《Mistbound》


 Prologue

    Eight-year-old Maeryn crouched behind a thick stone pillar, her heart pounding with excitement. The dimly lit council chamber buzzed with tension as the Elders of Geova gathered around a grand table, their voices echoing softly in the vast underground cavern. Flickering lanterns cast long shadows on the walls, highlighting the solemn faces of the Council of Elders.


    "Ambient mana levels are continuing to lower despite all efforts," Elder Harvin stated, his slightly gravelly voice edged with frustration. Maeryn strained to hear every word, her wide eyes reflecting the faint glow of the lanterns.


    "What''s causing it?" Elder Liora demanded, slamming her fist on the table. She was one of the younger Elders, only forty-some years old, but her reedy voice was as sharp as any of her compatriots. "The Zephyrians refuse to acknowledge their floating cities drain immense amounts of mana."


    A murmur of agreement swept through the chamber. Maeryn''s pulse quickened as she listened intently.


    "What happens when the ambient mana levels get too low?" Elder Theren asked, his aged voice trembling. He was the oldest of the Elders, though he wasn¡¯t in charge. He¡¯d declined the offer years ago, claiming to be too old. Maeryn had seen him up close once, and kinda had to agree - he was super old.


    Elder Harvin''s expression darkened. "At a critical point, the mana barriers we use to repel the Mist won''t function. We''ll have to seal the entrances to the surface to prevent the Mist from invading Geova."


    Gasps and murmurs filled the room. Maeryn''s breath caught in her throat. She knew the importance of surface farming. School had taught her about it a few weeks ago, and taken her on a field trip, too. A lot of food grew up there, food that couldn¡¯t grow underground for some reason. Something about pollination and the sun? But without surface farms, they wouldn¡¯t have enough food for everyone!


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    "If we seal Geova, we''ll lose our primary food source," Elder Liora pointed out, unknowingly echoing Maeryn¡¯s thoughts, her voice heavy with concern.


    Elder Harvin nodded. "At the current rate of mana depletion, the barriers will fail in 15 years."


    "When did this begin?" Elder Theren asked, his brows furrowed.


    "About five years ago, as best as we can tell from the records, but it was ignored at first," Harvin replied. "But isn''t that when the Mist started worsening?"


    A heavy silence fell. The Elders exchanged worried glances. "Let¡¯s not jump to premature conclusions. Is the Mist the cause of the mana depletion, or just a symptom of it?¡± Elder Liora pondered aloud, shaking her head. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. It¡¯s a question for the alchemists."


    "It''s the Zephyrians!" Elder Beren spat, drawing himself up angrily, his deep voice booming and reverberating in the chamber. "Their reckless use of mana produces the Mist as a waste product, intending to destroy us. They don''t have to worry about it up in the sky!"


    Angry muttering rippled through the chamber. The Head Elder, Alric, raised his hand for silence. "Speculation won''t save us. We need an investigation into the Mist and its origins." His voice was firm, a thoughtful tenor that nevertheless projected easily to the rest of his peers.


    "But how?" Elder Theren exclaimed. "The barriers we have can''t be made portable. Investigating the Mist would be a death sentence!"


    "We must find a way!" Alric declared, his voice resolute. "Whether through steam or sorcery, we must make it work, or our civilization is doomed!"


    Maeryn felt the weight of his words etch into her mind. She vowed to remember this moment, her young heart filled with a determination that would shape her destiny.

 Chapter 1

    Maeryn opened her eyes, looking up at the stone ceiling of her bedroom. The familiar yellow-green glow of glow-moss cast a soft, if slightly eerie, light on the room. Glow-moss was a cheap, biological, and most importantly mana-free source of illumination - a necessity ever since the dire Council of Elders meeting eight years ago.


    Since that fateful day, Geova had undergone many changes to stave off Critical Mana Depletion. Mana crystals, once ubiquitous in every home, were now rare. Gone were the days where people would casually channel a bit of mana on the street to conjure some fire and light to entertain children. Every year, more and more mana restrictions were set in place, and new mana-free technologies and mana-conservation techniques came out multiple times per year. But despite all efforts, the mana depletion had accelerated.


    The rate of mana depletion had sped up; according to original estimates, they should have had at least another seven years, but the most recent findings indicated that they had less than three years remaining.


    Maeryn personally thought they were being generous, and believed that they had a year, maybe a year and a half. Some of that belief, she based on the fact that the estimates had consistently been wrong. She¡¯d once done the math on how often the Elders had revised the estimated day of Critical Mana Depletion, which supported her thoughts. But even if she hadn¡¯t worked through those calculations¡­ Maeryn could feel it. In her heart, in her bones, in her very skin, she knew it.


    Time was running out.


    Which was why she and her friends had concocted a plan. A desperate one, to be sure, but it was a damn sight more than what the Elders had come up with, that was for sure. Maeryn would know - she¡¯d been spying on them in every single meeting she could for the last eight years, listening to every angry rant, every feverish attempt, every heated argument, every scrap of knowledge that had been shared.


    Maeryn¡¯s eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Today was the day. The plan was risky - the Elders would no doubt call it foolhardy if they learned of it - but Maeryn couldn¡¯t just do nothing. There wasn¡¯t time anymore to wait and see if the latest of their schemes had any success.


    Maeryn took another steadying breath, then swung her legs out and stood up. ¡°Time to go,¡± she murmured to no one in particular. Her voice was soft, but resolute, unconsciously reflecting the mixed feelings she had about what she was about to do.


    She threw on her favorite outfit - cargo pants and a dusty gray tank top that had been black once upon a time - and walked into the only other room of her small home, a combination living room and kitchen. Maeryn made a beeline for a contraption of brass and copper pipes in the corner: a stove that she¡¯d built from scratch years ago.


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    Twisting the valve, Maeryn smiled softly to herself as she heard the hiss of steam being released, and nodded in satisfaction as the thin metal plating lining the top of the stove began to glow a very light red. Good, it was working properly today, and didn¡¯t seem to need any maintenance. She placed a skillet and her favorite kettle on top of the heated section of metal and turned away.


    Maeryn strode purposely over to her cabinet, extracting a basket woven from reeds that grew in a nearby underground lake. Removing the cloth that covered the top, she carefully inspected the two large eggs. They were a common staple: eggs from Luminwing Chickens, a breed of fowl that had been bred by Geovans to lay three times as many eggs as the chickens that resided on the surface. The breed had earned their name from the way their wings tended to give the same glow as glow-moss, which was the biggest part of their diet.


    The eggs themselves seemed almost iridescent as well, but Maeryn paid it no mind as she carelessly took both eggs and cracked them open into a mixing bowl. Sprinkling in a few herbs from the underground gardens - one of the Elders¡¯ projects to help reduce the impact of losing the surface farms, though they still hadn¡¯t found any success with most vegetables or any fruits at all. Setting the bowl on the countertop, she extracted a mechanical handheld mixer.


    The runes on the mixer glowed faintly as she held it, a magic circuit not quite closed. She thumbed the switch into position, and the rune on the switch completed the circuit, activating the mixe. The blades whirred to life, blending the ingredients of Maeryn¡¯s breakfast in a matter of seconds.


    Pouring the omelet mixture into the heated skillet, she watched it sizzle and solidify, making sure nothing burned. As she cooked, the soft hum of the stove and the warm glow of gloss-moss filled the room, a comforting blend of steampunk ingenuity and the subtle magic that still permeated Geovan life.


    With the omelet ready, Maeryn plated it alongside a small handful of fresh underground greens. She poured herself a cup of herbal tea from a kettle she¡¯d set to boil earlier, the steam curling in the air with a fragrant aroma.


    Sitting down at her small wooden table, Maeryn took a moment to appreciate the simple but nostalgic meal. It was one of the first recipes that her mother had taught her how to make, growing up. It would probably be the last true homecooked Geovan meal she¡¯d be able to have for a long time, too.


    For a moment, Maeryn¡¯s spirit and determination faltered. Part of her didn¡¯t want to go. Maybe she¡¯d missed something in her spying on the Elders. Maybe one of their latest plans would bear fruit. Maybe everything she planned to do would be rendered absolutely pointless. Depths and damnation, what if she somehow made things worse?


    Maeryn closed her eyes and breathed, trying to calm herself. ¡°Too late for second thoughts, Rin,¡± she chided herself. ¡°Worst case, it¡¯s just one more drill in the deep. Focus, girl.¡± She slapped her cheeks and shook her head, clearing it, before digging into her breakfast.

 Chapter 2

    Maeryn met her friends at their usual spot: a cavern in a set of tunnels about a twenty-minute walk from town. The cavern, once part of a beautification project, had been slated to become an underground park or childcare facility before the mana depletion problem forced all such projects to be delayed indefinitely. Now, it was their secret hideout, a place where they could plan without interruptions.


    Dan and Frankie were already there, waiting for her. Dan, short for his age and deceptively thin, greeted her with a grin. Despite his slight frame, he was incredibly strong, a fact Maeryn often marveled at. His clothes were covered in pockets, each one bulging with who-knows-what. Maeryn was confident she could ask Dan for the most obscure item, and he¡¯d probably have it in one of his many pockets.


    Dan was the group''s magic specialist, having spent years at the Alchemical Workshop. Some of the recent magic conservation techniques originated from his studies, and if anyone could figure out what was going on with the Mist, it was Dan.


    Frankie, on the other hand, was a lanky girl who looked every bit the steamhead at first glance. And that was accurate¡ªshe loved all things steam technology and was happiest when tinkering with some bit of machinery. But her true passion was vehicles. Frankie lived for speed, always looking to eke out a little more from any machine she got her hands on.


    Maeryn had been trying to figure out how to recruit Frankie for her mission years ago when Frankie had simply walked up to her and stated, ¡°I know you¡¯re hatching a crazy plan to save the world, and you better not leave me behind. Besides, you¡¯ll need a good engineer to get where you¡¯re going.¡± To this day, Maeryn didn¡¯t know what had given her away, and Frankie never said.


    As Maeryn approached, Frankie looked up from the engine she was tweaking and gave a nod. "Took you long enough," she teased, wiping grease from her hands. "Ready to change the world?"


    Maeryn smiled, feeling a surge of confidence. With friends like these, maybe they had a shot after all. ¡°Ready as I¡¯m gonna be. Let¡¯s go over the plan one more time, and then we¡¯ll get going.¡±


    ¡°Figured you¡¯d say that,¡± Dan said agreeably even as Frankie let out a long-suffering sigh. ¡°Over to the blackboard, then.¡±


    They moved to the back of the cavern, where a large blackboard - two meters tall and five meters wide - resided. It was almost completely full of writing and notes from all three of them. Maeryn fondly remembered the days of spirited debate the three of them had had over the years.


    She took a deep breath, and stepped in front of the blackboard, eyes skimming over what she already knew was written there. They¡¯d gone over it so many times that Maeryn felt she could probably reproduce it in her sleep, but this would be a terrible time to miss some important part. A few seconds later, she turned around to face her friends. ¡°Right, then. We¡¯re in agreement that while the Elders are doing their best, it¡¯s not reasonable to believe that they¡¯ll be able to fix the problem before Critical Mana Depletion.¡±


    Dan and Frankie nodded.


    ¡°There are two primary avenues of investigation that haven¡¯t been fully explored.¡± Maeryn tapped the left side of the blackboard. ¡°Zephyria, and the Mist.¡±


    Frankie nodded solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s very unlikely that the Zephyrians are unaffected by the mana depletion problem. Even if they aren¡¯t the cause with their flying cities, it¡¯s possible they have more insight on what¡¯s going on. And even if they don¡¯t, getting more eyes on the problem would only help. Worst case scenario, we find out for sure that the Zephyrians are causing the problem, and we can figure out what to do afterwards.¡±


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    ¡°The other avenue is a direct study of the Mist,¡± Dan added with a frown. ¡°We¡¯ve tried to study samples of Mist before, but it¡¯s really tricky. We¡¯ve only been able to work with small amounts at the Workshop, and it¡¯s baffling. It acts like mana, except it can¡¯t be absorbed and used by anything we¡¯ve tried. We think that the mutative aspect is an emergent property that only takes place when there¡¯s enough Mist in the area. It¡¯s possible that Mist Mutation takes place when you¡¯re literally breathing the air with a high enough concentration of Mist, but obviously we haven¡¯t tested that. I might be able to learn more if I can run tests on the surface. If I can figure out how to convert the Mist back into plain old mana, then that would solve all of our problems in one swoop.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both right,¡± Maeryn agreed with a firm nod. ¡°The problem is that we can¡¯t do both at the same time. And time is the most limiting factor we have. So the first step is collecting information and aid, to make the most of the time we have. We head to Zephyria. If they have any research into the Mist, or tools that might assist you in your research, Dan, it¡¯s better to have it before you get started.¡±


    Dan nodded heavily. They¡¯d had this discussion repeatedly over the last couple of months, and while he didn¡¯t particularly like it, he understood the decision.


    ¡°Which takes us to our next problem: how to reach one of their flying cities.¡± Maeryn tapped the right side of the blackboard. ¡°Thankfully, their flight patterns are fairly consistent. Cloudreach is approaching their closest point from Lodestar¡¯s surface entrance. Frankie, how¡¯s that flying machine you¡¯ve been tinkering with? Anyone interfering with it?¡±


    ¡°No, no one¡¯s even visited the warehouse besides me,¡± Frankie stated confidently, crossing her arms with pride. ¡°Ever since the Elders restricted the use of flying machines in order to reduce mana consumption, it¡¯s been basically abandoned. I¡¯ve been able to do as I please as long as I don¡¯t draw attention to it. Stonewing is ready when you are. Not my fastest work, but considering you needed a mobile base of operations there¡¯s only so much I can do.¡±


    ¡°Frankie and I have been stocking up on everything we think we might need and storing it in Stonewing,¡± Dan added helpfully. ¡°My research equipment, non-perishable foods, water, materials for on-the-spot fixes, worktables, multiple sets of tools¡­ anything and everything we could think of.¡±


    ¡°We even managed to snag a couple of sets of Mist-repelling barriers,¡± Frankie cheerfully stated with a grin.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Maeryn said gratefully. ¡°I would¡¯ve helped, but¡­¡± She looked away awkwardly. ¡°I would¡¯ve been missed.¡±


    Just like Dan had his work with the Alchemical Workshop, Frankie and Maeryn also had day jobs. Frankie lent her steam talents to maintaining city infrastructure, but Maeryn¡­ well, simply put, Maeryn worked on the surface most days as a hunter, protecting the farmers from wandering beasts.


    Her shift was in a couple of hours, actually, but by then Maeryn hoped that she¡¯d be long gone.


    Taking a moment to shake her head free of those thoughts, Maeryn looked at her friends. ¡°We don¡¯t know what awaits us at Cloudreach. They might still be friendly, they might not. They might have the answers we need, or they might be the source of our problems. But no matter what happens, we¡¯re in this together. We get to Cloudreach, assess the situation, and plan from there. Any objections?¡±


    ¡°None here.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Maeryn took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their mission settle onto her shoulders. She looked at the familiar faces of her friends, their expressions mirroring her own mix of determination and apprehension.


    At her word, the three of them were going to leave their homes, their families, everything they ever knew behind. There was no guarantee they¡¯d ever be able to return, even if they were successful. But there was no turning back. Not now.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going,¡± Maeryn declared, her voice steady despite the flutter of anxiety in her chest. ¡°We¡¯ve got a world to save.¡±


    As they gathered their packs and made their final checks, Maeryn allowed herself one last glance around the cavern. The years of planning, the countless hours spent debating and strategizing, had all led to this moment. They would succeed. They had to succeed.


    With a nod to Dan and Frankie, she led the way out of the cavern, the weight of their mission pressing on her but not slowing her down. Together, they stepped into the tunnel, their path illuminated by the soft glow of the gloss-moss, ready to face whatever awaited them at Cloudreach.

 Chapter 3

    Each major Geovan settlement was connected via railway in at least three directions to ensure that every place had backups in case of a break in the line. Maeryn and her friends resided in the Geovan capital, Vert, which connected to six other settlements: Lodestar, Greenstone, Lakehollow, Mossvale, Flamespire, and Frostdeep.


    Each settlement was named based on the environment found there. Mossvale was practically overflowing with mosses of various kinds, from glow-moss to medicinal ones. Flamespire had natural geothermal vents and was the hub of steam technology development. Lakehollow had a massive underground lake and was said to be one of the most beautiful places in Geova. Frostdeep was bitterly cold but had found its niche in food storage and preservation. Greenstone was named after a massive green magic crystal around which the town had grown, now hosted in the Alchemical Workshop built around it.


    As for Lodestar¡­ Lodestar was a mining town. There were many veins of ore yet to be mined from the rock. Iron and copper were the most common and always in demand, but occasionally someone would find tin or bauxite. On rare occasions, precious gems could even be uncovered, sparking a rush of workers.


    So, no one was surprised to see Maeryn and her friends carrying heavy packs on the train to Lodestar - they looked like young wanna-be miners hoping to strike it rich, which wasn¡¯t uncommon.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Frankie grumbled, eyeing the engine as they boarded.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maeryn asked, already suspecting the answer.


    ¡°The train¡¯s still using the old model engine from ten years ago. It¡¯s just¡­ inefficient, and it bugs me. If they¡¯d simply replace two - no, three pipes with the correct linings, then the steam would be able to generate higher pressure, and the train would go at least ten percent faster,¡± Frankie explained, crossing her arms with a huff.


    Dan chuckled. ¡°Leave it to you to know exactly how to improve a steam engine at a glance.¡±


    Frankie shrugged. ¡°What can I say? Efficiency matters. Every little bit counts, especially now with the mana crisis.¡±


    Maeryn nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s something we can look into when we get back. If we can get the Elders to listen, that is.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Frankie muttered, rolling her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re more likely to call it a waste of resources.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s worth trying,¡± Maeryn said firmly. ¡°Every bit of efficiency we can squeeze out might buy us more time.¡±


    ¡°When we get back,¡± Dan assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder supportively.


    Maeryn took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°When we get back,¡± she agreed.


    None of them said anything more as the train blew its whistle, or on the hour-long ride that followed. Maeryn, for her part, was lost in thought. She hadn¡¯t said goodbye to her parents, and she wasn¡¯t sure if she regretted it. She had left a letter at home for them, but¡­ Maeryn wished she could have gotten one last hug from her mom, one last ¡°I¡¯m proud of you¡± from her dad.


    They hadn¡¯t lived together in years, but that wasn¡¯t uncommon in Geovan society. Thirteen was the traditional age where a child was expected to learn to find work and stand on their own two feet, and Maeryn had been no different. After she¡¯d been hired as an apprentice hunter, guarding farmers on the surface, her parents had helped her find a place of her own. It was within walking distance of their own home, of course, just in case she had any problems or needed parental advice, but it was still hers to do with as she pleased.


    Maeryn had avoided her parents for the last two weeks, fearing that they would somehow be able to tell what she was planning. That they might have been able to convince her to stay, and wait. For their sake. But she was doing this for them. For everyone.


    A tiny shiver ran down her arms, and Maeryn wished for a long moment that she could go back and hug her mother. Then she shook herself out of it, berating herself. She hadn¡¯t even finished leaving Geova and she was homesick. Great. That boded well for her journey.


    The train ground to a stop with a long, sustained hiss of steam, and Frankie led them out. ¡°This way. Follow me.¡±


    She guided them through the town, which looked rather empty at that moment. That made sense, though - as a mining town, most people would be out in the tunnels mining at this time of day. Frankie had explained that before, which was part of why they¡¯d chosen this time to leave. The fewer interruptions or complications, the better.


    As they continued, Maeryn smelled a shift in the air. She could detect the faint scent of grasses, trees, non-compacted dirt¡­ the odor of the surface. Right. Lodestar had an entrance to the surface because it was a mining town. It had been conclusively proven that fresh air helped prevent mining-related illnesses, including black lung.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Frankie announced, approaching a nondescript but enormous warehouse. She lightly kicked the door open, and with a grand flourish, bowed to Maeryn and Dan. ¡°May I present¡­ Stonewing.¡±


    Maeryn went inside and froze in place, her jaw dropping in awe. Inside was a thing of beauty. Thin at the tail, with a bulbous ¡°head¡± where the cockpit was clearly visible in its treated glass, Stonewing was a giant flying machine that could have housed three copies of her home in Vert. Its wings, currently folded for storage, were wider than she would have believed possible. The wings and tail fins were supported by a skeletal structure made of some metallic alloy that Maeryn didn¡¯t recognize but knew had to be incredibly lightweight. Four ¡°horns¡± across the top were actually steam vents, clear indications of high tech design that had gone into this. Four propellers, obviously powered by the steam engine within the ship, gleamed at each side of the head of Stonewing.


    ¡°By the Hearth¡­ Frankie, she¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°That she is,¡± Frankie agreed proudly. ¡°She can carry a couple of metric tons without too much trouble, and she¡¯s got room for eight to stay in comfortably. Assuming nobody wants to bunk together. Figured I¡¯d make sure we had room for anyone who wanted to join us, you know? Downside is, she¡¯s a bit of a power hog, at least to get up and running. Takes a lot of steam to get everything working. But once she¡¯s in the air, it doesn¡¯t take much mana to keep her going, and she¡¯s designed to catch any water in the air to refuel her steam engines that way, so as long as we fly through a cloud every now and then she can go almost forever.¡±


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    Maeryn shook her head, duly impressed. ¡°You¡¯ve outdone yourself, Frankie.¡±


    ¡°Not yet I haven¡¯t. Wait till I figure out how to make her fly faster than a diving falcon, and then I¡¯ll have outdone myself,¡± Frankie denied, ideas visibly whirling in her head. ¡°Maybe if I¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, not today!¡± Maeryn interrupted. ¡°You can tinker with her later, but right now it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Dan laughed but said nothing as he followed, Maeryn gently but forcefully guiding a pouting Frankie to board the airship. The steamhead¡¯s melancholy evaporated as soon as they were on board, and the next moment she was giving Maeryn a whirlwind tour. Each bedroom was tiny, almost crowded with a cot, desk and dresser, but Maeryn didn¡¯t mind; she didn¡¯t anticipate using the room for more than sleep for the foreseeable future. The bedrooms encircled the meeting area, a circular room that had a wooden table big enough to seat five on one side, and a blackboard on the other.


    Directly behind the meeting area was a slightly smaller space that was clearly dedicated to be a kitchen, but Maeryn could immediately tell that it was incomplete. Preempting her friend, Frankie immediately explained. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m no good at the food stuff. Like, I could get something working but an oven¡¯s supposed to be built by the person who¡¯s gonna use it. Figured you wouldn¡¯t mind if I just let you take care of that during the flight to Cloudreach.¡± Frankie pointed at several pipes protruding from the wall, complete with valves. ¡°Here are your water intake and steam output pipes. They share the same water source as what Stonewing uses for flight for efficiency reasons, so try not to hog too much of it, but otherwise? Go nuts.¡±


    Maeryn nodded thoughtfully; she had a few ideas on what to do with the space, but that was for later. ¡°Thanks, Frankie. As soon as I get it set up, I¡¯ll make some roasted trail mix with Luminwing jerky, just for you.¡±


    Frankie¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite snack food. ¡°I oughta do nice things more often if that¡¯s how you¡¯re gonna pay me back,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Dan protested. ¡°I helped get everything set up too!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Maeryn laughed. ¡°As long as you packed some sweetweed, you¡¯ll get your sweet and sour chicken for dinner the night I get the oven working.¡±


    Dan folded his arms and nodded in mock seriousness. ¡°Your bribe is acceptable. Carry on.¡± Both Maeryn and Frankie laughed at him, and Dan¡¯s attempt to keep a straight face crumbled as he joined in. Finally, he shook his head. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go see the cockpit and get in the air. We can see the rest of the ship once we¡¯re on the way.¡±


    His suggestion sobered both of his friends, and Maeryn once again felt the weight of their mission upon her. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The cockpit was wider than the meeting room, naturally, but was overall much smaller. Which made sense, really, being a dedicated room for flying. There were seats for three, but only one of them was situated with all the controls, a complicated mess of knobs, levers, valves and gauges, connected to pipes that went into the ceiling or floor, presumably connected to the rest of the ship in dizzying ways that Maeryn couldn¡¯t begin to fathom.


    Frankie sat herself down in the pilot chair and stretched her arms in front of her, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Alright then. Initiating the startup sequence now.¡± She pulled what looked like a solid steel handle several centimeters out, twisted it ninety degrees clockwise, then pushed it back in. There was an audible hum as Maeryn heard the systems start to warm up. ¡°It¡¯ll take a few minutes. Dan, Rin, drop your bags in whatever room you want, then come back and buckle up. I¡¯m gonna go pull the lever next to the slide-up door to open it up. We¡¯re gonna need some space to get moving.¡±


    Before they could say a word, Frankie was gone. Maeryn and Dan glanced at each other, shrugged, and did as she said. After they were seated again and strapped in, Maeryn¡¯s curiosity got the better of her. ¡°Hey Dan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯re you staying so calm?¡±


    Dan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not. But there¡¯s no point in panicking, is there? Sure, this is scary. Depths and damnation, if you could feel my heart thumping in my chest¡­¡± Dan reached up to his chest, allowing a faint grimace to cross his face before it was schooled away a moment later. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change what we gotta do. We¡¯ve planned as best we can. There¡¯s nothing more we can do to prepare better, and we¡¯re out of time. All that¡¯s left is to just do it.¡±


    Something in Maeryn settled with the knowledge that she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the jitters before they left everything they knew behind. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. Not like we haven¡¯t spent literal years talking through everything. If there were another realistic option, we¡¯d have tried that first.¡±


    Dan nodded, letting out a little sigh as she echoed his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m honestly more worried about what we¡¯re leaving behind. Us leaving like this is going to light a fuse, you know. Other people are going to see us as running away, no matter what we left behind. I can only imagine how many other people are going to try to do the same in the coming weeks.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s gut twisted. Yeah. She knew. ¡°There¡¯s no getting around that. Like you said. This is something we gotta do.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty!¡± Frankie cheerfully chirped, plopping herself into the pilot seat and casually looking over the gauges in front of her. ¡°Steam pressure¡¯s at acceptable levels across the board, mana consumption has dropped to maintenance levels¡­ we¡¯re good to go. You two ready for takeoff?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Dan affirmed softly. He looked at Maeryn. ¡°On your signal, captain.¡±


    Something in her stomach fluttered at his words. ¡°Take us to Cloudreach.¡±


    ¡°Aye-aye, Captain Rin,¡± Frankie acknowledged. She reached forward, grabbing what looked like one of two levers and pushing it forward slightly. With a lurch, Stonewing started moving forward. Slowly at first, then it began to pick up speed. Once they¡¯d cleared the warehouse, Frankie reached up to the ceiling and pushed a lever to be parallel with the ceiling. ¡°Spreading our wings now.¡±


    Maeryn looked out the side, watching with awe as the wing unfolded itself, supported by its metal skeleton. It was so long¡­!


    ¡°Come on, baby, up in the air with you. Time to fly.¡± Frankie pushed forward on the lever in front of her, and suddenly Stonewing was accelerating far faster than before, pushing Maeryn more firmly into her seat. They were rapidly approaching the surface exit! Then Frankie pulled at the second lever in front of her, pulling it back towards her.


    Maeryn¡¯s stomach dropped as Stonewing left the ground¡­ and Geova. They were in the air now, and on their way to Cloudreach. The landscape below shrank rapidly, and Maeryn felt a mix of exhilaration and inexplicable loss. Once again, she wished she could go back and flee into her mother¡¯s arms¡­ but no. There was no turning back.


    Above and ahead of them, the sky stretched vast and open, a stark contrast to the enclosed world of Geova they were leaving behind. Maeryn took a deep breath, steadying herself. This was just the beginning.


    But when she looked down at the ground again, her breath caught. She couldn¡¯t see anything past the thick fog of pale blue Mist coating the land for as far as the eye could see. The world was completely coated. Maeryn had never seen anything like it. The view really made it hit home, exactly how far along they were in the apocalypse.


    Did they even have a year left? All of a sudden, Maeryn felt like even her worst-case scenario estimate was too generous. Seeing the world like this¡­ it felt like the Mist was just waiting to swallow up her home, and it was so close to being able to do just that.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it,¡± she muttered. ¡°We have to.¡±

 Chapter 4

    As fast as Stonewing was, it still took nearly two days to catch sight of Cloudreach. In that time, Frankie gave both Maeryn and Dan a crash course in the basics of flying their airship, so she could sleep when necessary. When not taking her turn flying the ship - and what a rush that was! - Maeryn finished putting together the kitchen and delivered her friends¡¯ favorite foods as promised.


    As for Dan¡­ Dan spent almost all of his time holed up in his lab. It was at the very back of the airship, and he¡¯d laid out dire warnings about its use. ¡°When I¡¯m in there, if the door is closed, you absolutely cannot come in, for any reason.¡± His voice was stern, hard, leaving no room for argument. ¡°Alchemy is dangerous. And we¡¯re already playing with fire, setting up a lab on a moving vehicle. I can¡¯t overstate how dangerous it could be if you interrupt me at the wrong moment. Fumbling an explosive compound that I¡¯m neutralizing, or dropping something incredibly acidic, or¡­ or somehow multiplying the Mist instead of erasing it.¡±


    Maeryn and Frankie had both taken a half-step back at that last example. Maeryn had seen firsthand in her hunting days what kind of horrors the Mist could do to a living thing. In her time defending the farmers, she¡¯d had to kill many mutated animals, driven mad by pain and a body that refused to die even as it slowly rotted away. She had absolutely zero desire to see that happen to herself or her friends.


    Dan nodded, satisfied that his message had gotten through. ¡°Glad that got through to you. So yeah. Stay out if the door¡¯s closed. And knock if the door¡¯s open. Just, in general, don¡¯t go back there if it¡¯s not urgent, okay?¡±


    Maeryn had gotten that message loud and clear. Every time she passed by the closed lab door, she felt a shiver of apprehension. It was a stark reminder of reality and the scope of their mission, and what awaited all of Geova if they failed.


    Still, the sight of Cloudreach lifted Maeryn¡¯s spirits. They were another step closer to - hopefully - saving everyone.


    As Stonewing approached the flying city, Maeryn studied it in more detail. It was shaped quite oddly, in her opinion, nothing like any flying machine Maeryn had ever seen, even in her old history lessons. Cloudreach seemed to be composed of three distinct layers. The topmost looked like the farms that she used to guard, though the outer rim was lined with something metallic-looking. There was a large rod squarely in the center of that layer whose purpose completely baffled Maeryn, though.


    The middle layer was easily identifiable as where most of the Zephyrians had to live and work - various-sized buildings, streets and all. It was significantly larger than the topmost layer, and Maeryn could see even from the distance that there were gigantic propellers attached to the underside of the layer, creating the lift necessary to keep the landmass aloft.


    The bottommost layer, however, was a complete mystery. It looked like a flat, thick, circular hunk of metal, connected to the middle layer by obviously-thick support pillars. The best Maeryn could think of was that it was a resting platform for any air machines it might have, but that didn¡¯t make sense, considering she could see the port for airships in the middle layer.


    ¡°Any idea what that bottom layer is for?¡± Maeryn asked, turning to Frankie who was at the controls.


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    Frankie shook her head. ¡°Not a clue. The Zephyrians are rather secretive, especially about their method of flying cities. There are tons of rumors about what it might be, anything from massive storage areas to mana accumulators. As for me?¡± Frankie narrowed her eyes in contemplation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look thick enough to be storage, in my opinion. And mana accumulators would work better with crystals, not metal. Might be something to do with heat - metal heats up real fast compared to anything else - but my money¡¯s on something utilitarian. Something to do with the ground, I think.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s definitely something important,¡± Maeryn muttered. ¡°But that¡¯s a mystery that¡¯ll have to wait. We¡¯ve got more important things to look into.¡±


    As they drew closer, Frankie expertly guided Stonewing to the port. She looked carefully at the men waving flags as she made her approach, and - following directions that Maeryn had no understanding of - made a few adjustments. ¡°We¡¯ve been approved for landing,¡± Frankie announced, her voice tinged with anxious excitement. ¡°Go make sure that Dan¡¯s got all the fragile stuff put away, we¡¯ll be on the ground in a couple of minutes.¡±


    Maeryn nodded, rushing over to the door of Dan¡¯s workshop. It was - predictably - closed. She rapped on it twice, calling out ¡°We¡¯re about to land!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Dan¡¯s muffled voice answered. Thirty seconds later, Dan opened the door, and the two of them rushed back to the cockpit to strap themselves in.


    With practiced precision, Frankie guided Stonewing towards the designated landing area. As they touched down, Stonewing was rapidly slowed via the use of cords and ropes, until it came to a complete stop. The city¡¯s port workers moved quickly, securing the airship with ropes to ensure that it would stay right where it belonged.


    Maeryn watched, her heart fluttering with excitement, as a few official-looking people exited from a nearby office, making a beeline for Stonewing. They¡¯d made it. They¡¯d made it to Cloudreach. Now came the hard part: learning what they could and revising the plan from there.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go see the welcoming committee.¡±


    The team disembarked, and walked down to where the officials - led by a tall, regal-looking woman with a hard expression - waited for them. ¡°I would say welcome to Cloudreach, but that is yet to be seen,¡± the woman pronounced. ¡°I am Skymaster Lyra, and I am in charge of Cloudreach¡¯s ports. State your names and your business.¡±


    Maeryn swallowed. ¡°I.. I am Maeryn d¡¯Vert. Captain of the airship Stonewing. My companions are Daniel d¡¯Greenstone, who prefers to go by Dan, and Francine d¡¯Vert, who prefers to go by Frankie. We¡¯ve come on¡­ on a research mission. The mana depletion issue is getting worse; there isn¡¯t much time before the ambient mana is insufficient to power our Mist-repelling barriers. We were hoping to speak to anyone who has done any research at all on the Mist, or why the ambient mana levels have been dropping like a stone.¡±


    Lyra¡¯s eyes hardened further as she inspected Maeryn carefully. ¡°Just the three of you? Where is the rest of your research team?¡±


    ¡°The rest of my team is still performing experiments back in Greenstone,¡± Dan cut in smoothly, crossing his arms. ¡°The Elders were unsure how much research Zephyria has performed on the Mist - given that your flying cities aren¡¯t exposed to it regularly - and sent me to make the request.¡±


    ¡°And given that Cloudreach has historically had decent trade relations with Geova in the past, we figured this was the place to start,¡± Maeryn finished. She took a deep breath and met Lyra¡¯s eyes, despite how fast her heart was beating. She was about to do the most daring thing in her life: order a clearly high-ranking adult around. ¡°Tell us where to find your researchers so we can get this over with.¡±


    Lyra¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t move from Maeryn¡¯s, and the girl struggled not to let her rising anxiety reflect on her face. ¡°... Very well. Follow me. There is some paperwork to fill out, but once it is complete, I will direct you to Tempest Terrace, our research and development district.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Objectively, the paperwork didn¡¯t take too long to complete - maybe an hour. Subjectively, it seemed to take forever. There was the expected form where the airship and its owners were registered, along with the expected duration of the visit. There was an affidavit swearing that the airship didn¡¯t carry any prohibited merchandise, which Maryn had had Dan look over, just in case some of his alchemical supplies were on the list. There was a form for maintenance, which would authorize the crews at Cloudreach to board Stonewing and inspect it for any required maintenance - which Frankie had flatly demanded that Maryn refuse.


    An untold number of forms later, Lyra finally nodded. ¡°The paperwork appears to be in order. Welcome to Cloudreach. Don¡¯t make any trouble, and we won¡¯t have any trouble. You¡¯ve set your expected stay to be fewer than three days, but if you need to extend that for any reason, you can fill out a Stay Extension form here. Failure to do so will result in the impounding and eventual confiscation of your airship. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know why there are so many forms for what¡¯s supposed to be a short visit,¡± Frankie muttered, only to be hurriedly hushed by Dan.


    Maeryn looked at Lyra flatly, her patience long since expended from reading and signing so many forms. ¡°No, Skymaster Lyra. If there¡¯s nothing else¡­?¡±


    The official gathered the papers and placed them in a packet, handing them off to an aid to be filed somewhere. ¡°Indeed. Tempest Terrace is on the port side of the city. When you leave the airfield, you¡¯ll be on the main street. Follow it until you reach the large fountain, then make a left. Follow that street until the end, and you¡¯ll have reached Tempest Terrace. It¡¯ll be easily identifiable by¡­¡± Lyra sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly, showing the first sign of human emotion since they¡¯d met. ¡°... by the sound of explosions and chaotic bursts of wind.¡±


    Maeryn blinked, then glanced at her friends. They looked just as nonplussed as she felt, which was no help at all. ¡°Right. Thanks.¡±


    Lyra nodded absently, then straightened, her fiercely stern expression returning. ¡°I recommend spending your walk there looking for a place to stay. We don¡¯t get visitors from Geova much anymore, but we do have enough trade with other Zephyrian settlements to warrant having a few inns.¡±


    Maeryn nodded as she stood from her chair and stretched slightly. It was sensible advice, after all. ¡°Thanks for the tip. We¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Captain Maeryn?¡±


    She paused on her way to the exit, looking back to meet Lyra¡¯s gaze. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lyra took a moment before responding, visibly choosing her words carefully. ¡°Tensions are high, and Geovans aren¡¯t held in high regard at the moment. Be cautious whom you reveal it to. You¡¯d be wise to get what you need and leave as soon as practical.¡±


    Maeryn paused, digesting that. ¡°Got it. That lines up with what I want anyway; much as I¡¯d love to explore and play tourist, duty awaits.¡±


    ¡°We are of like mind, then. May the wind stay at your back.¡±


    That sounded like a traditional Zephyrian farewell. Thankfully, Maeryn had thought ahead and done some research in the months prior to leaving Geova. ¡°And may your sails carry you well.¡±


    Surprise flashed across Lyra¡¯s face before her expression firmed once again, though this time Maeryn thought she could see a hint of respect somewhere in the corner of her eyes. Lyra said nothing more, and Maeryn led her friends out of the office.


    ¡°Someone care to explain to the girl who doesn¡¯t do subtlety and social stuff?¡± Frankie asked outright.


    Maeryn opened her mouth, but Dan beat her to it. ¡°Geovans aren¡¯t liked right now. I expect that the Zephyrians blame us for the mana depletion the same way a lot of us blame the Zephyrians. We can probably expect to be hassled if it becomes public knowledge, and if a fight breaks out we¡¯ll probably be blamed.¡±


    Frankie glanced at Maeryn, who simply nodded her agreement. ¡°Depths take it,¡± she swore. ¡°Right. So. What¡¯s the plan, Rin? Are we heading straight for the researchers, or what?¡±


    Maeryn bit her lip thoughtfully. ¡°I think¡­ we should split up when we get to the fountain. Dan should go to the researchers. Frankie, you know better than I do what Stonewing might need to stock up on, so hit the market and figure out how much it¡¯ll cost to get the basics. I¡¯ll find us a place to stay for the next day or two. We¡¯ll meet up at the fountain at sunset.¡±


    ¡°All of us should keep an eye out for quick money-making opportunities as well; I know we all brought our savings, but it¡¯s hard to say how long we can make that stretch,¡± Dan suggested, folding his arms as he thought.


    ¡°Good point. Yeah, that too,¡± Maeryn agreed. ¡°Also, keep an ear out for anyone who might want to join our mission. We¡¯ve got some room, and having a Zephyrian or two on our team might make things easier if we end up going to another flying city. Don¡¯t advertise it if you do; we¡¯ll talk about it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Captain,¡± Frankie acknowledged with a playful salute.


    Discomfort squirmed inside of Maeryn¡¯s stomach like one of Lakehollow¡¯s eels. ¡°You know you two don¡¯t need to call me that,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°We know,¡± Dan replied. ¡°But like it or not, you¡¯re the leader of this expedition. Frankie and I have our specialties, and I know you¡¯re relying on me to figure the Mist out, but you¡¯re the one who puts us where we need to be.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we trust your judgment,¡± Frankie added with a shrug. ¡°And you listen. Hard to ask for more. If it weren¡¯t for you, neither of us¡¯d be here. Even knowing that the Elders weren¡¯t gonna succeed in staving off Critical Mana Depletion, we¡¯d be back at home trying our best, instead of pulling something crazy but sensible like this.¡±


    The eel in Maeryn¡¯s stomach didn¡¯t particularly like that, but she couldn¡¯t think of an argument either. She let it drop for now, fully intending to bring it up later.


    She turned her focus instead on the buildings on either side of the street. There weren¡¯t many people outside, and they were all headed in the same direction - towards the fountain. The buildings themselves looked like enormous warehouses, leaving Maeryn with a single possible conclusion. ¡°Storage district, do you think?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Frankie hummed with a little nod. ¡°Makes the most sense to me. It¡¯d let airship trade run efficiently if their drop-off and pick-up was close to the airfield. Reduces the amount of time that a steam engine can cool before you¡¯re up in the air again, which reduces mana upkeep cost. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me if some of these warehouses have smaller airships, too. For scouting or something.¡±


    Maeryn frowned. The airfield hadn¡¯t seemed that busy to her; not a single other airship had come or gone in the time they¡¯d been there, and that struck her as odd. Surely a flying city would have more traffic than that? Back in Geova, the train ran nonstop¡­ But then again, Geovan settlements were connected and didn¡¯t change distances from each other.


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    The discrepancy nagged at Maeryn, but she put it out of her mind for now. She could ponder that particular mystery later. Or, better yet, maybe ask a friendly Zephyrian to explain it. But for now, she needed to pay attention to her surroundings, and take in as much as she could.


    Finally, the seemingly endless string of warehouses came to an end, and the three of them came across what looked like an entertainment district. There was a large park on one side of the main road, with dozens of children playing under the careful watch of their parents. Laughter and childish shouting filled the air, and mouth-watering smells emanated from various businesses nearby.


    Maeryn had to tear her eyes away from a particularly sweet-smelling bakery, ignoring her stomach¡¯s annoyed grumble. ¡°You just ate this morning, shut up,¡± she ordered it grumpily.


    ¡°I hear that,¡± Dan agreed with a sigh. ¡°I could swear, that guy with the kebabs can tell that I¡¯m this close to giving in. What about you, Frankie?¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Frankie?¡± Maeryn stopped and looked around. Much to her amused disgruntlement, she saw her friend at a different vendor. She shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Go get your kebabs, Dan. We¡¯re not going to do well on an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡°And this is why you¡¯re the best boss I could ask for.¡± Without giving her a chance to reply, Dan immediately split off, and Maeryn could almost hear the knowing grin on the kebab vendor¡¯s face.


    She watched as Dan struck up a cheerful conversation with the vendor, his easygoing nature winning the man over quickly. Nearby, Frankie sounded like she was haggling with another vendor, her determined expression clear even from a distance.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, give a girl a break here,¡± she coaxed the amused-looking cook. ¡°Your stuff smells so good, and you¡¯re asking me to choose between it and the parts I need for work. Can¡¯t we come to some sort of agreement?¡±


    ¡°I hear what you¡¯re saying, miss, but stars above, if I give it to ya any cheaper I¡¯ll be taking a loss, and ya wouldn¡¯t want that for me and my little ones either.¡±


    Frankie pouted for a moment. ¡°What about a little trade? I¡¯m pretty good with steamtech - even got a job maintaining city pipes and stuff back home, and I¡¯m the primary mechanic of the airship my captain¡¯s flyin¡¯. If I can tweak your setup a bit to make it a little more efficient, would that be fair trade?¡±


    The cook eyed her for a long moment, his gaze flicking over her tools and attire. ¡°Ye can look, but no touching till I say you can. But if ye do manage to get a bit more out of her, then I could see my way to giving you a bowl or two of food, sure.¡±


    Frankie grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°Deal!¡± She immediately began examining the cook¡¯s steam-powered stove, her fingers itching to make adjustments but holding back out of respect for the cook¡¯s caution. ¡°You won¡¯t regret this,¡± she assured him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The man caught sight of Maeryn watching the interaction. ¡°Oi! This one yours?¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s cheeks pinked slightly at being caught and came a bit closer. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s my engineer.¡±


    ¡°Ye seem a bit young to have an airship of yer own. Where ya from?¡±


    Maeryn swallowed nervously. Better to be honest, she supposed. ¡°Vert.¡±


    ¡°Vert¡­?¡± The cook scratched his chin. ¡°Ain¡¯t that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Frankie piped up, interrupting him. ¡°Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Your rig¡¯s pretty good, but you can get a bit more out of her if you reroute this section over here. I figure this stove was originally set up as a combination fireplace and stove, and you adapted it for this?¡±


    ¡°How could you tell?¡±


    Frankie pointed at a particularly large pipe. ¡°That pipe right there¡¯s designed to take a lot of heat from the steam and heat up the area around it. Which is good for cold homes, but not so great on warm days like this, I bet. If you use a smaller pipe to connect these two bits instead then you¡¯ll get more cooking time for less steam. You might even be able to add a valve here to control the steam flow better.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡­ I think yer right. Do ye got what ye need to get it done now?¡±


    Frankie fidgeted for a moment, then hung her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the right size pipe on me,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine. I ne¡¯er woulda thought of it. Go ahead and have a bowl. It¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Frankie said, brightening immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for the right pipe while I¡¯m in town. Maybe we can get it fixed before we leave.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another bowl in it for ya if you do,¡± the cook offered with a knowing grin.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Frankie exulted, pumping her arm in triumph. ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°Just doin¡¯ my part. The world needs more engineers like ye. Go on ¡®n¡¯ eat. I gotta talk to your captain for a sec.¡±


    Frankie sent a sidelong glance at Maeryn, as if asking if it was really okay for her to leave. Maeryn gave her a tiny nod. ¡°Gotcha. Thanks, old man.¡± She took her bowl, a little less enthusiastic than she¡¯d been a minute before, and went to go sit on a nearby bench.


    The cook then turned to Maeryn. ¡°So. Vert, huh?¡±


    Maeryn fought back the urge to wince. Discovered as a Geovan in the first hour. She was absolutely terrible at this. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t get many Geovans up here. Especially after the mana depletion problem got more well-known.¡± The cook narrowed his eyes, folding his arms confrontationally, and leaned in slightly towards Maeryn. ¡°Why¡¯re ye here? Lookin¡¯ for evidence that flyin¡¯ cities are the source of all yer woes?¡±


    ¡°N-no!¡± Maeryn stuttered, then took a deep breath and gathered herself. She met the cook¡¯s suspicious gaze with a glare of her own. ¡°The mana depletion rate doesn¡¯t match up with that theory at all. It¡¯s been getting faster, and unless you all have been purposely making your flying cities more mana-intensive as a way to kill us all - which doesn¡¯t make sense to me - then there must be some other explanation. Something we haven¡¯t figured out yet. The Mist probably has something to do with it, I think, but I¡¯m no researcher. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. To have one of our top researchers meet up with yours to see if we can fill in the holes.¡±


    The cook strummed his fingers across his arm in contemplation. ¡°Hmph. A Geovan with more than rocks and steam in their head. That¡¯s novel.¡± He leaned back and nodded reluctantly. ¡°Stay out of trouble. And, a little tip? Ye might want to pick up some Zephyrian clothes and try to fit in better. Ye might get less hassle that way.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± That was an excellent idea, now that he mentioned it. ¡°Do you have anywhere you¡¯d recommend?¡±


    The cook jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Down the street, about halfway between here and the fountain. On the right. Look for Feathers and Fabric. They¡¯ll treat ye right.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll check it out after we find an inn for the night.¡±


    ¡°G¡¯luck with that.¡± Clearly done with the conversation, the cook¡¯s eyes finally left Maeryn¡¯s as he began scanning the area for more potential customers.


    Maeryn blinked, then took the hint and walked off to join Frankie and Dan, who were almost done with their food already. Her stomach rumbled, clearly upset that her friends had gotten to eat and she hadn¡¯t, but Maeryn paid it little mind. Her to-do list was growing larger, and if she didn¡¯t start writing some of it down she was sure she¡¯d forget parts of it soon.


    She reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook. After a moment of tapping the end of her pencil against her chin in contemplation, Maeryn quickly jotted down her thoughts. She would write a fuller entry that night after supper, in order to track what she¡¯d learned. One never knew when knowledge might come in handy. ¡°Maybe I should draw a map, too¡­?¡± She dismissed the idea for now - this was hardly the time - but promised herself that she¡¯d think about it later.


    With that completed, Maeryn glanced at her friends, who were now chatting and laughing over their meal. Despite her own hunger, seeing them relaxed brought her a measure of comfort. They trusted her to lead, and she wouldn''t let them down.


    ¡°All set?¡± she asked as they finished up.


    Dan nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°Yeah. That kebab hit the spot.¡±


    ¡°Ready when you are, Rin,¡± Frankie added, standing up and stretching. ¡°Onwards, then?¡±


    ¡°Right. Towards the fountain, then we split up. Dan, you head to the researchers, Frankie to the market for airship supplies, and I¡¯ll find us an inn. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°And stay out!¡±


    Maeryn scowled as she was summarily banished from yet another inn. This was the third time in an hour. It almost seemed scripted at this point. She would walk in and request lodgings for two nights for her and her two companions. The innkeeper would smile their customer service smile, and ask for her name and city of origin for their records. And inevitably, when Maeryn admitted she was from Geova, the innkeeper¡¯s smiles would vanish and she would be treated to a rant. And then finally, the innkeeper would glare at her and utterly refuse service.


    At least the rants were a little different between them. Even if they were all based on rumors and racism, it at least kept her from having the worst sort of deja vu.


    The first had challenged Maeryn to prove that her Elders weren¡¯t trying to deplete all the mana to force the Zephyrian sky-cities to the ground and expose them to the Mist. The second had been like the vendor she¡¯d spoken with before, accusing her of trying to find or fabricate evidence to justify a Geovan-Zephyrian war, and wouldn¡¯t listen to a word of Maeryn¡¯s rebuttal. And the last? She¡¯d just stated outright that Geovans were ¡°filthy little earth-grubbers who wouldn¡¯t appreciate the quality¡± of her inn.


    The insult still burned brightly in Maeryn¡¯s chest, and flickers of fire danced around her fingers as she glared hotly at the inn. It¡¯d be so easy to just take some of the dregs of mana in the air, form a fireball, and really give that racist tin-for-brains a reason to dislike her. One little spell and she could absolutely ruin that stubborn pyrite princess¡¯s day.


    Reluctantly, Maeryn¡¯s closed her fist, swallowing her anger and quenching the flame that came so readily to her. She couldn¡¯t afford to get everyone kicked off Cloudreach. It still rankled fiercely, though.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s stupid. She¡¯s stupid. This whole thing is stupid. And if I cause any trouble, then the mission goes up in flames. Instead of her stupid racist inn.¡± Maeryn grumpily kicked a pebble as she plopped herself down on a nearby bench. ¡°Depths take it!¡± she swore, her anger getting the better of her. ¡°I came here to solve the freaking problem, and I¡¯m being blamed for it? I¡¯m sixteen! I wasn¡¯t even old enough to make my own breakfast when the mana depletion really got going, and these people think it¡¯s okay to take their frustrations out on me?! Just because I¡¯m not one of them?!¡±


    Her voice echoed slightly in the empty street, the intensity of her outburst leaving her breathless. Maeryn buried her face in her hands, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. This wasn¡¯t helping. She needed a plan, not a tantrum.


    ¡°I could pretend to be a Zephyrian, maybe¡­ say I¡¯m from Airspire or something. No, no, then they¡¯ll make small talk and ask about it, and I¡¯ll get caught up in a web of lies. And that won¡¯t help at all.¡± Maeryn shook her head. ¡°Randomly wandering from inn to inn isn¡¯t getting me anywhere. I need a foot in the door. But how?¡±


    ¡°Psst!¡±


    Maeryn blinked and looked around. She didn¡¯t see anyone nearby¡­ was she hearing things?


    ¡°Over here.¡± Maeryn looked over her shoulder, and caught sight of a boy, maybe about her age, looking right at her from a narrow alley formed between two restaurants. The shadows cast by Cloudreach¡¯s top layer and the neighboring buildings made it difficult to see much about the boy at all: just a dark blue hood and a half-smile crossing his face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon over. I think maybe we can help each other out, but we should have that conversation away from listening ears, don¡¯tcha think?¡±


    Something about his voice and half-smile gave Maeryn the impression that the boy was honest about looking for an opportunity just as much as she was¡­ enough so that she stood, feeling a flicker of hope tempered with suspicion. This could be just what she needed, but she wasn¡¯t about to let her guard down either.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± she cautiously agreed, and followed the mysterious boy into the alley. They walked in silence for a minute, retreating deeper into the alley, and Maeryn¡¯s eyes slowly adjusted to the lower light enough for her to see more about the boy.


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    The hood over his head was actually part of a cloak that reached down to the boy¡¯s knees. From what Maeryn had seen of the people here, cloaks were apparently in style, though, so that didn¡¯t tell her much. The boots the boy wore, however, told a different tale. They were well-worn, and now that she was paying closer attention, Maeryn realized that the boy¡¯s footsteps were very light and quiet - not quite silent, but quiet enough that she would have easily missed the sound if she wasn¡¯t listening for it.


    Was he a pickpocket, perhaps?


    Maeryn kept her observations to herself, continuing to observe what she could of the boy as they turned a corner to go behind one of the buildings facing the street. It was only marginally darker there than in the alleyway, but apparently they¡¯d reached the boy¡¯s intended destination, as he stopped and - almost dramatically - spun in place and sat down on a nearby crate.


    ¡°Right then! You¡¯re a brave one, following me back here. I could¡¯ve had friends ready to jump you or anything. Or maybe you¡¯re just desperate?¡± Not giving her time to reply, the boy shrugged. ¡°Either way suits me fine. I take it you¡¯re willing to hear me out?¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have followed you,¡± Maeryn pointed out with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°True, true.¡± The boy rested his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin upon them. ¡°The deal¡¯s simple, in the end. You¡¯ve got an airship. I want off this wind-forsaken rock. I help you get your business done here, and you take me¡­ well, anywhere¡¯s fine, really.¡±


    Huh. Maeryn blinked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ remarkably straightforward of you. I kind of expected to have to play some kind of word game or something as we felt each other out.¡±


    The boy gave a lighthearted chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s a time and a place for that, but this ain¡¯t it. You¡¯re not gonna be here for long, and honestly? It¡¯s refreshing to be upfront. I¡¯ve got something you need, you¡¯ve got something I need, and I think we both know that this is a simple trade that leaves us both with what we want.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I can respect that.¡± Maeryn nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certainly not in a position to turn down help. I look forward to working with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Terrance.¡± The boy finally lowered his hood, properly revealing his green eyes and bright blond hair. ¡°And you¡¯re Maeryn d¡¯Vert. It¡¯s good to see someone with some sense around here.¡±


    Maeryn studied him for a moment, then extended her hand. ¡°Likewise, Terrance. Let¡¯s make this work.¡±


    Terrance shook her hand with a firm grip, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. ¡°Alright then, Maeryn. First things first, though. What exactly are you trying to achieve here on Cloudreach? If there¡¯s a way we can get this done faster, I¡¯m happy to lend my talents, such as they are.¡±


    ¡°Do you want the whole story or the quick and dirty version?¡±


    Terrance visibly considered it. ¡°Quick and dirty for now, but I¡¯d like the whole story once we¡¯re settled in an inn.¡±


    Maeryn nodded in agreement. ¡°Right then. We¡¯re looking for three things: any research on the Mist, any research on the mana depletion, and anyone crazy enough to join us in an attempt to stop it. Oh, and supplies for an extended mission.¡±


    Terrance opened his mouth, closed it, then held up a finger. ¡°Right. Looking forward to the whole story, then. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve got someone talking to the researchers down on Tempest Terrace?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Dan¡¯s on that, and Frankie¡¯s getting supplies.¡±


    The boy nodded. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Research on the Mist is one thing, but the researchers working on mana depletion won¡¯t be at Tempest Terrace. Too many explosions, too much chance of an accident.¡± Terrance frowned and shook his head. ¡°All researchers with any real mana sensitivity were taken out of the public eye years ago. Word on the breeze is that the bigwigs put them in a lab somewhere, though nobody ever agrees on where.¡±


    Maeryn closed her eyes, counting to five in her head. It was just one more obstacle in her way, but she¡¯d known that this wouldn¡¯t be easy. At least Terrance was giving her some incredibly valuable information. ¡°Okay, well, assuming that they¡¯re still on Cloudreach, they still need the basic necessities: food, water, shelter. And if they¡¯re doing research, they¡¯ll need supplies for that.¡±


    ¡°I see where you¡¯re going. Track the supply movements, find the researchers.¡± Terrance nodded. ¡°I can look into that tonight. Don¡¯t ask me how, though.¡±


    Maeryn bit her tongue. She very much wanted to know how Terrance would get the job done, but in this case, the results were far more important than the methods. Having an ally familiar with the illegal side of things could make things a lot easier, at least for now. ¡°Got it. Now, how¡¯re you planning to get us into an inn?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Maeryn¡­¡± Terrance smiled coyly. ¡°Now that would be telling.¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°... and here are the keys to your two rooms,¡± the innkeeper, a bald middle-aged man with a well-trimmed beard, informed Maeryn, handing them both to her with an obviously-fake smile. ¡°I hope you enjoy your stay.¡±


    Maeryn had no idea what happened or how, but somehow Terrance had convinced the man to treat her halfway decently. He¡¯d been alone with the man for less than three minutes! Just¡­ how? Had he threatened him? Blackmailed him? The questions swirled in her mind, but she swallowed them down, reminding herself that she didn¡¯t need to know. Not now, at least.


    Maeryn very carefully did not look at Terrance, instead choosing to smile thinly at the innkeeper. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will,¡± she replied, her words just as equally fake as the man¡¯s.


    The innkeeper¡¯s cheek twitched, but that was the only sign of his distemper. He turned away and excused himself, leaving Maeryn and Terrance alone in the dimly lit lobby.


    The inn seemed well-maintained, with clean, sturdy wooden furniture. The air carried a myriad of scents, some familiar, some foreign, but it was hardly unpleasant. The faint smell of cedar, soaked in alcohol often enough that it would never fully come out, was combated by various herbs and spices in key places, creating a homey, pleasant kind of feel to the place.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one thing done,¡± Terrance remarked cheerfully. ¡°But, ah, I wouldn¡¯t leave anything you¡¯re particularly attached to in your room without someone there. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°... Right. I suppose you¡¯d like the whole story now?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, of course.¡±


    Maeryn repressed a sigh. ¡°Then let¡¯s see the room so we can have that talk in private.¡±


    They headed upstairs, and Maeryn unlocked one of the indicated rooms, closing and locking it behind her after Terrance came inside. The room was simple and plain, with a bed big enough for two adults and a chest at the foot of the bed for storage. There was also a window out to the main street, which was kind of nice, but Maeryn paid it no mind as she turned to face Terrance.


    When she was quite through telling the tale, Terrance¡¯s perpetual cheerful expression had faded into a thoughtful respect. ¡°You¡¯re a strange one,¡± he commented, but it didn¡¯t sound like he was insulting her, just¡­ thinking. ¡°Wish I¡¯d met you before. We might¡¯ve actually gotten somewhere sooner.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that unlike most of the birdbrains up here, you¡¯ve got a good head on your shoulders, and a halfway decent plan.¡± Terrance shook his head. ¡°I tried for years to get people to listen to me when I was telling them the same things you just told me, but nobody seems interested in actually solving the wind-forsaken problem.¡±


    He ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. ¡°Listen. It¡¯s a dirty little secret that nobody talks about, but all flying cities used to have to land periodically. Not often, just every few years or so. But they needed to, in order to stock up on things that we just don¡¯t have access to while up in the air. Fresh soil for our farms, metals for our steamworks, plants and herbs for medicines, things like that. Trading with Geovans solved a lot of those problems, but with relations the way they are¡­¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s trading anymore, which means you have to start landing again,¡± Maeryn finished, connecting the dots. ¡°Which means that the Mist isn¡¯t just a problem for us Geovans, it¡¯s a problem for everyone.¡±


    Terrance snapped his fingers and pointed at Maeryn triumphantly. ¡°Exactly! But nobody listens! It¡¯s like everyone¡¯s convinced that as soon as Critical Mana Depletion happens - and I like the name, by the way - then the Mist will kill all the Geovans and then just disappear like gas on the wind.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s jaw dropped. She knew that there was a lot of friction and, well, racist thoughts in both Geovan and Zephyrian societies, but she hadn¡¯t realized that it went so far as to be callously apathetic to the idea of Geovan extinction. Maeryn could feel a rock form deep in her gut; this was going to be a lot harder than she thought.


    Maybe somehow reading the emotions on her face, Terrance reached out and patted Maeryn on the shoulder empathetically. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s sickening. It¡¯s one of the reasons I desperately want off this rock; there¡¯s got to be another flying city out there that¡¯s doing something. I have to believe that.¡±


    ¡°About that.¡± Maeryn leaned in. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left Cloudreach yet? It should be dead simple for someone like you to stow away somewhere. And where the heck are all the other airships?¡±


    Terrance let out a long sigh. ¡°By the time I was ready to try stowing away on an airship, it wasn¡¯t an option anymore. The other airships¡­ well, I don¡¯t mind telling you the story, but it¡¯s not really relevant to your situation at the moment. Let¡¯s focus on the here and now, and if there¡¯s time later, I¡¯ll fill you in.¡±


    The Geovan made a face but nodded. ¡°Listen. It sounds like you and I are on the same page. Something¡¯s got to be done, and like you said, I¡¯ve got a halfway decent plan. Instead of just being ferried to the next city, why don¡¯t you join the crew? We have the same goal. Surely we¡¯ll work better together than not.¡±


    Terrance stilled, eyeing her carefully. ¡°There are reasons why that might not be the greatest idea, Maeryn,¡± he said evasively, a flicker of something unreadable passing across his face. ¡°Tell you what. Let¡¯s finish up here on Cloudreach, and we¡¯ll have all the time in the world to figure that out on your airship after.¡±


    Maeryn wanted very much to question him further, but bit back the impulse. Terrance didn¡¯t owe her anything at the moment, and she still needed his help. It¡¯d be better not to accidentally alienate the only help she¡¯d found so far. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Terrance said, a shadow of his previous cheerful grin on his face. ¡°For now, though, I¡¯m going to go look up those supply patterns. I¡¯ll meet you back here at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± A burst of inspiration hit her, and Maeryn smirked. ¡°Should I watch the door or the window when the time comes?¡±


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    Terrance brought his finger to his lips, a coy grin playing at his lips. ¡°Now that¡¯d be telling.¡± With that, he gave Maeryn a two-fingered salute, then spun on his heel and exited the room in a way that could only be described as dramatic.


    Maeryn shook her head at his antics. She¡¯d never met someone like him before, and she had to admit, it was new and kind of fun. She watched the door close behind him, a mix of amusement and curiosity lingering. ¡°I wonder how well he¡¯d get along with Frankie and Dan¡­? I guess we¡¯ll find out eventually.¡±


    Thinking of her friends brought her back to the task at hand. Maeryn took a deep breath and refocused; there were things to do before it got too much later. She glanced out the window, abruptly noticing that it was getting pretty close to sunset. She¡¯d spent longer than anticipated getting rooms at the inn, and if she didn¡¯t get moving she would be late meeting everyone at the fountain.


    Maeryn hurried to the designated meeting spot, relieved to see that both of her friends were waiting for her. ¡°Hey! Sorry I¡¯m late!¡±


    Frankie pointedly glanced at the sun, which was only about halfway through dipping below the horizon. ¡°You¡¯re right on time, Rin. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, there¡¯s a lot to talk about,¡± Dan interjected. ¡°We should get out of the open, though, before we discuss it. Do we have anything urgent that we need to take care of beforehand?¡±


    Maeryn consulted her notebook, quickly skimming the to-do list, before shaking her head. ¡°We should look into getting Zephyrian clothes, but that can probably wait until tomorrow morning. Come on, I¡¯ll show you where we¡¯re staying for the night.¡±


    As Maeryn led the way, Frankie filled them both in on her activities that afternoon. ¡°I¡¯ve finished stocking up what we need for the next trip, and arranged for delivery tomorrow morning to Stonewing. It didn¡¯t take too long, so I spent the rest of the day exploring a bit.¡± She shook her head, lowering her voice. ¡°It¡¯s kinda amazing how much you can overhear when people think you¡¯re just an eager kid.¡±


    Dan groaned softly, matching Frankie¡¯s low volume. ¡°I wish I¡¯d thought of that. I must¡¯ve spent half the time convincing the other researchers that I wasn¡¯t some kid with more dreams than actual ability. I got there in the end, I think, but maybe I would¡¯ve gotten more information doing things your way.¡±


    ¡°No, I think you made the right decision,¡± Maeryn told him firmly. ¡°Research and alchemy are serious subjects, and anyone who might join the team needs to be able to take us seriously. To take you seriously.¡±


    Dan didn¡¯t respond for several seconds, digesting that. ¡°Right. You¡¯re right. Thanks.¡±


    Maeryn simply nodded at him, then gestured in front of them at the inn she¡¯d procured rooms at. ¡°Here we are. The Tipsy Seagull.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a seagull?¡± Frankie muttered.


    ¡°And why would anyone give it alcohol?¡± Dan continued, equally bewildered.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Maeryn answered, just as lost as her friends. ¡°Anyway, we have two rooms upstairs. Come on.¡±


    Entering and locking one of their rooms, Maeryn quickly explained everything that had happened, starting from her problems trying to rent a room for them and detailing the enigmatic encounter with Terrance. ¡°... and he¡¯ll be back at midnight tonight to discuss what he¡¯s found,¡± she finished. ¡°With any luck, we¡¯ll have a direction for tomorrow.¡±


    Dan let out a low whistle. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the racism to go quite that deep, but it makes sense in retrospect, I guess. It¡¯s nice to know that there are Zephyrians who think the same way we do, though. How much do you think we can trust him?¡±


    Maeryn tapped at her leg as she thought about it briefly. ¡°He hasn¡¯t told us everything,¡± she admitted slowly. ¡°He¡¯s keeping us at arm¡¯s length, but then again, Terrance only just met me, so that¡¯s hardly anything to be suspicious about.¡± She shook her head. ¡°What he said makes sense. The Mist is a problem for everyone. He has a clear motive to help us. It¡¯s just not the only motive. As long as we remember that, I think we won¡¯t have any problems.¡±


    Both of her friends nodded solemnly.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Frankie said after a moment to let Maeryn¡¯s words sink in. ¡°So, apparently Cloudreach is having some problems with supplies. Which makes sense, what with the lack of trade with Geova. It¡¯s not critical yet, though. Apparently Cloudreach has been receiving aid packages from the capital, Zephyr, but the old lady running a hair salon has a sister in Airspire, and the sister told her that a lot of flying cities are needing aid packages these days.¡±


    Dan and Maeryn exchanged looks. That wasn¡¯t good news for anyone. ¡°That sort of thing isn¡¯t meant to be a long-term solution,¡± Dan observed.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Frankie agreed. ¡°According to the noblewoman who was having her hair done, though, there¡¯s pressure on the decision-makers in Zephyr to approve of ¡®the old ways of restocking¡¯. I had no idea what they meant, but if the cities can land to get resources from the surface, then that explains it.¡±


    ¡°That might not be so bad?¡± Maeryn suggested hopefully. ¡°I mean, the Mist hasn¡¯t gotten everywhere yet, has it?¡±


    Dan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say for sure - it¡¯s not like I had a bird¡¯s eye view of the continent while I was in Greenstone - but from what I could gather, most of the places that haven¡¯t been inundated with Mist are pretty lifeless. Deserts and mountains. Depending on what the Zephyrians need to restock, that might be enough? But if they¡¯re looking for wood, plants, medicinal herbs and moss¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not many places left that might support it. They¡¯d be mostly limited to the above-ground Geovan farms.¡±


    A chill ran through Maeryn¡¯s spine. ¡°And if they tried that, with the current tensions on both sides¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d start a war,¡± Frankie finished, horror in her voice.


    Maeryn took a deep breath and swallowed down the taste of bile that had crept up at the idea of Zephyrians and Geovans fighting over limited resources, all while the Mist slunk ever closer to overtaking them all. ¡°Right. We can¡¯t let that happen. Looks like our time limit is smaller than we thought. Dan, what¡¯ve you got to report?¡±


    ¡°Our new friend Terrance struck his pick bang on the vein,¡± Dan admitted. ¡°The researchers I spoke to - after I finally convinced them that I was the real deal - told me that the mana researchers have been secluded for years. They did have some interesting findings on the effects of Mistwarping, though, which opens up a few avenues of research. If I can understand the mechanics of Mistwarping, it would let me better grasp the properties of the Mist itself. If I can isolate what makes Mist different from mana, I might be able to find a method to convert it.¡±


    ¡°Make that a priority,¡± Maeryn ordered, her insides cold as the weight of what awaited them if they failed settled in her mind. If the Geovans and Zephyrians started warring over surface resources, then neither side would focus on the Mist, the real enemy. Both civilizations hung in the balance. ¡°Will the researchers here help you?¡±


    Dan nodded briskly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I need anything.¡±


    Maeryn turned to Frankie. ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Keep gathering information, and keep an ear out for potential allies. You and I are going to get some Zephyrian clothes tomorrow to help blend in, which should help.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Captain,¡± Frankie replied, her usual cheer tempered by the gravity of the situation. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Maeryn didn¡¯t reply immediately, her mind whirling with half-baked ideas and impulses as she looked out the window. What was the best thing she could do right now? ¡°What I¡¯m going to do¡­¡± she murmured softly, then looked at her friends again. ¡°There¡¯s an avenue I haven¡¯t tried yet. I doubt it¡¯ll get anywhere, but I have to try.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Dan asked curiously.


    Maeryn swallowed and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to seek an audience with the leaders of Cloudreach. The Council of Winds.¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°The Council of Winds?¡± Terrance asked dubiously, looking up from a pile of papers he was going through. ¡°They¡¯re not going to do anything you want. You know they¡¯re not going to do anything, and especially not within any kind of reasonable time frame. Why even waste time trying?¡±


    He and Maeryn were seated on the bed, and had been examining various documents for the last hour alongside a map of Cloudreach that Terrance had provided. Maeryn had taken the opportunity to copy the map into her notebook, just in case, but in the drudgery of paperwork, the two of them had begun discussing their other plans.


    They were alone in Maeryn¡¯s room; Dan and Frankie had opted to stay jointly in the second rented room, declining to meet Terrance just yet. Maeryn couldn¡¯t rightly say she understood why, but she hadn¡¯t wanted to push the subject when she was relying on them so heavily.


    ¡°It¡¯s more to see how they react to the question than anything else,¡± Maeryn admitted, finally addressing the question posed to her. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if they just, you know, helped. But it¡¯s a council, right? There¡¯s not just one person in charge. I might see a clue or two of who I could approach.¡±


    Terrance snorted disdainfully. ¡°I can tell you that much. Listen up, and get that notebook ready if you¡¯re wanting to take notes.¡±


    Maeryn cocked an eyebrow at him, but did as he bid. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you Geovans know about Zephyrian political structure, but every city has their own Council of Winds, and the number of councilors varies based on the population of the city. Cloudreach is small enough that we¡¯ve only got three. It used to be four, but ever since trading with Geova stopped a lot of people left.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s pencil flew as she quickly noted the important points. ¡°Okay, so who are the three councilors?¡±


    Terrance held up a finger. ¡°Councilor Sipund is a diehard traditionalist, and extremely averse to change in general. The kind of guy who glorifies ¡®the good old days.¡¯ He¡¯s firmly of the opinion that Geovans are to blame for the Mist and mana depletion, and is one of the people pushing for Zephyria to do something about it.¡±


    Maeryn grunted, one of those emotive sounds that encompassed both understanding and disdain. It¡¯d taken a while for her to learn the various kinds of grunts in her time as a Geovan hunter - an unspoken code of camaraderie that conveyed everything from irritation to understanding, from acknowledgment to outrage. She¡¯d found that it was a surprisingly communicative, if succinct, language of its own. And oddly, every boy she¡¯d ever met knew it, whether they were a hunter or not.


    Terrance held true to the pattern, letting out a grunt that she translated as deadpan sympathy. Maeryn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course he was fluent. Apparently some languages transcended cultural barriers. Somehow. Seriously, were boys born knowing this language or something?


    Ignoring Maeryn¡¯s inner grumblings, Terrance continued his lecture. ¡°Next up, Councilor Dreen. She¡¯s more of the no-nonsense sort. Very by the book, if you take my meaning. If you want her on your side, all of your forms need to be filled out and you¡¯ll need to wait the requisite two weeks for deliberations. And don¡¯t get on her bad side. Storms will have more mercy than she does if you try to bypass due process.¡±


    Maeryn jotted this down too, before giving Terrance a pained expression. ¡°Why do I feel like the third one is just as bad in some ways?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re familiar with politics, then,¡± the boy snarked. ¡°Councilor Lorn is the face of the Council, in some ways. He¡¯s not bad-looking, and amiable enough, and he¡¯s good at knowing things and greasing the right wheels to make things happen. But he deals in favors, and unless you¡¯ve got something he wants he won¡¯t make the time or effort for you.¡±


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    ¡°Ugh,¡± Maeryn groaned wholeheartedly. ¡°I know the type. The kind of guy who smiles to your face even as he stabs you in the back, right? One of my old bosses was like that.¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°He got stabbed in the back. Literally, actually - a Mistwarped beast gored him from behind. I wasn¡¯t there when it happened, but it caused quite a stir. Rumors said he was trying to cut a deal and got too close to the Mist. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on anyone.¡±


    ¡°I wish a Mistwarped beast would stab Lorn in the back,¡± Terrance muttered under his breath.


    Maeryn looked up from her notebook and frowned, wondering whether she should try to address that. She didn¡¯t exactly need more drama in her life, but she was quickly coming to enjoy Terrance¡¯s company, and him being grumpy would make things awkward. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±


    Terrance¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°No,¡± he denied flatly.


    Maeryn raised her hands in the universal signal of surrender. ¡°Got it. Backing off. Sorry if I poked a sore subject.¡±


    The two returned to reviewing the documents that Terrance had brought with them in silence. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± the boy muttered after a while, eyes intensely flicking between the map and the paper in his hand as a finger glided across the map¡¯s surface. ¡°Yes¡­ yes.¡± He looked up to meet Maeryn¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think I found it. Where the researchers are.¡±


    Maeryn set down her documents and stretched, relieved that she wouldn¡¯t need to read any more mind-numbing official business. ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡±


    ¡°Guest houses in the noble district. We haven¡¯t had anyone from the other cities visit us in months; there should be no reason for them to be in use. But there¡¯s an expense report for food and cleaning services that doesn¡¯t match up.¡± Terrance shook his head. ¡°Sloppy. It makes sense, though. The noble district isn¡¯t easy to get into, and theoretically it should make it easier for the researchers to get what they need.¡±


    Maeryn cocked her head curiously at him. ¡°How exactly did you get a noble¡¯s expense report?¡±


    ¡°Stole it from the tax office.¡±


    Maeryn clicked her tongue, unable to suppress a small smile. ¡°I should¡¯ve guessed.¡±


    Terrance chuckled at the banter. ¡°In any case, assuming that we¡¯re right, we¡¯ve got a problem. The noble district is quite difficult to get into. You can¡¯t just waltz right in. There¡¯s only one entrance, and it¡¯s under guard. You can¡¯t even just pretend to be one of them with fancy clothes, either; there aren¡¯t that many nobles, and the guards are trained to recognize them on sight.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s eyes narrowed as she contemplated the puzzle. ¡°Meaning that the direct approach of just sending Dan in to talk to them is no good. Not unless we get a noble to let us in, I imagine. What about bribing the guards?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, someone was smart enough to give the guards a vested interest in doing their jobs well. So long as they¡¯re employed as guards, they and their families have quarters in a section of the noble district. There¡¯s enough perks that no sane guard would risk it.¡±


    Maeryn never thought she¡¯d see the day when she cursed someone else¡¯s competency, rather than the opposite. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to take a two-pronged strategy, I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Terrance leaned forward, interested. ¡°What¡¯ve you got in mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Council of Winds to let us in. Make it seem like it was obvious that the researchers would be in the noble district, that anyone with more brains than a halfwit could put it together. One of three things will happen. They¡¯ll let us in, or they¡¯ll move the researchers to somewhere more obscure but easier to get to, or they¡¯ll leave the researchers where they are. It literally can¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    Terrance nodded slowly. ¡°And the second prong is figuring out a way to discreetly get in and steal copies of their research, I assume.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Maeryn nodded at her coconspirator in appreciation of his quick uptake. ¡°Think you can manage?¡±


    Terrance looked down at the map for a long moment, visibly calculating his chances. ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll need help with the guards. But once I¡¯m past them, I should be able to handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Then I think we¡¯re done for the night.¡± The young thief rose to his feet, quickly gathering the assorted papers and map and storing them in his pack. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to find me when you¡¯re done with the Council. I¡¯ll know one way or another what happened, and I¡¯ll find you when I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Maeryn raised an eyebrow. ¡°Show-off.¡±


    Terrance smirked. ¡°Always.¡± And then he opened the window and dove out of it without another word. By the time Maeryn reached the window to close it again, he was long gone.

 Chapter 9

    The next day, Maeryn sat in the waiting chamber for the Council of Winds, waiting her turn to be seen. She¡¯d been there for an hour and a half already, but in fairness there had been more than a dozen people waiting before she¡¯d arrived. There were only two now ahead of her, so she guessed she had anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes left, assuming that the others didn¡¯t take unexpectedly long.


    The chamber was austere, with high ceilings and large windows that let in the morning light, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. The distant murmur of conversations and the occasional creak of chairs shifting were the only sounds breaking the silence.


    It was a struggle not to fidget too much, though. Maeryn had never been good at sitting still and looking proper, and anyone who knew her could attest to that. And it certainly didn¡¯t help that her new Zephyrian clothes felt weird. Her preferred Geovan style was simple and functional, prioritizing ease of movement and carry capacity. What she was wearing now was the complete antithesis.


    In order to emphasize that she was to be taken seriously in her apparent role as leader of her crew, Maeryn had picked out clothes that the proprietress of the clothing shop had insisted was common to airship captains: a long-sleeved button-up jacket and sleek-looking dress pants, both dyed a hue somewhere between off-white and sky blue. Maeryn hadn¡¯t been fully convinced that the woman had been telling the truth until Frankie confirmed it, though.


    The jacket¡¯s stiff collar chafed against her neck, and it took a consistent effort of will not to pluck or pick at it, to try to stretch her arms and get more range of movement. Every time she shifted in her seat, the fabric rustled unnaturally against her skin. She missed the comfortable utility of her Geovan attire, the way it moved with her rather than against her.


    Maeryn reviewed her notebook again, making sure she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything and refamiliarizing herself with Terrance¡¯s descriptions of the councilors. Sipund, the diehard traditionalist; Dreen, the by-the-book stickler; Lorn, the amiable face who dealt in favors. While she was sure that Terrance was telling the truth as he saw it, she¡¯d prefer to make her own first impressions as well. Maybe they¡¯d surprise her and be reasonable about the whole thing.


    ¡°That¡¯d be a change,¡± she muttered softly to herself, amused at the thought.


    She glanced around the waiting chamber, observing the other people who were there. Most seemed as uncomfortable as she was, shifting in their seats, whispering in hushed tones, or staring blankly ahead. The tension in the room was palpable, everyone bracing for their turn before the Council. Maeryn couldn¡¯t help but wonder what brought each of them here and what issues they hoped to resolve.


    It was a stark contrast to how things were handled back home. In Geova, the Elders didn¡¯t stay in one room and make people come to them¡­ part of their daily duties involved making the rounds in their communities, being seen and making time for people as needed. It allowed them to see and understand problems for themselves instead of being distant administrators.


    On the other hand, the Elders couldn¡¯t possibly visit everywhere in a given settlement every day, which meant that sometimes it was difficult for people who urgently needed them to find them. Maeryn frowned. There were pros and cons to both approaches, though she much preferred the Geovan method. It felt more personal.


    A movement at the front of the room caught her attention. The door to the Council chamber opened, and a tall, stern-looking man stepped out, nodding to the next person in line. Maeryn straightened in her seat, her turn drawing nearer. She closed her notebook, tucking it securely into her satchel, and readied herself.


    Fifteen long minutes later, it was finally Maeryn¡¯s turn. She stood and briskly walked into the Council chamber, trying not to let her anxiety show.


    Thankfully, the chamber itself was rather subdued. It was something for a small room, with three desks held adjacent to each other at an angle. Sipund sat at the desk to her left, appearing quite disinterested. Dreen was on Maeryn¡¯s right, looking as stern and no-nonsense as Terrance had predicted. And Lorn was right in front of her with a smile.


    ¡°Hello there!¡± Lorn greeted warmly. ¡°You¡¯re a new face. Did you just fly in?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday,¡± Maeryn confirmed. ¡°Thanks for seeing me so quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our job! So, what¡¯s your name, and what can we do for you?¡±


    Maeryn took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. ¡°I¡¯m Maeryn, Captain of the airship Stonewing. My crew and I are on a research mission regarding both the Mist and the mana depletion crisis. While my lead researcher has already consulted with the researchers at Tempest Terrace, it¡¯s come to my attention that the mana researchers have been secluded for some time.¡±


    While Maeryn kept her eyes on Lorn, she could see Sipund straighten at his desk, looking far more invested in the conversation. She swallowed before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s my belief that the researchers are in the noble district, for what I assume are fairly obvious reasons. My colleagues and I require either an escort or written permission to enter.¡±


    Dreen leaned forward. ¡°Please elaborate on what you mean by ¡®fairly obvious reasons.¡¯¡±


    Maeryn nodded at her. She¡¯d rehearsed her answer to that question for a while, and she was hopeful it would pass muster. ¡°Working under the assumption that you want the mana researchers to be able to continue their work with minimal interruptions, it follows that you want them in a location that is fairly reclusive, guarded well, yet has access to everything they might need. They would presumably also need to give regular reports on their findings, considering the mana depletion issue, meaning that they can¡¯t be too far away.¡±


    Maeryn would have shrugged, but the jacket restricted her shoulders enough that it was physically more difficult than she wanted. Instead, she let out a light cough. ¡°The noble district meets that criteria the best, so far as I could tell. I admit, I could be wrong, but I don¡¯t think I am.¡±


    The councilors exchanged looks. The genial smile that Lorn wore slowly faded from his face. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no point in denying it. The researchers are indeed housed in the noble district, though I¡¯ll thank you not to spread that around.¡±


    Relief flooded Maeryn; they¡¯d bought her perfectly-reasonable explanation. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think of it,¡± she replied simply. ¡°That said, I do rather need that research. What would it take to let my colleagues and I meet them briefly?¡±


    There was silence for a few moments as the councilors considered her words. ¡°Suppose we allowed you in,¡± Sigurd said slowly, as if tasting each word before letting it flow from his lips. ¡°Suppose you got your hands on the research notes. What¡¯s your next step?¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s brain went blank. ¡°My next step?¡± she echoed.


    ¡°Yes. What do you plan to do with that research?¡± Siguard pressed.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Maeryn closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself. ¡°It will depend on what my lead researcher advises. We may fly onwards to other cities, or take Mist samples for experimentation, or stay in the city and petition to join your researchers, or¡­ there are many possibilities.¡±


    ¡°You sound very unsure of your future plans, Captain Maeryn,¡± Lorn observed with a frown. ¡°What are the terms of your research mission?¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s heart leapt into her throat. ¡°The terms¡­ Right.¡± She cleared her throat, as if preparing to recite the terms verbatim, trying desperately not to show that she was making it up as she went along. Her mind flew through official-sounding terms even as she spoke, trying to put together something convincing. ¡°I am to house and transport Lead Researcher Daniel and any team he establishes, and provide any reasonable assistance I deem necessary in his pursuit on¡­ on researching and-slash-or resolving the Mist and mana depletion issues.¡±


    There. That sounded good, right?


    Much to Maeryn¡¯s dismay, the frowns on all three Councilors¡¯ faces deepened.


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    ¡°That seems somewhat ill-defined,¡± Dreen commented, her voice harder than before.


    Panic started to spread through her chest, but Maeryn decided to try a new tactic: agreement and passing the issue to someone nonexistent. ¡°It does, yes. I had a similar response, but¡­ Well, I hesitate to speak ill of leadership¡­¡±


    The words tasted like ash in her mouth, but it seemed like her troubled response assuaged some of the Councilors¡¯ concerns. ¡°Go on,¡± Sipund offered, sounding gruff but not quite unkind.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Maeryn hedged, ¡°but I have heard rumors that there is pressure on certain decision-makers, and¡­ well, I think that we may have been sent out here as something of a gamble. If either the Mist or the mana depletion issues are resolved, then trade with Geovans could potentially resume, negating the need for any¡­ unpleasant decisions?¡± she finished weakly. ¡°Again, I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    The Councilors exchanged glances, then settled back into their chairs. ¡°That adds up,¡± Sipund muttered. ¡°This is just the sort of thing Councilor Perry would go for, that fool.¡±


    ¡°That said, there is one issue that I¡¯ve been wondering about,¡± Lorn said quietly. ¡°Captain Maeryn¡­ how old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sixteen.¡±


    ¡°And already captain of an airship. Stonewing, you said?¡±


    Maeryn started to feel a familiar rock form in her gut. She knew what was coming. Depths and damnation¡­ ¡°Yes, Councilor.¡±


    Dreen¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°That is quite an odd name, now that you mention it, Lorn.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Maeryn agreed softly, bracing herself.


    ¡°Go on, Captain. Why is it named Stonewing?¡± Lorn coaxed knowingly.


    Yep. He had figured it out. There was no other possible answer. Maeryn closed her eyes, resigning herself to failure, before she opened them again to look at the Councilors, straightening her back and standing tall. ¡°Because it¡¯s a Geovan airship,¡± she admitted matter-of-factly. ¡°Because my colleagues and I are Geovan.¡±


    Sipund leapt to his feet, suddenly enraged. ¡°Geovan! You little spy!¡±


    ¡°I am not a spy!¡± Maeryn refuted, looking directly at Lorn. Every instinct she had said that he was the man to convince if there was to be any hope of snatching success from the jaws of defeat. ¡°Our mission is exactly what I said it was. We¡¯re gathering research in order to end the Mist and mana depletion problems. It¡¯s obvious that your flying cities aren¡¯t causing either problem - somehow, though I have no idea how you¡¯ve managed to maintain flying cities without copious mana - and our own research indicates that the critical mana depletion point where the Mist barriers will fail is imminent. I don¡¯t care about Zephyrian secrets, and we¡¯ll happily share what knowledge we¡¯ve attained as well.¡±


    ¡°She lies!¡± Sipund howled.


    ¡°Why wear a Zephyrian Captain¡¯s coat?¡± Dreen asked critically.


    ¡°Why would I not wear clothes that your city sells, that allow me to communicate my station and my responsibilities?¡± Maeryn retorted, her eyes not moving from Lorn¡¯s. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have respected me had I come in my Geovan clothes.¡± She put her hands on her hips and glared, utterly fed up with trying to justify herself. ¡°I¡¯m here, following your laws, making a request through the official channels, instead of doing anything¡­ I don¡¯t know, illegal? Illicit? Unsavory? Pick an adjective.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to? All of those are good options,¡± Lorn muttered.


    Maeryn¡¯s lips twitched, but she wrestled away the urge to grin. She was always a fan of good sass, but she was trying to make a point here! ¡°In any case, what would you have had me do instead?¡±


    There was silence for a long moment, though the redness in Sipund¡¯s face grew darker as he struggled to contain his anger. Dreen¡¯s face remained impassive, her fingers lightly tapping her desk as she considered Maeryn¡¯s words¡­ until she finally let out a sigh, and reached up to rub her temples, apparently to stave away a headache. ¡°Indeed, you have followed the rules and regulations thus far. However, you must understand that your Geovan background complicates things, correct?¡±


    Maeryn nearly jumped as Sipund slammed his a fist into his desk. ¡°Complicated? This isn¡¯t complicated at all.¡± Sipund¡¯s voice had lowered to almost-conversational level, and Maeryn¡¯s eyes involuntarily drifted to look at him. She immediately wished she hadn¡¯t looked; Sipund¡¯s face had lost its bluster, and was instead harder and more murderous than many of the veteran hunters from back home.


    Maeryn shifted her stance, spreading her feet slightly and bending her knees in order to give herself as much agility and power as she could in these abyssal clothes. She wished that she¡¯d been permitted to bring a weapon inside, but there was nothing for it. If Sipund attacked, she¡¯d have to run. Attacking the Councilors wouldn¡¯t help anyone or anything, even in self-defense.


    ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s a Geovan. You know as well as I do that they¡¯re responsible for all the wyvern shit going on in the world.¡± Sipund stated coldly. ¡°More and more Mist is being constantly generated on the surface. You won¡¯t find any being generated up here. The only ones doing anything on the surface are the Geovans. This isn¡¯t exactly difficult math!¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t making the Mist!¡± Maeryn protested, only for Sipund to raise his voice over her, drowning her out.


    ¡°Lorn! Dreen! What we have here is an opportunity! A Geovan spy, right here! This is an opportunity for us to collect vital intelligence!¡±


    Maeryn tensed and braced herself, mind whirling through the next steps. Out the door, through the building, get outside. Should she find Frankie or Dan first? Dan. Frankie didn¡¯t stand out as much, and she knew how to be subtle when she needed to be. Once Dan knew what was going on, then they could try to find Frankie, and make a run for their airship. What about Terrance? No, there was nothing she could do for him. Terrance hadn¡¯t left any way for her to contact him. He¡¯d either meet them at the airship or not.


    It wasn¡¯t a great plan, but it was the best she had.


    That said, Maeryn was completely and thoroughly angry now, especially as neither Lorn nor Dreen immediately refuted Sipund¡¯s suggestion. ¡°So this is how Zephyrians treat people who come in peace and actually try to solve problems without breaking the law. I guess my Elders were right,¡± Maeryn spat. Caustic words emerged from her throat as if by second nature, but she regretted none of them. ¡°You call us barbaric, but look in a Depths-forsaken mirror. At least I had the decency to actually check things instead of condemning people based on a half-baked idea.¡±


    That was apparently one insult too far, as Sipund¡¯s face twisted with rage, and he began to stalk over to her, only to be halted by a ringing command from Dreen, who had also stood from her chair. ¡°Enough! If you take a single step more, Sipund, you will be in violation of our own laws and I will be required to arrest you!¡±


    Everyone stopped. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Sipund snarled.


    ¡°I am perfectly serious, Sipund. Captain Maeryn has broken no laws, and it is not yet against the law for a Geovan to set foot on Cloudreach,¡± Dreen reminded him coolly, folding her arms. ¡°I must insist, however, that all further conversation be held¡­ respectfully.¡± She shot a stern glare at Maeryn, who met her gaze indignantly but said nothing in return. Apparently getting the message, Dreen¡¯s confrontational stance softened. ¡°I apologize for the treatment you received from my fellow Councilor.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s fingers tapped against her leg as she struggled to control her anger. Dreen was a potential ally, and alienating her would ruin everything, especially as Sipund was a lost cause. ¡°... I apologize for any mischaracterizations I may have made.¡±


    Lorn¡¯s lips twitched; he must¡¯ve caught that Maeryn hadn¡¯t actually apologized for anything she¡¯d said. ¡°It seems to me,¡± he began slowly, catching everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°that we¡¯re in something of a quandary. Captain Maeryn¡¯s cause appears to be peaceful and just, and she¡¯s gone through the correct channels to get where she needs to be. However, the fact of the matter is that she¡¯s Geovan, and the possibility that the mana research will be used for, shall we say, nefarious ends? Must be accounted for.¡± He winked at Maeryn. ¡°Nefarious. How¡¯s that for an adjective?¡±


    A smile forced its way onto Maeryn¡¯s face despite herself. ¡°Not bad, suitably dramatic, not as cheesy as ¡®dastardly¡¯, but I don¡¯t like how it makes me out to be either a villain or unwitting pawn. I rate it eight out of ten.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Lorn replied with a chuckle, before his smile fell. In an instant, his face morphed into the picture of deadly seriousness.  ¡°More to the point, this isn¡¯t something that is easily compromised. Tensions between our people are too high. We three Councilors have a duty to both lead and represent our people, and as you have no doubt noticed, the idea of helping a Geovan with anything is¡­ well, anathema to a good portion of our populace.¡±


    While Lorn¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Maeryn¡¯s, the tiniest tilt of his head in Sipund¡¯s direction made his point exceptionally clear.


    ¡°So,¡± he continued, ¡°I have a proposition. Your crew at present is entirely Geovan, yes?¡± At Maeryn¡¯s slow nod, he clapped his hands and smiled once again. ¡°Then how about this? While it¡¯s out of the question to share our research with a purely Geovan team, I think it would be infinitely more palatable to share our research with a Zephyrian noble who just so happens to be working with Geovan specialists.¡±


    Dreen gave a slow nod, visibly considering it. ¡°Yes¡­ that would work nicely, and fit within the existing precedents of sharing the research data with Zephyrian nobility as it stands.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Sipund growled. ¡°But considering that their chances of convincing any Zephyrian nobility whatsoever might as well be zero¡­ Fine. If they prove me wrong I¡¯ll keep my beak shut.¡±


    ¡°And there we have it.¡± Lorn spread his arms wide. ¡°Your challenge, Captain Maeryn, is to find a sponsor. Find a Zephyrian noble willing to sponsor you. Either financially, or by joining your crew and putting his own neck on the line. Succeed in doing that, and I¡¯ll personally walk you and your research team directly to our researchers to compare notes.¡±


    Maeryn took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but at least it wasn¡¯t a complete denial. ¡°Understood. Thank you for your time. I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Sipund snorted derisively as she turned her back and left the chamber. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    His voice rankled enough that Maeryn swore right then and there that she¡¯d not only succeed, but rub his face in it just as hard as she could, politics and good manners be damned.

 Chapter 10

    Despite her spiteful resolution, Maeryn quickly realized she had little idea of how to locate any nobles outside of their district, let alone how to approach them in a way that might sway them to her cause.


    Finding a bench near the fountain in the center of town, Maeryn sat and opened her notebook, jotting down the results of the meeting and updating her to-do list. Then she studied the map she¡¯d copied the night before, looking for inspiration.


    Despite her careful study, no ideas were forthcoming. Sighing, Maeryn put her notebook away. There was no way around it, she supposed. She would need to ask for help. Terrance would find her eventually, but the idea of just waiting for him didn¡¯t sit right with her. The question was who Maeryn could approach.


    Mentally reviewing everyone she¡¯d met on Cloudreach, only one name stood out as someone who would both be easily located and potentially helpful: Skymaster Lyra. Maeryn stood, stretching as well as she could in these increasingly-frustrating clothes, and began walking.


    With so much on her mind, Maeryn didn¡¯t notice at first, but eventually she caught the sounds of hushed conversations around her as she strode past. She strained her ears to listen even as she kept walking.


    ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°How in the sky did she become an airship captain already? Do you think she¡¯s faking it?¡±


    ¡°No way. Look at her move. That¡¯s a woman on a mission. Besides, no one would dare wear the clothes if they didn¡¯t actually have an airship.¡±


    ¡°Have any of you guys seen her before? Because I sure don¡¯t recognize her.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she came from Zephyr? I hear they have an academy there that churns out young airship pilots these days.¡±


    ¡°What on earth would one of them be doing here? No, I bet she¡¯s some noble¡¯s daughter that was given special lessons or something.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s certainly pretty enough for that, I guess.¡±


    Maeryn rolled her eyes to herself, deciding to tune them out even as she fought down yet another wave of irritation at her stupidly restrictive captain¡¯s outfit. She didn¡¯t want or need this kind of attention!


    Doing her best to ignore the whispers surrounding her, Maeryn focused on the road in front of her and the buildings on either side. It was so different from back home. In Vert, all the buildings were built to be sturdy and heavy, and everyone had their own little place. She could still remember her parents walking her to the home that had been erected just for her when she was thirteen. She¡¯d been so proud, simultaneously excited and incredibly nervous about the idea of living on her own, even when her parents were literally just down the street.


    But space was at a premium on Cloudreach¡­ and presumably on other flying cities too. It looked like residential space was limited, homes were crowded into large buildings that looked like they could house several dozen residences at once. It boggled the mind. How did people find any privacy or sense of ownership? The thought made her shudder.


    As she walked, Maeryn caught sight of children playing in a small park, their laughter carrying on the wind. She smiled nostalgically, reminded of the communal spaces in Vert, where children would gather to play and families would meet to share meals and stories. Some things were the same everywhere, she supposed.


    She passed a market bustling with activity, vendors calling out their wares, and the air filled with the scent of fresh produce and baked goods. The colors and sounds were vibrant, almost overwhelming in their intensity. It was a stark contrast to the more subdued markets of Vert, where practicality often took precedence over aesthetics. It was different in other Geovan settlements, Maeryn had heard, but she couldn¡¯t remember Vert ever being as colorful and open as what she was seeing here.


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    Then again, Maeryn mused, she¡¯d been so focused on the mana depletion crisis growing up that she hadn¡¯t really paid attention to anything that didn¡¯t relate to it, or her work as a hunter. It was entirely possible she¡¯d missed a festival or four.


    A little stab of longing pierced her, then, and Maeryn sighed, realizing that she was missing her parents again. ¡°Come on, Rin,¡± she muttered to herself, ¡°you can be homesick later. Right now you¡¯ve got a job to do. Once we solve the mana depletion, or even just the Mist issue, then you can go home.¡±


    Her little pep talk didn¡¯t really do much to get rid of her homesickness, but it did allow her to focus as she reached the airfield. Lyra wasn¡¯t immediately visible, so Maeryn changed course to the office that she¡¯d filled out all of that paperwork in, knocking as soon as she arrived.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Maeryn opened the door and stepped inside, immediately locking eyes with Skymaster Lyra, who immediately put down her pen and gave Maeryn her full attention. It was rather intense to be stared at like that, Maeryn noted with a little shiver.


    ¡°Captain Maeryn. What can I do for you?¡±


    Maeryn couldn¡¯t help the little grimace that crossed her face. Now that she was here, it really struck her that she was about to ask for help from someone who had no reason to offer any, and that left her feeling¡­ rather uncomfortable, to be honest. ¡°It¡¯s something of a long story,¡± Maeryn offered hesitantly, ¡°but the short form is that I need some help and don¡¯t really know who to ask. I, um, need to approach nobles for sponsorship in order to get the Council to give me the research we came here for.¡±


    By the way Lyra subtly slumped, Maeryn had accidentally brought up something that she was utterly weary of dealing with, and a stab of regret flashed through her. She was about to apologize when Lyra cut her off. ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± Lyra ordered, tiredly rubbing her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a fair request. Just not one I have good answers for. Sit down, give me a moment to collect myself, and I¡¯ll fill you in.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s mouth clicked shut, and she sat down as the Skymaster had bidden.


    Lyra took a deep breath and released it, finally meeting Maeryn¡¯s gaze after almost a whole minute. ¡°Like your own circumstances, my history with nobility is something of a long story,¡± she began, echoing Maeryn¡¯s words from earlier. ¡°But if I can cut the story down to its essentials for the sake of brevity¡­ you may have noticed that there is very little air traffic here. Very few airships on the field, as it were.¡±


    Maeryn nodded slowly. ¡°My team and I did notice that on our way into Cloudreach, yes.¡±


    ¡°The reason for that is simple. Most of the airships that were stationed here are owned by the noble families. Frankly speaking, most of them have already fled Cloudreach for bluer skies,¡± Lyra stated bluntly. ¡°A handful to Zephyr, some to branch families on other cities, and several more using luxury airships to travel the skies on their own so as not to be subject to the laws and decisions of Zephyrian government.¡±


    The Geovan girl leaned back, struck speechless by the information for a long moment. ¡°That¡­ They abandoned their home? Their responsibilities? Why?¡± The thought was alien to her. She couldn¡¯t imagine it. Even though Maeryn had left Vert, it was on a mission for her people, for her family. For everyone¡¯s survival. She was still Geovan in her heart, and proud of it.


    Lyra looked at Maeryn pityingly. ¡°Because they could,¡± she answered simply. ¡°Because the mana depletion shows no signs of stopping, and they recognized that Cloudreach will likely be one of the first cities forced to land and be abandoned. They had the resources to leave early, so they did. As a result, very few noble families remain here on Cloudreach. And, frankly speaking, you have next to no chance of meeting them. They rarely venture out from the noble district.¡± Her face twisted into something sympathetic. ¡°I am sorry, Captain Maeryn. I had hoped that you would complete your mission, that the Council of Winds might reveal to you the location of the mana researchers and let the wind guide you where you need be next¡­ but evidently that was too much to ask.¡±


    So that was what Sipund had meant when he had said that Maeryn¡¯s chance of convincing any nobility might as well be zero. ¡°So¡­ there aren¡¯t many noble families left, and they don¡¯t leave the noble district. And I can¡¯t get into the district without a noble sponsorship or Council of Winds authorization. And the Council of Winds won¡¯t let me without a sponsorship. Which I can¡¯t get because the nobles don¡¯t leave,¡± Maeryn muttered. She took a deep breath, her face hardening. ¡°Well, that clears up my next step, then.¡±


    Lyra raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what is your next step?¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s answering smile was devoid of mirth and humor. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving quite early tomorrow morning,¡± she said in lieu of an actual reply. ¡°Could you walk me through any forms that I can complete beforehand?¡±


    Lyra stared at her for a long moment, visibly debating whether to pursue the question further. Finally, she let out a small sigh, letting it go. ¡°... Certainly. Whatever it is you plan on doing, please try not to break any laws or cause too much of a ruckus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly try.¡±

 Chapter 11

    The city was incredibly dark at this hour, lit only by the moon and stars. Yet even that light was largely blocked by the top layer of Cloudreach, where the farms resided. It was, by far, the darkest environment that Maeryn had ever found herself in. Back in Vert, glowmoss had ensured that no place was completely devoid of light¡­ but it seemed that Cloudreach had no real equivalent.


    It was colder than she expected, too. Maeryn hadn¡¯t realized how well the stone of her old home had retained heat, whereas the air at this altitude had turned bitterly cold rapidly after the sun set. Goosebumps had traveled down her exposed arms more than once on this trip already, as Maeryn had favored her Geovan outfit for their late-night rendezvous.


    Even after an hour of adjusting to the dark, Maeryn could barely see more than outlines of buildings and benches on the street. Yet Terrance seemed able to see perfectly, and she found herself simultaneously in awe and envy at his talent.


    Dan followed a step or two behind Maeryn, who in turn did her best to stay close to Terrance as they made their way down narrow side streets and alleyways towards the noble district. Frankie had wanted to join them as well, but Maeryn had tasked her with guarding their belongings in the inn, just in case.


    Terrance abruptly halted and held a fist up, soundlessly calling for them to stop and wait. Maeryn instantly did as bid, repeating the gesture for Dan. She heard him stop, but didn¡¯t take her eyes off Terrance, silently waiting for his signal as he peered around a corner.


    Then the Zephyrian boy lowered his arm and dashed across the street, and Maeryn followed suit, trusting that Dan would do the same.


    After another couple of alleyways, Terrance finally called for a halt and turned to face the two of them. ¡°Alright. Just around this corner is the noble district. There are two guards just out of earshot,¡± he murmured softly. ¡°Don¡¯t whisper, just keep your voices soft. You two ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Maeryn breathed.


    Dan quietly patted at his pockets, reassuring himself. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    The plan was simple. Terrance knew approximately where the researchers were performing their work from the documents that he and Maeryn had gone over the night before. He had originally wanted to go alone, but Dan had pointed out that their escapade had a greater chance of not being noticed if Dan only took necessary papers - and potentially, a few select research apparatuses. There was no point in taking research that didn¡¯t have anything new.


    It would take slightly more time, but Maeryn and Terrance had agreed that reducing the chance of their theft being noticed before they left was worth the extra effort.


    So Dan had given Maeryn two vials of some alchemical compound that he dug out from one of his myriad pockets. She was to throw one down the street to distract the guards long enough for Dan and Terrance to sneak in, and again to let them sneak out when it was time.


    Maeryn breathed in deeply with her nose, her heart pounding as she slowly passed Terrance, who silently gave way, giving her room. She peered around the corner, verifying Terrance¡¯s words. There were indeed two guards at the entrance, though they seemed to be carrying lanterns of some kind. Yet there wasn¡¯t fire in them? Instead, each lantern seemed to have¡­ tiny flying lights inside? How mysterious. Maeryn immediately wondered if they were powered by magic, but it wasn¡¯t the time to think about that.


    The lanterns didn¡¯t provide much light - barely enough to cover the entrance between the two of them, and no doubt it hampered the guards¡¯ night vision as well. That made Maeryn feel better about their chances.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Terrance quietly assured her.


    ¡°Right.¡± Maeryn closed her eyes, steadying herself. Then, looking the opposite direction from the guards, she flung one of Dan¡¯s vials as far as she could down the street.


    The vial exploded on impact with the street, sending shards of glass flying, and a mysterious green flame abruptly manifested with an incredibly loud bang and a flash of bright light. The fire was at least waist-high, and perhaps a half-meter in radius, yet after that initial flash it didn¡¯t cast very much light at all. What kind of alchemy was this?


    The sudden fire and noise definitely caught the guards¡¯ attention. ¡°Go check it out!¡± one urged the other. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? That fire is green! Someone is playing with magic!¡±


    ¡°And part of our job is to keep magic-users from trying to get in, so go already!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I hate you sometimes.¡± The second guard reluctantly began jogging over to the fire, completely oblivious to the three teens hiding in the shadows of the alleyway that he passed on the way.


    ¡°Now,¡± Terrance breathed, and he darted out, hugging the walls of the buildings on the side of the street, Dan following close behind. The first guard, still waiting at the entrance, had his eyes on the second guard down at the green fire. With his night vision ruined by the initial alchemical flash, he completely missed the two teenagers sneaking by him on the other side of the gate.


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    Seeing this, Maeryn breathed a sigh of relief and slunk back into the shadows of the alley. They would be some time, but she didn¡¯t dare go too far for fear of losing her way in the dark.


    A few minutes passed as the guards investigated the area, and the green alchemical flame died out. Eventually, the guards reunited at the gate, and Maeryn listened to the investigator guard loudly grumble about ¡°stupid kids pulling stupid pranks¡± until his companion not-so-politely told him to shut up.


    After that, it was just a matter of waiting. Terrance had estimated that it would likely take at least an hour, but had easily admitted it could take a lot longer depending on how their infiltration went. Judging the passing of time was almost impossible, though. Maeryn had no timepiece, and even if she knew how to judge the time based on the night sky, most of it was obscured by the upper layer of Cloudreach.


    She eventually resorted to counting the seconds under her breath. It wouldn¡¯t be completely accurate, but it was better than nothing. Sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, so¡­ thirty-six hundred seconds. That wasn¡¯t too bad, right?


    After finally counting all the way up to that number - and Depths below, was it boring and tedious - Maeryn peered around the corner to check if Terrance was waiting for her. He¡¯d promised to signal her by using light reflected off the mirror-like surface of his knife.


    Despite waiting for a full minute, Maeryn didn¡¯t see any glimpses of reflected light. Not a big deal, she reassured herself. They¡¯d planned for that.


    Instead of retreating fully back into the alleyway, Maeryn quietly positioned herself at its edge so she could see Terrance¡¯s signal whenever he arrived. The guards had long since relaxed and were sitting down, playing cards in the dim light of their lanterns, so Maeryn was almost positive they wouldn¡¯t notice her even if she weren¡¯t shrouded in the dark.


    Time passed agonizingly slowly, and Maeryn wished that she had something to keep herself occupied like the guards did. She tried to stay alert, she really did, but it was hard to keep looking into the shadows of the noble district when there was nothing to see.


    She shivered again. The night had grown steadily cooler, and Maeryn had begun to regret not wearing something to cover her arms. She looked at the guards in their warm-looking uniforms with a smidgeon of envy, before taking a breath and shaking her head. It wasn¡¯t the first bad decision she¡¯d made, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last. Next time she was outside at night in a Zephyrian flying city, though, she¡¯d wear a coat. Or at least long sleeves.


    The thought nearly made her giggle, and Maeryn realized with a start that she was starting to become a little drowsy. ¡°Keep it together,¡± she mumbled to herself sternly, pressing her palms against her eyes for a moment as if she could literally push away her exhaustion. ¡°You¡¯ve still got a job to do.¡±


    Unfortunately, becoming aware that she was tired just seemed to make her eyelids feel heavier. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, trying to shake off the drowsiness, which helped momentarily, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Gritting her teeth, she began counting seconds again just so she¡¯d have something to do. Surely Terrance and Dan would be finished before another hour was through, right?


    Finally, just when she¡¯d reached two thousand, one hundred and forty-seven, something caught her eye. She blinked, and then it happened again - a tiny glint beyond the gate. Terrance! Adrenaline flooded her system, and abruptly Maeryn was wide awake. She narrowed her eyes slightly, peering into the darkness beyond the light of the guards¡¯ lanterns, and thought she could just make out Terrance¡¯s outline.


    Maeryn nodded to herself. Right. It was time for her to distract the guards again.


    She stood, retreating back into the alley for a moment to stretch. Then, pulling out Dan¡¯s second vial, she flung it down the street again. Like before, it exploded with a bang and a large flash of light, creating green flames once more.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Both of the guards flinched, falling over at the unexpected light and sound before scrambling to their feet, the card game forgotten.


    ¡°It¡¯s those sky-forsaken brats again,¡± the guard who investigated earlier swore. ¡°Just another prank!¡±


    ¡°We still have to take a look. It¡¯s our job, man.¡±


    ¡°Then you do it. I did it last time.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine¡­ don¡¯t get your panties in a bunch.¡±


    The guard strolled down to have a look at the alchemical flame, seemingly unconcerned. Maeryn ducked once more into the alleyway, hiding as he passed. She held her breath, waiting - and then a figure joined her in the dark. Then a second one. Maeryn let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You got what we need?¡±


    ¡°Got it all,¡± Dan agreed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Terrance ordered.


    The three of them slowly made their way back to the inn, their footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestone streets, only for Terrance to abruptly call for a halt right across the street from the inn. ¡°Hold up. Something¡¯s not right,¡± he hissed.


    Maeryn frowned, looking past him. She didn¡¯t see anything¡­ but she¡¯d trusted Terrance thus far. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Terrance was silent for a long moment. ¡°You two wait here. I¡¯m going to check the window, see if Frankie¡¯s there. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this¡­¡±


    Maeryn glanced at Dan, who nodded, gripping his pack tightly. She took a deep breath, the night air sharp and cold, and watched as Terrance moved stealthily toward the inn, blending into the shadows. He reached up, and¡­ somehow climbed the building as if he were a spider, literally sticking to the wall on his way up to Maeryn¡¯s window. After a moment, he moved to the next room over, where Frankie and Dan had been staying, peering inside. Finally, Terrance quickly descended once more and made his way back to the others.


    Terrance¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°Bad news. There are guards in both of your rooms waiting for you to return. Frankie¡¯s not there either.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Dan breathed.


    Maeryn¡¯s mind raced, heart pounding madly in her chest, and she had to swallow bile as she reached the only reasonable conclusion. ¡°They must¡¯ve known that we¡¯re leaving tomorrow. The only chance we would have had to get the research would be tonight. Now they¡¯ve got proof we weren¡¯t there all night, so when the theft is discovered, it¡¯ll be all too easy to put two and two together.¡± She swallowed heavily. ¡°We¡­ We were outsmarted tonight. And now Frankie¡¯s a hostage.¡±

 Chapter 12

    There was silence for a few precious seconds as Maeryn¡¯s comrades digested her words. ¡°Blight,¡± Terrance swore venomously. ¡°And it¡¯s not like we can just leave her behind, either. She¡¯s literally your pilot and mechanic.¡± He blithely ignored Dan¡¯s glare, shaking his head as he thought furiously. ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ve got a place we can go. We need to figure out what to do next.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to figure out?¡± Dan demanded, his fists clenched even as he and Maeryn began following Terrance through the alleys again. ¡°She was arrested, right? Meaning she¡¯ll be in some holding cell, right? Don¡¯t tell me that Cloudreach has a lot of those.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Zephyrian agreed softly. ¡°There¡¯s only one place she¡¯ll be. The problem is getting her out.¡±


    ¡°If those guards are waiting for us back at the inn, then it might not be a bad idea to go for her now,¡± Maeryn mused, ideas flying through her head. ¡°Fewer guards, less protection, and it¡¯s still the dead of night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. The trick is making sure that your airship isn¡¯t impounded between now and morning.¡± Terrance made a sharp right turn, ducking into another alleyway, and the others followed. ¡°The way I see it, we¡¯ve got a choice between force and guile. We can break her out right now and try to make a break for it. Or you can give me the research we stole, and try to play innocent in the morning.¡±


    Maeryn and Dan fell silent at that, thinking over the implications. Terrance didn¡¯t say anything more as he guided them through a maze of twists and turns, until finally they arrived at what appeared to be a dead end.


    Terrance grazed his hand along the left wall, and grunted softly as he found whatever he was looking for. He pushed against it for a moment, then stepped backwards, and the wall opened up, revealing itself to be a pressure-release hidden door. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, my little hideaway.¡±


    He gestured them inside, and Maeryn¡¯s eyes widened as she stepped through the opening. The hideaway was a small, dimly lit room, filled with a surprising array of supplies and makeshift furniture, though the nice-looking bed in the corner revealed that Terrance had some standards for sleeping at least. It was clear that Terrance had put a lot of effort into creating this secret haven.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Terrance said with a grim smile, dramatically twirling and sitting on a nearby unlabeled crate. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out how we¡¯re going to get Frankie back and get out of this mess. Personally, I¡¯m inclined to just break her out and get out of this sky-forsaken place. I¡¯m never coming back, so I don¡¯t care if I break a few things on my way out.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t predict whether we¡¯ll need to come back here,¡± Dan cautioned, his voice tight with concern as he paced back and forth, obviously deep in thought. ¡°It does no good to collapse a tunnel that we might need later. If there¡¯s a way we can peacefully get her, without implicating us in anything, I think we should do that.¡±


    Terrance chuckled bitterly, resting his chin on one hand. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if they can¡¯t prove anything. Sipund will blame it on you regardless, and Dreen will take you in for questioning to follow procedure, and then your only option will be making a deal with Lorn that you will absolutely regret later.¡±


    ¡°But if we resort to force, then that gives people like Sipund an excuse to start attacking Geovans!¡± Dan protested, ceasing his pacing to gesture inarticulately at his Zephyrian counterpart. ¡°We¡¯re trying to prevent a war, not cause one!¡±


    Terrance folded his arms, narrowing his eyes at the alchemist. ¡°Unless the Mist and mana problems are resolved, war is inevitable, isn¡¯t it? You lot are the ones with the best shot I¡¯ve seen at maybe managing to fix it. Getting your wings clipped here won¡¯t prevent a war, it¡¯ll guarantee it.¡±


    Maeryn said nothing as she leaned against the wall, listening to the two of them argue. They each made excellent points. No matter what they chose, there would be consequences that they would have to live with. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t visualize a solution that didn¡¯t involve making an enemy of Cloudreach or putting themselves at the Council of Winds¡¯ dubious mercy.


    ¡°If only there was a way to convince the guards that the Council of Winds had ordered her release,¡± Maeryn groaned.


    Both Dan and Terrance froze, the alchemist stopping an impassioned rant that Maeryn had only been half-listening to mid-word. They glanced at Maeryn, then at each other.


    ¡°Illusion or suggestion?¡± the Zephyrian boy queried, confusing Maeryn greatly.


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    Dan folded his arms, clearly thinking quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t have the ingredients on me for a good enough illusion. Short term suggestion, though¡­ I could give you five minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s plenty. I¡¯ll get to work.¡±


    Maeryn blinked, looking between the two of them with more and more confusion as they continued their planning without saying a single abyssal thing that she could make sense of. ¡°Is anyone going to fill me in?¡± she finally demanded.


    Terrance gave her that damnable smirk that he was so fond of. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s simple, really. It¡¯s pretty obvious that Sipund is going to demand Frankie be brought to the Council first thing in the morning. He¡¯ll want to interrogate her.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to send someone to go fetch her from her holding cell,¡± Dan picked up the thread where Terrance left off, the Zephyrian nodding along as if it were the obvious next step. ¡°That¡¯s where we come in. I¡¯m going to cook up a quick Potion of Suggestion. It won¡¯t do much - it just makes the drinker¡¯s words more believable for a few minutes. You couldn¡¯t use it to convince someone the sky is falling, but it¡¯s really good at confirming other people¡¯s preexisting thoughts and biases. If the guards are expecting Sipund to send a guard to pick her up - and they will be - then someone can pose as that guard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be me,¡± Terrance rejoined the explanation with audible relish in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll take Frankie from the cell, and then I can get her to the airfield, no problem.¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re doing that, you need to meet with the Council of Winds first thing in the morning to put up appearances. You¡¯ll ask why Frankie was arrested, they¡¯ll accuse you of stealing the research. You¡¯ll deny everything, admit defeat on getting the research, and leave. If they refuse to let Frankie go, say that you¡¯ll return to Geova to find another engineer or something.¡±


    ¡°And then we can all just take off with no one the wiser. When someone notices that Frankie¡¯s missing, they¡¯ll look for a nonexistent guard who took her. And if you ever have to come back, all you have to do is act confused and say that Frankie was waiting for you on the airship and that you thought they released her.¡± Terrance spread his arms widely as if he had just finished performing a masterful sleight of hand. ¡°And ta-da! One escape with virtually no consequences!¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°I¡­ you¡­ How under the sky did you two come up with that, together, with almost no words between you?! You haven¡¯t even known each other for more than a day!¡±


    Dan and Terrance glanced at each other and grinned as if they¡¯d been friends for years, only heightening the incredulous disbelief that Maeryn was experiencing. It should be impossible to just click like that, right?


    Dan looked back at Maeryn and shrugged, which explained nothing! ¡°Just took a bit to figure out each other¡¯s wavelength, really. Once you provided the seed of the solution, though, everything fell into place.¡±


    ¡°Certainly helps that we¡¯re guys, though. We speak the same language,¡± Terrance added flippantly. That made no sense at all to Maeryn - they were all speaking the same language - but Dan nodded sagely, as if Terrance had spoken some universal truth.


    Was there yet another language, besides grunt-speak, that boys were born knowing? No, that was ridiculous. There had to be some other explanation. And what under the sky did Dan mean by wavelength? What did the length of waves have to do with anything? They were nowhere near any bodies of water!


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a tale as old as time,¡± the Zephyrian continued, leaning back and looking far more relaxed than he ought to have been. ¡°Rogues and alchemists have amazing synergy for a reason. It¡¯s practically written in the stars.¡±


    When Maeryn incredulously looked at Dan, hoping for some kind of reasonable, grounded explanation, the alchemist merely shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Dan admitted, his lips twitching into a wry smile. ¡°As soon as we were on the same page of what we were doing, it was just a matter of details.¡±


    ¡°But how? How did you get to that same page?¡± Maeryn pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t get how you got there from the argument you were having before!¡±


    ¡°I mean, it was fairly obvious?¡± Terrance suggested mischievously. ¡°You suggested posing as the Council of Winds, but that¡¯s way too ambitious. A guard, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is why he asked about illusion or suggestion. They¡¯re pretty notorious alchemical products, always in demand for one reason or another. And, well, we did show him that I¡¯m an alchemist earlier,¡± Dan pointed out.


    ¡°And once Dan said he could give me a Potion of Suggestion, it¡¯s just a matter of picking the right moment. And prisoners are always at their most vulnerable during transport.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Dan nodded in complete agreement. ¡°See? We just needed you to break the deadlock we had between us. Good job, Maeryn.¡±


    Maeryn¡¯s face flushed as she stared disbelievingly at the two of them. ¡°You two are impossible. That¡¯s anything but obvious! Do you have some kind of male telepathy or something? Is that a thing?¡± She groaned loudly. ¡°Just¡­ just do what you need to do. I need to go lie down for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Good plan. You need to be presentable in the morning for the Council of Winds,¡± Terrance agreed cheerfully, which grated obnoxiously on Maeryn¡¯s nerves after that previous display. ¡°Feel free to use my bed - I promise, it¡¯s even more comfortable than it looks.¡±


    Much to Maeryn¡¯s disgruntlement, Terrance was absolutely right: his bed was entirely too comfortable, soft yet supportive in all the right places. Even so, her frustration ebbed away in moments as her body chose that moment to fill her in on how exhausted she actually was. Sleep overtook her in under a minute.