When I got up that m, I found a note slipped uhe door:

  Thank you for everything.L.

  When I met up with Lis and Mahya, they were holding the same note, both looking as puzzled as I felt. Lis shook his head, frowning slightly, and muttered, “That girl o learn to face her problems instead of running away.”

  I leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms. “From the versation I had with her yesterday, I think she’s pnning to deal with them. She probably left like that because she was embarrassed.”

  Just in case, after breakfast, I went into the archive and wrote a message.

  Tr. JRClueless, Hungry, Ior, Versailles, TelevisionJust let us know you’re okay, and we hope you’ll join us.

  Judging by the looks Lis and Mahya gave me, they saw the message. Rue set he couldn’t keep watg his cop show and was in a bad mood all day. To be ho, all of us were.

  I decided enough was enough and said to Lis and Mahya, “Italy’s always been on my bucket list. Let’s tour around, do some workshops, and have some fun.”

  Lis didn’t look vinced, but nodded. As a promise, I suggested we visit just a few major cities instead of all of Italy, and he agreed and even smiled. We flew to Palermo, booked some workshops, a sightseeing.Our visit included the Palermo Cathedral, the Norman Pace, the Royal Pace, and the Patine Chapel. We also did the Street Food and No Mafia Walking Tours. Lis and Mahya didn’t get the No Mafia Walking Tour, so I told them to watch The Godfather. They did, and didn’t get it either.

  Aliens are no fun.

  Palermo’s Delight: Unleash the Secrets of Pizza ao MakingCooking Css with Mamma Lucia & VinzoPalermo: Sicilian Bread MastercssPalermo: Italiaivo MastercssThe cooking css asta, but I couldn’t earn a point since I’d already given it up. At least Mahya and Lis got the point. The rest of the workshops were fine, but we didn’t ugh as much as usual. Rue couldn’t join the food css, so I arranged for him to learn Italian while we left him with the TV iel. At least we ate well during our entire week in Palermo.

  On our st evening iy, we were sitting in the living room of our suite. I took out my guitar, which I hadn’t pyed in a long time, and started pying and singing Leonard ’s Who by Fire. Music has always been my way of dealing with things.

  “And who by fire, who by waterWho in the sunshine, who in the night time”

  “Insightful song,” Lis murmured, his gaze distant as he absorbed the lyrics.

  “Yeah,” I nodded, my voice quiet, still lost in the mood the music had created.

  Mahya had tears in her eyes a for her room.

  We flew to Naples in a slightly better mood, but we were still feeling down and worried about Lyura. In Naples, I booked some workshops, and we went sightseeing. We visited the Royal Pace, the Spanish Quarters, the city’s underground, the Historiter, the Sansevero Chapel, and the National Archaeological Museum. I loved the museum, absolutely captivated by everything, but Lis and Mahya told me that after visiting awo or three worlds, I wouldn’t care about “old stuff they found buried in the ground.” The alien perspective was annoying sometimes. At least we had workshops to look forward to.

  Resin WorkshopPrivate E-foil LessonHands-On Blown Gss Or Experiendmade Neapolitan Jewelry WorkshopCreative Experieh the to National ParkWorkshop: Learn How to Make Natural Solid SoapCeramic Workshop in PositanoFresco Painting & Aperitivo with Seaview in Sorrento PeninsuTypical Traditional Tarantel Dance LessonAll three of us fell in love with the E-foil, and didn’t even care we didn’t get an ability from the lesson. Lis promised to figure out how to vert it into a Magitech device. We bought three ead wanted him to start on the project right away, but he told us to “hold our horses.” I ughed hearing him use su Earth expression, but Mahya was fused and pointed out she didn’t have a horse. I ughed even harder, and Lis smiled. We were gettier.

  We got utterly drunk at the Fresco painting workshop, and the day, when we saw the paintings, we quietly threw them away and made a silent agreement o speak of them again.

  We ughed the whole time during the Tarantel Dance lesson, especially since Rue joined us and wao daoo. Judging by the number of cell phones pointed his way, he was going to be a media star.

  We rented a car and drove to the Gate. I was sure it would lead to Olympus based on my experieh Asgard. Muy surprise, the Gate led to a tech world. I was really fused. Italy, which I was certain would lead to something with a high mana level, led to a tech world?

  Travelers Gate #1648461683Destination: ZelphiaStatus: UedTeology level: MediumThreat level: Humans – moderate. Other species – high.

  Those Gates made no sense.

  We flew to Rome and spent a week t the city. Again, the archaeological stuff didn’t impress Lis and Mahya too much, but the rest of the pces charmed them. At least they admired the Sistine Chapel. When we were at Saier’s Basilica, Lis lit a dle and said a prayer of thanks.

  “I thought you believed in Guiding Spirits, not the God of Earth,” I said, as I watched Lis light the dle.

  Lis didn’t look up as he responded. “There are many names fods and goddesses in the os; the name doesn’t matter. What matters is that there are guiding beings that watch over us. Years ago, I wao say thank you for surviving Tír na nóg, and now I do it.”

  Mahya heard that and lit a dle too; I followed suit, lit a dle, and said thank you fing them into my life.

  I booked some workshops, aarted going to them one by one.

  Make Your Own Italian Sandals with Local Fashionista’sA Mosaic WorkshopRome Amigurumi Courses Level 1 Basic—4 hoursPrivate Stained Gss Course in Rome’s TrastevereTrieste: Marbling WorkshopRome: 2-Hdiator Sahya fell in love with Mosaid kept the skill to use with her wo. None of us earned a point for the Gdiator School, and Lis said it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever done.

  When we arrived in Florence, I discovered a lot of art csses. Based on our experieh weaving, we khere was a limit to how many skill variations we could farm, so we reviewed the options and chose the best ones. After all, even if we didn’t keep them as skills we could progress in levels, we’d still keep the knowledge.

  Create Your inal Cuttlefish Bone Cast JewelrySculpt like Migeloes and Drapery WorkshopSography WorkshopLinoleum Printing WorkshopMixed Media WorkshopFashion Illustration WorkshopFluid and Drip Painting WorkshopOil Painting WorkshopTempera and Renaissance Painting TeiquesPalette Knife Painting Css Floreraditional Florentine Gilding CourseWe went sightseeiween workshops. For three weeks, we felt very artistid even got all the points. We also did three different wiours and bought a lot of wine.

  After three weeks in Florence, Lis saw me going through various sites workshops and said, “Let’s stop with the workshops; we’ve got plenty of points ao move quicker.”

  I g him, frowning. “I still need points for two, and Rue’s spells and abilities are expensive.”

  Lis paused, tapping his thoughtfully. “When you decide which Gate you’ll be leaving through, explore the area by nd and do as many workshops as you find. I’m worried about flying, aill have the Afri and ese Gates to sider.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, nodding. “Let’s move faster.”

  We flew to Venice, and I thought it was amazing, but they didn’t think so. It turned out that Parsha, a world both of them had visited, was mostly als except for the mountains, and the als there were much er. I created aen Purifying Aluminum Blobs and pced them discreetly in the als. Although I khey wouldn’t make much difference, every little bit helps. I eveed a mana struct shell to prevent the spell from dissipating over time. Learning had its bes.

  We took a Gondo ride with a singer, and both of them said my voice was better. Again, I decided friends are awesome, especially since my te wife lovingly described my voice as “much better than a dying cat, but don’t quit your day job, dear.”

  We flew to Min, toured the city, and drove to the Gate. This oched my expectatioer.

  Travelers Gate #1549469733Destination: MurinabStatus: IedMana level: 59Magitech Level: MediumThreat level: High

  I turo Lis, curious. “You said the Genomey were amazing iors and Magitech artisans; how e their world didn’t have a Magitech rating?”

  “Because they don’t use only Magitech. They use different power methods and various magic item creation schools.”

  I frowned, still puzzled. “I’m fused now. What’s the difference?”

  “Magitech is the creation of teological items—like your house, electric appliances, vehicles, city defenses, industrial maery, and the like—all powered by mana instead of electricity. But there are other methods to power things, like steam or fire, which they’re really good at. There are also different ways to create magical items, like using runes ic script without mana crystals or a dungeon core as a power source, so they aren’t cssified as Magitech.”

  “Huh. Thanks.”

  Before we left Min, Mahya approached us, looking serious. “We o go to Switzernd for a short while, and I need your help, John, to set up a bank at.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “I’m selling puter teology to a pany in Switzernd named Axisbits, and I o finalize the deal in person a up a bank at for them to trahe mohey don’t pay in cash,” she expined.

  “Sure,” I said, sidering. “Do you have a wyer?”

  “No,” she admitted, looking slightly unsure. “Do I need one?”

  “Definitely,” I replied firmly.

  “Okay, let’s find one in Switzernd,” she agreed.

  On the flight to Switzernd, my red light started blinking out of the blue.I checked.

  Songs yht to a different world have bee famous and loved by more than a thousand people.New css unlocked: [Bard]Would you like to take the Bard Css as your sub-css?Cost: 5 Ability PointsY/N

  HUH?!?!?!?