Pan led her little team towards the forest. In the end, no one but Irini and Aria volunteered to go.

Aria volunteered with great reluctance as if she were being forced. Pan was surprised her aura reading friend wasn’t blinded by her own ambivalence. Irini volunteered with more enthusiasm. She’d fingered her arcane pendant as she asked to go along. None of Alban’s crew agreed to go, and he let them off easy. Turned out, he had a lot of faith in Pan and her ability to destroy any obstacles the group encountered. So much so, that he would have let her go alone, even with Sotir’s protective objections.

Alban put a shuttle at their beck and call. It eased Aria’s discomfort but only somewhat.

Pan had no qualms about entering the forest. She saw Brynn at the edge, and the golden thread led in the same direction. Perfect harmony.

Pan knew Era would be far behind, having to swim through a great deal of space, but Pan moved quickly. The faster they moved, the sooner she could know how this whole thing ended.

Pan squinted and studied the forest’s edge. The walk would be long.

Pan stopped. “Let’s jump ahead.” She drew a portal. Through it, she saw the forest’s shadows.

Aria and Irini stopped and exchanged a glance.

“Come on,” Pan prodded. She nodded for Aria and Irini to precede her. Pan wondered if Aria could see through the portal at all. When neither arcane moved, Pan said, “It’s the edge of the forest. It’ll save us time.”

“Oh, yeah.” Irini glanced around the portal. She seemed to check its contents against what she saw in the distance. With care, Irini stepped through. She turned around. Wide-eyed, she peeked around the portal again and said, “You guys are so far away now.”

“She’s so cute,” Pan said to Aria, knowing Irini could hear her perfectly. “Your turn.” Pan gestured for Aria to take the step.

Aria crept closer. “I don’t really like this method of travel.” She reached out and felt the portal.

Pan put a hand on Aria’s shoulder, ready to give a gentle shove. “It’s just the forest. What do you see?”

Aria frowned. “A white disc. That’s it. That’s all I saw when we moved between the tug and scow, and that’s all I see now.” Aria stepped inside.

Pan took one last glance back at the storehouse and saw Alban, Sotir, and a handful of officers around the door. Several shuttles waited to be loaded with Sotir’s stolen horde of artifacts, apparently stolen from the Scaldin or the visitors. Who could say?

The storehouse gave them more questions than answers. Or, Pan could say it gave them study materials. Sotir would find the answers.

Pan caught Sotir looking. He waved halfheartedly. Pan blew him a kiss. She glimpsed his surprise but didn’t study it.

She stepped through and dropped her portal.

At such a distance, Pan couldn’t see Sotir. She stood under shade amid the smell of damp wood. Aria peered into the woods, a hand on one trunk, and Irini came to Pan’s side, looking like a bundle of nerves.

Pan had a look inside the forest herself. The trunks shot up. Brush and undergrowth dusted the soil, wherever light seeped through. The forest looked normal, but Pan felt a wave of foreboding. She thought Irini and Aria felt it too.

Pan’s com crackled. She jumped.

“Already shortening the trip,” Alban’s voice called. “Good job. See what this golden thread wants you to see, and then come back. I’ll plan out your fight with Era, or our escape, whichever seems more prudent at the time.”

“So, you’ll choreograph my battle?” Pan asked.

“Yes, but we need time to talk about it, so don’t take too long. Sotir is already starting to worry.”

“We won’t be long.” Pan turned off her com. She wanted to explore, scout the planet, and see where that thread led. Pan turned to Irini. “Which way? Let’s hurry. We don’t want Sotir to call us back.”

Irini pointed ahead. “This way. It’s very strong. More like a string now.”

“That’s good,” Aria said. “It means we should definitely be doing this.”

“Must be a nice power. What I wouldn’t do for a little guidance before I take a step.” Pan stared into the distance.

She tried to imagine the golden string. She bet it glittered in the sunlight. Pan might draw this scene later and make the thread. She’d have to see if Irini thought it looked accurate. Then she could give the drawing to her new arcane friend. If she wanted to make art for Irini, this concept would be the most perfect start. Even better than that last idea. What was that again?

Pan looked at Irini. “Why haven’t we moved? You have to go first.”

Irini began to walk. “Uh, you still wouldn’t kill me for my power, right? I mean you said...”

Pan sighed. “I won’t harm a hair on Irini’s head. I solemnly vow it.” Pan gestured for Irini to lead. “Besides, I don’t plan to collect any more powers. Six is enough, despite what a certain ghost might think. I don’t want to become so powerful, I can’t afford to take a day off.”

“A true nightmare,” Aria agreed. “I don’t know how you keep track of more than one power to be honest.”

“It’s bad at first, each time I add something new. It gets better. I reach a new normal.”

Aria nodded and fell silent. Pan stayed quiet too. She wanted Irini to focus on the path ahead. She also didn’t want to elaborate on how it felt to pick up a new power – that sensation of feeling too much for one’s skin.

As the three arcanes trudged through the forest, they picked their way over fallen logs. Tall vegetation and spots of mud added challenge to the hike. The arcane girls wore high boots and simple clothes, with skin hugging pants and looser tops. Like most Scaldin, Pan preferred lace and flowers on her garments. The Scaldin navy and military; however, limited themselves to a single embroidered tree over their left breasts. Wearing the clothes Alban gave them made Pan feel a little naked.

“How is your ghost problem?” Aria asked.

“Who, Brynn?”

“Yes. Brynn. Have you seen her again?”

Pan searched the path ahead for a good location to portal too. She had trouble seeing through the trees, so she spared a glance for Aria. “You know I’ve seen Brynn. You don’t want to hear about it.”

Aria bit her lip. “I don’t like it.”

“Yeah,” Pan agreed. “I wonder what she’s up to. She continues to gain lucidity. She leads me to clues and waits for me to pick them up. I continue to let her haunt me into submission. I’m hoping it’ll be worth it.”

“Why doesn’t she just tell you what she wants?” Irini asked.

Pan finally found her good portal location. She sighted an open patch of forest and drew the portal. “She thinks she’s still my mentor. Kill a mentor and see how clingy they get. Actually, don’t. I can’t recommend it.”

Irini stepped through the portal. Aria prepared to follow.

“I don’t like that either.” Aria hopped inside, interrupting Pan’s response.

“Brynn wants a lot of things from me.” Pan entered her own portal. On the other side, she let it drop and resumed the trek. Pan searched ahead for the next portal location. “She wants me to blow up Soffigen ships. She wants me to fight Era. She wants me to be a scavenger concerning Irini.” Pan narrowed her eyes. “She wants something…”

Irini interrupted, “You said six powers was enough.”

“I did say that.”

Irini gulped.

“Oh, Irini, if Pan says she won’t take your power, she means it.” Aria stopped by a tall log. Her halt suggested that Pan should portal them over.

Pan peeked over the log and drew her portal. “Just because Brynn says I should take your power doesn’t mean I’d do it. Especially, if you asked me not to.” Pan stepped aside. She let both her companions go through the portal. Pan followed. “Though if you happen to die, you would probably beg me to take it.”

The portal dropped, and Aria led the walk forward.

“Why?” Irini asked. “I’m not going to change my mind just because I die.”

They passed some raised roots, blue moss, and an assortment of semi-tropical plants. Pan felt warmth and humidity seep into her hair.

“When I searched for powers to defeat Brynn, I had to reveal myself as a reaper to the ghosts. Every single one begged me to take their power. The girls in the mine especially – even after I freed them. Once they found out I was a reaper, they changed their opinions about me.” Pan remembered back to the mine and her eventual escape. The power sharer had begged Pan to take her too, but Pan refused. Pan looked over at Aria and Irini. She raised her eyebrows. “A bad sign, isn’t it? How can I be good if ghosts love me?”

“At first glance, that would appear to be so,” Aria said.

Aria said things like that with such a cheery attitude. It was how she signaled that she didn’t really believe them. Irini might not know that yet. Judging from Irini’s thoughtful expression, she seemed to ponder the question of a reaper’s goodness for herself. Maybe, she could ask the thread. They’d know for sure.

“If you could pick what to be?” Irini asked. “Would you still pick to be a reaper?”

Pan didn’t hesitate. “No. I’d be...I don’t know.”

Pan always thought she’d be a healer, but healers devoted themselves to their work. There wasn’t much time left over for a self outside that job. She’d just criticized Aria for honing her life into a narrow trajectory. Pan would hate to do the same. She liked to draw. She liked to be something other than just arcane. She wouldn’t pick portal maker or telekinetic. They turned out to be more exhausting than she’d known. She had no idea what to choose.

Pan kept them moving through portals, in line with Irini’s view of the golden thread.

With little conversation and great care, they traveled. Pan wondered how long it had been. Not long enough to check-in with Alban, but that time would approach soon. Pan debated getting out her com when she saw something ahead. She froze.

The arcane thing hobbled over the forest floor. Was it man or animal? Pan wasn’t sure. The arcane dragged its extra limbs and made little squeaking sounds. Dimmed mottled colors painted spots of its skin, but mostly, it lacked the colors that set it apart from the grey Scaldin. It was grey itself; possibly more Scaldin than Soffigen. Maybe, that was why the Soffigen treated the arcane so bad.

Silence dominated their little group, but birds and other forest animals still made noise. Pan heard an odd chirp, the echoing whoop of a primate, and rustles in the trees.

Pan looked at Irini and Aria. Both stood, eyes wide, staring at the arcane.

Aria grabbed Pan’s arm. “We should turn around.”

“No,” Pan said quietly. “Just let it do its thing. We’ll hang back, until it’s passed.”

“I don’t know…” Aria backed up.

“Look at its aura,” Pan ordered.

Aria’s eyes narrowed. “Mostly white. Huge and glittering. I’m not sure what to make of it.” Aria grew quiet and stared longer. “There’s also a hint of grey.”

Pan pointed and whispered, “This is the first time it’s been out of a prison. If we leave it alone, it’ll leave us alone.”

Aria shot Pan a pained look.

“I asked my golden thread to show danger.” Irini bit her lip. “It kind of points to it but mostly, it points up.” Irini looked into the sky. “I guess it’s locating Era.”

“I guess.” Pan beckoned her friends on.

The arcane lumbered into the forest and didn’t even look back. Pan watched it many extra limbs drag over a thick trunk and plunk back into the dirt. Slowly, it slunk away.

“It really is horrible – the things that the Soffigen are doing.” Aria shook her head. “I can’t understand how they let this happen.”

Pan’s com chirped. They all jumped.

Pan answered, “Hello?”

“This is Commander Alban. You’ve already missed one check in. It’s seven minutes past. If you can’t check in on time, you come back.”

“We would have called you, but...we found that failed experiment in the forest.”

“You fought?” Alban asked.

“No,” Pan said.

“Good. Keep away from it. Keep going, and remember to check-in. By the way, what are the exact requirements for the thread right now?”

Pan held the com close to Irini.

“Uh…I just asked the thread where we should go next to accomplish our goals.” Irini frowned. “I worded it a bit differently I guess.”

Alban sighed sharply. “Mother Tree. I hate working with arcanes.” Alban’s voice got louder. “Try asking a concrete question and make sure the thread still leads on – just in case. If you get a questionable response, call back and turn around.”

“Will do,” Pan said.

“How do things look to Aria? Any sentient auras about?” Alban asked.

Aria took the com. “Nothing. Not even that Soffigen arcane has a truly sentient aura.”

A beat of silence passed.

Pan took the com back. “How is Sotir?”

“Asleep.” Alban sounded like he had a smile on his lips. “He didn’t love being ordered to take a nap, but he did it. He’ll probably be worried when he wakes up, but I’ll distract him with his scrying disc and our treasure.”

“That’s good. Well, I guess we’ll start walking again. Bye.”

“Be careful,” Alban added, before Pan could cut the connection.

“Of course.” Pan nodded along to his words. “We wouldn’t want to die and make your day easier.”

“Your deaths do not make my day easier. Think of the paperwork. Check in on time. Alban out.”

Pan held the com and frowned.

“I know he tried to kill you two years ago, but don’t antagonize him,” Aria said. “He’s doing a good job giving you another chance.”

Pan let out a long breath and stowed the com. She took a step, raised her eyes, and stopped. Brynn floated before her. The ghost wore a grin.

“Congratulate Irini for me,” Brynn said. “This planet is the absolute perfect place for you to fight Era.”

Pan frowned and took a step back, ready to weave around Brynn. Brynn’s ghost rose and hovered among the trees. She let off a little light in the shade.

“Stay the course,” Brynn added.

Pan glared into the sky where she now saw Brynn.

Aria snapped her fingers by Pan’s face. “Are you talking to Brynn?”

Pan started. “She’s doing all the talking. She can’t shut up. She really likes this planet by the way. Do you think that’s bad?”

“I don’t know. Anything a ghost likes is probably not great,” Aria said.

Pan looked at Aria. “Probably not,” Pan admitted.

Brynn continued to smile in the sky. Then, she turned and flew away. Pan watched her go, onward through the forest.

“I’m really curious though,” Pan said the words slow, through a haze of thought.

Aria turned to Irini. “Which way?”

Irini pointed. “That way. Where’s Brynn?”

Pan waved in the direction of the thread. “She went that way.”

“After my thread?” Irini gulped.

Pan nodded. She wondered if Brynn could see the thread.