Jack and I stood in the now mostly desolate and emptied Survivor camp. We stood in front of a large metal plate that had settled itself on the jungle floor. Alina and Sigi faced us while the survivors they’d led for all this time quietly packed themselves onto the metal plate.

The metal plate was called an air-barge, or levitating barge. They were used for loading and unloading large items and groups of people, when an airship couldn’t land for some reason. Like say, there was a massive collection of super-tall trees in the way.

“And you’re sure you guys don’t want to come with us?” said Alina. Looking reluctant and concerned in a way that touched the hearts of both me and Jack.

“We’re sure...We’ve got stuff we still want to do out here,” said Jack. Her usual smile had dimmed a bit, as she struggled to cope with the unfamiliar experience of having an adult who actually seemed to want her around.

“I still think it’s too dangerous for you kids to just be out here alone…” said Alina. Still fussing.

“Aw shucks, don’t worry so much Ms. Alina. Jill and I have got each other…There’s surprisingly little the two of us can’t achieve when we’re together. My money is on the Jungle saying ‘Uncle’ before we do,” said Jack. Winking as she said that last bit.

“Mhm…” said Alina. Not sounding entirely convinced. Her eyebrows gathered at the midpoint.

“Ngh...And how exactly ‘will’ you two kids make it back to civilization if you don’t hitch a ride with us...Not to sound cruel but if you were hoping on calling for help, I’m afraid that once we’re gone there won’t be any other groups willing to make their way out here…” said Sigi. Arms crossed. Face stern. Looking like he was about a second away from conking us both on the back of the head and dragging us onto the air-barge.

“Heh,...Jill and I have both figured out various means of flight...and we’ve both managed to touch upon the laws of space...and who’s to say that Jill won’t have devised a means for us to build our own airship by the time we’re ready to leave this place,” said Jack.

Stolen story; please report.

“Huh...I guess that makes sense,” said Sigi. Giving both Jack and me a deep look. His slightly frustrated expression made me think he probably wished we were glass, so he could see through us.

“Alright, guys...If you’re absolutely sure you want to stay behind, then I guess there’s no way we can stop you...Just...Just be safe okay? And if you happen to find yourselves passing through Five-Fire City in the Spice Republic, don’t be a stranger,” said Alina.

“Y-, yeah,” said Sigi. Showing a bit of weirdly adorable shyness for a guy as tall as he was.

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Jack and I said our goodbyes and Alina, Sigi, and all the rest of the survivors were lifted up by the air-barge and carried to a waiting airship. After slightly more than six months of being stranded in the wilderness, our friends were finally going home. Jack and I couldn’t help feeling a little lonely as we watched them go. Lingering in the sight where their camp had been until the airship was out of sight.

Then we went back to the cave. For a while, we were just sort of bummed out. Checking in on our neighbors was just a side thing we did, but it had become a major part of our routine, and even if we were still largely strangers to most of the survivors, as far as Alina and Sigi went, they had been our friends, and they would be missed.

Of course, we couldn’t mope forever. We had things to do. We had an entire Jungle to conquer. A feat that we could now give our full attention to since we didn’t have to hold back for the sake of the survivors. Thus we wrapped up our final preparations, and left the cave for the last time. We no longer needed it. My [Tale of the Craftsman] and my [Tale of Arcanist] assured that I could make a much more comfortable, much more secure, mobile base for us.

A mobile home that would be covered in all kinds of shields, and secured by all sorts of spells and technical measures, such as dimensional barriers and turrets that would be more at home on the airships of the current world, and the old world “spaceships”, that our modern, Pearl crossing, airships were based on. Though it only looked slightly larger than your average equipment shed, space-manipulation allowed me to fit an entire residential “and” industrial complex, fit for housing thousands inside.

“Are you ready?” said Jack. As we looked at our now-empty cave.

“I’m ready,” I said.

Wings of shadow appeared at Jack’s back, joined by her usual black horns and shadowy tail. A set of feathered tendrils appeared at my back, and bunched themselves up into a set of wings. Then Jack and I took flight. Flying low to avoid the attention of predatory beasts, and hurtling deeper into the Jungle.