Camellia laughed as Meladee sped for the coordinates of the crashed ship.

“Really, you can slow down. It’s been there for four thousand years. A few days won’t make any difference now,” Camellia said, holding back more laughter. She stood beside Meladee at the controls.

“A few days matters a lot if we’re trying to prepare for an invasion. One second could be life or death!” Meladee renewed her speed spell. She sent a pulse of magic from her hand into the ship’s controls.

Light traveled down the console and into the floor. The ship lurched into a faster flight.

“Oh.” Camellia grabbed a rail by the controls and held on. “You read too many adventure novels.”

“You can never be too prepared,” Meladee said. She lifted her current novel from the control board and waved it by Camellia’s face. “Horror novels are good too. You can bet no ghosty is going to sneak up on me.”

Camellia braced for what was coming. She knew Meladee would criticize her choice of late night reading material – a romance novel with a scandalous cover.

Just as predicted, Meladee came through. “What does your reading prepare you for?”

What indeed?

“Nothing. It’s just a guilty pleasure.” Camellia walked to the seating area and knelt on the cushion to see out the forward-facing window. Ahead, something zipped through the clouds. It was dark and fairly large. “What was that?”

Meladee checked her instruments. “I don’t know. It’s a lot smaller than us, but way too big to be a bird. And, if my instruments are right, it went in the direction of our crashed ship. What if it’s a scout ship for the coming invasion?” Meladee shot a worried glance at Camellia.

“It might just be a wyvern or small dragon.” Camellia turned back to the window and searched the sky again.

“Still a problem,” Meladee said.

Camellia nodded, uncertain just how much of a problem. She guessed that having your ship caught in a dragon’s talons was a big reason that airships were still unpopular.

“Let’s be careful and approach slowly,” Camellia said.

Meladee nodded. “I might know a spell that can help with this. Some invisibility.” Meladee took her hands off the controls and closed her eyes.

A magic circle of purplish-white ringed the control panel. White light flashed through the entire ship, and when the light faded, the ship took on a shadowy hue. Meladee wore the same shade, and Camellia glanced down to see that she herself looked like the subject of a dark, cloudy painting.

“I don’t know how long this will last. It’s kind of an inconsistent spell. Worse when it’s on a moving object. But, at least, we’ll know when it runs out,” Meladee said.

Camellia nodded, and the two fell silent. As they approached the ground, Camellia looked between the window and her pilot. Meladee searched for the rocky hill, depicted in one of Camellia’s sketches. Meladee frowned and stared at the sketch, and Camellia wondered if she should assist. But, Meladee’s expression changed from annoyance to confidence, and Camellia saw the rock come into view, albeit far below. Meladee proceeded with their plan to park the ship behind the rock, so they could walk into the dig site.

As Meladee descended, she frowned, and Camellia saw controlled panic on Meladee’s face.

Camellia looked out the window and glimpsed a small, dark object – just before the ship’s hull blocked her view. Camellia hadn’t seen much, but she knew the thing on the scanners was parked right where they planned to be. It was a ship.

Camellia’s eyes widened. She expected Meladee to take them back up and escape whatever they might find on the ground.

Meladee set the ship down. She whispered, “I had to land. We’re too deep into the descent. Give me a minute. I’ll get us back in the air.”

Camellia stood. “I’m getting out.” She opened the cockpit and hurried for the gangway.

Meladee’s voice trailed after. “The fu…”

Sunlight beamed down, and Camellia struggled to release the gangway. She pulled on the lever and yanked, until it budged. The lever slid, and the gangway raced for the ground. Around Camellia, anchor ropes shot into the soil, like purple lightning, still colored by the invisibility spell. A moment later, Meladee’s hand closed around Camellia’s wrist.

Camellia did not struggle so Meladee would think that Camellia might reconsider. Once she felt Meladee’s grip relax, Camellia ran free, tearing her wrist out of Meladee’s hand.

“Are you crazy!” Meladee called in a whisper. “Some alien dude is going to rape you with his seven…”

Camellia heard no more. She entered tall grass, and the blades rustled by her ears. Silently, Camellia walked towards the other ship. Small and dark grey in color, the ship could seat no more than one or two. The little flyer resembled a bird with a pointed nose and slicked back wings. A glass pod sat at its center. Camellia touched the grey metal. Then, she stretched and reached for the glass. It felt cool against her fingers. Camellia peered inside. Her low angle and the glass’ heavy tint concealed most of the interior, but Camellia could just make out a seat and a set of controls.

“You’ve done it now,” Meladee whispered.

Camellia jumped. She turned and found Meladee right behind her. Both women still lay under the invisibility enchantment, but they’d made a kind of path through the grass, shoddily concealed by Meladee on her walk over.

Camellia noticed the trail. She felt her eyes widen, but she turned away. Instead, she studied the ship. Few symbols appeared on its exterior, but she found a couple on the underbelly. Camellia ran her hand over one. It was not the symbol that had ignited her search, but it shared the aesthetic.

“I think this ship is related to the crashed vessel and the artifact,” Camellia whispered. It seemed too perfect, too easy. Camellia never had finds like this one.

No one did.

Meladee’s breath quickened. “We’re all going to die.”

“Well, I’m not going to disagree…”

From out of sight, the rustle of grass and tread of boots approached. Camellia withdrew her hand from the small ship. She ran to a nearby rock and scrambled atop it. She would hide her location by getting out of the grass. Meladee jumped up behind her, shielding herself behind the dhampir. Camellia glanced back the way they had come and felt satisfied that the trampled path was only slightly suspicious. Meladee had hidden their retreat far better than she hid their approach.

Good enough, Camellia promised herself.

“We should get on the ship,” Meladee hissed.

Camellia faced Meladee and felt a pang of regret. Fear and unuttered curses hung in Meladee’s eyes, and Camellia had put them there.

“I’m…” Camellia started to say.

From the great rock, came a clang, and a figure rounded the corner. It was a woman. The woman held a crystal staff close, pulling it away from the rock after the staff had made the sound. Short and thin framed, golden skinned and red-haired, the woman looked alien.

She carried a gun and, of course, the long crystal staff. Weapons aplenty. She also held a little device that beeped insistently. She pointed it at Faustina and frowned.

Camellia looked at their ship. It still lay in shadow, invisible, yet detectable to their visitor. Camellia turned back and watched.

The red-haired woman searched the vegetation and upon seeing the disturbed trail, took some cautious steps back. She glanced at her own ship and the surrounding rocks, until her eyes settled on the very rock that Camellia and Meladee stood upon. Her eyes stole a brief look at their ship, but then refocused on the two women.

“Impressive cloaking technology,” she said in an old trade language, one that Camellia could just understand.

Meladee seemed to know only that the woman spoke to them. Meladee and Camellia exchanged a look.

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“Shit.” Meladee held up her hands to show Camellia that they had become visible.

Camellia ignored Meladee’s curse and answered their guest instead, “I wouldn’t call it that impressive. A bit unpredictable.”

The red-haired woman raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t want to be found?”

Camellia shook her head.

The woman nodded. “I’m glad that didn’t work out for you.” She stepped towards the rock.

Camellia shrunk back. She felt her heart speed up. Meladee fell to the ground and disappeared into the tall grass.

The woman stopped and scowled. “Are you afraid of me?”

“We’re unarmed.” Camellia raised both her hands and waited.

Meladee’s head poked just above the grass.

“I’m not going to harm you,” the woman promised. She removed both her weapons and dropped them. She also dropped her scanning device. “I’m looking for living beings.”

Camellia let out a breath and replied, “Well, that’s relieving. We’re here to examine the nearby wreck...and now, maybe your ship – if you’ll let us. It occurs to me that I could just ask you what it’s all about.”

The red-head looked at her ship and then at Meladee and Camellia.

Camellia interpreted the gesture as a question and supplied the appropriate answer. “I’m Camellia, and this is Meladee.”

“Hi.” Meladee waved from the grass.

Camellia doubted that Meladee understood the language, but the mage was quick and had caught the introduction.

“You can call me Evangeline or Eva. In the week I’ve been here, you’re the first beings I’ve seen. I find it unlikely that you’re Lurriens.” Eva gave them a sharp look. “In fact, I know you’re not. So, to which group do you belong?” Eva crossed her arms and directed her attention to Camellia.

Camellia’s mouth fell open, just a bit. Lurriens… She slipped off the rock, not taking her eyes from Eva. Camellia glanced at Meladee and saw that Meladee had not caught the link. She hadn’t heard the word. Camellia decided to keep the scary news to herself for a while longer.

She took a few eager steps towards Eva. “So, you’ve been searching this area for a while.” Camellia’s words didn’t really come across as statement or question. “What did you do for the week you were here?”

“I examined some nearby ruins and flew to search for signs of life. I located some people farther south, and I was about to head there after one last search for northern inhabitants,” Eva said.

“A week to find settlements? Seems long for someone who can fly.”

Eva bowed her head. “I was thorough.” She frowned. “And, not eager to venture into unfamiliar territory.

Camellia could empathize. “Well, I’m glad you stuck around so long, or we might have missed you.”

She imagined Eva’s lonely search. In her mind’s eye, she saw the small ship trace a shadow over the continent, flying at a low altitude. Camellia recovered herself and put that thought away for later consideration.

Finally, she remembered Eva’s question about their origins. Without another prompt, she answered it, “I’m a Groazan, and Meladee is Tagtrumian. So, you’re Lurrien.”

Before Eva answered, she looked at Meladee. “Does she not understand us? I picked a popular trade language to address you.”

“Uh, well. I have some knowledge of this language, but…popular isn’t the word. Old would be more like it. It’s not used anymore. She doesn’t understand.” Camellia gestured to Meladee.

“You talking about me?”

“Say something in your modern language. I’ll adapt,” Eva said.

Camellia was taken aback, but she began to speak in Tagtrumian. “I’m not sure exactly what to talk about, but I suppose now is as good a time as any for a lecture on the ancient Vetoin art of dream interpretation…”

“What?” Meladee frowned, still deep in the grass. “You’re on something. I swear.”

Camellia sighed. “She asked me to speak in our language, so she can learn. I’ve picked dream interpretation as my topic.”

“Right. Carry on then.” From her place in the grass, Meladee waved regally for Camellia to continue.

“Vetoins…” Camellia began. She felt strange as she said the words, giving a lecture to no one or, at least, one person who couldn’t understand and one who didn’t care. Plus, it didn’t help that the Vetoins had been the peoples from whence her dark mirror came. Camellia took a deep breath. “Vetoins are a people living just above Iruedim’s equator. They have a long tradition of dream interpretation, developed during a nomadic period in their history. Ancient Vetoins believed that dreams could guide them to water, food, and safe locations in their desert home. Modern Vetoins have since created settlements and cities, but dream interpretation is still important. They’ve shifted the meanings to help them make other decisions, such as who to marry, where to build and travel.”

“So, what are some dream symbols?” Meladee wrapped her arms around her knees and listened.

“Well, it’s not a Vetoin dream symbol, but in my dreams, sitting up to my neck in tall grass almost always symbolizes ticks,” Camellia said.

Meladee jumped up. “Point taken, but we’re still standing in it.”

“Yes, we’ll have to do a thorough check for them now.” Camellia nodded. “Anyway…”

She lectured on about Vetoin dreams. She noted Eva’s understanding as time passed. Camellia marveled at how fast the woman seemed to learn, but she didn’t address the feat. Instead, Camellia thought she might help the process by switching into the old language a few times and repeating herself, so she did.

Finally, Eva held up a hand for Camellia to stop, and Eva’s next sentence was easy to understand. She didn’t even bear the trace of an accent. “I’m not precisely one of the Lurriens. I’m from a small continent in the far north. It’s very far west of here, across a large ocean.”

“You learn fast.” Camellia knit her brow.

“She’s from the Northwest Squall.” Meladee gaped. “And, what the hell is all this about Lurriens?”

“The Northwest Squall?” Camellia asked.

With her expression, Eva asked the same question.

Meladee grumbled something about naïve travelers. “The point in the ocean where no one sails or flies past. The ice is packed tight, and there are strange storms and phenomenon that make the skies impassable. There have been a lot of accidents.” Meladee spread her hands and gave Camellia a hard stare. “Lurriens?!”

Oh, dear, how long can I avoid that conversation? Camellia turned from Meladee and focused on Eva. “So, you’re from Iruedim? This planet I mean?”

Eva narrowed her eyes. “Yes, did you think I came through the wormhole?”

“Yes,” Camellia answered.

“Yeah,” Meladee echoed.

Camellia and Meladee looked at each other. In Meladee’s eyes, Camellia saw confusion and questions. She gestured for Meladee to speak.

Meladee crossed her arms. “How did you get through the Northwest Squall?” She set her hard stare on Eva.

“I disabled the defenses that make travel too dangerous. After that, the flight itself was easy.”

Meladee rubbed her temple. “What defenses?”

In a slow tone, Eva answered, “The defenses Lurriens set up to ensure no one would come to their land.”

Camellia spoke quick. “Why are you here?” She delayed the Lurrien conversation that much longer.

“I came to find my homing beacon and people. I sent several probes about one hundred years ago, right before I entered a state of hibernation. I wanted to see if there was some way to locate organic beings. I instructed my probes to find an old Lurrien ship and set a beacon for me to follow. I hoped I would find a group of Lurriens left behind before their migration. But, I was prepared to settle for other beings. I programmed the probes to stay hidden and, in case of tampering, to destroy themselves.”

Camellia put a hand to her head. She didn’t know what to do with all that information. Eva suggested that Lurriens hid somewhere on Iruedim, on a continent in the frozen north. Eva sent the artifact – the probe. Eva wanted to find them or, better yet, the Lurriens. And, what did Eva mean by organic?

“She can hibernate.” Camellia said to Meladee. “That’s fascinating.”

Meladee raised her eyebrows. “That’s what you got out of that?”

Camellia didn’t have the energy to defend herself. Instead, she voiced her thoughts aloud, feeling caught in a dream. “She’s destroyed a really important artifact – her probe – but that’s okay. She brought herself and her ship. Lurriens still on Iruedim...”

“Are you organic beings?” Eva asked.

Camellia spoke slow. “I was wondering what you meant by that. I think you mean are we...natural? If so, then yes, we are. You aren’t?”

“I’m a synthetic made of metal and other Lurrien-made materials.” Eva stood straight and stiff.

“You’re a robot? I’ve seen old designs for robots. You don’t look like one. You’re a person.” Camellia studied Eva with some skepticism.

“Don’t be fooled by my appearance. I’m not. Are there no robots on the rest of Iruedim?”

Eva’s words seemed unnecessarily harsh. They sent off alarm bells for Camellia, but Camellia couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.

Camellia shook her head. “Not really. You’re gold – you’re actually made of gold?”

Eva raised her hands and gazed at them. Her skin had a subtle metallic glisten. “Not exactly. But, I am an engineering marvel.”

Meladee shrugged. “I mean…I didn’t want to say anything. Didn’t know how you felt about it. Looks good though. Can’t say the same for…” Meladee looked into Camellia’s eyes and quickly looked away.

Camellia let it pass. She left Meladee’s side and drew close to Eva. She stared past the woman that called herself a robot and detoured for the ship. Again, she touched its metal and stroked one of the wings.

Meladee followed and did the same.

“You said you were looking for organic beings?” Camellia began. “Are there organic beings where you come from?”

“There were some a little over one hundred years ago, but they’ve all died.” Eva came close and chaperoned their interest in her ship.

“So, there’s still horrible, mysterious monsters where you come from?” Meladee withdrew her hand and tried to jump to get a better view inside the cockpit.

“Meladee!” Camellia said. “I swear you are so driven by…”

“Yes, there’s tons. They’re everywhere.” Eva’s words were too serious to be a joke. Her eyes stared faraway, not seeing any part of their surroundings.

“Oh.” Camellia gasped.

A long silence followed. Eva held on to her faraway look, and Camellia watched her. Camellia’s heart beat fast. She wanted a find. She had a find, and it terrified her.

“So, you’re here to get away from all that. It’s a nice vacation,” Meladee said.

“Permanent vacation.” Eva nodded once, deliberately.

“Well, until those things come here.” Meladee shrugged. “Guess I should thank you. I wouldn’t know about the end of the world without you. And, your payment.” Meladee pointed at Camellia. “Don’t forget that. I’ve got to have a little fun before I die. I’m thinking I’ll blow it on this whore house of men on a southwestern island, only one of its kind.”

Eva held up a hand. “They won’t reach here. I checked my ship thoroughly, and the things are trapped. For now. They can’t leave the continent. You probably won’t see them in your lifetime. Unfortunately, they also hold the spacecraft hostage. I fought hard for this one.” Eva patted her little ship’s wing.

“Spacecraft?” Camellia’s eyes unfocused. She put a hand to her head. Too much. It was too much to start with. She wanted a little fire, a little something for an article, or even a private mystery. She wanted something to make her feel. Now, she’d found it. It was too big, but she wouldn’t give it up.

She marveled first at her wondrous timing and luck. She and Meladee had reached the ship just in time. Camellia then prayed a silent thank you that she had seen Ridvan’s paper. And all because I couldn’t do what I was told.

She thought of her standing at the AAH and how Eva’s arrival could save it, but not before she knew more. Adalhard’s words echoed in her mind - We can’t publish a paper like that until we have more concrete evidence and test results. Would a ship and a robotic woman be enough? Camellia feared they would find some way to discount it.

Another worry crossed her mind – If I bring Eva to the AAH, how will they treat her? Like an artifact? Didn’t I just think of her as one – if just for a moment?

“I need to do some thinking.” Camellia wandered away from the other women. She didn’t know if they watched her go.