Fenric gave a final, grunting turn of the wrench to tighten one of the nuts affixing the cover of the purewind stabilizer to its frame. He was inside the cockpit of the shuttle that was intended to be used for the big humanity-saving mission, having spent the last hour checking the constitution of the parts of the stabilizer and the condition of the shuttle as a whole. He flipped a switch, rotated a knob, and smiled to hear the satisfying sound of a functioning stabilizer: something like a faint humming, barely audible unless you were listening for it. Right now, though there was no visible indication of the device's performance, the stabilizer was prepared to redirect the gusts of a windstorm away from the shuttle, protecting the vessel from the powerful gales they expected to face as they sailed closer to the source of the windstones.

Everything seemed to be in order. Fenric was confident the device wouldn't suddenly malfunction halfway through the voyage. He turned the stabilizer off and was packing his tools away when he spotted someone approaching from across the shuttle bay. Though the advancing figure was still far away, he recognized the windsuit at once, and knew that this must be the Windchaser assigned to the mission. He leapt off the shuttle to the deck to greet the man, and was surprised to find the captain of the Windchasers himself, hauling a large bag of luggage.

"You," Fenric said, with a frown on his face and scorn in his voice.

"You," Eldin returned, matching Fenric's frown and contempt.

The two locked gazes with each other in a hateful silence, until neither of them could maintain it any longer, and they both broke into laughter. They each extended a hand to grasp the other's forearm in the personal handshake they had devised some time after becoming friends thirteen years ago.

"I didn't know you were the engineer they're sending," Eldin said as the two released each other.

"I'm sure they thought you needed a babysitter. I'm the best person to keep you out of trouble."

Eldin gave a half-laugh, half-scoff. "Yeah? Like when you helped me draw inappropriate imagery of a very vulgar nature on the first mate's cabin door with chalk? That was keeping me out of trouble?"

"Exactly," Fenric said with confidence. "I was there to make sure you didn't take it so far that the admiral would throw you off the ship into the clouds."

At that moment, Fenric noticed a subtle change in his friend. Eldin's smile cracked, his eyebrows twisted, and something like anxiety flickered in his eyes. It lasted only the smallest fraction of a second, but Fenric was certain of what he had seen. This wasn't the time or the place to press him though, so he continued as if he hadn't noticed. "It was the same for all of our childhood adventures. I merely participated to ensure you kept your mischief to a forgivable level."

Eldin laughed, showing no trace of his momentary lapse of composure, as if it had never happened. "Well, I'm glad you're with me, Fen. I'll feel a lot better with you at my side."

"You'll feel even better when you see who else is coming," Fenric said with some amusement.

Eldin was just forming a reply when a feminine voice nearby spoke over him. "I do wish there were something of a gentleman nearby to help me with these."

Eldin and Fenric looked toward the voice to find a woman with long skirts carrying a stack of books so high that her face could not be seen behind the tower of literature. She pivoted her body to the side to reveal the freckled nose and copper-colored hair of Inpheria, the bookish final member of the Zephyrs: their long-standing, three-person gang from adolescence.

"Inphy!" Eldin exclaimed. "You too?"

"Indeed," she said, huffing from the exertion of her load. "The admiral no doubt wished for someone to babysit you. Who else but me is suitable for such an onerous task?"

Eldin groaned. "Did you two coordinate with each other? Fen said the exact same thing."

"We did not collaborate, but the fact that we both conveyed similar sentiments is very telling. Really, El, you're essentially the same boy you were when we met, what, ten years ago? When do you intend to grow into a respectable man?"

"Hey!" Eldin interjected with more than a little offense. "I'm on a mission to save our people! What's more manly than that?"

"And it's a wonder Admiral Volant chose you. If you didn't possess such a remarkable communion with the windstones, I'm sure he would have nominated someone who doesn't spend every interim in between windstorms simply hibernating in his cabin and eating. Now, are you going to take my books, or must I collapse before you think to assist me?"

Eldin, seeming to finally discover his manners, leapt to relieve Inpheria of her burden. "What are all these books for?" he complained as he began loading them into the shuttle.

"Preparatory reference manuals," she explained, "borrowed from the shelves of our archives. These texts contain much of what we know about the area closer to the source of the windstones, though it still amounts to very little. The information they contain may be of use to us on our quest. I have also included several journals in which to chronicle the voyage, as is my official purpose on the mission. Here--you may also stow my personal effects." This last was said as Inpheria handed Eldin the medium-sized traveling bag she had slung across her shoulder. "And don't you forget your own things right here! How soon are we departing, Fen?"

"The ground crew has already stocked the ship with provisions, so I just want to do one last check of the shuttle and then we'll be set."

"Very well," Inpheria said. "Take your time. El?" She had raised her hand to allow Eldin to help her up into the shuttle.

When she had boarded and was settling herself into her seat, Eldin jumped down to retrieve his own bag. Fenric put his arm around his friend's shoulder and whispered, "So you're finally going to do it, right? This is the perfect opportunity."

"Do what?"

"Come on. A secret mission to save the ship and our people. High stakes, charged emotions. Tell Inphy you love her. You've delayed for too many years. Now's the perfect chance."

Eldin shrugged Fenric's arm off him in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you? I can't risk our friendship. If it doesn't go well, it will sabotage the Zephyrs as a whole."

Fenric was prepared for this answer, for it was the same practiced speech Eldin gave every time he was pressed about the subject. But still, Fenric was determined to push Eldin into finally taking the leap, if only to bring himself the satisfaction of seeing his two best friends finally make good on their ancient feelings--for indeed, he had known of Inpheria's love for Eldin for nearly as long as he had known Eldin's for her. He refused to directly interfere, however, and so had never forced a confrontation between the two--nor was he planning to do so now. Instead, he simply called Eldin a coward and slapped him lightly on the back of the head.

"I'm not a coward," Eldin said. "I'm just doing what's best for the Zephyrs."

"You're a coward," Fenric repeated, then slapped him on the head again.

"I'm not a-- Stop hitting me."

Fenric hit him again.

Eldin grabbed Fenric by the arm, and the two began to wrestle, the traditional method of settling their disputes. Before it could be taken to the ground, however, Inpheria poked her head out of the shuttle and scolded them sharply.

"Boys?" she said, voice impatient. "Do you recall the big humanity-saving mission we are currently engaged in? Yes? Then I recommend we quit dallying. You two may resume your flirtations once we're in the air."

The boys parted, with Fenric ruffling Eldin's shaggy hair and Eldin lightly punching Fenric in the arm. Eldin climbed up into the shuttle and Fenric circled the vessel for one final inspection. Essentially a smaller version of the Ventus, the box-shaped shuttle was powered by six large purewind boosters, as well as several smaller ones placed in various locations to serve as lateral thrusters for minute adjustments to heading. These all seemed to be in order, as well as the overall structural integrity of the hull. Climbing aboard, he checked over the windstone supply and their travel rations, then ensured that their luggage was stowed properly before finally triple-checking the purewind stabilizer. He nodded to himself after all this, satisfied with the inspection.

"Why has no one come to see us off?" Eldin asked as Fenric was closing the shuttle doors.

"Because," Inpheria said, "if people know we're leaving, they are likely to wonder why. No doubt the purpose of our mission is to be kept secret from the civilians. If people knew the danger the ship was in, it might incite widespread panic. Best to keep the entire enterprise quiet."

The reminder of the serious nature of the mission brought a pensive silence to the three, until Eldin broke it by asking, "Do you think we'll find anything out there that can help?"

"No use driving ourselves crazy thinking about it," Fenric said. "Won't do any good." He spoke these words to himself as much as to Eldin, and intended to cope with the dire situation of the ship with his usual method: distracting himself with work. He took his place at the helm and engaged the engines before looking back to ensure Eldin and Inpheria had secured themselves in the passenger seats. Eldin had a far-off look to his eyes and was tapping his finger against his leg nervously; Inpheria was writing at speed inside of one of her journals, likely beginning her record of the voyage. Fenric returned his attention to piloting and slowly pumped the vertical thrusters. The shuttle's purewind conductor drew energy from the windstones and channeled it to the nexus, which then ejected a concentrated stream of purewind from the boosters to lift the entire shuttle into the air. A short moment of maneuvering through the shuttle bay and out the bay doors sent them into the open skies, where an endless sea of clouds greeted them. Fenric linked the shuttle's heading with the coordinates calculated by the Ventus's navigation team and engaged the autopilot shortly thereafter.

And so, with no fanfare and bearing the heavy weight of an entire species upon their shoulders, the Zephyrs sailed due westward, propelled by the windstones in the engines and the hope in their hearts.