《Voyage of the Abyssal Nomad》


 Nothing to prove, but everything.

    Ros''Lyn sat perched on a crate stroking a large black cat in her lap, her feet swinging idly as she watched her friend carefully etch intricate runes into the stone floor with her sharp ebony claw. She sighed loudly and saw Crestia''s shoulders tense just for a moment. A sound as if metal scraping against rock filled the cave as the etching continued, punctuated only by Crestia''s occasional grunts of frustration.


    Ros''Lyn couldn''t help but grin, knowing she was getting under her friend''s skin as she could see the intricate runes carved into Crestia''s horns glowing slightly red.


    She let out another audible sigh. "Lyn, if you have something to say, just say it," Crestia finally snapped, irritation creeping into her voice. "or maybe you could actually be useful and lend a hand."


    Letting out another pronounced sigh, Ros''Lyn leaned back against the rough cave wall. "I just don''t get why you insist on going through with... this." she said, gesturing towards the massive metallic construct in the center of the ritual circle.


    It looked like a giant hastily assembled metallic crab. Its carapace was made of heavy brass plates riveted together at odd angles giving it an unevenly faceted appearance. Its legs were thin and spindly, almost insect-like in appearance, and its oddly asymmetrical design added to its eerie appearance. The large retractable arms on the front ended in dangerous looking, shovel-like claws that glinted in the dim light of the cave. The metallic creature towered over them, its bulky body casting a shadow over the cave floor. Ros''Lyn found it unnerving, as though it were silently watching them with its lifeless metal exterior.


    "If you want to prove the counsellors wrong about you, all you have to do is play by their rules, and you can outshine everyone in the department." Lyn repeated her assertion for what felt like the thousandth time. Crestia paused her work and sat up, stretching her stiff back. She gazed out of the cave''s wide entrance, noting the late hour.


    "This isn''t about proving anything to those dusty old tomes at the University," she lied, her back muscles loosening as she stretched. "This is about pushing the boundaries of magic and our very understanding existence."


    It was a conversation they¡¯d had many times over the past nine months, ever since Crestia had poured all of her focus into this project. She wasn''t going to let it go to waste now. As Crestia rambled on, Lyn couldn''t help but roll her eyes. She had heard it all before and knew this project consumed her friend''s every thought and action. But even as she teased Crestia, she was genuinely concerned. This was a risky and likely dangerous endeavor.


    Lyn sat the large cat aside and hopped off the crate, walking over to Crestia, offering her hand to help her up. "I understand your goal, Crestia," she said, her voice laced with worry. "But at what cost? You''ve lost your position at the university, spent all your money, and damaged your reputation for what? A gnomish machine that doesn''t even work?"


    Crestia accepted her hand and stood up, brushing off the stone dust from her trousers. "But it does work," she argued, running her fingers over a riveted seam in the brass vessel. "It was just a prototype and wasn''t cost effective for them to mass produce. But it''s perfect for the expedition."


    She looked up at the tall elf with excitement in her eyes. "Who knows what lies on the other side? Lakes of fire like in the Hells? No air to breathe? Intense pressure? We have no idea, but this beauty is our best chance at finding out."


    Lyn''s gaze flicked to Crestia, catching the ironclad determination etched into her friend''s face. A slow exhale escaped Lyn''s lips as she stepped closer, her hand rising to rest gently on Crestia''s tense shoulder. "Cres... there''s nothing out there," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper, the words fragile in the charged air. Her fingers tightened slightly, grounding her friend. "The Realms are existence. Beyond them... there is nothing. That''s why it''s called everything." Each syllable of ''everything'' lingered in the space between them, deliberate and weighty.


    Lyn''s eyes softened. "I understand how much this means to you¡ªproving your theories, showing them you''re more than your bloodline. But this? This isn''t the way. You won''t silence them like this." The air trembled, humming with unspoken words and the electric tension coiling between them.


    Crestia''s shoulder stiffened beneath Lyn''s palm, a subtle flinch betraying the storm swirling within. Lyn knew the scars Crestia carried¡ªthe whispered slurs, the averted gazes. Daughter of an infernal demon and a succubus, Crestia bore the weight of ancestral sins not her own. The runes carved into her horns glimmered faintly, a silent testament to battles fought in shadows.


    Yet, Lyn pressed on. The project teetered on the brink of something irreversible, and she couldn''t watch Crestia spiral. "Listen," she urged, leaning in. "You won''t change their minds by tearing a hole in the fabric of reality. You change it by outsmarting them, respecting the paths laid before us. Play their game. Prove you''re more." Her hand slipped away, leaving warmth in its absence.


    Guilt coiled in Lyn''s chest as Crestia''s silver eyes shimmered, not with fury, but with unshed tears. No sharp retort came. No fiery defiance. Just a silent, aching resolve. Those silver eyes, mirrors of every door slammed shut, every hushed accusation¡ªthey spoke of battles Lyn could never fully grasp. Her crimson skin seemed to darken under the weight of old wounds, the etched runes on her horns pulsing softly like a heartbeat.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    When Crestia finally spoke, her voice was a brittle thread. "I have to do this, Lyn. I have to." Lyn''s chest tightened. That look¡ªunyielding and raw¡ªleft no room for persuasion. She''d seen it before. Words would fracture against it. So, instead, she closed the space between them, arms wrapping around Crestia in a fierce embrace. Her voice dropped to a murmur, barely more than breath against her friend''s ear. "I know."


    And in that fragile moment, they stood together on the edge of the unknown, the world holding its breath. Their voices were both quiet and restrained, filled with unspoken understanding of each other''s struggles. As they stood there in silence, Lyn felt guilt for bringing up such a sensitive topic to Crestia. But she couldn''t help but ache for her friend and the constant battle she faced for acceptance.


    And that was when they heard the explosion from the rear chamber of the cave followed by raspy garbled shouting that they assumed was cursing, though neither of them spoke goblin to be sure. They both chuckled, unmoving. After a moment, Crestia pulled away from the hug and tried to compose herself. Her puffy red eyes matched her fiery red skin now more than ever.


    She chuckled softly, sniffling a bit, and said, "I better go check on Skrill before he brings down the whole cave down on us. But even as she laughed, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. Lyn could see the weight of it all bearing down on Crestia''s shoulders, but she also saw the strength and resilience within her. And for that, Lyn admired her friend even more.


    She nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Probably for the best. I''d hate to see your grand experiment foiled by an overzealous goblin before your first test." As if on cue, another muffled boom echoed through the cavern, followed by more enthusiastic goblin shouting. Crestia rolled her eyes and started towards the back chambers, her steps quick and purposeful.


    "Skrill!" she called out as she made her way to the adjoining chamber. "What in the Hells are you doing back here?"


    Lyn looked out of the cave mouth at the green valley below. Dusk was just starting to settle in, and she took a deep breath. Feeling something press against her shin, she looked down at the large cat rubbing against her leg, and she reached down to scratch behind its ear. ¡°Try to keep her out of trouble, please.¡± she said quietly to the cat.


    Looking up at her with large green eyes, the cat said ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I always do.¡± Taking a moment, Ros''Lyn looked around the large cave.


    She had heard the stories of the cavern known to the city nearby as The Dragon''s Keep, or just The Keep for short, but she had never been up here before until recently. Most of the legends around the cavern talked about a dragon that had lived here long ago, and was defeated, or driven off, depending on which version of the story was being told.


    The fact was there had never been any dragon, but the truth had been far more frightening if you understood it''s purpose and implications. The cave itself had begun as a natural formation digging into the side of the mountain. Long ago a magic user had discovered a powerful untapped ley line running through the mountain, focused by the large crystal formations deep in the rock. As she looked around she could see the large crystalline structures surrounding the cavern at irregular intervals. She could feel the power pulsing through them, and it made her uneasy.


    Shortly after the cave had been discovered was when the arcane university had been founded in the then much smaller nearby city of Erosil to give researchers access to this magically powered focus of untapped magical energy. The founding arcanists had enlarged the cave, carving it out into the larger cavern that she now stood in. She looked down at the smoothly polished cavern floor, and wondered how long it had taken them.


    The walls, where not lined with clear shining crystal had been covered in runes spells and enchantments meant to focus and contain the energy flowing through the space, and arcanists of the past used the space to perform rituals that required large amounts of arcane energy. She walked to one of the walls, running her fingers over the carvings, feeling the energy still flowing through them. These types of spells would normally have died out long ago, expending all of their energy, but they had been continuously fed power from the ley line, and were still standing as strong as the day they had been inscribed centuries ago.


    "Why do you think the university abandoned this place?" she asked quietly to the cat that still followed her lazily.


    "In the beginning they used this place to focus energy into high powered spells and experiments, but after several deaths, usually due to overzealous wizards or just plain ignorance, they banned the practice." the cat replied in an almost bored tone. "That was when they began limiting such things to theoretical rather than practical study."


    Ros''Lyn focused her senses on the runes as she traces them lightly with her fingertips. She nodded as she felt the potential energy pulse under her touch, as if the power were reaching out to her, begging to be taken, and shaped into useful forms.


    "But why the dragon story? I mean, everyone at the university knows the truth. We are told from day one not to come up here and try to use it." she said. He voice was almost a distant whisper as the power thrummed and called to her. "But the people around here still talk about a dragon that never existed."


    The cat had begun idly cleaning himself. "The locals never really understood the power contained here, and would hear roars of power or explosions coming from misguided experiments up here and rumors of a dragon began. The faculty didn''t bother to correct anyone since it tended to keep people from wandering up here and getting themselves into trouble." he said as he wiped his paw at his ear.


    Shaking herself from the enticing call of power flowing through the cavern walls, Ros''Lyn looked back at the enormous crab shaped craft in the center of the cavern. "And Cres plans to use this power to fuel her experiment." she said, more to herself than anyone else.


    "She does." The cat had paused his bathing and followed the elf''s gaze to the craft. "And before you ask, yes, I have tried to talk her out of it, but you know how she is, and at the end of the day I am her familiar. I am a spirit of intellect, bound to her to give her aid and counsel, but at the end of the day her choices are her own. I can no more stop her than I can move this mountain."


    Ros''Lyn nodded solemnly. "Let''s just hope she knows what she is doing."

 A Bard, an Orc, and a Elf Walk Into a Tavern…

    The barman polished a tankard with practiced ease, his eyes drifting toward the oddity in the corner.


    With only a handful of scattered patrons, there wasn¡¯t much else to do. A good barman never truly focused on his work¡ªhis hands handled the task automatically, leaving his attention free to observe, listen, and commit useful details to memory.


    And tonight, the detail worth remembering was the Frost Orc reading a book.


    Seventeen years behind the bar, and he was certain he had seen it all¡ªadventurers nursing wounds over cheap ale, bandits making whispered deals in darkened booths, drunken wizards setting things, and occasionally themselves, on fire. But this? This was new.


    Frost Orcs weren¡¯t unheard of in the city, but they weren¡¯t common either. The ferocious warriors of the Crystal Mountains tended to keep to the wilds, only venturing into civilization for trade or necessity. Even then, they were usually loud, demanding, and easy to spot¡ªif not for their sheer size, then for the way conversations seemed to quiet when they entered a room.


    This one though, sat silently in the corner, absorbed in his book.


    The barman wasn¡¯t so old-fashioned as to think orcs couldn¡¯t read, but he¡¯d never seen one this engrossed in the written word. He had expected at least some interest in the usual tavern fare¡ªfood, drink, a good brawl¡ªbut the orc¡¯s tankard sat untouched, his pale blue eyes locked onto the page as if it contained the secrets of the gods themselves.


    Curiosity got the better of him.


    Setting the tankard down, he made his way across the room. As he approached, he took note of the orc¡¯s distinctive features.


    Smaller than most of his kind¡ªthough at nearly three meters, still plenty imposing¡ªthe orc had a thick mane of white hair, well-groomed despite his rugged appearance. His forearms bore intricate swirling tattoos, not runes or symbols the barman recognized, and his crystal-blue tusks and claws gleamed even in the dim light.


    Most importantly, he carried himself differently.


    There was no tension in his posture, no restless energy, no wary glances as if expecting a fight. The orc radiated something far stranger in a place like this: patience.


    The barman cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. Hope you¡¯re enjoyin¡¯ yer ale, sir.¡± He kept his tone friendly, neutral¡ªthe practiced voice of every barman in every adventurer¡¯s tavern. ¡°Can I get you anything else, or maybe yer waitin¡¯ for someone?¡±


    The orc lifted his gaze, his expression unreadable. The barman resisted the urge to flinch¡ªtusks made even the friendliest smiles look like a death threat.


    ¡°I am awaiting the afternoon¡¯s entertainment,¡± the orc rumbled, his deep voice carrying the weight of distant glaciers and frozen valleys.


    He turned his attention toward the small stage at the far end of the tavern.


    The barman followed his gaze, then chuckled. ¡°Ah, you mean young Paeris.¡±


    Stonebloom nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s been comin¡¯ round fer about a month now," the barman continued. "Just shows up when he wants to¡ªbit of a free spirit, that one." His chuckle turned warm, fond. ¡°I just haven¡¯t figured out how them girls always seem to know he¡¯s comin¡¯, but you won¡¯t hear me complain. They may order them fruity drinks with the funny names, but their copper spends as good as any.¡±


    Stonebloom took this in silently. The barman noticed the way his sharp eyes flicked toward the entrance, where more young women had begun to gather, seemingly drawn by an unseen force.


    ¡°They feel it in the air.¡± the orc murmured.


    The barman raised an eyebrow. ¡°That so?¡±


    Stonebloom picked up his untouched tankard¡ªnot bothering with the handle¡ªand downed the ale in one go. As he handed it back, he rumbled, ¡°Another, if you would be so kind.¡±


    The barman had just turned when the front door swung open.


    A squeal of excitement cut through the air.


    A tall, violet-skinned incubus strode onto the stage, a mischievous grin already tugging at his lips. His backswept horns, deep indigo with delicate gold filigree, gleamed under the tavern¡¯s lantern light.


    He winked at one of the young women in the crowd before settling onto the stool, his lute resting comfortably in his lap. The moment his fingers brushed the strings, the atmosphere shifted¡ªa slow, honeyed pull settling over the audience.


    Stonebloom sat back, watching.


    He had to respect Paeris'' approach. Most of his kind lurked in the shadows, luring victims into dark corners, draining lifeforce through whispered promises and lingering touches. Paeris?The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Paeris never hid. He let his nature work for him, not against him. The excitement in the room would feed him for days, and his coin purse would be all the heavier for it.


    By the third song, Paeris finally caught sight of the orc in the corner. His grin widened in recognition.


    Stonebloom remained still, his expression unreadable, but he watched with amused intent.


    The music, the audience, the way Paeris played them like a finely tuned instrument. He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of lutes and lyrical ballads¡ªhis own tastes ran more toward war drums and howling chants.


    Yet even he had to admit, the incubus was talented.


    After his performance had ended, Paeris basked in the lingering attention of his admirers before slowly making his way toward the corner table.


    The squealing elf girl from earlier clung to his armas they walked until her expression faltered when she saw where they were headed.


    Sensing her hesitation, Paeris chuckled. "Don¡¯t be nervous, Emily. This is my friend Bloom," he reassured her. "You know, he once saved my life when we were fighting an army of undead. You see, we had been hired to¡ª"


    Paeris stopped mid-sentence as he felt the girl tense again. Stonebloom had begun to stand, the chair audibly creaking in relief as he removed himself from it. Though not as massive as some orcs, he was still imposing¡ªhis broad, scarred chest, bare save for leather straps and ornamental beads, radiated sheer presence. His sapphire eyes gleamed beneath a thick, shelf-like brow.


    He gave a polite bow to the young woman, his deep voice rumbling.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Emily, was it? You¡¯ll have to forgive the manners of my friend here for not introducing you properly," he said. Then, leaning in slightly, he added in a conspiratorial whisper, "Too many blows to the head from that undead army, I fear."


    Even in the hushed tone, the girl felt the rumble of his voice resonate in her chest.


    The girl gave a nervous but genuine chuckle.


    "It... was a pleasure... um, sir." she stammered before detangling herself from Paeris¡¯ arm. "I... I should be going. I¡¯ll see you tonight, Paeris." Without giving him a chance to respond, she hurried off, her heart pounding from the unexpected encounter.


    Paeris smirked. Bloom had done that on purpose.


    As Emily muttered an excuse and all but fled, Paeris turned back to the orc with an amused sigh. ¡°You do that just to mess with me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Stonebloom gestured for him to sit.


    Only once Paeris was settled did he speak.


    ¡°Crestia is testing her vessel tomorrow. You should be there.¡±


    Paeris groaned. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Bloom just stared.


    Paeris sighed, swirling the last of his ale in his tankard. ¡°Fine. But is that weird little goblin Cres has been running around with going to be there? I¡¯m not really in the mood to die in a fiery explosion.¡±


    Bloom chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made the tankards on the table vibrate slightly. ¡°Skrill will be there, yes.¡±


    Paeris groaned and rubbed his temples. ¡°Great. Fantastic. Maybe I should put my affairs in order before I go.¡± He shot Bloom a look. ¡°If I die, you¡¯re writing my ballad.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t like my version,¡± Bloom said, raising his refilled tankard to his lips. ¡°Too much focus on the moral lesson.¡±


    Paeris smirked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to make sure I live long enough to write my own.¡± He tilted his head, giving Bloom a more scrutinizing look. ¡°You¡¯re really invested in this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The orc set his drink down with deliberate care. ¡°Cresita is our friend.¡±


    The words were simple, but the weight behind them was immense.


    Paeris didn¡¯t respond immediately. He stretched his arms, letting his chair creak as he leaned back, looking up at the rafters. ¡°Yeah¡­ she is.¡± His voice lacked its usual theatricality.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care about Crestia¡ªhe did. But caring and confronting were two very different things.


    The thing was, he had always known Crestia was destined for something like this. She was brilliant, ambitious, stubborn as all Hells. But he had thought, for the longest time, that she would eventually stop chasing ghosts.


    That she would wake up one day, realize she was enough as she was, and stop trying to prove herself to a world that had already made up its mind.


    And yet, here they were.


    Bloom watched him closely, reading the shift in his expression. ¡°You say you don¡¯t share her interests, but I think you understand her better than most.¡±


    Paeris exhaled through his nose. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get all philosophical on me. That¡¯s your thing, not mine.¡±


    Bloom smirked. ¡°Then let me put it another way¡ªwould you rather she go through with this without you there?¡±


    That landed.


    Paeris made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and waved a hand. ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯ve made your point, mountain man. I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Bloom nodded, satisfied.


    Paeris took another sip of his ale, staring into the foam as if it held all the answers he didn¡¯t want to face. ¡°But if I get blown up, I¡¯m haunting both of you.¡±


    Bloom grinned. ¡°I expect no less.¡±


    The next morning, the Dragon¡¯s Keep loomed before them¡ªa jagged scar in the mountainside, framed by the dawn light. The crisp air carried the faint scent of stone and something else¡­ something old, something humming with power just beneath the surface.


    Paeris shivered and tugged his cloak tighter around himself. ¡°You feel that?¡±


    Bloom nodded. ¡°It¡¯s different up close, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Paeris exhaled. He had dismissed the idea of the Keep being cursed, but there was something about this place. An unseen weight pressing against his senses. A whisper of something ancient lingering in the air.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like it,¡± he muttered.


    Bloom gave him a knowing look. ¡°You should tell Cres that. She¡¯ll be delighted to know you finally acknowledge something beyond your own ego.¡±


    Paeris shot him a glare. ¡°I do acknowledge things beyond my ego! Like¡­ my good looks, my charm, my musical talents¡ª¡±


    Bloom rolled his eyes and kept walking.


    Ahead, the entrance to the Keep opened like a great, yawning maw of black stone. And waiting just outside, adjusting the straps on her tool belt, was Crestia.


    She looked up as they approached, her silver eyes narrowing slightly when she spotted Paeris. ¡°Well, well. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    Paeris placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. ¡°Ouch, Cres. Is that any way to greet your oldest friend? You wound me.¡±


    She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯re here to mock me, I have work to do.¡±


    Paeris tsked. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I was personally invited.¡±


    Her gaze flicked to Bloom, who simply inclined his head.


    Crestia let out a short sigh but didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯t touch anything.¡±


    Paeris grinned. ¡°No promises.¡±


    From somewhere deeper in the cave, a small explosion rumbled, followed by a string of raspy goblin swearing.


    Paeris blinked. ¡°Was that¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Skrill,¡± Crestia confirmed, already turning toward the source of the sound. ¡°And before you say anything, yes, that¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    As they followed her inside, Paeris glanced sideways at Bloom.


    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Bloom¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°A little.¡±

 What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

    Crestia took a deep breath, the cavern air thick with the scent of ancient dust and the metallic tang of arcane energy. This was it¡ªthe culmination of everything she had worked toward. Everything she had sacrificed.


    She ran her fingers over the engraved runes carved into the cavern floor. They pulsed faintly in response to her touch, waiting, ready.


    This had to work.


    She turned to face the group. Stonebloom, who funded this venture and gave her guidance and trust when she needed it most. Ros¡¯Lyn, who was always there to keep her grounded.. Fizz and Skrill, who invented the machine that was going to help prove her theories. Veyrin, her familiar that stodd by her side no matter what. And Paeris¡­ well Paeris was here and that was something


    Her people. All here to witness history being made.


    "Alright," she began, her voice steady despite the anxious storm raging inside her. "First, thank you all for being here."


    Paeris muttered something about not having a choice, but Bloom silenced him with a glance.


    Crestia inhaled slowly. No distractions. Focus.


    "Today, we expand our very understanding of existence. Today, we open a path beyond our reality."


    A few unreadable expressions met her words. Doubt? Concern? Uncertainty?


    "I know the risks. I know what¡¯s at stake. But if we succeed today, we will prove that our world is not alone. That the Realms are not everything."


    Silence filled the cavern.


    Crestia looked over at Fizz who wiped her hands on her apron. "All systems go, boss." she said with a smile.


    Skrill popped out from the hatch, his goggles askew as he closed the hatch and walked over to stand with his sister. "More power, better flow, less... kaboom."


    "Less kaboom is good." Ros¡¯Lyn muttered.


    Veyrin, perched on a crate, flicked his tail. "The runes are stable and ready, Crestia."


    She exhaled. Time to begin.


    Kneeling beside the first sigil she pressed her palm to the carved stone. A single whisper of arcane words. The rune flared brilliant blue.


    The the floor of the cavern trembled just slightly.


    She let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding and moved to the next sigil, tracing the edges with one clawed fingertip. Another murmured incantation. The rune glowed a brilliant crimson. Energy rippled through the cavern. A cold wind rushed past them, though there was usually no wind to be had inside the mountain.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "That... normal?" Paeris asked, shifting uncomfortably.


    "Yes," Crestia lied.


    Another sigil. Another spell. With each invocation, the magic thickened and wove together in a tight tapestry of energy, pressing against their skin like a growing storm. The runes pulsed in an unnatural rhythm, drawing power from the ley line beneath their feet.


    Stonebloom crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. Watching. Waiting.


    Fizz had gone still, her usual snark absent.


    Even Veyrin¡¯s tail had stopped flicking.


    Crestia swallowed, ignoring the creeping tension in her gut. Almost there.


    She stepped to the final rune, kneeling over the intricate latticework of symbols. This was the keystone. The one that would bring the entire array to life.


    Her voice came out softer than before. A whisper of power and the rune exploded in golden light.


    The first warning sign that something was amiss was the deep, resonant hum from the crystals in the walls.


    Fizz¡¯s head snapped up. "Did anyone else hear that?"


    The second sign was the faint shimmer in the cavern entrance¡ªlike a heat mirage.


    Ros¡¯Lyn turned, her breath hitching. "Wait. Is that¡ª?"


    Then the entire cavern vibrated.


    A low, grinding sound echoed through the chamber. The shimmer at the entrance solidified into a glowing, translucent barrier.


    Crestia¡¯s stomach dropped. No.


    "What¡ªwhat just happened?" Paeris demanded, standing up fast.


    Bloom¡¯s face darkened. "The cave¡­ it sealed itself."


    Crestia whirled toward the exit. The barrier pulsed, solid and unyielding. "No, no, no. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen!"


    Stonebloom ran a hand along the barrier, his expression grim. "Ros¡¯lyn?"


    The elf reached out and touched the shimmering air. "The cave has sealed itself¡­ some type of safety measure, probably to contain the magic¡­" Ros¡¯Lyn trailed off, looking back at the still-growing portal.


    Crestia turned back to the ritual circle. The portal¡¯s energy was unstable. It wasn¡¯t just being fueled by the ley line¡­ it was feeding on it. The runes flared brighter, too bright. The mountain trembled. Loose stone cracked and rained down from the ceiling.


    Fizz swore. "The ritual is accelerating. We need to shut it down!"


    "I can¡¯t!" Crestia shouted over the rising hum. "It¡¯s drawing directly from the ley line¡ªI can¡¯t sever the connection!"


    A deafening crack.


    A chunk of rock plummeted down from the ceiling toward Fizz.


    Bloom moved instantly. His warhammer swung up, striking the boulder mid-air¡ªshattering it into harmless shards before it could crush her.


    Fizz stumbled back, eyes wide. "Okay. That was too close."


    Paeris had gone rigid, his usual grin long gone. He looked at Crestia, eyes sharp with something rarely seen¡ªfear.


    Ros¡¯Lyn barely had time to react before another tremor knocked her off balance. She hit the ground hard, a jagged stone slicing across her calf.


    She hissed in pain. Without thinking, she pressed a hand to the wound. A pulse of golden energy flowed as she instinctively began the healing charm.


    Her magic knit the skin back together, the warmth barely noticeable under the weight of panic. "I¡¯m fine!" she called, already pushing herself up. "But we need to MOVE!"


    Another boom.


    Skrill yelped as a crack split the floor near him, sending him stumbling. Fizz grabbed his arm, dragging him back.


    Crestia felt her chest tightening. Everything was falling apart.


    Bloom made the call.


    "On the ship. NOW."


    Crestia¡¯s head snapped toward him. "What? No¡ª"


    "Fizz, you said it was built for deep sea exploration and mining, right? Can it survive in a cave?" Bloom asked hastily. We


    Fizz grabbed Skrill by the collar and hauled him toward the craft. "I don¡¯t like it, but he¡¯s right!"


    Paeris cursed but scrambled up the ramp.


    Ros¡¯Lyn limped after them, one hand still glowing faintly from her last spell.


    Crestia hesitated¡ªeverything she had worked for was slipping away.


    Another shuddering crack.


    More stone. More fractures.


    Bloom reached out, gripping her wrist. "Crestia, NOW!"


    She ran.


    The moment they were aboard, the portal ruptured.


    A blinding white light swallowed them whole.


    And then, silence.

 Salvage, Scrap, and the Lies I Tell Myself

    Felix sat back in his seat, chewing absently on the end of his water tube as he watched the console screen pulse. The soft blue glow illuminated his face, casting sharp angles across his features.


    Another scan. Another disappointment. Words flashed across the display. He didn¡¯t have to read them to know what they would say.


    SCAN COMPLETE.


    ITEM IDENTIFIED AS DAMAGED SHIP HULL.


    SALVAGE VIABILITY: SCRAP METAL.


    The frustrated man exhaled through his nose and leaned his head back against the worn cushioning of his seat.


    "Scan number 2,376 complete," he muttered to himself. "And¡­ more crap."


    A voice chimed from the console speaker, smooth yet distinctly unimpressed. "Felix, why are we still out here? You haven¡¯t found anything of use, and you know this sector of space is off-limits."


    He tilted his head toward the ceiling, as if he could glare at the disembodied voice. "Because eventually, we¡¯ll find something to make this all worth it. And it¡¯s not off-limits¡ªthe Imperium has simply designated it as hazardous. That¡¯s not the same thing."


    Amy, the ship¡¯s NavCom AI, let out an electronic sigh. "And yet here we are, spending cycle after cycle scanning useless junk in a hazardous sector."


    Felix stood from his command chair, stretching his arms over his head until his spine popped. He froze for a moment, evaluating the sensation. Good pop or bad pop?


    Deciding it was the good kind, he exhaled and lowered his arms. "The radiation here isn¡¯t hazardous to me, which gives me the edge. I can sit out here and scan as long as I want, feed off the ambient energy, and wait for the hazard notice to be lifted. Then, when everyone else swoops in looking for treasure, I¡¯ll already have the good stuff."


    Amy was silent for half a second. Then: "You mean garbage?"


    Felix sighed. "You know, Amy, sometimes I question my decision to give the ship¡¯s NavCom a personality."


    "You¡¯d have gone crazy out here without me by now."


    Felix smirked but didn¡¯t argue. He wondered, not for the first time, if she was right. For almost 180 cycles, he had been drifting through the remnants of an ancient battlefield, scanning wreckage that had long since lost any real value. Sure, there were stories about lost Imperium warships carrying untold wealth, but maybe it was all just myth.


    He leaned against the bulkhead, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers. Why was he still here? Did he actually believe he¡¯d find something? Or was he just too stubborn to admit he had wasted nearly two years on a pointless dream?


    "What about thirty more cycles?" he mused. "Thirty more, and if I don¡¯t find anything, we go back to civilized space. Maybe Niro will give me my old job at the Reclamation Center."


    A speaker in the corridor sparked to life. "Didn¡¯t you tell him, and I quote, ¡®I would rather eat a muffin out of an Arcturian baboon¡¯s waste orifice than work here one more day¡¯ before you left?"


    Felix snorted. "It was a blueberry muffin. If you¡¯re going to mockingly quote me, get it right."


    Amy¡¯s voice was smug. "Ah, yes. That makes all the difference."


    "Besides," Felix continued, pushing off the wall. "Flora says worse to him all the time, and she still has a job."


    Amy made a sound somewhere between an amused hum and a scoff¡ªall the more insulting, considering she had neither a mouth nor lungs. "Yes, but Flora also lets him eat blueberry muffins out of¡ªwait."


    Her tone shifted. She sounded serious. Sharp.


    "Felix, I¡¯m detecting¡­ something."


    Felix froze mid-step. "Something? How non-specific."


    "A radiation fluctuation. Small, but not random. It looks like a radiation spike."


    He frowned and turned back toward the bridge. "That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s never been an increase in radiation here¡ªjust slow degradation. Are you sure it¡¯s not a sensor glitch?"


    A pause? Amy never hesitated with things as simple as basic scans.


    "No. It¡¯s real."


    Felix slid into his seat, his fingers flying across the console. There it was. A sharp radiation spike. Brief, but distinct. It had already started to drop back down, but it was still higher than before. His stomach twisted. That shouldn¡¯t happen. Not here. This was a dead zone.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Amy, confirm visual scan of the affected region, and check to see if there are any other ships in the area."


    "No contacts," she replied, but there was something in her tone. Something close to concern.


    Felix¡¯s fingers tightened on the console. "Something had to cause it."


    Silence.


    Suddenly there was a a flash of light that overloaded the visual sensors. It was sudden and violent, bursting onto the screen like an overexposed frame. For half a second, Felix¡¯s vision filled with searing white. And back to darkness. The black of space returned. The floating debris fields settled into eerie stillness once more.


    Felix¡¯s pulse quickened. "What the hell was that?"


    Amy¡¯s voice had an edge of urgency now. "Radiation is stabilizing, but I am picking up an uncatalogued object."


    Felix leaned forward, scanning the data. "Can you identify it?"


    "I¡¯m a navigational AI, Felix. That¡¯s not really my thing." Her voice carried an uncharacteristic note of surprise. "But I can tell you it doesn¡¯t match any configuration in my database."


    Felix¡¯s fingers hovered over the controls. "Yeah, yeah¡­ I¡¯m zooming in."


    He adjusted the sensors, the screen flickering as the object came into focus. At first, it was just a silhouette, a jagged outline against the distant stars. The sensor overlays struggled to map its dimensions, flickering between inconsistent readings. Felix squinted. "It looks like¡­ some kind of crustacean?"


    "You sound ridiculous right now."


    He exhaled slowly. "I know. But still¡­"


    The ship¡ªbecause that¡¯s what it had to be¡ªdrifted eerily in the void. It was large in comparison, easily twice the size of Felix¡¯s vessel, its hull ridged and irregular, resembling the segmented shell of some deep-sea predator.


    A pulse of energy flickered along its form¡ªnot lights. Not thrusters. Something else. It was metallic, but not anything he was used to seeing in a ships hull. Felix¡¯s throat went dry. Nothing he had ever seen, nothing he had ever heard of, looked or registered like this.


    Amy¡¯s voice came very, very quietly through the speakers. "Felix¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re alone out here."


    He began a standard scan of the object, his brow furrowing in confusion.


    "I think it¡¯s a vessel of some kind, but I can¡¯t get a solid look at it." He tapped a few controls, switching to a higher resolution long-range scan. The readings made no sense. "It¡¯s got some kind of energy field hugging the hull, but no power signature. And it¡¯s not any type of energy the scanner can identify."


    The NavCom''s response was unusually slow. "That¡¯s not possible. Our scanners are covering all bands."


    Felix shook his head. "Yeah? Well, neither is a crab ship showing up in the middle of a dead zone."


    The screen flickered as the sensor suite struggled to process the anomaly. It was there¡ªreal¡ªbut wrong somehow.


    "Trying infrared," he muttered, flipping the visual spectrum. The display shifted, layering the object¡¯s heat signature over the raw image. Nothing. It was cold¡ªtoo cold for a vessel with living occupants. No internal temperature fluctuation, no heat from propulsion systems.


    "Okay, that¡¯s weird."


    "Define ¡®weird,¡¯" Amy prompted.


    Felix rubbed his chin. "Either it¡¯s an old, gutted wreck¡­ or it¡¯s using a tech I don¡¯t understand."


    Amy was quiet for a moment. "Maybe try basic radio?"


    "Already on it."


    Felix adjusted the comm frequencies, cycling through a range of standard hailing signals. No response.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go broader." He widened the transmission to an open-frequency distress hail. Even uncontacted species usually recognized an SOS ping. Still nothing. A faint distortion crackled through the audio feed.


    Felix sat forward. "Amy, are you hearing this?"


    "I am. But it¡¯s not a reply."


    The static wasn¡¯t random white noise. It had¡­ a pattern.


    Felix¡¯s pulse quickened. "Run an analysis."


    Amy processed for a few nanoseconds and responded, "It¡¯s not a transmission."


    Felix frowned. "Then what is it?"


    Amy hesitated. "...I think it¡¯s interference. I just don''t know how it is interfering."


    The sound crackled again¡ªbrief and uneven, like a whisper at the edge of hearing. Felix¡¯s skin prickled. Something about it felt... intentional. Felix switched the ship to silent running, cutting emissions to a minimum. If there were life signs onboard, he didn¡¯t want to startle them.


    His small salvage vessel, the Fortuna, drifted closer, its navigation thrusters firing in brief pulses. The crustacean-like ship filled the viewport now. It was even bigger than he¡¯d thought, the curved ridges of its hull resembling the plated exoskeleton of some massive, ancient creature. The surface pulsed faintly with energy, shifting in places like¡­ breathing.


    Felix swallowed. "Amy¡­ are you seeing this?"


    "I¡¯m recording this," she corrected. "Because no one is going to believe us."


    Felix leaned closer to the viewport. "No markings. No insignia. No docking ports."


    Amy processed. "Confirmed. I detect no visible propulsion systems. No standard access hatches."


    Felix drummed his fingers on the console. "But it¡¯s not natural. It¡¯s too structured. Too¡­ deliberate."


    A beat of silence. Then Amy asked the question they were both thinking:


    "Felix, do you still think it¡¯s a ship?"


    Felix¡¯s throat burned as he tried to swallow. "...I don¡¯t know."


    His fingers hovered over the external light control. If they weren¡¯t receiving standard transmissions, maybe they used visual signals. Some early space faring civilizations had relied on light pulses before they developed subspace communication. Worth a shot. He tapped a three-pulse pattern¡ªa standard first-contact signal.


    The ship didn¡¯t react.


    He tried again. Two short pulses, one long.


    No response.


    "Either they¡¯re ignoring us," Felix muttered, "or they don¡¯t understand."


    "...Or they don¡¯t see it," Amy added.


    Felix¡¯s hands hovered over the controls. "What are you saying?"


    She paused for a moment, then spoke up. "What if their technology doesn¡¯t focus on the same bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, or broad range? Some species don¡¯t even see in the same band as you and they may not be looking for what you consider visual light."


    Felix¡¯s stomach twisted. What if they weren¡¯t seeing him at all? The left him at a loss. Slowly, he leaned back in his seat.


    "Then what the hell do we do?"


    Amy paused. "...we keep transmitting and¡­ we wait."


    Felix exhaled and rubbed his face. He hated waiting. But for the first time in 180 cycles, he wasn¡¯t waiting for scrap.


    He was waiting to unravel the truly unknown.

 Congratulations: Welcome the Void!

    The world was light and noise and pressure¡­ then silence.


    Crestia gasped, her lungs seizing as if the air itself refused to fill them. She collapsed to her knees, her palms striking the cold, smooth surface beneath her. Her body felt wrong¡ªas if her skin were one step removed from reality. The familiar pulse of mana, usually a comforting current beneath her skin, felt¡­ thin. Faint. Distant.


    Her horns, always aglow with the subtle hum of her magic, now flickered weakly, struggling.


    Her voice came in a rasp. ¡°I-is everyone alright?!¡±


    Around her, the others were in various states of collapse.


    Fizz lay on her back, her mechanical goggles cracked, gasping like a fish out of water. "Wh-what¡­ the hells was that?"


    Skrill was curled up, his small frame trembling, eyes flicking wildly around the ships bridge. The goblin¡¯s ears twitched, and he gripped his tools like a lifeline.


    Stonebloom was already pushing himself upright, his broad chest heaving but steady. "We¡¯re¡­ alive," he rumbled, his deep voice strained but firm. "Somewhere."


    Paeris, slumped against a curved wall, groaned dramatically. ¡°Well¡­ I suppose that counts as landing.¡± His voice was rough, but the grin was still there. ¡°Stars above, I think I bit my tongue.¡±


    Ros¡¯Lyn crawled to Crestia¡¯s side, her hands already glowing with faint healing magic¡ªbut the spell flickered and stuttered, weaker than it should be. She hissed through her teeth, pressing harder. ¡°Cres, you alright?¡±


    Crestia¡¯s hand shot out, gripping Ros¡¯Lyn¡¯s wrist. ¡°Save your strength. Something¡¯s¡­ wrong.¡±


    The bridge of the ship was well lit and systems seemed to be functioning. The interior hummed softly, the consoles and stations lined with glowing runic patterns that pulsed¡­ erratically.


    The air tasted oddly thin, metallic, tinged with ozone. And beyond the crystalline viewport¡­ stars.


    Thousands of them.


    Fizz¡¯s voice broke the silence, small and stunned. "No¡­ no, no, no. That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s eyes lifted, following the gnome''s gaze to the crystalline view port at the front of the bridge. And her chest seized. They weren¡¯t in the cavern. They weren¡¯t even on the same world. She could not see any ground, just endless night extending before them.


    The sky¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwas a tapestry of endless pinpricks of light. Far more than The Realms had ever known. Stars. A galaxy of gods.


    Paeris¡¯s voice was soft and shaken ¡°...How many gods could a place like this hold?¡±


    Stonebloom¡¯s expression darkened, his eyes heavy with thought. ¡°Maybe this is a world of Gods alone.¡±


    Ros¡¯Lyn¡¯s fingers sparked as she attempted a more complex healing spell, but the mana flowed thinly, like sand through clenched fingers. She frowned, frustration flickering across her face. ¡°My spells¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re weaker,¡± Crestia finished grimly. "I can feel it too." She closed her eyes, reaching inward, searching for her well of power. It was there, but diluted. Strained.


    Fizz cursed, slamming her fist against the floor. ¡°The ship¡¯s systems are glitching¡ªthe wards aren¡¯t stable! We shouldn¡¯t even be breathing right now!¡± She scrambled to a nearby console, jumping into the navigator''s seat and began dragging her fingers along runic controls. "We have spells failing across the board. Skrill! Check life support!"


    Skrill, his panic fading into sharp focus, darted to one of the crystalline control pillars. His hands blurred over the carved runes. ¡°Wards¡­ fading. Life support¡­¡± His voice turned panicked. ¡°Failing.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A soft, resonant pulse rippled through the chamber.


    Then, a voice¡ªnot from the speakers, but from everywhere.


    "I¡­ feel you¡­"


    Crestia¡¯s head snapped up, her silver eyes narrowing. ¡°Veyrin?¡±


    The large shadowy cat-like form of her familiar appeared¡ªpart spirit, part intellect, its translucent form flickering. Veyrin¡¯s green eyes, usually sharp and playful, were wide and¡­ changing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ hold this form,¡± Veyrin¡¯s voice echoed, fracturing. ¡°But I feel the ship. It''s magic¡­ it¡¯s alive, but scattered. It needs¡­ a core.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A core?¡±


    Fizz, understanding instantly, cursed. ¡°The ship was designed for a full crew¡ªten mages and technicians, working together, running layered spells to stabilize it. We¡¯re half that, and the ship¡¯s mana systems are collapsing!¡±


    Stonebloom grunted. ¡°Then we need to stabilize it. Now.¡±


    Veyrin¡¯s translucent form began to fray, becoming ribbons of shadow. ¡°I can¡­ bind myself to it. The ship is designed for magic. So am I. Together, we can¡ª¡±


    Crestia¡¯s eyes blazed. ¡°No! What if we can¡¯t separate you again?!¡±


    Veyrin¡¯s voice was gentle. ¡°Crestia. Trust me.¡±


    Without waiting for further argument, Veyrin surged forward, his body dissolving into wisps of shadow and light¡ªand plunged into the ship¡¯s core.


    The effect was immediate.


    The runes across the walls flared¡ªbright, chaotic, then steadying. The air, which had grown thin, suddenly felt richer, breathable.


    The ship¡¯s vibrations smoothed, and a low, melodic hum filled the chamber.


    Fizz¡¯s eyes shot to her controls. ¡°Life support¡­ stable. Shields¡­ stable.¡± She paused, blinking. ¡°The ship feels different.¡±


    A voice, familiar but layered with something new, echoed from the very walls:


    "I am here."


    Crestia looked around the chamber frantically. "Veyrin? What did you do?" Her voice shook as she struggled to get out the words.


    "I have bonded with the ship, I flow through it''s walls, I can see the whole of it." Veyrin''s voice was calm, composed.


    Fizz began to calm down. "He did it, he stabilized the systems." She rotated her chair to face Crestia. "This ship normally requires multiple skilled and trained people to operate it, monitor spells, make adjustments and changes, but Veyrin is managing most of the systems on his own. He just saved all of our lives."


    Crestia''s eyes glistened with gathering tears.


    "Thank you, Rin." She said quietly to the air. "But I wish you hadn''t done that."


    Veyrin''s voice was clam as he spoke. "It was mutually beneficial. This... place... the magical weave here is weaker, thinner, frayed at the edges. Had I not anchored myself to a magical source, I would have dissipated into the ether in moments. This was the most logical solution for all of our survival."


    Crestia nodded solemnly, placing her hand on a control panel. She could feel her familiar there, flowing through the ship, and she nodded.


    "Yes, wonderful, we are all alive, huzzah, now can someone tell me where the hells we are?!" Paeris was clearly still shaken and in a bit of a panic, but it had done nothing to lessen his usual sarcasm.


    "Right," Crestia said, her mind snapping back to immediate matters. She took a seat in the captain''s chair, needing to get her bearings in every sense of the word. "Fizz, are you getting anything from the external scrying stones that can tell us where we are?"


    Fizz pressed a few runes on her panel and brought up some data on the forward viewport.


    "No atmosphere, no gravity, we seem to be floating in some sort of void." She said, her mind focusing on her work, which always helped calm her. "But it isn''t completely empty. We seem to be surrounded by a debris field." She examined the data closely.


    Ros''Lyn limped towards the viewport, her leg still not fully healed, and looked at it with a mixture of awe and horror. "So many stars..." she said.


    The reality of what had happened began to sink in for Crestia. She had done it. She had found a reality separate from their own. A sense of pride and validation ran through her. "We did it." she whispered to herself with a grin. Then that reality took hold and the grin faded. "Oh gods... the portal." she thought.


    "Fizz," she said, trying to keep the panic from her voice. "is the portal still open?" She gripped the armrests of her seat, claws trying to dig into the hard metal of the structure.


    For a moment Fizz said nothing as she worked the controls. She rotated her chair and gave her head a small shake. "It... it closed behind us. The cave must have collapsed and broke the ritual circles."


    Everyone was silent as it began to sink in. She had done it. She had proven her theories to be correct. There were other worlds, and in the process, she had trapped herself and her friends in one of them. Crestia swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure.


    She had created this problem because of her arrogance and hubris, now she was going to get them out of it. Skrill was the first to break the silence.


    "Reading energy pulse from floating thing." he jabbed at a few runes on the wall panel he was working at and an image appeared on the viewport.


    It was a strange metallic construct floating in the void among the debris.


    "It seems to be emanating electromagnetic waves in a deliberate pattern. I do not believe this is a natural phenomenon." Veyrin said in confirmation. "This may be another craft of some sort. We are not alone." He said, his normally calm tone had a tone of cautious reservation.


    Just then they saw the craft begin flashing pulsing lights in their direction.


    "I think... it''s trying to communicate." Fizz said cautiously. "Let''s say hello."

 Congratulations! Welcome the Void!

    Felix sat frozen in his seat, his eyes burning from not blinking as they stayed locked on the monitor. The impossible ship had just¡­ flashed back. Not with lamps or navigation lights¡ªthe entire craft had pulsed, a brilliant, electric blue.


    Two short pulses, one long.


    A perfect repeat of his signal. His fingers hovered over the console trembling with excitement. An intentional response.


    Amy broke the silence first. ¡°Well, that¡¯s different.¡±


    Felix exhaled sharply, his voice tight. ¡°Did¡­ did they just flash the whole ship at us?¡±


    Amy¡¯s tone carried a trace of confusion. ¡°Technically, I think the energy field around the ship flashed. But yes.¡±


    Felix ran a hand through his hair, eyes flicking to the sensor readings. The alien ship wasn¡¯t moving. No course correction, no thrusters. It just continued to drift.


    ¡°It¡¯s not automated,¡± Felix muttered. ¡°If it were a drone, the response would¡¯ve been... instant.¡±


    He glanced at the timestamp. ¡°That took them almost an hour to respond.¡± Felix adjusted the scan parameters, his fingers tight on the controls. ¡°What about their power signature? Anything new?¡±


    Amy¡¯s response was slow. ¡°It¡¯s inconsistent.¡±


    Felix¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Meaning?¡±


    Amy¡¯s voice carried something he wasn¡¯t used to¡ªuncertainty. ¡°Meaning, Felix... I don¡¯t know what the hell I¡¯m looking at.¡±


    His jaw tightened. Amy sounded irritated, and he immediately felt guilty for pushing her. She was a NavCom, after all and this wasn¡¯t what she was designed for. Still she seemed just as intrigued by this mystery as he was.


    The power signature from the alien vessel fluctuated in odd and inconsistent patterns, like it was pulsing in layers¡ªas though it had multiple energy sources overlapping but all out of sync. It didn¡¯t behave like anything you would expect on a ship. Reactor output. Plasma emissions. Thruster signatures. No consistent heat source. No engine pattern. Even the most alien of designs tended to follow some sort of familiar pattern. This was something completely different.


    Felix broke the silence.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s try another pattern.¡± His fingers flew across the console, setting the external lights to a new sequence:


    Short. Long. Short. Short. Long. Long.


    The alien ship¡¯s reply was immediate this time. A perfect echo of the pattern.


    Felix felt his pulse pounding in his ears. His voice came out low. ¡°Well, we know they¡¯re listening.¡±


    Amy¡¯s voice was unusually soft. ¡°Felix¡­ there is clearly someone, or something, manning that craft. But how do we communicate beyond just flashing them?¡±


    Felix smirked. ¡°And you call me immature.¡± he teased.


    Amy¡¯s voice was flat as she replied. ¡°Can you install servos on my sensors so I can roll my eyes at you?¡±


    He chuckled for a moment and then composed himself, eyes locked on the pulsing blue shape. ¡°Okay,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Felix¡¯s fingers danced over the controls. ¡°Visible light is just a band of non-ionizing radiation, a slice of the electromagnetic spectrum.¡± He paused, his voice tightening with excitement. ¡°What if we try another band¡ªlike radio waves?¡±


    Amy was silent for a fraction of a second. Then her voice carried a note of growing excitement.


    ¡°If they can receive and transmit on the radio, maybe we can get them to communicate with something more complex than pulses.¡±


    Felix gave a tight nod. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Transmitting the previous pattern using radio pulses.¡± Amy¡¯s synthetic voice seemed almost eager and laced with a smile this time.


    ¡°Transmitting now.¡±


    SHHK, SHHHHHK, SHHK, SHHK, SHHHHHK, SHHHHHK


    Then they waited. It has taken nearly an hour for the other craft to respond to flashing lights, how long would it take them to sort out radio waves? Could they even detect them? Felix sat back in his chair as they waited.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Veyrin¡¯s voice, calm and resonant, broke the tension on the bridge. ¡°We are receiving another signal. This one is... different.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s sharply pointed ears flicked slightly at the tone. ¡°Different how?¡±


    The familiar''s voice was layered and rich, seeming to vibrate through the ship¡¯s walls. ¡°It is not in your visual spectrum. But... it follows the same pattern as before.¡±


    Fizz¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡­ they changed the spell?¡±


    Veyrin hesitated. ¡°...I do not believe it is a spell. This pattern moves... through the ether, but not as mana. It feels... structured, but alien.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s magic we can¡¯t feel, or something mechanical?¡±


    Skrill¡¯s voice cut in, sharp and curious ¡°I am unsure. Some spirits can communicate in similar ways using the invisible waves that make up the ethereal, and I believe I can send a message in reply.¡± Veyrin¡¯s form flickered with understanding. ¡°Shall I respond?¡±


    Fizz, her hands already flying across the console. ¡°Yes¡ªsend back the same pattern on their wavelength, Veyrin. Echo them again.¡±


    In the corner, Paeris crouched, bandaging the partially healed wound on Ros¡¯Lyn¡¯s leg. The shimmering thread of her weakened healing magic still glowed faintly, but it wasn¡¯t enough to close the wound. Ros''Lyn had barely spoken since their arrival, her eyes locked on the viewport at the front of the bridge.


    Paeris¡¯s voice, lazy but laced with curiosity. ¡°So¡­ what exactly are they doing over there?¡±


    Ros¡¯Lyn winced as he pulled the bandage tight, snapping back to the present. ¡°Ah! Watch it!¡±


    Paeris cringed apologetically. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Her teeth gritted, jerked her chin toward the console. ¡°Fizz is trying to talk to them and figure that out.¡±


    Paeris frowned. ¡°And flashing lights count as talking now?¡±


    The gnome kept her eyes focused on her console as she replied. ¡°Ships on the sea use lamps to signal each other across miles of water. Simple flashes¡ªpatterns¡ªmean everything from ¡®help¡¯ to ¡®hello.¡¯ It looks like the other craft is doing something similar.¡± Her fingers danced across the runes of the controls. ¡°We can¡¯t shout across the void. So... we¡¯re learning their language one pulse at a time.¡±


    Veyrin¡¯s spoke, his voice layered with intrigue. ¡°They are replying, though I am still not able to interpret more than an attempt to connect.¡± The walls of the ship vibrated softly not words, but... tones. A strange, harmonic hum, layered and oddly structured, repeating.


    Fizz¡¯s hands flew faster across the controls. ¡°It¡¯s patterns again! Longer. More complex.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    Skrill¡¯s ears shot up, his eyes sparking with sudden excitement. ¡°Signal is modulated! Something inside wave!¡± he barked, already scrambling toward another console. ¡°Veyrin! I fix. You play back sound when I say!¡±


    Skrill¡¯s clawed fingers swept over the runes, adjusting settings with rapid, jerking motions. ¡°Signal carrying audio patterns! Now¡ªplay it!¡±


    Veyrin obeyed and the air split with a harsh, crackling screech and the crew flinched, hands flying to their ears.


    Crestia shouted over the din. ¡°Skrill! What in the hells are you doing?!¡±


    Skrill, barely looking up ¡°Sorry, sorry¡ªbad translate! I fix!¡± The sound cut abruptly. Skrill¡¯s hands blurred over the console. ¡°Better. Now, again.¡±


    This time there was a single, clear tone. Then a voice. Faint, distorted, but unmistakably a word. An alien word. Unintelligible, but spoken. The bridge fell utterly silent. An alien language from an alien creature in a foreign universe.


    Ros¡¯Lyn broke the silence ¡°Was that, a voice?¡± Her voice was hushed.


    Fizz, barely breathing ¡°What... language is that?¡±


    Skrill¡¯s ears twitched, his grin wide and wild. ¡°Yes, yes, creature use electromagnetic wave to send words!¡± He bounced excitedly. ¡°Real communication!¡±


    Crestia¡¯s heart pounded, but her lips twitched into a grin. ¡°Now we just need to figure out what they¡¯re saying.¡±


    A voice, drawling and lightly amused, answered from behind her. ¡°Well. That was polite of them.¡±


    Crestia¡¯s head whipped around. ¡°Paeris¡ª?¡±


    ¡°They said ¡®hello.¡¯¡±


    She glared at Paeris standing beside the captain¡¯s seat, arms crossed, his expression almost bored. He was loving this. Her eyes narrowed as she questioned him. ¡°And how in the hells would you know that?¡±


    Paeris pulled back his sleeve with a lazy grin revealing a complex tattoo spiraling around his wrist. Runes, elegantly interwoven and shimmering faintly. ¡°Translation charm.¡± He smirked. ¡°It saves a lot of time when you meet a young maiden from... foreign realms.¡±


    Crestia stared, her expression half disbelief, half exasperation. ¡°You... smug, ridiculous...¡±


    Ros¡¯Lyn, muttered through her teeth ¡°I hate when he¡¯s useful.¡±


    Paeris gave an irritatingly casual smirk. ¡°Well... now what?¡±


    Crestia¡¯s grin returned, sharp and determined. ¡°Now?¡± She cracked her knuckles. ¡°We say hello back.¡±