♫ I'm Headed Straight For The Castle ♫

Aeluri paced wall to wall and back again. The tiny room in the ship’s cabin felt like it was growing smaller with each tick of the clock on the wall. Her shoes and the timepiece were the only sounds within the space, save for the faint crashing of waves against the sides of the ship.

Fingers twitched in agitation as Aeluri moved around. She hated the ocean. She hated ships. Yet, here she was, traversing the Cloud Sea atop one. Why on Earthland had she taken this godforsaken job? Her self-confidence had led her astray again. “‘I can brave the sea again,’” Aeluri muttered, mocking her own thoughts from the other day. “‘The last time wasn’t so bad!’ Tch! What an idiot!” Footsteps became stomps for a moment. She was furious with herself for ending up on the ocean again. The one place she hated most on the planet was around her. As soon as she and her mentee, Louie, had boarded the ship, Aeluri had taken to her room in the ship’s cabin. The less she had to see the ocean, the less distressed she would be on the trip. The past few days on the water had been torture. She hardly slept.

The ship’s crew had said that today was the day they would arrive at their destination. Aeluri had asked enough times to annoy them. The minutes ticked and ticked. Each one sounded louder and louder in her ears. At last, the raven-haired woman couldn’t handle it. She grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and hurled it at the clock. Glass shattered as it collided with the timepiece. The annoying ticking subsided. Aeluri looked at the debris with a scowl. The ship lurched and so did her stomach.

“Five minutes until takeoff!” came a cry from a shipmate on the deck. Aeluri’s ears perked up. Takeoff? What could that mean? Though she had been persistent about asking when they would arrive, the dark mage hadn’t asked about how they would reach their destination. She knew the castle at the end of their journey was airborne but figured that there was some way to get up from the ocean. Maybe a ladder? An aircraft? Who knew.

Quickly Aeluri donned her waist-length cloak and pulled the hood over her feline ears. She had the ability to take on any feline features at any time, so she had been passing the time listening to the crew’s conversations with heightened hearing and carving pictures into the wooden walls of the cabin with sharp claws. Hopefully when they found her handiwork they wouldn’t be too mad. Black fabric fit comfortably over her ears, which she flattened to her head. The less the ship’s crew knew about her, the better. That included appearance.

Aeluri rushed from her room and climbed the stairs to the deck to see what was going on. She had to dodge a few shipmates rushing about. When she reached the surface, the sight of the water around the ship made her stomach churn. Choppy waves were obscured not far out from the vessel by low-hanging clouds. Apparently the Cloud Sea lived up to its name.

Mismatching eyes looked around for Louie. Aeluri hadn’t seen him much since she had holed herself up beneath the decks. She wondered how he had been spending the trip. Probably complaining to himself about the fishy smell in the air or how gruff the crew looked. Aeluri snorted at the thought. A quick glance around didn’t reveal her mentee, but surely he had heard the call and would show up soon.

The hooded woman approached the captain, who was directing his employees left and right. They seemed to be prepping the ship for something. When he caught sight of her, he gave Aeluri a nod. She nodded in response. When she had sought out someone to take her and Louie to their mystical destination, the person who had sent out the job posting had given them a list of sailors who might be willing to take them. Going down the list, many of them had denied the existence of the castle or curtly said that they would not agree. No amount of bribing could sway them. The last sailor on the list had sat down with Aeluri and Louie to discuss it in private. The three had taken up a quiet corner of a cafe where the sailor knew the owner. There, he had revealed that he knew the location of the castle and that he had little favor for the Magic Council. He was willing to take the two there to fulfill their mission and would simply look the other way. Should anyone ask him, he would feign ignorance.

Aeluri had a shred of respect for the ship’s captain. She wasn’t a huge fan of the Magic Council herself, and was glad that someone had been able to take her and Louie to their destination. He would be paid handsomely for his time. The hooded mage approached him. The captain paused his direction for a moment and turned his attention to Aeluri as the crew buzzed around them like working bees.

“Are we close?” she asked simply. “Aye,” he responded in a raspy voice. “Good,” Aeluri nodded and turned to walk back across the deck. As seasick as she felt, the sinister woman did well at hiding it. She only made it a few steps before she remembered the question she had intended to ask. “Oh,” she exclaimed, turning her shoulder to the captain once more. Crimson and gold eyes peered curiously. “What was that I heard about taking off?”

“HOLD ON, EVERYONE!” the captain cried just then. “COMMENCING TAKEOFF!” The ship lurched beneath their feet. Several crew members stumbled and grabbed onto whatever they could. The ocean churned and roared beneath them. Aeluri leapt to the nearest railing and clutched it as tightly as she could. Instinctively her claws detracted and dug into the wood for extra grip. The vessel tossed a bit before Aeluri could feel an odd sensation. Were they… ascending?

She rushed to the outermost edge of the deck. The boat was exerting a powerful magic from within that was lifting it from the ocean! Oars with winged extensions churned at breakneck speed. A massive sail had been extended. It was catching the wind and curved in a beautiful arc of cloth against the clouds. Only the last third of the ship was in the ocean. Water dripped, streamed, roared down the sides of the boat, returning to its source. The sound was tremendous.

Aeluri was fascinated. A ship that could go airborne! She had never seen anything like it before. At last the vessel was completely airborne, traveling at a much faster speed than it had been in the water. The hooded woman nearly let out a whoop. They were finally away from the ocean! She could already feel her stomach settling. Aeluri turned to the deck to look for Louie once more.

It didn’t take long for Louie to find Aeluri. She had heard his footsteps approaching as she peered over the railing at the thick clouds surrounding the now airborne boat. He certainly wasn’t quiet and was making his presence quite known. The summoner grimaced for a brief second. It was a challenge to teach Louie to think like a dark mage, let alone act like one. Stealth was important in their line of work, but he couldn’t seem to get that through his thick skull. Then again, being quiet and blending in wasn’t exactly natural for him. He was a hard person to ignore.

Aeluri’s scowl worsened as Louie reached out and grabbed on to her hood. Instinctively she grabbed the edges near her face so it didn’t come off. The last thing she wanted was for her feline ears to draw attention to herself. She whirled around as Louie chastised her choice of outfit. “At least I don’t look like walking thief bait,” she hissed, her mood souring in an instant. The smug little twerp crossed his arms and was staring at her. Aeluri narrowed her eyes at him from beneath her hood. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you shit yours, kid,” she muttered in response. “I bet the takeoff scared you more than the presence of poor people does.” Her scowl loosened up a bit at the thought.

Louie started panicking, desperately searching around for his iLac. Aeluri chuckled a little bit. “It’s probably at the bottom of the ocean by now,” she said with a gleeful smirk. Her mismatching eyes watched with growing amusement as he fumbled around. Ha! This is what he deserved for being such a pain in the ass.

Aeluri whipped her head around as a loud THUMP came from the side of the ship. She took the steps down to the lower deck near where the sound was, leaving Louie to deal with his monumental loss. Over the railing, a young man with white hair had appeared. One of the crew members had approached him cautiously with a spear. Aeluri watched as the young man summoned some interesting celestial spirits. One was… a walking cupcake? The other was a woman in a kimono and the third was a skeleton in a suit with massive horns.

The little group had captured the attention of the crew. Aeluri herself was intrigued and pushed her way past the sailors. As she got closer, she recognized the young man. It was Odhran Aegisbane, a dark mage that had arrived to join Louie and herself for a business meeting not long ago. His spirit that donned the kimono was familiar as well. The young man was an odd one. Aeluri had been amused by his antics last time they had met.

She stepped closer. “Odhran,” she called out to him. “What are you doing here?” Aeluri wasn’t one to offer polite greetings. He seemed to be catching his breath, so she waited a moment for his reply.

Their conversation was interrupted by the ship’s captain calling out once more. “APPROACHING DESTINATION! PREPARE TO DISEMBARK STARBOARD.” Aeluri had no idea what starboard meant. The crew began to rush about the vessel again. The sails were adjusted and a large anchor wreathed in magic was taken below decks to be dropped on the sky island.

The clouds around the ship had obscured their view since departing from the ocean below. Moisture from the clouds had gathered on all the ship’s exterior surfaces and left drips and dewdrops everywhere. Aeluri shook some of the water from her cloak. All at once, they broke through the clouds. The gray was replaced by bright sunlight and the white, puffy tops of clouds. Directly ahead was a giant floating island. Beaches surrounded its edges along with a peculiar bit of ocean suspended in the air. The water neither fell nor dripped, being held up by a magical force. In the center of the island was a massive castle. Bright limestone walls gleamed in the light. Flags printed with the Magic Council’s symbol flew from the tips of a few towers.

As their destination approached, Aeluri felt her heart rate increase. It had been a long time since she had done an assassination job. The carnal thrill of impending battle wove through her. She was eager to sink her claws into some flesh. It had been some time since Linnea had killed too. The sinister spirit could be felt lurking inside the shadows of the ship. Occasionally Aeluri would see its red eyes glowing from a shadow, only to disappear a second later. She instructed it to wait, but its patience was growing thin.

The ship slowly sank into the suspended sky-ocean and sailed effortlessly towards the beach shore. Aeluri’s stomach turned at the reunion with water, even if it was a small amount. The vessel anchored a distance from the shore as the water was too shallow to go any further. Aeluri sought out Louie and Odhran, leading them to the edge of the ship at the captain’s direction. Apparently starboard meant the right side of the boat when facing towards the front.

The three mages and Odhran’s spirits were led into a dinghy and accompanied by a lone sailor. He glanced nervously at the celestial beings every few seconds. Aeluri’s enhanced vision could see the furious pulsing of his veins under his skin, showing that his terrified heart was racing. She huffed quietly in mild amusement.

The ride from the ship to the shore was hell. Aeluri dug her fingers into the boat’s edge, trying to focus her eyes on the castle instead of the water beneath them. The gentle lapping of the waves was more tolerable than the crashing ones of the ocean. She still swore up a storm in her head every time the boat lurched.

Aeluri was the first on the shore when they arrived. As soon as her boots touched the sand, her body released its pent up tension. She let out a quick sigh before looking around. The golden beaches were in pristine condition. It seemed to be a lovely place to spend time. Aeluri wouldn’t even mind soaking up some sun if it weren’t for this island’s connection to the Magic Council. Not a soul was to be seen, though. The breeze whispered over the silent sand.

Across the beach, on the path leading towards the castle, Aeluri noticed something on the ground. She peered at it, but even her enhanced vision couldn’t quite make out what it was. Leaving Louie and Odhran without a word, she made her way towards the path. As she approached, Aeluri could smell fresh blood. The thing turned out to be the body of a castle guard, his body and armor ripped to shreds. A large portion of the flesh was missing completely, as if consumed by something. A single large pawprint was left near the body, a bloody marker of whoever had done this.

Aeluri felt her heart drop to her stomach. They weren’t alone on this island. Someone had gotten here before them! In a quick motion, she dropped the hood from her head, her feline ears perking up to their full height once more. All her senses were on high, searching for any signs of danger. Claws extended from her fingertips in preparation for battle. From the shadows of a nearby tree, Linnea materialized. The two-headed white cat came to stand next to Aeluri protectively. The feline’s eight foot stature dwarfed her smaller figure. It sniffed the air, taking in the scent of blood and whoever had come here. Both heads let out rumbling growls. Twin tails lashed side to side. Blood-red saliva dripped from between its horrifying sets of teeth.

Aeluri waited for her companions to join her by the bloody remains before proceeding. She was more wary than she was headstrong.

Aeluri rolled her eyes at Louie’s back as he stepped past her and Odhran. Of course he would blame it on them. He was too oblivious to take in the subtle signs around the kill that gave warning that it was committed by someone outside of their group. Another glance around revealed that there were other bodies in the beach area, many with chunks of flesh torn from them. Whoever had landed here before them had slayed all the beach guards without mercy.

With a sigh, Aeluri continued after Louie, who had gone ahead down the path to the castle’s main entrance. Linnea followed at her side, both heads scanning to and fro for threats. The dark mage herself was staying wary. The two caught up to him just as her mentee warned to stay out of his way and pushed the doors in. Caution seemed to be disregarded completely. Reluctantly, she followed the blonde. She didn’t particularly know how to navigate a castle, so sticking together in a group was probably their best bet.

The hallways were massive. Limestone and marble buttresses lined the ceiling far above, supporting the weight of the stone. Every other alcove held a beautiful stained glass window many feet tall. Some depicted scenes of Fiorean history, while others held designs with angel wings or the symbol of the magic council. Finely woven rugs passed beneath their feet as they walked. Aeluri scowled as she thought about how expensive it must have been to create such a massive building. The Magic Council didn’t deserve such a luxurious retreat. She wished she still had access to some of Basilisk Fang’s weapons of mass destruction so she could obliterate this place into dust.

Aeluri paused mid-step in the middle of a hallway after they had turned a corner. There was the faint sound of heavy footsteps and clinking metal armor. It echoed around the stone walls and from what she could pick up, they were headed to a room just a few corners away. Linnea’s twin heads had perked up, catching the same sound. Woman and cat glanced at each other, acknowledging that they both heard the same thing.

“Guards,” Aeluri warned her companions, then took off in the direction of the noise. At the least, she wanted to see where they were heading. By following the guards, they might be able to find out more information about the castle and their mission. However, if they happened to encounter the guards face to face, Aeluri wouldn’t mind having to fight them. Her clawed fingers twitched at the thought.

The last corner was turned and Aeluri and Linnea found themselves in the entrance to a large marble-lined room. At the far end stood a tall, odd looking man. Fiery red hair sprouted from his head and symbols were painted on his pale cheeks in bright colors. He looked much like a circus clown. At his side was a massive tiger, which piqued Aeluri’s interest. She had the strong desire to pet the feline, but had to remind herself that it could be a threat. The blood dripping down its fur was a sign of such possibility. It was clear that these two were the ones who had massacred at the doorstep of the castle.

In the middle of the room was a crowd of castle guards dressed head to toe in metal armor. Across the room they had spread out, spears and swords facing towards the man and tiger. They seemed to be trying to apprehend him with hardly any success. “This is your last chance! Surrender now or we will be forced to arrest you!” cried the leader from beneath his metallic helmet.

Aeluri noticed that there seemed to be only one door leading to the space, and she was standing in the middle of it. The guards had intended to trap the stranger in this space, but now they were caught in the middle of two forces. Though she wasn’t sure if the clown was an ally or not, the assassin couldn’t help but be amused at the predicament. The armored men and women were now subject to the whims of either side with no escape. How delightful!

“My, my, my. What do we have here?” Aeluri called out, her sing-songy tone laced with mocking. She was addressing the room as a whole, but kept her eyes on the clown and tiger across the room. Anything she could observe about them could be useful to gauge whether they were a friend or a threat.