The cave tunnel they had just entered was lit up by rows of magic lamps - little lightning balls trapped inside glass orbs that hung from the ceiling and gave off a bluish light.

Syryn had seen such contraptions before but never had he witnessed them used so extensively, and that too for the mere purpose of lighting up a tunnel - which could have been served by cheaper means of lighting. Lightning orbs were luxury goods considered as rare trinkets that nobles and rich merchants liked to show off in their homes. The ostentatious display of the orbs struck in him the urge to commit vandalism. All it would take was a piece of rock.

"Big brother, how did they put lightning inside the ball?" Luci asked in awe.

"It's a special skill mastered by glass smiths. Only those mages with a skill for lightning can make thunder balls. These things aren't just pretty to look at, they cause damage when lobbed at an object," Syryn explained.

"That's amazing! Can we make fire balls like thunder balls?"

"Yea, you trap all kinds of energies in those glass balls, Luci, but lightning is the most difficult to trap."

"Let's trap fire in glass balls, Syryn. We could use them to attack enemies."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Akida interjected. "Those glass balls may be magical but they're just as brittle as your windows. The storage and transport accidents associated with energy orbs are not worth the effort of carrying them around, that is unless you've got special facilities for such a purpose."

Fire balls and thunder balls were both very hot to the touch, and volatile if not perfectly sealed. They also constantly gave off energy and had a shelf life equivalent to the amount of energy that was harnessed. There wasn't much payoff to be made by mass producing them. Hence the rarity and expensive nature of the thunder balls.

"They're still pretty to look at," Luci said as his eyes lit up from the light of the lightning ball. The tunnel got warmer as they went deeper inside.

"Akida, back so soon?"

Two avians were guarding the exit of the tunnel, both sitting on the floor and playing dice.

"Let us through, Shimo," Akida told the guard who was blocking the exit.

"Fine, fine."

-----

"We're leaving the mounts here," Akida told the alchemist after their exit from the tunnel.

Syryn looked around him and felt as small as an ant when he was confronted by the sheer magnitude of the hole they were in. Space expanded upwards and opened up to a grey misty sky.

They were at the bottom of a giant well in the rock. A staircase was carved into the wall along the side of the circular hole and it curved upwards to the top. Syryn's calves ached from the thought of climbing up the steps.

"Do you expect us to climb that?" He asked the avian guard.

"I can fly your lazy ass up there if that's what you're asking for," Akida replied.

"Yea, yes, please. And what about Gosan?"

"I can use my wings. They're still functional," the amputated avian told Syryn.

"But you're still not strong enough to fly, Gosan. I'll carry you," Rei dissuaded the avian. "Let's go first. I'm sure your family is sick with worry."

---

When Syryn reached the top of the plateau, his breath was taken away by the sheer size of it. A flat-topped rocky tableland stretched out before him. Because of the fog that covered the plateau, Syryn couldn't tell how far it extended. And when he stood at the edge of the plateau, a seamless sea of clouds obscured his view of the cliff bottom. The alchemist had the feeling that he was floating on a sky island. It was the dangerous sort of place that could get you killed if you didn't have a pair of wings on you.

"Is this the highest part of Nua?" He asked Akida. As far as Syryn could tell, the rocky mass was mostly devoid of vegetation.

"No, this is just a little higher than the intermediate level. Turn around Syryn, you haven't looked about have you?" After being flown out of the well, the alchemist had immediately scampered off to look down the edge that was closest to the hole.

Syryn turned around and what he saw in the distance made his jaw drop. A mass of rock even higher than the one he stood upon jutted upwards like the blackened limb of a monster reaching out to the heavens.

"Who lives up there?" He asked the avian. Syryn couldn't fathom being so high up in the sky.

"Nobody," Akida answered. "You'll see why," and like an afterthought, he added, "if Riaku gives you permission to get up there."

"Lucien, you shouldn't stand at the edge like that," Rei warned the redhead whose feet were precariously placed too close to the edge for the avian's liking. Even their white cat was looking down at the clouds from next to the boy.

"I won't fall," Luci told Rei. "Unlike other people, heights don't scare me at all."

"Even so, something could push you down the cliff if you tempt it like that," the avian ominously warned.

"Something like what?" Lucien heeded the warning and stepped back.

"Something," Rei replied. "Let's get moving. I think we've wasted enough time."

"This way," Akida motioned to the brothers. Syryn couldn't tell how the avian was able to go in the right direction when surrounded by a cold fog.

The sudden change of temperature from the warm and sticky jungle they had just left was only starting to affect the brothers now. Syryn pulled out two coats that gave them protection from the cold.

From the thin fog that drifted by, the outlines of a wooden bridge emerged. A short length of the bridge could be seen while the other half went down and into the clouds.

"Where are we going?" Syryn asked Akida. The bridge was firm and didn't sway too much when they stepped on it.

"Helios, it has the largest concentration of avian habitation."

A cold wet wind whipped at Syryn's exposed skin and leeched heat from his body. Holding his coat tighter against himself, the alchemist felt a rush go through him when he stepped through the cloud cover.

It was insane what the avians had managed to build. The bridge was connected to a table of rock at a lower elevation than where they'd just come from. Amongst the wooden homes built on it, large sun trees stuck out beautifully with their thick trunks and bright yellow leaves. They were everywhere. The avians had constructed homes like hives on the walls of the rock. He could see hundreds of bird folks flying in and out of their homes. If Nua had a residential sector then it was this.

"It's much warmer down there," Akida assured the brothers. "The dowager queen lives at Helios because the temperature is suitable for her ailing body."

"Are we going to meet her first?" Syryn asked.

"No, we'll leave your luggage and have a meal before going straight to Riaku."

Syryn wanted to ask why Akida was allowed to get away with calling the prince by his name but he swallowed the question. It wasn't the right time for it.

He took a chance to look up at the sky and saw large numbers of colourful birds flying above their heads.

"Are those avians?" He asked.

"Huh? No. Those are just birds."

"I'll fly Gosan to his home," Rei informed the others, clearly having run out of patience. "See you later, Lucien and Syryn."

----

Avians gawked at the brothers because it was rare for non-avians to be allowed entry into Helios, especially so for the children of any species. Akida led them past rows upon rows of homes till they arrived at a more secluded and quiet area of Helios.

A large cluster of sun trees stood protectively between the crowded side of Helios and its more posh area.

Here, Syryn could see large numbers of dragon feather plants growing amongst the sun trees and other native vegetation that wasn't so eye-catching. The bright pink dragon feathers were flowers with fuzzy petals that broke away from the stem and rode the wind currents that carried their seeds to distant parts of Nua. Syryn had heard of the resilience that the plants showed even in extreme weather conditions. It was no wonder they were the most common of flowers in all of Nua.

Akida led them to the doors of a well-maintained home that had a small garden. A sun tree grew at the entrance, giving it an inviting and cosy ambience.

"You'll be living here during your stay at Nua," Akida informed the brothers as he knocked on the door.

"Akida," The person who opened the door greeted him and turned to the brothers. "Welcome to Nua. I'm Yui, and I'll be taking care of your domestic requirements for the duration of your stay at Helios." She was professional in conduct and pleasant to look at. "Please come inside but leave your shoes at the door." She eyed the cats that had come along. A sparkle in her eyes appeared and then was hidden. Syryn surmised she liked the cats.

"Yui, please set the table while the guests freshen up," Akida told the young woman and turned to Syryn. "You'll find a new set of clothing each in your sizes. Wear them so you don't stick out too much."

"Traditional Nuan clothing?" Luci asked happily.

"Yes," Akida replied. "If you need any help with the layers, call for me."