Contents
 	Disclaimer
 	Preface
 	Prologue
 	Part 1: The Silver Wing
 	Chapter 1
 	Chapter 2
 	Chapter 3
 	Chapter 4
 	Chapter 5
 	Chapter 6
 	Part 2: Dalavun
 	Chapter 7
 	Chapter 8
 	Chapter 9
 	Chapter 10
 	Chapter 11
 	Part 3: Harton's Tower
 	Chapter 12
 	Chapter 13
 	Chapter 14
 	Chapter 15
 	Chapter 16
 	Chapter 17
 	Chapter 18
 	Chapter 19
 	Part 4: Evalar
 	Chapter 20
 	Chapter 21
 	Chapter 22
 	Chapter 23
 	Chapter 24
 	Chapter 25
 	Part 5: The Wilderlands
 	Chapter 26
 	Chapter 27
 	Chapter 28
 	Chapter 29
 	Chapter 30
 	Chapter 31
 	Chapter 32
 	Chapter 33
 	Chapter 34
 	Chapter 35
 	Chapter 36
 	Part 6: Planeswalker's Retreat
 	Chapter 37
 	Chapter 38
 	Chapter 39
 	Chapter 40
 	Chapter 41
 	Chapter 42
 	Epilogue
 	Appendix A: Extra Scenes
 	Prelude: Another Beginning
 	Prelude: A Fateful Failure
 	Interlude: A Long Wait
 	Postlude: Remembrance
 	Postlude: Succession
 	Appendix B: Characters
 	Randival Nashadhe
 	Linya Felhui
 	Hiccup
 	Anshu Ten
 	Faelis Misha
 	Shaaria
 	Melwyn Raell
 	Mr. Nashadhe
 	Appendix C: Dragons
 	Dragons Overall
 	Wing-Backed Dragons
 	Wingless Dragons
 	Furred Dragons
 	Feather-Wing Dragons
 	Lindwurms
 	Whiskered Dragons
 	Wyverns
 	Serpentine Dragons
 	Serpentine Wyverns
 	Appendix D: The Lands Between Skies
 	The Charted Territories
 	Life Events
 	The Mercantile Houses' Standoff
 	Crystal Technology
 	The Stars Above and the Skies Below
 	Postface

 	 
 Disclaimer
 	This book is freely available for distribution in its unmodified form, and is not for sale. It may not be modified without express permission of the author. Anyone charging money for copies of this book is committing fraud.
 	This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
 Preface
 	I welcome readers old and new alike to the second edition of The Planeswalker: Between Skies. In addition to fixing some proofing errors that slipped through, there is new content to be found within this edition. Those who read the original will enjoy the inclusion of a set of appendices: two preludes, an interlude, and two postludes to round out the story, as well as further elaboration on the setting, the characters, their design decisions, insights into the development of them, and some remarks on what could have been.
 	Furthermore, I have also included cover art, chapter art, and character art to bring the book to life, thanks to the talented work of a few artists whose efforts I am extremely grateful for:
 	TheSunset for the cover art,
 	Cial for the concept and chapter art,
 	And Inert-Ren for the detailed character images.
 	High-resolution versions of all of these are freely available on the book's website: http://planeswalker.codelizard.net
 	I would also like to extend sincere thanks to my editor, Desiree Dawn, without whom this story could not have reached its full potential.
 	First-time readers can expect to find a high fantasy adventure with quite a few twists, an unusual framing device, and deeply touching moments. Some emotionally heavy topics are present, and I have made every effort to approach them as maturely and respectfully as I can. By design, the story avoids both extremes of a cheesy sunshine-and-rainbows story where nothing truly bad ever happens to the heroes, and the opposite end of a hopelessly grim and dark story where no-one can ever be happy. Instead I hope to present something more positive, yet still realistic: bad things happen to good people, and we must continue on despite that without giving up, seeking what opportunities we can find to make our own joy in the world.
 	So please, turn the page; I welcome (or welcome you back) to The Planeswalker: Between Skies.
 	 
 Prologue
 	It only took one moment of distraction.
 	Before she even knew what was happening, Shaaria felt an intense and all-consuming pain burst through her, the spell she had been weaving fizzling out as something ran her through from behind – a sword? A spear? It didn't matter, and she would never know. Whoever had struck her was either a skilled assassin or very lucky; the wound was immediately fatal, and she lost consciousness before her body even hit the ground, the noise and chaos of the raging battlefield fading away from her mind within moments.
 	  
 	She snapped back to awareness face down on her bed, and though the pain had disappeared, she still uttered the curses that had not gotten out of her mouth in time. For it had been no dream; if not for the numerous contingency spells that protected her, her life would have come to an end, just one more casualty in the middle of the battle. Instead, she had been returned to her home, a safe place where no-one could harm her, saved from the brink of death and her body restored.
 	Yet even though she was safe, that world where she had perished was now closed off to her forever. She could influence the outcome of events there no more, and only hope she had done enough. Its fate rested entirely in its own denizens' hands, now. At one time, such a failure would have left her despondent, but now, she simply began to rise, parting the curtains around the four-poster bed, determined not to make the same mistakes again.
 	All of her possessions had remained behind in the world she had been visiting, so her first order of business was to get dressed. Soon, the full-length mirror beside the dresser showed Shaaria's reflection: standing just over six feet tall without counting the short ivory horns on her head, the dragoness's scales were mostly lilac in color, covering her head, back, sides, arms, and legs. The rest of her body was covered by lavender ventral scales, running from the underside of her muzzle all the way down her front and along the underside of her tail, which ended with a spaded tip. 
 	Her large wings were folded behind her, the membranes the same lavender as her underside, otherwise covered with more lilac scales, a small wing-claw located at the joint of each. She paused a moment to pull her long, voluminous blue hair over her right shoulder to hang down her front, where it lay atop the light, white dress she was wearing, cut low in the back to accommodate her wings. The irises of her eyes were an emerald green, and a fin on each side of her head covered her internal ears.
 	Turning and striding over to the balcony doors, Shaaria opened them and stepped outside, resting her hands on the railing as she looked over the landscape that surrounded her home. Wide open fields covered by purple grasses stretched out from her home, eventually transitioning to rolling hills in the distance that were dotted with copses of trees bearing shimmering light blue leaves. Patches of flowers grew here and there in rainbows of colors, and a pristine lake of clear water completed the scene, its surface rippling lightly in the breeze beneath the darkening orange sky. The same breeze lightly blew at her hair and the hem of her dress, calming the lingering frustrations of her failure on her most recent journey.
 	She let out a long breath. As experienced as she was, she couldn't expect to succeed every time. And maybe she had done enough that those she had been assisting would win out in the end. All she could do was rest, recover, and prepare for the next journey. Her home, the Planeswalker's Retreat, was the ideal place to do so – located in an extradimensional space that no-one else could enter without her direct assistance, it offered complete and total safety for her. She would have as much time as she wished to choose a new world to travel to, study it, learn its language, and outfit herself so she could blend in once she arrived.
 	But that could wait. She would spend some time relaxing first: she needed to take time to unwind just like anyone else. A cup of herbal tea, a thick book, and some quiet time to herself in the big armchair downstairs would be an excellent start. Slowly pushing herself away from the balcony railing, she stepped back inside and pulled the doors shut behind her.
 Part 1: The Silver Wing
 Chapter 1
 	The shimmering portal closed the moment the very end of Shaaria's tail-tip passed through it, leaving her alone in the nook between two timber-framed buildings, out of sight. Above her, the clear blue midmorning sky was dotted with clouds, and a sparse collection of small islands floating among them that she could just barely see the outline of. Wisps of cloud drifted just above rooftops of the nearby buildings as the island she was on floated in the sky, and she caught a brief glimpse of a gryphon with a rider passing overhead, the beast's wings outstretched as it glided past.
 	She was dressed in an outfit appropriate to the world she had just entered: a fine white undershirt, cut low in the back for her wings, close to her body; a dark blue pleated dress, divided at the back for her tail; and a matching blue coat with shiny silver buttons, all giving her a reasonably ladylike appearance. However, the knee-high boots and elbow-length gloves, both made from fine brown leather, would mark her as a traveler. Furthermore, the colorful blue and gold fabric sash she wore across her body from her right shoulder down to her left hip was of a style not seen in the city she was in, but was from a region much further away. On the sash, she had pinned a decorative silver flower with a single yellow gem set into the middle, which would indicate a modest amount of wealth: enough to look upper-class but not so much as to be ostentatious. Finally, a thin silver circlet was secured around her head and ran underneath her horns so that it couldn't fall off, accenting her appearance and helping to hold her hair in place. With a pack on her shoulders, and no servants accompanying her, she would surely be thought of as a lone traveler from a faraway land, perhaps looking for a new life somewhere. Someone unthreatening, yet potentially interesting.
 	Shaaria glanced around furtively to double-check that no-one had noticed her arrival, but the alleyway between the buildings was deserted, and there was no movement at any of the visible windows. Striding across the cobblestones, she left to head out into the plaza nearby, the sound of the public area easily reaching her: numerous conversations blending together into an incoherent background noise, announcements that were indecipherable from so far away, the clatter of wooden wheels against cobblestones, and an occasional shout from someone that broke through the general clamor.
 	It did not take long for her to reach her destination: the city's airship port. Bustling with travelers coming and going and shippers loading and unloading cargo, a cluster of buildings stood by a wide open plaza with a statue and several benches in the middle of it. The perimeter was lined by streetlamps that each held a dormant orange crystal inside, and additional benches were spaced somewhat evenly. At a few places around the edge of the plaza, merchants with mobile shops had set themselves up to hawk their wares to passing travelers, as well as to those waiting for a ship to arrive or for their own flight to begin boarding.
 	Behind the plaza, several docks extended away from the city and over the edge of the island it was built on, between the endless cloudy blue skies that stretched out into the distance both above and below. One other nearby island was visible, connected to the one Shaaria was on by a massive stone bridge that held the two floating islands together, the bridge's side studded with large crystals at regular intervals to reinforce it.
 	The closest airship dock held an enormous, stately vessel, its huge gas balloon tied with sturdy rope rigging to the hull. The ship itself was a fine passenger airship, painted white and decorated with the bright red logo for "Beranik Skyliners", with elaborate cursive writing underneath identifying the ship as The Silver Wing. It featured multiple decks of crew cabins and a massive glass observation lounge at the front, its panels sparkling in the sunlight. Enormous propellers, currently idle, were fixed via supports to both sides of the ship, all of them oriented vertically while a pair of horizontal ones at the back would allow it some modicum of vertical altitude control. A ramp had been extended from the side of the ship to the dock to allow passengers to board, where finely-dressed crew members welcomed the periodic boarders onto the vessel. Two other nearby docks held smaller ships of similar design and lesser size, but the big passenger liner was where Shaaria's interest lay.
 	As she made her way through the crowds, Shaaria took note of the reactions of those who noticed her. Other than the occasional lingering glance, she did not attract any unusual amount of attention, giving her confidence in her attire and the quality of her disguise, such as it was. Everyone she passed was a dragon of some variety or other, some even very close to herself in body structure, while others had different features – whiskers, fur, longer bodies, feathers, wing-arms, or even serpentine lower bodies rather than legs. It was a rare opportunity for her to go about during her travels in her true form without standing out like a sore thumb, and she welcomed it.
 	One of the vendors caught her attention, a black-and-white-scaled dragon with whiskers and a mane, who was inside of a cart that opened at the side to act as a portable shop. His signs and his repeated calls advertised his collection of books for sale, "perfect to pass a long flight with" and all at modest prices. When he saw Shaaria giving his signs an intrigued look, he waved for her to come over, cheerfully making small talk to her to build up to his sales pitch. She was more than happy to give him a few large coins in exchange for a book, and came away from the stall with a thick tome of stories and legends added to the contents of her backpack.
 	She reached the ticketing office without incident, and a glance at the boards above the desk and the clock hung between them reassured her that she still had plenty of time to get through the short queue before her. Going by the board, several more vessels would be coming and going before the day was done, yet she had no trouble in securing a first-class ticket for the journey. After paying her fare, Shaaria watched as clerk behind the desk took a blank ticket from a stack and fed it through a small machine that stamped it with the necessary details, the stiff paper still slightly warm as it was handed over to her.
 	After a short walk to the docks, she presented her ticket and was allowed onto the boarding platform, flanked by sizeable rails to prevent anyone from falling off and into the cloudy abyss below. As she made her way up the ramp leading to the ship, one hand on the side rail, Shaaria peered over it, out of curiosity. Below her, she could see only clouds, arranged at different distances but thickly enough to make it impossible to tell how far it was to the ground – if there even was any.
 	A green-furred dragon smartly dressed in a white uniform was waiting just inside at the top of the ramp, hands clasped behind his back. He had a small cap on that fit neatly between his short, branching horns, his tail hanging behind him with a darker green tuft on the end. Shaaria also noticed that he had a sheathed sword hanging from his belt, and as she approached he gave her a cordial smile and bowed to her.
 	"Hello, and welcome aboard The Silver Wing!" he said to her warmly in a bright and cheerful voice. "May I see your ticket, please?"
 	"Of course," Shaaria replied, still holding it firmly after presenting it at the dock. The crewman took it from her and looked at it quickly before handing it back to her. 
 	"Thank you, miss," he said as he waved her inside, turning and pointing with one arm. "The first-class cabins are up the stairs on your left at the end of the hall. Have a comfortable trip!"
 	She gave him a smile and a nod in response before continuing on past him and entering the ship, the interior already much quieter than the outside, its hull well-built to dampen the sound of its own engines. The wooden floors had a carpet running down the middle of them, while the walls were made of smooth, polished dark wood, illuminated by small brass lamps with currently-dormant crystals inside of them, spaced at even intervals down the corridors. She followed the polished brass signs that directed her to the first-class cabins, showing her ticket once more to another armed crewman waiting at the entrance to them to gain entry.
 	The cabin was small, as was to be expected on such a vessel, even in first class, but the main draw was having it to herself. It was equipped with a comfortable-looking single bed, a rack for securing larger luggage items in flight, and a small selection of complimentary drinks and snacks on the inside doors of a small cabinet that otherwise only offered extra storage space. Next to the bed was a porthole that gave her a clear view of the skies above and the ocean of clouds below, and fixed to the wall under it was a rectangular crystal-powered device that could heat the room. In front of the window was a compact table and a small though comfortable-looking chair, both bolted to the floor to stop them from moving during flight, with a small wicker wastebasket located underneath the table.
 	  
 	Setting down her backpack to take the burden off her shoulders, Shaaria took a small paper-wrapped candy from the cabinet and unwrapped it, popping the red-and-white hard candy into her mouth. While savoring the sweet and creamy flavor, she looked over the logo of the candy maker that was on the wrapping before tossing it into the wastebasket. With little else to do for the moment, she sat down on the chair, reached into her pack, and withdrew the book she had bought to read to pass the time until the ship took off.
 Chapter 2
 	Three short chimes played out over the ship's P.A. system, drawing Shaaria's attention away from her book.
 	"Attention, passengers," a calm voice announced, seeming to come from all around her. "Welcome aboard The Silver Wing. We will be taking off shortly, so this is the last call for boarding. Thank you for choosing Beranik Skyliners for your trip. We will be arriving at our destination in just a few days. Do not hesitate to ask a crew member if you have any questions."
 	Putting away her book, Shaaria left her cabin and headed for the front of the ship. The uppermost deck housed the observation lounge, a roughly semicircular room walled with panes of glass, providing an unobstructed view of the city in front of them, and the open skies to the sides. A thick carpet covered the floor, with an assortment of couches, plush chairs, and small tables to provide some space for passengers to relax and enjoy the view. At the back of the room, a wide bar offered drinks, and several of the first and second class passengers were already roaming around with glasses in their hands. Small white crystals fixed to the ceiling promised to light the lounge should the ambient light from outside become insufficient.
 	Just as Shaaria was picking up a clear glass of something bright red and sweet-smelling from the bar, she heard a faint hum from outside, and the ship began gently accelerating backwards, away from the dock. Turning around, she cast her gaze outside through the observation deck's windows, watching as the numerous buildings in front of the ship got further away. The noise outside changed as one set of propellers slowed to a stop and then reversed direction, turning the ship in place to gradually bring it closer and closer to its desired heading.
 	Taking a sip from her drink, she looked around for a seat, but they had all been taken already. So instead, she stood in an open space by one of the glass panes and stared outside, watching the floating island gradually disappear out of sight as the ship turned. The view became only the seemingly endless horizon and the clouds stretched out before her, and the distant outlines of other far-away floating islands. Calmly, she stood there in silence, taking in the sight for a while as the ship began to accelerate and start on its journey in earnest.
 	As she gazed out the window, she heard someone drawing close from behind, their boots making noise even on the carpeted floor, the bouncing of straps and clinking of metal fastenings on their outfit announcing their approach. She didn't react, keeping her gaze forward, right up until the person was standing beside her; only then did she turn her head to the side to take a look at who it was.
 	Adjacent to her and looking at her expectantly with bright blue eyes, a tall man with bright red scales stood straight. One hand of his adjusted the short, black felt top hat that rested atop the fiery red hair on his head, a purple ribbon tied neatly around the base just above the brim. His raised arm clearly showed to Shaaria that he was a different type of dragon; unlike her separate wings, his were connected to the undersides of his arms, folded close at the moment, the membranes a paler red than his other scales. Since no ordinary shirt could fit the wyvern, his instead was both sleeveless and sideless, a simple white garment made of high-quality fabric. He wore a pair of tan breeches to cover his legs, and high boots much like hers, his hands covered only by thin white gloves.
 	He was clearly no ordinary traveler. The sheathed saber hanging at his left side and the holstered pistol at his right told her he knew how to fight, and he clearly felt a great need for easily-accessed storage space. At his front was a simple pouch hanging from the front of his belt, and he also had a pair of leather straps crossing the front of his body, both of which bore a single row of tiny rings holding spare pistol rounds. Finally, she glimpsed brief flashes of metal fastened to the inside of the cloak that secured around his neck, too indistinct for her to identify at a mere glance. The end of his tail poked out from underneath the cloak, smooth and red with a sharp-looking hook on the end.
 	"May I help you?" Shaaria asked, returning her gaze to his face.
 	"Why yes, dear lady, if you would be so kind as to furnish me with a few moments of your time," the man replied, crossing one of his wing-arms in front of himself and bowing to her. Straightening up, he continued, "My name is Randival, may I ask for yours?"
 	  
 	Smirking slightly at his introduction, she turned to face him fully rather than simply giving him a side glance. "Good afternoon, Randival. Please, call me Shaaria," she answered, holding out her free hand to him with the palm facing upwards and her fingers curled back. Holding his hand in a similar manner but facing down, he hooked his fingers around hers and shook lightly, performing what was the handshake of the world she was in, separating their hands after a moment.
 	"Well, Shaaria, it is a pleasure to meet you. You stand out from the crowd, and I wanted to make your acquaintance."
 	She gave an amused chuckle. "Speak for yourself," she replied, tilting her wineglass towards his outfit. "I think I would be hard-pressed to find anyone wearing anything of the sort on this entire ship."
 	Resting his hands on his hips, he grinned, puffing out his chest. "It pays to be recognizable," he said simply, casting a gaze over her. "Might I inquire where you are from?"
 	"You may," she answered, taking a moment to recall the story she had put together prior to her arrival. "I have traveled here from Cauldurin."
 	"Hmm, is that so?" Randival replied, raising an eye-ridge. "That is quite a long way away, indeed. But I suppose I should have known from your attire. And what brings a lovely lady like yourself all the way out here?"
 	"I have my reasons," she gave as a guarded answer. "Surely you will understand if I do not wish to divulge them to a stranger."
 	"A stranger? You wound me, I thought we were minor acquaintances!" he responded melodramatically, placing a hand over his chest, his wide smile returning within moments. "Would that I had the time, I would offer to show you around once we reach our destination, but I am on travels of my own that I shall have to similarly keep to myself, so I do understand."
 	She inclined her head towards him. "The offer is appreciated all the same."
 	"But with that said, we still have a few days we can make the most of to get to know one another, should you be interested," Randival offered, turning and looking past her at the observation lounge. "And if my eyes do not deceive me, it would appear that some tables are available, now that we have taken off and some passengers have returned to their cabins."
 	"Very well," she agreed, "It would be a better way to pass the time than staying in my own cabin for the rest of the flight."
 	"I'm glad you agree." Turning, he swept one of his wing-arms out slowly, indicating for her to go on ahead. "Right there at the port side. Ladies first!"
 Chapter 3
 	For a time, the two chatted amicably, though Shaaria did her best to prod Randival for information about the island of Venfird that the ship was heading to, under the pretense that it was her first time there. His advice was, sadly, largely superficial, but she did come away from the conversation safe in the knowledge that she would easily be able to find a good restaurant upon her arrival. After a while, however, Randival excused himself, saying that he had to check on his "traveling companions" but adding that he would return, and Shaaria bade him farewell.
 	She had a little time to herself, gazing out the observation windows and peering at the landscape – or rather, the skyscape: thick layers of clouds below, with sparsely cloudy sky above. Occasional floating islands passed them by, many of them too small to have anyone living on them, some barren of even grass. Some had tiny settlements only reachable for those capable of flight under their own power, or riding beasts that could fly, without any docks for an airship to land. But both the origin and the destination of the ship she was on were larger cities, separate dominions made of multiple islands that had been connected together, pulled closer by mages of great power.
 	Two other guests came to sit across the table from her, but the pair ignored her, carrying on their own conversation. Shaaria listened in only long enough to determine it was simply familial gossip and tuned it out, going back to looking out the windows once more. The guests left, and a short time later, a crew member approached: the same green-furred dragon she had briefly met earlier when she was boarding. She thought he was coming by to clean, but instead, he cleared his throat quietly to get her attention.
 	"Excuse me, miss?" he asked, and she glanced over to him. His uniform was still a pristine white from top to bottom, including the tiny cap between his horns, and he still had the sword at his side.
 	"Is something the matter?" she asked.
 	"Oh no, nothing," he quickly replied, clasping his hands behind his back. "I'm actually off duty now, miss. But if you like, I can still get you something to drink."
 	"I've had enough for now, thank you," Shaaria replied. "I don't believe I caught your name…?"
 	"Ah, my apologies," he said, bowing to her slightly. "My name is Melwyn, and I am the head attendant for this flight."
 	She nodded to him, holding out a hand with her fingers curled back that he shook cordially. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Melwyn; I am Shaaria. I must say, it seems odd for an attendant to be armed. I've noticed the others are all carrying weapons as well."
 	Melwyn gave her a curious look. "Aren't you from Cauldurin?" he asked, gesturing to her attire. "You must have traveled to get here."
 	Inwardly cursing her misstep, Shaaria quickly lied, "I moved away from there some time ago. This is my first flight in a while."
 	"Ah, I see," he said, seeming to accept her explanation. Frowning a little and looking concerned, he explained, "Unfortunately, air travel has become increasingly dangerous lately, yes." He attempted to take a seat beside her, but the sword got in the way, and he had to reach down and adjust its position.
 	"There aren't any guards?"
 	"They say it's too expensive to hire a full complement of guards for every flight," he answered in a worried tone, turning his upper body to face her. "But we do have a few, and there is a group of travelers on the ship today that have volunteered to help if an emergency comes up."
 	"Travelers?" Shaaria asked, raising an eye-ridge. "Would one of them happen to be a red wyvern wearing a short top hat?"
 	Melwyn blinked in mild surprise. "Yes, actually. Do you know him?"
 	"I met him here in the lounge earlier," she replied. "I assumed he was a traveler of some sort, given his attire…"
 	"Yes. I suppose technically everyone on the ship is a traveler in some sense, but that particular group doesn't seem to be on any sort of official business, nor are they moving to a new home." Giving her a smile as he looked her in the eyes, he began, "I see plenty of travelers every day, but it's rare that I see one as lovely as…"
 	His compliment trailed off, and Shaaria noticed he was staring past her and out the window, his friendly expression disappearing. Turning her head, she looked out the observation window, and immediately understood why.
 	Directly ahead of the ship, a jagged rift in space was opening, torn from within by some malevolent force. Nothing but inky blackness was visible through the rift, but something was coming out of it – a lot of somethings. She couldn't make out many details at the distance they were at, but the things emerging from the rift were a deep, dark purple, and not only that, they appeared to be alive or at least moving...
 	…and flying directly towards the ship.
 	Someone abovedecks must have seen it too, for an alarm began to sound, and captain's voice came over the announcement system to tell the passengers to return to their cabins immediately and for the crew to take up battle stations. Panic erupted in the observation lounge as the other passengers rushed for the exits, knocking over chairs and dropping glasses along the way. A few of them stumbled when the ship began to veer to the side as sharply as it could, which wasn't much – the passenger liner was built for comfort, not speed, yet it still tilted heavily to the side in a vain attempt to change its course quickly enough.
 	Shaaria, however, got to her feet but didn't leave, watching the rift through the glass as more creatures emerged from it. "Y-You need to go to your cabin, m-miss," Melwyn stammered in fear from behind her as he got to his feet.
 	"Is the ship in danger?" she asked, without turning around.
 	"N-No," he lied unconvincingly, then corrected himself, "I-I mean, yes, b-but we can t-take care of it. P-Please, return to your cabin. You'll be much safer there."
 	She watched cautiously as the new arrivals drew closer to the ship. Making out the details of the one in front, she saw that it was an amorphous creature with broad batlike wings, clawed limbs and a spiked tail, yet no apparent head. Its entire body was a purple so deep it seemed to swallow up the very light itself, speckled with white dots vaguely reminiscent of stars among the night sky. Some sort of protective covering or membrane around it gave it a paler purple outline that the light partly shone through.
 	Coming in fast, it vanished out of sight above her, followed by a thump as it landed on the deck, others soon following suit. Spinning back around, she fixed the terrified attendant with a firm gaze, advancing on him with deliberate steps. "Which way is it to the deck?"
 	He waved his free hand frantically to try and dissuade her as he stepped backwards. "Y-You can't! It's too dangerous! Please-"
 	Looming over him and enunciating each word firmly, she repeated, "Which. Way. Is. The. Deck?"
 	Melwyn hesitated, only frustrating her further, his gaze suddenly snapping upward. The next thing she knew, he was grabbing her and pulling her to the floor just before something crashed through the observation lounge's plate glass windows. Shards of glass scattered across the floor, the broken pane filling the room with a howling, chill wind that partly drowned out the panicked screams of the remaining fleeing passengers and the shouts of the crew failing to keep them in order. She barely had enough time to fold her wings against her back so that they wouldn't get bent by the impact, but it still knocked the air out of her lungs. Trying to recover, she quickly tossed Melwyn off of her and onto the carpet beside her, turning her head to look at the monstrosity.
 	Not quite unlike the other creature she had seen, its shape rippled before her as the wings retracted into its own form, fluidly adding their mass to its enormous forelimbs and the scythe-like claws on its feet. Shuffling backwards quickly, Melwyn got to his feet and drew his sword, holding it in both hands; his grip was visibly shaky, his whole body trembling as he panted for breath in a panic.
 	"Please, run away!" he implored to Shaaria as she rolled over and got to her feet. He sounded almost tearful, trying to put himself between the monster and Shaaria with only the sword in his shaking hands to protect him. The creature was crouching down, getting ready to pounce.
 	"I can-" Shaaria began, but the monster leapt, lunging towards her and Melwyn. It raised a foreleg and swung it down, claws raking through the air, knocking his sword aside, the strike continuing onwards unabated to carve him across the front with those sharp claws.
 	He let out an agonized cry as the monster's claws tore through his flesh, his blood showering onto the carpet, collapsing in a heap as his sword clattered onto the floor. The monster raised its claws to strike again to finish him, but Shaaria raised a hand and conjured a shimmering wall of force that deflected the creature's strike, its claws glancing off and slicing several gouges into the carpet and the wood underneath instead. Mindlessly, it struck again with its other forelimb, and then she watched as the front of its body split open into a disturbingly wide, massive maw lined with jagged, purple teeth. It reared back to attack the barrier once more, having seemingly forgotten about the mortally wounded man in front of it, gnashing at the wall of hard light. Taking a step forward and gesturing with her outstretched hand, she shoved the magical force wall forward, knocking the assailant off-balance and flipping it onto its back. But rather than attempt to right itself, it pulled its limbs back into its body and then re-grew them again the right way up, getting ready to attack her once more.
 	Still, it was left open for a moment as it shifted. Pressing her advantage as it regained its footing, Shaaria dropped the shield and thrusted her right hand outward, hurling a blast of fire towards the creature and striking it dead-on. It seemed to do some damage, though not much, and it reared back, letting out a sound like a scream that she could feel but not hear, creating an uncomfortable pressure in her internal ears that made her wince. Capitalizing on the opening, her fingers danced as she prepared something stronger, looking for another opportunity as energy gathered around her right hand…
 	The creature lunged forward at her and she leapt to the side, releasing the spell as she did. A burning white lance of light pierced into the creature, its subaudible shriek cut off as the projectile shot clean through it and punched a hole in another one of the observation lounge windows. The creature's form collapsed to the floor, losing a little of its cohesion but still maintaining the same vague shape it had been felled in, the hole left in it by her spell smoldering quietly. It seemed safe to say it was dead – if it had even been alive in the first place – as its purple coloration faded to black and the white motes on its surface vanished one by one.
 	Panting a little, Shaaria ran over to the fallen attendant, who was shaking and trembling in a pool of his own blood, his arms clutching a wound on his front too terrible for her to look at for more than a moment. His eyes were shut tight, and his breaths were shallow and struggling, sometimes coughing blood. "P-Please…" he barely managed to force out, "Get… safety…"
 	She bit her lip; even such a grave wound was within her ability to fix, but after presenting herself as an offensive mage, it would draw questions if she knew healing magic, too. She couldn't risk anyone learning what she was truly capable of. But would a common flight attendant know that? And even if he told the story to someone else, they would never find her or have any idea what it really meant. She might even be able to make up a story to throw him off track, perhaps claiming she used some sort of item on him. So as long as no-one else saw her do it…
 	"Hold on, I can help you!" Shaaria whispered to him, kneeling down and putting her hand on his shoulder. She raised her head and looked around, scanning the room from one side to the other, but the two of them were the only ones left in the observation lounge. Everyone else, including the other staff, had already fled for their lives. There were no witnesses, so she took a breath and focused, turning her attention back to Melwyn.
 	But he had gone still, and wasn't breathing.
 	"No," Shaaria said under her breath in disbelief, shaking him, but there was no response. She was too late.
 	  
 	Shaaria stared in shock, her body shaking slightly. Already, she had failed someone; her hesitation had cost Melwyn his life. Her breathing quickened, and she felt a terrible chill run up her spine as she stared at the dead crewman's body. The wind whipped past her through the broken window, and she could hear shouts from the deck, but she was frozen in place, unable to tear her gaze away from the lifeless body of the man in front of her. She had wanted to help. But in the end he had died trying to protect her…
 	The sound of a gunshot from the deck snapped her out of her stupor, and she raised her head. Out of the cacophony from the deck, she was barely able to pick out Randival's voice as he shouted something that was mostly lost on the wind. Of course; Melwyn had told her that Randival and the others with him had volunteered as guards. And with the other creatures landing on the deck, that was where she would be able to find him.
 	"I'm sorry," she said solemnly as she stood up and gave Melwyn a final glance. One life had already been lost right in front of her because she had not been fast enough, but she could still save others. 
 Chapter 4
 	Striding over Melwyn's corpse and past the unmoving remains of the creature, Shaaria ran for the shattered pane of glass and leapt out from it, spreading her wings out fully. Had the ship been faster, she might have been at risk of being struck by a propeller or having the ship get away from her, but the passenger liner was not going anywhere in a particular hurry even with its engines at full. As such, she was able to bank and turn while staying close, beating her wings to gain altitude as she swung back towards the deck, coming in fast.
 	The battle on the deck was raging fiercely, with many more of the void creatures spread across it, fighting those who had come to defend it. Many wore uniforms of the crew, their white outfits easy to spot, including the apparent casualties on the deck who were unmoving. In the middle of the deck she spotted Randival apparently directing the defense, pointing and shouting out orders. His bright red hair and scales were easy to spot as he seemed to be without his hat, holding his saber in his right hand and his pistol in his left, but he was not the only out of place figure that Shaaria picked out from a distance.
 	  
 	Another person clearly not part of the crew stood just behind Randival, wearing purple robes with golden trim, gesturing and casting lightning bolts at the void creatures whenever they had a clear shot. Hovering by their shoulder and undulating in the air was a much smaller and very long dragon, perhaps the mage's familiar. Also close to Randival was someone in a tan smock and similarly colored pants wearing a heavy-looking backpack, holding a staff in one hand as they crouched down by one of the fallen crewmembers. Finally, weaving among the chaos of the fight, Shaaria saw another person dressed in black, holding a short sword in their right hand and a dagger in their left. They didn't fight directly, instead driving the weapons into the backs of any void creatures that left them an opening to take advantage of, tearing deep wounds into them.
 	The group seemed to be coordinating well together as Randival barked out orders, sometimes engaging one of the foes himself to provide the black-clad figure with an opportunity. As Shaaria approached, she saw the figure with the staff standing up and drawing a wand with their available hand, sending bolts of fire flying with each flick of it. Coming in fast under the airship's balloon, Shaaria flared her wings just before reaching the deck to decelerate hard, then folded them to drop onto the deck, bending her knees to absorb the impact. The strong winds on the deck blew her hair around, but the circlet around her head kept it mostly behind her and stopped it from blowing into her face.
 	Randival turned to her, his sword held ready to meet the potential threat, his eyes widening when he recognized her. "Shaaria?" he asked in surprise, quickly turning away from her to avoid leaving himself vulnerable. "You have to get below, this-"
 	He was cut off as the mage by him stepped forward and thrusted out an arm, their familiar twisting in the air behind them. With a bright flash and a loud crackle of electricity, a lightning bolt jumped from their outstretched hand towards the nearest void creature, one that had already raked its claws over a screaming crewman and had been about to deliver a killing strike to his prone form. It struck the creature's front, electricity coursing within its body and lighting it up from within, leaving a smoldering, gaping wound as the creature fell to the deck unmoving and began to discolor.
 	"I can handle myself!" Shaaria yelled back to he be heard over the din of battle. The person in the smock ran past her towards the crewman the mage had just saved, but Shaaria paid him no mind for the moment. "I'm a mage as well!"
 	Randival blinked in surprise, then stepped back a little as he returned his saber to its scabbard and plucked a round from the bandolier on his chest, breaking his pistol open at the back to load it. "I won't turn down more magical help! Thank you!" he called to Shaaria, snapping the pistol closed with a flick of his wrist, then drawing his sword and pointing with it. "Take that one on the right! I'll help Faelis!"
 	He moved towards the black-clad figure that Shaaria had to presume was Faelis, and Shaaria ran forward to engage the creature he had indicated, one that still had its wings, unlike the one she fought in the observation lounge. Bringing up a hand and recalling that fire had done little against the creature that had killed Melwyn, she focused and released a spell at the creature while two crewmen were keeping it at the end of their swords. The air around it chilled and water condensed as the spell drastically dropped the temperature, attempting to freeze the monster, and though ice crystals formed on its surface, it seemed completely unbothered.
 	Yet it would be inaccurate to say it had no effect at all – in response, it suddenly ignored the two crewmen who were keeping it at the end of their swords, instead choosing to leap into the air and propel itself towards Shaaria with its wings. Perhaps it thought her an easier target, or perhaps it was enraged by her attack, but she raised both hands to conjure another wall of force that it slammed into heavily, falling to the deck with a thump, and she gritted her teeth with the effort of resisting its impact. It was difficult to maintain her focus as the creature began to fervently claw and scrape at the barrier, its wings retreating into its body so that it could gain two additional limbs to swipe with, but she barely held on with all of her strength.
 	"Cold does nothing! Use lightning instead!" the mage barked out from behind Shaaria, "Drop the barrier and I'll handle it!" With a final determined effort, Shaaria did as asked, ending her spell and jumping backwards, the wind propelling her further back across the deck. Another blast of lightning shot from the mage's hands to the creature, but it was sustained this time, bolts connecting with its otherworldly form and jumping about in the air on the way to their target. Electricity coursed across the monster's form, subaudible cries briefly emanating from it, and it spasmed in place for a few seconds before the spell ended and the creature collapsed to the deck, twitching from lingering electrical current.
 	With the immediate danger taken care of, Shaaria glanced to the side, seeing Randival bait another creature into swiping at him, only to miss as he stepped back. He had an opening and yet did not pursue it, nimble on his feet as he kept his saber held out and his eyes on the creature, only retreating a single step to bait the monster forward. His reason for doing so soon became clear: Faelis suddenly dashed over and drove both weapons into its back down to the hilt before ripping them downwards. The creature froze in place for a moment, and in that moment, Randival thrusted his saber up and through its upper body before pulling the sword out as well. Shaaria couldn't tell if Faelis's attacks alone had been enough or if it was their combined efforts that felled the creature, but either way, it collapsed into a heap and lost its color.
 	But there were still others, both on the deck and approaching them. Rushing to the edge of the deck, Shaaria raised her arm to conjure another lance of light in her hand similar to the one she had used in the observation lounge, and took aim before hurling it at the incoming creatures. It missed the two closest ones but struck another behind them, its wings ceasing their movement, and it plummeted into the clouds below. She turned her gaze to the portal they were coming from…
 	…and saw a much larger creature oozing forth from it, surging across the sky with incredible speed as if shot out from a cannon. Gripping the railing, she barely managed to shout a warning cry of "Incoming!" before it impacted the front of the ship with enough force to make it rock, the creature itself seeming to spread widely across the front of the vessel. At first, Shaaria thought it had been killed in the impact, until she saw deep purple tendrils reaching up and over the prow of the airship. One of them lashed downward and struck a crew member, sending him into a crumpled heap on the deck where he lay unmoving.
 	Randival backpedaled away from the chaos on the deck towards them. "Linya!" he called out to the mage, "You have to do something! We can't keep this up! That thing can break this ship apart!"
 	The ship listed to the side as if in emphasis as the creature tugged on it, the hull creaking in protest. "Get rid of the big one and I can try and seal the rift!" Linya shouted back as she struggled to keep her footing. Shaaria spared a glance back at her; though most of Linya's thin, lithe body was covered by her robes, rippling in the wind, her head, hands and long tail were exposed, revealing white fur with light green tinting and highlights. Her head was vaguely cone-shaped, with a small pair of orange-tinted spectacles resting on her snout, a greenish mane running down the back of her head and under her robes. She had a pair of branching horns on the sides of her head, and her eyes were a similar green to the highlights in her fur. Simple traveling boots covered her feet, and her tail ended in a large tuft of fur with pronounced green tinting.
 	The familiar floating along with her was quite similar, covered in white fur with purple highlights that matched its eyes, with a similarly-shaped head and much smaller horns that branched one less time compared to Linya's. The long creature only had forelimbs, but since it seemed to have no trouble floating in the air alongside its master, it didn't appear to need any more appendages. The end of its tail – though it was hard to tell exactly where the body ended and the tail began, or if such a distinction mattered in the first place – also ended in a tuft as Linya's did, featuring heavier tinting like the tail-tuft of the lindwurm's master.
 	"Anshu!" Randival called out again, this time to the man with the staff, though his shout was lost to a cacophony as Linya thrust both hands forward and sent a huge bolt of lightning towards a creature at the other end of the ship, her familiar twisting in the air behind her. The bolt bounced from one creature to another and then did so again, all three of the creatures struck by the chain lightning convulsing and falling to the deck. She retreated behind Randival after that, breathing heavily, yet still looking determined despite her exertion.
 	"Anshu!" Randival shouted once more, and the man heard him this time. Anshu swung his wand thrice more, only able to wrest two more bolts of fire from it. Dropping the depleted wand and backing away from the fight he had been assisting with, he gripped his staff in both hands defensively, the long wooden shaft etched with runes on one side and capped with a large, smooth, green crystal. Now that she got a better look at him, Shaaria could see that he had yellow scales. He also had a white mane running from the top of his head down his back under his clothing, evidently continuing all the way along his tail, which simply tapered to a point at the end. He had a pair of goggles over his eyes, and one long whisker on each side of his muzzle that both ended in tufts of white, both whiskers flapping horizontally against his cheeks in the wind that whipped past them. A large, heavy backpack, stuffed to the brim and laden with his things didn't seem to burden him as much as it ought to – yet, besides the staff, he didn't appear to have any weapons.
 	"Do you have anything to get rid of the big one?" Randival asked, keeping his voice raised to be heard as Linya stepped past him to take over for Anshu, casting a quick lightning bolt to assist the crewman he had been trying to help. It found its target but didn't seem to kill it outright, yet it was stunned for long enough that the crewman was able to run it through with his sword and finish the job.
 	"Yes, but I only have one left!" Anshu called back, glancing to make sure he had relative safety before shrugging his backpack off one shoulder and swinging it around to his front, diving a hand inside and pulling out a vial filled with a glowing white liquid. Randival sheathed his saber and took the vial from him as Anshu shouldered his pack once more, the apparent leader sizing up the situation with another look around.
 	"Faelis!" Randival yelled out again, getting the attention of the black-clad figure. Weaving across the deck and taking an opportune stab at one of the creatures along the way, Shaaria was able to see that the black clothing was loose and covered in pockets and straps. Under the hood of the clothes, Faelis had horns and ear-fins like Shaaria, a few strands of her brown hair poking out from under the hood. She had two scale colors as well, primarily pink with white ventral scales, and though she had wings much like Shaaria's, hers were far too small to be able to fly with, barely even visible from the front. She had a light black cloak that probably would normally have covered her wings, but it had slipped between them in the chaos of the battle, and a spade-ended tail similar to Shaaria's poked out from under it as well.
 	Before Randival could instruct her, another creature landed on the deck close to them, and Faelis backed away as Randival raised his pistol and took a shot, the crystal on the back of it glowing brightly. The bullet struck the void creature dead center before it had fully found its footing on the deck, but did not appear to pierce all the way through. The monster staggered, but was not defeated, so Shaaria conjured a javelin of light and hurled it with a little less force than she had used in the lounge – she didn't want to damage the ship by piercing through it again. The projectile struck the creature's front and knocked it back, causing it to stumble into the railing, which broke under its weight and let the creature plummet into the endless abyss below.
 	"We're clear for the moment," Shaaria called out with a quick glance around; more were approaching, but were still quite a distance away yet. Turning back, Shaaria saw Faelis looking at her and noticed that Faelis's eyes were two different colors: her left was green, and the right was blue. But she could only see that for a brief moment before Faelis's head turned as Randival waved to get her attention.
 	"Catch!" Randival shouted to Faelis, raising the vial up and bending his wing-arm back once he had her attention. Faelis dropped her dagger to free up a hand, lunging and raising a hand covered with a fingerless glove to snatch the vial from the air when he hurled it towards her.
 	"Got it!" Faelis called out.
 	"Throw it at the big one!" he commanded as he reloaded his pistol again. "Then come help protect Linya!"
 	"Okay!" Faelis shouted back, running towards the prow of the ship.
 	"From the right!" Anshu suddenly called out, and Shaaria looked over to see that the closest trio of void creatures had almost reached the deck. Stepping in front of Linya with her right hand raised to put up another forcewall, Shaaria attempted to block their access to the deck by raising the barrier at the last moment. The two rightmost ones slammed into it and the one furthest to the right only barely managed to grab onto the side of the ship, breaking more of the railings. However, the leftmost creature landed on the desk and immediately swung at Randival, who raised his sword defensively while stepping out of the way of its strike. Even though its claws came within inches of him, he seemed unfazed, staring down the monstrosity before him with confidence.
 	The one hanging onto the ship lost its form entirely, collapsing into a puddle, and began to flow up onto the ship like a liquid rather than trying to pull itself upwards. "Lower the barrier!" Linya shouted to Shaaria, and she backed away as she did as instructed, allowing the other mage to fry the puddle with a jolt of electricity, making it roil in anger briefly before it was killed outright. The third creature advanced on Anshu, who retreated quickly away from it with no intention of engaging it in melee, yet remained facing it so as not to leave himself open as its gaping maw snapped only at empty air.
 	Looking to the front of the ship, Shaaria saw Faelis at the prow, one hand on the railing with the other holding the potion as she prepared to throw it. But before Shaaria could determine what to do next, the ship listed sharply underneath her when the bigger creature pulled on it, the wood creaking once more, the glass from the observation lounge below cracking and shattering. Both the people and the monsters on the deck stumbled, except for Linya's floating familiar who was unaffected, and smugly undulated close to its master. Shaaria held her arms and her wings out to her sides, barely maintaining her balance, but her attention was wrested away from the immediate threat when she heard a scream.
 	The sudden tilting of the ship had caused Faelis to lose her balance, and Shaaria barely caught sight of her being flung over the side of the ship. Dropping her shortsword in a panic, she barely managed to secure a tenuous grasp on the railing, only to slip off moments later. Randival twisted his head towards the noise, yelling out "FAELIS!" in a panic as he saw her go overboard, but the distraction left him open. The creature he had been holding at bay swung downward, striking the sword he was holding up defensively, knocking him to the ground.
 	Springing into action, Shaaria dashed past him and left him behind, hearing another crack of lightning from Linya as she came to Randival's and Anshu's aid. Ducking past monsters and weaving past the crewmen still standing, Shaaria jumped up onto the railing of the ship and then leapt off, pressing her arms and her wings to her side to go into a sheer nosedive downwards after Faelis.
 	Plunging through the clouds, the sounds of the fighting on the deck and the airship's propellers faded as she got further away from them, while Faelis's frightened screams as she fell downwards became clearer. Breaking through a cloud, Shaaria caught sight of the plummeting dragon, rapidly catching up to her due to Faelis's faceup position and her outstretched limbs slowing her descent.
 	Faelis saw Shaaria approaching, reaching out with her empty hand in a wordless plea for help, still clutching the glowing vial in the other, her eyes wide with terror. Shaaria waited until she had almost collided with Faelis to reach out and grab her, spreading her wings to pull them out of the dive. She held onto the other dragon tightly to avoid having her slip out from her grasp, and found that Faelis was surprisingly light in her arms, making it easier to keep her grip.
 	Still in a panic, Faelis rapidly panted for breath, wrapping her arms around Shaaria's upper body tightly, and trembling in Shaaria's arms as her chest heaved. "Thank… thank you!" she managed to gasp out after a few moments, trying to calm herself down.
 	"Put your arms under mine. I need to be able to cast," Shaaria told her, beating her wings to try and regain some altitude. Casting her gaze upwards, she couldn't see the ship through the clouds above, and had to hope they hadn't gone too far off-course from it.
 	Faelis, still quivering, did as asked, and wrapped her arms around Shaaria's lower back, allowing Shaaria to let go with her right arm so she could cast a spell. Conjuring an updraft of hot air, Shaaria and Faelis ascended rapidly, bursting upwards through the clouds until they had returned to the altitude of the ship – barely a minute had elapsed since Faelis had fallen, and the battle on-board was still raging. A report from Randival's pistol rang out over the drone of the ship's propellers, followed shortly by the crack of a lightning bolt, so they seemed to be faring well enough in Shaaria's and Faelis's absence.
 	"Can you hit it if we fly past?" Shaaria asked as she tilted forward out of the thermal updraft, flying back towards the ship. The massive void creature was still latched to the front of the ship, and from the side angle they were approaching from, she could see that it had oozed its way into the broken windows of the observation deck, trying to rip off part of the prow. Through the broken windows, Shaaria caught sight of Melwyn's dead body lying on the floor within the lounge, and she felt a pang of guilt, clinging to the dragon in her arms a little more tightly; at least she hadn't been too late for Faelis.
 	"I… I think so," Faelis answered shakily, turning her head to look at the ship. "It's going to be hard like this…"
 	Dipping a little lower, Shaaria accelerated towards the front of the ship. "Hold tightly and wait," she instructed, and just as they banked around in front of the ship, Shaaria rolled halfway over so that she was flying upside-down, with Faelis above her, and called out, "Now!"
 	Raising her body up a little as Shaaria began losing altitude, Faelis lifted her arm and hurled the vial, before quickly clinging to Shaaria once more. The vial smashed against the creature and spilled its contents all over it; Shaaria felt a loud, subaudible shriek in her bones as the creature writhed, the brilliant glowing fluid seeming to burn through the creature and spread within it, its purple insides discoloring, a foul black smoke issuing forth from the wound. The monstrosity writhed and retracted itself, eventually slipping off of the ship, revealing the heavy damage it had caused: wooden beams were cracked and all of the frontal panes of the observation deck had been smashed, with parts of the railings up above snapped entirely. Freed from the creature twisting it, the ship evened out again, the deck no longer angled.
 	Flipping back around to fly facedown, Shaaria beat her wings to gain enough height to land on the deck. Its defenders were still holding, if only just barely, as Randival, Anshu and Linya worked together to fend off the monsters on the deck. Swooping in, Shaaria landed behind them and finally let go of Faelis, letting the other dragon step away as Linya fried another void creature with a jolt of lightning before it could finish its rampaging charge towards the group.
 	"Faelis! Thank the Stars, you're safe!" Randival exclaimed joyfully with only a quick glance back to them, frantically reloading his pistol again. "I'll thank you properly later, Shaaria, but first we have to stop these things!"
 	"We got the big one," Shaaria informed him as she glanced around, keeping an eye out for threats. "Whatever was in that vial worked wonders."
 	"We noticed! Linya, it's your turn now!"
 	Linya stepped back from the others. "Keep them off me while I try and seal the rift," she declared as she turned towards the side of the ship, facing the rift in the distance, standing with her legs spread and her hands out in front of her, preparing to begin casting. Gesturing, her hands began to glow, and the familiar with her flew in circles around her, adding its power to the spell. Whatever she was casting was clearly quite powerful: Shaaria could feel the magic building up in and around Linya even from a few paces away, and the glow gradually intensified, the energies making Linya's mane stand on end as she fixed her gaze on the rift in space in the distance. Magical lines began to draw themselves out on the deck around her feet and in the air around her, a mighty spell gradually taking shape.
 	"I, I don't have any weapons!" Faelis stammered, glancing around in a panic for any approaching threats, the determination she had shown while fighting earlier having vanished entirely. Linya's spell seemed to have gotten the attention of all the creatures on the deck, who were abandoning their attacks on crewmen to turn and charge towards the group. A deckhand both daring and lucky lunged and struck one as it went past him, driving his sword deep into its side and felling it, but the others were unhindered as they charged Randival's group.
 	"Allow me," Shaaria interjected. Thrusting her hands out to both sides, she brought up a wall of force and shaped it into a dome around all six of them, just in time before the void creatures' claws and teeth began to rake against it, some of them slamming into the wall repeatedly to try and break through it. Gritting her teeth as she strained to keep the wall up, she saw Randival and Anshu standing on guard, ready to defend themselves if the barrier broke. She could feel the strain on her magical power, and knew she wouldn't be able to hold them off for much longer…
 	The ritual Linya was casting seemed to reach a crescendo; Shaaria felt its energy rapidly spike, a buzzing sound permeating the air from the strength of the energies involved, which only seemed to infuriate the creatures further, their frenzy growing. "Now!" Linya suddenly shouted, and Shaaria pushed the barrier outward as she dismissed it, knocking back the creatures circling them. Completing her spell with a final gesture and a victorious cry from her familiar, Linya fired off a rippling bolt of light that shot out from in front of her, streaking across the sky towards the rift. It coalesced into a sphere of light around the rift that shrank in size, and when it had shrunk to nothing, no sign of the spatial tear remained.
 	With the rift gone, the void creatures both alive and dead on the ship began to lose cohesion and fade away, wrested back to wherever they came from. Some of the foes that had circled around the group made a desperate last attack even as their bodies faded, but Anshu held up his staff with both hands to parry one swipe on it. Faelis dodged out of the way of another strike, while Randival kicked away the disappearing creature that had reared up in front of him, sending it sprawling as it vanished.
 	The deck was suddenly a lot quieter and less chaotic. Shaaria glanced around for any threats, but found none, and slowly relaxed her stance. The others did much the same, with Randival, Anshu, and Faelis taking heavy breaths to recover from their physical exertion. Linya seemed quite exhausted as well, but in a different way after expending so much magical energy.
 	"Is it over?" Faelis asked quietly.
 	"It would appear so," Randival answered with a glance around. "I do not see any more of them."
 	Anshu reached up and pulled his goggles up to his forehead, revealing the brown eyes underneath. "Pardon me, I'm going to…" he began, and Randival waved him off with a nod of assent before Anshu had even finished his sentence; inclining his head, Anshu left and headed for the nearest injured crewmember on the deck to see what he could do to help. Shaaria watched as he crouched down over the injured man, holding out his staff in both hands, the crystal on the end of it glowing as he channeled the magic stored within. Deep wounds on the crewman's front began to close, and the man's ragged breaths steadied enough that he was able to give breathy words of gratitude to Anshu. However, rather than heal him fully, once the man was no longer in a critical condition, Anshu murmured an apology and got up to find someone else who needed his aid.
 	Shaaria watched him go about his work with a concerned expression. No doubt he could have used her help, but especially with a dedicated and clearly knowledgeable mage standing next to her, there was no way she could do so without raising suspicion. Silently, she hoped to herself that he would be able to help the surviving crew and keep them from succumbing to their injuries.
 	Turning to Shaaria, Randival crossed one arm over his front and bowed to her, much like when he had introduced himself before. "It seems we owe you a great debt, Shaaria," he said gratefully before straightening back up. "If not for you, Faelis would not be standing here with us. Even had we not been engaged in combat, I cannot fly and carry her at the same time like you can. Words cannot express my gratitude, but I will try anyway: from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
 	"Yes, I can't thank you enough," Faelis stressed, wringing her gloved hands. "I, I thought I was…"
 	Shaaria smiled and gave a nod towards Faelis. "I am happy to help. You owe me nothing," she said to them both, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. "Except perhaps an explanation of what you know about these things."
 	"Later, yes," Randival agreed, "not here and now. We will have to see if the captain heads for the nearest port or decides to limp the rest of the way to our destination." Casting his gaze to the front of the ship and raising one hand to his muzzle in thought, he mused, "The damage to the prow is not overly serious, and can be temporarily patched… but I heard the observation lounge's window panes break, and the drag that will cause on the ship will slow us down substantially."
 	"It's very fortunate for everyone here that you were on this ship," Shaaria observed.
 	Randival gave a small laugh. "Speak for yourself! If not for your help, the damage would have been much greater. But as for why we're here, we've been investigating these attacks and trying to find the source of them, with... a nonzero amount of success so far."
 	Linya spoke up from nearby. "It seems the creatures are attracted to airships in particular, not just due to their vulnerability but also due to the size and potency of the crystals used in their engines."
 	"Yeah!" her familiar suddenly burst out in a high-pitched voice, undulating up and down with agitation. "Did you see how those things came right at us when we started the sealing spell?"
 	Shaaria blinked in surprise. "You talk?"
 	"Uh, yeah, of course I can talk!" the lindwurm snapped, floating in front of Shaaria and glaring at her angrily. "I'm not a pet!"
 	"Settle down, Hiccup," Linya scolded, coaxing her familiar back with some hand gestures. "Forgive her, she is a little temperamental."
 	Shaaria gave a small bow. "My apologies. I didn't hear you speak during the fight."
 	Hiccup folded her forelegs smugly. "Well, maybe I just don't have a need to shout all the time like mister big mouth over there," she remarked with a look over at Randival.
 	He laughed it off, however. "By which she means that she probably couldn't say anything in the middle of all that. She hiccups when she's stressed, hence the name."
 	"Hey! Do I go around telling everybody your secrets?"
 	"It's hardly a secret-"
 	Shaaria cleared her throat. "Shall we had back down below? I think we're just getting in the crew's way up here, and it's extremely windy."
 	"Good idea," Randival agreed. "Follow me."
 Chapter 5
 	With the observation lounge out of commission, Randival led them down to the second-class passenger area instead. The rooms there were even more cramped than in first class and often shared, and to compensate, a large common-area joined them instead of corridors, providing tables and chairs to the second- and third-class guests. There were no windows, so the room was instead lit entirely by crystals hung from the ceiling that would dim slightly during late hours.
 	Most of the passengers were still sheltering in their rooms, so Randival had little trouble finding a free table with enough seating for the group. He elected to sit in an armchair near a coffee table, as Linya and Faelis sat at opposite ends of a long sofa. Hiccup floated down to curl herself up into a pile in Linya's lap, leaving Shaaria to sit in another armchair, leaving the middle space on the sofa for Anshu to take later.
 	"I do believe some proper introductions are in order, now that we are not at risk of being torn to pieces," Randival began once they had settled into their seats, only to be cut off as the P.A. system chimed and the captain announced the all-clear. He continued unabated, "Faelis, Linya, this is Shaaria. I had the pleasure of meeting her up in the observation lounge, though I had no idea she was such a skilled combatant."
 	Shaaria put a hand in front of her chest and bowed slightly in her seat. "It is a necessity of traveling alone," she answered.
 	"And here I thought you were just a dainty, pretty, unarmed traveler going sightseeing," he remarked with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Well, I stand corrected on that front. Where did you say you were from, again?"
 	He gave her an inquisitive look, making Shaaria wonder if he had actually forgotten, or if he simply doubted her and was testing her. "I have come from somewhere very far away," she answered. "Are you familiar with Cauldurin?"
 	"No," Faelis said, shaking her head.
 	"Only by name," Linya answered.
 	"It is at the most remote northern end of the Charted Territories," Randival remarked. "Well, I cannot fault you for traveling, as that is my calling these days as well, despite how dangerous it has become." Gesturing to his companions, he added, "This is Linya, a researcher from Matakras, and this is Faelis, who has never yet given me a straight answer as to her origins."
 	Faelis wrung her hands in her lap and looked down at the floor, but didn't deny anything. "She has her reasons," Randival asserted, "And she is as reliable a companion as the others are."
 	"Not really," Faelis murmured. "I can't use magic like Linya, or magic items like Anshu, or guns like Randival. I'm good with poisons and I can sneak around, but neither of those are very helpful against these creatures. I'm not very much help. I even had to be rescued in the middle of a battle. I can't fly with these useless things."
 	She flexed the small wings on her back for emphasis, and Shaaria gave them a look. "What happened to them?"
 	"I don't know," Faelis admitted with a shrug. "They're just… stunted, they never grew as big as they should have. Anyway, I'm… I'm just here, don't mind me. I'll try to stay out of your way."
 	"Nonsense," Randival told her, turning more towards her. "Your kill count exceeded mine. And who threw Anshu's vial at that big one latched onto the front of the ship?"
 	"Anyone could have done that, and Shaaria flew me in so close, I couldn't really have missed-"
 	Randival's glance flicked over to Shaaria, and he gave a sigh. "She's very modest as well, as you can see," he told her. "Too much for her own good."
 	"I lost my weapons," Faelis added in a downtrodden tone. "I couldn't find my dagger, so it must have fallen off the deck. I'm no use to you right now."
 	"Then I shall buy you replacements after we dock," Randival told her firmly. She opened her mouth to dispute his statement, and he simply talked over her: "New weapons are easy to come by. But we could never replace you."
 	Faelis glanced away with a blush, slowly wringing her hands. "…thank you," she murmured quietly.
 	"Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes. Finally, the whiskered dragon you met before is Anshu, also from Matakras. Primarily an alchemist and a man of medicine, but he's learned a few other tricks in his time, and you'll never meet anyone who can pack a bag as neatly and tidily as he can."
 	Shaaria gave a small chuckle at Randival's joke. "And I-"
 	"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Hiccup piped up from Linya's lap.
 	"I don't think I did, no," Randival teased, leaning forward and smirking at Hiccup, who huffed and stuck out a forked tongue at him. But after he chuckled to himself, he turned his gaze to Shaaria. "The noodle with an attitude is Hiccup. You might find her useful as a scrubbing brush or a fashion accessory, or a means by which to dispose of table scraps."
 	Unamused, Linya rubbed down the back of Hiccup's neck with one hand to calm the glaring lindwurm and stated, "What Randival meant to say is that Hiccup is my familiar. She assists with my research, warns me of danger, and is able to empower some of my spells."
 	"Yeah! So don't be mean to me, or I'll bite you!" Hiccup asserted, bristling the mane running along her body.
 	Linya and Shaaria exchanged glances. "She means well, and she'll be nice if you are," Linya said flatly, scratching under Hiccup's chin to placate her, making the lindwurm give a squeaky rumble of appreciation.
 	"Well, it's good to meet you all," Shaaria responded. "As I was saying, and as you probably noticed, I am a combat mage: I may not have quite as much destructive power as Linya, but I wield both offensive and defensive forms of magic."
 	"Boast as much as you please! You may not have been quite as efficient as Linya, but you held your own rather well nonetheless," Randival told her. "Which brings me to a question I would like to ask: would you consider coming along with us?"
 	Although Shaaria had been considering how to make the proposal first, she pretended to give it some thought, staring off into the distance aimlessly and raising a hand to her muzzle in the appearance of contemplation. "If you would have me, yes," she said eventually. "It seems something big is going on, and if I can help, I will. I'm not one to abandon those who need my help."
 	Randival's smirk widened into a genuine smile. "Perfect, I'm glad to hear it. We can't have too much help on this, and you've proven your worth."
 	"Thank you, though you clearly know more about what's going on than I do," Shaaria admitted.
 	Linya leaned forward a little, stroking down the back of Hiccup's head with one hand idly. "I'm afraid that what we know, as opposed to what we suspect, is not very much. These rifts only started opening relatively recently. Their frequency and size have gradually been increasing, as has the number and ferocity of the creatures that have come out from each one. The last time this happened is still within living memory, about forty winters ago, but it simply stopped one day, and no-one knows why. This time around has been going on longer than the previous event, shows no signs of stopping, and it is already worse than it was last time."
 	"But it stopped, or was stopped, once before," Randival insisted, looking determined, "and so it can be stopped again. Maybe even permanently, this time. We just have to find the source of these rifts, and why they have started opening up again."
 	Linya nodded in agreement. "Everything else is speculation at this point. Airships are a prime target, as mentioned, and if they are not stopped the creatures kill everything between them and the engine crystals. We don't know what they want them for as this typically results in the loss or destruction of the ship, and its crystal along with it. They seem drawn to magic, and the stronger the source, the more it pulls them to it. They are not very intelligent, and are very simple-minded brutes in combat, but what they lack in wits they make up for in ferocity. We have observed numerous forms these creatures have taken on, but we have no reason to believe that we have seen them all."
 	"But one thing we know for sure is that they can be killed," Randival asserted, patting the sheathed sword at his side. "If all that we are lacking is information, then we must do more research. There are plenty of archives to be found, and if we have to scour every book, record and article in them, then so be it. Someone must have written down more detailed records from the time; maybe the clues we need are sitting on a shelf waiting for us to find them."
 	"It is the best option we have at this time," Linya agreed.
 	"And it's better than being chewed on by big freaky purple monsters," Hiccup added.
 	"I'm no stranger to getting lost in books," Shaaria said to them. "I would be happy to assist; I can do more than just blast things."
 	"Wonderful!" Randival remarked. "However, there is little we can do on that front until we dock, so until then, we should rest and recover. And stay alert, just in case."
 	Faelis scuffed one foot against the floor. "If we get attacked again, I won't be able to help."
 	"There's always something you can do to help," Randival reassured her. "In the meantime, why don't you help Anshu replace his potions? He's always saying having an assistant speeds up his alchemy considerably, and that you were helpful to him last time."
 	Faelis lifted her gaze, and after a moment of thought, gave a small nod. "I'll ask him when he gets back."
 	Randival's head rose, looking past her. "Well, you won't have to wait for long, here he comes now."
 	Shaaria turned her head to follow his gaze, catching sight of Anshu entering the common-room, easily spotting them and making his way over. Cordially, Randival waved him into the empty seat between Linya and Faelis, and asked him, "How did it go?"
 	"I did all that I could," Anshu replied flatly, unshouldering his backpack and setting it down on the floor as he took a seat. Shaaria noticed that the crystal on the end of his staff was considerably darker than it had been when she had seen it earlier, drained of its power. "Some of them were already dead, others have injuries too severe for me to be able to fully fix with what I have available. The wounds these creatures deal are terrible; if I were to fully heal one, it would require condemning twenty others to death, so I must spread my assistance across all of them and hope that my help will let them last until we land." 
 	"I see," Randival said, keeping a neutral tone.
 	"I went with the crew as they did a sweep of the ship," Anshu went on, "but it seems the only other casualty was in the observation lounge. The head attendant, apparently. Regrettably, he was already dead by the time I got there."
 	Shaaria looked downwards sadly. "I was there when it happened. He… he died trying to protect me," she confessed. "He didn't deserve to die. What will happen to him?"
 	Anshu turned his head towards her. "All we can do for the dead crewmembers is store their bodies so they can be properly laid to rest back home," he answered solemnly. "That is for the surviving crew to handle, not us. We have done our part."
 	Shaaria nodded in response, her eyes drifting as she gave a melancholy stare at nothing in particular. Anshu glanced towards Shaaria for a moment longer, then turned back to Randival. "I truly mean no offense, but why is she here with us?"
 	The wyvern gave him a smile. "Anshu, this is Shaaria, a traveler. You may speak freely around her; I have invited her to come with us after her performance up on the deck. I trust you do not object?" he asked, seemingly rhetorically, as Shaaria lifted her head back up.
 	Anshu turned his head back to face Shaaria and gave her a deep nod, his whiskers swaying back and forth slightly from the movement. "It's a pleasure to meet you then, Shaaria."
 	"Likewise," she replied, inclining her head in return.
 	"I do not know how much Randival has already told you of me, so at the risk of repetition: I am a doctor and alchemist from Matakras. I must confess I am not very much of a fighter, but I will offer what support I can by brewing potions, providing medical assistance, and drawing from my collection of magic implements when necessary."
 	Shaaria nodded in acknowledgement. "I am a combat mage from Cauldurin. Randival has been helping bring me up to speed on things so that I can lend you my assistance."
 	"I see. Thank you. Now, as I was saying," Anshu resumed, turning his head back to Randival, "The captain was grateful for our assistance, and says he regrets being so harsh with you when you first made your request. He promised a reimbursement for the supplies I used tending to his crew, and he asked me to pass along his gratitude, as no passengers were injured, and the damage to the ship is relatively minimal, all things considered. It looks a lot worse than it is."
 	Randival smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I'm glad to hear he came around in the end."
 	"He also says he plans to dock in the nearest major port for repairs, and asks that we be ready to respond in the event of another alarm."
 	"A wise decision." Randival reached under his cloak and pulled out some sort of small box-shaped device with a hinge, flicking it open with one hand. "Let's see… this thing doesn't work so well with so many Beacons failing, but if we are where I think we are, then the nearest city of sufficient size would be Dalavun." With his other hand he took out a pocket watch, glancing at it briefly. "At our current speed, we would arrive there… mm, early tomorrow morning, I'd say." A frown suddenly crossed his face as he snapped the gadget shut, and he sighed, returning both it and the watch to their spots under his cloak. "Well, I think we can still potentially find some helpful information there, though I rather hope my father doesn't find out I am back in town."
 	  
 	Shaaria raised an eye-ridge and inquired, "Family problems?"
 	"You could say that. I'll tell you later if you really wish to know." Leaning forward, he glanced around at the others. "In that case, here is our new plan: Dalavun houses a library of impressive size, if I recall correctly." He glanced to Linya, who gave him a nod, and he continued, "We shall begin our investigation there. It is not as grand as the one in Venfird, but if we come up empty we can try and get on another ship heading that way."
 	"That sounds reasonable to me," Linya concurred.
 	"It will give me a chance to resupply as well," Anshu chimed in. "I am running very low on several ingredients."
 	Randival nodded. "Until then, feel free to do as you please. Ah, Shaaria – where might you be staying?"
 	"Room 104."
 	"Ooh, first class," he observed, sounding mildly impressed. "You like to travel in comfort, I see. I'm with Anshu in 226, and the ladies are in 227."
 	"I'll keep that in mind if I need to find you."
 	He gave a little chuckle. "I am generally not a hard person to find. Faelis is the one who is difficult to locate when she doesn't want to be found."
 	"At least when I'm not being hunted by horrors from beyond the Skies," Faelis grumbled. "If they're distracted I can get them, but otherwise, they always seem to know I'm coming."
 	Linya began to rise from her seat, ignoring Hiccup's protests as the lindwurm was forced to rise back into the air near her. "If that's all, I wish to return to my cabin and rest. Running up multiple flights of stairs and casting numerous spells is quite draining."
 	"By all means," Randival replied.
 	"I think I will as well," Shaaria told him. "But don't hesitate to come get me if you need something."
 	"What if the something I need is a friendly conversation partner?" Randival asked hopefully.
 	Shaaria gave a low chuckle. "Then just knock on my door quietly when you come by," she said, saying a quick goodbye to the others before leaving.
 	Once she was out of earshot, Anshu leaned closer to Randival. "You only just met her, do you really think we can trust her?"
 	"She saved my life!" Faelis protested.
 	"Yes; if she meant us any harm, she had ample opportunity to do nothing and let it happen," Randival pointed out. "There is definitely more to her than meets the eye, there is no doubt about that, but I believe her intentions are genuine. Give me time, and I will see if I can learn more about her…"
 Chapter 6
 	After nightfall, Shaaria took a stroll up to the deck to get a little fresh air before turning in for the night – there was no other place to go on the ship for a change of scenery, since the observation lounge was closed for the remainder of the flight, but the deck was still an option despite the damage it had suffered.
 	Several crystal lanterns hanging on the sides of the ship provided plenty of illumination, and the deck had been cleared of bodies, wood splinters, and other detritus from the battle that had taken place there. Some hasty rope barricades had been put up to dissuade any passengers from getting close to the damaged prow, and ropes had been tied between broken sections of railing too, but it was otherwise still accessible.
 	To her surprise, she found Randival up there without his hat, resting his arms on an intact section of the railing and looking out into the dark, cloudy skies below the ship and the starry skies above, the wind blowing his hair to the side. Walking over, she stood beside him and leaned on the railing, following his gaze; if there was anything in particular he was looking at, she couldn't see it.
 	"Couldn't sleep? Or just wanted some fresh air?" she asked in greeting.
 	He turned his head slightly and gave her a smile. "The latter," he replied. "Though I certainly do not mind the company of a lovely lady like yourself to enjoy this serene view with."
 	She chuckled from the compliment. "Thank you. It's a very peaceful view, I admit."
 	"It is." He waited a moment, then leaned a little closer. "Do you often travel alone? I would comment about it being dangerous these days, but you seem quite capable of defending yourself."
 	"In a sense, yes," she replied. "I set out on my travels alone, but I like to find people to travel with along the way."
 	"How fortuitous that you ran into me, then," he observed.
 	"Well, had you not offered first, I was going to ask to come along with you."
 	"Ah, so you aren't immune to my charms," he remarked with a grin. "I was wondering if I had a button out of place or something."
 	She gave a small chuckle. "Not at all, I can just see it coming from a long way away."
 	"How harsh!" he lamented dramatically, crossing a wing-arm over his front. "Unless… you mean to say that you are aware of your own beauty and that gentlemen such as myself would be drawn to it, mm?"
 	Before she could come up with another retort, another voice cut out through the air. "Hey! Are you trying to hit on her already? You only just met her!"
 	Hiccup's long body zipped between the two of them, forcing Shaaria to take a step away from him as the lindwurm undulated between them and glared at Randival.
 	"Well, that was the idea, until an overgrown pipe cleaner showed up to ruin the mood," Randival groused, pushing Hiccup aside only for her to float back into the space between him and Shaaria.
 	Huffing, Hiccup turned the uppermost part of her body around to face Shaaria. "Don't let him fool you, he tries to seduce anything that speaks," she warned, "and even a few things that don't!"
 	"In my defense, it was an exceptionally well-made and very well-dressed mannequin that I was approaching from behind," he muttered, trying once more to push Hiccup aside, succeeding only in temporarily shifting the coils of her body.
 	Shaaria gave a small laugh, however, and leaned on the railing of the ship. "I appreciate it, Hiccup, but I am quite capable of handling myself."
 	"Well, don't blame me when he breaks your heart!"
 	"Duly noted. By the way…" Shaaria looked along Hiccup's partly coiled body as it bobbed up and down. "…how are you doing that?"
 	"Doing what?"
 	"Floating there. Especially along with this moving ship."
 	Hiccup momentarily glanced at herself. "I don't know, I just do," she said with a shrug. "How do you stand there on two legs? Tables and chairs fall over if they only have two legs, why don't you?"
 	"As fascinating as this is," Randival interrupted, finally succeeding in grabbing onto Hiccup with both hands and pushing her away, "I was in the middle of a private conversation. Does Linya know her pet is out and about?"
 	"I'm not a pet!" Hiccup hissed, squirming out of his grasp. "And yes, she knows. She might not mind shutting herself away in musty old archives for days at a time, but some of us like to get out and have some fresh air now and again."
 	"So, she let you outside, just like a common pet," Randival observed.
 	Hiccup gave him a glare, but Randival shooed her away with one hand, so Hiccup drifted over towards Shaaria, who patted one shoulder invitingly. Hiccup came closer and landed on her, curling her long body loosely around Shaaria's neck multiple times and draping it over her shoulders, resting her arms on her own coils.
 	"A proper feather boa would look nicer," Randival mused. "And be much less likely to ruin the mood."
 	"Perhaps another time, then," Shaaria replied, reaching up with one hand and lightly scratching the top of Hiccup's head. Hiccup gave Randival a smug, self-satisfied smirk, but remained quiet, so Shaaria continued, "But didn't you say earlier you were going to tell me about your family issues?"
 	Randival let out a dramatic sigh and leaned on the railing with both hands. "If I must. This relaxing evening out on the deck is turning out to be far less enjoyable than I might have hoped."
 	"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup said dismissively as she settled in around Shaaria's shoulders, her tail-tip idly twitching and thumping the tuft against Shaaria's front on her other side. "If you don't tell her, I will."
 	"Stars and Skies, no," Randival immediately cut in. "But I suppose, as you are going to be traveling with us, that I should share with you some information about myself." Shifting to face Shaaria as he leaned on the railing, he continued, "My father is the current owner of the Nashadhe Shipwrights. Have you heard of them?"
 	"I've heard of them, but I don't know much more than that," Shaaria replied.
 	He gave her a nod. "They are an airship company that both builds and operates ships of various sizes. The biggest company in the skies, actually. My father inherited it from his mother, who inherited it from her father, who… well, you get the picture. And as things stand, I am expected to succeed him."
 	"However, since you are out here," Shaaria surmised, "I can safely assume you do not intend to."
 	Randival brought his free hand to his muzzle. "Well, you see, that's where things get complicated. It's not so much that I don't want to, but that I have things I want to do, first. After all, I wasn't supposed to inherit the company in the first place. My older brother was first in line, and I had few obligations beyond attending family events." Randival's face darkened, his features twisting into a mixture of grief and anger as turned back to the railing, gripping it tightly with both hands as he stared into the clouds below the ship. "But then Servalus… he… he took his own life. To this day, I still do not know why. I likely never will; he left no note and his death took us all by surprise. I prayed to the Stars every night for a whole season hoping that he would come back down and answer me, and tell me why… but he did not, of course."
 	  
 	Shaaria lowered her head and spoke to him softly. "I'm sorry to hear that. You have my condolences."
 	He gave a small nod, lifting his head and relaxing his grip on the railing. "Thank you. It has been several winters since then, and my father and I have grown only more distant during that time. He and I do not see eye-to-eye on how I spend my time."
 	"Well yeah," Hiccup said with a roll of her eyes, "You spend his money on wine and women. And buying wine for women."
 	"You say that like it's a bad thing! Are those not two of the finest creations in the world? Besides, I have other expenditures he does not entirely approve of either." At that remark, he lowered his hand and drew his pistol, holding it by the barrel to show it to Shaaria, proudly displaying the small orange crystal embedded at the back of the barrel. The engraving along the back of the handle ran down it in elegant patterns, indicating it was at least partly customized for him. "I didn't get to be such a good shot without a lot of practice. It took me a while to go from losing money on bets to winning it, but I got there eventually."
 	"And the sword?"
 	"Yes, he didn't exactly hold a positive opinion of me learning swordsmanship, either," Randival remarked as he holstered his pistol. "Or anything else that I have ever done in my life, for that matter. Still, despite all that, I do find airships fascinating, both aesthetically and in terms of their inner workings. Furthermore, I'm not absolutely terrible in the realm of business – fate willing, I might even manage to not immediately run the company directly into the ground when I take over!" 
 	Shaaria chuckled at his joke, and Randival gave a small laugh before he took a breath and straightened his face. "But then, these rifts began appearing. He was content to sit back and wait for them to disappear, as they had before. He's old enough to remember their last appearance, after all. But I wasn't. Even if they did disappear, who's to say they won't come back again? And in the meantime, people are still being hurt and killed. If I could do something, anything, to try and help, shouldn't I? Even if it means leaving my comfy home behind and putting my life at risk. I couldn't rest idle, so I set out, and… well, I may not have left him anything more than a small handwritten note of minimal politeness when I departed. So I have no doubt that he is… how to say… displeased with me."
 	"I can imagine," Shaaria agreed with a nod.
 	"Looking back on it, I can tell that I was rash, and I regret leaving in the way that I did. It probably brought up some bad memories. But, well, we're still family, I'm sure he'll forgive me if I give a sufficiently convincing and groveling apology, right? You know how it is."
 	Shaaria shook her head, frowning. "I'm afraid I don't. I have a… permanently estranged relationship with my parents."
 	"Ah. That explains quite a few things. My condolences. They must be a very influential family, given your wealth…"
 	"I would prefer not to talk about them," Shaaria said, trying to steer the conversation away from having to make up more details about her fabricated background. "There are many reasons why I do not talk to them anymore."
 	"Ah. My apologies." He bowed to her a little. "I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories."
 	She gave him a small smile. "It is something I came to terms with a long time ago, don't worry. Nonetheless, I would rather not dwell on the subject."
 	"Good to know. With all that said, I would appreciate if you didn't go telling everyone you meet who I am – there are only so many people matching my description, yes, but the public at large only really knows that my father's remaining son is a no-good rascal, and relative anonymity is a very powerful tool at the right times."
 	"Your secret is safe with me," she told him, inclining her head. "Do the others know?"
 	"Oh, yes, of course. I wouldn't be telling you in front of the flying rope if they didn't," he remarked, making Hiccup huff. "And I know some of their secrets as well. But if you wish to know those, you will have to ask them yourself; they trust me, after all, and I am not about to betray that."
 	"And do you hit on them as well?" Shaaria teased.
 	"Well, yeah, of course he does," Hiccup answered. Randival shushed her, but she ignored him to continue smugly, "Fortunately, my master has better taste in men than that, so I didn't have to bite anyone."
 	Clearing his throat, Randival cut in, "I quite enjoy the company of others, yes, so I may have tried before once or twice. But they have been… less than receptive, shall we say. Linya is very focused on her work, and has the nosy noodle following her around at all times. Anshu is not interested in the intimate company of other men, and Faelis…"
 	He trailed off, and Shaaria tilted her head. "What about her?"
 	"Yeah, what about her?" Hiccup repeated, leaning her head forward a bit.
 	Pausing a moment, then leaning in closer to Shaaria, Randival grabbed Hiccup's head and held it away from them, ignoring her squeaking protests and wriggling as she tried to swipe at him with her tiny arms. Bringing his mouth close to Shaaria's ear-fin on the other side of her head, he whispered, "Faelis is somewhat… fragile, and lacking in confidence, as you may have seen. She has told me precious little of her past, and I do not believe that it hides anything good. I have no desire to upset her, or make her uncomfortable, or traumatize her. That would ruin the whole thing, would it not? So I do not lay my charms upon her."
 	"I see," Shaaria replied, putting a hand on Hiccup's side to hold the wriggling lindwurm in place.
 	"I believe in her, but she does not believe in herself," Randival added in a whisper. "And I worry that I might put undue pressure on her to do something she does not want to."
 	He leaned back away from her and released Hiccup, who immediately turned her head and glared daggers at him. "I understand that," Shaaria empathized. "I would feel much the same in your position."
 	Giving her a smile, he bowed to her a little. "I may be a good-for-nothing layabout as my father so often claims," he said with amusement, "But I still have standards."
 	"How did you meet Faelis, anyway? You mentioned you found the other two in Matakras."
 	"Hmm… I think that is a story for another night. All you need to know is that I have taken it upon myself to care for and protect her from those who might wish her harm. I am sure you already intended to, but please, would you be nice to her?"
 	"Of course," Shaaria replied. Smirking, she then asked, "And what about Hiccup? Have you tried seducing her?"
 	"As I just said moments ago, I have standards," he remarked with a side-eyed glance at the lindwurm.
 	"Hey!" Hiccup protested, floating off from Shaaria's shoulders and undulating in the air beside them. "I have standards too, and they're way better than yours!"
 	"Besides," Randival added, ignoring the insult, "She's far too small for me."
 	"You wish!" Hiccup retorted, "The only thing big about you is your ego!"
 	"Well, your big mouth certainly outdoes my own, there's no doubt about that."
 	Hiccup huffed and turned sharply in the air, smacking him with the tuft on the end of her tail as she did, floating off back towards the stairs leading belowdecks. Randival chuckled, straightening his hair and leaning on the railing again. "I'm not one for rude girls, either," he remarked. "I prefer the calmer, more refined ladies…"
 	"Like myself?" Shaaria guessed, returning the smirk that he flashed her.
 	"You certainly fit the bill, do you not?" Randival said, leaning in as the flirted with her. "Or are you only pretending to be calm and refined?"
 	She gave him a little chuckle in response. "You saw me during the fight earlier, didn't you?"
 	"True, I'm very glad you're on our side!"
 	Giving him a smile for a moment, she then cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "However, it's actually the 'lady' part. I normally don't bring it up in polite conversation, but since you are making passes at me, and I don't want there to be any false pretenses, I feel I should let you know that I'm a hermaphrodite."
 	Randival raised an eyebrow. "I see! Well, you are not the first one I've ever met. Fret not; it does not bother me, and I appreciate your honesty."
 	"And I appreciate your understanding," she told him with a nod of her head. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised with what Hiccup said earlier about you…"
 	"Pay no attention to the talking dishrag," Randival said dismissively, waving a hand. "I care about how agreeable someone is the most! Everything else is just details. Sure, good looks will get me interested, but if you don't have the personality to back it up, I shall find someone else. I am not that desperate for companionship."
 	"Is that your roundabout way of giving a compliment?" Shaaria teased playfully.
 	He chuckled and smirked, but when he spoke, it was in a soft and quiet tone, more sincere than his expression let on. "You saved the life of someone very important to me today," he told her. "That alone has endeared you to me greatly. Would you care to allow me to accompany you to your room so I may show my gratitude…?"
 	She smiled, but shook her head slowly. "While that offer does sound appealing, and I enjoy your attention, I think it's about time that I got some sleep. I only meant to come up here for a little while before going to bed – I'm quite tired after that fight earlier today."
 	"Another night then, perhaps," he acknowledged. "I will stay here a little longer, as it is a very lovely view. Take care, and sleep well."
 	"You as well. Goodnight." She turned and headed back for the door leading to the stairs, leaving Randival alone with the starlit view. But as she entered the enclosed area at the top of the staircase, lit by a crystal-powered light hanging from the ceiling, she came face-to-face with Hiccup. The lindwurm was floating in the air just above the top of the stairs, seemingly waiting for her, and looked at her expectantly.
 	"Hiccup?" Shaaria inquired.
 	"I'll only tell you this because you're nice, unlike Randival," Hiccup said, pointing with one arm, "But someone was listening in on your conversation."
 	Shaaria looked where Hiccup was pointing. Just behind the door was a stack of two large, metal crates, and behind that, hiding away from the light and crouched down, was Faelis. "Hiccup, why?" Faelis demanded, sounding betrayed.
 	"Because it's not nice to spy on your friends," Hiccup sneered, before turning around and zipping off down the stairs.
 	The black-clad dragon stood up from her hunched position, cheeks flushed in embarrassment for having been discovered, but had Hiccup not told her, Shaaria had no doubt that she would have walked right past Faelis without knowing she was there. Faelis kept her eyes downward, avoiding Shaaria's gaze, saying nothing else.
 	"Faelis, was that true?" Shaaria inquired, trying not to sound too angry. "Were you really spying on us?"
 	In response, Faelis hung her head in shame, wringing her hands. "I… I was just worried. Randival's all alone, and this really strong mage who just showed up today goes to meet him away from everyone else, and…"
 	Shaaria put a hand on Faelis's shoulder gently to get her attention. "I'm not angry," she said sympathetically, "I would prefer for my private conversations to remain private in the future, but I understand your feelings. He's a lucky man to have friends who care about him that much looking out for him and helping him."
 	"He doesn't really need my help," Faelis muttered softly.
 	"Is that so? I seem to recall him saying he needs all the help he can get," Shaaria pointed out.
 	"He does," Faelis agreed, "But everyone else can help him more than I do. I'm barely any use against these things. Not like you and Linya and Anshu. I'm barely a better fighter than Hiccup."
 	Reaching under Faelis's snout and gently raising her muzzle, Shaaria told her, "Even if he could find someone who fights better than you, I think he'd rather keep you. You're very important to him."
 	Momentarily stunned, Faelis backed away a little, and Shaaria took her hand away. "I…" she murmured, looking flustered, glancing off to the side. "You're just saying that…"
 	"Not at all. He told me moments ago," Shaaria pointed out.
 	"Oh, I… didn't hear everything…" Faelis muttered, wringing her hands. "Some of it was… too quiet…"
 	"Besides, even if you can't help right now, perhaps you can help him in the future. He could be planning ahead, for when he gets into a situation that no-one else can do."
 	"Mm. Maybe," Faelis conceded.
 	Shaaria paused before making another inquiry. "But the important question is, do you want to stay with him?"
 	Faelis's answer was immediate. "Yes! I do. I don't want to be alone again."
 	"Then there's nothing to worry about." 
 	There was a moment of silence between them before Faelis quietly replied, "…thank you."
 	"You're welcome. Goodnight, Faelis."
 	"Goodnight, Shaaria."
 Part 2: Dalavun
 Chapter 7
 	"Attention, passengers," came an announcement, making Shaaria lift her head from her book. "We will be making an emergency landing at Dalavun soon. Due to the damage to the ship, we must request all passengers disembark upon our arrival. Please visit the Beranik Skyliners ticketing desk to request a full refund or a transfer to another flight bound for Venfird."
 	Looking out of the window, Shaaria saw part of their imminent destination through the porthole. Dalavun, like many larger cities in this world, was composed of a single large central island with numerous smaller ones clustered around it, pulled close by magic or crystal technology. Some were connected with bridges, others relied on short-range air ferries, or in extreme cases, individuals flying under their own power or riding flying mounts.
 	The peripheral islands seemed to be where most of the local industry of Dalavun was; farms, mines, hatcheries, factories, shipyards, and so on. The central island housed the main city, with rows of streets lined by small houses and shops, rarely ever reaching higher than two floors. The few grand buildings in the city stood out quite easily as a result; some wide and rectangular, some with arched rooves or domes, and some with great balconies.
 	The ship made a slow, struggling cruise in to the dock, and Shaaria got up and gathered up her things before heading over to the second class cabins to meet up with Randival and the others. Anshu still had his backpack, and Faelis had one of her own, while both Linya and Randival appeared to have wheeled travel cases for their possessions. Once the ship had been moored, the side door on the airship opened and the crew extended a ramp and raised its railings, allowing the passengers to get off and back onto solid ground. As she headed for the ramp, Shaaria was painfully reminded once more of Melwyn's fate when she saw a different crew member standing by the side door ushering people out, silently resolving to do what she could to help Randival and the others in their efforts.
 	Flipping his hat over in both hands before putting it upon his head, Randival led the group away from the ship, as the ticketing desk would be crowded for quite a while yet. Rather than wait in a queue for hours, they instead made their way off to the library, a big square building visible from the airship port, made entirely from stone rather than the timber-framed buildings around it. Great stone columns at the front of the building held up the overhang above the stairs leading inside, with enormous plate glass windows on all sides to allow for ample light to read by.
 	Linya made a detour only to get directions from the front desk before leading them off to the historical section, where wooden shelves laden with books, files and other records stood in neat parallel rows. In the center of them was a long, dark wooden table surrounded by plain wooden chairs, a simple crystal light hanging directly above the table to provide more illumination if the ambient light was insufficient.
 	"First, we must find records of the previous appearance of these portals, so that we can narrow down exactly when they disappeared," Linya said to the others as she began pulling things off their shelves and carried them back to the table. "Then, we must look for anything of note in the same time frame and see what clues we can find."
 	Placing one item in front of each seat at the table and stacking the rest in the middle, Linya pulled out a chair, took a seat, and opened the book of records before her. Hiccup floated down onto the table beside her and settled down in front of a loose stack of papers Linya had set out specifically for the lindwurm. Shaaria took the seat opposite Linya, while Anshu took the seat next to Hiccup and pulled a notebook and pencil from his backpack. Finally, Faelis sat between Shaaria and Randival, the black-clad dragon taking a long glance at the stack of papers in front of her before reaching out and gently picking up the top one.
 	  
 	The group began poring through the records in relative silence, broken only by the occasional turn of a page and the periodic scratching of Anshu's pencil as he took notes. Shaaria tried her best not to get distracted as she pored through accounts of events of the spring of 2841, but it was fascinating in its own way, a look into the past of another world and what they thought was important enough to write down. She couldn't stop herself from reading fully through the births and deaths among prominent families, important new discoveries in crystal technology, the arrivals of famous traveling performers, and unusual occurrences such as record-breaking gryphons hatching or strange weather patterns. There was not a single mention of any portals, void creatures or attacks on airships to be found, however, and she realized she had reached the end of her collection of records when she turned over the last one and saw only the table underneath.
 	"Nothing here," she declared, gathering up the stack of documents. She had been so absorbed in reading she had not noticed that Linya and Hiccup had already each finished one set of their own and placed them aside, both working on their second sets of documents. Anshu looked nearly done with his, and while Randival was only halfway done as he continued to glance around from apparent boredom, Shaaria was quick to notice that Faelis was only a small part of the way through her own stack of papers.
 	For a moment, Shaaria said nothing and observed the black-clad dragon, pretending to busy herself with stacking the records she had already gone through. Faelis's eyes were moving slowly over the page, and though it was subtle, Shaaria could see her mouth moving just a little bit as she read, her thumb slowly moving down the lines of a story about a new island being added to Dalavun's jurisdiction. Her free hand was clutching the edge of the table, and seemed to be shaking slightly from apparent nervousness.
 	Shaaria got up and returned her stack of records to the shelf as a means to give herself time to think about what she should do. Clearly, Faelis was having problems, but Shaaria didn't want to embarrass the other dragon. On the other hand, she seemed distressed, and it would be no kindness to force her to stay like that, so after gathering the records for summer of 2842, Shaaria returned to her seat and put one hand on Faelis's shoulder gently.
 	Faelis froze up like a statue at the touch, but for her head sharply turning to face Shaaria, looking for all the world like a child afraid of being disciplined. "Are you all right?" Shaaria asked softly, keeping her voice low. "Do you need some help?"
 	"No, no, I'm- I'm fine," Faelis responded quickly, but the slightly panicked tone in her voice didn't convince Shaaria very well.
 	"Are you sure? I can help you if you need it," Shaaria offered.
 	"It's okay, really," Faelis insisted, but Randival had taken notice of their conversation as he put off starting on another page. "I can do it."
 	"Faelis," he said simply, leaning in closer to her. "You are a wonderful and talented young woman, but you are a terrible liar."
 	Faelis froze in place, and Shaaria could see her hands trembling as she held the paper. "N-No! I'm not! I can do this! I-I can read just fine!" she protested unconvincingly, her breath quickening in panic. 
 	Shaaria frowned in worry; this was exactly what she had been afraid would happen. "Faelis, it's all right," she said, trying to console the other wing-back, "I just want to help you if you're having trouble reading these."
 	"Oh dear," Linya cut in, looking up and across the table, reaching up with one hand and adjusting her spectacles. "You can't read?"
 	"No! I mean yes! I mean I- I- I can read!" Faelis stumbled in an even greater panic, "But… I'm just a little slow, that's all!"
 	"Why didn't you ask for help?"
 	Faelis averted her eyes from Linya's face, staring at the papers in front of her. "You're all busy. I didn't want to get in the way… I didn't want to slow you down. I didn't want to be dead weight."
 	"Faelis, how old are you?" Linya asked in a slightly scolding tone.
 	"I… I'd rather not say."
 	Unamused, Linya rested her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together, then placed her snout atop them, fixing Faelis with a stare above the rim of her spectacles. "You're an adult, though, yes?"
 	"Yes…"
 	"And yet, you read at the level of a small child," Linya stated calmly, as if making an observation about the weather.
 	Faelis shrunk down in her seat, clutching her arms with her hands, and quietly whimpered, "I'm sorry…!" She was trembling again, and Shaaria saw tears at the corners of her eyes.
 	"Linya!" Hiccup suddenly snapped at her master, glaring intensely. "Why did you have to say it like that?"
 	"I'm just stating the truth, that's all," Linya replied calmly. "She is not illiterate, but she cannot read at an adult level."
 	"No, no! NO!" Faelis buried her head in her hands, her whole body shaking, and then tried to get up suddenly, knocking over her chair. She tried to turn and flee but tripped on the chair legs and went sprawling; though she reflexively put her hands out and stopped herself from ending up facefirst on the ground, she was delayed long enough for Shaaria and Randival to catch up to her and grab onto her.
 	"Faelis, it's all right!" Shaaria said reassuringly as she helped Faelis to her feet, yet kept a firm hold on her arm. "There's nothing to be ashamed of!"
 	"Be nice to Faelis!" Hiccup snarled at Linya, baring her short, sharp teeth, rising up from her coiled position on the table.
 	Linya was staring in disbelief as Faelis was guided back to her seat by Shaaria while Randival stood her chair upright. "I didn't mean…" Linya said quietly, sounding regretful.
 	"Apologize to her!" Hiccup insisted.
 	"Yes, you're right," Linya conceded, leaning forward. Faelis was staring down under the table, avoiding the gazes of everyone else, her hands on the table as she wrung them slowly. "Faelis, I'm sorry," Linya began, "It was not my intention to shame you. I was just making an observation."
 	"It's okay," Faelis murmured, not raising her head, "You're right. I'm just useless dead weight…"
 	"No you are not!" Linya exclaimed suddenly, reaching across the table and gently taking Faelis by the wrist. "I don't know why you read poorly, but I do not imagine for one moment that it is a deliberate failing on your part. It is not your fault. It does not make you useless, and it does not make you 'dead weight'! However, it is still a problem, and before we can fix the problem, you must acknowledge that it exists."
 	Faelis sat up a little, raising her head to look at Linya, but didn't say anything. Linya continued, "You will never improve unless you first admit that you need to improve. There is no shame in that. There are many things – uncountable things – that I do not know. But at any time, I can put myself to work learning them, and if I focus on it, I will. The only limit is my own resolve and determination to see it through. There is no reason you cannot do the same."
 	"…okay," Faelis said after a brief pause. "I… I'll try again with these."
 	"No, no, not like that," Linya insisted, letting go of Faelis's wrist and standing up from her seat, pushing her chair back. "You need a teacher, so I will be yours today. Let's work on these together. Hiccup, take over on mine when you finish with yours."
 	Faelis seemed to panic a little again as Linya made her way around the table. "It's fine, I can do it myself," she said quickly, "I don't want to take up your time." Linya, however, was having none of it, and soon stood next to Faelis, leaning around past her.
 	"Start at the top of the page," Linya instructed, pointing to the record Faelis had been reading. "We'll do this one together."
 	"O… Okay," Faelis said quietly, taking a deep breath. After a moment of silence, she timidly asked, "What, um… what is… this word…?" as she pointed near the top of the page, shrinking down in her seat a little.
 	Linya leant over Faelis's shoulder and peered at the word Faelis was indicating. "Jurisdiction," Linya answered, saying it slowly for Faelis's benefit. "In this case, it means the land the city controls."
 	Faelis's tension seemed to disappear as Linya defined the word for her. "Thank you," she said softly. "I'm sorry I don't know all these words…"
 	"Don't apologize. Just ask if you get stuck again," Linya encouraged, and Faelis gave a nod, taking a breath and starting to read in a quiet voice to avoid distracting the others.
 Chapter 8
 	A little while thereafter, Anshu suddenly leaned in closer to the record he had been inspecting, staring at it with intense interest. "Aha, here!" he declared moments later, snatching up the paper in this left hand while scribbling down notes with his right. "This is from Winter of 2843, Day 57. It says that three days after the passenger skyliner 'Mataricia' went missing en route to Dalavun, a cargo airship was attacked shortly after takeoff. The assailants came from a rift in the sky itself, lacking in color and form, and savagely assaulted the crew of the ship. The navigator turned as sharply as they could to get back to land, while flying and mounted guards came to reinforce them. The assailants were defeated but the ship was damaged and forced to make an emergency landing. The rift collapsed by itself after a while, but only after a long battle with the creatures coming from it."
 	Linya looked up from the article she had been helping Faelis to read. "Is that the earliest reference you've found?"
 	"Yes, unless someone has any from fall of 2843."
 	"Nope! I already did that one," Hiccup declared, raising her front up a bit from where her coiled body was piled on the table. "Nothing about rifts or attacks or anything exciting in there at all."
 	"I'll start checking spring of 2844," Shaaria said, collecting together the set of records she was halfway through reading back into a stack.
 	"No, let Faelis do that," Linya suggested. "Faelis, you can be a great help to us if you just skim through the records and look for any mention of these creatures, and then let us read them in full."
 	"I can try," Faelis quietly said with a small nod.
 	"As for the rest of us, let's split up the rest of the ones Anshu has. We can get through them faster that way. "
 	Anshu divided his stack of records up and passed them around so that they could get to work. Now that they had a lead, it was easier to focus, and even Randival kept his head down as he skimmed through the records looking for anything relevant to their investigation. Faelis dutifully divided the next season's records into two piles, quickly glancing over each one for relevant words she recognized. It didn't take long for them to find more instances of void creature attacks, and with Faelis seeming to find even more references, they soon divided up those records as well and had Faelis start on the summer of 2844 to keep ahead of them.
 	Some time later, Linya frowned deeply as she skimmed over another record and set it aside. "Another report about another city, but these are no longer telling us anything useful," she muttered. "Just reports about these incidents and the reactions to them. No information on what caused them."
 	Faelis looked down, making a small disappointed noise, her pile of irrelevant items much taller than the relevant one. "I'm sorry, I'm not finding very much in these," she apologized. "There are a few, but nowhere near as many."
 	"What are you sorry for?" Linya asked, "It's not your fault if they stopped writing about these things. We may need to begin looking elsewhere for more information."
 	Shaaria leaned back in her chair, looking over at Faelis's papers in thought. "But why would they stop recording it entirely?" she wondered aloud.
 	Linya raised her muzzle and looked at Shaaria over the rim of her spectacles. "What do you mean?"
 	"We're still talking about a major disaster," Shaaria mused, reaching over and taking the few articles that Faelis had set aside as positive matches, skimming through them. "It seems strange that all mention of it would just suddenly disappear as quickly as it came."
 	"Unless something else happened," Anshu suggested.
 	"Like what?" Linya asked.
 	Shaaria glanced over the last record, but it was just another report of an attack on an airship. "That, I don't know," she admitted, setting the papers down. "But the sudden stop in reports is a clue in and of itself…"
 	Her eyes drifted over towards the articles Faelis had set aside for not being relevant. "Faelis, would you pass me those?" Shaaria asked, pointing with one finger.
 	"Huh? Sure, but, these are the ones that…"
 	"I know," Shaaria said as she took the records from Faelis. "There might be something in here after all."
 	"Oho! I think I see what you're getting at," Randival piped up, leaning forward and peering past Faelis at what Shaaria was doing. "We've always heard that the rifts just stopped one day, and no-one knows why. Therefore, there wouldn't really be any records from the time along the lines of 'and today, the attacks stopped happening', so something else must have happened to make them stop, and we might be able to find what it was."
 	"Exactly," Shaaria agreed as she began skimming the papers.
 	Linya reached across the table for the previous season's records that Faelis had separated out. "It's as good an idea as any. Let's take a look."
 	Faelis fidgeted uneasily in her chair. "Um… what can I do?" she asked.
 	"Well, I'm not sure what we might be looking for in these other records," Linya mused. "We'll have to check them all for anything of interest. Take some and try reading them, but let me know if you run into any words you can't read."
 	One by one, they sifted through the documents. Shaaria noticed that even the ones that didn't directly mention the rifts or the void monsters still detailed effects of the attacks – increased air fares to cover the cost of the extra guards on each flight, difficulties obtaining many goods that couldn't be found in Dalavun, new designs of ships with more defenses, the founding of new mercenary groups specifically for dealing with these creatures, and so on. The Silver Wing had been less fortified than the ones in the pictures included with the records, and Shaaria frowned; was the previous rapid disappearance of the rifts making people complacent? Perhaps Randival's father wasn't the only one assuming they would go away on their own once more.
 	"Ooh, what about this?" Hiccup suddenly piped up, waving a small arm at Linya to get her attention. "It mentions a group of people who were heading out to try and find the source of the rifts and stop them!"
 	"Well, that seems awfully familiar for some reason," Randival remarked sarcastically. "Was it dated a season ago?"
 	"No, you dummy!" Hiccup retorted.
 	"Let me take a look," Linya said firmly, reaching over and taking the paper that was in front of Hiccup's mostly-coiled form. Her eyes scanned back and forth over it, and she reached up with her other hand, adjusting her spectacles idly. "Summer of 2844, Day 2… mm-hmm, mm-hmm… concerned group of civilians… Maxirus Albater, Larine Joristen, Frantin--" she cut herself off midway through the names and frowned. "Who are these people? I've never heard of them."
 	  
 	"Would-be adventurers much like us, apparently," Randival remarked with a chuckle. "What does it say about them?"
 	"Apparently they were all survivors of the same crash after an attack," Linya said as she read. "Part of the crew of the ship, they lost several friends in the crash and were determined to find the cause, gathered some supplies and aid, and left the city." She placed the paper in Anshu's expectantly outstretched hand and looked around the table. "Have any of you found any other mention of this group?"
 	The others each gave negative responses, and Linya sighed in frustration. "Wonderful. A dead end, then. They must have failed, otherwise we would have heard about it."
 	Shaaria put a hand to her muzzle in thought. "Is that really the case?" she wondered aloud as Anshu recorded details from the article into his notes.
 	Linya tilted her head. "I don't follow."
 	"Your only assertion that they failed is that you've never heard of them. And in a way, that does make sense, as anyone who stops a disaster like this would surely be recognized as a hero and written down in history. But… what if they didn't make it back?"
 	"That's what I'm saying," Linya insisted. "They didn't make it back, ergo, they were nothing more than hopefuls who accomplished nothing."
 	"Can we really say that, though? It obviously was a one-way trip, but what if they did succeed?"
 	"Now there's an idea," Randival agreed, leaning his chair back. "Maybe they got lost, or made some heroic sacrifice, or their ship got destroyed. Or maybe they're still out there and just kept on going. We know they never returned, but that doesn't mean they failed."
 	Linya folded one arm and rested the other on top of it, putting her fist under her chin. "That theory does have merit, and does not contradict anything we know at this time," she agreed, "but you have no more evidence to support it than I do to support mine. Unless you can think of something we can look for, this is still a dead-end of our investigation."
 	Silence fell over the table; Shaaria thought hard, but couldn't come up with any obvious angles of approach, and evidently, neither could any of the others.
 	"Um," Faelis said after a moment, "Is there… anything else I could do? I'm… not being very helpful."
 	"Nonsense, Faelis," Randival reassured her. "You did a fine job helping sort these records for us."
 	"But the one we needed was in the pile of papers I thought weren't useful. You ended up looking through them all anyway."
 	Randival gave a small sigh. "We didn't know that. Look, if you don't want to stick around here, I don't blame you – I'd sneak off if I could get away with it, but sacrifices must be made. Actually, now that I think of it," he said, reaching into a pocket on his vest, "why don't you take our tickets and go get the refund from the ticket desk? It ought to have cleared out a bit by now."
 	Anshu reached down to his backpack. "I have a reimbursement letter from the captain as well, if you wouldn't mind redeeming that while you are there."
 	"I can do that," Faelis replied, holding out a hand as Randival took out a small wad of five tickets, and Anshu extracted a folded and sealed letter. Shaaria reached into a pocket and took out her ticket as well, handing it to Faelis, who took a moment to look it over, seeming oddly fascinated by it.
 	"Is something wrong?" Shaaria asked.
 	"Oh, no, I've just never seen a first-class ticket before," Faelis answered. "They're a bit fancier. They still have the cabin number, ship name and date on them, but they have a different design and color, and…" She trailed off, and Shaaria tilted her head inquisitively. "Um," Faelis began after a moment, then hesitated.
 	"What is it?" Randival inquired.
 	"Well… maybe this is a stupid idea, but… I was just thinking…" Faelis glanced down at the ticket in her hand again, nervously fiddling with the corner of it. "I mean… what if those people Linya mentioned… what if they traveled on public airships?"
 	Randival gave a small nod. "They probably did, I doubt they'd be able to afford one by themselves. Airships are quite expensive, you know, and they weren't any cheaper forty winters ago. Why?"
 	"If they did, then… well, don't airship companies keep records?"
 	"Faelis, that's brilliant!" Linya suddenly burst out, leaning over the table. "Of course! Every flight has a manifest that records its passenger list and cargo. We know the rough date they were traveling on – we just have to go dig those up!"
 	"Yeah," Hiccup added, "If only we knew some guy who was the son of an airship company's owner or something." Randival shot her a glare, and Hiccup just gave him a smug, defiant look.
 	"It was forty winters ago. Nashadhe was around back then, yes, and they do have archives in their offices here in the city proper. But they're not the only airship company around."
 	"Still," Linya pointed out, "it's a good avenue of exploration, and if we don't find anything we can try another company. That was an excellent idea, Faelis."
 	Faelis looked away. "I didn't really do anything. It might not even help in the end, and I'm sure you would have come up with it on your own anyway."
 	"Even if we did, you still saved us time," Randival insisted, pushing his chair back. "Come now, we-"
 	He was cut off by a rumble from his own stomach, and he paused, clearing his throat. Faelis gave a small giggle, and he continued, "We should get ourselves some lunch. We have been here quite a while."
 	"Yeah, I'm starving," Hiccup agreed.
 	"Very well, let's put all these away and then go get something to eat," Linya said as she began gathering the records together again.
 Chapter 9
 	Shaaria had to admit, Randival's advice on restaurants was certainly top-notch. The place he led them to was tucked away in a side alley off the main road and fairly quiet as a result, yet the meal on offer was a delight; they were brought out boards of breads, cheeses, fruits, nuts, crackers and more for the group to split, alongside a hot bowl of fresh soup for each of them. Hiccup perched herself on Linya's shoulder, the lindwurm's master occasionally holding up a small piece of fruit for her familiar to snatch and devour as the rest of them ate.
 	After that, they split up – Randival and Faelis left to refund the airship tickets and replace Faelis's weapons, while Anshu excused himself to replenish his alchemical supplies and other items. That left Linya, Shaaria and Hiccup, and with nothing better to do before meeting up with the others, they returned to the library to see if there were any other helpful books from the time of the previous rift appearances.
 	Selecting a thick tome and pulling it from the shelf, Shaaria carried it under one arm over to where Linya was sitting. The other mage was in a big, plush chair beside a window this time, with Hiccup sprawled limply over the back of it, snoozing in the sunlight streaming in through the glass, her long body hanging down both the front and back of the chair. A coffee table separated Linya's seat from another identical chair that Shaaria sat in, slipping her tail through a gap between the seat and back cushions made for that exact purpose, and folding her wings against her back so they wouldn't get bent against the chair.
 	Shaaria peered at Linya's book; it appeared to be a spellbook as far as she could see, one that Linya was studying intently. Noticing Shaaria looking over at her, she raised her gaze, giving Shaaria a curious look.
 	"I was just seeing what you were reading," Shaaria explained.
 	Linya held the book up so that Shaaria could see the cover better. "This is from about the time of the first rifts. I thought I might find another helpful spell or two in here."
 	"Good idea," Shaaria agreed. "That reminds me, where did you learn the spell to seal the rift?"
 	"Ah, that one I picked up shortly after joining Randival. This was before Anshu came aboard, you see."
 	"Was Faelis with him?"
 	"Yes. She was even more quiet and withdrawn then, if you can believe it."
 	Hiccup lifted her head a little, otherwise remaining in her sprawled position. "Faelis is a good girl. She gives me fruit and lets me curl up in her lap."
 	"Faelis is not a 'girl'; she is an adult, even if she does not act like it," Linya muttered, reaching up and stroking along Hiccup's side just behind her head. "Regardless, I had heard about the rifts, of course – who hadn't, at that point? – but Randival was not having any luck finding anyone to help him. He came to the college, and pled his case at an assembly of the staff and researchers, but I was the only one who came forward in the end."
 	  
 	"Why was that, do you think?"
 	Linya gave a quiet chuckle. "Scholars are not very well known for wanting to charge into battle. Truth be told, neither am I. I do not know how to wield a sword, shield, or gun. I have only my magic to protect me, and the only blade I carry is a small paring knife for cutting up fruit to give to Hiccup."
 	Shaaria gave a nod. "Then why did you join him?"
 	Lowering her book, Linya gazed out of the window beside her at the streets just outside. "You know… I hadn't really thought about that," she admitted. "Perhaps I found his clumsy attempts to be charming endearing. Maybe I wanted to get away from spending all my time buried in books. Maybe I wanted to see more of the world beyond Matakras and its college. I have spent most of my life purely in academia, studying and working on research projects. Countless hours spent reading and writing, with only stacks of books and Hiccup to keep me company. So much theory – why not put it into practice?"
 	Before Shaaria could respond, a frown crossed Linya's face. "No," she corrected herself, "No, that's not it. There's more to it. I suppose… I wanted to prove myself."
 	"To whom?"
 	"Myself," Linya answered. "And also… to one particular and very unimpressed visitor to the college. He said we were too detached from reality, living lives entirely within the confines of the college's walls, hiding away behind books as the world passed us by. Pouring our time into things that had nothing to do with reality, all for our own self-satisfaction." Turning her head back to Shaaria, she narrowed her eyes, looking over the rim of her spectacles. "I don't believe he was right, of course. But I want to prove it. Not just to him – I likely will never see him again – but to all those who share his opinion. Forming a theory and finding evidence to support it is what I do. I want to prove that my studies, and all the things I've learned from them, are not only useful outside of the college, but can help people."
 	Shaaria nodded to her, watching as Linya took her hand away from Hiccup's side to reach up and adjust her spectacles lightly before continuing. "It is rare to meet another like me away from the college. You have a great amount of power – more or less enough to be my equal, from the look of it."
 	Raising an eyebrow, Shaaria looked a little more closely at Linya's spectacles, spotting the tiny yellow crystal affixed to the top of the crosspiece that had previously escaped her notice. "Are those magical?" she asked.
 	Linya gave a small nod. "My sight is perfectly fine," she said, plucking the spectacles off her muzzle with two fingers for emphasis, before putting them back on. "They can let me see the auras possessed by magical items, magic users like you and I, and magical creatures like Hiccup. I mostly use them for identification purposes, such as identifying spells or the functions of crystal-based devices, among other things." Leaning back in her chair and relaxing, Linya reached up with one hand and scratched Hiccup under her chin, the lindwurm nuzzling back against her hand. "But we are getting off track."
 	"Yes, quite," Shaaria agreed.
 	"As I was saying, Randival came to the college with Faelis, looking for assistance, and I was the only one to join him. The library at the college is much more extensive than this one, at least in size, and so it was the first place I thought to look for information. Sadly, for the most part, it did not have anything helpful."
 	"Well yeah," Hiccup suddenly spoke up. "You were looking in the wrong section."
 	Linya turned her head, giving Hiccup a skeptical look. "What do you mean?"
 	"You were only looking through the magic archives. But even old books there wouldn't have covered the events themselves. You should have checked the historical records over in the east wing."
 	Linya's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me this at the time?"
 	"I did. You had your face buried too deeply in books to listen."
 	Unamused, Linya pushed her spectacles up her snout a little, grudgingly conceding the point. "I do tend to get a bit of tunnel vision when I am deep in my research. But it wasn't for nothing; I found that spell that seals the rifts. It is derived from the same family of spells used to control the temporary portals that are sometimes opened between close islands – there is one spell that closes them, and a different one for safely closing a portal that has lost stability. That last one was adapted for use against these void creatures' rifts during their first appearance, and someone at the college who I do not recall had the good sense of mind to write it down."
 	"Professor Torvenant," Hiccup volunteered helpfully.
 	"Yes, that sounds like it," Linya said dismissively, as if she had already forgotten the name again. "Anyway, did that answer your question?"
 	"Yes, thank you," Shaaria replied, inclining her head. "I know nothing of these creatures, so I appreciate the insight. It's fortunate that they seem very weak to the lightning spells you wield."
 	Linya arched an eyebrow at Shaaria's attempt at a compliment. "I hope you don't think I'm some sort of one-trick gryphon," Linya said assertively, raising a hand and gesturing, a flame bursting to life in the air for a brief moment. "I am quite capable-" with another gesture, the flame vanished, and the air where it had been chilled, a mist condensing there. "-of using other types-" One more gesture, and a small lance of hard light like the ones Shaaria used appeared in her hand. "-of offensive magic, thank you very much." Dismissing the magic and waving her hand, Linya made the lance disappear, giving Shaaria a firm look over the rim of her spectacles.
 	"Showoff," Hiccup muttered quietly.
 	"I'm sorry, that wasn't what I meant to imply at all," Shaaria said apologetically.
 	"I exclusively use lightning magic against these creatures because it is the most effective form of magic against them," Linya explained, ignoring Hiccup's comment, leaning back into her chair. "Fire does work, but not nearly as well. Cold is ineffective, for they have no recognizable anatomy we know of, and certainly no body heat or circulation to affect. That is also why Faelis's poisons are of no use on them."
 	Lifting her muzzle, Linya continued, "But their bodies, including the protective membrane, conduct electricity excellently, so lightning is especially effective. Anything that can pierce the membrane also works well – Randival's gun, for instance, or Faelis's blades since she uses them to stab and not slash. Luminous magic like yours works because it has that same piercing quality, but they are not weak to it in and of itself, so while they are blocked by your barriers, they are not harmed by contact with them. Conversely, bludgeoning weapons or magic are next to useless against them." 
 	Tapping one finger against her muzzle, Shaaria mused, "Then why does Anshu use fire wands against them instead of lightning wands?"
 	"He tried, once!" Hiccup piped up. "Randival made him promise not to after that."
 	"Lightning wands are notoriously difficult to aim," Linya added by way of an actual explanation. "The magic itself is not much better, and takes practice to control. However, wands lack some of the usual means to keep electric magic on-target, so it is quite easy for it to go astray and, for example, nearly hit a certain philandering wyvern."
 	Shaaria gave a nod of understanding. "I see. Thank you for the explanation. I must confess I never had a formal education on magic as you have."
 	"Really?" Linya asked, arching an eyebrow again. "Those who are self-taught are rarely as powerful as you."
 	"I had a tutor," Shaaria replied, hoping to steer Linya away from that line of conversation before she had to make up more lies to cover herself. "Just not one at a school or a college. It was a long time ago."
 	Thankfully, Linya seemed satisfied by that explanation. "Ah, I see. Whoever it was taught you well. But it is never too late to learn more theory and advance your understanding. You should consider coming to the college in Matakras to study."
 	"Perhaps once this is all over, I will consider it."
 	"Yes, it will have to wait, but the offer does not expire. That said, if that is all, then I will return to my reading. Perhaps I can find something helpful before we are to meet back up with the others."
 	Nodding once more, Shaaria opened the book she had brought over and set it on her lap, leaning back into her chair to read.
 Chapter 10
 	"Ah, here they come!" Randival declared as he saw Linya, Shaaria and Hiccup approaching. Anshu and Faelis were already with him, waiting at the square just outside of the airship port.
 	"How did it go?" Shaaria asked conversationally.
 	"All very well – Faelis has new weapons and we got your refund."
 	As Faelis dug in her many pockets for the coins, Anshu added, "I was able to find almost everything I needed. They only had a limited amount of Dervine Roots, as they don't grow on this island, and shipments are becoming less frequent. But they are only required for a few of my recipes, which I hopefully will not need." With a hint of amusement, he continued, "If you could all kindly avoid catching any bloodborne diseases, it would be most appreciated."
 	Linya gave him a nod. "Excellent. For my part, I was able to locate a spell that might be helpful – if it works. Something that locates nearby void beings. Supposedly it was to be used on ships to locate ones that had slipped past the defenders on the decks. The spell is out of my field of specialization, but it should still be within my capability – it will have a reduced range, that's all."
 	"That might come in handy, you never know," Randival mused. Stretching out his wing-arms, he asked, "So, off to the offices? Anyone have a preference which company we start with? Preferably one other than Nashadhe?"
 	Hiccup had a cutting reply for Randival, but Shaaria didn't register it. Her attention was elsewhere as she gazed past him and into the sky. An airship was coming in, but something didn't seem quite right about it. However, it was hard to see at the distance they were at, and Shaaria squinted to try and make it out.
 	"This should be all of it… Shaaria?" Faelis said, holding out the handful of coins and noticing that Shaaria was distracted.
 	"What are you looking at?" Anshu asked her, and turned his head to follow her gaze.
 	"There's a ship over there," she said, raising a hand to point. "But something seems off about it."
 	"I see it," Anshu replied, pulling his goggles down from his forehead over his eyes, his fingertips rubbing against the rims for a moment. Letting out a gasp, he exclaimed, "There's a huge creature attached to the side of it! Just like the one that was on The Silver Wing!"
 	The others who weren't already looking turned quickly to look. "Should we do something?" Linya asked.
 	"I'm not sure what we could do from all the way over here," Randival said, concerned. "Someone else must have noticed by now, the air traffic directors and the sky patrols ought to be looking for ships coming in."
 	Anshu stared off towards the ship for another few moments. "I think I see some gryphon riders heading that way, but I don't know what they can hope to do." He frowned heavily. "The ship seems heavily damaged. There's a large hole in the side of the hull, as if it were ripped open, and not all of its propellers are turning. They must be trying to frantically make it back to the port for help. They seem to be losing altitude…"
 	"Randival," Shaaria said sharply, "You and I are the only ones who can fly under our own power. We have to go help."
 	Randival gave her a defeated look, and didn't move. "There's not enough time," he said quietly, his usual mirth gone from his voice, returning his gaze to the doomed airship. "Look at its angle of approach. It's going to crash into the secondary island over there. It'll be a heap of wreckage before we're even halfway there. Unless you know how to teleport, we cannot do anything to help."
 	Shaaria looked back at the ship, and her heart sank as she realized he was right; the ship was out of control, likely with no-one at the helm. They weren't the only ones who had noticed by now, the background conversation around them ceasing, replaced by panicked whispers as the other bystanders in the square turned to look at the incoming disaster.
 	"Teleportation is quite outside of the realm of combat magic," Linya informed Randival, sounding grim. "I am afraid we cannot do anything to help."
 	Shaaria silently cursed the other mage. She could do it! But doing so would expose her for what she really was, and ruin her disguise. Especially in such a public space, to prevent a disaster in front of an entire city – there was no way she would ever be able to get away with it. Overnight she would be known everywhere in the city, and soon the entire world, if she were to pull off a miracle like that; she would never be able to do what she needed to do in this world. She had to maintain the façade.
 	Even if it meant letting people die.
 	  
 	Helplessly, Shaaria watched the ship careen into one of the secondary islands of Dalavun, one covered in fields of crops accompanied by silos and barns. The wooden hull, sturdy as it was, could not survive an impact with an enormous floating rock, and it shattered apart upon impact, the lower decks completely destroyed within moments, crushing anything and anyone still within them. The creature attached to the side of the ship suffered a similar fate, lost within the cloud of debris and dust that rose from the impact. The balloon above the airship lifted up at the front as its connective ropes held on to nothing more than broken scraps of wood, and with most of the weight that had balanced it out now gone, it began to rise into the sky with what remained of the upper back parts of the ship.
 	Frantically, the nearby gryphon riders flew in to slash at the balloon to stop it from carrying off the remnants of the ship, either in the hopes of finding survivors or to avoid it crashing into some other part of the island, but the balloon was so enormous that the tears they put into it had only a minor effect. It took them several passes before the balloon stopped gaining altitude, and by then it had moved on, so it came crashing down into another field by the time they had finally damaged it sufficiently.
 	Faelis trembled at the sight, gripping her arms tightly and whimpering, as an uncomfortable silence hung over the rest of the group. Panic erupted in the crowds nearby, and a hurried announcement sounded out from the airship dock to announce that all ships were immediately grounded due to the crash.
 	Turning, Randival reached out and gently took hold of Faelis by her upper arm. "Come," he said, his voice cold and determined. "There's nothing we can do here."
 	"Where are we going?" Anshu asked, pulling his goggles back up to his forehead.
 	"Nashadhe's travel offices," Randival said immediately. "With every moment we delay, more lives are at risk. We've wasted enough time."
 Chapter 11
 	The front offices of the airship company were already packed by the time they got there, the front desk crowded by people both angry and afraid, demanding answers – how would people from other cities get home? How could they stop this happening again? What were they going to do about these attacks? Which ship just crashed, and who was on it? These demands and more filled the air as the vastly outnumbered company staff, just as terrified by what had happened, did their best to placate the panicked travelers.
 	"Well, this is quite a mess," Randival observed, backing into a corner with the others.
 	"We could sneak in through the back," Faelis suggested quietly. "I can pick open the door-"
 	"No, thank you. I'm quite sure you could do it, but if we run into anyone, it'll get complicated. Let me do the talking – if that doesn't work, then we can try sneaking in. I have an idea, though…"
 	Slipping around the edges of the room, Randival made his way over to a side door that had a sign on it reading "Staff only". As he reached out for it, however, one of the staff behind the desk noticed, and called out for him to stop.
 	He took his hand back as the sharply-dressed young dragon woman stepped around from behind the desk. Another furred dragon like Linya, she was long, tall and lithe, her fur white with blue highlights, wearing a button-up white shirt and a long blue skirt. "Can't you read the sign?" she demanded.
 	"Why yes," Randival answered, straightening up and giving her his most charming smile, doffing his hat with one hand. "I am perhaps not a worker at this particular office, but I am technically a member of staff by virtue of being the son of the big boss himself."
 	She snorted and folded her arms in disdain. "You? Old man Nashadhe's son?"
 	"The very same layabout and wastrel you have likely heard so many disparaging remarks about, yes," Randival remarked with a small smirk. She gave him a skeptical look, and he sighed. "The downsides of relative anonymity, I suppose. But not to worry. If you don't believe me, take a look at this."
 	Reaching under his cloak with one wing-arm, Randival rummaged around and pulled something out. Curious, Shaaria leaned around to see what it was as he passed it over to the woman, but Shaaria didn't get a good look at it until the woman turned it over to read the back. Only then did she see that it was a photograph, dog-eared and with rough edges as though he had been holding onto it for a while. Though it was in color, whatever had made the photograph did not seem capable of producing a full range of pigments, causing some sudden transitions of colors and hues in a few places.
 	Three other wyverns were in the picture alongside Randival; a man beside him with reddish scales and blonde hair, while behind them were an older man and woman. The man, presumably his father, had tan scales and bright red hair just like Randival, while the woman, no doubt his wife, shared her other son's blonde hair, her scales red much like her children's. All four were dressed sharply for some formal event or other, likely the one at which the picture had been taken.
 	The staff member glanced back and forth between the picture and Randival before handing it back, and he took it gratefully. "I do not require much, just access to the archives," Randival explained. "Would you mind showing us the way?"
 	"I'm very busy-" she began.
 	Randival leaned in a little closer. "Doesn't helping your future boss sound much less stressful than dealing with an angry mob that you are mostly powerless to placate?"
 	She hesitated, glancing at the front desk, and then reached over to open the door. "You make an excellent point," she conceded, heading in ahead of him. "Follow me."
 	The archives were in a basement level of the offices, and she led them down a flight of stairs into a large stone-floored room full of wooden shelves, lit by crystal lights hanging overhead from the rafters. "What are you looking for?" she asked as they reached the bottom.
 	"Passenger manifests from the summer of 2844," Randival replied. "And spring as well, for good measure."
 	"That's quite a long way back, but they should be over here," she told him as she led him past several shelves, each one labeled with the winter the records were for, passing by many empty shelves reserved for future use. But they were in order, so it did not take long for them to find a shelf laden with papers, ledgers, folders and bundles of records.
 	"Here you are, Linya," Randival said with a gesture.
 	"Thank you. Hiccup, Shaaria, help me with this side, please."
 	Their search began, first for the passenger records among all the other documents stored there, which Linya eventually located on the bottom shelves in heavy boxes, one for each season. They were further divided by ship, and time passed as they knelt down and sifted through the many pages of records, looking over the passenger lists for the names Linya had given them.
 	"Found one!" Anshu called out, holding up a piece of paper in one hand and his notebook in the other. "Maxirus Albater, the same name as the one in that article."
 	"Let me see." Linya took the page from him and inspected it closely. "Yes, that's them. Traveling on the 34th day of spring, 2844. But look, he's on the crew list, not the passenger list – this must have been the flight that crashed."
 	"Right. That article Hiccup found was dated on…" Anshu paused to consult his notes again. "…the 2nd of summer, about 60 days later. They must have taken some time to prepare before they left."
 	"And they were largely strangers," Linya reminded him. "Just crew members who only shared a place of work. They would have likely taken time to get to know each other and muster the resolve to go on the trip. Not everyone has Randival's level of… persuasion."
 	"If you want to call it that, sure," Hiccup remarked dryly.
 	"Do you recall if the article was written before or after their departure?" Anshu cut in. "I don't seem to have recorded when they actually left."
 	Linya frowned. "I do not. Let's take a look close to the end of the season."
 	Linya and Anshu rifled through the records together, starting from the 90th day of spring and working their way back. Soon, Linya made a satisfied sound as she scanned one of the manifests. "Here we go. All four of them, on the passenger list, traveling from Dalavun to Venfird on the 89th. So that article was published a few days later."
 	  
 	"It can take time for things to get published. Not as long as it takes to get a research paper done, I know that much…" Anshu griped.
 	"Oh, I am all too familiar with that. Regardless, we know when they left, and where they were going. From here to Venfird - how long does that take, Randival?" Linya asked, but only silence answered. She looked up, as did the others, and they finally realized that Randival was not with them.
 	"Where did he go?" Shaaria wondered aloud.
 	Hiccup scoffed as she undulated in the air above Linya's shoulder. "Probably getting up that receptionist's skirt!"
 	"Hiccup, be nice," Linya told her, then muttered, "Even if it's likely a very good guess."
 	"He wouldn't do that," Faelis protested, though she sounded unsure. "I'm sure he's just… looking for some other way to help us."
 	Hiccup burst into laughter until Linya shushed her, then turned back to Faelis, adjusting her spectacles. "Faelis, I will readily admit that I am not a particularly experienced woman when it comes to men, but I have known Randival long enough to agree with Hiccup that he is, shall we say, a tail-chaser."
 	"Don't tell me you're falling for him," Hiccup cut in. "He'll break your heart!"
 	"N-No, I'm not! I just think he would act a little better than that…"
 	"Skies Below, you have a lot to learn about men, my dear," Linya muttered. Anshu cleared his throat pointedly, and she added, "Present company excepted, of course."
 	"Moreover, I believe we have more pressing things to worry about," Anshu reminded them. "We need to find the next stop on their trip."
 	"It should only be a few days, right?" Shaaria guessed. "Though it was forty winters ago, so I assume engines were less powerful and airships slower back then."
 	"Quite so, yes," Linya agreed. "We have an approximate date at least, which will help narrow it down considerably. Let's just look for ships leaving Venfird in early summer."
 	Crowding around the box of records from spring, it didn't take long for them to piece together the route taken by the previous apparent investigators of the rifts: Dalavun to Venfird, to Matakras, and finally, to Evalar. But there, the trail ran dry: as much as they hunted through the records of ships leaving Evalar through both the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, even digging into the records of winter, they found no further hints as to where the other group had gone.
 	"I guess this is another dead end," Faelis said quietly.
 	"But still very helpful," Shaaria pointed out. "Where is Evalar?"
 	"Out west," Anshu informed her. "Quite a long distance from Cauldurin, so I'm not surprised you've never been there. Forty winters ago it would have been at the edge of the Charted Territories, but it's grown considerably since then, and people have settled further out from it."
 	"Have you been there?"
 	"No, but they grow a lot of plants I use in my medicines over there. They're getting harder and harder to come by these days, unfortunately."
 	Shaaria put a hand to her muzzle in thought. "Then I believe Evalar will be our next destination."
 	Linya tilted her head to one side. "What do you hope to find there?"
 	"I don't know, to be honest," Shaaria answered, "But it seems like the most likely place to find something. There may be more records there – perhaps they turned to another airship company. Or maybe there are other records at the library there of events not recorded all the way over here in Dalavun. Or maybe we can find someone there who remembers them – it was only forty winters ago, after all."
 	"So we might still have a chance?" Faelis asked.
 	"I think so, yes. It depends what we find, but we're not out of options yet."
 	"I'm really glad to hear that, I was getting worried. I never would have found any of this myself. You two are really smart."
 	"Hey, I helped too!" Hiccup insisted, bristling her mane in annoyance.
 	"And so did you," Shaaria reminded Faelis. "It was your idea that brought us here."
 	"I still barely did anything," she mumbled, sliding some papers back into their proper spot. "I wish I could do any of this myself."
 	"You could, if you put in the effort," Linya said simply. "I didn't hatch as a researcher. We'll have a long time on the next flight – I'm happy to continue teaching you how to read, but only if you're willing to work on it yourself."
 	"Yes, thank you," Faelis said, glancing downward. "I'm sorry to be a burden."
 	"It won't be a burden at all. I will likely be reading during the trip either way; it will be more enjoyable to do it with someone else."
 	"But how are we going to get anywhere?" Shaaria asked, gesturing vaguely upward. "There's a lot of other people with that exact same question right now. We don't know how long the flights will be grounded for, and if the rifts keep appearing…"
 	"I think that is a question for our illustrious leader," Linya remarked with an undertone of sarcasm. "Let's put these away and find where Randival has gotten to."
 	Hiccup seemed very unamused. "Hmph. I'd check the closets and back alleys if I were you."
 	Heading back upstairs, they humored Hiccup's suggestion and looked into some side corridors and rooms as they passed, but there was no sign of Randival. With no other ideas, they headed back to the front desk to see if they could at least locate the receptionist that had led them to the archives.
 	But when they opened the staff door and stepped out, they finally caught sight of him again: standing behind the front desk alongside the other staff. He was patiently explaining to a pair of distraught-looking travelers that they would not be able to travel for a while, and giving them recommendations on places to stay and things to see while they were stranded. Although there was still a crowd, it seemed to have diminished quite a bit to something more manageable. Hearing the door open, he finished his conversation with the travelers, and then stepped away to rejoin Shaaria and the others.
 	"Ah, you're back," he observed. "Find anything?"
 	"Have you been up here the whole time?" Shaaria asked him in disbelief.
 	"Why, yes," he replied. "I wanted to pay back the fine young lady for her help, and ease her burdens a little." With a knowing smirk, he reached up and gripped the brim of his hat between his thumb and forefinger. "Why, what did you think I was doing?"
 	In the brief moment Shaaria took to consider a diplomatic response, Hiccup cut in with a curt "Bumpin' uglies."
 	With little more than a chuckle, Randival shrugged off the remark. "Please, give me some credit. I am a better man than that. The lady is on the clock, and I would hate to see her disciplined. Surely I have some fair traveling companions who I can share a bed with if need be? Anshu, wouldn't you care to cut the cost of a rented room by getting one with a single bed?"
 	"I'd rather sleep on the floor," Anshu told him flatly.
 	"It seems like it is another lonely night under the covers for me, then," Randival lamented melodramatically. "But enough about me. What did you find?"
 	"They went to Evalar," Shaaria explained. "Eventually, anyway. But that's the last we can find of them."
 	"All the way west, hmm? Or at least, all the way back then. I would have to assume they headed out into the wilderlands from there, but unless we know exactly where they went, we would have no better luck trying to find them than by throwing darts at a map. Our next course of action seems obvious, then: we must head to Evalar and continue our investigation there."
 	"But how are we going to get there?" Faelis asked him.
 	"By flying, of course," Randival told her. "How else?"
 	"But the flights are all grounded," Shaaria pointed out. "So how are we going to fly to Evalar?"
 	"We could steal a ship," Faelis suggested.
 	"Or maybe get one built?" Linya offered.
 	"Or perhaps we could purchase some gryphons," Anshu remarked.
 	Laughing briefly, Randival closed his eyes and shook his head, a smirk across his face. "It is rare that I have to shoot down several highly impractical and utterly infeasible ideas all at once, but we will not be doing any of those things." Turning on his feet, he began to head for the doors, gesturing for the others to follow him.
 	"Where are we going?" Faelis asked.
 	"To the shipyards. We're going to see my father."
 Part 3: Harton's Tower
 Chapter 12
 	The secondary island with the shipyards was connected to the main island via a wide bridge, reinforced and held aloft by crystals on its underside. Randival flagged down a carriage, and though it looked very much like the kind that would be drawn by beasts, it instead seemed to be powered by a large glowing crystal on the underside, manipulated by controls up front by the driver. Due to the size of their group, Randival had to ride up front by the driver while the other four dragons were in the back with Hiccup curled up in Linya's lap, and once they had squeezed in, they rode through the city, over the bridge, and into the shipyards.
 	Several docks held partly-completed airships, one nearly finished but missing a balloon, while another was very early in its construction with just the main beams curving upward, reminiscent of the cleaned bones of a bird. One of the docks also held The Silver Wing, so that it could receive repairs, though it did not look as though much work had been done on it yet. Most likely, the full extent of its damage was still being assessed.
 	In addition to the docks, there were several large warehouses, with workers and carts heading in and out to deliver or retrieve various materials. And finally, the on-site offices of the airship companies were located close to the buildings and docks that they owned, the largest and most prominent of which proudly bore signs on their front for the Nashadhe Shipwrights: two crossed hammers surrounded by a circle stylized to look like rigging rope.
 	Randival guided the driver to the Nashadhe back offices, and after the group exited the carriage, Randival strode up to the front doors and flung them open with both hands to make his entrance. There was only a single receptionist to observe his entry; a green-scaled and finely-dressed man with bright red eyes, of a variant of dragon that had a serpentine lower body rather than legs. Yet unlike at the public offices, the receptionist's eyes widened in recognition as Randival walked in like he owned the place, placing one hand upon his hip.
 	"Good afternoon, Lharel," Randival said cordially, as if greeting an old friend. "Is my father about?"
 	"Randival?" the receptionist asked in disbelief, "Where in the Skies have you been?"
 	"Here and there," Randival remarked dismissively, waving one hand. "I need to speak with my father."
 	"Mr. Nashadhe is currently holding an emergency meeting in the main hall, but-"
 	"Wonderful. Thank you, and keep up the good work." Randival strode on through another set of doors without paying heed to Lharel's protests, and Shaaria gave him an apologetic shrug as she and the others hurried off to keep up with Randival before he could get out of their sight.
 	One quick turn through another set of doors took them into the hall, where rows and rows of chairs faced towards a raised platform, many of them filled with members of the company's staff. Well-dressed clerks and representatives were scattered about, while many roughly-clothed laborers had gathered around one man who was standing and making demands towards the stage. A selection of uniformed crew members, possibly from more than one ship, rounded out the audience, forming multiple small clusters amongst the seats.
 	"…cannot possibly be expected to handle this alone!" the standing laborer continued from the tirade they had walked in on. "You cannot just give weapons to deckhands and expect them to fend off an attack of this ferocity! We need professionals to defend our ships! People with combat training! Mercenaries, or soldiers, or…"
 	Up on the raised area, standing behind a podium with other members of upper management, Shaaria saw the same older wyvern she had caught sight of in Randival's photograph, both of his hands resting on the podium as he stared silently at the laborers' representative, listening to him patiently. Like Randival, he wore a sleeveless and sideless vest, albeit one made from very fine material and decorated with shiny gold buttons on both sides, complemented by well-tailored pants cut to fit for his legs and accommodate his tail perfectly. His red hair was combed quite neatly, standing in stark contrast to Randival's messy mop. For the few moments Shaaria observed, he was calm and stoic, visibly considering the complaints of his staff and the best course of action.
 	At least, until he recognized who had just burst into his hall.
 	"YOU!" Randival's father roared at the top of his lungs, silencing the speaking representative. A tan-scaled hand rose and pointed directly at Randival, his father glaring at him as his other hand tightly gripped at the podium in anger. "How dare you show your face here! Get out!"
 	"Hello, father," Randival greeted cordially, taking off his hat and bowing. "It's nice to see you again, too."
 	"Begone!" Mr. Nashadhe commanded, pointing to the door for emphasis. "Do you think you can go gallivanting about the world instead of accepting responsibility, and just return whenever it suits you because you need something? Leave my sight at once!"
 	"What responsibility?" Randival snapped, his cheery demeanor vanishing. "You mean the one you thrust on me, without even asking? The responsibility I never asked for?"
 	"You wouldn't know what responsibility looked like if it grabbed you by the tail, you asinine bumbler! You are a coward! You have done nothing but turn tail and run any time you might have been responsible for something more taxing than refilling your wine glass!"
 	Randival glowered, gritting his teeth, tightly gripping the edges of his hat as his other hand clenched into a fist. "You… absolute…!" he began in a furious tone, but before he could say more and make the situation any worse, Shaaria stepped forward and gently pushed past him.
 	"I'm terribly sorry for the interruption, Mr. Nashadhe," she said, raising her voice so she would be easily heard from across the hall – and to speak over Randival, lest he utter something counterproductive. Placing one hand over her chest and bowing respectfully, she introduced herself: "My name is Shaaria, and we are here because we need your help."
 	"And what makes you think I would help my worthless layabout of a son or any of his associates?"
 	Shaaria stood back up and began walking forward, slowly closing the distance between herself and Randival's father. "Because it is in your best interests, Mr. Nashadhe," she explained. "I am sure you are aware of the rifts that have been appearing, and the threat posed by the creatures that come from them – to your ships, to your staff, and to your passengers. Moreover, those creatures are targeting airships specifically, a direct threat to your entire business – to say nothing of the difficulties that will be faced by you and everyone else if air travel becomes infeasible. If the movement of trade, supplies, food, and people halts, it will bring about dark times. This is a danger that is not going away on its own as it did last time. Someone must do something, and your son is doing just that. He has assembled us together to attempt to locate the source of the rifts… and put a stop to them for good."
 	  
 	She paused for effect before continuing, "Those are grand aspirations, I know, and talk is cheap. But we have made good progress. We have already found evidence of a previous expedition with this same goal, and we have reason to suspect that they succeeded. We have fought against these creatures before, and won, and survived, saving many lives. You need only to go to Beranik Skyliners' repair docks and ask the crew of The Silver Wing for confirmation, if you do not trust our word. However, we cannot make any more progress here in Dalavun. We must travel to Evalar, the last known location of the previous expedition, and see if we can find out more about what they were doing, and where they were going, and if we can learn more about this otherworldly enemy we face. With the ships of this city currently grounded, we have no means to progress, and so we have come to humbly ask you for any assistance you can give us, as the owner of the largest airship company in the world."
 	She had reached the area in front of the podium, and looked upwards directly at Randival's father and his intense gaze. "I do not know if we will succeed, but I do know that if we do nothing, our only reward will be disaster. So I do not ask this for my own sake, nor for Randival's, but rather for your own sake, and for the sake of everyone in this room, everyone in this city, and everyone else in the world. Whether you help us or not, we will not give up, and we will start looking for alternatives. But, the sooner we act, the greater our chances of success. For every moment that we tarry puts more lives at risk. And you are the best source of potential help that we have at this time."
 	With that, she inclined her head to him once more. "That is all," she said with an air of finality.
 	Mr. Nashadhe stared down at her over the podium, evidently considering her words. "You make an eloquent plea for a traveler," he mused after several moments. "You're from Cauldurin, aren't you?"
 	"You make an astute observation."
 	"You have come far to get here. Are you traveling alone?"
 	"I was until I met Randival's group, yes."
 	He raised an eyebrow. "That seems reckless in such dangerous times."
 	"I am a formidable combat mage," she said delicately, trying to neither downplay nor oversell herself to him. "I have already dispatched several of those void creatures myself."
 	"I admit, I know little of magic, beyond the application of crystals in our ship designs," he muttered. "Who are these others my son has managed to find?"
 	Turning, Shaaria gestured to each in turn. "Linya, a scholar, and an offensive mage. Anshu, an alchemist. And Faelis…" Shaaria hesitated a moment, unsure of how best to describe her, eventually settling on, "…a woman of many talents."
 	"You forgot-!" Hiccup began, only to be shushed by Linya.
 	Randival's father gave Shaaria a skeptical look at her description of Faelis, but drew himself up as he held onto the podium with both hands. "An interesting group. And one that would most likely be more effective if my son wasn't dragging you down."
 	"Quite the contrary," Shaaria said quickly before Randival could speak up, "He is the one who brought us all together. In battle, he maintains a level head and gives effective orders. He has been deciding where to go and what next steps we should take – and how to best make use of our individual skills. His quick thinking and bravery has saved lives. From what I have seen of him, he has the makings of an effective leader."
 	Furrowing his brow further, Mr. Nashadhe turned his gaze from Shaaria to Randival, who had the good sense to remain quiet, simply meeting his father's gaze – something she was silently grateful for. Several seconds passed as Randival's father considered his reply, all eyes of the staff on their boss and the woman speaking to him.
 	"I will not grant you a ship," he told her eventually.
 	"I understand," Shaaria replied, beginning to bow, but he interrupted her.
 	"Unless… you are willing to perform a task for me."
 	Raising back up, Shaaria looked up at him. "I would like to hear it, first."
 	"Are you familiar with Harton's Beacon?"
 	"I'm afraid I am not," she admitted. She hoped that such an admission would not erode at her disguise.
 	Mr. Nashadhe lifted his gaze and looked over at his son expectantly. Scoffing, Randival spoke up, "Of course I know. It is located at the top of Harton's Tower to the east of here. Like all of the Beacons, it serves as a navigational waypoint of sorts for airships, but it went dark a dozen or so days ago. It's not the only one that has failed recently, and the ships have been relying on older navigational techniques in the meantime. Thankfully, none have gone missing yet that I have heard of, but it's only a matter of time, especially if all of the Beacons are lost."
 	"Correct. The city already sent a group to investigate, but they did not re-emerge from the tower, and their ship's pilot returned without them." He leaned forward, holding the sides of the podium. "We have been attempting to find a mercenary group to take over, but instead, I want you to go. Enter the tower, find out what happened, and if you can, fix it. If not, report back at the very least what is wrong."
 	"How will we get there?" Shaaria inquired.
 	"I will lend you a small vessel for the purpose. However, the crew will take my orders, not yours, and they will not go in with you."
 	"That seems like a reasonable request," Shaaria mused, "And quite transparently, it is a test. I wonder; is it our resolve or our capability that you doubt?"
 	A tiny smirk crossed the mouth of Randival's father. "Both," he said firmly. "You make bold claims, but I can't let just anyone wander off with one of my ships unless they are both willing and able to follow through. If you cannot accomplish a simple task like this, then you have no chance of achieving anything grander. But should you prove yourselves capable, I will be far more inclined to assist."
 	"Your reasoning is sound," Shaaria said with a bow, crossing one arm over her front, before standing and turning to Randival. "I trust you have no objection…?"
 	"It's not as if we have much of a choice, is it?" Randival groused. But, seemingly determined, he put his hands on his hips and raised his gaze to meet his father's. "We will need some time to prepare, but I accept. And we will be coming back successfully, mark my words."
 	Mr. Nashadhe fixed Randival with a firm gaze. "I hope you do; mercenaries are expensive. Return tomorrow morning and I will have a ship ready for you. Now, if you are quite done, I was in the middle of an emergency meeting."
 	"Yes, yes, carry on," Randival said with a sigh, sweeping his cloak as he turned on his heel and headed out, the others following after him.
 	Shaaria turned back towards the podium to bow one last time. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Nashadhe. I am greatly appreciative of your assistance, even if it is conditional."
 	He gave her a nod. "Keep that buffoon safe, if you can. He's a mountain of trouble, but he's still my only remaining son."
 	"I will," she promised, before leaving the room as the meeting continued where it had left off.
 Chapter 13
 	Randival was waiting for her just outside of the building, staring off into the sky, turning his hat over in his hands. "Ah, there you are," he said without giving her more than a glance, "I don't know whether to be impressed or angry."
 	  
 	"What do you mean? She was great!" Faelis cut in, "She got your father to help us!"
 	"Conditionally," Anshu added.
 	"I'm sorry for interrupting you earlier, but I thought it best to step in at that time," Shaaria explained.
 	Randival drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly, still looking away from the group. "No, it's not that. I was probably about to say something I would regret later. Nor am I angry at you for getting us sent on an errand – the delay is frustrating, but likely no worse than our other options. No, I'm angry because my old man was right."
 	"Right about what?"
 	"That I am a coward, running away from responsibility." Slowly, he turned to face the others, raising his hands and donning his hat. "That's why his words hurt so much. Because he was right. I wanted Servalus to inherit the company because I didn't want to bear the responsibility myself. I distract myself with simple pleasures to escape having to face up to the responsibility of adulthood. Leaving without a word and disappearing into the horizon on some grand journey was just another part of that."
 	He pointed one finger at Shaaria, fixing her with a gaze that reminded her of his father. "And then, YOU had to go and ruin it all by pointing out that literally everyone is counting on us! This isn't for me, or us – it's for everyone in the entire world!" Raising his wing-arms up high in exasperation, he continued, "Now I've realized that I've taken on the mother of all responsibilities, and I can't back out of it now! This was just supposed to be a fun adventure, a way to get away from home – and you've ruined it!"
 	Shaaria blinked for a few moments in surprise. "You're… joking, yes?"
 	Randival lowered his hands and smirked. "It was an attempt at levity through hyperbole, yes, though the sentiment is genuine at its core: I got into this without fully realizing the magnitude of the task I was taking on." He gave her a nod, looking determined. "Still, I won't run any more. Tonight, we'll find a nice place to stay and spend the evening – and tomorrow, we'll go show that crusty old curmudgeon exactly what we're capable of, get a ship from him, and head for Evalar! And then we're going to find where that previous expedition went, follow them, and fix this mess once and for all!"
 	Anshu nodded and smiled. "Well said."
 	"Yeah!" Faelis chimed in, more enthusiastically. "We can do it!"
 	"It is a sound plan," Linya concurred.
 	"I knew we kept you around for a reason!" Hiccup teased.
 	Randival reached out and flicked the end of Hiccup's snout, then pulled his finger away quickly enough to avoid her retaliatory bite. "We'd best make any preparations we need to. Among them, finding accommodations for the night."
 	"Yes, please make sure to get us a room with a table so I can set up my equipment," Anshu requested. "I have a lot of work to do tonight."
 	"I'll give you a hand if you need it," Shaaria offered.
 	"Me too!" Faelis said enthusiastically.
 	"I will be returning to the library," Linya informed them. "I have more things to read before they close."
 	"And I will be going with you," Randival told her, prompting a curious eye-ridge raise in response.
 	"You? Willingly going to the library?"
 	"Harton's Tower is a well-known and well-documented landmark. It would pay to do a little research beforehand, don't you think?"
 	"A sound plan," Linya agreed. With a small smirk, she added, "I think I quite like this new, responsible Randival."
 	He gave a chuckle and bowed to her, straightening his hat afterwards. "Don't get too used to it. Old habits die hard. But let's go – there's a fantastic inn and tavern not too far from here with some of the most excellent roasted meats you'll ever find, and I intend to see if they have rooms for us."
 Chapter 14
 	The evening was quite relaxing; their stomachs were filled, some rooms secured, and they got to cheer on Faelis as she soundly trounced a group of regulars at a game of darts – even though Randival had to encourage her to attempt it, and she downplayed her victory after the fact. But eventually, the six of them split up as planned; Randival left with Linya and Hiccup for the library, while the others went to the room that Anshu had gotten to himself to help out with his work. The room wasn't particularly large, with some simple wooden walls and a single window, plus a few wall crystals to provide soft lighting. It did come furnished with a desk and two chairs in addition to the bed, so Shaaria had brought a third over from the room she was sharing with Faelis to allow her to sit while working.
 	From the bulging backpack he had set down on the floor, Anshu extracted enough carefully-packaged pieces of metal and glassware to assemble a small alchemy station: a stand with a red crystal on its underside to heat whatever was on top of it, measuring tools ranging from tiny spoons to large flasks, tubes and stoppers for transferring gases, and other such apparatus. Empty vials, a set of scales, and measuring tools also were pulled out from his backpack, which looked no smaller despite all he had removed from it.
 	He gave Faelis the raw solid ingredients, as well as both a large chopping knife and a much smaller one for fine cutting, plus a mortar and pestle for grinding. Shaaria was given the tools for measuring both solids and liquids, plus bottles of liquid ingredients, and he gave instructions to each of them so that he could focus on his work: boiling, mixing, distilling, and bottling.
 	"I'm impressed that you can do all this from memory," Shaaria remarked as she took some ground roots from Faelis and began measuring them out.
 	Anshu kept his gaze fixed on the moss-green liquid in the flask that was just starting to bubble. "Only because I've done it so many times. My workshop back home has several shelves of recipes that I need to reference for less common concoctions. I jotted down the ones I thought I might need most into a journal as well, should it come to that."
 	"You own a workshop?"
 	"Yes, I have an apothecary in Matakras. I apprenticed there, became an associate, and took it over when the old potionmaster retired. Now my associates are running the place and keeping the apprentices working while I'm away. If the one who I put in charge while I'm gone does well enough, he might be next in line to take it over from me if and when I give it to him."
 	"Forgive me for asking, but what made you decide to leave all that and go with Randival?" Shaaria inquired, taking a small rectangular bottle of an oily liquid and removing its stopper.
 	Anshu gave a small chuckle, watching the liquid in the flask start to boil. "He asked. It is more complicated than that, of course, but that's essentially what it came down to. I'd already heard of the rifts, since some of our ingredient shipments got delayed because of them. Randival came in and asked me for a very special mixture, something that might work on those void creatures coming out of the portals. I had little idea what he thought I could do at first, but Linya lent me some books and worked through the theory with me."
 	He paused as a green mist began rising from the concoction, passing through the glass tubing and condensing, dripping into a waiting flask at the end. Peering at it closely, he gave a satisfied nod after a few seconds and continued. "I found it an interesting challenge at first, and an intriguing area of research. I thought I might get my work published, earn a bit of fame, and perhaps get some more business out of it if I could pull it off. There wasn't much research done on those creatures since they have the – frankly, quite annoying – habit of disappearing when the portal they came through closes, but some crazy researcher or two back then managed to do a bit of testing on them anyway. I'd rather not think about how they pulled it off. The end result of our work was that concoction you saw me give to Faelis when we first met. It burns straight through their outer protective covering and causes a violent chemical reaction inside of them, so even a little bit on a large creature goes a long way."
 	"I see. Very impressive work," Shaaria mused as she began carefully pouring out some of the oily fluid into a small measuring cup.
 	"Thank you." Anshu paused a moment to tap a small rod against the crystal underneath the heating stand, adjusting the heat level. "The only caveat is that the mixture does not stay stable for long compared to most potions – only a day or so – so I only keep a couple of them mixed and ready at a time. This is an exceedingly common issue for new concoctions, and I'm sure that if I had more time I could try to look into stabilizing and preservation techniques. Maybe once this is all over."
 	"Hopefully by the time this is over we won't need it anymore, but it wouldn't hurt to look into it anyway."
 	"Quite so," Anshu agreed. "Anyway, once I had completed it, Randival asked me to come with him. And I, of course, declined. But he did his best to persuade me otherwise, and made a few very convincing points." Taking a tiny spoon of powder and the measured oily fluid from Shaaria, he poured them both into another empty flask, starting to prepare his next mixture. "Firstly, he pointed out that the concoction I had just spent so much time researching would be quite useless without me – none of them are alchemists, and though Faelis does know some basics…"
 	Faelis rose her head as she heard her name, evidently having been listening to their conversation while chopping up some leaves. "…handling poisons is a very different field to alchemy," she said, finishing his remark. 
 	"It is, certainly different enough that I could not pick it up without a great deal of study," Anshu remarked.
 	"It's the one thing I'm good at," Faelis said with a mixture of sadness and pride. "I spent a lot of time making sure I could do it right. I had a… very strict tutor, who wouldn't accept anything less than perfect, and somehow, I became good enough to satisfy him. I don't own many things, but I always make sure I keep my kit stocked. …even now, when it's completely useless."
 	"You never know, we might need it yet," Anshu reassured her. 
 	"Mm. But yes, while there's some overlap with alchemy, it's not enough that I could do any of this myself without a lot of training."
 	"Which was precisely Randival's point. There is no-one in the group who could brew the concoction I spent so much effort creating. Still, that wasn't what convinced me, as Faelis could have gotten her own alchemy set and learned what she needed to eventually. I told him that I can't fight, and that I can't use magic. I've tried, but I don't have the gift, which is why I ended up going into alchemy instead. But then... I'm paraphrasing slightly as I don't have his manners of speech, but he said that if he were in my shoes, he would define himself by what he can do, not what he can't." 
 	Anshu paused and exhaled, then continued, "He told me what inn he was staying at and left, but his words stuck in my head. Something about them resonated with me. Wasn't that why I became an alchemist? Why I studied nonmagical medicine? To do what I could, regardless of what I could not? After I closed up the apothecary for the night, I found myself heading to his inn without even realizing it."
 	Faelis gave a small giggle. "I remember that. We were at the table by the fireplace and you came in and just marched up and asked Randival to take you with him. He said he'd had a feeling you'd come by."
 	Anshu nodded, tapping the control rod against the heating crystal again as the mixture within the flask finished boiling off. "Alchemy isn't the only thing I've learned. It's difficult but not impossible for non-casters like myself to learn how to use scrolls, wands, staves, and so on. With enough preparation, I can be just as useful as a full spellcaster – maybe even moreso in certain situations. And I don't have to fight to contribute; I am not merely an alchemist but a doctor as well, should someone have an ailment that can't be fixed merely by taking one of my potions or being gently tapped with my staff. I do good work at my store – I know I do – but this was an opportunity to do a lot more. He helped me realize just how much I can help, and I was determined to do so."
 	Shaaria nodded in understanding. "From what I've seen, you have quite a collection," she said, glancing at his open backpack and the numerous rolled-up scrolls poking from the top.
 	"What I lack in power, I make up for in flexibility," Anshu replied. "I have always been aware of my weaknesses, but going on this journey, I have become more knowledgeable of my own strengths. I hope to return alive from this excursion so that I can pass on what I have learned to others." With a glance towards his backpack as well, he gave a sigh. "I'll need your help when we are done here to take inventory of what I have left. I may need to make another shopping trip tomorrow morning before we leave."
 	"I wish I could do even half of that," Faelis mumbled, staring down at the chopped-up leaves in front of her.
 	"I'm sure you could if you studied, but you have your own strengths already," Anshu told her, unstoppering the flask at the end of the tubing and holding it up to the light, swirling the distillation inside around as he inspected it. "Perhaps not all of them are useful at the moment, but neither are many of the items I carry with me. Somewhere in my backpack is a bottle of cough medicine. Are we likely to need that? I doubt it. But maybe it will come in handy later. Similarly, you have many talents, and it is merely a matter of finding opportunities to use them well. You do not have to be good at everything all the time – merely good at the right things at the right time." Satisfied with the distillation, he pulled a rack of empty potion vials closer and began to carefully decant the flask into them a little bit at a time. "You focus too much on your weaknesses, Faelis – we all have them, and we should know about them, but there's more to you than that."
 	  
 	She made a small "Mm" noise in response, not seeming convinced, passing the chopped leaves to Shaaria.
 	"Think of it this way," Shaaria offered as she took Anshu's measuring scales, setting a weight on one side of them. "What do you think the rest of us have to offer?"
 	"Um…" Faelis thought for a moment. "You and Linya have your spells. Randival can fight, a lot better than me… and Anshu has all his, um, stuff," she said with a vague gesture towards his backpack. "And I don't know how it works, but Hiccup makes Linya's spells stronger."
 	"And what do you have?"
 	Faelis lowered her head. "Nothing, really."
 	"That's not true, Faelis, and you know it."
 	"Well, sure, I can open locks, but how many of those have we run into?" she replied, becoming frustrated. "And I can handle poisons, but who cares? These void creatures certainly don't. I can throw stuff, but anyone can do that, and I can sneak around, but those things don't even have eyes, they can just sense me anyway. I can only fight when I have a distraction to work with; I'll lose in a straight fight with anyone, not just those horrid things."
 	Shaaria turned to look at Faelis, who was slumping forward a little with a sigh. "So," Shaaria told her, "You can pick locks, you're a skilled poisoner, have a good aim with thrown weapons, are stealthy, and excel at taking advantage of openings in combat."
 	"You make it sound so much better than it is. Randival-"
 	"Randival just stabs and shoots things," Shaaria interrupted with an exaggerated shrug. "Linya and I just throw magic around. See? Any of us can undersell ourselves. You're always going to feel like you can't do anything, if that's what you believe."
 	Faelis straightened up a little, but still stared down at the table. "I believe it because it's true. I've barely contributed anything. I'm just dead weight."
 	"If that's how you feel, then tomorrow is your chance to change that. When we go to Harton's Tower, see what you can do to help. I'm sure there'll be plenty of things you can do – it's just up to you to find them."
 	"I'll try," Faelis replied. "I can't promise anything."
 	"Just do your best, because that's what we'll be doing too."
 Chapter 15
 	Once Anshu was done, he let them leave, saying that he didn't require their help to clean and pack up, so they left him and went back to their room – Faelis said she was feeling tired, and Shaaria preferred the quiet of their room to the busy tavern downstairs. Unlike Anshu's room, their room had two beds and only a few other minor extra bits of furniture and decorations, but it would suffice for the night. 
 	Shaaria lay on her side on her bed and took a book from her backpack to read, paying little attention to Faelis, only hearing the occasional shuffle as she did something with her own possessions, likely in preparation for the next day. After some time, Shaaria caught movement from the corner of her eye and saw Faelis hovering by the end of her bed, fidgeting a little. "Are you going somewhere?" Shaaria asked.
 	"Um, I just got back," Faelis answered. "Didn't you notice me leave?"
 	Shaaria gave a little smile. "No. You snuck right by me. Where did you go?"
 	"It wasn't hard, you were so fixed on that book, I wasn't really trying to sneak by or anything," Faelis said quietly, not answering Shaaria's question. "Um, could you, um…" she stammered, glancing away at her backpack, resting on her bed.
 	"What is it?"
 	"I… I want to change, and, um…" Faelis got more flustered, wringing her hands heavily.
 	"Do you need my help?"
 	"No, no, no!" Faelis insisted emphatically, shaking her head and fidgeting in place. "I don't need help, I just… please… please don't look at me!"
 	"I won't look," Shaaria said softly, trying to reassure her, "but Faelis, even though we only just met recently, I would like to think that you don't see me as someone who would take advantage of you."
 	"It's not that, just… please, don't look. Please," Faelis begged, her voice cracking a little.
 	"I can leave the room if you would prefer," Shaaria offered.
 	"No, I want to be sure you're not peeking through the keyhole or something. Just stay there and don't look at me."
 	"I won't," Shaaria promised again, sitting on the edge of her bed while turning her back to Faelis, bringing her book with her to continue reading.
 	"And don't peek!"
 	Shaaria sighed. "Faelis, I'm not going to peek. I'm just going to sit here and read."
 	Relative quiet came over them, broken only by the occasional turn of a page and the rustling and clinking of fastenings on Faelis's gear as she disrobed. "Don't look!" Faelis suddenly said after a short time, even though Shaaria hadn't looked away from her book. In a warning tone, she added, "I'm watching you. Don't try and-"
 	"Faelis, just get changed," Shaaria interrupted with an exasperated sigh. She heard more shuffling of fabric behind her and kept her head down, focusing on her book. "Are you sure you don't want me to leave the room?"
 	"No! Just stay perfectly still!" Faelis blurted out in a panicked tone, so Shaaria did as asked, only moving her hands to turn to the next page in her book. Eventually, Faelis took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm done," she said, and Shaaria shuffled back to her original position.
 	Faelis had climbed under the covers and was sitting up, so only her upper body was visible, and Shaaria could see she was wearing some light clothing – not a proper nightgown, just a thin white shirt, but certainly more comfortable to sleep in than her gear would have been. Her black clothes were piled on a chair next to her bed, her shortsword lying on top of them, her dagger resting on the bedside table next to her. For the first time, Shaaria was able to get a good look at Faelis herself, her body not merely thin and lithe but almost dangerously so, as if she had been malnourished until recently. Her brown hair, now untied, hung down to her shoulders. Shaaria had to admit that despite her poor condition, Faelis looked quite pretty – though she didn't say it out loud, instead wondering what made her cover up and hide so much.
 	"Don't touch my things," Faelis said protectively as she saw Shaaria looking at them.
 	"I wasn't going to," Shaaria reassured her.
 	Faelis rolled over onto her front and rested her head on the pillows, and Shaaria bookmarked her book and closed it, setting it down on the covers. "Will you be all right on your own for a bit?"
 	"Where are you going?" Faelis asked, raising her head.
 	"Just to take a bath. I'll be back shortly."
 	"All right." Faelis lowered her head back onto the pillows, and Shaaria got up, gathering her nightgown from her backpack before leaving Faelis to head down the hall. The inn had a shared bathroom, with a circular tub large enough to accommodate many different body types, embedded with crystals both to rapidly fill it with water and heat it, and others to drain it away. Some simple soaps and shampoos had been provided too, not fancy enough to be scented, but sufficient for cleaning.
 	Simple as it was, the bath was a perfect opportunity to relax, and after climbing out and drying both herself and her hair with a simple spell, Shaaria put her nightgown back on and hung her other clothes over on arm to carry them back, wearing only the gown and her silver circlet. Much like her clothes, the gown was cut low in the back to accommodate her wings, but was made of fine, light, and soft material, a simple pale blue in color without any decorative designs.
 	When she returned to her room, Faelis was already asleep and breathing deeply. Not quite ready to turn in for the night herself, Shaaria quietly closed and locked the door, then sat on her bed and picked up her book to continue where she left off. Using the control crystal on the wall between the beds to adjust the lights, she dimmed them slightly for Faelis's benefit before settling in.
 	She wasn't sure how much time she had spent reading when she heard a noise from Faelis and glanced over, seeing her tossing and turning in her sleep. Shaaria frowned; evidently Faelis was having a nightmare, and she wondered for a moment if maybe Linya or Anshu could do something to help. Shaaria returned her attention to her book for a short time as Faelis seemed to settle down, but soon, the other dragon was squirming and whimpering, mumbling something into the pillow that Shaaria couldn't make out.
 	Her brow furrowing with worry, Shaaria closed her book and set it aside, standing up in the gap between the two beds. "Faelis," she said in a hushed whisper, but there was no response, even when she repeated herself a little louder. So instead, Shaaria reached out and gently touched Faelis on the shoulder to shake her awake as she trembled under the covers.
 	Faelis did wake with a gasp, but the moment she did, she rolled over, moving in a blur from sheer reflex. Caught off guard, Shaaria wasn't fast enough to get out of the way as Faelis grabbed hold of her dagger from the side table and whirled back around in a single fluid motion, screaming "GET AWAY FROM ME!" at the top of her lungs, driving the blade deep into Shaaria's left shoulder.
 	She staggered back and cried out in pain, falling into a sitting position on her own bed while Faelis dove away, pulling the covers off with her. Clutching at the dagger in the wound with her right hand, Shaaria tried to focus through the pain as she felt her blood oozing out from around the blade. "Faelis!" she shouted, "It's me! It's Shaaria!"
 	Rising from her cowering position by the bed, Faelis looked around in confusion, still half-asleep and seemingly dazed. "What…?" she began, then let out another scream as she saw Shaaria holding her shoulder, blood profusely dripping down her nightgown. Faelis's hands shook as she held them to her muzzle, staring in wide-eyed horror, stammering wordlessly for a few moments. "I- I'm so sorry!" she managed to get out, "I… I… I…"
 	A pounding on the door of the room interrupted her, the handle rattling for a moment. "Faelis! Shaaria! Are you all right?" Anshu called out to them.
 	"Go get the door," Shaaria told Faelis through clenched teeth, but Faelis was frozen to the spot, hyperventilating and slumped forward onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. Groaning in pain, Shaaria got to her feet and made her way to the door, wincing as she let go of her shoulder briefly to unlock and open it.
 	Anshu was crouching on the other side, holding his staff in one hand, his backpack resting on the floor as he dug through it. He was still dressed in his smock, so he must have still been awake when he had heard Faelis's screams. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw the dagger in Shaaria's shoulder, and he straightened back up immediately. "What happened? Did someone attack you? Is Faelis all right?"
 	"Faelis did this, but it was an accident," Shaaria muttered, grimacing. 
 	"How did-"
 	"Wound first, talk later," Shaaria hissed.
 	"Yes, of course," Anshu agreed. He turned for a moment and looked down the corridor. "Everything's fine! False alarm!" he called to someone Shaaria couldn't see – likely other guests at the inn – before stepping in with her and closing the door as she went back to sit on the bed, setting his backpack down beside her.
 	"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Faelis repeated over and over, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Anshu spared her a quick glance as he pulled a clean cloth from his backpack, giving it to Shaaria to hold against the wound. As he carefully extracted the dagger, Shaaria bit her lip and hissed in pain, her eyes screwing shut as he pulled it free and she applied pressure to staunch the bleeding.
 	Once he had removed the dagger, he dropped it on the floor in front of Shaaria and gripped his staff with both hands. Closing his eyes and focusing, he tipped it forward to bring the green crystal on the end close to Shaaria's shoulder, without quite touching it. The crystal started to glow, and Shaaria felt the pain lessen, slowly opening her eyes and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The wound rapidly healed up under the staff's effects, and soon the only sign of it was the hole in her nightgown and the blood staining the fabric, still wet and glistening.
 	"Thank you," Shaaria told him gratefully, inclining her head as she took the bloodied cloth away.
 	"You're very lucky," Anshu told her with a glance down to the bloody weapon the floor. "If that had been her old dagger, there might have been some traces of poison on it. I only know the antidotes to common poisons, not to the specialized toxins she works with. She's the only one who would know how to counteract those."
 	"I suppose being stabbed beats being stabbed AND poisoned," Shaaria agreed. She looked over at Faelis, who had pressed her face into the bed, her hands holding onto the back of her head. "Faelis?"
 	"I'm sorry," Faelis repeated again, lifting her head, her eyes red and her cheeks stained with the trails of tears running down them. "I'm s-sorry!" Her whole body was trembling, and she looked down again in shame, tears dripping from her cheeks onto the bedcovers below.
 	Anshu walked around to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Deep breaths, Faelis," he told her, "Try to calm down and tell me what happened."
 	  
 	"I- I- I-…" Faelis stuttered, trembling, and Anshu sat on the bed beside her. Sniffling, Faelis took longer, deeper breaths, staring down at the patterns on the bedcovers. "I… I was… I was having a nightmare…"
 	She took a choked breath and gasped a little, so Shaaria added, "It seemed bad. You were tossing and turning about and talking in your sleep."
 	"What was it about?" Anshu asked quietly.
 	Faelis's hands clutched at the bedcovers, and she whimpered, shaking her head, clearly not wanting to answer the question. Instead she continued, "I… I woke up, I guess, but I didn't realize, and… and I saw a figure over me… I was scared… I thought… I thought I was going to be…!" She swallowed heavily, shaking in place. "I'm so sorry…"
 	"It's all right. You're safe," Anshu said reassuringly. "Take deep breaths. No lasting harm was done. But why were you keeping your dagger in arm's reach? This is a safe place. You have nothing to worry about here."
 	"I… like Randival said earlier… old habits die hard." Faelis swallowed, her breathing still rapid, but a little less so. "I… I grew up on the streets, and… and… I learned to always keep a weapon close…"
 	Anshu frowned a little. "I'm sure that was necessary at the time, but you are among friends here. You are safe with us."
 	"Some friend I am!" Faelis blurted out, going into a panic once more, clutching at the bedcovers. "Shaaria tried to help me, and I stabbed her! I'm useless! I'm worthless! I-"
 	"Faelis, calm down!" Anshu insisted, rubbing her back with his hand. "None of that, now. It wasn't deliberate. You are most certainly neither useless nor worthless. We're both very worried about you."
 	"But-"
 	"Faelis. Look at me," Shaaria commanded softly, and Faelis jerked her head upward. She still looked frightened, and Shaaria felt pity for her, but kept her expression neutral. Exhaling slowly, Shaaria leaned forward. "I'm not going to say that this wasn't your fault or that you did nothing wrong, but you need to calm down. I'm not entirely blameless either; I should have expected you might be a little jumpy."
 	"No, no, it's all my fault, I-"
 	"Faelis." Shaaria cut her off, waiting for Faelis to look at her again. "I forgive you."
 	Faelis stared in disbelief. "What- h-how? I… I stabbed you!"
 	"You did, and it really hurt," Shaaria agreed. "But I know it was an accident. I know it wasn't intentional. You were scared, you were frightened, you felt threatened and acted on instinct. I will be fine, and more importantly, I am your friend. Or at least, I would like to think I am your friend."
 	"Friends don't stab each other," Faelis murmured, shaking in place.
 	"Friends forgive each other for mistakes," Shaaria asserted. "Yes, it's typically not for knife wounds, but the principle is the same."
 	"I, I ruined your…"
 	"I can get another one," Shaaria said, plucking at the nightgown lightly with one hand. "If I'm quick I can wash this one out and patch up the hole."
 	Faelis didn't say anything, but she still looked apprehensive, so Shaaria leaned forward again. "Faelis, I forgive you. Now please… you have to forgive yourself."
 	"I, I'll pay you back somehow…"
 	"If that will make you feel better, you can do so tomorrow. But right now, you need to calm down, so you can get some sleep. Okay?"
 	"…okay," Faelis quietly conceded after a moment.
 	"Good." Shaaria reached forward and picked up the bloody dagger off the floor, then stood up from the bed slowly. "Anshu, can you look after her for a little bit and try to get her back into bed?"
 	He gave her a small nod. "Come on, Faelis. You'll feel better in the morning," he said gently, standing up and offering a hand to Faelis, who hesitated briefly before taking it. As Anshu helped her back into bed, Shaaria left to return to the bathroom to wash up, cleaning herself, the knife, and the nightgown – though the last one required some extra magical persuasion to be completely cleaned and dried. She returned to the bedroom and found Faelis lying on her front on the bed under the straightened covers, but very much awake. Anshu was sitting on the edge of Faelis's bed, keeping an eye on her, but they were not talking when Shaaria returned. At her approach, Faelis gave her a brief, almost fearful glance, and then quickly looked away and stared at the headboard of her bed.
 	Shaaria walked around and set the dagger down away from the bed with the other pile of Faelis's things. "I'm going to leave this over here out of reach, okay?"
 	"Okay," Faelis answered softly.
 	"It's all right, Faelis," Shaaria said consolingly.
 	"Do you have it from here?" Anshu asked her.
 	"Yes, I do. I'm going to get to bed."
 	He gave her an odd look, and Shaaria wondered why for a moment before he spoke. "Do you always wear your circlet to bed?"
 	"Yes," she answered simply.
 	"Isn't it uncomfortable?"
 	"Not at all." Pre-empting his next question, she continued, "It's very important to me. I want to keep it with me at all times, even while I am asleep."
 	"Ah. It has sentimental value?"
 	"Yes, but I'd rather not talk about it."
 	"I see. I will respect your privacy." Nodding to her, he got up and gathered his things. "I will see you in the morning. Sleep well, both of you." Inclining his head towards them, he left and closed the door behind him. 
 	After locking the door and returning to her own bed, Shaaria was about to lie down on it when she turned back towards Faelis. "Are you going to be all right?"
 	"I can't sleep. I just, I-"
 	Feeling sympathy for her, Shaaria drew closer, casting a furtive glance around to make sure they were alone. "I know something that might help," she offered.
 	Faelis paused briefly before asking, "What's that…?"
 	As far as Shaaria knew, both Randival and Linya were still at the library, or possibly on their way back, but had not returned yet. There needed to be no witnesses for what she was about to do. She could help Faelis, even though it was outside of the magic she ought to know – but as long as Faelis didn't notice, it would be fine. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath," Shaaria instructed. She watched as Faelis hesitated a moment and then obeyed, drawing a deep breath and letting it back out. 
 	"In… and out. In… and out," Shaaria guided, reaching out with one hand and holding it above Faelis's head, where Faelis couldn't see. As Faelis continued breathing deeply, Shaaria's fingers danced in the air and she focused on casting a spell. It was a relatively simple sleep spell, but a mental effect all the same, quite different from the combat magic she claimed to specialize in.
 	Completing the spell with a downward gesture, she watched Faelis's tensed body visibly relax as the spell did its work, drowsiness overcoming her. Faelis's head sank a little deeper into the pillow, and the troubled dragon's breathing remained even, steadying out as she was lulled into a deep slumber. Shaaria watched for a few seconds to make sure it had taken effect, then turned off the crystal lights and climbed into her own bed to get some rest.
 Chapter 16
 	Faelis was still fast asleep when Shaaria woke up the next morning, but she seemed to be sleeping soundly, meaning the spell had done its job. Shaaria took the opportunity to clean her traveling clothes, a process greatly hastened by the crystal-powered machines located in a small room at the end of the corridor, and carried them into the bathroom to change before heading back to her room. Her return woke Faelis at last, who rubbed her eyes a little and started to get up before freezing in place under the covers, glancing back at Shaaria.
 	"Did you sleep well?" Shaaria asked her as she folded her nightgown and set it down on the bed to pack away later.
 	Faelis murmured, "I did… somehow. But I, um…"
 	"Do you want me to leave the room so you can change?"
 	"…yes, please," Faelis said quietly, and Shaaria nodded to her.
 	"I'll be downstairs having breakfast. Come down whenever you're ready."
 	She left and went down to find Linya and Hiccup already at a table, the former sipping a drink from a steaming cup while the latter hovered in the air beside her, snatching small round fruits off a plate and devouring them one by one. Across from Linya, Anshu and a bleary-eyed Randival sat with half-finished meals, the latter stifling a yawn between mouthfuls.
 	  
 	"Good morning," Shaaria greeted them.
 	Linya gave her a respectful nod. "Good morning."
 	"M'n'ng," Hiccup said through a mouthful of fruit.
 	"How is your shoulder?" Anshu asked Shaaria.
 	"Perfectly fine, thank you. Your staff works very well."
 	"I should hope so, with what I paid for it," Anshu grumbled as he cut up his food. "I can only use it so much each day, as is the case with most affixed crystals, but it is very worthwhile."
 	"Wait a moment," Randival interjected, "What happened to your shoulder?"
 	Shaaria paused to consider how to diplomatically word her response, but Anshu spoke first. "She tried to wake up Faelis during a nightmare."
 	"Oh." Randival winced as if reliving some memory, and shook his head. "Skies Below, don't do that. I nearly lost an eye and did lose my favorite hat to that. The poor girl is prone to nightmares and extremely jumpy. I should have warned you." Frowning, he muttered, "There's a few things I forgot to tell you about rooming with her, actually, but…"
 	"She's not a girl, she's a grown adult," Anshu said firmly. He gave a sigh and an apologetic look in Shaaria's direction. "I do have a concoction that helps her sleep better, but it is brewed from a very particular flower that I – along with every other apothecary I've checked on this island – am completely out of."
 	"I see," Shaaria acknowledged.
 	"Where is Faelis, anyway?" Randival asked.
 	"Getting changed."
 	"Hmm... she should be fine, but please do not leave her by herself for very long if you can avoid it."
 	Shaaria blinked and tilted her head. "Why not? She's a grown woman, she can handle herself."
 	"I don't mean it like that," Randival said, shaking her head. "She… had to run away from someone in order to come with me on this journey. Someone very vindictive and deadly. I know precious little about the 'hooded man' of which she spoke, as she tells me little of her past, but I do know he is an assassin, and he is unlikely to have taken well to her abandoning him."
 	Anshu frowned deeply. "You've never told us this before."
 	Linya's expression also turned to one of displeasure. "I had surmised she had a rough upbringing, but I had no idea it was something like that."
 	"I figured we had enough to worry about, without me saddling you with my paranoia," Randival explained. "I didn't intend to keep it hidden so much as to just keep us focused on more likely threats."
 	Linya looked thoughtful as she picked up a slice of fruit and held it up to Hiccup, who set to devouring it immediately. "Well, we've been traveling all over between cities in rapid succession, and I'd like to imagine this 'hooded man' has better things to do with his time than track us across the skies. Where did you pick her up?"
 	"Therisia," Randival answered. "Honestly, I think that as long as she never returns there, she should be fine. I haven't seen any sign of him yet. I promised to protect her, and I will. But part of me worries that if I slip up for even just a moment, it will be the end of her, and that it's better to be safe than sorry, you know?"
 	"I understand," Shaaria said with a nod. "Do you want me to go up and check on her?"
 	"Just keep it in mind for the future. If she is getting changed, she should be down shortly," Randival replied. "Why don't you come with me up to the bar to order some food for her and yourself? I know what she likes."
 	They did so and returned to the table, yet there was still no sign of Faelis, even after the food arrived. Concerned, Shaaria excused herself from the table and went upstairs to check on her, feeling a little apprehensive as she returned to her room and unlocked it.
 	"Faelis?" she asked, cracking the door open a tiny bit.
 	She heard a small gasp from the far side of the room and peeked inside, barely catching sight of Faelis hiding something on her person – whatever it was, Shaaria would never know now, with how many pockets she had. But Faelis was dressed, sitting on the chair next to her bed, and after a moment Shaaria realized that the garment spread across the bed in front of her was…
 	"What were you doing with my nightgown?" Shaaria asked, pushing the door open the rest of the way.
 	"I, um," Faelis stammered as Shaaria approached, looking away from her but otherwise staying in place. 
 	"You demanded that I don't touch your things, but you-" Shaaria began, but once she was only a few paces away, she saw what was going on: Faelis had stitched up the hole in the shoulder. She stopped her chastisement and approached more slowly, standing near Faelis. "You were repairing it?" she asked in a much softer tone, more to prompt Faelis to speak than as an actual question.
 	"Yes," Faelis said, hanging her head. "I didn't do a very good job, but…"
 	"May I see?" Shaaria asked quietly. Faelis didn't move, so Shaaria reached out slowly and gently took the nightgown back, holding it up to inspect the damaged part. It wasn't the work of a professional seamstress, and the thread color didn't quite match, but the repair itself was excellently done nonetheless.
 	"I'm sorry, I just made it worse," Faelis muttered.
 	"Not at all!" Shaaria told her. "It might not be perfect, but it's quite good. Who taught you how to sew?"
 	"A… friend," Faelis said quietly, her voice quavering, and Shaaria decided to quickly change the subject.
 	"Well, I'm very thankful."
 	"You should probably just throw it out and buy a new one. I didn't have any thread of the right color, I'm sorry. I thought it would be okay but…"
 	"Faelis," Shaaria said, getting her attention. "I happen to quite like this nightgown. Since you repaired it, I can keep it and continue wearing it. So thank you."
 	She gave a bow to Faelis, who glanced away, looking a little flustered and wringing her hands. "You're… you're welcome."
 	With a smile, Shaaria took the nightgown and began folding it. "Now, Randival ordered breakfast for you, and it just arrived. Let's go downstairs, shall we?"
 	"He did?" Faelis asked, and Shaaria gave a nod.
 	"Yes, he got some pancakes for you."
 	Faelis's melancholy seemed to lift, and she raised her head a little, letting out a gasp of pleasant surprise. "Oh… those are my favorite!" she said in a genuinely happy tone, and for the first time since they had met, Shaaria saw a smile brighten Faelis's face. "Okay, I'll be right down!"
 	Reaching out, Faelis picked up a small metal case from the bedside table, about the size of her hand and only as thick as a finger. But it looked very well-made, the surface inlaid with elegant engravings of flowers. "What's that?" Shaaria asked curiously.
 	"Oh, it's… my sewing kit," Faelis answered, opening it up carefully to show to Shaaria. It had a full set of needles and many small spools of thread, though the black one was getting perilously thin compared to the others. Closing it, Faelis looked it over for a brief moment, frowning. "I… stole it, a long time ago. And many other things. …I'm just a common thief. And not even a very good one. I don't know why Randival keeps me around, or why you and the others put up with me."
 	"Because we like you. I don't want to be presumptuous because we only just met, but I can tell that Randival and the others consider you their friend."
 	"I don't know why."
 	"Do you need to?"
 	Faelis didn't have an answer to that, so Shaaria reached out and gently took her wrist. "Come on. Your pancakes are waiting. You don't want them to get cold, do you?"
 	"Okay," Faelis agreed, pocketing her sewing kit, and Shaaria led her out from the room.
 Chapter 17
 	After eating, Randival led the group back to Nashadhe's shipyards. His father had done his half, and had a ship waiting for them, one that Randival seemed quite impressed by. A short-range craft with only propellers and no balloon, it was quite small, but far more maneuverable and quick, capable of hovering in the air with the large downward-facing propellers it boasted. It lacked an exposed deck, the entire ship built in an approximate egg shape, clearly built with military purposes in mind: the sides of the middle deck were lined with cannon ports, while the upper decks had smaller vertical openings for aiming rifles out of. Every porthole or opening had an armored cover that could be pulled over it, and weapons and ammunition were stashed strategically around the vessel.
 	The captain greeted Randival, but was very quick to assert that he was following Mr. Nashadhe's orders, and not those of "the wayward son", a remark that Randival shrugged off with a smirk. They were then sent down to the lower decks where the only seats on the ship were located, affixed to the walls, normally intended for transporting soldiers. 
 	Once they were secured, the ship took off, the horizontal propellers first lifting it up, then the others sending it forward into the sky, the landing struts folding and retracting once they were in flight. As the ship leveled out and the flight became smooth, Randival got up from his seat and stretched as he turned to face the others, leaning against a nearby support beam.
 	"So, since we have a little time to kill, I thought I might as well tell you what I found out last night."
 	"Please, enlighten us as to the best red wine available in Dalavun," Anshu remarked sardonically.
 	"Reteko Vinyards' Reserve, no question," Randival remarked immediately with a smirk and a chuckle. "But I already knew that! No, I'm talking about Harton's Tower. I even took notes!"
 	"Who are you, and where's the real Randival?" Hiccup asked from Linya's lap as Randival reached under his cloak and pulled out a folded wad of paper. "Actually, never mind, this Randival is better." 
 	Ignoring Hiccup, he unfolded the papers and held them out to reference as he began speaking. "Harton's Tower holds Harton's Beacon, one of the many navigational beacons that were placed way back when large passenger liners started becoming more popular. The beacons are essentially massive, but relatively low-energy crystals for their size, unsuitable for use as airship or factory power sources." Reaching under his cloak with his free hand, he took out the little box-shaped device Shaaria had seen him use before, holding it up. "Each long-range vessel has a device much like this one that can point you towards any given Beacon, so you just adjust the frequency to the one you're heading to, get on a heading that takes you straight to it, and there you have it! Now, any idiot can navigate a ship without getting lost or disappearing into the wilderlands like they used to."
 	"Why didn't they put it in Dalavun?" Anshu asked.
 	"The beacons are meant to serve as waypoints, not lighthouses. They're positioned close to the cities but not in them to avoid having too much traffic going directly over cities. People tend to get rather annoyed by that, you know. Plus, it makes the air traffic directors' lives miserable."
 	"Also," Linya added, "every crystal has its own harmonic energy frequency. While most are too small to be detected at any notable distance, and the Beacons are enhanced with spells that amplify the strength of the signal they emit, there can still be some interference if they are placed in close proximity to large fixed power crystals such as those in some factories, cities, or even the hearts of large islands."
 	"Correct," Randival agreed. "So instead they just stick them out on random islands or, in this case, at the top of Harton's Tower."
 	Shaaria tilted her head. "So the tower was already there?"
 	Linya gave her a nod. "Yes. It's older than all the settlements around here. No-one knows when it was built, just when it was taken over by the eponymous Captain Harton and his crew. It was once a defensive emplacement and a lookout point, so it's essentially a big, vertical fortress."
 	"This was back during the Mercantile Houses' Standoff, so Dalavun wanted the beacon somewhere defensible, just in case any neighboring territory got any funny ideas," Randival read off his notes. "Harton's Tower is lousy with traps both magical and mechanical, and even though it's staffed by little more than a skeleton crew these days, it's pretty well-protected." Raising his gaze to the group, he added, "So, the fact that something has taken it out is concerning, moreso than the other Beacons that have stopped working recently and have had people not come back from investigating them."
 	Anshu gave a small snort. "That's putting it lightly. And your father wants us to fix it?"
 	"Or to find out what's going on, at least. He knows that if it's been broken or something like that, we can't fix it, but right now, nobody knows what's going on." Flicking through his notes, he pulled out a creased paper and passed it to Anshu. "I copied a map down, but it doesn't show where all the traps are. Having that information be publicly accessible would rather defeat the point, wouldn't it?"
 	"It would be a little too easy, yes." Anshu studied the map for a moment before folding it and slipping it into a pocket on his smock. Glancing towards Faelis, he added, "I think we'll be relying on you to find the traps."
 	  
 	"What? Me?" Faelis asked.
 	"Yes, you," Anshu insisted. "You're much more perceptive than the rest of us."
 	"But you have those fancy goggles."
 	"They can help me look at things, but I don't know what to look for. You do. Can you do it?"
 	"I'll try," Faelis said quietly.
 	"Linya, you'll need to watch out for any magical defenses," Randival continued, and she gave him a simple nod in response. "You too, Shaaria. Four eyes are better than two."
 	"I can help too!" Hiccup grumbled.
 	"Four eyes plus a rolled-up towel, then," Randival muttered.
 	Hiccup huffed in annoyance. "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do during all this, huh?"
 	Randival smirked and lowered a hand to his side, resting it on the hilt of his saber. "Oh, just staying out in front putting my neck on the line. You know, the usual. You're welcome to swap places with me if you like."
 	"More like we need you in the front so you don't get distracted by the women in front of you," Hiccup muttered.
 	"Going by the map, the corridors seem quite narrow," Anshu pointed out to get the conversation back on track.
 	"Yes, and that normally works in the defenders' favor, since they also curve around the perimeter of the tower. It lets them control how many enemies they have to fight at once. But, with me in the front and four people who can attack at range behind, we ought to have the upper hand in most conflicts, should it come to that. Just don't fireball me in the back again, please."
 	"It was only a small one," Anshu muttered, "Wands are surprisingly difficult to aim precisely."
 	Linya glanced over to Shaaria. "You and I should coordinate our efforts so that we don't end up interfering with one another. Perhaps we each take one side of the tower's corridors?"
 	"That sounds reasonable to me," Shaaria replied.
 	"Wait, I can't-" Faelis began, only for Randival to reach under his cloak.
 	"Ah, but you can," he told her, fiddling with something. However, his smirk turned to a frown after a moment as several seconds passed without him retrieving anything. "Pardon me, this is a little harder to undo than I thought it was."
 	Hiccup gave a smug smirk and teased, "Don't worry, I bet it happens to lots of guys," sticking her tongue out at him afterwards.
 	"Have you ever considered switching weapons, Faelis? Maybe to a whip? A long, furry, mouthy one?"
 	"Hush, both of you," Linya scolded, stroking a hand down the back of Hiccup's head and neck as the lindwurm bared her teeth at Randival.
 	Finally releasing the clasp he had been working on, Randival pulled a leather belt out into the open, with a set of throwing knives attached to one side, pressed against a leather covering to stop them from sticking into the side of their owner. "Tadaaaa! Here, Faelis, these are for you."
 	She reached out and took the belt cautiously, staring at the knives; they weren't fancy, but the blades looked sharp and well-made. "How did you get these?"
 	Randival gave a laugh in response. "I bought them from an armorer, like a normal person. I took a detour on the way to the library yesterday, that's all."
 	She stood up to fasten the belt. "How can I repay you? I don't have any money…"
 	"You can repay me by putting them to good use, Faelis. They're there to be used. Hit some foes with them and we'll call it even."
 	"I hate to interrupt," Anshu cut in, "But do we have any plan beyond kicking in the front door and seeing what we find?"
 	Randival puffed out his chest and stood tall, as if about to say something, then exhaled and slumped a little. "No," he admitted, "we do not. I'm open to suggestions, but beyond us keeping in formation and staying alert, I can't think of anything better than heading inside and playing it by ear. We know something is there, otherwise the guardsmen sent before us who knew where all the traps are would have made it back."
 	Anshu nodded in agreement. "And what would you have me do?"
 	"Help us if we get hurt, lend a hand with a wand or two if we need it – nothing out of the ordinary, but I imagine between Linya and Shaaria we should have plenty of magic flying around. Keep the map too in case we need it, but it's not a very complex structure. Just remember that we're here to find out what happened. If it's too much for us to handle, we retreat. Don't do anything rash."
 	"We're on a little bit of a time limit, though," Shaaria reminded him.
 	He gave a little chuckle, grinning back at her. "Should we be so unfortunate enough as to be left behind, as the person most capable of flight under her own power, you'll be the one heading back to Dalavun. I hope you remember which way it is!"
 	Shaaria rolled her eyes a little. "What, can't you fly?"
 	Randival spread his wing-arms out to his sides and extended his wings as much as he could. "I can glide," he clarified. "Wyverns like me don't have nearly as much aerial control as wing-backs or feather-wings."
 	"Very funny. I'd much rather it doesn't come to that to begin with."
 	He arched an eye-ridge. "Have you never met a wyvern before up in Cauldurin?" he asked with a smirk.
 	"Of course I have," she quickly replied, thinking of something to cover her misstep. "I've just never gone flying with one."
 	"Fair enough, I suppose. And technically, Hiccup has the most aerial control," Randival said as he noticed the lindwurm glaring at him, "But I wouldn't really trust her to fly all the way back on our behalf and not get distracted by something shiny along the way."
 	"I could make it," Hiccup sneered, "But it might take me extra time to arrange a crew that'll pick up everyone but you."
 Chapter 18
 	"Now, really," Anshu chastised as he crouched down next to Linya, "I don't know what you were expecting."
 	Sitting with her back against the wall, Linya kept herself still as Anshu brought his staff close to the wound on her side, the arrow that had caused it lying on the floor next to her, its tip bloody. "I wanted to see what that pressure plate did."
 	"By setting it off?"
 	"I thought I was out of the way. It seemed like a much better idea at the time…"
 	"Well, you did get out of the way of most of the arrows, so you weren't completely wrong. Now hold still."
 	Hiccup snickered to herself as she floated above the two of them, while Shaaria, Faelis and Randival watched. So far their progress up the tower had been good, with only a few minor mishaps here and there. The tower itself was a very mysterious structure: the entire thing was constructed of a white stone almost like marble, but with bright red lines running up its side that periodically intensified their glow before gradually fading off to a very dim light. They weren't quite straight lines, either, sometimes taking a right angled turn to veer to the side before sharply turning back up again. The inside of the tower was much the same, making it quite disorientating, which no doubt made it easier for invaders to stumble into traps. Shaaria had no doubt that it was some special crystal-based magic, but what purpose it served, she couldn't begin to guess.
 	It was quite a grueling climb of alternating sets of stairs and landings going around the perimeter of the tower. Only on some floors did the landings connect to rooms at the center, long since abandoned and picked clean of anything of value by archaeologists, scholars, or explorers. While the landings had long openings in the outer walls to let in natural light, some sort of walls of force covered them, preventing anyone from getting inside any other way than going up the stairs. The tower was riddled with traps, many of which Faelis was able to disable by slipping past and finding the switch to deactivate, but they had all gained a great deal of paranoia for pressure plates after only a few floors. Several of the magical ones seemed to have already been activated, and only a few of them reset, requiring Linya to examine them with her spectacles to determine the trigger and how to disable or get past them. Most curiously, the higher up they got, the more traps seemed to have already been activated, leaving fewer hazards for them to deal with.
 	It had not taken them long to locate the remains of the guardsmen who came before them as well as the tower's guards – nor what had killed them. They had heard the void creature approaching before it had reached them, but Shaaria was surprised to see it scuttling along the inner wall of the staircase. Its form had six legs shaped like those of a spider, but a ravenous maw at the front of the middle section, charging directly towards them until Randival had hit it with a well-placed shot from his pistol. It had fallen to the ground and shifted into a quadrupedal form more like the ones they had fought on the ship, only to be annihilated by a lightning bolt from Linya.
 	While easy, the encounter had put them on edge, and they had expected more monsters to follow it, yet it seemed like it was alone. They did meet more more scattered resistance throughout the tower, usually in slightly larger groups, but it was nothing they couldn't handle – even with their foes being able to walk on the walls when they so desired, Randival's tactical assessment had been correct. With him at the front as the others focused on fighting at range, they were able to keep good control of the situation and proceed with nothing worse than Randival getting knocked into Linya when one of the beasts charged into him. Thankfully, Shaaria had been able to intervene before either of them was seriously hurt, putting a wall of force between the two and pushing it away, allowing Faelis's knives and Anshu's fire wand to finish it off.
 	"How are you feeling?" Anshu asked as he lifted the staff away from Linya's now-healed wound.
 	"Much better, thank you," Linya said with a nod. Anshu stood back up, then held out his hand and pulled Linya to her feet, where she dusted herself off and adjusted her spectacles.
 	"Please let Faelis do all the poking, prodding, and other touching of traps," Randival remarked with a hint of annoyance. "I haven't fought off void monsters all the way up this tower just for you to get taken out by regular trap. It wasn't even magical!"
 	Linya gave him a bow. "My apologies for my carelessness. My curiosity gets the better of me sometimes."
 	"Well, while we were waiting, I discovered something interesting. I thought to see what the Beacon locator had to say," Randival informed the group, reaching under his cloak to retrieve the device in question, "and lo and behold, it's actually picking up a signal from Harton's Beacon." Flipping it open, he turned it to show the group, where they could see a few dials and a large gauge, as well as what looked like a compass. The needle in the center was wobbling slightly from the motion, but soon settled again, pointing towards the center of the tower.
 	"Does that mean it's working again?" Shaaria wondered.
 	Randival shook his head. "No, I checked it on the way here and got nothing. The signal is extremely weak. Generally you cannot use one of these to determine the strength of a Beacon's signal directly, so they are only useful for determining direction, not distance. However, a signal that is too weak will not get picked up at all. This normally only matters for if, say, you were in Cauldurin and tried to lock on to Torvun's Beacon all the way down south. That's why there's more than one Beacon in the first place, after all: they have a finite detection range. But right now, Harton's Beacon's signal is so weak that it can barely even get past the walls of its own tower."
 	Linya brought a hand to her muzzle in thought. "Is that a good or a bad sign? It does mean the Beacon hasn't been destroyed, but it could be damaged, or something might be draining its power."
 	"That, I do not know," Randival admitted, snapping the device closed and returning it to beneath his cloak. "And we shall have to find out when we get there. Speaking of, are we ready to proceed? I think we're nearly at the top."
 	Linya stepped over to the outer wall, leaning against the invisible wall of force, her contact with it making it flicker red for a brief moment. "I cannot readily tell from here. Did anyone keep track of how many floors we have climbed?"
 	"No, but…" Randival reached under his cloak and pulled out a small circular device that he flipped open with a flick of his wrist, glancing inside of it. "Judging by our current altitude… I'd say we're on the seventeenth floor," he observed, snapping the device closed and stashing it back under his cloak.
 	"No wonder my legs ache," Anshu grumbled, rubbing at one of them with one hand. Hiccup snickered once again, and he shot her a glare, the lindwurm grinning smugly as she floated in the air. He fished the map Randival had drawn out from a pocket and unfolded it, holding his staff under one arm to do so. "The twentieth floor is the top one."
 	"Cheer up, then, we're nearly there," Randival said brightly.
 	"Yes, but then we have to climb back down," Anshu pointed out.
 	"And that's much easier than going up. So my point still stands!" Randival declared with a dramatic sweep of a wing-arm. After checking his pistol and drawing his saber again, he took the lead, and they continued up the tower.
 	At first it seemed like a clear shot the rest of the way, but they were halfway up the stairs to the 19th floor when they heard movement above them – and a lot of movement, at that. Randival froze, raising the hand holding his pistol to signal for the others to stop, focused on the corridor in front of them. They could feel the enraged cries of several void creatures above them, and heard movement from the floor up ahead within moments.
 	"Get back, we don't want to fight them on the stairs!" Randival called out. Anshu, at the back, turned and hurried back down the stairs, as the others backpedaled more slowly and carefully, keeping their eyes forward. "Shaaria, you handle any on the side. Linya, you take the ceiling. Faelis, back me up."
 	Moments later, the first creatures came into view, far more than they had encountered so far – one along the inner wall and one on the ceiling, soon followed by two more plus another one running at them on the floor, already in a quadrupedal form with enormous scythed blades for forelegs. Immediately, Shaaria extended a hand and hurled a lance of light at the closest one on the wall, punching straight through its midsection, the creature falling to the ground at the top of the stairs. She then continued to backpedal down the stairs, her other hand held out for balance, sparing a quick glance downwards to watch her footing.
 	Linya was quick to blast the one on the ceiling with lightning, making it screech subaudibly as it convulsed and lost its grip, only to land on the stairs themselves and begin to tumble down them towards the group. "Watch out!" Randival called in warning, pressing himself flush against the outer side of the wall to get out of the way, bumping into one of the walls of force in the windows and making it flicker. Faelis sidestepped it gracefully as she drew a throwing knife, and Hiccup simply floated higher while Shaaria pressed herself against the outer wall as Randival had done, but Linya was directly in its path.
 	Unable to get out of the way in time, she turned and tried to outrun it, but it had gained too momentum. In desperation, Linya leapt into the air, barking out a magic word and making a quick gesture. Her descent rapidly slowed, allowing the creature to tumble underneath her harmlessly, soon hitting the landing at the bottom next to Anshu. He had a wand out and ready to blast it, but it was already losing color, so he turned his attention to Linya instead, holding the wand between his teeth to free up an arm and hand to catch her slowly falling form with.
 	Shaaria looked back up the stairs and saw Faelis and Randival retreating, about to collide with her, so she raised a hand and conjured a glimmering wall of force between the two groups to buy them time to get off the stairs. Turning around to descend faster, but keeping her arm outstretched behind her, she hurried to join Linya, Anshu, and Hiccup at the bottom of the stairs, while Randival and Faelis took the hint and rushed after her.
 	"Good thinking!" Randival praised, quickly reloading his pistol. "But it looks like there are rather a lot of them!"
 	Shaaria grimaced as the creatures battered on the energy wall and flung themselves against it, forcing her to focus on maintaining it. "I noticed. There must be a rift nearby," she said between clenched teeth, glaring up the stairs, holding both arms out.
 	"The thought had occurred to me as well. We have to get up there. Any ideas?"
 	"I've got one," Anshu declared, holding out a phial to Faelis. It was unusually designed; while it was conical in shape, the interior was divided into two segments, one half holding a green liquid and the other holding a red one. "Throw this at them when Shaaria lowers the barrier. DO NOT drop it."
 	Faelis put away the throwing knife she was holding and took the vial with apprehension. "All right," she said, taking a breath and turning to face the stairs, "I'm ready."
 	Randival quickly reloaded his pistol and snapped it shut. "On three, Shaaria?" he proposed, and she nodded in response, panting and straining to keep the barrier up as the creatures clumsily bashed at it. It was going to break soon if she didn't drop it willingly. Turning and holding his saber ready, Randival continued, "Very well, then. One, two, three!"
 	At the signal, Shaaria let the barrier dissipate. The creatures had piled up behind it to all attack the barrier in tandem, and so were nicely clustered together when the phial struck the frontmost creature on the stairs directly moments later.
 	Shaaria wasn't too sure exactly what happened next, as the force of the resulting explosion knocked all of them to the ground, and left her internal ears ringing. Dazed and struggling to sit up, as her vision came back into focus, she saw that a good portion of the stairs and the inner wall had been blackened, while the outer wall had buckled from the force of the explosion, a small hole blasted in the rock severing one of the glowing red lines in the tower. Of the void creatures, very little remained; discoloring chunks slowly tumbled down the stairs, and smoldering remnants were piled at the edges of the scorch marks.
 	Faelis sprang to her feet, with Randival rising soon after, but the immediate threat was gone. Randival turned and shouted something at Anshu with an angry gesture, but Shaaria couldn't hear a word of it – and evidently, neither could Anshu, who held up one hand in a gesture for Randival to wait before taking off his backpack and pulling a wand from it, pointing it towards himself before flicking it at each person in turn.
 	"…you," Shaaria caught as he restored her hearing, "and one for you, and…"
 	"Anshu!" Randival demanded as soon as he could hear again. "Stars Above, man! What in the world were you thinking? Were you trying to kill us?"
 	"Quite the opposite, though that concoction was a little more potent in these confined spaces than I had expected. You see now why I didn't make any of those for our trip on The Silver Wing."
 	Linya seemed to be panicking when Anshu got to her. "Where's Hiccup?" she asked as soon as her hearing was restored, looking around back and forth. "I can't sense her emotions any more."
 	Shaaria felt worried and hesitantly asked, "Does that mean that she's…?"
 	"She's alive, but unconscious," Linya said firmly, looking at the floor around them.
 	"The explosion might have blown her further away," Shaaria suggested, and looked down the corridor the way they came. Sure enough, Hiccup was sprawled in a heap on the floor, her lighter body having been knocked far away by the blast.
 	"Oh no, Hiccup!" Faelis called out in worry, watching Linya run over to the lindwurm's prone form, with Anshu following directly behind. Linya crouched down next to Hiccup, gently turning her motionless form over to look for any injuries, her face furrowed in worry.
 	"I think she was just knocked out, poor girl," Linya observed with a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing and picking up her familiar, cradling the lindwurm in her arms. "I don't see any other injuries."
 	Anshu slipped off his backpack and reached into a side pouch. "I'll take care of her."
 	"You had better," Linya said sharply, shooting a glare his way. "It was your concoction that did this."
 	"I'm terribly sorry," he apologized, "Just give me a moment..." Pulling out a small vial of green liquid, he unstoppered it and held it in one hand as he forced open Hiccup's mouth with the other. Pouring a small amount of the liquid into Hiccup's mouth, he then held her muzzle shut to force her to swallow.
 	Hiccup began moving again within a few moments, lashing around in Linya's arms until she managed to right herself and float into the air, glaring furiously at Anshu. "You – hic! – maniac!" she all but screamed at him, a hiccup making her undulating body wiggle in the air. She gnashed her jaws at him, only prevented from biting him by Linya quickly grabbing her body, and continued, "I can't – hic! – hear anything! Hic! Help me!"
 	Retrieving the wand he had used earlier, Anshu waved it at Hiccup, but it didn't seem to improve her temper any. "Randival said – hic! – he wanted to – hic! – GET up the – hic! – stairs, not – hic! – BLOW them up!"
 	"I made a miscalculation," Anshu admitted.
 	"That's it? Hic! That's all you – hic! – have to say-"
 	"Look out!" Faelis suddenly yelled.
 	Shaaria whirled around; everyone had been distracted by Hiccup and had forgotten to watch out behind them. Faelis must have heard another creature approaching on the wall, but not until it was nearly on top of them, and she raised her shortsword reflexively to try and block the incoming blow as the creature pounced on her.
 	But she might as well have been trying to parry a falling boulder. It knocked her to the ground with its weight, and one of its spider-like legs shifted at the end into a claw that it jammed into her belly, piercing straight through her, the claw striking against the floor. Faelis yelled out in pain and let go of her weapons, screaming in agony when it ripped the blade back out in a spray of blood a moment later, reflexively clutching at the gaping hole in her belly. Her eyes were screwed shut tightly, and she was unable to see the second arm raising up to finish her off.
 	Faelis's blood splashed against Shaaria's front and face, making her recoil in horror, freezing up on the spot from the sudden attack and the brutality of Faelis's wound. Despite a desperate desire to come to Faelis's aid, her body refused to move and she couldn't tear her gaze away from Faelis – so it was Randival who lunged to Faelis's rescue, raising his sword and standing over her. He tried to get in a shot with his pistol, but only clipped the creature's side, and its arm struck his sword with full force. Shaaria heard a bone snap as his wing-arm was forced back, and he gave an agonized cry of his own as he stumbled away and dropped his sword.
 	But he had saved Faelis, and as he staggered aside, Linya had a clean shot, pushing past Anshu and raising her arms. Shouting something that Shaaria couldn't focus on enough to understand, Linya thrust both hands forward and struck the creature with a sustained blast of lightning, making it shudder and jerk in place for a few moments. Gritting her teeth in rage, Linya advanced further, a final jolt of electricity knocking the void creature onto its back on the stairs. It lay unmoving but for a few final errant twitches from the electricity, its body discoloring rapidly. 
 	Anshu was already hurrying over as Linya took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Faelis seemed to have gone into shock, her hands resting over her stomach while Randival slumped back against the wall, both of them in extreme pain. "Faelis… first…" Randival insisted through gritted teeth, dropping his pistol onto the ground as well to grip at his broken arm, but Anshu was ahead of him and already lowering his staff towards her.
 	"Hold on, I've got you!" he told her as he focused.
 	Hiccup flew over as well, floating above Faelis's body. "Faelis! Hic! Please – hic! – hang on!" she pleaded.
 	Faelis didn't respond to either of them, tears running down her cheeks as she took ragged gasps of breath, her hands covered in her own blood. But thankfully, Anshu's staff began to take effect, lessening her pain and healing the wound, her breaths gradually evening out. It was a terrible injury, but Shaaria saw it gradually close and mend as the staff did its work, though the glow of the gem on the end of Anshu's staff slowly faded over time.
 	"I'll watch the stairs," Linya announced, turning away from the others. "The last thing we need is another sneak attack." Hiccup floated closer to Linya, but kept looking back over her shoulder at Faelis with an expression of deep concern, hiccupping every few seconds. 
 	Shaaria said nothing, rooted in place, not wanting to look at Faelis's grievous wound but unable to tear her gaze away, silently fretting and worrying; what if Anshu wasn't fast enough? What if the wound was too much for the staff to cure? 
 	She could cure it, but not without exposing herself. It would be so easy. So simple. But all of the others would see. Linya would immediately know she had been hiding her true strength from them – and would know that she was far more than she appeared. They would all know she wasn't who she said she was. If they even allowed her to continue to remain with them, they would have endless questions. It would spiral out of control.
 	No, she had to stay her hand and preserve the façade… but what would it cost? Would she have to suffer through watching another person she cared about die in front of her? Would another death soon weigh on her conscience?
 	  
 	But thankfully, Faelis's breaths seemed to steady out, her pained sobs fading to just gasps for air. "Thank… thank you," she heard from Faelis after a moment, and Anshu straightened himself back up.
 	"Do you feel all right? I'll give you something else in just a moment for the blood loss."
 	"I think… I'll be fine," Faelis answered after a few gasps. "Go… go help Randival…"
 	"You are absolutely not fine, not after losing that much blood. Stay there and let me treat you."
 	Faelis conceded and stayed still, quietly groaning, "I'm sorry… I wasn't paying attention…"
 	"None of us were," Randival told her, the pained expression on his face and the wing-arm hanging limply at his side betraying his attempt to be stoic. "We are all at fault."
 	Anshu unstoppered a potion and sat Faelis up to help her swallow as he poured it into her mouth, then laid her back down on the floor of the tower to let it do its work. Returning the empty vial to his backpack, he then inspected the gem at the end of his staff: it was completely dull and devoid of any glow whatsoever. "Unfortunately, that's all I can get out of this thing for now. Hold on, Randival. I have other means to tend to you. Keep your arm held straight like that."
 	"Don't worry. Couldn't move it… even if I wanted to."
 	Faelis slowly and unsteadily got to her feet as Anshu set down his backpack and dug inside, pulling out a rolled-up scroll. Opening it up, he held it in front of him and began reading from it in a firm, clear voice. When he finished the incantation, it crumbled to dust in his hands, releasing the spell stored within. Randival winced and let out a pained cry as his broken bone was forced back into position and healed rapidly, leaving him panting heavily afterwards.
 	"Skies Below, that hurt. Better than having a broken arm, but why does magic never work like it does in those children's stories?" he grumbled.
 	"That was the last of those scrolls I have," Anshu said grimly. "Please try not to break any more bones or I will have to tend to them the old-fashioned way."
 	"I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Faelis murmured timidly, but it only kicked off an argument.
 	"Maybe – hic! – someone shouldn't – hic! – have nearly – hic! – blown us up!"
 	"It was an accident! I wasn't at the front, it's not my responsibility to be the lookout!"
 	"I would have been paying attention if some overgrown fuzz-slug wasn't making a racket behind us!"
 	"Hiccup is understandably upset! How would you like it if someone knocked you out with an explosion?"
 	"Stop it, stop it!" Faelis cried out, putting herself between Linya and Randival, but they paid her no heed.
 	"She's fine! If anyone should be upset, it should be Faelis! She nearly died!"
 	"I noticed! Why couldn't Shaaria take care of it? I was at the back!"
 	Randival took a deep breath, then looked over towards Shaaria, still staring in mute astonishment, and waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey! Snap out of it!"
 	"Skies Below, what is wrong with you?" Linya demanded, snapping her fingers. "You were the closer of the two of us! You should have acted first! Your hesitation nearly got Faelis killed!"
 	The accusation stung, enough to free Shaaria from her stupor, but she couldn't deny Linya's words. "You're right," she apologized quietly and shamefully. "I'm sorry. I just… I was in shock."
 	She reached up towards her face, but Randival quickly reached into a pocket and tugged out a handkerchief to offer her, and she took it to wipe Faelis's blood off of her scales. "Don't be so harsh, Linya," he insisted, "She hasn't been doing this as long as us. She's not a soldier, just a traveler."
 	"Yeah – hic!" Hiccup cut in, "I seem to remember you didn't – hic! – do so well the first few times you saw – hic! – blood."
 	Narrowing her eyes at Hiccup for a moment, Linya turned back to Shaaria and inclined her head. "Yes. Quite right. My apologies. Such horrific sights are difficult to stomach when we are not used to them. But please remember that even a moment's hesitation can make the difference between life and death."
 	Shaaria nodded softly, cleaning the last of Faelis's blood off of her face and holding the handkerchief back out to Randival. "I will do my best."
 	Randival exhaled as he took it, glancing away and up the stairs for any sign of danger, but it was still clear. "Let's all calm down and focus on the task at hand, shall we? Our tempers are a little high at the moment. We have all made mistakes, and casting blame doesn't help anybody. So please, let's all calm down before someone says something they can't take back."
 	A quiet fell over them, and Linya eventually made a slow gesture to cast a spell with a few mumbled words, tipping her head back and staring upwards towards the ceiling, holding onto her spectacles with her other hand. "I believe your earlier theory is correct," she mused aloud after a moment, "and that there is a rift above us. I can't close it without being able to see it, however."
 	"But you can close it if we get up there?"
 	"Yes-"
 	"Then that's what we'll do," Randival asserted. "Even if my father finds a mercenary group, they won't be able to handle this without some serious magical help. We're the only ones that can do this. Are you with me?"
 	The others responded with various words of assent, so they took a moment to prepare, during which Linya helped clean the blood off of Faelis's clothes while Shaaria did her own. Then, Randival retrieved his pistol and sword, reloading the former, and began making his way up the stairs once more, with the others following after him.
 Chapter 19
 	The blackened section of stairs still seemed structurally sound and they crossed it without issues, reaching the 19th floor and encountering only a single creature coming to meet them that was dispatched within moments by Linya.
 	But the final set of stairs leading up to the top floor were a little different, as the walls suddenly became solid, the glowing lines in the tower all converging together. The top room's walls, rather than being circular, were octagonal, and the stairs led directly up into the room itself, which took up the entire floor. The walls were illuminated by a flickering orange glow, and while they could only see a small part of the room as they ascended up the last several stairs, Randival at the front was the first to notice something amiss.
 	"The Beacon!" he called out to the others, who hurried up the stairs to join him. In the center of the large room was an enormous orange crystal taller than any of them, roughly hewn and in the vague shape of an octahedron, suspended in the air above a circular base set with many additional smaller crystals. Something was obviously wrong with it, the glow within flickering erratically instead of pulsing rhythmically or holding steady.
 	There was no doubt it was due to the void creature that was on top of it, spread out like an oozing, creeping puddle that flowed up and down around the crystal, the white spots in the creature's surface glowing more brightly than normal. A rift in space hung in the air behind the crystal, seemingly dormant at first, though there seemed to be movement from within it.
 	Linya immediately had a finger on the crystal on her spectacles, staring intensely. "That thing is siphoning energy from the Beacon to keep the rift open," she observed. "I should still be able to close it, but the creature will make it harder to do so."
 	Randival crept up the stairs, eyes on the Beacon, pistol held out, unsure if the creature on it was aware of them or not. "I think it is best that you try anyway. We will protect you while you do. Are you ready?"
 	"Yes," Linya answered simply, as Hiccup took up her place next to Linya.
 	He waited a moment for objections, and when none were forthcoming, he began sprinting up the stairs. "Then let's go!" he called, reaching the landing and facing towards the Beacon, keeping his sword held out. Faelis, Shaaria and Anshu followed behind, yet to their surprise, the creature on the crystal didn't react, continuing to flow over its surface and siphon off energy.
 	However, the instant Linya began casting the spell to seal the rift, it took notice, rapidly flowing up to the top half of the crystal. Two great, long tendrils emerged from it, each with a large bulbous swelling on the end that split into an open maw lined with sharp teeth. "Skies Below!" Randival called out at the sight, dodging to the side as one of the toothy maws snapped at him, the other one lunging for Linya and slamming into a wall of force Shaaria put up to stop it.
 	But to make things worse, creatures began coming through the rift once more, dropping out as spheres of deep purple and then extending parts of themselves into limbs. The first one did not make it far as a shot from Randival's pistol pierced through its center and a knife from Faelis stuck into it a moment later. But within seconds, another dropped on top of the discoloring body of the first before Randival could reload, and he advanced with his sword out to engage it.
 	"Faelis, here!" Anshu called out, holding out a glowing phial to her, just like the one he had given her on The Silver Wing. She snatched it from him and waited for an opening – when Shaaria had one head busy and the other gnashed only at empty air near Randival, she hurled it towards the crystal and the monster covering it. The glass phial shattered near the top of the crystal and splashed its contents onto the creature, burning into its form within moments, a black smoke rising towards the top of the chamber. The creature let out a subaudible shriek that Shaaria felt shaking her bones, both of its tendrils lifting and writhing in the air above the crystal. With the main threat gone, she turned her attention to one of the creatures coming out from the rift, forming a small javelin of hard light in one hand that she hurled at it.
 	"Shaaria!" Faelis shouted, and she barely reacted in time to put a barrier up around herself, one of the big creature's toothy maws slamming into it. At first she thought it was a desperate attack in its death throes, but the head reared back again, and she saw that the part of its form that had been burned was already healing back up, the creature in fighting condition once again.
 	"That wasn't enough?" Anshu yelled in disbelief.
 	Shaaria dispelled her barrier, but had to put up another one as the nearest tendril tried to attack Linya again, still performing her ritual, gesturing as Hiccup circled around her. As before, Linya's hands were glowing and arcane lines were drawing around her, but something was resisting her efforts, and it was progressing slower than the previous occasion, a strained expression on her face. "It must be using the Beacon's energy to heal itself!" Shaaria shouted.
 	Randival ran his saber through the creature he was facing off against and stepped back as he pulled it free. "Damn! How do we stop it?"
 	Behind him, Faelis threw a knife at the head that had been preparing to strike at Randival, and it gave a short subaudible cry before turning its attention to her, its lunging maw closing around only air as she leapt aside. Anshu had pulled out a wand and was taking the opportunity to send bolts of fire at the creatures coming from the rift, keeping back to avoid presenting himself as a target. Linya was still working on her spell, Hiccup circling around her and twisting through the air, magical energy gathering around them both. Linya's brow was furrowed with effort, and sometimes Shaaria could see some of the magic lines erasing, or the glow around Linya's hands faltering for a moment, the energy building up fluctuating.
 	"Someone… get it away from us! I need… to be able… to cast!" Shaaria called for help as the creature's head slammed over and over into the barrier she was holding, taking heavy breaths as she focused on maintaining the spell. She saw one of Faelis's knives zip through the air and strike the creature's tendril just under the head, but it continued to go for Linya, fixated on the magic coalescing around her. The second head seemed to be turning towards her too, losing interest in Faelis and Randival, the tendril sliding across the surface of the creature on top of the Beacon.
 	Randival leapt for the nearer of the two tendrils and hacked at it with his blade, the steel edge biting into the creature, but it was not a sharp enough edge nor a strong enough blow to sever it, and when he pulled his sword back the cut healed up immediately. "Damn it!" he shouted as he backed off, forced away as another creature spilled through the rift behind the crystal.
 	Shaaria winced as both of the creature's heads smashed themselves against the barrier she was barely holding, the magic starting to fray. She wouldn't be able to hold it for long, and while she could cast another one, there was no telling if she would be fast enough…
 	Then, she saw Anshu push past her, holding up a scroll in one hand and his staff in the other, incanting the words written on the paper. The scroll crumbled into ash just as one of the heads shattered Shaaria's barrier, and he held his staff out towards the Beacon. Shaaria, panting for breath as she tried to recover enough to cast again, didn't see any visible effect. But whatever he had done got the creature's attention; it quickly turned both heads towards him, rearing them both back like the heads of a snake preparing to strike.
 	  
 	"Now, Shaaria, now!" Anshu called out in a panic, staring down the toothy maws as he backed away.
 	Raising a hand, Shaaria conjured luminous energy not into a lance, but instead into a razor thin disk, and a motion of her hand flung it towards the creature. It sliced straight through the tendril on the left and severed it completely, a subaudible scream coming from it as it fell to the floor, lashing and writhing in the ground. The other tendril thrashed in the air long enough for Shaaria to do so once more, the disk of light cutting clean through it, the cut part of the creature collapsing onto the floor and writhing around.
 	The main body of it on the crystal darkened, seemingly unable to withstand the damage done to it, its liquid-like body pouring downward and flowing off of the Beacon in a single continuous mass to form a puddle on the floor as the two severed tendrils gradually went still. As they did, Linya shouted out from by the stairs and gestured to complete her spell, the resistance to her ritual having disappeared with the creature defeated. A bolt of light shot to the rift, and the creature climbing out from it was partly incinerated by the sphere of light that formed around the tear in space, half of its body collapsing to the ground. Shaaria watched with relief as the sealing spell completed, the sphere shrinking until the rift was completely gone, panting for breath.
 	Without the rift, the bodies and severed remains of the creatures around them began to fade away, and the other dragons lowered their weapons and relaxed their stances. There were a few metallic clinks as the creatures that had Faelis's knives embedded in them disappeared, the metal blades falling to the floor. "That was a bit of a mess, but we made it through," Randival said between panting breaths as he came to where Shaaria and Anshu were, putting his weapons away, the others joining them soon after. "Well done to all of you!"
 	"I didn't really-"
 	"Faelis!" Randival snapped, narrowing his eyes. She shrank back a little, and he continued, "You helped. Everyone here helped. Even Hiccup managed to be useful for a change." Ignoring the hiss from the lindwurm, he continued, "Stop doubting yourself, stop putting yourself down. We couldn't have done this without each other. Don't be ashamed, Faelis. Be proud."
 	She raised her head to glance up at him, but looked a little hurt, and he sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I don't want to be harsh, Faelis, but it hurts me when you talk about yourself that way. You are helping. I just wish you could see that, too."
 	"Look at the Beacon!" Anshu called out, pointing and getting the attention of the others. Its erratic glow had been replaced with a steady, bright pulsing, and Randival reached into his cloak, pulling out his pocket navigation device and opening it up on the hinge on its back.
 	"Well, well, well, look at that," he remarked as he peered into the device. Shaaria leaned around to get a look at it, but to her it looked much the same as before. "Harton's Beacon is reading clear again. We'll have to check again on the trip back just to be completely sure, but I think it is certain that we have fixed the problem. My father will be pleased, for once." Snapping the device shut, he added, "Pleased enough to lend us a ship as promised, I hope."
 	"I'm sure he will," Shaaria agreed.
 	Linya folded her arms. "He'd better, after what we went through."
 	"Shall we leave this awful place?" Randival asked, sweeping a wing-arm towards the stairs. "We had best return to the ship before they get any ideas about heading back without us."
 	"Let me just get my knives," Faelis said, hurrying off to gather them up.
 	Once she had done so, Randival began to leave, the others following after him. As they went downstairs, Shaaria leaned over towards Anshu. "By the way, what did you do to get its attention?" she asked him, "I'm very grateful."
 	"Ah." He smirked widely. "Believe it or not, it was a scroll of recharging." Holding out his staff, he showed her the gem on the end, which had regained its normal brightness.
 	She tilted her head. "A… scroll of recharging?" she repeated, not seeing the significance.
 	"To recharge my staff. Of course, the only notable source of crystalline energy in the room was the Beacon, and that creature was very protective of what it considered to be 'its' energy source. So when I began siphoning energy from it…"
 	"…it decided to attack you instead," she finished, and he nodded. "I see. Very clever, if dangerous."
 	"I had faith that you would help me avoid meeting an untimely demise."
 	She gave a little chuckle. "I'm glad that you trust me that much."
 	"Truth be told, I didn't, when first we met," he admitted. "But I think you have proven yourself a reliable ally since then."
 	"Thank you," she replied, giving him a small bow. "I will do all I can to help, for as long I am able to do so." Yet a small part of her felt regret for making a promise she might not be able to keep, and she quickly turned to follow the others.
 Part 4: Evalar
 Chapter 20
 	"Do you think he'll be much longer?" Anshu asked.
 	"Well, he hasn't been thrown out the door yet, so… I'm going to assume that means it's going well," Shaaria mused in response. They were waiting in the lobby of Nashadhe's shipyard offices while Randival had gone inside to speak with his father after their successful return from Harton's Tower. However, Mr. Nashadhe had insisted that he speak with Randival alone, so the rest of the group was passing time in the lobby: Shaaria had lent her book of stories to Linya, so that she and Faelis could sit together on a bench as Faelis practiced reading. Hiccup was draped around Faelis's shoulders, peering down at the book as Faelis held it carefully, gingerly turning each page to avoid folding a corner by accident.
 	  
 	Shaaria and Anshu were sitting on the next bench over as they waited. "Or it went catastrophically," Anshu murmured, and Shaaria raised an eyebrow, unsure if he was joking or not.
 	"I think he's better than that now," Shaaria said optimistically. "He knows what's at stake, and what we went through to get to this point. To be blunt, I trust him not to screw this up."
 	Anshu gave a small snort of amusement. "For all his faults, he has yet to fail us in any serious way," he admitted. "His methods are unorthodox and his character is questionable, but his results are impressive."
 	Shaaria chuckled softly. "At the end of the day, he wants to help, just like the rest of us."
 	He nodded in agreement. "Quite so. That's what's holding us all together." He glanced over to his side at the other three as Faelis stumbled over a word and Linya corrected her, bluntly but without any judgement. "We all want to help, in our own ways."
 	Linya glanced over at the other two. "Did you need something?"
 	Anshu shook his head. "No, we were just talking amongst ourselves." He went quiet and watched as Faelis finished the page she was on, looking over to Linya silently for approval.
 	"Very good," Linya told her, and Faelis blushed a little, smiling softly. "You are improving well, despite your mistakes." Faelis's smile disappeared, and Linya quickly continued, "It's fine to make mistakes. You are making fewer of them, and reading faster than before. Do not be discouraged, it will just take more time and practice, like learning any other skill."
 	"Okay," Faelis said quietly, looking back down at the book. "…do you think I could be like him?" she asked, putting a finger on the page.
 	"How so?"
 	"Do you think I could learn that kind of magic, too? If I studied hard? Could I learn how to turn invisible?"
 	Linya leaned back in her chair a little and put one hand on her spectacles, lightly touching the crystal on the crosspiece with one finger as she studied Faelis intently. "No," she said flatly after a moment.
 	"Oh," Faelis murmured, lowering her head, looking crushed. 
 	Hiccup looked at her with concern, then turned and snapped "Linya!" at her master.
 	"What?" Linya replied. "She does not have the gift. No magical aura of any kind at all."
 	"You could at least be nice about it!" Hiccup scolded.
 	Frowning, Shaaria leaned forward a little on her bench to look past Anshu at them. "It's all right, Faelis. You've already got plenty of skills, you don't need to know magic too."
 	She didn't seem very encouraged, so Anshu chimed in. "It's true. Look at me – not a drop of magical power at all. You and I are just the same in that regard. But you don't think I'm useless because of it, do you?"
 	"No!" Faelis replied quickly, looking over at him. "You're… you saved my life…"
 	"I've helped everyone here," Anshu told her. "Randival included. Even Hiccup, remember? When she was choking on that fruit?"
 	Faelis reached up and put a hand on Hiccup as the lindwurm shifted and grumbled from the reminder of an event that must have taken place before Shaaria had joined them. "I remember," Faelis said quietly.
 	"And I didn't need any magic of my own to do it," he insisted. "Remember what I told you the other night? About what Randival said to me that convinced me to come along?"
 	Faelis's free hand nervously fiddled with a strap on her clothing, but after a moment, she answered, "That you want to be defined by what you can do… not what you can't?"
 	"That's right," Anshu said with a nod. "And you should do the same."
 	She looked over at him silently, her eyes drifting to the backpack he had resting on the floor by his feet. "Then… could I learn how to use scrolls and wands?" she asked hopefully.
 	"If you practice enough, yes," Anshu told her. "It's not easy. But if I can do it, you can do it. I could try and teach you when we have the time."
 	"Thank you," Faelis replied with a small nod. "I just want to be useful."
 	"You are useful," Shaaria chided softly.
 	"But I can't do magic like you and Linya…"
 	"Strictly speaking, even if you learn to evoke magical implements, you still will not be 'doing magic' like us," Linya cut in. "But you will have greater options available to you than those of us who cast under their own power."
 	"Um…" Faelis responded, looking lost.
 	Linya held up a hand with one finger extended. "Magic is graded on three levels," she began. "First, Application, or, how it's used. I am focused entirely on offensive magic. Shaaria knows both offensive and defensive magic. But there are many other disciplines." She raised another finger. "Second, Foundation, or, what underlies or powers it. It's the difference between the lightning magic that I use, and the luminous magic that Shaaria uses, even though they can both be used offensively. With me so far?"
 	Faelis gave a small nod. "I think so…"
 	Linya raised a third finger. "Finally we have Power, or, how strong the effect is." Lowering her hand, she went on, "For most people you can, at most, have two of these things: if you want high power and broad foundation, like I do, then you must sacrifice application, which is why I only know offensive spells, plus a small handful of utility magic. Shaaria is in a similar situation, from what I can tell. But those who rely on magic items, like Anshu, sacrifice power instead. He has an immense breadth of applications and foundations of magical effects at his disposal, but none of them come close to the power of something cast by a specialist."
 	"Or, put more simply," Anshu offered, "I am only limited by how many things I can carry. The trade-off is that the implements I use are weaker. More powerful scrolls and wands exist, but are far more expensive. My staff is an example, but for that reason it is the only such advanced implement I own."
 	"But it's not real magic…" Faelis murmured.
 	Anshu narrowed his eyes, looking offended, but kept it out of his voice. "My implements are tools. Are your combat skills any less because someone else forged the weapons you use?"
 	Linya also looked quite unhappy about Faelis's remark. "That is wrong, Faelis. Someone else may have infused those implements, but using them still takes effort, training, and practice, especially for someone who does not have their own magic. It is neither better nor worse; it is merely a different form of the art."
 	Chagrined, Faelis lowered her head further. "I'm sorry…" she apologized, sounding ashamed.
 	Linya gave her a soft pat on the back. "It's all right, just watch your words in future."
 	"That's kind of rich coming from you," Hiccup grumbled, and Linya shot her a glare over the rim of her spectacles.
 	"Nobody likes it when you insult their craft," Anshu pointed out, his expression softening. "How would you like it if I said that you weren't a real poisoner because you buy ingredients instead of gathering them?"
 	Faelis's fists clenched for a brief moment. "I understand. I'm sorry."
 	He gave her a nod and leaned back in his seat. "No harm done."
 	A few moments later, the doors leading into the rest of the building swung open, and Randival strode out from them, looking triumphant. The others rose to their feet, and Faelis walked over to Shaaria to return the book of stories to her.
 	"How did it go?" Shaaria asked as she stuffed the book into her backpack.
 	"Surprisingly well!" Randival told her, spinning his hat on one finger before returning it to his head. "Mercenaries are expensive, so that's one bill my father is glad not to have to foot – here, at least. There are other Beacons that are not working, as I believe I have mentioned before, and it's highly likely they have met the same fate… which means my father saw fit to place an additional condition upon our receiving an airship. One that I agreed to, at that."
 	Linya frowned, raising a hand to her muzzle. "I see. What is it?"
 	"It actually relies on you, my dear," Randival informed her, gesturing towards Linya for emphasis. "They need you to write down the ritual you use to seal the rifts so they can distribute it to other cities. The alternative was to ask us to go around and fix every single one ourselves, and we don't have time for that."
 	"That's quite acceptable. I just need some time and a bit of peace and quiet."
 	"Well, you'll have plenty of that during our flight to Evalar – there's a Nashadhe office there we can turn it in to, and they'll handle the rest. My father will send a message to them ahead of us by crystalgraph so that they know we're coming. As for the ship, he has arranged for an exploration vessel to take us to Evalar, and, so long as we do as he has asked, we will be allowed to take it to wherever we need from there."
 	"That's great news!" Faelis said.
 	"Indeed it is. Exploration vessels are designed for longer trips, should we indeed end up making an excursion out into the wilderlands along the forty-winter-old trail we are following. The crew is smaller, and the ships are less well armed and armored, but they are faster and quite maneuverable. And I know how to fly one!"
 	"Oh no, we're doomed," Hiccup grumbled.
 	Randival chuckled in response. "Fret not, flying dishrag, for I have been explicitly ordered not to take the helm, and the captain has been told that she should throw me overboard if I try. Should some sort of emergency come up and befall the crew, however, I am capable of steering the thing."
 	"Directly into an island, probably."
 	"I can say with absolute certainty that I would do a better job of it than you."
 	Shaaria cut in before they could get derailed further. "Do you know anything about the crew?"
 	"I don't know them personally," Randival replied, "but they're all quite experienced, and can handle all of the necessary maintenance and tasks aboard the ship. It's a small crew for a small vessel, and while we'll probably still have to do most of the fighting if we run into trouble, they're competent and reliable enough to not be a liability."
 	"We came out of this rather well, then. If I may ask…" Shaaria paused, and Randival gave her a quizzical look. "…what about you and your father?"
 	Randival exhaled, staring off into the distance through the glass-paned doors at the front of the building. "I think that is the most unbelievable thing about all that has happened so far. I was apprehensive at first when he insisted I meet with him alone. But he seemed legitimately impressed with what we had accomplished, and listened to my requests and objections. His requests for additional help from us were not particularly unreasonable. And for my part, I was able to keep my temper in check and see just how much he has to handle on his side to make all this work. For the first time in a long time, I think we saw each other as equals, not adversaries." Turning his gaze back to her, he continued, "It will take a lot of time for old wounds to heal, but by the grace of the Stars, I think we have reached an understanding. We both know what is at stake here. I even beat him to the punch on promising that I would return successfully, or not at all!"
 	"Hopefully the former," Anshu remarked.
 	"Quite so. Anyway, we should be off. There is nothing more for us here in Dalavun."
 Chapter 21
 	The exploration vessel was quite a different beast to the military vessel they had gone to Harton's Tower on. A relatively small ship, it had a pair of balloons rigged to it, made from a tougher and more durable material than those used on The Silver Wing. It lacked any ship-to-ship weapons, its armory only holding rifles and swords for the crew to use to repel any boarders.
 	But what it lacked in combat power, it made up for elsewhere. It had numerous strong propellers facing both downwards and backwards for much better maneuverability, and had powerful telescopes mounted in a few places on the deck for peering into the distance. The bridge was fully fitted out with the latest in navigational equipment, the navigation room directly behind it readily supplied with maps and additional navigational gear. The hold was well-stocked with supplies for a long trip, and while the quarters were extremely cramped, the thin beds placed on hinges to allow them to be raised for additional space, narrow dividers and sliding doors offered at least a modicum of privacy to those within.
 	The trip to Evalar was uneventful, and much quicker than taking a passenger liner, thanks in part to the faster ship and also from taking a direct route instead of following the usual passenger lanes. Shaaria frequently went up to the deck to watch as they passed through large empty cloudscapes, flying by occasional empty islands or smaller independent settlements. The minimal space on the ship meant she saw a lot of the others as they passed the time; Anshu often preparing potions in a lower deck, Randival fencing with the air up on the deck, and Linya finding quiet spots to read or write.
 	With Linya busy, Shaaria offered to help Faelis practice her reading, continuing from where Linya had left off with her and helping Faelis to read along. For her part, Faelis seemed to alternate between enjoying the stories, and being frustrated every time she ran into a word she had trouble with, or stumbled on a long sentence. More than once Faelis got upset enough to ask to stop early, and Shaaria let her be alone, not wanting to put any undue pressure on her.
 	After one such session, Shaaria went to go check on Linya, finding her in her room, though her door was open partway. Knocking on the frame, Shaaria peeked inside and asked, "Do you need any help with transcribing the ritual?"
 	"Oh, no, I have already finished that," Linya answered, looking up from the book she had been reading. She was lying down on her bed, and Hiccup was sprawled lazily across her lap. "All that remains is to deliver it upon our upcoming arrival."
 	"Ah, excellent," Shaaria remarked, stepping just into the room. There was very little space with the bed lowered, so she remained by the door.
 	"I heard you have also been trying to help Faelis read," Linya stated matter-of-factly.
 	Shaaria gave her a nod in response. "Yes, with some success. It's easier to see it as an outside observer, but she is improving, even though she feels like she isn't."
 	Linya sighed and shook her head slightly. "She is a capable student, but judges herself far too harshly," she murmured, setting her book down and then using a free hand to rub down Hiccup's back as she sat up slowly. "Unfortunately my academic experience lies entirely on the research side. I would send a crystalgraph message to the college to ask for assistance, but we keep moving around, and I would not be available to receive a reply. I don't mind teaching her, but I am not trained in it, so I am just doing the best that I can."
 	Shaaria gave her a nod of understanding. "I don't have any formal training in it either," she said, slowly stepping further into the cramped room and reaching down to rub under Hiccup's chin with one finger, the lindwurm giving a content rumble in response. With a smirk, Shaaria asked, "I don't suppose you do, Hiccup?"
 	"Me?" Hiccup asked, opening an eye and giving Shaaria a skeptical look. "I'm not a teacher, I'm an assistant." Smugly, she added, "I even get my name included on the papers my master writes."
 	Chuckling, Shaaria lowered her hand slightly and brushed at the fur on Hiccup's upper chest. "But can you write?"
 	"Of course I can write," Hiccup retorted, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
 	"Whether it's legible or not is another matter," Linya remarked, and Hiccup gave a tiny huff.
 	"By the way, I had a question… how does your bond work? Can you hear her thoughts?" Shaaria inquired.
 	"No," Linya said with a shake of her head, but Hiccup cut in before she could get any further.
 	"Stars and Skies, no. And I'm glad for that. But at least they'd be better than hearing Randival's thoughts."
 	Linya gave Hiccup a gentle tap on the nose, and Hiccup bristled her mane a little but otherwise settled back into her previous position to let Shaaria rub her front again. "It is purely an emotional bond," Linya explained. "I do not even notice it most of the time, as simple emotions barely register over it. But it does mean I am aware of every time she is hungry."
 	"I've gotta eat too, you know."
 	"Regardless, while the baseline emotions are essentially background noise at this point, I do notice their absence, which happens when she is asleep and not dreaming, or if she is unconscious like she was in Harton's Tower."
 	"Then how did you know she wasn't dead?" Shaaria asked inquisitively. But Linya glanced away, looking grim, and Shaaria apologized, "I'm sorry. That was an insensitive question to ask."
 	"No," Linya said with a shake of her head, "Asking a question in the pursuit of knowledge is nothing to be ashamed of. I thankfully have yet to experience the breaking of a magical emotional bond like this, and I hope it will be a long time yet before I do… but I have heard of it. By all written accounts, it is extremely crushing, and it is like losing a part of yourself. It has been likened to the sudden loss of a loved one of many decades. So, a simple absence of Hiccup's emotions only tells me that she is not conscious, and the same is true in reverse as well."
 	"She likes to take naps in the faculty common-room when it's sunny, and I can tell when she wakes up," Hiccup added.
 	"I know Randival doesn't get along with her, but I enjoy her companionship," Linya said, giving Hiccup another rub down her back, the lindwurm squeaking happily from the attention and from Linya's words. "While the magic that binds us does make me her master, I see her more as a friend. Even if she is a little difficult at times."
 	Shaaria gave a little smile, scratching Hiccup under the chin. "That all makes sense. Thank you."
 	"Of course. I'm always happy to answer questions. Sharing what is already known is a noble cause. I went into academia to tackle un-answered questions, but at the end of the day, it's all in the pursuit of knowledge."
 	"Unlimited access to one of the biggest libraries in the world was pretty convincing for you too," Hiccup added.
 	"Yes," Linya admitted, "That too."
 	"So then, how did the two of you meet?" Shaaria inquired.
 	"Lindwurms are only natively found on the second island of Matakras, while furred dragons like myself are from the primary island. Or at least, that is what is known from historical records. They only go back so far, and there are many mysteries that have been lost to time. The secondary island is a protected sanctuary for them, as they are very rarely seen elsewhere."
 	"We're pretty peaceful," Hiccup cut in. "We don't really have any need for buildings, so there aren't any. We kinda-sorta cultivate the land by burying fruit seeds and letting nature do the rest. So otherwise, we mostly just eat fruit, laze in the sun, and, well…" Hiccup lowered her voice a little. "You know. Keep up our numbers."
 	"They are inherently magical creatures," Linya cut in abruptly, taking back control of the conversation. "Most mages who want a familiar tend to take either simple pets, mounts like gryphons or feral wyverns, or other magical beings that are a little less mercurial. But lindwurms are intelligent creatures, unlike most other options for familiars, and I wanted a companion who could not only assist me, but hold a conversation and aid in my research."
 	"We're just that good," Hiccup remarked with a smug smirk. "We have some empathic abilities, too. I can sense people and a little bit of their emotions, so I can warn my master of danger. Plus, I'm not nearly as inattentive as she is." Linya frowned at that comment, but did not dispute the claim. "We're natural choices for familiars!"
 	"Or you would be, if you were a little less difficult to care for," Linya muttered, rubbing down Hiccup's back with one hand.
 	"Would you rather have some big, loud, stinky gryphon?" Hiccup asked rhetorically.
 	"I suppose not. Anyway, Shaaria, to answer your original question: I visited the island, not as a tourist, envoy or researcher, but to find myself a familiar. Most were not willing to consider my offer, but a few were, and of those, Hiccup had the most latent magical power. After performing the bonding ritual, I brought her back home with me."
 	"I see," Shaaria said with a nod.
 	Hiccup settled in on Linya's lap comfortably. "She wanted an assistant, I wanted some excitement. I think I got a little more than I bargained for on that front."
 	"I wasn't expecting to be in this position either," Linya pointed out.
 	"So, did she name you Hiccup, or…?" Shaaria asked.
 	Hiccup huffed. "No, it's been a nickname for as long as I can remember. My name is Rheadnha, but literally nobody calls me that."
 	"'Hiccup' is cuter," Linya remarked with a small smirk as she gently scratched at the top of the lindwurm's head.
 	"It's a name that inspires people to give affection," Shaaria teased, rubbing under Hiccup's chin at the same time.
 	  
 	Hiccup closed her eyes partway and lavished in the attention, her tufted tail-tip flicking periodically and lightly thumping against Linya's lap. "It's an acceptable trade-off," she agreed.
 Chapter 22
 	When they got within sight of Evalar after a few days of travel, Shaaria went up to the deck to take a look, watching their destination gradually get bigger. To describe it as an island would be inaccurate; it was much more like an archipelago from the sheer number of islands that had been pulled close and connected together in a great horizontal sprawl. Even more disconnected islands with buildings on them spread out beyond that, and a single small island floated far above the central one for some purpose Shaaria did not know. The city even seemed to be in the process of expanding, as during their final approach, she saw one disconnected island very close to the main archipelago with construction crews on opposite sides across a gap preparing the anchors for a new bridge.
 	They were able to land immediately at one of the open docks, though there were not many – several passenger ships had been grounded at Evalar as well and they only saw patrol vessels in the skies around it. Heading back down belowdecks, Shaaria rejoined the rest of the group so they could disembark together into the oddly quiet plaza around the docks that were eerily devoid of travelers and most of the activity that would normally be present.
 	"The captain will stay docked until we come back," Randival explained to them as they walked, "however, she and the crew will be finding their own lodging. We'll have to check in at Nashadhe's offices here when we're ready to go so we can get them back on board."
 	"I heard that much," Linya cut in. "I handed the ritual copy off to the first officer to deliver to the offices. From there they should be able to transmit it by crystalgraph to the other cities with disabled Beacons. The original copy that I gave them will be sent back to the Nashadhe archives as soon as possible."
 	"Excellent, that takes care of that," Randival said with an approving nod. "One less thing to worry about. That will let us focus on the tasks at hand: Finding some accommodations of our own, and then continuing our investigation."
 	Linya nodded in acknowledgement. "Do you have a plan?"
 	"Yes, I think it would be best for us to split up again. I'll do the rounds of the independent airship operators in this city and see which ones take charters to the wilderlands – if any – and which ones might have taken our predecessors on their trip. I know of a few, and I know where to ask to find the rest of them. Only one of them is going to be of any help to me, so I should be able to get to all of them today."
 	"Good luck," Anshu said sincerely. "What about the rest of us?"
 	"Anshu and Linya, I want you to check the library here and see if they have any records that might help us. Anything related to the previous group is the most important thing, but if you can find anything else from forty winters ago that's relevant, that would potentially be helpful as well."
 	"Do you know where it is?" Anshu asked Linya.
 	"No, but I am sure it will not be hard to get directions."
 	Shaaria raised an eye-ridge. "Do you want me to go with them?"
 	But Randival shook his head. "No, I want you to go with Faelis, and ask around – I know it's a long shot since it was so long ago, but maybe someone remembers our predecessors. Split up further if you need to, but… I'd rather not send Faelis off on her own."
 	"Very well," Shaaria agreed with a nod.
 	"I can try, but where do we even start?" Faelis asked.
 	Shaaria put a hand to her muzzle in thought. "Well, they probably did research of their own, too. We can try the library and any colleges or other places of research around here. We do know the exact date they arrived, even if it is from forty winters ago, so we can check around at the inns and see if they have any records going back that far." She frowned and added, "Our biggest problem is that we only have their names. We don't know what they looked like, so we can't give a physical description to jog anyone's memory."
 	"As I said, it's a long shot," Randival reiterated. "It might turn up nothing, and that's fine. But there aren't many independent airship operators here that I know of, and I don't think Linya and Anshu will need the help, so you two may as well try and broaden our search."
 	Shaaria gave Faelis a glance, and was surprised to see that she looked unusually determined as she gave Randival a firm nod. "We'll find something, I'm sure," she told him. "It might take a few tries, but there was a major event going on at the same time, so it might help people remember. And maybe they bought something, or asked people for help. We'll just have to try a bunch of places."
 	  
 	Randival gave her a wide smile. "That's the spirit! Even if it doesn't pan out at first, keep at it. Let's go find an inn first, and then reconvene in the evening to share what we've learnt."
 	Fortunately, Randival's seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of inns extended to Evalar, and he found them a good one not too far from the airship docks tucked away off the main roads. In addition to boasting freshly-baked bread every day, the smell of which was hard to resist, it had enough rooms for all of them. Faelis asked to share a room with Anshu to better help him with his alchemy later on, so Randival and Linya took one for themselves, and Shaaria paid for her own.
 	After a brief lunch, partly motivated by the irresistible smell of fresh bread permeating the ground floor, they split up as planned. Shaaria and Faelis headed off to canvass the city, stopping first to get a map and directions to the likely spots to start. Faelis insisted on taking the lead, asking Shaaria to keep the map and give directions, and Shaaria was happy to do so.
 	They began their search at the most likely spot: the city's college. Unfortunately, none of the faculty they asked remembered the group they spoke of, so they had to leave empty-handed. Faelis remained determined, proposing they try other schools in the city next, so after flagging down a carriage they set off to their next destination.
 	Yet, that also ended with no progress, so on they went to try other places. They stopped in at various government buildings, including the library, but when Shaaria offered to check in with Linya and Anshu, Faelis quietly declined and said they needed to get back to their search. They tried one inn, but upon learning that it was uncommon for inns to keep visitor records for more than a few winters, they didn't bother trying any others. Without any other better ideas, they went back to the area around the airship docks and started asking at some of the shops there.
 	"Do you want me to take over?" Shaaria asked as they entered a store and got in line at the register.
 	"No, I can do it," Faelis insisted, though her tone was beginning to sound more desperate than determined. She peered around the people in front of her, at the clerk behind the counter, a furred dragon with feathery wings and long furry ears wearing an apron, and then seemed to slump a little. "Never mind, we should try somewhere else."
 	Shaaria raised an eyebrow and followed her out. "Why?" she asked as she tagged along.
 	"The man behind the counter was too young. He wouldn't have been around forty winters ago."
 	"Good point, but we could have asked for his manager or someth-"
 	"Let's just try somewhere else," Faelis cut in, sounding dejected.
 	Frowning, Shaaria followed after her and into a quiet shop that seemed to sell construction tools. "Um, excuse me?" Faelis asked, approaching the counter, where an older-looking green wing-backed dragon was watching her. "I'm looking for some people who were here forty winters ago, and…"
 	The clerk cut her off. "Sorry, miss, can't help you. I wasn't running this place back then."
 	"Oh…" Faelis said quietly.
 	"Thank you all the same," Shaaria told him, "Have a good day."
 	On and on they went. Shaaria could see Faelis's resolve fading with every negative response, and some of the shopkeepers refused to even speak with her or let her in the store given how she was dressed; Shaaria made inquiries in those cases, but still came up with nothing. After being shooed out of a candy store by a tall wyvern woman brandishing a broom, Faelis slumped against the wall outside, and Shaaria put a hand on her shoulder.
 	"We should stop, Faelis," Shaaria told her. "It's okay if this doesn't work out."
 	"No," Faelis replied, almost tearful. "I have to… I have to find something. Even just a little thing. Even just someone who remembers they were here at all! Even that would help!"
 	She tore away from Shaaria and pushed her way into the next shop, a bookstore, and accosted a staff member. "Please help me," Shaaria heard as she caught up to Faelis, "I'm looking for someone who was here forty winters ago! Do you know anything?"
 	Shaaria entered and saw Faelis prostrate on the floor and practically begging as a somewhat bemused furred dragon man with a small pair of spectacles looked down at her. "That's a long time ago, but perhaps. Who were they?"
 	Faelis raised her head, suddenly looking hopeful. "Oh! Um, M-M-Maxirus Albater was one!" she blurted out, then took a breath. "Larine Joristen, Tervel Waltaris, and Frantin Alrad! It was during the last time the void monsters were attacking airships!"
 	"Hmm…" the man looked thoughtful, and rubbed his chin while Faelis stared up at him, clutching her hands together. "…no, sorry," he said, shaking his head. "None of those names sound familiar."
 	Faelis blinked in surprise, then trembled in place. "Wh… what? You don't… remember anything?"
 	"Nobody by those names," he replied. "Do you know what they looked like?"
 	"…I don't," Faelis admitted pitifully, lowering her head. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
 	She slowly got up and then suddenly ran outside, shoving past Shaaria, who stumbled and put a hand on a bookshelf to steady herself. "Thank you for your assistance in any case," she told the shopkeeper gratefully, before going outside to chase after Faelis.
 	"Excuse me!" Shaaria heard from somewhere to her left, and she went that way. "I'm looking for-"
 	"Get your hands off me, urchin!"
 	"She was probably trying to pick your pocket!"
 	Shaaria arrived just in time to see a burly whiskered dragon shove Faelis to the street, putting himself between Faelis and another whiskered woman in a light dress. "No, I'm looking-" Faelis began.
 	"Clear off!" the man told her, escorting his ladyfriend away.
 	Shaaria ran over and crouched down next to Faelis, helping her up despite the stares of the people around them. "Are you all right?" 
 	Faelis's sniffled and let out a choked sob, trying her hardest not to cry, and Shaaria gently took her aside out of the way of the other pedestrians. "I'm sorry, I'm getting in the way," Faelis managed to get out between more sniffles, "Nobody is going to want to talk to a freak like me."
 	"Faelis, this isn't going to work, even if I try it. Accosting random passersby will get us nowhere. Please, let's go back and meet up with Randival and the others."
 	"B-B-But I haven't found anything!" Faelis stammered, on the verge of tears. "I-I can't stop here!"
 	"We haven't found anything," Shaaria corrected her softly. "It is as much my failure as yours. And that's fine. Sometimes these things don't work out."
 	"I, I had one thing… one thing to do… and I couldn't… I'm just dead weight…"
 	"No, Faelis, you're not," Shaaria told her firmly but gently. "Now come on, let's head back."
 	"But Randival wanted me to-"
 	"He wanted you to try. And you did. We covered a lot of ground and asked a lot of people, but it's starting to get late. I promise, Randival won't be upset."
 	Faelis only sniffled, so Shaaria gently took her by the wrist and guided her back towards the street, looking for a carriage and flagging it down. She guided Faelis up into it first and then climbed in, giving the driver the address of their inn, and then sat across from Faelis.
 	Taking deep breaths, Faelis managed to keep herself from crying, but she said nothing during the trip back, only staring out the window and occasionally wringing her hands. Shaaria tried to talk with her, but Faelis didn't reply, so it was a very quiet trip back as Faelis sat there, obviously and deeply troubled.
 Chapter 23
 	By the time they got back to the inn, it was almost dark. The others had already returned, and Randival waved them over to the table they were occupying, a half-empty glass of red wine in front of him. Linya, across from him, had a glass of her own and a small cup of water she periodically raised up to Hiccup, who was wrapped around her shoulders. Anshu, sitting next to Linya, had a tankard in his right hand, and seemed in good spirits.
 	"There they are!" Randival said cheerfully, "Come, take a seat, we've got a lot to discuss."
 	Shaaria let Faelis go ahead of her, only taking her seat once Faelis had sat down next to Randival, dejectedly staring down at the table. Shaaria gave her a reassuring pat on the back as while pulling out a chair and took a seat beside Faelis, waving over a barmaid to order a glass of wine for herself.
 	"So!" Randival began, "I have found an excellent lead, even if it was, as fate would have it, at the last company on my list to check. Our predecessors did indeed charter an airship from the Halvirton Wayfarers about forty winters ago, and set off into the wilderlands upon it! More than that, they recorded the group's special request, and this is where it gets interesting." Leaning across the table with an excited look on this face, he continued, "I had to slip them a bit of money to get them to let me into their archives, but I was able to get hold of a copy of the original request form. For something so unusual, it had to get signed and approved by the owner, you see. They reconfigured the navigation devices on the ship that are normally tuned to the Beacons, and instead, they set them to locate an entirely different frequency. One that they mercifully wrote down on the request form, thank the Stars, or we would be quite stuck! Not only do we have proof that they set off from here, we can follow them!"
 	"That is most excellent news!" Linya said with an impressed nod of her head.
 	"Very much so," Anshu concurred. "Was that everything?"
 	"Unfortunately, yes, but it's still a very important clue. The ship never returned, and was declared lost. It was an exploration vessel not unlike ours, albeit a model from forty winters ago, so it would have been slower and less well-armed. We will be able to get to their destination faster, and the crew will be better able to defend themselves, though I will need to make sure the ship's armory is sufficiently stocked for the whole crew to defend themselves; if not, then I will fix that. I'm sure my father will understand if I have the bill forwarded to the Nashadhe Shipwrights." He gave a little smirk and a knowing glance, raising his wineglass before taking a sip.
 	"Not a bad plan," Linya agreed. "As for us, we found nothing about the previous explorers, but we did find some very helpful information about these creatures themselves."
 	"Oh?" Randival tilted his head in interest. "Do tell."
 	"Some of it we know already – they are particularly attracted to large crystals, such as the Beacons and the ones on airships. They use the energy they drain from those in order to open up rifts, and the energy is required to keep the rifts open. Should the rift close, as we know, the creatures cannot stay in this realm and disappear. This implies that their existence in this world is tenuous at best, and cannot survive without a constant flow of energy to keep them in it."
 	"There's more, though," Anshu said as Linya picked up the water cup and raised it towards Hiccup's head. "Though it's not a terribly viable option in many cases, destroying the crystal itself is also a way to sever the energy connection. Anything that suppresses or disables the crystal can also work, or simply draining it of all its power. This might be helpful for the people clearing out the other Beacons. The rift keeps the creatures in the world, and the creatures take energy to keep the rifts open. If either of those halves of the cycle are broken, the whole thing falls apart."
 	Randival looked thoughtful for a few moments. "That begs the question, then, of how they got here in the first place, and how they came back some forty winters later."
 	"I had voiced that very same concern," Linya agreed. "If they can only exist in our world through rifts that must be kept open with energy taken from crystals, how did they get here in the first place? And if our predecessors found the origin and stopped them, why have they come back again?"
 	"And that, we do not know," Anshu admitted. "It is possible they found some way to open a rift from the other side – wherever that is. I'd really rather not go through one of those rifts myself to find out."
 	"But what you said earlier gives me a theory," Linya mused. "The previous group were homing in on a specific frequency, correct?" Randival nodded to her, and she went on, "That implies there is another crystal out there – at least one – that, for lack of a better word, has been corrupted just as Harton's Beacon was."
 	"And if we find it, and clear it out, then our problems are solved," Randival posited. "Yes, that sounds quite plausible, though I suppose we'll find out when we get to our destination."
 	"We don't know how far it is though, do we?" Shaaria asked.
 	"No, I'm afraid we don't. The Beacons merely provide directional guidance. You can triangulate your position against one, but a single reading is not enough to know the exact location." He glanced to his side. "You've been awfully quiet, Faelis."
 	"I don't really have anything to say," she told him quietly.
 	Shaaria frowned, and leaned forward to take over the conversation. "We, unfortunately, have nothing to report. We checked in at the city's college, the local archives, city hall, various schools, as many shops as we could find, and several other places besides, but not a single person we talked to knew who we were talking about. It may have just been too long ago, and there's always the possibility that anyone they spoke to may have moved to another city, retired, or died since then. Other than the Wayfarers, evidently."
 	"That is unfortunate," Randival agreed, "But I knew it was a long shot to begin with. It's fine, anyway – we have other leads, excellent ones at that. With what I found out from the Wayfarers, we know where to go and how to get there. We could head off tomorrow, if we were so inclined! And we have a vague idea of what we're looking for when we get there now, thanks to Linya and Anshu." Raising his glass high, he grinned widely. "All in all, this has been a rousing success."
 	The others who had glasses raised them and drank, but as they lowered their glasses, Hiccup floated up and off of Linya's shoulders, undulating in the air beside her. "Faelis?" she asked softly, "Are you feeling all right?"
 	Faelis was quiet for a moment, especially as the others turned to look at her, and she shook her head slowly. "No. I don't feel very well," she mumbled, not looking up at the rest of the group.
 	"Are you feeling sick?" Anshu asked her.
 	She only gave a little groan in response, and Shaaria held out her hand. "Do you want to go lie down? I can help you back to your room."
 	"Yes… thank you," Faelis answered quietly, slowly taking Shaaria's hand.
 	"We've been walking all day, I'm sure you're tired," Shaaria said as she helped Faelis out of her chair.
 	"Don't hesitate to call for me if you need some medicine," Anshu told her.
 	"I hope you feel better soon," Randival added in a concerned tone. "You should come back down and eat something if you feel up to it later."
 	"I will," Faelis replied as Shaaria began to lead her away.
 	With one hand resting on Faelis's back, Shaaria helped her up the stairs and over to her room. Faelis took a key from one of her numerous pockets to open it, and Shaaria entered with Faelis, leaving the door open behind her as she didn't intend to stay for long. The room was still small but a little more nicely furnished than their room in Dalavun; in addition to a pair of beds, there was a circular green rug between them as an accent, a desk and chairs, and by the open window, a comfortable and well-padded armchair. The window was of a design that swung open only at the very top to let a bit of air in, the sound of the streets outside filtering in along with a light breeze.
 	"Which bed is yours?" Shaaria asked.
 	Faelis pointed to the bed on the right. "That one." Shaaria led her to it and helped her sit down on it, and Faelis lay on her side, staring off at the wall.
 	"Anything else I can do for you?" Shaaria offered, but Faelis just shook her head. "Very well. Please come down and get me if you need anything."
 	"Mm."
 	Shaaria turned to leave, but felt something brush against her ankle; she looked down, but couldn't see anything. Just as she began to kneel down, Faelis spoke up and said, "I'd like to be alone for a little bit."
 	"Sorry," Shaaria apologized as she stood back up. "I hope you feel better soon." Faelis didn't reply, so she left, closing the door behind her, and went back downstairs to join the rest of the group.
 	Upon her arrival, she caught the tail end of part of Randival's recounting of what he had been doing earlier. "…absolutely gorgeous, but couldn't help me in any way, shape, or form whatsoever, so it was on to the next one."
 	"I applaud your restraint," Linya mused sarcastically.
 	Randival gave a little chuckle. "I would be more wounded by what you think of me, were it not at least a little justified… ah, welcome back, Shaaria. How is she?"
 	Shaaria took her seat and picked up her wineglass again. "I'm not sure. I'll go check on her again in a little bit. She's lying down and resting now."
 	"How curious. Did she eat or drink anything out of the ordinary earlier?"
 	"No, not that I recall. I think the last time she ate was when we had lunch here. I believe she's upset because we failed to find anything helpful."
 	Randival sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Stars Above, when will that girl learn that this isn't some sort of contest? We still found what we needed to make progress, and I knew that it was a long shot to ask around, and even told her that. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do."
 	"She's not-" Anshu began.
 	"Yes, yes, I know, she's not a girl, she's an adult and is responsible for herself. I just want to help her. You do too, yes?"
 	"Of course," Shaaria answered with a nod. "I'm glad you asked me to go with her, I just wish I could have been of more assistance."
 	"Well, we'll see what we can do tomorrow. For now, let's relax and get some dinner – the soup here is very much worth it. I'll get something for Faelis too and take it up to her if she doesn't come back down."
 	"Perhaps she will feel better if she can help me tonight," Anshu suggested. "I was able to stop by an apothecary and get some of the ingredients I have been missing. She seems to enjoy being my assistant – perhaps because it makes her feel like she's helping more than other things do."
 	"She is helping," Randival insisted, shaking his head in frustration. "Why can't she see that?"
 	"With all due respect to Faelis…" Linya interjected, "Her misgivings are not entirely unwarranted. She has a number of useful skills, but they are very poorly matched to the obstacles we face."
 	Randival turned his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't just hear that from you," he growled.
 	"Randival, she's right," Anshu insisted. "I know you care about Faelis a lot, but she's out of her depth traveling around with us."
 	"Not you, too!" Randival complained, raising his hands in frustration. "Stars Above and Skies Below, am I the only one here who values her?"
 	"Of course we value her," Shaaria insisted. "She has helped us before. But each of us has something particularly suited for this journey – Linya and I have magic, Anshu has his implements, and you are both a fine marksman and swordsman. Faelis says that her biggest strengths, sneaking and poisoning, are useless against the void creatures. And she's right! I don't hold it against her-"
 	Randival swung a hand down and slammed a fist onto the table, rattling the dishes resting on it. "I will hear no more of this!" he snapped, glaring at each of them in turn. "Faelis is here to stay with us. I promised I would protect her, and I will not break that promise! She remains with us! Am I making myself clear?"
 	  
 	"Nobody said you weren't-" Anshu began.
 	"Am. I. Clear?"
 	"Perfectly clear," Shaaria replied quietly.
 	"I will object no further," Anshu added. 
 	There was no other reply, so Randival turned his head to Linya. "Linya?"
 	"What?" Linya said, as though she had been distracted.
 	"Am I clear that Faelis is going to remain part of our group?"
 	"Oh. Yes, of course," Linya responded, immediately looking uncertain and distracted again.
 	"Good. Stars and Skies… but I am worried about her all the same. Shaaria, would you mind going and checking on her in a little bit?"
 	"I can, but she wanted to be alone."
 	Randival unclenched his fist and put a hand to his muzzle in thought. "I understand, and even though we have only just arrived in this city, I would prefer for her not to be left alone for too long."
 	"Very well," Shaaria agreed. "I can bring her a bowl of soup. She should feel better after-"
 	Suddenly, Linya pushed her chair back, looking around frantically. "Forget Faelis for a moment. Where's Hiccup? Has anyone seen her?" she asked in a panic.
 	"Come to think of it, I left myself wide open for an insult earlier, and none came," Randival mused as he leaned to the side and peered under the table.
 	Linya put one hand against the side of her head, her face covered with worry. "She has never sent me emotions this strong before. She is panicking, but I don't know why. She must be in great danger. Where did she go? Has someone kidnapped her? Is she being attacked?"
 	Shaaria and Anshu stood up. "We'd better find her," Shaaria said firmly. "She can't have gone far."
 	"Linya, you and Shaaria check upstairs," Randival told them, taking control of the situation. "Anshu, you and I had better look outside. If she were in the lobby here, we would be able to hear her."
 	"Right," Shaaria agreed. Linya was still looking around frantically, so Shaaria took her by the arm and tugged her over towards the stairs, heading up with her.
 	"Hiccup?" Linya called out as they ascended. "Hiccup, are you up here?"
 	As they got to the top of the stairs they could hear a thumping and scratching from one of the doors down the hall, and headed that way. Hiccup's muffled voice was screaming "HELP!" at the top of her lungs over and over, punctuated by repeated rapid hiccups, her claws scratching at the other side of the door and rattling the handle fruitlessly, as it seemed to be locked.
 	Linya gave a sigh and relaxed. "Hiccup, how did you get trapped in here? You silly girl. Hang on, we'll get you out."
 	But as Linya grew calmer, Shaaria felt a creeping anxiety begin to fill her, and she glanced at the room number of the door to confirm her suspicions.
 	They were outside of Faelis and Anshu's room.
 	Questions filled her head; why couldn't Faelis let her out? Why would Hiccup be so distressed about being trapped? Why had she seemingly gone from nothing to total panic immediately?
 	Linya rattled the door handle, discovering for herself that it was locked. "Hm, no wonder you're stuck," she mused. "How did this happen?"
 	"Hic! Hic! HELP! Hic! HEEEL-! Hic!" Hiccup screamed from the other side, frantically scratching at the door.
 	"Hiccup!" Shaaria called out, "Are you hurt?"
 	"FAE- Hic! Hic! FAE-! Hic!" was all Hiccup could get out.
 	"Faelis?" Linya guessed, tilting her head. "Oh, yes, we're at her room. Well, I can get the key from Anshu, I don't think I have a spell to open-"
 	Linya staggered aside as Shaaria shoved her out of the way and raised a hand high, gathering energy for a spell. "Hiccup, get back from the door, I'm breaking it open!" she shouted, waiting a brief second before swinging her hand downward and releasing the spell. The door was blasted inwards, shattering and sending chunks of wood across the floor, and Shaaria immediately charged in with Linya behind her, only to stop dead in her tracks.
 	Hiccup was rapidly twisting in the air over the prone form of Faelis, lying on the floor by the bed. Her body was trembling and twitching erratically, a sickly greenish foam bubbling from her mouth. Her eyes were bloodshot, staring vacantly as she convulsed, and there was no recognition in them of Linya and Shaaria's arrival. The grotesque gurgling sounds coming from her made Shaaria's stomach turn, each one visceral enough to sound like it might be her last.
 	Linya let out a bloodcurdling scream at the sight before her, fainting and collapsing into a heap. "Mast-! Hic!" Hiccup cried out in apparent frustration and further panic from her master's reaction, undulating up and down more rapidly.
 	Shaaria paid no heed to either of them as she rushed over to Faelis and knelt down beside her, acting on impulse. "Faelis! Faelis, can you hear me?" she called out, shaking the other dragon, but got no response save for another strained gurgling sound. She took hold of Faelis's hand, her scales unsettlingly cold to the touch. What could she do? She-
 	Hiccup flew directly in front of her face, still incoherent, but managed to get Shaaria's attention. She saw Hiccup pointing and flailing with her arms at the floor, and looking that way, Shaaria saw something that hadn't been there earlier, small and round and green. Picking it up, she noticed it was an empty green glass vial with a label on it. A deep fear began to take hold of her; had Randival's supposed paranoia been better-founded than he expected?
 	Biting her lip, Shaaria turned the vial over in her hand to face the label towards her. The writing spelled out "Felldew Extract", but the writing was very poor, as if it had been written by a child-
 	And then it all clicked.
 	This wasn't an assassin's work.
 	Faelis had poisoned herself.
 Chapter 24
 	Shaaria froze completely, staring in disbelief at the vial in her hand, feeling sick to her stomach as fear held her in an inescapable grip. She felt like ice was flowing through her veins, and everything around her lost all meaning; she could hear the sounds of Hiccup's hiccups and Faelis's gurgles, but they meant nothing to her. It was as if she had lost control of her own body, wanting to move, to call for help, to do something, anything, but she couldn't. Utter powerlessness consumed her, crushing her on the inside, as she knelt there, staring at the poison vial in complete shock. She didn't know what to do. No magical or physical effect was restraining her, yet she was paralyzed all the same. Hiccup's cries, Faelis's noises, voices, footsteps – none of them held any significance to her.
 	  
 	"Shaaria!" she heard as someone shook her shoulders, snapping her back to her senses. How long had she been kneeling there for? It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity.
 	The person shaking her was Randival. "Skies Below, what happened?" he asked in a breathy, panicked voice. Anshu was crouched down beside Faelis, still twitching, yet much more weakly. "Who did this?" Randival demanded, in a hushed and threatening tone, pacing back and forth. A moment later, louder and with more anger, he repeated, "Who did this?"
 	"Don't look at me!" came an unfamiliar voice, and Shaaria glanced over to the empty door frame, seeing the innkeeper standing there, any of his feelings about the broken door seemingly overridden by the emergency unfolding in front of him.
 	"She's been poisoned," Anshu declared, seeming to be the only one able to keep calm in the situation, though his face still clearly showed his concern. "I don't know what with."
 	"Felldew Extract," Shaaria read off the vial in a flat, emotionless voice. Even just forcing words out of her mouth took a great deal of willpower.
 	"I… don't know how to counteract that," Anshu admitted as he began digging in his backpack, though Shaaria didn't know if he had a plan, or just wanted to look away.
 	Shaaria winced as Hiccup frantically scratched at her shoulders from behind, begging desperately, her voice tearful. "Shaa-! Hic! Hic! DO-! Hic! SOMETH-! Hic! Fae-! Hic! DYING! Hic!"
 	But what could she do? Once again, Faelis was on the verge of death, but this time, Shaaria was completely powerless. Not in that she couldn't cure Faelis – even not knowing the antidote, she could use a spell to purge the toxin from Faelis's body. However, even with Linya unconscious, the others would surely notice. Her façade would be ruined, she would be exposed. And her previous lies would compound; they would know she had held back in Harton's Tower, and when the ship had crashed in Dalavun. Even if they accepted her further assistance, they would demand more of her. They would expect her to fix everything for them. No, she had to stay her hand... but then that would mean…
 	The thought that Faelis might really die this time made Shaaria tremble, and unable to speak, fear and terror rooting her to the spot. She looked away from Anshu and Hiccup, wanting to hide her face. Knowing rationally what she had to do did not ease the emotional pain it brought in the slightest.
 	"There's little she can do," Anshu told Hiccup, and Shaaria heard him unstopper a potion. "Without an antidote, this is likely a losing battle. I can only delay the inevitable." Shaaria didn't reply, too overcome with emotion to speak. She couldn't bring herself to look at Faelis, afraid that she might have to bear witness to Faelis's final moment. One that she could prevent, but that she had to allow to come to pass regardless.
 	Randival took a deep breath, clenching both of his fists. "There must be something we can do! I can't… I won't give up on her! I promised her… I promised I'd protect her!"
 	Guilt stabbed through Shaaria's heart, and she drew a sharp breath. Faelis needed her help! Her fingers twitched, and she lifted her right hand just a little, then lowered it again. Yes, it would be so easy, but the cost was too great. She had to find a way to help Faelis without exposing herself, but what could she do? What options did she have? She felt so powerless. What good was her strength if she didn't use it? It was so tempting, but the consequences…
 	"I won't give up either," Anshu said with grim resolve as he reached for another potion, "but I am simply being realistic. I only know the basic properties of Felldew Extract. The only person who might know how to mix an antidote would be…"
 	He trailed off for a moment, and then blurted out, "Of course! Faelis has a poisoner's kit! And she always claims that she keeps it properly stocked!" Pointing to Shaaria with one hand as he thumbed out the stopper on a potion with the other, he ordered, "Shaaria! Quick! Look in her backpack! See if you can find an antidote!"
 	Being addressed directly was enough to free her from her paralysis, and she sprung to her feet, looking at the bed. Faelis's backpack was resting on it, a glimmer of hope in what had seemed like a completely hopeless situation just moments ago. Its fastenings were already undone, so she opened it up to find the poisoner's kit on top – just as she had expected. And it was more likely to work than Anshu thought, since it was one of Faelis's own poisons: any poisoner worth their salt would carry antidotes to all their toxins in case of an accident. She just hoped Faelis had done the same.
 	The kit was a large metal box, and when she opened it up, hinges within separated the contents into two tiered upper shelves of green glass vials, with the rest of the tools and ingredients stashed at the bottom. The single empty spot in the rows of vials, two spots up and four across from the left edge, made it very obvious where the vial Shaaria had found had come from. Frantically, she started checking the adjacent bottles, but they were all poisons, too.
 	She almost gave up, but an idea struck her, and she checked the other shelf of vials, looking in the same location: two spots up and four across. She pulled the vial out and saw, in Faelis's poor writing, that the label identified it as Felldew Extract antidote.
 	"Here!" she called out, interrupting Randival's infuriated mutterings about exactly what he was going to do when he found the culprit. She turned and rushed over to Faelis's side, holding out the vial of antidote to Anshu. He snatched it from her and tipped Faelis's head back, forcing her to swallow the antidote, her body still convulsing and gurgling unsettlingly.
 	"I don't know if that will be enough," Anshu said quietly, turning back to his backpack and reaching inside for more medicines. "Felldew Extract is an incredibly lethal poison. If whoever did this had delivered it through a wound, she would have been dead within moments. But the foam around her mouth indicates it was ingested – and the fact that it was is the only reason she is still alive. But she is still alive, and I will do everything in my power to save her. If I have to use up everything I have with me, so be it!"
 	Pulling out several potions one after another and setting them on the ground, he began administering them to her in rapid succession. Frustrated at being unable to help, Randival turned to the innkeeper by the doorway and commanded, "Fetch me some cold water." The innkeeper seemed more than happy to leave the scene, and quickly absconded.
 	When Anshu had given Faelis the last potion from those he had taken out, he grabbed his staff and held it over her, focusing on it for a long time until the glow in its crystal faded completely. Feeling helpless once more, Shaaria could do nothing but watch, while Hiccup floated in the air beside her. For the most part Hiccup was uncharacteristically silent but for her uncontrollable hiccups, but Shaaria heard a quiet plea from the lindwurm; "Please, – hic! – Faelis… – hic! – Wake up… – hic! – Don't die…!"
 	Faelis had stopped convulsing, but Shaaria didn't know if it was a good or a bad sign, and couldn't bring herself to look at Faelis for long. She put her faith in Anshu as he tried everything he could, pulling out scrolls and even some of his wands, trying everything that he possibly could on her. Desperate, foolish ideas came to mind, but there was nothing more she could reasonably do herself. Not without exposing herself as a fraud.
 	The innkeeper returned with a cup of water for Randival, who promptly threw its contents onto Linya's face, rousing her from her faint. Handing the cup back to the innkeeper, Randival helped the dazed and dripping Linya back up onto her feet, and though she went very quiet when she saw Anshu tending to Faelis, she remained on her feet, looking away again quickly, looking both queasy and worried.
 	Eventually, a quiet groan from Faelis brought the room's attention back to her, a small pile of empty vials and the crumbled remnants of scrolls lying on the floor next to Anshu. "She's all right!" Randival gasped out with relief, "Thank the Stars!" 
 	But Anshu shook his head as he leaned in and put one arm behind her back and another under her legs, lifting her up. "She lives," he said quietly, "but I do not know if I have done enough to counteract the damage the poison already did to her. The antidote alone only stopped it getting any worse. The poison ravaged her body, and while I have given her every treatment I can muster, we must now see if there is any lasting damage. Giving her so many medicines in such a short time comes with its own dangers, as well, but considering the alternative, I thought it a worthwhile risk to take."
 	They crowded around the bed, with Anshu kneeling beside Faelis, and Hiccup hovering above her, wobbling in the air each time she hiccupped. Anshu tended to Faelis for a little longer, wiping away the foam around Faelis's mouth, and frequently checking her pulse and temperature. But after a little while, Faelis's eyes fluttered, slowly opening – only to close again when she saw Hiccup's concerned face staring at her point blank.
 	Shaaria sighed quietly and reached out, putting a hand on Faelis's leg. "Faelis, I know you are awake. Please, talk to us. Say something."
 	Faelis remained quiet and kept her eyes closed, but she couldn't stop her hands from gripping at the bedclothes, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.
 	"Faelis," Randival cut in sternly, leaning over her. "Who did this to you? Tell me. I will find them. I will make them pay. I will kill them with my own two hands for what they did to you." But she did not respond, and Randival stood up with a grim expression. "It was him, wasn't it? The hooded man you told me about when we first met. You said he would kill you if you left him. Was it him? Did he track you down? What does he look like? Tell me. I will end him."
 	"I – hic!" Hiccup began, "I saw – hic!"
 	"Hiccup, no!" Shaaria hissed as quietly as she could.
 	But Randival had heard, and whirled around on the spot to face Hiccup. "Who did it?" he demanded. "Tell me. I will buy you all of the fruit you could possibly want. I'll give you anything. Tell me who did this. Tell me who hurt her. Anything you remember. Anything at all. Who did this to her?"
 	Hiccup's worried expression changed to one of fear, another hiccup escaping her. "It…" she began, subsiding into hiccups again, shuddering in the air as she undulated up and down. But, steeling herself, she looked up at Randival and forced out, "Faelis."
 	A deeply uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Linya stared, looking unsteady on her feet, and reached out to put one hand on the wall as she looked away. Anshu swallowed, looking grim, as though he had suspected the possibility himself. But Shaaria was focused on Randival, watching his face fluctuate from anger, to confusion, to shock, and finally to an intense, burning hatred. "You liar," he growled, suddenly reaching for his saber. "You LIAR! How could you-"
 	"Randival, stop!" Shaaria shouted as she, Anshu, and Linya all grabbed at him, trying to restrain him. He reached out with his other wing-arm to attempt to throttle Hiccup, but she floated back out of the way, staring him down.
 	"I – hic! – saw it," Hiccup insisted firmly. "I saw her – hic! – drink it. Hic! Believe me – hic! – or don't. But – hic! – I saw it."
 	"You filthy, rotten little-!"
 	Linya and Anshu forced Randival down onto the other bed with a combined shove as Shaaria wrestled the sword out of his grip. Ceasing his resistance, he glared past them at Hiccup, but then turned his furious glare towards Shaaria. "Don't tell me you really believe her?"
 	Shaaria met his gaze. "Yes. I found the poison vial. It was one of Faelis's own, taken from her kit. Nobody else has been in here."
 	"It is not a common poison at all, and is likely neither easy to obtain or prepare," Anshu added. "Furthermore, it was ingested. An assassin would not force-feed her a poison that is most effective when used on a blade. I understand how you feel-"
 	"You understand NOTHING!" Randival roared. Shoving Anshu and Shaaria away from himself, he got up, his fists clenched, his tail and the sharp hook on the end of it lashing back and forth behind him. Shaaria quickly prepared to restrain him again if the need arose, her right hand glowing as she held an incomplete spell ready. "Faelis," Randival demanded, "Is it true? Tell me they're lying. Tell me they're wrong. Tell me you didn't poison yourself. Tell me it was the hooded man, not you."
 	Only a few seconds passed in silence, broken only by Hiccup's hiccups, but they felt like they drew out for hours. Grimacing, Randival closed his eyes, his fists shaking with barely controlled rage. When he finally spoke, his voice was cracking. "How could you?" he said with quiet indignation. "How could you do this to me? Did you… did you spare even a single thought for me? For us? For everything we've done to help you?"
 	"Randival-" Anshu began, but Randival shot him a glare that silenced the whiskered dragon in his tracks.
 	"How would you feel?" he asked, his voice laden with grief and anger. In a blur of motion, he had drawn his pistol from its holster and had the barrel pressed against the underside of his muzzle. "If I shot myself, right now? Because of what you've done? How would you feel?" Faelis was trembling from his words, and he didn't relent, lowering his gun but not his voice. "Hurt? Grieving? Betrayed? …that's what I feel right now. That's what you've made me feel. Assuming you even cared about me in the first place." Placing his free hand over his chest and then clenching it into a fist, he struggled to speak, his eyes tightly shut. "But I do care about you, Faelis. Even though you've hurt me. You've hurt me in ways that words cannot describe. And I… I still care about you – that's why it hurts so much."
 	Randival's hands shook, and Shaaria continued to hold her spell ready, but when he opened his eyes and noticed, he fixed her with a piercing glare. "Don't worry about me," he said as he threw his pistol onto the floor, then turned his gaze back to Faelis. "I won't take the coward's way out of my problems."
 	Turning on his heel, he stormed out from the room, and probably would have slammed the door had the frame not been empty. Instead, they heard the heavy stomp of his boots going down the hall, leaving them in an awkward silence.
 	Shaaria looked to Linya as she dismissed her spell, but Linya seemed to be in shock, just staring silently. Sighing, Anshu sat on the empty bed and turned towards Faelis, who had been watching them, but quickly closed her eyes and pretended to still be unconscious. "Faelis," Anshu said quietly, clearly unconvinced, drawing a deep breath. "…why? I don't understand. You're still so young, you have so much to live for. So why? Why would you try and throw it all away?"
 	She didn't answer, and Anshu closed his eyes, looking downwards. "I cannot claim to know what you have been through. How you feel. What made you do this. That's why I want you – need you – to tell me. Please. What drove you to this? If you are in pain, I cannot help unless you say something." But he received only silence, and gave another deep sigh, putting one hand to his head.
 	"Faelis – hic! Please. They – hic! – just want – hic! – to help." Hiccup tried, but her plea fell on deaf ears. The lindwurm's head lowered, and her arms hung limply, her voice filled with great sadness. "I want – hic! – to help."
 	Unsteadily, Linya pushed herself away from the wall, though she seemed to be having trouble speaking. "Faelis," she managed, going silent again for several seconds. "I don't… I don't understand why anyone would…" was all she managed to say, before going quiet once more.
 	Slowly, Shaaria approached Faelis, but she didn't know what to say. How could she get through to her? Faelis's silence spoke volumes about the pain she felt inside as loudly as if she were shouting it, but either way, Shaaria didn't know the words to offer her. But maybe…
 	"Would you mind leaving us alone for a little bit?" she asked.
 	Anshu lifted his head and looked at her in surprise. "Are you sure?"
 	"Someone should go after Randival. Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Obviously we cannot leave her alone and unsupervised right now, but I think it would be best if she didn't have everyone crowding around her."
 	"Very well," Linya said quietly. "Come, Hiccup."
 	"No! Hic! I don't – hic! – want to! Faelis – hic! – needs help!"
 	"Hiccup," Shaaria said softly, "Please trust me. You can wait at the end of the hall if you want, and I can call for help if need be, but please…"
 	Hiccup went silent other than her hiccups, until Linya came over and grabbed her from the air, bundling the squeaking lindwurm against her front, clutching Hiccup tightly and protectively. Linya and Anshu left the room with the innkeeper, their footsteps getting fainter, leaving Shaaria and Faelis alone.
 Chapter 25
 	Shaaria turned her head back to Faelis, who quickly closed her eyes again. Shaaria put a hand under Faelis's back and gently pulled her up into a sitting position on the bed, and Faelis reluctantly swung her legs over the edge to sit, abandoning her pretense of still being unconscious. "There, that should be more comfortable," Shaaria said, "Now you won't have your wings getting squished under you."
 	Taking a seat beside Faelis, Shaaria drew in a deep breath. "I asked them to leave because there's something I want to tell you. Something about me that I keep secret that I want you to know. You may not believe me, but… I was once very much like you. It was a very long time ago now. But I once thought about killing myself, too. I felt like I had no reason to go on, that things would never get any better for me. I felt like nobody cared about me, and they never would. That I had nothing to offer to anyone, and that I would be better off if I just ended it all, and saved myself a lifetime of pain and misery."
 	Turning her head, she saw that Faelis seemed to be listening, her hands crossed in her lap. "I spent a lot of time thinking about it. Whether to go on, or not. How to kill myself, how to set it up, whether or not to write a note, what to write if I did… and if anyone would even notice, let alone care. I felt like I would just be forgotten quickly, and that it would be as if I had never lived in the first place. And yet, in the end… I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to go through with it. I had the knife in my hand, I had it held to my wrist, I dragged it over, but I just couldn't bring myself to put enough pressure to actually cut. Can you guess why?"
 	Faelis shook her head, finally acknowledging Shaaria, but said nothing. "Maybe you're expecting me to say something trite, like 'I found meaning in my life', or 'I realized someone needed me', or that I had an epiphany of some kind… but that's not it. What stopped me was that I was afraid. I was scared. Too scared of the unknown to follow through on it. What awaits us after death? No-one knows. Maybe it's paradise, maybe it's eternal torment. It may even be nothing at all. I couldn't face the unknowns, the possibilities. So I continued to suffer. Not out of bravery, but out of cowardice. Out of fear. In a way, as incredibly misplaced as it was, you have more bravery than I, for being willing to face the unknown. You just need to turn that bravery towards something else. Something more constructive. Something that will help you, rather than hurt you."
 	Faelis's gaze turned slightly towards Shaaria, who continued, "I don't know what that is. I don't have a motivational speech for you, Faelis. I can't give you an easy answer, and I can't tell you how to turn your life around with one simple trick. There probably isn't one; I've been where you are now, and I know that it's not that simple. I could try and tell you that things will get better – but what do I know? As powerful as I am, I cannot see the future. I won't make vacuous promises to you, or empty reassurances. I won't give you false hope. I won't lie to try and make you feel better. I won't tell you what I think you want to hear." Shaaria paused and drew a breath. "But what I can do… is give you advice. There is one thing you can do, that I should have done back then, that you still have time to do. Do you know what it is?"
 	Her question was met only with another shake of Faelis's head. "Ask for help," Shaaria told her softly. "It doesn't make you a burden. It doesn't make you selfish. It doesn't make you a bad person. You have friends who care about you. They want to help you, and they will, but first, you have to ask. They wouldn't be your friends if they weren't willing to help. In fact, being willing to help you is what makes them your friends. Whether you want them to teach you something, to help you do something, or just listen and give you comfort when you feel bad, just remember… there are people who care about you, and hold you very dear in their hearts. And they want you to be happy. They don't want you to be sad. You deserve better, and we want you to get it. We will help you. You just have to ask."
 	Faelis gave a small whimper, and Shaaria reached out towards her, putting her arms around Faelis and pulling her into a hug, gently holding Faelis against her front, curling her wings around Faelis's body as well. "You don't have to be alone," Shaaria said quietly, and she held Faelis in a warm embrace. "You aren't wrong to feel the way that you do. I know. I've been there. I've felt the same way. What's wrong is that you chose to hurt yourself, instead of reaching out for help. We're here for you. You're our friend." Faelis began to tremble in Shaaria's arms, choking back a sob for a brief moment before reaching out and putting her arms around Shaaria to hug her tightly, clutching Shaaria as if her life depended on it. Tears streamed down Faelis's face as she began to bawl, and Shaaria said nothing more, only giving her a pat on the back to encourage her to let it all out.
 	Seeing movement, Shaaria looked up and noticed Anshu peeking around the corner of the door. He wasn't trying to hide, and his face was covered in worry, no doubt having heard Faelis's crying from down the hall. When Shaaria's eyes met his, he arched his eyebrows in a silent question: did she need help? But Shaaria gently shook her head, and Anshu gave a nod, slipping away from the door and leaving them in private once again.
 	Crying and rocking back and forth against Shaaria, Faelis's sobs gradually slowed and weakened, leaving her sniffling and gasping, her arms clutched tight around Shaaria's body. Only once Faelis seemed calmer did Shaaria speak again to her in a gentle tone. "Do you feel better?"
 	"Y-Yes," Faelis answered between sniffles.
 	"Do you want to talk about why you tried to kill yourself?"
 	"I…" Faelis faltered, trembling a little more, but she clung to Shaaria more tightly for a moment, as if drawing strength from her. "I felt… like I was useless," she said quietly. "Just… dead weight. Dragging everyone down… holding everyone up… and that they would be better off without me. They wouldn't care if I was gone. They'd probably even be happier without me around."
 	Shaaria carefully kept her voice neutral. "Why do you feel that way?" she asked to prompt Faelis to keep going.
 	"Everyone… always has to help me, I never help them," Faelis replied. "I fell off The Silver Wing, and you had to rescue me. I lost my weapons, and couldn't fight, and couldn't help protect Linya. I couldn't read well enough to be of any help in the library, and Linya had to help me. I hurt you… you tried to help me, and… and I stabbed you. I nearly got killed in Harton's Tower, and Randival got hurt protecting me, and Anshu had to heal us both." 
 	Her hands clutched a little at Shaaria for support, and Shaaria simply held her gently. "I… I first thought of doing it the morning after I stabbed you, but you walked in on me. Then, on the way here, I thought… maybe it would have been better if I'd died there on the floor of the tower. If Randival had been slower, or if that first hit had killed me. And…" She swallowed before continuing. "I've felt… intimidated by you, ever since you showed up and saved me."
 	"Why is that?" Shaaria asked softly, a little surprised but trying her best not to let it into her voice.
 	"You… and Linya, too… you're better than me at everything important. And you… you're a wing-backed dragon like me, but you're not a freak like I am. Your wings work. You can fly, and read, and all kinds of other stuff. And your magic is strong, and you can do those shield things to protect us. …with you around, why would anyone need me?" She sniffled a little. "I was sure… I was sure that Randival was going to replace me with you, and leave me behind." 
 	Shaaria bit her lip; she wanted to tell Faelis that Randival would never do that, but she knew it was best not to interrupt, and let Faelis continue. "I didn't… I don't want to be alone again. So, I was determined to finally stop being worthless. Stop being dead weight. I wanted to find something to help us – to prove to you and the others that I was useful. All I had to do was be more like Randival." 
 	"Like Randival?" Shaaria repeated, prompting her for more.
 	Faelis gave a small nod. "He's… inspiring to me. He's always so… confident. He just… goes in and does stuff. He doesn't sit around worrying if it will work or not. And if it doesn't, he just tries something else. He's always happy, he always smiles. He makes people around him laugh and smile, too. Even me… he's always trying to make me feel better. People like him, and want to be around him and spend time with him. I… I wanted that. To be more like him: liked, useful, wanted. I just had to be more like him, and it would all work out."
 	Her eyes closed, and her voice fell to a soft mumble. "…but I couldn't do that. No matter how hard I tried today, no matter how many people I asked… I accomplished nothing. I was a failure." She sniffed and quietly added, "Just like I always have been. I've been a disappointment to everyone I've known since the day I hatched. I'm used to it. But that failure today… after I got my hopes up, after I tried so hard, only to fail again, so completely… it hurt." Her voice broke a little as she went on, "It hurt so much. It still hurts now."
 	Shaaria gently rubbed at Faelis's back, letting her speak, not wanting to interrupt, and after Faelis took a few breaths, she spoke again. "Everything I'm good at is worthless, just like me. My poisons don't do anything to the things we've been fighting. It's the same for sneaking, because they don't need to see or hear to find me. I can't win in a fair fight. I'm not helping anyone by being here, but Randival keeps me around anyway. He feels responsible for me, but all I do is drag him down. I'm just dead weight."
 	She took a deep breath, but continued to speak. "Even without all that… I'm a freak. I'll never be a real wing-back, not with these stupid useless things." Flexing her stunted wings for emphasis, she went on, "Sometimes I want to just… cut them off, and get rid of them. But a wingless wing-back is even more of a freak than one with small wings. And then there's my eyes… I, I wanted to get glasses or goggles to cover them up, maybe some like Anshu's… but I don't have any money. Until then, everyone who looks at me and sees my eyes knows what a freak I am. And it's even worse if people find out I'm a hermaphrodite too!"
 	Shaaria couldn't conceal her surprise. "You're what?" she asked in bewilderment before she even realized the words were leaving her mouth.
 	Faelis froze up instantly in Shaaria's arms. "You… didn't know?" she asked, sounding fearful.
 	"No," Shaaria answered truthfully. Before she could get any further, Faelis abruptly pulled away from her, looking terrified and staring wide-eyed at Shaaria. Then, suddenly, her eyes screwed shut and she grimaced, balling her hands into fists.
 	"Faelis-"
 	"Stars and Skies, I'm such an idiot!" Faelis blurted out, shaking in place on the edge of the bed, raising her fists as she lowered her head in shame, sounding like she was on the verge of tears again. "I can't believe I… I'm such a worthless, useless…!"
 	Faelis swung one fist down and struck the back of her head, letting out a cry of anger and pain. Shaaria immediately stood and grabbed onto Faelis's wrists to stop her, wrestling with the other dragon who was trying to pummel herself. "Faelis, stop!" Shaaria pleaded, trying to pull Faelis's arms to the sides and away from her head. "I'm not upset with you, I'm just surprised. Please, don't hurt yourself!"
 	"I'm a hideous freak!" Faelis blurted out as she struggled, "I'm a mutant! An ugly abomination! Nobody will ever love me!"
 	Shaaria tightened her grip, overpowering Faelis in the end and holding her arms apart. "Faelis, this doesn't help you! It doesn't help anyone! Please! Stop trying to hurt yourself!"
 	Still trembling and giving tearful gasps, Faelis resisted only for a few more seconds before she bit her lip and gave up, letting Shaaria lower her arms. "Didn't… didn't Randival tell you?"
 	"Why would he have?"
 	"On The Silver Wing!" Faelis protested. "On the deck that night! You asked him if he hit on the others, and he whispered something to you. I didn't hear it, but I know he was telling you why… why he'll seduce anyone in the world except me, and why his 'standards' don't include me! And then you agreed, you said you'd feel the same! Because he told you what I am!"
 	"What? No," Shaaria insisted, shaking her head. "That's not what he told me at all."
 	Faelis at first looked like she didn't believe Shaaria, but after looking at her for a few seconds, she seemed to calm a little. "What… what did he say, then?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
 	"Put simply, he told me that he didn't want to make you uncomfortable," Shaaria replied, sitting back down, keeping hold of Faelis's wrists. "And that he didn't want to risk pressuring you into something. He doesn't want to take advantage of you, even by accident."
 	Faelis went quiet, and Shaaria slowly let go of her, before gently patting the bed beside her again, inviting Faelis back to her previous seat. "Besides, think about it. Randival likes men and women; why wouldn't he like you?"
 	Looking away as she shuffled back over, Faelis mumbled quietly, "But I'm a freak."
 	"Has he ever said that?" Shaaria pointed out.
 	"…no…" Faelis admitted after a moment.
 	"And do the others know?"
 	"Yes," Faelis answered softly. "Randival… found out. It was an accident. He didn't mean to. But I… I was sure he was going to leave me behind. But he didn't. He said I should tell the others, but I refused. He asked if he could tell them for me. He said it was necessary since I was sharing rooms with them, and they had a right to know – he didn't want them to be uncomfortable. That's why I thought you knew. I… I let him, but told him not to tell anyone else. I figured Linya or Anshu would raise a fuss and get me thrown out… but they didn't."
 	"Well, don't you think that tells you something?" Shaaria asked her. "They don't treat you any differently. They all want you around, and they don't think you're a freak or an abomination." She gently put an arm around Faelis again, and she leaned against Shaaria's side. "You know it was Hiccup who found you, right?"
 	Faelis gave a small nod. "I know. When I drank the poison, she gasped out and flew out from under the bed. She tried to stop me and knocked the vial out of my hand, but I had already swallowed. The last thing I remember hearing was her calling my name and hiccupping as I fell off the bed. …I don't know how she got in here, though."
 	"She must have snuck in here and hid when I brought you up. It's only because of her that we got to you in time. She was very concerned about you – enough that Linya said her emotions were stronger than she'd ever felt before. Speaking of Linya… she was so horrified when she saw what happened to you, she fainted. Anshu said he would use up all of his medicine if it would save you. When I thought you were going to die, I completely froze up. I couldn't handle it. My fear got the better of me. There's a lot more I could have done, but I was in such shock that I couldn't even move. I'm glad you're still alive." She hugged Faelis a little closer to her side, curling a wing around her as well. "Everyone wants you here, Faelis. You have close friends."
 	"But Randival hates me now…"
 	"Randival is upset. I won't guess at what he's feeling. The only way you're going to find out is to talk to him. But I think he will forgive you, and I don't think he hates you. Only what you did."
 	Faelis didn't seem convinced, staring at the floor. "I don't deserve forgiveness."
 	"If you truly regret what you've done, and want to make things better, I think you deserve it. But it's for him to decide, not you, and not me."
 	"What will I even say to him?"
 	"Tell him the truth," Shaaria advised. "You've been hiding how you've felt from all of us. If he had known how much you were hurting, I'm sure he would have helped you."
 	"I…" Faelis went quiet for a few seconds. "I'm… I'm sorry. About all of this."
 	"I forgive you," Shaaria told her. "Just remember that I'm your friend. I'll help you. I understand you better than you think."
 	"No you don't," Faelis said sadly, "You're not a freak like I am."
 	"Please stop saying that about yourself, Faelis," Shaaria said in a gently pleading tone. "You keep repeating that word over and over… I don't know who said it to you previously, but they're wrong. I know this because I'm a hermaphrodite too, just like you." Faelis's eyes widened in surprise as Shaaria went on, "No matter what other people might say behind our backs, no matter what our parents might tell us, we're not 'freaks' because of our bodies. We're still people, just like anyone else."
 	"You…" Faelis fumbled, blinking in disbelief. "You're… like me?"
 	Shaaria nodded to her. "Since the day I hatched. You're not alone. I understand how you feel." Faelis trembled a little, and Shaaria continued, "But you don't think I'm a freak, do you?"
 	"No, of course not…"
 	Turning to face Faelis a little more, Shaaria continued, "And you don't think I'll be alone forever, do you?"
 	"No…"
 	"And you don't think I'm ugly, do you?"
 	"No!" Faelis said, shaking her head. "You're not ugly at all. You're beautiful. I wish I looked even half as pretty as you. It's no wonder Randival likes you."
 	"As far as I can tell, Randival likes anything with a pulse," Shaaria joked. Clearing her throat and lowering her voice to a murmur, she added, "And Faelis, if you keep flattering me like that, you're going to make me blush."
 	"I'm sorr-"
 	Shaaria put a finger to Faelis's mouth. "Shh. Don't apologize for that." Faelis went quiet, so Shaaria gave her a smile and spoke again. "But you see, that's the thing. If being what I am doesn't make me a freak, doesn't mean I'll never find love, and doesn't mean I'm ugly – why would any of it apply to you? You're too harsh on yourself, Faelis. Everyone else around you sees good things about yourself that you refuse to look at. You say you want to be pretty, but Faelis – you already are. You're pretty and beautiful just the way you are."
 	She saw Faelis beginning to tremble again, but Faelis's eyes were locked on her, so she pressed on. "When I saw you in the inn the other night, I thought to myself that you were a very lovely woman, even despite the signs that you've had it rough until recently. But you hide it. You hide away under your hood, in corners, and behind people – both your feelings, and your appearance. No-one will acknowledge how pretty you are if they can't see it. People can't appreciate the parts of you that you hide. You're like a work of art, hidden away in a basement instead of put on display for people to admire. I think – no, I know – that if you took just a little time to tidy yourself up and wear something flattering, everyone would be able to see how beautiful you are."
 	Faelis was blushing deeply, and seemed to be a little overwhelmed by the praise, shaking in her seat but smiling softly. Shaaria gently placed a hand on her shoulder before continuing, "You're too focused on your mistakes, and ignore your achievements. We've all made errors. Anshu nearly blew us all up! But all of us, you included, have made accomplishments too. Your skill at throwing things is enviable, and you fight better than you think. Better than I do, certainly – if I were reduced to fighting with nothing more than a dagger and without my magic, you would best me easily. You are braver than most people I have met, following us into danger and fighting these otherworldly monstrosities. When you fight, you do it with such confidence. You keep going on about how much you wish you were different, and while it's good to want to improve yourself… you have so much good in you already. You just need to see it."
 	"Sh-Shaaria…"
 	Reaching up slowly, Shaaria gently pushed back the hood on Faelis's clothes, revealing her head. Her cheeks were still stained from her earlier tears, her brown hair a little messed up, but some of her natural beauty still shone through. "There… you look much better like this. You don't need to hide who you really are, and you don't need to try and be more like Randival," Shaaria told her. "You don't need to try and change yourself to be someone you're not. You have so many good things about you already, you just need to let them shine through. You're everything about you taken together – your good parts and bad, your strengths and your weaknesses. You don't need to change, because if you did… you wouldn't be Faelis anymore. You'll never be happy wearing a mask all day, every day… so embrace who you already are. She's who we already consider our friend."
 	Faelis's breath became very shaky, so Shaaria held her arms out in an invitation, and Faelis began to cry as she embraced Shaaria. But this time, it was tears of happiness that rolled down Faelis's cheeks as Shaaria held her closely, giving her a warm and comforting hug, listening to Faelis's joyful sobs.
 	  
 	She heard footsteps, and once again, Anshu peeked his head around the corner of the room, looking concerned, raising his muzzle in another silent inquiry. Shaaria gave him a nod this time, and he waved behind him to Linya and Hiccup – and to Randival, as it turned out, the rest of the group coming back into the room one after another. For his part, Randival seemed to have calmed down, wearing an impassive frown instead of the infuriated glare he had left with. Keeping one hand on the brim of his hat, he looked away, hiding his eyes from the others.
 	Shaaria gently released Faelis only once she had finished crying of her own accord, and Faelis turned to face the rest of the group, wiping her eyes on the backs of her sleeves. Hiccup darted over to Faelis and wrapped around her upper body in a sort of hug, making Faelis laugh a little and reach up to lightly pet at Hiccup with both hands. But then Faelis drew a breath, turning her gaze towards the others who were standing there.
 	"I'm sorry," she told them sincerely, rather than the many reflexive apologies Shaaria had heard her give previously. "I'm sorry for making you all worry. I'm sorry for lying about how I felt. I'm sorry for not listening to you, and not believing you. And… I'm sorry for trying to kill myself." Turning her gaze to Randival, she kept looking at him as she said, "I promise, I'll never do anything like that again."
 	Randival neither moved nor spoke, and Faelis looked down for a moment regretfully, taking a breath before turning her attention back to the others. "Linya?" she asked quietly, and Linya nodded in silent assent. "Can… can you… help me read better?"
 	"Of course," Linya said softly, giving her a small smile. "I enjoy teaching you."
 	"Thank… thank you," Faelis replied, and she turned to Anshu next, seeming a little emboldened. "Anshu, is…" she faltered, and Anshu gave her a soft smile as well to encourage her. "Is it okay if… can… can you please make more sleep medicine for me?"
 	"Gladly, now that I have the ingredients," he replied. "It is no trouble at all, and I am happy to help. You can assist me as I make it too, if you like."
 	"I… I'd like that," Faelis said quietly, a touch of happiness entering her voice. But it didn't reach her face as she turned to Randival, wringing her hands. "…Randival, I…"
 	She bit her lip, seemingly not knowing what to say as he stood in place, and Shaaria noticed his fingers subtly fidgeting as he held the brim of his hat. A few seconds of silence passed, and Faelis managed to speak. "…can you… forgive me? …for what I've done? …for hurting you?"
 	Randival didn't respond for a moment, but then he gave a deep sigh and finally spoke. "How could I possibly stay angry at you after that?"
 	"Do you… forgive me?" Faelis asked again.
 	"Of course I forgive you, Faelis," Randival said softly, lowering his hand and turning his gaze to her at last, looking deeply regretful. "I had to go walk outside for a bit to calm down – I was mad because you reminded me of Servalus, and because I've spent so much time since his death wondering… what caused it? What could I have done to prevent it? Was it my fault? You opened up some old, painful wounds… but it didn't take me long to realize that you were in need of sympathy far more than a lecture, and what a fool I had been to act the way I did. Isn't that right, Hiccup?"
 	Surprised at being addressed, it took Hiccup a moment to respond. "You were a huge jerk."
 	"An understatement of epic proportions, to be sure," Randival said flatly. "I made the situation worse. When more than anything else, you were in need of comfort, I offered only hostility. I attacked you when you were at your most vulnerable. I was harsh when you needed gentleness. I'm glad that someone in this room recognized that, for I did not." He cast a glance towards Shaaria when he said that last part, and she nodded to him in acknowledgement. "I was hurting, yes, but I took it out on the one person in the room who was hurting even more than me. For all of this, you have my most sincere apologies."
 	Taking off his hat and holding it in front of his chest as he bowed, he added, "It is my hope that you can forgive me. If not today, then some day in the future. I made a grave mistake. I acted poorly. I was a fool, and many worse things than that. What's done is done, and what's said is said – I will not deny my wrongs. I ask only for the chance to redeem myself and make things right between us."
 	Faelis stared, but gave him a small nod after a moment. "I forgive you. I… I want things to be back to normal. I don't hate you. Even for what you said to me."
 	A wide smile came over his face, and he gave her a soft look. "It makes me incredibly glad to hear that," he told her, straightening up and approaching her. "Now, I don't think it's fair that Hiccup gets a hug and I don't, do you? Come here."
 	Pulling Faelis to her feet, he wrapped his wing-arms around her and hugged her tightly. Soon, Anshu and Linya joined in, and Shaaria as well with what little space was left, surrounding Faelis from all sides.
 	"Hey! You're squishing me!" Hiccup protested.
 	"Hush, Hiccup," Randival scolded her. "Let us have our moment."
 	"Th… thank you all," Faelis said, sniffling a little, smiling brightly even though Randival's wing-arms were pinning her own arms to her sides and she couldn't hug him back. "I'm… I'm truly lucky to be here with you."
 Part 5: The Wilderlands
 Chapter 26
 	Randival had been sufficiently charismatic – and generous with his money – to convince the innkeeper to let Anshu and Faelis move to a different room, and Shaaria had made no protests when he volunteered her to pay for the broken door, which she did with profuse apologies. They had apparently caused quite a commotion – the breaking door and Linya's scream had been audible throughout the entire inn and even out in the street. So, Randival elected to give the staff some extra money as tips and request that they get their meals sent up to their rooms, instead of having them draw stares on the ground floor.
 	Anshu had kept a close eye on Faelis to see how she was recovering, but it seemed like the antidote, medicines and other resources he had used had done their job with no side-effects worse than a couple of stomach cramps and occasional sudden dashes down the hall to the privy. They spent most of the evening in Anshu and Faelis's new room, as cramped as it was with all six of them there, those two working on brewing replacement potions while the others conversed with them. Randival reminisced about their previous exploits, including a few from before Shaaria had joined, while Hiccup draped herself around Faelis's shoulders and offered her advice as she helped prepare ingredients for Anshu. Eventually they split up to go to sleep, and Faelis didn't offer any resistance when Randival asked to take her weapons and poisoner's kit for the night "just to be sure".
 	When the morning came and they regrouped, Randival told them that they would need to make their final preparations. "We'll be heading out beyond the reaches of civilization, so if you need anything, this is your last chance to get it for a while," he instructed them before letting them split up, each going their own way. Shaaria volunteered to make sure the ship was stocked with food, as she had nothing she needed to buy, so she busied herself with visiting a few stores to buy up a variety of bulk provisions that would last for a long trip without spoiling, having them delivered directly to their ship. They weren't particularly short on provisions, but it would be better to err on the side of caution, and she was able to round out the variety of food, something the crew would appreciate too.
 	She was the first one back as a result, and one by one, the others returned, including the crew that Randival had tracked down. After one final check to make sure everyone was present and that nothing else required their attention, they all boarded the ship and prepared to take off and head off after the expedition from forty winters prior. The captain refused to let Randival touch the controls, and instead watched him like a hawk as he instructed the navigator on the frequency to key the ship's beacon locator to.
 	Shaaria elected to stay on the deck once more as the ship took off, but so did Faelis. They leaned on the gunwales of the ship, watching the propellers gradually gaining speed as the engines powered up until it lifted away from the dock and began to back away. Once clear of the docks, the ship turned, and the Evalar archipelago began to get smaller as they flew away from it. Idly, Shaaria wondered if she would ever see it again; they were heading off into uncharted territory, and even if they found what they were looking for, it was sure to be dangerous.
 	"Um, Shaaria?" Faelis said just as Shaaria began to head for the stairs. Faelis still had her hood down, looking much better than the prior day. Her hair was brushed, her tears cleaned away, and her perpetual melancholy look was gone from her face – though she now looked merely neutral, it was a marked improvement nonetheless.
 	Shaaria stopped and turned towards Faelis. "What is it?"
 	"I… I got you something earlier. A, um, present. With the money Randival gave me."
 	"Does he know?" Shaaria asked, and Faelis nodded.
 	"Yes, I told him what I wanted it for, and he gave me permission. I didn't want it to be something stolen." Reaching into a deep pocket, she pulled out a small and featureless oblong box, made from a dark wood and varnished smoothly. "I… I hope you like it."
 	Shaaria took the box, finding a small catch on one side that allowed her to open the lid. The inside of the box was padded with simple black cloth, but resting on it was a necklace with a silver chain. Delicately, Shaaria reached inside and took it out, holding it up so she could see the silver diamond-shaped pendant dangling from the end of it, with a dark blue diamond-shaped stone set into it on one side.
 	"It's not much, I know," Faelis said, lowering her head a little. "It's not magic or anything. It has a real sapphire, but I couldn't afford a big one, and…"
 	  
 	"Faelis, it's lovely," Shaaria told her with a smile. Closing the empty case with one hand and slipping it into a pocket to free up both hands, Shaaria immediately undid the clasp of the necklace and reached up to put it on while Faelis watched with a small smile. Looking down at herself and then back up to Faelis, Shaaria said approvingly, "Thank you. I will treasure it."
 	"It's only…" Faelis began with a sad look, but stopped herself, and just smiled up at Shaaria. "It looks lovely on you."
 	"I know it isn't much, but the real value comes from being a gift from you," Shaaria reassured her. "That makes it worth more to me than if it had a stone ten times the size."
 	"Shaariaaaaaa," Faelis protested bashfully, but she didn't resist when Shaaria leaned in and gave her another warm hug. Faelis raised her arms, hugging Shaaria back, and gave a quiet happy hum as the wind blew past them. "I wish you could stay with me forever."
 	Shaaria gently separated from her, putting her hands on Faelis's shoulders. "I can't," she said quietly, "When this journey is over, I'll have to leave."
 	Faelis lowered her head a little. "I thought you might say that," she mumbled, "That's why I got you the necklace. As thanks, and… so that you'd have something to remember me by."
 	Smiling gently, Shaaria gave a nod. "I'll have to get you something when we get back."
 	"After all you've done for me, I'll never forget you," Faelis replied. "Thank you. I know I've made mistakes, and done bad things. But I promise you I'll do better. I'll make you proud."
 	Reaching up with one hand, Shaaria gently stroked the side of Faelis's head. "You don't need to make me proud, Faelis. I just want you to be happy. The only person you need to make proud of you is yourself."
 	"I'll… work on that," Faelis said with a smile.
 	"What will you do when this is over?"
 	Exhaling, Faelis turned away and rested her arms on the gunwale, staring into the expanse of clouds passing them by. "I don't know," she confessed after a few moments. "I don't have a home to return to. I don't have any money. Everyone else has plans, and they don't involve me."
 	"Would you like to stay with one of the others?" Shaaria inquired. "It's worth asking them if you do. The worst that happens is they say no."
 	"Oh, um… n… no," Faelis said, unconvincingly.
 	"It's Randival, isn't it?" Shaaria teased.
 	"No, no, it's not- I'm not-" Faelis insisted, getting more flustered as she stared down into the clouds.
 	Shaaria approached her and gave her another hug from the side, chuckling quietly. "You could do worse," she joked, and then took on a more serious tone. "He seems to care about you a lot. He thinks of you very highly, from what I can tell, and he wants to help you."
 	"I…" Faelis began, glancing away and gazing out across the clouds, leaning against Shaaria's front. "I owe him a lot. I want to be with him. But… I'm scared."
 	"Of what?" Shaaria asked, tilting her head, but Faelis didn't answer. Giving Faelis a gentle squeeze, she quietly told her, "Whatever it is, I'm sure he would be willing to help you. Remember, you only have to ask. We all want to help."
 	"I'll think about it," Faelis muttered, pushing herself away from the edge of the ship to stand straight. "Maybe once this is all over."
 	"Well, we'll have plenty of time for you to think it over," Shaaria said as she turned her head, looking past the front of the ship at the cloudy expanse beyond. "There's no telling how long this trip will be…"
 Chapter 27
 	The wilderlands were very different to the Charted Territories. Vast numbers of tiny islands floated at different heights, unlike the settled islands which were bigger and pulled down to a uniform elevation. Some of the larger islands were home to wild gryphons or other creatures, and there were more islands with trees, tall peaks, lakes of clear water, or other terrain features absent on the settled islands they had come from. Yet there were also signs that someone had been there before, however long ago. Shaaria spotted occasional ruins, some as small as a single broken pillar, others larger and wrought entirely from stone in ancient architectural styles, rather than the relatively modern timber-framed buildings she had seen in the cities so far.
 	The ship was fast, but didn't have a large enough crew to operate constantly, so each night they landed on one of the many empty islands to rest for the night. Days went past with no sign of their target, but the ship's guidance instruments and Randival's own gadgets were both still picking up the signal they were tracking, so their spirits remained high. And much to their relief, nothing came to attack them, causing much speculation as to why – was the ship too fast, or its crystal not large enough? Could the rifts not open in the wilderlands? Had they simply gone unnoticed?
 	On the fifth day of their expedition, while Shaaria was belowdecks reading with Faelis, Randival suddenly rushed down the stairs, his hair a mess from being out on the deck, having left his hat in his cabin. "Come quick!" he called, looking excited, "I think we've found it!"
 	Up on the deck, he guided them over to the ship's prow, and the telescope mounted there. Shaaria stepped up to it, bending at the waist to peer through the lens, closing one eye, putting her hands on the telescope to hold it steady.
 	They were coming up on an enormous island, not just in width but also in height, much of it taken up by a tall mountain that rose from the thick trees surrounding it. But unlike many islands which only had signs of settlement on the surface and perhaps some mining operations underneath, this one showed clear signs of construction on its underside. Sand-colored bricks studded with crystals formed a vaguely conical construction on the underside of the island, riddled with holes for someone or something flying to enter and exit. 
 	Though she could make out few other details at the distance they were at, something else did stand out to her on the surface of the island. A little left of where they were approaching from, there appeared to be the mostly-intact remains of an airship, though it lacked any balloons. It seemed much more recent than the construction of the island, but its design appeared to be an older model of ship.
 	However, there was also movement in the skies around the island. Dark shapes that Shaaria could not accurately discern at such a distance, but she had little doubt that they were void creatures on patrol.
 	"Lovely view, isn't it?" she heard Randival say from behind her.
 	"It's quite something," Shaaria agreed, glancing back over her shoulder. But when she saw that Randival was staring at her backside instead of into the horizon, she gave a sigh and swung her tail, lightly swatting at him with the spade on the end of it. She stood upright as he chuckled to himself, and she folded her arms as she stepped aside to let Faelis have a look, though she couldn't keep a small smirk off her face from his antics.
 	"This is also a fine view…" he murmured as Faelis bent over and peered into the telescope.
 	Shaaria snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Focus, Randival."
 	  
 	"Yes, yes, be that way if you must," he joked, reaching under his cloak and pulling out the pocket-sized navigation device, flipping it open and holding it out to show it to her. "The signal is coming from dead ahead. I'll have the captain sweep around to the side so we can triangulate and make sure, but I believe we have found our target. Did you see the airship on there?"
 	"I did, yes. It seems almost certain that this is what we are looking for."
 	"Unfortunately, that's not all," Randival muttered. "Landing there will not be easy, as our predecessors seem to have found out the hard way. The place seems thick with those creatures. I have some plans, but we will need to talk it over before we get too close."
 	Shaaria nodded in agreement. "We'd better discuss it with the others."
 	"Yes, we should. Faelis?" Faelis looked up from the telescope, and he continued, "Would you mind finding Linya and Anshu and asking them to come to the navigation room?"
 	"Sure!" she replied, hurrying off belowdecks.
 	Randival watched her go, then spoke again, folding his arms. "Do you think we can do this?"
 	She tilted her head. "Having doubts?"
 	"There are an awful lot of those creatures flying around," he admitted. "But based off our experience at Harton's Tower, they do not seem terribly intelligent, nor are they some sort of hive mind. If we strike fast and stay focused, we should be able to slip inside. But what awaits us within? That is the big question, and no-one knows."
 	"I wouldn't say no-one," Shaaria countered. "Someone was here before us. We should check their ship. They may have left some clues for us."
 	"An excellent point. Come, let's discuss this with the others and see what they have to say."
 Chapter 28
 	"We should turn around," Linya asserted. She was gathered with the others around the map table in the navigation room of the airship, though the actual maps had been cleared from the table to make room for a fresh sheet of paper. The crude drawing on it showed the island, their angle of approach, Randival's proposed flight path, and the few points of interest they had picked out with the telescopes.
 	Randival regarded her calmly, his arms folded. "What makes you say that?" he asked, prodding her for more details.
 	"There's six of us and a lot more than six of them," Linya remarked, while Hiccup floated over her shoulder and smirked smugly when she was counted in the total. "Even if we somehow got the crew to come down and help us, we would be vastly outnumbered. It would be a suicide run."
 	  
 	Randival gave her a nod of acknowledgement, and turned his head slightly. "Anshu?"
 	"We should keep going. It will be five days for us to get back, and five more to return, plus who knows how much more time in between to rally support for our cause, and for them to join us – and how long it will take for their much slower ships to arrive. Who knows how many more disasters will unfold in the interim? How many more deaths we could have prevented if we had acted now? Remembering the crash of the ship at Dalavun still sends shivers down my spine – if I can prevent even just one of those, I would rather take the risk."
 	Randival waited a moment to make sure Anshu was done speaking, then moved on. "Faelis?"
 	Faelis was staring at the map on the table, one hand idly fiddling with a fastening on her outfit, but at Randival's inquiry she simply responded neutrally, "I don't really have anything to say."
 	"Come now, Faelis," he encouraged, "You're a valuable member of this team just like anyone else. You must have thoughts. We're in this together as equals, and I want to hear what your opinion is. This is not a choice to make lightly, and I want to consider everyone's thoughts before making a decision."
 	Faelis hesitated, looking back at him, then took a deep breath and leaned on the table, looking at the map. "I don't know. I agree with Anshu that I want to help… but I also agree with Linya that we are greatly outnumbered. But if I had to choose…" she stood straight, wringing her hands for a few moments. "…I think we should keep going."
 	"Thank you. Shaaria?"
 	"Go forward," she said simply. "We've come too far to simply turn around and beg for someone else to finish this for us, if anyone would even listen. I don't suggest we simply charge straight in and hope for the best, but I believe that if we approach this intelligently, we will come away victorious."
 	Randival nodded thoughtfully. "I see. As for me…"
 	Hiccup cleared her throat loudly and pointedly, and Randival gave her a wide smirk. "Oh, I didn't forget you. I was doing it specifically to annoy you this time. What are your thoughts, Hiccup?"
 	Hiccup glared daggers at him as she undulated in the air. "I think you're an irresponsible, lumbering, philandering, alcoholic oaf."
 	"Duly noted. As I was-"
 	"I wasn't done!" Hiccup hissed, her fur bristling. "My master is right. We can't win this. There's just too many of them. Have you seen how many are flying around outside? There's probably ten times as many inside! And I don't really want to end up being void monster chow."
 	Randival waited, but the only further input Hiccup had was to stick her tongue out at him, so he continued, "As for me, I think we should proceed, but cautiously, and see if we can gain any further information to make a better-informed decision."
 	"Like what?" Anshu asked.
 	Reaching out, Randival tapped on the map where the airship wreck was marked. "I propose that we try and investigate this wreck. At this point I think we all agree that the most likely scenario for what happened forty winters ago is that our predecessors were successful in stopping the rifts from appearing, but without the means to repair their ship, they were doomed. It is almost certain that they are dead, but as Shaaria pointed out to me, perhaps they returned to the ship, and may have left us something we can glean clues from."
 	"All good and well," Linya mused, "But how would we get down there?"
 	"I have spoken with the captain," Randival told the group. "And no, not about whether there is room for two in her bed… well, not just about that. This ship is quite fast, and very maneuverable. She can pick us up very quickly, should the need arise, and we need only signal for her to come get us. There is a rope ladder at the back of the ship; not at the sides, of course, unless you want to be chopped up by the propellers. As long as we are fast, those of us who cannot fly can get on and off quite quickly, allowing the ship to retreat to a safe distance."
 	Linya looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking up. "I actually have something that can help with that; a spell to slow one's descent. Quite useful for those of us who cannot fly under our own power."
 	"Splendid!" Randival said approvingly. "An even better option. The captain can fly over the wreck and we simply jump off. No need to stop and put the ship at risk."
 	Anshu folded his arms, tapping one foot on the floor. "We'll have to hold our own until they come back, and who knows what sort of resistance they'll put up?"
 	"I don't know, but I have asked if we can fly closer so we can get a better look at the island, particularly at the wreck. We can see what they have in the skies fairly well from where we are now, but on the ground is a bit of a different story."
 	"Is that our next course of action, then?" Linya inquired.
 	"Well, see, that's the thing," Randival began. "We are not in agreement, and this is not something I wish to order you around on. This isn't a simple decision of where we go next or how we divide up tasks. I want all six of us to agree to a course of action before we proceed."
 	"Wait, 'all six'?" Hiccup asked, "You're including me?"
 	"Of course! You may be an irritating overgrown fuzzy tube with an attitude problem, but I would still not risk your life like this without your agreement beforehand."
 	"Hmph. I still don't like you."
 	"And the feeling is mutual, my dear flying pipe cleaner," Randival retorted with a smirk. "Do you two at least agree to the plan to do a little more reconnaissance by flying closer and seeing what we can see?"
 	"I see no great harm in it," Linya replied. "If we get close enough to draw their ire, we can back away. Even that in and of itself would be helpful information, as it would tell us how aggressive they are and how much they are willing to pursue us."
 	Randival turned his gaze to Hiccup, who shrugged. "Sure, so long as you're the one in front," she told him.
 	"I always am. But it then seems we are in agreement – if not, you should say something now, before I begin making the preparations." He waited a moment, but nobody spoke up, so he gave a final nod to the group. "Very well! Prepare whatever you need, just in case we run into any trouble, and meet me on the deck."
 	As the others left, Shaaria turned towards him and praised, "That was well spoken. You remind me a lot of your father."
 	Randival, however, recoiled melodramatically, putting one hand over his chest and the other to his forehead, knocking his hat askew. "Oh, how cruel! Whatever did I do to earn such a slanderous insult against my character?"
 	Chuckling at his overreaction, she leaned against the map table. "In the way that you handle this, I mean. Listening to each of us, taking us all into consideration, and acting in all our best interests – I admit I haven't seen much of your father, but from what I have seen, he behaves much the same way."
 	"Well, I suppose there is some truth to that," Randival admitted, straightening his hat. "Perhaps his attempts to teach me how to lead the business paid off in the end after all. I'd hate to think he was rubbing off on me passively or something along those lines! …but in all seriousness, I do not disagree with how he handles his business, only his family."
 	"Understandable. Of the two of you, I'd much rather have you here – you're the only one who can fight, as far as I know."
 	Randival gave a short laugh. "And here I was hoping it was for my good looks! But my old man has never fired a gun in his life as far as I know. Let's just hope we all make it back so I can boast about it to him, shall we?"
 Chapter 29
 	Shaaria left Randival to give his instructions to the captain and went back up to the deck to rejoin the others. Faelis and Anshu were standing by the side of the ship closer to the island, watching it get closer as they approached at an angle, while Linya was making use of the front telescope as Hiccup floated over her shoulder. Anshu had pulled his goggles down over his eyes, using them to peer at the island from afar, even if they weren't as powerful as the ship's telescopes.
 	"Why haven't any of them come to attack us yet?" Faelis wondered aloud after watching the patrolling void creatures for a while.
 	Shaaria stared out at the distant void creatures in thought. "You always say you can't sneak around them, right?"
 	Faelis nodded. "Yes… I've tried, but it doesn't work. They even seem to notice me through walls. I have to wait for them to get distracted in combat to get a hit in."
 	"They don't exactly have eyes or ear-holes, so they must be sensing you in some other way, one that has a limited range. But that means that they don't use sight or hearing to detect things, so even though we're flying in plain sight, they can't see us."
 	"And they mostly seem attracted to major sources of magical energy," Anshu mused. "They are aware of people and can fight them, but they go for large crystals first, as well as spellcasters, as we have seen when Linya is sealing rifts."
 	Emerging from belowdecks, Randival joined into the conversation, striding over and resting his hands on the gunwale. "But this ship is much smaller than the passenger liners we have been on," he chimed in. "And its engines and its power crystal are dramatically smaller as a result, even if it is quite a speedy vessel."
 	"I'm sure if we had the time, we could properly determine the distance at which a given energy source is detected by them," Anshu muttered, adjusting his goggles once more. "I wonder if there might be some way to mask the energy signatures coming from crystals, if those are what they use to locate ships in flight?"
 	  
 	"I'm also curious as to why they haven't attacked any cities," Shaaria wondered.
 	"Oh, they have, though it is rare," Randival corrected her. "Cauldurin doesn't have much industry last I checked, so you may not have heard, but factories with sizeable power crystals for their machines have fought off a few attacks here and there. They do seem much rarer than attacks on ships, however."
 	Anshu nodded in agreement. "As far as I can tell, they see people as threats and obstacles, only to be engaged if we get in the way or if we attack them."
 	"Then perhaps there is some way we can get inside that island without having to fight every creature in the place," Shaaria mused.
 	"Perhaps so," Randival agreed.
 	Some time passed in silence, until Anshu adjusted his goggles again. "Linya, can you see the crashed ship?" he called out.
 	Linya adjusted the telescope a little as she peered through the lens. "Yes, I see it quite clearly!" she called back.
 	"Do you see any creatures around it?"
 	There was a pause as Linya scanned the ship, staying hunched over the telescope. "No, I do not," she eventually answered. "It appears to have landed in a lake. Not a very deep one, however. But I do not see any void creatures on it or near it."
 	"Hmm. Not the best place to land," Randival mused. "But a softer landing than the ground, for sure. They must have still had some control over the ship when they crashed."
 	Shaaria's thoughts were interrupted as she felt a subaudible shriek go through her, and looked up to see one of the creatures banking in the air and flying towards her. But it was the only one; even though a few further away seemed agitated, they only flew faster and in tighter circuits and did not approach the ship.
 	"Incoming!" Randival called out, but the lone foe posed no threat; thrusting out her arm, Shaaria threw a lance of light out that struck the creature slightly off-center and pierced almost all the way through it. The damage was still enough that it fell from the sky all the same, plummeting through the clouds below and out of sight.
 	Striding over to the front of the ship, Randival flipped open a small metal box that was anchored to a post and leaned in to the communication device inside. "Turn to port, captain!" he called into it, "We're getting a little too close!"
 	Though Shaaria did not hear the acknowledgement, she felt the vibrations of the ship change subtly as the propellers on the port side spun slightly slower, changing the angle the ship was flying at. Randival closed the box with a satisfied look, returning to the rest of the group, with Linya following after him.
 	"I believe this answers a few things, like why we weren't drowning in those creatures the moment we set foot into Harton's Tower," he mused. "They seem to be able to communicate in a limited fashion, but without being close enough to them, they cannot detect us."
 	"In light of this information, I would be willing to attempt the previously-mentioned infiltration plan," Linya said from behind Randival. "The wreck appears to be clear of foes, this ship's top speed exceeds theirs, and I believe we do not have to worry about being overwhelmed upon our landing."
 	"You are?" Hiccup asked in astonishment. "Er… well, whatever my master says is good enough for me. I think we can do it."
 	"Maybe in the future I should just count you and your master as one vote, hmm?" Randival remarked with a smirk.
 	"And we can count you for half, 'cause that's how much of a brain you've got-"
 	"That's enough, Hiccup," Linya scolded, rubbing the back of her familiar's head. "When do you think we should attempt this?"
 	Randival gave a chuckle, looking back out towards the island. "No time like the present, is there?"
 Chapter 30
 	It was a simple plan: Line up the ship to pass over the wreck, engines to full, and power on through until they got away from the void creatures, while Randival and the others would jump from the back of the ship at the right time. Then all the captain had to do was find somewhere to hover and wait for a signal to pick them up… or until enough time elapsed that it was clear they wouldn't be coming back.
 	As soon as the ship started flying amongst the patrolling void creatures, it attracted the attention of those it passed by, each one turning and banking to fly after it. A few of them were directly ahead of the ship at a bad time, the hull striking them and knocking them aside, while most of them ended up following behind, clustering into a large group in pursuit of the vessel.
 	"That's quite a lot of them!" Randival shouted to be heard over the roaring wind as the ship flew at top speed, whipping past them and ruffling his hair all over the place. He and the rest of the group were at the very back of the ship, preparing to jump. "Anyone have any ideas to clear them out?"
 	"I've got a little something for them!" Anshu called out, his whiskers being whipped around by the wind. Crouching down and sliding off his backpack, he reached in and quickly pulled a highly explosive phial like the one they had used at Harton's Tower.
 	"Anshu, what are-!" Randival began, his eyes flicking to the clustered group of creatures in pursuit. "…actually, that's a good idea!"
 	Anshu held out the phial. "Faelis, take this, but don't throw it yet!"
 	"Okay!" she shouted back, taking it from him and crouching down by the edge, keeping a very tight grip on the gunwale as she waited for a signal.
 	Randival leaned over the rear corner of the ship and looked down. They were about to start passing over the island, but they were still on course to cross over the shipwreck. "Remember the plan!" he yelled to the others, "Land as close to the wreck as you can! Shaaria and I will fly ahead to make sure you can land safely!"
 	A few of the crew members were up on the deck holding rifles taken from the ship's armory, all single-shot much like Randival's pistol but with longer barrels and sights to allow for aiming with two hands. For the moment, they were standing ready, keeping a watchful eye out for any creatures that got too close to the ship for comfort.
 	Once they were in position, Randival looked behind them, seeing that the cluster of pursuers had grown even larger, a little further away as the ship outpaced them. "Now, Faelis!" he shouted, then covered his eyes and looked away.
 	Standing up, she threw the phial, and at the speeds they were going it almost immediately smashed into the frontmost creature. There was a tremendous explosion, but they were further away and not in an enclosed space this time, so both the ship and the group were unharmed. The same could not be said of their pursuers; discoloring bodies of void creatures were plummeting downwards in a grotesque rain of otherworldly blobs and chunks. Some of the creatures further out from the explosion had survived, but were rapidly losing speed due to their injuries.
 	"Jump!" Randival shouted. Linya, Faelis, and Anshu leapt from the back of the ship together, with Faelis in the middle holding onto Linya's left arm and Anshu's right so they would stay together. Hiccup flew off after them, and then Randival and Shaaria leapt after them, the ship zooming off into the distance and leaving them behind.
 	Shaaria and Randival went into a nosedive, and plunged past the other three some distance before spreading their wings; Shaaria unfurled hers to gain more control over her descent while Randival held his wing-arms out wide, the two of them heading down towards the shipwreck. Shaaria glanced behind her, but the void creatures seemed to be preoccupied trying to chase the ship, and none of them were coming after the group. So far, so good.
 	  
 	As they got closer to the wreck, Shaaria could make it out in more detail. It was, as Linya had said, in the middle of a lake, but it couldn't have been more than a few feet deep even in the center. The impact had still split the hull open in the middle all the way from the bottom to the top, severing the ship into two pieces that still lay against one another. The cause of the crash was obvious: At the very back of the ship where the crystal would have been, part of the hull had buckled outward and the wood was split in many places, as though a powerful explosion had gone off inside of it. 
 	The rear side of the ship bore a faded and barely legible Halvirton Wayfarers design, and curiously, it looked like one of the boarding ramps had been moved from the deck to instead allow access from the lake into the ship through a hole in the center of the hull. Strangely, the ship did not appear to have the remnants of any rigging indicating that it had ever had a balloon, meaning it must have been driven by propellers alone much like the military vessel they had borrowed. However, those propellers had been smashed to bits in the impact, chunks of which were scattered all around the crash site, either floating on the water or sticking up from the bed of the shallow lake.
 	Fortunately, there were no foes around it, so Shaaria was able to easily fly down and land on the deck of the rear half of the ship, flaring her wings to slow her descent so that she could land gracefully. Randival came in behind her shortly thereafter, holding his wing-arms up and out to flare them in a similar manner to decelerate, his legs extended under him. The others had much less control, however; even with the slow-fall spell that Linya cast on them when they got close to the ground, they missed the ship entirely, and Shaaria heard splashes as they landed in the water nearby. Hiccup flew down after them, floating above Linya as she rose to her feet, dripping from head to toe.
 	"I can't swim, I can't swim!" Shaaria heard Faelis shout in a panic.
 	"It's barely even up to my waist, you're fine! Just stop flailing around!" Anshu told her. "Here, grab onto my arm."
 	Randival gave a sigh, making a half-hearted attempt to straighten his hair with his hands. "We should get down there and help them," he mused. "Time to get wet, I suppose."
 	Leaping over the edge of the ship before Shaaria could stop him, he spread out his wing-arms to glide down into the water near the group with a splash. She took a moment to look upwards first, but their ship seemed to be making a safe getaway, and they had no pursuers of their own. Her concerns assuaged, she vaulted over the gunwale as well, her wings outstretched to slow her fall.
 	Together, the group waded through the lake to the boarding ramp and made their way up and into the ship, where Shaaria and Linya helped them all dry off with some simple spells. It did not take long to find what they were looking for: the cabins were at the back of the ship, and it seemed the shared room between them was where their predecessors had sheltered away their final days. The skeletal remains of a wing-backed dragon lay in a heap beside a table in the center of the room, next to an old backpack. The skeleton held an older model of pistol in one hand, and the shattered hole in the top of its skull told the rest of the story.
 	"Oh dear," Linya murmured as she took in the sight.
 	Randival went silent, and after a moment, turned away sharply. "Forgive me, I need to step outside," he said quietly, "I will be waiting by the entrance. Tell me what you find."
 	He made a quick exit, but Faelis chased after him, calling out "Wait!" as she did. 
 	Anshu glanced back, and then towards the others. "Should we follow?"
 	"No," Shaaria said. "I suspect he is reliving some bad memories. Let's see what we can find so that he doesn't have to come in here."
 	They split up, with Linya and Shaaria checking the cabins while Anshu searched the backpack next to the skeleton. The cabins yielded little except additional skeletons lying on the beds; all the fabric was old and musty, and their weapons rusted or otherwise unusable. Some of the cabin windows were broken, and had once had makeshift fabric coverings placed over them, but they had long since rotted away to almost nothing.
 	"Nothing useful," Shaaria reported as she closed the last cabin door. "What about you, Anshu?"
 	Anshu was still crouched down, the contents of the backpack strewn about the floor around him, but he was holding a small book of some kind in one hand. "I found a journal on the top," he told her, holding it up. "I took a quick glance, but I will read the whole thing with everyone present. I suspect it will be very important."
 	Shaaria nodded in agreement as Linya emerged from the cabin opposite her. "Anything else?" Shaaria asked.
 	"Nothing of much use, sadly," he replied. "Some writing materials, and a few maps, but not of this island. Otherwise, just odds and ends. Nothing helpful, unless you need a set of forty-winter-old seasonings."
 	"I do not," Shaaria remarked flatly.
 	"I found nothing that can help us," Linya added. "Let's find the others."
 	Fortunately, Randival and Faelis were not hard to find, sitting on the floor by the hole in the hull they had entered through. Both were silent, but as the group approached, Randival turned his head back to them. "Did you find anything?"
 	"Something, yes," Anshu said, holding up the journal. "Are you feeling all right?"
 	"Oh, I'll be fine," Randival said dismissively. "Just… my brother." He gave a long, slow exhale. "I was the one to find him when he didn't come down for breakfast, you know? My mother sent me up, and… well. It's all old history now. Yet his specter haunts me still, even all these winters later."
 	Shaaria frowned a little. "How old were you at the time?" she asked.
 	Randival's answer was quiet. "Far too young to be prepared for the sight of the man I respected the most hanging from the ceiling by his neck." He took a deep breath in the ensuing silence, and spoke up again. "But enough of that. Is that a diary?"
 	"More or less." Anshu opened it up and held it out, flicking through it. "Most of the pages are blank, but it will soon be obvious why." Starting over at the first page, the cleared his throat and began to read.
 Chapter 31
 	  
 	47th of summer, 2844.

 	I meant to start this journal earlier in our trip, but either kept forgetting, or couldn't find the time. Now, time is all that I have.

 	Maxirus and Frantin are dead. Of our original group, only Tervel and I are left, and soon he will join them among the Stars. But as for me, I will remain as long as I decide to, it seems.

 	But I have gotten ahead of myself, for this is my first entry. Let me start over.

 	Maxirus, Frantin, Tervel and I – Larine – set out on a journey to discover the source of the strange rifts that suddenly began appearing one day. The ship we were on was attacked and crashed, and while there were a great many casualties, we survived. Though we were only acquaintances on the crew beforehand, the four of us only survived by having the good fortune to all be holed up together in the laundry room, and to have mounds of spare bedding to cushion ourselves with in the impact. Fate, it seemed, did not want us to perish just yet.

 	Tervel was a navigator on the ship, and noticed a strange spike in the instruments when the rift first opened, throwing off the Beacon locator. It was good that he remembered that detail, for it proved crucial to our investigation. We traveled around to multiple cities to try and consult experts and do research, but everyone either did not take us seriously – what would a cook, a navigator, an attendant and a deckhand know about these things, after all? – or were not able to help us in any meaningful way.

 	Undeterred, we at least got access to a modern ship at the docks in Matakras, and its instruments. Tervel had a theory, and I was not one to deter him. I do not know exactly what he did – I was only our ship's head chef – but he located a Beacon with a frequency that did not match any of the known ones. It led far west, and he was sure it was what we were looking for. Armed with this information, he was able to sufficiently intrigue an old friend of Maxirus's in the Halvirton Wayfarers, and got them to agree to lend us a ship, on credit. The plan was to pay it back when we returned with the money we would no doubt receive as a reward for ridding the skies of these creatures.

 	But we will not be returning.

 	It took many days and nights of travel, stopping here and there, to find this island that would be our final resting place. Some distant ancestors of ours from who knows how long ago must have constructed this place, and the city dug into the rock around it. It has no name that I know of, but the many holes on the underside remind me of the aeries of birds, so I am calling it The Aerie.

 	The Aerie and all of its inhabitants are long dead, or perhaps missing, if they abandoned it. Only those void creatures are here now. They attacked us as we approached, and engulfed the power crystal of our ship, killing several crew members in the process. Our fate was sealed then, truly, but the captain was able to crash the ship into a lake at an angle for a less rough landing. And then, with no other options, we destroyed our power crystal both to get the void creatures to leave us alone, and to stop them from using its power against us somehow.

 	We had nothing left to lose at that point, so we and the surviving crew entered the Aerie. It is a strange place, devoid of life, with echoes of what once was in every corner. Whoever lived here had great understanding of the power of crystals, and employed it on a much grander scale than what we do today, even if we have more advanced uses than this ancient city did. For the center of the Aerie holds an enormous crystal, bigger than any on record, taller than most buildings. The heart of the entire island, perhaps, and filled with incredible power. Harnessed and channeled for the good of the people who used to live here.

 	Until it was corrupted, at least. Then, it served only the void creatures, giving them the energy they need to stay in this world, and to tear rifts in reality to summon more of their kin to attack us. But stopping it would not be simple. An enormous creature guarded it, almost completely covering it, siphoning off its energy for itself and the others. It was as large as the crystal, and surely, we would stand no chance against it. So we

 	(Anshu paused there and raised his gaze towards the rest of the group. "The entry ends there, mid-sentence. The rest of the page is blank, but there is more on the next.")
 	48th of summer, 2844.

 	Tervel is dead. Were any of us doctors, perhaps we could have saved him, but his wounds were too great. Only I remain of the original four. His dying wish was that I finish writing an account of what happens, in the hopes that it helps others some day. So, I will continue where I left off when he called for me.

 	We knew our foe, but we had no chance of destroying the crystal with what we had brought with us. Our only course of action seemed to be to kill the creature on the crystal. We had nothing to lose, so we gathered everything we could and made our last stand against it, even removing the cannons from the ship and wheeling them in with us along with the sparse little ammunition we brought. That we had them at all was a miracle – exploration vessels typically do not have them, but fortunately, ours was a refurbished escort ship.

 	For whatever reason, the Aerie interior was very sparsely populated, with only a few creatures offering us minimal resistance. Our small victories emboldened us, for we took no casualties from such small and quick fights. But was it bravery or foolishness that brought us forward and into that central chamber, facing off against such an enormous monstrosity?

 	Frantin was granted a merciful death, crushed in a single blow from that massive creature and killed instantly. I cannot say the same for Maxirus, whose demise I will not detail out of respect for the man, but it was not swift. We fought with all we had, but even with the cannons, it seemed there was little we could do to deal lasting damage to the creature. Any serious injury we dealt seemed to heal immediately. We had to coordinate our efforts and fire together, with what was left of us. One cannon was destroyed by it, but the creature left itself open, and the rest of us all opened fire together even as Tervel lay screaming on the floor.

 	Somehow, we did it. Our combined efforts overcame its regeneration, the creature was hurt too badly, and we killed it. Only a few of us remained, many injured. I was fortunate enough to only receive a few cuts from flying shrapnel. Others were less lucky.

 	But with the creature on the crystal dead, all the others around the island disappeared, robbed of energy. We returned to the ship with the wounded survivors, but we have no chance of repairing it, and only a finite amount of food. We are many, many days' journey from civilization even by the fastest airship. Only a few know we left, and only vaguely in what direction. Our chances of rescue are incredibly small, but perhaps nonzero. So I will remain here and keep hopeful, even if it is blind hope.

 	49th of summer, 2844.

 	I am not sure what else to write. The surviving crew and I have returned to the ship to wait out our end. Those who are capable of flight have already left, even though it is just as certain a death as waiting here, seeing if they can fly back to Evalar under their own power.

 	I could join them, but I will not. There are only a few of us remaining, and I will stay here with the people who risked their lives for our cause, and lost. I have stared death in the face several times now, but it seems it has caught up to me. It is simply waiting outside my door, biding its time. It knows it will be allowed in soon.

 	50th of summer, 2844.

 	Only three of us remain. The young deckhand couldn't take it anymore and hurled himself from the island's edge. I do not know when my time will come, but I have saved Maxirus's pistol and a single bullet for when it arrives.

 	52nd of summer, 2844.

 	Water from the lake has seeped into some of our provisions and ruined them. We have much less food than we expected. Our chances of rescue seem ever more grim.

 	55th of summer, 2844.

 	I am alone. The last two made love to each other before jumping off the edge in a suicide pact, wrapped in each other's arms. I have been surrounded by people my whole life, but now there is nobody else. The loneliness is already getting to me.

 	I have been thinking of the crystal. It is still there. I do not know how the creatures got to it in the first place. As long as it is there, this tragedy may happen again. But I cannot stop it. We have no cannon ammunition left, and I doubt it would be enough to destroy a crystal of that size in any case. I fear we have only bought ourselves time, and we have no way to get a message back home. I must keep this journal safe, and hope it guides those who come after me, however long it takes them to get here.

 	56th of summer, 2844.

 	I tried to explore the Aerie, but it is a harrowing experience. With the void creatures gone, it is now totally devoid of life, a tomb, a memorial to those who built it. It is almost completely silent when you get deep enough inside, and every footstep I took echoed. I didn't stay for long. At least out here I have the gentle wind, the soft grass, the rustling of trees, and the lapping of the lake to keep me company.

 	57th of summer, 2844.

 	I'm so alone. There is nobody. I am all alone. I wish I had someone. I have nobody. I am alone. I can't take this. I have nobody to talk to. Nobody to hold. There's just me. Nobody else. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody…

 	("It continues on like that for quite a while," Anshu remarked grimly, before turning the page.)
 	58th of summer, 2844.

 	This will be my final entry.

 	I have made my decision. It ends here. My fate is already sealed; I will die in this place. All I can do at this point is choose my method of death. I will not let madness take me. And I will not flee into the skies to die of starvation on a barren island in the middle of nowhere. If I must die, it will be by my own hand. I will face it with dignity, on my own terms.

 	To whoever finds this, I implore you. You must finish what we started. You must stop this tragedy from happening again. You must destroy that crystal, no matter the cost. Or this will happen again, and again.

 	Farewell. I go now to take my place among the Stars.

 	-- Larine Joristen

 	Anshu closed the journal solemnly. "Unsurprisingly, that is the end of it."
 	"I see," Randival said emotionlessly, staring into the horizon.
 	"I did find a map tucked under the front cover. It is rather crude, but it appears to detail a path to the crystal she spoke of. Would you like to take a look?"
 	"No, you can keep it," Randival replied absently. "Stars and Skies, what a mess."
 	Linya adjusted her spectacles idly. "So Shaaria's theory was right after all; they accomplished their mission, but never made it home to tell the tale. We should delve inside and attempt to locate this crystal the journal speaks of before deciding what to do next."
 	"Even if we do, what can we hope to accomplish?" Randival muttered. "They had more people than we did, and they even had cannons."
 	Linya cleared her throat. "We have something they did not: two very capable mages who command powerful offensive magic."
 	"And Anshu!" Faelis added. "I'm sure he could come up with something to help! And you too, Randival! If anyone can figure out how to get us through this, you can."
 	A small smirk crossed Randival's face, and he turned his head to look at her. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
 	"Yeah!" Hiccup chimed in smugly, "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
 	"Not you," Randival muttered.
 	"Hey!"
 	Faelis giggled softly, still smiling just a little bit as she glanced downwards. "I don't know how I can help… but I'm sure that if anyone could think of something to let me help with, it'd be you."
 	Randival narrowed his eyes slightly, still smirking, then reached out and lifted her chin with one hand. "Well, it's a start, but we'll get you confident in yourself one of these days," he told her, before starting to rise to his feet. "I know one thing for certain: we won't accomplish anything standing around here. So let's do as Linya suggests and take a look inside, shall we?"
 Chapter 32
 	The map Anshu found detailed an entrance not far from the shipwreck, which turned out to be a cave mouth partially obscured by the curve of the mountain around it. Remnants of a road and a landing site remained, long since reclaimed by nature, with plentiful weeds growing up between the stones. It was likely once used as a means to bring people or goods into the Aerie, but it had not served that purpose in a very long time.
 	The interior, however, had mostly resisted the passage of time. The cave quickly transitioned into a hewn gray stone corridor with side passages and rooms everywhere. Pulsating, glowing orange lines ran along the walls much like those of Harton's Tower, taking winding paths that constantly twisted and turned in right angles, branching and recombining to serve some greater purpose they couldn't fathom. Ancient stone furniture remained in a few rooms, but everything on the tables and bookshelves had long since rotted away – or been taken by whoever lived in the Aerie when they left. Some rooms were clearly identifiable as bedrooms, workshops or classrooms from the approximate layout of the furniture within, yet others had a purpose the group couldn't guess at, or were simply empty. Now and then they found dusty skeletons with weapons or armor of equally ancient design, but no signs of any recent habitation.
 	They encountered no resistance whatsoever inside of the complex, much to their surprise; it didn't stop Randival from keeping at the front with his sword and pistol drawn, ready for trouble at any moment, with Faelis creeping along behind him, while Anshu at the back guided them as best he could with the map. The main tunnel they followed branched in many places, but the map was sufficient to at least tell them which path to take, even if they had no idea how deep into the mountain they were.
 	At last they turned a corner and the tunnel ahead led straight into the massive central chamber. Even though they could only see part of it, the bottom of the enormous crystal Larine's journal had alluded to was plainly visible – or the shape of it was, anyway. A flowing, swirling mass of deep purple and white dots flowed back and forth over the crystal, mostly obscuring it from sight. What little was visible had once been a deep orange but now seemed permeated with purple cracks and threads, as though the void creature was oozing through the entire crystal itself, its light pulsating regularly but weakly. It was held up by a series of triangular stone supports covered in glowing lines, fixing the crystal in place both from the floor and from the ceiling.
 	"Stars and Skies," Randival said in wonder as he saw it and came to a stop. "That thing is massive!"
 	"The crystal or the creature?" Linya asked.
 	"Both! It must be twenty times our height, maybe more! No wonder they couldn't make a dent in it! I've never seen nor heard of a crystal anywhere near that large being used like this!"
 	Linya put one hand to her muzzle in thought. "It must be the heart of the island. There's no other way to obtain a crystal that large."
 	"Um… what do you mean?" Faelis spoke up.
 	"Every island has a central crystal – a 'heart'," Linya explained. "There can be other deposits of crystals, and those are what are generally mined up for use in devices as power sources. But the heart is the big, central one, and it keeps it afloat – hearts are only mined out of small islands as destroying or damaging it will cause the island to fall into the skies below. A crystal of this magnitude must hold unimaginable power – it is no wonder that we were able to pick up its signal even in its corrupted state. Somehow they not only mined this one out, but used it to power the entire Aerie and still keep it aloft with plenty of energy to spare."
 	"And now, the void creatures are using it," Randival muttered. "What can we possibly hope to do? Perhaps we should leave after all and get help. Not unless someone has an idea on how to destroy a crystal of that size."
 	"Theoretically, the same as any other crystal," Linya mused. "They hold a great deal of energy but they can be destabilized, and dangerously so. Our predecessors knew as much – they destroyed the energy crystal of their own ship to stop it being corrupted, after all. It's actually quite simple if you have the right tools. There are ways to do it that split the crystal, and ways that are… more violent. Normally you shatter a damaged crystal as a form of controlled destruction rather than allowing it to overload and explode on its own, which is far more destructive."
 	"We don't have any crystalworking tools, much less the right ones for something of this size," Randival pointed out. "Not to mention that that thing on the crystal isn't going to just let us set up shop around it."
 	"Actually…" Anshu looked thoughtful, drumming his fingers on the side of his staff. "I think I have an idea."
 	  
 	"Do tell."
 	"There are a few concoctions known that react very badly with crystals. I know of them only as a cautionary measure – something that I as an alchemist should actively avoid for my own safety and the safety of those around me. As Linya said, sufficiently damaged crystals build up energy, causing them to overload and explode on their own after some time. I do not know how long it would take for one of this size to go critical, but in general, the larger the crystal, the greater its energy capacity, both in general and its upper maximum. Thus, for something of this size, it would be long enough for us to get clear. All we need is one good strike." He turned his head towards Faelis. "Can I rely on you and your throwing arm on more time?"
 	"I…" Faelis began, trailing off, quavering a little. But taking a deep breath, she turned her gaze back to him and nodded. "I can do it, but I'll need help."
 	"Absolutely," Randival agreed. "But let us be clear: if this does not work or an opportunity does not present itself, we shall pull back and reconsider our options. I don't want anyone getting themselves killed trying to pull this off. And if it does work, we must flee this place immediately. No dawdling."
 	"Of course," Linya concurred, the others giving their agreement afterwards.
 	"Then I think we have a plan. Anshu, brew up… whatever it is you need to make. We can find a side room for you to work in. Faelis, you'll need to throw it at an exposed part of the crystal. Linya, Shaaria and I will do our best to be a distraction. Remember: Your life is more important. Don't hesitate to flee if things look too dangerous. We can regroup if necessary. Be careful."
 Chapter 33
 	They retreated a little to an empty room to allow Anshu to set up his alchemy apparatus, with Faelis acting as his assistant. Randival, meanwhile, took the time to coordinate with Shaaria, Linya and – even though he didn't want to – Hiccup on their strategy for the upcoming fight. His sword would be of no help, so he would rely on his pistol. The other two could alternate their attacks; his hope was that the magical energies would draw the creature's attention away from Faelis, who could stay back until she had a clear shot. And by alternating, they could keep the creature from focusing on either one of them for a length of time. Anshu would simply hang back by the entrance away from danger, ready to assist if need be, and keep an eye out for danger.
 	"And what about me?" Hiccup demanded.
 	"What about you?" Randival retorted. "You're an overgrown shoelace. What can you even do to help?"
 	Hiccup narrowed her eyes at him, and Linya cleared her throat. "Hiccup, you will help with my spells. The additional boost to my power will hopefully aid with the distraction."
 	"As long as she stays out of our way," Randival grumbled.
 	It didn't take long for Anshu to finish his concoction, firmly stoppering a conical flask of a scintillating clear fluid and handing it to Faelis. "Careful, it may still be a little hot. You don't need to worry about shaking it as it is stable, but do not drop or squeeze it too hard as the glass is thin. I cannot make any more, so make it count."
 	"I will," Faelis reassured him, carefully taking the flask.
 	"Just as long as it's not another potion of fireball," Randival joked.
 	"I do not keep many of those on my person for obvious reasons," Anshu told him with a firm stare, before beginning to pack up his equipment. "Should this work, it will be quite a bit more destructive than my explosive concoctions once the crystal's instability reaches a critical threshold. Even if we are clear of the blast, the loss of the heart crystal will cause the island to fall from the sky. Regardless, we are almost ready."
 	"Very well, then. This is it. If anyone has any objections, this is your last chance." After a moment of silence, he smirked and added, "And if you have anything else to tell us… say, if anyone wishes to confess their undying love for me…" He let his joke hang in the air for a few seconds, and though Shaaria saw Faelis glance away nervously, she said nothing. "…ah, well, it was worth a try," Randival conceded.
 	"I'm… a little nervous," Faelis admitted. "I'll be all on my own while the rest of you are fighting. What if it turns on me?"
 	"It shouldn't, since you won't be doing anything magical," Randival told her. "Furthermore, you are an excellent dodger, and we'll be doing everything to ensure that its attention is on us. But as I said, if you feel you are in great danger, you should retreat."
 	"You'll be fine, Faelis," Shaaria told her. "I'll keep an eye on you and watch over you to make sure you're safe."
 	Faelis steeled herself, keeping hold of the flask in both hands. "All right. I'll do my best."
 	Once Anshu had finished packing up, they made their way further down the broad corridor to the main chamber. The closer they got, the more clear it was that both it and the crystal housed within were gigantic. The circular room had many other corridors leading off from it, and judging by the numerous balconies carved into the walls, and benches placed around the edges of the room, it may have once been used as a social space of some kind. The very top of the room had an ornate intertwined carving along the domed roof, and the frame containing the crystal had many such lines extending both to the floor and up to the center of the ceiling.
 	Near the entryway they came through, three light cannons were lined up, with the smashed remnants of a fourth lying nearby. The crushed and mangled skeletons of several dragons lay strewn about in tattered clothes of a much more recent style than the ancient ones found elsewhere in the Aerie. But the group didn't get very long to investigate them.
 	Unlike in Harton's Tower, as Randival set foot into the chamber, the swirling void mass around the crystal took notice immediately and spread out over the crystal completely as if to protect it. Thick tendrils emerged threateningly, and Randival didn't need to wait to understand what was liable to happen. "Left, left!" he shouted as he dashed to the left with Linya, Hiccup and Shaaria following after him, one of the tendrils swinging downwards like a great deep purple tentacle and smashing into the floor where they had been moments prior, cutting them off from Faelis and Anshu.
 	"I'll look for an opening!" Faelis called out as she went in the opposite direction, while Anshu hung back in the safety of the corridor, setting his backpack down so he could access its contents if need be. But the coverage of the crystal was complete; not even an inch was exposed, even as the creature over it extended its mass to swing again.
 	Trying to draw its attention, Shaaria quickly hurled a disc of light at the extended tendril, but it was so large that even though the disc sliced straight through it, it could not sever the appendage, and the damage healed almost immediately. It did, however, cause the creature to give a subaudible shriek that Shaaria felt all through her bones, and it seemed to turn its attention to her. Wary of an attack, she put up a shimmering barrier of force just in time for a spike to thrust out from the creature's body…
 	…and for the spike to pierce straight through it. It struck with such force that her spell could not hold against the assault, and it succeeded only in slowing the attack just enough to allow Shaaria to barely escape its path. Her breath quickened; she had overplayed her hand. It was too formidable a foe. And if it was too much for her, then the others…
 	"Shaaria! Are you all right?" Randival called out.
 	"Yes, but we have to retreat! It's too strong!" Shaaria shouted back, warier of the creature. It struck again, and this time she instead used a spell to propel herself to the side and out of harm's way, staggering a little as she landed on the ground, getting further separated from the others.
 	"I'll get it off you!" Linya yelled, thrusting out a hand and throwing a lightning bolt towards one of the creature's raised tendrils. The bolt struck its surface and coursed through it, yet other than momentarily stunning the monster, it appeared to do no lasting damage. Lowering her hand, Linya stared wide-eyed at the unfazed creature. "Skies Below…!"
 	"That didn't do anything!" Hiccup cried out, equally shocked.
 	Shaaria had to use the propulsion spell to dodge once again as a tendril slammed down in an attempt to crush her, giving her no opportunity to attack. She could barely make out Faelis on the far side of the room by herself, frantically looking for an opening, but there was none.
 	"Fall back, fall back!" Randival called out, echoing Shaaria's urging, but he and Linya were cut off from the door they had entered through. One of the large tendrils swung sideways for Shaaria, and she had to launch herself upwards to clear it, flaring out her wings to land again, glancing around quickly for an opening.
 	With a look of determination, Linya backpedaled a little bit and raised both of her hands. "Very well, let's see how you handle this!" she taunted as Hiccup circled around behind her, lending power to her master.
 	"Wait, no!" Randival yelled in a panic, but it was too late.
 	Linya thrust both hands forward and threw out a strong lightning bolt that struck the closest tendril, sustaining it for a few seconds and stunning the creature for only a brief moment. But if she even inflicted any damage, it was healed immediately, and worse, she still succeeded in drawing its ire towards herself and away from Shaaria. The tendril that had been blocking the way to the doorway where Anshu was hiding lifted upwards, moved over, and began to swing back down at her. Linya rushed to one side as Hiccup darted out of the way, while Randival retreated in the other direction, and Shaaria conjured a slanted wall of force that the tendril smashed into. Even though it still struck with enough force to shatter the wall, it slid to the side and further away from Linya, striking only the floor.
 	But then it swept sideways towards Linya, and while Hiccup floated upwards and out of the way, neither Linya nor Shaaria were fast enough to react in time. The enormous tendril slammed into Linya and sent her flying through the air with a strong impact. She hit the floor awkwardly, breaking off her right horn, and rolled to a stop on the floor, where she lay unmoving. Anshu and Faelis both shouted her name, while Hiccup shrilly screamed "MASTER!" and darted over towards Linya's prone form, hiccupping rapidly.
 	Shaaria couldn't tell if Linya was alive or not, but the imminent danger and the rush from already being in combat kept her from freezing up. Looking up, she saw the tendril lifting again. She had to act immediately.
 	Raising an arm back to conjure a lance of light and holding another one ready in her other hand, she put as much strength as she could into both of them. Hurling one at the creature, she pierced a tendril only for the hole to close immediately – though her goal wasn't to damage it, but rather to draw its attention away from the others and back to herself. After throwing the second lance, she had to focus on using her magic to dart out of the way as enormous, thick, tree-trunk sized-tendrils lashed at her, slamming into the ground and walls. One wrong move, and she would be crushed on the spot.
 	"Master, – hic! – get up! Hic!" Hiccup sobbed in distress, flying in a tight figure of eight above Linya. "Please! Hic! Don't – hic! – die!"
 	Making use of Shaaria's distraction, Anshu dashed out from his hiding place and over to Linya, crouching down by her. He began to reach down to touch his fingers to her neck, but Hiccup flew down in front of his face for a moment. "She's still – hic! – alive! Hic! But you – hic! – have to – hic! – help her – hic! – now!"
 	Anshu looked up, seeing Shaaria working as a distraction, and lowered his staff, focusing on it immediately to channel its energy into Linya in an attempt to stabilize her. But he was still exposed, and would be an easy target, so Shaaria didn't move for cover, tossing out small darts of fire between dodging the tendrils just to keep the monster's attention on her – the last thing they needed was for the creature to attack Anshu while he was tending to Linya.
 	"Shaaria, get to safety!" Randival commanded, turning and running towards Linya and Anshu. The moment he got there, he picked Linya up by the legs and began dragging her into the tunnel, causing Anshu to awkwardly shuffle along to keep his staff close to her, as Hiccup floated along with tearful pleas for Linya to rise, interspersed with hiccups.
 	"Not until you're safe!" Shaaria shouted in response. Randival glanced back a few moments later; he, Linya, Anshu and Hiccup had made it in to the tunnel, which only left…
 	"Faelis, what are you doing? Get back here!" Randival yelled at her.
 	"Wait, I think there's almost an opening!" she yelled back.
 	"It's not worth the risk! Get out of there! You're going to get yourself killed!"
 	Shaaria was on almost the opposite side of the room to Faelis now, focused entirely on leaping away from the vertical swings and horizontal sweeps of the massive tendrils that lashed at her. And then, the inevitable happened; she launched herself upwards, but not quite high enough, and ended up landing on top of one of the sweeping tendrils passing underneath her. Though it didn't hurt her directly, it swept her legs out from under her, and losing her balance, she fell onto her back on the ground. She gasped as her breath was knocked out of her, even though she had spread her wings in reflex.
 	Randival's voice cut across the room. "SHAARIA!"
 	She looked up and saw a tendril swinging down for her with enough force to crush her to paste. Raising her hands, she summoned another slanted wall of force, barely deflecting the tendril – but not quite enough. She cried out in agony as it smashed into her spread left wing, shattering the bones in it, her eyes screwing shut as she panted for breath and struggled to get up, the tendril lifting from her and rising up for a finishing strike.
 	Not again… she thought to herself as she struggled heavily to push herself up, barely getting into a sitting position. I didn't want to fail again…! This would be it. She couldn't get away fast enough. Reaching for the necklace dangling around her throat, she clutched it in her left hand and squeezed, shutting her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the finishing strike that was surely coming her way.
 	  
 	But then, gunfire rang out from across the room, and a small bolt of lightning struck the creature on the crystal as Randival and Anshu rejoined the battle. Anshu had one arm held out to wave a wooden wand with a metal cap, sending another blast of electricity at the creature. It was impossible to miss something so large, even with a lightning wand, but Randival was still hanging back a little bit regardless as he reloaded his pistol to take another shot. 
 	The distraction, though momentary, was enough to give Shaaria a window of opportunity. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up into a crouched position, her destroyed wing hanging limply from her back, the entire thing burning in agony as it bled heavily from numerous cuts caused by her shattered bones. The tunnels were too far for her to have much chance of reaching them, but maybe…
 	Looking behind her, she saw a curving staircase leading upwards dug into the wall; no doubt it was a way to get access to the balcony. With her jaw still clenched from pain as she ran for it, she hurried up the stairs, coming out into the room just behind the balcony, hearing gunshots and cracks of lightning behind her as she ran. There was not much space within; a few rows of seats offered an impressive view of the main hall, and a second staircase on the opposite side led back to the hall itself – where the creature still remained. Panting for breath, she hurried to the balcony itself and looked back down at the chaos below. Anshu tossed away his expended wand as he and Randival tried to fall back, but the creature had turned its full attention to them now. Just as they were about to make it to the tunnel, a dark spike shot out from it and clipped Randival in the leg, while the very end of a tendril struck Anshu before he could hold up his staff, knocking him backwards. It didn't look like a bad hit, but the way Anshu yelled out in pain as he hit the ground meant he had landed badly.
 	Steeling her resolve and focusing, Shaaria raised her hands once more and conjured a sustained lightning bolt to draw the creature's attention back to her. The actual damage it did, while severe, seemed to heal almost immediately, but it helped the others just as they had helped her. With the opening she had provided, Randival was able to limp back into the tunnel, while Anshu crawled away on his hands and knees, both of them getting back to safety.
 	A huge tendril slammed down, and Shaaria retreated into the room behind the balcony, the tendril smashing against the wall above the balcony and breaking part of the railing before her. Stepping towards the stairwell closest to her, she panted for breath, keeping one hand on the wall to steady herself. She was safe, for now.
 	Or so she thought. Looking up, she saw a tendril reaching into the room, curling slowly inwards, reaching far further than she thought it could. Backing up and away from it, she looked past it out over the balcony, where she saw the creature stretching itself further, pulling itself away from the crystal just to try and get a little bit closer to her…
 	"Wait! I see an opening!" she suddenly heard Faelis yell. "I've got it!"
 	The sound of shattering glass was immediately followed by a great cacophony. A piercing high-pitched noise emanated from the center of the room, accompanied by the echoing crunch of fragmenting crystal. A subaudible scream from the creature ran through Shaaria, making her groan in agony and slump against the wall as the vibrations shook her shattered wing, and the tendril that had been reaching into the room quickly retracted.
 	Getting to her feet, Shaaria ran to the balcony to see what was going on. The void creature had retreated to the crystal and completely surrounded it, whereas Faelis was dashing away to rejoin the rest of the group. Suddenly, a beam of energy burst out from the back of the crystal near where Faelis had been, blasting a hole through the void creature and rupturing the wall of the room itself. More crunching of crystal came from underneath the creature itself, signifying the crystal's destabilization.
 	"Shaaria! Shaaria's still in there!" Faelis cried out.
 	"Shaaria! We have to go!" Randival yelled next.
 	"I'm coming!" She called back, and hurried down the staircase to the central room. With the creature distracted, surely-
 	As she burst out into the main chamber, tendrils grew from the creature once more and swung downwards, forcing her to backpedal back into the stairway, the floor vibrating under her as the tendril slammed down hard. It wasn't done yet, apparently, and was only further infuriated. Shaaria glanced across the hall and saw Faelis and Randival looking back to her, waving and shouting…
 	…but the rest was in their hands, now. They didn't need her help any more.
 Chapter 34
 	Randival barely caught sight of Shaaria clutching at something around her neck. "Get going!" he heard her yell to them. "I'll find my own way out!"
 	"No! You have to come with us!" Faelis yelled. But Randival, beside her, understood what Shaaria was really driving at. The crystal was rapidly destabilizing. Her only way to get to them would require crossing the room, and it had been a long and difficult trip fraught with danger the first time. Now, with the creature even angrier than it had been before and her wing destroyed, well…
 	Both he and Shaaria knew that she would not make it.
 	Crossing one wing-arm over his chest, he bowed to her. "You will make a beautiful star in the night sky, Shaaria," he murmured under his breath.
 	Shaaria had to duck back into the stairwell as a tendril swung down, so Randival reached out and grabbed onto Faelis's arm. "Faelis, we have to go. Now," he told her firmly, dragging her away, wincing with every step. He had only been clipped by that abomination, thank the Stars Above, but it had still left his leg with a nasty gouge, his blood soaking into his pant leg. No doubt Anshu could patch up the wound when they had the time, but time was something they were critically short on. 
 	"No! NO! SHAARIA!" Faelis cried out tearfully, trying to resist Randival's attempts to drag her with them.
 	"Faelis! She told us to go! Are you going to get yourself killed for nothing?" Randival snapped, pulling on her harder.
 	Ahead of them, Anshu had hefted Linya up and over one shoulder, and Hiccup was flying along behind him, carrying Linya's broken-off horn, the two of them having had the good sense to get a head start. Anshu's tail limply dragged behind him; the last hit had only knocked him down, but he had landed awkwardly and broken his tail somewhere near the base, and did not have time to mend it now.
 	Another blast of energy shot out from the crystal up at a high angle, causing part of the ceiling behind them to collapse and crash to the floor. Randival gave one more hard tug on Faelis, and she finally stopped resisting, giving one more look behind her before starting to run ahead. Randival hurried after her, limping and cursing with each jolt of pain that shot through him, doing his best not to be slowed down too much as they backtracked out through the wide tunnels to the surface.
 	On a couple of occasions as he fled he felt a subaudible scream from the creature, though it got noticeably weaker the further away from the crystal chamber he got. The lines on the walls and floors had stopped glowing, occasionally lighting up fully only to fade away again quickly. It was with great relief that he saw daylight up ahead as they turned the last corner; Anshu was not that far ahead of them on account of carrying Linya, and soon, he and Faelis caught up.
 	Anshu was panting heavily from pain and exertion though, hunched over beneath the weight of Linya plus his backpack, relying on his staff to stay up. "Now what?" he forced out between breaths, speaking over Hiccup's hiccupping. "You're the only one that can fly, Randival."
 	"Never fear, I came prepared," Randival said, holstering his pistol before reaching under his cloak and pulling out a small canister, twisting the top of it sharply. It began to emit a bright red smoke, and he held it aloft; the smoke left a clear trail as it wafted upwards, clearly marking their position. "We'll need to get to an open space so they can pick us up. Come on, this way," he told them, looking back and seeing Faelis gazing into the cave they had just left. Grabbing her arm again with his free hand, he dragged her with him as they made their way to the edge of the island where the landing site was, its ancient stones riddled with weeds and cracks, but still providing a suitably large space clear of the nearby trees.
 	The swarming void creatures around the island were still present, but greatly reduced in number, some of them disappearing before Randival's eyes. He could see the airship in the distance, turning towards them as the navigator saw the signal, but he could only hope that it would be fast enough. Void creatures turned in flight to pursue it, some of them shot from the sky by deckhands, while others simply faded back to wherever they came from.
 	Randival frowned. That was a bad sign. It meant the crystal's energy was already faltering substantially.
 	Faelis was panting when Randival let go of her again, with Anshu just behind, his chest heaving from heavy breaths, while Hiccup floated over his shoulder. As Randival kept the canister held aloft, its smoke spewing into the air, they had little else to do but watch the ship get closer. "We have to go back!" Faelis pleaded, "Shaaria's still in there!"
 	"Shaaria… knows what she is doing," Randival said solemnly. "I believe in her judgement."
 	"No! I won't let her!" Faelis said tearfully, starting to turn around. "She deserves to live more than me! I'm going back-!"
 	Once again, Randival grabbed onto her arm and dragged her closer to him. "She told us to go so that you could live! If you go back, you will die, and her sacrifice will be for nothing," he told her sharply. "After what she's done for you, would you really throw it away so eagerly? You promised!"
 	Faelis went quiet, glancing back into the Aerie, but turned away with a grimace. "This is all my fault, if I hadn't thrown the-"
 	"Yes, Faelis, it is. You ignored my orders and put everyone at risk," Randival snapped harshly, and she shrank back a little in shame – but to her credit, only a little. The island shook under him from a great tremor, and he stared at the approaching airship, willing it to fly faster. Softening his voice a little, he went on, "But what's done is done. You can either mope and complain, or you can accept the responsibility of your mistake and move on from it. You did, at least, succeed – even if we don't make it, we have still stopped the void creatures for good. You can at least be proud of that. It means that this wasn't for nothing."
 	The airship banked away from them slightly and then curved back, taking a sharp turn as it slowed down. Only a few straggling void creatures were still in pursuit of it, one of them shot down by a deckhand near the back, which fell to the ground nearby, a second one winking out of existence as it closed in.
 	A whiskered dragon near the back kicked down a rope ladder as the ship hovered just within reach of the island, holding its position, the rope ladder dangling a pace or two from the edge. "Get on now, or we're leaving without you!" the man who had kicked down the ladder shouted to them.
 	"You first, Anshu!" Randival commanded, dropping the smoke canister, and Anshu didn't need to be told twice. Holding Linya to his shoulder with the arm gripping his staff, he grabbed the ladder with one hand and began an awkward ascent, quickly releasing the ladder and re-grabbing it with one hand as he climbed upwards. Hiccup followed closely behind him, her arms clutched around Linya's broken-off horn as she stayed close to her master.
 	Randival turned towards Faelis. "Now you. I'll be right behind you," he encouraged, sweeping one wing-arm towards the airship.
 	But she wasn't looking at him, or at the ladder. "Look out!" she shouted, and charged forward, shoving him out of the way of something, making him stagger back.
 	The void creature that had been shot down right when the ship had come in was apparently not quite dead. Faelis had shoved Randival aside, so instead of him, it pounced on her, its claws gouging at her front. It was rewarded for its efforts with a short sword through the body, but its inertia carried both of them back…
 	…and over the edge of the island.
 	Randival lunged forward, but by the time he was even halfway to where she had been, she was already gone.
 	  
 	Only her terrified scream, fading into the distance and soon drowned out by the airship's propellers, remained of her.
 	He stared in disbelief, frozen in place, too shocked to feel any other emotions. "She's gone!" the deckhand above him yelled, "And if you don't get up here, you will be too!"
 	Wordlessly, his mouth still hanging agape, Randival grabbed onto the rope ladder with one hand and began to climb. The moment he got his feet onto it, the deckhand above him shouted and the ship began to pull away from the island, leaving it and all of its tragedies behind. As they accelerated away, a tremendous explosion rocked the Aerie behind him, and he looked back to see an enormous hole in the center of the island, clouds of dust blocking most of his sight. And then, slowly, with its heart destroyed, the island listed to one side and began to fall from the sky to its doom.
 	He could barely focus enough to put one hand above the other and climb up, the deckhand reaching down and pulling him up when he got to the top. Once there, he slumped to his hands and knees, all of his strength having left him. In front of him, Anshu was in a similarly exhausted position, his broken tail hanging limply on the deck, while Linya's unconscious form was still sprawled on her back on the deck as Anshu tried to tend to her between gasps for breath. Hiccup floated above Linya, clutching the broken horn against her front, undulating in the air above her master and hiccuping every few seconds.
 	Anshu glanced back over his shoulder at Randival, looking confused. "Where's Faelis?" he asked.
 	The question pierced through Randival like a bullet. Two simple words. And he knew the answer. But having to give it aloud, having to put it into words, was what really drove it home for him. She was gone. In less time than it would take to answer the question, she had been taken from him, from everyone.
 	He trembled in place, a chaotic mix of emotions coursing through him. Anger. Grief. Sadness. Helplessness. Shame. "…damn it," Randival forced out between rasping breaths, his eyes watering, his voice cracking, raising a fist and slamming it into the deck. "Damn it all! Damn it to the depths of the Skies Below!"
 	And for the second time in his life, Randival felt tears streaming down his cheeks.
 Chapter 35
 	"Now you. I'll be right behind you," Randival told Faelis.
 	But she wasn't listening. She spotted movement behind him, and it drew her attention. In the blink of an eye, she drew her shortsword as she saw the form of a void creature – injured, but still not destroyed – lumbering towards Randival.
 	Instinct took over. "Look out!" she shouted, and charged forward, knocking him back.
 	It hadn't even occurred to her that she needed to get out of the way, too.
 	Its claws raked her front, slashing through her clothes and gouging her belly, but at the same time, she stabbed her shortsword into it and twisted the blade. Its weight slammed into her, and she staggered back, her foot stepping on nothing at all as she went tumbling backwards.
 	She ripped the blade free, tearing the wound open wider, and only then realized she was falling. Faelis screamed in reflex, shoving the darkening creature away from her despite the pain she was in, staring upwards. She saw the underside of the airship, its propellers spinning, and the bottom of the island, little more than jagged rocks, both rapidly shrinking as they got further away from her.
 	Then the clouds swallowed her up, and she could see them no more. 
 	A thunderous explosion from above rang out, signaling the end of the crystal, and the island with it. Even though she hurt, even though terror gripped her, Faelis stopped screaming, and panted instead. There was no point. No one could help her. Shaaria wasn't there to save her this time. But even fully cognizant of her impending death, even as droplets of blood from the wounds in her front trailed behind her in the sky, a small smile crossed her face.
 	She had saved Randival's life. She had finally done something to repay all of his kindness. She could at least be proud of that.
 	Her smile remained even as the overwhelming emotions brought tears to her eyes, streaming off above her as she plummeted downwards through layers of clouds. She threw her sword aside and spread out her arms and legs, even her stunted wings, slowing her descent a little – the closest she would ever get to flying under her own power. Even in such a limited form, it still felt liberating, and she steadied her breath, ignoring the stinging pain of the bleeding slashes across her front. What would it have been like to be able to fly properly? She would never know now, but even this still felt exhilarating.
 	Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes to wait for the end, and memories came to her one after another.
 	The scorn of her parents and her older sister for her body, being treated as an abomination for something she couldn't control. A freak, they had called her, over and over, especially when they thought she wasn't listening.
 	The cold streets of the city she had grown up in after she had been driven from her home, spent huddled for warmth in back alleys, barely surviving on scraps.
 	The street gang that had picked her up one day. Making friends who taught her how to dodge, steal, and survive. Being called useless and dead weight by the ones who thought she was just dragging them down. Having to 'earn' her food and shelter by letting the leaders rape her, and her prayers to the Stars every time for it to end quickly.
 	Her best friend in the gang, who taught her how to sew, pick locks, and throw things. The friend who stuck with her at all times – until she met a violent death in a back alley one night, while Faelis could do nothing but cower in a corner and hope to remain undetected by the rival gang's enforcers.
 	Eventually fleeing from the city, stowing away in a cargo ship, nearly freezing and starving to death during the voyage.
 	Taking shelter in an abandoned building, only to discover that she was not alone. Begging for her life with the hooded man who held a knife to her throat, and only being granted it in exchange for her assistance with his 'work'.
 	Her many late nights spent struggling to read stolen books and instructions, carefully making the medicines she was asked to mix, all the in hopes of finally being good at something. Good for something.
 	The pride she had felt upon successfully completing her tasks for the hooded man, and hearing him actually praise her work, telling her she was good at it, and could be trusted with other tasks.
 	The horror and revulsion she had felt when she discovered that she hadn't been making medicines at all, but deadly poisons. And the reminder that her life would be forfeit if she ever betrayed the assassin she had fallen in with.
 	Accepting her role as his understudy. Hating him with every fiber of her being even as she reveled in his praise for her skill. Doing all she could to commit his lessons to memory, learning how to fight with short blades and strike unaware opponents. Kept going only by the dream of one day plunging her blades into his back and being free of him, even if it would mean being alone once more.
 	Finally mustering the courage she needed to betray the hooded man. Waiting for the opportunity when he had drunk a little too much with his payoff from a job. Slipping the poisoned knife between his ribs in his sleep. Watching his shocked eyes dilate, hearing his breathing cease. The first and last life she had ever knowingly taken.
 	Feeling nauseous and dizzy, ashamed of herself for what she had done. Despairing from having condemned herself to solitude once again, even though she had saved lives by doing so. Swearing to find some way to use what she had been taught to help people, in the hopes of atoning somehow.
 	  
 	Her fateful attempt to pick the pockets of a strange, well-dressed wyvern one morning, only to be caught by him in the act. Her surprise when the wyvern took her aside and offered to help her. 
 	Telling him the truth, but omitting just enough of it to make him believe that the assassin was still alive, so that the wyvern wouldn't abandon her. Wanting, more than anything else, not to be left alone again.
 	Randival's insistence that she travel with him to somewhere far away, somewhere safe, where he could protect her. Accepting despite his warning that it might be dangerous. Putting her trust in the stranger who could have turned her over to the guards, but didn't.
 	The sheer joy that had filled her from something as simple as a plate of pancakes, after having to survive on scraps for so many winters. Those first nights spent in a warm bed, with a full stomach and a clean body, in a safe place, for the first time in so many winters.
 	The fear that had gripped her the first time she had seen the rifts and the horrors that came from them, barely overcoming it enough to defend herself on the deck of the airship to Matakras.
 	Meeting the eccentric scholar and her familiar, who liked to curl up in Faelis's lap – the first creature to ever show her genuine affection.
 	The curious alchemist who demanded to come with them after Randival's speech in his workshop, and offered her a cure for the nightmares that plagued her every night, so she no longer had to relive the trauma of her past during her sleep.
 	The strange traveler from afar on the airship who came to save the life of someone she had only just met.
 	The warmth and kindness shown to her by her new friends – and how little it had reached her, unable to get past the scars and pain from her previous experiences. How they helped her. Comforted her. Forgave her for mistakes. Things she had never had before in her life.
 	Her desire to pay them back for their kindness, and how she had failed, time and time again.
 	The devastating anguish that drove her to drink from a random vial of her poisons, neither expecting nor wanting to ever see another day. Hiccup flying out from under the bed and knocking the vial from her hand, a heartbeat too late to make a difference.
 	The overwhelming emotions that crushed her when her companions saved her life and continued to try and help her, despite all she had done wrong.
 	Being told, for the first time in her life, that she was pretty and beautiful. That she was fine just the way she was. Learning that there was someone else like her, someone who understood her.
 	The happiness – the true happiness – that she had felt knowing that she had friends who cared for her. Finally understanding what that meant. That they worried about her. Trusted her. Cared about her. Wanted to see her happy.
 	The opportunity to finally make a real contribution, despite the danger around her. One she refused to give up. Spotting the opening. Throwing the phial. Breaking the crystal. And unwittingly writing the death sentence of the person who understood her the most.
 	Fleeing with the man who had changed her life, the man she loved, the man who had given her so much without asking for it to be repaid. And saving his life at the cost of her own.
 	She had regrets, and unfulfilled dreams, and dark secrets she would take to the Stars. But at least she had experienced happiness before her death. At least she had good memories to go with the bad.
 	But… she had only just begun to feel happiness. There was so much more to experience. So much more joy and laughter, warmth and friendship, comfort and intimacy… finally, she understood what Anshu had meant when he told her she had so much to live for.
 	"No," she whispered, opening her eyes. She reached upwards futilely towards where she had last seen the island, and towards the trail of blood and tears above her. "No! I'm not… I don't… I don't want to die…"
 	But there was nobody nearby to hear her, and she fell deeper into the clouds, her awareness fading as the blood loss began to overcome her.
 Chapter 36
 	"…there was nothing we could do," Anshu finished sadly. "She was already gone. But I was able to save you – before we left Evalar, I restocked my scrolls for mending broken bones. You had quite a lot of them."
 	"I see," Linya said quietly. She was sitting on the deck where she had been revived once Anshu had finished tending to her, and he had filled her in on what she had missed while healing himself and Randival. He had been able to reattach her horn, but a fragment of it was still missing, and would never be found now. She had lost her spectacles as well, but did not seem overly concerned about those. 
 	"Why…?" Hiccup asked despairingly, hiccupping quietly. The news of Faelis's death had hit her hard: she had fallen to the deck and burst into tears and hiccups, and hadn't moved from that position since.
 	"The world has lost two kind souls today," Linya murmured sadly. She didn't need to look at Hiccup to know how she felt, with the full weight of Hiccup's sadness crossing through their empathic link. "The skies have gained two bright stars."
 	"I know," Anshu agreed solemnly, reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder. "But at least it was not three."
 	"Thank you. I'm such a fool…"
 	"We all were," Anshu muttered quietly, putting a hand on Linya's shoulder. "It was folly to think we could do something like this all on our own. You were right all along."
 	She gave a solemn, slow nod. "Never before in my life have I been so unhappy to be correct," she mumbled.
 	Randival was still on his hands and knees on the deck, having not moved since he had climbed back aboard. Anshu had been able to mend Randival's leg and his own tail, but there was nothing he could do to treat the emotional pain. "Damn it," Randival repeated, his voice laden with grief. "Shaaria, Faelis, and all of you… you were all counting on me. Relying on me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't protect them – I couldn't protect anyone!"
 	  
 	Neither Linya nor Anshu said anything – they had already tried and failed to comfort him several times. Hiccup gave only a single hiccup, just shaking her head, unmoving on the deck of the airship. Randival failed to stifle a sob, beating his fist against the deck once again. "Damn it…" he uttered once more, fraught with impotent rage.
 	A powerful silence hung over the deck. Slowly, Linya gathered up Hiccup and slung the lindwurm over her shoulders, holding her gently to console her. With teary eyes, Hiccup raised her head, peering out over the sides of the ship at the scattered islands, and the sea of clouds that had taken Faelis away from them. And Shaaria as well, for nothing remained of the Aerie. Memories of the two wing-backs were all that the group had left of either of them.
 	Hiccup blinked away tears and hiccupped once more as Linya rubbed at her back. Even though her master was keeping a calmer appearance, Hiccup knew the grief Linya felt too. Staring out over the clouds, Hiccup solemnly gazed at the horizon, grieving quietly, then closed her eyes and rested her head on Linya's shoulder.
 	A cold wind blew across the deck. "I promised…" Randival sobbed weakly, "I promised I'd protect her…!"
 	"Incoming!" a voice suddenly shouted from the front of the ship. "Port side, port side!"
 	Anshu glanced at his despondent comrades, who didn't even look for themselves, then turned to the front of the ship where a crewman was looking through a telescope. "What is it?" he asked.
 	"Something purple! Coming in pretty fast!"
 	"Let them," Randival said despondently. "It doesn't matter anymore."
 	"It can't be a void creature," Linya muttered, turning in place and reaching for her missing spectacles out of habit. "The crystal is gone."
 	"Looks like a wing-back!" the crewman yelled out.
 	Anshu rose to his feet immediately. "A wing-back? Out here? …could it be?" Pulling down his goggles and adjusting them with his thumbs and index fingers, he stepped to the side of the ship. 
 	"You don't think…?" Linya asked quietly, but Anshu didn't answer at first, scanning the skies. Then, after a moment, he let out a shocked gasp, and took a step back.
 	"Impossible…!"
 	"What is it?" Linya asked.
 	"It's… It's Shaaria! And she has Faelis with her!"
 	"Anshu, please," Randival choked, "That's impossible. Don't lie to me."
 	"I know it's impossible – but I know what I'm looking at! They're flying straight towards us!"
 	"Stop it," Randival groaned in despair, raising his head and casting a glance over to the side. Something was indeed approaching them rapidly, but as it drew nearer, his eyes widened when he saw that Anshu was right. It was impossible. It was ludicrous. It was beyond comprehension. But he would recognize those broad lilac wings and the lavender membranes anywhere.
 	He shook his head. There was no way it could be true. Even if she had escaped, how could she catch up to them, much less with Faelis? And with a ruined wing, no less? Everything about it felt wrong. But she was still there when he looked again, and still getting closer. And there was indeed a black-clad figure held in Shaaria's arms, though he couldn't tell at such a distance if she was still alive.
 	But if she was…
 	"Stop the ship, stop the ship!" he called out frantically, scrambling to his feet and running for the nearest communication box, shoving a crewman aside to bark the order down to the captain himself. The forward-facing propellers stopped and briefly turned in reverse to bring the ship to a halt, floating stationary in the sky as its balloons held it aloft. Still in complete disbelief, Randival turned and rushed to the side of the ship to watch Shaaria's approach.
 	Gliding in under the balloons and flaring her wings, Shaaria landed on the deck, holding Faelis against her front. Faelis's breathing was incredibly shallow and rattling, her belly caked in blood; she was unconscious and barely clinging to life as Shaaria set her down in front of Anshu. He had a vial ready the moment Shaaria laid her down, kneeling beside her and forcing Faelis to drink its contents.
 	"Faelis!" Hiccup called out, lifting off from Linya's shoulders to float above Faelis's body, while Linya stood back to let Anshu work, staring in wonder.
 	"Faelis? Can you hear me?" Randival asked in a worried tone, standing across from Anshu, but there was no response. He knelt down by Faelis and clasped one of her hands between his own. It felt so cold that had he not heard her struggling breath, he would have taken her for dead. "Stars Above, is she all right?"
 	"The injury itself is not deep, but she has lost a lot of blood. It is a miracle that she is still alive," Anshu replied, retrieving his staff to use what remained of its charge, holding it close to her bloody wound and focusing, the crystal starting to glow brighter as he channeled its magic into Faelis. "She is at death's door, but this is something I can readily cure. Let me tend to her a little before we move her belowdecks. She will be fine when I am done. I promise you that."
 	As Anshu worked, Randival gently set down Faelis's hand. Standing up, he and Linya turned to Shaaria, the former staring at her and asking "How?" in sheer disbelief. It was still impossible! How could she possibly be standing there? Something about her seemed fundamentally different, but all he could see was that her circlet was missing and her clothes were stained with Faelis's blood. Yet she was undeniably alive and well. Almost too much, in fact; her wing had been healed completely, and she bore no signs of injuries of her own. He couldn't believe it, and he stared wide-eyed, expecting her to disappear at any moment.
 	It felt too good to be true.
 	"I can tell you later," Shaaria dismissed, but Randival wasn't having any of it.
 	"No, you must tell me now. We abandoned you to certain death. How is it that you are still alive? And how did you save Faelis? I can't begin to fathom how you did it! Your wing was crushed, you couldn't fly! You should be dead!" He took a few quick breaths to try and calm down. "I'm incredibly grateful that you are not… but how? How is it possible?"
 	"If you insist…" Shaaria took a breath. "It is perhaps not a particularly enjoyable answer to give, but… well, sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. I know when to run from a fight I cannot win."
 	"But you were trapped! You were backed into a corner!" Randival protested.
 	"Yes, but I only had to fight that thing long enough to make a break for it, and part of the collapsing ceiling broke a hole in the floor."
 	"The floor that that thing had been beating on the whole time?"
 	"It opened up a corridor under the room – the ceiling must have been thinner and weaker there, or perhaps the falling rock struck it with more force. Regardless, I fled through it to the lower levels, and came out of one of those many holes in the underside of the Aerie."
 	"But that must have-"
 	Shaaria shot him a glare. "Randival, are you going to let me finish or are you going to keep interrupting me?"
 	"Yeah, be quiet, Randival!" Hiccup cut in. "Let her talk!"
 	"…my apologies," Randival muttered, but his doubts continued to eat away at him as Shaaria drew a breath to continue.
 	"As I was saying… I was trying to catch up and fly after you, but saw Faelis plummet past me, and flew after her. It was hard to catch up, and it took some spells to get back the altitude we had lost, but we made it back."
 	Randival couldn't hold back another objection. "But your wing…!"
 	"Anshu is not the only one with healing supplies – mine are just more of an emergency last resort," Shaaria explained.
 	"Then what happened to your circlet?"
 	Randival saw Linya's muzzle raise; clearly she had not noticed the missing circlet. But Shaaria was unfazed. "That WAS my emergency last resort. It can discharge a powerful healing spell, but only once – it was destroyed in the process. I normally keep it on all the time because it can activate automatically if I am badly injured, but I had to use it to heal my wing in order to escape."
 	"Then why didn't you activate it sooner?"
 	"I just told you: it was a last resort!" Shaaria insisted. "I didn't want to use it unless I had no other choice, so I held onto it. But when I got to the exit and knew I'd have to fly out, I was forced to activate it."
 	"So-"
 	Hiccup interrupted him. "Stars and Skies, Randival, who cares? They're both alive, that's all that matters!" She darted forward and wrapped her long body around Shaaria's neck and shoulders in a tight hug. "I don't care how you got back here. I'm just glad to see you again. Thank you for saving Faelis," Hiccup said quietly, and Shaaria reached up to rub Hiccup on the back of her head.
 	"Yes," Linya said as she approached with a smile, "However it is that you came back to us, I am very glad to see you again, and grateful that you saved Faelis's life once more."
 	Yet even as his companions rejoiced, uneasiness gripped Randival. He took a breath, closing his eyes, replaying the last few moments in his mind. All the little things: Shaaria's body language; the way she inflected her words; and the movements of her eyes, hands, and tail. Opening his eyes, he looked directly at her, his mind made up.
 	She was lying.
 	He'd won – and lost – enough money at gambling tables to notice all the signs. And with a lie as big as the one she was trying to spin, she couldn't hide it, however good she might have thought she was at doing so. Nothing she had just told him was true.
 	But now wasn't the time to confront her. He needed to think. He needed to talk to the others. She was clearly prepared for his objections, and he needed to figure out what was going on – or at least, piece together enough that she couldn't simply deny it or come up with an explanation. So for the moment, he would have to play dumb.
 	Drawing another breath, Randival put aside his questions. "I suppose you're right," he conceded. Sweeping a wing-arm across his front and bowing to Shaaria, he continued, "Thank you very much. You don't know how much this means to us. We owe you a great debt."
 	Shaaria gave him a smile. "Seeing you all happy is enough for me. You owe me nothing."
 	Randival gave a small laugh, his melancholy from before assuaged enough for him to put on his usual act. Lies or no lies, Faelis was alive, and he had no more reason to be sad. "Well, be that as it may, when we get back, I'm going to host a victory feast on the finest luxury ship in my father's fleet, whether he likes it or not! You will come, and you will enjoy it, and that will have to be my repayment for all you have done for us."
 	He glanced down at Faelis, still unconscious, but no longer sounding like she was on the verge of death, thanks to the efforts of Anshu who was checking her healed wound. "Let's get down belowdecks as soon as we can," he said to the others, "It's far more comfortable down there, and we have a lot to talk about and a long trip back."
 	"Yes, we can move her now," Anshu agreed. "Can someone help me?"
 	"I'll take her legs if you can take her shoulders," Shaaria offered. Carefully picking up Faelis, they headed towards the stairs, with Linya and Hiccup following along after them. 
 	Randival watched them go. Why? Why was she lying? And why about this, of all things? She had done them a good deed, for which they were all grateful. Regardless of how she had done it, she had saved Faelis. So what possible reason could she have to lie to them? What would possibly be risked by telling the truth? What was it she was trying to conceal? Was it a secret about herself? Or was it something she was hiding for their own good?
 	He shook his head. Trying to figure it out right now wouldn't help. He needed to collect his thoughts first.
 	But one thing was clear – he couldn't relax just yet.
 	"This isn't over," he muttered under his breath as he began walking towards the stairs to catch up to them.
 Part 6: Planeswalker's Retreat
 Chapter 37
 	"Anshu. Get up."
 	Randival gently shook Anshu's sleeping form, ignoring his grumbles of protest. Not that Randival could blame him; the beds on board his father's luxury ship were astoundingly comfortable, and the blankets soft and warm. But this was important, so he shook Anshu again, more insistently. Randival himself had pulled on his shirt and trousers while leaving the rest of his gear in his room, holding a small crystal lamp in his free hand.
 	So far, it had been quite the victory tour, full of good food and drink, laughter, song, and dance – even though Shaaria had insisted she was not a good dancer, Randival had pulled her to her feet anyway. He had guided her through some simple steps, albeit with great difficulty; she hadn't been lying about that, at least.
 	He had done his best to interrogate her, but she stuck to her story, unbelievable as it was. Each thing he picked at she had an explanation for, but it served to only make the whole thing more contrived. He knew she was lying, but he couldn't find any way to take the lie apart in any meaningful way. It would have to come down to a direct confrontation, it seemed, but he was unsure if he wanted to go that far.
 	He had eventually given up on that angle of attack so that he could enjoy the trip. Randival still felt that the best part of the whole thing was the shocked look on his father's face when they returned and declared their success and told their story. With the crew of the exploration vessel corroborating it, and the sudden cessation of rifts and attacks on the ships still flying, Mr. Nashadhe had had no choice but to accept that his son had really accomplished what he had meant to do, and reward him accordingly. For his part, Randival had restrained himself from rubbing it in his father's face, and had accepted the praise with grace and dignity, the two of them even hooking their fingers together in a handshake at the end of it. And of course, he had insisted the rest of his allies come along on the ship with him. The celebration party would mean nothing if he couldn't share it with his friends.
 	But it didn't mean he was giving up on finding out the truth about Shaaria completely.
 	Eventually, the whiskered dragon turned and glared at Randival with tired eyes. "What is it?" Anshu asked grumpily, annoyed at being woken. "Is it an emergency?"
 	"No," Randival began.
 	"Then kindly let me sleep," Anshu insisted, rolling over. "For once I have a room to myself. I would rather enjoy it."
 	"It is not an emergency, but it is important," Randival told him. "I need to speak with you privately."
 	"In the middle of the night?"
 	"Yes. It's about Shaaria. And I need to talk while she is asleep."
 	"About Shaaria?"
 	"Yes. About her supposed escape from-"
 	Anshu gave a frustrated groan and pulled the blankets closer to himself. "No, Randival. I am not getting out of bed while the Stars are out just to affirm your paranoia."
 	"It's not paranoia-"
 	"Just let me sleep."
 	"The others have agreed to-"
 	"Then talk with them."
 	Randival took a deep breath, clenching his free hand into a fist. "Just one question. One."
 	"One," Anshu conceded, "And then you will let me sleep."
 	"Faelis's wounds. Did they look-"
 	Anshu cut him off. "I didn't study them in detail. I was rather more concerned with saving her life. Now let me sleep, you cretin."
 	"Very well," Randival muttered, beginning to withdraw.
 	"Wait," Anshu said suddenly, pushing back the covers and sitting up, dressed in silken nightclothes. "How did you get in here? I locked the door."
 	"I'm sorry, Anshu," Faelis said quietly.
 	Anshu gave a start, having been completely unaware of her presence. She was dressed in the light clothes she normally slept in, but she had been hiding behind Randival the whole time. "Skies Below, don't scare me like that!"
 	Randival gave a little chuckle. "I had her do me a favor."
 	"Well, you can both do ME a favor, and get out," Anshu grumbled as he lay back down and tugged the covers over his body. "Good night to you, Faelis."
 	"And me?" Randival teased.
 	"Leave," Anshu insisted flatly.
 	With a sigh, Randival withdrew back into the carpeted, dimly crystal-lit hallway and closed the door behind him. "Well, it seems this is all of us," he said to Linya and Hiccup, the former wearing a plain white nightgown that reached her ankles. "Let us go to one of the lounges and talk."
 	"I dunno, going back to bed sounds good, Anshu might be on to something," Hiccup grumbled sleepily, giving a large yawn a moment later. On any other lindwurm, Randival might have thought it cute, but 'cute' and 'Hiccup' were not words to be associated in his mind.
 	"Let's just get this over with," Linya muttered. "Lead the way."
 	Randival led them down the carpeted corridors to the nearest lounge. The last time he'd been on this ship was for a birthday party for Servalus. How long ago it seemed now…
 	The lounge itself was on one side of the ship. There were no staff to be found, and the room was locked, which only served to hinder Faelis for a brief period of time. The crystal lamps within were dim at this time of night, the enormous glass windows along the side giving a breathtaking view of the night sky and the Stars Above. An unattended bar ran along one side of the room, with tables and comfortable couches and chairs laid out near the windows, and a large open space between the two for people to dance.
 	Setting his lamp down on a table, Randival took a seat in one of the chairs. Faelis sat next to him, while Linya sat in an adjacent couch, and Hiccup sprawled out next to her, resting her head on Linya's leg.
 	"I do appreciate this," Randival told them. "And it goes without saying that this is to be kept a secret from her."
 	"Please get on with it," Linya murmured. "I will hear you out but I have no desire to be awake any longer than necessary."
 	"Very well," Randival conceded. "Shaaria is lying to us. At a minimum, it is about how she rescued Faelis. But there may be other things. I need to sort my thoughts out and I need to do it while she is asleep so that she will not interrupt us or know what we are doing."
 	Faelis shook her head and spoke firmly, "She's done nothing wrong."
 	"Faelis, the odds of what she claims to have happened happening are absurd," Randival insisted. "I don't believe it for a moment. She has been holding a powerful healing spell in her back pocket – or, well, her circlet – this entire time, that just happened to be useful at that moment? She came out in the right spot to see you fall? It is beyond improbable."
 	"But it is internally consistent," Linya said. "It does not contradict itself. Nor does it contradict anything we know for fact."
 	"That is why I need to talk to you," Randival explained. "I need to find something. Some contradiction. Something she can't just deny or explain away."
 	"Why?" Faelis said, sounding upset. "Why does it bother you?"
 	"Because she lied to me, to us," Randival told her. "She's keeping secrets from us."
 	"So?" Faelis blurted out. "Can't people have secrets? Can't people have things they don't want to talk about?"
 	"Of course they can, but this is something that concerns us. We have a right to know-"
 	"Do you?" Faelis cut him off, surprising him. She looked uncharacteristically angry. "Do you really have the right to know everyone's secrets? Do you think having secrets makes her a bad person? Well, I don't!" She stood up, breathing heavily, looking and sounding upset. "Maybe she did lie! So what? She still saved me! She still put her life on the line for all of us! She's my friend! She's our friend!"
 	"Faelis-" Randival tried to cut in, but she kept talking over him.
 	"Are you going to treat me the same way just because I keep some things secret? Are you going to start getting people up in the middle of the night to talk behind my back? Or maybe you already have been!"
 	"No, no, I-"
 	"I thought you were her friend," Faelis said, a little more quietly. "I thought you were my friend."
 	Randival winced, practically feeling the guilt like a knife through the heart. "Of course I am," he told her, "But I just want to know the truth."
 	"Then you can find it out without me," Faelis said darkly. "I'm going back to bed. Unlike you, I know how to keep a secret, so I won't tell her, but I won't have any part of this either."
 	"Faelis…"
 	She ignored him and walked away, and he let her leave. Hiccup floated up from the couch and shot him a death glare. She looked like she was about to say something, but turned up her snout and flew off after Faelis, apparently not wanting to even give him the acknowledgement of a comment.
 	"Very smooth," Linya remarked wryly. "How do other ladies ever manage to resist you?"
 	Randival slumped back into his seat and shook his head. "Stars and Skies," he grumbled. "Is no-one else bothered that Shaaria is lying?"
 	"You have yet to prove it," Linya pointed out to him calmly.
 	"I know it! Body language, tone, all these little things-"
 	"-are completely subjective." Linya leaned forward a little. "You lack any evidence. You lack any contradictions. Your reasoning is a tautology: she lied, and you know it because she lied, therefore she is lying."
 	"Then help me find something!" Randival said, frustrated. "I need help with this! I can't figure it out on my own!"
 	"Then tell me what you find so suspicious. Be specific."
 	Randival took a deep breath and relaxed. "Her circlet. She said it healed her and then broke. Is that even possible?"
 	Linya put a hand under her muzzle and looked thoughtful. "I saw it enough times with my spectacles to know that it was magical. I did not see any crystals on its surface, so they must have been within it. It does stand to reason that a spell of that power would destroy the object holding it were it released. Such a thing would be incredibly expensive to make – a one-of-a-kind item. Custom made by a skilled jeweler and a powerful healer working together."
 	  
 	"But it's possible?"
 	"Possible, yes." Linya said with a nod. "So you will not find your contradiction there."
 	"And the damn thing is gone, so we can't examine it… Skies Below, this is infuriating!" Randival inhaled deeply. "Very well then… what about her magic?"
 	"What about it?"
 	"Well, this is what I need you for. Is there anything out of place about it?"
 	Linya thought for a few more moments, staring into the light of the lamp on the table. "She uses both offensive and defensive magic and a little utility magic," she thought aloud, "But her offensive magic is not as strong as mine. It is unusual to split a focus like that, but when people do split their Applications, offensive and defensive is a common one, hence why it has its own name of 'combat magic'. There are mage schools that focus on combat magic, but…"
 	"But what?" Randival asked, leaning in.
 	"…well, their graduates are typically soldiers, mercenaries, and so on. Which she does not appear to be."
 	"Go on."
 	Linya sighed. "However, she claimed she had a private tutor. A graduate of one such school might have taught her magic. It would be a viable way for her to learn it. It would also explain her reaction in Harton's Tower: she knows the magic but is not a combat veteran herself."
 	Randival clenched a fist and swung it in the air in frustration, hitting nothing. "Ugh! What about the spells she uses? Anything odd?"
 	"She clearly focuses on luminous magic for her Foundation," Linya mused. "She did use cryonic magic… once. But it was ineffective and she had no further reason to do so."
 	"Cry-?"
 	"Cold."
 	"Then is that unusual?"
 	"No, and not for a combat mage. I would expect one to know more than one Foundation. That seems to be all she has used."
 	"…wait, no," Randival said quietly. "She has used fire."
 	"Pyric magic?"
 	Randival shrugged. "If you say so. But it was after you were knocked out. She was throwing fire at the creature."
 	"I see…"
 	He snapped his fingers, leaning forward. "And lightning! She hit it with a lightning bolt!"
 	That certainly seemed to get Linya's attention: the furred dragon's eyes widened slightly, and she turned her full attention to him. "When?"
 	"Right before Faelis threw the vial. She did it to get its attention away from Anshu and myself, since we had just been hurt. I didn't grasp the significance of it at the time because I'd just been hit, but she used lightning!" He was at the edge of his seat and reached out as he leaned further forward, putting both hands on the table. "Lightning is the most effective thing against the void creatures, isn't it? Why didn't she do it sooner?"
 	Linya tapped one foot on the floor in thought. "That, I cannot answer," she said. "It's possible that she is much stronger with luminous magic than electric. And her luminous spells have been quite effective in their own right against the void creatures. It may have been a move of desperation. I would have to have seen it myself to be sure. It is curious, but not solid proof in and of itself." Randival groaned in irritation, and Linya continued, "There is also that spell she was using to dodge its swings…"
 	He raised his head. "What about it?"
 	"It is a form of defensive magic, yet one she never used prior. But she never had much reason to; her luminous barriers were sufficient. So it is quite plausible that she never used it because she had no need."
 	Randival slumped forward again, staring at the floor. "There must be something…"
 	"All you have proven is that she was hiding the full extent of her strength," Linya observed. "But by that same measure, so have I. I have not used every spell at my disposal because I did not need to. That doesn't mean I have been deceiving anyone or hiding things or keeping secrets."
 	"I know that she lied, though…!"
 	"You have no proof," Linya reminded him. "You have only suspicion and conjecture. You have a theory, but nothing to back it up with." He sighed, and she leaned forward a little. "Now, let me ask you a question."
 	"What is it?" he asked without looking up.
 	"Let's say, hypothetically, that you find the contradiction you are looking for, be it in her magic or her behavior. What will you do?"
 	Randival remained silent for a brief time. "I don't know," he admitted. "It depends on what it is."
 	"And what do you think it could be?"
 	"I don't know!" he repeated, frustrated, but then took a moment to calm down. "What could she possibly be hiding?"
 	"May I posit a theory?"
 	"Go ahead," Randival grumbled. "Mine aren't going anywhere."
 	"She isn't from Cauldurin."
 	Randival drummed his fingers on the table. "Go on…"
 	"Her attire suggests great wealth. Being tutored in magic of the kind she wields would also require quite the fee. Her circlet would be incredibly expensive. She travels first-class and has not seemed to be wanting for money on this trip. She is clearly well-read, well-educated, and well-spoken. Yet her reaction to visceral violence indicates a non-military, sheltered background. All of these things indicate a member of high society."
 	Randival nodded. "I'm with you so far."
 	"Yet, no-one seems to have recognized her, nor does she appear to have any support. Certainly not any servants as a noble traveler might. She travels lightly and, while sheltered from violence perhaps, is not sheltered to the world at large as noble family members often are."
 	"She claimed to be estranged from her family," Randival informed her.
 	"Perhaps. If true, that would explain quite nicely her wealth while giving a reason for her to be alone. A runaway from a well-to-do family would not usually have that much money, but perhaps she was well-prepared before her departure. However, I have an alternative theory."
 	"And that is…?"
 	"She is a spy," Linya suggested. "Or some other operative of another island."
 	Randival went quiet for several moments. Wealthy… yet alone. Seeking out a very particular goal, with a single-minded determination. Finding those who could be of use to her. Knowledgeable on academic subjects, but needing assistance for local help. Charming, friendly, yet dangerous. Reticent to talk about her past or her background in any great detail. And she never had told him why she was on The Silver Wing in the first place. The profile fit, but was it true?
 	"Where?" Randival asked.
 	"I don't know. You are the more worldly-traveled between us. I know of Cauldurin only by name. Do you think she is from there?"
 	"She… could be?" Randival replied. "She follows their typical fashions well enough, but so could anyone who studied them for a little while. And it does have many rich families there who own the few industries up that way – textiles, primarily, if I remember right. Yet Cauldurin is so far north that it's fairly reclusive, so its wealthy families aren't well-known outside of it… ugh!" He shook his head in frustration. "Every time I think I've come close, it all conveniently seems to work out for her!"
 	"Consider my theory," Linya said calmly. "If you were not from Cauldurin's high society, but wanted to pretend you were, what would you do? Adopt the most common form of dress? Present yourself as someone related to its primary industry? Concoct the most ordinary, common, believable background about yourself that you could so as to avoid drawing suspicion?" She leaned forward a little. "In fact, if you were picking a city at all to choose as a fictional background, would it not make sense to choose one so remote that few people know the finer details of it?"
 	Randival went quiet again. "Maybe you're right."
 	"And maybe I am not," Linya said with an impassive shrug. "It is only a theory, and I have no more evidence to support it than I do to disprove it. But it is exceptionally late, and while this has been an engaging conversation, I would like to get some sleep. I must also track down Hiccup."
 	"And I need to find Faelis and apologize," Randival murmured. "She is right that people are allowed to have secrets, and I trust that she will tell me hers when she is good and ready. But if your theory is true…"
 	"…then it changes little," Linya said matter-of-factly, standing up from her seat. "Whether or not you are chasing shadows, it does not matter at this juncture. Even if I am correct, if her mission is accomplished, she will likely part from us soon and return to wherever she came from."
 	"Then I don't have much time."
 	"Well, I doubt she is going to jump off the side of this ship," Linya said dryly. "So you have at least until we return to Dalavun."
 	"A few days out, yet," Randival murmured to himself. "In any case, thank you."
 	"You're welcome," she said, inclining her head. "Now, shall we be off? Faelis and Hiccup are likely to be found in the same location."
 	"Yes," Randival said, getting to his feet and picking up the lamp. "I need to smooth things over with her. Faelis, of course, not Hiccup."
 	"Not to worry. After all, you know all there is to know about wine and women, do you not?" Linya remarked with a sly smirk.
 	"Never enough, it would seem," Randival grumbled as he began to head for the door. 
 Chapter 38
 	"Thank you all for flying with the Nashadhe Shipwrights," the captain told the passengers over the intercom as the crew opened the side doors and extended a ramp down to the docks. "We hope you had an enjoyable trip and that you fly with us again!"
 	Randival led the rest of the group off the luxury cruiser and down into the plaza by the airship docks of Dalavun. Their victory tour was over now, and he stretched his arms over his head as he came to a stop to let the others gather around him in the plaza off to one side, so that other disembarking passengers could pass them easily.
 	"What is our next move?" Linya asked.
 	Randival smiled and laughed, spreading his wing-arms. "Whatever you desire! We have accomplished our goal. You are free to leave if you like, though I would suggest you at least stick around until after we collect the reward money from all the various bounties that had been posted. Fame is good, but fame and fortune is even better."
 	"A reward?" Faelis asked.
 	"Yes! I think they were expecting conclusive information more than they were looking for someone to actually go solve the problem, but all the better, you know? Plus, I won't have to cover your bills any more."
 	"I can pay you b-" Faelis began, but Randival cut her off.
 	"No, no, no, absolutely not. You owe me not one single coin, Faelis." He rubbed his hands together. "After all, we will all be quite rich at the end of this, even splitting the rewards five ways."
 	  
 	Hiccup glared and bristled her mane. "You forgot me again!"
 	Randival chuckled. "Now really, Hiccup, where are you going to carry all of that money? Even if we get letters of credit, you have no pockets. Besides, what would you even spend it on? Fruit trees?"
 	"The very best ones," Hiccup replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "I can buy a whole orchard! Or a greenhouse! And get myself a nice big cushion to relax on…"
 	Shaaria cleared her throat to get their attention. "I greatly appreciate the offer, but I think this is where I will part ways," she said with a bow. "You are free to keep my share of the money and split it amongst yourselves. But I have my own way to go, and while I greatly enjoyed and will treasure our time together, I must be leaving."
 	"Ah. I can't say I'm surprised," Randival said, turning to face her and resting his hands on his hips. "I had a feeling you wouldn't be sticking around, as much as I would prefer for you to stay."
 	"Do you have to?" Faelis asked quietly, looking up at Shaaria. "Please don't go!"
 	"I'm sorry, Faelis," Shaaria said softly. "But I can't stay here forever."
 	"Then… what's your address?"
 	"I don't have one at the moment, I'm traveling all around," Shaaria explained. "It's hard to stay in contact while on the move." 
 	"You're breaking her heart," Randival said melodramatically as Faelis looked down sadly, and he gave Shaaria a smirk before taking off his hat, holding it in front of his chest as he bowed. "I am extremely grateful to you for your help. Without you, we may not have succeeded, and most certainly, we would have lost sweet, precious little Faelis."
 	Faelis blushed deeply, wringing her hands, giving flustered mumbles in response. Chuckling, Randival held out his other hand to Shaaria with the palm up and his fingers curled back, and she took it, giving him a handshake. "For what it's worth," he added, "I will miss you too. I will miss everyone, but at least I will have the means to contact Anshu and Linya."
 	"What are you going to do?"
 	Reaching up and donning his hat, straightening it with both hands, Randival gave her a smirk. "I think perhaps it is time I accepted my fate as the heir to my father's business after all. I need to make amends with him and my mother. And if I can take business trips on ships like this one," he said with a wave towards the vessel they had just disembarked from, "it may not be that bad after all!"
 	Shaaria chuckled in response. "Good luck, then. Both with your parents and with the business."
 	"I will most assuredly need it," Randival muttered.
 	She turned to Anshu, who held out his hand to her with the fingers curled back for a handshake, which Shaaria reciprocated. "It was an honor to work with you. I wish you the very best of luck in your travels. I don't know where you are going, but if you ever find yourself in Matakras, please stop by my shop – it is located at the intersection of Eltrin Road and Market Street."
 	"You're going back to your shop?" Randival asked incredulously. "Settling back down like our adventure never happened?
 	"Yes, of course," Anshu told him. "At least for a while. I want to write down what I have learned from this journey and pass it on to my apprentices." Turning his head to Faelis, he added, "I can always use more of them, so if you are looking for work, Faelis, please consider it. I know you would do an excellent job."
 	"I'll… I'll think about it," she told him with a nod.
 	"But once things have settled, I think I may pass the shop on to my head associate, if he has done a good job in my absence, and open a new one somewhere else." He glanced over at Shaaria. "Perhaps up in Cauldurin. I have heard that due to its remote location, they do not have much in the way of medicines up there. I could do a lot of good, I think."
 	Shaaria smiled and gave him a nod. "I'm sure that you would."
 	She glanced over to Linya, who looked thoughtful. "Ah, I'm not very good with goodbyes," Linya admitted, holding out her hand, "I never know what to say."
 	Shaaria hooked her fingers with Linya's to shake her hand. "Just say what comes to mind."
 	"Well…" she glanced around at the others. "Thank you. That is the most important thing I have to say. Your help was much appreciated. Randival, I think, is under-selling it; our venture would have been doomed to failure without you, or indeed, without any one of us." Lowering her voice and raising a hand to brush a finger against the broken part of her horn, she muttered, "But I have had quite enough of adventuring, thank you very much. I will be returning to the college. I have a lot to write about, and I think I may look into becoming a faculty member and giving lessons." With a smile towards Faelis, she said, "I found teaching you to be quite a surprisingly enjoyable experience." Then, turning to Anshu, she added, "And should you ever wish to collaborate on another research project, please send me a message via crystalgraph."
 	"With pleasure," Anshu replied, giving her a smile.
 	Hiccup floated a little closer, and Shaaria reached up to scratch under her chin. The lindwurm giggled and nuzzled back at Shaaria's hand in response. "I don't know where you're going, but I hope you're happy," Hiccup said simply. "I'll miss you!"
 	"I'll miss you too," Shaaria replied.
 	"Well, that makes one of us," Randival mumbled, leaning backwards as Hiccup tried to smack him in the face with her tail.
 	Finally, Shaaria turned to Faelis, who stared back up at her. Faelis's mouth moved slightly, but no words came out; she seemed to be having trouble saying anything, so Shaaria reached out and gently placed a hand on Faelis's shoulder. "I'm very proud of you, Faelis," she told her reassuringly. "I'm sorry I have to leave this way, but I've already stayed longer than I was intending to. I care for you greatly, and I hope you have a good life."
 	"Shaaria…" Faelis managed to say, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Please don't go…"
 	Shaaria bent down slightly to give Faelis a hug that the other dragon returned. "I hate to see you upset, Faelis," Shaaria whispered to her as she pulled away, reaching up with her hands to wipe Faelis's tears away. "I hope you are able to wear a smile a lot more from here on out. It suits you better."
 	"Mm…" Faelis glanced down, wringing her hands, but then lifted her gaze and gave Shaaria a nod, managing a small smile despite the fact that her eyes were still watering.
 	"You are a smart woman, Faelis. You have a lot of talents, and you learn things quickly. You can do and be whatever you want if you try, and put in the effort. It will not be easy, and it will not come to you for free, but it is there if you want it. You have a lot of promise, and all you need to do is to believe in yourself."
 	Faelis wiped away her own tears. "I understand," she said, quietly but determined. "I promise I will. I'm going to try my best to be happy."
 	"I know you will," Shaaria told her, and leaned in to give her another hug, squeezing Faelis tightly against her front. Holding her there for a few seconds, she lowered her voice to a whisper, and brought her mouth close to Faelis's ear-fin.
 	"I promise I will never forget you."
 	Faelis nodded, trembling softly, returning Shaaria's hug until they separated. "Thank you," Faelis said simply.
 	Stepping away, Shaaria gave a little sigh, looking over the group. "Well, I suppose I should get going," she told them, "As much as I don't want to, I have more travels ahead of me, and they won't prepare for themselves."
 	"All good things must come to an end," Randival agreed. Shaaria turned away, and Randival cast a glance at Linya. She raised an eye ridge, and Randival took a breath.
 	It was his last chance to learn the truth.
 	He cleared his throat. "Shaaria?" He asked, and she stopped and looked back. "Before you go, may I have a word with you in private?"
 	Shaaria raised an eyebrow, but gave him a small nod. "Very well. I can spare a little more time."
 	"There is an excellent tea shop just around the corner," Randival informed her, gesturing with a wing-arm. "We can talk there."
 	"Since when do you drink tea?" Linya asked.
 	"I don't," Randival replied with a smirk, "But they sell some of the most delectable snack cakes you can find in this city."
 	Faelis perked up and gave Randival a hopeful look. "Can you take me there after you get back?"
 	Randival chuckled and smiled at her. "It'll be the very first thing we do after I return," he promised. "Just wait here for me. I'll be back."
 	"Lead the way, then," Shaaria told him, and with a sweep of his cloak, Randival began walking away from the group. She gave a final wave and a "Goodbye!" to the others, and then followed after him.
 Chapter 39
 	The tea shop was cozy and moderately busy, but there was still a pair of padded benches facing a table in the back corner that they were able to slip into, threading their tails through the gaps between the back of the benches and the seats themselves. Once they were seated, Randival took off his hat and set it down, clasping his hands and resting them in front of him on the table.
 	"Now, then," he asked her in a polite but firm tone, "I appreciate that you have given me some time, so I will not waste it, and cut right to the point. Would you mind telling me the truth?"
 	Shaaria, who had been eyeing the stand of snack cakes on the shop counter, was taken aback by the bluntness of his question, and quickly turned her full attention to him. "The truth?" she repeated.
 	"Yes, the truth," Randival said quietly, his gaze firm despite his cordial tone. "I have many questions that I want you to answer. There is something going on here that I do not understand, but I am going to do my damnedest to find out."
 	"I don't know what you mean," Shaaria insisted.
 	Randival was not deterred. "I want to know how you really saved Faelis. I think- no, I know you have been lying to us. It was too coincidental. You were trapped in a corner with no way out. Yet somehow, not only did you survive, but you had exactly what you needed to heal your wing. You found the exact path you needed to get out that took you to exactly where you needed to be before the crystal exploded. Then, you were looking in the exact direction you needed to, at the exact time Faelis fell, so that you could save her?" He lowered his head a little, but kept his gaze fixed on her. "I am not what one would call a literary critic, but that is the sort of thing that happens only in children's tales. I want the truth."
 	"I cannot help it if it seems hard to-"
 	Randival cut her off. "So be it. It seems I must up the ante." Fixing her with a firm gaze, he unclasped his hands, and pointed directly to her sash. "You are not from Cauldurin. They do not wear sashes that way over there. It is considered bad luck. You wear them across the other shoulder."
 	Shaaria looked directly at him in slight surprise, and said nothing. Outwardly, Randival merely clasped his hands and kept a neutral expression, but inside, he was smirking.
 	He had finally found a chink in her armor to exploit. Now he just had to press his advantage.
 	"Let's try this again. Where are you from?"
 	"Caul-"
 	Randival set his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Then I shall continue. You have been hiding things from us. Concealing your true strength." He saw her eyes widen suddenly, and knew he was on the right track. "You know more magic than you have been using so far. Your background is a fabrication. You are not who you say you are."
 	She had gone very still, and he could see that her breathing had quickened. He hoped for her sake that she never played cards for money. "What do you think I am, then?" she asked quietly.
 	The accusation that she was a spy almost left his mouth, but he hesitated and instead calmly told her, "I would much rather hear it from your mouth than mine." While it was the truth, another thought had occurred to him: if he was wrong, and gave her an idea, she might just use it as cover for her actual identity. She remained unmoving, and he leaned back, keeping his gaze fixed upon her. "Let's start at the beginning. Is your name really 'Shaaria', or is that just an alias?"
 	"It is my real name," she told him with a small nod. She didn't appear to be lying about that.
 	"Good, at least you have not been lying to me about everything," he remarked, but noted that her gaze glanced aside. She was hiding something – something big. Maybe Linya was right after all. "Or have you?" he pressed delicately.
 	She raised one hand and nervously fiddled with the collar on her shirt. "I have… not been entirely forthcoming on every detail, no," she admitted just as delicately. Randival's heart raced: he was getting somewhere! But he had to be careful about his approach, or he might fail at the last moment.
 	Best to start with something he knew was true. "You have been holding back with your magic," he asserted.
 	"How do you know that?" she asked, then quickly tried to backpedal, "I mean-"
 	"Never mind how I know it, but I do appreciate the tacit admission," he remarked slyly. "I have had a great deal of time to think on this ever since your miraculous return. And many other questions: Who are you, really? Where are you actually from? Obviously, your intentions are good; if you wished us ill, you needed only to do nothing to ensure our failure."
 	"And why do you want to know?"
 	"I do not like having the truth hidden from me," Randival said firmly. "That is all there is to it. I am asking entirely from my own curiosity – as it is now or never. If I wait any longer, you will be gone, and in all likelihood I will never see you again. As such, I am forced to put my cards on the table and go all-in, as it were. I know you lied. I want to know the truth."
 	Shaaria remained silent for another moment, and then lifted her muzzle, a small smirk crossing her face. "You are very perceptive," she praised, "and quite a bit cleverer than you let on."
 	He chuckled and smiled, softening his voice. "Why, thank you. There is much more to you than it appears as well, though I do not know the depths of it. Which is what I want to find out. Now, please, tell me the truth. I am not threatening you – I suspect that there is little I could do in that regard anyway. But after all we have gone through together, I consider you to be a friend, a good friend, and nothing you can tell me will change that. We are about to make our final parting. Would you indulge a friend with a final request?"
 	He held his right hand out to her, palm up, fingers curled back, but she did not immediately take his hand. Instead, she stared at it with her hands under the table, presumably resting in her lap. She remained deep in thought for several seconds before she answered. "I can tell you the full story," she told him quietly, "but only if you agree to be sworn to secrecy."
 	"Well, that seems reasonab-" he began, but then cut himself off. "Hm… what curious wording. Agree to be sworn to secrecy?"
 	In response, she simply raised her right hand above the table, her ring finger curled down, presumably into the starting position for casting a spell. "I will render you unable to repeat any of what I tell you to anyone. You will be unable to write it down, and even unable to divulge it if someone invades your mind."
 	His eyes widened. "That's quite impressive. I may not know much about magic, but that seems like quite an extremely powerful and complicated spell."
 	"It is," she confirmed.
 	"Did you come up with it yourself?"
 	"No. It was discovered and refined by much greater and more experienced magic users than I. It has been in use longer than I have been alive. You will not be able to find a loophole. Do you agree?"
 	Apprehension briefly gripped Randival. She could not be some mere spy. This was something greater. Some shadowy cabal, perhaps, not affiliated with any government. A cult? But she had been firmly on their side the whole time, so it had to be something more benevolent. Some secret society, perhaps? An ancient order of mages? Perhaps a group from beyond the Charted Territories? How he wished Linya were present!
 	"What happens if I say no?"
 	"Then I will leave, and you will have to be content with guessing."
 	"You drive a hard bargain," Randival murmured. "Will I be allowed to live and be free when this is over?"
 	She gave him a nod. "That is the purpose of the spell, so that I can let you go and not have to worry. I also consider you a friend, and take these measures only as precautions. I do not wish you any harm."
 	"Very well. If that is what it takes to learn the truth, I agree to your conditions," he replied, continuing to hold out his hand. Linya would have to remain in the dark, unfortunately, but she had not broached the topic again, so he did not know if she cared as much as he did.
 	She reached out, making more gestures, her palm glowing as she did, discharging the spell while taking his hand. It seemed to have no effects he could discern beyond feeling a tingling within his head that went away a few moments later, and he shook his head briefly, blinking. "Is that it?"
 	"Subtlety is a rather important feature to such a spell," she answered cryptically. "You may speak freely for now, but once we are done, this entire conversation and its details will remain only between us, forever."
 	"And what of passersby?" Randival said, gesturing to the nearby patrons.
 	"They can't hear us," Shaaria told him. "I have already made sure of that. I cast the spells earlier with my hands under the table, just to be on the safe side."
 	"What if they can read lips?"
 	"They will see only an image of us and not our real selves."
 	Randival raised an eyebrow. "Then are you ready to admit you have been holding back on your magic?"
 	"Yes," she said, and Randival suppressed a victorious smirk. "I am far more powerful than I have allowed myself to appear."
 	"So I have noticed. Linya already told me it that it is unusual, though not unheard-of, for a mage to split their focus as you have done. But for you to also be able to silence our conversation and project an illusion? What else do you know?"
 	"Much more," she said simply. "There is little magic that I don't have at least some experience with."
 	"You know your own healing magic, don't you?" he inquired firmly, and she nodded. "Far-seeing?" Another nod. "Dark arts?" A nod. He swallowed heavily. "…teleportation?"
 	She nodded once more, and he felt a weight in his stomach.
 	"And more. But as you mentioned, mages here are more focused than that, so I could only openly use offensive and defensive magic. I also had to restrict my power – if I were able to outdo Linya, a dedicated mage, it would have brought a great deal of suspicion on me."
 	Randival didn't feel as triumphant as he had expected he would upon hearing that. Her use of the words 'mages here' definitely indicated that she was an outsider in some way. But that wasn't what was truly bothering him. "I am afraid that that revelation has only given me more questions to ask of you," he murmured, "and though it seems a very obvious question to ask, I will field the inquiry anyway."
 	"Go ahead."
 	Lowering his hands, he leaned over the table, looking stern. "If you have all of this power… why did you not simply use it from the outset?" Slamming his hands into the table, he rose from his seat a little. "You could have saved us so much time and effort!" Raising his right hand, he pointed an accusing finger at her, his anger overcoming his desire to question her carefully. "Lives were lost because you held back! So much grief and pain that could have been avoided, but you chose to let it happen!"
 	She leaned back slightly, but did not seem to be hit as hard by his words as he had expected. Perhaps she had been expecting it. Undaunted, he rested both hands on the table as he leaned over it and continued, "At Dalavun, I asked if you could teleport, and you remained silent – you held back, and let that ship crash! But you could have taken us to it – couldn't you? Or more! You could have diverted it from the island somehow! Or gotten people off the ship or- or something! Something more than just standing there!"
 	Shaaria remained seated, but did not meet his gaze. "It is not as simple as you think," she told him, not denying the accusation.
 	"It seems quite simple to me!" Randival protested. "You could have acted, and you didn't! You are as guilty as if you were the one to kill those people! And what about the crew of The Silver Wing?"
 	For some reason, that particular accusation struck harder, and she glanced away, grief flashing across her face. Yet she answered calmly, unafraid of his outburst; after all, she surely had nothing to fear from him, especially when no-one else could see or hear him. "I want to help. It is the reason why I came here at all. And all of those tragedies would have happened, or been worse, without my presence. I did not make anything worse than it would have been if I were not here."
 	"That is not what I meant. You were there, and you could have helped, but you chose not to!"
 	"I know. But as I said, it's not that simple," Shaaria responded with a shake of her head. "I cannot simply solve everyone's problems for them. If I do that, then they will become reliant and dependent on me, and unable to help themselves when they face future hardships. That is not what I want."
 	"Then what do you want? Why did you come here?" There was no doubt that she was not from the Charted Territories now, and he felt no reason to hold back the implication.
 	"My goal is not the act of giving help in and of itself; rather it is to help others to help themselves. To make sure that they are better off by the time I leave than they were when I arrived. I want them to grow stronger, reach their potential, accomplish their dreams, and ultimately, to not need my help any more – so that I may continue on and assist others."
 	Randival had to admit, a benevolent outsider was better than the alternatives, as muddy as her precise motivations were to him. Yet he glared at her accusingly and pressed further. "So all those people you could have saved, but didn't – they were just collateral? The price to pay for your own goals? You're willing to write off people's lives for some hypothetical greater good?"
 	Her eyes closed, and she exhaled deeply. "Do you think I haven't thought about this? You said it yourself, it is an obvious question. If I have the power to help and do not, does that make me complicit in the tragedies that occur because I held back?"
 	"Yes, exactly!"
 	Opening her eyes, she looked up at him and met his gaze. "But I never claimed to shoulder responsibility for this world and all that occurs within it. I cannot be everywhere at once. In the time that I have been here, I am sure many people have died of diseases that I could cure, or injuries I could heal, all over the world in far-away cities. It is not my responsibility to solve every problem in the world, Randival."
 	"I understand that," he conceded, "but that ship was not on the other side of the world. It was right in front of you." He raised his hand and pointed again. "You stood there and watched it crash with the rest of us, pretending to be as helpless as we were. You chose to let that happen, and that makes you as guilty as if you had brought it down yourself!"
 	  
 	"Yes, Randival, it does," she said sharply, surprising him with her agreement. "I told you that things are rarely simple. Moral choices are not always black and white. I had to choose whether or not to help, and I chose not to, in full knowledge of what would happen to that ship and the people on it."
 	"But why?"
 	"I hold back my power so that I do not cause more problems than I solve – what do you think would have happened if I suddenly revealed my true power, not just to you, but to the entirety of Dalavun? Suddenly everyone knows about me and what I'm capable of and will expect me to solve everything for them while they cower and hide! We weren't the only group out there trying to find out what was going on with the rifts, but if people think that someone far more powerful than they are is working on it, they'll sit back and stop trying to fix it themselves!"
 	"Then why did you even come here at all, if you don't want to help?"
 	"I do want to help! But I cannot be turned into some sort of mythical figure that no-one else can keep pace with, nor can I have an entire world's responsibilities dumped at my feet. I came here with the specific intention of saving it from the rifts and the void monsters, and to do what good I could along the way. Not to get roped into preventing every possible death in the world, or even just those in my proximity. My intervention is meant to be targeted and limited so that it can be effective."
 	"So, any cost is acceptable, if it keeps up the impression that you're from the Charted Territories? Just an ordinary person like the rest of us?"
 	She stared at him firmly. "Yes. I take many risks in order to keep up the façade. Obviously, I have to tell lies, and while I do what research I can ahead of time… well, we wouldn't be having this conversation if I hadn't slipped a little," she mused, idly pulling at her sash for a moment. "Sometimes I have to cheat with my magic when I can get away with it, in order to get myself into the right place at the right time. But I have to make sure no-one notices." She gave a regretful sigh. "On The Silver Wing, the head attendant there died because I spent too long making sure that there were no witnesses. It is an inevitable risk of having to conceal my true identity and power, but that does not make me feel any less guilty for letting an innocent man die."
 	"You- what?"
 	"I didn't want him to die!" Shaaria insisted emphatically. "I was going to save him! But I hesitated too long, fretting over whether or not to do it, and then making sure no-one would see me do it." She held one hand in the other and wrung them slowly. "But if I were in the same situation, I would do the same: ensure that my disguise was not at risk. I could have fooled him, perhaps, but not others nearby, and I had to make sure it was safe."
 	He gave her a firm look as she went on, resting her hands on the edge of the table. "And as mentioned, I must restrict my magical power to whatever level would not be out of place where I am. Doing so presents a grave danger – in both Harton's Tower and the Aerie, my limited strength was very nearly not enough to avoid disaster. Any time I limit my power I create the possibility that I will fail in my goal because of it, but I accept that risk, for I absolutely must ensure that I am not exposed for what I truly am. Perhaps you do not agree, and in my position would prioritize success above all else, but I do not."
 	Randival took a deep breath, leaning back slightly, yet kept his gaze locked on her. "If keeping up your disguise is so important, then why did you agree to tell me all of this?"
 	A small smirk crossed her lips. "Simple. I was unaware how much you had already deduced, or told others. But now that I have placed the compulsion upon you that will prevent you from speaking of all of this, I have ensured your silence, thus fixing the problem entirely." Softening both her voice and her expression, she added, "And also, I truly do consider you to be a friend. I could have just wiped or altered your memory, but after what we have been through together, I thought that you had earned the right to know the truth, even if for practical reasons I must ensure that you keep it to yourself. It is both a form of damage control, and a final gift from me to you."
 	Randival went quiet. He felt glad to know he had not burned that bridge, and finally returned to his seat. "Very well. I do not agree with your position, but I at least understand the reasoning behind it. Let us leave it at that for the time being."
 	Raising his muzzle, he gave her a firm stare. "Now, I must ask you about Faelis."
 Chapter 40
 	Shaaria blinked, looking confused. "What about Faelis?"
 	"I only began questioning your motives because of your completely implausible rescue of Faelis. If not for that, I would never have had doubts about you – all of the things I noticed only became questionable when I looked back through the lens of suspicion. You must surely have known we would find it unbelievable! Yet you did it anyway. Why?"
 	Shaaria paused a moment before answering. "I feel a great deal of sympathy for her," Shaaria said quietly. "You do too, don't you?"
 	"Of course I do," Randival answered. "From the moment I met her, I knew she had had little happiness in her life up to that point. I want her to be happy. Stars and Skies, she makes it so hard sometimes. But when I finally see a smile on her face or hear her laugh, it all becomes worth it. I hope I can earn her trust enough to ease her burdens further, but I cannot press her too hard, or I will make things worse. In the meantime, I will have to settle for seeing her face light up whenever I buy her pancakes for breakfast." He smiled for a moment, but then steeled himself and fixed his gaze on her. "But that's my feelings towards her. This is about you, and what you did for her."
 	She nodded in agreement and gave a little smile of her own before returning to a neutral expression. "Faelis is a complicated case. Yes, I could have just fixed the sources of her insecurity more directly – it would not at all be beyond my power to make her wings bigger, make her eyes the same color, and remove her hermaphroditism."
 	"Why didn't you?"
 	"Because those are merely what she perceives as her problems, and are not the real issues she must face," Shaaria explained. "Problems only she can address: her lack of confidence, her inability to accept herself for who she is, her refusal to speak about what is hurting her, her lack of self-worth, and her unease about what she lacks. Those are not problems I can fix with an incantation and a wave of my hand."
 	"Would that it were so easy," Randival grumbled in reluctant agreement.
 	Shaaria drew a deep breath, staring down Randival. "As long as those problems were to remain, she would never be truly happy, even with full-sized wings and free of all the things she thinks are abnormalities. Someone hurt her, someone made her perceive herself as flawed, and it is deeply ingrained in her, making her call herself a 'freak' even though you and I know that is not the case. Were I to 'fix' the things she thinks are flaws, she would simply find other things about herself she was not happy about, and she would remain trapped in misery she could not escape. But those are not flaws at all. You love her all the same despite her unusual characteristics, don't you?"
 	"Well, I…" Randival fumbled, finding himself unexpectedly put on the spot. "I would be lying if I said I had no feelings for her…" Clearing his throat, he regained his composure. "But yes. I think she is just fine as she is. She doesn't need to try and change herself for me. Though I must disagree on one point: her wings are most certainly flawed. They should not be that small."
 	"In the physical sense, yes," Shaaria conceded. "However, their size doesn't make her a flawed person, yet her insecurities make her believe that she is."
 	Randival nodded in mutual understanding. "She means just as much to me as she would if her wings were fully grown."
 	"Exactly," Shaaria agreed. "So, the only way to truly help her is to make her realize that she already has many of the things she desires. That whatever abuse she has suffered doesn't define her. That she doesn't need to hold herself to some unrealistic ideal. That she has the ability to improve herself, if only she reaches out for it. Her friends can help her, but she must first attempt to help herself – she and she alone must set things in motion." With a smirk, she added, "In fact, I believe it was you yourself who told me… you believe in her, but she does not believe in herself. Is that correct?"
 	He nodded, and she went on, "I helped her to grow as a person. I encouraged her to believe in herself, to stand up for herself, and to pursue her desires. That is the only way she will truly be happy. She must accept and embrace who she is, and be comfortable with what she lacks."
 	He regarded her quietly for a moment. "Does that mean Faelis is really the one you came here to help?"
 	"Who says I can only desire to help one person? What if I want to help the world, and also help her at the same time?"
 	"Then why?" Randival began, leaning forward again. "You seem to have these principles, these priorities, these self-imposed rules. Standards, perhaps, or a personal code. Presented like that, I can understand them, even if I do not agree with you." Leaning over the table, he lowered his voice to an accusing tone. "Then why did you save Faelis?"
 	"Come again?"
 	"Hiding your true identity is your top priority. It comes before everything else, because of the harm that will come if is revealed – even the lives of others may be forfeit. No price is too great to pay if it means you prevent the world from finding out who you really are. Is that an accurate summary?"
 	"More or less, yes."
 	"Would I also be correct in assuming that, if not for Faelis, you would have been content to let us believe that you died in the Aerie, caught in its explosion before you could escape? That the grief and pain we would feel from losing a friend would be an acceptable price for preserving the illusion that you were one of us?"
 	"Yes," she answered plainly.
 	His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice once more. "And yet, you put all of it at risk for her. You chose to draw suspicion on yourself, your motives, and your identity, to save her."
 	"Wouldn't you have done the same?" Shaaria asked.
 	"Of course I would!" Randival blurted out. "But we are not talking about me – we are talking about you. The woman who let an airship crash with crew and passengers still on board to preserve her false identity. The woman who let an innocent man die in front of her because she put her disguise above the life of a person in need!" He leaned forward and growled, "Were you prepared to let Faelis die on the floor of Harton's Tower if Anshu hadn't been able to help her quickly enough?"
 	Shaaria leaned back, and Randival saw guilt written across her face. He knew what her answer would be before she spoke. "Yes, I was," she said quietly, her voice full of shame.
 	Though he felt a twinge of regret for pressing her so hard, he also felt protective anger towards Faelis, and persisted. "And in the inn in Evalar, were you prepared to let her die by her own hand, succumbing to poison, just to keep your identity hidden?"
 	She was shaking, and she drew an unsteady breath. "Yes," she admitted in barely more than a whisper.
 	He slammed a fist onto the table. "Then why? Why did you change your mind? You KNEW that saving her at the Aerie would draw suspicion! You KNEW it would put everything at risk! And you did it anyway! Why there? Why then, of all times? Why abandon your principles, your standards, at that exact moment, and not earlier, and not for anyone else?"
 	She looked away guiltily, but didn't answer, so he struck the table again. "Why did you decide that her life mattered more than the lives of others you sacrificed? Who gave you the right to make that judgement? How can you possibly claim that you minimize your interference and prioritize your disguise, only to break that rule when it suits you?"
 	She flinched visibly from his words, but drew a breath and turned her gaze back towards him. "Let me ask you a question, Randival. You have plenty of money, it seems, yet you largely spend it on yourself. By your own admission, on wine and women, and other hedonistic pursuits. Why not give it to others who need it more? By your logic, because it could help others if you did so, you are morally obligated to."
 	He met her gaze, however, and didn't back down. "I am not the one on a self-professed goal of helping people. I never claimed to be looking out for anyone other than myself and a few others that I care about. You, on the other hand, are supposedly out here specifically to help people. Yet you disregard those who need your aid because it would be inconvenient, only to take a great risk just because someone who matters personally to you is threatened."
 	"Everyone feels that way, Randival!" she snapped back at him, and he leaned back a little, wary once more of overdoing his questioning. "Everyone feels more protective of people they know than of total strangers. If letting a total stranger die – or several – would bring your brother back, wouldn't you do it?"
 	"We are not talking about me!" Randival retorted, clenching his hands into fists; she had struck a nerve by mentioning his brother. "I will admit that I am far from flawless, but I am an ordinary man who wants to protect the people he cares about. But what are you? You did not have to make a choice of who to save: your choice was to save them or do nothing! So I ask you once more: what makes you think you have the right to decide who lives, and who dies?" Raising a hand, he pointed at her accusingly. "Who gave you the right to treat us as pieces on a game board, some worth sacrificing and others not? Why can you condemn others to grief and mourning, while you save yourself from that very same fate? What lets you save some people from the abyss, but damn everyone else to the Skies Below?"
 	His words struck hard. Shaaria glanced away from him, and then turned her head further away, giving a deeply regretful sigh. When she answered, it was in a quiet voice. "Nothing gives me that right, Randival. I act of my own accord. For all my power, for all my magical might, for all my experience… I am not a construct. I am still a person. I still feel emotions, just like you. And the biggest one, the one most likely to override my rational judgement… is fear."
 	  
 	Randival raised an eye-ridge. "Fear? You expect me to believe that? You've willingly joined battles and faced down monstrosities from who-knows-where."
 	"Yes, in situations where I am in no real danger. I have great magic protecting me. I never mastered my fear as brave people do; I simply found a way around it." Looking down, she clasped her hands and continued quietly, "Yet I can still fear for others and what befalls them. Especially those that matter to me. It shames me to admit that fear still motivates my actions a great deal, but it is the truth." She seemed to tremble for a moment, clutching her hands together more tightly. "I have gotten used to a lot of things, but never to the loss of someone close to me. I've made friends only to watch them die in front of me. Sometimes they sacrifice themselves to save me, not knowing what a pointless sacrifice it is, just like the attendant on The Silver Wing did. And when fate is at its most cruel, I must strike them down myself. No matter the cause, every time, the emotional pain is just as raw and fresh as the very first time I felt it. Knowing that they, unlike me, have no magical fallbacks, no safety net… that they are gone. Forever."
 	She looked back up to him, looking conflicted. "So yes. The 'right' thing to do, or at least, the consistent thing to do, would have been to let Faelis die, and return home, with everyone here thinking me nothing more than a wandering traveler." Her voice broke slightly as she continued, "But I couldn't leave her. I couldn't abandon her when she needed me most. It wasn't right. I couldn't see any justifiable reason for it, and I still cannot. If I had to make the decision again, I would do the same. I might even take a greater risk. All to stop myself from losing another friend."
 	Calmly, Randival sat back down and took a deep breath. "It is more reassuring than you think to hear that you and I are not so different after all," he murmured. "And that friendship and the lives of others can still matter more to you than an abstract ideal."
 	Collecting herself a little, she straightened up in her seat. "I don't even know the depths of what she has suffered through in her life, but to let her die would be a tragedy I was not willing to let happen. I couldn't let it weigh on my conscience. If I left her to die, it would haunt me for the rest of my life. My concern for her, and the fear of having to live with that guilt, drove me to action. It was a moment of weakness on my part, perhaps because she reminds me so much of myself when I was younger… when I was lost in despair, with no-one to help me. I was in dire need of someone to come to my aid, yet for the longest time, there was no-one. I know that misery, and the pain it comes with; I do not want her to suffer it any longer. Surely you are not complaining about my choice, are you?"
 	"Of course I'm not. I am deeply grateful for you for saving her life, but don't change the subject." Randival's expression softened, but only slightly, and he kept his tone firm. "If she hadn't pushed me aside – if it were me plummeting into the abyss to my death, begging to the Stars Above for someone to save me, rather than Faelis – would you have come to my rescue? What if it were Anshu? Or Linya? Or even Hiccup?"
 	"I cannot say for certain with a mere hypothetical, but I believe I would have, yes," she answered, lifting her muzzle and regarding him calmly. "I care for you all a great deal. I may have been putting up a front and deceiving you all about who I truly am, but I do truly consider all of you to be good friends, as brief as our association has been. Saying good-bye to you all was just as painful as it always is. I am simply good at hiding that pain after doing it so many times."
 	"Well, I am glad to hear that you would have rescued me, though it only supports the point I am making," Randival told her. "It would seem to me that if you abandon your principles when they become inconvenient, then you never had them in the first place."
 	"What principle did I abandon, Randival?" she asked, raising an eye-ridge, seeming a little more confident in herself.
 	He blinked. "Doing something 'out of character', of course," he answered. "Taking an action that puts your disguise at risk."
 	"Almost, but not quite. I have to cheat in many ways sometimes – my goal isn't to avoid doing anything that contradicts the disguise, but to not be caught. That is what was different at the Aerie. If I were to intervene in Harton's Tower or in the inn at Evalar, I would have been exposed on the spot. But when I rescued Faelis at the Aerie, I assumed I could get away with it, and if you think about it, I have done so. No-one but you knows the truth, and now, you will never speak of it. I did not break the façade and reveal my true nature to your world at large, and so, I have still followed my principles. The compulsion spell upon you ensures the silence of the one person who knows what really happened, tying up the only remaining loose end."
 	"It was still a great risk that you took. You couldn't possibly have known that the others would react the way they did. What if one of them sided with me?"
 	"Even if they did, they would have nothing more than speculation to go off of, but to a certain extent you are right," she conceded. "For all my magical strength, I am weaker in spirit than I would like to be. I adhere to my principles as best I can, but even so, knowing that I can help but having to hold back for a greater good is not an easy thing to do… and Faelis's fate was simply too much for me to bear."
 	"Mm." Randival drew a breath and let it out slowly. "So, if I understand this right, you saved her, not because your feelings for her changed, but because you believed it would not break your disguise?"
 	"Yes," she told him. "And had I been sure that I could preserve my disguise in those other instances, I would have helped her in a heartbeat."
 	He gave her a slow nod. "I see. Well, now that I know why you saved her, I think it is time for you to tell me exactly how you did it. I know the story you told me is a complete fabrication, and I would like to know the truth."
 	She hesitated. "Is it necessary?"
 	He was surprised by her reluctance. What more could she be hiding? "I already have one great unsolved mystery in my life haunting me," he muttered darkly. "I do not want another. I already know you are capable of great magic, and that you are not from the Charted Territories. Whatever you tell me will not reveal anything new." But she hesitated again, and he leaned forward. "…or will it?"
 	"Do you really want to know?"
 	"Yes," he answered firmly. "Whether it is liable to make me uncomfortable or even question my sanity, I do not care. Perhaps others would rather remain ignorant, but I am not that kind of man. I want to know the truth. All of it."
 	She remained silent for several moments, as if making a decision. "Very well," she said eventually. "My spell will ensure you cannot tell anyone of it anyway. But while I can tell you what really happened, it would be a lot easier to simply show you."
 	Reaching out across the table, she touched her glowing fingertip against the side of his head, and Randival's senses suddenly were not his own, his body someone else's, his memories another person's.
 Chapter 41
 	"No! NO! SHAARIA!" Faelis's voice carried across the room, but Shaaria did not reply to it.
 	Ascending the stairs back to the balcony to get away from the tendril trying to reach in after her, she moved to the back of the room behind the balcony, where she could see the creature around the crystal, yet remained out of its reach.
 	She had achieved her goal, but she was outmatched, and trapped. Her magic simply wasn't strong enough. She had no way out, and though she didn't fear for her own safety, she didn't want to be killed and sent back home yet again. She dearly wanted to keep the necklace Faelis had given her, and everything that the gift meant to her, and the memories she associated with it – but unless she lived and left on her own terms, she would lose it.
 	There was only one option left. Her hand had been forced. Her allies were gone, and she would not see them again… so she no longer had anything to hide, and no reason to hold back.
 	Reaching up with her left hand, she took hold of the edge of her circlet, and under her breath, uttered a short phrase in a language not from the world she was in. Abruptly, the circlet snapped open at one side, swinging on a concealed hinge on the opposite side, allowing her to remove it. The inside edge of the silver band was covered with glowing runes, but they began to fade once she took it off, its various enchantments deactivating. For a moment she held onto the circlet tightly, and then threw it aside, glaring with determination.
 	As the circlet that served as her power limiter clattered to a stop on the stone floor, Shaaria raised her right hand and held it over her left shoulder, channeling powerful healing magic to repair her wing. Both her hand and wing glowed white as the magic coursed through them, mending the fragmented bones, healing the bleeding cuts, and pulling the wing back to its proper alignment. The pain vanished, and with her injury healed, she ended the spell and held her hand up, conjuring up a vision of another part of the island. The others were retreating, running through the tunnels towards the exit, Randival limping along in the back as fast as his injured leg would let him go. But they were fleeing, Faelis included, as she had hoped.
 	A cracking sound from the central chamber took her attention away from the image, and she dismissed it as she began advancing towards the balcony. She could simply leave, and return to Planeswalker's Retreat; the crystal was going to explode either way. But the creature on it was still alive, and though it would surely die in the inevitable explosion even if she did nothing, she was consumed by a simple desire:
 	Revenge.
 	As she stepped onto the balcony, the void creature swung two of its enormous tendrils towards her. "No," she said simply as she raised both hands, erecting a semicircular barrier around her. The tendrils slammed into it at the same time, yet the barrier held, and Shaaria didn't even flinch. She made a pushing motion with both hands and the barrier expanded outwards, shoving the massive tendrils away.
 	A great, thick spike burst from the creature towards her, only to strike another barrier she erected, bouncing off of the luminous shield. Stepping aside and dropping the shield, she swung one hand downward and a great slashing arc of shimmering energy followed, chopping off the end of the tendril before it could retract, a subaudible shriek vibrating her bones as the severed tendril fell to the ground in front of the balcony and writhed briefly.
 	With mindless rage it swung at her once again, bringing a tendril downwards with crushing force, but it succeeded only in slamming into the shimmering wall of force Shaaria conjured above her. It lashed out mindlessly, irresistibly drawn to the immense amounts of magical energy coursing through her and pumping into her spells, but it took only the smallest effort for her to deny its clumsy and brutish attacks.
 	She had little desire to toy with the creature, especially not with the stability of the heart crystal rapidly deteriorating. She shoved away its tendrils once again and took the opportunity to make a counter-strike, raising her hands and thrusting them forward, closing her eyes. Immense lightning bolts jumped forward from each, striking the creature and electrocuting it with the full might of what her magical strength could bring, filling the chamber with a blinding light so bright that Shaaria partially saw it through her eyelids. Electricity coursed through its form all the way to the end of each tendril, and it writhed as she sustained the spell for several seconds before ending it. Opening her eyes, she watched as the creature's tendrils collapsed to the floor and its form darkened, flowing downwards and sloughing off at the bottom of the crystal into a gigantic puddle, exposing the corrupted and cracked crystal underneath.
 	Cracks continued to run through the crystal like breaking ice, pieces of it falling off as it lost stability, a blast of wild energy from it shooting out from the side and striking the wall. It was heavily unstable, doomed to explode as soon as the uncontrollable energy within it reached a critical threshold. She took a brief moment to scry the surroundings of the Aerie, and finding a suitable destination, she swept an arm out, gesturing and incanting under her breath.
 	She felt herself pulled through space as her surroundings blurred and were replaced, and she blinked as she was placed outside, on a tiny and grassy island whose most notable feature was a large rock near the center of it. But it offered a commanding view of the Aerie, and with another small spell to enhance her vision, she was able to make out the airship.
 	Shaaria watched and waited to see how things would unfold without her. When a trail of red smoke rose from the side of the island, she was just barely able to see it, and she watched as the airship turned and flew through the thinning ranks of void monsters at full speed. Shaaria observed with a small, satisfied smile as the airship arrived at its destination in time to pick up her friends, stopping and hovering at the edge of the island for several moments before it moved again. As it turned and flew away, the Aerie's heart finally ruptured, and she saw the center of the Aerie explode with a brilliant light, blasting an enormous hole vertically through the top and bottom of the island. Great clouds of dust obscured almost all sight inside the crater itself, offering only the briefest glimpses of the inner walls, charred black by heat. Then, the island began to tip aside and fall from the sky, slowly at first as the residual magic holding it aloft weakened, then accelerating, the doomed island plummeting down into the cloudy abyss.
 	She could see the airship flying away, heading back to civilization, and her smile widened – the others had gotten away safely, and she could leave them to continue their lives without her. Gesturing elaborately, she conjured up a swirling portal to take her back to Planeswalker's Retreat; she had done what she needed to in this world, and it was time for her to leave. The others likely thought her dead, so if she left now, it would eliminate the need to tie up loose ends and say painful goodbyes. But they were safe, and that was what truly mattered.
 	Before she left, she decided to take one last look at the friends she had made. With her left hand, she summoned a small vision of the deck of the ship… but something was wrong. Close to Linya's sprawled and unconscious form, Hiccup had collapsed on the deck despairingly, while Anshu and Randival both knelt on the deck, the latter stricken with grief. And Faelis was nowhere in sight.
 	Concerned, Shaaria gestured again, and the vision shifted. Faelis was not with them; she was falling through the clouds, leaving a trail of tears and blood droplets behind her. Her eyes were closed and she had a sad but flat expression on her face, as though she had already come to terms with her fate, and had given up, her body unmoving as she fell. 
 	Shaaria's breath caught in her throat. The horrible feeling of ice in her veins returned instantly, and she was frozen in place once again, held fast by the chilling grip of fear. Faelis was gone. Despite everything Shaaria had done, despite all of the help Faelis's friends had offered her, this was her fate. A cruel and pitiful end to someone who just didn't want to be alone any more. All of her hopes and dreams had died with her, and…
 	Then, Shaaria saw Faelis move. One hand feebly reached up, and Faelis weakly uttered, "No! I'm not… I don't… I don't want to die…" in a desperate plea for help. One that nobody else but Shaaria could hear.
 	Shaaria hesitated, frozen in place. She could do it. She could still save Faelis. There was still time. She didn't have to let things end this way. But what would it cost? Her interference in each world was meant to be targeted and limited, without alerting its denizens to her true nature. She knew all too well what would happen if the full extent of her power was revealed to a world not prepared for it. She had to leave, while her cover was intact, and while no-one knew of her true nature. She had to preserve her façade, right to the bitter end.
 	But to leave now would mean abandoning Faelis. Leaving her to a tragic and unjust death. Denying her the opportunity to finally be happy. Betraying her trust. Faelis's plea echoed in Shaaria's head, a plea heard by no-one else. Ignoring it would be tantamount to killing her. If Shaaria left, she would carry those words with her forever. They would haunt her. She would have to live with the knowledge that she had been begged for help, from someone with no-one else to turn to, and had turned away. The necklace that Faelis had given her would become a painful reminder that when her assistance had mattered most, she had broken Faelis's trust.
 	Yet, intervening would have consequences. It would be nothing short of a miracle to those who witnessed it. They would ask questions. Speculate. Piece things together. It would be difficult to explain. 
 	But… maybe she could get away with it. No-one else would see what she was doing. If she crafted a good enough explanation, and thought ahead about what objections they might raise, she might be able to fool them. As long as they took the lie and believed it, everything would work out. She could save Faelis and maintain her disguise. She didn't have to choose between them! It was a lot of risk for just one life…
 	…but the alternative was too painful for Shaaria to consider.
 	  
 	Summoning her courage and making her decision, Shaaria resolved to deal with the consequences when the time came. She had come to this world to help those in need of her aid, and right now, Faelis needed her: no-one else could save her. And Shaaria had not gone to all the trouble of showing Faelis the way forward just for her to be killed before she even had the opportunity to make things better for herself. Shaaria only had to convince her friends from this world, who would surely be too overcome with happiness to question her.
 	With a quick gesture, Shaaria dismissed the portal leading back to her home and the image of Faelis, and stepped over the edge of the tiny island. As she plunged downwards with her wings stretched out, she made more elaborate motions with one hand and a brief incantation to complete a teleportation spell, taking her close to where Faelis was falling. The clouds obscured all sight, but a simple locating spell was all Shaaria needed to pinpoint where Faelis was. The air was getting hotter at the lower altitudes; Shaaria didn't know what lay beneath the clouds, but she had no intention of letting either of them find out.
 	Folding her wings and going into a nosedive, she closed in on Faelis, whose eyes were shut again, an expression of profound sadness and regret on her face, a few loose tassels of her brown hair whipping above her face. Shaaria reached out and took hold of her, clinging to her body. Faelis was already very weak, and slipping away.
 	But she wasn't gone yet.
 	As Shaaria opened her wings and leveled out, pulling Faelis from her descent, the woman in her arms trembled weakly, unable to lift her arms. "Shaaria…?" Faelis asked shakily, her eyes barely open at all. "I… I guess… I'm already…"
 	Shaaria had no time to waste, clinging tightly to Faelis with one arm so that she could free up her other hand to gesture. In her weakened state, Faelis easily succumbed to the spell that Shaaria used to render her unconscious, and Shaaria then channeled her magic into Faelis to mend some of her wounds and stabilize her just enough to ensure she would live until Anshu could do the rest. Shaaria already would have a difficult time explaining her miraculous survival and rescue of Faelis, but she had time to think of a story.
 	As she summoned a column of hot air to raise them up and out from the abyss so she could catch up to the airship, she glanced down. Faelis's breathing was shallow, but she was still alive, and now, she would have a real chance to live a good and happy life.
 	With that in mind, Shaaria knew she had made the right choice. She was prepared to accept the consequences.
 Chapter 42
 	Randival blinked and shook his head as his awareness returned to his own body, suddenly able to move and act rather than being forced through a memory where his actions were not his own.
 	He put one hand to his head, trying to collect his thoughts together from the foreign memories he had just seen, as he flexed the fingers of his other hand to reassure himself that he was back in reality. "It was one thing to hear how powerful you are, but to see it and hear your thoughts…" he drew a deep breath. "What… what is 'Planeswalker's Retreat'? Where are you from? Who-"
 	"If you want the answers to those questions, I must ask you to come with me," she told him in a flat tone of voice. "I will not answer them here, even with spells in place to mask our conversation."
 	"Come with you… where?" he asked.
 	"To my home."
 	Randival hesitated, but only briefly. He had come this far. He couldn't turn around and leave now. "Will you let me go afterwards?"
 	"Yes, as I said before."
 	"Then lead the way," he instructed. 
 	"Keep close, and do not say anything or draw attention to us," she instructed. He nodded in acknowledgement, so she made a gesture and rose from her seat, as did he, retrieving his hat. They began to walk out of the tea shop together, the display jar of snack cakes drawing a hungry gaze from him on the way out – but they could wait.
 	He was led out of the tea shop, and followed her into an alley. They reached whatever destination she had in mind shortly – though it may have simply been whatever quiet and concealed spot was available, for they were in front of a door with an overhang set into an alcove, well concealed from their surroundings. She gestured elaborately, but he didn't realize what she was doing until he heard a sound that he recognized from the memory she had shown him: the opening of a portal to her home. The wavering image made it hard to discern details, but he saw bright colors on the other side of it.
 	"Guests first," Shaaria said, holding a hand out towards the portal to invite him through.
 	Taking a breath and steeling his nerves, Randival walked forward, up the steps, and through the portal. Suddenly his surroundings changed: the sounds of the city of Dalavun disappeared and instead all he could hear was the gentle rustling of leaves. His vision whited out for a moment and he closed his eyes in reflex, blinking rapidly as things came back into focus.
 	He found himself in a field of purple grass that swayed gently in the breeze, located under the shade of a tall tree with light blue leaves. More trees grew off in the distance, with pools of clear water and expanses of colorful flowers dotting the landscape. The skies above him were a bright, clear blue, and it reminded him of a picturesque yet unusually-colored island. But by far the strangest thing about this place was that the ground below him seemed to stretch off as far as he could see, with no sign of the Skies Below. He turned around and saw Shaaria behind him walking out of the portal, which closed the moment she was fully through it. Right behind her was a solitary house built in an unfamiliar architectural style: two floors with an attic, a balcony at the front, and a steeped overhang above the front door. The numerous windows did not look like any he had seen before: most of them had a curved top section, while some of them were made of three parts that stuck out from the house to create a little enclosed section on the inside. One corner of the house had a circular room attached to it with a parapet on the top, looking even more alien to him. Houses were meant to be rectangular!
 	"Here we are," she told him with a dramatic wave of her arm towards what was presumably her house. "Welcome to my home, the Planeswalker's Retreat."
 	"What… or rather, where is this place?" Randival wondered aloud, still looking around. She gestured towards a varnished wooden table and a set of wicker chairs with gaps in the backs to account for tails, next to a garden of colorful yet completely unrecognizable flowers in front of the house. Removing his hat and placing it on the table as he had done before, he began to take a seat as she did the same. It must have been a very far-away island indeed.
 	"That is a very difficult question to answer, as we are no longer in your world," she replied, and he froze in place, halfway into his chair. "We are within an artificially constructed space – a pocket plane. It is large enough to hold my house and a modest landscape around it, but after that it simply ends. Imagine your world as a massive disc; we are inside of a glass marble some distance away from it."
 	Randival looked down at the ground, then up at the sky, unsure if he could even trust the terrain itself. "Is that why I can't see the Skies Below anywhere?"
 	"Your world is very atypical in that sense," she answered cryptically. "Most are made of a contiguous land mass, not scraps of land floating in the air. Unfortunately, your language does not have the necessary words for me to describe it properly, as the idea is foreign to your world."
 	"I… see," Randival murmured. Slowly, he finished taking his seat. "Stars and Skies, I hope I don't regret this."
 	She gave a low chuckle and rested her hands on the table calmly. "Don't back out on me now, Randival. You have asked for the truth, so I will provide it." Inhaling, she began, "I am not from Cauldurin, as you deduced. Nor am I even from your world. I did not hatch there, and I had never set foot in your world until the day I met you on board The Silver Wing."
 	His eyes widened. "Then who- no, what are you?"
 	"I am what is known as a Planeswalker – a magic user of immense power who can cross between worlds. With the right magic to open portals, I can simply stride from one plane to another at any point – hence, Planeswalker."
 	"And they sent you here?" he asked, then corrected himself, "Er, to me? …to my world, The Lands Between Skies? You know what I mean."
 	She shook her head. "No. I came to The Lands Between Skies of my own volition. We are not part of any unified order; it is merely a title taken by to those who have the necessary power and magical ability. As such, some have good intentions, some have evil ones, and some are inscrutable. Our motivations vary. Rarely, we bump into each other on our journeys – sometimes as allies, sometimes as enemies. Only fate can decide which."
 	"And which one are you?" Randival asked her, feeling apprehensive. "Good or evil?"
 	"It is not as simple a question to answer as you think. I aim, of course, for the former… but sometimes the ends justify the means, and drastic situations call for drastic measures. Especially when all is nearly lost, and when evil has already won, or is close to it. On top of that, some worlds have very skewed ideas of what is good and what is evil. What seems like universal concepts are actually quite subjective. What is good to one culture can be evil to another – even within a single world. When you expand that out to the infinite planes, realities, and worlds, it gets quite complicated."
 	Randival brought one hand to his muzzle in thought. "And what do you think of that? Does using evil means to fight evil make them less evil somehow?"
 	She gave him another little chuckle. "That is a question as old as existence, isn't it? While I would love to discuss that particular philosophical quandary over some tea and a few baked goods, this isn't really the time. What I will say is that, as far as my motives go, I always try to help others that I deem worthy of my assistance. I seek out places in need of help, and give it – in whatever form it may take."
 	"I thank you for that," Randival told her. "We were quite badly in need of it." He looked around at his surroundings again, and then back at Shaaria. "Did you make this place?"
 	"Yes. There was nothing here when I first began, as with all artificially constructed spaces," she told him. "It is my home. Not my place of origin… one thing I told you that was not a lie is that I have left my family behind. This place is my home in the sense that it is where I feel safe and comfortable, where I can rest and recover between travels to different worlds. No-one can enter this place unless I explicitly invite them. I have layered safeguards upon safeguards over this space; even if you knew the right spells and knew where to look, you would be unable to enter, and I would be warned of the attempt to intrude."
 	"I must say… the more you describe what you are capable of, the more you sound like some sort of goddess."
 	Shaaria's reply was immediate and firm, both of her hands coming down on the table. "No. I am not. I am merely mortal like you – but with immense power, carefulness, and a deep understanding of magic and the omniverse. I have no divine powers, and I was born an ordinary person."
 	He gave a brief chuckle. "The ability to cross between worlds and wield immense magical power seems rather divinely potent to me," he remarked.
 	"And that is exactly why I must keep my full strength concealed," she asserted. "An appearance of might is one thing, but to be thought of as an omnipotent divine being causes vastly more problems than it solves, especially when I do not intend to stay forever."
 	"But grand tales and figures are what inspire us," Randival objected. "Half of what I learned to do, I picked up because I had heard tales of dashing swordsmen and traveling gentlemen in my youth. Those who are stronger than us give us something to aspire to."
 	"Only within limits. To be thought of as a hero can inspire others, the same way people venerate their ancestors and want to be more like them. But gods are not heroes, because they always seem out of reach, impossible to emulate. We mortals can tread in the footsteps of another mortal, but not a deity – or a mortal that is mistaken for a deity. So instead they ask the god to do everything for them, placing their fate in the hands of another, praising them for fortunes and blaming them for misfortunes in equal measure."
 	"Are they not the same? I admit I know very little of the old pagan religions of my world, but those who worshipped godlike beings instead of venerating the Stars Above looked to those beings for strength, wanting to borrow even some fraction of their power."
 	"And do you think they got it, Randival?" Shaaria asked. The question sounded rhetorical, but he answered it anyway.
 	"Of course not," he told her, scoffing. "It was merely superstition. But that doesn't matter: what does matter is that they aspired to be greater than they were."
 	"Yes, and they simply begged for someone else to make them stronger, rather than making themselves stronger," Shaaria insisted. 
 	"Nothing says they could not have done both."
 	"Which would still be less effective than focusing on self-improvement alone." She leaned across the table a little as she continued emphatically, "The real issue is this: were I exposed as a Planeswalker to The Lands Between Skies and thought of as a god, people would devote themselves to someone who will never answer their prayers. Instead of looking to solve their own problems, they would beg for me to do it for them, even when I cannot hear them. Even if they are told I am leaving, they will instead pray for my return rather than lift a finger to help themselves. Then, when their pleas go unanswered, they will become bitter and spiteful. They will lash out at themselves and those around them, falsely blaming forces beyond their control for problems that they could fix if they simply took responsibility for them themselves. Because those are two sides of the same coin – when you accept responsibility for your problems, you also gain the power to fix them. But when you lay all of the blame at the feet of things you cannot control, so too do you forfeit the ability to do anything about those problems yourself."
 	Randival clasped his hands, meeting her gaze. "It is a lot to ask a person to bear the weight of all of their burdens alone. Even though putting that burden on some higher power may not solve it, it can ease someone's woes enough for them to tackle the other problems they face. Otherwise we can become crushed by the strain we must bear in our lives – I will never know for sure, but I suspect that is what became of my brother."
 	Shaaria shook her head. "That isn't what I was saying. After all, I spent a great deal of time convincing Faelis that she didn't have to bear all of her burdens by herself. People must rely on each other, not on gods or superheroes or other beings that will be forever beyond their reach."
 	"Yet when a Planeswalker like you aids a world," Randival pointed out, "they are relying on the help of a greater being, even if they do not realize it."
 	"I am not a 'greater being'!" Shaaria reiterated, slamming a hand onto the table for emphasis. "My origins are as humble as yours! I was not born into this role – I took it for myself by studying, learning, training, and growing. Any magic user can become a Planeswalker if they have the desire and will to learn the necessary spells to travel, protect themselves, learn the local languages, and so on."
 	Taking a breath and calming a little, she straightened up in her seat. "More to the point, my goal is the opposite of making a world reliant on me. I would rather fail in my task than doom a world to such a fate. Instead, I work to make sure that people will not need my help in the future. I work to make people better, stronger, more knowledgeable, or whatever else it takes. But this can only work if people think that I am one of them, and it is imperative that my ruse works. Thus, I take great care to blend into the worlds I visit, even when I sometimes must take other forms and disguise myself more thoroughly than simply putting on an outfit and inventing a backstory. And, above all else, I must preserve the façade that I present on any given world."
 	"Even if it means people die?"
 	"Yes," she said solemnly. "I accept that the deaths of those people on board the ship that crashed into Dalavun weigh on me in some way. Choosing not to act is still a choice, is it not? And like all choices, it comes with repercussions. I simply weighed the cost of action against the cost of inaction, and chose the latter. And I accept that the death of the head attendant on The Silver Wing weighs on me as well; I did not deal the wound he died from, but I could have healed him as I did with Faelis. Yet I did not, because I was more focused on preserving my disguise. I regret doing so, but I still feel it was necessary."
 	Randival nodded, and then leaned forward, lowering his voice. "And if Faelis had died, would you have written her off as a necessary sacrifice?"
 	She winced and closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath. "Only if rescuing her would have exposed my true identity to The Lands Between Skies," she said quietly. "If I were forced to make that choice…"
 	She trailed off, but Randival knew what had gone unsaid. "Well. You are nothing if not consistent, when I dig into it," he muttered darkly. "I understand, but I do not agree. I could never do what you do. I cannot adhere to any outlook that requires me to simply let someone die, especially not a friend, if I have the reasonable means to save them. Having to stand by and watch a tragedy unfold even though I could help… that isn't in my nature."
 	She gave him a little smile, opening her eyes again. "If it were, you wouldn't have set out on your journey, and I wouldn't have met you and been able to stop the catastrophe occurring in The Lands Between Skies. You and I are very different, but together, we have done more than we could alone."
 	Randival frowned. "I don't think you needed my help, though."
 	"Well, not specifically you perhaps, but-"
 	"No, you didn't need anyone's help," he interrupted. "You were quite capable of solving the void monster problem entirely on your own. You can detect things with magic, so you certainly didn't need our help to find the Aerie. You easily killed the creature on the Aerie's heart, so you didn't need our help to defeat it. I'm sure you could have destroyed the crystal by yourself." As the pieces fell into place, he felt anger rising within him, and his hands clenched into fists. "You didn't need any of us. So why did you go through the whole charade?"
 	"I told you already, my goal is not to simply solve a world's problems for them," Shaaria protested. "It is to help the world and its inhabitants to solve their own problems so that they do not become reliant upon me."
 	Randival was not convinced, and pounded a fist on the table. "Don't give me that! There were plenty of other ways you could have gone about it if that was your goal. You could have pointed us in the right direction with the right advice – and with a warning to bring more than a handful of people along. You could have gotten rid of the void creatures and then come up with a falsified written account of your travels. You could have formed your own group from interested people. But you chose to go the specific route of pretending you were one of us to join an existing group!"
 	"I-"
 	"And I know why," Randival said menacingly, leaning forward. "It was for your own self-satisfaction. You wanted to go on an adventure and make friends, and that was more important than solving the problem." He snorted in amusement, then gave a short yet humorless laugh. "You are no different from me! I left my home to go on an adventure and get away from my family. Saving the world was never on my mind until you pointed it out when talking to my father. But it was the same for you! You just wanted the companionship!"
 	She closed her eyes and looked away from him. "You're right," she admitted. "I can't deny it. I wanted to help. And I also wanted to hear people be grateful. I wanted to know that I made a difference. To fit into the world and feel like I belonged there while lending my assistance."
 	"Why? Why is that so important to you?"
 	She looked away. "Doesn't everyone want that? Doesn't everyone feel better when they help someone and hear words of gratitude and thanks?"
 	"There's quite a difference between doing someone a favor and playing with the fate of the world!" Randival said in a raised voice. "You are going to extreme lengths for that sort of gratification!"
 	She stared down at the table for a few moments before speaking. "I tell you this out of honesty, not in an attempt to fish for pity. But I never had anything like that in my childhood. The opportunity to be praised, desired, wanted or appreciated in my youth was stolen from me, and I will never get it back. Thus, I must find ways to look for it now as an adult." Lifting her head, she looked at him with a sad expression. "I am only mortal, after all, and have mortal needs and wants. I will not deny that part of this is for my own desires. However, at the end of the day, I am still helping people, a lot of people – is it so wrong to get some gratification from it too?"
 	"You claim you are helping, but if the world – well, the 'omniverse' as you keep putting it – truly is infinite…" he went on, resting his hands on the edge of the table as he leaned forward, "…then why do you even bother? Everything you do is, ultimately, quite irrelevant. By saving Faelis, you changed her life, but on a worldwide scale it is going to change very little. Let alone the scale you operate on. I am trying not to think about it too hard, but even The Lands Between Skies must be little more than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things."
 	She gave him a small nod. "You are quite right. And not only am I not the only Planeswalker, but there are those with far more malicious intentions than mine. In the time it takes me to help a world, they may conquer or even destroy several."
 	"Then why bother at all?"
 	Meeting his gaze, she responded, "I do this anyway because once, long ago, someone else did it for me. They pulled me from the depths of despair and gave me a reason to keep going. They gave me hope. That person was also a Planeswalker, and I followed in their footsteps. I want to do the same for others that was done for me, because I know just how much it matters. I hope that I can be like that for someone like Faelis. I want to find people who deserve to be better off, and make them better off, in ways that they agree have improved their lives. Maybe it doesn't really matter in the big picture… but to those people I help? It can change their life. And that's worth it to me. The good that I do, however small, however insignificant, still exists. It makes me happy. And nothing can take that away from me."
 	Leaning back again, she kept her gaze on him. "As strong as I am, there are people out there more powerful than I… though that number has gradually decreased over time as I have grown stronger and learned more. This is not my first visit to a world, and it will not be my last. Each one teaches me something, just as I assist those within it. I have won mage duels, commanded armies on ships crossing between the stars, fought legions of undead, and even raised some myself. I have been to places so primitive they do not have a spoken language, and places so advanced they have partly transcended the physical form. Sometimes I assist only a small tribe or a single individual, sometimes multiple worlds and the stars between them are all under threat."
 	He raised an eyebrow. "An impressive record," he admitted.
 	She gave a small sigh. "My initial forays into Planeswalking were much less successful, of course. Even now, I still do not always succeed. In fact, in the world before this one, I was assassinated during the decisive battle. I will never know if I did enough, for although I am largely guided by my own principles, there is one restriction I cannot get around, however much I wish otherwise: any world that I 'die' in, I cannot return to. I cannot truly die while I am visiting a world, as I have enough contingency spells to take me back here to my home should any fatal harm ever befall me, or if I will it in an emergency, or if I am unconscious or otherwise lacking coherent thought for long enough. But there is still a risk, and I cannot be reckless, lest I accomplish nothing – or make things worse somehow."
 	He thought on that for a moment. "Then is this really a final goodbye?" he asked her a little more softly. "Will we ever see you again?"
 	"I can only give you a maybe," she replied, though he saw her reach up and lightly grasp at the necklace around her neck. "I have not died in The Lands Between Skies, and left it on my own terms, so I will be free to return any time I like. It is more of a question of finding time. I may be incredibly long-lived, but a day for you is still a day for me; my time is just as finite, and must be divided within an infinite omniverse." She said nothing for a brief moment, then released the necklace, letting it dangle, and gave him a warm smile. "But I would like to return to you some day. I have made good friends. Yours is a beautiful world."
 	"If you desire companionship, and friends, why not simply stay in The Lands Between Skies?" he offered. "You already have several good friends, as you said. Even though my recent words have been harsh, I do sincerely hope this is not the last we see of each other. I know Faelis was quite saddened by your departure. And truth be told, it is hard to accept that this is the last time I will ever see you."
 	Regret briefly flickered across Shaaria's face. "I sincerely wish Faelis the best. From here on out, it is up to her to turn her life around and make things better for herself. She has the opportunity and the support. All she needs to do… is reach out and take it. She has more power over her destiny than she thinks."
 	"I wish her the same," Randival agreed. "She is a deeply troubled woman, and I look after her because I want her to move beyond that."
 	"I think that she will," Shaaria said with a smile, giving him a thoughtful look. "I am not the only one who has helped her to grow on this journey. She will likely need more help, but I've done my part; the rest is up to you."
 	"Still, that does not answer my question. We would all be very glad to have you with us. Why not stay in The Lands Between Skies?"
 	"Would that it were that simple," she murmured, leaning back and sighing. "But I want to keep helping people. And to a certain extent, I do agree with your viewpoint that someone with power as great as mine has a responsibility to use it to help others – even if we differ on how much we expect I am obligated to help."
 	"It still sounds to me like a rather selfish sort of altruism," he mused.
 	"Perhaps it is," she conceded, "yet selfish altruism is still altruism. If someone donates money to a school to get it named after them, that money still helps just as much as if it were donated anonymously. I am, as I said, only mortal, with mortal needs and desires and flaws. My assistance is lent partly for my own gratification, but I am still helping people. Is that so wrong?"
 	"Maybe. Maybe not," Randival answered noncommittally. "But it does seem to me that you did end up solving all of The Lands Between Skies' problems for us anyway."
 	She gave him a wry smile. "No, Randival. I did exactly what I came to do: to lend my assistance in a way that means that I will not be needed in the future."
 	He furrowed his brow. "I don't follow."
 	Leaning on the table, she explained, "You never did find where the void creature in the Aerie came from. Both you and Linya asked that question aloud, yet no answer was found. Neither do you know what is on the other side of the rifts. Nor do you know if there are other ancient crystals or ruins out there that might be corrupted or corruptible."
 	A chill ran down Randival's spine. "Then… the void monsters will return?"
 	"Most likely, some day," Shaaria answered. "But I have sown the seeds of your future success. You spent most of the trip on your father's luxury liner telling anyone who would listen about your adventure, and I suspect that even with all you have learned today, you will continue to do so. You have learned how to locate corrupted crystals and what it will take to destroy them. The rift-sealing ritual that Linya discovered was copied and sent to multiple mercenary groups in multiple different cities, and will be kept in the archives of the Nashadhe Shipwrights. Not to mention, she will surely record what she knows at the college – I gave her a little encouragement in that direction, just to be safe. Similarly, I gave Anshu a nudge towards both recording the formula for the potion he made that burns through void creatures, and to spend the necessary time stabilizing it for easier use and production."
 	Randival simply stared at her, so she went on, "And you, Randival. You already intend to work on taking the reins of your father's company. When you do, you will be prepared for next time, whenever it happens. You will know what defenses will be required on the airships and how to better protect people from the void creatures. And all of this will be possible without my presence. I have helped prepare The Lands Between Skies to prepare itself much better for the future, and defend itself without my assistance."
 	"You… used me. You used us," he said, his anger tempered by astonishment and the weight of her revelation.
 	She nodded. "For a greater good. For your world as a whole. For future generations." She leaned forward and added softly, "But please do not take that to mean that it was all business for me. I greatly enjoyed my time in your company, and with the others in our group. I may have had an ulterior motive, but my happiness among you, my efforts to help you as individuals, and my friendship, were all genuine. I did use you, and for that, I apologize. But I promise it was with the purest of intentions."
 	Randival said nothing, taking a long, deep breath. A few moments of silence passed between them, and Shaaria inquired, "Is there anything else?"
 	"No," Randival replied after a few moments. "My curiosity has been satisfied. I know the truth. Even though I must take it to the Stars without saying a word of it to anyone, I prefer that to going my life never knowing what really happened."
 	"I thought you would. It is very rare that I reveal my identity to anyone. Yet I decided to tell you the full truth, despite what it would make you think of me, because I thought you deserved to hear it."
 	Slowly inclining his head towards her, he replied, "And that is why, even with all that I have learned of you, I still consider you a friend, and hope that this is not the last time I see you."
 	Her smile widened slightly, but neither of them said anything more, so Shaaria reached up, making an elaborate gesture with one hand. Another portal opened up in the air next to the table, and through it, Randival could see a blurry alley – the same one she had taken him to before bringing him to her home. "Please give my regards to the others," she told him quietly as she stood up and gave him a little bow. "I care for them greatly, even though I must part ways from them like this."
 	He stood as well and bowed to her, crossing one wing-arm over his chest. "I will. Before I leave, though, I have one final thing to tell you."
 	She tilted her head in curiosity. "Oh? What's that?"
 	"It's about your sash."
 	Glancing down to it, she shrugged. "Ah. I will be taking it off soon. I don't need to fix it."
 	"Oh no, there's nothing to fix," he remarked, grinning widely. "I made that whole thing up. They wear it both ways in Cauldurin."
 	She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, and then smiled, chuckling briefly, before bursting out into raucous laughter that carried over the empty land around her home. She laughed so hard that she had to reach out and support herself on the table with one hand, holding the other to her chest. It took her a while to calm down, and once she did, she reached out and patted him on the shoulder with one hand. "Very well done," she told him, still smiling widely, "You are a shrewd man, and you will go far in your life, whatever it is that you choose to do."
 	He gave her a smug smile as she stepped away, donning his hat with both hands. "Farewell, Shaaria. I wish you safe travels. I trust you will find me if you come to visit."
 	  
 	"Farewell, Randival. May good fortune ever be at your side." With a final incline of her head towards him, she held out one arm towards the portal.
 	Randival gave a bow to her, and then walked through the portal. As expected, he came out of it into a mildly familiar empty alley between buildings, and the moment the hook on the end of his tail passed through, the portal closed behind him. For a moment he felt a tingling sensation inside of his head, and then it was gone.
 	He looked around, gazing upwards, spotting a gryphon rider flying overhead. He was back home. Even the air felt familiar in a way. If what Shaaria said about the void creatures was right, he would have his work cut out for him… but not for a while yet. He had time to rest and relax with his friends. And to fulfil a confectionery-related promise to Faelis.
 	The rest of the group was waiting roughly where he had left them, though they had moved to a nearby bench in the plaza and Anshu had removed his backpack to set it down. "Ah, there you are," Linya said as he approached them. "That took a while."
 	"We had a lot to talk about. I did my best to convince her to stay, but she was quite determined," he told them. 
 	"Did you ask her about…?" Linya inquired.
 	"She didn't tell me anything," Randival said. Those weren't the words he had intended to reply with, but it seemed like Shaaria's enchantment was working. He had expected it would not be an idle threat, but he had agreed to it anyway, and he could do little about it now. "Anyway, she sends her regards to you all. But I suppose that means we are now splitting the rewards only four ways, so all the more for us."
 	"Five ways!" Hiccup cut in.
 	"Regardless," Randival continued undaunted, "that tea shop has the most scrumptious-looking cakes available for sale right at this very moment, so rather than stand around out here as we discuss our plans, I propose that we-"
 	"Randival?" Faelis suddenly blurted out.
 	Surprised that she had interrupted him, he looked over at her. She still seemed a little timid, wringing her hands, but she was looking up at him with determination, taking heavy breaths as if to steel herself. "What is it, Faelis?" he asked.
 	"There's something I have to tell you," Faelis said, a little shaky, but still pressing onwards. "Something important. Something I've wanted to say for a while. I… I need to tell you now, or I won't be able to later."
 	Recalling Shaaria's words about Faelis, he turned to face her, giving her his full attention and a cordial smile. "Go ahead, Faelis," he said invitingly, "I'm listening."
 Epilogue
 	"I promise I will never forget you."
 	Shaaria softly repeated her parting words to Faelis as she looked at the necklace she held in her hand, the pendant dangling from it. The familiar peacefulness of her home in Planeswalker's Retreat was welcoming and relaxing. And since she had left The Lands Between Skies willingly, she was able to bring back the things she had collected on her travels. She still had most of the book of fables to finish, for one thing, but by far the most important one to her was Faelis's gift.
 	  
 	Standing in front of a big, ornate, glass-fronted cabinet in her bedroom, Shaaria slowly opened the doors one at a time with her free hand. Within it were rows of carefully arranged mementos of her previous travels. To most, it would look like a rather eclectic collection – a travel board game, a plush toy, a futuristic-looking device, small blue crystals, a jade statuette, a small draconic skull, and many other odds and ends besides. But to her, each one was a reminder of one of her visits. A way to bring back precious memories. She glanced over her collection, remembering the circumstances behind each one in detail, and what they meant to her. The people she had helped, and the lives she had changed for the better. Proof of all that she had done – in the worlds she hadn't died in, at least – and a reminder that, as insignificant as it was in the grand scheme of things, her help and assistance did matter, and that it wasn't for nothing.
 	Delicately, she placed the necklace she had received from Faelis back in its case, but left the lid open as she set the case down inside of the display cabinet. Slowly, she ran one finger over the pendant, giving it one last glance, then gently shut the cabinet doors with a soft click.
 	 
 Appendix A: Extra Scenes
 Prelude: Another Beginning
 	Stepping into her office, Linya paused for a moment to let Hiccup fly past her, then closed the door and approached her desk. The office was a cozy little room lined with bookshelves where she had spent many days (and sometimes nights), with a large window at the back where a cushion on the windowsill was set out for Hiccup. The center of the room had a large and neatly-organized desk positioned there, with the mail trays at one corner, the books she had currently checked out from the library at another, and the notes she had been taking yesterday stacked up in the middle in front of her seat.
 	Before sitting down, she turned to the windowsill as Hiccup settled down onto the cushion. Next to it was a crystal-powered radio, something Linya had considered quite a novelty when she had first obtained it: a relatively new device, it could only pick up signals transmitted from within Matakras, but she had grown fond of the ability to have something other than silence in her office. More importantly, a key feature of the radio was its ability to keep Hiccup from getting bored. Flicking the power switch, Linya turned the dials on the front to adjust it to the frequency of the morning news broadcast, and then took a seat at her desk to begin inspecting the contents of her inbox tray.
 	"…expect new agreements to be written as a result of these talks," the masculine newsreader continued from whatever story Linya had missed. Something about the innumerable trade agreements between the islands, no doubt, and of little interest to her, so she focused instead on her mail, most of which was internal communications of the College of Matakras. She flipped through them quickly: an invitation to the upcoming faculty dinner event, a few incidental memoranda to the staff at large, replies to some requests she had sent to other researchers as well as requests from others for her expertise…
 	"We go now to our current events correspondent," the newsreader announced, "Please stay tuned to the Matakras Bulletin."
 	A few moments of silence, and then a new, feminine voice took the air. "Good morning, listeners. Our top story today relates to the recent disappearances of two airships, Cloud Skimmer VII and The Golden Feather, of the Therisia Freight Company and Beranik Skyliners respectively. Last night in Dalavun, shortly after take-off, the passenger airship Luck of the Stars belonging to the Nashadhe Shipwrights came under attack."
 	Sensing Hiccup's sudden curiosity, Linya looked up from the memorandum she had been reading, and began paying more attention to the broadcast as it went on. "Eyewitness accounts describe a rift opening in the sky, and creatures with strange shapes emerging from it, flying through the air to attack the ship. Turning back towards Dalavun, the captain sounded the alarm and fired off emergency flares to call for assistance from the city's patrol ships and gryphon riders. An estimated 43 people are dead and 76 injured, most of them quite grievously…"
 	"Skies Below," Linya murmured under her breath.
 	"…largely crew members of the Luck of the Stars, and the guardsmen who came to their rescue. 17 gryphons were also killed in the rescue. The attackers were killed and the ship successfully made an emergency landing. Official accounts say the rift closed of its own accord, and flights remain grounded today while investigations continue. The guard captain of Dalavun had this to say:"
 	There was a short pause, and the sound of papers rustling as the newsreader reached for what was Linya assumed was a copy of a crystalgraph message from Dalavun – no other form of correspondence could possibly have gotten to Matakras overnight. "We are grateful for the bravery and heroism shown by our members in responding to this threat, especially those who laid down their lives to rescue the crew and passengers of the Luck of the Stars – may they shine brightly in the night sky. We do not have all of the answers at this time, but we will be sparing no expense to find them. A memorial service will be held for those slain in two days' time. Patrols in the skies around Dalavun are on high alert in the event of a return of this threat."
 	After another pause, the newsreader continued, "The captain of the Luck of the Stars could not be reached for comment due to his injuries. The Nashadhe Shipwrights released the following statement:"
 	Another turning of papers. "First and foremost, we thank the guardsmen of Dalavun for their swift action and heroic sacrifices to save the lives of our crew and passengers, and mourn for those who could not be saved. Going forward, we will be ensuring our vessels are equipped to defend themselves against these threats, so that this tragedy does not repeat itself."
 	Pausing again before continuing, the newsreader concluded, "The mayor of Dalavun could not be reached for comment on short notice, but the island authority is expected to release a statement later today. Theories are currently circulating that these rifts and the monsters from them are responsible for the disappearances of Cloud Skimmer VII and The Golden Feather. We have here with us Professor Gellemere from the College of Matakras, an expert in history, to tell us about a similar series of incidents from forty winters ago."
 	Linya raised an eyebrow. A fellow member of the faculty being interviewed? She had long since forgotten the mail on her desk, but her eyes fell on the clock on the wall; she would not be able to hear the rest of the broadcast, as she had to make her way over to the east wing for a meeting.
 	"Professor, what would you say-" was as far as the newsreader got before Linya reached over and turned off the radio.
 	"Hey!" Hiccup protested, her upper body rising up off the cushion, broadcasting annoyance over their empathic bond as she scowled, "I was listening to that!"
 	"We have to get going, Hiccup," Linya insisted, pointing to the wall. "But I am intrigued as well. Let's see if we can't speak with Professor Gellemere later today, shall we?"
 	"Fine," Hiccup grumbled, conceding as she floated up into the air. "Let's go to this stupid meeting, if we have to."
 	--------------------
 	Peeking her head around the open door and seeing that the office was occupied, Linya reached around and knocked on the door. "Professor Gellemere?" she inquired.
 	Behind his desk, the venerable serpentine dragon was sitting on a low, padded chair made to accommodate his legless body, with a high back but no armrests. He wore loose brown robes that mostly covered his black body scales and gray front, and a short pair of horns jutted from his combed-back gray hair, his ear-fins spreading out a little as heard Linya speak.
 	Looking up from the parchment paper on his desk that he had been in the process of unwrapping to expose the skewers of cuts of cooked and seasoned meat inside, he looked her over with his red eyes, sizing her up. "Forgive me, I don't believe we've met before, Professor…?"
 	"Research Professor Felhui," Linya corrected him politely. "From the Department of Spell Research. And this is my Research Assistant."
 	Hiccup waved with one arm as she floated above Linya's shoulder. "Hi!"
 	"I see. And what brings someone from DSR to my office?" he inquired, gesturing for her to come in.
 	She took a seat at the chair in front of his desk, which fortunately was not also sized for a serpentine dragon. "I'm not here on official College business, Professor Gellemere."
 	"Ah, then please, dispense with the formality," he told her cordially, giving a dismissive wave of his hand before unwrapping his lunch the rest of the way. "Just call me Regis."
 	"Likewise, then, you can call me Linya." Leaning forward, she clasped her hands, resting them on the desk. "I do not wish to intrude on your lunchtime any longer than necessary, so while I would be happy to make your acquaintance another time – at the upcoming faculty dinner, perhaps – I will get to the point. I heard that you were invited to the Matakras Bulletin this morning."
 	"Hm? Oh, yes!" he replied, picking up one of the skewers of meat. Out of the corner of her eye, Linya spotted Hiccup slowly floating forward and sniffing at the air. Putting a hand on Hiccup's side, Linya tugged the lindwurm towards herself pointedly without taking her gaze off of the history professor, and ignored Hiccup's grumpy emotions as she did. "It was quite by chance, actually. I've been invited to speak on-air by them before, and they had the invitation waiting for me at my home by the time I got up this morning. Fortunately, my first lecture isn't right at the start of the day, so I had time to fulfil their request."
 	"I regret that I was not able to hear the interview," Linya explained as he ate a piece of the meat from the skewer. "I'm quite interested to know what insights a professor of history had to offer regarding an attack on an airship in the present day."
 	Swallowing the meat, he set the rest of the skewer down and straightened up with pride. "Ah! Well, the answer to that lies forty winters ago, when the first attacks happened."
 	"First attacks?" Linya repeated, tilting her head, coaxing Hiccup into draping herself over her shoulders.
 	He gave her a nod. "Yes, this isn't the first time this has happened. I'm old enough to remember seeing it with my own two eyes! I think I still have…" he trailed off into absent murmuring as he dug through the pockets on his robe, eventually extracting a folded piece of parchment. "Here, look at this."
 	Linya took it delicately and unfolded it. It was a drawing, but had she not known better, she would have assumed it was some illustration from a fiction book. The creature looked like a large amorphous blob with a pair of wings akin to those of a wing-backed dragon, yet its front was split open into a large, toothy maw. It had no eyes, ears nor ear-fins, tail, or horns. Its dark surface was speckled with lighter spots, though since the drawing was in black and white she did not know how distinct those spots actually were in reality. Other, smaller drawings near the bottom showed similar creatures, with legs instead of wings, in various configurations.
 	"What… is this?" she murmured, staring at it.
 	"It's ugly," Hiccup observed unhelpfully, peering at the paper.
 	"Rift creature, void creature, void monster, formless abomination – take your pick," Regis answered impassively. "That drawing is from forty winters ago. Those creatures attacked then just as they did yesterday, coming from a rift in the skies, striking at airships. They weren't around long enough for any standardization of their name to come about, and many colloquial terms sprung up." With a touch of mirth, he added, "Many of which are not fit for publication."
 	Linya folded the paper and passed it back. "Why weren't they around for long? Were they defeated quickly?"
 	He gave her a shrug. "No-one knows. One day they showed up out of nowhere, and caused havoc for about two seasons. Then, they stopped. Your guess is as good as mine as to why. I have been unable to find any clues as to what made them disappear, looking in news reports, eyewitness accounts, records…" he smirked a little as he added, "…and my own memory of the events. It is one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time."
 	He picked up the meat skewer again and resumed eating as Linya contemplated his words. "Did they only attack airships?"
 	"Almost exclusively!" Regis answered, "And, only large ones. Heavy cargo freighters and large passenger vessels, not smaller craft. I only say 'almost' exclusively because of one attack on a factory in Salavar."
 	"A factory?" Linya inquired curiously.
 	He gave her a nod. "What is common to these attacks is the presence of large power crystals. I mentioned this in my interview earlier – those creatures must be drawn to the crystals, though for what reason, I do not know, as they always have either been driven back… or the ships are never seen again."
 	"At the bottom of the Skies Below, no doubt," Linya murmured.
 	"It is a safe assumption," Regis agreed. His look and tone both fell as he continued, "I am still waiting to hear back from the Dalavun authorities as to the fate of some of our students… they were supposed to return from a trip to Dalavun yesterday, and I fear they may have been on board the ship that was attacked."
 	"Oh dear," Linya murmured, feeling uneasy, a sentiment Hiccup shared.
 	"I can only hope the crystalgraph message comes with good news eventually."
 	"I hope so too," Linya empathized. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"
 	He shook his head. "Precious little, I am afraid. When the rifts close, those creatures simply disappear, so we have little information about them as there is nothing to glean after the fact except from eyewitness accounts. But perhaps you could find something in the DSR's archives from forty winters ago? You folks get up to all kinds of… interesting things over there."
 	Linya had been at the college long enough to know that he had a point; 'eccentric' barely covered it for a few of the more prominent researchers, and a rather concerning number of the department's discoveries had been made by accident. "I will be sure to take a look," she told him. "I'll let you know if I find anything."
 	"Thank you," he said sincerely, and held out the skewer in his hand towards Hiccup. She sniffed at it, extending her head, but Linya quickly grabbed her behind the neck and reined her in. "Hiccup, you can't eat that, you know that."
 	"But it smells good!" Hiccup protested. 
 	"Yes, and it will make you sick."
 	"At least let me lick the sauce off."
 	With a sigh, Linya glanced towards the amused history professor, who was withdrawing the skewer to finish it off himself instead. "Apologies. I'll let you get back to your lunch. Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you again soon."
 	"Of course, do feel free to drop by if you need anything else," he told her, and with a respectful nod, she stood up and left, keeping a hand on Hiccup to make sure the lindwurm didn't sneak off to try and steal a piece of Professor Gellemere's lunch.
 	--------------------
 	Frustrated, Linya closed the book she had been reading and moved it to the stack on the left side of her desk. With her available time she had taken a trip to the archives and brought back a number of tomes of potential interest to her office, along with a stack of individual papers that she had given to Hiccup. Sadly, there had been little of help found by either of them, and after finishing her papers Hiccup had curled up on her cushion to listen to the music playing on the radio while Linya worked through the books.
 	While her interest was technically personal, a discovery relating to an ongoing crisis would fall within the scope of her research work, so she had balanced it against her scheduled duties and meetings of the day. Yet a glance at the clock showed that she had been caught up in her reading enough to not notice the end of the workday, a not altogether uncommon occurrence.
 	Getting up from her chair, she reached over to turn off the radio, and when Hiccup gave her a grumpy stare she reached out and gave her familiar a pat along the back of her head. "Time to head home, Hiccup."
 	Hiccup rose the front of her body up and stretched out her arms, giving a yawn as her whole body rose up into the air, uncoiling into an almost-straight line before resuming her usual partly-curled form as she lifted off from the cushion. After tidying the office and turning out the lights, Linya left with Hiccup, locking up on the way out. It was always much quieter at the end of the day than the beginning, and her footsteps echoed slightly in the corridors.
 	That quiet was broken when she got out of the front door of the building and headed through the courtyard to the main entrance, where a crowd of people had gathered. Curious, she approached and saw that a platform had been hastily set up, and a spokesman for the college, a feather-wing dragon in a suit, was reading something from his papers. A statement from the university relating to the attack on the Luck of the Stars, perhaps?
 	Sensing that Hiccup was as curious as she was, Linya approached the crowd from the side so as not to disturb what was happening. The spokesman was reading off a list of names one after another, but without any context, she was at a loss as to the significance. Spotting Professor Gellemere standing not too far away, Linya crept over to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder, lowering her voice and leaning in close as he turned his head to look at her.
 	"Apologies," she whispered, "But what is happening?"
 	"It's the response from Dalavun," he replied to her in just as quiet a voice. "They're reading the casualty lists."
 	"Thank you," Linya replied emotionlessly as she felt the weight of that revelation. Hearing how many people had been hurt or killed as a simple number had been jarring enough, but to hear each name read off individually, even when she didn't recognize them, was something else entirely.
 	Then, as another name was read off, a commotion suddenly broke out nearby, interrupting the spokesman. "No. NO!" someone called out, and Linya saw a whiskered dragon in a laborer's uniform at near the front of the crowd fall forward, forcing the people in front of him aside. "Please, no!" he begged, his hands trembling as he stared up at the platform, "There must… there must be some mistake…! She's just injured, she… she…!"
 	The spokesman's brow furrowed with concern, and he looked down at his paper. "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but she is on the casualty list. You have my condolences…"
 	Someone reached out to put a hand on the man's shoulder, but he smacked it away, his hands clenching into fists. "My daughter… she…" he began, trembling with fury, then got to his feet, pointing angrily at the spokesman. "Why didn't you protect her? Don't you have magic?"
 	"We don't know all the details yet," the spokesman replied, holding up a hand to try and urge calm. "The professor who was leading the trip is recovering from her injures. We will ask her what happened when she has recovered enough to-"
 	But the grieving father was having none of it. "So she lives and my daughter dies? Do you think that's fair?" he cried out, his hands shaking. "What's the point of knowing magic if you can't use it to help anyone? You're all cowards!"
 	The spokesman was about to speak, but the man stormed off, pushing his way through the crowd. An uneasy silence fell before the spokesman resumed reading where he had left off, but Linya had heard enough, and skirted around the edge of the crowd to begin the walk back home.
 	She could sense Hiccup's curiosity at the emotions broiling within her, so after turning a corner, she sighed and glanced over to the lindwurm flying along beside her. "He reminded me of that visitor from last summer," she explained to answer Hiccup's un-asked question.
 	"The one from the armorer?"
 	"Yes." The Department of Spell Research had pulled out all of the stops to try and impress him to get more research funding, but in the end he had left without committing a single coin. Too much theory and not enough application, he had claimed; just a group of armchair intellectuals too isolated from the world outside the college to be of any use to it. Did he have a point? While she would readily admit she pursued knowledge for its own sake, she liked to believe that in some way her research helped people, however indirectly…
 	Noticing her doubts, Hiccup floated a little closer. "Who cares that they think? They don't know what you do. Not really."
 	"No, but I do," Linya murmured, gazing at the palm of her hand for a moment. Knowledge was a tool, to be used for good or for ill. It served no purpose until given one. Latent magical energy did nothing by itself, but with the right application…
 	She conjured a small flame in her hand, staring into it for a moment, then, snuffed it out and closed her hand into a determined fist as she lifted her gaze, making sure she wouldn't bump into anyone as she walked. She would find a way. She would prove them wrong. Tomorrow she would head back to the archives and scour every last tome there if that was what it took. She didn't know what she would find, but that was what made it research – and she was very good at that.
 	  
 	"Let's get home and get some rest," she told Hiccup, feeling emboldened. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
 	 
 Prelude: A Fateful Failure
 	Just one. She only needed one.
 	Faelis kept her head low and her hood up as she made her way among the crowded morning streets. The all-too-familiar pangs of hunger in her stomach made it difficult to focus. But she only needed one. Just one success, and she could feed herself for a little bit longer.
 	But she stood out in the crowd, a poor wretch who belonged on the other side of town, yet was roaming among the well-to-dos in the nicer parts of Therisia. The all-black garb covering the wing-backed dragon's pink scales served her well at night, but in the morning it only made her more conspicuous. It didn't help that her stunted wings only made her a more unusual sight to draw the attention of those around her. People were wary, keeping their eyes on her or resting their hands on their pockets. As they were right to do, considering that she was trying to pick them. But she only needed one, just one, so she could eat…
 	A distracted feather-winged dragon lady up ahead, comparing the dresses in the window of a shop to the one she was wearing, seemed like the best chance Faelis was going to get. She drew close, taking a breath to steel herself for the attempt to pick the finely-dressed woman's pockets – only for someone else who wasn't paying attention to bump into her. The wing-backed man muttered an apology and continued on, but the damage was done; attention had been drawn to her and she had lost her opportunity. She shrank down a little as she felt so many eyes on her, and hurried deeper into the crowd.
 	Her stomach rumbled in protest. She couldn't give up yet. She had to accomplish something. She was all on her own now for the first time in a long while. No one would cover for her, no one would look after her, and no one would help her find scraps to survive off of. She had to stop being dead weight, or…
 	Another potential target caught her eye: a wyvern with bright red scales, dressed for traveling with a cloak covering most of his upper body. He had a paper of some sort in one hand, his eyes scanning back and forth across it, and the wing-arm that was holding the page was also holding back his cloak, exposing his brown trousers and the bottom of his white shirt. He seemed quite distracted by the paper, reaching up and idly adjusting the hat on his head, curved on top with a scarlet ribbon at the base, his red hair protruding messily from underneath it.
 	Faelis drew closer, taking more care to watch her surroundings and make sure she didn't get interrupted again. Just one. She only needed one success. A few coins and she could get herself some food…
 	She slowed slightly as she approached and held her breath, keeping her gaze forward. Her hand carefully slipped under the membranes of his wing-arm, into his pocket, and-
 	In a flash, the man dropped the paper and snatched her by the wrist.
 	Faelis froze and gave a small gasp, trembling in fear. She had failed before – getting spotted or chased off or even having things thrown at her – but never before had she been apprehended. She had always managed to slip away. But the man held her wrist in an iron grip that she had no hope of escaping, his white-gloved hand clenched firmly around her.
 	Her life was about to get a whole lot worse.
 	  
 	"I don't think so," he told her coldly, pulling her hand out of his pocket.
 	Faelis was too afraid to speak, turning her head just a tiny bit to look at him. Would he just take her to the guards? Getting locked up would be the best outcome she could hope for. But nobody cared about a gutter rat like her. He could do whatever he wanted with her and no-one would come to her rescue. Would he simply strike her and leave her on the side of the road? Or would he drag her somewhere to exact his revenge? Horrifying memories of past abuses surfaced and she trembled; some small part of her preferred the idea of him simply killing her to having to go through that again.
 	Their eyes met, his firm glaring gaze to her petrified expression. For a moment they both remained like that, and then he said in a conversational tone, "Aren't you going to try and flee?"
 	She shook with fear. He was toying with her. He wanted her to try and escape so he could make her struggle and suffer more. Her legs shook and she felt like she might collapse at any moment.
 	"You look terrified," he observed quietly, bending over and picking up the paper he had dropped with his free hand. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."
 	No. He was lying. He had to be. The only people who had ever said they weren't going to hurt her had always hurt her anyway, they-
 	"Come with me," he said quietly, and gave her a gentle tug. She followed him in a zombie-like state, too afraid to try and resist. This was it. He was going to drag her into an alley and beat her or rape her or simply slit her throat and leave her for some other unfortunate soul to find – or some combination of those. She thought of calling for help, but who would help her, even if she hadn't been caught in the act of pickpocketing? She was at his mercy. He could hurt her all he wanted.
 	But he didn't.
 	Instead, he took her over to a nearby café. The inside was bustling and busy and outside there were several metal tables and chairs set out for people to dine in the open air at, in an area marked off by simple chain barriers low enough to step over if you raised your legs high enough. The wyvern led her to an empty outdoor table where a pair of chairs were set up across from one another, and then he did something unthinkable.
 	He let go of her wrist.
 	"Take a seat," he instructed, gesturing to one of the empty chairs.
 	Faelis was still shaking, her heart hammering in her chest. What was he doing? Was this part of some elaborate plan to humiliate her? Or was it just to lower her guard? She could flee, or at least, attempt to, but now that she could get a good look at him she saw the man had a pistol on one side of his belt, and a sword hanging in its scabbard from the other side that had been hidden by his cloak before. No doubt he knew how to use them. If she had more of a head start she would risk it, but she was right next to him. She would be dead or seriously wounded if she tried, and then she would be right back where she was now: at his mercy.
 	"Go on," he told her, gesturing again, and she sat down slowly, threading her tail through the gap in the back of the seat. She kept her head down, staring at the surface of the table. She had no idea what was going to happen, but it couldn't be anything good.
 	The man took his seat across from her and studied her calmly and silently, placing his hands on the edge of the table since his wing-arms prevented him from resting his elbows on it. "You are still afraid," he stated, and she said nothing. He was right, and there was nothing to gain by confirming it for him. If he wanted to see her tremble in fear, so be it, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her plead.
 	"What is your name?" he asked, but she remained silent and kept her head down. "Ah, of course, it is ungentlemanly of me to ask without first offering mine. You can call me Randival. Now, what is your name?"
 	She still didn't answer. He was trying to get her to lower her guard. To open up, so he could hurt her somehow. There was no other explanation. How could she possibly get out of this situation? Perhaps if he grew distracted again, or simply bored with her, she might be able to slip away. If she could get into the crowd he wouldn't be able to attack her. But she had to wait for the opportunity first…
 	"Waitress!" he called out, and she looked up; he was looking the other way, one hand raised. But not for long enough, as he turned his head to keep her in the corner of his eye. If she had been paying attention she could have been away already! Silently she cursed herself. No wonder she was such dead weight. If only she had been paying attention…
 	He gave the whiskered dragon waitress in a serving-girl's outfit his order, then turned his head back to Faelis. "And my companion will have…?" he said in an open-ended question, trying to prompt Faelis to speak. But she said nothing, so Randival sighed and went on, "She must have a dry throat. Just a cup of water for her, please."
 	The waitress bowed a little, though she gave Faelis a suspicious glance before turning and heading into the café. With that taken care of, Randival returned his full attention to Faelis. She was never going to escape now…
 	"Well, if you wish for me to do all of the talking, then so be it," Randival remarked as he leaned over the table slightly. "I can see that you are panicking, however much you try to hide it. After all, I could very easily call over one of the city guards and turn you over to them. Dressed as you are they would not doubt the claim that you are a pickpocket." He let that hang in the air for just a brief moment and then continued in a softer tone, "…but I would rather not do that."
 	Faelis trembled a little. That meant he had plans for her. Worse plans. He really was going to take her somewhere and hurt her. She had to get away. But how could she when he was looking right at her…?
 	When she still did not speak, he took a breath and began talking again. "You refuse to tell me anything verbally, but your appearance alone tells me a great deal. You have been living rough for quite some time – that is obvious from the smell of you alone, let alone your appearance." She looked down in shame, wrapping her arms around herself a little. "You are extremely malnourished and are likely quite famished at this particular moment in time. Your attempt to pick my pocket was from desperation, not from greed, wasn't it? Had you not drawn attention to yourself with that gentleman before making your attempt on me, I would have been oblivious."
 	She tried to keep her face neutral, but couldn't fully suppress her surprise. He knew? Yet he hadn't been looking at her – had he only been pretending to be distracted? He had grabbed her so quickly and she had had no idea how he had known; even when she had previously been caught she had at least had a few seconds to get away before her targets had fully grasped what had been happening. Nobody's reflexes were that good unless they were expecting it. But why? Why would he do that? Was it just to catch her? Was he taunting her over it to make her feel worse?
 	"Most people in your situation would not give up the way you did," he continued. "You are afraid. And for good reason, I suppose; I am bigger and stronger than you, and this particular city cares little for its underclass. Perhaps you think I am going to hurt you, or force myself upon you, or something similar. I promise you I will not, but you have no reason to believe me."
 	Faelis glanced aside. His assessment of her was unnervingly accurate.
 	He paused for a moment as the waitress returned, placing a mug with a steaming brown drink on the table in front of him, and a small cup of clear water in front of Faelis. "Thank you," Randival said courteously, but Faelis remained still. "I assure you, she's grateful as well," Randival added before the waitress gave him a smile and moved on to another customer.
 	Faelis stared into the cup. The water was pure and clear, clean and safe to drink. Normally the best she could get was rainwater or condensation whenever the island Therisia was built on passed through a thick cloud bank. She wrung her hands under the table, wanting to drink it, but unsure if she could trust what he had offered her. He kept his eyes on her as he raised the mug and blew across it before taking a sip and setting it back down.
 	"Where are your parents?" he asked her. "They must be worried sick."
 	Faelis closed her eyes and shook her head, not so much to answer him as to try and stave off the memories. They weren't worried about her. They were glad she was gone. And for all her hardships, she was glad to be long gone from them. She hoped to never see them again.
 	"…I see," Randival murmured, pausing to take another sip of his drink. "Is there someone else who is supposed to be looking after you, then?" Nervousness gripped her, and her fear intensified as he went on, "Perhaps I should start asking around to see if anyone recognizes you…"
 	"No!" she gasped out quietly, taking a few panicked breaths. She couldn't let him do that. "No, please… please don't…" she begged.
 	Randival raised an eye-ridge and set down his mug. "Why?" he asked, simply, bluntly and to the point.
 	Faelis hesitated. What could she tell him to make him desist? Even if she escaped now, he might start asking around and draw more suspicion on her, or worse, unless she made him forget about her. She raised her head slightly, seeing him regarding her calmly. His concern seemed genuine, but how much of it was an act? Was it all just a ploy? But perhaps… some of the truth would work. Maybe that would get him to leave her alone…
 	"There's…" she hesitated again, feeling a lump in her throat. Could she trust him? But she wasn't, really. A lie by omission was still a lie. She only had to tell him part of the story. "There's… someone. He… he threatened me."
 	Randival's face darkened. "Who?" he inquired.
 	"I… I don't know his name," she confessed. It was true. He'd never told her. "I… don't really know much about him at all. I…" she almost said that she'd never seen his face, but that wasn't quite true. She'd seen it, once. "He wears a hood whenever he's around me." She lowered her voice and stared into the bottom of the untouched water cup. "…he was going to kill me. Unless I worked for him. And he… he promised that if I ever got caught by the guards… he would kill me in my sleep."
 	Randival frowned deeply. "What a cur," he murmured. "And you believe him?"
 	"He…" she swallowed a little and kept her voice low. "…he kills people to make money."
 	Glowering deeply, Randival sucked in a breath. "An assassin," he muttered quietly. "I see."
 	"…you believe me?" she asked, looking up at him again. She had expected him to call her a liar, even though she was telling him the truth. A fragment of the truth, yes, but the truth all the same.
 	"I can tell you are hiding things from me, but I do not doubt your words," he said simply. She glanced away again. "I am quite used to dealing with people who try to tell me falsehoods, and I can tell that what you have told me is the truth. It is not the whole story, but what you have said, I believe." She took deep breaths and remained silent as he sipped from his mug again. If he found out the truth, he would never help her. She had to be careful.
 	Randival set the mug back down. "Where can I find this hooded man?"
 	Her eyes widened. No. She couldn't answer that. She couldn't! She shook her head and kept her mouth shut. He absolutely couldn't know.
 	"…very well," he murmured after a few moments of her silence. "If that is the case, then why did you tell me what you did?"
 	"I…" she began, trembling in her seat. "I was afraid," she admitted quietly.
 	"Ah. You only spoke when I suggested asking around. Because if word got back to him..."
 	She remained silent in response to his implication. Better to let him think the rest of that thought he had not finished aloud.
 	He drank from his mug again before continuing. "What did you steal from the man before me?"
 	She looked up. "Huh?"
 	"The man you bumped into. What did you take from him?"
 	"Nothing!" Faelis protested.
 	"Come now, I know how that con works. You bump into someone to distract them as you take something from their pocket. It's a trick as old as the Stars. What did you take?"
 	"Nothing!" Faelis repeated, growing distressed. Wanting to explain herself, she continued, "I wasn't after him, I… I was going to try the lady by the dress shop. But that man bumped into me and it ruined everything." She looked down again. "I failed… again. I'm a thief, but… I'm not a very good one."
 	"You can't be that bad at it if you're still alive," he remarked. A heavy gurgling in her stomach made a convincing argument otherwise.
 	For a few moments neither one spoke. Soon Randival finished the rest of his drink, still keeping his gaze fixed on her. "Well, if you are not thirsty, perhaps you are hungry," he said as he began to rise from his seat. "Wait here, and I will get some breakfast for us both."
 	She watched silently as he reached into his pocket and took out a few coins for the drink, leaving them on the table, then turned and strode into the café itself, leaving her alone.
 	Why did he do that?
 	She looked down at the table. The coins were there, right in front of her. It wasn't a lot, but it would be enough that she could take them and get some food to see her through another day. And he had just left, so he would not be able to stop her – if she ran for it now, she would be long gone before he even got back out the door of the shop.
 	But he wasn't stupid. He had to have known. So why?
 	She swallowed anxiously. She gave a surreptitious look around, but nobody was paying her any attention. The food at the other tables looked so good, and her stomach growled in protest. This was the only chance she was going to get. She was in the clear to leave.
 	But… what if he was being honest? What if he really wasn't going to hurt her? If he was going to, he could have already done so, and easily. He'd done the opposite – given her the chance to go free. Was it a test of some kind? Or just a trick to make her think that he wouldn't hurt her?
 	Looking down at the table again and the coins on it, she made up her mind. She raised her right hand up from her lap, reaching out…
 	…and took hold of the cup of water instead, leaving the coins where they were.
 	Maybe it really was a trap. Maybe she was being the foolish freak her parents always told her she was. She brought the mug to her mouth and drank a little bit of it; the water was cool and refreshing. It tasted… clean. It was just water, but to her, it was pure joy. She tipped the cup back further, swallowing again and again, draining the entire thing before she'd even fully realized that she had been chugging it, and lowered her head as she set the cup back down.
 	Having something in her stomach settled it, if only a little. Maybe she could at least wait just a bit. Have some food and then flee. Would it really be any different than stealing his money and using it to buy a meal of her own? Surely he would give her another opportunity, if he believed she could be trusted like this.
 	The waitress came by to collect the money off the table and the empty mug and cup, silently removing them and going back inside. Faelis remained where she was, trying to spot Randival through the window, but it was very busy inside. Conflicted, she still thought about getting up and leaving, but she stayed still until she saw him come back out with a wooden tray in his hands and two plates on top of it.
 	Curious, she watched as he returned, giving a glance at the bare table as he set the tray down on the middle of it, turned so that one plate was in front of each of them. There was a knife and fork with the plate too, so she wouldn't have to eat with her bare hands for a change. On the plates was… some sort of food. She wasn't sure what. They were big and flat discs that were a golden brown color on the top and had little holes from air bubbles in the side. Some sort of weird flat bread? Bits of fruit and some thick syrupy liquid were on top of them too. It smelled delicious, and her stomach rumbled again.
 	"Go ahead," he told her when she didn't move at first, picking up his own knife and fork. "They're all yours, and I already paid for them. Eat up."
 	She felt wary, and remained where she was. What was this odd food? Maybe it was something that only wyverns could eat, and it would poison her. Or maybe he'd laced it with something. The fruit would cover up any recognizable smells, otherwise she might be able to detect what kind of poison it was. Though she knew all too well that some of the most potent ones had no recognizable odor…
 	"Why are you doing this?" she asked him quietly.
 	Randival gave her a shrug as he cut a piece off of the doughy disc. "You must be hungry. It's breakfast time. I know I'm hungry and from the sound of your stomach you must be absolutely starving."
 	She hesitated. He was right, of course. This was real food, not some leftovers or scraps. Sometimes when she was really lucky she could steal something from a market stall or a vendor with a cart, but those were rare opportunities. She wanted nothing more than to devour everything on the plate, but at the same time, everything about the situation felt strange. Why would anyone just offer her food…?
 	"But why?" she asked him again. "I don't have any money. What do you want in return?"
 	He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed the bite of food. "I don't want anything in return. I would LIKE you to give honest answers to my questions, but it is not a requirement for you to eat these pancakes." So that's what they were called. She wrung her hands, staring at them, the delicious smell making her hungrier. He regarded her calmly, sticking his fork into a pancake without cutting it up. "You do not trust me," he observed.
 	"No," she answered. "Why would I? I've just met you. And you're not acting at all like someone like you should!" She lowered her gaze and her voice. "You should have turned me over to the guards."
 	"Should I?" he asked rhetorically. "And what would that have accomplished? Even without the hooded man being part of the picture, you would be tossed into a cell for a few days. I suppose you would at least have had some food in that case, but it doesn't seem right to me."
 	"But… but I tried to steal from you…"
 	He ate another bite of pancakes before answering, pointing at her with the fork. "You are – and I say this only to state facts – filthy, underfed, weak, and probably sickly as well. And I want to help you. Getting you thrown into jail will not help."
 	Despite his reassurances, his words made her feel ashamed. He was right, but she didn't want to be any of those things, and it just made her feel worse. She said nothing, and he must have picked up on her being unconvinced. 
 	"Perhaps I should tell you a little more about me," he went on. Placing down his fork, he reached up and doffed his hat towards her, puffing out his chest. "My full name… is Randival Nashadhe." She stared at him blankly, and his smirk vanished as he deflated in his seat. "You've never heard of the Nashadhe Shipwrights?" he asked her.
 	Shaking her head a little, she watched as he frowned deeply. "I see," he murmured. "That rather takes the wind out of my sails. I have a photograph and everything but if you don't recognize my old man, then it doesn't really help…" He gave a small sigh. "Well, I can at least tell you why I'm traveling. Have you heard about the void rifts that have been opening up in the skies?"
 	She had, actually. The hooded man had mentioned them when talking about how it was getting harder to get the supplies she needed to make the poisons he asked of her. "Yes," she said simply as a minimal answer.
 	"Well," he told her with a determined voice, "I'm going to do something about them. I admittedly do not know what, just yet, but I've been traveling around learning what I can and trying to find people to help me."
 	He surely didn't think she knew anything, did he? "I don't know anything that would help."
 	"I didn't expect you would. I'm just saying that I'm trying to help people. I don't like being unable to help, and I refuse to stand idly by and do nothing. …but I suppose you still don't believe me, do you? Nor can I offer any proof of such a statement…" 
 	He seemed lost in thought as he returned to his pancakes and continued eating. She stared at hers, hands wringing under the table. "Eat up," he reminded her after a few bites. "They're getting cold."
 	"No," she said quietly, shaking her head.
 	He raised an eye-ridge again. "Come now, you must be starving. Consider them a gift." She glanced away from him, however. He took a few more bites and then began talking after he swallowed. "You still do not trust me. Perhaps you think I'm lying. You must think that they are contingent on something – that if you accept the gift, then you'll owe me, and that I'll use it as leverage to get you to do something for me."
 	She didn't quite understand all the words he had used, but she got the general idea – and clung to her own arms a little more tightly. How was he so good at seeing through her? She couldn't take his 'gift'. She didn't want him to replace the hooded man, telling her what to do and threatening her if she didn't. The only way she could win was to not even get involved in the first place.
 	"Well," he murmured after a little longer, with his plate almost cleared. "You leave me at a bit of an impasse. I want to help you, but you do not want to be helped."
 	She bowed her head. Was that true? No, she wanted help. She didn't want to be alone again. But at the same time, she needed someone she could trust. A friend. But she didn't have any, not any more. And she couldn't trust him. Any man who offered to help her couldn't be trusted. They all just wanted to use her for something or other…
 	Randival finished his pancakes and set down his knife and fork. "I suppose in that case, there's only one thing left for me to do," he said as he stood up, and Faelis braced herself, squeezing her eyes shut. This was it, he would take off the mask of kindness now. He would hurt her or drag her away or-
 	"Farewell, young lady," he said, and she opened one eye cautiously to see him in the middle of a bow, holding his hat over his chest. "I hope you meet with good fortune sometime soon."
 	He straightened up and put his hat on his head. "Where are you going?" she asked him.
 	"Matakras next, I think," he told her. "My potential options here in Therisia have turned up precious little. But that's fine, I can just try again with something else. No point going back home with my tail between my legs just because of one little failure, is there?" He reached under his cloak and took out a small device of some kind and looked at it. "I should be able to get to the inn to gather my things and still make it to the airship dock with plenty of time to spare, and if I somehow do not, there is an afternoon flight." Then, he suddenly looked directly at her as he returned the device beneath his cloak. "But that's not what you were really asking, was it?"
 	She stared at him silently, and he continued. "I understand that you cannot trust me. I will not force you to do anything you don't want to do. But I cannot sit here all day, so if you will not accept my help, then I will be off. I do recommend you eat the pancakes though – they're very good. With that, I shall take my leave." With a dramatic sweep of his cloak, he turned on his heel, and began to walk off.
 	But he didn't get far.
 	Faelis didn't fully understand why she got up from her seat and lunged after him, grabbing onto his wrist, calling out "Wait!" as she did. He stopped, turning in place to look at her; he didn't seem surprised at all. "Please, don't go," she begged, clinging to his arm, ignoring the stares of the nearby patrons.
 	For a moment, he said nothing, then turned more to face her. "Why do you want me to stay?" he asked her. She wasn't entirely sure. He had just been about to leave, after all. She could have waited until he was long gone and then had the food once she was sure it was safe. Then she wouldn't have to worry about him, and she could slip away.
 	But something within her didn't want that. She didn't want to be alone again. She hadn't had someone to talk to, at least in a friendly manner, in so long. Their conversation had been brief, but it had been nice just to be able to speak to someone without retribution.
 	She didn't say anything aloud though, so he guessed, "Is it because of the hooded man?"
 	It wasn't. But she gave him a silent nod. It was a lie, but at that moment, she would have said whatever she had to in order to make him stay just a little bit longer.
 	Slowly, he walked back towards the table, and she went with him, both of them returning to their seats. Resting his hands on the edge of the table, he regarded her calmly. "Then," he asked her quietly, "What do you want me to do, if you don't want me to leave, and you won't tell me where he is?"
 	She didn't answer, but she couldn't answer either. The words to express what she was feeling didn't come to her. She was unsure, and confused. She just knew she didn't want to be condemned to solitude, not yet. Even if it was a lie, even if it was just an act, he had at least acted pleasantly towards her. It had been a nice change of pace to being unwanted by everyone around her.
 	He sighed a little. "If there's nothing I can do for you, then I should leave," he reasoned, and began to push his chair back.
 	"No, please," she begged, and he shifted forward again. "Don't leave. Don't go."
 	"I can't sit here at this café forever." With a little smirk, he added, "Sooner or later they'll toss us out to make room for paying customers."
 	"I…" she fumbled, looking across the table at him. It didn't really matter where they were, did it? She just didn't want to be all by herself. "No, I don't… I don't want you to leave me. I…" her voice lowered to a near whisper as she admitted her feelings. "…I don't want to be alone again."
 	He drummed his fingers on the table. "Well, there's only one way to do that: you'll have to come with me. But as I mentioned, I am investigating the void rifts. The creatures that come from them are dangerous, and there is always danger involved in traveling. I would do my best to protect you if you came with me, of course, but that does not negate the danger involved."
 	She raised her head a little and stared up at him. Would he really take her? Could she finally go somewhere else? Ride on an airship, without having to stow away in the hold? But…
 	"However," he said with a firm gaze, "I can't bring along someone I do not trust. And if you want me to trust you, you'll have to trust me."
 	He said nothing more, and she stared, thinking it over. Lowering her gaze, she saw the plate of pancakes before her once again. They were still so tempting. His gift to her. He could help her, but only if she trusted him…
 	Slowly, timidly, she brought her hands up to the table and picked up the knife and fork. He watched her in silence as she cut off a piece of one of the pancakes just as she had seen him do. Raising it up, she hesitated for a brief moment before putting it into her mouth.
 	It was the best thing she could remember tasting in her life.
 	The pancake itself was still a little warm, its insides soft and fluffy. The sweetness of the fruit and the syrup together were delicious without being overpowering. She was cutting off another piece before she had even swallowed the first, ravenously devouring the pancakes one piece after another as Randival sat in his chair and watched her impassively – mostly, anyway. He had a smile on his face as he watched, but made no comment.
 	It didn't take long for her to leave only a few crumbs and stray syrup stains on the plate. Her stomach was finally placated, and she put down the knife and fork and leaned back in the chair. Seeing Randival looking at her, she glanced away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "It's just… it's the first good meal I've had in several winters…"
 	His smile faded a little and he gave her a look of concern. "I suppose I am not surprised, but that is still terrible to hear," he murmured sympathetically. "I can help you, if you will let me."
 	Reaching out with his right hand, he held it out to her with the palm up, his fingers curled back. "I do not want to take you traveling while you are in such a state – come back to the inn with me, and you can clean yourself up before we leave the city. I promise I will protect you from the hooded man, and from whatever or whoever else may threaten you."
 	Faelis hesitated briefly, timidly reaching out and hooking her fingers with his. Even through the glove, his grip felt strong. Yet unlike when he grabbed her before when she tried to pick his pocket, it felt… reassuring.
 	"Now, I will ask you again," he said quietly, "What is your name?"
 	Looking him in the eyes, she saw only warmth and kindness. She didn't know for sure if she could really trust him, but she did know that she wanted to try.
 	So, gathering her resolve, she softly answered, "Faelis," and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
 	 
 Interlude: A Long Wait
 	Hiccup continued to squirm in Linya's arms as she was carried away from the room where Shaaria and Faelis were. She had to go back! Faelis needed help, more than ever!
 	"Settle down, Hiccup," Linya murmured, trying to be consoling, but it didn't reach her voice, and Hiccup could still feel the stunned shock that had overcome Linya not long ago.
 	"Let's stay here," Anshu added, coming to a stop. They were close to the top of the stairs, away from the room where they had left Faelis and Shaaria. The noise of the ground floor of the inn floated up towards them, but not loudly enough to make it hard for them to hear one another.
 	Hiccup again tried to pull free, but Linya was quite well-experienced in holding the lindwurm in place. "We – Hic! – have to help Faelis!" Hiccup insisted as she squirmed.
 	"We should leave it in Shaaria's hands for now," Anshu told her, reaching out and putting a hand on Hiccup's side. "We will stay here. If we are needed, she can call us back."
 	Hiccup ceased her struggling, lowering her head and staring down at the carpet running along the length of the hallway. "I want to – Hic! – help her…"
 	"You already have," Anshu reminded her, "And you will. But for now, let's let Shaaria talk to her in peace. She seems to think that she might be more likely to get through to Faelis one-on-one. I think we should let her try."
 	It didn't feel very convincing. Hiccup turned her head to look up at Linya, who gazed back at her. No words needed to be said; Linya could feel her apprehension just as well as Hiccup could feel Linya's own internal struggle. Gently, Linya held Hiccup a little closer to her front, and the lindwurm leaned back against her master, each trying to comfort the other.
 	"Would you mind telling me what happened?" Anshu asked after a moment. "How did you get into the room?"
 	Hiccup turned her head back to look at him. "I knew something wasn't right," she murmured quietly, taking a deep breath to stave off more hiccups. "I could feel how sad Faelis was. No, she… she was a lot worse than just sad. Something was really, deeply bothering her. So… I snuck after her and Shaaria, and slipped in while they weren't looking, and hid under the bed until Shaaria left."
 	"I see. Then what?"
 	"I…" Hiccup closed her eyes. She didn't want to remember. Feeling her distress, Linya patted down Hiccup's back with one hand, holding her a little tighter. "Faelis kept muttering to herself about… about being 'dead weight'… and saying we'd be better off without her…" she shook her head a little bit. "I thought she was planning to run away, especially when she picked up her backpack. So I stayed hidden, intending to follow her. But I peeked out, and saw the vial she was holding, and… Hic! …and… and…! Hic!"
 	Hiccup trembled in Linya's arms, letting out another little hiccup, and Linya held her closely, trying to comfort her. The moment she'd realized what was about to happen, she'd shouted and tried to knock the vial of poison away. But she'd been a heartbeat too late: Faelis had already drunk the contents of the vial by the time Hiccup swiped at it. And in that moment, their eyes had met.
 	Hiccup had seen the depths of despair in Faelis's eyes, a look that haunted her still. An indescribable sadness, the look of someone who wanted to die. To see an expression like that on someone she liked and cared about so much had shocked Hiccup to her core – even just the memory of it felt crushing. And then, on top of that, she'd had to watch her friend slump off the side of the bed clutching her stomach, succumbing to the poison, while Hiccup had desperately wanted to help, but had been trapped in the room…
 	Anshu placed his hand under Hiccup's head and stroked the back of her neck with his thumb. "Hiccup," he said softly, "You did the right thing. It's only because of you that I reached her in time."
 	Shaking her long body in Linya's arms, Hiccup whimpered, "She needs help. Hic! I never… I never knew how much she was – Hic! – hurting, how much she-"
 	From down the hall, they suddenly heard Faelis bawling tearfully, and all three looked that way. Hiccup struggled again and squeaked out "Faelis!" but Linya held her firmly against her front.
 	  
 	Anshu held up a hand to indicate for the other two to wait. "I will go check," he insisted, and walked down the corridor.
 	"Let me go!" Hiccup demanded tearfully, hiccupping as she writhed, trying to get free of Linya's grasp. "I need to – Hic! – help Faelis! Please! Hic! Let me go!" She watched Anshu lean into the room, but a moment later he left and turned back. Why? Didn't he want to help too?
 	"Shaaria has the situation under control," he explained quietly as he returned to the other two. "I believe this is a good thing, regardless of how it may sound."
 	"She's crying! Hic!" Hiccup stressed, "She's hurting!" She wanted nothing more in that moment than to fly into the room and give Faelis the biggest hug she could manage.
 	"Yes," Anshu acknowledged. "She has been hurting a long time, I think, and hasn't told us. But now… she is opening up. Shaaria must have gotten her to stop hiding her feelings, and that is a good thing. Let's not interrupt her."
 	Turning her head, Hiccup looked back up at Linya. "Please!" she pleaded, "We have to help! Hic!"
 	Linya remained silent, but Hiccup could feel her emotions as she thought it over, looking down the corridor towards the room where Faelis and Shaaria were. "I'm sorry," she said eventually, "I don't know what to do. I've never had to deal with anything like this, and I am at a loss."
 	Reaching out, Anshu put a hand on her arm reassuringly. "Neither have I," he told her, "And I hope I never become familiar with such a situation. But in moments like this it is important to remain calm. Panicking will do us no good. We must remain focused if we are going to help."
 	Nodding a little, Linya took a deep breath. "Yes. You are correct," she agreed. "But what should I do?"
 	"For now, let us wait," Anshu reiterated. "But once Shaaria has finished talking to her, I hope we can better learn how to help Faelis."
 	"You don't think… it was because of me, was it?" Linya asked, fear creeping into her voice and coming clean across the empathic link. "At the library, I… I didn't mean to upset her…"
 	"No!" Hiccup insisted before Anshu could respond. "You've been nice to her. She likes when you teach her to read. Sometimes she gets upset, sure, but I can tell it makes her happy."
 	Nodding, Anshu added, "I agree. I do not think this is because of you."
 	"Then… do you think it is because of her secret?" Linya suggested delicately.
 	"Perhaps," Anshu murmured, holding a hand to his muzzle. "I do not think we should speculate on it. Let us hope that Shaaria is able to get her to open up enough to tell us the reason why, so that we can address it directly."
 	"I just want to help," Hiccup murmured. "I want Faelis to be happy."
 	"We all do," Linya agreed softly, hugging Hiccup closer.
 	Silence fell over them for a few moments before the stairs nearby creaked, and they all looked over in that direction in response to the noise. Slowly ascending the stairs was Randival, one hand on the railing, the other at his side. He had his head down, and looked absolutely miserable. "You," Hiccup growled, her voice full of venom, her mane bristling as she felt anger rising inside of her. This was all his fault! He'd threatened her, and yelled at Faelis! He'd made her feel worse!
 	He didn't respond, though, instead simply climbing to the top of the stairs and then stopping, glancing at them, then down the hall, assessing the situation. His gaze finally fell on Hiccup, and she narrowed her eyes at him, yet her anger was dulled by the expression of profound regret on his face.
 	"Welcome back," Anshu diplomatically greeted him.
 	"Thank you. I… went for a walk," Randival said quietly, responding just as delicately. Quickly, he went on, "Please tell me, is Faelis all right?"
 	Hiccup couldn't bite her tongue any longer. "What do you care?" she snapped, "If you were worried about her, you wouldn't have shouted at her! You wouldn't have called her a coward and hurt her when she needed help!"
 	He winced, and she almost felt bad for what she had said, but continued to stare at him angrily regardless. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "I know," he replied solemnly. "I was wrong. What I said was wrong. Stars and Skies, I regret it. I want to make things right, before it's too late. I need to apologize to her. Please let me get by."
 	Linya shifted to step aside, but Anshu remained where he was in the middle of the corridor, and shook his head. "Shaaria is talking to her now," he explained. "And I do not think we should interrupt."
 	Randival opened his mouth to protest, but exhaled in wordless concession. "Very well," he murmured after a moment. "I will wait for a better time to talk to her."
 	Hiccup squirmed in Linya's grasp, glaring daggers at Randival. "Why would she want to talk to you after what you said to her earlier?" she spat.
 	"Perhaps she doesn't," Randival replied sadly, holding one wing-arm over his front. "And if so, I will deserve it. I was supposed to protect her, and instead I hurt her. I betrayed her. If she does not forgive me, I will not blame her. If she wants me to leave her, I will do so. I… I care about her. I want her to be happy, whatever it takes to make that happen. Even if that means my departure."
 	Hiccup's anger faded somewhat. This was an uncharacteristic amount of seriousness from him, and if she was too harsh on him, she would be no better than he was. Settling down against Linya's front, she went quiet and watched Randival intently as he stared down the corridor anxiously. From the room where Faelis and Shaaria were, they could hear raised voices, but couldn't make out the words.
 	Then, Randival turned his gaze towards Anshu. "I did not properly thank you," Randival said apologetically. "You saved her life, while all I could do was stand there helplessly. You have my sincerest gratitude."
 	"Of course," Anshu replied, inclining his head. "I care about her as well. We all do. If I had known how she felt, I would have done more to help her."
 	"As would I," Randival murmured. Then, to Hiccup's surprise, he turned to her and spoke again. "Hiccup?"
 	She stared up at him, unsure what to make of the moment. "What?" she asked pointedly.
 	"Thank you," he told her earnestly, taking off his hat and bowing towards her. "You, too, helped save Faelis's life. If not for you, she would be long dead by now. I owe you a debt."
 	Momentarily stunned, Hiccup blinked, then responded with a flustered, "I didn't do it for you." Grumbling and looking away, she went on, "I was worried about Faelis. I care about her. She's my friend. I want her to feel better. I don't care how you feel about it."
 	"I know," Randival said simply as he put his hat back on, a mere fraction of his usual smirk present for just a brief moment before it faded away once more. "That doesn't change the fact that I am grateful to you for saving her life."
 	Randival's sincerity only took her more off-guard, and she went silent for a little bit. "…you're welcome," she eventually acquiesced without looking at him, and Linya patted her side with one hand, a slight touch of amusement coming across the mental link they shared.
 	"Do you know what they're talking about?" Randival asked, looking in the direction of the room again.
 	"I haven't the slightest idea," Anshu replied. "Maybe you can ask later."
 	Randival sighed, looking regretful again. "If she will even speak to me," he murmured. "Skies Below, if I could only take back what I said, I…"
 	He trailed off, and Anshu spoke up. "You would not be the first to have such regrets. Only you can put things right."
 	As Randival nodded in agreement, they heard Faelis crying again from down the hall, and Anshu held his hand up again. "I'll go check," he said simply before turning and walking towards the room, leaving the other three behind. Randival in particular had a deeply heartbroken expression on his face as he listened to the sound of Faelis crying, wringing his hands together as he watched Anshu.
 	Hiccup expected Anshu to return again, but instead, she saw him wave for them to come forwards before going inside. Randival sighed and reached up, grasping the brim of his hat between his thumb and forefinger, tugging it downwards a little bit. "Here goes everything," he murmured, waving for Linya to go on ahead of him with his other wing-arm.
 	Linya released Hiccup, so she floated into the air over her master's shoulder and followed along. Glancing back, she saw Randival following the two of them, keeping hold of his hat as he looked down, deeply troubled. She couldn't even be mad at him, with how genuinely he seemed to regret what he had done. But more importantly than that, she felt that Faelis wouldn't be happy to see Randival in such a state.
 	So – as much as it pained her to do so – Hiccup silently wished to the Stars for Randival and Faelis to make up. If that was what it took to make Faelis happy, then so be it.
 	She just wanted to see Faelis smile.
 	 
 Postlude: Remembrance
 	The nighttime air out on the balcony was cold, especially while only wearing a hastily-donned pair of pants, but Randival closed the door behind him regardless and inhaled the fresh air deeply. Resting his hands on the railing, he stared out beyond Dalavun, watching the distant lights of an incoming airship moving among the stars beyond it.
 	  
 	Sleep was not coming to him, despite how tired he should have been after how busy his own wedding had kept him. By all accounts, it had gone wonderfully, in no small part due to the work of him and his friends. Anshu had recommended a tailor in Cauldurin that had custom-made the elegant blue dress Faelis had worn, and she had drawn many approving or jealous gazes while wearing it. Linya had acted as Faelis's bridal assistant, and Hiccup had, in addition to bringing some fruits from her greenhouse, provided a mixture of moral support for Faelis and the notably less helpful periodic questioning of whether or not marrying Randival was a good idea. His parents, who had warmed to his unorthodox choice of bride considerably after meeting her and getting to know her, also lent their support.
 	And he, of course, had provided much of the rest: selecting and organizing a venue, arranging for a clerk from the city offices to officiate and register their union, dealing with the paperwork (or at least passing it off to those more proficient in legal matters), and many other things besides.
 	The ceremony had gone well, but the lead-up to it had been anything but. Word of his wedding had spread far and wide – he and his companions were celebrities now, something that made Linya gripe about the state of her inbox at the college in the mornings. With him being the recently-named heir to the Nashadhe Shipwrights on top of that, it was no surprise that it seemed everyone in the Charted Territories knew about his wedding.
 	And that included Faelis's parents, who had shown up in the hopes of getting in on the Nashadhe family influence and wealth. Upon learning of their arrival at his family's house, Randival had immediately set off to tell them exactly what he thought of them, where they could go, and to make a few anatomically-improbable suggestions about what they could do with themselves once they got there, but Faelis had beaten him to it. Her rebuke had been tearful, but loud and direct, enough that he had heard it clearly from the top of the stairs. Their fake sincerity had immediately evaporated, and Randival had learned then and there exactly who had gotten it into Faelis's head that she was flawed, calling her a freak, a mutant, an abomination, and likely other things had Faelis not fired back just as harshly. They were evil, abusive, greedy monsters, she said, and she never wanted to see either of them again. After slamming the door, she had turned to Randival in tears, and he had offered her comfort, proud of her for standing up for herself.
 	Many nights thereafter had been spent consoling Faelis as she gave tearful confessions about her past. He now knew the full story of her parents, her youth, her trauma, and the true fate of the hooded man. Through it all he remained with her, embracing, listening, reassuring, comforting. Each time she expressed a fear that he would call off the wedding and leave her, he refuted it: her parents did not love her, but he did. She had only done what was necessary to survive. She had only taken a life under extreme duress – a life that was likely under a bounty, at that. And the fact that she had lived through such horrors yet endured and persisted regardless only made him love her all the more.
 	And he had meant every word.
 	She was the one. For much of his life he had possessed a very carefree attitude to love, traveling around, seducing those who caught his eye with no regard to gender or dragon type and moving on when it came time to leave. But the idea no longer appealed to him now that he had Faelis. He couldn't bear the thought of being away from her. He had never had anyone trust him so deeply – nor had he ever trusted anyone in such a fashion either. She was the most precious thing in all of The Lands Between Skies to him. Sweet, beautiful Faelis…
 	He cast a glance backwards through the glass panes of the balcony door and into the bedroom, where Faelis lay sleeping, and he smiled a little. How she had grown and matured. Seeing her defend herself from her parents, however hard it had been for her, was a proud moment to behold. No longer stuck with oft-repaired and meager clothing, she looked truly wonderful with dresses and jewelry. That she was sleeping soundly now, without any sort of alchemical aid, was a small miracle. Truly, the best part of his wedding had been seeing the smile she had worn the whole time…
 	His own smile faded, and he turned his gaze back out towards the stars. No. Not the whole time. For one seat at the head table had remained empty. One seat reserved for someone dear to Faelis, yet a seat that Randival knew would never be filled.
 	Shaaria's.
 	His hands gripped the railing of the balcony tighter. When he had accepted to be sworn to secrecy through magical means, he had been fine with the idea of having to keep a secret to himself. He had understood her motivations, even if he did not agree with them, and he had felt no regrets… until he had been forced to lie to the love of his life about the whereabouts of her friend. To claim ignorance of why that seat remained empty, when Linya, Hiccup and Anshu had all come. To pretend that Shaaria might still show up, when he knew for a fact that she wouldn't.
 	As it had become clear that Shaaria would not arrive, Faelis had grown sad, and it had broken his heart to see. It had rather soured his mood until he made a great effort to put it out of his mind and focus on the ceremony, as there was nothing that he could do about it. After all, he had to look to the future, and he had to make Faelis happy himself, which he couldn't do with a foul disposition of his own. But now, he glowered as he looked downwards, over the edge of Dalavun and into the Skies Below. 
 	How could she? How could Shaaria simply disappear, knowing the attachments and friendships she had to sever by doing so? Didn't she care about them? A dark mood fell over him, and he gripped more tightly at the railing, before shaking his head. No… no, that line of thought was what had led him to shout at Faelis after her suicide attempt, and it had been just as wrong then as it was now. He had to try and understand Shaaria's side of things, even if he felt very differently on the matter.
 	In the end, he had been able to tell Faelis that he was sure Shaaria would have come if she knew about the wedding, and she had accepted that, believing that Shaaria was only absent because she was unaware of the ceremony. And, in a way, that was probably true. It was quite beyond his ability to send an invitation to an extraplanar space he did not even know the location of, assuming she was even there and not off in some other world. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment. She claimed her friendship was genuine, so surely, had she received an invitation, she would have found a way to attend. Wouldn't she?
 	How much harder was it for her? Constantly abandoning the friends that she made, lying to them and deceiving them in order to pursue a greater good? Having any true friendship tainted by the deceptions she had to employ? His final conversation with her had revealed a great deal about her, even from the mere fact that conversation had happened at all – it was only because she trusted him and cared about him genuinely that she elected to tell him the truth rather than simply mess with his head and leave him in the tea shop in a daze. Saying goodbye to her had been hard for him – but for her? How many times had she done it already? And how many more times would she go through the same thing? 
 	He still did not agree with her methods, but he felt like he better understood the kind of strain that she had to live with. To live such a transient and ephemeral life, flitting from one place to another without any sense of permanency or belonging? To go to great pains to help people, yet not see the fruits of that labor? Few people could find such a life comfortable or rewarding. But there were always some who constantly craved new adventures, who could never stay in one place for too long before feeling restless. Even Randival himself had once felt that way, until he found a reason to settle down. Was she some sort of inter-planar version of that? Would she maybe one day find somewhere she belonged? Or would she, Stars willing, return to The Lands Between Skies to take up residence?
 	He turned again to look through the window at Faelis, his heart softening. It was only because of Shaaria that Faelis had lived to make it back to Dalavun. Understandably, Faelis held a great deal of respect for Shaaria. Yet, how many others out there, in other worlds, needed that same help? How many others like Faelis were there, who would find only misery and an early death without someone to come to their aid? Shaaria herself had been one at some point in her past, from what she had told him, and that was why she did what she did, at least in part.
 	He and Faelis, at least, would get to savor the happy ending. Stars willing, he would inherit the company. And with any luck, it would not be within his lifetime when the void creatures returned. He would get to live out his days with the love of his life in comfort and safety. Shaaria, on the other hand, had to move on before getting to enjoy it for long, departing on another adventure, with no guarantee of victory or happiness. There was the possibility that she could fail, or make things worse, on a scale far beyond anything he had ever done.
 	He did not envy that.
 	Her discretion was understandable, but what if there was another way? A small smirk came to his face. True, Shaaria's spell on him was completely airtight. Everything he had thought of trying to do to communicate something – anything – to Linya or anyone else had failed, as though the mere concept of defying secrecy on the matter was enough to trigger the spell's effects. Yet, while he had told Shaaria that he had put all his cards on the table, he had had one up his metaphorical sleeve the whole time: at no point had he ever confessed to Shaaria that Linya had suspicions of her own.
 	Yes, those suspicions were wrong. And he knew they were wrong. Shaaria was not a spy, or an operative of one of the other islands, or even still in The Lands Between Skies at all. Yet, her guess was close enough to the mark that perhaps he might somehow, some day, be able to nudge her in the right direction just enough for her to figure out the rest. Shaaria was an outsider, with an ulterior motive, concealing things from those around her to pursue her own goals. The only things Linya really had wrong were Shaaria's allegiances and origins…
 	All in due time. Perhaps the enchantment would somehow stop even that. Such things were beyond his control, and it would do him no good to lose sleep over them. Shaaria had done what she had in order to give him, Faelis, and everyone else the chance to live happy and fulfilling lives, and he would make the most of the opportunity.
 	The wind picked up, and a chill came over him, so he stood back up. Opening the balcony door quietly, he slipped back inside. After standing by the heating vent in the wall to warm back up – it wouldn't do to wake Faelis by being too cold – he dressed down and climbed back into bed, taking another look at his new wife in the starlight coming in through the windows. A small smile was on her face, a sign that, perhaps for one of the first times in her life, she was having good dreams.
 	He hoped that her nightmares had plagued her for the last time. Pulling close against her lower back so as not to press on her wings, he slipped his wing-arm around her side and under her wing joints to hold her softly, cuddling up, reassured by the warmth of her body against his own.
 	"I love you," he whispered softly, closing his eyes. "And I always will."
 	 
 Postlude: Succession
 	Anshu's pencil scraped on the paper of the inventory book he was holding in his other hand, his foot tapping on the floor of the cramped storage room at the back of his apothecary. For each shelf, he quickly counted the number of jars of each ingredient and noted it down on the appropriate line before moving on. It was all part of the end-of-day ritual, and an essential part of keeping his apothecary in order. Running out of a crucial ingredient at a bad time would be crippling, but buying too much of a perishable ingredient and having it go bad was also highly undesirable.
 	He tapped his pencil on the edge of the inventory book thoughtfully. Should he order more Ricarus Root? It grew here on Matakras, so it would be easy to get hold of, and could wait. But it was a key ingredient in many recipes…
 	He glanced upwards as he thought, looking out from the narrow gap between storage shelves and out to the main part of the backroom. One of the apprentices was sweeping the floors, and most of the alchemy stations at the desks were idle. Another apprentice was reassembling one after having finished cleaning it, connecting pieces of glass to rubber or glass tubing. Finally, an associate at the back was working on a mixture studiously, preparing one of the concoctions that would need to sit overnight before it could be bottled in the morning.
 	Anshu turned back to the shelf, nodding to himself as he put a mark in the rightmost column on the inventory book to indicate the need for an order. Better to play it safe. On to the next shelf…
 	Once he had finished, he took the inventory ledger over to the office at the back where he had left Leyand, his most senior associate, to count the day's takings. Several neat stacks of coins stood beside a now-empty cash box tray, alongside the letters of credit provided by wealthier patrons for more extravagant purchases that would be cashed in tomorrow morning. The associate, a green-scaled wing-backed dragon, glanced up from the ledger he was writing in when Anshu came in, and gave a respectful nod, brushing a forelock of his short black hair away from his eyes. He was wearing the apothecary's shopfront uniform: instead of a smock and an apron like Anshu's, he wore a smart-looking shirt and pants with a button-up vest that were tailored to account for his wings, leaving much of his upper back exposed.
 	"We had a good day today," Leyand told Anshu, tapping a finger against the ledger. "Business has been up ever since you got back from your trip, but today was particularly good."
 	Anshu leaned over the desk to take a glance at the numbers. "Excellent," Anshu said, nodding in approval, taking the inventory book from the pocket on his apron and leaving it on the desk. He didn't need to tell Leyand what to do with it. "How are you finding working the front? Any better than when I asked the other day?"
 	Leyand gave a brief chuckle. "I prefer being in the back, but it is not disagreeable," he replied diplomatically. "I'm getting used to it."
 	"Even if you specialize, it's still important to be able to fill in for any role in the store," Anshu reminded him. "If you are to take over from me some day, you will have to be able to pick up the slack wherever it might be."
 	"Of course, Potionmaster," Leyand said respectfully.
 	"On that note, I will need you to run the store for a little while again soon," Anshu continued. "I will be traveling, though not for nearly as long."
 	"Oh? Where to?" Leyand asked in a conversational tone.
 	"Cauldurin." Anshu leaned in a little. "I have been informed of a few vacant stores that are up for purchase, and I wish to see them in person." When Leyand gave him an inquiring look, Anshu went on with what he had really wanted to talk with his senior associate about. "Leyand, should I find a suitable location, I will be leaving Matakras to open a new apothecary in Cauldurin. In that event, this apothecary will need a new potionmaster."
 	Leyand picked up on where Anshu was going with that immediately. "And that's why you've had me working out front?"
 	"Exactly," Anshu confirmed. "I intend for you to be my successor, should you be willing."
 	"Of course I am willing," Leyand replied immediately, leaning forward a little with some excitement. "But I must ask, why? This store is doing exceptionally well. Not just from your name drawing people here far and wide as word of your deeds against the void monsters spreads – but now that they are gone, people are traveling far more freely, and the cost of ingredients has dropped significantly. If I may be so bold, why would you give this up? Especially to go to the very far edge of the Charted Territories?"
 	Anshu shook his head. "It isn't about the money, Leyand," he remarked, smirking a little as he added, "though I am quite confident I can turn a good profit in a location with very little competition and, as you mentioned, a good deal of name recognition. No, it is precisely because Cauldurin is so remote."
 	"I don't follow," Leyand murmured.
 	"Cauldurin is rather rural. It has a number of farms that grow fibers of various sorts for textiles, as well as factories to process them. It makes clothes, sails, carpets, airship balloons, and more. But it is still growing and developing, and the city on its primary island is still a great deal smaller than Matakras. They lack much of the luxuries and infrastructure of more developed islands. Among that is a proper apothecary. Its people must make do with medicines shipped in, or with local remedies. It doesn't have anyone with the training or equipment of a proper apothecary such as myself."
 	"I see," Leyand agreed. "It is a good opportunity."
 	Anshu nodded. "Medicines, adhesives, acids, solvents, dyes, paints, fertilizers – they need all those things and more, and I can help them. This shop does good work helping the people of this city, and I believe that it can continue to do so if I leave it in your hands. But Cauldurin does not have any apothecaries, and so, I will be the first."
 	Leyand nodded in understanding. "Then I wish you the very best of luck, and I thank you for trusting me to be your successor."
 	Anshu gave a little chuckle. "Not yet, but soon; this trip of mine is merely the first step. It will be another good opportunity for you to run the place while I am gone. I need to find and inspect a suitable store, but even when I sign the purchase agreement there will be much work to be done. I will have to renovate the interior and have the necessary apothecary's equipment shipped in, as well as a starting stock of ingredients. I will need to find and train new staff as well – I may ask if anyone here wishes to go with me, but I will not demand it. I still have a great deal to teach you about running the shop, as well, before I can confidently hand it off to you, but you have always been a quick learner."
 	"Of course. It is a bit daunting, truth be told, but I think I can do it."
 	"I know you can," Anshu said firmly. "And do not fret, if you need my assistance or advice you will be able to contact me by crystalgraph. I am not disappearing forever and I won't be beyond easy communication as I was last time."
 	"Thank you," Leyand replied, pushing his chair back and standing up. He held out his hand with the fingers curled back and Anshu hooked his fingers with his associate's to shake hands. "When will you tell the others?"
 	"In the next few days, before I leave for Cauldurin," Anshu answered, releasing Leyand's hand. "You seemed able to run the store well enough while I was gone last time, but now I think you would do well to start interviewing potential apprentices instead of me."
 	"Yes, I agree. I've seen you do it enough times, and I think I can handle it, but it wouldn't hurt to start practicing now."
 	"Good. Is there anything else? Otherwise, I'm going to send the apprentices home for the night."
 	"Go ahead. I will close up the shop after I take care of this," Leyand said, tapping the inventory book. "Have a good evening, Anshu."
 	"Have a good evening, Leyand," Anshu replied, turning and leaving the office. He glanced around the backroom, inspecting the apprentices' work, but they had cleaned sufficiently so he dismissed them and headed to the back to retrieve his belongings.
 	Saying goodbye to his store and starting all over again would be difficult, but certainly no more difficult than facing down void creatures, having to fear for his very life. Opening another store would be an adventure of sorts – one of logistics and money rather than weapons and magic. He agreed with Linya; he'd had quite enough of traditional adventuring for a lifetime.
 	And there was also another reason he had not mentioned to Leyand for his choice of destination: moving to Cauldurin would give him the opportunity to try and find Shaaria. He had not heard a word from her since her departure, and part of him worried something might have happened to her. So, he would take the opportunity while in Cauldurin to ask around and see who might be able to point him in the right direction.
 	Pulling on his coat and exiting the back door of the apothecary, Anshu made his way back to the main streets, lit by crystal lamps running along both sides of the road. Walking towards a nearby tavern to quell the rumblings of his stomach, he glanced up towards the stars above him idly, his hands in his pockets to keep them away from the cold winter air. The call of adventure could wait – the call of a bowl of hot stew tempted him far more right now.
 	--------------------
 	With the day's take tallied and the next day's money set aside for the registers, Anshu closed the ledger and slipped it into the topmost drawer at the desk in his office. Normally, that would have been the last step before leaving, but tonight, he instead took a fresh sheet of lined paper from the stack at the corner of his desk and retrieved a pencil from the neatly-arranged row of stationery.
 	He wasn't quite sure on everything he wanted to say, so he would use the pencil for his first draft before using a proper ink pen on the real letter. Normally a penciled message would be fine, as only the crystalgraph operators at Cauldurin's one and only crystalgraph station would see it, but what he wanted to write this time was sensitive enough that he was going to send it by courier instead.
 	The opener was easy enough; he was no stranger to written correspondence. A greeting to Linya, the usual well-wishes to her and Hiccup, and a remark about the hopeful success of her most recent publication. Letting her know that his new apothecary was doing quite well, and that even with all the help he had hired he had orders coming in faster than he could fulfil them and was in negotiations to expand into the adjacent shop. His old shop was still doing well, for he had chosen his successor wisely, and Leyand kept in contact with him both as a colleague and as a friend to keep him abreast of developments in Matakras.
 	And then, the main parts of the letter. For a time the only sound in the room was the hum of the crystal-powered clock on the wall as its hands turned steadily. Anshu sat and stared at the paper, tapping the end of his pencil against his other hand in thought, before finally making up his mind and continuing to write.
 	  
 	Regrettably, he had not been able to find a single trace of Shaaria, despite all of the contact he had with well-to-do families of Cauldurin seeking both his services as an apothecary and wanting to make acquaintance with a man widely considered to be a hero. Though he did not revel in the fame as Randival did, he did not shy away from it or downplay it as Faelis had done either, humbly accepting the praise and all of the opportunities that came with it. At times it could be tiring, and yet, hearing the sincere gratitude from those who had been personally affected by the tragedies the void monsters had wrought always brought a smile to his face…
 	Anshu frowned and reached for his eraser. No, they were not 'void monsters', at least not when conversing with an academic. Linya herself had coined the term 'magiphages' given their apparent desire to consume sources of magical energy – quite literally in her case given how voraciously they had attempted to attack her on multiple occasions. Colloquially people still called them void creatures, void monsters, or far cruder terms, of course. But academic circles had given them a proper name, and it would be better to use that one.
 	After correcting his draft, he continued writing. The unquestionable good they had done only confused him all the more as to why he couldn't find any relatives nor records of Shaaria. According to all publicly-available information at Cauldurin's record hall, she had never existed. No records of birth nor of residence. Nobody had even seen anyone matching someone of her description, so it was not as simple as an assumed name or an alias.
 	As such, he was forced to seriously consider the theory Linya had posited to him in confidence, that Shaaria was some sort of spy or operative. But with no clues coming to him at all, he could not begin to fathom where she might have been from. Yet that wasn't what was troubling him the most: it was that there was no way Shaaria could have not foreseen this happening. She surely must have known that her assumed identity would not hold up to detailed scrutiny – so she must have planned all along to disappear when their adventures concluded. He did not know how to feel. At the time her concern and friendship had felt genuine, but this revelation cast it in a new light. Only the obvious fact that her assistance had been incredibly beneficial and that she had repeatedly risked her very life to ensure their success prevented him from assuming some darker motive, yet no answer as to her true nature came to him. With no other potential clues and no other ideas on avenues of research, he was going to have to abandon his search for her.
 	However, I… he began, then shook his head and reached for his eraser again. No, this was something quite a bit more positive. Tapping the end of the pencil against the side of his muzzle, he contemplated his wording for a moment before nodding and returning his pencil to the paper. I have another, far more pleasant reason to desist in the search, he wrote. He went on to explain that, while he had not had any success trying to find Shaaria, he had found something else: love. One of the staff at his apothecary was a talented woman, who had previously been making do in Cauldurin with a secondhand set of alchemy equipment and some self-taught knowledge. Under his tutelage, she had quickly blossomed from an apprentice into a fully-fledged associate, earning his trust and sharing a deep enthusiasm for the field of alchemy, poring over the copies of alchemical journals he had sent to his new apothecary. And as she was a whiskered dragon like him, their business relationship had become something more, and they were regularly spending time together after work.
 	He hesitated, unsure whether or not to tell her more, then decided to be open: Linya had been his confidant ever since their journey, and he hers, and he felt he could trust her. In brief, he detailed his intention to propose to his lover, and promised to follow up with a date and time of the ceremony should she accept – as well as a promise that it would be far less extravagant of a wedding than Randival's had been. For as you know, I am only a humble man of medicine and alchemy, he wrote sarcastically, chuckling quietly in the near-silence of his office.
 	From there he began to sign off, wishing Linya and Hiccup well once again, and promising to finish a review of the last paper she had sent to him – though in all likelihood it would reach her before the letter did.
 	Though it was just a draft, he signed it anyway out of habit, then folded the letter and tucked it into a pocket on his smock. He would think it over and write an inked version tomorrow, since it would be a day off for him. Getting up, he stepped out from his office and into the backroom of his apothecary, abandoned but for the few stations set up to brew overnight, and the one other occupant who was waiting for him.
 	The mere sight of her brought a smile to his face. She had already changed out of her work clothes, now in the bag resting on the ground beside her, and was wearing a brightly-colored orange dress with a yellow sash running from her right shoulder to her left hip, nicely complimenting her deep blue scales and the paler blue mane along her back. Cauldurin residents and muted colors were rarely seen together, as Anshu had very quickly noticed upon his arrival.
 	"I hope I didn't keep you waiting long," Anshu told Fhelin, approaching and embracing her with one arm around her waist, his other hand reaching up to affectionately brush a finger against one of her whiskers.
 	"Not at all," she replied in her soft, melodic voice, to which Anshu could have listened for hours. "I set up the overnight brews as you asked, then finished changing just a minute ago. The apprentices have all gone home, so it's just us." She leaned in towards him and they briefly shared a kiss before separating. "Are you ready to leave?"
 	He nodded to her, reaching out and gently taking her hand with his. "Yes, let's be off," he told her, pausing at the door only to turn off the crystal lights before locking up and heading down the street with Fhelin, talking with her about the recipe he was going to attempt for dinner. 
 	His journey to Cauldurin did not find Shaaria, but he had most certainly found happiness.
 	 
 Appendix B: Characters
 Randival Nashadhe
 	  Concept art for Randival, drawn by Cial.

 	Randival was the first character I designed for the book after Shaaria. I wanted to include a diverse set of dragons, so with Shaaria as the 'traditional' western-style dragon, I moved on to other less common types of dragons. In Randival's case I settled on a wyvern, which meant wing-arms rather than separate wings. Looking for reference images I found that the barbed/hooked tail was a common element, and included it into his design.
 	His clothing accounts for his wing-arms: his shirt has no sides and is worn in a manner more akin to a protective vest, as no sleeves would be able to fit him. The cloak simply goes over his back and arms and does not interfere with them.
 	It is, I admit, a little odd for him to have both hands and wing-arms as the bones of wings are akin to the fingers in a hand. Ultimately the reason for this decision is that he would not be able to fulfil his role as a front-line combat character without hands, so it is a necessary suspension of disbelief. Call it creative license, but perhaps some unusual evolutionary process started with the arms and much simpler webbing underneath them.
 	His archetype of a dashing swordsman is obvious, though I do like to play with character types and archetypes when I include them. In Randival's case, he has a hidden cunning that makes him more dangerous than one might think at first glance. Conversely, his attempts at charm largely go to waste on the cast, which plays into the way he matures over the course of the story. I did make sure that, while he has a clear philandering streak, he keeps it classy – he backs off with his advances when turned down, and recognizes that it would be a bad idea to try and seduce someone as vulnerable as Faelis.
 	He is the very epitome of an adventurer, setting off from home without much of a goal besides the adventure itself, abandoning what responsibilities he may have to travel the world at large. Ultimately, he is brought back down to reality by seeing and understanding the viewpoints of others around him. His own journey and his growth are what let him argue with Shaaria at the end of the story.
 	An astute reader may have noticed that, prior to Shaaria's arrival, the party is not that far removed from the "traditional" Fighter-Mage-Cleric-Rogue composition of medieval fantasy stories. This is quite deliberate and is done to build on the idea that Shaaria is an outsider, more akin to a guest star party member than part of the core group. Randival is closer to a Bard with his (attempts at) charisma and his reliance on agility rather than heavy armor, but he is still the front-and-center melee combatant and the de facto party leader.
 	To a certain extent, Randival's cheery demeanor is a mask that he puts up to hide his own struggles, though he is a genuinely charming fellow (or at least tries to be). We see that mask slip here and there, often when he is reminded of Servalus, something that clearly still weighs on him despite his assertion that it was a long time ago and he has come to terms with it. By his own admission, his gallivanting was a way to escape from responsibility and avoid confronting his issues. Like any of us, he eventually breaks under the strain, but I'd like to think that he can eventually open up to Faelis just as she did to him.
 	My initial concept for him had him using a lot more gadgets than he does in the story, though he still has quite a few stashed under his cloak in the final draft. He has enough going on as it is, so trying to wedge more things into his arsenal seemed unnecessary.
 	  Detailed art for Randival, drawn by Inert-Ren.

 Linya Felhui
 	  Concept art for Linya, drawn by Cial.

 	Linya's character probably took me the longest to get a good feel for. I always knew she would be the party mage, but it wasn't until I wrote some scenes focused on her that I got a better understanding of the character and her motivations. As mentioned I like to play with archetypes, so while she is an academic with a tendency for tunnel vision and over-analysis, she is aware of the disconnect between theory and practice, and seeks to bridge that gap. Moreover, while the archetype might normally lend itself towards an elitist character, we see she is not one at all when she rebukes Faelis about what constitutes 'real magic' and supports Anshu's use of magic implements despite having no magical talent of his own.
 	Her clothing is a set of loose robes, as tight clothing and fur – especially with a mane – would not be a comfortable combination. In a rejected draft for the postlude Succession, her glasses were officially named as Spellsight Spectacles. They are not a unique item, just rare and valuable, yet important for her research. She likely has similar devices for other research-related purposes, some of which would be the property of the college.
 	She does not talk about her work much in the book proper but in the prelude Another Beginning, we see that she works in the "Department of Spell Research". I had to ponder what sort of research someone who specializes in offensive magic might perform to come up with the idea. While I am sure some of it is finding new spells or more effective or efficient ones, I also have no doubt that there are more unexpected or esoteric uses for being able to hurl lightning bolts or conjure fire on a whim. It also likely ties into the ubiquitous crystal technology present in the setting as well, so it's possible that Randival's crystallock pistol or weapons similar to it are the result of that sort of research.
 	I made Linya a furred dragon with a design similar to lung/long dragons of eastern mythology to have a clear similarity with Hiccup. The presence of both types of dragons with notably similar features and appearances across different body types, especially when it is revealed that lindwurms and furred dragons hail from adjacent islands, is a subtle implication about the sort of divergent evolution that would have caused such a breadth of dragon types to exist within the same setting.
 	The first four parts of the book each focus on one character a little more than the others. Linya's section, Part 2, reflects this as it has no combat and is where a number of important discoveries are made that drive the plot forward, in libraries or archives where she is most at home. Linya and Hiccup getting through the research at the library far faster than everyone else is no accident – it is what she does for a living, after all.
 	Unlike the others, I didn't have any rejected ideas for Linya. Everything I came up with for her eventually got used at some point or another.
 	  Detailed art for Linya (and Hiccup), drawn by Inert-Ren.

Hiccup
 	  Concept art for Hiccup, drawn by Cial.

 	Or to use her full name, Rheadnha Idren.
 	Hiccup was originally just a sort of mascot character, starting her life in my notes as a single bullet point: "Fluffy noodle with snark." She became much more than that by the end of the first draft, as while she does have something akin to a master-pet relationship with Linya at first glance, even going so far as to call Linya her master, it is not magically-induced servitude. The empathic bond they share, which is only directly demonstrated in the prelude Another Beginning and the interlude A Long Wait, gives them a deep understanding of one another, allowing Hiccup to serve as a form of emotional support that transcends words and gestures. Physical contact is comforting to both of them, so Hiccup certainly does not mind being petted or stroked, and Linya is not all that upset by having Hiccup curl up on her lap or sprawl on her when she sleeps.
 	Despite her frequent verbal fencing with Randival, Hiccup is (generally) friendly with the rest of the cast to show that her disagreement is entirely with him: she likes Faelis and Shaaria, and is on good terms with Anshu as well, exploding potions notwithstanding. She may give Linya a glare or a snarky comment now and then, but there's no lasting animosity.
 	She floats with a form of magic akin to telekinesis, albeit one that is so second-nature to her and other lindwurms that she doesn't truly understand how it works any more than the average person understands how they walk and all of the muscles and brain activity that goes into something so seemingly simple. It does require a nonzero amount of attention, even subconsciously, which is why when she is knocked out, sleeping, or in her moment of extreme despair at the end of Part 5, she stops floating.
 	As noted in Linya's entry, the two have similar designs to indicate divergent evolution at some point in their shared past. This likely made it easier for the two of them to bond.
 	The master-familiar bond Hiccup and Linya share did not "uplift" Hiccup in any way – lindwurms are intelligent creatures regardless. The main purpose of the bond was to create the empathic link as well as to allow Hiccup to more easily lend her magical power to Linya to strengthen her spells. Hiccup is smart enough to help Linya with her research, just not enough to do it all by herself.
 	While Hiccup doesn't like being called a pet, she doesn't do herself many favors with how she acts, curling up in Linya's lap expectantly for pets and back rubs, or floating around Linya at the dinner table until her master gives her food and water even though she's perfectly capable of feeding herself. I'm sure any cat owners among my readers will empathize with caring for a creature that is perfectly capable of doing certain things for itself, and instead chooses to stare at you until you do what they want for them.
 	Ultimately, although Hiccup is a minor character compared to the others (much to her chagrin), the story wouldn't be the same without her, so perhaps she isn't so minor after all.
 	In an earlier draft I had her have stronger empathic abilities, including the ability to determine when someone lies – for a short time in the editing process it was actually her rather than Randival who figured out that Shaaria was lying after her miraculous return. But it came out of nowhere and didn't feel fitting, especially as I had to hand-wave Shaaria's previous lies by operating under the premise that her circlet prevented Hiccup from figuring out she was lying sooner, which only caused more continuity snarls. So, I edited it back to the original explanation of Randival's own insight being responsible for discerning Shaaria's lies, which I do think works out much better, and toned Hiccup's abilities down to just sensing others and some high-level emotions.
 	I also had some plans in my initial notes that Linya would use magic to make Hiccup grow in size to be a much more fearsome fighter in combat, with an appropriate level of power tripping from Hiccup in the process. As amusing as the idea is, it never even made it into the first draft as I made Hiccup simply a familiar instead and had her assist by lending magical power instead of fighting directly.
 	  
In lieu of a detailed render of just Hiccup, you can have this silly comic drawn by Cial instead.

 Anshu Ten
 	  Concept art for Anshu, drawn by Cial.

 	As noted, the party's composition was deliberately chosen to be analogous to the "traditional" Fighter-Mage-Cleric-Rogue setup, with Anshu filling the third slot. However, while he fills the role of a healer, it is as an alchemist rather than a cleric, no analogue for which is seen in the story. Moreover, the magic he does use is not his own, but rather comes from a collection of magical implements he carries instead. The inspiration for this particular aspect came from the existence of the (rarely-utilized) Use Magic Device skill in Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, which would allow a character to use scrolls, wands and so on as though they were a caster themselves.
 	One might expect a character making an effort to cover for an obvious weakness to have some insecurity, but I went in the opposite direction from that with his mentality of "I want to be defined by what I can do, rather than what I cannot." He is the most grounded and level-headed member of the cast; while each of the other characters panics, breaks down or otherwise is overcome by emotion at some point or another, Anshu keeps calm throughout the events of the story, providing a voice of reason and order. As a doctor and a successful small business owner (as we see in the postlude Succession) he clearly has his head on straight and is an incredibly valuable member of the party despite not being combat-capable, truly embodying that philosophy. Randival's choice of words may be what brought it to his mind, but he was already following it before they met.
 	In comparison to Linya's spellsight spectacles, his goggles only have the relatively minor function of being able to zoom, in addition to offering eye protection of course. Useful for making careful measurements and reading small or distant labels, they also double as binoculars; while it is not elaborated on exactly how they work in the story, he is able to control the zoom and focus by touching the rims, which have crystals embedded in them for that purpose.
 	Anshu's part of the story does not put him directly in the spotlight very much, but does focus on showing how he interacts with others, fitting his character. It does contain the Harton's Tower segment with a notable amount of combat, but his role there remains one of support and assistance in what is really a full-party sequence. Even though he is the one whose quick thinking secures victory, it is only because by doing so he allows Shaaria and, in turn, Linya to do what must be done to close the rift.
 	As we see during the postlude Succession, just because he is a good businessman does not mean it is all about the money for him. He even gets his own little happy ending, finding a wife and a quiet place to live away from the city of Matakras. We also get to see that an alchemist is more than just making potions, serving a similar role to a chemical engineer to make all sorts of substances that really should not be drunk. As the setting is currently in something vaguely analogous to the 1800's it is conceivable that, in time, these sorts of alchemical processes could be scaled to industrial levels, but using crystal technology.
 	Anshu's initial concept for a party member was purely as an alchemist, only using his staff beyond that. But I broadened him into using additional magical implements and knowing traditional medicine to round him out, and to better make him appear to be the most experienced and knowledgeable member of the cast (and the oldest, not counting Shaaria). Him taking notes at the Dalavun library and later referring to them was also a very late addition to the book suggested by my editor, and I think it fits his character well.
 	  Detailed art for Anshu, drawn by Inert-Ren.

 Faelis Misha
 	  Concept art for Faelis, drawn by Cial.

 	Faelis's design was one I knew from the outset: while she would serve as the party rogue, and had the usual rough upbringing often associated with it, it would have the opposite effect to the common character implementation as someone hardened and jaded. Instead, Faelis is very traumatized and struggles with the emotional burdens and damage of her youth, battling self-esteem and self-image issues that get worse as the story progresses.
 	This is reflected in her design: she is a thief, but not a rich or successful one, as we see during the prelude A Fateful Failure, and while she has an appropriate outfit, it was likely stolen (or given to her by the hooded man) and has been patched and repaired many times. She is not greedy either, far more desperate for praise, validation, and friendship than she is for riches and fame.
 	It is never stated in the story as it is not known to the characters, but Faelis's wings are stunted due to her extreme malnutrition during adolescence. She is, at least, able to cover them with her cloak to better hide herself when she needs to. Similar to Shaaria's clothes, hers are cut low in the back to account for her wings, and then the cloak allows fully covering them and the back of her neck and shoulders. It is not shown in the art but she likely has a covering for her tail as well, as bright pink is not a particularly stealthy color.
 	Her own struggles and self-destructive behaviors are based on personal experience – as difficult as it is for me to admit that out loud, as it were. But one major part of Faelis's arc is to show the importance of vulnerability, asking for help, and confronting your problems, a lesson as valuable for me as it is for her. The culmination of Faelis's character arc in Part 4 was written very deliberately, particularly the way the various characters interact with her, and what strategies get through to her while others do not.
 	I admit that I do pile Faelis's misfortunes on her greatly. I haven't even shown all of them, with much of her past abuse kept light on detail. One rejected draft for Chapter 35 initially was going to have mini-scenes to show her backstory, but I ultimately decided to keep it to very curt descriptions to better evoke the "life flashing before her eyes" moment.
 	The heavy-handedness is all in service to the story-within-a-story she is there to tell, of the importance of relying on friends and not trying to suppress your feelings or hide your struggles. Fantasy heroes' problems can often seem a little too distant for us to empathize with, such as Randival's grievances with his family, and the expectation of inheriting a company. While we can understand the issues he faces, it is hard to feel them. In comparison, Faelis's struggles are far more real to many people who might be dealing with impostor syndrome, anxiety, abandonment fears, internalized abuse (shown through her repeated self-depreciation as a "freak" or "dead weight"), trust issues, or self-image problems, and the goal is to make it easier to empathize with her.
 	In particular, Chapter 35 exists to make the reader sympathize with her greatly, finally laying out what she has lived through and how things were only just starting to improve for her. It is intended to make the reader believe that I'm actually killing her off so that they can understand what Shaaria feels in Chapter 41's flashback, even without all of the information the reader has, and why she would take such a great risk in the end after how she has behaved for the rest of the book. If the reader mourns for Faelis in that moment, and wishes that she had some way to survive, then I have done my job as an author correctly.
 	It is also quite deliberate that the concerns raised by the other party members in Chapter 23 are fully legitimate: Faelis's skills are poorly matched to the dangers they face. Randival's genuine blindness to her faults and insistence that there is no problem does more harm than good. We can, regrettably, be too kind and too gentle with those we care about, smothering them with kindness and preventing them from addressing the issues in their lives, causing them to stagnate. Part of helping your friends is helping them to improve, after all, and sometimes that requires facing harsh truths.
 	There are two elements to Faelis that I was uncertain about the inclusion of for being a little more controversial, but I ended up keeping in anyway. The first was her hermaphroditism, to serve as something not readily visible about her that she feels great shame for anyway, even if it is a physical trait she hatched with and thus had no control over. In that sense it is a flexible enough analogy for any one of a number of issues – an imperfection or physical anomaly that, as is pointed out by Shaaria, does not make her any less of a person, despite what others (such as her family) might think, and despite how ashamed she feels about it. In particular the importance of this aspect, and it being something shared with Shaaria, was to allow for the "if you don't think any of that applies to me, why would it apply to you?" speech from Shaaria to highlight the unfair double standard that Faelis holds herself to. Often, people who are very harsh on themselves hold such double standards, judging themselves with a harshness they would never turn on anyone else. The aspect in question is unusual, but the narrative surrounding it is valuable, so I kept it.
 	The second element was the revelation close to the end of the book that she is a survivor of sexual abuse, hinted at during the scene in the inn at Dalavun in Chapter 15. It is a sensitive topic to many people, but simply pretending that it doesn't exist helps no-one. Bad things happen to good people, and it contributes to Faelis's issues by making her relive nightmares during her sleep, and fear being exposed or vulnerable around others. That kind of abuse leaves deep scars that will only fester and worsen if left alone, and must be confronted to be healed, however slow that process may be.
 	All in all, Faelis is the most complicated member of the cast. Her character arc is built up over the whole story, even after its apex in Part 4. She is a tragic and sympathetic character not just for the reader but for the other party members too, which is what spurs Shaaria's decision to risk her façade to save Faelis in Part 5 and, as a result, allows the entirety of Part 6 to happen.
 	And yet, as we see in the final chapter and in the postlude Remembrance, she is able to find happiness in the end thanks to the aid of her friends. I also made sure that in the recollection of events in Remembrance, Faelis stands up for herself against her parents; it would cheapen her character development if Randival had to step in and defend her. Faelis's whole story is meant to be a positive one by the end: there is always hope, when you have good and true friends to rely on. Past pain and trauma never goes away, but it can be overcome with assistance and perseverance. Hiding your feelings and your true self will only lead to alienation. It is my hope that Faelis's story serves as an inspiration to someone, and helps them escape some dark place in their life.
 	There were some ideas I had for her that didn't make it into the story, as well. One of her flashbacks was going to depict her with a plush toy she used for comfort that was taken away by her parents and caused her more distress as a result. However, there was no good way to convey this in an impactful way while keeping the "life flashing before her eyes" moment that chapter is meant to evoke, so I simply didn't include it, though it definitely is still canon to her backstory. She also stabbed herself instead of poisoning herself in my original notes, but that was changed to be something more fitting to the character, as well as being more visceral for a more shocking reaction from the characters and the reader. It was also something much harder for Anshu to heal, to raise the tension of the moment far higher.
 	  Detailed art for Faelis, drawn by Inert-Ren.

Shaaria
 	  Concept art for Shaaria, drawn by Cial.

 	For clarity: there is no intended relation between Shaaria's title of "Planeswalker" and the title of characters in a certain popular collectible card game that I neither play nor know the lore of. I chose "Planeswalker" as an apt description of what she does: crossing between planes on adventures of her own particular choosing. It was only after the book was written that someone pointed out the overlap of names, but at that point I was committed to it. And, as noted, it is accurate and descriptive.
 	Shaaria's design for the book was one of the first things written, since it happens right at the start of Chapter 1 and I was filling out the setting as I went. It's meant to stand out, but just a little. The sash originally was simply there for flavor, and then I tied it in to being a fashion style that would help her fit in as being from a particular region of the setting. Her own colors are vibrant, and the outfit matches them.
 	The main premise behind The Planeswalker: Between Skies is that in most adventure stories, a little genre-savviness ruins the tension. You know, if you're only halfway through the book, that the protagonist is never really going to be in mortal peril, and they'll get through whatever crisis they're in just fine. TPBS throws this out the window immediately in the prologue and shows that, not only can Shaaria 'die', but I as the author am perfectly willing to kill her off as part of the plot. If I've done it once, what stops me from doing it again? This expectation gets played on at the end of Part 5 where the narrative's POV character abruptly shifts to Randival, and with everything the reader knows up to that point, it is perfectly plausible for Shaaria to be doomed. While Shaaria does return, perhaps inverting the reader's expectations, her defiance of seemingly certain death causes suspicion and leads to Part 6 happening, with Randival echoing the reader's likely thoughts of "How is that possible?"
 	A story directly following the guest star party member is also not a concept that I've seen done before. Because the narrative follows Shaaria, we don't get to see what happened to the rest of the party prior to her arrival directly, though we get little hints and callbacks to it here and there. It is left to both Shaaria's and the reader's imaginations as to exactly what happened with Anshu's lightning wands, Randival trying to seduce a mannequin, Linya's first time in real combat, or Hiccup choking on a piece of fruit, for instance. The reader knows only a little less about the setting than Shaaria does, as while she does some 'off-camera' research between the prologue and Chapter 1, it's shown to be imperfect with the various slip-ups she makes and has to correct for. Her asking characters for details to fill gaps in her own knowledge also serves to inform the reader on what's happening in a more natural way.
 	The story as a whole, but especially Part 6, examines the idea of the Gandalf archetype of character – one who is incredibly powerful, yet holds back for some reason or another. Part 6 deconstructs this with Randival's pointed questioning of Shaaria, especially with the obvious opener of "Why didn't you just fix all this yourself?" and her responses to that and his other questions.
 	I'd like to note especially that there is no in-scene 'conclusion' or one character coming out on top of Part 6 for a reason: essentially, the characters note that with great power comes great responsibility. After that, the question on the table is "but how much responsibility?" and I honestly do not know the answer, nor do I claim to. I have done what I could to present both characters' points of view and their arguments, and then left it unresolved with them agreeing to disagree so that the reader can decide for themselves who – if either of them – is the correct one. It is a complicated question, and while they both mean well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
 	Of course, a character who is actually all-knowing and all-powerful is not very compelling. Shaaria makes the point that she is still mortal just like Randival, shown through her weaknesses, particularly the moments of great distress for her when she is faced with having to risk the sacrifice of others to maintain her disguise – or dealing with the consequences of doing so, such as with Melwyn.
 	There is also foreshadowing in Chapter 15 for Shaaria's return from seemingly certain death when Shaaria demonstrates that she's willing to 'break character' if she won't be caught, by using a spell to help put Faelis to sleep. As she explains to Randival in Part 6, she's willing to 'cheat' if she is confident that she can get away with it.
 	In a more meta sense, Shaaria's role is akin to a parent or teacher, who knows that if she simply fixes every problem herself, then her charges will learn nothing. The difference is that in this case, she is treating an entire world as her 'student', with potentially cataclysmic problems to face. As Randival points out, the stakes are much higher when holding back means people can and will lose their lives, but her view is longer-term and looks past when she ceases to give her assistance. And so, it is left to the reader to decide on the answer to the question on the back cover copy of the book: "Are the lives of friends a price worth paying in pursuit of a goal, however noble it may be?"
 	It is also a subtle thing, but Shaaria never once uses the "Stars and Skies" exclamation or any of its variants. While this could mark her as an outsider, and Randival likely recognizes this in retrospect, it is not enough in and of itself to draw suspicion upon her, as some other characters also make sparing or no use of it during the story.
 	Shaaria's greater-scope role as a Planeswalker opens her up to being used in other adventures and stories, of which I have very loose plans for at this time. In similar ways to this one they would explore and experiment with the idea of an outsider character, and the consequences of their involvement and choosing when and when not to hold back – and the idea that, even when she is the main character, the show can, will and must go on without her if she doesn't make it to the end of the story.
 	Earlier drafts of the story had some very different ideas for her character. I briefly considered a twist of making Faelis some younger version of Shaaria that she had gone back to assist, but quickly discarded that idea for numerous reasons, not least of which is the amount of chaos that would cause in the rest of the story. Time travel plotlines are best left alone, honestly. Instead I stuck with it being merely metaphorical: Faelis reminds Shaaria of her younger self, and Shaaria helps Faelis in a way that she would herself have wanted.
 	Similarly, she originally spoke to Randival in private with a time stop effect rather than merely masking their conversation from observers (with Linya instead remarking upon Randival's return that he didn't take long). He also only ended up in an illusory version of Planeswalker's Retreat rather than the actual thing. I changed this in the end, partly to show that she trusts him, and also to completely remove any sort of time-related magic from her arsenal completely. Thus her statement that "a day for me is still a day for you" implies that time is completely immutable, and constant across planes, and its manipulation is beyond even her power, or that of any other Planeswalker. Such a truth is much easier to grasp and far simpler to work with. It also makes her failures far more impactful if she has no means by which to go back and fix them, and helps lend credence to her claims that she isn't that different from Randival when she is bound to the same flow of time as everyone else.
 	It is a very difficult task to write an arbitrarily powerful character, especially one with so much spotlight time, and keep them compelling and not have them turn into a Mary Sue. I tried as hard as I could to avoid that, and I hope that I succeeded, not just by giving her major flaws and letting the rest of the cast take the majority of the spotlight, but also by making her very character archetype an element that is explored within the story by the characters in it. For that reason, her entire character theme is written as the first line on the back cover copy of the book:
 	Those who wield great power must know when to stay their hand.

 	  Detailed art for Shaaria, drawn by Inert-Ren.

 Melwyn Raell

 	Concept art for Melwyn, drawn by Cial.

 	Despite being a minor character, Melwyn's fate was changed a few times during drafting and editing. In the very first draft of the story, he was killed outright by the void creature, but he wasn't named and had less dialogue in the first draft, so his death was less impactful. I later had him survive, because I felt that his death did not serve any purpose to the story. But as you have seen, in the final draft he is mortally wounded and dies because of Shaaria's hesitation and concern for her disguise, to show Shaaria's flaws much sooner than they otherwise would come up.
 	It is very moving and I feel bad for him, but that's the whole point: it demonstrates the lethality of the void creatures right out of the gate while also having Shaaria fail at something immediately to demonstrate that she is far from infallible. It also leans further into subverting typical fantasy story expectations since, as a friendly named character who is speaking directly with Shaaria, the reader might expect that he will be part of the adventure as well or at least has some kind of plot armor, only for his role and his life to both be cut tragically short. This in turn sets up for the end of Part 5 to make the reader believe that Shaaria has been sent back to Planeswalker's Retreat and that Faelis is actually going to die, because I have previously crossed that line of lethality as the author. It also shows how much this affects Shaaria as, even at the end of the story, she still remembers Melwyn and feels bad about what happened, despite all that has transpired since.
 	I briefly considered an additional postlude for Shaaria of her attending Melwyn's funeral to further illustrate her regrets, but by the time the story ends it would have already happened. Similarly I considered her showing up to some memorial, but that would feel even less appropriate, considering that she hasn't returned to The Lands Between Skies at all since her departure, at least by the end of the postludes. So in the end I didn't give her a postlude at all – the epilogue serves as a short one, in a sense. And should I write another story with her, it will show better what she is up to after this book ends.
 	It is interesting to imagine how things might have gone had roles been swapped around. If Shaaria had saved and subsequently gone with Melwyn instead of Randival, it would have made for a very different story, perhaps more in line with what happened to the original set of adventurers from 40 winters prior. They were also airship crewmembers seeking a solution to the void monster problem, after all. With airships grounded and his normal vessel under repair, Melwyn could have been free to travel and seek help with Shaaria's aid. Likely, she would have sought assistance from Beranik Skyliners instead of the Nashadhe Shipwrights. Perhaps Melwyn's group could make a similar discovery to the original group's by noticing abnormal navigational device readings, and he could grow from his original appearance to become more confident and brave as the story went on…
 	…but of course, that's not what happened, as you know, and that entire realm of possibilities vanished with his death. Such is the nature of Shaaria's interference, and she knows it: there are always innumerable possibilities and every choice (or mistake) she makes closes off some of those permanently. Not to mention that Faelis would have died at some point or another without Shaaria's assistance, but who she might have saved in exchange if she went with Melwyn is unknowable. 
 	She knows this hypothetical weighing of lives, possibilities, and what-ifs against each other is a road to madness. There will always be lives she could have saved, but didn't, for one reason or another, as she points out to Randival (though he retorts that some are more reasonable to be saved than others). No matter what, she still has a conscience and so still feels regret for those that are lost to her – especially if it is her fault in some way.
 	So, as unfortunate as Melwyn's fate is, he at least now serves a stronger role in the narrative. He is a direct reminder that while the typical adventuring party in a fantasy story might be strong and combat-capable, ordinary citizens are not, lending weight to the arguments presented in the emergency meeting with Mr. Nashadhe later. We do not see the other slain crewmembers that Anshu alludes to after the fight on The Silver Wing, and Melwyn is more impactful because he is directly seen and heard by the reader prior to his death. In the concept art above, Melwyn's sword hangs awkwardly because he is not accustomed to it and does not know how to properly secure it, demonstrating his combat inexperience.
 	At one point I planned for Linya's prelude to show the party on The Silver Wing prior to takeoff, with Randival eventually leaving the group to meet Shaaria, and then returning later prior to the alarm sounding. Melwyn would have appeared there, but in only a minor role. I ended up not going with that because I wanted the bonus scenes to give the reader new information that they couldn't easily guess at or infer, so I instead set Linya's prelude much further back, to the beginning of the adventure – for The Lands Between Skies rather than the 'beginning' from Shaaria's perspective, which is where Chapter 1 starts.
 	 
 Mr. Nashadhe

 	Concept art for Mr. Nashadhe, drawn by Cial.

 	No, I won't state his given name. He's more imposing that way.
 	Randival's father only appears for one scene, though he does get alluded to or mentioned by his wayward son on a number of occasions. From the way Randival goes on about him you'd think he was some sort of tyrant, but when he finally shows up in the story he is merely a stern yet well-intentioned individual. He takes charge of a crisis and listens to the complaints and input of his staff and advisors, puts the party to a test of their capabilities in a way that will help him and his staff, and upholds his end of the agreements he makes. 
 	I wanted there to be a deliberate contrast between Randival's obviously-biased opinion of his father and the reality. Even though Mr. Nashadhe does open his first appearance by bellowing at Randival as loud as he can, it's for an understandable reason, as we have already learned a bit about Randival's past and the circumstances of his departure by that time. When a more level-headed and rational voice enters the discussion – Shaaria, in this case – he hears her out and doesn't dismiss her words out of hand. He does hold some skepticism and doesn't make unconditional offers, but ultimately the goal is for him to appear to be a reasonable enough individual, and still concerned for his son in some way, which is what allows them to patch things up after the story once Randival has matured. It's a single line during the postlude Remembrance, but we also see that he came to accept Faelis into his family as well despite his initial misgivings about her.
 	The Nashadhe Shipwrights are a large and very important company, given that they are mentioned to be one of the biggest airship companies in addition to actually constructing ships. Not every company that builds ships also uses them, and vice-versa, but the Nashadhe Shipwrights do both, making them one of the more powerful and influential merchant families in the Charted Territories, especially in their home island of Dalavun, hence why they also have a number of militarized ships in their fleet as well. It is subtly implied that they will be assisting in the reclamation of the corrupted Beacons while the party is off exploring the Wilderlands, so their influence clearly reaches far.
 	Mr. Nashadhe also sets himself apart from the cast for having lived through the previous incursion of void monsters 40 winters prior. The full story of what happened is not known (which implies that none of those who flew away from the Aerie under their own power made it back to the Charted Territories) so as far as he and the rest of the general public is concerned, this is some storm that has to be weathered. But since the attacks are only getting worse, the defenses he and other airship company operators have in place are not sufficient, as we see from the attack on The Silver Wing and the crash at Dalavun.
 	Overall, Mr. Nashadhe is felt more than he is seen as a character, which is to be expected for someone with his influence, both as a merchant and as Randival's father. I didn't have any additional plans or ideas for him that didn't make it into the final story, but his direct role was always meant to be minimal.
 	 
 Appendix C: Dragons
 	"Mr. Abron, why did you write a book with all these dragons instead of humans?"
 	Two reasons.
 	The first reason is that the science fiction and fantasy genre is, in my opinion, over-saturated with human-centric stories. I understand fully why this is the case: most readers want characters who are like them and find it harder to connect with those who are not. It's also easy to stick with the only known real-life sentient species (that we can talk to; my apologies to dolphinkind) instead of having to come up with one and figure out what changes for them – speech, dress, societal constructs, and so on. As a result, humans are the front and center of the narrative in a vast majority of fiction work, and any non-human races are usually antagonists or, if they're lucky, sidekicks, backup, or comic relief.
 	That said, it is incredibly disappointing that the genre of science fiction and fantasy should so staunchly refuse to embrace its potential. It is one thing for a crime story, war drama or romance novel to feature an entirely human cast, set in the contemporary modern day on Earth. They are meant to be grounded and realistic. Science fiction and fantasy, however, is meant to be about embracing and exploring the fantastic, expanding the limits of our imaginations and engaging with things that are not possible or realistic. It is about dreaming big and asking "what if?" unchained by the shackles of reality as we know it. Not just magic or space travel, but also the kinds of species, cultures, and societies that might be encountered. If anything, it's even worse when the authors perform the literary equivalent of delicately dipping their toes into the water, only going so far as making other species "humans but with pointy ears", "humans but short", "humans with green skin", or "humans with animal ears". I reject that quite firmly, as you can likely tell, preferring to break new ground rather than retread old paths.
 	Yet, I am also a compulsive lorewriter and worldbuilder, so while it is easy to say "this book is set in a world of floating sky islands", the next step after that is figuring the 'how's and 'why's, which I can then feed back to the reader here and there to flesh out and develop the setting. A large part of lorewriting is simply having a voice in your head asking you "Why?" or "How?" every time you establish some fact. Sometimes you will not have an answer, and this is fine, so long as you acknowledge it; leaving a few blanks is just as important as filling in others. But each question you do answer builds the setting and can inform other decisions, and sometimes even answer questions you did not previously have answers to, or re-affirm decisions you had already made.
 	And, when you step outside of the bounds of the real world and into fantasy, the possibilities for answers to these questions expand dramatically. It is a delicate balance to keep things familiar enough for a reader to connect with them, while still fantastic enough to give a sense of exploration and discovery. Changing the primary species present in a story allows for doing this in all sorts of interesting ways, and presents a fertile ground for imaginative ideas. More interesting answers, and further questions come to mind – in a setting like The Lands Between Skies, being able to fly under your own power would be incredibly valuable. Could that lead to some sort of disparity between the dragon types? If not, why not? There are many such deep and engaging rabbit holes to go down.
 	The second reason is that I just really like dragons.
 Dragons Overall
 	The Lands Between Skies as we see it in this story is a very mixed setting where the various dragon types live together, though the demographics are never evenly spread, so some are more heavily represented on particular islands than others. Lindwurms are a bit of an exception to this where they are almost exclusively found on the secondary island of Matakras, but this is just because they have trouble living in cities that were not made for them. No law, compulsion or tradition keeps them away, simply inconvenience. That is not to say they do not migrate to other places to live elsewhere, it is simply rare.
 	We see wing-back, furred, and whiskered dragons among the main cast, as well as lindwurms, and in passing mention we see feather-wing and serpentine dragons. Two other types exist that are not seen in the main story: wingless dragons (wing-backs but without wings, akin to drakes) and serpentine wyverns (exactly what the name implies).
 	Certain dragon types require additional accommodations. Lindwurms are one example, but serpentine dragon types require different styles of furniture, and all of them have their own particular needs when it comes to clothing, accounting for wings, tails, wing-arms, horns, and so on. Regional styles exist on top of this, such as the bright colors and sashes of Cauldurin. Being a tailor in The Lands Between Skies is never dull.
 	The various dragon types do share a common ancestor, though such things are long beyond recorded history. How they ended up spread across the islands (and how those islands got there in first place) is left to the reader's imagination. Although it is possible for them to crossbreed in most cases that don't involve lindwurms, crossbreed conception rates are low and the children produced are always sterile, mostly taking after the mother, and they are often plagued with chronic health issues.
 	Some time ago the different dragons spoke different languages, but this was from the result of geographical separation rather than species – for example, furred dragons and lindwurms, who were in close proximity to one another, spoke the same language. By the time of the events of this book, however, a common language is spoken by all residents of the Charted Territories and the old languages are now merely the subject of study by historians, linguists, and archaeologists.
 	The different species of dragons have a fairly even balance of males and females, with hermaphroditism being a very rare (1 in 100,000) though naturally-occurring condition. The amount of sexual dimorphism varies by dragon type but in general it is quite low: beyond reproductive differences, it typically manifests as different colorations or shapes of wings, horns, etc rather than overall differences in size, muscle mass, bone density and so forth. This is observed with the feral wyverns that were mentioned in passing as well: both the males and females are equally fearsome hunters.
 Wing-Backed Dragons
 	These are analogous to the "western" dragons of the real world, but such a designator is specific to Earth and would make no sense to use in The Lands Between Skies, so they are referred to in-setting as wing-backed dragons, as their wings attached to their backs as opposed to being part of their arms. They have fine smooth scales, claws on their hands and feet, unbranched horns, ear-fins, tails, and of course, wings.
 	Wing-backs are easily able to fly under their own power, second only to lindwurms who use magic to fly. They are also distinguished by having ear-fins, which serpentine dragons also possess, and spades at the ends of their tails, which are unique to them. Juvenile wing-backs cannot fly, and their wings grow to full size early in puberty.
 	Although they are able to fly under their own power and thus were able to spread between islands far more easily, they are not disproportionately widespread simply because it is much harder to carry tools, building materials, or livestock between islands. Until the advent of primitive airships, only islands that had sufficient natural resources on them could be reasonably settled. This gave them a head-start compared to the other subspecies of dragons, but over time this has mostly evened out.
 Wingless Dragons
 	While they look quite similar to wing-backed dragons, they have enough differences to be considered a separate dragon type, and indeed, suffer the usual difficulties of crossbreeding even with wing-backed dragons. First and foremost, they do not have any wings at all, though they do still have ear-fins. They lack the spade on the end of their tail that wing-backed dragons possess. Their horns and claws tend to be longer and sturdier, and their scales larger and tougher. Finally, they do not have separately-colored ventral scales as wing-backs do, and are one consistent color across their whole body.
 	Obviously they are not the only wingless dragon type, but in-setting the distinction was made between the wing-backed and wingless dragons before encountering furred or whiskered dragons, and the name stuck. Natural languages are like that sometimes. Doubtlessly there is some sort of more scientific name for them in-setting that is only ever used by academics and on certain legal documents.
 Furred Dragons
 	The typical furred dragon is very sleek and lithe compared to other dragon types, with their namesake layer of fur covering their body instead of scales, and a furry mane running down their back that ends with a tuft at the end of their tail. Their body is always a paler version of whatever color their mane is, and that color in turn is mostly genetic, and always uniform.
 	Their fur grows slightly thicker and fluffier during the winter. They tend to wear very loose clothing for comfort regardless of season. Some particularly flamboyant individuals may apply dyes to part or all of their fur, or style the mane with small colored bands, beads, or other decorations.
 	They have branching horns, the styles of which vary by individual and are not genetic. They are fairly sturdy, mostly grow during puberty, and do not regrow if broken off. 
 Feather-Wing Dragons
 	Although they are sometimes compared to furred dragons since their bodies are covered with fur, feather-wing dragons have many other differences beyond just their titular wings. Unlike the other dragon types, they have external ears that are long and pointed. They also have much less diversity in their coloration, as their fur and feathers are a uniform white, and the variances come from eye colors as well as the colors of the mane that runs from their head down their backs to the tuft at the tip of their tail.
 	Having both fur and wings, they wear similar clothing to wing-backs that is cut low on the back, and also is fairly loose to accommodate their fur. Their fur isn't overly thick but does keep them warm enough to not need heavy clothing in most cases.
 	As with wing-backs, they are capable of flying under their own power, and so they were able to spread with more ease than the other dragons were prior to the advent of air travel more advanced than taming flying beasts. They faced the same difficulties, however, of transporting materials and tools, so their spread was equally limited.
 Lindwurms
 	Bearing many similarities to furred dragons despite their extreme differences in body shape and size, lindwurms have only two front limbs with three toes on each, and a very long body that eventually transitions into a tail. They have branching horns akin to a furred dragon, but with fewer branches. Their fur is short and sleek, and they possess a mane just like furred dragons do.
 	They are very rarely found outside of the secondary island of Matakras, which is exclusively controlled by them as a courtesy from the other dragon types who have agreed not to build anything more than a connecting bridge and a small airship dock there. Lindwurms are inherently magical creatures and all possesses some amount of telekinetic ability that allows them to fly, as well as to manipulate tools. (When they choose to do so rather than getting someone else to do it, at least, like Hiccup does.) Because they also use this to fly simply by hovering, it produces an 'undulating' motion in the air as they are pulled down by gravity, push themselves back up telekinetically, and repeat the cycle. Much of this is subconscious, so they don't even realize they are doing it.
 	Unlike the other dragons that are all omnivorous, lindwurms are herbivorous, primarily eating fruits and berries, as well as nuts and seeds. Their jaws are fairly strong for cracking open the latter two, so Randival would do well to keep his fingers away from Hiccup's mouth when provoking her. They can eat certain other plant material like bark chips, leaves, or grass, but you'd better be prepared to hear them complain about the taste if they have to resort to this.
 Whiskered Dragons
 	Named for the pair of long whiskers dangling from the front of their muzzles, whiskered dragons have large, thick manes but are otherwise covered by fine flexible scales, with softer ventral scales on their fronts akin to wing-backed dragons. The mane does not grow any larger in winter like the furred dragons' fur coats do, but it is a uniform color unless dyed, and can be styled in a similar manner.
 	The two whiskers have tufts of fur that match the mane color. They give the dragon increased sensitivity to the directions of air currents, but as they cannot fly under their own power this is rarely useful unless they are serving on the crew of an airship. They are fairly sensitive, and touching another whiskered dragon's whiskers is an intimate act, as we briefly see at the end of the postlude Succession.
 Wyverns
 	Wyverns possess wing-arms rather than separate wings as wing-backs and feather-wings do, which join to their bodies along their sides down to slightly above their hips. As a result, any upper-body clothing they wear typically lacks both sleeves and sides. Randival's shirt is one example, as well as his cloak, and some wyverns are known to wear garments similar to ponchos for protection from rain or cold.
 	Wyverns also have a tail with a barbed hook on the end, like their feral cousins. They have a great amount of control over their tail and it is far more flexible than the tails of other dragons, as it is more usable as a weapon. The hook on the end is made for scratching and not piercing, as it can release a potent paralytic poison. There were once some very ill-fated attempts to use it as an anesthetic in its raw form, but alchemists have since devised means to both stabilize it for storage and to make it much safer to use as a muscle relaxant or anesthetic.
 	Wyverns are able to glide quite proficiently, but not fly as wing-backs and featherwings do, as they have great difficulty gaining height without thermal updrafts of air. Islands once dominated by wyverns quite commonly featured towers in their architectural designs for this reason, providing launching platforms as a means to get around more easily.
 Serpentine Dragons
 	Rather than legs, serpentine dragons have a snakelike lower body, which often means they forego lower-body clothing or wear garments akin to skirts or long cloaks. They have prominent front fangs that can inflict a poisonous bite, and also possess ear-fins and hair like wing-backed dragons do. Their eyes are always red in color, but their scales have the normal high variances of color to most dragon types, with softer front scales that are a lighter color than the rest of their body.
 	They typically require special furniture as it isn't comfortable to bend their bodies in such a way as to sit on chairs made for bipedal dragons. They also tend not to be particular fans of stairs, far preferring ramps.
 Serpentine Wyverns
 	The rarest of the dragon types, they have serpentine lower bodies but wing-arms like wyverns. They also have poisonous fangs, but lack ear-fins. The shape of their bodies makes it rare for them to wear much more than a garment akin to a tabard, covering their chest, back, and part of their lower body, though they sometimes wear jewelry as all dragon types can.
 	Like wyverns, they can glide. They are often found in the same areas of cities as wyverns as they have similar needs in this respect and can both make use of towers to launch from, especially as they cannot directly ride gryphons or feral wyverns due to the shapes of their bodies.
 	 
 Appendix D: The Lands Between Skies
 The Charted Territories
 	The story takes place in a region of The Lands Between Skies known as the Charted Territories, named as such because the islands within them have been thoroughly catalogued and mapped by its inhabitants. They continue to grow and expand, both reaching out to new islands, or as is alluded to in various places, by adding more individual islands to the domain of one of the cities.
 	The Charted Territories do not have a unified government. Each city is effectively a city-state, independent in its operation and accountable only to its own citizens. In bygone times the power was held by the merchant families of each city and the influence, wealth and control they exerted, and their ability to bring goods and people in and out of a city. These merchant houses eventually began to consolidate through mergers, marriages, or hostile takeovers, until each island typically had one or two major houses and a collection of minor ones. This led to the Mercantile Houses' Standoff, covered later in this appendix.
 	By the time of the book, the balance of power has shifted. The merchant houses still exist but each island has its own local government run by elected officials. In lieu of a unified government, the major cities have innumerable trade agreements. Many of these are signed by all of the cities, such as the ones defining a common currency and exchange rates for old coins to ease transition, standardization of documentation, or establishing the ability for residents to move freely between cities. The remainder are typically between a pair of cities only, establishing mutually-beneficial trade agreements or charting out shipping lanes.
 	Outside of the major cities, minor islands are akin to rural communities, either housing much smaller populations that typically fend for themselves, or individual families or persons who want to live away from the cities. Without proper airship docks, these islands can only be visited by smaller, specialized craft (such as the military vessel seen in the Harton's Tower segment) or by riders of tamed beasts who can bring supplies. Often the residents of those islands will have their own tamed flying animals, though it is quite rare for a creature in The Lands Between Skies to not have some capability of flight or gliding; those that don't are, naturally, only ever found on one island unless efforts have been made to spread them.
 	Many minor islands are purely the site of industry of some kind, such as logging or mining. When possible, these islands are brought closer to the nearest major island to cut down on travel time, and may be moved away again once the natural resources are exploited (or, in the case of logging, are being allowed to regrow). In very rare cases a minor island may be destroyed to harvest its heart crystal, but this is almost never done except with utterly barren islands unfit for even building a guiding marker on.
 	Although the cities typically start on large islands, as we see at various points in the story, they spread by connecting additional islands with bridges. Great magic is required to move an island safely, often through the combined efforts of many powerful spellcasters. The Evalar archipelago has its own full-time staff for the purpose, but most other islands do not expand frequently enough or with so many smaller islands to justify the expense, so these mages are often contracted temporarily instead. Any island that has not been built on or otherwise claimed through some treaty is openly considered up for grabs, but this rarely leads to territorial disputes as the cities are located far enough from one another that they are unlikely to ever try and lay claim to the same island. That's not to say this never happens – just that it is rare.
 	Because each island is independent, its priorities and the opportunities and life it offers varies heavily between each. Since the end of the Standoff and the improvements of relationships between the islands they have gradually specialized further and further, relying more on trade between each other. It is for this reason that the impending disruptions of travel and trade seen in the story is such a potential disaster, as Shaaria alludes to when talking to Mr. Nashadhe – many major islands are not capable of producing enough food to feed their own population, relying instead on imports from agricultural cities and using their own farming islands to either supplement imports or to grow specialty crops for export.
 	By and large, particularly with crystal technology making people's lives easier, the quality of life for the residents of The Lands Between Skies is good. There are still problems, as we see with Faelis and her rough upbringing, but on average its people live healthy and comfortable lives.
 	What lies beyond the Charted Territories? In the story alone we see remnants of ancient civilizations, and abandoned structures such as the Aerie. The only answer I will officially give to the question is "more islands"; beyond that, it is left to the imagination.
 Life Events
 	All of the dragon types lay eggs rather than having live births, and while gestation rates vary slightly by dragon type, it is not by any particularly significant amount, except for Lindwurms which hatch notably sooner. Expectant parents keep the egg warm and cared-for at home, and it is a common right of the people that during this time one of the parents is given leave from their job to tend to it and keep watch. While there is little activity in the egg during its early developmental period, The Lands Between Skies has its own collection of superstitions about embryonic development akin to Earth's; some parents will sing to their egg, play it music or tell it stories, and so on, with opinions varying on what works best. Which parent watches the egg is typically determined by which one has the less critical job, and in cases where both parents work at the same employer, or when they are self-employed, they may rotate the duty. Naturally, if only one is employed, the unemployed one will default to tending to the egg.
 	Juvenile dragons grow slowly until puberty, when they rapidly mature physically. How long this takes varies between the dragon types, but it is very common for secondary features to grow during this time; juveniles typically have stubby horns, tiny wings and tails, and so on, and these grow out to their full size during puberty. Wyvern tails and serpentine dragon fangs become poisonous, whiskered dragon whiskers lengthen, manes grow out to full size during puberty, and so on.
 	The Lands Between Skies have only recently begun implementing compulsory education, and even then it is only to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills, a task previously left to the parents. Most education comes from specialized training typically given at trade schools – the inefficiencies of this and the lack of standardization between them was what spurred the beginnings of the compulsory education system. While entering a trade school is technically free, and they will assist in finding an employer upon graduation, they typically take a portion of your wages upon employment for a set period of time in exchange. Those seeking non-trade careers such as members of academia usually are trained by their prospective employer instead, or can attend an institution such as the college of Matakras. Private tutors are also an option for specialization. 
 	Marriages are, in and of themselves, a simple bureaucratic affair, officiated by a member of the local government where the engaged couple has permanent residence. The marriage is essentially a legally binding agreement to merge the individuals into one family, and thus it is actually the exact same process and paperwork used for adoption or any other case where two or more individuals wish to become part of the same family. This is a straightforward process for commoners, and an exceedingly long and drawn-out affair when members of the upper class get involved, as extra agreements and exchanges, all legally-binding, are read and agreed to by those present. Which family name is taken by the couple is one of the various things agreed-upon, and it typically goes to whichever family has more power or influence, or simply the engaged couple's preference if they are equal. Both members of the couple must either provide proof of their identity or (as would have been the case for Faelis during her wedding) have multiple other people who are considered trustworthy vouch for them.
 	While that is the bare minimum required for a wedding, it is very rare that that is all that occurs outside of a marriage of pure convenience. Additional celebrations that occur are arranged by the families of the two individuals being united, and while there may be some traditions in a particular city or among dragons of a particular type, there are few hard and fast rules beyond an expectation for good food and drink. It can be a simple affair at home featuring close friends and family, or it can be an open-to-all event at some grand venue. Hence the tongue-in-cheek remark from Anshu seen in the postlude Succession, where he notes his wedding will be far less extravagant than Randival's, who likely commandeered a luxury airship from his father's fleet once again.
 	Because space is at a premium, residents of The Lands Between Skies do not bury their dead. Typically the deceased is dressed in a funereal shroud and cast from the side of an island as part of the funeral procession. Cremation is employed only for the equivalent of a closed-casket funeral where the deceased's body is not in a state fit for presentation when their death was caused by grisly injuries, or a disease that remains potentially infectious after death; in these cases it is instead the ashes that are cast from the island. There is typically a special platform on the edge of a major island for funerals to take place, located as far as possible from the airship docks for numerous reasons.
 The Mercantile Houses' Standoff
 	The Charted Territories have never known war in the traditional sense, though they are not strangers to conflict in general – the city-states have not always been on friendly terms and pirates or privateers were threats to trading vessels until trading agreements became the norm. The closest The Lands Between Skies have ever come to a full-scale war was a period later referred to as the Mercantile Houses' Standoff. An agreement had been reached over the plan to place and construct the Beacon network, with each major city being responsible for one of them, which would in turn require the procurement of a crystal with very particular specifications. As islands were prospected to try and locate such crystals, other discoveries were made, such as of deposits of valuable minerals, one of which began the Standoff.
 	The original disagreement was between two cities each controlled by a single powerful merchant house holding a majority of the influence. In one of the very rare cases of a territorial dispute, deposits of valuable minerals were located on an island almost equidistant between two cities. Both laid claim to it and, without any higher authority to appeal to or any trade agreement that covered that particular island, both of them built structures on the island and even went so far as to chain airships to the island to try and claim control of it.
 	Further disputes erupted between them over other islands, most of which were of relatively little value and appeared to merely be claimed out of spite. This got other cities caught up in the dispute, and it was only made worse when trade embargoes began to be issued, escalating until nearly all trade was halted but for brave individual shippers who effectively became smugglers. The mercantile houses built a number of defensive positions and constructed airships with combat purposes in mind. This is also the time at which Harton's Tower was fortified, and Dalavun's new beacon was placed at the top of it to safeguard it against any potential attempts of theft or sabotage, with only the merchant families of Dalavun and their airship navigators being given the frequency of the beacon for their guidance systems.
 	Fortunately the Standoff never erupted into an all-out war; understandably, the general population who normally were somewhat insulated from the machinations of the merchant families were incredibly displeased by the enormous disruptions or outright halting of trade and migration. Although the means employed in each city varied, the result was the same: an outright rebellion occurred in Therisia, something more akin to a velvet revolution happened in other cities, and in Venfird, the head of a merchant house was simply abducted and dangled over the edge of the island until he capitulated. The merchant houses themselves were largely powerless to stop this as they had sufficiently annoyed their own guardsmen, whose families were impacted by the Standoff, and they effectively carried out a coup.
 	Ultimately this led to the establishment of local governments in each city that took a great number of powers away from the merchant houses to govern matters within the island's boundaries, held by elected representatives rather than merchant family members. They would also handle the negotiations of agreements between some or all of the islands, and while the merchant houses could send representatives as advisors, it was the city officials who would have the final say. There was also a limit on the number of combat vessels any given merchant fleet could hold, and how many militarized staff it could employ; this led to a lot of downsizing, with those guards being picked up by the cities in most cases to form an independent city guard that did not answer to any one particular merchant house.
 	Tensions were quite high between the local governments and the merchant houses for a time after that, but at the time of the book things have cooled down substantially between them. The governments understand that facilitating trade keeps money and goods flowing, which in turn keeps the people happy and keeps the governments from being taken out of power; as a result they are typically willing to facilitate deals and most agreements get signed after a few rounds of negotiations. The merchants might grumble occasionally about being denied a particular request, but they no longer have to try and handle everything on their island of origin, allowing them to focus on their business, effectively giving up power to also cut on expenses, overhead, and red tape.
 	And as for the island that started the whole Standoff, its crystal was appropriated as part of the subsequent negotiations and given to the least prosperous island of all those who had signed into the Beacon network, forcing both of the original two merchant families to look elsewhere.
 Crystal Technology
 	Crystals are depicted as a fairly ubiquitous energy source during the story, used in everything from lights to airship engines. Essentially these crystals passively charge over time, and their energy can be harnessed and released to power devices in some way or another. The bigger the crystal, the more energy it can hold, and the faster it recharges. Devices that are always active, such as clocks, need crystals powerful enough such that their passive charge rate equals or exceeds whatever is used by the device they are attached to. As such, improving efficiency of crystal-powered devices is a lucrative prospect, as it reduces the sizes of the crystals needed, and smaller crystals are much more common and thus cheaper.
 	In most other cases they are essentially treated as rechargeable batteries, as we see with Anshu's staff, where it can be drained of power temporarily. Although there is an approximate relationship between the mass of the crystal and its energy capacity and output, the reality is far more complex, and is an area of deep academic interest involving the kinds of equations that fill up blackboards and have multiple papers written about them.
 	Efforts have been made to synthesize crystals artificially, but none have been successful so far, producing only inert stones that can be charged externally and thus see use as backup batteries, but do not passively charge by themselves. Naturally-formed stones are stable unless damaged, radiating magical energy in pulses that can be picked up by devices like Randival's beacon locator. Mining up crystal deposits is the only way to obtain them at present, typically from secondary deposits on large islands that will not disrupt the island's altitude in the skies.
 	The crystals themselves come in a variety of colors, which roughly corresponds with the frequency of the energy pulses they emit. For the most part these crystals are interchangeable, and it is not necessary to seek a crystal of a particular hue for any purpose outside of pure aesthetics. Only for incredibly specialized purposes is a crystal of a certain color ever a hard requirement.
 	The "crystalgraph" mentioned many times over the course of the story is something of a cross between a telegraph and a fax machine, used for inter-island communications but only from publicly-accessible stations, or merchant families wealthy enough to have their own. Crystal-based communications in The Lands Between Skies are in their early stages; The Silver Wing has a P.A. system, and there is a radio in Matakras that is relatively new and whose signal only covers the primary island. Crystalgraphs allow for longer-range communication between the islands but in a more limited form, sending textual messages with perfect clarity. It can manage black and white images, such as what would be required in the diagrams of Linya's portal-closing ritual, but transmitting these would be more difficult and would cost a lot extra. Because the crystalgraph only works between fixed points, airships still have to use other means to communicate with islands or other ships, such as flags, lights, or signal flares. It seems quite reasonable for island-to-ship or ship-to-ship radios to be invented soon, but at the time of the story, they do not yet exist.
 The Stars Above and the Skies Below
 	The residents of The Lands Between Skies do not have any particular religious institutions, but they do venerate two elements of the natural world to some extent: the "Stars Above" and the "Skies Below", two ever-present constants in the world they reside in, though the Stars are not visible during the day. When used as exclamations as we see in the story, "Stars and Skies" is the most common form for a general-purpose exclamation, while "Stars Above" tends to be used for good things and "Skies Below" for bad things. The longest such exclamation, the full "Stars Above and Skies Below" that we see only once, is typically used when sheer length is directly desired for emphasis, or to express extreme exasperation.
 	We also see a belief that the souls of the dead become new stars in the sky. The exact geography of The Lands Between Skies is never discussed (beyond Shaaria's simplified description of it as a disc), so it is left implied that the layout of the night sky changes often enough that consistent patterns and constellations have not been found or noticed. Part of this plays into the funeral rite of casting the body or ashes of the deceased into the Skies Below; it is their belief that by doing so, the soul will be allowed to ascend in the opposite direction the Stars Above.
 	Some attempts have been made to travel below the cloud line of the Skies Below; none have returned. What lies there is left to the reader's imagination, with Shaaria's note in the Chapter 40 flashback that the temperature is rising being the only hint.
 	As there is no religious institution around these entities, there are no churches or priests related to them. However, they feature prominently in many pieces of art and poetry, and many meaningful names in the residents' language will refer to one of the two. Paintings, engravings, and more feature imagery of stars and clouds for symbolism.
 	 
 Postface
 	Thank you.
 	For anyone who has read this whole book and its supplemental material, thank you.
 	This was a passion project for me; the original draft took me only about a month and a half of feverish writing sessions lasting well after I should have gone to sleep, caught up by inspiration and enthusiasm for telling a story and building a world. Editing and refinement over the subsequent few months doubled the word count and pushed it from "novella" to "actual, literal book" territory, expanding on the characters and the world.
 	I hope that many people are able to enjoy this story in some way or another. From those who have already read it and given me feedback I have heard several different choices for favorite characters, elements, or moments in the story. Whatever it may be for you, I am happy if you enjoyed the journey through The Lands Between Skies and the struggles of its characters.
 	May the Stars guide you on the path you have chosen.
 	-- C. L. Abron