Mr. Serenata entered the room Dev had been waiting in with two dozen other students.
“Good morning, students. You are those at this school who have benefitted from the ascension most and, as such, you are being offered the chance for a second benefit: The Floating Isles Inheritance.” He waved his hand and a projection of the world appeared. “This is a group of inheritances transported and assembled from across the empire, prepared on two dozen islands that will one day float around your world’s equator.”
One of the other students raised his hand. “Mr. Serenata?”
“Oh, there’s no need to raise your hands. But yes, what is your question?”
“Why? Why are these being brought here, and why are we getting access to them?”
“Excelent questions!” he responded.
“First, are you all aware of why the Empire has invested so much in your planet?”
“Because of our eclipse attunement?” a girl Dev didn’t recogize said.
“Precisely. Because this planet has a rather unique attunement to Eclipses, which means that any cultivators arising from this planet have unique capabilities.”
“Does that mean we’re stronger?”
“No. Unique doesn’t make you strong. Unique makes you as yet uncountered. Eclipse is such a rare attunement that nobody knows how to deal with it, which means that nobody knows your weaknesses. That is why your planet is being invested in. To become a cradle planet for Imperial Guards and Imperial Wanderers.”
“Imperial Wanderers?” Dev asked.
“They're an empire sponsored faction that fouses on advancement and the seizing of unclaimed resources outside the empire.”
“Isn’t that just the military?” a boy across the room asked.
“No. And if you're smart, you won’t ask anyone in either group that question. They have a lot of disagreements. But the Imperial Wanderers are absolutely nothing like the military. It’s hard to explain, it’s best if you just wait to see it for yourself.
“Anyways, we got sidetracked. The reason why these inheritances are being made available to you is because you got lucky. The islands were completed ahead of schedule, and arrived in time to receive a power boost from the ascension. It would be a shame to let the charge go to waste, so we’re allowing you to use them for the next three months. They aren’t fully stocked on heritages, but they are more than operational enough for your benefit.”
“Will they be dangerous?” asked a timid looking freshman.
“No more so than any other mostly untamed islands.” Mr. Serenata replied.
“When would we start?” Dev asked.
“The islands will be opening up in five days, after final positioning. You need to decide within two days so you can attend a quick wilderness survival course. I’ll warn you now, if you aren’t comfortable killing your own food, this is not the trek for you.”
Dev saw as several of the other students grimaced at that. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was a dealbreaker for most of them.
“How… big are these islands?”
“Over a twenty miles across, each. Large enough that the people bringing them in had to be careful not to disrupt the moons.”
Dev whistled. That was impressive on multiple levels.While the mass was of course a concern, even such islands would normally not matter compared to the incredible mass of the moons. The islands instead must have had enough magic built into them that they were at risk of disrupting the natural magic that allowed all the moons to coexist.
They continued speaking of the islands for another thirty minutes before Mr. Serenata stopped them, saying that any more exact details were either deliberately hidden or would be shared with them as part of the training course.
Dev fired off one last question, one that he felt would be essential in convincing his parents. “What happens if we get there and can’t handle it?”
“You can quit the training course at any time, and you will have emergency beacons on the islands. Now go, you need to decide if you are willing to come to the islands. If you are, you need to come ready to leave tomorrow. We do not have time to waste.”
They filed out of the class. Most of them were somber, though Dev saw a couple of them laughing and joking about the islands.
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When Dev got home, he immediately started cooking again. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he knew that his parents would need some buttereing up to convince them, and a nice meal went a long way.
After searching the refrigerator, he decided that kebabs were the way to go. They weren't the most luxurious of foods, but they would go well and be good with the bread rolls he found in the freezer. The goal wasn’t to wow them with his cooking, just give them a chance to relax.
He prepared a marinade and chopped up the ingredients. His parents were late getting home from work, so he was already putting them on the grill by the time they walked in. He eyeballed he clouds overhead, but it looked like they’d hold until after he was done.
His mom looked at him suspiciously. “What did you do?”
“What? Am I not allowed to make dinner for my dearly beloved parents?” he responded with a faux affronted look.
“You are. But you are also required to tell us why you suddenly decide to do these things.”
“I’ll tell you after dinner. We need to talk.”
She sighed, then dropped the conversation.
“So, shish kebabs? Where did you find the skewers? I was searching for them a few weeks ago and couldn’t kind them.”
“Oh, they were in the pantry, behind the weird twist in the wall.”
“Ah. I forgot about that. Anyway, when will supper be ready?”
“Around fifteen minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll head inside and let your dad and sister know. I’ll also set the table for you.”
“Thanks, mom.”
After the kebabs were done, he brought them in and they rushed through dinner as Kaley chattered on about her day. Apparently the zoo had brought some animals to the school for the younger grades, and let the older students interact with the animals afterwards.
“Okay, Kaley,” his mom said after they were done, “Are you good to go to your room and do your homework? We need to talk to your brother.”
Kaley pouted at being interrupted, but nodded and agreed after a moment, “I can do that.”
Then she smiled, “Wait, is Dev in trouble?”
“No, we just need to talk.”
“Aw…”
“Love you, too, Kaley,” he said sarcastically.
She stuck her tongue put at him before running to her room before she could get in trouble.
“So,” his father began, “What did you want to talk with us about?”
“I want to participate in the opportunity being offered by the empire.”
“What opportunity?”
“The empire has created flying islands filled with trials for those who wish to partake. It’s only for those who managed to benefit from the ascension.”
“Is that all?” his dad asked, sarcastically.
“If I go I leave tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not,” his mom said. “You don’t even know how to camp!”
“They’ll be running a training course,” Dev responded. “They won’t be putting us on the islands for several days!”
“And how long will you be gone?”
“The islands will be open for three months. Realistically, I’ll probably only be there a
She hemmed and hawed.
“And what if you get hurt?”
“They’ll be giving us safety beacons,” Dev answered, playing his prepared trump card.
That was clearly her last objection, so she looked to his dad. “What do you think, dear?”
“I think that if he wants to go, we should let him go. He’s able to make up his own mind, and I think this could be a good experience for him. And it’s not that extreme compared to what we did as kids.”
Dev leaned forwards, hoping for some more family lore, but his father was not forthcoming.
“Fine. You can go,” his mom said, “But be careful. Use your rescue beacon at the slightest hint of danger. And we’re helping you pack.”
“Okay,” he said, getting up and giving her a hug. “Thank you.”
So they both helped him pack. While they did, they both gave him a confusing stream of mixed survival advice. By the end, He only had more questions about their mysterious past, but they still refused to answer any questions.
“Maybe we’ll tell you when you get back.”
He grumbled, but accepted that.
He was about to make himself ready for bed, when he realized that he had someone else to talk to. He made his way over to his sister’s room and knocked on the door as the first cracks of thunder to indicate a gathering storm sounded out overhead.
A few moments after he knocked, she opened the door. “What do you want?”
“Can we talk?”
“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes and walking back into her room. He followed her and sat down on her bed, while she sat back down at the desk where she had been working on her homework. “What do you want?”
“Were you listening when I talked to mom and dad?”
“A little. You said something about a trip?”
“Yes, I’m going an a trip,” Dev said. “I’ll be gone for possibly several months.”
“Good for you,” she answered.
“Will you be okay as an only child?”
She rolled her eyes again. “If you don’t leave me alone, I might move up the schedule on that.”
“Okay.”
He got up to leave.
“Dev?”
“Yeah?” he asked, turning around just in time to see as she dived for him and gave him a hug.
“Don’t die.”
He laughed, “I’m not planning to, Kay-Kay.”
She scowled at the childhood nickname. “Jerk.”
“Guilty as charged!” he responded with a cheeky grin. He dodged as she tried to kick his shin. “Anyway, goodnight! Have fun being on your own!”
He quickly made his escape before she could once more attempt retaliation. He made his way ready for bed, and fell asleep right as the rain began to fall outside.