The USAS Myridea. The Titanic comparison, while Maxine had considered it bad luck, was apt. It was a very similarly sized ship. The main difference was the many zeppelin style balloons attached to it. The top had four large, silvery envelopes, their canvas wrapped tightly around the balloons, two in the front, two in the back, each side by side and about a third as long as the roughly nine hundred foot long ship. There were five more balloons on each of the sides of the ship, probably one hundred feet long each, three on the top and two towards the bottom of the ship. There were rather large rudders at the back of the ship between two large, black and long cylinders. Reece had seen similar designs on flight-type MUTTs and assumed these were the thrusters that propelled the Myridea. The ship was more than a hundred feet tall, counting the balloons. The bottom third of the ship was black and cut through the air like a knife, similar in fashion like those of its seafaring counterparts. The rest of the ship was a deep navy blue with specks that sparkled in the sunlight. Windows covered the upper half, each of varying sizes that allowed for stargazing and sightseeing. 
	It was a marvel of engineering. Reece just wished he wasn’t standing in the sweltering repurposed shipyard in Merritt Island, Florida. It was on the eastern side, just off the Atlantic Ocean. Many large boats had been built here, but for the last few months it had been building a single vessel, the USAS Myridea. The boat was seaworthy and currently sat anchored in the water as the crew and workers brought various forms of cargo and guest luggage on board. Reece stood on the viewing deck of a three floor building not too far away. From here, he was able to take photos of the vessel and look at the various journalists and news folks who were stuck behind the boarding gate. They were desperate for the photos and video Reece could currently get. The man had expected a machine similar to a passenger aircraft: the massive, failed planes of yesteryear. The zeppelin was the preferred form of mass air travel, so it did make sense they would combine a boat with one for even more space. With how big it was, he had to wonder what the powersource of it was or if it was even airworthy. It must have been the aether crystals! They were an Australian miracle energy source and were the only thing he could think of to power such a massive airship. Those big glowing stones had immense power and the Australians used them as fuel for their robotic military suits, they must have been what the Myridea was using. Until a couple years ago, they were closely guarded resources, but with immense global pressure and most of their allies being deposed, a few groups managed to smuggle them out and learn their secrets– including making them much more stable. The exact details eluded Reece and most of that wasn’t public knowledge yet. 
	He watched as the first groups began boarding: VIPs. The gold ticket holders. They walked across a wide boarding bridge and onto the deck. Using the mounted telescopes of the building, Reece was able to get a closer look. He recognized some of the ambassadors whose names escaped him, one from the United States, a human woman with a few guards who was chatting up the elven ambassador from France. Britain, Germany, Spain, Japan and Russia, and even some smaller countries had all sent representatives. He felt like he stood out, but was glad no one paid him any mind amongst the others on the observation deck or those waiting in the interior for their turn to board. 
	The intercoms around the shipyard buzzed as they came to life, “Silver ticket holders,” It announced, “Please be prepared to board. Silver ticket holders, please be prepared to board.”
	Reece checked his ticket again. Maxine Hamilton’s guest- number two. Silver boarding, he read. He took a deep breath and shouldered his three bags. The backpack he had brought with him, a shoulder back that seemed to be infinitely deep, and a duffel bag. The two latter items were provided by the Hamilton estate.
	“Are you ready yet?” A voice in Reece’s ear made him jump. He turned around to see the woman standing behind him, grinning at him with her hands resting on her hips. He knew who she was, or at least who her mother was, right away. Fiery red hair with equally bright orange eyes and a pair of black, almost charred looking horns coming from the top of her head similar to a ram’s. Her complexion was a little darker with freckles across her nose and upper part of her cheeks, which softly curved down to her chin in such feminine fashion he felt more conscious of himself just looking at her. She was dressed rather casually for someone so prestigious, sporting a maroon crop top and jean shorts that revealed her pair of deep reddish-orange goat-like legs that stretched from the midpoint of her human thighs. She was a beast woman– also called an avalonian, more specifically a satyr.
Reece was caught like a deer in headlights in awe of her beauty, Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Maxamillion, which daughter of the renowned Arthur and Nambra do I have the honor of addressing? He wanted to say, “M-Miss Maxamillion?” He blurted out, still a little shocked.
	The woman grinned again, “You’re every bit the person that Maxine said you would be. And that my mother guessed you would be. Phoenix, a pleasure to finally meet you,” She offered her hand.
	Reece took it, forcing down his flustered surprise. His well-taught manners kicked in and he brought her hand to his lips as he gave a slight bow, kissing the back of it, “Reece M. Gawain, the pleasure is all mine.”
	Phoenix was a little shocked to be addressed in such a fashion as Reece stood to his full height again. Her face turned flush for a moment, but that quickly passed. For how anxious he had seemed, his greeting was well rehearsed, “Walk with me, we have little time now,” She bade him. Reece nodded and began to follow her.
	As the man fell in line with the satyr, numerous questions came to mind, “Does your father still loathe me?” The two descended a set of stairs in the waiting building.
She laughed, her voice just as charming as he had expected, “Maybe a bit. More so annoyed when Mother brings you up. ‘Oh, did you see this book on dwarven kings that the Gawain fellow wrote?’ ‘This elven aristocracy piece Gawain wrote is marvelous!’ So on and so forth.”
	“I admit my depiction of him in Sol Eater was not the greatest,” Reecesighed deeply.
“Mother loves the antagonistic bent he got,” The woman laughed. “She says you were fairly spot-on,” Reece found himself easily laughing along with her. She practically oozed charisma and he was quickly put at ease, “A lot of first hand accounts found him to be a bit mean. Mother definitely reigned him in with their marriage, so I at least understand where it came from. It was not as random as some other depictions of him making him out to be some whimsical fool or a plodding wizard who speaks only in cryptic nonsense or rhymes when he casts spells. No hard feelings of course, at least from me.”
	Reece nodded as they left the air conditioned building and stepped out onto the hot concrete. He regretted wearing slacks with his polo, “May I ask why you are on this trip? I’m not surprised a Maxamillion is in attendance, but…”
	“I am not who you expected?” She gave him a sly smile, “Mother and Father are a bit too old for adventure, my older sisters are tied down with their family now, so I was eager to go as their third child. Father was able to ride on a much smaller test machine, but this is a marvel to behold.”
	Both of their gazes went to the ship, “It's a stunning vessel,” Reece muttered as the two found their way to the slowly forming line. This group was high society members, powerful master wizards, top research groups, and their cohorts. He was surprised he was included in such a group, but the connection to the Hamiltons was the cause, he figured.
	“Are you excited?” Phoenix asked.
	Reece made a face, “I’m just trying to keep calm. Do you think there could be dragons living up there? Chimeras?” He looked a bit pale.
	Phoenix grinned, trying to hold back a laugh, “Dragons would have made their grand return years ago, my friend. Forget about all of that. Try to enjoy yourself a bit. That’s what the so-called VIPs are going to be doing. I have to wonder how excited our fellow passengers really are. The bureaucrats, adventurers they are not. Dullards, the lot of them,” She scowled just thinking about them. She was as fierce as she was beautiful when she wanted to be, a trait that reminded Reece of his writings on her mother, “No matter what, keep your wits about you. I fear there may be few we can trust aboard this vessel,” Her polite smile had returned quickly and her eyes glanced over several of the other passengers. Perhaps she wasn’t too sure who could be trusted herself, which was prudent, as Reece hadn’t even considered the others intentions. The man nodded, still looking rather pale, “I knew you would understand. Oh, looks like we are boarding! You have your ticket, yes? Do not tell me you lost it!” She gave him a wry smile before pulling him along.

	At the start of the boarding ramp, the duo presented their stubs. The attendant nodded, “Head down the stairs or elevator down to deck C then go to the port, bow side. It's the third from the top. Your rooms will be easy to find there,” The workers were all adorned in dark blue uniforms. Simple button ups with black ties and black slacks.
Phoenix thanked him and led Reece onto the deck. The ship was temperature controlled, even here and the two walked into a bubble of much cooler air. Reece stifled a very loud sigh of relief. All of the VIPs had already headed below deck. The two followed the given directions, there were two stairwells going down into the hull along with a raised structure at the aft of the ship that almost seemed to be where the higher end cabins were with how large it was. It was covered in one way windows as well, letting the inhabitants see out but not letting others see in, “That’s where the VIPs are,” Phoenix noted. The bow on the ship had an extended section at the top two decks sticking straight out and slightly up. It was covered in floor to ceiling windows on the front and sides, it must have been part of the bridge, or some kind of observation deck. Reece figured he would need to take a peek at it later. Down the stairs they went into the hull of the vessel. Windows let in the natural Floridian sunlight along with light being cast by overhead, buzzing, square shaped lights. The top deck was A and at the back, just off the elevator was an open air space, five decks high with the elevator at the back and a well stocked bar surrounded by various seating. Past that was three decks of dining space, each being a different restaurant. Reece didn’t have the time to gawk at the VIPs who were already socializing as Phoenix continued down the stairs, “How many folks do you think the Myridea holds?”
	“Twenty two hundred, I believe. Fourteen hundred passengers are leaving from Florida– including the crew. We should be picking up a few hundred on the voyage,” Reece recounted, “Missus Hamilton gave me a lot of materials to go over during the few days I stayed with her.”
	“Did she use magic to send you here? How did you feel after that?”
	“A bit sick.”
	Phoenix chuckled as they started down the hallway, “Exposure to magicks usually makes the tangilist ill until they get used to it,” Reece nodded and continued following behind the woman. Tangelist. It was a word he knew, a simple name for a non magic user. She seemingly had confidence and self-assuredness to spare, and it showed in how she moved, spoke, and acted. Reece had a minute understanding of sorcerers, people like Phoenix, arcane casters who drew from the metaphysical force called mana from within themselves to interface with a similar magical force in the air, earth, and water. Unlike a wizard, who learned how to manipulate these powers and learned many spells to cast, the ways sorcerers interfaced with this power was an innate skill. You couldn’t learn to be a sorcerer, just how to control that power and your emotions– said emotions were closely tied to their magic, to the point where a meltdown in any emotion could bring out the aforementioned magicks without the sorcerer meaning to, “Is that your thinking face?” Phoenix asked as she leaned against a wall.
	Reece looked her in the eye, trying not to be annoyed as she smirked back. Their rooms were next to one another. Neither had been given keys of any kind, and the man stared at his room number, C22. It was written in gold, inlaid into the smooth, dark door. The floors on this deck were a carpet that matched the exterior paint job, navy with flecks of yellow or white. He gripped the door handle, heard the door unlock, and pushed it open. The room was spacious for a single passenger. A king bed with a white duvet and dark gray sheets dominated the room. To the left of the entrance was a small bathroom lined with marble tiles. To the right of that entrance was a closet with ample space for clothes. One side of the bed had a nightstand and the other had a desk. There was a wide window on the far wall, it was open and letting in the bright mid-Fall sunshine, “It's nicer than my apartment,” Reece joked as he put his bags on the bed.
	“This is a luxury liner, afterall,” Phoenix smiled, “I would have liked a larger room, but this will have to do. Tell me, what kinds of ships will come next?”
	“I didn’t read anything about passenger ships. Trade is first, if our delegates manage to hash anything out. Freighters of varying sizes, I imagine. The Myridea will continue to make connections with other continents. Speaking of, are you excited to see Avalon? A-as an avalonian, I mean.”
	Phoenix shrugged, “I am not even a pureblooded avalonian, I have very little connection, beyond it being my ancestral homeland. Even then, I find the claim of it truly being Avalon of the Old World dubious at best. It's a far-fetched idea. The Old World– the one your favorite demon, Sol Eater, blew apart– it was difficult enough to bring people from that world to this one. How could entire countries and lands be brought too?”
	Reece nodded. He knew the tales well. The Great War interrupted as the world split open, mana flowed into the world and creatures once thought to be myth came forth from another world. Few were already here, some say, creatures of myth and legends. No one really seemed to be sure. 
	“Have you no faith in miracles? As a sorcerer, you should,” A third person entered the small room. He placed his hand on a small black slate by the door, about the size of a lightswitche’s plate. A string of lights, hidden at the top of the walls illuminated the room in a yellow glow.
	“Red Hawk,” Phoenix put her hands on her hips. 
The third individual, a shorter humanoid, taller than a dwarf but shorter than a human, took his hat off and bowed for her, “At your service, Miss Maxamillion,” The man had his head covered in white bandage wrapping, only bits of his bistre brown skin were visible. He was wearing a tan trench coat over a navy two piece suit with a red tie and pale blue undershirt. He had a brimless, short hat that matched his undershirt and bore the crest of the Hamilton family. No matter how well dressed he was, Reece’s eyes were drawn to his facial wrappings, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Gawain,” His voice was raspy and high.
	“Red Hawk, was it? Nice to meet you as well,” The two shook hands. Red Hawk’s hands were covered in a pair of leather gloves. His completely black eyes looked into Reece’s for a moment. He knew of people like this, wild elves, but had never seen one in person, “Phoenix, as I was saying, why would you not believe a few pieces of land could have made the journey to the New World?”
	“The grand magi that were tasked with bringing those who were still alive to the New World would not have had the time to focus on anything other than people, living things.”
	“There were more than the council of five who were working towards this goal,” He reminded her, “Some smaller groups came through a day or two before the main group.”
	“Let me humor this for a moment,” Phoenix sat at the desk while Red Hawk leaned against the wall. Reece sat on the bed and began going through his materials, trying to look busy as he listened to the two’s back and forth, “Say they brought over landmass as well as people. How much would be feasible? Could it even stay together? Another question I have is: what are they eating? How do they have water? There’s no way they brought lakes and rivers with them!”
	Red Hawk nodded, “It's not that difficult to create water by magical means. They are too high for rain, so it would need to be magical water sources. As for food, I am confident they would have been intelligent enough to account for fertile lands. Could they not have brought cattle? Wild animals? Those of us on the Earth received Old World creatures whether by accident or not. Manticores, for one.”
	Reece spoke up, “I don’t think the landmasses stayed together. The report that was brought back described rope bridges between sections of land.”
	“Then we are most likely looking at a collection of floating islands?” Red Hawk guessed. 
	Phoenix relented with her shoulders slouching, “I still do not believe these are the same land masses as the old world. It would be more feasible, in my mind, if these were created after individuals came to this world.”
	“Perhaps. But why didn’t everyone who arrived during the Cracking do the same? It would have been much less effort to not appear in the middle of a world spanning war, work to bring about peace, fight in a crusade over a new calendar, and bring about changes in the old religions, convert to new forms of Christianity, and so on and so forth. If the Cracking happened, the Old World people and races hid amongst these islands, untouchable by the people living on Earth, would that not have been easier if it was much more feasible?” Red Hawk continued to explain his point of view, “It would take a lot of effort to keep these land masses floating above us. It would take a magical power source just as effective as those in Australia.” 
	“Is that magical source of power why you’re here?” Phoenix guessed.
	He nodded, “Of course. I am a leading researcher on magical energy, as you know. I was originally upset that Lady Hamilton pulled me out of Australia, but learning what I would be working on now, I admit I am rather excited. Which brings me to my next point, magic completely changed Australia, both below and above the ground. I believe in the power of magic, especially the much stronger Old World magic. It is not that difficult to imagine that with their unique form of magic they would have been able to pull their land from the old world– or as you suggested form new lands in the skies above ours.”
	Phoenix folded her arms, “Yes, yes, I agree. You are the researcher here.”
	Reece noted her pouty look as she didn’t bring Red Hawk to her side of thinking. Red Hawk was well spoken enough, and just like Reece, he seemed to have a journal he kept notes in, “You wrote about the aether crystals, did you not?” The elf addressed Reece, now looking down at his notes.
	“Uh, a bit. I met with Pin Ironstone some time ago and did an article on them,” The boy replied, “It's all fascinating stuff. To think that those crystals have gone from powering weapons of war to powering vessels like this. It almost boggles the mind.”
	“And you spent a long time speaking of said weapons of war,” Red Hawk noted.
	There was a mixed feeling of embarrassment and elation that someone was at least familiar with his article, yet the tone in the elf’s voice implied he was none too pleased to have read it, which only served to fluster him a bit, “I enjoyed learning to pilot a MUTT, yes. It's not like I was gunning down Australian aristocracy or anything.”
	“Yes, but her husband used that machine to do that,” Red Hawk pointed out. Now Reece was red in the face, unable to offer a retort.
	“Explain to me what a MUTT is,” Phoenix requested, feeling out of her element.
	Red Hawk waited for Reece to speak, “Multi Utility all Terrain Tool,” He prattled off, “They are mechanical machines powered by aether. People are able to ride or drive them. They are usually humanoid in shape, although Missus Ironstone has made some four-legged spider-like MUTTs. These metallic war machines were originally designed for agriculture and construction, but like all things, it was eventually used for war.”
	“Like a suit of armor?” Phoenix wondered, sounding innocently curious about them.
	“There are some versions that are just suits of armor that give extra power via the aether crystals,” He replied, “But most are twenty or so feet tall. The machine that I got to test drive with a co-pilot was closer to thirty five, one of the largest MUTTs ever made.”
	“From the accounts I heard, that machine, Executioner it was called, was built by and piloted by a demon,” Red Hawk scoffed, “Australians are rather upset that the Ironstones got pardoned by their political rivals worldwide. Though in fairness, I suppose the Australians did provoke them when they were ready to quit. Attacking a man’s wife in the dead of night will cause them to do wild things, especially a human.”
	Reece nodded, “Those Australian cutthroats got what was coming to them. The Ironstones helped in the second war for Australia, about a decade ago. Pin was the main researcher that figured out how to make the aether crystals stable. Before her breakthrough, the crystals would vanish or deplete at alarming rates. With this stability, they can be used for a lot of purposes world wide. It’s thanks to her work we’re even here on this ship to begin with!”
	“Better they be used to power this expedition than warmachines,” Phoenix shook her head.
	Before the next person could talk, a trio of chimes rang out in the rooms and hallways, “Good afternoon, passengers and crew. This is Isaac O’Malley of the USAS Myridea, your captain, speaking,” The man paused, his voice coming through the speakers in the corners of the cabin, “With everyone and everything now boarded, I just wanted to thank you all for taking part in this vessel’s maiden voyage into the endless sea of stars. As you all know, this vessel represents a great technological and magical leap forward for mankind. Soon, other similar vessels will take to the sky as we create connections with the people living above,” There was a pause, making Phoenix wonder if he was awaiting applause from where he was giving the announcement, “I am honored to be your captain on such a life changing voyage. Soon, the amenities will open for our passengers. Please relax as we take flight and slowly rise to the stars. We will take what little is left of today as well as tomorrow to fly west over the continental United States. This is Captain O’Malley, wishing you all a safe voyage.”
The voice cut out, leaving a crackling audio for a few moments before shutting off completely. Red Hawk glanced over a small pamphlet, “How much do you know about the Myridea?”
	“They almost called it the Icarus,” Phoenix snickered, “Surely Reece knows more.”
	Reece nodded, “Alexandria was also a name they considered. Five aether crystals power this vessel. About as large as the Titanic. A passenger plane style design was tossed around at one point.”
	“I am impressed, despite your late choice for the trip, you seem well read,” Red Hawk nodded, “I believe the three of us will enjoy the tour.”
	“A tour?” Reece asked, his interest piqued.
Before he could answer, the ship rumbled to life and a loud hiss reverberated through the Myridea. Her horn blew three long times, shaking Reece to his core, “Time to take off,” Phoenix muttered as she calmly turned to the window from where she sat. Like a mundane plane, the boat moved forward at a surprisingly smooth speed through the water. It picked up as they rolled across the bay towards the Atlantic before the ship listed upward, easing the vessel into the sky where it began to cruise. The land and sea below shrank back beneath them, buildings were like toy blocks and the people like ants. Reece was amazed at how smooth and quiet the ride was. He knew planes with their big motors were noisy and turbulent from experience, but this was what most would call silky smooth. Had it not been the lift he felt he would have assumed this was all an elaborate illusion. The ground and ocean quickly fell even further away, giving them a view of the cities around the coastline of Florida and the blue-green swamplands that surrounded them as they turned North West to fly over the rest of the state. Reece stared down at the deep blue below and then the bright blue sky above that was dotted with clouds, “Amazing, isn’t it?” Phoenix sighed, “It's nothing like riding a broom or carpet.”
 	“I’ll take your word for it,” Reece replied.
	“It seems no expense was spared,” Red Hawk replied, marveling at the ocean shrinking away below them.
	Reece was surprised how easy it was to still walk around despite being tilted by the ship’s listing. Phoenix seemed amused as he walked around in a circle, “I’m off to fetch something for us to drink,” She declared, “Any requests? Red? Champagne? Elven?”
	“Champagne, something to toast with,” Red Hawk replied, “We will have all the red we could ask for with dinner.”
	“As you wish,” She put on a light jacket before slipping from the room.
	“I pray the young lady did not terrorize you. I watched her stare at you as you gawked at the vessel in port,” Red Hawk chuckled.
	Young? Reece bit his tongue. Phoenix was six or seven years older than him. To Red Hawk, they must have both looked rather young. He was a pureblooded elf, afterall. He was most likely older or as old as the Cracking, nearly a hundred years ago. As if to be polite, he removed his head wrappings. His skin was a deep bistre brown and like all elves, he had visible and high cheekbones, long, pointed ears with gold studs on the thin earlobes and a chain from tip to base on the left one. His pointed chin was shaved clean, despite being a wizard-researcher for the Hamiltons, “She did say something odd,” Reece replied.
	“Oh?”
	“About not trusting people,” He explained.
	“And she is right. We are unable to know people’s true motives aboard this vessel. We may be the only two she believes she can trust at the moment, likely only because we have an employer she trusts. Lady Hamilton is an excellent judge of character.”
	You both seem to have a love of secrecy and wariness, Reece thought, “I suppose so,” He slowly rubbed his face, “I almost regret the writing I did about her father,” He quietly lamented, almost hoping the elf would not hear him.
“Nothing to regret. Had you changed him, I don’t think your book would have been nearly as popular. If he was really upset, he might have taken action more than just grumbling about it,” There was a smirk on his face as he continued, “Here,” The elf tossed a small object to the man. He caught it and examined the small, leather pouch. Opening it up, he fished out a small, silver ring inlaid with a shimmering opal, “It allows you to speak and understand language. You already know a few, as I understand. But the people in this floating land are bound to speak the language of the Old World.”
	“Thank you,” Even with Reece’s familiarity with magical equipment, it still was odd to slip it on his middle finger. It shrunk to a snug, comfortable fit as he ran his thumb over the warm metal. He could feel very small grooves in it, most likely the magical text bound to it. 
	“Thank Lady Hamilton next time you see her. I am surprised my master was so underprepared to supply you with this herself,” Red Hawk shook his head.
	The door to Reece’s room swung open as three people entered. Phoenix was first, followed by a dwarven woman with a serving platter under a metal dish and a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice. The third individual brought a wooden folding table that he set up against the wall before the dwarven woman placed the bottle, tray, and glasses on. The metal dish was pulled away, revealing a plate of sweet smelling and warm bread with a bowl of hot, spicy smelling cheese dip topped with chives. The staff, both dressed in navy blue, bowed and stepped out of the room. 
	Red Hawk, using his magic, twisted his wrist and the top of the bottle popped off, foam slid down the side of the bottle before Phoenix poured three tall glasses of champagne, “What do we cheer for, lads?” She asked.
	Reece took a glass, “Safe travels?”
	“Adventure?” Red Hawk suggested.
	“Aye, adventure,” Phoenix grinned.
	“To adventure, then…” Reece raised his glass with the other two with a bit of apprehension. The glasses clinked and each began to sip the champagne. Despite his nerves, he felt rather optimistic about this trip. He wondered if it was the best he had felt in a long time, especially with new friends.

	Whilst Red Hawk and Phoenix caught up, Reece tried not to fall asleep after munching on the dense bread and spicy cheese queso dip. He only had a single glass, but mid afternoon he usually had a nap and that sleepiness was coming on now, especially with the timezone difference. A man came by the room and knocked, quickly being let in by Red Hawk. The man wore a white button up and white pants with a dark blue tie. He had a maritime sailor’s cap in hand, held near his hip. A human man with fair skin and a goatee, “Mister Hawk, are you and your fellows prepared for your tour?”
	“Yes. We are, sir,” Red Hawk had put his head wrappings back on, “Shall we?”
	Phoenix nodded, answering for her and the sleepy Reece. He stumbled off the bed and donned his coat before he stepped out of the room, “Second mate Carlisle, at your service,” He put his hat back on, “Phoenix, I presume?”
	“Correct, good sir,” She gave him a small curtsey.
	“And…?” He looked at the third member of the small group.
	“Reece. Reece M. Gawain,” He introduced himself awkwardly. 
Carlisle nodded and they started down the hall. The group was brought down to the E deck and to a locked door. It unlocked with a click just from the Second Mate putting his hand on the handle. While there were interior cabins who were deprived of a real window, instead being shown a projection of one through magic, this was the less glamorous and plain white and metal staff interior of the vessel. Reece smelled the chefs preparing the dinner he eagerly awaited. The group was brought to the lowest decks of the vessel, a large boiler style room at the back of the Myridea. Unlike the rest of the vessel, they could hear the sound of the wind against the hull here. Machinery lined the center of the room where gauges and screens displayed information on various things, most notably on the five massive cylinders that lined the Myridea from halfway to the fore to the aft. One of the two in the middle was opened, revealing a large, tree trunk sized and glowing blue crystal that many rods had been drilled into, “You have done research on these, right, Mister Hawk?”
	“Yes, I have. But, please, call me Red Hawk,” The elf corrected before glancing at them, “Aether crystals. Crystalized formations of raw energy. The power they output has been harvested in Australia for decades now. It was only shortly after the Cracking that they began using them.”
	As they reached the bottom of the room, they stepped onto stained, glossy wood paneling. The walls were lined with boxes and tools tied to the wall to prevent them from spilling into the room where engineers kept their attention on the aether crystals. Another party was already here, some of the VIPs, the bureaucrats which seemed to rub Phoenix the wrong way, “They are hardly even taking note of it,” She seethed very quietly, “Just a photoshoot for the elite.”
	She was right, they were getting their pictures taken in front of the miraculous machines behind them, but none of them seemed to appreciate the value of such things as they moved along. Reece turned the flash off and got a photo of the captain and the few delegates from the countries they were leaving behind on the Earth below. He was focused on the crystals, using the people to show their large scale, “I imagine each of these contains the same crystals. I have to wonder how difficult it is to stabilize them at this size.”
	“Not very. The trick is simply to reverberate them with a tone that is almost completely unhearable by any livable race,” Red Hawk explained as they rounded the opposite end of the machinery, “To think, something so simple could bind these immense power crystals to realspace. Something so simple and cheap. The catch is only that you cannot use a crystal to power its own tone device. So I imagine these five are powering one another. Amazing how a single gremlin figured it out herself.”
	“She had help,” Reece chimed in, “The Mages of America, Russo Dwarva, and so on had a hand in it.”
	“They also made a machine for learning via lucid dreaming,” Phoenix hissed and seemed to shiver as she thought about it, “Unnatural machinations.”
	“Right you are, Red Hawk,” The second mate nodded, “We have a collection of five machines that draw power from these near limitless energy supplies. The front and back ones,” He pointed to the two largest ones, “Are to give the Myridea lift. These help maintain the smooth travelling you are now experiencing. The two in the middle,” He gestured to the open one as the side slid closed, “That one powers the lights and amenities. The fourth keeps our feet on the floor, the vessel warm, and will help keep us breathing as we near the outer atmosphere. The fifth and final one, powers the reverberations that keep the other four grounded and can be used to take over one of the facilities should one fail. Though as you know, Red Hawk, this is an almost unheard of occurrence.”
	“One in a trillion, as they say,” The elf nodded.
“And what other kinds of failsafes are in place if this Aether ceases to work?” Reece asked, notebook in hand.
	Carlisle seemed amused by the question, scoffing at the mere suggestion, “Each one is powerful enough to keep the ship running by itself indefinitely should by some miracle the others fail. The Myridea is also equipped with powerful mana generators at the bow that would carry us for around half an hour should such a thing be needed. We will of course have to cull less necessary amenities to be safe.”
	“That would be much less smooth in its flight,” Red Hawk added, “But would fly nonetheless. Having this many merely lessens the chance of over-drawing energy, thus creating a cascade– an explosion in layman's terms.”
	“Why are the generators at the front of the ship?” Asked Reece curiously.
	“They would collect any airborne mana while we travel, would they not?” Phoenix answered, looking to Red Hawk for his input.
	“The generators would only last around half an hour should the ship remain stationary, but I presume that while the Myridea is in movement they would have enough intake of mana to guide the ship down to ground like a glider without incident, am I correct?” The elf turned to the Second Mate.
	“Red Hawk has the right of it. You scarcely needed me for this tour!” Carlisle jested. Reece had a bit more time to look around. He didn’t know what the dials were pointing to or if they were in the correct positions. A dwarven engineer assured him everything was above optimal as a goblin with a hardhat on pulled a lever, seemingly increasing the power draw. The dials hardly moved in either direction, but all the nearby engineers nodded in satisfaction as if this had been a somewhat stressful moment. He decided to leave them to their work. The tech was too much for him to grasp for his project, and would leave it to the tech journalists and any questions he had about the aether crystals could be directed to Red Hawk. 
	“Is there anything else to note about the crystals?” Reece asked.
	“They have a natural magic resistance,” Red Hawk stated, “It is similar to how the mana in the air keeps mundane combustion explosions from being too large, this aether drowns out the other mana in the air. Thus, combustion is possible again.”
	Reece nodded and wrote that down as the Second Mate continued to show Red Hawk the dials and buttons. Phoenix took the camera from around Reece’s neck. She got an unflattering close up of his face as she giggled to herself, “Need another photo? What about us with the engineers and Carlisle?”
	Reece nodded, “Sure,” He had no idea he would use it for his book. But even then, it would make for a nice souvenir. Reece thought about it as he remembered the humanity Maxine had requested, this might have been exactly what she was talking about. Red Hawk stayed out of the photo, but Carlisle and Phoenix easily corralled most of the engineers into posing for a photo with the shortest at the front, like dwarves and goblins, and tall humans like Carlisle at the back. The crewmen crowded around Phoenix, many of them smiling bashfully at the thought of taking a photo beside such an arresting woman. Reece couldn’t blame them. 
	The tour continued afterward. Toward the bow of the ship the three were brought into four decks of storage and crew lodging. The bottom deck was refrigerated and the crew spaces were rather small and usually shared by two members. There were small recreational rooms for the staff as well, TV, some books, seating areas, and their own kitchen to eat at. While not as nice as the passenger rooms, they seemed to provide a comfortable enough environment for the crew. Carlisle brought the three down to the bottom of the hull at the bow of the ship and through another secure door, “Here we have the second most impressive view onboard: the bridge,” He gestured for the three to step inside. The bridge had a few people milling about, each dressed like the second mate. A gremlin with red, clean cut and slicked back hair sat at the helm, holding the ship's wheel in his small hands. The small, pale, goblinoid pushed a pair of thin rimmed glasses up his nose as he noticed the guests. He offered a small wave as he spun his chair to see them before going back to looking out the large windows. A few screens offering other magic-eye views of the ship sat at his left and right in the half-octagon shaped cockpit. Levers for lift and listing were stationed above the screens, easily within reach of him. A pair of guards, each wearing heavy azure armor, flanked either side of the only entrance. Their left shoulders were engraved with a red and white striped American flag, denoted by its thirteen stripes and forty-nine tiny golden stars. The right carried the Myridea’s flag, a simple Earth with smaller land masses above it in gold and the moon in silver. Each held long spears and stood at attention.
	“You seem very impressed,” The captain approached the three as he spoke to Reece. He was a taller human with blonde hair. His outfit was similar to the others, but he wore a blazer over his white button up and tie. His accent was heavily Australian, but he had an American flag on his shoulder like the guards.
	“I am, sir,” Reece replied with a nod, “I hadn’t expected so many magic-eye screens. The levers make me think of a MUTT’s cockpit. You just need to put that gremlin in a mana-scope and he would look the part, too.”
	“You seem to have experience when it comes to vessels and machines. Ah, where are my manners? My name is Captain O’Malley, at your service.”
	“Red Hawk. A pleasure,” The elf replied. He didn’t care much for tech, unlike his companion, “That’s Reece M. Gawain. This is Phoenix Maxamillion.”
	“How do you do?” She politely curtseyed for the captain, side-eying the curious historian. Reece was chatting with the gremlin about the controls before the pilot offered to let him take hold of the wheel. His face went pale and he shook his head vehemently, much to the pilot’s amusement.
	“The Hamilton funded aether researcher and the daughter of a powerful wizard, just the kinds of people I wanted on this voyage,” The captain smiled.
	“Not a fan of the politicians?” Phoenix smirked.
	“I understand why they are here,” He replied, “But politicians are why I left Australia in the first place. Too much squabbling, too much war, but let’s not get into that with such a lovely view to take in,” He replied, directing their attention to the front of the airship. The clear skies allowed them to see the vibrant greens surrounding the vast Floridian city of Orlando, the buildings darting up into the sky. Tall as they were, they were still thousands of feet below the reach of the Myridea. The captain took in a deep breath of silent pride and turned back to his guests, “In any case, you’ve already met the second mate, Carlisle, head of security and navigator. The gremlin at the helm is Stuffs, our pilot as well as expert on aether crystals. Almost as knowledgeable about them as our Chief Engineer. You’ll meet our first mate eventually, she’s the surprisingly sweet griffonite currently entertaining our passengers at the lounge. She’s in charge of making sure everyone is happy, while miss sunshine over there–” He pointed to the far corner where a gray skinned woman with raven black hair stood against the wall with her arms folded, eyeing the guests on the bridge. She was wearing azure armor, though it was a lighter scale mail with black slacks. She didn't bother wearing a helmet, showing off her long, pointed horns that curled back towards her long ears, “Is one Sally Harding. Head of guest safety.”
	A few other crew members sat in chairs and looked over screens and dials, each looking a little concerned as Stuffs giddily listed a ship to the left. He and the author talked over one of the screens, noting how easily it was able to tell the ship’s position compared to their current path, “What exactly is our course, captain?” Reece asked as he joined the other two. 
	“We’re flying towards Washington. We’ll see the mountains from above as well as the Mount Saint Helens’ Sundered Lands. If it wasn’t declared as safe, we would steer clear,” The captain explained, “It should be a great view as we continue to rise higher.”
	“Up to thirteen to fifteen miles high, right?” Reece replied.
	“Correct,” The captain chuckled, “It should be a smooth ride. Make sure you show them the observation deck,” The captain nodded.
	“Yessir,” Carlisle waved his hands at his little tour group, “I’ve got a couple more stops to show you, this way.”
	The four left the bridge after saying their goodbyes and headed to deck A. On the bow of the ship was a rounded, fully windowed observation deck. It consisted of an upper deck that could look down on deck B where the floor was also made of a reinforced glass that people could step on, though most stayed to a metal walkway in the middle where a few stools were. The A deck portion had lounge seating and tables, “The best view on the ship,” The second mate grinned, “Wonderful views of the ground below and to our sides.”
	“Amazing…” Reece was in awe of it. 
	“A nice spot for a drink,” Phoenix noted the very small bar at the back of the A deck section. It seemed they mostly served tea and coffee.
	The rolling swamps below were difficult to make out as dusk began to set in. The sun was setting behind the Myridea. From this height, the brightest stars were starting to become visible. Reece guessed that the rest would come out soon, he couldn’t imagine that the light pollution could reach them this high up. The four left the viewing deck, and returned to the aft of the vessel, “We have three eating sections here,” Carlisle gestured to them, “The top deck is a buffet that serves snacks throughout the day. The deck below has a theater, library, and a small arcade. The C deck has our main and largest eatery, the Cornucopia, it has a rotating menu and will be the busiest one I imagine. Deck D has a couple meeting rooms for the business types as well as a vast theater. We have a lot of on board talent and there should be some stunning shows throughout the voyage.  Lastly, E has Hal’s Grille. American steakhouse, burgers, shrimp, and some comfort food. Not as fancy as Cornucopia, but still a nice joint. I’ll put in a word with the chef for you three, see if he’ll come out and cook in front of you sometime.”
	“We will not be wanting for choice,” Red Hawk nodded in satisfaction, “Nor shall we be bored.”
	“The library has a good mix of fiction and non-fiction. I believe a few board games have been squirreled away as well,” The second mate led the three to the main restaurant, “Of course, below us is the lounge. Feel free to smoke, drink, and converse there.”
	There was already a decently sized crowd amongst the tables, sipping on cocktails or conversing. Reece spotted the first mate and some of the VIPs there, “Only thing we’re missing from a cruise ship is a pool,” He mumbled.
	“Even with all the aether technology, it would have been rather frigid, no?” Phoenix chuckled.
	“Not to mention all the tilting would have spilled it,” Carlisle shrugged, “Hungry? I can sneak you three in a little early. The main restaurant will be rather busy tonight.”
	Red Hawk reluctantly agreed, “Only if we are not imposing…”
	“Of course not! Come on, it's the least I can do for being so interested in the Myridea. Not even the VIPs wanted to go on such a comprehensive tour.”
	The trio glanced at one another, waiting for one of the others to either agree or deny. Phoenix was the first to nod, a bit annoyed with her companions, “We will take you up on your offer,” She could already see a small crowd starting to mill about at the front of the cordoned off restaurant. 
	The second mate led them through a staff door and through a small storage hallway and into the restaurant. He flagged down a server who was preparing for dinner service, “Make sure my friends here are taken care of, alright?”
	The server nodded, “It will be a few minutes before dinner will be prepared to be served. Can I interest you three in some wine?”

	Reece could feel the few dirty looks they got as they were brought to their seat twenty or so minutes early. Ten minutes before opening, the VIPs were seated. Phoenix sipped on a nice elven red, “Why do you think the second mate is being so friendly?”
	“He said we were interested in the vessel,” Reece recalled quickly as he stared at his own glass of wine.
	“True…” Red Hawk leaned back in his seat. The three sat at a round table off to one side, next to the large windows, “I think we can trust the captains, at the least. I imagine they were hand picked.”
	“Isaac was a war hero,” Reece was quick to point out, “He defected before the second war and came back to fight in it. They made him a captain of a big MUTT team.”
	“Do you know anything about the others?” Phoenix asked in an almost accusatory tone. 
	“I have heard of Stuffs, their pilot,” Red Hawk added, “He was another aether researcher residing in the States. I have no reason to believe the others are not as thoroughly screened nor as qualified,” Phoenix’s glare scanned both of the men. Red Hawk ignored her as he read the small menu while Reece attempted to do the same, “These dishes sound sublime, do you not think so?” Red Hawk asked no one in particular. There were four Italian seafood options: sepie col nero, bisato su l’ara, moleche frite, and baccala mantecato.
	Phoenix huffed, “The moleche frite should be nice.”
	Reece touched the translating ring on his finger, even then he was struggling to understand it. He wasn’t totally adjusted to the ring yet. He glanced at Red Hawk, waiting for him to pick, “Been a while since I’ve had bisato su l'ara, I think I’ll take that.”
	Reece still didn’t have an idea of what to order. 
	Dinner service began. Other guests were brought into the restaurant until it was at full capacity. The rest would have to wait. Reece tapped his foot anxiously as a waiter came by to refill their glasses of ice water, “Ready to order?” The halfling asked while standing on a folding ladder to easily reach the top of the table. The short, big footed waiter had a small notepad in hand. Phoenix and Red Hawk placed theirs and Reece, now red in the face, gestured a hand at Phoenix, “Just give me what she’s having. Please.”
	The waiter suppressed a smile as he wrote it down. He bowed, took his ladder and jug, then stepped away to the next table. Red Hawk set their menus aside, “Strange name for the restaurant. Cornucopia.”
	“They use the Latin spelling all over too. I certainly wouldn’t have used it,” Phoenix huffed as she looked around. The tables were made from dark, oiled wood. The seats were made of the same wood with maroon leather upholstery. Reece glanced over the wine list and was surprised how extensive it was.
	Red Hawk reached over the table and snatched it from him, “Reece, tell me. What was the fifth drink from the top.”
	“Left or right page?” He asked without skipping a beat. Phoenix looked rather confused.
	“Left.”
	“It was a Tuscany wine.”
	“And below it?”
	“Gnomish wine. Berry wine.”
	“And the side listed on the menu?”
	Reece didn’t glance at the menus stacked at the side of the table, “My translator ring isn’t working yet. But it was… Caprese? A caprese salad? Whatever that is.”
	Phoenix snapped out of her bewilderment, “How do you not know?”
	Reece shrugged. Phoenix put her hand on her face. Red Hawk clicked his tongue, “What was the name of the theater, Reece? I saw you looking over a map of the boat.”
	“Dionysus Theater, right?”
	“What is this about, Red Hawk?” Phoenix groaned.
	Before the elf could respond, there was a bit of fanfare as the captain took to the small stage at the back of the restaurant, “It is good to see all of you,” The captain began, “I hope your accommodations are pleasant?” A few in the crowd raised glasses to confirm they were, “Wonderful. Tonight, the chefs decided on Italian seafood to commemorate our occasion. You may be wondering to yourself, ‘why Italian?’ It’s quite simple, really: one of the most famous explorers of our history was an Italian himself. Columbus traveled across the ocean in search of the Indies. What he discovered was what became known as the New World,” Captain O’Malley said proudly.
	“So he got lost along the way, nothing to worry about,” Phoenix whispered wryly. 
	“We ourselves are on such a voyage, to discover the New World of what so many from the ‘other side’ already call the New World, so what better way to celebrate than to dine on what our predecessors might have eaten in those days? Please, enjoy the meal and settle down for the night. Cruising should be very smooth throughout the trip and we will reach our first destination the day after tomorrow.”
	People raised their glasses for the captain and the band began to play again. Phoenix shook her head, “He makes it sound like a vacation. Here we have the bread and circus.”
	“If you say so,” Reece sipped on his wine. 
	“What is with the test, Red Hawk?” The satyr pressed.
	“Reece, what was the first wine on the list? On the right page?” He asked one last question.
	Reece sighed, “It was a citrus wine. Halfling make.”
	“Your mentor wasn’t lying,” Red Hawk nodded.
	Reece groaned, “The photographic memory? It's not that great. Graxon is always talking about that.”
	“With good reason. What else do you do for work, Reece?” The elf asked.
Phoenix was quick to chime in, “More importantly, how have you never had Italian before?”
	The human nodded before taking another sip, “Well, food wasn’t high on Graxon’s list of importance. I was fed and he made sure I had a taste for alcohol.”
	“Must have been a dwarf,” The woman snickered.
	“Aye. He taught me a lot. As for the rest of work, I translate and write. A lot of information gathering, too. A bit of transcribing on the side. Uh, writing down things that are said on audio. I’ve done a tiny bit of rune magic work, but I don’t know much of it.”
	“I doubt it was easy,” Red Hawk noted.
	“Not at all. But he took care of me. Homeschooled me. Tutored me. I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t so hard on me.”
	“You have that gleam in your eyes. Intelligence,” Phoenix purred, “I like that. What magic do you know? You simply must tell me.”
	Now a bit flustered, Reece was quick to open up, “C-Concealing, erasing, redacting, and protecting documents. Useful things for my line of work,” He quickly moved the subject of conversation, “Do you have the same magic as your mother? I’ve heard the same spells can be passed down through genes.”
	“Ah, mostly. Father did impart a few defensive spells through his own.”
	Red Hawk rubbed his chin, “Interesting. I had heard that wizards could pass magical abilities down to their children, but a wizard to a sorcerer is a bit odd.”
	“Mhm,” Phoenix swirled the glass of wine in her hand and smelled the alcohol, “How old do you think this wine is? How long was it aged?”
	The wine was sweet and aromatic; common for elven drinks. Reece wasn’t much for wine, “Not very long for an elven drink. Maybe two or three years.”
	Phoenix was satisfied with that as she nodded and finished her first glass, “Can we get another? How about something white for the seafood tonight?” She asked a passing server. The woman nodded and hurried to the counter for a bottle. The air was filled with the sounds of soft music. A band of five had moved to the stage to play for the passengers, “This is more like it. I could live on this vessel for the rest of my life,” She sighed contently.
	The appetizers arrived as well as three glasses of white wine from Tuscany. Three plates of an Italian salad, the caprese, Reece figured. It was tomato slices and mozzarella slices with a few spinach leaves as a garnish and drizzled with a dark balsamic dressing. He was truly experiencing fine dining and felt out of his depth. The other two were quick to cut the cheese and tomatoes into smaller bits to easily eat the two ingredients at once. He did the same. Reece was surprised at how good it was with only a few ingredients. Salty, sweet, creamy, and even tangy, all mixed in his mouth into a glorious, delicious medley. It was almost heavenly.
	“See? Italian is good,” Phoenix teased. Reece nodded, quickly relenting.
	“What are you doing aboard the Myridea, Phoenix?” Red Hawk’s sudden question seemed to ruffle the satyr’s feathers as her lips turned to a quick frown.
	She ran her fingers through her curly red hair, “Mostly to see the New World. I am not a researcher nor a delegate for a country. As a sorcerer, perhaps I can speak to some of them in the lands above. But, I would love to find some treasure, or an artifact of the Old World,” She smirked for a moment as if amused by a thought, “Something to make dear old mom and dad proud.”
	Red Hawk nodded, “Lady Hamilton wishes me to look into the magic and aether of these lands. The air will be thin, but is the magic thin too?” He wondered aloud, “What kinds of old cities, magical trinkets, and other artifacts can we find?”
	“Imagine bringing something like the sword of Magi Fergison back. Or even the arm that Sol Eater cut off!” Phoenix excitedly exclaimed, “Or the skeleton of an old world monster that did not come back. A skilled wizard could bring it back to life.”
	“I am thinking more of an artifact of power. One of a kind magical items that have very powerful effects. We scarcely have any in this day and age,” Red Hawk explained, “Imagine if we could recover Lord Harold’s Ring of Life and Dominance. He brought armies to their knees with it and lived an unusually long life. There are numerous things that old world wizards left behind, just one of them could propel a wizard into the highest caliber of spell caster.”
	“The Armor of the Dwarven Kings, the recipe to make ancient elven bows, and even any lost halfling cookbooks, those would all be spectacular to find,” Phoenix added.
	Reece scratched his head. He wasn’t sure he was made for adventure, but, getting his hands on old tomes would be exciting.
	“Reece, you have that thinking face again,” Phoenix grinned, “What are you thinking about?”
	“Old dusty tomes…” He trailed off, “I don’t know what else would be useful to me.”
	The elf raised an eyebrow, “A sword that fights for you?” Reece couldn’t be sure if he was jesting or not.
	Phoenix nodded, “A pen that writes for you? What about the armor of invincibility?”
	“What would I need those for? The pen sounds nice, but a sword?”
	“Ah, you have a dwarven mentor. An axe then?” Red Hawk was still speaking flatly.
	“Well, I do know how to swing an axe,” He admitted.
	Phoenix sighed, “And you didn’t bring one, did you? We’ll try to find one for you, then.”
	“For me?”
	“Reece, I know you’re not an adventurer, but I plan on bringing you along with us,” She chuckled, “My glorious adventure will need a scribe or squire. Maybe we can find one or two more to take with us? Do we know anyone?”
	Reece stared at her blankly. Red Hawk nodded, “I will need to ask around. But Avalon might have a few willing to join us as well. Someone in armor would be nice. I do not plan on using Reece as a meat shield.”
	“Oh, yes. He should be standing far away from any combat or spells being thrown,” Phoenix chuckled. 
	Reece was feeling sick to his stomach now. His heart was in his belly and being rattled by the butterflies he felt, “Uh, why me?”
	Red Hawk gave him an amused look, “You have photographic memory, can meddle with rune magic, appraise items, and can translate text with ease. Knowing how to swing an axe is the cherry on top. It's plain to me why Lady Hamilton chose you as our scribe.”
“Wait, are you saying she hired me on as part of your adventuring party?” Reece was beginning to sweat now. 
Both Red Hawk and Phoenix looked amused, “You didn't think an adventure was just going to be a trip to the bookstore, did you?” Phoenix tittered, “She made it clear you had your book to write, but a spot of thrilling adventure should be marvellous to include, no?”
“Perhaps we will need you to swing an axe at an enemy as well. Furthermore, both of us have been tasked with keeping an eye on you. Do not think of us as babysitters, Reece. This should be a grand experience for all of us, truthfully,” Red Hawk assured him.
	Reece couldn’t argue. He felt odd. Was this self importance? The trust of others suddenly thrust upon him? The weight of responsibility? He needed to lie down soon. Before he could excuse himself, the dinner was brought out, “Darling,” Phoenix gently touched his wrist, bringing him out of his own thoughts, “Are you well? Hungry? Sick? The food doesn’t look gross to you, does it?”
	He looked down at his plate. It was a plate of small, fried crabs with a little bit of yellow sauce surrounding the five of them. A lemon slice sat at the center of the crabs. It was simple and to the point, but he was confused when he saw the size. Crabs were usually larger as you cracked them open and scooped out the meat. Reece glanced at Phoenix who had the same dish and watched, almost shocked, as she ate the crab shell and all. He apprehensively did the same. The crab was fried in a simple flour breading which gave it a bit of a crunch in the otherwise semi-soft shell. The shell was odd, salty with an iodine-like taste on top of the sweet and flakey crab meat. He used the sauce next, the lemon zest in it cut through the iodine taste and made it a very wonderful flavor, “I’m fine. Just a bit shocked by how things are unfolding.”
	“Shocked to be getting the adventure you came aboard this ship for?” Phoenix shook her head, “You will get into it, I am sure.”
	Reece found himself nodding along. He was quiet for the rest of dinner before excusing himself for the night when he finished his meal.

	Night came. A dark canvas of night speckled with starlight was all Reece saw out the window of his room. The stars twinkled back as he stared into the night sky, looking for something – for what, he didn’t know. It was late and the Myridea was sailing just as smooth as it had been during the day. Despite the lack of a nap, Reece found himself being incredibly restless. He sighed and slipped out of bed and into his slacks again. Shoes, a plain tshirt, and his shoes went on next. He grabbed a hoodie and left the room before quickly heading to the lounge. The ship was quiet. The man assumed there was some form of noise dampening on the rooms as he couldn’t hear any snoring, talking, or arguing like you usually would in a normal hotel’s hallway. He descended deeper into the vessel to find only four others up this late in the lounge. A pair of cat avalonians were dancing to the music being played on a small gramophone. They stumbled and giggled as they stepped on one another’s toes. A dwarven man sipped on a beer as he stared off into space. At the bar was a dwarven woman with a faux beard bound from her long hair and braided with sapphires. Her two piece suit was the same color with a white bowtie.
	The dwarven woman’s hazel eyes sized up Reece on approach, “Can’t sleep, lad?”
	“Aye,” He replied in dwarven, “A drink should calm my nerves,” He ordered a dry martini, though it had a different name in dwarven.
	The woman grinned, “Not often I hear a human order drinks dwarven style. Probably never.”
	“When you’re raised by a dwarf, it's second nature, y’know?” He chuckled dryly, “They still serving snacks at the buffet?”
	“Of course. They have some fancy magic stones that keep everything fresh– even the sushi,” The woman explained as she mixed the drink, “Have a bit of cheesecake with pomegranate. I snuck some from the pastry chef earlier, it's wonderful.” 
	Reece nodded. That did sound great, but a midnight snack like that might keep him up. He relented as his stomach growled. He hadn’t stayed for desert with his companions, “I’ll have to go try it.”
	The dwarven woman poured the drink into a martini glass and gently slid it across the bar. Reece pulled out a few coins but the woman shook her head, “It’ll go on your account. Don’t worry about it.”
	He shrugged and slid a couple copper to the dwarven woman, “Take that at least,” With a nod, he stepped away and headed up to the A deck. The buffet was empty. There were two lines of countertops, one line had a few midnight snacks and treats laid out and the other was closed. Reece picked up a plate and grabbed a small slice of the cheesecake and a small bowl filled with some homemade potato chips that were still warm. He quickly ate both, not realising how hungry he was. The creamy cheesecake and tart pomegranate made for a delectable snack. The salty, crispy chips quickly removed the taste from his mouth when he ate those. He sipped the liquor and watched as he swirled the glass in his hands, “Just what am I doing?” He wondered aloud. Still feeling restless, he headed up to the deck. 
	Frigid air hit his face as he stepped onto the wooden deck. His cheeks turned flush and his breath was visible in the dim lights that hung from the posts that connected to the large zeppelin style balloons overhead. Reece wandered to the railing and leaned on it. It was stomach height and made of twisted iron poles with cross sections to keep smaller passengers from slipping over the side. After finishing his drink, Reece stared at the now empty glass.
	“Troubled?”
	The sudden question made him jump as he tightly gripped the drink. He sighed, “I don’t know.”
	The other man paused, “Something must be ailing you. I have not done confession in some time, but I will listen all the same.”
	A priest? Reece thought to himself, “Well… I’m worried. About the future and my work.”
	“Oh?”
	“I didn’t expect to be adventuring. I was supposed to be writing a book, but like my companions said, it will make for a good story. I am no adventurer,” Reece sighed to himself.
	He could feel the priest nodding behind him, “Give your worries to God, my child. He is with you, always. If you worry about why you are here, remember that this is His plan for you.”
	Reece turned to see the man next to him who had only recently lit a candle. He had an easel and canvas set up at the edge of the ship. The man’s appearance was striking, his face almost intimidating. A bald, older man with scars across his face in the shape of lightning bolts, the skin was dull and gray there. One cloudy white eye paired with one that bore an iris of a deep purple hue. He was in simple garb; a white tunic and brown pants with a silver cross on a chain around his neck. He was painting, Reece saw and was puzzled. Was such a man really a priest? And what was there to paint at this time of night? He was painting the sky. The night sky. Inky blacks lathered in deep purples, small yellow, orange, and red dots scattered across it, each of them drawing the eye up toward the very sky we stood beneath. From behind the canvas it almost looked as if he had a piece of the night upon his easel and he was simply adding more colors to it, “Your painting is excellent,” Reece commented.
	“Thank you. Most would scoff at it,” His voice was a little nasally and high pitched, if not a bit strained, “Are you with the representatives? The wizards? The researchers and journalists?”
	“I’m an author. I’m here by myself. Well, I suppose I’m with the two that have been asked to look after me…”
	“Ah, the unassuming writer. I heard the Mad Witch had sent one. As I said, you must be here for a reason,” He noted, “You may call me Rael. I am a holy man here on a mission from God.”
	“Reece,” The young man introduced himself simply, feeling the chill of the night on him. He stared up at the deep blue and purple hues of the sky above them, taking in the sky free of light pollution that he would have very few chances to see again, “I don’t know why I’m here.”
	“But here you are. That is the important part. You answered the call and that is a good start,” Rael replied, “I can count on one hand how many times I answered and had an idea of what was in store for me,” He gave Reece a look that gave him the impression that this was not one of those times.
	“I see… I don’t really know about myself though… I haven’t even been to a church in what feels like years.”
	“That does not matter, child,” He sighed. His good eye gave me a sideways glance and the scent of ozone filled my nostrils, “Think of what I have said, and pray for relief from your woes. Let the Lord fill your lungs and mind with the Holy Spirit. As for now, you will not be able to speak so as to not waste your breath with useless murmuring.”
	Reece opened his mouth in protest but no words came forth.
	“Like the angel taking Zechariah’s speech, I have taken yours by the grace of God.”
	Rael was not the pretender he originally assumed. Reece was in the presence of a real priest or similar man of the cloth. Fear struck him as he wondered if this was a cleric even, perhaps a paladin of the holy order. That sudden terror was flushed away as he gazed into the man’s purple eye and found a surprisingly gentle gaze looking back at him, illuminated by the soft candle light. Reece tried to speak once more.
	“Here, two gifts for you,” The first was a leather bound book, a bible, “Read the New Testament and listen to the words of Jesus. And this, something I found that might be better in your hands,” He handed over a small blue shoe, like a child might wear, “It was on the deck, propping that door open,” Reece gestured to one of the doors leading below deck.
	Reece frowned. It was sized for a toddler, if not a younger child. What was it doing here? Who did it belong to? Did they lose it? He decided to turn it over to the staff security tomorrow. With a nod, he took in another chilly breath of air, that was what he would do first thing in the morning. Rael had turned back to his painting so Reece took his leave. He found some comfort as he read by candle light before eventually going to sleep.

	Despite his late snooze, Reece woke up early and put his casual clothes back on, being sure to have that shoe with him. Leaving the room, he quickly heard a commotion on his way to security.
	“My boy! My boy! Where is my boy!?” A woman cried in elvish.
	Reece felt a pit in his stomach as he pulled the shoe out of his pocket. This wasn't just a missing item, this belonged to a missing person.