Several long minutes passed. The crew of the Aurelius looked at the various monitors in front of them, reading something or other from the numbers and graphs in front of them. It was strange how a room could be so eerily silent and busy at the same time.
As the images of the outside space finally returned to the screens around the bridge, Lia stared at a massive glowing ball of burning plasma. The star emitted a slightly yellowish light.
"Why in the name of the queen are we stopping here?" Ludwig's voice was slightly louder than necessary.
"We're refueling," the captain explained with a smile. "I think it's also a great opportunity for your Imperi to see what's necessary to harvest hydrogen and, more importantly, deuterium from the surface of a star."
"Are you out of your mind? There are myriad other ways to get both hydrogen and deuterium, without endangering a bunch of students."
"There's no need to worry, brother. We've been doing this for some time now." The easygoing relative of Ludwig smiled. "Our imperi, donar and crew know exactly what to do. And," he lowered his voice a bit, "it allows us to avoid some of the pirates out there." Fritz gave his brother a wink.
"So, this was your idea," Ludwig snarled.
"Yes, roughly five years ago. Your teachers and students love these excursions. Oh, and since you've accused me of endangering your pupils: Mister Rose knows of this and approved it. Do you want to see the paperwork?"
Ludwig glared at his brother, but didn't answer.
"This excursion is a treat for metal and plasma mages. They can learn a lot from by crew by simply observing them." The captain rose from his chair. "Therefore, I suggest we watch the process from the observation deck."
"I don't like-"
"I am sure you can handle anything that could go wrong, dear brother."
"Fine!" Ludwig grumbled. "I'll play along. But I will voice my misgivings to the principal."
"Please do," his brother answered with a smile.
"Come along then." The captain smiled, as he led them from the bridge and up another few flights of stairs. When they finally couldn't ascend any higher, they stopped in front of a door. The captain checked a few displays that were right next to it. "It seems that our magnetic field is stable, and there is no significant radiation on the observation deck." He pressed a few keys and the massive door opened with a hiss. "Our magnetic field is created by the engine, but carefully observed, maintained and shaped by the crew's metal mages." The captain sounded proud of that fact.
When the door opened fully, Lia got a glimpse of the massive ball of burning plasma. She gasped. It was hard to imagine an object this big, especially since the star that had illuminated Eo had just been a small speck in the distance.
She looked around, but there were no other stars visible besides the one in front of them. The rest were drowned out by the sheer intensity of the sun, hiding the beauty of space away in absolute darkness.
"There's significant shielding at work, that keeps a lot of the light and heat out of the observation deck," the captain explained. "Otherwise we'd be charred black before we even could go blind." Despite his comment, or rather because of it, Lia felt hot enough to sweat.
"It's starting," the captain whispered next to them, pointing with one finger to a stream of fire that came from the star. But the stream of fire didn't fall back into the star, it instead formed a small steady stream that flowed to them. The light of the plasma became dimmer and dimmer the further away it got from the actual star, the pressure on the gases so far released, that the star's fire died on the way to the ship.
"You really could've used a gas giant instead," Ludwig murmured.
"The fusion reactor works better with already heated gases." The captain shrugged. "But you're right, we could have. It's just a lot more boring than taming the actual nuclear fire of a star."
"Those who play with fire will burn themselves eventually." Ludwig shook his head while Lia watched the process. Even without magical senses, the sight was a wonder to behold. Could Eclaire and Robert see more? Was Orphelia able to see what the ship's mages had to do, in order to harvest the stellar fuel?
"Let's return to the bridge," the captain said before long. "I may have experienced mages, but we need to leave before there is even a chance for their shielding to fail."
Captain Torr made for the door, and Eclaire, Robert and Ludwig followed him immediately. Orphelia kept staring at the star and the stream of plasma being stolen from it. The green-haired girl only reacted, when Lia put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's so beautiful," her roommate whispered. "Like a vast pool of an unknown type of mana ... We're nothing in front of the majesty of a star."
"Are you alright?" Lia waved a hand in front of her friend's face.
"Yes." Orphelia finally closed her eyes and turned away from the burning ball of plasma. It still felt as if Orphelia was reluctant to leave. Despite that she muttered the words "Let's go."
When they joined the others at the door to the observation deck, Captain Torr's smile had vanished. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Had they taken longer than he would've liked? The heavy door closed behind them, hissing like the snake from Lia's dreams, sending a cold shower down her spine.
"How's the refueling going?" the captain asked into the com-system next to the door. A long, stretched-out silence answered him. Just as Lia wondered whether the crew had even heard the captain, the answer came, the voice distorted with static.
"We're done and already moving away from Nebula Asteri."
"Perfect!" Captain Torr's smile returned. Begin preparations to enter hyperspace, and rotate the mages. Locate HSB D56-42G-O1C."
"Yes, sir."
"And? Could you see anything out there?" The captain turned to Eclaire and Robert.
"It was a bit overwhelming." Eclaire shook her head. Had she seen the same thing Orphelia had? Lia was envious of her fellow students, of Ludwig, and especially of Orphelia.
"I'd really like to see what you can see out there," the captain admitted. Was he a donar, a non-mage, or was plasma simply out of his reach? There was no answer forthcoming, especially since she didn't have the courage to ask.
A moment later they set foot on the bridge once more, observing the same busy atmosphere that had gripped this place as they departed from the Crystal Citadel. The star was just disappearing behind them. There were no pseudo-windows there, just a wall made entirely out of metal.
Down here she noticed that the stars were visible all the time. The cameras were probably filtering out the intense light, allowing the crew to see what was going on around them.
"We've put enough distance between us and the star to safely enter hyperspace," another told the captain.
"Good. Start anti-distortion measures. Activate hyperspace engine."
The feed to the outside world once again cut off far too late. Lia closed her eyes and held her head.
"Beacon Located," came another announcement from the crew. "ETA: Ten Minutes."
"That's fortuitous. Hyperspace is usually not this nice. Go on, Full Speed Ahead!"
"This really is far faster than I have expected," Ludwig admitted, "despite the detour."
"In my experience, a detour has often saved me time, especially when dealing with hyperspace." The captain grinned again.
"This will be a quick lecture on bridge mages, then." Ludwig turned to them. "There usually are only mages and donar on a bridge that can use four elements."
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"That's why you brought them?" Eclaire asked, her voice sounding indignant.
"I also wanted to bring four-element Imperi, but there weren't any this year. Multi-Element Mages are quite rare."
"I see," Eclaire said. He either had found an excuse for favoring her, or he was speaking the truth. At least he wasn't actively stirring the rumor cook pot. Lia still would have found it better, if Ludwig actively denied any personal favor allegations. Was this some kind of plan of his, or was he just socially inept?
Steaming silently, she barely noticed when the HTVs around them came back to life. The Aurelius was approaching an asteroid belt. In-between the space rocks was another crystalline structure, half-built onto one of the larger rocks. The station wasn't as big as the crystal citadel, but it also looked as if there were a lot more metallic lines embedded into the crystal than on the citadel. Were they out of crystal when building this place?
Something flared several hundred meters away from the station. Lia took a moment to realize, that an asteroid had come too close to the station. She hadn't noticed it, since it had been hidden by some of larger asteroids. The star of this system was so far away that it seemed as if the glittering space station was the only light source.
"Freighter Aurelius to Mining Station Foresteri." The captain called all of a sudden. "Requesting permission to dock."
"Permission granted, please proceed to port seven."
"Understood, we'll be docking at port seven."
The bridge fell into busy silence as the ship approached the station. The crystalline structure grew in front of her eyes. It made Lia wonder whether she had underestimated its size.
When they were finally close enough to dock, the procedure wasn't much slower than her on her arrival at the Crystal Citadel.
"Well, that's it, already," Captain Torr said, and pressed a few buttons on his chair. "We've arrived far sooner than expected. I am sure your students will appreciate the extra time to explore the station a bit."
"I've expected the trip to take no longer than 90 minutes," Ludwig answered. "The extra time will be taken up navigating the station's red tape." Their instructor turned to them. "Come."
"I can bring you to the exit," Fritz said with a grin. "The ship can be a maze."
"That won't be necessary." Ludwig shook his head. "I've memorized the way, I can get the students out, no worry."
"Hah! I've expected no less of you. You're still an overachiever!"
"And you're still totally laid back."
"Mother would like it, if you called more often."
Ludwig rolled his eyes. "I am busy. I don't have the time for frequent frivolous phone calls."
"Is once a week really too much to ask for?"
"Yes!" Ludwig stormed off, and Lia looked at the rest of her schoolmates. They all shrugged, before following him. Lia was slightly impressed that he really remembered the way back despite only having used it once before, and in the opposite direction no less.
As they arrived at the dock, most of the other groups were already there. Some teachers were busy talking to station personnel, which wore shirts and trousers adorned with the logo of a broad tree, with four smaller trees growing in the shadow of the large one.
The docking area itself was similar to the one of the Crystal Citadel. Thus far she didn't have any desire for an exploration streak, but that quickly changed after Ludwig had cleared them to enter the station proper. They walked through a tunnel and into the large central dome. A big crystal tree, with crystalline leaves grew in the center and up to the ceiling where it seemed to be supporting the dome itself. Trunk, branches and leafs were adorned with metal stripes that gave the tree an otherworldly look. Below that tree were typical other trees, the leafs sporting a vibrant green color.
"The magic around it is ... beautiful ... and complex," Orphelia whispered next to her, the girl's gaze fixed on the central tree.
Lia bit her lower lip. She would've liked to see the magic strands herself, but she was the only one in her group that couldn't see any of them. All she saw was the - admittedly - extremely beautiful tree, and the smaller ones below it. Those trees were still far larger than any human beings mingling below them.
The name "Foresteri" was apt, though the forests on Eo had been far denser. This was more of a human made forest.
"You'll be housed in the crew quarters of the station," Ludwig explained. "From there you'll be visiting several vital departments of Foresteri. Tomorrow morning we'll be visiting the shielding station."
"Yes, sir," they answered obediently. Walking around the station with their luggage was also impractical. They once again followed Ludwig, with Lia catching glimpses at the dome far above and the darkness beyond. It wasn’t quite like looking at the starry night sky on Eo, but the smells of the trees made her feel home sick for the first time since coming to the crystal academy.
***
The crew quarters were a in a building that was connected to the main dome. Walking through the sparse forest, that was as bright as any forest during the day on eo, while simultaneously being able to see the dark sky above and the occasional stars, made the place feel much more surreal, like a dream.
This ended abruptly when they entered the building. Steel backed concrete walls and the occasional window out onto a barren grey landscape did their best to crush any feeling of being closer to home.
They were greeted by a stern looking man not wearing any robe. He was possibly someone from Lia’s past: A simple, non-magical human. He led them past several doors that apparently housed the non-magical working class. Further in the back were two rooms opposite of each other. On the one side was the room for donar, on the other the ones for imperi. Lia and Orphelia were ushered into the former, without being able to see the latter.
“You must be our guests from the Crystal Academy,” another donar greeted them. “We’ve reserved you a few beds over there.” She led their group over to a row of bunk beds in the far corner of the room. “You can choose any bed you want from there. Stow your things in the lockers attached to the bed. You can use the padlock inside to secure your things. If you have any other problems, come to me. I am the dorm supervisor Tethys.”
After that short speech, the woman left them alone. Lia and Orphelia chose one bunk bed together, with Orphelia going for the upper bed immediately. Lia didn’t care, though she had wanted to take the upper one herself.
There was nothing more they had to do today, so Lia stowed her things in one of the lockers, then sat on the bed and allowed herself to fall backwards onto the mattress. It wasn’t as soft as the one in the academy, but still more comfortable than the one at home.
After a moment, Orphelia joined her, lying next to her on the bed, staring at the other one above them.
“Do you know what’s the worst thing about being in such a big room?”
“That you can’t have privacy from all those gossiping eyes and ears?”
“Yeah,” Orphelia answered and stretched a hand out to her bed above. She couldn’t touch it while lying down. “Can’t even practice …”
Lia sighed. It was hard to feel delighted for her friend, and not to feel jealous. In a way Orphelia was living Lia’s dream, and wasn’t it the goal of one’s dreams to achieve them themselves one day? On the other hand, Lia probably wouldn’t have kept it secret, which made her realize, that Orphelia was much more mature than her.
“What will you do when it comes out?” she asked in a whisper and looked at her friend.
“I don't know.” Orphelia sighed and lowered her hand. “It would be easier, if I knew how the others would react. I have no other choice than to try and figure it out, when it happens.” Orphelia turned to her, worry on her face. “Will you stand at my side, when it happens?” The strange and fearful tone in Orphelia's voice tucked at her heartstrings. Neither of them knew what would happen, if it came out, and her friend was really scared by it. Maybe that was why she wanted to learn as quickly as possible as well.
Orphelia looked away from her. As the girl whispered “I'm afraid that whatever's happening will tear us apart,” Lia couldn’t help but gulp.
"I ... I'll stay with you," she promised, unable to tell her anything else.
***
That night, Lia had trouble to fall asleep, and when she finally managed to drift off into the land of dreams, she found herself back at the gate again. She stood once again on the glass-like surface, the crystal door of the gate towering above her. The differently colored stars or planets floated silently in the starry sky.
She turned to the gate, and wondered once again why she was here. Then she slowly remembered the other things that had happened the last time she stood at the gate. She looked down at the glass. On the other side was only darkness. An inky tar-like blackness. A shiver run down her spine as she remembered the black snake that had come through the gate on the other side.
What would she do, if her gate would open all of a sudden, and such a snake came through? Where would she go? Should she jump into space? But what would happen then? Would she collide with one of her mana pools? And then?
She sighed and walked to the gate, making sure that it was firmly shut. She sighed in relief and looked back to the pools of mana that circled around her like moons orbited a planet.
A flash made her look around in panic. Was that one of her moons? All nine of them - the tenth was still hard to see - looked the same as before. When she turned around to the gate, it was gone.
Where the gate had been was an area covered in black mist, and within it stood a girl. The same girl from last time, with her green glowing hair. The girl that looked like her friend. She didn’t seem to notice the black mist, how it had crawled up her legs, up to her knees.
Lia wanted to shout out to her, to tell her, that the girl had to be careful and that she should get away from the blackness, but she couldn't speak. Lia tried again and again to utter a single word while the black mist traveled slowly further up the girl’s body. Only when the blackness reached her hips, she finally managed to scream "Get away from it!"
The girl reacted to her voice, turned around to her and smiled. She really looked like Orphelia.
Lia gulped. Then a humongous black snake was in front of her, risen out of the black mist, or formed by it. The thing hissed, black teeth glistening in the light of her moons. She screamed, and her scream made the glass pane below her shatter. She fell into the darkness and woke when she hit the stone floor of the dorm.
It was a good thing that she had taken the lower bed. The soft snores around her told her that she either hadn’t screamed aloud, or that everyone had slept through her nightmare encounter. Lia dragged herself back onto the bed, wondering what the meaning of the dream was.
Did she share Orphelias fear of being torn apart by outside forces? Was it a premonition of her own? Of Orphelia being taken by impera-type magic?
Shivering, she pulled the blanket around her closer and tried to fall asleep once again. Her thoughts running in circles, encouraged by the snores of the other donar in the room, made it almost impossible.
When she finally made it into the land of dreams, it was as if she was still caught in absolute blackness. She wasn’t greeted by any dream, only a darkness that threatened to suffocate her. Needless to say, that her first night in Foresteri was anything but restful.