When Nil read the name ‘Ashe Fall, ’ he expected a volcanic planet where soot and grey regularly rained from the sky, and a giant towered over all. Instead, after a voyage through several Beacon Worlds and waygates, he found himself approaching a rogue planet under the canopy of a giant ash tree that defied all laws of physics. A complex network of branches covered the entire planet. Giant luminous fruit—or countless ornate lanterns the size of garbage trucks—made up for the lack of sun.
“Ashe, Daughter of Yggdrasil, supports all life on the planet,” the group’s guide said as their vessel descended from the planet’s moon. It had no atmosphere, but the ancient druids somehow planted a waygate on it. They traveled just above the canopy, gliding past giant circular openings. It gave them a glimpse of the land below. Bioluminescence, similar to fallen arena worlds, lit the dense urban centers, especially in areas where the sun-fruit had dimmed. “She provides us with light to grow food, produces air for us to breathe, and her magic makes travel around the globe instantaneous. She also protects us against Void and Scourge incursions.
“Your hosts will dictate which cities and wilderness reserves are open to you. Please treat Ashe Fall with the same respect you'd treat your home. The ground, Yggdrasil’s daughter, all flora and fauna are sacred to us.”
Selia's fingers interlocked with Nil's as they studied their home for the next year instead of paying attention to the guide. Susan and Andrew whispered to each other behind them. Nil heard snippets of their conversation as his closest friend excitedly spoke about the wonders he had seen during his last visit. The goal was for him to ascend to Bronze by the end of their time in the Control World. Apparently, Samara already had tokens ready for him. Nil hoped to have the Source Gauntlets at the necessary rank when the time came. He and Andrew had already spent the past few days brainstorming the best path to take with the weapon.
The list of possibilities Andrew had handed him contained some interesting paths, but most felt ridiculous or plain stupid. Nil refused to settle on any of them. He saw the next year as a working study program. Watcher had a lot to teach, and Nil planned on picking his following upgrades and developments based on what he learned.
Andrew was also excited about the weapons he would get to develop for everyone else on the ticket-gathering quest. He already had chassis ideas for all of them but still needed to narrow down their abilities. Selia loved her extendable weapon. The three different lengths gave her versatility and the power to confuse foes. The magical spring-loading also gave it an extra bit of power. Meanwhile, Shawn appeared satisfied with a simple sword. Andrew had a lot of figuring out and had the perfect teacher to help him on the path.
Only Nil and Andrew had a rough idea of what to expect of their teachers or the coming year. The rest were balls of nervous excitement. He guessed Selia was the one who had caught Maka Dee the Cosmic Spider’s interest. Given her quest’s mysterious wording, she’d likely train with a clandestine organization, learning infiltration, reconnaissance, and assassination techniques.
“Right now, we’re descending through Silver Leaf ring,” the guide said as the vessel finally started its landing process. They exited the darkness of space and entered golden warmth, surrounded by rich green and pale grey-brown wood. Luminous veins ran along the branches. Their energy reminded Nil of Meatball’s Regenerate. “It's the primary port for the transport of arcane products. Most vessels coming through waygates touch down here as well.
“Once you land, please follow the signs to the entry port. The paperwork is essential for sorting out your residency permits. If you teleport out to the arena or quests without them, the return will involve the lengthy process of using the waygate system. As you’ve just experienced, it's a long and annoying process.”
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“Where is everyone going?” The five were the only visitors on board. They were aboard a cargo vessel, transporting arcane goods brought through the waygate.
“Onyx Dragon Academy,” Nil answered.
“Me too,” Andrew added. “Onyx Dragon’s Forge, to be more specific. It's the same compound.”
“Druid’s Grove,” Susan said, and Shawn echoed it.
“I’ll be serving the Weave,” Selia replied. “My quest and caseworker didn’t give me a location.”
“Someone should be meeting you at the landing.” The guide read off a tablet with a wooden case. “The Weave has no known base of operations. I imagine you’ll be all over the place. The Onyx Dragon compound and Druid’s Grove are on opposite ends of the planet, but given the world tree’s teleportation system, you should have no trouble reaching each other.”
Exiting the vessel—a cross between a submarine and a spaceship made out of a living tree—was a jaw-dropping experience. Nil and Selia held each other’s hands tightly, studying the titanic structures around them. They were all amalgamations of stone and the local giant fauna. Luminous geometric shapes filled with Norse runes covered them. Most structures and vehicles looked grown instead of built, but there was also evidence of magitech far more advanced than what was available on their Earth.
The air smelled of freshly cut grass. Bioluminescence combined with the giant sun lamps—or fruit—above their head added a comforting warmth to the woody surroundings. Vapors rose from the ground around the landing pad, and Nil smelled a hint of sulfur.
“I think this entire place runs on geothermal energy, whatever energy Yggdrasil’s daughter emits, and magic,” Nil whispered, struggling to filter everything Energy Instinct detected.
“Immigration is this way,” Shawn said, nodding to a sign. “We better get going. I’d rather not keep our host waiting.”
“Right.” Selia nodded. “Let’s go.”
Before the group could proceed, a woman in long white silken robes stepped into their path. Her eyes drifted between the group’s women. “Selia Specter? You’re to accompany me.”
“Don’t I need to sort out my paperwork?” Selia tightened her hold on Nil’s hand. He could hear the concern in her voice.
“It works differently for Spiders and all who serve the Weave. We leave now. Goodbyes. Now.”
“I wasn’t expecting to say them so soon,” Selia whispered, facing Nil.
“It’s alright. You heard what the guide said. With the tree’s teleportation system, we’ll never be far from each other.”
“You’ll see each other once the paperwork is sorted,” Andrew said. “It didn’t take long last time, even though I was technically a refugee instead of a guest.”
“My cabin shared a wall with yours,” Shawn grumbled. “You’ve said sufficient goodbyes. Just kiss so we can get going.”
Nil got the feeling that it would be a while before he saw his girlfriend, and the look in her eyes suggested she thought the same. The world had no holo-devices, and none of them had the local communication tools yet. The couple whispered their final goodbyes and kissed. Nil watched Selia follow her guide to a magic circle by the landing pad. She blew him a kiss before disappearing from sight.
“It’s just going to be you and me, Sunny-boi,” Andrew said. “May the lack of beautiful distractions work in our favor.”
“You talk too much, Andy.” Susan sighed. “A week without me, and you’ll be pining too.”
The statement got a chuckle out of Shawn as the quartet walked through the port. Nil spared the teleportation site a final glance before returning his attention to the wonders of Ashe Fall. It looked like a beautiful place to build a life. The air was clean. The sights were stunning. And the air was rich with energy suspiciously close to the Source in its silver form.