Starfinder

THE WAY HOME

THREE WEEKS AFTER THE WAR with the Skylords, the Avatar headed for home.

With the help of the centaurs, Fiona’s grandfather and his crew had patched the holes in the airship’s hull and constructed a new fabric covering for her bridge, one much sturdier than the tarp she’d been using. While Bottling worked to straighten the bent blades of her engines, Donnar and the others tested and retested the Avatar’s systems and made ready for her second trip over Pandera’s treacherous mountains.

Dreojen had left the valley the same night she introduced herself to Moth, and Lady Esme had never returned. Moth supposed she was in hiding from the other Skylords, much the same as Merceron had been for all those lonely years. He thought about Esme often during those weeks in Pandera, and now he thought of her again as the Avatar passed over the river from the sunken forest, the very river Raphael Ciroyan had used to ferry them to safety. Just like Esme, they had never seen Ciroyan again either.

“I bet he’s down there somewhere,” said Moth as he leaned out over the observation deck. The water of the river churned slowly below them, reminding him of their first happy days in this world.

“Who?” asked Fiona. Lost in her own thoughts, her eyes had hardly left the direction of Pandera.

“Raphael,” Moth whispered. “I bet he’s looking up at us right now.”

“I bet he’s getting a massage from some mermaid,” quipped Fiona. But she no longer seemed jealous. Her eyes shone with a pride that hadn’t been there when they’d left Calio, before she’d become Jorian’s “Little Queen.” The wind on the platform stirred her orange hair. Fiona let it blow across her face.

“Maybe we’ll see him again someday. Maybe one day he’ll come back to Calio.”

“I don’t think so, Moth,” said Fiona. “Too cold there for him. And too dangerous.”

Moth was about to speak when he noticed Fiona’s grandfather coming up behind them. The old man was digging into his frock coat for his pocket watch.

“Who are you talking about?” he asked, only half interested. He popped open the watch and studied its face. Moth and Fiona looked at each other with a secretive grin.

“No one,” Fiona answered. She turned from the railing. “Grandfather, do you think there are other humans here?”

Rendor snapped his watch shut. “Others? Not likely. You saw how many Redeemers the Skylords have made.” He stepped up to the railing. “The Skylords know everything here. No human can hide from them for long.”

“Yeah,” nodded Fiona. “I guess you’re right.”

“What about the Skylords?” asked Moth. “Do you think they’ll come after us?”

“Not us,” said Rendor. “The Starfinder.” He put his arms around them both, gathering them close. Together they gazed out over the beautiful, magical landscape. “The Skylords won’t stop,” he sighed. “Even if Artaios is dead. All we did is bloody their noses and make them mad. They’ll be back.”

Moth stood tall, reassured by Rendor’s embrace. “And we’ll be ready for them.”