velvet stretching for thousands of miles, and filled with who-knew-what kind of marine creatures. The continents were wide strips that had broken off from the whole a long time ago, scattered across the planet, with oceans swelling between them. I could see the green patches of woods, the rocky mountain clusters, the deserts. White clouds threaded above. The eye of a storm looked right at us from the dark side. I did not want us to be down there, only imagining what sorts of calamities it might let loose.
“Preparing for atmospheric entry,” Derek said, flipping various switches on.
The control panel blinked in a plethora of colorful lights as the shuttle responded to his commands. Sofia pulled one of the levers to her right, and the entire vessel roared to life. Behind us, neatly tucked against the wall, the serium batteries’ blue glow intensified as the engines were kicked into motion.
“As soon as we reach it, the interplanetary spell will likely disintegrate,” Nethissis warned us. “It’s one of the risks we calculated from using just a handful of proteins in a blood droplet from you, Derek. Had we had a pebble, at least, from Trexus-2, we wouldn’t have had an issue.”
“That’s okay, Nethi. We prepared for this,” Derek replied.
“One minute,” Sofia warned us.
The world ahead expanded, and we could see the mountain ranges better, snaking through fields of emerald green. We were away from the storm, thank heavens. We had clear skies, and we’d agreed on a certain set of coordinates, using the shuttle’s navigation system. They were supposed to lead us straight to the largest settlement we’d observed through the modified telescopes.
Esme took my hand, squeezing gently. I gave her a reassuring smile. “We’re okay. It’ll be okay,” I whispered, knowing she sometimes needed my support. She was one of the bravest creatures I knew, but even Esme had her weak spot. She was a walking contradiction, my sister. Thrilled and scared of new adventures, at the same time. It made everything more exciting.
“Twenty seconds,” Sofia said.
I counted the rest in the back of my head as the interplanetary spell bubble began to shake, forcing its way through what seemed like a sturdy, dense atmosphere. The magic buzzed around us, the sound nearly scratching my brain with its sharpness.
“Five, four… three, two… one!” Sofia breathed as we went in.
My heart stopped for a moment, everything else shaking around us. The entry was surprisingly smooth and short, though, prompting me to open my eyes so I wouldn’t miss a thing.
“There she is,” Derek breathed.
We were headed for one of the biggest of the five continents, an S-shaped piece of dry land covered in lush forests, rich fields of wheat, and broad mountain ranges. Rivers streamed across from north to south, and there were cities built along them. Dozens! Dozens of cities, many of which we hadn’t been able to properly observe through the lenses.
“Holy crap,” Esme managed, her jaw dropping.
“We’re headed for the southwestern shore,” Derek said.
“That’s where the coordinates take us, right?” Nethissis asked.
The interplanetary spell bubble began to fade, like a pretty summer’s dream, golden flakes flying away as the shuttle became active and subject to gravity. The engines grumbled softly, the batteries zinging behind us, as Derek and Sofia piloted us to our preset destination.
They checked the computer board occasionally, following its screen compass in order to guide us in the right direction. The shuttle made a sharp left turn and a daring drop, ripping a gasp from my throat as I gripped the plush armrests.
It was Esme’s turn to take my hand in hers and mouth an “It’s okay” at me. My cheeks burned, and so did my throat, but she was right. We’d get through this. We had to. A crash wasn’t going to kill me, but I was in no mood to get myself maimed so early in the game.
“Everybody, get ready,” Derek said. “We’re steady now, but we’ll be landing soon.”
From what I could see through the windshield, the terrain was smooth. The sunlight wasn’t too bright, either… It seemed odd, like a soft haze. It cast itself over the world, deepening the shadows and sharpening contrasts in ways I’d not thought possible. It was breath-taking.
We were flying over fields of wheat and flowers that reminded me of the English rapeseed cultures—patches of bright yellow blossoms that went on for miles. To our west, deep woods rose above the rolling hills, cradling all sorts of tales of their own. Behind them, a mountainous beast