“Every beloved object is the center point of a paradise.”

  Novalis, German Poet

  Jinora sat on the edge of the basket as she fanned her delicate wings in the breeze. In her forelegs squirmed a cricket, who was desperately trying to escape her tight grasp. Hungry, Jinora quickly bit down on her prey’s head and ended its plight, though its body still twitched as death took hold. As she munched away on her meal, content with her new life, she stared towards the approaching island far in the distance, its shores stretching a hundred miles long.

  Behind her, Milly crouched over her campfire stove, slowly roasting a mackerel that caught from the ocean below. A month ago, the thought of hunting or fishing – of having to kill anything to survive – would’ve made her stomach churn. She’d grown used to it – as she’d grown used to so many things – but it was still a bit disturbing to watch her new friend heartlessly chow down on her prey.

  “I guess it’s not that much different than this fish,” Milly said, rotating the mackerel to get a nice char on the other side.

  Coco gave her a small, worried bark, watching Jinora on the edge of the basket.

  “She’ll be fine, Coco. She may be small, but she’s got her air magic to keep her steady. She won’t fall off.”

  Coco flicked her eyes over to Milly, then stood up and wandered over to sit beside Jinora, her nose inches away from the praying mantis.

  “See, it’s only been four days, and you’re already the best of friends,” Milly beamed as she returned to her fish. She felt a sense of peace in the balloon as they drifted on the current. With little around them except the approaching island, she could almost forget she was stuck in a world trying to kill her and her family.

  Her mind drifted to thoughts of home as the smell of fish filled the balloon.

  We should take a family trip when I get back. I’ve never been on a family trip – never had a family to go on a trip with. Cally, Passi, and I could take the balloon into the mountains. Or find an island off the coast to claim as our own. We could build a summer home. We…

  Milly wiped away an errant tear with a frustrated flick of her finger.

  Fuck. Can’t I have one happy thought about Cally and Passi without tears? I’m going to get home, and they’re going to be there waiting for me – safe and happy. Don’t let yourself spiral.

  Coco gave a concerned bark as she felt Milly’s turmoil and saw her flick away the tear.

  “I’m fine, Coco. Just… missing home.”

  Milly smiled as she watched her friends, and a thought popped into her head.

  “You know, Cally and I talked about kids, but we didn’t talk about pets. Geeze, I hope she’s a pet person.”

  Coco gave a little snort of indignation and Jinora, her cricket reduced to legs and a tiny bit of torso, twisted her head a hundred and eighty degrees and gazed at Milly incredulously.

  “Sorry. Not pets. Friends. New friends,” Milly quickly corrected. Coco and Jinora looked at each other and nodded, before returning to watch the approaching island. Apparently, Milly’s quick correction had been satisfactory.

  They’d made better time than Milly had expected. At the end of their second day of travel – her magic and the natural currents speeding them along – they’d reached the Isle of Gigantism. The forest canopy of the island pierced the clouds, and massive beasts soared through the sky and charged in packs through the forest. She spotted a tuna the size of the Dragon of Endless Shadows off the island’s shore, and a crab on the beach the size of a fishing boat. As they approached, a flock of curious songbirds – their feathers brilliant gold and green and each as large as their balloon – had taken off, and the power of their wings had sent ripples of wind across the sky.

  As Milly had fought to stabilize their balloon, one of the songbirds had peeled off from the flock and flown by their basket. Jinora had hidden beneath Milly’s hat as Coco barked in warning, but the bird, its curiosity sated, had simply flown by. Nevertheless, they’d given the Isle of Gigantism a wide birth after that and continued along their way.

  From there, they’d headed northwest, across the second patch of uncharted territory, straight towards Core Research Station. The undiscovered islands within this territory were more numerous, and Milly wondered why they had yet to be discovered.

  She got her answer in the middle of the night.

  It was Coco’s warning bark that had woken her up, and the warning had nearly come too late. From the ocean below, a school of flying swordfish, each as large as Milly, erupted from the waves and headed straight for the ballon. Still half-held by the grogginess of sleep, Milly had leapt out of the basket and led them away from the balloon, lest they pierce its fabric and cause it to crash.

  Coco and Jinora watched helplessly as Milly dove straight towards the water, the hundred swordfish streaming after her. Her fire and lightning took down a few, but her air was entirely ineffective against them. She recalled Luna’s advice – that stronger monsters may have natural resistances to certain types of magic.

  Flying fish. Resistant to air. Makes sense. Let’s see if they have the same resistance to my new water magic.

  She led them across the water, soaring mere feet above the waves. As the final one fell in behind her, she dipped her hand into the water and let her magic flow.

  Spears of ice – ten feet high and sharp as knives – shot out of the water in a trail behind her. Dozens, then hundreds, of spears – a mile-long line of death in the darkness – skewered the swordfish one-by-one. When Milly finally spared a glance back, she saw the carnage she had wrought. The school had been slaughtered, and she’d expended less than a quarter of her magic to do so.

  She shivered at the power contained within her as she soared back to the balloon and landed gracefully on her tiptoes.

  The fight had given her another two levels, and she’d added four more points to magic and elevated her fire magic to master-level. She’d also received another ring called “The Swordfish Folly”, which added five to her magic and granted her the beginner level ‘Resist Air Magic’ talent.

  That would have been helpful when I’d fought Jinora. Better late than never, I suppose. Now… let’s see what this new fire magic can do.

  Milly flew away from the balloon and began to weave together her master-level air, fire, and water magic to see what would happen.

  Beginner magic gave me a single bolt. Advanced gave me a dozen. If that pattern stays true, then master level will…

  She’d spent the next hour apologizing to Jinora and Coco, who’d been scared out of their wits by the massive thunderstorm that had appeared, Milly lodged at its epicenter. The storm had covered a square mile of sky and poured rain and lightning down upon the world in an endless torrent. It was expensive, and Milly had to use the remaining bit of her reserves to move the balloon out of its destructive path before it was torn apart by the gale-force winds.

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  The remainder of their journey went more smoothly, with Milly spending her waking hours learning to control the new power at her fingertips.

  Now, at the end of their fourth day of travel, with Milly’s wind speeding them forward, they had their destination in sight.

  Core Research Station – the heart of the Archipelago Research Alliance.

  Milly finished cooking her fish and, with it still skewered on the metal rod, she leaned over the basket with Coco and Jinora to stare out at the approaching island.

  She had no doubt this was their destination. At Research Station Omega, the golden threads of life that descended from the sky into the black orb had been faint – barely visible even with Milly’s enhanced perception.

  This was not the case with Core Research Station. The threads that streamed from the sky above this island looked like a river of gold that streamed down from the heavens. It shone like the sun, flowing into the massive black orb balanced in the palm of a twenty-story high statue in the middle of the city. Milly had to turn off her Detect Life talent lest the sight blind her.

  How many thousands – tens of thousands – Oriane souls are contained in that orb? How many lifetimes did Cizen spend collecting them all?

  “I don’t know what we’ll find when we get to Core Research Station,” Milly said cautiously as she munched on the roasted mackerel. “So stay close. We’re just here to find a way home.”

  Only that’s not true, is it? It can’t be. I know you want to go home, Milly, but you are also Luna’s Inquisitor. You need to find out what you can about Cizen’s plan, or we may never survive this damned God Contest.

  Silence filled the balloon as they drifted ever closer, and Core Research Station came into view.

  * * *

  Milly gawked at the city that lay sprawled out below them. Situated at the center of the island – a hundred miles long yet so narrow that it would take only thirty minutes to walk from shore to shore – Core Research Station was anything but the utilitarian habitat that Research Station Omega had been.

  The city covered a quarter of the island. Ivory white buildings – two or three stories high with rooftop garden patios and broad arched windows – glistened as the evening sun beamed down upon them. The streets were a mosaic of perfectly fitted stones that depicted historical scenes, great beasts of the world, and important figures in Oriane society, as if the streets themselves were the Oriane art galleries. Market stalls and shops lined the streets, with small schools and community centers interspersed throughout the residential neighborhoods.

  At the center of the city was the statue holding aloft the black orb. It depicted a handsome young man, gaunt yet strong, wearing a flowing lab coat. His palm was raised to the sky and determined, piercing eyes gazed upon the city below.

  Milly had seen those eyes before, in Hephaestus’ memory. The God of Death’s body may have drastically changed – his decayed flesh long since obliterated his youthful good looks – but those eyes held the same determined fire.

  Bestian talked about Cizen as if he were a living legend. Was he really so well respected that they built this statue to honor him? Or is his ego so large he added it in when he reconstructed his world?

  Below the statue, Core Station Academy was situated on the highest hilltop, as if it were a fort constructed to overlook and protect the city. Hundreds upon hundreds of interconnected structures – classrooms, laboratories, parks, and amphitheaters – comprised the entirety of the complex. The centre of all knowledge in the Archipelago Research Alliance.

  Orianes wandered the city, though Milly could already tell it was only a small fraction of those who had once resided in the city.

  Their orb must have been activated. Was that intentional? Or did someone get here before I did? Or some god…

  Jinora flashed her forelegs and pointed towards the northern shore, where a dozen other balloons had been tied up. A docking platform for those traveling between the islands.

  “Thanks Jinora,” Milly praised, holding out her pinky finger. Jinora tapped it gently with her foreleg, their version of a high-five.

  Milly reached out with her magic and guided them into the natural current that flowed straight towards the platform. She didn’t know what to expect when they landed, but she wanted to keep a low profile for as long as possible. Drifting in against the natural current would raise more than a few eyebrows.

  As they descended towards the platform, a small Oriane in bright orange overalls waved them towards one of the empty anchoring points in the middle of the platform. Milly guided them in, subtly using her magic for the fine maneuvers she couldn’t achieve on her own, and tossed the line to the Oriane so he could tie them off.

  “Where’re you coming from, Miss… oh!”

  The Oriane stopped and stared as Milly poked her head out over the basket. It was the same reaction the residents of Research Station Omega gave her when they’d first seen her face.

  “Research Station Omega,” Milly called down, not missing a beat. “And before you ask, it was an experiment gone wrong.”

  Seriously, what’s wrong with my face? God, if I don’t see Cally soon and get some positive reinforcement, I’m going to start getting self-conscious again like old Milly.

  “Ah, I’m… sorry to hear that, Miss,” the Oriane said uncertainly. He looked towards his small work shack at the end of the platform. “I might have a bag or something you can use…”

  Milly suppressed the urge to hurl the Oriane off the platform and into the ocean.

  “I’m fine,” Milly said tartly, as she leapt out of the basket and tied off the second line. “If you don’t like it, just don’t look at me.”

  Milly turned to the Oriane, expecting an argument, only to see he’d gone ghostly white, his eyes fixed on her Gown of Moon and Stars.

  “I’m… I’m so sorry, Miss. I didn’t realize you were… were one of the scholars. Please, I beg you, don’t report me. I’ll take extra care of your balloon. I’ll…”

  Milly looked down at her dress.

  This is Oracle’s dress. A scholar – one of the researchers. The upper class of the Orianes. Well, that should help clear out some obstacles.

  “Relax, I’m not going to report you,” Milly assured the man, and Milly could see relief flood into him.

  Hydel and Geta were both right. It is a beautiful city – the equal of any ancient city back home – but there is a class divide between the researchers and everyone else. I can see it already.

  “Thank you. Thank you so much, Miss. That is very generous of you. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask. My name is Platform Worker Veebee, and I will take the best care of your balloon while you are at Core Station Academy,” Veebee said, bowing to her. The bow made her feel uncomfortable, and she didn’t know if she should bow back.

  She never got the chance. Veebee hurried over to the ropes and winched down the balloon until the basket was flush with the platform. He startled as Coco – Jinora riding atop her head – strode out of the basket’s door and sauntered over to Milly.

  “Do we just leave it here?” Milly asked Veebee, staring up at the statue several miles away.

  “I just need your name, and how long you’ll be here,” Veebee said, clutching his ledger tightly in his hands.

  “Umm… Milly Brown. And I’m not sure… a few days, maybe longer?” Milly said.

  How long does it take to unravel the ploys of the God of Death and find your way home? A few days… Milly, when did you become an optimist?

  Veebee added the line to his ledger and dipped into a deep bow.

  “Scholar Milly Brown, may I be the first to welcome you to Core Research Station!”

  The Non-Canonical Aftermath: