Erd’s “coach” was a rune-inscribed brass-colored globe the size of a small sedan that floated two feet off the ground. When he tapped a matching brass rod against a panel on its side, it rotated on hidden gears, sliding open like the aperture on a camera, revealing a spacious interior upholstered in soft red velvets. Victor and Valla had to struggle to get through the opening, but once inside, they had plenty of room to stretch out. All the while, Victor kept the egg held tight in the crook of his arm, shaking his head at Erd when he offered to hold it as he clambered through the doorway. Something about the man didn’t inspire Victor’s trust.

The coach surged forward, smoothly but quickly, and whatever magic guided it delivered them to the party’s hotel in just a few minutes. During their brief transit, Erd was silent, though he looked occupied, and when the coach pulled to a stop, he said, “I’ve communed with Master Dar’s assistant, and the master has agreed to see us. It’s difficult to tell, but I believe he’s excited! This means good things for us, Victor!”

“Yeah?” Victor scooted toward the door, ready to go into the hotel to fetch Lam and Edeya.

“Yes! I’d hoped the egg would be something he needed, but I wasn’t entirely sure. Now that we’ve secured an audience, I don’t mind telling you that my relief is monumental. I’d feared your wrath if he’d been uninterested in the artifact.”

“Is that why you seemed so nervous?” Valla asked as she scooted forward in her seat, ready to follow Victor.

“Yes. I apologize for not being wholly forthright with you. I was reasonably sure the artifact would get his attention, earning me Dar’s favor and his aid in my development, but I wasn’t certain. Things seem to be working out, however.” He nodded, grinning widely, and his relief was palpable.

Part of Victor wanted to cuss the guy out for sending them into the ivid hive on what was starting to feel like a hunch, but he simply grunted and said, “I’ll be right back.” He slipped through the doorway and reached up to take Valla’s hand, helping her down. “You mind waiting here and keeping an eye on this guy? I’ll go get Lam and Edeya.”

“Of course.” She pointed to the egg. “Want me to hold that?”

“Thanks, but no. If someone’s going to try to steal this, they’ll have to take it from me.” When Valla nodded and leaned back against the coach, Victor turned and hurried into the hotel, up the magical stairs, and directly to the room where Lesh and Darren were staying. He only had to knock twice before the door opened wide, and Lesh’s draconic countenance greeted him.

He looked down at the bundle in Victor’s arm and said, “You ran into trouble?”

“Not exactly. We’re going to meet that guy’s master right now, but I want you to watch this.” Victor reached down with his free hand and began unlooping the sling of ivid silk that held the globe of royal jelly. “I don’t know how good this silk is at hiding what’s inside it, but if this guy’s as powerful as we think, he might sniff it out. I don’t want to get mugged, you know?”

“Ah. Of course. I’ll keep it safe here.”

“Yeah, don’t go wandering around with it. Just wait for me, all right? Keep it out of your storage containers unless you don’t mind destroying them.” Victor held the heavy bundle up, and Lesh nodded, taking it with a profoundly sober expression.

“I will guard it with my life.”

Victor thought about telling him it wasn’t worth his life and not to do anything crazy, but he decided that no matter what he said, Lesh wouldn’t relax about the responsibility. It was just the way he was. “All right. Thanks, Lesh. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon. Have you seen Lam yet?”

“No. I’ve been listening to the fosterling’s report. He seems to have learned a great deal about his Core and has acquired some texts to aid his study. I’ll give you the details after I hear it all.”

“Uh, all right.” Victor almost chuckled, but he held it in. He didn’t really care all that much about what Darren was learning, but he had to give Lesh credit for taking his duty so seriously. Still, every time he called Darren a “fosterling,” it made him smile. “Yeah, let’s catch up when I get back.” As Lesh nodded, Victor turned and walked to Lam’s room. On the way, thinking about the jelly he’d just left with Lesh, he remembered the crown Lam was holding for him and wondered if he should give that to Lesh, too, or just carry it with him. He doubted it had a fraction of the value of the royal jelly, but he still didn’t want to tempt thieves.

Lam opened her door immediately and surprised Victor by rushing to hug him. “I’m so relieved to see you! Is everyone well? Where’s Valla?” Her response to his arrival surprised him at first, but then Victor put himself in her shoes—left behind, tending to her near-comatose friend, waiting in a strange city on a strange world in the hopes that the only people she knew wouldn’t die trying to invade an alien insect hive. He gripped her shoulders as she released him, her cheeks reddening in sudden embarrassment.

“She’s fine. Waiting downstairs. Fetch Edeya; we’re going to see that guy about helping her now.”

“Truly?” Moisture sprang into Lam’s eyes, and she turned, hurrying toward a couch near the big, floor-to-ceiling windows facing the park. Victor stepped inside the doorway and watched Lam use the control rod to get Edeya up and moving. “What about your crown?”

“Hide it here. I’ll see to it when we’re done with this business.”

“It’s already hidden. I was nervous with that thing around.”

“You felt something?” Victor had, too, every time he held the crown, a kind of uneasiness like distant whispering and watching eyes.

“Yes. It made my skin crawl.” Lam led Edeya to the door, and Victor stepped back out, holding it wide for them. As they all walked to the steps, Lam asked, “What was it like? The insect world?”

“Dead. Nothing lived except for the bugs. We got to the bottom of the hive and found out that the ivid had evolved, opening a . . . gateway, I guess, into a new universe they were creating. I gained a new perspective on power from them, Lam. Their queen . . .” Victor trailed off, unsure how to describe what he’d felt.

“That bad, huh? Did you have to fight?”

“Only at first, against the insect soldiers near the top of the hive. Then we snuck down, and the, um, evolved ivid dealt with us peacefully.” He finished his sentence and stepped down the magical stairway, waiting for Lam and Edeya to join him before continuing. “Keep that between us. I had to trade for the egg, but it wasn’t nearly as hard to get as Erd Van thinks. I’ll use that for bargaining.”

“Understood.”

While they walked, Victor looked at Edeya, noting the dimness of her wings, the wan, sallow look of her face, and the deep, dark circles under her eyes. He knew she’d looked bad before they left, but she seemed worse, and he didn’t think they could keep her like this much longer. They exited the hotel, and Victor pointed to the floating globe-shaped coach down the sidewalk. “That’s our ride.”

Lam started forward, but he stopped her and said, “Listen, Lam, if this guy won’t or can’t help, then I’m going to find a way to get to Dark Ember, and I’m going to kill my way to Victoria or Catalina, whatever that bruja calls herself, and I’m going to rip her apart bone by bone until she free’s Edeya’s spirit. Don’t give up hope.”

To his surprise, Lam smiled and nodded. She didn’t try to protest or insist that she’d join him. She just said, “I know you will, Victor.” He looked into her emerald eyes for several seconds, wondering at the pain, guilt, and loneliness he saw there. After a short, awkward silence, they walked the rest of the way to the coach, where Lam and Valla embraced before they all climbed inside, Victor bringing up the rear, still clutching the warm, silk-wrapped bundle in his left arm. The coach didn’t have windows, so they couldn’t see exactly where they were going, but Victor could feel the coach lifting them and had the sensation of great speed as he was pulled down into the cushions.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Where are we meeting your master?” Valla asked.

Erd smiled at her and made an expression that seemed almost smug. “He awaits us in a private tower of the Arcanum.”

Lam came to everyone’s rescue and asked, “The Arcanum?”

“Ah, yes. I keep forgetting you’re all new to the city. The Arcanum of a Thousand Towers. It began as a library and research facility and has become something of a university over the centuries. People like me save our money and favors and spend them there, learning from people like Ranish Dar. Well, when they have the time and patience for those of us so far beneath them.”

“Does it really have a thousand towers?” Valla asked.

“Oh, likely far more by now.” Erd rubbed his chin, looking around the coach’s interior, then added, “Apologies for the lack of a view. You’ll get a good look at the Arcanum when we step out, though.” His answer seemed to satisfy Lam and Valla, and Victor had enough on his mind, so the coach grew quiet as it silently conveyed them through the air.

After a few minutes, Valla said, “Edeya doesn’t look well.”

“She hasn’t . . .” Lam started to say, frowning.

“I mean, she looks worse.”

“Does she?” Lam leaned closer to Edeya, taking her limp hands and gently massaging her palms with her thumbs. “I’ve been ensuring she eats good food and gets sunlight, but something still fails within her.

“A body cannot exist long without a spirit. Her fragment will suffice for a time, but the flesh will fail.” Erd looked at Victor and continued, “Forgive my unearned knowledge, but when I glimpsed your Core when you first came to my shop, I was surprised you were seeking help from me. I’m surprised by how little you know of spirits, considering . . .”

“Erd, I earned my power through combat and suffering. I’ve never found a very knowledgeable teacher, so, yeah, there’s a lot I don’t know.”

“Of course. I don’t mean to imply any willful ignorance . . .” He stumbled on his words, obviously aware of Victor’s irritation, and then the coach rapidly slowed, sending everyone lurching forward in their seats. With a thunk and soft grinding sound, it came to a halt, and he announced, “We’ve arrived!” He practically flew out of the coach, and Victor had a feeling he saw their arrival as a lifeline, saving him from the awkward conversation.

Lam and Edeya followed Erd out, and before she stepped through the open doorway, Valla grabbed Victor’s hand and said, “Be patient. We’re out of our depth here, and I don’t think your rage will serve you well.”

“I don’t plan to get angry, Valla; it just happens. Anyway, I’m out of patience where Edeya’s concerned.” He stared hard at her, unblinking, and eventually, she nodded and climbed out of the coach. Victor followed, and when he stepped out, he had to take a minute to regather his wits as they were blown out of his mind by the vista that awaited him.

The coach had come to rest on a dock of sorts, built from gold and pearl inlaid marble—a short span of solid stone that stretched out from the roof of a floating tower, which was, in turn, connected to ten other towers, also floating in the sky, and connected to hundreds more. The cluster of floating towers and the tunnels and bridges between them were, literally, hanging in the clouds, and Victor could see, distant and small, like a city seen from an airplane, the crystal buildings and streets of Sojourn down below. “Holy shit,” he said, slowly turning in a circle, trying to guess how many towers hung there in the sky and losing count in the hundreds.

Some of the spires were marble, some were gray stone, and many were made of bricks of all sorts. Victor saw tile roofs, copper gables, and everything in between. The diversity of building materials might have seemed haphazard if not for the fact that every building was a tower, and they were all floating together high among the clouds. The sun was dim, approaching the western horizon, and the clouds and breeze turned the stiff wind chilly. Though it hardly bothered Victor, he could see the goosebumps standing out on Edeya’s frail arms, and he nodded toward the doorway at the center of the roof. “We should get her out of the wind.”

“Of course, of course!” Erd hurried to the door, resting his hand on the latch and muttering a few words that were indistinct and strange to Victor’s ears. Lam pulled Edeya after him, and Victor and Valla followed. By the time they’d all gathered, Erd had the door open and pulled it wide for them all to go through. When he reached the door, Victor held it open with his free hand and nodded to Erd.

“I’ll follow you.”

Erd swallowed his reply, nodding and looking down, then hurried in. When Victor stepped through, he let the metal door clang shut behind him. Erd led them down several flights of stairs, past a few closed doors, and finally to the base of the narrow stairway where a single door opened into an arched, spacious gallery from which three doors and two other stairs led away. Erd approached the central door, a wide, darkly stained wooden one, and delicately knocked. “This is his usual study.”

“Come!” barked a deep, scratchy voice, and Erd visibly flinched as he turned the brass knob and pushed the door open. “Ah, um, Master Dar, it is I, Erd Van, here to gift you with the ivid dreaming egg . . .”

The deep voice laughed and said, “Erd Van! It’s been a decade at least, no? I’d nearly written you off as rusted.”

Valla looked at Victor and mouthed, “Rusted?”

Victor shrugged and continued to listen, stepping forward to see through the doorway where Erd still stood. He couldn’t make much out. Soft golden light, seeming to fall from an overhead fixture, illuminated stacks of books, built-in shelves, and clutter of every sort. Most prominent, obscuring most of his view, was a wrought-iron rack formed to delicately hold dozens of shimmering crystal globes that looked very much like tiny planets to Victor.

“Um, no, Master, since my last session with you, I’ve advanced three levels and sit upon the cusp of tier eight. I hoped that, with this gift, I might earn a bit of guidance . . .”

“Yes, yes, I heard your message. Come in, boy, and bring your entourage. I’ll have a look at you all.”

Erd turned and furtively motioned for everyone to follow him, and then he stepped through. Lam moved to the side with Edeya, waiting for Victor and Valla to precede her into the room. Valla seemed hesitant to go in for some reason, and Victor was out of patience, ready to see the man behind the voice, so he moved past her. Clutching the egg close, he ducked under the lintel and entered the study. Once inside, he saw it was cluttered but large, with massive bay windows on the far wall providing a stunning view of the sunset and the golden, ochre, and rust-colored clouds laid out like a magical cotton-candy landscape outside.

Amid the shelves, cases, tables, stacks of books, curios, and artifacts was an imposing desk with legs carved like dragon claws. Sitting behind it was a man who had to be Ranish Dar. Victor had expected an old, cranky scholar-type. He’d pictured a man with glasses and white hair with sharp eyes. What he saw was a giant made of black stone that moved like flesh. His eyes blazed like miniature golden suns, and bizarrely, he wore mint-green silken pajamas. At least, they looked like pajamas to Victor.

“Hah!” rumbled the colossal man, easily a match for Victor’s usual size. “What’s this, then, Erd Van? Did you convince one of your betters to fetch the artifact? And is he willing to share the prize? What’s your name, berserker?” Victor stepped forward, making room for his companions to follow him in. He didn’t answer right away, and when Ranish Dar caught sight of Edeya, he made a sound that reminded Victor of a train whistling and said, “And a shattered spirit? Well, I’ll hand it to you, Erd; this is the most interesting supplication I’ve had in a good many years.”

“Um, thank you, Master Dar, I was hoping that . . .”

“Quiet now while I see what I’ve got before me. Well, berserker?” Ranish Dar leaned forward on his desk, the wood creaking under the pressure of his elbows.

“I’m Victor.”

“And you hail from?”

Victor shrugged and said, “Tucson, I guess—by way of Fanwath.”

“Yes, that’s quite a Core you’ve been building for yourself, there. Well shielded, too. It’s no wonder Erd’s willing to lead you about, acting the prancing prince, unaware that he’s got a dragon by the tail. Quite impressive, indeed.”

Victor didn’t betray any emotion or even flinch as Ranish Dar effortlessly saw through his Aura Veil. He thought the imagery of his idiom was apt and amusing, picturing Erd walking around with a dragon’s tail, unaware of the monster on the other end. He wondered how accurate it was. Was he really so much stronger than the nearly level eighty spirit expert? Surprisingly, his Quinametzin pride wasn’t the least ruffled, perhaps because something in him recognized the power of the man before him. Some instinct in him wanted to show respect. “Thank you.” He decided no other words were yet necessary.

“So, an ivid dreaming egg, is it?” He nodded to Victor’s bundle. “Bring it here. I’ll have a look before I hear any more of your story.”

Victor glanced at Erd and saw him looking down, clenching his jaw, clearly humiliated by Dar’s earlier words. Deciding there wasn’t much else he could do—he was reasonably sure Dar could take the egg if he wanted to—he stepped up to the desk, and, as he walked, he canceled his Alter Self spell, rising to his full height. He didn’t want to have to reach up to put something on a desk. As he smoothly stretched upward and outward, expanding in size and power, Ranish Dar chuckled and said, “A dragon, indeed!”

Victor couldn’t contain the inner voice that insisted he correct the record, and he said, “Titan,” as he placed the silk-wrapped egg on the desktop.

“Of course, of course. A figure of speech, young man.” Erd pulled the bundle close and carefully unwrapped the silk. When the pale, glittering flesh of the egg was exposed, and Victor felt its warm, potent Energy wash over him, he heard the gasps behind him and saw the smile on Dar’s stony face. “Lovely, lovely, lovely!” He rested two huge fingers on the egg and closed his blazing eyes. A moment later, he said, “Yes, this will do.

“Are you pleased, Master Dar?” Erd asked, his voice high and strained. Victor looked at him to see he’d fallen to his knees. His fists were clenched, and he was sweating bullets over his squeezed-shut eyes. Victor turned to see Lam and Valla leaning on each other, wan and gasping as they stood in the wash of power coming off the egg. Victor was a little surprised; he could definitely feel the egg's influence, feel the weight of it, but to him, it was like standing out on the pavement on an Arizona summer day. It was hot and uncomfortable, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

“You’re entirely too strong for an iron-ranker, Victor,” Dar said, ignoring Erd’s question as he chuckled and slowly wrapped the egg, to the others’ great relief. “Well? How will my blessings be bestowed upon this party? Erd Van would have me believe he is responsible for this great treasure. Is that the case?”

“I . . .” Erd started to say, but Ranish Dar held up a hand, silencing him.

“I’ll hear from the only one of you capable of standing in its presence.” He fixed those blazing eyes on Victor.

Something in Victor wouldn’t let him take all the credit for the egg despite his significant role. He said, “Erd told us about the egg. He paid for our transport and gave us the means to sneak past many of the ivid. We,” Victor nodded to Valla, “fought and bargained for it.”

“And what do you seek, Victor? I know what Erd wants.”

“I wish to have my friend’s spirit made whole. I hoped that you’d be able to pull it home. If you can’t do that, I hoped you’d help me find a way to the world where it’s being held, and I’ll kill the one who’s taken it.”

“Gods,” Ranish Dar said, surprising Victor. “Such conviction and power behind those words. Did you feel that, Erd? An oath of power made in our presence, one with binding karmic ties, and he did it with hardly a thought for the repercussions! That’s the sort of spirit we need to cultivate, Erd. What a bloodline! What a Core! What a spirit! Erd, you need another few decades of hard, hard toil before you can hope to put such an edge to your words. I’ll grant you your desired lessons, five of them, but then you’ll need to put yourself through a crucible or two before I’ll look upon you again. Go now. Await my summons.” He made a shooing gesture at Erd, and the man stood and practically flew from the room, glancing at Victor on his way past with haunted eyes.

“And us?” Victor asked.

“I’ll aid your friend, Victor, the titan from Tucson, but my help will come with a cost. A cost for your friend and a cost for you. Will you bear it?”

Victor didn’t hesitate. He was ready to be done with this situation, ready to help his friend, and he wasn’t afraid of any fee this man might charge. He opened his mouth to say yes, but Valla spoke first, filling the brief silence, “He will hear the cost before he decides.”

Ranish Dar slammed his palm atop his massive desk with an ear-popping, thunderous crack and barked a short laugh, “Hah! A wise woman and a boon companion. Very well. First, we’ll discuss what it will cost your friend. The mending of a shattered spirit and the trauma of my indelicate, mighty pull, dragging it through the fabric of the universe to be made whole in her body, will take a toll, paid for by the Energy she’s gathered in her life. She will likely lose many levels. As for you, Victor, the cost I will demand of you will be years of service, for I need a protégé worthy of my knowledge.”