It was there for a moment, then, in another thunderclap, it disappeared as suddenly as it had come, vanishing into nothing. The shadow of the silver dragon disappeared into the night, and the skies returned to normal.
"By Lady Astrea- that was a dragon just now, was it?" Hadarai grasped the rail, staring out into the sky, searching, hoping to see the regal monarch of the skies again.
Aralynn, meanwhile, stood there, a tear slowly trickling down her cheek. "Rhys," she quietly whispered to herself. She mopped it off her face with the back of her hand. She breathed out.
I can't get emotional now, Aralynn thought. I have a job to do.
After scouring the skies for a few more minutes for the silver dragon, Aralynn and Hadarai resumed their patrol, pacing around the deck of the ship, eyes peeled for any possible threats–any darkness between stars, and lights that could be imperial airships.
Their guard shift passed by quickly as Hadarai told Aralynn about his previous experiences. He never asked Aralynn about hers, which she was extremely grateful for. The shift eventually ended, with Perona and Amon coming up to replace them.
Perona gave them both a wave before they headed below deck and headed for their respective rooms. Hadarai wished Aralynn a good night before he vanished into his quarters.
Aralynn lay down, exhausted. It was hard to imagine that their trip aboard the Blue Locust 2 was going to end tomorrow. Honestly, she didn't know what she'd do after that. So far, she'd only been following orders and doing missions like she'd been told–things that she was used to from her military days.
She settled down, setting aside her gear, sliding underneath the covers as stars twinkled outside her porthole. Thinking about it… how would I begin to attempt to prepare herself for Qyllon-Violae or search for Rhys? There isn't really anything about it that's available–all that's known is that there's a trial to enter the tower. However, what the trial is or what I'll need to do is unclear… I guess I'll search for a mage or someone who might know. For now, though… she yawned. It's enough.
Aralynn rested sideways to avoid damaging her wings. It was then that a familiar translucent window popped up.
[Reminder: you have one unassigned mastery point.]
Oh, Aralynn thought. I guess I forgot about you. She clicked on the message displayed about the mastery point, and a whole menu of options showed up. There were masteries that gave Aralynn proficiency with special weapons, different types of armour, even magic–however, Aralynn's stats and class restricted several of these.
After pursuing through the possible options to her, she settled on one in particular, as the others simply provided skills and proficiencies to things that Aralynn was already familiar with. Adding more points to those would simply be redundant. The one that she chose was [Quicksilver].
[Mastery: Quicksilver, Tier 1.]
[Passive: Your limbs become lighter, allowing you to move with ease and faster than ever before. You can now move 30% faster. Your reaction time has become 30% shorter.]
It was a pretty nifty mastery, especially for Aralynn as she would have to rely on maintaining distance with her guns.
I wonder what counts as movement, she thought. Does that count as flying as well? Or is it just running? What about fencing, thrusting and cutting with my rapier? Would that count as moving? She paused. Ah, it doesn't matter. It's late.
Blinking a couple of times, Aralynn yawned and fell into a deep and restful rest.
- - -
Aralynn awoke to find a note slipped beneath her door. It was from Perona. Come up to the main deck when you're awake, it read.
Aralynn followed a newly developed rhythm: cloak on, boots on, strapping on her weapons, stepping out her door. As she emerged onto the deck, she stopped short at the sight that greeted her: the imperial inspector that was previously tied to the mast, hunched over with a mop in hand and wearing a strange collar around his neck.
Her hand drifted toward her rapier, but Perona intercepted her before she could act. Perona handed Aralynn a cup of steaming, gritty coffee and a plate of morning rations: hard biscuits and salted bread.
"Don't worry about him now," she explained. "We… negotiated with him. You see that choker that he's wearing? Celran had one of them lying around. It's an explosive device. If he disobeys any orders or tries to harm any of us, his head'll blow off. He's not happy about it, of course, but he didn't have much of an option. Celran's been using him as a deckhand for a while now."
"I… see." Aralynn looked away, resisting the urge to glare. Even a glance might tempt her to draw steel.
Perona shifted her gaze skyward. "We're about an hour from Port Escus. Just think- soon, we'll be on solid ground again. Exciting, isn't it?"
Above, the sky stretched wide and cloudless, a serene blue mirror. Wisps of cloud drifted lazily in the sunlit air.
"But then again," Perona said, "we won't have a job again till the Brass Hand reaches out. Oh, well. Our gold should last us a while. I'll get bored though. Say, Aralynn."
Aralynn looked up.
"If I want to go adventuring around the port, will you follow me?" As she said this, Aralynn noted that Perona's silver hair reflected the colours of the sky as it blew around her shoulders. It framed the half-elf's princess-like face: blues, whites, and even the subtle grey undertones of the clouds shimmering on the strands of silver as if watercolours on the most expensive and beautiful canvas in the world.
Aralynn was caught off guard, and thought for a while. In the end, she nodded. It'll let me travel, and maybe I'll have the chance to see people and ask about the tower. Besides, I've gotten used to Perona, and striking out on my own would certainly be lonely.
Perona smiled, satisfied. "It's settled, then." She then turned and walked away.
Aralynn turned back to her breakfast. She downed her coffee and tore through her rations quickly. Without a word, she headed below deck, handed the empty dishware to Kursk in the mess hall, then made her way back up, ready for the remaining minutes to Port Escus.
- - -
Time slipped by, and before long, the clouds parted to reveal Port Escus: looming, majestic, and suspended in the heavens.
Perched on a mountain peak that pierced the sky itself, the city seemed to float between earth and the heavens. As the Blue Locust 2 drew closer, Aralynn leaned forward, eyes widening as the sheer scale of it came into view. It was more than just a port– it was practically a city in its own right, sprawling from one side of the mountain to the other.
Districts layered the stone: bustling markets, towering trade halls, taverns stacked like crates, and the most important, the silhouettes of airship docks– dozens of them. Skyships came and went like birds migrating in mechanical flocks, crowding the city like seagulls after a fisherman's boat.
Surrounding the mountain were clusters of floating islands, each tethered to the main city by long wooden bridges and dock arms. These islands hovered gently on invisible currents, bobbing ever so slightly–suspended by some unseen, arcane force. Ropes and gangways stretched between them, forming a vast and intricate webwork of aerial piers.
Sunbeams streaked down through drifting clouds, illuminating parts of the port in soft gold while others remained cloaked in mist. The clouds wreathed the city like a timeless laurel crown..
A voice spoke behind her. Aralynn turned to see Cozith, the Neko first mate.
"Here we are at the end of our journey," she said, stepping up beside Aralynn. Cozith gazed at the city above the world, its silhouette sharp against the open sky and the forests and pastures below.
"Port Escus," she murmured.