Despite her spiteful resolution, Maeryn quickly realized she had little idea of how to locate any nobles outside of their district, let alone how to approach them in a way that might sway them to her cause.

  Finding a bench near the fountain in the center of town, Maeryn sat and opened her notebook, jotting down the results of the meeting and updating her to-do list. Then she studied the map she’d copied the night before, looking for inspiration.

  Despite her careful study, no ideas were forthcoming. Sighing, Maeryn put her notebook away. There was no way around it, she supposed. She would need to ask for help. Terrance would find her eventually, but the idea of just waiting for him didn’t sit right with her. The question was who Maeryn could approach.

  Mentally reviewing everyone she’d met on Cloudreach, only one name stood out as someone who would both be easily located and potentially helpful: Skymaster Lyra. Maeryn stood, stretching as well as she could in these increasingly-frustrating clothes, and began walking.

  With so much on her mind, Maeryn didn’t notice at first, but eventually she caught the sounds of hushed conversations around her as she strode past. She strained her ears to listen even as she kept walking.

  “Who’s she?”

  “How in the sky did she become an airship captain already? Do you think she’s faking it?”

  “No way. Look at her move. That’s a woman on a mission. Besides, no one would dare wear the clothes if they didn’t actually have an airship.”

  “Have any of you guys seen her before? Because I sure don’t recognize her.”

  “Do you think she came from Zephyr? I hear they have an academy there that churns out young airship pilots these days.”

  “What on earth would one of them be doing here? No, I bet she’s some noble’s daughter that was given special lessons or something.”

  “She’s certainly pretty enough for that, I guess.”

  Maeryn rolled her eyes to herself, deciding to tune them out even as she fought down yet another wave of irritation at her stupidly restrictive captain’s outfit. She didn’t want or need this kind of attention!

  Doing her best to ignore the whispers surrounding her, Maeryn focused on the road in front of her and the buildings on either side. It was so different from back home. In Vert, all the buildings were built to be sturdy and heavy, and everyone had their own little place. She could still remember her parents walking her to the home that had been erected just for her when she was thirteen. She’d been so proud, simultaneously excited and incredibly nervous about the idea of living on her own, even when her parents were literally just down the street.

  But space was at a premium on Cloudreach… and presumably on other flying cities too. It looked like residential space was limited, homes were crowded into large buildings that looked like they could house several dozen residences at once. It boggled the mind. How did people find any privacy or sense of ownership? The thought made her shudder.

  As she walked, Maeryn caught sight of children playing in a small park, their laughter carrying on the wind. She smiled nostalgically, reminded of the communal spaces in Vert, where children would gather to play and families would meet to share meals and stories. Some things were the same everywhere, she supposed.

  She passed a market bustling with activity, vendors calling out their wares, and the air filled with the scent of fresh produce and baked goods. The colors and sounds were vibrant, almost overwhelming in their intensity. It was a stark contrast to the more subdued markets of Vert, where practicality often took precedence over aesthetics. It was different in other Geovan settlements, Maeryn had heard, but she couldn’t remember Vert ever being as colorful and open as what she was seeing here.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Then again, Maeryn mused, she’d been so focused on the mana depletion crisis growing up that she hadn’t really paid attention to anything that didn’t relate to it, or her work as a hunter. It was entirely possible she’d missed a festival or four.

  A little stab of longing pierced her, then, and Maeryn sighed, realizing that she was missing her parents again. “Come on, Rin,” she muttered to herself, “you can be homesick later. Right now you’ve got a job to do. Once we solve the mana depletion, or even just the Mist issue, then you can go home.”

  Her little pep talk didn’t really do much to get rid of her homesickness, but it did allow her to focus as she reached the airfield. Lyra wasn’t immediately visible, so Maeryn changed course to the office that she’d filled out all of that paperwork in, knocking as soon as she arrived.

  “Enter.”

  Maeryn opened the door and stepped inside, immediately locking eyes with Skymaster Lyra, who immediately put down her pen and gave Maeryn her full attention. It was rather intense to be stared at like that, Maeryn noted with a little shiver.

  “Captain Maeryn. What can I do for you?”

  Maeryn couldn’t help the little grimace that crossed her face. Now that she was here, it really struck her that she was about to ask for help from someone who had no reason to offer any, and that left her feeling… rather uncomfortable, to be honest. “It’s something of a long story,” Maeryn offered hesitantly, “but the short form is that I need some help and don’t really know who to ask. I, um, need to approach nobles for sponsorship in order to get the Council to give me the research we came here for.”

  By the way Lyra subtly slumped, Maeryn had accidentally brought up something that she was utterly weary of dealing with, and a stab of regret flashed through her. She was about to apologize when Lyra cut her off. “No, don’t apologize,” Lyra ordered, tiredly rubbing her eyes. “It’s a fair request. Just not one I have good answers for. Sit down, give me a moment to collect myself, and I’ll fill you in.”

  Maeryn’s mouth clicked shut, and she sat down as the Skymaster had bidden.

  Lyra took a deep breath and released it, finally meeting Maeryn’s gaze after almost a whole minute. “Like your own circumstances, my history with nobility is something of a long story,” she began, echoing Maeryn’s words from earlier. “But if I can cut the story down to its essentials for the sake of brevity… you may have noticed that there is very little air traffic here. Very few airships on the field, as it were.”

  Maeryn nodded slowly. “My team and I did notice that on our way into Cloudreach, yes.”

  “The reason for that is simple. Most of the airships that were stationed here are owned by the noble families. Frankly speaking, most of them have already fled Cloudreach for bluer skies,” Lyra stated bluntly. “A handful to Zephyr, some to branch families on other cities, and several more using luxury airships to travel the skies on their own so as not to be subject to the laws and decisions of Zephyrian government.”

  The Geovan girl leaned back, struck speechless by the information for a long moment. “That… They abandoned their home? Their responsibilities? Why?” The thought was alien to her. She couldn’t imagine it. Even though Maeryn had left Vert, it was on a mission for her people, for her family. For everyone’s survival. She was still Geovan in her heart, and proud of it.

  Lyra looked at Maeryn pityingly. “Because they could,” she answered simply. “Because the mana depletion shows no signs of stopping, and they recognized that Cloudreach will likely be one of the first cities forced to land and be abandoned. They had the resources to leave early, so they did. As a result, very few noble families remain here on Cloudreach. And, frankly speaking, you have next to no chance of meeting them. They rarely venture out from the noble district.” Her face twisted into something sympathetic. “I am sorry, Captain Maeryn. I had hoped that you would complete your mission, that the Council of Winds might reveal to you the location of the mana researchers and let the wind guide you where you need be next… but evidently that was too much to ask.”

  So that was what Sipund had meant when he had said that Maeryn’s chance of convincing any nobility might as well be zero. “So… there aren’t many noble families left, and they don’t leave the noble district. And I can’t get into the district without a noble sponsorship or Council of Winds authorization. And the Council of Winds won’t let me without a sponsorship. Which I can’t get because the nobles don’t leave,” Maeryn muttered. She took a deep breath, her face hardening. “Well, that clears up my next step, then.”

  Lyra raised an eyebrow. “And what is your next step?”

  Maeryn’s answering smile was devoid of mirth and humor. “We’ll be leaving quite early tomorrow morning,” she said in lieu of an actual reply. “Could you walk me through any forms that I can complete beforehand?”

  Lyra stared at her for a long moment, visibly debating whether to pursue the question further. Finally, she let out a small sigh, letting it go. “... Certainly. Whatever it is you plan on doing, please try not to break any laws or cause too much of a ruckus.”

  “I’ll certainly try.”