Despite Charlotte’s insistence the trip to Astenbury would be a joyous and pleasurable affair, it started with a bout of awkward silence. Jasper arrived at Applewood the following morning in his stagecoach, a luxurious, topless carriage with plush seating. He wore a suit of elegant, yet leisurely design: black trousers and jacket, a white cravat, and a top hat. Likewise, Charlotte and Olivia also dressed for the occasion. Olivia was adorned in her characteristic black, a sparkling dress complete with long gloves and new heels. Charlotte, on the other hand, chose a gown of burning crimson, so full and radiant, she rivaled fire itself. Her Spritlit had returned to her, now glowing effervescently above her ear, and she and her sister both carried parasols.

  But Micah dressed the same. He hadn’t been told to dress differently, nor did he know how or where to begin trying. When he produced himself upon Jasper’s arrival, Olivia frowned in dismay and a trace of a smirk crept onto Jasper’s lips, but Charlotte didn’t even regard it. She took a moment to smooth his scarf and then happily piled them into the carriage. With a call to the driver, they were on their way to Astenbury.

  As she vowed, Olivia made sure Jasper sat next to her, leaving Micah and Charlotte to sit beside each other on the other side. Jasper made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with this, eyebrows furrowing in a grousing manner, but Olivia’s stern look told everyone he wouldn’t win an argument otherwise. So, for several minutes, the foursome sat in silence.

  The countryside rambled by, marked by rolling hills and a pleasant, constant breeze. Despite the up-and-down trip, Micah could sense the elevation change. They were gradually climbing higher. Even so, it was yet another warm day in late fall, governed by the Rypsy wind Micah further marveled each new day.

  As he was watching the scenery pass by, he received a slight tap against his foot. Turning his head, he found Olivia looking at him seriously. Charlotte was looking out while Jasper fidgeted with his coat buttons. Olivia tilted her head toward Charlotte, and Micah realized her aim. It was time to initiate their plan. His mind ran through all the advice she gave him the day before, and he chose the simplest one to start.

  Sitting up, he turned to look at Charlotte. He cleared his throat, and she looked at him. “Charlotte, your dress looks pretty,” he said.

  Micah hadn’t anticipated her response. Hoping for a smile or a common reply of gratitude, Charlotte’s mouth dropped instead, and she blinked rapidly, as if rendered incapable of even processing the compliment.

  What did I do wrong? he wondered.

  “Yes, you look very fetching,” Jasper said with a lingering appraisal of her body. “Red is entirely becoming on you.”

  She turned to look at him. Her stunned appearance gradually dissipated, and she managed to smile again. “Th-thank you, Jasper.”

  She sat back, looking at Micah with an expression so penetrating, her eyebrows furrowed. He looked away, hoping she couldn’t see his disappointment. Why had Jasper garnered her gratitude, but not him? Was the word choice the difference? He had no idea and was starting to feel overwhelmed. He truly had no experience in doing this, while his rival for Charlotte’s affections possessed all the practice in the world.

  Olivia nudged his foot again. She nodded more forcefully to Charlotte, who now sat staring at Micah and biting her lip as if she were trying to solve a particularly difficult math problem. Luckily, he sat to her left, so she couldn’t see his struggle. Jasper, meanwhile, had turned back to his coat buttons and looked very much impatient to finally arrive in Astenbury.

  Micah thought of everything he knew about Charlotte, desperately trying to come up with something to say that might make her happy. Then he remembered their first day together, when he suggested she should dress more practically. Mustering up his courage, he turned his head again to look at her. She met his gaze. Her expression was full of a longing Micah knew well. She was hoping for something.

  He swallowed hard. “As I was saying, it’s a fine dress,” he managed. “It’s not impractical at all, and I would never modify it.”

  Olivia blanched, mouth open in what looked to be a mixture of disgust and disbelief. Jasper started to snicker before she smacked his arm.

  Charlotte, meanwhile, looked ready to cry, and he knew he had messed up again. But then, to his surprise, she smiled and took his arm.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He frowned, feeling both happy and besieged.

  I am completely confused.

  Micah decided against trying anything more for the duration of the ride into Astenbury, preferring to catch his breath and slow his beating heart. It was another fifteen minutes before the fine city came into view, marked by Charlotte’s enthusiastic turn in her seat to watch it appear in the distance.

  It wasn’t until he saw Astenbury with his own eyes that Micah understood the unique nature of Rypsy. Most noticeable above all was the size of the city’s plateils. Unlike the small town in which they stopped for coffee a week ago, Astenbury’s wave-shaped hills towered high above them, sometimes hundreds of feet and too numerous to count. They were so much beyond the scope of his imagining. They went on and on, plateil after plateil, as if the city were an ocean and they traveled its deep fathoms from the shadowy bottom.

  Spiraled staircases curled cylinder-like around each of them, partitioned by doors to homes and other establishments cut into the stone and soil. And like Baston Wood, bridges crissed and crossed the tops of the plateils, creating a complex network that connected the whole city. But Astenbury’s bridges mirrored its own beauty, marked by grand stone and steel crossings rather than primitive wood and rope. Roads were paved, lampposts marked every course, and traffic bustled. It resembled a living thing, as people inhabited Astenbury from top to bottom, swarming up streets in carriages just as fancy as Jasper’s, crossing bridges in their pursuit of business or trade, and seeking all sorts of other exploits. And all of it was wrapped in the warm embrace of wind for which Rypsy was most famous.

  When about a mile passed, and the end of the city’s limits were still not seen, Micah naturally assumed the city was whole, rather than circular and surrounding a Blessing Pole like the first town, but this also proved to be a hasty conclusion. An hour later, Astenbury Park appeared from a colossal break in the plateils. A verdant forest of immense acreage filled the space, and from the open vantage, Micah was able to better comprehend Astenbury’s size, for he could see the plateils surround the park for miles. The city was indeed circular and hollow, but so vast, it could engulf a hundred towns like Baston Wood.

  “Impressive, isn’t it?” Jasper said. He looked across at him. “I imagine you’re not used to such intimidating cities.”

  “True, I was never told how big it was,” Micah said as the wagon turned into the wide boulevard bordering the park. “I have only visited one city that surpasses its size and splendor.”

  “Bigger than Astenbury?” he asked doubtfully.

  “Micah’s been everywhere in Carnel,” Charlotte said. “He would know.”

  “You must be referring to Tanaerum, then,” Jasper said with a disregarding flap of his hand. “I admit I’ve never been. Much too far away for a simple visit.”

  “Indeed. Tanaerum.” Micah looked back out over the park. “Though Carnel’s capital hardly features anything as high as that.”

  The others followed his gaze to look upon Astenbury’s Blessing Pole. It was like a ladder to heaven. The massive column must have been miles away, yet, they could see it clearly, rising high up into the clouds.

  “I suppose a Blessing Pole that large would be necessary for such a big city,” Micah continued. “But I am surprised by the mild nature of Astenbury’s winds. I would have suspected greater velocity and power.”

  Jasper laughed as if Micah were a child. “Size doesn’t determine the strength of the wind. I thought everyone knew that.”

  “He’s not from Rypsy, dummy,” Olivia retorted. “How would he know?”

  “Char insisted he was all-knowing,” Jasper said defensively, but with the same smile. “But I apologize all the same, my man.”

  Olivia harrumphed, looking to Micah. “The size of a Blessing Pole is only important for the range of the wind, but the strength is determined by the number of Element Stones incorporated into the column and how they are positioned.”

  “Intriguing,” he replied.

  “As you have seen, Astenbury’s wind carries for hundreds of miles, well beyond Applewood. But it’s the same velocity no matter where you are within its scope. However, that’s not the case when you draw closer to it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The winds become incredibly powerful once you actually venture into the park,” Charlotte piped up excitedly. “The closer you get to it, the harder it gets to even take another step. In fact, it gets so strong, you could eventually get swept away by it!”

  Olivia nodded. “Hurricane levels. That’s why the park is so large. It needs the room to scatter all the wind produced by its magic. It’s pretty much impossible to approach.”

  “But that hasn’t stopped people from trying,” Charlotte said with a chuckle. “It’s become something of a tradition. The strongest of men make brave attempts at reaching it more often than you might guess.”

  “Why on earth would they do that?” Micah asked.

  “Superstitious nonsense,” Jasper said.

  “Oh, hush you,” Charlotte replied, smiling. “You see, it’s been said that anyone who can reach the Blessing Pole and climb all the way to the top will have any wish they desire come true. Anything at all! Isn’t that just wonderful? Oh, I bet it’s so beautiful up there, too. It would probably look like the top of the world.”

  “I don’t understand. Who grants the wish?” Micah asked. “The pole? And what are the rules? Can you use any method so long as you reach the top?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. No one has ever successfully climbed it. But that’s why so many people try each year.”

  “I’ll reluctantly have to agree with Jasper on this,” Olivia said. “It’s just a myth.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Charlotte pouted, casting longing eyes toward the Blessing Pole as the horses pulled the carriage all the way around the park. They reached the other side an hour later and turned down another wide street.

  As Astenbury’s plateils again towered all around them, Micah began to wonder about their destination. Charlotte called it “Sky Blue City,” but she wouldn’t elaborate any further, wanting it to be a surprise. And to his misfortune, Olivia also thought it a fun game to hinder him from obtaining further details. So, he was forced to wait. Apparently they were to spend the day there, and it called for stylish dress. Beyond that, he couldn’t fathom how it could be more special than Astenbury.

  When finally they reached the outer border of the East Side, it was almost noon, and Jasper had the carriage stopped so they could have lunch. They ate sandwiches Sophia made for them and drank tea provided by Charlotte.

  As they ate, Jasper became bolder in his flirtation. As if to challenge Micah, he often glanced his way with a carefree smile while speaking with her, and he would take her hands as often as she allowed. And she seemed to respond in kind, bantering with him on trivial topics as only childhood friends could. Whatever Jasper was trying to do, it was working, because Micah felt an overwhelming urge to break his vow to Charlotte and slit his throat.

  I can’t imagine killing Charlotte’s friend would earn her affections, though.

  Micah received disapproving looks from Olivia, as if she expected him to stop them, or at the very least, join in the game Jasper was playing. But he had no intention of it – he could learn the rules of courtship, but how could he change his very personality in such short time? He released a soundless sigh and looked out over the landscape, watching the grasses of a wide plain bend to the wind. It was then that he noticed a vast bulge on the horizon. Squinting, he realized it was the dome of an immense building, sitting on a plateau.

  “What is that?” he asked, pointing.

  “Oh, that’s just the old Chevron Haven,” Jasper replied with barely a glance. “A sort of temple. It’s ancient and dilapidated, and should be destroyed. The Chevron hasn’t lived there in decades.”

  “It’s a treasure,” Olivia said with reproach. “Hundreds of years of Rypsy history, not to mention filled with artifacts from bygone eras.”

  “Artifacts long since smashed to pieces, you mean. The place will never be restored. And if that’s not going to happen, it’s just another eyesore. It should be demolished.”

  She growled at him. “Can we get going? We could be at the station by now, instead of sitting in this carriage at the edge of town like a bunch of tourists.”

  Jasper chuckled and waved his hand to the driver still sitting in wait at the front of the carriage. The man snapped the reins, and they were rolling along again, making for the open fields that seemed to lead nowhere. Olivia had mentioned a station, but Micah didn’t see anything in sight except for grassy fields and an edge of rustling trees far off in the distance.

  Minutes later, however, he did spot something. The road forked, and the carriage turned north, where the field dropped a level and they could follow the lane running behind the protection of its small dirt partition. The land east of the divide continued to dive further down until a wall rose twenty feet above their heads. About half a mile further into the strange canyon, the smallest of structures was situated in a corner. It couldn’t have been any more than four wood walls and a railing for tying up horses. A sign hung at the entrance, reading “Skyline.”

  The carriage followed the path until it leveled out again, curling around the building to join others parked in a line along the towering earthen wall. A few dozen well-dressed people were gathered on a wooden dock attached to the building. They stood as if waiting for something to arrive.

  “Where are we?” Micah asked. He stepped off and helped Charlotte and Olivia down from the carriage.

  “This is the station for Sky Blue City,” Charlotte replied happily. “Oh, I’m so excited, I can hardly stand it!”

  Micah looked around dubiously. They may as well have been on a farm. The field stretched a long way, green but otherwise empty of life, much less civilization. There were no signs of train tracks or other such modes of transportation for a group so large. They stepped onto the dock, where those gathered eyed Micah with their typical curiosity. Hushed whispers ran through them. Charlotte didn’t seem to notice, but Jasper did.

  “Like a purple duck in a white church, my man,” he said, putting a hand on Micah’s shoulder. His condescending smile of pity returned in full force. “You can always stay behind if you’re uncomfortable, though. We wouldn’t blame you. My driver can have you back at Applewood in just a couple hours.”

  “Nonsense,” Charlotte butt in. “He’s a Black Son, for heaven’s sake. That means he’s dressed for every occasion.” She winked at Micah. “Come on. Let’s check in.”

  She made for the building, followed quickly by Jasper. Micah and Olivia stayed behind. He surveyed the other socialites in their close-knit groups, regarding the whole situation with amusement. A group of young women nearby were flashing giggling smiles at him.

  “What are we doing here?” he asked Olivia. “I know you want me to be ‘surprised’ about this trip, but you have to admit this all looks silly.”

  “You’re about to find out why,” she said, smiling. But then, it turned into a frown, and she nudged his side. “Hey, who are you looking at? Not at those girls, right?”

  “Oh, yes. No looking at other women.”

  He turned away, casting his gaze across the plain as Charlotte and Jasper returned to them. She was nearly jumping in her ecstatic state. She tugged Micah’s shirt and pointed up to the sky.

  “It’s here!” she squealed. “We made it right on time! Look! It’s the Skyline!”

  Micah followed her direction and peered up into the sky along with everyone else. It was loaded with puffy clouds drifting through the expanse, and against one particularly large cluster, he located what she was seeing. Or at least he thought he did, because he found it almost too astounding to be real.

  What couldn’t be anything else but a ship was slowly descending down to them. A large, wooden vessel that could have sailed any sea was instead riding nothing but air. It seemed to have masts, but while a sea-bound ship included two or three upward beams, the masts of the Skyline extended down from the bottom of the boat, six total in two slanted rows. Sails billowed among each of them. And holding the craft afloat was a white balloon, supported by a maze of steel girders and thick rope.

  “It’s… flying,” Micah managed to utter. “How have I never heard of such a thing?”

  “Yes, well Carnel doesn’t have a monopoly on all things remarkable, does it?” Jasper quipped.

  “Even though it’s powered by Carnel magic,” Olivia remarked slyly.

  He turned his nose up. “Well… all the same.”

  “Wait a minute,” Micah said, putting the pieces together. “Is Sky Blue City… located in the sky?”

  Charlotte beamed at him. “Yes! Oh, wait ‘til you see it. It’s the most amazing place, Micah. Just amazing.”

  She continued to ramble on about the qualities of the ship, but her voice was drowned by the increasing sound of its approach. A deep whirring din only wind magic could make emanated from the boat as it slowly descended beside the dock. Women held their hats and dresses as it threw clothing into a flurry. The Skyline Preeto came to a perfect landing on the six masts, and the whirring subsided to a lingering flurry.

  It was in that moment of closer inspection, as a gangplank was lowered and crewmen in blue suits began to descend, that Micah realized the vessel wasn’t as glorious as it first appeared. In fact, it was in very poor condition. The Preeto, while magnificent to behold to the untrained eye, was actually wallowing in an absolute state of disrepair. The paint was fresh, the sails were white as light, and windows gleamed. But the girders were loaded with rust, especially at connection points, and many of the ropes were badly frayed in places.

  He quickly leaned in to Charlotte. “We can’t go on that thing.”

  “What?” she replied with a sharp inhale, looking alarmed.

  He wished he had been more careful about his comment, because Jasper and Olivia were now looking at them.

  “What do you mean?” she repeated.

  “What’s wrong?” Jasper asked.

  Micah hated the hurt look on Charlotte’s face. But there just wasn’t a logical justification to board such a hazardous boat. “It’s too dangerous,” he said cautiously. “This ship is a junk heap. Just look at the state it’s in. Look at those girders. They’re going to fall apart at any moment. The whole thing is an eyesore.”

  “Oh, come now, man,” Jasper said with a flap of his hand. “This vessel makes three roundtrips a day to Sky Blue. And they have seven other boats making the same routes, which they’ve been doing for years incident-free.”

  “Then, why can’t we wait for next one?”

  “That won’t be for another three hours! The day will be wasted.”

  “Hold on, Jasper,” Charlotte said. She made the pouting face that Micah knew well. He expected her to start to tear up. But, to his surprise, she blinked it away, and mustered herself up.

  “Micah, do you really think it’s too dangerous?”

  “Yes,” he answered. Her expression plummeted, and Micah regretted his answer. Rather than thinking, he quickly said, “But…”

  She looked up at him in hope. He tried not to look back, inwardly reprimanding himself for his blatant foolishness, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Charlotte’s eyes. He was utterly helpless against them.

  “I suppose…” he said quietly. “If it makes the voyage three times a day… the odds don’t favor an accident occurring… during this particular trip.”

  “Fantastic,” Jasper said sardonically. “Let’s be off, then.”

  He took Charlotte’s arm and led her to the gangplank, but she mouthed a sincere “thank you” to Micah. He was left watching them get in line behind the other passengers. He looked at Olivia, and she sighed. They nodded to each other and followed.

  In minutes, they were on board. The main deck was just as pristine as the boat’s outward appearance. It featured tables for the guests, a bar with a finely dressed bartender, and open space for walking the length of the ship. The crewmen attended to the guests’ every need, scrambling to and fro as they met requests for food, wine, or whatever else they desired.

  But Micah couldn’t stop looking at the girders. They were in such poor condition, he didn’t know how they stayed aloft. The balloon seemed ready to cave them all in, and the severe rust made the trusses rattle with every jostle. Jasper, Charlotte, and Olivia sat in one of the empty tables, but he remained standing, keeping his eyes on one particular set of stanchions near the bow where rust had weakened every single beam and the pressure of the balloon against the metal would be particularly strong.

  “Oh dear, everyone is staring again,” Charlotte said to the others with a hand on her face. Micah stood still as a statue, arms folded and all focus on the girders, as if it was inevitable they would eventually collapse.

  “Don’t worry about it, my dear,” Jasper said, signaling for one of the crewmen. “They probably just think he’s… ‘special.’”

  “Not likely,” Olivia said. “Just look at everybody. They know at the very least he’s dangerous. He’s making them nervous.”

  “For good reason, as usual,” Charlotte said, biting her lip. “I’d never even considered the dangers, but now that I see what he sees, I can’t help but think we have a death wish.”

  “Oh, nonsense,” Jasper replied harshly. A crewman approached with a bottle of wine, and Jasper tipped the mouth of it to his nose and inhaled. “That’s perfect, my man. Three glasses.” He turned back to the girls as their waiter scurried away. “As I said, this flight is perfectly safe. Don’t let him ruin this. The takeoff is especially grand.”

  Charlotte and Olivia looked at each other dubiously, but said nothing more. Ten minutes later, the takeoff was announced. Many of the passengers made their way to the sides to get a better view. Element Stones lodged within the masts activated, and the immense wind picked up, blasting currents across the plains. With a groan, the boat slowly lifted off the ground. An excited cheer issued from several of the passengers, including Charlotte, who waved to nobody.

  They were flying! In no time at all, the boat rose to amazing heights, and the full breadth of Astenbury’s glory could be seen. A perfect circle, like nearly every city in Rypsy, surrounding its all-important Blessing Pole. Except this city was miles long and dominated the countryside. Charlotte had made this trip once as a child, but she appreciated it so much more now. She remembered all the harrowing times in the last few months that she’d been taken off the ground, but this was different, and she’d never felt more exhilarated.

  She turned to locate Micah to see what he thought, but he was still standing near the bow, arms folded, head lifted to focus solely on the steel frame above their heads. She frowned in sadness, wishing he could enjoy this with them.

  The flight was a couple hours, so eventually they returned to the table, but Micah never joined them. Jasper tried to distract as best he could, but Charlotte worried constantly. Micah’s impeccable sense of danger never seemed to fail, yet here they all were, ignoring his warning, even after all the things she’d seen him do and all the times he averted what could have been a catastrophe.

  Half an hour later, she couldn’t take it anymore. She got up to make her way to Micah when Jasper took her hand.

  “Isn’t this spectacular, Char?” he asked, smiling. “And look!” He got up and led her across the deck to the other side. “You can see the Sariandra River from here.”

  “Really?” she asked excitedly. “Where?”

  He pointed north, where a thin cord of glistening blue emerged from a mountain range and drove into a thick forest east of the city, which was now as small as a cookie on the horizon. In reality, the mammoth river would have been a couple hundred feet wide, but from their vantage, it looked no thicker than a spider web strand.

  Jasper leaned against the railing, smiling coyly. “Of course, the river is nothing compared to your beauty.”

  She smiled and was about to reply when an odd noise met their ears. Something like a deep groan sounded above them. They looked up. It disappeared among the whirring of the ship, but then it came again, deep and laborious.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “I don’t…” His voice trailed off as they continued to scan above.

  Charlotte’s heart sank. There was a snap and a deafening screech as two steel shafts cracked, ripped from the tiebeam, and plummeted.