With your heart in your mouth, you race forward and shove the captain out of the way in the nick of time. You see her eyes go wide at her near escape. Then you look upwards and see wit horror that the mast is continuing to fall – right on top of you.

Frantically, you start to move to avoid it, but you are already out of time. You have sacrificed what precious seconds you had to save the captain. Your legs are moving too slowly, far too slowly to avoid the heavy lump of wood which will crush you asunder. Everything seems to move in slow motion as the mast careens towards your helpless body –

"Fprcf!"

A shrill cry erupts from the other end of the airship. The mast shudders as an invisible force slams to it, snapping it further at an awkward angle. You can barely breathe as the fractured beam crashes through the deck barely a metre away from you. You're alive. You can't believe it.

You raise your head to see Mother Ghared frozen in position, her hands outstretched towards the fallen mast. Your knowledge of her abilities is still limited, but you understand that this is the second time she has saved your life. The captain is already on her feet, struggling to defend herself from another group of mutants.

Before you can move, you see Mother Ghared slump to the ground. She seems exhausted by the effort of stopping the heavy mast, and the energy drain is too much for her. You start to force yourself to your feet, knowing that if you spend too long dawdling then you won't have long to celebrate. She needs help, and fast.

That's when you hear the violent splintering sound below you.

Fearing the worst, you see that the heavy mast has in fact torn straight through the centre of the airship. It is in no condition to fly. The vessel has already been damaged by the attacks of the mutants, and you can only watch in horror as more and more cracks appear, joining together as one…

The airship breaks apart down the middle.

You see the mutants react with surprise as they start to plummet along with their half of the ship. Surprisingly enough, they can no longer fly. You're not quite sure why, but you have a feeling that their wings from before were only temporary. In addition...part of the airship somehow remains airborne. You're not in a position to question the laws of aerodynamics right now, but you need to act fast.

Your half of the airship is currently airborne and in no danger of falling – or so you hope. The captain is next to you, slumped in a heap. The other half of the ship is about to plummet downwards, and you realise that Mother Ghared is still on that side. She's unconscious and has no idea of what has happened.

You have a split second to decide whether to cross over the gap to Mother Ghared, or stay here with the captain. You have no idea what condition either person is in.

You cross over to the other part of the ship where Mother Ghared is, which is plummeting towards the ground

You must be mad to think of doing this. Quickly, you leap over the gap and onto the separated part of the doomed ship, which is quickly plummeting towards earth at a deadly speed. Above you, the remaining half remains airborne. It quickly disappears from sight as you fall.

It's impossible to keep your footing on the deck when the ship is falling so fast; parts of it are beginning to break up again from the constant acceleration. Gritting your teeth, you force yourself to crawl over to where Mother Ghared is lying. Her eyes are open, and she seems faintly aware of what is going on around here, but she is otherwise unhurt. If anything, she just looks exhausted.

When she sees you, her eyes widen and she grabs your wrist. "Fljght, Fljght," she whispers to you urgently, pressing a crumpled scroll into the palm of your hand. The words she speak are not in your language. "Fljght, fljght…"

Her eyes close as she falls back into unconsciousness. You stare at her in confusion as the ship continues to fall. The scroll she gave you is covered with strange symbols and runes that are incomprehensible to you. Somehow, you think she was trying to give you to a clue.

You say the word "Fljght"

You utter the incantation, and the scroll glows faintly before disintegrating into nothing. The glow itself has not faded, however, but has spread to the soles of your feet. With a start, you realise that you are no longer falling, and that your body feels as light as a feather. You are no longer in any danger of plummeting to your death.

Moving forward, you are surprised to find that you can now move in any direction – up and down, too – at will. You have as much freedom as a bird, and can fly through to the air as you see fit. The activated scroll has bestowed this power on you, and you may now fly from here to your heart's content.

Sadly, this power of flight is not extended to Mother Ghared. She continues to fall towards the ground at a faster speed, until you can no longer see her at all. You start to fly down towards her with your new-found ability, but discover that you can only do so at a fixed speed. There is no way to accelerate, and therefore no way of saving Mother Ghared before she disappears into the void far below.

You have no choice but to travel away from here. Fear washes over you at the thought that this ability may actually be temporary. What if you could lose this power at any given moment?

With this in mind, you turn to fly as far away from here as you can, away from the ruins of the airship far above you. You don't know where you're going, exactly, but anywhere is better than this.

You proceed

For the next few hours or so, you fly across the skies at a mediocre speed. The wind blows through your hair as you travel, and you feel a kind of freedom wash over you that you've never quite experienced before. Throughout your life, you've been content to remain settled upon your own island, never venturing out into the skies around you. Right now, however, you feel as if you can literally go anywhere. Any island, any port, above the clouds, down to the ruined surface…The sky's the limit, so to speak. You feel as if you could fly like this forever.

You're not going to do that, of course, because you're still wary that the effect of the scroll will wear off before long. You will have to land somewhere soon, because ultimately you want to find a new island to settle upon. A new home to call your own. A place where you can start again…

Within the hour, you pass the remains of several islands floating in the sky, broken chains dangling uselessly into empty space. As you approach, you realise that these are parts of bigger islands which have already fallen towards earth. Nothing remains there anymore. They have all suffered the same fate as the place you used to call home.

It's some time before you finally see one island which still remains intact. From here, you can see that there's a considerable number of inhabitants; numerous houses, roads and streets stretch out below you. Why, it looks like there might be a town down there. There's definitely some kind of community. The question is, will that community approve of you?

You land at this new island

You touch down upon the edge of the island, a thrill racing through you at the thought of what lies beyond. Immediately, the glow fades away from the soles of your feet and the power leaves you. So that's how it is: the scroll's effects last as long until you touch solid ground again. In theory, you could abuse such a power, but you don't want to push your luck.

The town before you is bustling with crowds of people and shops on every street corner. You've never seen anything quite like this. In fact, you're not quite sure this isn't just part of a small city. The diversity of species here is mind-blowing: you see Auvahrs chatting to each other in the marketplace, Tenurs tending their stalls and displaying their wares, Gahl'vuhr Sehn officials marching up and down the streets as if they own the whole place, other subspecies you've never seen before staring at the scene like some kind of tourist…You ever see nameless ones like you. Unworthy ones, as the captain called them, but you don't take to that nonsense. Nameless is what you are. It's what you've always been.

A large glistening sign at the main port spells it out for you.


WELCOME TO MAJERUK

WHERE DREAMS COME TO LIFE


You could definitely settle in a place like this. You love the city. You love the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the countless things to do on every street, the sheer size and depth of the place you've found yourself in. There's libraries, museums, galleries, bookshops, clothiers, governing halls for Gahl'vuhr Sehn officials, various buildings that you can't even begin to describe…All you have to do is get a foot on the ladder and you'll be in.

This is a place which rewards you for doing very little – or, conversely, which rewards you with little for doing far too much. Exchange of goods and money. Economics. The arts. Societies. Meeting halls. Dance, music, sculptures, concerts, religion…

"Excuse me, ma'am," a curt voice says behind you.

All at once, the illusion is broken. You turn round to see three stern-looking Auvahrs in uniform, carrying firearms at their belt. At least, you assume they're firearms. You've only ever seen pictures of them in books before, never having crossed out of your own little island before now. You've heard such stories of the city…

"You are under arrest for the unlawful use of privileges available only to high-ranking members of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn," the man says coldly. "As an Unworthy, you should not have access to such abilities."

At first, you just stare at him in confusion. Abilities? Wait a second. Is he talking about the scroll's power which allowed you to fly here? Perhaps that's the issue here. Someone saw you using the flying ability – or sensed it, detected it, whatever – and decided that you'd breached some kind of unspoken law of theirs.

"That wasn't my fault," you protest. "The airship – "

"You were caught using a long-distance Flight scroll," the official says, his tone rather hostile. "Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, Unworthy, you will face the penalty of breathing the laws of Gahl'vuhr Sehn. The island of Majeruk is under the jurisdiction of the Auvahrs of Gahl'vuhr Sehn, and all must abide by our rules. A lifetime upon a prison island will do a world of good for scum like you."

Surely, if you were to explain yourself rationally to the man, then he should understand that this is all a big misunderstanding and let you go. Right? They wouldn't judge you on something like this, face to face. Surely they can let it slide just this once.

You tell him your story

You see no reason not to tell the truth. Swiftly, you explain to the official the full story of how you fell from your island and how Mother Ghared saved your life, taking you on board the Gahl'vuhr Sehn airship. As soon as you mention this, the men exchange glances between each other, shaking their heads doubtfully, and look at you with greater suspicion than ever. You continue talking about how you activated the scroll, gaining the ability of flight for a temporary basis, but the official abruptly holds up a hand to stop you.

"I have heard quite enough," he says sharply. "Your story is an unlikely one to begin with. Whilst there have been reports that many islands have been falling due to the effects of the chaos on the surface, it is inconceivable that a high-ranking member of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn would choose to save your skin. You are an Unworthy. Your life is not of equal worth to a normal person."

"That's not true!" you protest. "Mother Ghared saved my life!"

"Is that so?" He folds his arms. "And where is Mother Ghared now? Can she testify to this?" Taken off-guard, you start to splutter that Mother Ghared probably didn't make it, but the man pushes aside your excuses. "Even if you are telling the truth, which I greatly doubt, it makes one thing very clear: no true member of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn would choose to save the life of an Unworthy. If Mother Ghared truly acted as you claim, then it means that the rules and regulations of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn have not been followed correctly. I see no reason to trust your word. Rather, it seems far more likely that you were a stowaway on board."

With that, the official turns away and issues a sharp command to the men on either side of him. The Auvahrs immediately step forward and grab you, pulling your arms behind your back painfully. You struggle indignantly in their grip, protesting all the way as they frog-march you in the direction of the main port. Nothing about this is fair! Have you survived your trip from the airship only to be taken prisoner by the same race of people who saved you in the first place?

"As the presiding justiciar of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn stationed upon Majeruk," the lead official says in a rather formal tone, "we find you guilty of the offence of using a long-distance Flight scroll, an item used only by high-ranking members of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn. Normal citizens are not permitted access to such privileges, let alone an Unworthy like you. Having heard your story, we also find you guilty of the additional crime of stowing on board an airship under the command of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn, as well as possible contributing to its destruction!"

You are forced into the back seat of a cramped-looking aerial vehicle, and strapped in tightly with a grim-looking official seated next to you. Two more men enter the front of the vehicle. The engines start to fire up.

"What's going on?" you demand, fearful of what they intend to do with you. The Auvahrs are practically treating you like a criminal. You don't know what they do with such people, because on your island you never had to deal with anyone like that. "Wh…where are you taking me?"

The lead official barely glances at you. "Prefect, take the Unworthy to Island 39. She is to be classified as a Class 3H criminal of the fourth degree. If she talks at all during the journey, silence her." He slams the door on you and turns away without another word.

Frightened about what fate lies in store for you now, you can do nothing but watch as the Gahl'vuhr Sehn drive you away from the attractive island of Majeruk, towards a grim-looking location in the distance. You are strapped in so tightly that you can barely breathe, making escape impossible. The man in the seat next to you is watching you closely, making you feel very uncomfortable.

Nobody talks. Nobody says a word, not to you or any of their colleagues. The Gahl'vuhr Sehn operate in a professional manner which scares you, honestly. It's about half an hour before the vehicle you're in start to slow down. You chance a glance over the side of the vehicle and see an ominous-looking island, surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Nothing about your situation seems promising at all.

You proceed

You are forced out of the vehicle with your hands tied behind your back, where the officials march you over to a tall, grey, oblong-shaped building situated some distance inland. As you step inside, you are shoved into a cramped, featureless interrogation cell with dim lighting and no windows to see through. Another Gahl'vuhr Sehn official sits opposite you, barking personal questions at you whilst the other men search you for any weapons or illegal contraband. You sit through the whole experience in a kind of numb shock, never having been through anything like this before.

After about an hour, you are taken to the strip of land which lies beyond. A grim sight greets your eyes. Thousands and thousands of people are locked within maximum security cells, isolated here away from the general public, some of which are suspended above mid-air to conserve space. Men and women of all races, including some mutants like you saw before at the airship, peer out from behind the bars. Food and water are strictly rationed and prisoners are permitted no more than an hour per day at the exercise yard, before being put to work doing hard labour at the mines, located at the other end of the island.

"What're you in for, girl?" a mutant sneers at you as you pass by his cage.

You are thrown into a square cell of your own, situated underground. A small plate of stale food lies in the corner, and your stomach rumbles fro not having eaten all day. There should be water here, too, but the guard with you informs you that they can't get fresh water to every cell during the day. You may have to remain thirsty until they find the time to give you a refill.

"Sweet dreams, kid," he says nastily.

The cell door slams shut behind you with a very real tone of permanency. This is your fate at the hands of the Gahl'vuhr Sehn. You have been sentenced to a maximum of thirty five years of underground confinement and hard manual labour, here upon one of the many prison islands which fill the skies.

Moreover, it is likely that you will not survive long in such conditions. Prisoners who fail to meet their work quota daily are punished severely, and your body does not possess sufficient stamina to bear the torture experienced at a Gahl'vuhr Sehn prison island. Withdrawal of food and water is not uncommon, and many of the inmates are at the mercy of the guards. Females in particularly do not have any protective rights from assault, not whilst they have their prisoner status. Even if you could escape, the island is ringed by cliffs on all sides. You are deprived even of the opportunity to commit suicide.

Fate has not been kind to you. You will remain here at the prison island for the rest of your mercifully short life.