We didn’t make it in time. We dashed up the stairs leading to the control room, piling out into the big arena when the sound of screeching metal echoed from the corridors leading into the rooms where the ice and fire guardians had come from.

I groaned in frustration as the gates we had worked so hard to reactivate slid upwards, along with the walls beyond revealing themselves to be giant doors. Two walking automatons forged of bronzegold stomped forward, hissing gouts of steam from vents across their backs. Their four arms wielded hammers, tongs, and other construction tools that could be turned to lethal weapons, and behind and below them, a seemingly endless horde of mechanical spiders skittered around their feet.

“Access violation detected. Initiating Defense Protocol Omega.” The giant’s voices boomed in unison. The skittering spiders rushed forward, shooting bolts of fire and ice at us, as the giants behind them spouted gouts of flame and spears of ice from their hands.

“Where the hell are they all coming from?!” Soriya swore.

“Oh, I don’t know!” Snapped Lakshmi. “Maybe they were powered down or something?!”

“Can’t you just… power them down again?”

“Oh sure! I’ll just get to the control system, over there!” She snarled back, pointing to the guardians who were moving in to block our access to the very pipes and valves we needed to shut it all down.

“You shut down the mechs at the dig site! You can do this!” Eshaan said to her, clutching his weapon and fending off a leaping spider.

I coughed. “Or, if you’ll buy me a little time, I can just ask Gate for a lift back to the surface.” I said over the clang and groan of metal meeting metal.

The others looked at me blankly, and then Camaxtli laughed.

It was a strange, artificial sound. The sound of someone who has never truly laughed before, trying something out for the first time. It made me smile, even as I winced.

“Right! Of course! Lily can get us out of here!” Eshaan said.

“Only if you stop them getting closer!” I pointed at the wave of spiders and their giant overseers urgently.

“Do not worry, mistress Lily.” Daniyel said calmly, as he smashed a spider into flinders, and then hurled another into the approaching wave, clearing a space to stride forward into. “We have this well in hand.”

I gaped at the swath of destruction he so casually produced, then gulped and hurriedly began the chant to summon Gate.

The spiders and giants redoubled their efforts as Gate appeared before us, and the group rushed through, Daniyel and Eshaan holding the tide back before we dashed through. The tide of spiders rushed forward, and the giants hammered at Gate.

This did not work well for them. Gate shattered, a tide of oblivion purple-black washing outwards, dissolving the bronzegold machinery of the Ancients. Safe in the temple, we smashed the few remaining spiders who had survived into shards of metal.

We stood there for a moment, panting and sagging from the release of adrenaline and a fight for our life. When I finally caught my breath, I cast a {Heal}, and sighed in relief as our wounds closed, and the attuned clothing we wore knitted itself back together.

“So. That was fun!” Lakshmi said, picking over the remains of the spiders, and placing the drops carefully into her bag. “Let’s never do that again, ok?”

Soriya laughed, and then said “Not a chance! There’s at least one more to go, right Lily?”

I nodded wearily, still feeling the exhaustion of low mana. I popped the cork on a mana potion and chugged it in one long go, feeling a brief surge of happiness as the taste brought back happy memories of Breezewood.

“Oh come on! Are you kidding me?! These just keep getting more dangerous! Where do you want to drag us now?!” Lakshmi protested.

Camaxtli placed his hand on hers, and said “Wait.”

Lakshimi rounded on him. “And you! Don’t think I haven’t forgotten that whole… thing you did! I have a mind-”

Daniyel interrupted. “Then I suggest you use it, captain, and we return to the Sparrowhawk as quickly as might be.” He said gravely, gently but irritably pushing Lakshmi and Camaxtli apart with firm pressure on their chests.

“It would be unwise for us to remain in the heart of the sylvani’s temple, after we have stolen what they had rightfully looted, no?”

I had to agree with him. Not to mention… we just picked up an Arcanum. That usually means a level up, but we didn’t… which I can only conclude means… something really big is going to happen soon. I bit my lower lip, looking around the temple and clutching my staff.

“I have a really bad feeling about this.” I said nervously.

Soriya nodded. “Something big is coming.”

“What?” Eshaan was instantly on alert. “What’s going on?” He drew his weapon, and Daniyel and Camaxtli followed suit.

“I don’t know.” I said. “It’s… well. It’s just that we usually receive a reward from the System for completing tasks. That was a pretty big task we just finished, but no reward?”

The group was silent, and we all shared a grim look.

Eshaan finally said. “Lily? I love adventuring with you, but could you please be less scary sometimes?” He gave me a wry smile as he did so.

I answered with a weak smile of my own. “Sorry. Would you prefer that we had no warning at all?”

Eshaan sighed. “Some days, yes. Then I could pretend there wasn’t anything coming for us.” He looked up again. “Do you have any idea what it might be?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I shook my head, and glanced questioningly at Soriya. She shook her head as well. “I can’t imagine what it would be… we just got the Arcanum…” I trailed off with a thought. Actually, I’ve never seen one of the Arcanum vanish like that…

I queried my internal world.

Gate? Are you ok?

Gate’s voice responded slowly.

I felt my heart sink. So he did get hurt. I can only summon him once a day normally, but… I looked inward again. How long, Gate?

And I felt an absence that I’d never felt before, an awareness that something I had been carrying with me was suddenly silent in a way that I’d never noticed.

Oh goody. I thought. No quick teleport, and something big bad is coming.

Eshaan stepped up to the doorway, looking both ways, then whistled softly, his sword drooping in his hand.

I hurried over to him. “What? What is…” I trailed off, as I caught sight of the city outside, my eyes going wide with wonder.

Everywhere, on every level and every street, what had been inconspicuous Ancient decorations or ornaments were now brightly glowing street lights. Portions of the city which I’d taken for stone or brickwork were revealed to be dirty or unpolished Ancient machinery. The whole city was alive and suddenly filled with motion and color. None of it seemed hostile but…

“My ship!” Lakshmi suddenly said. “What’s happened to the Sparrowhawk?! If all this Ancient machinery spun up-!” She cut off and dashed towards the nearest stairwell leading up.

The sinking feeling in my heart grew worse.

Oh hello other shoe. I was just wondering when you would drop. I gave a mental sigh, then dashed after her. Really? We have to have another ship scene? This is so unfair! Why does being an air pirate involve so many… air pirate things?! I grumbled mentally.

As we climbed upwards, we found the city in a state of humming shock. Everywhere, signs of Ancient technology were flickering to life, from the street lamps to mysterious pipes running from the lava below to fully fledged automatic machinery that was moving autonomously around the city, shifting entire quarters of the city into new sectors with slow ponderous motion.

I suppose I should be grateful there’s no spiders or other constructs. I thought. The catfolk of the city were clearly just as surprised as we were at the sudden transformation, and we dodged ever increasing knots of them clustered here and there in the streets as we headed upwards.

As we neared the upper levels and the air docks, my worst fears were confirmed. The Sparrowhawk, wings blazing with radiant colors, slowly lifted from the pad and started her turn to head into the sky.

Lakshmi let out an anguished scream of denial. “NO!” she shrieked, and then dashed even faster up the narrow staircase towards the docks.

“What do you think?” I huffed to Soriya as we ran. “Small merchant ship?”

Soriya was running too fast to tap her lips in thought as was her usual wont, but I could see her eyes growing distant in thought.

“Possibly. But I’m betting a fast cutter left behind.”

“Hm!” I said. “Ok, ten zeni on the merchant ship.”

Soriya grinned. “You’re on!”

Our little group pounded up the stairs and out onto the broad docking platform. The Sparrowhawk was clearly having some trouble, which I wasn’t at all surprised by, the controls of the ship were a hybrid of three different tech families, stitched together by a crazed inventor genius.

We joined Lakshmi at the docks, just as Lakshmi fell to her knees and shrieked in anguish.

“No!” she screamed. “My baby! Bring my ship back you motherfuckers!”

I blinked in surprise, honestly shocked that she was frozen into immobility.

I mean… it’s obvious what the next step is, right? I thought in confusion. And yet, looking around, everyone except for Soriya and myself were staring after the Sparrowhawk.

I scanned the docks for the nearest airship. A tiny scout moth ship. Hm. Oh well, looks like neither Soriya or I win the bet. I thought.

“Lakshmi?” I said, and pointed firmly at the mothship. “Let’s steal a ship. We have to show them what an air pirate is capable of.”

Lakshmi looked up, her wide eyes slowly going from horror and shock to a fiercely burning determination.

“Yes! Yes! They will regret crossing Red Maung!”

“Wasn’t it Lakshmi the Red?” Camaxtli said softly, as Lakshmi dashed off towards the mothship.

I shrugged and threw him a quick smile. “I think she’s just excited again. And angry still, of course.”

We ran after Lakshmi to the mothship.

“So, how do we-”

Eshaan cut off, as Lakshmi made a little twist and flip of some slip of metal, and the hatch opened smoothly.

“Ah.” He nodded. “I see you know airships.”

“Duh.” Lakshmi said, disappearing into the ship. “I had to steal the Pelican after all! Imperial security was harder than this. Plus, the sylvani showed me all around their fleet, this is just the same design.”

“So, now we’re hotwiring an airship?” I asked dryly.

“What’s a ‘hotwire’? Lakshmi asked, before shaking her head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know crazy seer things. Just find a seat and hold on!”

“Are we going to crash again?” Soriya asked dryly.

“No!” Lakshmi said angrily, stomping into the cockpit, her long-coat swirling behind her. “That was an unavoidable necessity caused by carrying along a catastrophe magnet white mage!”

I flushed, and pursed my lips. Soriya simply grinned and said to me “I think that’s a yes?”

I shook my head at her, and glared. She didn’t say anything more but her smirk was telling.

We all piled into the ship, and hurriedly grabbed seats, barebones though they were as Lakshmi quickly got the engines running. It did bear a strong resemblance to the Pelican. Bare floors, webbing seats, the most basic and utilitarian layout. It was made of wood and organic materials of course, that’s just how sylvani ships were, but I felt a wave of nostalgia clinging to the rattan fabric of the seats and the vine straps as we shot out of the docks and after the Sparrowhawk.

Looking ahead through the cockpit, I could see that the mothship was barely gaining on the Sparrowhawk, a fact that was more than a little concerning.

Soriya interrupted my thoughts. “If you can just get us close enough, I’ll blast them with Ægishjálmur, and an {Infernal Black}. That’ll knock them down for sure.” Soriya said to Lakshmi, pitching her voice to ride over the noise of the engines.

Lakshmi spun around in her seat to stare at Soriya. “What?! No! That’s the Sparrowhawk! You can’t sink my ship!”

Soriya waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine, I’ll do a one shot kill, you can repair it easily.”

Daniyel frowned and said “Soriya, regardless of repairs in this remote location, we are over the Sea of Millenia. Retrieving a broken wreck from the ocean is not a small task!”

“Tch!” Soriya clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Not to mention, it’s a little… excessive for thieves.” Said Eshaan

“Oh who cares? They’re probably sylvani too, just like that creep in the temple!” Soriya snapped.

The ship was silent.

“Soriya, what the actual honey?!”

I was startled to hear my own voice.

“This is how we deal with problems, right?” Soriya said

“This is excessive, and far beyond your usual responses, my love.” Daniyel said, laying his hand on her shoulder.

Soriya sent him a glare that made me recoil in shock. I pressed my lips together and squeezed my fists firmly.

“Ok. That’s enough. What the meadowlark is going on, Soriya?!”

I hurriedly chanted a {Cleanse} to purify her of any status effects.

“What was that for?” Soriya blinked in confusion.

“I don’t know! I can only assume you’re under some mind control or magical effect?!” I said with frustration.

“Well, I’m not!” She snapped at me.

The group looked at me to confirm.

I frowned thoughtfully. “She’s not, not as far as I can tell. But Soriya… this is too much. We can catch up with the Sparrowhawk without sinking it. We can retake her, without killing everyone inside. It’s what air pirates do.” I glanced to Lakshmi to confirm, and she nodded emphatically.

“So… could you explain what’s going on?”

Daniyel shared a look with her then said “You think they are like the one’s who hurt you before.” It might have been a question, but it came out like a statement.

Soriya’s eyes grew dark, and she clenched her hands so tightly around Ægishjálmur that her knuckles went white.

“I know they are.” She said fiercely.