“As it shall be done. Please follow this way,” the woman led them up a spiraling staircase that climbed high into the sky. The top of the tower opened up to a web of black rope bridges with wooden planks connecting booths held aloft by colorful hot air balloons of elaborate designs.

They could see the entire town far below. Tall reddish-brown silos carved of hollowed tree trucks. Around them spanned a settlement with houses and buildings featuring skillfully sculpted wood in an array of animals and flowers. The roofs were slanted in deep indigo and blues. Most had chambers also supported by hot air balloons. They were many and unique, with crests and woven patterns. All seemed sewn together from the strong black fibers of ceilya stems.

The town had been constructed with available materials from the flowers and forest and decorated with a wide variety of colorful murals. No wall was left unpainted. True to the nature of the color mills, everything was an elaborate work of art. The streets flooded with creatures like the canals of Ravenessence.

“The town needn’t fear high winds as such are siphoned away by the tower-mounted crystals you see.” Spiral pointed to a green one on a long pole with black flags.

They were seated in a booth with holes in the lower backrest designed for tails. Alouve and Mayne sat on one side, and the back was removed to accommodate their wings. A round wooden table was positioned in the middle with a fiery crystal over the center, keeping the balloon afloat. Paper menus waited for them.

“This takes me back; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen physical menus.” Sayth immediately flipped to the spirited beverages.

“Yes, on Drako, we used holographic displays. Ceilya culture is an inspiration, truly a marvelous blend of different species and technology, like a page out of history. I would very much desire to stay here for a time,” Alouve said, curving her neck back to see the town below.

“That can be arranged,” Sayth replied and turned toward the waitress. “Bring me a Luvegan Red Cocktail to start.”

“I am sorry to decline, but that beverage is not sold to humans. It is of high toxicity and deadly,” she informed Sayth.

“Don’t worry, I’m a guardian dragon.” Sayth held out his palm, shifting it into a black dragon claw.

“It is of dangerous nature to dragons as well,” she said.

“Just make it happen.” Sayth tapped his claw on the table.

“We shall require a moment to decide,” Spiral added. The waitress walked away, disconcerted.

“When your blood is liquid ghate, nothing has much kick anymore,” Sayth remarked, tossing his menu aside. Mayne was lost in his.

Alouve flipped through her menu cover to cover before setting it down. “I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with these courses. Spiral, what would you recommend for a dragon indulgent in meat? For cycles when growing our starship, we had nothing to eat but the fruits and vegetables we grew ourselves.”

“Would you have I order for the table?” Spiral asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Alouve replied, and Mayne agreed.

“So, your mentor is arriving soon. You seem to think highly of her. What is she like?” Sayth asked.

“Magilike is a very wise and powerful sorceress. Of TriCora, none know more. She helped me find place as a guardian dragon and granted this human form. Those even the highest echelons of the Legion of Sypter heed her council. For this mission of Altnexxis and illeathien, she surely will be an asset,” Spiral said, pausing as the waitress returned. She ordered for the party and sent her away.

“I noticed she didn’t bring my drink.” Sayth sulked.

“Mayne, I very much would like to vacation here. Such a quaint and artistic town; it reminds me of a sabbatical I took from my performance studies. Please, treasure.” Alouve wrapped her hands around Mayne’s.

“Yes, I certainly could use a break as well, and it seems we can’t return to Rainbow’s Wane and Second Drako,” Mayne agreed.

Sayth smiled at the prospect of not having to look out for them.

“Sure, I am. You shall find much enjoyment. I rest here an honored guest and can arrange lodgings for you. There’s not a more beautiful place to watch the universe end.” Spiral leaned back and threw her arms up behind her head.

“Don’t talk like that,” Sayth said as he removed the glowing white sphere from his breast pocket and started adding signatures to it.

“What have you there?” Spiral asked, leaning in for a better view.

“A composition and puzzle of signature engineering. It began when my blood mixed with the rain in Ravenessence. I don’t know what it will become, but specific signatures bond with it in unique ways. I have a lot of experience in signature engineering and haven’t seen anything like this before.” He levitated it above his palm.

“Signature engineering is not in my expertise, but I suspect both the ghate in your blood and rain of Ravenessence hold unique and unreal qualities. The experiment is already radiating light, and who can say how much potential energy it holds. I am exceptionally interested in hearing your progress as it occurs, but might I ask you not work on such a potentially deadly project at the dining table?” Mayne suggested.

“That’s reasonable.” Sayth tucked the sphere in his breast pocket.

“Having such an unstable mass by your heart doesn’t concern you?” Mayne asked.

“Nope,” Sayth replied, polishing the half orb on his hand against the opposite sleeve.

The waitress returned with a levitating tray of covered clear crystal platters. The dragons’ were appropriately larger, and she had to heft them onto the table with both hands.

Sayth noticed the continued absence of his beverage. “Where’s my cocktail?” he asked irritably.

“So sorry I am, but of that, our stocks are bare.” The waitress said, fumbling with the platters. They seemed heavy for a human. Sayth levitated the remaining ones onto the table.

“No, they’re not,” he replied.

“Pardon, sir, but we have excellent Rainbow Elixirs designed for humans or—” she began.

“No, bring me a Luvegan Red,” Sayth ordered.

“But I must to object, you see—” the waitress pleaded.

“It’s fine; I can take it. Just bring it,” Sayth repeated in annoyance.

“Yes, sir.” The waitress promptly walked away.

“The incompetence,” he said under his breath.

“Ah, yes, more toxins to the table,” Mayne muttered.

Alouve was the first to lift the cover of her platter to find a rack of rare, seasoned meat, a specialty for dragons. It was colored cinnamon red and garnished with mint-green flowers. Mayne received the same dish. Spiral uncovered a salad of blue and green leafy vegetables with a luminescent yellow fruit in the center that pulsed in regular intervals, showing orange veins. Alouve and Mayne stared at it.

“Would my eyes deceive or is that a heart?!” Alouve emphasized the word “heart.”

“Nay, it is a fruit, a delicacy. The rare serifrun trees do sprout on natural deposits of signature energy. The fruit they bear is most nutritious. As my native species, we would fish to eat. Now, as I can become human, the path of not killing to survive is open.” Spiral twirled a fork-like utensil on her index finger.

“It reminds me of a lecture on growing synthetic organs by infusing rapid growth weeds with the patient’s genetic code,” Mayne commented.

“This food of mine is not an organ. If can we leave behind the topic, I shall tell of the mills. Many times, as guardian, have I saved this settlement. From demons, from the second Heart of Crystal Order. As my guests, you shall be most welcome. An inn I know, should they be available, will be accommodating. Would you be listening?” Spiral stopped to ask.

The serifrun fruit continued to beat and glow and had toppled over on Spiral’s plate. It was gradually vibrating its way down into her leafy vegetables. Both Alouve and Mayne stared at it. They hadn’t touched their own food. Sayth was rather enjoying the spectacle.

“If you would please pay attention.” Spiral frowned. Her tail twitched about behind the booth.

“I apologize, Spiral, but it is rather ghastly.” Alouve tried not to look at the fruit, but her eyes kept wandering back.

“Yes, ghastly. I mean, I’m sorry as well. You’re making a most generous gesture,” Mayne agreed.

“Right then. As I was saying, what was I saying? Oh, yes, the inn is down the lane. Truly convenient is it you can speak TriCoran. Explain simply you are unfamiliar to the area, and a tour can be arranged. Oh, by falling trees!” Spiral stopped seeing how the dragons were once again fixated on her fruit, which had popped. She picked it up by the blue stem, slowly raised it to her mouth, licked her glistening lips, and slid the entire pulsating fruit in. In one slow and steady motion, she pulled the orange core out, stripped of all flesh. Glowing pink juice trickled down her cheek and chin. Alouve, Mayne, and Sayth stared at Spiral, wide eyed. They sat there, speechless for a moment.

‘This shouldn’t be turning me on,’ Sayth thought to himself.

The waitress returned with a tall, bubbling carmine beverage. Her hands shook as she slowly handed it to Sayth without speaking.

“Be careful with that.” Mayne eyed the malevolent mixture.

“Yeah, it would be a shame if, oops!” Sayth thrust the glass, gushing liquid from it but stopped the puddle in midair with his mind. Mayne and Alouve both jolted. He willed the drink back into its container. The waitress nearly fainted.

“Was that really necessary?” Alouve asked, cross.

“On a sun-soaked beach of diamond sands, how necessary is the tide?” Sayth asked in response. Spiral covered her smile with her hand.

The waitress stood beside the table with her hands on her heart, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Would there be something else?” Spiral looked at her.

For a moment, she struggled to calm her breath before swallowing hard and working up the courage to respond. “My lady, yes, Magilike has arrived and is waiting for you.”

Sayth chugged the tall drink down in one fell motion and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Lead on,” he said. The waitress went pale but turned to show them to Magilike’s table. Sayth and Spiral followed.

“Shortly, I shall return,” Spiral told the dragons.

​

-Rainbows Wane