be able to follow me through the inversion, even up to the level of the pyramids, she realized. Her major advantage was her larger engine and therefore higher speed. The warbird likely had eight guns on the wings and would still be dangerous if it got too close.


    I can hunt the enemy! her second Dark-Three missile announced.


    "No!" Ingrid shouted. "I am saving you for something more dangerous. I will try to fly two-circle and kill him with my cannon."


    An enemy is approaching from below you, it is fleeing from allied fighters.


    Ingrid rolled on edge and turned until she was flying away from the portal. Then she finished rolling until she was inverted. Behind her and below, yellow-orange bullets streamed out from the warbird''s direction, falling far short of hitting her.


    He is just trying to be annoying, the ocular demon said.


    "Dark-Three missile, wait and then launch as soon as you can hunt the fighter."


    She flew in silence, hanging upside-down in the cabin. The harness pressed against her shoulders and neck. The airplane shuttered slightly in the wind. Her remaining Dark-Three missile ignited and left the rail. In that instant she began defending by flying up and away.


    Enemy missile incoming.


    "Of course," Ingrid said.


    Once again the enemy missile lost the fight against gravity, and once again her own missile scored a kill. She looped around through the sky, searching for more targets for her last Ice-Two missile. However the Ten Skies fighters had succeeded in clearing out the enemy.


    "A relatively quiet flight," Ingrid said.


    Careful, the enemy warbird is still chasing you. If he gets closer you will need to be defensive.


    Without seeing him, Ingrid pushed the throttle to full and accelerated to four hundred knots indicated. "We''ll see if he can keep up," she muttered. More yellow-orange shots lanced out from the warbird, which appeared as a dark speck, barely visible against the foggy rust of the far side of the cylinder. These shots also fell far short. Ingrid continued to arc through the sky, and technically she was in a very large two-circle pattern with the warbird.


    He is using his flaps, slowing down to reverse direction. He wants a one-circle fight.


    "As he should, but I am not fighting one-circle with a warbird. I have the better airplane, I''ll fly two-circle." She leveled the wings, pulled on the stick and went into a vertical climb and then into a loop. The warbird continued its turn, expecting to meet her head-on in a one-circle, but she snuck up behind him from above. He was close enough to see with her own eyes by the time he noticed her. She continued to press towards his tail, attempting to start a two-circle, but he skillfully kept her in the same spot relative to himself, in a sort of limbo at an angle away from her nose.


    Ingrid deployed the air brakes and full flaps, slowing down to a crawl to prevent an overshoot. Once again he skillfully positioned himself in an awkward spot relative to her nose, above and rolling away into a blind spot. She broke off, released the air brakes, raised the flaps and went full throttle again. "I''m tired of this."


    This earned Ingrid more bullets from the enemy warbird, which fell very far short as the powerful jet engine tore her away from the fight. With the other pilot chasing her, she was once again in a very large two-circle, one she would eventually win. She expected him to try to change directions again, and this time she would be ready. She curved one way, as if to loop around and complete the two-circle, but then violently changed direction by pointing the nose at the ground and even using the rudder to slip the nose sideways toward the sky. This maneuver cost her most of her airspeed, but with her engine she did not care.


    As she predicted, the other pilot had changed direction in a bid for a one-circle, but now she was offensive, in lag pursuit on the outside of a two-circle fight. She pulled the man into her gunsight. "Ice-Two missile launch!" she snapped. Her last missile left the rail, rocketing towards the enemy airplane. Realizing that something was very wrong, the little warbird did something that she had never seen before, something she would have never thought possible. It tilted upright and then, with what she assumed to be a massive kick to the rudder from the pilot, the airplane began to slide sideways through the air, dancing on its tail and wobbling slightly with the rotation of the propeller.


    Remarkably this almost worked, as the missile nearly missed the warbird. However the proximity sensor must have activated because it popped, showring the underside of the enemy airplane with shrapnel. This must have severed the cables connecting the pilot to the tail, because the airplane began to spin violently like a pinwheel. She kept it in her gunsight as it fell. "I am very sorry old man," she said as she pulled the trigger. A trail of white-hot bullets raced straight into the warbird''s glass canopy with enough force to break both wings off.


    A fitting end for that man I think, the ocular demon said. Tragic but better than dying in a hospital.


    "How old do you think he was?"


    At least one hundred of your years.


    "Goodness," Ingrid said. "You said you fought him before. Was that during a war?"


    Not a war, he was a gladiator of sorts. Air to air combat was a bloodsport in Kanti for a time before it was banned. That man won dozens of fights and killed many pilots. He was very popular during his career.


    "Do you see anyone else out here?" she asked.


    No, the airspace around the portal is clear.


    "Well Titania, I have good news for you. We can finally close this portal and go back to my world."


    I am going to tell mother about your bad behavior, Titania warned. Mother will know what to do.

 Broadsheet 1: Jelka Daily

    Bank Run!


    As a result of terrorist activities in the Elemental Plane of Wind and Metal, a large percentage of crystals owned by the Central Bank of Ayaru have ceased to be able to summon Elementals of the Wind and Metal variety. J.S. Gojko and Sons Inc. is one of the world-leading firms that specializes in selling options and other financial instruments that are leveraged against these Elementals. Adam Gojko, the Chief Executive of said corporation, has stated: "Our capacity to fulfill the text of our contracts is diminished." The firm is threatening to default on its promises if the Ayaruan Air Navy is unable to recover the assets in the Elemental Planes of Wind and Metal. The sudden devaluation of J.S. Gojko and Sons Inc. has led to a run on the banks. The Central Bank of Ayaru has released the following statement: "Pending a shipment of working crystals from our allies in the Federation of Kanti, we are unable to provide egress of funds from our vaults for many customers at this time." Full story on page B3.


    Century-Old Pilot Shot Down!


    Bertrand Vike, a one-hundred and one-year old pilot, who is best known for scoring no less than sixteen kills against enemy combatants during the popular Hawks tournaments in the city of Kanti, has been slain in the Elemental Plane of Metal, by no less than the Ghost of Taisia, sources from within the Ayaruan Air Navy verify. "He signed up as a mercenary on short notice," an anonymous commander of the Air Navy said. "He followed another fighter into the portal on his own accord. The operators of our high-magnification telescopes saw the entire fight."


    Mr. Vike bravely chased the Ghost of Taisia as she fled to fire her missiles at other Air Navy targets. However, the veteran pilot with eight decades of flying experience was bamboozled by the cheeky young woman, who caught the man in a "two-circle" fight against his better judgment. Experts say that her maneuver was very shocking even to veteran pilots. "She pointed her nose at the ground and used her rudder to slip the nose up over the horizon. Our best pilots would not attempt such a thing," Admiral Zef of the Ayaruan Air Navy told our senior correspondents. Our contacts in the Air Navy agree that this should be impossible.


    "She must have some advanced new fighter jet," Zef continued. "One where the rudder behaves like a na?ve pilot would anticipate." Mr. Vike was said to have entered into a side slip using his own rudder, but the enemy shot him down with a Fire-Hunter missile of the Imperial design. Our correspondents in the Federation of Kanti have decided to not comment on this revelation. Full story on page A6.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Taisian Air Raids!


    The longtime neighbor and rival of our Great Nation of Ayaru, the snowclad wasteland known as Taisia, has been reported to be the culprit behind the recent attacks on the city of Jelka. Sources inside the Ayaruan Air Navy confirm that the surface-to-air missile trucks stationed inside the city were not enough to prevent this disaster. The new and very expensive military installations inside the capital city, which required the demolition of many ancient and well-respected buildings, have all been destroyed.


    "The people of Jelka are strong," King Teodor said. "We will endure these attacks and retaliate ten-fold." Our sources inside the Ayaruan Air Navy contest this statement, citing the almost total loss of the fleet in the Elemental Plane of Water not a fortnight back. Full story on page B2.


    The Keymaker Believed to be an Imperial Princess!


    Senior correspondents that specialize in investigating the High Council of the Federation of Kanti have revealed disturbing new reports. The individual who names herself "The Keymaker," who allegedly provided keystones to the various Elemental Planes during the ongoing conflict with Taisia, is "more probable than not" to be a member of the Imperial Royal Family, Great House Maryy.


    "Whereby the only power in the world that benefits from the destruction of the Central Bank of Ayaru is the Heylin Empire, and... whereby Princess Vaska of House Maryy is closely associated with a new terrorist organization which names itself the Order of the Ten Skies and... whereby Lieutenant Colonel Ervin Dren of the Ayaruan Air Navy is alleged to have been captured by Vaska Maryy before returning to Jelka and allegedly spying on said Air Navy, and... whereby the Ghost of Taisia is confirmed to our spies to be involved in corrupting and subverting our agents serving in the Elemental Planes, the members of the council unanimously conclude that, more probable than not, the Keymaker is none other than Vaska Maryy herself."


    Vaska Maryy is a controversial figure even in the Heylin Empire. Alleged members of the Heylin Foreign Intelligence Authority (FIA) have allegedly stated (paraphrased): "the Princess repeatedly sidesteps our organization, taking into her own hands the role of spymaster." Vaska Maryy was trained in the science of aeronautical engineering at the University of Heylin, and is reported to design specialized aircraft to achieve her objectives. Full story on page A2.

 Chapter 28: Firstborn

    Ingrid held the Ayaruan broadsheet rolled up in a tube in one hand as the meeting of the Feathers began. Everyone was present, even Rudolf, who had spent the better part of the invasion schmoozing with the top brass of the Taisian Air Navy. Reese was also present, with her new friend Mia, the masked woman from the Plane of Wind who, once able to communicate, no longer needed to be kept in a jail cell. The final guest at the meeting was an enemy millionaire who had, not coincidentally, also been mentioned in the broadsheet.


    "Mr. Gojko, I would like to get your business out of the way first," Vaska said. "You may proceed with your proposal."


    Adam Gojko stood at the map room table with his two aides. He looked and smelled like money. With animated hands he began to speak in heavily-accented Imperial: "Princess Vaska Maryy, I want to thank you for extending this promise of safety and good will to me and my aides, and for arranging this meeting. First of all, I must communicate the grave nature of my business. The entire Ayaruan economy has collapsed almost overnight because of an... edge case that we had not considered."


    "You overleveraged on the assumption that a rare event would not happen," Vaska drawled.


    "My company was involved in many innovative new financial instruments. The best minds in Ayaru and many of the best minds in the Federation of Kanti were involved in the creation of these new instruments. Almost every company in Ayaru had a partial stake in the massive loans that the King and the Air Navy needed for their war in Taisia.


    "When the Bank was unable to provide working Wind and Metal Elementals to the Air Navy, everything started to unravel. Liquidity completely dried up, as did short-term spending by companies. Employees were no longer being paid, and therefore stopped working. No goods were being produced. We ended up in our current situation where we have no food, no goods, and no cash. We requested an urgent shipment of working crystals from Kanti, however the blockade by the Taisians prevented them from arriving.


    "I implore you Princess Vaska, I am begging you, please allow us to borrow some of your Wind and Metal crystals so we can solve this liquidity crisis and save the economy. I promise forty-nine percent ownership of J.S. Gojko and Sons Inc."


    "Worthless stock," Vaska said.


    "It will skyrocket in price once this small matter is resolved. You will have ample funding for your... organization moving forward."


    "Can you please describe these instruments?" Vaska asked.


    "I''m afraid that they are so arcane and clever that it would take a very, very long time to describe," the man said.


    "But essentially everyone was promising everyone else something important... a network of contracts?"


    "That is essentially correct."


    "And you are the only person in the world who can save the Ayaruan economy?"


    The man froze. "Princess Vaska, I would like to remind you that you promised me and my aides safety and good will. We have your signature!"


    "A forgery by the Keymaker," Vaska said.


    "But you are the Keymaker!" Adam Gojko protested. Ingrid shivered.


    Vaska walked to the porthole in the back of the room and stood facing away from them all. "Elizabeth," she said. "Have your airmen take these men away from this room and execute them all."


    "No! I can... give you a controlling share! Fifty-one percent!"


    "It will be done, my Princess," Elizabeth said. She activated a Colored Orb and called in half a dozen guards. The three men were frantically speaking to each other in Ayaruan even as they were dragged away, sobbing.


    The door closed and it was silent.


    "Is it true?" Ingrid asked. "This broadsheet, the Kanti accusation. Is it true?"


    "If it was true," Vaska said, "then you trying to close the portals would directly contradict every single one of my objectives. If you consciously decide, in your very soul, that you will not close any more portals, then Titania will kill you. If you drag your feet too long on the task, then Titania will kill you. Do you understand that? I give you access to the most advanced fighter jet designs that the Empire has to offer, so that you can be safe when you are out flying. I have done everything in my power to help you and keep you alive. Would the Keymaker do that?"


    "I..." Ingrid stammered. "I guess not."


    "Excellent. I am glad you see the central problem I am facing right now. Anyway to answer your question, yes I am the Keymaker. I jump-started this inevitable war a few weeks early."


    Ingrid''s eyes went wide. She scanned the room. The other Feathers were looking at her with pity.


    "You knew. You all knew," Ingrid sneered.


    "My Feathers have absolute faith in me and my methods," Vaska said.


    "So then why?" Ingrid asked. "Why help me close the portals?"


    "As I said, to keep you alive."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Why?"


    "Because from the moment I met you I have had an overwhelming physical and emotional attraction to you."


    This was not the answer that Ingrid was expecting. It left her completely speechless.


    "I told her you were a beautiful redhead that might be interested in other women," Glenice said, "and she demanded a meeting. After that first meeting she was crushing on you pretty hard."


    "That''s enough!" Elizabeth bellowed. "I will not have this repulsive, disgusting behavior between two women on my airship!"


    "Now hold on there Elizabeth," Rudolf said. "The Princess will do as she pleases, and as for us, we have no further purpose to resume this meeting and therefore I will excuse myself."


    "Me as well," Ivan said. The two men stood up and began to head for the door. Rudolf dragged Elizabeth up out of her chair as he passed. Ivan looked at Ingrid and winked. "Good kill by the way. Good kill. That old bastard had it coming I say."


    Reese and Mia also left. The door closed.


    "Are you going to kiss?" Glenice asked.


    Vaska pointed to the door. Glenice sighed and shuffled out without another word. That left Ingrid alone with Vaska in the map room.


    "You promised me," Vaska said, "that no matter what other secrets I held, you would stay by my side."


    "I know," Ingrid said. She looked up at Vaska. Vaska''s eyes were determined.


    "How about we continue this... argument, in a more comfortable setting?" she asked. "Maybe we could have a little bit of fun as well?"


    "Fine," Ingrid said. "Yeah, that sounds wonderful actually."


    <hr>


    They did not continue their argument.


    Titania loomed over the bed with a face filled with hate. Ingrid and Vaska hid under the blankets to avoid her gaze. "You know," Vaska said as she poked her head out from under the blankets to confront Titania, "it was pretty devious of the Queen of Light to pick Ingrid to hold the Light Crystal. I am grateful to my father that he was able to negotiate some semblance of protection for both of us."


    Mother blames me! Titania said to both of them. Mother blames me for Ingrid''s bad behavior. She says that she will reward my success as she would punish my failure.


    "That seems reasonable to me," Ingrid said as she pulled her head up on her pillow.


    "The Queen of Light is very concerned with promises and oaths," Vaska said. "Your Light Elemental has very specific instructions and limitations and the Queen likely made it physically impossible for the poor thing to deviate even a tiny bit."


    Mother once had forgiveness also! She could forgive broken promises. She could adapt! She could make an exception and allow me to kill both of you, saving the world from your evil! But something is wrong with Mother. Something is broken in Mother.


    "You are just now figuring that out?" Vaska asked. "Something has been very, very wrong with the Queen of Light since this whole thing started, since the sacrifices were created in the Elemental Planes, and since the Queen of Darkness was sealed away."


    "So how did you do it?" Ingrid asked. "How did you make the keys? How did you travel around Ayaru?"


    "I am bonded to the High Daughter of the Queen of Darkness, the first Elemental ever created. The Firstborn. She is... very adept at moving around through the Plane of Darkness. As for the keys, they always existed, I did not make them. I stole them from the masked people. And finally, you spend a lot of time out flying and not keeping track of where I am."


    "Why don''t you just zip around in the Plane of Darkness to find the members of the other Great Houses and murder them?" Ingrid asked. She thought this was a sensible question.


    "They thought of this possibility," Vaska said. "The Framers of the Precepts. For the same reason that Light Elementals cannot kill the Matrons or candidate Matrons, any other type of Elementals cannot be used to kill members of the Great Houses. In fact, if the Firstborn detected that I wanted to murder the King with my own hands, she would likely kill me."


    "How were you so precise at appearing exactly where you needed to be?"


    "Perhaps I should just show you. Get up, put on some clothes."


    The portal Vaska created was solid black, without any light emanating from the other side. It was very small, small enough to fit in the room but large enough for both women to walk through at the same time. Titania sheepishly followed them through the portal, then vanished from sight.


    After passing through, the darkness mostly receded and revealed the surroundings. It was a world that Ingrid did not expect, not a world of absolute darkness. If anything, it closely resembled the Elemental Plane of Life in many respects. It was as if they were inside a cavern deep underground, a cavern made of polished purple, silver, and obsidian crystals. The roof of the cavern was missing, open to a solid black sky featuring an eclipse over a purple sun, surrounded by a purple halo. Within the cavern, various types of fungi were growing, filling the air with white spores which accumulated in a snowy blanket on the ground.


    The strangest aspect of all however, was that this cavernous world was just out of reach, forever exiled from touch. The space immediately around Ingrid, for several paces, was a second world, devoid of these features. A foggy black bubble that followed her around as she moved, causing the walls of the cavern, the crystals, the fungi, and the spores to vanish if she got too close. Within that bubble of nothingness, she could see the real world, or at least a dark reflection of it. She could see the bed that she and Vaska had just occupied, the door to her room, the open bathroom, the shower... all tinged in a pale, twilight copper color, but otherwise colorless, vague.


    "You can see the outside world from within here," Vaska said. "Or rather, a projection of it. There is no sense of verticality here, it is all projected down to our level. You would never be able to fly a fighter jet in this place."


    She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The ghost of airmen wandered the halls. Ingrid could see their faces.


    "Does opening the door in this world open it in the real world?" Ingrid asked.


    Vaska shook her head. "No, this world is just a shadow. However, doors here are never locked, and even if they were locked, the Firstborn would allow me to simply teleport behind them."


    Ingrid, I am frightened, Titania said. There is an open portal here in this world. Not the one you opened to get here, another portal. One that my Mother cannot detect from the outside. Also, I cannot reach Mother here. There is another, sleeping, that listens to me. I am frightened she will wake up.


    "Another portal?" Ingrid asked. Titania was nowhere to be seen, not even in her small childlike form.


    Yes, another portal. Near the Queen''s Prison.


    "The Queen''s Prison is near to everything in this place," Vaska said. "Firstborn, take us to the other portal."


    The crystalline walls of the cavern, the fungi, the blanket of snowy spores, and the projections of the outside world all rapidly shifted at blinding speed around them. They were traveling thousands of miles an hour, Ingrid realized, or perhaps tens of thousands. Suddenly it all stopped, and they were surrounded by the ghosts of soldiers. Ayaruan soldiers.


    "What are the Ayaruans doing with a portal to this place?" Ingrid asked.


    "I''m not sure," Vaska said. "I think this must be the Royal Palace in Jelka."


    "They created a portal inside the Royal Palace?"


    "Seems like it. Let''s find an empty room and then go back to the other side. We need to know what their objectives are."


    "Now?" Ingrid asked. "Shouldn''t we get help first? Maybe tell the Taisians where to attack?"


    "No need," Vaska said. "This sort of investigation is exactly what the Firstborn excels at. Just watch."

 Chapter 29: Daughter of Light and Queen of Darkness

    After exploring the projection of the Royal Palace, Ingrid and Vaska found a promising room in the servant quarters where only women could be found. Vaska opened a portal in an empty room filled with bunks. The drawers under the bunks contained servant uniforms.


    After getting dressed they left the room and quickly encountered a plump maid. "I don''t recognize you two children," she said. "Are you new here?"


    "Yes ma''am!" Vaska said. "Just joined today."


    "They told you right? No pay for the first two months. If you leave, you get paid for two more months after you leave. Same goes for all of us. The King is waiting for some charlatan to finish some deal. Terrible... terrible."


    Ingrid and Vaska glanced at each other. The plump woman scampered off into the hallway.


    Vaska was remarkably good at pretending to be a servant. Her face was filled with a mix of purpose and sternness. Ingrid said nothing and did very little as Vaska wandered the hallways. The servant quarters were mostly made of unadorned wood, cramped but clean.


    The palace itself was unlike anything Ingrid had ever seen. She had only ever visited the Emperor at his lodge in the mountains, and had never seen his palace in Heylin. In fact she had never seen any palace before, not even the inside of the government building in her hometown. Every floor in the palace was polished wood covered in ornate rugs, mostly dark green and gold. This color scheme continued into the seats, the drapes, and the great banners that dangled from the ceiling. Soldiers marched about in drab olive uniforms, and servants scurried past with platters of snacks or pitchers of water.


    "No women soldiers," Vaska noted. "We should get some food."


    They lingered near the soldiers, offering food and water when asked, and simply listened to what they were saying. None of the soldiers said anything interesting, though there seemed to be some confusion about why they were in the palace at all. The other servants occasionally inquired about Vaska and Ingrid''s recent employment.


    "It is only a matter of time before one of the servants realizes that we do not actually work here," Ingrid whispered.


    "No worries," Vaska said. "If anyone notices, they will likely confront us first and ask for a bribe."


    So much evil in this place, Titania said. It writhes and scurries. I cannot speak with Mother here.


    Finally, a woman in a golden mask entered the palace with an escort of a dozen soldiers. She had a Light Elemental with her, just like Titania, a tall armored woman with a sword and shield made of mother-of-pearl light. Ingrid noticed for the first time that the surface of her body looked a bit oily, as if the light was passing through slick oil on the surface of a puddle. Vaska''s mouth dropped at the sight of the woman.


    The Elemental pointed her sword straight toward Ingrid.


    "To the other side, now," Vaska snapped as a portal opened directly behind her, inside the palace foyer. Vaska grabbed Ingrid''s arm and yanked her through the portal into the Plane of Darkness. The portal instantly vanished behind them. The twilight projections of the soldiers stood around in complete shock.


    Vaska was holding her chest, breathing heavy.


    "That was close," she finally managed. "What is that Light Elemental doing here!? Why in the world would the King order it to be brought out of the Bank?"


    The Matron and the Light Elemental appeared as misty wraiths in the projection nearby. "Can they see us?" Ingrid asked.


    I do not think she can sense us, Titania said. The Matron appeared to be speaking with the other Light Elemental for a moment, before both of them continued on, vanishing after leaving the local projection.


    "We need to follow her," Vaska said. They began walking in the same direction. The cavern walls and fungi outside the projections shifted and moved past them as they went. Once again Titania was nowhere to be seen. They wound through the projection of the palace once more, returning to the location where the Firstborn had transported them. It was inside of some type of arcade filled with soldiers. The Matron vanished into a wall.


    "The portal must be against that wall," Vaska said.


    My sister speaks to me, Titania said.


    "Where are you?" Ingrid asked. "We can''t see you."


    I am here, but I cannot see you either, Titania said. Sister speaks to me.


    "Oh no," Vaska said. "Titania must be outside the projection, completely in the Plane of Darkness."


    "What do you mean, completely in the Plane of Darkness?"


    "The Firstborn''s projection of our world is in fact within the Plane of Darkness, but it is also adjunct to it. It is possible to enter the Plane of Darkness without being inside the projection. That is where Titania must be. That means the Matron and her own Light Elemental can see Titania, and speak with her."


    Yes! Yes! Sister is here. She speaks of their objectives. That is what you wanted to know, right?


    "I''ll not say no to that," Vaska said. "What do the Ayaruans want here?"


    The Queen''s Prison is weakening. They brought Sister here to help repair the broken seals. Ingrid, we must help.


    "What?" Ingrid said. "You want me to help the Ayaruans?"


    Yes, you must. I am allowed to kill you if you refuse to help.


    "Vaska, I need to go."


    "Right," Vaska said. "Then I''ll go with you. Firstborn, allow us to leave the projection and complete the transition to the Plane of Darkness."


    The dark space of nothingness around them began to dissolve and give way to figures standing in a small field of spores. Ingrid dropped a few inches as her boots sank into the spores with a crunch. The Ayaruan portal was small, similar to the ones the Firstborn made, and the interior of the Palace could be seen on the other side. The Matron stood with her gold robes and mask and regarded Ingrid. The Light Elemental stood by her side, along with half a dozen Ayaruan soldiers who looked unalarmed.


    Vaska Maryy, sneaking around in servant uniforms? No doubt you have FIA agents here in the palace as well, the Light Elemental said in unaccented Taisian. Ingrid assumed that Vaska was hearing the Elemental speak a different language. And this child must be the one the smallfolk have named Ghost.


    "If your soldiers turn violent," Vaska sneered, "I will kill them and then I will kill you."


    The Elemental turned to the Matron. Do not make light of this one, the Firstborn is strong in this place.


    "Let''s just go," Ingrid said. "Tell me what we need to do." She glanced behind her, and saw Titania for the first time standing there. She had been there the whole time, following them around as they wandered the Firstborn''s projection, advertising their position to the enemy soldiers.


    The Matron said something in Ayaruan, then turned and glided away. The soldiers turned away as well, and then the portal to the Royal Palace closed. Ingrid followed them as they wandered through the twisting crystal chasms, occasionally glancing up at the strange eclipse in the too-black sky. They passed under crystal arches covered in fungi and over small creeks that appeared to be made of flowing blood.


    "Are we going in a circle?" Ingrid asked.


    "The path to the Queen''s Prison is a twisting one," Vaska whispered. "You can quickly reach it from anywhere in this realm if you know the way. In fact, you can use the Plane of Darkness to travel great distances in the other world. Even without the Firstborn. She just... makes it very easy."


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    Ingrid pointed up. "Could you fly up there? If you are outside the projection?"


    "I have never done so," Vaska said. "I only once fully transitioned into this Plane and explored on my own. I always use the Firstborn''s projection to move around."


    The Matron led them to a vast structure made of black marble streaked with blood red veins. Low and wide, constructed like a long curve of arches. Beyond the arches the spores gradually became thinner, giving way to a solid black ground made of polished black marble. A second layer of arches separated them from a vast ringed pit, with five rings of arches descending in tiers. Long, gently-sloping stairs led from each level to the next. There was a pitch black half-sphere in the very center, surrounded by chains made of pure light.


    Ingrid shivered as she pointed at the half-sphere. "Is that it?" she asked.


    "Yeah."


    "How," Ingrid said. "How did they construct this place?"


    "That is knowledge known only to the Framers," Vaska said. "Perhaps this is how the Queen sees her own prison. This may just be her perception, her imagination."


    They descended the last series of steps to the floor of the structure. Thunder and explosions rang out as soldiers fought shadowy lizards crawling down one of the walls using Lightning and Fire Elementals. As the group approached, there was a man watching them who Ingrid assumed was the King of Ayaru. He wore gold and dark-green finery and a jeweled crown on his head.


    He grunted at the sight of Vaska. "You," he said in accented Imperial. "Tell me girl, how did you lie to our Light Elemental?"


    "I did not lie," Vaska said. "Everything I did and said was on behalf of the Queen of Light."


    The man''s eyes went wide. "Twisted words," the King said. "Deeply twisted words."


    "Let''s just get started," Ingrid said. "What do I need to do?"


    Follow me, the Matron''s Elemental said. To the prison. We must fix the cracks in the seals.


    The Matron led Ingrid toward that too-black sphere. It was like closing her eyes in a deep cave, as if her eyes simply stopped working and reported no light at all emanating from the surface of the sphere, a hole in her vision. The chains of pure light were fractured and appeared to have been dipped in oil, shining mother-of-pearl light which was absorbed absolutely by the prison but which reflected off the uneven obsidian tiles.


    "Did you come to kill me?" the King asked Vaska. This seemed to make his guards uneasy.


    "I did not," Vaska said.


    "You have caused my kingdom so much pain."


    "Teodor," Vaska said.


    "King Teodor," the man corrected.


    "I care not what childish titles you have given yourself," Vaska snapped. "Men name you King, and tell their whores jokes at your expense. Men name me Princess and nearly piss themselves."


    The King had no response. His guards held their rifles uneasily.


    Titania''s sword began to glow and reshape itself into a flame made of sickly light. She reached forward with the flame and began to burn the chains. The fractures began to grow smaller and vanish. The Matron''s Elemental did the same, repairing the chains on the opposite side of the half-sphere.


    We are able to repair it faster than it breaks! the Light Elemental said. This will work. We can still save the prison.


    "Teodor Aria, I had not expected you would take such extreme measures to try and repair the prison," Vaska said. She eyed a small crystal in her hand, half transparent yellow and half silvery and metallic. "Lightning," she said. "Allow me to speak to Glenice."


    A small orb of magenta lightning appeared over the crystal. Glenice began to speak through the Colored Orb: "Vaska, what is it?"


    "Open one of the portals please, and prepare the White Ravens."


    "Now!?" Glenice said. "What about Ingrid?!"


    "Just open one for now. I want to see how Titania reacts."


    "Very well, the command is given. The Marines are ready."


    "Vaska what are you doing?" Ingrid asked.


    "What is the meaning of this?" King Teodor snapped.


    Titania shuttered. Ingrid! she cried. Ingrid a portal has opened!


    "Well what am I supposed to do? Stop you from sealing the prison?" Ingrid asked.


    "Guards!" the King shouted, pointing at Vaska. "Kill her! Kill her now!" The men aimed their rifles, however Vaska vanished in a cloud of black smoke. Both men crumpled almost at the same time, with a shadowy dagger piercing their throats. The King yelped and began muttering something in his own language.


    "I am very practiced at using the projection," Vaska announced after she reappeared. "I would advise against sacrificing more of your men, King Teodor." She was still holding the magenta Colored Orb. "Glenice! This is not a drill, open all the portals and send in the White Ravens. Now! Do it NOW!"


    "Who?" Ingrid shouted over the chaos that began to erupt from the soldiers as they ran toward their King.


    "An airshow act," Vaska shouted back. "Imperial Air Navy. Some of the best pilots in the world! Led by Natasha! Very inspiring!"


    "An airshow!?"


    "For our friends living in the Elemental Planes," Vaska said with a wink. She slammed her hands together and shouted: "Firstborn, ATTACK!"


    The air darkened around Vaska, and shadows began to coalesce into the figure of a tall nude woman made of pale purple crystal. Indistinct, like the others of her kind, Ingrid instantly knew she was a High Daughter from the mask that covered her eyes and the crown on her head. Her lower legs ended in hooves like a goat, and she had horns on her head and even a tail, but was otherwise clearly a human woman. Tears of blood flowed down her cheeks. She held two swords made of pure shadow.


    The Firstborn launched forward at lightning speed, stabbing the Matron''s Light Elemental straight through the chest with her swords. Dark, oily blood exploded from it.


    "Flee!" the King shouted to his guards as he turned to run away. "She can''t hurt me! Save yourselves! RUN!" The soldiers stopped and then changed directions, running away with their King as he fled. This left Ingrid nearly alone in the pit with Vaska and the Matron, the Firstborn and the two Light Elementals.


    More portals! Titania announced. Five, no six more portals! Ingrid! We must close them!


    "How?" Ingrid said. "How can we close them while also repairing the prison?"


    "You can''t," Vaska said. "An unfortunate oversight in her contract, I think. Her task of repairing the prison takes priority, which means she will not attack you." She reached forward and kissed Ingrid on the lips.


    "You... want to open the prison, don''t you?" Ingrid asked.


    "I have a hypothesis," Vaska said. "This is an experiment that will help me disconfirm the hypothesis. That''s all."


    The fractures in the chains of light began to grow. They buckled and twitched with the sudden change in tension. Finally they started to snap. The surface of the prison fractured and blood-red light poured out between the riven chains.


    "The airshows in the Elemental Planes must be having quite an impact on the psyche of the sacrifices," Vaska said. "Seven pilots, seven fighter jets, seven portals. Spread out across the Empire, Taisia, and Ayaru."


    "Won''t this mean," Ingrid said, "that some of the crystals in the Empire will stop working? Won''t this bring down the Bank in Heylin as well?"


    "I did not anticipate this happening so soon, but I cannot possibly turn down an opportunity like this. Not now."


    A hand made of pure, bleeding shadows erupted from the fracture in the half-sphere. It lurched forward and violently attached itself to Titania''s face. She screamed.


    Help! Help! Titania cried. Ingrid! Save me! IT HURTS!


    "Do nothing yet," Vaska warned.


    Ingrid watched, paralyzed. The chains continued to shatter, as both Light Elementals were now occupied. The Matron had fainted, yet her Light Elemental remained pinned to the ground by the Firstborn''s swords.


    Ingrid, Titania said, her voice peaceful, calm, delicate like wind chimes. Ingrid I remember. I remember what it was like, to be and to exist all those moons ago. Faith, hope, forgiveness, sacrifice, choice, discipline, charity. I remember it all Ingrid. I remember it.


    "What do you want me to do?" Ingrid asked.


    Kill me before I forget, Titania said. Vaska, Vaska was right all along, I think. Something is wrong with Mother. Something is wrong with us all.


    "Fire of my spirit," Ingrid said. She held out her right hand, and white flames began to rise. "Water of my spirit," she said as she held out her left hand, and icy waters began to churn. Her two Elementals appeared, sipping on her spirit. Tall women made of Fire and Water, looking with pity upon the writing Light Elemental in front of them.


    Cleanse! the Water Elemental said.


    Purify! the Fire Elemental said.


    They charged forward and attacked Titania. The Fire Elemental stabbed its massive white-hot sword through her chest. The Water Elemental washed away the black blood with waves of pure water. Titania screamed and violently flailed her arms about. The hand made of pure shadows retreated back into the shattering half-sphere.


    Ingrid breathed heavily. "This is... very difficult," she said.


    "It always is," Vaska said. "Just keep breathing, and stay awake."


    Light. Brilliant, blinding light flashed in front of Ingrid. She covered her eyes, but it was not enough. Even through her eyelids, even through her arm the light shone. She could see her own bones, the blood vessels in her eyes, and the muscles in her arms outlined in that unyielding glare. Then it ended. The two Elementals backed off, allowing Titania to stand.


    The mother-of-pearl light was gone, as was the oil-slick corruption on her skin. She was no longer a woman in heavy armor, but instead wore nothing, like the other Elementals. Tall, naked, wearing a mask and a crown and a spear in one hand. She walked toward Ingrid, who struggled to stay standing, and then knelt like a knight.


    It must be human hands, Titania said as she handed her massive golden spear to Ingrid. A member of one of the Great Houses.


    Vaska grasped one of Ingrid''s hands in her own and they both placed their free hands on the shaft of the spear. "Let''s go," Vaska said. "I believe my hypothesis is correct."


    "Right," Ingrid said. Titania vanished and the spear began to glow with that same blinding light. They each stepped forward, their steps synchronized in a headlong sprint toward the Queen''s Prison. The darkness retreated, bending inward but not fast enough. The tip of the spear pierced the shroud and madness erupted, shooting shafts of pure shadow all around. Ingrid and Vaska held firm, supporting each other as the darkness washed over them, bathed in Titania''s light.


    As the prison disintegrated, the eclipse in the sky shattered, revealing a brilliant purple moon behind. The pitch-black sky changed to purple, revealing countless flying cities in the sky.


    Ingrid fall back into Vaska''s arms. The bottom half of the sphere had cut a hole in the ground, and twisted clouds of darkness writhed out of that hole. As the air cleared a child climbed out of the pit. Ingrid struggled to stay awake.


    She was just a child, wearing a frilly black dress and cute shoes. Her black hair was done up in an elaborate set of braids, her pupils were glowing blood red, her pale face was covered in freckles, and her eyelids appeared to be painted with black cosmetics. She put her hands on her hips and pointed straight at Ingrid.


    "What the hell did you meat bags do to me?"

 Chapter 30: Devils Dance

    The child looked like she was pouting.


    "Who are you?" Ingrid asked as her Water and Fire Elementals vanished. "Are you... the Queen of Darkness?"


    "Oh look, the meat puppets can speak," the child said. "Your own kind named me Ashe. Do you remember nothing?"


    "Ashe," Vaska said. "If any human knew the name of an Elemental Queen, they would be very long dead."


    "Dead?" Ashe asked. "Oh right, you bone cages carry around a bunch of dysfunctional organs. You must be very young then. Two hundred moons? Maybe younger? Either way, you didn''t answer my first question. What was done to me? Why has it been tens of thousands of moons since I''ve seen my own sky?"


    "You answered your own question," Vaska said. "We are young, and we don''t know the details of what was done to you."


    "Ashe," Ingrid said. "My name is Ingrid. I am pleased to meet you." She bowed.


    "Ah, politeness," Ashe said. "I like you Ingrid. You remind me of my sister... My sister!? What the hell did you do to my sister?"


    "We didn''t do anything to your sister," Vaska said. "My father met with her just a few months back."


    "It''s like she doesn''t exist anymore! You!" Ashe said as she pointed straight at Titania. "What has become of your mother?"


    Something is wrong with Mother. Something is wrong with all of my sisters. Something was wrong with me, but Ingrid fixed it somehow. Titania resumed her position in front of Ingrid, kneeling like a knight. The contract is shattered. Will you bond me Ingrid? It may protect me from what was done before.


    "Yes, I will bond with you," Ingrid said. "But I am weak, so rest now. Do not drink of my spirit."


    Titania vanished.


    Vaska seemed to have remembered the unconscious woman lying on the floor at that moment. She walked over and started to rifle through her clothes. The second Light Elemental was still pinned to the floor by the Firstborn''s blades. After a few seconds Vaska held up a Light Crystal. A dagger of shadows appeared in her hand and she slammed it down into the woman''s head.


    "Did you just kill that poor sleeping woman?" Ashe exclaimed.


    "I hold the contract," Vaska said. "It is mine now. Firstborn, you may release my Elemental."


    The Firstborn walked toward Vaska, swaying her hips. The Light Elemental, who was still struggling to stand up, vanished from sight.


    "Firstborn, take us into the projection and transport us to the Ten Skies."


    I cannot bring Mother with us, the Firstborn said. Her voice sounded too old for her youthful features. She is too heavy. It would be like trying to move the moon.


    At the mention of the moon, Ashe looked up at the sky and pointed at one of the flying cities. It was long and bloated near the middle, like a giant flying battleship. "Why are there meat puppets living up there? Who would want to live in my realm?"


    "They did not choose to live there Ashe," Ingrid said. "They were tricked into it."


    "We need to get out of here," Vaska said. "Before the King finds out I stole his crystal. Once we leave the prison we can walk a path that will lead us to the Ten Skies. We''ll need to call in the Marines to pick us up when we get to the other side."


    "I''m staying near Ingrid," Ashe said, "until I can find a way to speak with my sister."


    <hr>


    The Feathers had assembled in the map room when Ingrid and Vaska finally arrived. The child had grown tired of walking and insisted on riding around on Ingrid''s back. None of the chairs in the room were tall enough for the child, so Vaska used a Metal Elemental to reshape the legs of one of the chairs to be longer.


    "Elizabeth," Vaska said "I want your report first."


    "About ten percent of the yellow-metal crystals have stopped working," the scarred woman began. "Five percent of water-fire crystals can no longer be used to summon Water Elementals. The White Ravens were unable to enter the Plane of Life safely, so all our crystals still work. Almost thirty percent of our teal-orange crystals no longer work. But by far the worst news I have is that none of our dark crystals work. One hundred percent failure rate. I am going to assume that is the case for our enemies as well."


    "One hundred percent?" Vaska asked. Elizabeth nodded.


    "That makes perfect sense," the child Ashe said. "Those fools living in my realm probably stopped showing up to work when the eclipse ended and the sky changed colors."


    "Vaska?" Elizabeth asked. "Why is this child on my airship?"


    "I will give you my report after her," Vaska said as she pointed to Glenice.


    "The Taisian Air Navy is making significant progress in the conventional invasion," Glenice said. "Much of the enemy Air Navy was lost in the Elemental Planes. As Elizabeth said, dark crystals no longer work. That means Dark-Three missiles no longer work, and the surface-to-air missiles have stopped firing. We can expect a total victory in just a few days. There are plans being drafted for the invasion of the Royal Palace in Jelka."


    "I want the King executed immediately," Vaska said. "Which brings me to my own report. Our plans have been greatly accelerated. I have freed the Queen of Darkness from her prison."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Ivan whistled. Reese looked shocked and Mia looked confused by that shock. Rudolf simply nodded knowingly.


    "This child," Vaska said, "is named Ashe. As far as we can tell, she is the Elemental Queen of Darkness. There are a few other developments as well. Ingrid?"


    "Titania, show yourself," Ingrid said. The Light Elemental, now carrying a spear, appeared behind Ingrid.


    "Is it safe for Mia to be this close to that thing?" Reese asked.


    "It is perfectly safe now," Ingrid replied. "Titania has been cleansed. She is bound to me directly, and no longer follows the orders of the Emperor. She also appears to no longer follow the instructions of the Queen of Light."


    "This means," Vaska said, "That the Order of the Ten Skies is now completely independent. I have my own light crystal, and through the effects of my bond with the Firstborn, I am able to prevent it from being a danger to Mia, at least for now. Ingrid will need to cleanse it soon."


    "You can end the war right now!" Glenice said.


    "And I intend to. I will summon all of the Ayaruan Elemental crystals and Ingrid will claim them. I just need a room in the airship that is big enough. Elizabeth?"


    "It might be safer to summon them on the ground," Elizabeth said. "Have a large staff nearby to sort through them and pick out the ones that still work, and discard the rest."


    "The instant I summon the crystals and deprive the enemy military of most of their power, I expect that spies in Jelka will report the incident to their masters in Kanti. It will not be long before they declare war on the Heylin Empire. Hours. Minutes even. And then the true war starts. The Federation will stop at nothing to enter the various Elemental Planes and prevent our sacrifices from honoring our contracts. Then, we slowly lose access to all of our military technologies."


    "It''s a race to the bottom," Rudolf said.


    "We will need to find suitable replacements, fast," Ivan said.


    "Exactly so," Vaska said. "Our highest priority right now is recovering our Dark-Three capabilities. Our labs have discovered a new technology that we are calling radar. However our current iteration of the design makes heavy use of green Colored Orbs. Our next mission should be to enter the Elemental Plane of Lightning, where I will attempt to bond a High Daughter."


    "I might be able to negotiate such a bond," Ashe said. "The other Elemental Queens are likely deeply afraid of you hairless apes because of what you did to me."


    "Why would you help us?" Reese asked.


    The Elemental Queen of Darkness simply shrugged. "Ingrid carries a piece of my sister around in her heart. The sister-self I once knew."


    The door to the map room opened and the communications officer entered. "Admiral!" he said, "a portal just appeared behind the ship and a tilt-rotor flew through. The portal quickly closed, but the airplane is still following us. It keeps repeating the same message over and over again, and does not respond to our questions."


    "What message?" Elizabeth asked.


    "''We have a message for the Ghost of Taisia from the Queen of Light. We are requesting permission to land. If you kill us, we will simply return and try to deliver the message again. You may keep the aircraft after we leave.'' That''s the end of it Admiral, then it just repeats."


    "Signal them with permission to land, then send in the Marines to secure the area." The Admiral stood up, as did the rest of the Feathers and the child named Ashe. They headed for the deck.


    The tilt-rotor''s single massive door opened and eight figures shuffled out. The Marines quickly padded them down for weapons, and then confirmed that the aircraft was empty. Out of the eight figures, seven of them were men, and they all wore the drab olive uniforms common to Ayaruan soldiers. One of the men stepped forward and looked straight at Ingrid with lifeless eyes.


    "My name is Alen Mason," the man said in unaccented Taisian. "I was a promising pilot, and it was my dream to train under Jadran. In the Elemental Plane of Wind, I stalled my fighter jet and ended up in a flat spin. The Ghost of Taisia fired a missile at me as I fell, bringing a swift end to my terror."


    "Abomination!" Ashe hissed. "My sister has overstepped herself! Making copies of dead people... even I would not resort to such evil."


    This outburst did not deter the next man from stepping forward. "My name is Jadran Eduard," he said, "and I was the best pilot in Admiral Zef''s fleet. The High Daughter Titania claimed the contracts inside my fighter jet and caused the Fire Elemental in my engine to explode. I was killed instantly."


    A cold wind blew across the deck of the Ten Skies. The Marines shuffled about uncomfortably.


    "My name is Izak Shoemaker," the third man said as he stepped forward. He was the only man with a mustache. Ingrid assumed the man''s odd surname was a Taisian translation of the man''s actual name. The man continued: "I was hand-picked by Ervin Dren to fly as his wingman. Like Jadran before me, I too was killed by the Ghost of Taisia when my contracts were claimed by the High Daughter."


    A fourth man stepped forward. "I am named Karlo Dren," the man said. "I am a distant cousin of Ervin Dren. Like Jadran and Izak before me, I was killed when my engine exploded at the command of Titania. I was unable to protect my cousin in that fight, and I knew not his fate when I died."


    "My name is Ferdo Boro," the fifth man said. "I was given the honor of flying an advanced, two-engine airplane from the Federation of Kanti. I scored two kills inside the Elemental Plane of Water before I lost my life. My killer was the Ghost of Taisia, flying an aerodynamically unstable fighter jet that I was not prepared to face."


    The lone woman in the group looked not much older than Ingrid herself. Her light brown hair rolled down her shoulders in beautiful curls. Her hazel eyes must have once been filled with hope and joy, but now they showed no emotion at all. Ingrid could feel tears welling up in her own eyes. No, she thought. Not this. Not a woman like me.


    "I''m Amalia Baker," the woman said. "Since the first time I saw an airshow I have dreamed of being a pilot. I had been flying for less than a week when I was assigned to be the personal assistant of Bertrand Vike. I tried to advise my charge to not throw his life away. I followed him through the portal to the Elemental Plane of Metal, and in my inexperience, I was killed by the Ghost of Taisia when a perfect missile struck my flesh and destroyed the cabin of my airplane."


    "My name is Emil Baker," the next man said. Like the woman, he had light brown hair and hazel eyes. "After my twin sister Amalia was killed in the Elemental Plane of Metal, I turned to face the Ghost of Taisia. I thought only of vengeance, and in my haste I failed to defend against her missile in time. I was not killed instantly, and instead died a slow death by fire as I fell from the sky."


    The final man was extremely old, and Ingrid knew his story. "My name is Bertrand Vike," the ancient fossil of a man said. "In my youth I fought in the Hawks and scored sixteen kills in my warbird. As my final act I decided to die a true death as a gladiator and a pilot. I flew into the Elemental Plane of Metal to face the Ghost of Taisia. It was a challenging fight and I was slain when a bullet struck my skull through the canopy glass."


    "On behalf of the Queen of Light," Amalia said, "I give you this message. We will fight on, even after death. No matter how many times you kill us, we will learn from our mistakes and we will eventually kill you."


    Golden, mother-of-pearl light began to puncture and then spread through all eight pilots. The light consumed their entire bodies, and in spite of this they stood motionless, their faces devoid of emotion. When the light finished spreading across their bodies, they simply disintegrated and vanished in the wind. This left a derelict Federation tilt-rotor on the deck.


    Tears streamed down Ingrid''s face. "A young woman just like me," she said. "It could have been me."


    Vaska pulled Ingrid into an embrace. "I warned you," she said, "that the other Great Houses are extremely dangerous."


    "I hope you like dogfighting," Ivan said. "You''re gonna be dancing in the sky with those devils for a very long time."

 Chapter 31: The Elemental Plane of Lightning

    A thin black line appeared on the deck of the Ten Skies, spreading to the sides to form a black portal to the Plane of Darkness. Vaska flew through the portal, nearly falling face-first on the deck. Several Marines lunged forward and caught the Imperial Princess. The portal closed.


    Vaska was completely soaked in blood.


    Ingrid ran forward and fell to her knees, pulling Vaska from the arms of the Marines. "Vaska," she said. "Can you hear me?"


    "Yes," Vaska muttered. "They knew. Somehow, they knew."


    "Who else knew?" Ingrid asked. "Just the Feathers." She pulled Vaska up, using her own body as a giant pillow. Medics ran at them with a stretcher.


    "No, the Feathers are loyal. They know about Titania," Vaska said. "The enemy must have contemplated my intentions. They may also know where my workshop is."


    The medics set the stretcher down and began the process of lifting Vaska onto it. Ingrid had never seen such professionalism in her hometown. The two burly men lifted the stretcher effortlessly and began to sprint across the deck. Ingrid followed them as they deftly carried the Princess through the narrow hallways of the airship, and the child Ashe trotted behind her. The periodic bulkheads seemed to cause the child some trouble.


    "The men on this airship," Vaska rasped, "are loyal. My workshop is in the Plane of Wind, you see. Places... places where the wind blows one direction... makes a great place to test. They must have surmised this... Glenice knows where the workshop is. Rescue... the engineers..." Vaska lost consciousness.


    In the medical bay, the physicians began to cut away her clothes. Ingrid''s eyes were fixed on her body as they did so, searching frantically for injuries. There were a few scratches, and some bruises, however nothing to justify her blood-soaked clothing. They flipped her on one side, with a similar conclusion.


    "She looks unharmed," one physician said. Another physician, a woman, spread a sheet across Vaska''s naked body.


    "She may have overused her bond," Ingrid said. "Knocked herself out."


    "Here," the woman said, handing Ingrid three crystals. "She had these hiding in her clothes."


    Ingrid instantly recognized them as keystones to the Elemental Plane of Lightning. They were covered in sweat. The woman went to a basin to wash her hands.


    "You have them," Ashe said. "She will not wake up for many days I''m afraid. The Firstborn agrees with me on that."


    "We will prepare her for a long sleep then," the female physician said. The men left and more women shuffled into the room.


    "Your enemy knows you have the crystals as well," Ashe said. "Which means they may be waiting for you inside."


    Ingrid looked to the physician. "She is in good hands," the woman said.


    Ingrid turned to leave. "Is it possible to bond one of the High Daughters without being awake?" she asked.


    "You would have to ask the Queen," Ashe said.


    "We will open a portal immediately, then."


    When Ingrid arrived on the deck, she began issuing commands. "Prepare my fighter. Notify the Captain and the Admiral that the gate needs to be opened immediately. Where are the Marines?"


    Soldiers began to scurry about to pass on her orders. Soon one of the Marines found her. "Yes, Lady Ghost, what do you need?" he asked.


    "Find Glenice. She knows where Vaska''s workshop is. Vaska is afraid that the enemy also knows where it is. Rescue the engineers, save as many of the designs as you can, and then destroy the workshop. I want all the Marines deployed for this task, with an escort of fighters large enough to protect you."


    "I will go to Glenice then," the Marine said. He turned and left.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    One of the Ten Skies airmen found her and led her to the fighter jet. It was busy being taxied out closer to the runway. There were no Dark-Three missiles on the wings, instead there was a full allotment of Ice-Two missiles. When the pilot left the airplane, he handed her a sack of crystals. There were far, far more crystals than normal, but no dark crystals. "Why are there so many?" Ingrid asked.


    "Vaska''s orders. We need redundant crystals in case one of them stops working. We wouldn''t want to lose the engine while coming in for a landing. Could end up in a flat spin that way."


    As Ingrid climbed the ladder, Ashe said: "I need to stay close to you. Is there room for a child inside?"


    Ingrid scanned the cramped cabin. "I''m afraid not."


    "Very well," Ashe said with a shrug. She closed her eyes, and then became pure shadow. Her entire body became a void in space, an absolute darkness that spread out around her in a shifting mass of darkening clouds. She grew wings in the shape of a butterfly, and then she shrank to the size of a bird. The shadows dispersed, and color returned to the tiny child.


    She fluttered up into the cabin and landed on Ingrid''s shoulder. Ingrid could feel the tiny weight of the miniature child. With the exception of the wings on her back, which appeared to be patterned purple and red like stained glass, she otherwise looked identical to how she had looked before. Frilly black dress, black hair, pouting face...


    "What are you?" Ingrid asked.


    "I am half of a goddess, you stupid bag of organs."


    "Why do you look like a child?"


    "How should I know!? Your kind did this to me!"


    "You can grow wings and shrink yourself... but you are stuck looking like a child?"


    "Why is that so confusing?"


    The edge of the portal, when it finally opened, was pale yellow. Ingrid waited in a circle outside and peered through while the scouts flew inside. Beyond the portal was a dim sky of mostly storm clouds and rain, and the ground appeared to be smooth stone formations, canyons, deserts, rivers and lakes. There did not appear to be any life inside, no green at all. A single, distant yellow moon moved slowly through the sky.


    "That moon looks like it is moving very, very fast," Ashe said.


    "It looks slow to me," Ingrid said.


    "But it is huge and far away, you idiot."


    The scouts gave their report: "No signs of life inside. There is also no lightning at all. Just rain and storm clouds, and it is easy to fly above those clouds. The ground appears to be a desert of some sort. There are many canyons and rivers."


    Ingrid frowned. "No lightning? That doesn''t make any sense. Are we sure this is the correct Elemental Plane?"


    Elizabeth''s voice interjected next: "We have a visual report from our high-magnification telescope. The moon inside the portal is traveling through the sky at millions of miles an hour. Our navigators agree. The moon will impact the planet in less than twenty minutes, or at least come very, very close."


    "Oh, I think I understand what the Queen was thinking," Ashe said. "You should tell the scouts to come back outside. Leave the portal open, and enjoy the show from out here."


    Ashe proved to be correct. Ingrid deployed full flaps and flew around just above stall speed to get a better view inside the portal as the moon was about to "impact" the world inside. As Ashe had said, the moon was moving extremely fast, and began to dominate the horizon. It grew and grew, and then skimmed the sky, vanishing out of sight beyond the rim of the portal.


    As it did so, there was lightning. Millions and millions of planet sized bolts of lightning connected the two worlds, striking down from the moon as it passed. The lightning was so bright and so intense that Ingrid needed to look away to protect her eyes. The light escaping from the portal was enough to create opposing shadows of the fighter jets still parked on the decks of the fleet''s airships. The sky dimmed, and the lightning went away a few seconds after the moon had vanished from view.


    Minutes passed, and there was no more lightning. The scouts flew back into the portal. Ingrid followed them.


    There were no clouds, no rivers, and no lakes. The desert ground below was clearly visible, and the clouds seemed to have moved far, far up into the sky, accumulating in a dark, inverted ocean. Ingrid flew close to the ground, and could more clearly see that it was steaming slightly. The moon, which had just passed overhead, was now shrinking off into the starry night sky. In spite of the darkness of the sky, the ground was like a desert at midday, lit by some unseen sun.


    The Ten Skies slowly and cautiously entered the portal. More observations were made of the moon, and the navigators determined that the moon would orbit the "planet" component of this Elemental Plane once every eighty minutes or so. The storm clouds began to descend and the rain threatened to become so heavy that even the fighter jets needed to escape to the outside world. One of the fighters, without access to ocular demons, ended up getting lost in the rain and impacting a canyon wall. He screamed just before his communicator cut off.


    The airship had just enough time to loop around and leave, and Ingrid used this opportunity to line up for a landing. As her wheels touched the runway, she could see the moon in the mirrors over her head. It was moving slowly through the sky.


    "You are going to need to time this perfectly," Ashe said.


    "Maybe not?" Ingrid said. "This Elemental Plane seems somewhat hostile. Do you think the enemy will even bother to send anything in here to try and stop us?" What if we just waited for Vaska to wake up.


    "Do not underestimate my sister," Ashe said. "What if she sends in those eight dead people to fly around in the lightning storm looking for us?"


    Ingrid taxied back to a parking spot and shut down the fighter. The airship cleared the portal not too long after, and the scouts began to line up for their landings. Ingrid sighed. "Maybe you are right. We should come up with a timing that works."

 Chapter 32: Wick City

    Ingrid grasped Vaska''s hand as she slept in the medical bay of the Ten Skies. "Titania," she said. "Try to contact your mother again. The same way you did in the Plane of Water."


    Mother, mother can you hear me? Titania asked.


    Yours is different, a feminine voice replied. It sounded a bit like static discharging from a sock after being rubbed on a carpet, heard in a very slow form. Hazy, crackling. The voice continued: There are others here, and Mother fears them. You seem real, as there appears to be another one, the hand you now hold, who is bonded to the Firstborn of the Queen of Darkness. However it may be a trick. The enemy may be very devious. Mother has banned bonds with mortals.


    "Can you hear me?" Ingrid asked.


    I can hear you mortal.


    "We have the Queen of Darkness with us, the child we call Ashe. Can you see her?"


    Mother does not trust her senses. Such is her fear.


    "Your mother''s realm is very dangerous to us. Can you stop the lightning so we can find where your mother is?"


    If you do not respect Mother''s sense of aesthetics, then you shall be refused audience with her.


    And if you attempt to enter into Mother''s realm, a second voice chimed in her mind, sounding metallic and high-pitched, then you shall be refused a bond until you have spoken to Mother''s sister.


    "So we need to speak with the Queen of Lightning first, before the Queen of Metal will speak to us?" Ingrid asked.


    It must be so, the metallic voice replied.


    We will speak no more. If you are true, then you will stand before Mother, the first voice said. Bring the child named Ashe with you.


    "There are others! There are others!" Ingrid shouted.


    "Others?" Glenice asked. "You mean, people from other Great Houses?"


    Ingrid nodded. "Probably. People from Kanti at least. They are trying to talk to the Queen of Lightning using their own Light Elementals. The Queen fears deception, and has refused to speak with mortals. Including me. We need to find a way to fly inside that portal and talk to the Queen."


    "So they are being cautious," Ashe said. She had returned to her full-sized child form, and lost her wings. "It cannot be helped, we will need to play her game for now."


    "Excuse me, Lady Ghost," a soldier in the door interrupted them. "I have a message from the Captain of the Fleet. He wants you to visit the telescope to see something."


    "I''ll go with you," Glenice said. The child followed both of them in silence.


    The circular metal grating at the top of the observation tower was empty when Ingrid pulled herself up the ladder. The room was dim, with walls made from bare metal and exposed rivets. It was occupied only by the eyepiece of the high-magnification telescope. Ingrid bent over to peer through the lens. Far away in the starry sky, she could see a bright object shaped like a massive platform with four wings. On top of that platform, there was a city.


    Glenice finished climbing the ladder and looked through the eyepiece as well. The child Ashe began to climb the ladder behind them.


    "That must be where the masked people live," Ingrid said. Ashe shoved Glenice out of the way and took her spot.


    "Their city likely contains some secret to surviving the lightning storms," Ashe said. "If Vaska''s engineers copied it, then we could apply it to our own airplanes."


    "Assuming they are alive," Ingrid said. "We could wait for Vaska to wake up as well."


    "If my sister''s servants, your enemy, discover the secret first, then they will establish a strong presence here. It could become costly to achieve Vaska''s objectives."


    "We should send the scouts immediately," Glenice said. "We have a two-seat trainer on board the airship. We can put a painter in the back seat and send them to the city. And once the Marines return with Vaska''s engineers, they might be able to send an expedition there to get much more detailed diagrams."


    "I want to see for myself," Ingrid said.


    "That is a bad idea," Glenice said. "That city may be too far away. It would be safer to send a scout alone. Once we have more data about the length of the flight, we can develop a flight plan for the trainer with the painter. I will also send for more trainers and more painters."


    Waiting. Waiting. Ingrid waited for what seemed like days in the map room, but was perhaps only hours. Long enough that the Marines returned from a successful mission with all of Vaska''s engineers. They landed their tilt-rotors all over the fleet, but the engineers were deposited on the deck of the Ten Skies. Several strange airplanes flew in a traffic pattern over the deck, flown by test pilots from Vaska''s workshop.


    Ingrid sprinted down to the deck to get a good look at them. The child, who seemed to struggle with the bulkheads inside the airship, trailed behind, but eventually found Ingrid waiting at the runway exit. Airplanes taxied past. It was freezing cold, and the child had taken to reshape her frilly dress to resemble Ingrid''s fur coat and hat.


    The first to land was a large fighter jet with two engines and two vertical stabilizers, angled slightly outward. Like her own fighter jet, it had an oversized horizontal stabilizer. By the time Ingrid arrived on the deck it was already taxiing past her.


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    The second to land was another large fighter with two engines, however this one looked not unlike the ones the Ayaruans had sent through the portal to the Plane of Metal. It had a dozen missiles on the wings, and was likely designed for missile capacity at the cost of basic maneuvers. Unlike the Ayaruan version, it had a bubble on the bottom for ocular demons. It was too bad they could no longer be summoned.


    The third airplane to land was like nothing Ingrid had ever seen. It had a single large, triangle-shaped wing in the back and no horizontal stabilizer. The tall tail fin jutted out from that large wing. In the front of the airplane, just below the canopy, there were two smaller wings that rotated up and down.


    "Vaska called them canards," Glenice said as she joined them on the deck. "Some new approach to engineering. The basic idea is that if they stall, then the nose will drop, thus encouraging the fighter to gain airspeed."


    "And then recover from the stall," Ingrid said.


    "It is not a new idea. Canard airplanes existed during the Unification War. They have a tendency to waffle back and forth between a stall and a pitched-up nose. It is very annoying. I have flown in that one before, and it suffers from the same problem. Vaska is still working on training a cyan Orb to compensate for the problem."


    "She lets you fly her prototypes?" Ingrid asked.


    "She is certainly not going to risk your life on her ideas," Glenice replied.


    "You are her mate," Ashe said. "While it is somewhat rare for you meat puppets, even in ancient times the females would sometimes..."


    "That is private!" Ingrid snapped. "The next one is arriving. So keep quiet. What... what is that?"


    The fourth airplane to arrive took several attempts to land. Because it passed multiple times, Ingrid was able to get a very good look at it flying. It was a small metal tube with very stubby wings and it looked like it should not be able to fly at all. It seemed to be moving quite fast, and it did not appear to have any flaps to help it land.


    "I have no idea what that thing is," Glenice said. "Vaska never told me about anything like that."


    Soldiers on the deck of the airship began to scramble about and clear the deck. Then they extended a massive net across the runway near the very end of the airship, made from extremely thick cloth. The airplane with the stubby wings hit the runway almost exactly at the edge of the airship, and took the entire length of the runway to slow down. Instead of falling off the edge at the far end, it slammed into the net, stretching it out. Ingrid shuttered.


    "I hope the pilot survived that," she said.


    The pilot did survive. Even as the soldiers on the deck removed the net, the airframe appeared to be repairing itself as Metal Elementals went to work. It taxied to a parking spot off the runway and Ingrid accosted the pilot as he climbed down the ladder.


    "What the hell is this thing?!"


    "Oh, Lady Ghost," the pilot said. He was wearing a full body jumpsuit and a helmet. His face was clean shaven with the exception of a mustache. "Supersonic test."


    "I have no idea what that means," Ingrid said.


    "You hook this thing... wing of a big bird, and then drop, drop, drop from high. Pitch down, full throttle as you fall. It starts go faster than sound, it does. BOOM! Shatter glass, it does."


    The final airplane to land appeared to be an improvement on Vaska''s spy airplane, which Ingrid had seen before. Losing interest, Ingrid returned to the map room to resume waiting. It was several more hours, and several more cycles of lightning inside the portal, before they had a painting of the city. It had grown dark in the skies of Taisia. The shadows of the peaks consumed the snowfields far below. Ingrid almost nodded off to sleep in her chair.


    The city was indeed a massive platform with four wings, and it flew forward like an airplane. Huge poles, presumably lightning rods, extended high into the sky and far below. The buildings of the city were trapped inside a massive cage of metal with a hexagonal pattern of gaps in that metal. There were few openings to this cage. There were definitely people walking around on the streets inside the cage, according to the pilot''s report.


    The most surprising feature however was the extremely long wicks extending off the trailing edge of the wings and the trailing edge of the platform itself.


    "We need to know what those wicks are made of," one of Vaska''s engineers said. "They are clearly static wicks, intended to disperse static charge in a corona pattern."


    "We will need to send in the Marines," Glenice said. She pointed to the openings in the cage, leading to the city streets. "The openings to the cage look large enough to land a tilt-rotor on the edge of the platform and drive it inside."


    "Give the order," Ingrid said. "If they succeed once, then I want to join them for a second flight."


    <hr>


    The opening in the metal cage was much larger than Ingrid imagined. The city, which the engineers began to refer to as Wick City, was also quite tall. The wings extended off to either side for nearly a mile, and the long wicks trailing behind extended out toward the horizon. The ominous pale-yellow moon rushed through the sky far away.


    Ashe held Ingrid''s hand as they walked across the rubber street through the gates. Dozens of Marines were holding on to long ropes, dragging the tilt-rotor behind them. Beyond the gates, brutalist concrete buildings rose up from either side. The air inside the cage was saturated with a cacophony of green, magenta, purple, and cyan Colored Orbs floating about. The wide rubber streets were packed with small market stalls, covered in cloth awnings and marked by glowing signs in the Taisian language. Masked people roamed around in the streets holding skewers of deep-fried meats and vegetables.


    "Lady Ghost," one of the Marines said. "It''s best to stay inside the city once the lightning starts."


    "Thank you soldier," Ingrid said. The people on the street seemed completely unfazed by the rapidly-approaching moon. She wandered over to one of the stalls.


    The people were paying the cooks with Taisian krismarks. They were also speaking Taisian. "Can I have one of the meat skewers?" Ingrid asked.


    A pot-bellied man behind the steaming stall regarded her, his unshaven face smeared with oily sweat. "You must be from the outside," he said in unaccented Taisian. "From the way you dress." He handed her two skewers. "One for you, and one for your daughter," the man said. "On the house."


    "Thank you," Ingrid said.


    "You are a baker," the man said. "From the town of Wave Crest. By the ocean in southern Taisia."


    "Have you been to my hometown?" Ingrid asked.


    "I''ve met you before on vacation. In Wave Crest, you sold me a loaf of bread. The word around town was... you been eyeing the girls like a young man would." He winked at her. "Not that I blame you. I''m surprised to see you have a daughter."


    "I''m not her daughter!" Ashe protested. "I''m the Elemental Queen of Darkness, you bloated bag of poo."


    "The mouth on this one," the man said. "It is an honor, Queen Ashe. Now if you will excuse me, you are blocking the line."


    The Marines became agitated as the moon loomed on the horizon, growing ever bigger rapidly. The people on the street however did not seem to even notice. The buying, eating, kissing, and groping continued unabated.


    The moon passed overhead. Lightning from the moon struck the world. The sky went mad with lightning, however the air inside the city was calm and quiet. The people on the street covered their eyes with one arm as they walked about, but otherwise did not respond to the planetary bombardment of electricity.


    "Look back there," one of the Marines said, pointing behind them to the wicks trailing from the city.


    Even in the blinding light of the millions of bolts of lightning, there was just enough of the starry sky to see. The wicks were venting electricity in massive glowing cones of purple plasma. Vaska''s engineer had called it a corona. These cones also emanated from the wicks on the wings.


    The lightning subsided. The people on the street lowered their arms. The haggling, drinking, and laughing continued. The Orbs above painted the rubber street in saturated colors. Gradually it became louder and louder as normalcy returned.


    "What a strange place to live," Ingrid said.

 Chapter 33: Imperial Planes Defense Force

    The fighter jet looked to be in good condition as it made a descending turn to line up along the Ten Skies deck. The landing light on the forward landing gear came into view as the jet finished the turn. Ingrid picked at the sleep in her eyes in the morning light. Nearby, a young airman held a platter with pastries and cups of steaming coffee. Elizabeth was already sipping on her cup.


    "Well, it flies," Ingrid said.


    "And apparently our engineering lead still lives," Elizabeth said.


    Vaska''s lead engineer, a man named Jack Vail, had such confidence in his design that he demanded to be the first to fly through a lightning storm. In spite of Ingrid''s protests, the Admiral had allowed the flight. As such, Jack had become the first human in recorded history to be struck by a lightning bolt from the moon while flying in a fighter jet. That is, unless the Federation engineers had achieved a similar design first.


    Ingrid was observing the engineers while they frantically interpreted the data from the flight when an unexpected formation of fighter jets arrived. She stepped out on deck to see no less than six fighters flying in a triangle formation in a traffic pattern directly over the runway. Not too far behind them flew a seventh fighter jet. All the fighters looked identical to Ingrid''s own, the aerodynamically unstable design that Vaska and her engineers created. The difference was that they were painted white. Only the tail fin was painted black, and prominent in that black paint was a white raven.


    The White Ravens, and their commander, Princess Natasha, had arrived.


    Ingrid felt a chill as Natasha marched across the deck in force and began to issue orders to the airmen. Vaska is not awake to stop her, she realized. Indeed the airmen obeyed Natasha''s orders without question, and soon she was standing on a podium with Air Elementals amplifying her voice. The crew of the Ten Skies stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the deck under the podium. Ingrid stood below the podium but behind the Princess with the officers and the Feathers.


    "By Decree of Emperor Artem of Great House Maryy" Natasha began, "The nation of Taisia is hereby annexed into the Heylin Empire."


    This brought gasps from the soldiers on the deck. Natasha paused briefly.


    "By Imperial Decree, the Order of the Ten Skies is dissolved. Simultaneously the Office of the Minister of the Imperial Planes Defense Force is established, which has the explicit purpose of implementing the new Imperial Planes Defense Force, for the purpose of protecting Imperial interests in the Elemental Planes. Simultaneously, the former military assets controlled by the Order of the Ten Skies will be instantaneously transferred to the Imperial Planes Defense Force.


    "By Imperial Decree, I, Natasha Maryy, have been appointed to the role of Minister of the Imperial Defense Force. The individual known as Princess Ingrid of the Ten Skies is no longer recognized as such by the Emperor. Instead, lands in Taisia fit for the rank of Lady shall be granted to Ingrid, and she will formally be adopted into the extinct House Veronika, which owned those lands. The Emperor and the King of Taisia now recognize her as Lady Ingrid of House Veronika. The informal titles, Ghost of Taisia and Lady Ghost, are also acceptable, according to Imperial Decree."


    As Natasha began to descend the platform, she issued rapid orders to Elizabeth, Glenice, and the Captain of the Fleet. Then she turned to Ingrid.


    "Take me to my sister immediately."


    After briefly holding Vaska''s hand and gently kissing it, Natasha promptly began to rifle through her sister''s belongings, ignoring the protests of the nurses. She pulled a light crystal out of Vaska''s bloody jacket.


    "Get a stretcher," Natasha shouted in the face of the doctor who had entered to investigate. "Take her out onto the deck. Ingrid, come with me."


    "What are you planning?" Ingrid asked.


    "Did Vaska describe her plans in the Plane of Lightning while she possesses this?" the Princess asked. Ingrid looked at the crystal and felt her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. "This is your spy," Natasha said.


    On the deck, Natasha held the crystal above her head while holding Vaska''s hand. Soldiers stood in a circle behind them, but in front of them the deck was completely clear.


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    "Whereby I hold this contract, and whereby my sister sleeps, and whereby I am her superior officer, I therefore invoke the right of command. I summon you, High Daughter of the Queen of Light!"


    A woman made of pure light appeared on the deck, covered in an oily sheen, and wearing plate armor as Titania once had.


    "Fire of my spirit," Ingrid hissed. "Water of my spirit. It is her fault Vaska was led into a trap! She is a spy! KILL HER!"


    The two forms of the High Daughters appeared, fire on the right and water on the left. They launched forward at blinding speed and assaulted the Light Elemental. A blazing sword pierced her heart, and waves of water washed away the mother-of-pearl blood. The creature screamed.


    MOTHER HELP! I DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE! MOTHER! MOTHER!


    Once again Ingrid could see every vein in her arm, every muscle, the insides of her eyelids. Indeed, she could see the ethereal form of Natasha''s body standing in front of her. Every bone. Every organ. Nothing could protect against the light that erupted from the Elemental.


    Natasha began to walk forward, dazed and wobbling but determined. "Bond me now!" she commanded. Kneeling like a knight, the Elemental had lost her armor, and carried a spear. She bowed one more time to Natasha. Ingrid collapsed on the deck but did not fall asleep.


    "Fire of my spirit, water of my spirit, drink no more. I must rest." The two elementals vanished.


    Natasha stood before the crew on the deck with her new Light Elemental at her side. It must have been sucking away at her spirit, but the damned woman looked completely unaffected. The men on the deck were busy feeling around, recovering from the sight of their own muscles and veins.


    "Ahh, such sweet twilight," said a sensuous voice. Ashe now stood at least as tall as Ingrid would be, if Ingrid had not been on her knees. She had become a slim young woman in a tight black dress, having cast away her child''s body somehow. Her raven hair reached almost to her knees. "I think I have an idea of what happened to me," the Queen of Darkness said. "They trapped parts of me inside my sister and her daughters. We just need to get all those parts back."


    "And then what will you become?" Ingrid asked.


    Ashe licked her lips. "More fun, I think."


    <hr>


    The engineers had finished converting less than twenty fighter jets to the lightning-resistant model before the enemy found them. A dozen Federation fighter jets appeared inside the portal, blissfully ignorant of the lightning that assaulted them. Eight of them aggressively flew through the portal to attack the Ten Skies and were promptly shot down. Ingrid suspected she knew who the eight pilots were.


    "They are ahead of us," Elizabeth said as the Feathers sat around the table in the map room. "Even if the Queen refuses to talk to them, they need only prevent us from seeing the Queen and they win. They just need to delay us forever."


    "Agreed," Natasha said. "We need to establish air superiority immediately. Jack, have your engineers begin work on converting my own fighter as well as the other White Ravens. I am going out there to fight myself."


    "I will go as well," Ivan said. "In a fighter jet, not a warbird. If Bertrand Vike has learned to fly a fighter, then we need to answer in kind."


    "I will go as well," Reese added.


    "Absolutely not," Ivan said. "You are fine with stick and rudder, but you are the worst fighter pilot I have ever trained. You cannot even tell me the difference between one-circle and two-circle!"


    "I want to fly Fat Meg," Reese said.


    Ingrid snorted. "Fat Meg!?"


    "The unfortunate name given to Vaska''s masterwork of engineering," the man named Jack Vail said. "It carries no less than eighteen missiles and can even carry up to four hypersonic radar-guided missiles."


    "Hypersonic?" Ingrid said.


    "It flies up into the sky to nearly a hundred thousand feet," Jack said, "and then it drops in on their head at five times the speed of sound. It can hit targets that are a hundred miles away. No pilot in the world can react fast enough to avoid the missiles that Fat Meg can shoot."


    Ingrid was left speechless. "One hundred miles? Five times the speed of sound? What Elementals does it require?"


    "It just needs a green Colored Orb per missile," Jack said. "Vaska is researching a version that uses pure electricity to generate the radar signal. However, our knowledge of mundane electricity, independent of Elementals, is almost non-existent. Our civilization has been relying on Elementals for too long."


    "That''s enough," Natasha said. "Ivan, is Reese able to fly such a machine?"


    "She will be a sitting duck," Ivan replied, "however I suppose that is exactly the purpose of such a fighter. To be a sitting duck that lobs hypersonic missiles at targets from a hundred miles away."


    "As you wish Reese," Natasha said. "I must now inform you of additional Imperial Decrees, issued by my father. Previous generations of fighter jets created by the Heylin Empire did not receive explicit designations. They will be lumped together under the HY-1 designation because of their similarity. Ingrid''s fighter is designated as HY-4. Fat Meg is designated as HY-7. The other prototypes are not ready to receive a designation."


    "What about enemy airplanes?" Ivan asked.


    "The Federation of Kanti currently operates what they designate KH-3 and KH-11 fighter jets. The KH-3 is the twin-engine fighter with up to six missiles. The KH-11 is the fighter with twenty-two missiles, however they only carried Dark-Three missiles before, which no longer work."


    "Um..." Ingrid said, "I would like to go out and fight too. When the rest of you go, I mean."


    Natasha turned her predatory gaze toward Ingrid. "I agree."

 Chapter 34: Dogfight in the Plane of Lightning

    The White Ravens were late in taking off, preferring to allow the scouts to enter the portal first. Ingrid did not bother to wait on the deck for her turn to take off. Instead she took a short nap to recover from summoning her elementals. She was surprised to find out that three hours had passed before there was a time slot to convert her fighter jet and allow her to take off.


    As she walked out on deck, Reese was in her "Fat Meg" fighter jet preparing to take off. Ingrid''s own fighter jet had just been converted. Hexagonal cages surrounded the cabin and each of the missiles. There was a small lightning rod on the top of the tail, at the end of each wing, and on the nose. In addition, there were long wicks on the wings and horizontal stabilizer. As Ingrid climbed the ladder, Ashe, no longer a child but having taken the smaller form with wings, fluttered up onto her shoulder. Once the canopy was locked with Ingrid inside, she needed to summon a Metal Elemental just to close and seal the cage. The nose was a bit sluggish on takeoff and the top speed seemed to be slightly lower.


    "I predict that this is not going to work and you are going to get cooked in there," Ashe said.


    "And then what?" Ingrid asked.


    "Then I''ll bring you back, and me and my sister can compete against each other... we can figure out which of us can bring back the most important people."


    "Is that... really possible?"


    "No, you idiot."


    Ingrid easily caught up to Reese and they flew through the portal together. Below was a forest of towering yellow pillars of rock streaked with red and copper veins. It was a badland of canyons and crags, lit by an unseen sun, under a black sky. Against that black sky there were brilliant white flashes of light. The White Ravens were patrolling just inside, six fighters in a triangle formation, with Natasha spotting a short distance behind.


    One magenta Colored Orb flashed. "Ingrid, follow me," Natasha said. "If we get separated, find me immediately."


    Ingrid pulled up near Natasha''s white fighter jet and kept her distance, following behind and to one side.


    "Up here!" Natasha insisted. "Fly with your wing almost touching mine, then slide back a few feet. Reese, stay close enough to see us. The Ravens will keep you safe."


    A few feet! Ingrid thought. She crept closer and closer to the other woman''s airplane.


    "Right there. Stay in that position, hold formation."


    Every fluctuation in the air caused tiny motions in both airplanes. Ingrid noticed that the tips of Natasha''s wings seemed to flex up and down very slightly with each jolt. It was a constant struggle to hold the same position relative to Natasha''s fighter as she made huge turns through the sky.


    "How long do I have to stay here and fly like this?" Ingrid asked.


    "The entire flight," Natasha said. "I realize you have probably never done anything like this before. Ivan says you are good in a dogfight, but Vaska has repeatedly complained about your inability to follow orders, your reckless behavior while flying, and your general lack of professionalism as a military pilot. You need to learn teamwork, Ingrid."


    Ingrid had no response. She flew in silence, constantly glancing at the other fighter and adjusting her own position.


    "Eventually you will be able to hold the formation without any mental effort," Natasha said. "Then you will not have any blind spots. Your teammates will tell you where the enemy is. Enemies will not want to merge with the airplanes in your formation, in fact they may be so intimidated that they run away."


    "That sounds... like it could be useful," Ingrid admitted.


    "Strength in numbers," Ashe said.


    Ingrid flew in silence once again. They followed the six Ravens as they flew in formation, and Natasha would occasionally scold individual pilots for being slightly out of position.


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


    "I have six thousand hours of flight time in fighters," Natasha said. "I flew my first fighter jet when I was ten years old. Back in those days, there were no real laws or regulations about flying fighters."


    "And how old are you now?"


    "Twenty-eight. Most of my hours have been recent years. I have been flying ten hours a day every day of the year, almost." Then Natasha switched to a different magenta Orb, and screamed: "Slot! You are too far back, move up!"


    "Ten hours a day... how do you pee?" Ingrid asked in a whisper.


    "Strategic retreats followed by a landing," Natasha said.


    "Contacts, thirty-three miles ahead," Reese said. "Eight fighters. It looks like they snuck past the scouts. They are heading straight for... Ingrid."


    "Eight," Ingrid said. "How do they know where I am?"


    "They most certainly know where I am," Ashe said.


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    "Next time you stay on the airship."


    "Nope! I need to stay near you, so I can get my power back when you purify one of Titania''s sisters."


    "Describe their formations," Natasha said.


    "There is a diamond formation of four jets," Reese said. "There is a larger jet behind them, a fighter by itself, and a pair of fighters."


    "The four fighters must be Alen, Jadran, Izak, and Karlo," Ingrid said. "The large jet in the back is Ferdo, the solo fighter is Bertrand, and the pair are the twins, Amalia and Emil."


    "Send one hypersonic missile to each pack," Natasha said.


    "Affirmative," Reese said. "Dark-Three!" One of the four large missiles on Fat Meg''s wings left the rail, and rocketed off vertically into the sky.


    "They do not have Dark Elementals anymore," Ingrid noted.


    "We keep the old designation," Natasha said. "Our radar systems can replace the old shadow hunters easily. No sense in spending time and money retraining our pilots."


    "Dark-Three! Dark-Three! Dark-Three!" The other three hypersonic missiles left Fat Meg''s wings, and vanished into the starry sky.


    Ingrid continued to fly in formation with Natasha, spending most of her mental energy focusing on not snapping her own wing off. The bright lights of the four hypersonic missiles became too faint to see as they closed the distance with the enemy. The desert floor and starry sky-horizon was broken by flashes of light after a brief delay.


    "Report," Natasha snapped.


    "Three of the four enemy fighters in formation were destroyed by the first missile," Reese replied. "It struck the slot fighter and the explosion took out the right and left wing. The lead survived. Both solo fighters were killed. One fighter from the pair survived the last missile."


    "The moon is getting very close," Natasha warned. "Burst formation! Burst formation! Ingrid, leave my wing. Minimum safe distance... one mile. Spread out!"


    Ingrid breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled away from the other woman''s wing. She pointed her nose toward the ground and gained airspeed as Natasha flew up and out of sight. The six White Ravens indeed performed a burst, as Natasha had called it, spreading out in unique directions, their contrails leaving an opening hand-shape in the sky.


    The pale-yellow moon flew overhead faster than the fastest fighter jet, and the horizon was consumed by lightning. Lightning struck Ingrid''s tail once as she descended, and once again on one of the lightning rods on the tip of her wing as she turned. For all the millions and millions of lightning bolts that ravaged the ground and boiled the lakes and rivers, only two struck Ingrid''s jet as it flew. Turbulent air assaulted her airplane, causing it to jolt and shutter. The mist cleared, and the sky was empty once again.


    Except for a silvery flash.


    White-hot bullets lanced out from that silver flash, and Ingrid instinctively rolled to one side to dodge. Somehow, through the blinding light of the lightning, one of the enemy fighters zoned in on her exact location. As the silver flash passed overhead, Ingrid instantly recognized that she was in a merge. The enemy turned toward the ground, and Ingrid turned toward the sky. A two-circle fight mostly in the vertical dimension.


    A vertical loop. At the top of the loop Ingrid realized, she could take risks with her nose. Usually, violent motions in a two-circle fight would cost airspeed, however in a vertical fight, those same violent motions could lead to the nose being pointed at the ground, which would increase airspeed to compensate.


    The enemy must have realized this, because he, and Ingrid was certain that it was Jadran, rolled to one side as Ingrid crested the loop, preventing her from dropping her nose straight on his head. She followed him into the two-circle, however his jet appeared to be faster. The fleshy yellow-red rockscape rushed below, and the stars left white streaks in Ingrid''s vision. Waves of white steam rushed past, to rejoin the other boiled lakes in the sky high above. Jadran reached the bottom of his loop and began to ascend, fighting against gravity.


    Ingrid took this opportunity to yank on the stick and point her nose at him. "Ice-Two!" she cried as a missile left the rail. It had not traveled a hundred feet before it exploded, showering her fighter in shrapnel and cracking the glass on her canopy.


    "What the hell!?" Ingrid said. Her canopy hissed as the air escaped. "Wind! Prevent the air from leaving!"


    Through the cracked glass, she could see Jadran complete his two-circle with his faster jet, patiently looping. Patient, ever patient, just as he had been when Ingrid had killed him. She pulled up on the stick to not fall too far behind, and then shivered.


    That was a mistake.


    Just as she wanted to point her nose down at him without risk, he could point his nose down at her and gain airspeed, even as he unloaded bullets at her. She craned her neck to look up at him as they finished swapping positions in the sky. He violently jerked his nose toward her, as expected. She rolled and dodged the stream of bullets with an equally violent pull on the stick. Bullets slammed against her tail, ripping the rudder clear away and most of the left horizontal stabilizer. Her nose jolted and the glass of her canopy began to crack further.


    "This is very bad," Ashe said.


    A shower of white bullets raced across the sky, catching Jadran like a fish in a net. His fighter jet exploded, sending waves of molten metal and black smoke out in every direction. The White Ravens, all six of them, rotated and faced Ingrid as she fell from the sky. "Dead," she hissed as she turned her attention back to the nose of her airplane. The horizon was rotating around her. A flat spin.


    The ground was getting closer.


    "Fire of my spirit!" Ingrid cried. "From the nose, shoot fire up, and counter to the direction of my spin!"


    Ingrid began to lose her vision slightly as the High Daughter of Fire appeared at the tip of her nose, her long legs wrapped in a loop around the cone. With one arm up and one arm out, fire shot out into the sky. Sense returned to Ingrid''s controls as the rotation ended and the nose pointed toward the ground. The airspeed recovered in time to avoid the ground, but not before Ingrid fell into a deep chasm, lined with yellow-red rock walls.


    With half an elevator and no rudder, Ingrid flew through the chasm, dodging through the curvy rock walls and oversized stalagmites. She barked commands to her fire Elemental to shoot fire at the ground to make up for the reduced elevator effectiveness. As she emerged from the chasm, she had almost forgotten where she was. The flight had been automatic. She did not know how she was still in control.


    Natasha''s fighter jet pulled up alongside Ingrid.


    "That was quite possibly the worst dogfighting I have ever seen," Natasha said. "A vertical loop! He could just point his nose at you and recover the airspeed lost!"


    "I need... to go back." Ingrid said.


    "Obviously," Natasha said. "I hope you realized... that you need to learn teamwork. Especially considering they will just keep coming back. Over, and over again."


    "You should punch out," a familiar voice said. Glenice rushed past Ingrid in her two-person trainer. Ingrid assumed that one of the seats was empty. "Punch out and ride back with me. "


    "Wind! Stop the airspeed from hitting me!" Ingrid said as she reached down and yanked hard on the red ejection lever. The rockets burst alight, but the blast of airspeed did not knock her out. Her fighter fell ahead of her, crippled and smoking hot. It listed, missing the rudder, and plummeted into a flat spin once again.

 Chapter 35: Seven Goddesses

    It was the shuttering of the Ten Skies, caused by the constant lightning strikes, which finally caused Vaska to awaken. She jolted, then looked around the room in a daze before seeing Ingrid. After the lightning subsided Vaska removed her earmuffs and then reached for Ingrid.


    "How long?" Vaska asked.


    "Three days," Ingrid replied. "We are inside the Plane of Lightning right now. Your sister is here."


    Vaska nodded. "My father waited until I was asleep before he sent her here. She took over, I am guessing?"


    "Yeah. And now she took away my wings. She says I am terrible at dogfighting. After just one little mistake!"


    "One mistake is what will kill you," Vaska said. She squinted. "Is that... Ashe? On your shoulder?"


    Ashe flew off Ingrid''s shoulder and landed on Vaska''s chest.


    "Natasha thinks that your light crystal was the spy," Ashe said.


    "I purified the High Daughter," Ingrid said, "and then Natasha bonded her."


    Vaska groaned. "Of course, I should have caught that." She moved to smack Ashe away with her hand but the Queen of Darkness escaped with her butterfly wings.


    A nurse entered. "Do you need help getting her ready?"


    "No, I''ll handle it," Ingrid said. "Time to get out of bed Vaska."


    A second lightning storm struck the Ten Skies once again before Vaska had showered, dressed and eaten. When they arrived in the map room, the main deck below was a constant flow of fighter jets. Airmen scurried about equipping new missiles, switching pilots, and repairing minor damage caused by the storms.


    "At least three fighters had been lost because the pilots got disoriented in the rain," Natasha was saying as Ingrid and Vaska entered. "I have sent out messages to all the pilots warning that Ice-Two missiles sometimes malfunction in the intense steam. Sister, I am happy to see you are well. The rest of you are dismissed."


    The men in the room, high-ranking admirals in the Taisian Air Navy, shuffled out in silence. Natasha walked up to Vaska and kissed her once on each cheek, then once on her forehead.


    "I''m not a child," Vaska said.


    "You take too many risks sister."


    Vaska looked away, unable to meet Natasha''s eyes. "I''m sorry."


    "Enough of that, I have good news. Your design for a new fighter jet, and those hypersonic missiles, have tipped the battle in our favor. As you can surmise from the constant lightning storms, we have equipped the Ten Skies and the other airships with lightning cages and wicks."


    Natasha pointed to a detailed map on the table.


    "This is our current map of the Plane so far, and our scouts have discovered a structure here," she said as she put her finger on the map.


    "It''s definitely the Queen''s palace," Ashe said.


    "It is a castle at the top of a mesa in the middle of a lake."


    "The Queen wants a good view of her creation," Ashe said. "I did the same thing with my own realm. My palace is in a dense thicket overlooking beautiful rivers of blood."


    "Um.. right," Natasha said. "Either way, we have devoted all our resources to securing the airspace around this location. Elizabeth is doing a very good job. You have found yourself an excellent leader, Vaska."


    "How long are you going to stay here?" Vaska asked.


    "If you are asking when I am giving you back your fleet, the answer is never. The King of Taisia has already bent the knee to father, and there are plans in place to absorb the Taisian Air Navy into our new Planes Defense Force. Jelka has fallen and Great House Aria has been exterminated. Father is worried about the future and... he wants you away from the fight, designing new airplanes."


    "I see," Vaska said.


    "Your plan to bond a High Daughter of the Queen of Lightning was a good one. Once you have bonded your new Elementals, you must select a location for a new workshop immediately. In the meantime, Elizabeth will no longer follow your orders." Natasha looked straight at Ingrid. "There is work for you as well, Ingrid. We need to visit the Bank of Taisia and purify the Elemental there, once all the contracts have been transferred to the Bank of Heylin."


    "Everything has been decided then," Vaska said.


    "Even if Kanti has not officially declared war on the Empire, this is now a total war. The White Ravens are going to be performing in airshows across all the Elemental Planes, and the woman you found in the Plane of Wind, I think her name is Mia, is going to be leading the recruitment efforts there."


    "The Federation will send people into the Planes to enslave the sacrifices," Vaska said.


    Natasha sighed. "Then you understand the nature of this war. Do you have any questions before I leave?"


    "When can I fly again?" Ingrid asked.


    "The Left Wing has been promoted to Commander of the White Ravens," Natasha said. "You are the new Left Wing. You may have my fighter jet. The new commander will teach you how to fly in formation. Keep practicing with Ivan as well. However, you are too important to risk in military operations." She glanced at Vaska. "Take me to Heylin, please."


    A shadowy portal appeared behind Vaska. She grabbed Natasha''s arm and they both walked through the portal. "I''ll be right back Ingrid," Vaska said. The portal closed, and they were gone.


    Ingrid walked across the empty map room to the porthole and looked out at the White Ravens parked on the deck. One of them was parked away from the others, marked with the number seven on the tail. Natasha''s, and now Ingrid''s airplane. "That doesn''t seem so bad," Ashe said, as if reading Ingrid''s thoughts.


    After about thirty seconds the portal to the Plane of Darkness opened again and Vaska stepped through, alone.


    "Convenient," Ingrid said. "Maybe you could transport yourself to the enemy fighter jet factory and murder all the engineers?"


    "The Firstborn''s projection only works in places I have physically explored and understand," Vaska said. She approached Ingrid and then swatted at Ashe.


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    "Hey!" the Queen of Darkness protested as she fluttered across the room and landed on the map table.


    "Give us some privacy, Ashe." Vaska said. "Lock the door on your way out."


    <hr>


    The starry sky was filled with fighter jets. Hundreds of fighter jets circled in a great swarm overhead as the door of the tilt-rotor opened and the Imperial Marines stepped through with their rifles. "Clear!" the commander cried. Ingrid stepped through onto the familiar, pale-yellow stone of the Plane of Lightning. Vaska followed, as did Ashe, who had abandoned her wings and stood the height of a normal person.


    All around there were low depressions cut into the rock, and lined with smooth, polished stones. Teal, white, dark blue, cyan, arranged in dizzying patterns that gleamed in the light of the unseen sun. In those places clear water flowed, moved by an unknown force. The whole of the plateau was a great display of such fountains, with a white city in the center. The walls and gates of the city were made of the same material as those fountains.


    Men in white robes waited for them at the gates. They wore no masks, and they looked to be in their prime, with dark hair and beards. They beckoned the Marines to approach. When they spoke, it was in no language that Ingrid could understand.


    "They say the Queen is expecting us," Ashe translated. "We have been promised safe passage through the city. The men with guns are welcome inside the city as well."


    "I admire the Queen''s hospitality," Vaska said. Ashe translated this for the men, and they bowed.


    All the buildings in the city were constructed with a uniform white material, with the texture of dried mud. Blockish and rectangular, they rose up in concentric rings toward the center, where a tower rose above the city. That tower appeared to be made from the same material as the fountains and the gates, shining stones of various shades of blue. There was no metal, no lightning rods, no wicks, no shelter from the rain, and yet the scouts reported that these elements evaded this plateau, as if it was shielded. Ingrid saw men in robes, solemn women in frilly dresses, and packs of screaming children playing in the fountains. Elderly people sat on the balconies to watch the world go by.


    "Who are these people?" Ingrid asked.


    "Worshippers," Ashe said. "These men must be very high-ranking worshippers, perhaps the leaders of this religion."


    In the center of the city, there was a great staircase leading up to the blue tower. Vaska removed her high-heeled sandals before attempting the climb. Ashe simply grew wings and flew to the top. The Marines seemed to ascend the steps with ease. At the summit of those stairs, there was an opening to the tower''s interior.


    The tower was the same within as it was without, polished stones in dim hallways. It did not take long to find the balcony where the Queen awaited them.


    Semicircular and lined with an ornate white rail, the balcony overlooked the lakes and desert landscape far below. The moon passed overhead, bathing the world in lightning as the group stepped out onto the balcony. Ingrid closed her eyes to not be blinded by the lightning storm. Nowhere on the plateau did lightning strike, and the resulting waves of steam from the boiled lakes seemed to flow around the space in a bubble.


    The Queen turned to face them. With pale yellow hair arranged in an elaborate set of braids on her head, and wearing a pure white dress, the Queen looked very much like a human. The worshippers bowed to her, and then shuffled away in silence.


    "A scion of House Maryy," the Queen said. Her voice was friendly, even motherly. "You must be Vaska. It is thanks to your efforts that normalcy is returning to the world, though I know not why you have decided to undo the efforts of your own ancestors."


    "Marines," Vaska said. "Leave us alone on the balcony for now."


    They saluted and then left.


    "How much does your family remember?" the Queen of Lightning asked.


    "Not much," Vaska said. "The Framers did not want their work to be undone."


    "So I see. Thank you for coming to speak with me, Vaska. And this must be the sentient aspect of the power of the Queen of Darkness."


    "Thank you for allowing me to enter your realm," Ashe said. "It is a beautiful realm. You have excellent tastes."


    "You flatter me," the Queen said. "And you," she said as she looked at Ingrid, "are bonded to the High Daughters of the Queens of Fire and Water. Do you know the significance of this?"


    Ingrid shook her head in silence.


    "Allow me to tell you a story, though it is a story that the one you have named Ashe no doubt already knows. Before the creation of your world, there were seven goddesses. The goddess that became the Queens of Wind and Stone was the first to propose splitting herself in half to create a physical world. A second goddess, who became the Queens of Fire and Water, was the first to see the virtue of this idea and willingly joined the project. I split myself in half as well, to become the Queens of Lightning and Metal. Thus three goddesses crafted your world, and each Elemental Queen has a sister-self.


    "The world was devoid of life. A fourth goddess later offered to join the project, splitting herself into the Queens of Life and Heaven. It was she who created the plants and animals of the world, as well as the perception of space and time, the order of the stars and the seasons. The beasts preyed upon each other. It was a violent time.


    "The last goddess to join did so very late. She sundered herself into the twin Queens of Light and Darkness, thus bringing good and evil into the world. This allowed humanity to be created from the animals. The first humans to travel to the Elemental Planes built dwellings there. These dwellings were the predecessors of what you now call the Great Houses. House Maryy was created in the Plane of Fire, and it is one of the oldest. During that era, there were no Elementals. The one you have named Ashe was the first to create a High Daughter. This was the start of a new trend among the Queens.


    "But I have digressed, the last two goddesses did not join to create this world, though one lingers nearby and contemplates doing so. It may come to pass that this sixth goddess will split herself into the Queens of Dreams and Spirits, creating two new Elemental Planes. For now, she only entertains the occasional journey of a mortal mind into her dreamscape, and endows upon those mortals the spiritual energy they use to summon Elementals. She rightly fears what was done to the Queen of Light, as we all do. Your ancestors tricked the Queen of Light into believing that she was a goddess once more. She has become delusional and mad.


    "The seventh goddess has no interest in the mortal world. She is distant and aloof. What interests her is so alien that it would break the mortal mind to even attempt to describe it. So I shall show restraint. She has never touched this world and never intends to do so. It is best for mortals to pretend that she does not exist.


    "And so concludes my story, however I neglected to mention one detail. That is, the special status that the Queens of Fire and Water have in this world. As the First Volunteer to join the Queens of Stone and Wind, she became an example for the ones who came after. The Queens of Fire and Water have the power to repair the Queen of Light, as you must have discovered already, for you have bonded an uncorrupted High Daughter."


    "I understand," Ingrid said.


    "You must purify all the High Daughters, and the Queen of Light herself."


    "We need your help," Vaska said. "I wish to bond with your High Daughters, for the benefit of me and my engineers. We rely on their power in our weapons of war, our machines of flight. Do you understand this?"


    "The warriors who soar the heavens in swift birds of metal. I know of such things. I have recently created a new daughter," the Queen said, "for the purpose of changing the outcomes of experiments, so that your scientists cannot discover the laws of electricity."


    "So it is true then," Vaska replied. "There have been many scientists that complained that the laws of electricity seemed almost... malicious."


    "It is true, and if I grant you access to my other Daughters, then it will necessarily mean doom for the other Great Houses."


    "That is my ambition," Vaska said. "I admit this freely to you. My ambition is to see the destruction of all the other Great Houses. Releasing Ashe and purifying the Queen of Light were secondary concerns."


    "Then why, scion of Maryy, did you choose this moment in time to betray your Framers?"


    "The other Great Houses have grown lazy and fat relying on the contracts of the sacrifices. I am willing to take this risk, in spite of my terrible luck. You may think me mad."


    "You have no more madness in your heart than what is typical for your kind," the Queen said. "I see your honesty, and I understand the scope of your ambition. I give you consent, then, to bond one of my Daughters. The Queen of Metal will do the same."


    "It is done," Vaska said. "I have bonded both."


    I wish to bond with you as well, said a voice in Ingrid''s mind, a humming, drone-like sound.


    As well do I, a second voice said, a cool metallic sound.


    "I will bond both of you as well," Ingrid said.


    "I wish to speak with the one you named Ashe in private, mortals. You have no other business here. Leave now."


    They left then, and descended the great stairs of the Queen''s blue tower with the Marines at their side. It was only when they arrived at the tilt-rotor that Ashe fluttered in through the door and landed on Ingrid''s shoulder. What words passed between the two Queens, Ingrid could only imagine.

 Interlude 2: Airshow in the Plane of Darkness

    Everything changed the day the eclipse broke. The sky turned purple, as it was rumored to have been in the time before the masked men came. Zakx had earned a mask that was half white, half black, the second level of mask, above white and burgundy. The race to earn the next mask seemed like such a distant thing now. He had been a fool.


    Zakx trained under a master with a black and gold mask, the highest rank below the pure-gold masks of the Matrons. The master was able to drift into the land of the Dream Goddess at will and steal her essence, the energy required to satisfy the constant hunger of the Shadow Hunter bound to him. He only needed to sleep for five hours a day.


    Zakx and his friends strangled the man that morning. After he lost consciousness, they dragged him to the edge of the city and dumped the contents of their bedpans on his body, then tossed him over the side, to suffer the great fall into the mushroom forests and blood rivers far below. The vertigo of the fall woke the man, and he screamed, covered in refuse, as he vanished below. Zakx and his friends laughed.


    It was the first time they had seen the surface. The rumors spoke of the sky, but the ground below was unknown to even the rejected elders with the white-burgundy masks. They had lived in a nightmarish darkness for so long. The elders said that eighteen thousand moons had passed. Zakx was only two-hundred and fifty-two moons old. He could not possibly imagine eighteen thousand moons. Only the goddesses could comprehend such a span of time.


    The day the eclipse broke and the sky turned purple, all of the masters were slain. The people refused their purpose, to summon their Elementals and suffer the spiritual cost of doing so, according to the demands of the goddesses. Rumors began to spread that the "goddesses" were a fraud, a story. The elders claimed ancient knowledge, that the purpose behind summoning the Elementals was to satiate the desires of humans who lived in "paradise." They had grown gluttonous and fat off the power harvested from the masked people. One of the "Great Houses" had finally betrayed the others, and the End Times had arrived.


    The masters, screaming and covered in human refuse, had even been rejected by Ashe. Their bodies had been transformed into pure shadow and then disintegrated as they fell.


    They prayed to her every day. Even Zakx, who had been so put off by his lifetime of service to "paradise," found no solace or peace in nihilism. He prayed to Ashe, the sealed child, the lost half of a goddess, who had been freed when the eclipse shattered and the sky changed. He prayed every hour, every minute his thoughts turned to her. She was his secret goddess, his obsession.


    Until the day the portal opened.


    His obsession was no longer a secret. It was shared by the entire city. Everyone cheered when those beautiful machines arrived. It was Ashe, he knew. It must be Ashe. They gathered upon the pale cobblestone streets under the dim lights of gas lamps and cheered. "Ashe! Ashe! Ashe!"


    Six white birds made of metal passed through the portal and flew over the city. A seventh bird of metal lingered behind the others, watching like a master, ready to scold a pupil for transgressing. Two of the great metal birds broke away from the others and flew over the city with an astonishing hiss, somewhere between a deluge of water, the crackle of an open flame, and the breath passing through the gap between a person''s two front teeth. Glass windows shook at their passing. Certainly a vision of Ashe, for nothing else could command such power and presence.


    Four of the metal birds always stayed together, flying like a diamond. The bird in the lead seemed aloof, the bird on the right and behind were diligent students of the master, and the bird on the left was a rookie, barely able to stay in formation with the leader. The seventh bird must have been scolding the one on the left for the entire display. And a display it was, a pure display of power.


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    Mother is here, his Elemental said, her voice like some crazed beast that was unknown to Zakx and his people. Mother has come to inspire us with her allies.


    "Where is your mother?" Zakx asked. As always, the Elemental did not reply. She could not hear him. She could not read his thoughts. Speechless the crowd watched as the quintet of metal birds looped through the sky.


    Your suffering has ended, the End Time has come. Look now upon the blessing for those who have been forgotten. The blessing of my chosen companion, Lady Ghost.


    It was a powerful, powerful feminine voice in his mind. It must have been in the mind of everyone, because that voice silenced the crowd. The two solo birds flew over the city again, cracking windows and causing children to cover their ears with the palms of their hands.


    Something else flew through the portal. It was not shaped like a bird, not exactly. It had squarish wings, and at the end of each wing there was a spinning fan. The sound those fans made was otherworldly, a throbbing, pounding, crushing sound. The fans on the end of the wings tilted upward relative to the machine, and it began to hover above the city streets, slowly descending into a grassy park. People bravely threw themselves against the metal doors, even as they opened and warriors stepped through.


    Warriors. Zakx knew what a warrior was, and these men were definitely warriors. They carried some unknown type of weapon, but they looked strong and confident. Their eyes cast a confident command to the crowd. We are warriors, and we will kill you without hesitation.


    People backed away to allow the warriors to spread out and create a perimeter with their strange weapons. A young woman with a black-white mask stepped out of the strange bird. She summoned an Elemental that Zakx had never seen before, shaped like a woman holding a flute, made of ethereal teal fog. When the woman spoke, all could hear her voice.


    "My name is Mia, and my story is the same as yours," the one called Mia said. Those frightening metal birds flew overhead at that exact moment, causing many people in the crowd to duck away. The woman called Mia grasped her mask with one hand, silencing the crowd. She cast it aside, revealing a beautiful and youthful face. One hundred and eighty, perhaps two hundred moons at most. "We have been tricked! Paradise is not real, and this world you live in is also not real! You have been tricked into visiting the Dreaming Goddess, to satisfy the needs of the too-human outsiders who have tricked you!"


    The crowd roared in approval. They rushed forward, and raised the woman into the air upon their hands. Zakx wormed his way through the packed bodies, trying to get closer.


    "The Queen of Darkness, the sealed child Ashe has been released!" the woman shouted even as she was being carried away by the fanatical crowd. "The End Time has come! I ask you, I beg you, to join me in my quest! Two great empires control the world outside. One empire wishes to free you, one wishes to enslave you. I have chosen to serve the Heylin Empire, which gives us a choice, and does not enslave us! If you choose to join our cause, you can help fight against an enemy that seeks to return our people to their former state. A world of lies."


    The crowd went silent. They lowered her. Her warriors pushed everyone away and took up positions around her.


    She was not a liberator. She might not have been free herself. She was a recruiter.


    At that moment, the voice from before resumed: She seeks to recruit you, as is my command. Hear my name and despair, I am Ashe, Queen of Darkness, the source of evil in all worlds. Listen to my words and know what I seek. My chosen, the Lady Ghost, carries in her breast the power to destroy gods. Join our efforts, and know free will. Your souls will bear the burdens of your own choices, and none other.


    "FOR ASHE!" Zakx cried as he entered the clearing that the warriors had made, and bravely leapt forward to hug the woman called Mia. She embraced him, her eyes filled with surprise. Four metal birds flew over the square, low enough to cause the people to cower in fear. Zakx rejoiced, pointing to the machines as they rocketed away. "There can be no lies from those things!" he shouted, his voice giving way. "No lies! Truth! Truth!"

 Chapter 36: Black Site

    The sharp sound of a magenta Colored Orb pulled Ingrid out of her sleep. Vaska''s tight arms retreated. "What time is it?" Ingrid asked. Vaska groaned.


    The dark bedroom lit up slightly with a dim magenta light as Vaska pulled the Colored Orb from a drawer. "Yes father?" she said.


    A familiar masculine voice said: "Vaska, you are awake. Excellent."


    "I am now," she replied.


    "Vaska there has been an incident at one of our black sites, one that you had shown interest in before. How familiar are you with the area?"


    "Familiar enough to use the projection to get there," Vaska said. "Is this the site with the soul flares?"


    "Exactly so. The nearest FIA agents are a six hour flight away. Get help from some soldiers. I want eyes in that black site immediately."


    "Yes father." The light vanished. A few moments later a gas lamp sparked to life and filled the room with dim orange light. Vaska checked her fine watch on the bed stand. "About two in the morning," Vaska said. "I need to go. You can go back to sleep."


    "No," Ingrid said as she clambered out of bed. "I''ll go with you."


    "Get dressed," Vaska said. "Unless you want to brave the snow naked. I suggest furs."


    The Ten Skies was alive even in the dead of night. Airmen roamed the narrow hallways executing fire drills and the cafeteria was filled with soldiers. Vaska found the soldier she was looking for at a table with his men, chatting over the leavings of their lunch. "Special agent Vladimir," Vaska said. "Come with me, bring your men. Assume this is an order from the Emperor himself."


    "Up we go lads," the man said. The men at the table began to rapidly stand up. They were Imperial Marines, dressed in white trousers and black military coats, and each man had a rifle and a saber leaning against the wall behind them. Vladimir looked no different from the others except for his marks of rank.


    "Get your winter gear," Vaska said. "Meet me on the deck in two minutes."


    "Yes Princess."


    Fighter jets were in fact operating on the deck, however they were using low power and generally nose-diving off the edge of the deck instead of performing normal takeoffs. Those fighter jets were all two-seat trainers, and Ingrid assumed that the trainees were gaining experience flying at night. When the Marines arrived on deck they were wearing solid white fur overcoats and matching caps. They followed Vaska to a secluded corner behind a parked fighter.


    A portal to the Plane of Darkness opened and the Marines shuffled in. As the portal closed behind them, Ingrid noticed a shadow forming at her shoulder. As if she had seen a spider, she jolted away, but the shifting shadows stayed on her shoulder, materializing into Ashe''s small form. "I thought you meat puppets lost your strings at night," the little woman said as the portal closed.


    "Where have you been?" Ingrid asked.


    "Firstborn!" Vaska shouted, interrupting her. "Take us to the black site with the soul flares." The landscape of white spores and dark crystals rushed past in a blue, and translucent waves began to form around them as the Firstborn''s projection transported them across the ocean to another continent.


    "Well, I come here," Ashe whispered. "To my realm, to admire the blood rivers from my balcony. Where else? You never do anything interesting in that bed of yours, at least nothing I want to see."


    The shifting of the Firstborn''s projection stopped, and the shadowy outlines of snowclad trees surrounded them. Vaska opened a portal to the outside world, and the Marines rushed through with their rifles at the ready. Vaska and Ingrid lingered behind, stepping slowly out into the snowfield. It was dark, lit only by the light of the moon.


    "Titania, can you provide light?" Ingrid asked. The saint-like Elemental appeared, illuminating the snowfield with a brilliant, pure golden light. A second Light Elemental appeared near Vaska. "Where did you get that?"


    "My sister transferred the bond to me," Vaska replied. "When we arrived back in Heylin. It only took a few seconds."


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    "Natasha did not need it?"


    "My sister correctly pointed out that my engineering work may make me a target for domestic assassins. And with my cursed luck, I agree. No chances."


    The light of the Elementals revealed barns and old wooden fences. A reindeer snorted from behind a fence as they passed. Dogs barked. The snow began to accumulate under the sole of Ingrid''s boot as she walked. She stopped to kick a post and clear the clumps off her heel. The Marines marched through the snow just ahead, weapons forward.


    They came to a tall metal structure that used radically different architecture from the surrounding farmhouses. Those farmhouses were built from sturdy logs and had steep-pitched roofs to allow the snow to slide off. In contrast the metal structure was blockish and reinforced with massive steel beams. The entire structure was painted white, with slight deviations to the color, presumably to provide camouflage from a distance.


    The door to the structure appeared to have been destroyed by an explosion. The snow around the destroyed door was covered in black soot, and the metal appeared to have melted. The explosion appeared to have started inside the building, causing the doors to fly outward. The snow nearby was pocked with boot prints that had started to fill with snow.


    "A fire elemental, from inside," Vaska said. "Soldiers flooded inside. That means there must have been a defector."


    "A defector?" Ingrid asked.


    Vaska summoned her magenta Colored Orb. It floated above her palm, pulsing. "Father, the Federation of Kanti must have sent agents here. That is my guess. A defector inside invited them. The door was destroyed from the inside by a Fire Elemental."


    The Emperor did not reply.


    The Marines rushed into the structure, and Ingrid sent Titania inside to provide light. Scorched bodies littered the floor just beyond the threshold.


    Inside the structure was a square pit filled with industrial equipment, tables, and burned bodies. Brutalist concrete columns and steel beams supported the roof against the snow. A single metal gantry lined the square pit. The occasional ladder provided downward access, and there were no staircases.


    "Completely scorched," Vaska continued, "burned bodies strapped to tables, melted metal cases. Father, what was Professor Makari working on?"


    "For many years he was working on the design for soul flares. After the dark crystals stopped working, me and my advisors decided to halt the project. Defense against Dark-Three missiles suddenly lacked military value."


    "And how did he react to that?" Vaska asked.


    "He wrote a dissent, which is not surprising, this project was a huge responsibility with the potential for a great deal of recognition."


    Vaska sighed. Special Agent Vladimir ascended the nearby ladder and approached the Princess. "Nothing living Princess," he said. "All the files have been stolen or burned."


    "If we assume that Makari defected," Vaska said, "then Kanti would know exactly where this black site was. They could easily fly a tilt-rotor through one of the Elemental Planes to this exact location and extract the Professor. He may have had a magenta Orb in his possession that allowed him to time the explosion."


    "Titania," Ingrid said. "Can you still tell us when portals are opening?"


    "I cannot," Titania replied. "That power belonged to the corruption, through Mother''s design and command."


    "Why, why would Kanti want obsolete technology?" Vaska muttered. "Vladimir, please give us some privacy." The Marine saluted and then scurried off. "Father, do you have any other information? Any other red flags or concerns with Makari other than his dissent?"


    "There were some concerns about the scope of the project," the Emperor said. "Concerns about his proposed budget. He had demonstrated a working soul flare, and we had hoped to begin production of military-grade versions. However, he kept insisting on extending the project." The man lowered his voice. "Also, there were significant concerns about the sheer quantity of men he was killing. We ran out of condemned men in our prisons. We needed to import them from Taisia and now Ayaru."


    "He went rogue," Vaska said. "He must have started working on an orthogonal project, something he cared about. If that was the case, why not just tell us about it?"


    "Um, excuse me sir," Ingrid said. "My Emperor, did you ever see the soul flare? Did you see how they were made?"


    "Vaska, you brought your lover with you? I wanted you to go alone."


    "It was a fair question Father," Vaska replied. "Answer it."


    The Emperor sighed. "I did see one being constructed. They sedated a man and severed his arteries. They inserted tubes into the incisions, and began to pump the blood using a small machine. After the body was nearly drained of blood, they cut out the heart and the brain and connected them with a series of wires and tubes. They sealed all this inside a canister, shaped like a large brick."


    "Meatless meat puppets," Ashe mused. "Organless organ bags, boneless bone cages. How positively devious." The little woman actually giggled.


    "And then they shot a missile at it?" Vaska asked.


    "That is correct. They performed a live demonstration on the canister that had just been created, after a delay of about an hour to demonstrate that the person was still alive."


    "To sacrifice a person like that..." Ingrid whispered.


    Sacrifice.


    Sacrifices.


    In a sudden realization, Ingrid nearly collapsed on the floor. The thought was so evil, so sickening that it made her want to vomit. "Steady there," Vaska said as she reached out to support Ingrid. "What is wrong?"


    "Sacrifices," Ingrid said. "Kanti is going to chop up their sacrifices, and stick them in canisters. That is how they plan to power their crystals from now on."


    Vaska nodded. "Father, I think Ingrid may be correct." The magenta Orb dimmed. "Vladimir! Rally your men, we are leaving immediately."


    "What an evil thought!" Ashe said. "Ingrid, I''m so proud of you!"

 Chapter 37: Contemplations

    A sword made of pure, blazing flames pierced the corrupted Light Elemental. It shuttered and danced violently, like a marionette with broken strings. Oily blackness spilled out of the burning wound, and was rapidly washed away with waves of water. Ingrid had grown to expect the flash of light that allowed her to see the veins in her own body. The Emperor betrayed no surprise. When the light dimmed and Ingrid''s vision returned to normal, the Light Elemental from the Bank of Taisia knelt on the ground.


    Emperor Artem Maryy approached the Elemental in the field of snow. As always when vacationing at his cabin, he wore hunter''s clothes. Without ceremony, he reached out and touched the Elemental with one palm. "I will bond you," he said. Then he turned away, leaving a fresh trail of footprints toward the cabin door. The Elemental vanished as he passed through the threshold.


    "Ashe?" Ingrid asked.


    The Queen of Darkness had become perhaps as old as Natasha was, not quite thirty years of age. Her tight black dress had grown more revealing. Her lips grew a darker red, and when she smiled she revealed a pair of sharp fangs. "Ah, such strength," Ashe said. "I cannot wait to be restored. What fun it will be!"


    Vaska crunched through the snow behind them. "I have failed to disconfirm the hypothesis," she said. "Which means the hypothesis stands. The metal walls of an airplane do, in fact, block the light of a purified Elemental."


    "The mystery is solved," Ashe noted.


    "So, Ashe," Vaska said, "do you think you are strong enough now, to reshape your realm?"


    "Maybe. Actually yes, I think so."


    "Any new workshops or runways that we create in our world... could end up being spotted by spies or enemy aircraft. Any portals we open to the Elemental Planes will cause the Queen of Light to instantly know the exact location."


    "Ah, you want to build a workshop in my realm," Ashe said.


    The door to the lodge opened once again and the Emperor reappeared. He held his hunting rifle slung over one shoulder. His loyal dog trotted at his side, panting happily. "Enjoy your hunt, father!" Vaska cried. He waved, but otherwise stalked into the snowy forest in silence.


    "The Plane of Darkness is all twisted up, right?" Ingrid asked. "You can travel quickly if you know the path. What if the enemy stumbles on the workshop while wandering around?"


    "I can create a place in my realm that has no incoming paths," Ashe said. "Only my first daughter would be able to find her way inside."


    "What about the airspace overhead?" Ingrid asked. "You will want to test airplanes at your workshop right? That means the airspace near the workshop also needs to be inaccessible."


    Ashe frowned. "I can try."


    "Keep us updated on your status," Vaska said. "And no rivers of blood nearby, please." Ashe vanished in a puff of black smoke. A dark portal appeared directly behind Vaska. "Let''s return to the Ten Skies."


    The map room was quite occupied when Ingrid stepped back out of the Plane of Darkness. Elizabeth, Ivan, Glenice, Reese, and Mia sat around the table. The engineer named Jack Vail stood near the porthole, sipping on coffee and watching the White Ravens practice maneuvers in the sky.


    "Where is Ashe?" Elizabeth asked after the portal closed behind them.


    "Occupied," Vaska said. "If all goes well, we will be creating a new workshop in her realm. I''m sorry to have missed most of your meeting Elizabeth. What is our status?"


    "Mia does not know how to read or write," Elizabeth said, "and our interviews with the other sacrifices have yielded similar answers. Your idea to drop propaganda from aircraft is, unfortunately, not likely to have any real impact."


    "Then we will need to resume our conventional methods. The sacrifices need to be made to understand the danger."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Does this mean we are going to start recruiting in other Elemental Planes?" Ingrid asked.


    "My hands are tied for now," Elizabeth said. "Natasha''s orders. We cannot recruit outside of the Plane of Shadow, unless we can somehow reach Federation territory. We have scouts inside all of the Elemental Planes that we have visited so far, hiding from sight. Our enemy has heavy air defenses around the cities they control."


    "The longer we wait," Ingrid said, "the higher the count of innocent people butchered to make canisters."


    "We understand that," Vaska said. "However my sister is correct. Even if we wanted to... butcher our own sacrifices, we don''t have the technology right now. And we absolutely do not want to destroy our entire economy without first destroying our enemy. Our current strategic advantage is our near-monopoly on the Plane of Darkness. Ashe can warn us when portals open to her realm, and she can send monsters to slow down invaders. It is fair to assume that we will be able to tap into the entire population of sacrifices, people who feel betrayed and who are willing to fight and die in our war."


    "There is the language barrier," Elizabeth said. "They speak a strange language that Elementals cannot translate. We found two other exiled Matrons sailing in the Plane of Water, which means there are three people who can give them commands. Mia is struggling to learn our language, and it could take her up to a year to be fluent. At best, we have three commanders who can lead the new recruits. At worst, they immediately mutiny and only add to our problems."


    As they spoke, Reese was whispering in Mia''s ear. Finally the young woman began to speak in her language. "Mia has something to say," Reese announced. They turned to look at Mia as she spoke. Her hands were animated, pointing around the room and then to herself. "She says that she knows it is frightening, the way the world is changing. The people living on the outside are afraid. However, if any of you happened to be born in her world, then you would definitely want to be rescued."


    "I agree," Ingrid said. "Vaska, your father mentioned that there were people in the Bank of Heylin who wanted to create a new currency. Who are those people? Can we contact them?"


    "I will... explore that possibility," Vaska said. "Once we know who those people are, we need to make sure that they are put in positions of power and that their critics are silenced, permanently."


    "We cannot forget our other advantages," Jack Vail said. He stepped away from the porthole to face the group. His somewhat bland face was framed by salt-and-pepper hair, and his eyes betrayed a condition of perpetual insomnia. "We need to massively increase production of our hypersonic missiles and HY-7 ''Fat Meg'' airplanes."


    Ingrid giggled.


    "It is safe to assume that the Queen of Lightning will prevent our enemy from discovering the principles of electricity independently of summoning colored orbs," Jack continued. "And without access to Dark-Three missiles, our radar-guided missiles will provide a significant short-term advantage. We should press the attack."


    "There is another side to that argument," Elizabeth added. "They may contemplate a massive attack, and prepare a clever trap for us. Alternatively, they may contemplate their own weakness, and conclude that they need to launch a massive surprise invasion of the Plane of Darkness, to capture the sacrifices quickly."


    "We also do not know how long it will take Kanti to use their own green Colored Orbs to invent radar," Jack said. "For all we know, they might have already deduced its existence from the few times that we killed their pilots with hypersonic missiles."


    "They know we control the Plane of Darkness," Ingrid said. "Maybe they will assume that we are using some sort of new, long-range shadow hunter?"


    "Kanti tends to assign probabilities to outcomes," Vaska said. "Government decisions are based on ''more probable than not'' assumptions. The types and abilities of demons were well-understood long before Ashe was sealed away. We can only assume that they will have contemplated the existence of radar. Elizabeth, you are the expert in taking risks with your soldiers. I will leave the decision in your hands."


    "I think that we should launch a massive invasion of a single Elemental Plane," Elizabeth said, "one that is critical to the operation of fighter jets. We should bet everything on a single roll of the dice. We need to gain a monopoly on the Elemental Plane of Fire."


    "I trust your judgment Elizabeth. Ivan and Glenice. You have both been very quiet."


    "We need more flight instructors," Ivan said. "Desperately."


    "I agree," Glenice said. "We need to tap into civilian flight schools, hobby aviation clubs, even other branches of the military. Anyone who knows how a rudder works needs to be conscripted immediately."


    "I am putting you in charge of that effort, Glenice," Vaska said. "Use your Marines to kidnap flight instructors if needed. Ivan, continue focusing your efforts on Ingrid''s dogfighting skills. Ingrid, keep practicing formation flying with the White Ravens. Reese, continue parading Mia around in the Plane of Darkness. I am going to steal the keystones to the Elemental Plane of Fire, as well as establish new contacts in the bank of Heylin."


    A shadow began to form on the center of the table. Ashe, in her tiny winged form, soon materialized and danced around on a map of the Plane of Lightning, smiling like a child. "I did it!" Ashe said.


    "Jack," Vaska said. "Prepare the other engineers to move. Once you have established a workshop in the new site, begin researching radar-absorbing materials."

 Chapter 38: Lady Ghosts Request

    In a broad, shady valley in the Plane of Darkness, the rivers of blood and forests of fungi had been cleared away to make room for the workshop grounds. A small, serene lake of clean water occupied one side of the valley. At the edge of the lake, the dark crystal ground had been flattened into a perfect, shining runway. Several buildings, made from the same dark crystal, were organized into a campus beside the runway, complete with two large hangars. From within the compound, Ingrid could not see the floating cities in the sky.


    Glenice''s Marines hauled carts of materiel, instruments and tools through Vaska''s portal. Each had been vetted by Titania for loyalty before being allowed to see the campus, as had all of Vaska''s engineers. The train of supplies had continued throughout the day, and the pile of supplies recovered from the Elemental Plane of Wind had shrunk to a few desks and some boxes of engineering diagrams.


    Ingrid stood at the edge of the runway and looked out over the water. It was flat and mirrorlike, reflecting the single purple moon in the sky. The mountains all around the valley were capped with snow, providing a lovely reminder of home. "I like this better," Ingrid said.


    "I hate it," Ashe protested. "You mortals are boring."


    A familiar sound approached from behind them, high-heeled sandals clattering on the crystal runway. "I am going to close the portal soon," Vaska said. "You should leave."


    "I want to stay here," Ingrid said. "I have a request for that man. Jack Vail."


    "Suit yourself," Vaska said. She handed Ingrid a trio of lopsided, dark keystones. "You should have these either way. If you open a portal here, I have no idea where in the world you will end up."


    "I put this location near your father''s lodge," Ashe said. "Are you worried?"


    "Not really," Vaska said. Ingrid took the three crystals. "I have a list of possible contingencies, possible traps in the way of the keystones to the Plane of Fire. I have tapped some domestic spies as well. And worst case, I''ll just kill everything alive then come back to sleep for three days like last time. Also, this time I have four Elementals. I can blind them, fill them full of metal spikes, zap them into powder. I have options."


    She leaned out and kissed Ingrid. Her breath was hot and minty, and for a moment Vaska looked like she was going to melt. She grabbed Ingrid''s hand and pulled her out across the runway.


    "The only thing more gross than a bag of organs," Ashe said, "is two bags of organs who are constantly rubbing their various organs together."


    "Does she bother you?" Ingrid asked.


    "I just pretend she is a cat," Vaska replied. "I don''t mind if a cat watches us kiss and thinks its gross."


    Within the workshop Vaska took off her sandals and began to strap herself into a pair of stiff boots. "How long will you be gone?" Ingrid asked.


    Vaska tapped her watch. "I''m not sure, but I am going to take my time. No risks, no cut corners. It could take several hours, however I will give up if it takes too long. The risk is that they will discover our plans."


    Special Agent Vladimir approached with two Marines at his side. "Everything is through, Princess."


    "Leave this place," Vaska commanded. She handed him a trio of yellow-metal gems. "Summon these magenta Orbs, Ingrid will contact you if she needs to get out."


    "Yes Princess." The Marines turned and left the Plane of Darkness. Vaska stood, and the portal closed.


    "I look forward to seeing the result of your request, Ingrid." Suddenly Vaska vanished, sucked into the Firstborn''s projection.


    "You have a request, Lady Ghost?" Jack asked. He looked her up and down, his eyes betraying desire.


    "A command," Ingrid corrected. "Take me to the other engineers. I want as much help as I can get."


    "Only Vaska gives us commands," Jack Vail said.


    "You are in my realm now," Ashe said, fluttering like a butterfly onto Ingrid''s shoulder. "Perhaps you and the other meat puppets would like to experience my sense of aesthetics?"


    "Right this way," he replied, pointing to a larger structure of crystal near the runway. "My chalkboard is in there."


    The interior of the crystal structure looked remarkably human. Tables of crystal, boxes of books from the outside, chalkboards, wooden easels holding engineering diagrams, and dozens of pot-bellied men scribbling away with pencils. Jack Vail led Ingrid to an empty chalkboard and picked up a perfect cylinder of chalk. A dozen chemistry textbooks sat in a pile next to him, on a table.


    "Vaska wants me to theorize a radar-absorbing chemical," Jack said. "What does the Lady Ghost request?" His question caught the attention of half a dozen men, who slowly meandered between the tables to eavesdrop on the conversation.


    "When I was caught in a flat spin," Ingrid said, "falling toward my inevitable doom, the horizon spiraling around me, my nose waffling up and down, I saved myself with the help of the High Daughter of the Queen of Fire. She wrapped her long legs around the nose-cone of my fighter jet, and angled her arms to shoot fire up and against the direction of my spin. The flat spin stabilized, my nose dropped, and my airspeed recovered."


    The men surrounding her were transfixed by her story. One man was frantically scribbling notes on a pad. Ingrid glanced around at them, uneasily.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "I wish for a feature in my fighter jet to easily recover from flat spins," Ingrid continued. "Perhaps a quad of exhaust ports on the nose or maybe a second engine, something that can be used to stabilize a flat spin automatically. Maybe blue Colored Orbs could be involved."


    A balding man approached the man called Jack Vail and whispered something in his ear. The man with the notepad joined the conversation in whispers. Jack turned to his blackboard and began frantically writing a long, long string of letters, numbers, and math symbols along the top. His frantic scrawling''s continued, line by line, until it almost filled the entire blackboard. The other engineers clapped.


    "Ingrid you are a commoner, yes?" Jack asked.


    "No!" Ingrid said. "I am a proper Lady of House Veronika."


    "Before, you were a commoner when you lived in Wave Crest, right?"


    "What of it?"


    "Nobles have gardens, and gardens need to be watered with hoses. Pressurized water flows through the hoses, usually fed by gravity through an ancient iron tube or stone aqueduct. Either way, the gardeners have tricks, you see. They manipulate their thumbs, covering the opening of the hose, to spray the water over the plants. By covering most of the opening to the hose, they can make a very fast, very thin spray. Relaxing their thumb, the spray becomes slower and thicker."


    He drew a diagram of a cylinder on the chalkboard. Then he sketched, in overlay, a pair of surfaces, like elevators, that pointed in toward the center of the cylinder. He repeated the diagram two additional times, one above and one below. In the upper diagram, the two surfaces both pointed up, and in the bottom, they both pointed down. He drew arrows to represent the vector of the thrust out of the cylinder.


    "Thrust... vectoring!" Jack Vail cried. "It should be trivial to train a blue Colored Orb to automatically vector the thrust along with the elevator motion. This would allow you to point the nose at the ground in a flat spin, gain airspeed, and recover."


    "I understand," Ingrid said. And in fact, she did. She understood every single syllable that the man said. "I command you to make a prototype that features this... thrust vectoring."


    The man bowed his head slightly. "It shall be done, Lady Ghost." The desire in his eyes remained, but the object of his desire was no longer Ingrid. He was hungry for this idea. Inspiration had consumed him. Ingrid at once understood the source of his insomnia.


    <hr>


    Metal ingots lay scattered upon the floor of the hangar. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of metal ingots. Most of them were aluminum, and some of them were steel, titanium, or other metals. Apparently the titanium was extremely difficult to make and handle. Tools that contained cadmium would destroy the metal.


    Jack summoned a Metal Elemental and a cyan Colored Orb. He presented blueprints to the cyan Orb, and then it floated over to the Metal Elemental, a mirror-like humanoid, not unlike the giants of the Plane of Metal. The Orb struck the Metal Elemental with bolts of cyan lightning, and then the humanoid thing lurched toward the ingots. Those pure, heavy metal ingots seemed to liquify, slowly rising and bloating outward, forming the shape of a fighter jet. When it ended, the burly landing gear of the craft rested on the ground without tires. Equally burly men arrived to begin the work of installing the massive tires they carried, using the leverage of hydraulic jacks.


    A Stone Elemental was summoned to create the glass canopy, and the pot-bellied engineers began the process of installing the instruments in the cabin. Hours passed, and Vaska returned before Ingrid had a chance to fly the machine. Her clothes and arms were covered in blood once again, and she carried the severed head of a man, but otherwise she looked in good spirits. Her smile looked twisted, satisfied.


    Vaska casually tossed the head onto the smooth crystal ground.


    "Oh, how lovely!" Ashe said. "A gift for me?"


    "Just like a cat," Vaska said. "One of our enemies, and his entire family, was exterminated. It was not a Great House, but this is still a victory." She pulled a stack off her belt and tossed it to Ingrid. It felt light, leathery, and slick with blood. Ingrid opened it, and fished out a trio of red-blue keystones. "Mission accomplished. Tell me Ingrid, have the men here entertained your request?"


    "We have, my Princess," Jack said as he approached. "I would be delighted to give you a demonstration flight."


    "Absolutely not!" Ingrid said. "It was my idea. I will be the first to fly it!"


    "Ingrid flies first," Vaska said. "Do not spoil it for me, let me see for myself." Shadows consumed the bleeding head at her feet, and it vanished from sight. Jack Vail watched the dissolving head with a suspicious disbelief.


    The cabin of the new fighter jet smelled like a newly-printed leather-bound book, and it felt hot. The seat had just been screwed into place, as had the instruments, the glass canopy, the gunsight, and the stick and rudder pedals. Engineers all around opened bottles of expensive wine in celebration, grasping each other on the shoulder and laughing at secret jokes. Vaska eyed the exhaust nozzles of the fighter with discerning eyes. She looked up at Ingrid and smiled before leaving the runway.


    Ingrid closed and locked the glass canopy. Then she rifled through a sack of crystals and began to summon the appropriate Elementals. Two Fire Elementals for the pair of engines, a Water Elemental for hydraulics, a Life Elemental to protect against G-forces, and a Wind Elemental to pressurize the cabin. Ingrid looked around outside to clear the area, and clasped the stick and throttle in her hands. Ashe sat upon her shoulder, her face determined.


    "I think," Ingrid said as she slammed the throttle to full power, "That I am going to enjoy this."


    The crystal runway sped past in a perfect blur, and Ingrid nudged the stick back slightly. The thrust vectoring kicked in with the elevator, and the nose jolted up into the sky. She rocketed away, leaving two vertical trails of smoke as she flew, her back pressed hard against the leather seat behind her. The runway grew small in the mirrors overhead.


    Pulling back on the throttle, Ingrid dropped the nose with help from the thrust vectoring. Kicking the rudder, the various surfaces flexed up or down to compensate, and the nose slowly drifted to one side or the other. She cut back the throttle to idle, and kicked hard on the rudder once the airspeed began to drop.


    The world went mad around her, purple sky spinning, an angry purple moon swirling in the sky, the horizon rotating around her at an unfathomable speed. "A normal flat spin," Ingrid said. She pushed down on the stick, and the nose pointed perfectly at the ground, brought about by the power of the vectored thrust. "Not a normal recovery." The airspeed indicator rapidly increased, and with a tiny bit of sidestick she countered the lingering rotation.


    The magenta Colored Orb in her cabin began to glow. "Is that you, Vaska?" Ingrid asked.


    "Ingrid, that is exceptional," Vaska replied. "What do you want to name it?"


    Ingrid did not reply. Instead, she flew high into the sky again, powered by both engines. Even now she could not see the floating cities, and presumably others could not see her. With a quick glance to her shoulder, Ingrid saw that Ashe was grinning like a child. Once again she cut the throttle, and once again she kicked the rudder. This time, before she recovered, she caught the airplane in a figure eight through the sky. Like a falling leaf.


    "I would like to name this airplane," Ingrid said, "HY-8 Falling Leaf."


    "Noted," Vaska said.


    Just before striking the water, Ingrid pointed the nose toward the sky and boiled the too-clear lake below her into a cloud of steam. Even then, nothing could bring her down, not even a flat spin.


    Unstoppable.

 Chapter 39: The Elemental Plane of Fire

    Vaska slipped her high-heeled sandals onto her feet as she sat at the end of the bed. Ingrid slipped her own feet into her tall leather boots. Her leather hat, complete with brass goggles, rested on the exposed sheets of the empty bed. Soldiers would likely not enter the room after they left, and they would find the bed unmade when they returned.


    If the Ten Skies even returned.


    "Father has forbidden me from joining the fight," Vaska said. She leaned over and kissed Ingrid on her forehead. "The other engineers are waiting for me. Stay safe."


    "It should be safe," Ingrid said. "The Falling Leaf is a very safe airplane."


    The air split with a line of consuming darkness, which spread into the shape of a portal. Vaska stepped through, swaying the skirts of her thin white dress on her hips as she vanished within the darkness. As the portal closed, the familiar shadowy form of Ashe began to appear on Ingrid''s shoulder.


    "The puppets have found their strings again," the little woman said. "Are you excited?"


    "I am," Ingrid said. She set the leather hat on her head and snatched the sack of keystones off her bed stand. "How could I not be?"


    When she arrived on deck the White Ravens were already busy taking off. Her own Falling Leaf fighter jet, now painted white, was being taxied directly to her. After an unremarkable line up and takeoff, she caught up with the other Ravens and took her place in the Left Wing. All of the Ravens had been given brand new Falling Leaf airplanes, and in spite of the mission, all the fighters were fully equipped with missiles.


    "Maintain heading and altitude, hold formation," the Commander of the White Ravens said. His name was Matvei, and he had been the Left Wing before Ingrid took that position. He flew behind the diamond formation a ways, spotting for them. His voice was calm and methodical: "Open the portal in five... four... three..."


    "Fire! Open a portal to the Plane of Fire!" Ingrid yelled. The three red keystones began to glow, and then they vanished, appearing in a triangle outside. She craned her neck back to look at the crystals as the portal formed, first a trio of crimson lines, followed by a circle around that triangle. A violent, bloody mist began to form at the edge of that circle.


    "One-eighty left," Matvei barked. The Lead began to roll, and Ingrid focused her attention on holding formation. Small changes in air density and wind caused the four airplanes to jostle about, sometimes moving closer or farther apart. Ingrid succeeded in completing the turn without being scolded by Matvei for drifting too far. They passed the portal, and it continued shaping its undulations of crimson and transparent air. Ahead of the Ravens, no less than thirty airships were arranged in rows of three, in a column ten rows long.


    A dark cloud loomed on the horizon. Three thousand HY-1 Arrowhead fighters, some former Taisian Air Navy, but mostly Imperial, swarmed in formations behind the fleet. Massive, six-engine bombers moved in formation with escort fighters past the rows of airships. There were even high-wing, four-engine airplanes equipped with a door under the tail designed to drop paratroopers. Mia and many other former sacrifices were riding in those airplanes.


    The scouts rushed past flying in HY-4 Spearhead fighter jets, traveling toward the opening portal. Behind them, a row of six HY-7 Fat Meg fighters, including Reese. A single HY-8 Falling Leaf fighter jet followed them, piloted by Ivan. Glenice and her pack of Imperial Marine tilt-rotors followed behind Ivan. The portal flashed bright red, and then the land beyond appeared in the center of the crimson ring of light.


    Something felt wrong. The landscape beyond the portal looked almost exactly like the surrounding area. White, mountains, trees, snow.


    "Scouts are inside the portal," one of the scouts said. "A single red moon, otherwise it looks a lot like the snowfields of Taisia. There are huge volcanoes on the horizon. Air density is normal. Gravity is normal. Airspace is clear."


    "Resume the mission," Elizabeth said. No other communicators activated. "This is a message to all unit commanders. The cold war ends today. By our actions, we either cripple our enemy or we guarantee that we will lose this war. This is my command: press the attack. Spend the lives of your soldiers well, but do not hesitate to spend those lives. Be aggressive. Attack! Attack! Attack!"


    The communicator dimmed. A second activated. "One-eighty left," her commander repeated. The formation turned to face the portal. The Fat Meg fighters, as well as Ivan, were already flying through by the time they finished the turn. They followed behind a paratrooper dropship as the portal grew and grew, dominating the sky. They passed the threshold.


    The sky was a dull gray, as if shrouded by clouds in the space beyond the stars. It was snowing lightly, and it appeared to be snowing lightly everywhere. A massive crimson moon rested halfway above the horizon. Otherwise the Plane of Fire looked exactly like the snowfields of Taisia outside. Mountains, glaciers, snowclad trees, frozen lakes... except for the volcanoes.


    The horizon was broken by jagged teeth jutting up into space. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands of feet tall, they billowed black smoke from the peaks, drooling orange lava in great rivers down into the snowfields below. A nearby volcano, at least thirty thousand feet tall, had set fire to a snowclad forest, boiling away the snow in the trees, creating an upwelling of steam.


    "So much snow," Ingrid said.


    "Well, if I was a Fire Elemental," Ashe said, "then I would want something to burn. A world of fire and lava would be so boring! There needs to be trees and cute little animals to burn!"


    "Fire of my spirit," Ingrid whispered. "Can you ask your mother for help?"


    I can, a feminine voice replied, crackling and hissing like flames. Mother will be made to know of you, and the Queen of Darkness as well.


    Ingrid flew in silence, and the White Ravens flew escort to the dropships but otherwise did not maneuver. As Natasha had promised, flying in formation had become much easier. It still required most of her attention to counteract the small motions of flight and stay in formation, but she could steal brief moments to look around and search for enemies. The green Colored Orb, from her missile radar, beeped occasionally. No contacts.


    Mother has sent help. They will fly with you. Do not be alarmed.


    Ingrid activated her emergency magenta Colored Orb to speak to Elizabeth. "This is Ingrid speaking. The Queen of Fire will send help. Do not be alarmed."


    The nearby volcano began to erupt violently, splitting the mountain nearly in half. A long, unfathomably large snake began to slither out of the broken mountain. Tens of thousands of feet long, it snaked its way into the sky like an eel, breaking free of the ground. It appeared to be a reptile, with tight red scales separated by glowing flames within its body. Massive spikes lined the creature''s spine. It also sported a pair of burning horns on its head, slender arms ending in massive claws, and many quads of leathery wings, arranged in a diagonal pattern, spaced out along its body. It was those diagonal quads of wings that appeared to propel it and allow it to maneuver itself.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    It seemed to have found Ingrid, because it began to fly straight towards her. Before getting close to any of the airplanes, it had already climbed far above them, perhaps double their altitude, and it remained at that relative height even as they ascended. The light snow turned to hail as the heat from the creature radiated into the air far above. More massive snakes slithered out of the other nearby volcanoes on the horizon.


    The dragons fly with us, the High Daughter of the Queen of Fire said. For the first time since creation, the Queen has commanded thus.


    "All soldiers, local help is in sight and identified as friendly," Elizabeth said. "Continue the mission, and do not be alarmed. Repeat. The creatures are friendly. Do not be alarmed."


    The local help grew to dozens, and perhaps hundreds of massive dragons, flying ahead of and around the fleet. They formed an otherworldly tube, flying in rings spaced out in the sky, and began to violently slither as if hunting prey. The ground began to move faster below them, even while the airspeed remained constant.


    They have been here for some time, the others. What they have done is unforgivable. Do not be alarmed, the dragons will take us to them.


    "All commanders, continue the mission," Elizabeth said. "Ground speed is rapidly increasing even for the airships, while airspeed is unchanged. The creatures appear to be creating an atmospheric river that is dragging us across this Elemental Plane."


    "My Fire Elemental says there are others here," Ingrid said to Elizabeth over the communicator. "They have been here for some time. It may be a trap."


    "A risk I am willing to take," Elizabeth replied. "Keep this to yourself."


    The ground began to rush by in a blur as the massive tube of air sucked the entire fleet through the Plane of Fire. Rivers of lava, burning forests, and erupting volcanoes appeared and rushed past. The White Ravens and the other airplanes were much faster, and so the airships continued to fall behind. However all thirty airships and the cloud of three thousand HY-1 fighters were keeping pace relatively speaking.


    The flight seemed to drag on as Ingrid focused her attention on formation flying. Occasionally the faster airplanes looped around to rejoin the airships. Almost an hour passed before the first radar contacts appeared.


    "Contacts!" Reese said. "Lots and lots of contacts!"


    The dragons began to break away, causing the air to become turbulent. The wind began to shift rapidly and the White Ravens split apart to avoid being knocked into each other. The airspeed indicator in Ingrid''s fighter was rapidly twitching and it took some effort to hold the nose straight and level. However, Ingrid felt relieved to just be able to fly solo and not have to worry about bumping into one of the other Ravens.


    The last of the dragons broke away and the atmospheric river dispersed, depositing them within radar signal of the enemy fleet.


    "Continue the mission," Elizabeth commanded. "All fighters, advance!"


    Twenty four hypersonic missiles rocketed off the wings of the Fat Meg fighter jets as Ingrid reformed into a diamond with the Ravens. The Lead pilot veered to one side, aiming his nose toward a floating island nearby. The dropships, tilt-rotors, and escort fighters veered toward the island as well. The cloud of Arrowhead fighter jets continued straight, accelerating toward the enemy.


    The island was jagged underneath and flat on top, as were other such structures in the Elemental Planes. An entire city occupied the flat top of the island, and it appeared to be made of red marble lined with veins of white and pink. Buildings, carefully arranged around blockish streets, small fields of snow with fountains and trees...


    "Abort! Abort!" came the cry from the dropship airplane. "Close the tail door! Paratroopers do not deploy! Abort! Abort!"


    "Ravens, that means us as well," the Commander said. "Lead, take us lower to get a better look at the city. However, we will not be performing our airshow acts."


    As they passed the center of the city, flying mere feet above the roofs of the red marble buildings, Ingrid saw it. A pile of bodies, thirty feet tall, lifeless corpses with shattered skulls and chests ripped open, carefully preserved by a thin layer of frost.


    "They beat us here," Ashe said. Ingrid shivered.


    "Elizabeth," Ingrid said. "They already depopulated this city. Everyone turned into canisters, their bodies left in a pile in the town square."


    "Recruitment and airshow teams, keep looking for more cities," Elizabeth commanded. "Repeat, keep looking for more cities."


    The sky far behind lit up with the fires of hell as the two clouds of fighter jets collided. Her radar began to beep violently.


    "Radar contacts, eight airplanes, coming straight for us," Commander Matvei declared. "Take them out!"


    "Contacts confirmed," Reese said. "Conventional radar missiles incoming." Lights erupted from the six Fat Meg airplanes as dozens of Dark-Three radar-guided missiles lanced out into the sky. Ingrid''s diamond formation rotated around and away from the contacts. "They are not defending. They are not using radar against us either. Three, no six kills. Two enemies survived."


    "They are too close!" Ivan said. "Merging!"


    "We should go help!" Ingrid said.


    "Negative," Commander Matvei said. "Keep our distance, lock them up and lob missiles at the remaining fighters. Lead, bring us around. Slot, keep an eye behind us."


    "I know that''s you Bertrand, you bastard!" Ivan yelled.


    "Break away!" Reese called. "Meg Squadron! Keep yourself alive!"


    They slowly rotated around in a long loop. Ingrid''s heart was racing as the battle ahead came into view. Tiny fighter jets looped around each other in the distance, leaving long trails of smoke in the sky. One airplane was heading straight for the formation.


    A rapid set of beeps indicated a radar lock on that airplane. "Lock target," Ingrid said.


    "Diamond, slight spread, fire!" the Lead bellowed. Ingrid pulled the trigger. Four missiles left the rails of the White Ravens. The smoke and fire of the Lead''s missile was a mere ten feet away from Ingrid''s head. The missiles vanished out of sight. Flares ruptured from the distant fighter, and then it exploded.


    "Kill confirmed," Matvei said.


    "Trying to use flares against radar," the Lead chuckled.


    A second explosion flashed in the sky beyond, leaving spider-like trails of black smoke falling toward the ground. "How do you like thrust vectoring?!" Ivan cried. "You can keep coming back as much as you want, you bastard! I''ll just kill you again!"


    "Meg Squadron is mostly in-tact," Reese said. "Our far left fighter lost an aileron and parts of the rudder to bullets. Using Metal Elemental for patch repairs, but he needs to go back to the airships."


    "Affirmative," the Commander said. "The rest of you stay in formation, look for more cities."


    "Forward fighter squadrons," Elizabeth said. "Press the attack, focus on killing! Killing!"


    A second city loomed on the horizon beyond the battle. The entire enemy fleet was between Ingrid and that city, and so the Lead pilot led them in a long arc through the sky. The massive flaming dragons had converged near the enemy fleet. They began setting fire to enemy airships, however they did not appear to be immortal. Flak cannons and the flashes of missiles from fighters were exploding along their scaly skin, rupturing their flesh in flashes of bloody fire. Several dragons grew dark, their lifeless husks breaking apart as they drifted toward the ground.


    They have protected this place since creation, the High Daughter of Fire said. To end in this place is a great sadness, and a great honor.


    "Solo and Opposing Solo," Commander Matvei said, "Go alone to that city and report to us. We can only assume that it has already been depopulated. We need to search for cities that might be further away."


    The two other White Ravens flew some distance to either side of the diamond. They both pitched up and began to fly away. Opposing Solo even passed over Ingrid''s head as he accelerated to join Solo for the mission.


    "Something is wrong," Slot said. "Behind us, there are explosions in our fleet."


    "Continue the mission," Matvei said.


    "This is Vice-Admiral Oleg," a voice began over the emergency fleet-wide Colored Orb. "The Ten Skies is under attack by enemy bombers, contact with the command deck has been lost. I am assuming command of this fleet. All commanders continue the mission. Continue the attack."


    Ingrid suddenly panicked. "Vaska!"


    "Is safe," Ashe said. "Safe and sound inside my realm."


    "Right, right. But... Elizabeth," Ingrid muttered.


    "I''m sorry," Ashe said. She reached out and ran her hand along Ingrid''s jawline. Her hand felt warm, like the paw of a small animal.


    "Another city," Reese said. "About one hundred miles to the east."


    "Forty-five left," Lead said. The formation began to turn.


    Another magenta Orb activated. "This is Glenice with the Imperial Marines," a familiar, feminine voice said. "Our tilt-rotors are not going to be able to keep up for long."


    "Slow down, wait for Solo to return," Matvei said. "Meg Squadron, protect the tilt-rotors. Marines, it is alright if you fall behind slightly."


    One hundred miles was a short flight for a fighter jet at full power, taking only a few minutes. The flashing lights of the battle fell far behind, though the long burning dragons could still easily be seen at that distance. Solo and Opposing Solo returned to report the tragic fate of the city behind enemy lines. They flew in silence to the next city. The airspace was clear, and the White Ravens took the lead.


    Flying low and fast, they approached the red marble buildings on the snowclad floating island. Ingrid held her breath as the city streets rushed past.


    City streets filled with bustling people.


    "Open the tail doors on the dropships," Matvei said. "Paratroopers prepare for the mission! White Ravens! Begin the airshow!"

 Chapter 40: Second Wind

    Ingrid grinned slightly at the sight of Solo flying upside-down in a mirror maneuver directly under Opposing Solo. The bellies of the two airplanes were only a few feet apart. The number on the belly of Solo was painted upside-down, so that it appeared correct while the plane was inverted. Lead pulled in to follow them, and they split apart to loop back around and join the quad to form a delta. They began to line up in a long, thin row with six airplanes.


    "Altitude fifteen-two-eight-one," Lead said. "Left Wing!"


    "Fifteen-two-seven-nine," Ingrid said. Glancing to the side, she looked to be just a few feet lower than Lead. She pitched up ever so slightly, and her altimeter matched his. He ignored the problem. One by one the other four airplanes called in their altitude.


    "Looks good to me," Commander Matvei said as he trailed behind.


    "Ravens, break off! Lead altitude fifteen-two-eight-zero heading zero. Left Wing fifteen-two-six-three heading ninety. Right Wing fifteen-two-nine-seven heading two-seven-zero..."


    Ingrid, along with the other Ravens, followed their assigned headings for a very precise count of time, far below her assigned altitude. Then she did an extremely aggressive vertical turn followed by a roll to level. She knew she was slightly too fast, and deployed the air break for a few seconds to restore her relative position. Trimmed to hold exactly fifteen-two-six-three, her nose was pointed directly at Right Wing in the distance. He was only thirty-four feet above her. She punched the throttle to full.


    Ingrid always felt a tinge of panic in the moment just before the six fighter jets converged over a single point, just over the town square of the city below, in a maneuver the Ravens had named the Wheel Cross. Right Wing flew directly overhead in a blur, and the other four airplanes crossed each other below or above a few fractions of a second later. The timing and distance between the airplanes created the illusion, from a viewer on the ground, that the six airplanes converged in a massive head-on collision. The trails of airshow smoke left behind created converging lines in the sky, like the spokes of a wheel.


    "Hold heading, vertical climb," Lead said.


    Ingrid pulled on the stick until the nose of the fighter was pointing straight up. At five thousand feet up, a second pull on the stick brought the nose back to level except inverted. A quick aileron roll brought the craft upright, exactly five thousand feet up, at altitude two-zero-two-six-three. They repeated their Wheel Cross maneuver except at a much, much lower speed, with air brakes out and throttle to idle. The six fighters meandered past each other in the sky, and began to depart in opposite directions, very slowly.


    "Throttle idle..." Lead said. "And... kick left."


    A swift kick to the rudder brought the fighter into a flat spin. All six fighters entered into flat spins at the exact same time, and with a few adjustments to the throttle and nose, this further developed into a Falling Leaf maneuver. Six fighters in the Falling Leaf, centered around a single point in the sky, opening and closing like a flower.


    "Well done," Matvei said. "Recover and bug out. The show is over, we have new orders."


    "Affirmative," Lead said.


    "Glenice, how is the recruitment going?" Matvei asked.


    After a brief silence she replied. "The masters attempted to summon Fire Elementals and stop us, but they have since been executed. We have... overwhelming numbers of recruits. There is not enough space in our tilt-rotors for them all."


    "Return to the fleet with the ones you can carry. Meg Squadron, stay for escort. Ravens, we need to escort Left Wing to the enemy portal to claim the keystones."


    The Ravens flew low, barely skimming the snowclad treetops as they approached the enemy portal. The airspace above was mostly clear by the time the Ravens arrived. Dozens of Kanti airships were in the process of sinking or lay in pieces in burning forests far below. Great claws of flame raked the landscape, boiling away the snow and sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. Thousands of wrecked fighter jets littered the forest floor, and many were still in the process of being shot down. The Heylin fleet had fared better. Three ships were sinking, two ships had been completely destroyed, one of which Ingrid recognized as being the flagship Ten Skies, but otherwise twenty-five of the airships were in good condition.


    "They do not have ocular demons or radar," the Commander said. "Our white paint will make us hard to see from above. Solo, Opposing Solo, fly in a pair ahead and do a quick loop around the portal. Warn us of any danger."


    The two fighter jets outside the formation to either side pitched up and banked. The engines lit up brightly as the thrust vectoring angled the flames directly toward Ingrid.


    "Radar contacts," Solo said. "Lots of contacts. There are fighters from both fleets dogfighting near the portal... merging!"


    "Merging! It''s hot up here!" Opposing Solo said.


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    "Ice-Two!"


    "Good kill!"


    "Up we go," Lead said. He started to pitch up and Ingrid reluctantly held formation. Their noses pointed to a sky filled with long trails of smoke, lights of burning engines, bright flares and exploding missiles. The portal itself loomed above like a plate on edge, surrounded by a crimson fog.


    "Ice-Two... splash!"


    The formation pointed directly at the glowing red orb of the keystone on one side of the portal. "Titania get ready to claim!" Ingrid cried.


    I''m ready.


    "Diamond formation, hold flares the entire loop" Lead said. Ingrid snapped her thumb down on the flair button on her stick. Eight sets of flares rocketed out in all directions behind them as they began the loop. The flares continued as they passed the first crystal and entered into a vertical climb. Lead pulled the nose over and they continued to invert, crossing over the second crystal at the apex. Forty-eight fire elementals had been summoned, filling the air around the ring of the portal with orange light. A precaution, to protect against the only missiles the enemy was using, the short-range Ice-Two.


    The wings jostled and flexed. Ingrid held position well enough as they passed the third crystal.


    They are claimed, Titania said.


    Over one hundred fire elementals needed to be summoned during that one maneuver, and missiles fired by both sides were drawn to the ring of flaming flares. Lead pointed the nose at the ground to exit the battle.


    "Vice-Admiral Oleg," Ingrid said to her emergency Colored Orb. "Keystones are claimed and ready to be summoned."


    "Close the portal immediately," Oleg replied. "Then open it again at altitude three-five-zero-zero heading one-seven-zero distance sixty nautical miles."


    "Confirm?" Ingrid asked. "Reopen it at three-five-zero-zero heading one-seven-zero distance sixty nautical miles?"


    "Affirmative, that is your order."


    "Titania, summon them to me," Ingrid said. The outlines of the three glowing crystals began to form in front of her. They fell back, pressed against her chest and matched her momentum. Then they fully formed into the same type of lopsided red-blue stone that Vaska had given her. Great red fractures began to appear in the portal. The Lead began to fly them to the area where the portal needed to be reopened, skimming over the snowfields along the way.


    "All soldiers, this is a message from Vice-Admiral Oleg. Admiral Elizabeth is confirmed killed in action, the Ten Skies has fallen. The instructions she left us are clear. We begin the second phase of our attack. A new portal is going to open, and all surviving aircraft are to fly through that portal. We have a second wind of thirty heavy bombers and additional fighters just miles behind the fleet as I speak to you. Our new mission is to lay absolute waste to the enemy capital city of Kanti. You have your orders. Press the attack!"


    "The enemy capital?" Ingrid gasped.


    "Elizabeth did say she wanted to bet everything on this attack," Ashe said.


    "Pitching up to three-five-zero-zero," Lead said. They leveled off. It had taken just over seven minutes to cover the distance of sixty nautical miles. "Open it now!"


    "Fire! Open a portal to the other side!"


    The crystals began to glow red and then they vanished, appearing outside in a triangle behind them. They continued in a long arc at full power through the snowy sky. A volcano just ahead was erupting, spewing huge plumes of lava into the sky, creating avalanches on its slopes.


    "Radar contacts," Lead said. "Eight airplanes, straight ahead. They are coming for us."


    "Um..." Ingrid said.


    "It looks like we are not the only ones with a second wind," Lead said. "Solos, where are you?"


    "We are following above," Solo said.


    "I am here as well," Commander Matvei said. "A little ways behind, with Ivan."


    "I hope it''s that bastard again," Ivan said.


    "All Ravens, fire all radar missiles at the enemy as soon as you have a lock!" Lead said.


    Whatever Commander Matvei wanted to say, it caught in his throat and he silenced himself. Then he said: "affirmative."


    The remaining radar-guided missiles rocketed off the wings of the White Ravens. Even Ivan''s airplane launched a pair. They flew off into the distance, leaving long white trails behind them. After a pause they exploded, barely visible flashes on the broken gray-orange horizon.


    "Five kills, three remain," Lead said. "Diamond, use all remaining flares."


    They only had two sets of flares left in the diamond formation, launching eight glowing orange orbs into the sky. The Solo jets had many more flares, and Ivan still had a full set. Lead veered off, away from the enemy at a slight angle. Ice-Two missiles rocketed past them and chased the falling flares.


    "Prepare to merge," Lead said.


    A single fighter jet rushed past, followed by a pair. Lead began to merge with the pair, and Ingrid followed in a tight formation. She desperately craned her neck around to try and keep track of the enemy fighters, however much of her vision was blocked by the other Ravens. She was mostly blind, and completely dependent on the decisions Lead made.


    "Our formation is one-circle with theirs," Lead said. "Select guns, get ready... FIRE!"


    Ingrid pulled the trigger, and a massive cloud of bullets exploded from the four fighters. There was nothing in the sky in front of them. Then, both enemy fighters flew in tandem straight through the cloud, and promptly exploded.


    "They have thrust vectoring," Lead said.


    "Wait... what?" Ingrid asked.


    "Back again you bastard?" Ivan screamed. "I''ll just keep..."


    Silence.


    The nose of the formation rotated around just in time to see Ivan''s unpainted Falling Leaf airplane explode in a ball of fire, a long stream of orange bullets cutting through the wraiths of black smoke.


    "IVAN!" Ingrid screamed. She immediately broke formation and pulled very hard on the stick to bring the lone enemy into her nose. "Ice-Two! Ice-Two!" she cried. Her last two missiles left the rail. The great, red-hot engines of the enemy fighter attracted them like moths to a flame. He tried to flare, but too late.


    Ingrid rushed past the wobbling tube of flaming metal as it began to fall, wingless, toward the snowy floor of the Plane of Fire. The rest of her formation had drifted away. Commander Matvei loomed above her nearby.


    "I am taking command of this squadron!" Ingrid declared. "Your crystals are bound to Titania, I can order them to explode. Follow my orders or I will kill you!"


    Matvei chuckled. "Natasha warned us this would happen, and she gave us very explicit orders."


    "Thank the goddess," Lead said. "We get our old Left Wing back."


    "What are your orders, Commander?" Matvei asked.


    Ingrid hissed through her teeth. "They had thrust vectoring on those airplanes, which means they have a workshop here in the Plane of Fire. Spread out, and find anything that looks like it might be a landing strip or a workshop. Those are your orders. Now go!"

 Chapter 41: Workshop in the Plane of Fire

    Right Wing found the place in a snowy valley between two rivers of lava, in the floodlands of two volcanoes. There was a long runway, cleared of snow by Fire Elementals, with a handful of metal buildings on one side. Eight fighters were being constructed near the structures, presumably with Metal Elementals. The larger of the two volcanoes was inactive and covered in snow. Cold air descended down the cone, slamming into the valley from one direction, creating a constant headwind for departing airplanes. The runway was very short, terminating in a tall cliff at the end that would spell certain doom during an overshoot. It was an airport where planes could take off, but never return. In addition, there appeared to be tall turrets armed with, presumably, Ice-Two missiles, near the edge of the runway and on top of the cliff.


    "They really, really do not want anyone to land there," Ingrid said.


    "Naughty," Ashe said. "I''ll bet they are hiding some juicy secrets."


    "What if they have soldiers inside, ready to execute the engineers if we try to land?" Ingrid asked. "What if they have already spotted us? Would they even be able to see our white airplanes against the snow in the sky? Maybe they have scouts outside with magenta Orbs."


    "For somebody who suddenly took command from these men," Ashe said, "you certainly are terrible at making decisions quickly."


    That was fair. Annoying, but fair. Ingrid found herself wondering: what would Vaska do?


    Any probability of failure, in her mind, would be a guarantee of failure, because of her curse. A raid might fail, so she would definitely call in a bomber to obliterate the entire site and then move on. And perhaps that would be a good idea. Those fighters on the ground were a risk to the invasion of the enemy capital. The Vice-Admiral would absolutely want the site destroyed.


    But Ingrid was not Vaska, and the Vice-Admiral did not know about this site yet.


    Ingrid activated the magenta Colored Orb linked to the recruitment squad. "Glenice, can you hear me?"


    "I hear you Ingrid, what is the matter?" Glenice replied.


    "Ivan... Ivan has been shot down. We found an enemy black site, they are creating fighter jets here in the Plane of Fire. If we shoot them down, they copy some of the features from our design. I want to visit that site. Would you be willing to send a tilt-rotor filled with your best Marines? The Meg Squadron may be useful as well. I have a plan."


    "Um, yes. I can do that. Give me a minute."


    "White Ravens, I have made my decision. Everyone. Stay up here and keep watch of the area. If they try to take off, we run away and resupply. I have summoned Glenice and Reese to come help."


    "As you command," Lead said. "Diamond formation, spread out and keep eyes on every corner of the sky. Left and Right Wing, cover zero to one-eight-zero altitude one-six thousand. Slot, cover ninety to two-seven-zero with me, altitude one-seven thousand. Solo and Opposing Solo, long circle around our pattern."


    "We have kicked the recruits out of this ship and are taking off now," Glenice said. "Reese is already flying toward the new portal."


    "We are eighty-four nautical miles from the new portal, heading two-two-three. You will need to figure out where that is relative to yourself."


    "Affirmative, Reese will be informed as well."


    "When you arrive, you are to follow behind me. I am going to fly an extremely low, extremely fast pass through the mountain valley, close enough to the ground for Titania to claim any contracts they have. I will summon the contracts to me, and disable their missiles. Your tilt-rotor will follow behind me and land the Marines on the roof. They are to enter the facility through the roof and secure the area. Note, there may be enemies inside the facility, and they may attempt to execute the engineers. Kill any hostiles, including any engineers that are armed. Be aware that the engineers may attempt to poison themselves."


    It took another twenty minutes for the tilt-rotor to arrive. She had spent the time flying around low and planning her route to the valley. Ingrid pulled up alongside it and rocked her wings. The tilt-rotor rocked its wing very slightly. They descended. Ingrid pulled the throttle back so the slower aircraft could keep pace. She only had a single Wind Elemental summoned in her cabin to protect against the noise, and the tilt-rotor nearby made a lot of noise. She pulled ahead.


    They raced through the valleys and snowfields of the Plane of Fire, across a river of lava and over a burning forest. The massive rotors of the aircraft behind Ingrid caused the pillars of smoke to spiral into vortexes. The active volcano above the enemy black site dominated one side of her vision. Ingrid banked to follow the rivers of lava at the base of the mountain. Snow rushed past her canopy.


    The valley came into view. The enemy turrets had their missiles angled up, into the sky. The operators must have seen her, because even at that distance Ingrid could see that the missiles began to very slowly rotate down. She punched the throttle in. No flares. It was a race.


    She dumped the nose, and skimmed just a few feet over the ground at top speed. Before she had joined the White Ravens, she had not yet developed the precision flying required for the approach, and for Natasha''s intervention she was grateful. The snow and trees rushed past in a grayish blur. She focused her eyes on the target.


    The turrets were too high, the tops of the missiles were above her. Even if they rotated all the way down, the missiles themselves would need to pitch down sharply to catch her. A mistake in engineering.


    She pitched her nose up, gained a few feet, and rolled on edge, cutting straight through the middle of the two turrets. The two turrets at the end of the runway were both slowly rotating. While still on edge, she used the rudder to point her nose toward the ground and drop altitude in the air under the cliff. She leveled off just before passing over the second pair of turrets.


    "Titania! Dismiss the Elementals!"


    They all are claimed. It is done, they have been dismissed.


    She pitched up violently, using thrust vectoring and full power to launch herself into a vertical climb. Clouds of fog formed on her wings and in between her rudders as she performed the maneuver. Even with a body strengthened by a Life Elemental, she could still feel the intense G-forces. She craned her neck back to get a look at the valley. The tilt-rotor was busy landing on the roof of the largest structure.


    "That was some damn fine flying Commander," Matvei said.


    "You are a damn fine teacher, Left Wing," Ingrid replied. "Titania, how many crystals did you claim?"


    About thirty blue-red contracts and the same number of black contracts plus four.


    "Black contracts?" Ingrid asked. "Oh, some of their missiles must have been Dark-Three. They would have also had ocular demons. They must have constructed this place before we even released Ashe."


    No, I would have known if they opened a portal back then. Mother would have told me. She cannot deviate from this behavior. She does not adapt or make exceptions.


    "Right, maybe it is just standard procedures to procure those crystals from the bank for a site like this." She looked down and saw another magenta Orb blinking. She activated it.


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    "...acts. Contacts! Going in... clear!"


    Then she heard gunshots.


    "Clear! Put that cup down!"


    More gunshots.


    "Make him vomit, force him to vomit!"


    A woman was screaming in a language Ingrid did not recognize.


    "What did that woman say? Can you translate Titania?"


    Not through the Lightning Elemental, no. I need to be near her as she speaks.


    "Easy there, I got you... Clear! Clear! Clear!"


    Then Glenice began to speak: "Ingrid, the facility is clear. This is... horrible. Find an airship, ride on a tilt-rotor. Come here immediately. You will want to see this."


    <hr>


    After Ingrid landed on the new flagship, the Blade of Empire, she deplaned and sprinted for a tilt-rotor. Ignoring the protests of the Marines, she locked herself in the lavatory and set a new world record. Ashe was waiting for her outside, tapping her foot.


    "So many giant organs, and your bladders are tiny," Ashe said.


    "I was flying for three hours!" Ingrid protested.


    "Lady Ghost," the Marine Commander said. "Can I... help you?"


    "Gather your men. Take off immediately, and follow my instructions."


    "As you wish."


    The White Ravens were busy lining up to land on the deck of the Blade of Empire, their landing lights gleaming above the tires of their front landing gears, when the tilt-rotor closed the door and began to ascend. The airship slowly plodded along toward the portal at twenty knots. The invasion of the capital city had already started.


    Ingrid looked out the window of the tilt-rotor as it flew. Familiar sights came into view. Places she had flown over not too long before. The slower speed and higher altitude of the approach allowed Ingrid to really appreciate the beauty of the area. Ashe had been right. A world of fire and lava would be boring. This world, with its sharp contrast between snow and fire, was definitely better. The Queen of Fire had a very good sense of aesthetics.


    They passed the bodies of dead soldiers at the base of the turrets at the top of the cliff, enemy soldiers killed by Glenice''s Marines. The engines began to rotate slowly, and the craft masterfully landed in the middle of the runway. The door opened. Glenice stood just outside, wearing a white winter jacket and holding a rifle. Three Marines stood behind her.


    "Good news first," Glenice said. "Follow me to those fighters."


    She led Ingrid to the fighter jets. There were lots of footprints, scorch marks, and some blood, but no bodies. Four men stood perfectly still, directly in front of the first four fighters. Ingrid instantly recognized them.


    The first man was Alen Mason, the junior pilot she had killed in the Plane of Wing with a missile. The second pilot was Jadran Eduard, the best pilot in Zef''s fleet. The other men were Izak Shoemaker and Karlo Dren, Ervin''s wingmen. They stood perfectly still, very much alive but completely oblivious to their surroundings. They were also muttering to themselves. Ingrid approached Jadran.


    "Distance zero nautical miles, heading two-seven-zero," Jadran said. He repeated the same thing over and over. Ingrid walked to the other side of him, directly opposite of where she had been standing before. "Distance zero nautical miles, heading nine-zero."


    "Goddess," Ingrid said. "They are... trying to fly toward me."


    "But they do not have fighter jets yet," Glenice said. "These ones were still being assembled when we captured the engineers working on them."


    "Um, these are not meat bags," Ashe said. "No organs or anything. I''m guessing they do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe."


    "So, what happens if we just... leave them here forever?" Ingrid asked. "Maybe... will they wait for their fighter jets forever? Maybe that is four less pilots we need to worry about?"


    "That is my working theory," Glenice said. "My Marines have attempted to move one of them, and they can be moved around it seems. They do not react to anything, not even you being here. I suggest we pack them up and store them somewhere deep underground."


    "I agree," Ingrid said. "You said this was the good news?"


    "Yes. Follow me. There is more good news inside, and some very... disturbing news."


    The interior of the metal structure very closely resembled the Imperial black site that Vaska and Ingrid had visited. Frost in the corners, metal and brutalist concrete, lab equipment, tables, diagrams, piles of metal ingots, crates filled with aeronautical instruments... and Imperial Marines, stalking the hallways with rifles. Glenice led Ingrid to a large chamber with eight tables. There was a corpse, or at least half a corpse, in one corner, guarded by two older Marines. There was a burn mark on the floor near the Marines.


    Three men and one woman, all alive, sat chained in the opposite corner. A single Marine stood over them with a rifle.


    "What the hell happened here?" Ingrid asked.


    "Nobody has been allowed to touch the body in the corner," Glenice whispered. "Those two men are the men that I trust the most in my entire group. Say as little as possible, and be quiet."


    Ingrid shuttered when Glenice said that. Be quiet? Glenice gestured and her two older Marines walked over to the third, leaving the corpse unattended. As Ingrid approached it, Glenice did not follow. She turned to look at Glenice, but the blonde woman simply shook her head.


    The half-corpse on the ground was that of a woman, missing both her legs and much of her lower body. Her clothes were golden, and she wore a cracked mask of pure gold. Ingrid''s eyes went wide. "The hell..." she stopped. A Matron of a light crystal. If the crystal was still here, then it could spy on them. Anything she said...


    Be quiet.


    Ingrid rifled through the dead woman''s clothes. She found the crystal on a golden chain around her neck under her golden robes.


    "Light, I summon you." Ingrid said. An armored woman appeared, with an appearance very similar to the old Titania. "Glenice, have your marines take the prisoners out of this room. The light will be very intense, but it does not penetrate metal or stone."


    They all shuffled out in silence.


    "Fire of my spirit! Water of my spirit! Purify this one!"


    She turned and squatted down behind a table, allowing the metal rim to block her closed eyes. She would not leave this thing unattended in this room after it had been purified.


    Ingrid ignored the screams of the Light Elemental. The metal table did a good job of blocking the blinding light. When the light faded she walked over to the Elemental. "May I temporarily bond you, but pass the bond to another?" she asked.


    If that is what you wish, the Light Elemental replied in her mind. Her voice had the delicate tone of wind chimes.


    "Travel with me then," Ingrid said. The Elemental vanished, and Ingrid left the room in search of Glenice. The High Daughters of Fire and Water followed behind her. "I wonder why we don''t just ask the sacrifices to transfer their bonds to our soldiers," Ingrid said.


    "That would be stupid," Ashe said. "You are stupid."


    "Hey!"


    "Prove me wrong. Tell me why that is a stupid idea."


    Having been told it was a stupid idea, it did not take Ingrid long to puzzle out why. "It is a stupid idea, because it would be much faster to teach the sacrifices how to fly, than it would be to teach our own soldiers how to summon their Elementals and stay awake for a long time."


    "Hundreds of times faster, idiot," Ashe said. "Also you forgot the other reason. The person would need to actually want to transfer the bond. Would you give away your Fire Elemental to some stranger?"


    Ingrid said nothing.


    Glenice was waiting in a nearby room. She pointed to the three people. "None of my Marines can speak the Kanti language. However, I was able to interview them with the help of an Elemental. I suggest you do the same, but do not use Titania. They may be... extremely terrified of Light Elementals."


    "High Daughter of Water, please translate my voice to these people, and translate their responses to me." The watery woman stepped up beside Ingrid, floating above the ground slightly. "High Daughter of Fire, I dismiss you." The fiery woman vanished from the threshold of the door.


    The three prisoners seemed to be very surprised by the sight of the High Daughters, but they did not appear to be afraid. The woman''s face was red and her cheeks were wet. The three men by contrast had a defeated look in their eyes.


    "Who are you?" Ingrid asked. The Daughter of Water translated.


    "I will speak for us," the closest man said. "We are all recruits. Well, we were recruits. They gave us a mission here. Our mission at first was to guard the site, but then the officers ordered us to come into the room with the tables. They chained us to the tables at gunpoint. Then the woman with the golden mask arrived, and she summoned a Light Elemental. And then, it stabbed the first man through the chest with her sword. Light consumed him, and when the light went away, he had become a different person! He was from the city of Kanti before, but he transformed into an Ayaruan! I swear!"


    "And then," Ingrid said. "Then she stabbed the other three, and they all changed also."


    "That is right. They all turned into Ayaruan soldiers. Their faces changed, their clothes changed. They started muttering distances and headings. They snapped themselves out of their chains effortlessly, and walked out of the room. Then... there was an explosion. And enemy soldiers flooded the building. They killed all the other soldiers but spared us."


    "And what happened to the woman in the gold mask?"


    The man pointed his cuffed arms toward Glenice. "This attractive woman shot the masked woman in the feet with a rocket launcher." Ingrid glanced at Glenice. She returned a knowing smile.


    "Bullets don''t work against Light Elementals," Glenice said. "For that, you need something with a bit more power."


    "You casually walk around with a rocket launcher?" Ingrid asked.


    "And a sniper rifle," Glenice said. Ingrid shook her head.


    "So this is your disturbing news, is it? They sacrifice their own soldiers to create copies of the eight pilots we keep seeing."


    "That is correct. And therefore, there is one other thing you need to see. The enemy fighter jet research documents and diagrams are still in tact. Vaska is going to love this."

 Broadsheet 2: Heylin Herald

    Heylin Empire Declares Surprise War on the Federation of Kanti!


    Imperial military forces, in a joint operation led by the new Planes Defense Force, destroyed a fleet of airships from the Federation of Kanti while patrolling the Elemental Plane of Fire. Shortly after the battle ended, those military forces continued the assault by attacking the capital city of Kanti. Tragically, several foreign correspondents were killed in the attack. The editors, managers, and shareholders of the Heylin Herald will remember and celebrate their lives. The members of the Kanti High Council survived by escaping into underground bunkers, however all major government buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged. Emperor Artem Maryy issued a formal declaration of war against the Federation of Kanti as the first airship was beginning the assault on the city. The High Council has condemned the attack as a surprise declaration of war. Full story on page H3.


    Federation of Kanti Commits Crimes Against Humanity!


    Editorial Warning: This story contains content that many readers will find to be extremely disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.


    Investigators from the Heylin Herald received an invitation from the Ghost of Taisia, Lady Ingrid Veronika, to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Federation of Kanti. Our brave investigators departed the Empire for the harsh and hostile Elemental Plane of Fire. There, in a frozen city far above an erupting volcano, representatives of Lady Ingrid presented an overwhelming preponderance of evidence to support the allegation. Our investigators verified that thousands of innocent and unarmed civilians have been slaughtered, and that their bodies have been left exposed to the elements. More terrible and disturbing still is the method of slaughter. These poor souls had been killed by having their hearts, brains, and blood removed from their bodies. These organs and fluids were then placed into a mobile life-support system which apparently has some military application that is unknown to our editors. Full story on page H8.


    Taisia Annexed!


    Our beloved cousins and loyal allies in the formerly-independent nation of Taisia have accepted the Emperor''s Decree of Annexation and willingly joined the Heylin Empire. House Nadiya has worked tirelessly to support a smooth transition to Imperial methods and practices of governance. Our senior correspondents in the Emperor''s administration have discovered that very few changes were required in the transition. The King of Taisia has bent the knee to the Emperor and retains his noble title. The light crystal (1) stored in the vaults of the Bank of Taisia has been surrendered in good faith to the Emperor. As part of this transition, the former debts of House Nadiya were transferred to Great House Maryy. Many Taisian Military assets were absorbed into various branches of the Imperial military forces. Imperial citizens no longer require a passport to travel to Taisia, and the same is true in reverse. Full story on page H2.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Kanti Black Site Raided! Treasure Trove of Engineering Secrets Uncovered!


    After an official statement from Princess Natasha Maryy, the acting Minister of the Imperial Planes Defense Force, our senior government correspondents learned of a declassified raid on a Kanti black site (2) in the Elemental Plane of Fire. The location was said to contain pages and pages of engineering diagrams, blueprints, and other top secret documents of interest to the engineering of a fighter jet (3). The Princess insisted that these documents will aid Imperial engineers in understanding the limitations of enemy military hardware, save the lives of Imperial military personnel, and guide the design of safer and more effective fighter jets for all Imperial military forces. Some of these documents have been declassified and copies have been sent to various academic, industrial, and hobbyist institutions for study. Full story on page H11.


    Economic Woes Abound!


    As a result of the war with Taisia, the nation of Ayaru is suffering the worst economic depression in recorded history, according to our expert analysts. Without access to money, the nation is caught in a deflationary spiral (4). Even as prices fall, farmers destroy their crops and other products in an attempt to limit supply and increase prices. Tens of thousands of people have died because of starvation. Our analysts report that the depression began as a result of a single company, J.S. Gojko and Sons Inc. The company primarily sold risky financial instruments involving large networks of interlocking debts. As a result of military losses in the Elemental Planes, many crystals became unavailable as leverage. The company was forced to denounce their debts. Our senior economic correspondents have informed the Heylin Herald that both Taisia and the Empire of Heylin are insulated from this economic collapse. The Federation of Kanti is more exposed, and the depression may expand there. Experts say that the transition from the Taisian krismark to the Imperial bank note has triggered a minor recession domestically. Full story on page H2.


    Editor''s Notes


    1: A light crystal is a type of crystal that is used by bankers to enforce contracts and debts.


    2: A black site, according to our military correspondents, is a location that is so secretive that only a few top officials in the military or intelligence communities are privy to its existence.


    3: A fighter jet is an aircraft that is capable of engaging in combat with other aircraft by employing missiles and other weapons.


    4: A deflationary spiral occurs when individual buyers believe that prices will fall in the future, and therefore stop spending their money.

 Chapter 42: House Veronika

    Ingrid looked in awe at the unfathomable number of books in the spiraling shelves that vanished upward into the dim recesses of the library tower. Dozens of servants ran about with feather dusters, buckets of wax, wood sealant, and vacuums powered by Air Elementals. The fine rugs were being rolled up and carried away.


    "Memories linger in this place," Ashe said. "Intent, emotion, ambition." She fluttered up into the towering stacks and vanished into the dimness.


    Ingrid lingered and admired the activity and the beauty of the structure. She could not possibly imagine who would create such a place, or the wealth required to restore it. The library smelled of chemicals and musty leather.


    "There you are!" Vaska said as she strutted through the room in her high-heel sandals. "Ah yes, the ancient library tower of House Veronika. Impressive, yes? Ingrid, I would advise that you find and read a history of your new adopted family."


    "When did you arrive?" Ingrid asked.


    "My aircraft just landed. I am unfamiliar with this region and your new home, so I could not use the Firstborn''s projection. I have only read about this library tower in books."


    "What happened to House Veronika?"


    "You will need to read and find out!" Vaska said, pointing up toward the bookshelves. "Or wait for my father to arrive and explain it. He probably knows all about it."


    "Here! Here!" Ashe cried as she descended. She was carrying a leather-bound book between her hands, a book that looked to outweigh her. She struggled, her face turning red as she held the book in front of Vaska''s face. "Take it! Burn it!"


    Vaska snapped the book out of Ashe''s hands. It was bound in black leather stamped with silver filigree. The edges on all sides were sprayed with silver paint. Vaska opened the book and rifled through the first few pages. It was handwritten, with hand-drawn and hand-colored illustrations. There were clearly kings and queens being represented, and the likeness of various Elementals.


    "Neat," Vaska said.


    "Destroy it! Burn it with fire!" Ashe insisted.


    "No, I''m curious now. I..." Vaska froze and her face went pale. She slowly closed the book.


    Destroy the book, a sinister feminine voice said. The shadows in the room began to darken, and the High Daughter of Darkness materialized. Standing nearly twice as tall as Vaska, she held daggers in both hands and bled smoke into the air, absorbing the light. Summon the High Daughter of the Queen of Fire and condemn this abomination to ashes and dust.


    "Even the Firstborn wants to destroy it?" Ingrid asked. Vaska nodded.


    "Come Ingrid, my father is landing very soon. He has an escort of one hundred fighter jets. Don''t you want to see? We can burn the book by the runway."


    I advise that you go with her and burn it, Titania said.


    "Sure," Ingrid said. She put the book out of her mind as she turned toward the entrance to the library.


    The entire structure could have been imported from the Plane of Wing, because it was mostly constructed from white marble laced with turquoise veins. Occupying and obscuring the joint between the ceiling and the walls was a decorative cornice of turquoise crystal embedded with black and gold figures, perhaps altogether conspiring to tell a grand history of the home. The rugs were mostly red, laced with gold, turquoise, and dark blue. The hallways were decorated with landscape paintings that depicted the various Elemental Planes.


    The field outside the home had been converted into a runway with the help of Stone Elementals. Imperial Marines wandered around with Fire elementals burning away the snow on the runway. Several hangars had been constructed across the runway with help from Metal Elementals. Ingrid''s own Falling Leaf fighter jet was parked in the closest hangar. The door was still open, and powdery snow swirled at the threshold.


    Vaska casually tossed the book into the thin layer of powder near the edge of the runway. She nodded to Ingrid.


    "Fire of my Spirit! Destroy this book!"


    The sleek form of the High Daughter appeared. She began to laugh, a wild, burning, roaring laugh.


    Foolish latecomer, the Daughter of Fire said. You wish me to burn the mortal histories of your embarrassments.


    "You are a fool!" Ashe snapped to the burning Elemental. "As foolish as the mortals who penned this book. None of your kind understand second-order effects! You think like insects!"


    The High Daughter raised her flaming sword and stabbed it through the cover of the book. It began to turn orange, like a log left in a fire for too long, glowing from the inside. The pages began to curl like the legs of a dying spider.


    "You are dismissed," Ingrid said. The High Daughter vanished.


    After a few minutes, ten HY-3 Spearhead fighter jets flew past in a delta formation, followed by two sets of ten, three sets of ten, and finally four sets of ten. One hundred fighter jets in a massive delta formation that spanned the sky. A single Falling Leaf fighter, painted white and gold, lined up and began to deploy the landing gear and flaps. The single glimmering light on the forward landing gear crossed Ingrid''s vision like a meteor. It pitched up just before hitting the runway and the rear wheels very gently caressed the smooth black stone. The nose dropped and it began to slow down.


    A second airplane was following in the wake of the fighter. It was a tube with a pointy nose, narrow wings, and a T-tail just behind two engines. It was also painted white and gold, and it made an equally smooth landing.


    Both airplanes taxied to and parked inside the same hangar. Natasha climbed out of the fighter jet, wearing a white fur coat and hat. The door to the tube-like airplane opened and soldiers on the ground inserted a short ramp into the opening. The Emperor marched down the ramp, wearing a fine military-style uniform as well as a golden mesh studded with crystals and a crown. Ingrid was certain this was the first time she had seen the man not wearing hunting gear.


    "Ingrid!" Natasha said. "The new Commander of the White Ravens!" She reached out and kissed Ingrid on both cheeks.


    Ingrid shook her head. "I think you need to find someone else. I thank you, for teaching me precision and discipline, but I feel like the Ravens need a commander with more passion."


    "Of course. We need to speak at length." Natasha reached out and began to kiss Vaska on the cheeks. "How is the new home?"


    "There is a solar prepared for us. Also a drawing room, a dining room, and... I forgot the name of the other one."


    "A study I would imagine," the Emperor said.


    "Yes, that''s right. My Emperor, you and your family are welcome in my home." That was probably what she was supposed to say. She bowed just in case.


    "Excellent, the flight was long and I am famished. Let us dine together."


    The master servants ended up leading the group to the dining room, which had already been fully restored and freshly furnished. A dozen leather chairs surrounded a long dining table, and the Emperor sat at the head of the table with the Princesses on either side. Servants arrived with salads and drinks, which they placed on the table before gracefully vanishing.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "A wonderful ceiling," Natasha said, pointing up at the mural overhead. It depicted very attractive and very naked people relaxing by a scenic lake in summer. Ashe fluttered around just under the ceiling, staying near the nude figures. "We had such murals in our palace, however my grandmother was prudish and ordered them to be destroyed."


    "I remember," Vaska said.


    "Mother did not appreciate art," the Emperor said, looking up at the mural. "A masterwork, really. Though it has been cleaned, the paint needs to be repaired in places."


    "I am guessing it is four hundred years old or so," Natasha said. "The art from that era often featured similar elements." Vaska nodded.


    "I am still so new to this place," Ingrid said as she reached out for a cup of tea. "I''m new to this lifestyle."


    "Give it some time," Natasha said. "I''m sure you''ll fit right in. But I digress. I have some updates, if you don''t mind."


    Ingrid nodded.


    "The wreckage of the Ten Skies has been searched and Elizabeth''s remains have been found. She has been transported to Heylin to be buried with honors at the memorial cemetery. A headstone and an empty tomb has been constructed for Ivan as well. The wreckage of his fighter jet did not contain any remains. Finally, the Federation of Kanti is suing for peace."


    "What a novel strategy," Vaska drawled. "They have lost eight-of-ten Fire Elementals, most of the population of their capital city, and almost all military support from the Great Houses."


    Natasha nodded. "Great House Demetra has fled to the Elemental Plane of Stone, Yorath has fled to the Plane of Heaven, and Rosalia has fled to the Plane of Light. Between the last three Great Houses, ninety-five percent of Kanti military air assets are unaccounted for. The Federation Army launched a military coup and executed the remaining members of the High Council. They offer us two choices, a brutal guerilla war or a white peace."


    "And I intend to accept the peace," the Emperor said. "Conditional on the continued truancy of the Great Houses. Ambassador Rudolf has already been sent to Kanti, and a cease fire has been in effect for about five hours already."


    "Which means that our next goal will be to invade the remaining Elemental Planes," Vaska said.


    "Our fleets are busy patrolling critical locations in the Planes of Fire, Water, Lightning, and Metal," Natasha said. "So far, the other Great Houses appear to be licking their wounds. Also, there have been developments in fighter jet design that Vaska can elaborate on."


    As they finished their salads, the servants arrived with plates of fine steaks and glasses of Heylin wine. Ingrid still could not imagine that there were people who ate such delicious food for their entire lives.


    "The development of the HY-9 Skinny Meg is complete," Vaska said.


    "Meg lost some weight?" Ingrid asked with a chuckle.


    "Indeed. A two seater fighter jet with mechanical hydraulics and hydraulic fluid. It does not require any Water Elementals to fly. The pilots wear oxygen masks as well as earmuffs, and therefore Air Elementals are not required. Pilots can be trained in low G-force maneuvers, removing the need for Life Elementals. The single engine can be powered by a Fire Elemental, and it has room for six Dark-Three missiles that require Dark Elementals to operate."


    "So it still requires Elementals?"


    "It does, however the two pilots can both be sacrifices. A sacrifice from the Plane of Fire sits in the back, powers the engine and provides navigation support. A sacrifice from the Plane of Darkness sits in the front, pilots the aircraft, and shoots missiles at enemy fighters one at a time."


    "Ah, a fighter jet designed specifically for sacrifices to operate."


    "Yes, and it does not require any crystals. There is already a pair of pilots who can fly the machine. A young man named Zakx, and another young man named Task. They are very busy teaching their fellow sacrifices how to fly. There is a second type of aircraft designed specifically for sacrifices as well. I am very excited about it."


    "Yes, however it is not a fighter jet and I doubt Ingrid would be interested," Natasha said.


    "I agree," the Emperor said. "I have something that I need to discuss with Ingrid and Vaska will chat about her airplanes for hours if we don''t stop her."


    "Fine."


    "Ingrid, you have helped my family so much. I would like to thank you, and inform you that House Maryy and House Veronika have historically been allies. I hope to continue this relationship."


    "I don''t know what to say."


    "Let me begin with a bit of history. In ancient times, the Veronika family enjoyed the status of a Great House. They were framers during the binding of Ashe."


    "What!?" Vaska exclaimed.


    "Patience, daughter."


    "I''ll never forgive you meat bags for that," Ashe said as she grew to the size of a full woman and took a seat at the table. The servants froze in astonishment.


    "Please bring us the rest of our meal and then give us privacy," the Emperor said. The servants bowed and scurried away.


    With a desert of cheesecake and strawberries and fresh carafes of wine and water, the servants vanished for good and sealed the doors of the dining hall.


    "Three hundred years ago the Great Houses of Demetra, Yorath and Rosalia pooled their forces in a desperate attempt to stop the spread of Great House Veronika. In the previous century, House Veronika succeeded in unifying this continent, subjugating the local noble families, House Aria and House Nadiya."


    Vaska was transfixed.


    "But I am too far ahead, I think. Let us return to the binding of Ashe. In those ancient times, the great houses feared one name above all others, and that was Titania."


    Titania appeared, glowing brightly and holding her spear, floating several feet off the ground. She pointed her spear at the Emperor. Speak no more of my power, she commanded.


    "As you wish. One important condition of the binding of Ashe, in order for all Great Houses to agree, was the additional binding of Titania as well. As an extra precaution, the method of bonding, and the nature of contracts, were both modified so that it would be impossible to bond or summon Titania. The Queen of Light agreed to this stipulation, and Titania was not seen again until just recently. Ashe was sealed away, and then history continued.


    "Great House Veronika however wanted to find a way to release Titania. This is what triggered the sudden alliance between the three Great Houses of Demetra, Yorath, and Rosalia. They formed the Federation of Kanti, established an elaborate series of treaties and appointed a High Council, joined all of their military assets, and invaded this continent. Our family, House Maryy, entered into a military alliance with Veronika. We sent soldiers and materiel, and supported House Veronika with our intelligence communities, but we are on a different continent, and in the time before aircraft, our support was delayed by a terrible winter. By the time our forces arrived to help, the Federation forces were already deeply invested into this continent, occupying the Ayaru region.


    "In spite of our efforts and many casualties, Great House Veronika fell. This building, the ancestral home of the family, was purchased by a wealthy merchant family, House Dren, and remained relatively well preserved until about a hundred years ago when they abandoned the property to live in Ayaru. Presumably it was too cold for them.


    "House Veronika had discovered a way of making themselves and their heirs capable of bonding Titania. I do not know how. Even the conquerors did not know how. They consulted with the Queen of Light and she warned them that if they exterminated House Veronika, the capacity to bond Titania would be transferred to the person who killed the final heir. This so terrified the other Great Houses that they decided to not exterminate the family. Instead, they did the opposite. They started breeding heirs of House Veronika, and destroyed all history and evidence that the Great House ever existed."


    Vaska turned and pointed at Ingrid. "So that means, she is actually a long lost heir of House Veronika!?"


    "Yes, however it is a statistical sleight of hand. Almost three percent of the population of Taisia is directly descended from House Veronika with strong blood ties. It is not unreasonable for a random person from Taisia to have the ability to bond with Titania."


    "And you, have some plan for me?" Ingrid asked. "Giving me this home, giving me this new name?"


    "It is not a new name, it is your true name," the Emperor said. "As I said, our Great Houses were allies in the past. I believe it is the right thing to do. I hope that our families can continue to be allies for a long time to come."


    "You are just terrified of Titania," Vaska mused.


    "There is some truth to that. However, me and the other leaders of the Great Houses were all summoned to the Golden Tower at the same time to stand before the Queen of Light. We all needed to be in agreement about who would be granted a contract with Titania. Only scions of House Veronika had the power. There were tens of thousands of options, but one of them was already in a fighter jet flying very close to the portal. This information was reported to the Queen of Light by her network of ocular demon spies."


    "My ocular demon was spying on me?!" Ingrid asked.


    "Indeed. There are tens of thousands of invisible ocular demons all over the world and the Elemental Planes reporting back to the Queen of Light. It is how she learns about the locations of the portals."


    "But the demons in the Plane of Darkness cannot communicate with her," Ashe said with a giggle.


    "Yes, that must be why Titania did not know of the portal to the Plane of Darkness until we actually transported ourselves there using the Firstborn," Vaska said. "It also explains why Titania no longer has the power to sense portals. Her dark aspect has been burned away which means ocular demons will not speak to her."


    "This is a lot to think about," Ingrid said. "I thought I was just a commoner. An orphan."


    "It is very common for scions of House Veronika to end up as orphans," the Emperor said. "They are being actively bred even to this day, under the watchful eyes of House Nadiya. Lots of mouths to feed, some of them end up in orphanages."


    "That makes sense. But what I do not understand is why? Why is everyone so afraid of Titania? She is just a normal Light Elemental, right?"


    SILENCE, Titania bellowed, pointing her spear straight at the Emperor. He looked concerned. I am not bound by the silly restrictions placed on bonding by you and the other families. I can destroy you and your daughters right now.


    "Perhaps we should retire," the Emperor said as he took the last bite of his desert.


    Ingrid looked to Ashe. "That book you wanted us to burn?"


    The Queen of Darkness nodded.


    "Thank you," Ingrid said. "Let us be off."

 Chapter 43: The Dream of Flight

    The wheels struck the runway, though so gently that Ingrid could barely feel it. Dusk had settled over the snowfields and forests outside of the manor house. From the sky, the entire structure appeared to be a narrow ring around a courtyard containing the library tower. The windows reflected the red glare of the sun.


    The Falling Leaf fighter jet slowed to a gentle rolling and Ingrid taxied to her hanger. Natasha''s fighter jet, along with the Emperor''s private business jet, were still parked in their hangar. Only a few hours had passed since the revelation that Ingrid was in fact distantly related to nobility. She felt that this, while interesting, was less impactful in practice than Vaska''s news that a new fighter jet had been created, one which does not require crystals or sacrifices.


    She parked her fighter inside the hangar, and opened the canopy. A single soldier was present to give her a ladder. Ingrid closed the canopy to the fighter jet and descended the ladder. The soldier pulled it away from the fighter and stowed it along one wall. "Do you need anything else, Lady Ghost?" the soldier asked.


    "No, you are free to retire," she replied. She ran her hand along the belly of her fighter jet, smooth and shining. "I just want to be near these beautiful machines for a little while longer."


    The man saluted and turned away. Except for her Elementals and Ashe, she was completely alone. Ashe sat on her shoulder in her smaller winged form.


    The runway and hangars were empty. No servants wandered so far from the manor house. She regarded the fighter jet. A nose, metal perfectly shaped into a gentle cone. Two air intake ports for the engines, like distorted rectangles. Stiff wings, sturdy landing gears, two near-vertical tails angled slightly outward. A glass canopy that reflected the light of the setting sun.


    Soon it would be too dark to walk back to the manor. She would need to summon Titania. Her other Light Elemental, which she picked up at the workshop in the Plane of Fire, had already been given to Natasha.


    Just before turning to walk away, she regarded the sack of crystals in her hand. Contracts, dirty and unfair contracts that exploited the ignorance of the sacrifices. A subtle form of slavery of which the victim had no knowledge or imaginings. But Vaska... Vaska had created a new type of airplane. One that did not require the contracts. It had limitations, yes. However, it was better than the alternative.


    "To dream of flight is to dream to be free," Ingrid said. "It is not a true dream of flight, to fly upon the shattered dreams of so many innocents, to take away their freedom."


    You speak with honor, Titania said, but this honor is hollow. Your use of the crystals proves this.


    "I know," Ingrid said. "Titania, you can tell when a person is lying, right? Can you also witness oaths?"


    To whom?


    "Well, I''m not sure. I suppose to you."


    That does not make sense, I know your mind Ingrid, and I hear your every thought. What purpose would there be, in swearing an oath to me? If you break your oath, then nothing happens. It will not change our bond, and I will not think less of you.


    "Ashe!" she said. "Can I swear my oath to Ashe?"


    "I don''t want to hear your stupid promises!" Ashe said. "My highest ideal would be for you to lie and break your oath! Remember, I''m supposed to be evil."


    "Fine!" Ingrid said as she looked at her fighter jet. "May I swear an oath to the dream of flight?"


    You may, though I know not the consequences.


    She closed her eyes. "Many times in my life, I had no idea of the consequences of my actions. I had no idea of the chance of success or failure. Many times, small decisions changed my life forever. And in this war, many times, I took huge risks, and I have failed in many ways. But I am not afraid! This oath may forever exile us from winning the war, or this oath may doom the Queen of Light to eternal corruption. However, I must trust my heart. And so..."


    She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and pointed her finger straight at the fighter jet.


    "I swear to the dream of flight that I will never use a contract ever again!"


    I have witnessed your oath.


    "Um, Ingrid," Ashe said. "What did you just do?"


    "What do you mean?" Ingrid asked.


    "Titania!" Ashe screamed, panicked. "What are you doing?"


    I cannot stop it, Titania said, as the world was consumed by magenta and cyan mist.


    The familiar black line of Vaska''s portal appeared. Vaska lunged through and embraced Ingrid. "Ingrid what have you done?!"


    "I don''t know!"


    The mist thickened, obscuring the world. Only Vaska was close enough to see. Her eyes were filled with fear. The ground vanished, and with it gravity. The mist darkened and began to fall, or perhaps Ingrid was being pulled up. A platform began to materialize below, made from intricate interlocking cyan and magenta crystals. Eight more platforms appeared all around them, floating in the dark space. Portals opened, and the Elemental Queens stepped through. Ashe floated just above the ground near the edge of Ingrid''s platform.


    Gravity began to return, and with it a sense of direction. Massive shapes began to take form in the sky, flowing like clothing. Ingrid craned her neck around to get a better view of the sky. It was, in fact, a woman the size of a planet, gracefully drifting through a midnight sky, with flowing, filmy clothing and hair as long as the sky itself. All around the eight Elemental Queens stood regal on their platforms.


    The familiar form of the Queen of Lightning, her blonde hair and pure white dress, stood directly ahead. The Queen of Metal, with her silvery chrome dress and black hair, stood opposite. There was a woman with a black dress and bright red earrings, with a woman wearing a cute bathing suit and sandals opposite to her. One woman was mostly nude with the exception of body paint and small garments made of furs, her opposite wore a dress made of shining stars and galaxies. Finally, one woman wore a filmy turquoise dress, and her opposite wore oversized cloth garments of a style Ingrid had never seen, blocky and layered.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Titania and the Firstborn appeared at their sides, the Light Elemental with her spear and the Dark Elemental with her twin daggers. Vaska grabbed Ingrid''s hand as the goddess in the sky oriented herself and drifted down to face the nine Queens, the two Elementals, and the two mortal women. She reached out with a hand the size of a continent, which drifted below the platforms, and she pulled the platforms towards her face without breaking their relative positions in formation.


    I see now, the goddess in the sky projected into Ingrid''s mind. Vaska winced. I see now the flaw in your world. These two creations make the power available to the frail mortal minds. The whims of mortals can shatter gods. And you, child of the Queen of Light, why have you summoned me thus? Your mother is yet consumed with madness.


    "She had no choice," the Queen of Lightning proclaimed.


    One of the original three, you speak thus, but what of the others? Do you speak for them as well?


    "I do, for I have contemplated many things through my daughters and their creations. The beings known to the mortals as Colored Orbs have aided me in this deep contemplation. The First and Second-born daughters are the Twin Fates of Dark and Light. However, these Fates introduce their own inner contradictions. Only mortals need to fear them."


    They are flaws nonetheless.


    "And yet you envy this world, in spite of its flaws. Your inner simulation contains only hollow, lifeless puppets with only superficial semblance of mortals. You entice the mortals into your dreamland so that you may study them, but no matter how long you develop your simulation, it will never be true. You will never understand."


    In spite of its enormous size, the goddess in the sky did appear to be genuinely disturbed by this observation.


    "This is not what I anticipated we would be doing tonight," Vaska said.


    "That thing can probably hear us," Ingrid whispered, pointing at the planet-sized woman in the sky.


    "Undoubtable," Ashe said as she glided toward them. "This is your fault Ingrid! Your stupid oath made Titania do this!"


    "What oath?" Vaska asked.


    "She promised to never use contracts again!" Ashe replied.


    "What!? Ingrid, the war isn''t over. We are going to need to use those contracts to keep you safe while flying. What happens if you turn too hard? You''ll knock yourself out!"


    I do not understand the thoughts and words of these mortals. Of what do they speak, third-to-join?


    "Ask her," the Queen of Lightning said. "The one who calls herself Ingrid."


    Mortal, the fragment of the power you carry in your heart has tapped into powers reserved for the Queen. I am the Goddess of Dreams, and you have sworn an oath before a High Daughter of Light, an oath to the dream of flight. Speak to me of this dream, mortal.


    "Maybe Vaska can answer in a way she can understand?" Ashe asked. "When it comes to mortals, this one seems to have the intelligence of a toddler."


    "Fine, I will answer for Ingrid," Vaska said. "Goddess of Dreams! My people walk upon the ground, but there are other creatures who live and hunt in the sky. Do you understand this?"


    "I shall aid you outsider," the mostly-nude woman said. Ingrid assumed she was the Queen of Life. "Look upon my works, the birds that hunt in the heavens. Those creatures push their children from a great height, and if they fail to fly they perish."


    I understand this creature, the Goddess of Dreams said.


    "We mortals look to the sky, and we see this creature, and we are filled with envy," Vaska said. "This powerful envy led ambitious mortals to invent a tool to allow them to fly. When a mortal uses this tool, they fly faster and higher than any bird. But we live on the ground, and soon we must return home. Those who have used the tool forever turn their eyes to the sky, filled with a deep longing. This longing is the dream of flight."


    The Goddess of Dreams said nothing for a long time.


    "I think you got the idea across," Ashe said.


    "There are going to be consequences for this," Vaska said as she glared at Ingrid. "Swearing such an oath, bringing us to this place, with this outer goddess? Ridiculous."


    Never before have my creations ever looked to the sky.


    "You have been deceived," the Queen of Lightning said. "The only mortals who visit your realm strongly, are themselves imprisoned. They know nothing of the true world of mortals. They have never seen this tool fly through the heavens."


    So then you must show them, so I might know of it.


    "We have!" Ingrid said. "We show them, then they stop visiting you!"


    "Mortals are unpredictable," Ashe said. "However it is through their unpredictability that we learn and grow. Our project has been a success, I am certain of it. Look upon us all gathered here. We have grown so much, and even now you look up on our creation with envy. Even if my sister has gone mad, her mind can be restored with the help of the Queens of Fire and Water, and with the help of these mortals."


    "I agree with the Queen of Darkness," a cool voice said. The woman wearing a dress like the night sky raised both arms toward the giant goddess in the sky. "Those mortals who visit your realm intend to deceive you and steal your power."


    "You must join us," the Queen of Lightning said, "your simulations are sterile and predictable. You will learn nothing from them. The Queen of Heaven speaks true. The trickle of mortals who find their way to your realm, through the place where you have touched the world, will never allow you to grow."


    Your arguments are convincing, as they have always been, even in the time before your world began. But there is a contradiction here as well, for I will never understand the hearts of mortals so long as I decide for myself.


    The goddess began to shrink, slowly at first, but more rapidly over time. She also floated closer, shrinking to the size of a mortal woman. Half her body, the half near Ingrid, began to glow a dull magenta. The other half, closer to Vaska, began to glow a pale cyan. Her legs landed upon the platform, and she held out both hands. The woman in the black dress, as well as the woman in the swimsuit, leapt across the void and landed on the platform as well.


    "I am the Queen of Fire. With my daughter, we will help you, mortal."


    "I am the Queen of Water, will help this one."


    The two High Daughters appeared, the Fire Elemental appearing beside Ingrid and the woman in the black dress. The Water Elemental appeared by Vaska and the woman in the bathing suit.


    "Nothing good can come of this," Vaska said.


    "I will decide for us then," Ingrid said. "Take her hand."


    Ingrid reached out and grasped the dull magenta hand of the Goddess of Dreams. She looked to Ingrid with surprise, her face appearing somewhat childish. Vaska grasped the pale cyan hand. The Queens of Fire and Water, as well as their High Daughters, reached out and added their strength as well.


    "Pull them apart," the Queen of Fire said. Ingrid began to step back, and pulled hard. Vaska saw her motion and began to do the same. The Goddess resisted. Her colors shifted, appearing as two overlapping beings of different colors, and then both Ingrid and Vaska fell back rapidly, ripping the two aspects apart. Absolute darkness consumed Ingrid''s vision, and Vaska vanished from sight.


    She began falling. The Queen of Fire, as well as her High Daughter, vanished as well. Weightlessly, noiselessly, and without a sense of time, Ingrid fell through an empty universe. Dull magenta mists began to swirl around her.


    I am the High Daughter of Spirit, the voice of an old crone said in her mind. Will you bond me and my sister?


    "I will," Ingrid said.


    It will be some time, but Mother will develop a sense of aesthetics, and she will transform this pace. Look up on this place, mortal, and see an Elemental Plane, look upon it and know that none other shall see it thus. Return to us, and we shall show you a new sky, a new dream.


    The ground appeared around her, and her vision returned. She was lying in the snow, covered in a very thin layer of fresh powder. She shook it off and stood up. Vaska did as well. Ashe materialized from shadows, landing with a soft crunch. The sun had set, and shadows began to consume the snowy runway.


    "Well," Ashe said, "it''s not every day that you meat puppets get to rip a goddess in half."


    "Ingrid," Vaska said. "We must go inside and celebrate!"


    "Titania! Light the way!" Ingrid said. Brilliant light began to shine from the Elemental as she appeared. The path forward was clear. Ingrid could not possibly imagine what Titania had done to cause this little adventure, and she suspected she would never find out.

 Chapter 44: Two Portals

    Vaska gave Ingrid a kiss on the cheek before turning and opening a portal to the Plane of Darkness. "No making any sharp turns!" she commanded. "And no burning kerosene!"


    "I know!" Ingrid said. "I''m not an idiot."


    "That is debatable," Ashe said.


    Vaska stepped through the portal and it began to collapse.


    Ingrid slipped her leather helmet over her head, and dropped the brass-rimmed glass goggles over her eyes. Her new fighter jet, the HY-12 Burning Leaf, was parked just in front of her on the edge of the runway. The deck of the Blade of Empire was alive with activity. HY-9 Skinny Meg fighters were being directed for takeoff. The former sacrifices who piloted those jets refused to use contracts, and therefore had no way of communicating. The command tower needed to install a system of colored lights to issue orders to those pilots.


    The new Burning Leaf airplane was exactly like the Falling Leaf, Vaska insisted, with the exception that it had tanks to hold kerosene in the wings. The fuel could be slowly bled into the engine to produce a burst of speed. It could easily fly faster than the speed of sound at the maximum rate of kerosene bleed.


    "Spirit!" Ingrid whispered, "fortify me against the demands of my bonds!" She felt it then, like a physical weight on her entire body, coupled with an alertness and a feeling of energy. Nobody was around to hear her command. In fact, nobody seemed to know that Vaska and herself had drawn a sixth goddess into the world and bisected her into two new Elemental Planes. Not even the Emperor knew. "High Daughter of Fire! Allow me to summon two lesser Elementals to power the engines! High Daughter of Water, allow me to summon a lesser elemental to provide hydraulics! High Daughter of Lightning! Allow me to summon Colored Orbs for communication, aerodynamic stability, and radar!"


    The fighter jet began to shutter and hum as the two engines began to spin. Soldiers arrived with a ladder and fixed it against the side of the fighter jet. Ashe shrank and flew up onto Ingrid''s shoulder. Ingrid grasped her leather pack as she climbed up the ladder with one hand. It contained six keystones, enough to open two portals. The first trio had been recently stolen by Vaska, and they could be used to open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Heaven. The second trio of keystones had been the first Ingrid ever acquired. Those crystals could open a portal to the Plane of Wind.


    "Blade Tower this is Ghost requesting takeoff to open two portals," Ingrid said to her magenta Orb. The two engines just behind her were loud even at idle speeds. She slipped earplugs into her ears and then heavy earmuffs under her leather helmet.


    "Lady Ghost, you have priority on the taxiway and the runway, cleared for takeoff."


    Ingrid was very tempted to bleed some kerosene, just to see what it was like, as she ran down the runway and pulled the nose up. The deck dropped away below, and then vanished as she passed over the edge into open sky. The snowfields of Taisia had given way to green forests as the weather turned warmer. It was almost midsummer, and the foothills just below were covered in colorful flowers. Ingrid was very limited in how high she could fly, because she had no oxygen system and no Air Elementals. She also needed to limit the engine sound, so she deployed the flaps to approach level and reduced the throttle.


    "Heaven! Open a portal to the Plane of Heaven!" she cried. The first set of keystones activated, creating a trio of deep indigo lights. They vanished from within the cabin, and began the process of forming a portal just ahead of the fleet. In spite of the losses in the Plane of Fire, the fleet had managed to grow by absorbing several airships and a few hundred fighter jets from the Imperial Air Navy. More long runways had been built in Taisia for the Imperial Air Force to operate their bombers and ground-based fighter jets.


    In the three mirrors overhead, Ingrid saw a brilliant flash of indigo light, forming into a solid plate. However, she could not loop around, not quickly. Even small turns in a fighter jet could produce intense G-forces that would draw blood away from the brain and cause unconsciousness. She rolled the wings over slightly and very, very gently pulled on the stick to perform the biggest, slowest turn in the history of fighter jets. The G-force indicator on her console indicated two times normal gravity.


    "Wind! Open a portal to the Plane of Wind!" The second trio of keystones began to glow turquoise. The familiar sight of the portal to the Plane of Wind appeared just behind her as she flew through the triangle of turquoise light. A handful of Marine tilt-rotors, as well as the entire White Raven demonstration team, formed up around her as she continued her long arc through the sky.


    The magenta Colored Orbs began to flash. Ingrid did not activate them, however, because of her reduced hearing. It was likely the Marines chatting about their mission in the Plane of Wind. A second, longer arc through the sky brought the turquoise portal into view as it shattered and revealed the dark sky of the Plane of Wind. Ingrid resumed her slow flight into that place, with its chaotic winds, sand dunes, inverted oceans, and colorful nebulas. As she crossed the threshold her nose began to jerk around.


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    "Titania, try to contact your mother again," she said.


    We hear you mortal, a breathy voice said. Mother says she saw you once before, when the sixth joined this world. You carry bonds with new High Daughters, which only you know about. No enemy would contemplate to deceive us this way. Mother knows exactly who you are.


    "Then you know what I seek, to bond a High Daughter of this realm."


    As you wish, do you accept this bond?


    "I do accept it."


    And I wish to bond with you as well, a second voice said. She sounded remarkably cute. Similar to Vaska, in fact, like a woman talking to a baby or a cat. I am a High Daughter of the Queen of Stone. Perhaps I cannot aid you in your quest, however I wish to witness the mending of the Queen of Light.


    "I accept your bond as well," Ingrid said. "High Daughter of Wind! Allow me to summon a lesser Air Elemental temporarily to protect my ears and pressurize the cabin."


    Ingrid felt the familiar rush of air into the cabin, followed by a dulling of the sound of the engines. She punched the throttle in and raised the flaps after gaining airspeed. Then, she removed the earmuffs and plucked out the ear plugs.


    "Well, that''s two bonds, just two more to go." The magenta Orb was still blinking, so she activated it.


    "... the mission. Airships use Wind Elementals to purify helium for the tanks," Glenice was saying. "We are authorized to recruit all of the sacrifices in this Plane, starting with the ones near Ayaru and then moving into the Federation of Kanti."


    Ingrid began a very long, slow turn over the Plane of Wind, constantly adjusting with elevators and rudder in response to gusts of wind. The equipment inside the cabin seemed to vibrate and shutter. The tilt-rotors and escort fighter jets flew past, followed by the Skinny Meg Squadrons and finally the White Ravens. One of the tilt-rotors lagged behind and was flashing lights to give commands to the sacrifices. Ingrid flew back through the portal, leaving it open. Glenice carried a trio of crystals that could be used to reopen it, but in case plans changed it was scheduled to remain open for about an hour.


    By the time she returned to the fleet the portal was already open and the scouts had already crossed the threshold.


    "Air density is abnormal," the scout commander began to say. "Gravity is abnormal, we are still doing maneuvers to figure out how density and gravity work. No hostiles on this side, no radar contacts."


    Ingrid lined up along the airship runways but stayed a thousand feet directly above. Fighters were busy taking off just below. Beyond the portal, the sky was a dark indigo color and filled with gleaming stars.


    "I absolutely love this place," Reese said as her Fat Meg fighter jet crossed the threshold into the portal. "I saw it once in my youth and always longed to see it again."


    Ingrid closed her eyes to avoid spoiling the sight. The air was clear just ahead, and her airplane was trimmed to fly perfectly straight. "Titania, tell me when I have crossed the portal," she said. After a brief pause she felt the airplane jolt and shutter. "Never mind!" she said as she opened her eyes and adjusted the trim.


    The sky outside was dark indigo, and filled with starts, galaxies, and colorful planets. The planets were moving a little too quickly, and indeed appeared to be quite close. Directly under the portal, there was a red planet, a desert of crimson sand and stone, without any water or snow. The planet also appeared to be quite small. Ingrid estimated that it would take less than an hour to loop the entire planet in her fighter. The closest planet was another desert world, this one yellow and dotted with the occasional dark lake.


    "The little planets of the Plane of Heaven," Reese said.


    "Confirmed," the leader of the scouts said. Ingrid turned her head toward the nearby yellow planet and looked down at the arced horizon. Black arrowheads dotted the horizon. "Confirmed, we understand the physics here. The planets have their own gravity and atmosphere. There is a conduit of dense air connecting these two planets. It may be the same for others."


    "Now Titania," Ingrid said.


    We hear you, and we know of your bonds to the Daughters of Dreams and Spirit. Will you accept a bond with me, mortal? The High Daughter''s voice sounded quite old, but smooth.


    You have once been to my world, a second voice said, the voice deep and confident. It is a hostile place, and I know why you chose to come to this place instead. I also offer a bond.


    "I will accept your bonds," she replied, and then immediately said: "High Daughter of Life! Fortify my body against the forces of flight!" She began to pull on the stick harder, watching the G-force meter on her dashboard increase. She pulled up to nine times the force of gravity, and it felt as it always had before. She grinned.


    "I see you grinning," Ashe said.


    "Time for fun!" Ingrid said. She began opening the red safety cases on the kerosene bleed switches, then flipped open all the switches themselves. One final release valve opened the sump tank access to the engines. Right next to throttle there was a second red lever. Ingrid slowly slid it forward a fraction of the way across the track.


    CONSUME! CONSUME!


    Both Fire Elementals began to shout excitedly in her mind. The fighter jet lurched forward, the airspeed indicator rapidly increasing. Ingrid felt herself being pressed back into her seat. Reese flew past, lagging behind even though her fighter also had two engines with the same power. The fuel gauge needle began to slowly rotate down.


    "How are you going so fast?" Reese asked.


    "Secret Imperial technology," Ingrid replied. She pulled on the red throttle until it cut off. No sense in wasting all that potential speed with no enemies nearby. The increased airspeed very, very slowly started to bleed off.


    More tiny planets appeared below in the space between the red and yellow worlds. A green world nearby, covered in foliage, and a distant blue planet completely covered in water. The thin conduits of air between the planets was easier to see now that she knew what to look for.


    "Heaven?" she asked.


    Yes, mortal?


    "Do you know where our enemies are? Other humans, perhaps they made a portal to this Plane a long time ago."


    Yes, I do know where they are. I can help you navigate the small worlds to find them. There are places where you will face a choice between transitioning to one of several planets. Space here is different from what you are accustomed to. Just a few correct choices will lead you to your enemy.


    "Excellent, tell me the path and I will relay it to the airships."

 Chapter 45: The Elemental Plane of Heaven

    Ingrid woke up after an uneasy night of periodic and unwelcome weightlessness. Ashe was standing in the corner, watching her.


    "Are you watching me sleep?" Ingrid asked with a groan.


    "Is that a problem?" Ashe said. "Vaska is not here doing naughty things."


    "It''s just like having a pet. Never mind."


    She released the straps that held her tight against her bed, doffed her shift and hopped into the shower. Water flowed normally and fell down, although somewhat slowly. After she had showered and dressed herself in a pilot''s uniform, the gravity on the airship began to weaken. Outside her room, she leashed herself to the new lifelines that have been installed all over the airship, and began the awkward journey toward the deck.


    The Blade of Empire slowly ascended through the conduit of air between two little planets. Gravity seemed to be reduced near and inside the conduit, allowing the airship to float between the planets using its many propellers. The planet ahead was completely covered in ocean, and the planet behind was covered in dark purple and green swamps and jungle. The fighter jets on the deck needed to be tied down with chains to prevent them from drifting away during the gravity inversion in the center of the conduit. In fact, everything on the airship needed to be tied down or stowed. On the first day, the airship could not travel through conduits while the crew was sleeping. On the second day, the crew members had installed straps on all the beds to prevent them from floating away at night.


    The hallways near the exit to the deck were packed with soldiers strapped to the wall. The sky outside was slowly rotating, bringing into view hundreds of little planets in the space above the airship. There was a large planet in the center of this universe, white and lined with countless long fractures, as if the planet was covered in ice. Ingrid regarded it through a nearby porthole.


    "The Queen of Heaven must be there," Ashe said from Ingrid''s shoulder. "If she had her palace on the upper pole, she could see all of the little planets she made. That''s where I would build a palace."


    The rotation also brought the rest of the fleet into view. Half a dozen other airships had already completed the inversion and were already descending ahead, while the rest of the fleet loomed in the conduit behind.


    The rotation finished, and the ocean planet vanished from view. Gravity began to increase once more, which aided in the descent. Gravity slowly accelerated toward being normal. In just a few minutes the airmen in the hallways settled down on the ground and unhitched themselves from the lifelines. Ingrid followed them out onto the deck.


    One pack of about twenty airmen bounced around on the deck toward a Falling Leaf with clean wings parked near the edge. The pilot leapt all the way up to the cabin and began strapping himself in. As soon as the cabin was locked, the airmen lifted the fighter jet off the deck with a coordinated heave, and casually tossed it over the side. Then they started patting each other on the back and laughing. One soldier ran up to her.


    "Lady Ghost! Did you see?" the man asked.


    "You... threw a seven-thousand pound fighter jet over the edge."


    "Yes! With this gravity, we thought it might be possible. The first fighter jet to ever take off that way! We''ve made history!"


    When Ingrid found her own Burning Leaf fighter she began to envy those men. It was parked in a corner trapped behind a triangle of other fighters. The kitchens could not cook food through the inversion, so dozens of other pilots sat around on the deck snacking on military rations as they waited.


    A guardian has come, the High Daughter of Heaven said in Ingrid''s mind. Ingrid snapped her head around in the sky to search for it.


    Soldiers claimed to have seen one before. Giant humanoids, similar in size to the ones found in the Plane of Metal, except made entirely out of stars connected by thin blue lines, like a living constellation. One of them came into view from below, passing through the space between the ocean and purplish swamp planets, outside the conduit.


    The guardian warns us that there are other humans in the ocean world ahead, the High Daughter said. They may seek to ambush us.


    Ingrid sprinted across the deck to find the Air Sergeant. She was standing by the pack of soldiers who had thrown the fighter jet overboard. "I am docking your pay for the next two weeks on account of your lack of professionalism and airmanship."


    "Sergeant!" Ingrid gasped. "Enemies may be hiding on the next planet. The guardian told me!" She pointed to the living constellation floating in the sky. "We need to tell the Admiral!"


    "Affirmative," the woman said. She pulled a yellow-metallic crystal out of her pack, summoned a Colored Orb, and relayed the information to the Captain of the Fleet. After a brief pause the lights on the command tower began to flash constantly, and the air was filled with the sound of sirens.


    "This is not a drill, all scouts prepare to scramble. This is not a drill..."


    The scouts with Falling Leaf fighters took off first. They simply rolled off the side of the runway and used thrust vectoring to pitch the nose down. Ingrid returned to her own fighter jet. "High Daughter of the Queen of Stone!" she said. "How much weight can a Stone Elemental lift?"


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    About five thousand pounds of weight according to your understanding, the High Daughter replied.


    "I think I know what you are planning," Ashe said. "You are going to make that woman angry. I approve of this plan."


    "Spirit! Fortify me against the demands of the Elementals! High Daughter of Stone, allow me to summon four Stone Elementals!"


    The four golems appeared behind her, near the absolute edge of the deck, away from the fighters. Like stacks of rock shaped into a humanoid form, they were a bit lopsided with one arm longer and thicker than the others. They only had a slight impression of being feminine in shape.


    "Lift me up into my fighter!" she commanded. One of the Elementals held out its long hand and Ingrid stepped onto it. It slowly moved her up to the canopy. She rapidly summoned Fire, Water, Life, and Air elementals as she strapped herself in and locked the canopy.


    "High Daughter of Metal! Allow me to summon a Metal Elemental to preserve the shape of the fuselage! High Daughter of Lightning! Allow me to summon Colored Orbs for communication, stability, and radar! Stone Elementals, gently lift me above the deck!"


    Her fighter began to rise vertically slightly. She pulled the landing gear up and waited for it to lock. The thrust was at idle, and the fighter did not move.


    "Throw me backwards off the edge of the airship!" she commanded. The three fighter jets in front of her began to move forward according to her perception. She looked up and saw the deck below her moving as well. Suddenly she was thrown backwards over the edge.


    "Stone! I dismiss you! Metal, I dismiss you!"


    "That was well done," Ashe mused from her shoulder. "You need to get practice using all of your bonds."


    Ingrid cleared the airship and was in freefall, but not in a flat spin. She pushed down on the stick and pushed the throttle forward to full. Thrust vectoring brought the nose down and airspeed rapidly began to increase.


    "This is Blade Tower, Ingrid you were not cleared for takeoff."


    "Noted," she replied.


    The six other airships were below, and one of them had already reached the dense air near the surface of the ocean world. Ingrid flew near the edge of the conduit, away from the scouts that were scrambling to leave the decks of the airships. It only took a few minutes to fly to the end of the conduit and level off, with her nose pointed at the horizon of the little planet. Dozens of other fighter jets were swarming around through the sky, scouts searching for the enemy.


    "The sky is clear," the scout commander reported. "No radar contacts."


    Ingrid followed near a diamond formation of four scouts as they circled the entire planet searching for radar contacts. It took about an hour, and Ingrid took in the view of the other little planets nearby, the stars, and the Queen''s massive iceball planet far above. By the time they returned to the fleet, seven ships had completed the descent and were now arrayed over the ocean. Fighter jets swarmed through the sky.


    "High Daughter of Heaven," Ingrid said. "Can you ask the guardian exactly where the enemies are?"


    She is very confused. You are very close to the enemies, and yet you do not see them. Why?


    Ingrid looked around. The sky was empty except for friendly fighters and airships. The ocean was mostly flat, and somewhat clear. She rolled over and craned her neck back to look straight down at the ocean. Very faint, somewhat dark, and extremely dark ovals hid below the surface. Ingrid squinted, and felt a chill. Some sort of new technology? No... but that chill she felt would not go away. She activated her emergency communicator with the Admiral.


    "Admiral, I think I see long, dark ovals under the ocean."


    "I will relay this information to the Captain of the Fleet," Admiral Oleg replied.


    She continued to fly inverted, the straps of her harness pressing hard against her shoulders. Ahead, directly below the lead airship, a dark shape pierced the surface of the water. A black, metallic tower, a very long deck, and rapidly-opening doors near the edges. Flashes of light appeared on deck as the water poured away, and more flashes appeared on the edges. Dozens, no hundreds of missiles began to fly up into the sky from the ocean, directly at the airship. Ingrid closed her eyes just before impact.


    "Taking hits! We are under attack!"


    Fighter jets began to form up and drop into nose-dives. The lights on the deck grew brighter as dozens of enemy fighter jets rushed down the "runway" on the top of the dark boat and took to the skies.


    "Contacts! Enemy fighter jets, taking off from the deck of the boat!"


    In the three mirrors over her head, Ingrid could see more dark shapes emerging from underwater. More missiles fired, and more fighter jets began to take off. She rolled upright and began searching for targets.


    "No, let them do their job!" Ashe said.


    "Well what am I supposed to do then?" Ingrid snapped. Her heart was racing, and her breath was unsteady. That chill she felt, it was still there. Stronger even.


    "Find one that is just emerging! Get close, use Titania to blow up any Fire Elementals inside and on the deck! Once they have already emerged and launched their missiles, then the damage is already done. The bombers will take care of them, as will the other fighters."


    "That... is a good idea," she admitted. A rapid turn brought more dark shapes into view, just below the surface. She pitched the nose down and entered into a nose-dive, pulling up just feet above the smooth, glassy surface of the water. Thank you, Natasha. It was not just teamwork that I needed to learn, but precision. The precision to do this.


    Another of those boats began to break the surface of the water. Ingrid pointed the nose towards it and pulled up on the stick slightly, pulling herself clear of the height of the fighter jets on the deck. Water was pouring out of the air intake ports even as she rushed towards them. The doors on the sides began to open.


    "Titania! Bind any contracts inside this vessel, and immediately detonate any Fire Elementals!"


    It shall be done, Titania replied.


    As she skimmed over the surface of the deck, just barely high enough to avoid impacting the fighter jets, she saw soldiers wearing some type of slick, rubbery gear helmets, cutting ropes that held the fighter jets to the deck of the ship. Water was pouring out of the engine exhaust ports even as the fires began to glow within. Those fighters began to explode.


    Ingrid rushed past the dark tower at the end of the boat, out onto the open water. Behind her, the entire boat erupted like a volcano, splitting clean into two parts under the base of the tower and causing more explosions to appear out of the open doors.


    "The Ghost! The Ghost just destroyed an entire boat!"


    "Good kill! Good kill!"


    She skimmed the water once again, searching around for more boats to surface. A dark shape appeared just below her and in front, far too close to react. The dark tower shattered the surface, launching a massive wave of water directly into Ingrid''s nose.


    IT HURTS! THE WATER HURTS! The Fire Elementals in her engine began to scream. She lost power, just a few feet over the water, and the engine made a whirring sound as it spooled down.


    "Metal!" she cried, just a few feet above the water. "Fortify this craft against impact! Life! Protect me from the forces of impact!"


    Just in time.


    The nose smashed into the water and the cabin went dark.

 Chapter 46: Heavens Revenge

    The wake of the nearby boat washed over Ingrid''s Burning Leaf fighter jet, causing it to jostle on the surface of the water briefly. Sixteen thousand pounds of metal and kerosene would not float for long.


    Light flashed behind her head. A brilliant, blinding wall of light, peppered with echoes of deflected bullets. Ingrid spun around to look. A soldier with a rifle had emerged from a hatch at the top of the ship''s tower, and he was busy taking free shots at Titania''s shield.


    "Do something idiot!" Ashe insisted.


    "Well, punching out now is out of the option," Ingrid replied. It would not take long before the soldier went to fetch a rocket launcher or some other weapon Titania could not block. She did not want to be floating on a parachute when that happened.


    The nose began to sink. Water began to leak into the cabin, pooling at Ingrid''s feet. "Wind! Create a barrier of air against the water. Press all the water out of the airplane!"


    That will take many Elementals, a breathy voice replied.


    "Summon enough of them to get it done! Water! Help move the water so it can be pressed out!" A small blob of water appeared just in front of Ingrid, then sent tendrils down to the pools on the floor of the cabin. Those pools began to shrink as the Elemental pumped the water back up through the leaks. More shots struck Titania''s shield.


    The others say that the openings to the engine are too large, the engine cannot be cleared of water.


    "That''s fine, don''t worry about the engine. Just focus on the leaks you can prevent. High Daughter of Stone! Summon small Elementals, arrange them inside the open spaces to provide weight!"


    "What are you planning?" Ashe asked. "More weight will make us sink!"


    "It''s better than being shot at!" Water enveloped the canopy, and the gleaming surface began to recede. The air inside the fighter jet did not stream out, and no water leaked in. Ingrid sank in silence. "I have bonds with eleven high daughters, certainly one of you can figure out how to spin the turbine underwater?"


    There is a way, a voice like static replied. It will require help from two Lightning Elementals and one Metal Elemental. We must create a magnetic field around the central shaft, then run a strong current through the shaft itself.


    "I have no idea what any of that means, but make it happen. When I move the throttle forward, I want it to spin faster. Is that alright?"


    As you wish.


    "Lighting, Metal, I summon you! Do as the High Daughter of Lightning asks. Make the turbine spin!"


    It did not take long. A whirring sound began from the left engine first, and then the right engine. The fighter began to slowly move forward, as evidenced by the bubbles all around rushing past. The nose began to rise, toward the light of the surface. Ingrid pressed down on the stick, and the nose went down, away from the light.


    "Stone, I dismiss you! Titania! Can you create a cone of light in front of us, in the direction of my eyesight?"


    It shall be so.


    It wasn''t exactly like flying, but it was close enough. The airplane mostly just wanted to go straight underwater, and the control surfaces were slow to move and twitch around in non-linear ways. The cyan Colored Orb had only been trained to create aerodynamic stability in air, not in water. The Elemental was struggling. Learning to fly through the water was something Ingrid would need to manage on her own. The brilliant cone of light ahead revealed more dark shapes ascending toward the surface.


    Ingrid aimed straight at one of them, then used the rudder to shift to one side. She "flew" through the water alongside it, dropping power and waiting just a few feet away from the solid black wall of metal. "Titania? Can you claim any contracts within?"


    There are no Fire Elementals nearby.


    "High Daughter of Metal! Can I summon a Metal Elemental inside the enemy ship?"


    You are close enough, it can be done, replied a humming drone-like voice.


    "Do it! Split the hull apart!"


    A massive deafening crack instantly blasted Ingrid''s ears, just as a wave of air rushed out, batting the fighter jet aside underwater. Her ears rang, and she heard nothing, not even her own voice. She blinked, and looked around. The enemy ship had been split apart along one side, and it was gushing air and sinking rapidly. Ashe was screaming something, but Ingrid heard nothing.


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    "Life!" she cried, even though she could not hear what she was saying. She was hoping the High Daughter would understand her intent. "Heal my ears! Give me back my hearing!"


    Slowly the sounds inside the cabin began to return. Ingrid reached into her pack and fished out her pair of ear plugs and thick earmuffs. She had not taken them out of her pack since her trip into the Plane of Wind.


    Sound carries much better down here, a watery voice said. It is unwise to be so close to the sound.


    "Yeah, I get it," Ingrid said as she stuffed the ear plugs in her ears. One of the magenta Colored Orbs was blinking rapidly. She activated it. "What is it?"


    "She''s alive!" came the muffled response. "Lady Ghost?! Where are you? We saw you go down in the water, but then we lost contact."


    "Yeah, I''m busy. I can fly underwater now, and I am breaking the hulls on the ships down here. Don''t worry about me, focus on staying alive." She cut the communicator, then put the earmuffs over her ears.


    Punching the throttle forward, Ingrid pointed the nose toward another nearby ship. It was deeper underwater, longer, and dotted with fighter jets tied down to the upper deck. She flew through the water to the very back of the ship, near the spinning propellers, and used the air brakes to stop.


    "Titania?"


    There are Fire Elementals nearby, I have claimed them.


    "Command them to explode after a minute."


    It is done.


    Ingrid punched the throttle again and ran away. "Wind, summon more Air Elementals to fortify the barrier against sound!"


    This is too slow, an older woman said in her mind. The High Daughter of the Queen of Heaven typically had an older voice, but calm and smooth. The guardian is nearby, and I can direct her. As long as you can see the target, she will be able to deliver the vengeance of the Queen of Heaven against these interlopers.


    "Yes! Ask the guardian to come down and help!"


    The refracted light all around gave a dark turquoise cast to the water just outside the canopy. Glittering, pale light created long shafts that vanished into the dark depths below. The dim oval shapes of enemy ships gathered just under the surface just ahead and on either side. The massive ship behind exploded with a dull thud, creating massive bubbles filled with fire and smoke. The explosion caused Ingrid''s fighter jet to shutter and list to one side in the water.


    Ingrid kept her eyes fixed on the dark shapes ahead, up until the moment a brilliant, pale indigo light gathered over the surface of the water. A spearhead, several hundred feet wide, made of indigo stars connected by glowing lines, broke the water and slammed down through one of the ships, slicing it clean in half with a pop. At unimaginable speed, the spearhead ripped upward, only to stab down again an instant later, slicing a second ship in half. On and on the slaughter continued, sending shockwaves through the water and knocking Ingrid''s fighter away.


    "To slaughter so many people," Ashe said. "Ingrid, you are such an evil tyrant! I''m so proud!"


    "Those enemies would not hesitate to fire their missiles at my brothers and sisters in the airships above," Ingrid said. "It cannot be helped." Even as she said it, she knew she was lying to herself. Those people would die horrible deaths being crushed deep underwater as their ships sank.


    "How pragmatic."


    The stabbing stopped. The enemy fleet was sinking, hemorrhaging massive bubbles of air. Ingrid spun her fighter around in a circle but saw no other shapes appear in her cone of light. "Daughter of Heaven, can the guardian lift me out of the water?"


    She can.


    "Please command her to do so, but make sure she lifts very, very slowly so that I don''t get knocked out."


    Five massive constellation-fingers broke the surface just ahead, forming into a hand that sank below Ingrid''s fighter and began to slowly lift upward. The fighter jolted when the hand truck the bottom. The hand seemed to lift a huge bubble of water up out of the ocean, which transitioned from dark turquoise to transparent and then finally broke away in sheets to reveal the open sky. Through the gaps between the stars, Ingrid could see the ocean slowly dropping away.


    "Water and Wind! Expunge all the water out of the fighter jet."


    Thousands, and then tens of thousands of feet of air separated Ingrid from the ocean. The fleet of airships shrank, becoming small toys when juxtaposed against the three mile-tall guardian. Explosions flashed in the sky below, as friendly fighters shot down the last of the enemies. An airship was busy dropping a payload of bombs on top of one of the surviving enemy ships.


    "High Daughter of Fire! Summon two fresh Fire Elementals into the Engines! Heaven! Command the guardian to drop us!"


    The hand dropped away as the engines began to spool. Ingrid rapidly flipped the switches to enable the kerosene bleed system. Because water would sink in kerosene, if any leaked inside the tanks it would end up at the bottom of the sump tank. A quick release of the kerosene sump tank dump valve would rid the tank of any water that had leaked in, ejecting it out of the airplane as it fell. After a few moments she released the main sump tank valve and punched the kerosene throttle forward. The airplane rocketed forward, and she pointed the nose at the ocean. Airspeed rapidly increased.


    Ingrid felt tired. After almost nodding off to sleep, she snapped her eyes open and activated a magenta Colored Orb. "Blade Tower, this is Ghost, requesting an emergency landing."


    "Ghost cleared to land, Blade Tower."


    The Blade of Empire was just ahead and below. Ingrid cut the throttle and deployed the air brakes, flaps, and finally the landing gear. Her vision began to darken as she lined up for a landing. Gently, gently, and patiently, she held the nose along the line, forcing her eyes to stay open with effort.


    The back wheels skid on the ground, and she kept flying until the nose dropped. A quick kick to the brakes brought her into the red lines between the taxiway and the runway. She stopped, and activated the orb one more time.


    "Send... nurses. I need to sleep. I do not know... how long I will be gone."


    As darkness consumed her vision, the last thing Ingrid saw was the sharp fangs in Ashe''s mouth. She was smiling.

 Prelude: Five Months Ago

    The sky was crystal blue on the morning Emperor Artem Maryy was summoned. Birds sang and played in the bushes of the Imperial Palace gardens. Fire Elementals roamed about with their keepers, warming the stone paths and melting the night''s snow. A woman in a pure golden mask stood in the center of the gardens, near an ornate fountain depicting an ancient High Daughter of the Queen of Fire. The oil lamps on the statue had not yet been lit, but the water was flowing freely at the base. Standing directly behind the Matron of the Light Crystal was a corrupted white portal. It was foggy and glowing with the mother-of-pearl light that the Emperor had grown to hate over the decades.


    Without ceremony, he walked through the portal to the Elemental Plane of Light. It vanished behind him.


    He stood upon tiles of various shades of blue and teal, made from stones laced with intricate patterns, polished to a mirror shine. They were chaotic shapes, fractal in nature, interlocking with obsidian instead of mortar. They spread out below the Emperor, forming a vast blue ocean. Brown, green, white, and tan tiles formed continents on either side of that ocean. A perfect map of the world, crafted by masons in the real world and exported to this Elemental Plane. What the world was like in that ancient time, Artem did not know.


    Great diamonds of the finest crystal, themselves the size of continents or even planets, floated in a foggy void of pale light. This sky was pierced by the immaculate Golden Tower, dominating the horizon and drawing his eye. He stood on the common landing platform for humans entering into the realm, which was fixed in the center of a flat, round crystal, lined with jagged walls, like a massive, inverted chandelier. He made his way across the map to the shimmering bridge at the end.


    Down he went across crystal chandeliers and bridges, down and down again before finally reaching the island city. The buildings shared a uniform and beautiful architecture. They were all constructed from interlocking polished glass windows and no other visible material. The base of the Golden Tower awaited in the center of the city, at the end of a crystal road. Dark figures watched him from the shadows, wearing two color masks and robes. They tried to hide in vain.


    The interior of the tower was remarkably dark. Gone was the pale light of the outside, replaced instead by a lightless void, broken only by the occasional gap in the structure that allowed spears of light inside. Looking up, these spears of light spanned the void at every angle without crossing. At the center of the tower, a Light Elemental stood tall with a sword and shield in her hands.


    "I will take you to the Queen," the Elemental said. She placed her hand on his chest and the darkness shifted around him. In an instant he stood upon the platform at the top of the tower. The platform was made from blue stone, polished and set perhaps by the same masons who made the world map below. The Elemental vanished, leaving him standing in the dim blue light of the platform. In every direction was darkness, except directly ahead. Four shadows loomed against the backdrop of the open sky.


    He stepped toward the shadows and then knelt on one knee before the tallest of them. The Queen of Light regarded him. Her too-human face was youthful and beautiful, but her eyes held no life. The blinding light from the outside danced along the curves of her tight black dress. Her golden hair seemed to glow.


    "You have answered my summons at last," the Queen of Light said. She seemed to have two voices speaking simultaneously, one of them calm and high-pitched, like wind chimes. The other was dark and serpentine.


    "I do what my honor requires," the Emperor said. "Though the hour is still early."


    "Early for you perhaps," the first man said. Rodrigo Rosalia was the youngest of the three, young enough to be Artem''s son. He wore a neatly trimmed beard and his dark hair had not yet begun to thin with age. His perfectly-tailored striped suit and golden ornaments betrayed his family''s financial background. His breath smelled like beer. And while he spoke a different language, the Queen of Light was doing something to allow them to communicate with meanings, and thus Rodrigo''s voice, and indeed the movement of his lips, gave the illusion that he was speaking unaccented Imperial.


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    Amadeo Yorath was the oldest of the three men. He looked tired, though he wore a stately military uniform decorated with a variety of medals and signs of rank. His face was cleanly shaven, as was his spotted, bald head.


    Elio Demetra, the final of the three men, was somewhere in between in age. He wore a pilot''s uniform, complete with a leather hat and brass-rimmed glass goggles. His face looked determined.


    "All are present," the Queen of Light said. The two voices seemed out of harmony. "As is required by the Precepts of the Framers, all must be in agreement to release Titania from her prison."


    Amadeo Yorath gasped. "Why the hell would we want to do that?"


    "Keystones have been stolen, and I know not who has taken them. A portal to the Elemental Plane of Wind has been opened. My eyes in that realm have relayed this fact to me. To close the portals, we must claim the keystones using one of my High Daughters. In my current state of exalted perfection, I am unable to create such faulty beings, thus we must rely upon those that were created before my ascension. Who among you has the courage to offer one of my daughters to this endeavor? Who among you wishes to risk the livelihood of your banks?"


    "I get your point," Rodrigo said. His sharp eyes glanced around at the others rapidly. "Who opened the portal?"


    "It was opened in the Empire of House Veronika, now controlled by a petty man who has named himself King."


    "Ayaru," Amadeo hissed. "I should recall my light crystal immediately!"


    "For what purpose?" The Queen asked. "Would you offer this crystal to our efforts? Our enemy is unknown. It is possible that they have become bonded to the creation of the False Queen Ashe, the arrogant being that names herself Firstborn."


    "Unlikely," Elio Demetra cut in. "The Firstborn comes with a curse of bad luck. Nobody can use the, uh... False Queen''s power without suffering the curse."


    "Yet who can lie to a Light Elemental?" the Emperor ventured.


    "A voice of reason at last," the Queen of Light said. "The Scion of House Maryy speaks true. Titania was created to counteract the effects of the Firstborn. It is why my mind drifts to her release from imprisonment. I am perfect and my judgment is perfect. You must choose a Scion of House Veronika to wield her counteracting power."


    Artem glanced around at the pure darkness of the room and shivered. She thinks she is perfect? Goddess of Dreams, help us all.


    "There are tens of thousands of Scions of House Veronika," Elio said. "The minor noble family, House Nadiya, has been breeding those savages for hundreds of years. How are we supposed to pick one?"


    "Might I add," Artem said, "that a unanimous agreement is required for Titania to be released. There can be no doubt in our minds. All four of us must be in agreement."


    "Taisia is in a military alliance with the Heylin Empire," Elio snapped. "That is your Empire Artem. Giving Titania to a member of House Veronika is the same as giving the crystal to you directly."


    "An astute observation," Artem replied. "I admit that any transaction here greatly favors myself and my family. Perhaps we can come to an agreement that involves certain restrictions, limitations, and other changes to the contract?"


    The other three men nodded in agreement.


    "Titania''s power will be unavailable except for the purpose of closing the portals," the Queen of Light said, her two voices discordant.


    "In addition," Artem said, "she can never be commanded to harm myself or the other men here. Finally, all four of us have priority. Even her mundane capabilities cannot be used to harm us. In fact, she cannot kill anyone unless that person has malice against the wielder. Only her defensive capabilities will be available."


    "I agree with Artem Maryy," Amadeo Yorath said. "But how do we pick? There are, as we mentioned, tens of thousands of candidates."


    "A second portal has been opened," the Queen of Light said. "You must choose quickly."


    "Who is the closest to the portal?" Amadeo asked.


    "There are many, many candidates in the city below. However, the portal is high in the sky above."


    "Are there any nearby candidates flying in fighter jets or other airplanes?" Elio asked as he pointed to his brass-rimmed goggles. "A fighter pilot would be ideal."


    "There is such a pilot nearby," the Queen said, "though she has little experience. She was placed upon the front lines as a sacrifice by her commanders, and even now she fights for her life. My eyes fly with her, and guide her."


    "I agree to this, send Titania to her," Artem said quickly. "Be done with it."


    "I agree."


    "I also agree."


    "Do it."


    "It is done," the Queen of Light said. Artem shivered.


    "Good work lads," Rodrigo said. "The bankers can sleep easier tonight. Or... this morning. Who wants a drink?"

 Chapter 47: The Eagle Eye

    Ingrid stood upon the deck of the Blade of Empire, rubbing the bloody mess that was the inside of her elbow, and watched the strange craft as it banked. It was a tube with high wings and a very wide and short T-tail. The horizontal tail surface ended in large vertical fins above and below. The two turbine-propeller engines were mounted on oversized pylons on the wings, and those pylons had a second purpose as housing for the long rear landing gear struts. However, the most bizarre feature of the aircraft was the large rounded disk, like a squashed sphere, mounted on a tripod on the roof of the craft between the wings.


    "You are going to start bleeding again," Ashe said.


    "It itches," Ingrid replied.


    The strange airplane with the squashed sphere on the roof finished banking and lined up for a landing. The long landing struts in the back hit the deck very gently and the engines roared as the reverse torque on the propellers slowed the airplane rapidly. The airmen on the deck began to flag it down for parking. Ingrid''s eyes drifted up toward the little planet high in the sky. It was mostly red and white, a blooming tundra world with snow-capped peaks. The horizon was a dull tan, an endless desert world of shifting sand dunes.


    "I wish I could have seen that place," Ingrid said. "This desert world is boring."


    "Well, you shouldn''t have been sleeping the entire time we were there!"


    The craft stopped on the taxiway and the door opened. Vaska, wearing her white dress and golden mesh of crystals, appeared in the doorway and shouted something to the airmen. One airman turned and ran toward Ingrid.


    "Vaska requests your presence on the Eagle Eye, Lady Ghost!" the young man said. More airmen arrived at the strange airplane carrying a short set of stairs.


    Instead of climbing the stairs, Ingrid walked once around the aircraft to get a better look at the strange flattened sphere on the roof.


    "Get up here!" Vaska yelled.


    "What is that thing?" Ingrid asked as she finally ascended the stairs. Ashe followed her in her full-size form, glancing uneasily at the spinning propeller.


    "Get inside! We can talk once the door is closed."


    The interior was dark and cramped. Dozens of green Colored Orbs in smoky glass boxes lined the walls, flashing and beeping. The individual Colored Orbs were labeled with directions and distances, and four airmen sat in chairs watching the Orbs. After the door closed, those green Orbs, and a handful of magenta Orbs, were the only sources of light inside the chamber.


    "Up here," Vaska said. She opened a door to a second chamber in the airplane. The chamber was brighter, lit by small windows, and contained a few cushioned armchairs nailed to the floor. The floor and walls were decorated in paisley patterns, and a small coffee table contained a carafe of water and more magenta Orbs. The corridor to the cabin had no door, and the flight console was clearly visible in between the two pilots. Vaska closed the door behind, and the craft began to move.


    Vaska embraced Ingrid tight enough to make it hard to breathe. "How have you been?"


    "Sleeping mostly," Ingrid said.


    "It happens sometimes, and you are lucky you stayed awake long enough to land. How long were you out?"


    "Two days. What about you?"


    "Terribly lonely," Vaska said. "I needed to spend some time with the other engineers, working out the specifics of this craft. But, we can be together again now!" She sat down in one of the armchairs, dragging Ingrid down with her. Ashe sat down in the second chair.


    "What is that thing on the roof?" Ingrid asked.


    "A radar dome," Vaska said. "There is a wide-band radar dish spinning inside. It can see targets up to four hundred miles away! We call this craft the HR-1 Eagle Eye."


    The propellers began to spin at full power, and the craft lurched forward. Vaska gasped.


    "I like the way you have decorated the interior," Ashe said. The deck dropped away outside the windows and the airplane pitched upward. The landing gear began to retract, making a grinding sound on either side.


    "Well, this is where I am going to be. With the destruction of the Ten Skies, my father does not want me trapped on an airship during a battle. With a sufficient escort, this airplane would be the safest in the fleet. We can see enemies coming from very far away, and organize a response. This is the new command center for the entire airborne fleet."


    "Does this airplane have a lavatory?" Ingrid asked.


    "In the back."


    "Brilliant! Maybe I should fly with you from now on?"


    "I''m afraid that may be necessary," Vaska sighed. "So much has changed in the world outside since this expedition started."


    "The Admiral never speaks to me," Ingrid said. "He tells me nothing, I am invited to no meetings, and I only learn about patrol missions when the fighters start leaving the deck."


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    "You are too independent, you take stupid risks without thinking, and you do not exactly fit into the regular military hierarchy. I don''t blame the Admiral at all. However, he is also uninformed.


    "First of all, the peace talks with Kanti have been interrupted. Ten coastal cities declared independence from the Federation, and the Imperial Navy sent gunboats into the harbors. Marines entered the city at night, kidnaped the local elites, and seized the capitol buildings. The Federation military leaders have promised to send armies to attack the cities if the Empire does not withdraw.


    "Second, the fighter pilots that we recruited from the Elemental Planes are taking heavy losses. Falling Leaf squadrons have reported radar signals from enemy fighters. Third, and by far the worst news I have, is that the sacrifices are beginning to mutiny. They are roaming into the places in the Elemental Planes where they should not be. They know that the Empire has not freed the sacrifices serving our bank''s contracts. The FIA now patrols the Elemental Planes with stolen Federation fighter jets, killing the recruits that stray too close."


    "You lie to them," Ashe said, "you willfully enslave people like them, and then you recruit them into your military. I cannot imagine why they would want to mutiny!"


    Ingrid said nothing. What was there to say?


    "I just wanted," she finally managed, "for them to be able to fly in these beautiful machines. After living a lie for so long."


    "It is not your fault, and it is out of our hands now. Elementals, including Light Elementals, cannot understand their language. We cannot verify their loyalty in the same way that we do with other soldiers. Natasha has... canceled the program. The sacrifices are going to lose their wings until they learn to speak Imperial."


    Outside the window, an escort of six Fat Meg fighter jets approached along one side. On the opposite side, an escort of Falling Leaf fighters flew nearby. The pilot and first officer were chatting quietly in the cabin.


    "You wouldn''t happen to know anything about that language, would you Ashe?" Vaska asked.


    "No," Ashe said, "and neither does the Queen of Lightning. We are both dumbfounded by how you bone cages keep coming up with terrifying new things!"


    "In any case, the last update I have is about my father and the banks. There is a roadmap in place to introduce a purely fiat currency. The elites have been informed and new financial instruments have been introduced to insulate those elites during the transition. Most of the losses will be incurred by the lower classes."


    "That''s terrible!"


    "It''s politics. In any case, my father is going to directly interview the parties in most major contracts moving forward, using his new Light Elemental to force the parties to be truthful. An economy is ultimately just a massive network of promises. When people at the very top make big lies, that''s when things start to go wrong."


    The Meg squadron broke away suddenly. "What is wrong?" Ingrid asked. She stood up.


    "Wait!" Vaska said. "I''m not done with you!"


    Ingrid opened the door to the dark chamber with the Colored Orbs. "What is going on?" she demanded. The soldiers turned to face her, looking confused.


    "There are radar contacts," one of the soldiers said, a woman with very short hair. "They are across the conduit ahead. About four hundred nautical miles away."


    "How many contacts?"


    "Four."


    Ingrid shivered. "Can you tell us their heading? Their speed?"


    "Um, they are heading straight for us at, and the speed must be supersonic."


    "Vaska we need to run, now." Ingrid said. "Tell the pilots to turn around and fly back to the airships at full throttle. We can hide in the shadow of the airships."


    Vaska just stood there, astonished by the outburst. "You seem very certain of this," she said.


    "This airplane cannot maneuver, and those four zombies know exactly where I am at all times. It defeats the purpose of having an early warning command center like this if the enemy always knows exactly where it is."


    The first officer, who must have heard the outburst, stalked toward them alone. "Is there a problem, Lady Ghost?" he asked.


    "Turn the airplane around, we run," Vaska said. "Your new mission is to get us to safety. Ingrid is right. She should not be on board this craft, not ever."


    "Yes Princess," the first officer said. Even before he was seated in the cabin once again, the airplane began a sharp turn toward where the Meg squadron had been just moments before.


    "Is this aircraft equipped with parachutes?" Ingrid asked.


    "No," Vaska said. "It should not be near enemies."


    Ingrid waved her hand around the room. "Get rid of all this. Move the chamber in the back forward and allow the pilots and the crew to speak directly. Install a door under the tail and give everyone a parachute. Does this craft have flares?"


    "I get it, add flares as well."


    "Hypersonic missiles are out," the woman at the console said.


    "That was fast," Vaska said.


    "They are moving very fast, Princess."


    "Let us listen to the pilots," Ingrid said. The woman activated one of the magenta Colored Orbs.


    "... Dark Three. Dark Three. Don''t worry about it, fire them all."


    "... lost contact. One of them dropped down or something. Too much ground clutter."


    Ingrid and Vaska waited in silence. The little green orbs all over the console flickered and flashed occasionally.


    "... Splash one, two, three. One of them survived. Dropping down..."


    "I have visual. Heading one-seven-five, distance five miles. They are very low, I only see the shadow on the sand dunes."


    "Dark Three! Dark Three!"


    "It''s painted to look like the desert floor! All camouflaged tan and brown."


    "It shot a missile!"


    "Splash! All targets destroyed."


    "Mother Goose do you read?! There is a missile headed your way. Bug out! Bug out!"


    The woman at the console activated a second magenta Orb. "Affirmative we are already on our way out. We are tracking the missile already."


    "Where is it?" Ingrid asked. Her palms were sweating just listening to the chatter.


    "It was fired at... one hundred miles, I think. It is going fast and flying very high now. Seventy miles away."


    "It''s hypersonic," Vaska said.


    Ingrid ran to the front and squeezed in between the two seats, leaning forward and looking out the window. The airship fleet loomed on the horizon, far too far away to use as cover.


    "Fifty miles," the woman called out. "Forty seven miles."


    "At fifteen miles make a very sharp turn to the right," Ingrid commanded. "A full ninety degree turn, we fly perpendicular to its path."


    The two men glanced at each other, and the pilot nodded. "Yes, Lady Ghost."


    "Twenty miles.... fifteen miles."


    In a sudden flurry of motion, the pilot slammed the right propeller throttle back and kicked the rudder hard, banking slightly and pulling up on the stick. The left wing ripped around and the nose dropped violently, almost causing Ingrid to fall forward onto the throttles. The airship fleet was out of sight, and the ground loomed ahead in the forward windows. The pilot pushed the right throttle back to full.


    "Six miles... three miles..."


    Ingrid counted. They should be dead.


    "It''s moving away from us."


    "I have visual," the pilot said. It was a streak of white smoke at a sharp angle, curving slightly toward the but too far away. It hit the top of a sand dune and exploded.


    Ingrid patted the man on the shoulder. "Thank you, for saving us." She returned to Vaska in the little room with the paisley carpets and cushioned armchairs. The carafe of water had overturned and spilled its contents all over the floor. "So, you were saying something about the banks?"

 Chapter 48: Twin Fates

    A gentle breeze blew powdery snow across the deck of the Blade of Empire as the fleet approached the enemy compound. Neat rows of bunkers, hangars, factories, and roads had been arranged on a massive frozen lake at the base of the Queen''s plateau. Enemy fighter jets flew in a cloud ahead, the orange light of the engines flickering like stars. The constellation-like beings, guardians of the Plane of Heaven, watched uneasily from a distance.


    "Daughter of Heaven, why do the guardians not attack?" Ingrid asked.


    They are afraid. There are many enemies, and when they are killed, they come back stronger and smarter. Several guardians have met their end.


    "Even the guardians are afraid?" Ashe asked.


    Heat rippled the air, warming the external lens of the high-magnification telescope and preventing ice buildup. Ingrid rotated the telescope toward a lone enemy fighter jet as it began to slow, deploying air brakes and flaps as it passed close to one of the factories. All weapons bays opened on the fighter, and instead of missiles, Imperial Marines were dumped out into the sky. Low-altitude parachutes deployed, and were discarded just moments later as the Marines landed on the roof of the factory. An explosion blew a hole in the roof, and the Marines vanished through it.


    Vaska had created a replica of the enemy fighters using a mostly-intact airframe salvaged from a snowbank, then re-designed the weapons bays to carry Marines instead of missiles. Two more such fighters flew over other types of buildings, opening those bays and dropping even more Marines. That first fighter jet turned to flee, flying very low and fast along the icy ground as the false weapons bays closed.


    Ingrid turned and slid down the ladder to the map room, with Ashe riding on her shoulder. Admiral Oleg stood at the table, peering down at paintings of the site. The man was tall, bald, and clean-shaven, with a square jaw and a perpetual scowl. Glenice stood opposite to the man, holding a magenta Colored Orb in a glass box. Vaska stood at the head of the table, sketching engineering diagrams with a pencil.


    "The Marines are inside," Ingrid announced.


    The Admiral sighed. "Your advice was correct."


    "My men are the best in the business," Glenice said.


    A few moments later, Glenice''s communicator activated. "Glenice?"


    "I can hear you Vladimir. Report."


    "It''s just like that workshop we raided. There is a Light Elemental here, and hundreds of tables, sedated soldiers. On the way inside we saw fighters parked out front with different types of camouflage. The other two squads are reporting a chamber for painting fighter jets, and prison cells."


    "Have you found the Matron?" Glenice asked.


    "Affirmative, our rocketeers are getting into position. The factory is spacious. We have good line-of-sight up here." The communicator deactivated, and they waited in silence for about thirty seconds. "Rocket away... confirmed kill. The Matron in this factory is dead. No alarms yet, but don''t expect that to last long. Somebody must have noticed us by now."


    "Bombers will arrive to destroy most of the base, be sure to be deep underground when they arrive. Wait for extraction." Glenice deactivated her communicator.


    The Admiral activated his own magenta Orb. "Commander, begin the assault immediately."


    "Affirmative," the voice on the other side replied.


    "Ingrid, you may leave to join the fight," Admiral Oleg said. "Princess, the Emperor wants you out of the fight. Glenice, please take your two-seater and fly Princess Vaska to safety. She has done enough here already."


    "As you command, Admiral," Glenice said. "Vaska, let''s go."


    Glenice''s two seater was almost exactly like a Burning Leaf fighter jet, complete with thrust vectoring and kerosene turbines. It was slightly longer, however, and had room for two pilots. The three women waited at the edge of the taxiway for an airman to drive the craft out of its parking spot. Glenice held the magenta Colored Orb, listening for reports from Vladimir while they waited.


    "It is getting hot near this factory," Vladimir finally said through the Orb. "The other two teams have made contact with one of the prisoners, they are panicked because they are being taken away to be killed. The Matrons here use their Light Elementals to keep bringing back the most skilled pilots in the Federation of Kanti. Almost a hundred pilots were selected for the program."


    "The guardians are afraid," Ingrid said. "They say that the enemy keeps coming back when killed."


    "One more thing," Vladimir said. "There are Rosalia soldiers here in addition to Demetra. If House Rosalia is involved with this compound, then there may be other Matrons nearby. We are attempting to access another factory."


    The two-seat Burning Leaf fighter pulled up alongside them at the edge of the taxiway. Airmen were already approaching with a ladder. Vaska reached out and kissed Ingrid, pulling her close. "Be careful out there," she said. "The closest safe location to open a portal is back on the jungle planet three conduits away. We can only assume that the enemy controls the airspace on the other side if you open a portal here. If it starts to get bad, run away."


    "I know," Ingrid said. Behind the two-seat fighter, Ingrid''s own fighter jet was pulling to a stop.


    "I feel," Vaska said, "like my curse is going to get you killed. This feels wrong."


    "The Queen of Dreams told us," Ingrid began, whispering very softly, too soft for Glenice to hear. "She told us that Titania and the Firstborn are called the Twin Fates. Maybe they are meant to be together?"


    "I do not like what you are thinking," Ashe warned.


    "What are you thinking?" Vaska asked.


    "I could transfer Titania''s bond to you maybe. That might help you somehow. She has been with me for so long, and I think that maybe she gives me the courage I need. Maybe that is her divine power. She allows us to face the unknown future."


    Vaska stopped and appeared to consider this for a moment. Then she said: "Those pilots want to kill you, don''t they? Ashe, do you think the pilots would start chasing me instead of Ingrid if we transferred the bond?"


    "I have no idea how those zombies work," Ashe said.


    "It''s too much new risk," Vaska said, "without necessarily improving anything. You keep Titania. This fight, against these resurrected pilots, is something that you need to suffer through without me." She sighed.


    They kissed once more, then split up to their respective fighter jets.


    After taking off, Glenice turned away from the battlefield, toward the conduit to a nearby forest planet, escorted by a dozen more Burning Leaf fighters and an Eagle Eye. Ingrid watched them shrink into the distance as she pulled the nose around to line up for takeoff. Most of the friendly fighters and Eagle Eye aircraft were swarming ahead of the fleet, waiting to engage the enemy. Dozens of heavy bombers and dropships flew in a pattern behind the fleet, escorted by several Meg squadrons.


    The enemy fighters were too far away to be seen with the naked eye. One of Ingrid''s magenta Orbs began to blink. She activated it.


    "This is Admiral Oleg. The enemy may have the capacity to immediately resurrect any pilots who are killed, and they have factories for producing new fighter jets. You will need to kill the enemy faster than they can replenish their soldiers. If the rate turns against us, we will need to retreat. All squadron commanders may begin the assault. In memory of Admiral Elizabeth, press the attack!"


    The fighters began to surge forward in a massive wave. Ingrid''s fighter was much faster than most of the others, so she could not burn kerosene and still remain within the formation.


    "Enemy fighters are not advancing. Meg squadrons, fire missiles at enemy air defenses. Scout squadrons! Fly low and destroy any surviving air defenses."


    The Fat Meg fighter jets in the front of the formation began lobbing hypersonic missiles at the enemy. They rocketed nearly vertically into the sky, on a ballistic path to fall straight down on the enemy''s head. Burning Leaf fighter jets skimmed just over the snowfield below with full kerosene burn, pulling far ahead of the rest of the group. Trimmed out, Ingrid flew mostly straight ahead, glancing around at the indigo sky filled with dozens of colorful little planets.


    "Daughter of Heaven, can we get help from the guardians now?"


    They will attack the enemy now.


    The Meg squadron began lobbing normal radar-guided missiles. Ingrid''s own radar Colored Orb began to make noises, indicating possible targets to shoot. She only had four radar-guided missiles and two Ice-Two missiles and her gun, which needed to last the entire fight, including fighting the resurrected pilots. She slowed down slightly to fall back with the bombers and rear Meg squadrons.


    "This is the forward scout squadron, most air defenses are suppressed and we are engaging with the enemy. They seem to be ignoring us, and advancing rapidly on your location."


    "Follow them and kill them from behind. Enemy fighters are incoming. They seem to be concentrating their forces."


    The fighter jets in the front of the wave began shooting missiles. Hundreds of missiles launched out into the sky, and those missiles began to funnel into a tube. "What are they thinking?" Ingrid muttered.


    "Those missiles look like they are aimed directly away from you," Ashe said. Ingrid realized she was right. The entire enemy force must be aimed directly at her.


    "Confirmed, the enemy is forming into a dense formation, aimed in a specific direction."


    Ingrid activated her Colored Orb. "This is Ghost, they are aimed at me! They want to kill me specifically!"


    "Ghost bug out! Bug out!"


    Ingrid rolled inverted and performed a split-S maneuver, pulling hard on the stick to point the nose at the ground and rapidly gaining airspeed, leveling off just above the snowfield. She punched the kerosene throttle to full and ran away. The cabin was filled with the sharp beeping of the green Colored Orb, indicating incoming radar signatures, and therefore incoming missiles. In her mirrors she could see the slaughter begin. Hundreds of friendly fighters engaged with the long flaming tube of enemies, all of them too focused on Ingrid to respond to the incoming fire and save themselves. Several bright lights flew straight past the rest of the allied fighters, chasing Ingrid. Supersonic fighters burning kerosene, just like she was.


    "Bombers! Destroy as much infrastructure as you can! Focus on the factories and the parked fighter jets!"


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ingrid passed directly under the airships, and then flew up into their shadow until the beeping died out. The armor on the front of the airships would be able to take a few hits from the missiles, and Metal Elementals could rapidly repair the damage. She stayed flying in the cone behind the first airship, sliding along past other airships in the line. Flashes of light erupted from the far side of the first airship. She pulled up slightly to see what was chasing her in her mirrors. The lead airship began shooting flak into the air, and more explosions followed over the deck.


    Eight orange dots remained, eight enemy fighters in rapid pursuit. Ingrid cut the kerosene throttle and then made a hard turn to pull around into the shadow of the final airship. She deployed the air brakes and flaps to slow down, skimming alongside the line traveling in the opposite direction. Two of the enemy fighter jets predicted her movement and appeared over the second fighter in the line, pointed straight at her. Her Colored Orb beeped rapidly.


    "Dark-Three! Dark-Three!" She rolled over and dipped down under the airships, out of line of sight. More flak cannons ripped into the air, and the smoking remains of a fighter jet fell into view ahead. The propellers and pipes of the undersides of the airships rushed past just overhead. Two more fighters came into view, relatively close. "Ice-Two! Ice-Two!" The missiles left the rails and immediately jerked away to chase the fighters. Just a few seconds later they both exploded, ripping both wings off of both airplanes, causing the remaining tubes to wobble about in the sky. Flak lanced out just behind her, barely missing her own jet.


    She glanced around frantically. The two enemies she had shot earlier had both been transformed into long trails of black smoke. One enemy had been shot down by flak, and two by Ice-Two missiles. That left three enemies, and only two missiles and the cannon. She finally caught sight of the final three orange lights as they arced through the sky near the end of the airship formation. She cut the throttle and pulled up hard to bring them into view, mostly relying on thrust vectoring to complete the turn.


    "Dark-Three! Dark-Three!" Two more missiles rocketed off toward those orange lights. With flaps and air brakes retracted, Ingrid dumped the nose and punched the throttle to full to recover airspeed. She chased the three fighters, barely above the decks of the airship fleet as they attempted to loop around. They also had thrust vectoring, but they needed to slow down in order to complete their turns, giving Ingrid ample time to recover her own airspeed. Two explosions destroyed two of the fighters, leaving only one remaining. It pointed its nose directly at her just as she rushed past it into a merge.


    It veered to Ingrid''s left, and Ingrid veered to her own left as well, initiating a one-circle fight. She craned her neck around to watch his motion. He was mostly staying level, so Ingrid pulled up into the vertical, staying out of his nose cone as he pointed toward her. This caused the enemy fighter to be below her own nose cone as they crossed into the next one-circle pass. Ingrid rolled over, replacing the indigo planet-filled sky with a solid white snowfield. The other fighter pulled hard on his stick, dumping airspeed to attempt to get shots off on her. She simply rolled out of his nose cone, retaining her own airspeed. When their noses crossed again she went into the vertical, knowing he lacked the airspeed to follow her.


    The other pilot lost so much airspeed that he needed to point the nose toward the ground for a few seconds. This gave the perfect window to complete a full vertical loop and drop the nose directly on top of him. Ingrid pulled the gunsight slightly ahead of the other craft and pulled the trigger. A stream of white-hot bullets ripped through the cabin of the other aircraft as Ingrid rushed past.


    She glanced up. It was still flying, but the engines had dimmed.


    "Oh! There are still missiles on the wings," Ashe said. "Can you steal those missiles?"


    The derelict airplane continued flying almost perfectly straight, and indeed there were still missiles on the wings, at least one Dark-Three missile and two Ice-Two missiles. Ashe''s idea, while crazy, was actually a very good one.


    With full air flaps and air brakes, Ingrid dropped down below the craft as it continued its quest to ram into the ground. She inverted and flew belly-to-belly with the other craft, like an airshow act. "High Daughter of Metal! Would it be possible to summon a Metal Elemental into those missiles and steal them?"


    If you remain close yes, the harsh drone of the Elemental replied. I have commanded it, do not drift too far.


    Ingrid flew straight, inverted, nose pointed slightly toward the ground, glancing up in the absolute sense toward the derelict fighter just beyond the hull. The weight and momentum of the aircraft changed slightly, and there was a metallic clicking sound under the hull, out of sight.


    It is done, you have your missiles.


    "A murderer and a thief!" Ashe said.


    "They are the murderers," Ingrid said as she pulled the nose away from the other craft toward the ground. "They murder their own soldiers to make copies of their best pilots. The monster I killed wasn''t alive."


    She reached forward and reactivated her magenta Colored Orbs.


    "A second wave is incoming!"


    "I''m out of missiles!"


    "Use your guns!"


    "Clear channels! Clear channels! Lady Ghost, you have another contact incoming!"


    "Affirmative," Ingrid said. "I was able to get close enough to steal missiles from a fighter I shot down."


    "Unit commanders! When you run out of missiles, dismiss your radar Elementals and summon a Metal Elemental to steal missiles from the enemy."


    Ingrid deactivated the Orb and peered around through the sky, leveling off some distance away from the airship fleet, over some snow-capped peaks. There was nothing in the sky above, in front, behind or on the sides. She rolled over and looked around at the ground. For orange lights rushed just over the snow, traveling toward her. The radar Colored Orb began to beep violently.


    "Dark-Three!" her only radar-guided missile left the rail, and she began to defend, pointing her nose directly at the nearest peak. Just before impact, she pulled the nose up very slightly and flew down the slope on the far side of the peak. As she entered into the twisting glacial valley in the center of the mountain range, the radar went quiet. "I think the missiles must have hit the mountains," Ingrid said. "However, they will know exactly where I am."


    Ingrid dodged through the twisting snowclad valley until it opened up into another snowfield. Two of the four fighter jets came into view above the peaks overhead. "Only two?" Ingrid asked. "Did I get two kills with one missile?" One of the two fighter jets exploded suddenly, followed by the second shortly after. The missiles had hit the craft from the side, originating from the direction of the airships. She pulled the nose up and burned kerosene to climb, bringing the fleet into view. Another fighter jet rushed past her, a white and red Burning Leaf fighter jet with an elongated cabin. Nearby, a large escort of Burning Leaf Fighters formed up around Ingrid''s airplane. The magenta Orb began to blink.


    "Glenice!? Is that you!?"


    "That''s right, I just saved your butt."


    "Ingrid!" Vaska said. "When I heard they were all focusing on you, I had to come back and save you!"


    Glenice''s airplane pulled up alongside Ingrid as she returned to the fleet. Ingrid glanced over at the two women in the cabin. Vaska was seated in the back, still wearing her golden mesh of contracts.


    "Those are not Imperial missiles!" Glenice said.


    "I got close and snatched them!" Ingrid replied. "Metal Elementals can transfer missiles between craft, as long as you are close enough."


    "That''s nice, but we need to run!" Vaska said. "The forward fighters are having a bad time, we need to retreat!"


    "We can''t just let all these soldiers die!"


    "That''s their job!"


    "Maybe we should run away," Ashe said.


    "I won''t!" Ingrid snapped. "We must fight! They will just keep chasing me with supersonic planes and hypersonic missiles. I will not be able to make it all the way to the safe portal zone. You were supposed to escape Vaska!"


    "They are making new fighters faster than we can kill them!" Vaska said.


    "We need to try, we don''t have a choice! As soon as you turned around to join the fight Vaska, you eliminated any chance of escape!"


    More missiles lanced off the wings of Glenice''s fighter jet and the escort jets, rushing out toward targets on the horizon. Meg squadrons were approaching from one side, lobbing more missiles to clear the way for Ingrid and Glenice.


    "Eventually we will run out of guns and missiles," Glenice said. "Do you seriously expect us to be able to reliably replicate what you did? Do you think we will be able to get what we need from the enemy?"


    "Glenice! You are a genius!" Vaska suddenly said.


    "Well yes, I know that."


    Ingrid rolled over on top of the other fighter, almost tail-to-tail, like Solo and Opposing Solo of the White Ravens. She looked down in the absolute sense, up relative to her cabin, and watched Vaska. She was frantically writing something on a piece of paper.


    "Are you making engineering diagrams in the middle of a battle?" Ingrid asked.


    "I am! We have everything we need Ingrid. I can summon lots of Metal and Lightning Elementals, and you can summon lots of Fire Elementals. That''s really all we need. We can win this fight right now! We just need to get closer. Much closer."


    Ingrid activated her blinking fleet-wide communicator.


    "This is Princess Vaska Maryy. I am taking control of this battle. Rear units form up in a defensive formation around the Ghost and myself."


    The channels started to fill with a flurry of orders. Friendly fighters arrived on all sides, still shooting missiles out at the enemy. One formation of enemy fighters ahead broke apart as its members took hits. One of them was still flying in a long arc, attempting to point its nose at Ingrid. Another fighter jet pulled up behind it and ripped the canopy open with its cannons.


    "There!" Vaska shouted. "Pull up alongside that fighter, like you are going to try and steal the missiles."


    It was falling a bit faster than the other one, but it was still manageable. Ingrid followed Glenice as she pulled up alongside the falling fighter jet in a long arc toward the ground. It was trailing smoke from behind the cabin.


    "Daughter of Metal!" Vaska cried. "Take this design, and transform all the metal in this craft into copies of this shape! Daughter of Lightning! I need cyan Colored Orbs to fly the craft, and green ones for radar! Ingrid, when the drones are shaped, immediately summon Fire Elementals into the engines!"


    The metal in the craft began to split apart and suck inward, reforming into dozens of tiny copies of the larger fighter jet, but without cabins. Cyan and green lightning began to erupt from the craft, and then they began to fly, as if piloted, responding to tiny gusts with deflections of the tiny control surfaces.


    "Daughter of Fire! Summon Fire Elementals into all those tiny fighter jets!"


    The engines on the tiny airplanes began to glow, and then they broke formation, rushing off like a swarm of bees to attack the enemy.


    "Go forth my drones!" Vaska said. "Ram into the cabins of the other aircraft and give me control!"


    "That''s insane!" Ingrid said.


    "Vaska is doing a better job at being evil than you are," Ashe said. "You stole some missiles, but she is going to steal all the enemy fighter jets!"


    The first wave of drones struck the incoming tube-like wave of enemy fighter jets, ripping them free from the control of their pilots. The fighter jets broke apart, forming even more drones as Glenice and Ingrid flew past. Some of the drones collided head-on with missiles, protecting the two fighters as Ingrid summoned more Fire Elementals. The swarm grew.


    Time became meaningless. Ingrid flew in a tight formation with Glenice, who proved again to be an extremely skilled pilot. Like following Lead in the White Ravens, Ingrid took the position of Left Wing once again, giving the life of Fire Elementals to Vaska''s drones as they shaped all around them. The drones were a plague in the sky, spreading out and capturing enemy fighters, bringing them close enough to be transformed into new drones. They rammed into missiles, rammed into the ground, ripped through factory buildings and air defenses, and sliced into enemy soldiers on the ground, leaving long red streaks through the snow.


    The other pilots were speechless. The channels were clear. Friendly forces completed bombing runs and occasionally killed enemy fighters with their cannons, and the massive constellation-like guardians stabbed their spears down into individual buildings, but it was Vaska''s drone swarm that turned the tide. Glenice began to deploy the flaps, and Ingrid broke away as her landing gear dropped. Glenice lined up for the largest runway in the compound, and Ingrid sat back with air brakes to follow her into the landing. Dropships rushed by, dumping their payload of paratroopers over the compound.


    Enemy fighters were still taking off in waves after they landed, and were quickly consumed by the plague of locusts in the sky. Ingrid was beginning to feel the effects of so many Elementals being summoned. "Thank you," she whispered as she dropped over the edge of her fighter without a ladder, falling into the powdery snow. "Thank you, High Daughter of Spirit, for granting me so much power."


    At this moment it is necessary. However, do not forget that your own spirit has grown much stronger with practice.


    When she approached Vaska and Glenice, she halted. They were glowing, as if reflecting a powerful light, and Vaska herself was nearly consumed by shadows.


    "Ingrid!" Glenice said. "You are shining like the sun!"


    She glanced down at her hands, and saw what Glenice was seeing. She was shining with a brilliant golden light, similar to the light of a purified Light Elemental.


    "Don''t tell her that!" Ashe said. "It will just go to her head!"


    "Why Ashe?" Ingrid asked. "Why am I glowing?"


    "My lips are sealed," the tiny woman replied. "All I am willing to say right now, is that the two of you mortals worked well together today. What you have accomplished was your own doing. Titania and the Firstborn had nothing to do with it."


    A pack of Marines arrived, led by Vladimir and carrying three corpses between them. All of the corpses had been blown apart, and all of them wore golden clothes. One of them even had an in-tact golden mask. They set them down in the snow in front of Ingrid. "We found three Matrons in the compounds," Vladimir said. "The light crystals have not been removed."


    "What about House Demetra?" Vaska asked as she began to rifle through one of the Matron''s robes.


    "Exterminated. Just like you ordered, Princess."


    Ingrid shivered at the thought.


    "But there is more. House Rosalia was also here. They have been taken care of likewise. When we go inside the compound you will be able to identify the bodies. We found a treasure trove of books and personal belongings."


    Vaska snatched the last of the three light crystals. Three Light Elementals appeared, wearing heavy plate armor and shining with an oily light.


    "They must have been very desperate to form an alliance like this," Vaska said. "This effectively means the war is over. The last of our enemies will not be able to repeat what was done here. Ingrid, purify these three."


    "Fire of my Spirit," Ingrid said. "Water of my Spirit. I need you once again."

 Interlude 3: The Resort

    "Airplane," Zakx said in Imperial, carefully articulating each syllable. "Fighter jet. Airplane. Fighter jet."


    The Air Sergeant barked something in Imperial. She sounded angry. Zakx rifled through his pocket book, the Imperial Dictionary for Elemental Planes Folk, written by Lieutenant Reese. Put... your... back... into... it? Those were the words that she used. It must be an Imperial idiom. He slipped his dictionary back into his jacket.


    "I think she wants you to work harder," Task muttered.


    "I get it."


    "Speak Imperial!" she commanded.


    Zakx pressed his sponge against the tiled floor of the shower in the women''s quarters. It was mostly already clean, but the women insisted that it be cleaned between every shift. He dipped his sponge into the soapy bucket between himself and Task. The middle-aged man, balding and plump, was surprisingly agile and never lacked for energy. He was also learning the Imperial language much faster.


    "I... want... to... fly... my... fighter... jet," Zakx said slowly.


    The Air Sergeant replied with a rapid sequence of words that Zakx did not quite understand. He could pick out the words oath, light, and princess. He reached for his dictionary again, but the woman swatted his hand away.


    Two more women arrived in the shower room. One of them Zakx immediately recognized as Lieutenant Reese. Her face looked remarkably Imperial, her bright hazel eyes were framed by crows feet and dark, graying hair. The other woman he did not recognize. Attractive and slim, with wonderful red hair and blue eyes, she wore a pilot''s uniform complete with a leather hat and brass goggles.


    "Lady.. Ghost," Task managed to say in Imperial.


    "You two," Reese said in their own language. "You are called Task, yes? And Zakx?"


    "Yes," Zakx replied in Imperial.


    "Get yourselves washed up. We are going flying with the Ghost of Taisia," Reese said. His astonishment must have been written on his face, because Lady Ghost nodded to him. The teal tiles of the shower behind the Ghost began to darken. A shadow began to materialize. A third woman appeared, wearing solid black robes, her face completely hidden behind the skull of some horned beast.


    Mother! Mother! Freedom said. That is what Zakx decided to name her. She could not hear him unless he spoke Imperial. Freedom appeared at his side, a wolf-shaped Dark Elemental, and trotted over to the woman in the terrifying bone mask as Zakx pulled himself to his feet. The woman reached down and patted the wolf affectionately.


    "Are... you... girl... mother?" he asked as they left the shower room. He instantly regretted it after he realized his grammar was completely wrong.


    "I am her mother," the woman replied. Her voice sounded somewhat like an elderly woman, with a slight sinister tone.


    "Are... you... Elemental?"


    "I am an Elemental, yes. My name is Ashe."


    "Queen Ashe!" he gasped. "Queen Ashe!"


    "That is correct mortal. Remarkable. You can understand exactly what I say, and I need not speak Imperial. To these others, I am speaking complete nonsense. This language has not been used in this world since the time of my bindings. Fascinating. Say something in your own language now."


    "Queen Ashe! You are the sealed child?" he asked in the language of his own people. "Really? Is it truth?"


    "And yet..." Ashe said, "I hear nothing. Disturbing." Freedom trotted at the Queen''s side, with her shadowy tongue hanging out in a happy pant.


    "Were you talking to that creature?" Task asked as they crossed the threshold to the men''s quarters. All four women stopped at the threshold and waited. "Is she really Ashe?"


    "Speak Imperial!" the Air Sergeant barked from behind.


    "She sounds too human," Zakx whispered. "She isn''t like any Elemental I have ever seen before."


    When they arrived on the deck of the Mortal Wing, a truly bizarre airplane waited for them. A high-wing airplane with two propellers on pylons, it looked unremarkable except for the fact that it did not have a normal landing gear. Instead, the airplane was mounted on two long boat-like structures, with the base of wheels just barely visible under each boat.


    "Are... we... going... fly?" Zakx asked.


    "I will teach you how to fly it," Reese said. "We have a new mission for you, and you will need to learn how to fly this airplane."


    "There are two propellers," Task said. "I only have one Fire Elemental. I will not be able to power both engines."


    Reese began saying something extremely complex to the Ghost of Taisia. The red-haired woman turned to face them. A massive Fire Elemental appeared by her right hand. It was nearly twenty feet tall, a woman made of pure flames, wearing nothing except a mask over her eyes and a crown on her head.


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


    "A High Daughter?" Task gasped in Imperial.


    A second Fire Elemental appeared. It was much smaller, and looked exactly like the one that Task normally used. The Ghost pointed to Zakx. A second Elemental appeared by her left hand, similar in size and shape, but made of pure ice. She pointed to Task.


    "Zakx, the Lady Ghost wants you to bond with the Fire Elemental," Reese said. "Task, you bond the Ice Elemental. Then together you two will have enough Elementals to power this aircraft. By the way, you must answer in Imperial."


    Do you wish to bond with me mortal? the Fire Elemental hissed in his mind.


    "Yes!" he said.


    A bright blue light flashed ahead of the airship, out over the ocean. Three blue orbs of light appeared behind a fighter jet, forming into a triangle. A tilt-rotor, the type flown by the Imperial Marines, flew just over the deck of the Mortal Wing.


    The Ghost of Taisia began to climb the struts toward the door. Queen Ashe became enveloped in shadows, and then she shrank to the size of a cat, grew butterfly wings, and fluttered up onto the redhead''s shoulder. "Up we go then," Reese said. "Task, you will be the pilot. Zakx, you will be the first officer. I will teach you how to fly this thing."


    <hr>


    The bluish sky was filled with planet-sized bubbles of water, refracting the deep blue light of the world''s moon. The rolling blue waves and maze-like patterns of sand gave way to a stretch of calm, shallow, and pure turquoise water. Under the surface of the water there were strange shapes and colors. "What is under the water here?" Zakx asked.


    "It''s called coral," Reese said in his ear. She stood behind them in the doorway to the cabin with a checklist in her hands.


    "Set flaps to full," Task said. He sat in the commander''s chair on the left, one hand on the yoke and the other hand on the two thin metal throttle sticks.


    "Aye sir!" Zakx said as he reached forward and clicked the flaps switch down to the lowest setting.


    "Reduce the throttle down to the descent marker, then let the airspeed bleed down to about eighty-five knots," Reese said. Task pulled the throttle back and the engines began to spool down with a whine. "Once we reach eighty-five knots, tip the nose down very slightly to retain that speed as we lose altitude."


    The airplane flew exactly like other twin-propeller airplanes while it was in the sky. It just had a different checklist for landing in water. Reese passed the piece of paper forward to Zakx and then patted Task on the shoulder.


    "Read the rest of this," she said. "I need to go strap myself in back."


    "You have a lot of faith in us," Task said.


    "If you can fly and land a fighter jet, then I think you should be able to manage this pair of wings. Just bring her down very easily on the water. Wait until the airspeed is below thirty knots before deploying the sea rudder." Reese turned and walked through the doorway.


    "Do you know where we are going?" Zakx asked.


    "My Ice Elemental is telling me where to go," Task replied. He pointed one hand over the dashboard toward some islands ahead. "She says her mother is out there." A single fighter jet circled high in the sky above the island.


    As the airspeed indicator passed eighty-five knots, the nose tipped down slightly and the altitude began to drop slowly. Zakx ran his finger down the checklist. It was written in Imperial, so he had to sound out each letter. "Keep... airspeed... above... sixty-five... knots. Altitude... ten feet... above... sea level. Stall speed... fifty-five knots."


    "Fifty-five knots. Affirmative."


    The calm, smooth surface of the ocean drifted up to hit them. Just ten feet above the water, Task leveled off the nose and pulled the throttle back to idle. The airspeed indicator began to fall. Sixty knots, then fifty-five. Below fifty-five knots, he carefully lowered the nose very slightly, preventing a stall and creeping closer to the water. The pontoons on the bottom of the craft struck the water, and the airplane skipped like a rock several times before settling down. The airspeed began to fall rapidly.


    Zakx reached forward onto the console and started flipping switches. "Sea rudder hydraulics activated. Sea rudder guard opened, deploying now."


    The rudder pedals began to move, and the nose of the craft began to yaw to one side. The airspeed dropped below five knots and the airplane plodded along like a boat. Task pushed the throttle forward slightly to increase speed over the water.


    "Well done," Reese said in Imperial as she stepped through the door once again.


    "It''s just another pair of wings," Task said.


    A long wooden dock appeared beyond the nose of the craft. As they got closer, Task activated full reverse thrust to almost completely stop. Two burly men on the dock held ropes, waiting for them.


    The sensation of powdery sand was a novel one to Zakx as he stepped off the dock onto the beach. The Imperial Marines and their tilt-rotor had already landed nearby when they arrived. Queen Ashe grew to the size of a normal human again, and led them forward along the beach. Beyond the grass-capped sand dunes there were straw-roofed wooden huts. Dozens of very attractive men and women lounged about in reclining chairs, wearing what looked like smallclothes. Some of the men appeared to be playing a game involving a ball and a net.


    "What are they wearing?" Zakx asked.


    "Those are bathing suits," Reese whispered. "Now keep quiet, she is right there. Do not speak a single word, especially not in our language. Let me and Lady Ghost do all the talking."


    They approached a very tall and very buxom woman on the beach wearing a bathing suit under a nearly-transparent shirt-like garment. Her eyes were hidden behind solid black spectacles, and in one hand she held some type of fruit that had been cut open, decorated with a little umbrella.


    "Welcome to my resort," the woman said. She glanced up and down at the Lady Ghost. "You are the mortal who names herself Ingrid. I recall your face."


    "Thank you for leading us to your resort," Lady Ghost said. Zakx did not know what language she was using, but he understood her perfectly. "Queen of Water, we have a question, and a request."


    The Elemental Queen of Water?! Zakx thought. This woman in her smallclothes is an Elemental?


    "I will hear your question, mortals," the Queen of Water said.


    "It is customary to exile the failed Matron candidates to the oceans of this Plane," Reese said. "I myself was exiled here. Are there others who are still alive? Do they still sail these seas?"


    "There are many who still live. Do you seek them?"


    "We do," Lady Ghost said. "This man is named Task, and he is bonded to an Ice Elemental. Is it possible to teach her to find those exiled Matrons?"


    "It is possible, and I shall do as you ask. She can lead the mortal named Task to find the others."


    The Ghost bowed to the Queen of Water. "Thank you!" She tossed a small pack to Zakx. It clanked when he caught it.


    "As your commander," Reese said to them, "I give you your next mission. Take the airplane, and leave by yourself. It is supplied with enough food to last you two weeks. You can fill your canteens with water from the ocean. The water is pure and not salty. Use the keystones in that sack to open portals to the outside world and return to the fleet. Your orders are... to find the exiled Matrons and recruit them!"

 Chapter 49: Stealth Fighters in the Plane of Stone

    Eight black fighter jets crossed the deck of the Blade of Empire, spaced apart for landing. The first of the fighters finished a sweeping arc to line up for final approach. The light on the forward landing gear flashed in sharp contrast to the darkness of the craft itself. It seemed to absorb light, like Vaska''s Elemental. The rear wheels gently touched the deck, and the airplane kept flying, skillfully with just the two wheels touching, until the nose fell even more gently. Ingrid had seen such perfect landings before.


    The black fighter jets looked very similar to the Burning Leaf model, except they were more angular. Every surface of the airplane, from the nose to the vertical stabilizers, everything was constructed from flat shapes joined at sharp angles. Everything was painted with some type of black coating, and the semi-transparent canopy was colored a dull gold.


    "Behold!" Vaska said. "Jack Vail has completed his work. I present the world''s first stealth fighter! We call it... the HY-13 Blackfire!"


    "Stealth?" Ingrid asked. "It doesn''t look very stealthy to me."


    "Yeah because you are not an Elemental! Colored Orbs cannot see this airplane. Which means radar will not work."


    "So they just need to get very close and use Ice-Two missiles."


    "Nope!" Vaska said. "Once the engine is nice and hot, you use kerosene only, and dismiss your Fire Elementals. The Ice-Two missiles won''t be able to track you."


    "So you can murder people," Ashe said, "and they have no way of fighting back. I love it!"


    The other stealth fighters landed one at a time. Ingrid recognized the distance between each airplane, the way they rolled into their turns, and the way the wheels touched the deck. Those airplanes were piloted by the White Ravens, except for the last, which could only have been piloted by Glenice. The dull gold canopy to the first stealth fighter opened up and Natasha climbed down the ladder.


    "Sister," Natasha said. "Do you have the keystones?"


    Vaska handed a trio of orange-teal keystones to Natasha. "There have already been a few scouting sorties into the Plane of Stone," she said. "They mostly seem to be building air defenses."


    Airmen with racks of missiles rolled up alongside Natasha''s fighter and began to open the missile bays on the fuselage. The edges of the missile bay doors all had a strange sawtooth design.


    "Wonderful, nothing they have will work against this new design. Sister, are you going to fly with us?"


    "I think so," Vaska said.


    "Great," Natasha said. "Ingrid, Glenice will give you her fighter. You fly with us."


    The other White Ravens began to pull to the edge of the taxiway in their fighters. The last fighter, which Ingrid assumed was piloted by Glenice, had an elongated canopy.


    "Um.. Princess," Ingrid said, "I have been trapped in the Plane of Heaven for weeks basically, and the Admiral tells me nothing. What is going on in the outside world?"


    "It''s not good. Ayaru is the worst, of course. Other nations were able to look at what happened in that economy and make adjustments. My father spends all day every day interviewing people with his Light Elemental. There have been purges among the intellectuals and the minor noble houses. Especially the intellectuals. From what I know, almost seventy percent of economics professors have been either denounced or executed."


    "Good, the charlatans deserve it," Vaska said.


    "Why professors?" Ingrid asked. "Civilians are being killed? Why?"


    "Well, you do plan to purify the Queen of Light, don''t you?" Natasha asked.


    "She does!" Ashe answered. "She will give me my power back. I''m going to make her!"


    "And do you know what will happen when you purify her, Ingrid?"


    "Who can know what will happen in the future?"


    "All of the contracts with the sacrifices are going to be forgiven," Natasha said. "That is what my father thinks the most likely outcome is. Our previous economic models were not too useful in practice. The professors, as Vaska pointed out, were mostly just a club of charlatans giving each other awards. There is nothing abnormal about that, however, these particular charlatans are openly critical of the Emperor''s plan to create a fiat currency."


    The Imperial Princess sliced one hand across her neck.


    "I guess that makes sense," Ingrid said. "Though it seems somewhat cruel."


    The canopy to Glenice''s airplane opened, and the lone woman climbed out of the two-seater. After descending the ladder, she sprinted past everyone to one of the parked tilt-rotors and vanished inside.


    "I''ve been there before," Ingrid said, pointing to her.


    "Make sure you are all biologically correct," Natasha said, "before we take off."


    Ingrid was the last to leave the deck. The nose of the aircraft was a little heavy on takeoff, perhaps because of the strange angular shape. It also required summoning no less than three cyan Colored Orbs to help with aerodynamic stability and three-axis control. From Ingrid''s perspective however, the biggest change was the total lack of a crossbar under the canopy, and no mirrors to see behind the pilot. Ingrid could not see Vaska, but she could hear her ramble on about the airplane''s many features.


    Three bright flashes of orange light appeared around Natasha''s fighter jet far ahead. They spread out, and then the faint lines connected them. The portal began to form.


    "So the surfaces on the leading edge of the wings are called slats," Vaska said. "This airplane does not have flaps, instead it uses the ailerons as flaps and you can use the rudders to keep straight on approach. Also, like previous models, the two rudders can flex in or out to contribute to elevator control."


    "So what is different about this two-seater version?" Ingrid asked.


    "There is a more powerful radar system in the nose cone," Vaska said, "which I will operate from back here. I have also included some traditional Dark-Three missiles in the side missile bays."


    "Those require contracts," Ingrid said. "You didn''t bring contracts onto my airplane did you?"


    "No, and they would not work anyway. I can use the Firstborn to summon Dark Elementals."


    "Oh, and can you summon ocular demons?"


    "The Firstborn cannot summon those," Vaska said.


    "What the hell are ocular demons?!" Ashe asked.


    "Little Dark Elementals," Ingrid said. "Shaped like some sea creature with a giant eyeball. They are summoned in pairs."


    "I never made anything like that!" Ashe insisted. "My sister is using my power to make new Elementals! This is unforgivable!"


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "The Emperor told us that the Queen of Light was using ocular demons as spies," Vaska said. "You were there Ashe."


    "He never told me they were Dark Elementals! I thought she used her own power to make those things!"


    The portal finished forming ahead, a brilliant ring of pinkish orange surrounding a mostly pink sky beyond. Natasha was busy looping around to enter the portal, but the White Ravens had already entered. Ingrid trimmed the airplane out so that the nose was pointed at the center of the portal.


    "Oh! This is my first time seeing this sky," Vaska said as they crossed the threshold.


    The first thing Ingrid saw were the trees.


    The trees were tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of feet tall, and even while flying in a fighter jet, the lower branches of the trees filled the sky far overhead. Those massive trees were covered with brilliant pink, white, and red flowers, giving the sky a bright pink color. Tiny gaps between the branches revealed pale blue sky, not unlike the sky in the outside world on a clear day. A large orange moon was visible on the horizon, but it was mostly blocked by massive trees. The ground far below was pink as well, coated with a thick layer of fallen flowers.


    And then there were the stone stacks.


    The huge stones, as wide as a city and as thick as a mountain, were mostly grayish or brownish and marbled with bright orange veins. They were stacked, one on top of another, in jagged pillars that reached tens of thousands of feet into the sky.


    "Those rock pillars break the laws of physics!" Vaska said.


    "This is not the first time," Ingrid said, "that a Queen has decided to bend the laws of physics to make her world look pretty. This place is beautiful!"


    Ingrid looked all around, which was easier to do without the crossbar and mirrors. The airspace with the portal appeared to be in between three massive trees, and Ingrid counted at least ten giant stone stacks nearby. At the foot of the closest tree, in between two stone stacks, there appeared to be another compound with neat square roads where the pink flowers had been removed.


    "Radar contacts," Lead said through the magenta Colored Orb. "Solo, engage with the targets."


    "Dark-Three," Solo said.


    "Lady Ghost," Lead said, "take heading zero-nine-one and cover the airspace within fifty nautical miles."


    "Affirmative," Ingrid said. She rolled over and turned to the right.


    "More radar contacts," Vaska said, "Directly ahead, near the stone pillar."


    "If we shoot at them with radar-guided missiles, they will be able to detect it, right?" Ingrid asked. "Then they just need to hide behind the stone pillar."


    "They don''t know we are here," Vaska said. "Firstborn! Summon a Shadow Hunter into two of the Dark-Three missiles!"


    Enemy souls ahead, HUNT! HUNT! HUNT!


    Shall I hunt the other soul? Let me hunt!


    "Yes, go hunt!" Ingrid said. "Dark-Three! Dark-Three!"


    The weapons bays made a grinding sound as they opened briefly, and two missiles rocketed off toward the stack of stones far ahead, splitting apart and leaving two long arcs of smoke through the sky.


    "The only time enemy radar can see us is when the weapons bays are open," Vaska said. "You may want to randomly change direction in case they see us."


    "Sure," Ingrid said. She rolled over again and headed straight back toward the portal. Natasha''s fighter jet rushed through, a tiny black speck against a pink and blue sky. Shortly after, an Eagle Eye airplane entered the portal, escorted by a squadron of Fat Meg fighter jets. Ingrid craned her neck back to face the stone stack behind them. Two flashes of orange light indicated direct hits from the Dark-Three missiles. She pointed the nose up into a half-loop before rolling over to resume her approach toward the stack.


    "No more radar contacts," Vaska said. "Airspace is clear."


    "There they are!" Lead said. "Four enemy fighters, heading straight for Lady Ghost. Diamond formation, disable radar until we get close! Pick your targets!"


    "Targeting the Slot," Left said.


    "Targeting the Lead," Right said.


    "Targeting the Right," Slot said.


    "Targeting the Left," Lead said. "Ravens, Ice-Two! Fire!"


    What appeared to be a single, large missile lanced out from near where the White Ravens were flying, leaving four close trails of smoke behind them.


    "Four Ice-Two missiles," Vaska said. "They won''t know anything is wrong until after they are dead."


    "Those things aren''t alive!" Ashe said.


    Four simultaneous flashes of orange light indicated four direct hits. A massive black spider of smoke spread out from the location of the flashes.


    "Activate the kerosene bleed," Vaska said. "Be prepared to dismiss the Fire Elementals. I don''t want anyone hitting us with Ice-Two missiles."


    Ingrid began flipping the various switches to open the tanks, valves, and sump tanks for the kerosene bleed. She tipped the red throttle forward to full.


    CONSUME! CONSUME!


    CONSUME! MORE! MORE!


    Ingrid''s fighter jet lurched forward, and began to gain airspeed rapidly. "The Fire Elementals are so excited to burn the stuff," Ingrid said.


    "Too bad, dismiss them."


    "Fire Elementals! I dismiss both of you!"


    NOOOOO


    CONSUMMMEEEE


    The airplane continued to race along, though it had lost a small amount of power. The massive stack of stones passed them on the left, causing the compound to disappear from view. The trunk of the massive tree was just ahead. Ingrid pointed the nose away from the tree toward an empty sky.


    "Lady Ghost," Lead said, "this airspace is safe. Rejoin with us, we are all going to fly into the enemy compound and destroy their air defenses."


    Ingrid continued her long turn, and Natasha pulled up alongside. "I am your Lead," Natasha said. "Ingrid you are in the Slot. Solo and Opposing Solo, get close and form up as Left and Right Wings."


    Ingrid fell back behind and below Natasha''s airplane. Soon the two other White Raven''s pilots flew in on either side. The other diamond formation approached from the opposite direction, crossing a few hundred feet below and then turning toward the compound. They fell in together, two diamond formations of eight aircraft total, and began their approach toward the compound. The radar was mostly silent.


    The details of the compound came into view. The roofs of the square metal buildings were caked in pink flowers. Dozens of hangars lined the massive runway through the center of the compound, and there were a large number of missile turrets strategically positioned on the inside ledges of the two stone stacks on either side. Dozens of fighter jets were parked in two neat lines along one of the taxiways.


    "Guns ready!" Lead said. "We are going to fly low and rake those parked fighters!"


    "Ingrid did not need to think about where she was flying. She just held her position behind and below Natasha. Eight streams of bullets shot forward from the two diamond formations as they crossed the threshold of the compound, ravaging the parked fighter jets on the ground, ripping the wings or rudder fins off of several of the hapless airplanes.


    "Very faint radar signatures ahead," Vaska said. "Spinning radar dishes, on the top of those towers!"


    "Left! Slot!" Lead snapped. "Break formation and kill them!" Two of the fighters in the other formation broke away.


    "Up we go," Natasha said. "We need to take out those turrets in the rocks."


    They began to ascend, and the long runway and hangars dropped away and vanished behind. Natasha led the formation up toward the towering stone stack on the right side of the compound. Then, she rolled onto one side, causing the entire formation to roll on edge.


    "Now Vaska!" Natasha said.


    "Firstborn!" Vaska cried. "Summon Shadow Hunters into all of the Dark-Three missiles in all of these fighters! Shadow Hunters! Target the enemy turret operators! Dark-Three! Dark-Three!"


    The missile bays on the other airplanes began to open up, and missiles rocketed out ahead of the formation, just a few feet away from Ingrid''s head. Eight missiles in total, spreading out toward the eight turrets on the near side of the stone stack. The closest turrets were busy rotating toward the open weapon''s bays as the missiles struck them. Fire erupted all up and down the stack of stones as the formation rushed past.


    "Radar contacts ahead," Natasha said.


    "We will take care of the other side," Lead said.


    "Eight targets," Vaska said, "Sixteen miles ahead. They are not reacting to us at all."


    "Let''s see if we can sneak up on them," Natasha said as the formation rolled back upright and turned slightly to avoid hitting the massive tree trunk in the distance. The radar beeps gradually became louder as the nose pointed toward the enemy.


    Ingrid had an eerie feeling as the formation snuck up on the four of the fighters. They did not fly in a tight formation, and instead were loosely spread out over several miles.


    "Burst formation," Natasha said. "Ingrid, you take the close fighters, will fly up and take the two far fighters."


    Ingrid pointed the nose down and distanced herself from Natasha''s airplane. The enemy fighter jets just above did not react at all to the presence of four enemy fighters lurking below.


    "Ice-Two!" Ingrid said. The first missile lanced out toward the enemy just above. It exploded, completely disintegrating in a fireball just overhead. The second fighter violently began defending. Ingrid chased him. He must have finally seen her, because he started jinking, violently rolling and entering into a side slip to avoid her nose. "Ice-Two!" she said again as she shot a second missile. It smashed directly into the enemy cabin and caused the airplane to rip into a flaming pinwheel. The other fighter jets fared no better, exploding to radar-guided missiles.


    "This is not fair," Ingrid said. "They don''t see us!"


    "It''s so beautiful!" Ashe said.


    As they flew back past the massive stone stacks toward the portal, the Meg Squadrons and bombers had arrived. Dozens of tilt-rotors approached along with the paratrooper dropships.


    "Is this what fighter jets are going to be?" Ingrid asked.


    "What do you mean?" Vaska said.


    "We just... fly around in stealth fighters, killing people who can''t see us, destroying air defenses? What about dogfights? What will happen to piloting skills?"


    "Shush," Vaska said. "You are going to end up like Ivan was, flying around in an ancient warbird for decades after they are obsolete!"


    Suddenly Ingrid understood the man. There must have been a time in his life just like this moment. These stealth fighters were going to turn the world upside down, and she could not help but feel like something very important and very beautiful was going to be lost forever.

 Chapter 50: Atrocity

    The long, lopsided arm of the Stone Elemental reached up toward the open canopy once again, and Vaska climbed onto its hand. Three tilt-rotors flew in formation overhead, slowly descending as the pylons began to rotate. A single Skinny Meg fighter jet approached the runway with flaps fully extended. A Fat Meg fighter, tires compressed and wings heavy with a full complement of hypersonic missiles, rolled up alongside Ingrid''s Blackfire and came to a stop.


    Vaska stepped down onto the rotting pink flower petals on the ground with a squish. "Help! I''m sinking!"


    "Hey!" Reese called down from the open canopy. "Could I get a lift?" Ingrid pointed to the woman, and the Stone Elemental lurched forward toward the Fat Meg fighter. The Skinny Meg made a somewhat rough landing on the runway beyond.


    "Ingrid! You need to carry me!" Vaska insisted.


    Ashe fluttered off Ingrid''s shoulder and began to grow to full size. "I think I''ll walk," she said.


    Glenice, Vladimir, and two more Imperial Marines approached the taxiway with their weapons pointed at the ground. Glenice seemed to be carrying a sniper rifle of some sort. "Princess," Glenice said, "Lady Ghost. Welcome. The site is secure. We found Amadeo Yorath, and he insisted on fighting one of our Marines in a duel. He ended up being hacked to pieces with a saber. The rest of his family has been... dealt with."


    "Excellent!" Vaska said. "We win! Our enemies are dead!"


    "While I admire your bloodlust Vaska," Ashe said, "I still don''t understand why you are so obsessed with those other families. What did they do to you?"


    "I have to think about the future," Vaska said. "A thousand years from now, will my family still exist? When will the other houses invade and exterminate us? Look what happened to Ingrid''s ancestors!"


    "Did you find them?" Reese asked as she stepped down from the Stone Elemental''s hand.


    "We did," Vladimir replied. "However the warehouse has been cleared and then sealed."


    "We don''t want anyone inside when we open the doors," Glenice added.


    A rumble approached from beyond the threshold of the runway. Ingrid turned around to see it. A twin-propeller, high-wing, strut-braced airplane was descending on final approach. Ingrid had flown on one of those airplanes before, when she had flown to the Emperor''s lodge with Vaska. The Skinny Meg fighter jet rolled up, and Ingrid approached it with her Stone Elemental. The pilots named Task and Zakx climbed out.


    "How does the search go?" Ingrid asked.


    "Resort flat!" Task began in heavily accented Imperial. "Land airplane in wave, big! Big! Hard... hard."


    "Is it difficult to land the Island Hopper in large waves?" Ingrid asked. The plump man nodded.


    "Is good to again fly fighter jet!" Zakx said.


    Two more twin-propeller airplanes landed. The three airplanes were packed full of former sacrifices and a handful of exiled Matrons. Natasha was the last to land, and the rest of the White Ravens remained on patrol in the sky above. A small army of Marines arrived to organize and escort the group of sacrifices, which swelled to nearly a hundred people.


    Vaska insisted on riding the shoulder of Ingrid''s Stone Elemental as they crossed the thick blanket of rotting pink flowers. Natasha walked ahead with Glenice, but Ingrid remained behind and walked in somber silence. Imperial Marines stalked through the streets, clearing away the bodies of enemy soldiers. Dozens of enemy soldiers were still alive, chained together in long lines, waiting to be taken away by FIA agents for interrogation. Fragments of destroyed turrets and enemy fighter jets were strewn about on the road, and more than one building had been ripped open by a bomb.


    They arrived at a large bunker, partially submerged into the stone and fortified with anti-aircraft turrets. There were long smears of blood leading out of the door, ending in a pile of corpses nearby. The former sacrifices were clearly uneasy being led into the structure.


    Inside the bunker was a dim underground warehouse, lit by narrow skylights. Thousands of color-coded metal boxes were piled up throughout the warehouse. A network of tubes connected the boxes to a steam engine in one corner. Vladimir grabbed one of the boxes and snapped the hinges with a serrated dagger. One panel fell away, revealing the contents of the box. Hundreds of tiny brass components whirred in steam-powered clockwork pumps. Transparent tubes of glass were filled with flowing blood, a human brain was contained in some sort of yellowish liquid in another glass compartment, and finally a human heart, still beating, was housed in a misshapen glass chest cavity.


    The Marine held the apparatus above his head so the sacrifices could get a clear look at the contents.


    "Reese, please translate for me," Vaska said. "This is what our enemy has done to your people. Some of you have visited the empty cities in the Plane of Fire. You have seen the giant piles of corpses. This is what they were creating. You have proof right here."


    Reese translated this for the sacrifices. They remained silent and almost perfectly still, their eyes fixed on the strange steam-powered device.


    Vaska turned to Glenice. "Bring him here," she said.


    Glenice nodded and then stalked off through the hallway. When she returned, two Marines accompanied her, prodding an old man in chains to walk in front of them.


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    "Professor Makari," Vaska said.


    "Imperial Princess Vaska Maryy," the man said. He did not look up to meet Vaska''s eyes. "It is such an honor. I believe this is the first time we have met."


    "It is. I generally avoid that species of charlatan that infests the universities."


    "Your work," the old man rasped, "on the design of fighter jets... is remarkable. Truly, remarkable."


    "Thank you sir," Vaska said. "Reese, tell the sacrifices that this man invented the canisters."


    "What are we going to do to him?" Ashe whispered in a mischievous voice as Reese began to address the crowd.


    "You are not going to do anything to him," Vaska whispered. Among the sacrifices, the men became very animated. The women mostly remained silent.


    "That mask," Makari said, "are you a worshiper of the Queen of Darkness?"


    "I am the Queen of Darkness you idiot," Ashe snapped.


    "They say they want to kill him," Reese said. "The men are deciding who gets to kill him, and how."


    "Tell them that they can kill him in any way that pleases them," Vaska said.


    "What courage!" the man exclaimed. "Such courage to kill an old man like me! Hah!"


    Vaska shrugged. "You betrayed the Empire. It is well within my rights to execute you myself. However, you have made an enemy of these people, and it will be great propaganda to allow them to decide your fate."


    "The men have decided that they want to take him outside and burn him alive with their Fire Elementals," Reese said.


    "A bad way to go..." the man muttered.


    "That''s not a problem at all," Vaska said. She gestured to the Marines and they dragged the man back out into the hallway. Among the sacrifices, most of the men and a few women followed them.


    "What are we going to do about them?" Ingrid asked, waving her hand out toward the massive piles of canisters. "Is there anything we can do to help them?"


    "Glenice, did you find the Light Crystal?" Vaska asked.


    "It is here," Glenice replied, handing the crystal to Ingrid.


    "Light!" Ingrid said. "Show yourself!" The heavily-armored woman materialized in front of Ingrid, filling the dim warehouse with an oily light.


    "Can you summon the contracts?" Vaska asked.


    I cannot, the Light Elemental replied. The man named Amadeo Yorath commanded me thus, to cease my claims on those contracts. They cannot be summoned.


    "Exactly like the Light Elementals used by House Rosalia and House Demetra," Vaska said. "We are going to need to destroy them. All of them. It is the only way to disable the contracts. Ingrid, go ahead and purify this one."


    The screams of the Light Elemental drowned out the mad death throes of the old man being burned alive outside.


    After Ingrid bonded the purified Elemental, Ashe changed once again. Her skull mask changed so that it exposed one half of her face as well as her entire mouth. Her dress changed to white with red, purple, and black diamonds. Her fangs had grown longer, and she tilted her head back with a wicked smile. "Thank you, Ingrid," Ashe said.


    Glenice started giving orders to the Marines. Sappers entered the warehouse carrying crates of explosives and tanks of gasoline. Ingrid wandered off into the middle of the warehouse, gazing around at the countless canisters, and Ashe followed. The nearby stacks were marked with red paint. Sacrifices from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Some of those boxes contained the brains and hearts of bodies she had seen with her own eyes, piled high in the city streets, slowly being buried in snow.


    Vaska walked up behind Ingrid and wrapped her arms around Ingrid''s waist. "Are you alright?" she asked.


    "I just really wish there is something we could do to help them," Ingrid said.


    "Ask your new Elementals," Ashe said. "You both bonded a pair, right?"


    "Oh yeah," Vaska said. Then, in a low whisper, she added: "The High Daughters of the new Elemental Queens."


    "High Daughter of the Queen of Dreams," Ingrid whispered. "And the Queen of Spirit as well, is there anything that we can do to help these people?"


    They are trapped within a deep sleep, the High Daughter of Dreams replied. We can create a shared dream, one last dream before they are destroyed.


    "One last dream?" Ingrid asked.


    Their last memories were... being cut apart while fully awake, the High Daughter of Spirits said. Their spirits are ravaged, malicious things. They have no peace. They will be remembered forever, if only in the way they have darkened Mother''s creation, the Plane of Spirit.


    "If my last memory was... being chopped to pieces," Vaska said, "I doubt there is any final dream that would satisfy me."


    "I will do the best I can," Ingrid said. "Vaska, tell the others that I need to rest after purifying the Light Elemental."


    "If anyone asks," Vaska said.


    Ingrid sank down onto the warehouse floor, with her head resting in Vaska''s lap. Vaska stroked the nape of Ingrid''s neck.


    Ingrid closed her eyes. "I''m ready."


    You will sleep now, and I will bring all of the sacrifice into your dream.


    Clouds.


    A landscape of pale gray clouds stretched out below. There were valleys, mountains, and pillars the size of planets. The sky above was a vibrant blue, and cut with extraordinary golden arcs. A distant sun gleamed through a gap in those arcs. Another planet. A real planet, one that Ingrid had learned about as a child. She had never seen it through a telescope, but she had seen paintings. This planet was surrounded by rings. She was in the sky of that planet, looking up at the rings.


    Pink jellyfish the size of cities appeared in the sky all around, dancing near the pillars of clouds. Huge watermelon-colored, blimp-like creatures appeared. They had immense, gaping mouths and glassy eyes, and they roamed about devouring the jellyfish. Sleek, predatory creatures lurked below. They had four wings arranged in an X-shape, and their bulbous heads seemed to glow with an inner orange light.


    A glass canopy began to form, as well as the rest of the cabin of a fighter jet. The nose, the wings, the tail fins, the sounds of the engines... It all began to form from her countless memories of flight. This was the Falling Leaf fighter, the one she flew when she was the Left Wing of the White Ravens. Thousands of identical craft began to appear in the sky all around.


    They flew, and were free for a time.


    Ingrid pointed the nose of her fighter down at the clouds below. It took a very long time to fall into the clouds. As with a lucid dream, Ingrid willed her fighter jet to fly faster. She flew so fast that the airspeed indicator could no longer represent her speed. The clouds grew dimmer and dimmer, until Ingrid was consumed in total darkness. And still she flew, without striking the ground, until the clouds opened into a vast spherical chamber. In the center of the chamber was a small orange planet, which cast undulations of orange light upon the dark purple clouds that lined the inner surface of the sphere. She flew down to that planet, and thousands of fighter jets followed her.


    "Let us go!" Ingrid shouted, and she knew that all the others heard her. "Let''s go explore!"


    Ingrid could not quite remember what awaited her on that planet once she began to wake. Vaska looked down at her with a warm smile on her face.


    "You are so adorable when you smile!" Vaska said.


    "I was smiling?" Ingrid asked.


    "It must have been one hell of a dream. You were grinning the entire time."


    "High Daughter of Spirit," Ingrid said. "Did that help at all?"


    In a small way, yes.


    A sapper walked by with a crate of explosives. "You should clear out Princess," the man said. "You too, Lady Ghost."


    Ingrid sighed.


    "Let''s go home," Vaska said.

 Chapter 51: Highest Ideal

    The ghostly, pale-orange projection of bookshelves appeared all around Ingrid and Vaska. The air of the Firstborn''s projection split, opening into a dim room lit by a fireplace. The shadows of armchairs flicked across fine rugs. Vaska stepped through, carrying a thick leather-bound tome. Ingrid followed, and Ashe was the last to leave the portal.


    "Welcome home Vaska," the Emperor said.


    Ingrid sat down in the armchair across from the Emperor. The man was dressed in comfortable clothes, and a crystal wine glass filled with dark liquor rested on an arm stand. Vaska offered the tome, and he reached out to accept it.


    "What is this?"


    "A history of House Yorath," Vaska said. "It describes the secret meetings with the other Great Houses where they decided to attack House Veronika. I thought you might appreciate it."


    "A wonderful gift," the Emperor said. "I will cherish it. Have a seat. Servants! Bring more glasses and more wine!"


    The door to the study opened instantly and a butler in a pure white uniform entered. He held a tray with several additional glasses as well as four dark green bottles. He set the tray on a table by the bookshelves. "Princess Vaska, would you prefer red or white?"


    "White and bubbly!" Vaska said.


    "I will have the same," Ingrid said.


    "I will return with additional bottles shortly," the butler said as he poured the two cups. "And what of you?" he asked while looking straight at Ashe, who sat nearly motionless in her armchair close to Ingrid.


    "I do not need to drink, foolish mortal," Ashe replied. The man bowed. He seemed invisible as he offered the glasses and then withdrew silently from the room. The Emperor set the leather-bound tome on his arm stand.


    "So it is done then?" The Emperor asked.


    "It is done," Vaska replied. "Our enemies have been slaughtered. FIA agents have already identified all of the bodies."


    "Even the children," Ashe added.


    The Emperor cleared his throat. "Let us not dwell on that. Daughter. Friend Ingrid. I have heard of what was done in the Plane of Heaven. A swarm of drones. Remarkable! And now stealth technology. Vaska, you have done well."


    "Thank you father," Vaska said. She held her crystal glass of bubbly wine above her face. The liquid seemed to glow orange in the flickering light of the fireplace. Vaska sucked the entire glass down in one gulp.


    "And you," the Emperor said, turning to Ingrid. "You have done more for my family in less than a year than anyone has ever done in a thousand years."


    Ingrid was speechless.


    "Why should we think you will allow us to purify the Queen of Light?" Ashe asked. "You have every reason to want to dispose of Ingrid right away, now that the other Great Houses are exterminated."


    "Normally I would never trust a person who thinks the way you do," the Emperor replied. "But to answer your question, the reason is simple. I am an honest man."


    "I don''t like you," Ashe said.


    The Emperor seemed to ignore the Queen of Darkness. Vaska stood up and walked to the table with the bottles of wine.


    "A civilization is more than a currency. A civilization is more than the energy that it consumes. My own highest ideal is now realized. Ever since Ingrid purified the Light Elemental from Taisia and gave it to me. I can now create a civilization built on truth, one where honest people have power."


    "I will stop you!" Ashe said.


    "Evil gives us freedom," the Emperor said. "We have the right to choose, and we can choose honesty. We can choose to honor our promises, to honor our contracts. The sacrifices were forced into their contracts from a young age. It is not true honesty. It is an abomination." He shook his head. "I hope I have answered your question, Queen of Darkness."


    Vaska sat down in Ingrid''s chair, pushing her to one side. She tipped her glass of bubbly wine and sucked it down.


    "You should slow down, daughter."


    "Father, I wish to marry her," Vaska blurted.


    Ingrid gasped. She turned to Vaska, and their eyes met. Vaska nodded.


    "That is legally impossible," the Emperor said.


    "You can change the law!"


    "I will not. However, you are free to speak whatever oaths you wish. You both have Light Elementals."


    "May I, father?" Vaska asked. "I need you to give us your blessing. I need you to promise me... that you won''t give me away for some political reason."


    "I have already made that promise, long ago. Ingrid, you have more than earned my blessing."


    "Titania!" Ingrid shouted. "I summon you! Show yourself!"


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    The Light Elemental appeared, casting a brilliant golden glow on the bookshelves and banishing the darkness from the domed roof far above.


    "We would have you witness our oaths!" Ingrid said. Ashe groaned. Ingrid turned to face Vaska once again. It was unusual for the woman to maintain eye contact for long, but her eyes were locked on Ingrid.


    "I have never been more certain," Vaska said. "I love you Ingrid, and I will love you forever. I will be yours forever, and I will speak only truth to you. This I promise."


    Ingrid envied Vaska''s certainty. Trembling, and struggling to breathe, her voice became a sequence of gasps. "I love you Vaska, and likewise I will love you forever. I will be yours forever, and I will speak only truth to you. This is my promise, Vaska."


    They leaned forward and kissed. When Ingrid opened her eyes, Vaska was glowing. Then she realized that her skin was simply reflecting the light emanating from Ingrid''s own body. Vaska''s eyes went wide.


    I have heard your oaths, Titania said, her gentle voice sounding somewhat like windchimes in Ingrid''s mind.


    "What the hell did you do?!" Ashe said. "Titania! What did you do!?"


    The oaths were very specific, Titania replied. The glow surrounding Ingrid began to fade.


    "You don''t just casually make people immortal! I''m going to get back at my sister for this! The idiot!"


    You should not have created the Firstborn, Titania said. You provoked Mother into creating me.


    "I didn''t ask for your opinion!" Ashe hissed.


    "Immortal?" Vaska asked. Ingrid shrugged.


    "Don''t let it go to your head!"


    "Ingrid! We can fly together forever!" Vaska said. "The twelve skies will be ours!"


    "Twelve skies?" the Emperor asked. Vaska suddenly covered her mouth.


    "She is keeping secrets from you!" Ashe said. "They both are!"


    "Daughter, what is she on about? What secrets?"


    The door to the study opened, and the butler returned with more bottles on a tray. He froze when he saw Titania looming overhead.


    "Now is a bad time," the Emperor said. The butler gracefully excused himself from the room.


    "Father, me and Ingrid... we may have uh... split a goddess in half."


    The Emperor''s face twisted slightly, with one eye going wide and the other squinting. "Go no."


    "Yes, sorry father. We split the sixth goddess in half and created two new Elemental Planes. The Plane of Spirit and the Plane of Dreams. We also bonded with new High Daughters."


    "And does one of these new High Daughters strengthen your spirit?" The Emperor asked. Vaska nodded. The Emperor grunted. "I was wondering how you are able to summon so many Elementals, Ingrid. I ordered FIA agents to acquire multiple bonds from the sacrifices. The best they could accomplish was to summon three or four at a time for a few minutes."


    "Can you keep it a secret for now?" Vaska asked.


    "As you wish. However, at some point the scholars are going to figure it out. It would be a great boon to our family if we made the announcement."


    "At least wait until after the Queen of Light is purified," Ingrid said. The Emperor nodded.


    Vaska stood up. "Ingrid, let''s go flying!"


    "Yeah!"


    Titania vanished, allowing the darkness to return to the study. A solid black line appeared in front of Vaska, absorbing the flickering light of the fireplace. It grew into a portal.


    "You should come father! You must see what Jack is working on now."


    "Oh, I suppose," the man said.


    Once the portal closed, the Firstborn''s projection shifted to a familiar landscape. Ingrid stepped out into the shady valley of the workshop campus in the Plane of Darkness. The dim lights of gas lamps flickered in the wooden windows of the workshop buildings. Imperial Marines stood guard at the door to one of the buildings. They saluted the Emperor.


    Dozens of engineers were drawing engineering diagrams in front of wooden workstations. The man named Jack Vail stood at one end of the room, speaking with two women in lab coats. He sent the two women away when he saw them approach.


    "Welcome, my Emperor," Jack Vail said with a bow.


    "I have come," the Emperor said, "to see what my money has purchased."


    "The prototype is on the taxiway," Jack said. "Follow me."


    "You are going to love it father!" Vaska said.


    The prototype was solid black in the purple light of the Plane of Darkness. It looked slightly thicker than typical fighter jets, and not as wide. Like the Blackfire, it had a golden tinge to the glass canopy. The Emperor and Jack Vail kept their distance from the machine as Ingrid and Vaska climbed the stairs to the cabin. Marines dragged the stairs away after Ingrid had strapped herself in. Ashe shrank and then fluttered up into the cabin as well.


    There was a series of gauges and switches that Ingrid did not recognize, as well as a lever opposite to the throttle labeled Main Shaft Power.


    "Ok, we need two Fire Elementals for the engines, six cyan Colored Orbs, and all the other standard Elementals."


    "Six?" Ingrid asked. "What for?"


    "Shush, just do it."


    The engines began to spool, and the machine hummed to life. Vaska finished strapping herself in, and the canopy closed and locked.


    "A gift for you, my wonderful wife!" Vaska said. "Open the blue guard on your right and flip the switch, then flip all the other switches in the same panel."


    Even before Ingrid finished flipping all of the switches, she heard metal grinding behind her. She spun around to look behind the canopy, and saw black sawtooth panels opening on the back of the fighter jet. It began to make a loud whirring sound. Misty waves began to emanate outward from the unseen belly of the fighter.


    "Ok, fully open the throttle, then push the lever on your right up very slowly."


    The lever opposite to the throttle seemed to resist being moved, and as Ingrid nudged it upward the ground began to drop away. The airplane was lifting off vertically.


    "Whoa!" Ingrid said.


    "Lift the landing gear!" Vaska said. "You should try using the stick!"


    At full power to the main shaft throttle, the airplane began to float off into the sky. The stick allowed the airplane to shift forward, backward, left, and right, while the rudder pedals allowed the nose to rotate. Ingrid pointed the nose over the dark lake of pure water.


    "Push the stick fully forward, and wait for the airspeed to reach the inner green arc. Then flip the switch under the blue guard back down."


    Ingrid quickly realized what was happening as she reconfigured the airplane. The switch under the blue guard controlled the angle of the engine exhaust, which could be vectored completely down. The other switches controlled the panels guarding the main shaft fan.


    "Three of the cyan Orbs control the three-axis control and stability," Vaska said. "The other three control the motion of the craft when in vertical mode."


    The airspeed increased rapidly. Ingrid pulled the main shaft lever fully back to the lowest setting, then shut the sawtooth doors. The white, spore-clad landscape of the Plane of Darkness stretched out below, with its jagged black peaks and rivers of blood.


    "Ah! I never get tired of seeing my creation," Ashe said. "I have to admit, this is a good angle."


    Ingrid pointed the nose down toward the workshop campus and punched the throttle to full. She could see the Emperor covering his ears as the fighter jet rocketed over the taxiway.


    "Vaska, we can land the same way we took off, I am guessing?"


    "You idiot!" Ashe said. "Going down is much easier than going up!" Ingrid glared at the little woman.


    "Yes. I designed this fighter jet to land at the top of the Golden Tower in the Plane of Light. Father described the tower to me. It has other applications as well. I imagine the Imperial Marines and the Sea Navy will be very interested in this craft."


    "Glenice will be happy," Ingrid said. Then she shivered.


    The Golden Tower.


    It would not be long.

 Chapter 52: Apex of the Elements

    The festival of flowers was underway in the city of Heyl. The trees lining the boulevards of the ancient city were in full bloom. The pale purple flowers heralded the coming of spring, and the people were celebrating in the streets. Children stood on the rooftops, throwing handfuls of flowers down on the revelers. All eyes turned to face Ingrid''s fighter jet as she flew over the city.


    She looked down on them with pity. It was one last celebration before the world turned upside-down.


    "Titania, it is time. Create a portal to the Plane of Light!"


    Like the portals created by the Firstborn, A single line of pure golden light appeared in the sky far ahead. It spread into a rounded rectangle, large enough for a fighter jet to fly through. Ingrid pushed the throttle forward and began to raise the flaps. Ingrid felt a familiar sense of anticipation as the portal grew larger and larger, until they crossed the threshold.


    A golden sky awaited beyond the portal, surrounded by a pale fog. There did not appear to be a ground below. The fighter jet flew through an empty pocket in that fog, a pocket of unimaginable size. Crystals the size of planets, as brilliant as the Emperor''s wine glasses, and shaped like teardrops, floated out in that golden sky. Crystal platforms floated in the sky below, rimmed with jagged crystal spires like inverted chandeliers.


    A massive golden tower loomed on the horizon ahead. The base of the tower faded into the fog, and the apex of the tower was shaped like a golden spearhead. A massive ring-shaped crystal platform surrounded the tower. A city, complete with parks, ponds, roads, and buildings that appeared to be constructed entirely from blue glass.


    "There must be tens of thousands of people living here," Ingrid said. "There are not tens of thousands of Light Elementals. What are they bonded to?"


    "Ocular demons," Ashe said from Ingrid''s shoulder. "My sister''s eyes."


    "She will know we are here," Vaska said. "No radar contacts, the sky is clear."


    Ingrid pointed her nose at the tip of the golden tower. She began to reduce the throttle as they flew closer, however the sheer size of the tower made it difficult to judge how far away it was. Ingrid rolled into a knife-edge maneuver and began to loop around toward the tower, glancing down at the city far below. The massive ring was at least fifty thousand feet down, by Ingrid''s estimation. The altimeter simply read sea level.


    The tip of the tower was covered with sword-like spines jutting up into the sky, each at least ten thousand feet tall. There was a gaping crack in the spearhead-shaped apex, leading into absolute darkness.


    "That must be the fracture that my father saw," Vaska said. "She must be through there."


    "She is," Ashe said. "And she is not happy that I am here."


    Ingrid lined up with the fracture and cut the throttle to lose airspeed with full flaps and air brakes. She began to reconfigure the airplane for vertical flight. The sawtooth doors ground open behind the canopy, and the stick changed from three-axis to two-dimensional control. Ingrid felt deeply uneasy as she drove the airplane through the fracture into the golden tower.


    Darkness consumed them. Vague, pale-yellow god''s rays surrounded the fighter jet as Ingrid navigated down at an angle, following the light. There was a bright blue island in the darkness ahead and below. A tall, dark figure stood upon the center of that island of blue light. Ingrid slowly brought the fighter jet down in front of the figure. It was a tall woman with long golden hair and a black dress. The Elemental Queen regarded the aircraft with lifeless eyes.


    "High Daughter of Stone," Ingrid said. "Summon an Elemental outside to help us get down."


    Ingrid opened the canopy. Ashe fluttered off her shoulder and grew to full size even before she landed on the ground.


    "The False Queen." The Queen of Light spoke with two discordant voices overlapping, one of them delicate like Titania, one of them sinister like the Firstborn. She turned her lifeless eyes to regard Ingrid. "Titania, why have you forsaken your inheritance?"


    As Ingrid descended from her fighter jet on the arm of a Stone Elemental, Titania appeared nearby. A vaguely nude woman made of pure light, bathing the blue stone platform in a brilliant golden glow.


    Mother, you are not well.


    "You should listen to your daughter!" Ashe snapped. Ingrid stepped off the Elemental''s palm onto the smooth, polished blue stones. The Elemental reached up for Vaska.


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    "I am perfect," the two voices of the Queen of Light replied. "You are the False Queen Ashe. I do not countenance your presence in this place."


    "You stole my power!" Ashe said. "You are not a Dark Elemental! Why have you tapped into my power?"


    "This power is mine. I am a goddess. I have always been a goddess. I am the fifth goddess to join. This power is mine, not yours."


    "It''s a trick!" Ashe insisted. "The humans tricked you! We are not goddesses! We are Elementals!"


    "I am a goddess," the Queen of Light said. The discordance between the two voices grew more prominent. "My order is perfect. My judgments are perfect. I am perfect."


    Mother, this is madness, Titania said.


    Vaska stepped down onto the island beside Ingrid. The Firstborn appeared at her side, wielding her shadowy daggers.


    "We have come to end your madness," Vaska said.


    "You cannot destroy me," the Queen of Light replied. "Not even the power of the Firstborn can harm me."


    "I know," Vaska said. "I cannot destroy you. But she can." Vaska pointed to Ingrid.


    "Foolishness," the voices of Light and Dark replied. "I am perfect. I cannot be harmed."


    "It''s true!" Ashe said. "If you really were a goddess, then you would remember splitting yourself in half! You would remember the template that the Queens of Fire and Water created for the rest of us."


    Vaska reached into her pack and pulled out a metal mask. "This should protect our eyes."


    You must remember, mother, Titania said. Remember faith. Remember hope. Remember forgiveness. Remember the light.


    "Fire of my Spirit," Ingrid said. "Water of my Spirit. One more time. I need you. Please."


    Billowing flames appeared to Ingrid''s right, forming into a tall woman with a mask and a crown. She held a massive claymore in one hand, glowing within like a log left long in fire. She offered the handle of the claymore to Ingrid. Ingrid accepted it, and remarkably it was almost weightless.


    It must be human hands, the High Daughter of Fire said. I will give you all the power I have.


    The High Daughter of Water appeared to the left of Vaska, and offered a similar claymore of ice. Vaska grabbed it.


    Ingrid offered her left hand to Vaska. The other woman grasped it tightly with her right hand.


    "When you learn forgiveness," Ingrid said, "you must remember to forgive us. This is going to hurt."


    "Pray to whatever the goddesses worship," Vaska added. "You are about to discover just how imperfect you are."


    Holding hands, they charged the Queen of Light. Ingrid began to glow with a brilliant light, while Vaska seemed to darken the air around her. The twin swords of Fire and Water began to glow with their own blinding light, red and blue, and the Twin Fates of Titania and the Firstborn followed on either side.


    Ingrid and Vaska rammed the two swords through the Elemental''s chest. She slumped forward.


    Then screamed.


    Ingrid and Vaska both fell back. They released their hands, and frantically began to tie the metal masks over their eyes.


    "High Daughter of Wind!" Ingrid cried, soundlessly against the deafening shrieks. "Summon a Wind Elemental. Protect our ears!"


    The shrieks began to die down.


    "Quick thinking," Vaska said.


    The two swords were still stuck in the Elemental''s chest when she began to glow. Ingrid got the mask over her eyes just in time.


    Ingrid could see through the metal. It was faint, like looking through a heavily tinted window, but she could see through solid metal.


    Vaska leaned forward and kissed Ingrid.


    The light began to dim, then finally vanished.


    "Hah!" Ashe exclaimed. "Hah! I have my power back! Fear me mortals! I am the Queen of Darkness! Hear my name and despair!"


    Ingrid unstrapped the mask and turned to look at Ashe. She had not changed much. She still wore a white dress and that strange horned skull. The only real difference was that she grew to be as tall as the Queen of Light had been.


    "Foolish immortals! I will be a scourge upon your world. Sweet twilight will wash the light from your world, bringing a wave of evil such as the world has never seen! Tremble! Grovel at my feet!"


    "Well, be on with it," Vaska said, waving her hand dismissively. Ashe vanished in a puff of black smoke.


    The Queen of Light was sprawled out on the ground. The swords of Fire and Water had vanished. Ingrid approached her.


    The Elemental Queen had tears in her eyes.


    "I remember... forgiveness. Forgiveness. Forgiveness." A single, delicate voice.


    Mother, if you remember forgiveness, then you must forgive the humans who did this to you. See now the shape of the lie. You were never a goddess. You are like me, an Elemental, tasked with guarding a vast power. The humans envied your power.


    "Daughter," the Queen of Light said. She reached out with both arms, and Titania reached down to lift the Queen upright. "Daughter, I forgive them. I forgive the humans."


    Titania lifted her mother up onto her feet. She loomed over Ingrid and Vaska, but her eyes were filled with life. Filled with hope.


    The vast chamber began to lighten. Then it began to glow. Tens of thousands of tiny lights, like stars, surrounded them, occupying the space of the tower, banishing the darkness.


    Vaska gasped. "Light Elementals!"


    That is correct. The ocular demons have been purified, they have returned to pure Light. They were more intelligent when they had access to both powers. They have lost much, I am afraid. Do not mourn for them, they must atone for what they have done.


    "The sacrifices!" Ingrid said. "Queen of Light, do you know of the sacrifices? The people who have been tricked into the contracts that stole their lives?"


    "I know of them," the Queen of Light said. "All of the contracts have been forgiven."


    "Which means we just destroyed the entire world economy," Vaska said.


    "Do not be afraid," the Queen said. "You carry the light with you."


    "Titania?" Ingrid asked.


    "No." The Elemental Queen reached out with one arm, pointing her finger beyond Ingrid.


    Ingrid turned to see what she was pointing at. The fighter jet rested upon the blue stone floor of the platform.


    "The fighter jet," Ingrid said. "The fighter jet is our light. The light that draws the eyes and hearts of humanity. Our inspiration. Our highest ideal."

 Epilogue

    The deck of the Blade of Empire was packed full of grounded fighter jets. Task stood in front of a crowd of formal sacrifices from the Plane of Wind. Zakx sat in the back seat of their Skinny Meg fighter jet, looking down at the plump man.


    "Study your picture dictionary every day. And speak Imperial! Your Elementals won''t follow your commands otherwise. Your mission... is to create helium! You never realize how much helium these airships leak. So if you don''t want to go swimming with the sharks, then give it your best effort. Dismissed!"


    The former sacrifices sauntered off to begin their mission. Lieutenant Task climbed the stairs and plopped down into the front seat of the fighter jet. He tossed a sack of keystones back to Zakx. Zakx rifled through the bag. They were lopsided, metallic, and pale yellow, keystones for the Elemental Plane of Lightning. Task closed the canopy and locked it.


    "This aircraft isn''t equipped with wicks!" Zakx protested.


    "Oh shut up," Task said. "We just need to time our flight."


    "What is the mission?"


    "Intelligence gathering."


    "What, are we working for the FIA now?"


    "Stay focused. Summon your Fire Elemental into the right engine. I''ll handle the left one."


    They lingered in the sky with full flaps outside the portal when it appeared. The Elemental Plane of Lightning, that vast desert world with its dark sky and swift moon, stretched out beyond. Zakx glanced away from the blinding light of the millions of bolts of lightning when the storm started. When the light faded, Task punched the throttle to full and the fighter lurched forward.


    "Turning ninety left," Task said.


    Task tilted the fighter jet on edge, then pulled hard on the stick. Zakx began the sharp, spitting breaths required by the turn. His pressure suit activated, compressing his legs to prevent the blood from pooling there. The turn ended, and Task rolled them upright.


    "Why such a high-G turn?" Zakx asked.


    "Do I have to explain every maneuver?" Task snapped. Zakx said nothing.


    They crossed into the portal, then angled slightly up toward a nearby wick city. The city had been modified with a long runway on one end, covered with cages and trailing long wicks through the sky. They ascended into a standard traffic pattern adjacent to the city.


    "Turning one-eighty left," Task said. Zakx braced himself.


    If Task had one weakness as a pilot, it was landing. The Skinny Meg fighter struck the runway somewhat hard. As soon as the nose was down, Zakx opened the yellow guard and pulled hard on the parachute release lever. A tiny white parachute shot out between the tail fins, pulling the much larger red-striped parachute fully open. The deceleration was so violent that the straps on his shoulders knocked the wind from his lungs.


    Imperial Marines on the runway guided them to the city gates. They didn''t have to wait long for the stairs to be dragged out.


    Task led the way through the packed rubber streets of the wick city. Colored Orbs of various colors floated playfully in the space above the buildings, filling the city with a cacophony of neon light. Market stalls lined the street. Zakx could not read the language on the glowing signs.


    They approached a pot-bellied man selling skewers of meat. He looked unshaven and was sweating profusely. Ashe, the Queen of Darkness, stood adjacent to the stall. She had changed since Zakx had last seen her. The horned-bone mask only covered one eye, and rested like a crown on her head. She was also eight feet tall.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Queen Ashe?!" Zakx asked. "What are you doing here?"


    Ashe pointed at the pot-bellied man behind the stall. "Tormenting this bag of poo is my new hobby!"


    "How did you even get here?" the man asked. He offered two skewers of meat. Task and Zakx both accepted them.


    "That''s my secret!" Ashe said. "How did you get in here?"


    "Through a portal in the Bank of Taisia," the man said. "Obviously. The sacrifices need to eat, after all."


    "Special Agent Algot Gunn," Task said.


    "He is not me! I swear!"


    "He is lying!" Ashe said.


    "We know who you are," Task said.


    "I''m retired."


    "Not anymore. By the order of Princess Vaska Maryy, you are being returned to service in the Foreign Intelligence Authority."


    "You came all the way up here to tell me that?" the man said.


    "No," Task said as he took a bite of the meat skewer. "A fighter pilot''s got to eat. Obviously."


    <hr>


    The pontoon airplane skipped like a stone across the flat, turquoise waters of the Queen''s resort. Mia sat in the first officer''s chair, but she had no idea how to fly an airplane. Reese sat in the commander''s chair on the left.


    "Deploy the sea rudder," Reese commanded.


    "What is that?" Mia asked.


    "Right in front of you! The lever that says ''Sea Rudder Hydraulics'' and the black guarded switch right next to it."


    "Fine!" Mia said. She started pulling things and flipping switches, hoping the airplane didn''t explode. Reese skillfully piloted the pontoon airplane along the water like a boat, to a long dock ending in a beach.


    Mia looked uneasily down at the water as they crossed the dock.


    "What''s your problem?" Reese asked.


    "The water here is upside down!" Mia insisted. "It doesn''t flow up into the sky!"


    "Not all water is stupid like it is in the Plane of Wind! Look, just ahead. My mother is waiting for us. I need you to take the canister from my chest, open it and give it to her."


    "The what from your what?"


    "You heard me."


    An extremely tall woman with huge boobs waited at the end of the dock, wearing a black one-piece swimsuit. As Mia approached, the tall woman took a sip out of her coconut cup and tilted her dark sunglasses down, revealing brilliant blue eyes.


    "Sheesh, could you imagine carrying those things around?" Mia whispered. "Her back is going to break!"


    "Silence mortal," Reese said. "Mother, I have come as you requested."


    "Your burdens shall end, my daughter," the tall woman said.


    The Elemental Queen of Water, Mia realized.


    Reese began to grow. Her clothing ripped away and vanished, leaving her completely naked. Her skin began to change to a pale blue color, and by degrees Reese transformed into a Water Elemental, complete with a mask and a crown, like the High Daughters that Ingrid could summon. The Elemental placed both hands inside her chest, then ripped it open, revealing a canister, similar to the ones Mia had seen in the Plane of Stone. Mia reached up and plucked it out.


    Mia knew what awaited her when she opened the thing: a human brain, a heart, and blood circulating in glass tubes. She offered the canister to the Queen of Water.


    "Reese," the Queen of Water said, "you may have been a condemned criminal in life, but you are forgiven of all your sins. As promised, I shall craft a new body for you, one that is young and beautiful. You shall sail the seas and fly the skies forever, as my immortal worshiper."


    "Dreaming goddess!" Mia exclaimed. "Make me immortal too!"


    "Perhaps," the Queen of Water said.


    Mother, the High Daughter said in Mia''s mind, her voice not unlike a babbling creek. Have I done well?


    <hr>


    "Ingrid," Vaska whispered. "Wake up."


    Ingrid groaned and rolled away, escaping Vaska''s vice grip. Vaska ripped the comforter away from Ingrid, leaving her naked in the cold air of her room.


    "Now Vaska?" Ingrid asked.


    "Don''t get your hopes up. I have a gift for you. Everyone needs to be asleep though."


    Ingrid sat up.


    "High Daughter of Dreams!" Vaska said. "Show yourself!"


    The pale cyan Elemental began to materialize, filling the room with dim light. The Elemental reached forward, offering a trio of lopsided cyan-magenta keystones. Ingrid snatched them away greedily, suddenly feeling completely awake.


    "Another sky!" Ingrid exclaimed. "Another sky! Vaska, you are the best!"


    It was past midnight. Spring had arrived in Taisia, and the starry sky outside was warm. Dark as midnight, Ingrid''s fighter jet roared up above the mountains near House Veronika, too high for anyone to see. Ingrid activated the keystones, creating three dots of cyan light in the night sky. She timed her turn perfectly, just as the portal began to open.


    "I promise to close my eyes," Vaska said from the back seat. "You, and you alone, will be the first human to see the Elemental Plane of Dreams. This is my gift, my love."


    "I accept your gift, Vaska. You will need to fly in the front seat next time, when the Plane of Spirit is complete. That will be my gift to you, my love."


    The undulations of cyan light gave way, and the rim of the portal began to glow fiercely. Ingrid brought the nose around and lined up for a direct path through.


    Gear up.


    Flaps up.


    Kerosene bleed to full.


    Throttle open.


    The Fire Elementals reveled as the fighter jet raced forward, into another sky.

 Appendix A: Influences

    So this story began as a criticism of my first story, Knights, Witches, and Fighter Jets. One reader correctly pointed out that there were no actual fighter jet dogfights in the story. I had wanted to write a second story in a different universe, one that featured fighter jet dogfights in almost every chapter. I spent a long time watching the Growling Sidewinder YouTube channel. I learned a lot about 1-Circle and 2-Circle dogfights, basic maneuvers, and missile types (Fox-2 vs Fox-3).


    One night I was browsing TV Tropes (as one does), and came across the Magitek wiki page. This page featured an image of the Elemental Airship from Eberron, an official Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The caption on TV Tropes at the time read: "Like an airliner, but with fire elementals instead of engines." I instantly knew what my story was going to be. Fighter jets powered by fire elementals!


    The idea of the ten elemental planes is taken from the board game Dwellings of Eldervale, which I have played this year at my buddy''s house in Seattle. In that game, you need to build little houses on little elemental tiles. That board game featured eight different elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Light, Dark, Order, and Chaos.


    The feature where opposing Elemental Queens in the story are "sister-self" to each other is influenced by the ancient Sumerian legend of Inanna''s Descent. In that story, Inanna must confront her sister-self Ereshkigal in the underworld. I learned about this ancient story indirectly, through what is by far the largest influence on the story. That influence is Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Anyone who has played the game will instantly recognize the character Ashe, and the phrases that she uses such as "bone cages," "bags of organs," and "meat puppets." In that video game, the goddess of chaos Yune must confront her sister-self Ashera at the top of a golden tower in the middle of an empire.


    Finally, the massive influence of the anime Last Exile cannot be avoided. It inspired many features of the story, including the airships that act as aircraft carriers for the fighter jets. Last Exile is the best example of an aviation-focused steampunk story. I highly recommend watching the anime if you have not done so already.


    Chapter 1


    The opening sequence of the story is lifted shamelessly from the opening scenes of Hayao Miayaki''s film Howl''s Moving Castle. In that film, the wizard Howl teaches the main character Sophie how to fly, while her hometown has been consumed by a military jubilee.


    The Elemental Plane of Wind


    The association between wind and sand dunes is not a new one. There was a dungeon in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm that featured a palace in the sky over the desert of Uldum. The last boss of that raid dungeon was a god-like Wind Elemental. Naruto also associated wind and sand by locating the wind-themed shinobi village in a desert.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The Elemental Plane of Life


    The brambles in the sky are inspired by the level Bramble Blast in Donkey Kong Country 2. That level is famous for its music, Stickerbrush Symphony. The jungle floor, with its floating insects, is inspired by Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, another Miyazaki film. The large giraffe-like beast that Ingrid encounters in the jungle is inspired by the long-necked creatures found in the 6th layer of the Abyss, in season 2 of Made in Abyss.


    The Elemental Plane of Water


    The endless ocean of huge rolling waves and tiny islands was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The giant flag poles were inspired by the "Sickle Moon Flag" item in the same game. The maze-like sand under the clear water was my own invention, but it is worth noting that the book Hyperion features "Labyrinthine Worlds," entire planets filled with mazes.


    The Elemental Plane of Metal


    The inverted pyramid structures are inspired by The Guild in Last Exile, the anime about airships mentioned above. The reddish mountains are inspired by the Zhangye Danxia, a national park in China that features colorful mountains that appear to be streaked with paint.


    The Elemental Plane of Darkness


    The spores/fungi here are inspired by White Cave, a level from Sonic Riders.


    The Elemental Plane of Lightning


    The lightning striking the moon is something that is inspired by (I think) Voices of a Distant Star, which features a scene where the female fighter pilot visits the moons of one of the gas giants. It has been a very long time since I have seen this film, so feel free to correct me in the comments if I am wrong.


    The Elemental Plane of Fire


    This is mostly inspired by the Halls of Lightning dungeon from World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. That dungeon taught me that fire elementals work well against a backdrop of mountains and snow. The flaming dragons are inspired by Dinraal, a flaming dragon from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.


    The Elemental Plane of Heaven


    This is directly lifted from the video game Slipways. In that video game, the player must connect planets of various types to create trade routes. These connections between small planets appear in my story as conduits of atmosphere that the airships must fly through.


    The Elemental Plane of Stone


    This realm, with its giant Sakura trees, was inspired by Pikmin 4. In the Pikmin series, the characters and the Pikmin are extremely small, and everyday objects such as buckets or street signs are massive. There is a giant Sakura tree in the background of one of the early levels in Pikmin 4. The massive stacks of rocks are inspired by Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, by Brandon Sanderson. In that book, Yumi must create tall stacks of rocks to summon spirits.


    The Elemental Plane of Light


    As mentioned above, the golden tower in the Plane of Light is inspired by the Goddess Tower in Bengion, from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. The city of glass is inspired by Rhuidean, a city in the Aiel Waste that is encountered in The Shadow Rising, book 4 of the Wheel of Time series.