(Dylan)

“Welcome, initiates.” K’hab’s voice was deep and commanding as he bowed his head to the left, his movements slow but deliberate.

“And Tome & Key,” he said, bowing his head to his right with a sharp, respectful nod.

He paused, looking over the team with narrowed eyes. “Where’s Dorian?”

Runemist answered him, “He requested to sit this one out in order to spend more time helping his brother train.”

K’hab’s jaw tightened. “I see.”

“Athrax has volunteered to take his place,” Runemist said.

Athrax stepped forward and thumped his chest with his fist—a military salute. He quickly stepped back into line, but his posture remained straight and attentive. The okamijin stood out with his two chromed, cybernetic arms. Dylan wondered if it was an ability, or armor, or some advanced prosthetics. He also had a solid tan coat, though the gray along the edges of his ears and snout betrayed his age.

Runemist was the only female on Tome & Key. An emerald-scaled draconi appeared behind the group, standing a head taller than all of them. A striking crest sat on his head with jagged ridges and horns arching backwards, giving off a commanding presence. His bright yellow eyes surveyed the potential guild members. He had broad shoulders and a V-shaped torso.

Two elves flanked Runemist . One wore a soft tunic and well-worn but perfectly fitting pants. His hair was a tousled blend of seafoam blue and sunlit gold, falling in loose waves. He had similar eyes to Nathan, but more cerulean, with shimmering flecks of silver. His gaze was warm and laid-back, lifting his chin at Dylan to acknowledge him.

The other elf was a stark contrast to the first, with angular features, high cheekbones, a finely cut jaw, and deep-set eyes. His hair, a striking shade of deep violet streaked with copper, was immaculately groomed, falling in straight layers just past his shoulder. His eyes were an intense shade of jade, flecked with gold. The intense elf wore a dark suit with silver accessories that gave him an effortlessly regal and refined look.

K’hab resumed his briefing. “Your trial will last for two weeks. During this time, Wedge will evaluate you based on what you do and, just as importantly, what you don’t do.” He folded his hands behind his back.

“Nightshade sends you out with little more than a weapon, some armor, and your wits. That last part is what will make the difference… Contrary to popular belief, abilities are not what make someone an adventurer. Being an adventurer starts up here.” He tapped a clawed finger against his temple.

“This trial is to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to be an adventurer. Some of you may already have abilities.” He looked directly at Dylan. “It’s important for you to use them as the tools they are, but understand they aren’t a substitute for using your wits and your mind to overcome challenges.”

“We are Nightshade, Guild of the Arcane. Our motto is: ‘Knowledge, to seek and protect.’ But what does that mean?” He paused, pacing back and forth to give them time to ponder the answer.

“The answer is simple. We learn,” K’hab said, his voice carrying a quiet confidence.

“Where, what, when, how, and—most importantly—why, are the best tools you have. Abilities and magic alone aren’t power; knowledge gives them power, and it remains powerful even in their absence.”

“Gathering knowledge is a noble goal, but dangerous and even reckless if shared without regard to cause and effect. You don’t give a child fire and expect them not to get burned. So we learn and then we protect what we’ve learned from others. When we ask the cosmos to share her secrets with us, they don’t become our secrets to share with others.

“But we also have a responsibility to use that knowledge to help others. Learning for the sake of learning alone has no value until we apply what we’ve learned.” The guildmaster handed Runemist a sealed envelope.

“Team Tome & Key, this is your quest, and these initiates have signed up to support you.” He motioned toward Dylan’s group.

To the initiates, K’hab said, “Please assist Tome & Key, follow their instructions, learn everything you can, and tell no one outside of this group the details of your quest.”

A loud air horn sounded from up high.

“It appears your transport has arrived,” K’hab said with a grin.

Everyone stepped out from under the tent to look up as a floating ship, straight out of a Disney movie, came into sight. It approached from behind the guildhall, its sails rippling in the wind. Three masts held rows of billowing sails, creaking gently as they magically kept the wooden airship suspended in the sky.

Fascinated, Dylan watched as the airship slowly lowered itself until it hovered two stories above the ground. “I wonder where it’s going to land?”

Thick ropes rained down from the sides of the ship. Several cranes hung over the railing, anchoring the ropes. Wedge and members of Tome & Key started securing them to the pre-loaded pallets.

Dylan watched along with the other initiates as the guild members showed them what efficient teamwork looked like. One person gathered the O-rings together, another grabbed a free rope, threading it through the hole and tying off the knot. They signaled for a ship crew member to haul it up. One person stayed to monitor the load as it went up and the other moved on to help the next team member.

They loaded the supplies and gear in no time. A rope ladder dropped from the ship and the twins were arguing about who should go first. W’itney said they were the eldest and it should be them. Eury walked past the bickering duo and started climbing up herself.

Dylan walked over to Wedge. “Where’s it going to land?”

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“You do not want it to land,” Wedge said, pulling the last knot taught. “If the airship lands, that means something has gone very wrong.”

Dylan watched as Tome & Key boarded the ship. A shimmering wooden door materialized in front of a relaxed-looking elf. He opened it, and a second door appeared, floating just above the ship’s railing. He casually stepped through the ground-level door and disappeared. Then he reappeared as he exited the floating door above the ship.

Runemist transformed into a puff of smoke, which made its slow, meandering way up to the ship, where she reformed into her okamijin form.

Athrax bent low, the ground cratering underneath him. He leaped high into the air. His arc crested just above the railing for a precision landing.

The draconi took to the sky and flew just like superman, one arm out and everything.

“It’s even cooler in real life.” Dylan watched, his jaw agape.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as gray clouds rapidly swelled overhead. The sudden darkness felt jarring, out of place on such a sunny day. Dylan gasped as a bolt of lightning struck the last elf, and he vanished in an instant.

“Holy shit… Did he just get obliterated?” Dylan ducked, glancing warily at the angry sky. The other initiates didn’t seem bothered.

The clouds cleared just as fast as they appeared. Dylan couldn’t help but look up to see what was going on. The elf who’d been struck by lightning gave a casual wave from behind the ship’s railing.

“How am I supposed to get up there?” Dylan asked Wedge.

Wedge pointed to the rope ladder.

Dylan stared up at the ladder. The two stories appeared higher and higher as he continued to look. Wedge wasn’t waiting and walked past Dylan to take hold of the ladder, making his own way up. The lithkai was much heavier than Dylan; it gave him peace of mind that the ladder would hold him without a problem.

Only two of them remained on the ground, and Guildmaster K’hab wasn’t going on the quest. Dylan realized he was holding up the trip and hurried toward the ladder. He took a tentative hold and pulled himself up a rung.

He flexed his hands, pumping himself up. “It’s not that bad. I can do this.” He climbed up halfway before noticing the sway of the ladder. The only thing worse than stopping like he did would have been to look down.

He tried to give himself a pep talk as the ladder swayed back and forth. “Catch your breath, keep climbing, and whatever you do, don’t look down.”

Without thinking, he craned his neck to check his next foothold to resume the climb. Vertigo hit him, and the world spun out of control as he glanced down. He redoubled the grip on the ladder, abandoning any notion of climbing. The ladder swayed increasingly as his body stiffened into a weighted pendulum.

“You are already halfway,” Wedge called down to him. The lithkai leaned over the side of the airship, waving at Dylan to continue.

His body was rigid, every fiber of his muscles tense. Overexertion set in his arms and legs as they quivered. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt overwhelmed his mind. Dylan struggled to regain control of his body and his mind.

He thought about his options. ‘If I fall, I can handle the pain, and they can heal me. Even if I died, that hasn’t stopped me before. The worst thing would be to do nothing.’

Through gritted teeth, he opened his eyes, forcing his trembling hand to reach for the next rung. Slowly, he rose higher and higher, continuing to take them one at a time. Wedge stood there, bent over the rail. A large, stony hand reached toward Dylan and patiently waited for him.

Fear hadn’t left. Uncertainty still had its grip on him, and his doubts abounded. But he just focused on climbing one rung at a time. He didn’t dare to reach out for Wedge’s hand—too many movies taught him that was a bad idea.

When he was close enough, Wedge reached down over Dylan’s back to grab hold of his belt and hoisted him up and over the rail as if he were a small child. He didn’t think it was possible to be even more impressed with Charles’ pants. However, the loops holding his belt withstood his entire weight being hefted around. They truly were the best pants Dylan had ever owned.

He sat there with his back against the rail. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

“Thanks.” Dylan gave Wedge a shaky smile.

The big guy shook his head and took off toward Tome & Key. Dylan sat there and waved toward Eury, W’itney, and Hay’len, who had gathered together. Eury looked away, while W’itney leaned on Hay’len, pointing and laughing at Dylan. Hay’len gave him a sympathetic look.

Runemist’s silhouette shaded Dylan as she loomed over him. “I see the runt is finally aboard.”

Dylan blinked, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. The entire crew were skeletons wearing hats.

Specifically, they were draconi skeletons with elongated skulls and tail bones that swayed as they walked. He guessed this was an airship crewed entirely by lamprians.

“Heh, a skeleton crew,” he chuckled to himself.

“The Everafter awaits your orders, ma’am,” the lamprian with a black tricorn hat said to Runemist.

“First Mate Echo.” Runemist acknowledged the lamprian. “First, crew introductions, then set sail, and prepare the Captain’s Quarters for a private meeting ninety minutes after departure.”

“Right away, ma’am,” he said with a nod of his skull.

The first mate took off to gather the crew and send them top deck to meet their passengers. Skeletons appeared from all over the ship; through doorways, down the sails, and some even came up through hatches to line up along the deck.

Dylan got to his feet and stood next to Wedge and the initiates while the crew assembled. Other than a few minor size differences, the crew looked almost identical. It was a good thing they were all wearing hats or Dylan wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

Runemist was consulting with her team when a lamprian with a black tricorn hat appeared on the floor above them. A crimson feather stuck out from the side of this hat. The gathered crew hushed and stood at attention in the presence of the crimson-feathered lamprian.

She introduced herself. “I am Captain Echo and it’s my pleasure to welcome Nightshade aboard the Everafter.”

The captain walked down the stairs to their level as she continued, “Feel free to speak with First Mate Echo if you have questions or concerns during this expedition.”

She motioned toward the lamprian standing next to Runemist. He was also wearing a black tricorn hat, but without any adornments.

“My officers Navigator Echo and Engineer Echo,” she said, pointing.

Navigator wore a blue tricorn hat, and the engineer wore a green tricorn hat; they both stood next to First Mate Echo.

“Pilot Echo is at the helm of the bridge. Please pardon her absence as she continues to keep us aloft.”

There were three lamprians wearing blue bandanas and five more wearing black bandanas standing at attention as she approached them. “The ballast crew is our blue team, and the deck crew is our black team. Unless it’s an emergency, let them go about their important duties of maintaining the ship.”

Captain Echo looked up and pointed to someone in the crow’s nest, just above the highest sail. “Up there is Spotter Echo. He’s mostly heard and rarely seen. If you hear him shouting, be sure to listen.”

Three more lamprians gathered together to form the last of the crew. “Mechanic Echo, with the green skullcap, keeps the ship running. If you see her running, get out of the way and do exactly as she says.

“Cook Echo, in the white skullcap, prevents mutinies. Seriously, his titanfruit pie is a gift from the Mother.

“And Medic Echo, in the red skullcap, will be as useful as tits on a draconi, as long as renowned mender Runemist is aboard. Perhaps Cook Echo could use some help peeling titanfruit?”

The crew chuckled at the captain’s joke. She nodded to her first mate and returned up the stairs toward the bridge.

First Mate Echo stepped forward, shouting rapid fire commands. The crew came alive and scattered in all directions. Captain Echo led the officers to the bridge while leaving the scuttle work to the blue and black teams.

Dylan hadn’t realized how much work went into flying an airship. He turned to lean against the railing, peering out at Dartmouth from his new vantage point. In just a few moments, his first adventure would begin.