Hours later, Evran found himself alone, wandering the decks as the sun set over the horizon. He’d learned from his other classmates that only a handful of Ravagers had even managed to reach the ship, and all were defeated quickly. Once the first wave got close enough, there were simply too many mages attacking at such a close range. They never stood a chance.

  But why attack? Sure, Ravagers attacking ships was nothing out of the ordinary, but they had captured a schooner. They would have tortured the sailors, revealing who we were and where to find us. Surely they knew what they were up against. It didn’t make sense.

  Evran leaned against the stern railing and watched the last moments of sunset. The surviving schooners were still sailing nearby, unwilling to venture out with the Ravagers nearby. They would likely remain in the protection of the Glory for another day before they resumed their search for an appropriate island.

  The faculty had decided to continue the practical, despite the attack. Almost all the injuries had come from panicked students shoving their way to and away from the fighting. Narro’s sore wrists might have been the only true damage done from the actual enemy. Evran contemplated how best to tease his friend with that fact.

  Hearing the flapping of wings, Evran glanced up in time to see a carrier pigeon sail overhead. The Glory had a dozen or so of those birds on board in order to send regular updates back to Aldea. He didn’t need to guess what would be included in the day’s report. They’d probably already sent out a pigeon immediately after the attack, and this one was a repeat of the previous message plus whatever was usually there. With Ravagers so close to Aldea, Evran silently prayed for the noble pigeon’s success.

  “Hey kid,” said a deep male voice behind him.

  Surprised, Evran turned to find a familiar adventurer standing behind him. He was tall, with short hair of a lighter shade of brown than Evran’s. The man still had his armor on, though not his helmet.

  “I saw your fight earlier. Your friend did well, but without you there, it would’ve got ugly. That barrier… it was perfect!” said the man. “Name’s Kassitor. Kassitor Rhent. Hey, have we met?”

  “I’ve seen you around town once or twice. I was standing next to you in the Guild Hall when you found this assignment. Evran Wright,” he said, then shook the adventurer’s hand. “That woman who killed the Ravager. She’s in your party, right? I never got a chance to thank her.”

  “Who Mirith? Yeah, she’s one of them dragoons — dragon hunters from Alith Enar. I’ll pass your gratitude along, though I’m sure you’ll get a chance to thank her yourself.”

  “It’s a big ship,” Evran joked.

  “Don’t I know it? I’ve gotten lost twice already. Well, that’s all I had to say. Best I get back to my crew now. I’ll see you around, kid.”

  Before the man could leave, Evran turned to stop him. “Wait! My friends and I are planning on becoming adventurers after we graduate. I was hoping you could give us some advice.”

  “Don’t. Theres better things you could be doing with your life, especially with your talent and education.”

  Evran smiled. “We know that already, but we just can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s our dream.”

  “Ah, I know what you mean. Guess I forgot how it is for you young ones.” The veteran adventurer paused for a moment of thought. “Well, I’ll say this much, and you probably don’t want to hear it, but don’t go taking on any labyrinths until you’re damn good and ready. The monsters that spawn within are leagues stronger than anything you’ll find on the surface. And when you think you are ready, start small.”

  It was good advice. Not exactly helpful in his case, but he was glad to find there were adventurers out there with sense enough to warn newcomers of the true danger of a labyrinth. Evran thanked Kassitor for the tip and left the man to find his party. He lingered on the stern deck, staring off into the horizon until the last of the daylight faded to reveal a clear, starry sky.

  The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted Evran’s quiet reverie. He turned around to find Kaila casually strolling across the deck. Curious, Evran gripped his staff tightly and activated his aurasight. He still couldn’t use it without the staff’s help, but after a little practice earlier, he could now both activate and deactivate the ability without issue. As he engaged his aurasight, Kaila flinched unexpectedly, as if she could tell Evran was peeking at her aura.

  “So what color is it?” she asked, playing with her hair.

  “It’s like an orangey red, I guess?”

  She chuckled in response. “I swear, boys only know ten colors. That’s vermilion, and its probably because I’m anxiously excited. Oh, and yours is a… glompy chartreuse.”

  “What in the skies does glompy mean?” Evran asked. He was fairly certain he’d heard of those colors before, but was beginning to believe she made them up as well. She rolled her eyes in response, as if he should just know what it meant. Whatever. She took her spot on the railing beside him and peered out into the darkness. They stood side by side, saying nothing, appreciating the eerie beauty of the void at night.

  Kaila interrupted the brief silence with a sigh. “My uncle says that in the fallen world, people would sail ships over endless expanses of water instead of sky. And the water would move up and down, as if some giant were jumping in it. Can you imagine?”

  “That’s absurd! What would stop all that water from falling into the void?” Evran asked.

  “Who knows? So much was lost from back then… knowledge, secrets. I want to learn them all!” Kaila said excitedly. She swayed back and forth, rocking along the banister in tune with the magical breeze.

  “Is that what you’ll do once we graduate… research the old world with that eccentric uncle of yours?”

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “That’s one of my goals, yes,” she said. “The three of you are forming an adventuring party, right? If you find any cool artifacts, send them my way.”

  With graduation on the horizon, a profound melancholy fell upon the fifth years. Soon they would scatter themselves to the winds, unlikely to ever see each other again. Evran would remain with his friends, at least for a while, while Kaila would be on her own. She was already somewhat lonely, especially since Kestie’s graduation the year before.

  “We’ll come visit you on Sygel someday with a mountain of ancient junk for you to study, I promise!”

  Lots of students were making similar promises to keep in touch with their friends. But that was not the way of the world. Islands would drift apart, and it might be decades before they would end up near each other again. Evran’s vow was more likely to come to pass than most, as being an adventurer would give him plenty of opportunities to move about and reunite with an old friend or two along the way. Though he might be an old man before seeing her again.

  “Thanks. I’m really gonna miss you guys,” said Kaila.

  She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Evran, squeezing him tightly. Evran hugged her back. Their embrace was cut short by the ringing of a bell.

  “Alright, food!” Kaila shouted, pushing off Evran and jogging toward the mess hall. “Let’s go!”

  Evran lingered for a moment, glancing back at the dark horizon. Maybe Haskelon and Sygel ended up right next to each other this time around, and they could stay in touch for another two or three years. That would be nice. For no particular reason, Evran felt slightly less glompy.

  ***

  The next day, the schooners resumed their search for an appropriate island for the practical. At breakfast, the exploration teams were finally announced. Each was to consist of one spellblade and two mages. Lerrum was partnered with Narro and Depri Tallahan, the standout fourth year with whom he served crystal duty. Evran somehow ended up with Kaila of all people. He thought it strange, the frequency with which they’d been around one another as of late. Not that he was complaining, of course. Evran was more than happy to spend as much time with her before graduation. The two of them were paired with a spellblade by the name of Indon Vhelt. He hadn’t attended the Academy, so Evran didn’t know the kid, but Narro vouched for him as a competent enough fighter.

  After breakfast, Evran spent some time exploring the bowels of the massive ship. He found countless floatstones embedded in the structure of the vessel, each contributing to the ship’s magical buoyancy. There would have to be a few larger crystals somewhere, but Evran never managed to locate them. His spelunking expedition was cut short when he stumbled into the room where they kept the carrier pigeons, and Evran was chased out by the crazy old man in charge of their care.

  The rest of the ship was surprisingly luxurious. In addition to the mess hall, they had recreational facilities, a library, and a gymnasium. They even had a dueling ring, complete with magical safeguards protecting the ship from errant spells. What impressed Evran the most was the quality and cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. The magical devices responsible for the plumbing were leagues more advanced than the ships he took on his initial journey to Aldea.

  Later that afternoon, the ship encountered another vessel coming from the south. Fortunately, it was not another pack of Ravagers, but a ship of Seekers. They were a friendly nomadic tribe, always sailing the skies in search of the Island that was Promised. The Seekers had once been persecuted during the Age of Queens, but society had progressed a great deal from those dark times. These days, they were well loved by islanders of the Sygelic tradition, as they often brought hard to come by goods from distant lands.

  After some coordination between the two ships’ captains, the Seekers pulled their vessel alongside the Glory of Aldea and were well received by her passengers. Many of the students were eager to trade for rare treats such as chocolate and fire honey, but few had thought to bring much money on the trip. Evran was one such unfortunate soul, but luckily for him, Lerrum was usually flush with cash.

  “Lerrum, buddy!” said Evran, hovering over a basket of tantalizing whipple pears. “Have I told you what an outstanding friend you are?”

  Lerrum rolled his eyes and pulled out his coin purse. “You should always travel with your money, Ev. You never know where you might end up.” Lerrum tossed a few silver coins to his friend. “You can pay me back later. And get one for me. I haven’t had a good whipple pair in ages.”

  There were a few Seekers among the Aldeans — a few of the students and staff, and the adventurer named Jex. Their faith had many sects and denominations, but their one centralizing belief was in a duty to search for the Island that was Promised. Most Seekers’ beliefs were flexible enough to where adventuring counted, as did taking time off to learn magic or a trade so that they might better contribute in the future. To that end, several families from the Seeker ship would be joining the Aldeans. Professor Merrilus welcomed three new students who passed an impromptu entrance exam. Though they were welcome to observe and even participate in the practical, they wouldn’t officially matriculate until the next term began in a few months.

  The two ships decided to sail together for a single evening, then part ways in the morning. That gave the two groups of passengers plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company. The Seekers came on board the Glory of Aldea and put on quite the party in the mess hall. They played lively songs on their traditional instruments and performed bizarre dances involving contortions and acrobatics. Evran was thrilled to witness such graceful and interesting displays.

  The following day at dawn, the Aldeans gathered on the main deck to see their new friends off on their generational quest. There were tearful goodbyes between the remaining families and their friends, neither knowing if they would ever see each other again, though still having faith they would one day meet on the Island that was Promised. The Seekers sailed north toward the sixth band, while the Aldeans continued east in search of an island of their own.

  With not much else to do following the departure of the Seekers, Evran joined in on a tour of the captain’s cabin with a few other interested students. The cabin was situated a third of the way from the rear of the ship, a few floors above the infirmary. Aside from the sails, it was the highest point on the ship, possessing a commanding view of the other decks. Outside the door of his cabin, the captain stood proudly at the wheel, welcoming his guests as they entered.

  The afternoon light shone through the many glass windows and illuminated display cases littered with interesting artifacts and curious baubles. At the center of the room sat the captain’s desk, littered with navigational charts and instruments. On the wall behind his desk was a map of Aldea on one side, and on the other, a pegboard map similar to the one in the rotunda of the Navigator’s Guild, though on a much smaller scale and quite empty at the moment.

  A nearby shelf contained a collapsed easel alongside various paints and brushes. Several amateurish landscapes and still lifes adorned the walls. Perhaps the captain was simply new to the hobby. Still, there was one painting in particular that caught his eye. Its colors reminded him of a painting his father found back in his adventuring days — a depiction of one of the seven Colossi, The Complexity of Metas’In. He’d always found that one quite disturbing.

  Would Evran and his party have a ship of their own someday? Some adventuring parties did, while most did not. Lerrum certainly seemed like the type to want one, so it was likely to be in the cards. Evran wondered if he’d have his own cabin on their ship and how he might decorate it. He’d definitely have his own terrible sculptures on display.

  Evran’s brief tour was cut short by a commotion outside. One of the schooners had been spotted returning well before the designated rendezvous time. They could have come back early for any number of reasons. They might have fled another Ravager attack, or perhaps encountered another ship sailing from a different port. But that is not why this ship had returned. After four days at sky, they had at last found their island.