That air was hot and humid.

  It blasted Lucian as soon as the shuttle’s airlock opened. The air pressure seemed higher here than back on Earth. Or, Lucian thought, he was just used to the lower pressure of spaceships now. Either way, the gravity felt heavy, even if he knew it was a bit less than Earth’s. And the air pressure made his ears ring. On the bright side, he didn’t have a bag to tote around anymore.

  The yellow sun shone brightly and hot. It, too, was less luminous than Sol, but it might as well have been twice as bright because his eyes weren’t used to it.

  The spaceport’s interior was cooler but still warm. This concourse was not as busy as Volsung-O’s, but it hummed with life. At least it didn’t look as if they would get jumped at any second.

  After Emma picked up her luggage, she went down a long escalator to the wide-open entrance.

  “Do you need some help with that pack?” Lucian asked.

  “I’ve got it,” Emma said, with a stubborn set to her jaw.

  Lucian stood back as she huffed and puffed, carrying her bag under the heavier gravity, clearly struggling with the weight. All he could do was shake his head.

  Outside, a line of ground cars was loading and unloading their passengers. Above the street was a Lev station, with a train about to depart. Though the upper tiers of the spaceport shaded the street, it was still hot. Stifling, even. Emma fanned herself with her slate, which had become wide and thin to accommodate the action.

  “It’s so hot here,” she said. “Where is she?” Before Lucian could respond, she pointed. “Wait. I think that’s her.”

  Lucian followed Emma down the sidewalk toward a young woman of average height, light brown skin, and dark brown hair cut short. The woman wore a gray cloak like Vera’s, though it was lighter in shade, along with a yellow sash over her left shoulder. That cloak must have been oppressive in this heat, though she gave no sign of discomfort. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face, but there was an intensity to her stare that said she would suffer no fools.

  Talent Khairu’s brown eyes betrayed no emotion as she nodded to Emma in greeting. “Emma Almaty?” When Emma nodded, Khairu gave a small bow. “Welcome to Volsung. We don’t have much time before the boat needs to embark.”

  Khairu took Emma’s backpack and put it in the car beside her. The Academy Talent didn’t seem to notice Lucian at all. He hung back, unsure of where he stood with her. She should have been expecting him, but so far, she wasn’t acting like it.

  “Talent Khairu,” Emma said, with a bit of trepidation, “this is Lucian Abrantes. He’s the mage on board I told you about. He wishes to apply as well, and his doctor on Earth informed the Transcends of his arrival.”

  Lucian put out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Talent Khairu.”

  Her eyes went to his hand, and then to his eyes. They stared in challenge and with instant dislike. Lucian didn’t know what he had done to offend her, so he awkwardly pulled his hand back.

  “I’ll tell you what I said before,” Khairu said to Emma in a calm but firm voice. “My instructions are to bring you alone to the Transcends. He can come too, but whatever they decide to do with him is out of my hands.”

  Lucian wondered what he could do to smooth things over. “I apologize if I’m an inconvenience. I’m already here, though. My baggage was stolen, and I have nowhere else to go.”

  “As long as you have paid your harbor fees, we will have no quarrels.”

  “It’s paid,” Emma said.

  Talent Khairu eyed Lucian. “Volsung is a dangerous world. Mages aren’t allowed in Karendas for long. Our boat needs to be gone within the next couple of hours. Traffic in the city can be bad, so we should leave now.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  All three hopped in the car, and within a moment, it was self-navigating the busy, winding streets.

  That first meeting hadn’t gone as expected, but now that Lucian was here, he hoped things would get better.

  The car ride was silent as they rolled away from the spaceport, joining the flow of traffic down a tree-lined avenue. Their canopies were crimson, with many blooming blood-red flowers. There were so many that the blossoms floated in droves onto the street below. They had stained the street with their pigment.

  “Flame trees,” Khairu said. “They only grow on Volsung, mostly in the lower latitudes. We cultivate one on Transcend Mount."

  “Transcend Mount?” Emma asked.

  “The name of the island on which the Volsung Academy is located."

  It remained quiet as the car drove down the canyon of skyscrapers, many connected by footbridges. Tropical greenery grew on the sides of the edifices. Everything was new and pristine. Lucian didn’t see so much as a crumpled food wrapper on the sidewalks. Most of the people wore light suits designed for the tropical heat, and the atmosphere was busy and professional. Some droids walked among the humans on various errands, a sign of the city’s prosperity.

  Swinging from the flame trees above the car were scaly, four-limbed creatures. Their green, reptilian skin and curled tails made them look like a strange cross between an iguana and a monkey. There were dozens, all letting out the same grating hoot, the cacophony echoing off the sides of buildings. One of the creatures hung by its curled tail, staring right at them. A meter-long tongue shot from its mouth.

  “What are those?” Emma asked.

  “The locals call them liz-monkeys,” Khairu said. “You’ll only find them here.”

  They wove downhill through the streets until they came to a cliff overlooking the wide ocean. The surface was smooth, almost glassy, with only tiny ripples due to the steady breeze. Volsung had no moon, meaning there were no significant tides. A few islands rose in the distance, though they were too small for habitation.

  “It’s beautiful,” Emma said.

  “Beautiful,” Khairu acknowledged, “but it's dangerous.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “In the north, if the storms don’t kill you, the cold will.”

  That cold, at least here in Karendas, seemed a distant thing.

  The car navigated a series of switchbacks to the harbor below, which extended as far as the white bridge connecting the two main islands. Looking back, Lucian could see the towers of the city rising high above him. A layer of clouds obscured the mountain’s peak.

  The car rolled to a stop at the front of a marina filled with personal-sized vessels. The three of them got out, and Emma grabbed her backpack. The car drove itself away. Lucian and Emma followed Khairu down to the dock.

  That was when a deep male voice boomed from behind them.

  “Hey, psychos! Hope a storm takes you all.”

  Lucian turned to see three rough-looking men standing next to a large truck. The one who shouted wore a superior smirk.

  “Go on ahead,” Khairu instructed calmly as if this were a normal occurrence. “I’ll deal with them. Ours is the sailboat at the very end. Name of Lightsail.”

  The two of them walked down the dock as Khairu dealt with the men. Once a safe distance away, they turned around to watch.

  “Shouldn’t we help her?” Lucian asked.

  Khairu’s hand was on some sort of weapon she had hidden beneath her robes. At this distance, Lucian couldn’t hear a word she was saying.

  “Nah, this is above our pay grade," Emma answered. “After the orbital, the last thing we need to do is look for a fight.”

  It didn’t take long for the men to disperse. Whatever Khairu had said, or threatened, it had done the trick.

  Khairu jogged down the dock to join them. Once she had caught up, Emma asked, “Does that happen a lot?”

  Khairu nodded. “People around here know Lightsail is a mage vessel. They’re just tough guys who learned they’re not so tough. The Academy is thousands of klicks from here. We don’t have to deal with their kind there.”

  “And this will get us there in just a few days?” Lucian asked doubtfully.

  Khairu glowered. “Yes. Two Volsung days and four standard days if the winds and currents are with us, which they should be. Lightsail is true to her name, sleek and fast. The sails adjust automatically and capture even the faintest breeze. She will fly.”

  Lightsail bobbed slightly on the smooth ocean surface. Indeed, it looked light and fast, its wooden frame narrow and streamlined. Lucian judged it was large enough to crew twenty or so people.

  He and Emma boarded, while Khairu unmoored the line. The boat drifted away from the dock as she hopped onto the deck.

  “Follow me to the helm,” the Talent said.

  Inside the bridge, Khairu pressed a few buttons on the display. A moment later, the deck thrummed as an electric motor kicked on. The sails unfurled and caught the full breeze, and the boat leaped across the surface as if eager to be off.

  As the ship picked up speed, the motor cut out as the sails swiveled above of their own accord. As Khairu said, they caught every change in breeze and crosswind. Lightsail zipped across the water, and all too quickly, Lucian watched Karendas and its silver towers fade into the distance.