Within the Garbage Scow’s small living space, Aria slouched at the dining booth. Brown and green stink lines surrounded her. They reached from the tank. They oozed up from the table. Even the seat, on which she sat, radiated stink. Aria could smell it too. Rarely were her eyes and nose in such harmony.

Aria sighed. She tried to relax. Her back felt stiff. Her legs clenched. Even her hands twisted and cramped. Aria found it hard to simply exist in a space that looked like pure decay.

So, she focused on Irini.

The young arcane glowed with white light. Irini employed her power: the golden thread. Only Irini could see the golden thread. If she imagined a person, place, or thing, the thread appeared and led her there. So far, Irini had used her thread on Scaldigir to follow straightforward paths. Gold thread stretched between trees, extended through walls, and rolled down stairs. Irini had only to follow it and find her way.

For the first time, Irini employed the golden thread in space, and together, Irini and Aria learned its limits. In space, Irini couldn’t just conjure the thread and follow. That would take too long. They needed to write and engage superliminal paths to make jumps across space, which meant they could fly past the thread or miss a turn.

So, Irini gazed out the windshield to find the thread. Once, she saw where it led, she pointed the ship that way and created a superliminal path. Then, she engaged the engine. A short while later, Irini stopped and checked the thread’s direction again. If the thread looked stronger, they rejoiced and continued on. If the thread looked weak, Irini spun the ship and tried to reorient them.

Aria remained quiet and let Irini concentrate. Aria couldn’t see the thread, not even its aura. It disappointed her. She couldn’t see out the windshield. It oozed stink lines. Aria stiffened. She refocused on Irini’s white light.

When other arcanes used their powers, their colors phased into white, a color of non-sentience and totality. At least, it worked that way for arcanes whose powers could be shut off or funneled into bite sized uses. Aria always read auras, whether she wanted to or not. People like Aria possessed a constant, faint white light in their auras. It hid beneath their base colors and showed through on occasion. Aria used to think Pan was like that. Ghost seers couldn’t shut off their abilities, and from what Aria could tell, Pan seemed the same, though white had never been a big part of Pan’s ecosystem.

But, during the battle between Brynn and Pan, Aria had seen flashes of white in Pan’s aura. Aria wondered what Pan looked like when she reaped.

Again, Aria felt stiff. Her body began to ache.

We’ll find her. I promised myself I would. Aria took a deep breath. Some of the ache in her back and legs faded.

Irini turned in her seat. “I think we’re getting close. Do you mind if I just fly for a while?”

“I don’t mind. You think we’ll be able to see her in this area?”

Irini turned away and eased the scow forward. “Well the thing is...I’ve never seen anything like this. The thread is so big now, a ribbon in space. I’m using it like a highway and flying on top.”

Aria smiled. “When I was younger, I used to think all ships followed highways in space. I thought superliminal paths were roads of rainbow.”

Irini giggled. “That’s so stupid.”

“I know, but I never went into space, until I became arcane. Even though it’s all around me, I still can’t see it.” Aria gestured to the windshield. “I only see the colors of the ship. Travel on smaller ships is a little like being trapped in a colorful box.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Irini glanced back. Her aura turned a momentary shade of grey. “So, you’ve never seen space?”

“I’ve glimpsed it – through untouched windshields, but those are rare.”

“That sucks.” Irini shot Aria a smile. “I’m driving on a golden highway right now. It really glitters.”

Aria ached to see the golden highway. Maybe, Pan could draw it from description.

For a few minutes, Irini steered in silence. Her aura fizzled with white, but other colors played among the neutral shade: orange anxiety, yellow encouragement, a twinge of purple confidence.

Irini drew a deep breath. “What are you gonna say if we find her?”

Aria blinked a few times. “I don’t know. I suppose I’m going to say...that I kept every one of the drawings, and...they are such a wonderful gift.” Aria paused and folded her hands. “I’ll tell her she still has a chance to come home and be part of the Scaldin and arcanes. I’ll tell her...I miss her.”

Aria couldn’t say more. She watched Irini’s aura, which became blue-grey.

Irini stared ahead. “I think…”

A beep sounded from the dashboard.

Irini’s aura burst into yellow. “Hey, I think there’s a ship up ahead. Oh, I see it! It’s like...this might sound weird, but it looks like a tug.”

“That’s her!” Aria stood up and approached Irini’s chair.

Stink lines blocked Aria’s view. If she squinted hard, she could just see stars through the old garbage scow’s windshield. Still, Aria couldn’t see the tug, but she just knew she’d found Pan. All it took was two years and a very special arcane to come along.

Aria squeezed Irini’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. What if she kills us?”

Aria looked down at Irini to see anxiety and fear, but also a little hope.

Aria smiled. “She won’t. I know her.”

Pan laid in her bed.

Her small tug consisted of mostly engine, but with the permission of her paycheck wardens, Pan had modified the rear living space to better fit her needs. She left the bathroom and kitchen alone. The bunk room, she turned into one giant bed. It stretched from wall to wall and provided her with space to sleep, space to draw, and space for a stuffed animal or ten.

Pan needed some kind of love, and for the past three years, she got it from fake fluff. It posed the least risk.

Pan picked up Floof, the rainbow tailed feline. It had a horn too. Such a feature should make the thing look majestic, but Floof just looked ridiculous. The face did at least...as did the pudgy body...and the colorful tail.

In a far corner of Pan’s bed, lay Little Pan, a large doll with ball-joints. Pan painted the thing to resemble herself and bought it a dress. It brought her comfort – the intimacy of talking to herself without the exact feel. For now, things seemed fine, but if the doll started smiling or moved about, Pan would be rid of the thing. She’d seen her share of haunted dolls, so she remained careful not to rely on it too much.

But right now, Pan would give the doll some conversation.

“Little Pan? How long do you think it’ll take Brynn to bring help?” Pan ran her fingers through plush fur and waited. “That soon? You think she really cares?” Again, Pan waited. She caressed her animals and nodded along to Little Pan’s imaginary words. “No, she doesn’t, but she wants something from me. Maybe, my body. Maybe, she’s going to take possession of me and live again.”

Pan heard a beep from the cockpit. She jumped and sat up. Pan looked forward and saw light. It glinted from the tug’s dash.

“Faster than I expected.” Pan crawled across the large bed. She hopped into the corridor, trotted through the kitchen, passed the bathroom, and entered the cockpit.

She stopped short and let the red light flash and beep. She didn’t need to check the dashboard. A ship filled her windshield.

Pan thought it looked like a garbage scow. Her face alternated between surprise, skepticism, and genuine awe at the ship chosen to perform the rescue. Was Brynn trying to tell her something? That she needed to take out the trash? That she was trash?

Slowly, Pan stepped close to the windshield. She stared inside the other ship’s cockpit, which put itself level with her tug.

Pan’s mouth opened and stayed that way. She saw...Aria. She saw someone else too, and that someone waved. But, Pan couldn’t take her eyes from Aria.

With a single finger, Aria beckoned.

Pan backed up. She sighted the cockpit of the garbage scow and paused. She wondered if a Scaldin force hid in the back tank, taking the place of innocent garbage. They might burst out and capture her. Pan stared into Aria’s eyes.

Aria couldn’t see her. She stared straight ahead, blinded by the windshield. Sometimes, Aria looked down at the girl in the pilot seat.

Pan raised her eyebrows. The girl was very young. A new arcane?

Pan looked back at Aria. If Pan wanted to make the journey, she needed to determine whether Aria aimed to capture her. Aria kept her face even, if a bit sad. Pan found herself unable to read her friend, but she knew her own feelings and intentions. In the presence of Aria, Pan felt lonely – so lonely. If she could see and talk to Aria, Pan would take the chance.

She took a deep breath and drew her portal.