Stone tunnels connected everything beneath Lantern. They ran hundreds of meters in every direction, turning the Necropolis into a maze of cold stone. And those same tunnels ran through the reaver compound and led to the departure lounge and pier.

The pier was essentially a giant hole cut from the floating rock, with timber bridges running the length of it at several levels. Three massive ironclads floated in the air, tied down to the timber piers as countless skeletons worked.

The steam-powered ironclads each had huge exhausts running down their middle. But there was no doubt that their primary energy source was deathly and likely an orb like the submarine's.

Slowly, Abe was coming to terms with the nonsensical world he found himself in. It seemed anything could fly with enough energy. However, people didn’t just hold the orbs and tether themselves through the Vale, so there had to be something to the vessels themselves.

I wonder if those things actually work.

And as if on cue, one of the ironclad’s exhausts began to plume clouds of black smoke.

I guess that answers that. Maybe it is for power generation? Or can deathly energy do that, too… Maybe it’s cost-saving?

Abe shook his head, wondering why he was bothering to rationalize the floating boat’s use of steam power.

The lounge itself was nice enough. The stone seating was spaciously separated. Something he was grateful for as hundreds of undead packed into it as departure time neared.

It turned out the skeleton's three-hour remark was a lie. They only needed to be there a couple of hours beforehand. A passing draugr accused the skeleton of getting bonuses if the groups they signed up for missions completed their jobs, which provided a motive.

He had spent a moment trying to find his group among the crowd but gave up as it grew larger.

Time dragged on as he paced the lounge, waiting for the hours to tick down. Miss Nia played on his thoughts again. He enjoyed the enthusiasm it gave him but cursed the longing that it brought with it.

Studying the skeletons that worked tirelessly around and within the giant ships, Abe noted that they were essentially uninformed. They didn’t wear formal uniforms, but they all wore some black armor, with most wearing heavy plate armor and capes. The ones moving crates were far lighter-dressed and absent weapons.

Bells rang through the lounge as the boarding process began. The skeletons he soon learned were simply called guild employees, had lined up alongside ramps that climbed up into the ships and began ushering the crowd inside.

Keeping his head down, Abe joined the line. A bulbous figure dragged itself ahead of him, flies buzzing across its folds.

When he reached the top, he was given a booth number for seating and vague directions to follow. Luckily, once he was on the right floor, he just needed to follow a straight corridor until he found his booth.

Spotting the brass writing atop the door, Abe turned and pulled the windowed timber door open.

Inside was a narrow room split by a table in the middle and cushioned benchtop seats on either side. Windows that looked out across the lounge covered the walls.

“Not bad,” Abe mouthed as he entered, lowering himself and shuffling into a seat. Sliding up against the window, he took in the busy view below—hundreds of tiny figures moving about while cranes lifted huge crates.

There were even little hatches running the length of the vessel, which provided a great view of the harbor and swirling cosmic colors surrounding the shard world.

The door sounded, and Abe swung his head back around.

“Why hello,” Viara said as she passed into the booth. “It looks like we’re sharing.”

“Hi,” Abe raised a hand. “It’s good to see you.”

“Calm down,” Viara smiled as she shuffled into the seat opposite.

“I’m pretty calm.”

“Only teasing. Immortality gets awfully boring if you’re so serious all the time.”

“I’ll take note.”

“So, what’s your deal anyway?” Viara leaned closer, narrowing her gaze on Abe.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re no normal ghoul. It’s pretty obvious. I’d be careful when we return to Lantern. I highly doubt you’ve gone unnoticed.”

“Great, another thing to worry about. By the way, do you mind me asking what the Amandi is?”

“My tribe. We don’t all live under such rigid commander structures as you vampire spawn do. Five elders rule our tribe, and one of them is me.”

“So, you’re like or lord or lady, I mean?”

Viara chuckled, “I wish. Our tribe of banshee are not honored with any titles. I venture forth from our little shardworld for wealth and treasure to bring back, hoping that I might strengthen the tribe.”

“A shardworld, like the one we’re traveling to?”

“I hope not,” Viara chuckled again. “I’d like to think our humble home is a little more impressive than some rock used to form a tethering beam.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Don’t be,” Viara waved dismissively. “I’m well aware of my position in this world and have dealt with far more grotesque creatures than you.”

“I ah-”

“Lighten up,” she shook her head. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

“This is all still pretty strange for me, that’s all.”

“I can tell.”

“What about Lantern,” Abe said, glancing back through the window momentarily. “Why come here?”

“It’s as good a place as any. And the denizens of the Deathscape tend to be a little more cautious on Lantern. It is primarily a dreamer shardworld, after all.”

“So, you’re saying it’s safer?”

“Yes, I guess I am. And the jobs are good enough, at least for someone at my stage. It must all be quite strange for you. I assume it’s the first time being in a masterless land?”

“It is,” he nodded.

“Does freedom tempt you?”

“Not really,” he shook his head. “Besides, I doubt I would last long without my Mistress’s blood.”

“There are ways for the determined.”

“What do you mean? I need her blood to survive.”

“Is that what you’ve been told? I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me. But it’s a lie.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, you do need vampire blood to survive at this stage, but it doesn’t need to be from your mistress. Any old vampire blood will do.”

“And how exactly would I go about getting vampire blood?”

“Like all the others, Targa included. Buying it.”

“You can buy vampire blood?”

“My dear,” Viara chuckled. “You can buy everything. The realms and the Vale are filled with unlanded vampires that need to survive somehow. And some of those vampires choose to sell their blood. But it is just another means of servitude, really. Freedom comes from growing stronger.”

“You mentioned Targa. Are you suggesting he buys blood from a vampire in Lantern?”

“No, of course not. No vampires are living in a backwater like Lantern. It doesn’t have the energy they require to survive, at least not in a form that is in any way respectable. But Lantern is nothing compared to the expanse of the Vale and the five realms. These vampires are blood-trading capitalists, setting up organizations that span the stars. They transport their goods on vessels like this ship, selling them to many, maybe even hundreds or thousands of shardworlds. They even possess shopfronts and participate in guilds.”

“Amazing,” he mouthed, watching the tiny figures from the window with renewed intrigue.

“This is your first time away from her domain, isn’t it.”

Abe nodded, still gazing through the window.

“I’m sure there’s a lot to take in.”

He turned from the window, “What are the five realms you mentioned?”

“Really, she didn’t even tell you that much? No matter; I suppose I have nothing better to do right now. There is, of course, Earth Realm—but we don’t count that as one of the five. The ones we count are Atlantis and Shangri-La, which are the realms of the dreamers. And Midnight, Acheron, and Valhalla, the realms of the living dead.”

“So, what’s the difference between a domain, a shardworld, and a realm?”

“Domains have spirit wells—devices that funnel the spiritual energy out from Earth Realm and into deathly energy. Shardworlds are worlds that exist in the Vale and are only subject to how much errant deathly and dreamer energy there is in the area. While realms are huge lands comparable to continents. They possess whirlpools. Whirlpools are similar to spirit wells but naturally chaotic. Instead of neatly funneling power toward their lord, whirlpools send it flying in all directions. The closest to the whirlpools can somewhat control this chaotic maelstrom of power, but much of it is lost and spread across the realm’s lands. The result of this is that even the most powerful creatures can live amongst the realms, even if they own nothing. Surviving entirely on errant energy. Unfortunately for them, this often makes them poor. And is a driving reason for commerce and industrial activities among the most powerful.”

“Fascinating,” Abe nodded. “I had no idea the can of worms I was opening. I couldn’t have imagined all that…”

“It’s a bit to get your head around, I’m sure.”

“That’s the understatement of the year. Why live in a shardworld if these realms have all the energy you need?”

“Why did your mistress bring you to Lantern?”

Abe stared back uncomfortably.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to answer. The reason is safety. Within the realms, the only protection is vassalizing or enslaving yourself to one of the big dogs. Otherwise, you’re just another weakling subject to their whims and mercy. And something as insignificant as a bad mood could get you killed.”

“And the shardworlds are safe?”

“Oh, god, no. But at least the greater powers stay clear. You won’t find anything stronger than C-rank around here. And even they tend to be on the weaker side, mostly consisting of undead that have given up on evolving further.”

“Okay, that makes sense. And so, the domains control their deathly energy, limiting who can enter.”

“Essentially, yes. Invading a domain requires huge reserves of deathly energy to keep your army fed while the defender has access to their well. It is no easy task to pull off, giving them the greatest level of stability.”

“I should thank you for this lesson, although I’m unsure what I have to offer in return.”

“Just perform well during the job,” Viara smiled. “The coin is what I’m here for; as long as I get that, I’m happy enough.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Gazing through the window, Abe’s thoughts trailed back to Miss Nia again. He felt their tug of bond, but freedom tasted equally sweet. Abandoning her was not an option he desired, but neither was remaining in bondage.

There’s a way I can have both; I can almost taste it. I won’t return weak. That possibility is behind me. I won’t cower in shadows; I’ll stand on mountains and let myself be heard.