Astreya

Astreya stood still at the edge of the dock. The various people rushing to and fro were all so rushed. People veered around her and everything was so noisy. There were various languages she didn’t know, and a few she recognized from her language books but that were spoken so quickly she only caught a single word. The lights flashed, people cursed at each other, and the sound of street performers and hawkers filled the air. And the smell. A mix of body odor and trash, cut occasionally with the smell of a food vendor or perfume from someone.

It was by far the most chaotic thing she’d ever seen in her life.

And Astreya loved it.

It was her first time aboard a ship of this magnitude, and as she turned back to look at her father, he was lost behind a wall of faces, crates, and more. And then, just the tip of his tall hat weaved its way through the crowds towards her. She felt relieved and rushed to meet him.

But what greeted her was a dwarven man with a hat that was taller than she was. She paused, and people swore at her as they swerved around her still form. She’d said goodbye to her father before she left, but she hadn’t expected to get separated from him so quickly. It felt like one moment she’d been stepping off their tiny ship and the next she was swept away towards the entrance by the crowd. She could see a stack of boxes and moved over there swiftly, desperate to see him one more time. She climbed onto the boxes so she could see better.

There! There he was. He saw her and raised his hand, the metal glinting off his augmented arm. She waved back. She could see him shout something, but she couldn’t hear it. She cupped her ear and he tried again, but again there was no sound of his that reached her over the din. She shook her head. He shrugged. She smiled and waved once more. The inventor waved back and then turned to get aboard the small ship.

Her breath caught. This was it. Goodbye. She wouldn’t see them again.

“You will.” The Nentir’s voice reverberated through her mind, making her wince.

“Grand, stop it. You aren’t supposed to speak directly with me.” She didn’t have the telepathy and so spoke aloud. But somehow The Nentir heard.

“I will orchestrate your return before his death.”

“No no.” She raised her hands quickly, which caught the eye of a few people. She sheepishly waved and they moved on. “No changing the future. Not for me at least. I want things to come as they will. Without your interference.”

The Nentir did not respond. Astreya leapt down from the boxes, stumbling just a bit. But then she was headed into the ship like everyone else, although her only belongings fit into a small picnic basket, unlike the people here lugging suitcases filled to the brim and crates.

Unionships, as these spacecraft were called, were built for people of all shapes and sizes. From the tiniest pixie to the largest dragon, countless beings served the unionships. They resembled the ships of old with their shape, oars hung decoratively at the sides and a figurehead of a merfolk at the helm. But it was a wonder of modern construction. Able to soar through the clouds and nebulas with ease, unionships were the choice for life and growth. It’s said that once on the ship you can never leave, but of course that’s preposterous. Most people just live there for their lives, as it’s basically a giant city moving through the skies. Everyone does their part, their families tend to grow, and people live in perfect harmony, or disharmony, like any town.

Astreya had secured a place on a ship at last. The Skyshine’s Starlight, as the ship was called, was having it’s first flight with a modest crew of 10,000 people. But that didn’t include the nearly 20,000 family members on the ship. Astreya had been chosen to act as a teacher to the younger children, and she felt an excitement she hadn’t felt in a long time. She was going to give these kids a better learning experience than she’d had. And she knew ALL the best children’s books!

She walked past the various ships in the loading bay and the various people, intent on finding her place. Room 467 B9. According to the map she’d briefly looked at, B9 was near the center, and one of the more coveted rooms. Rooms near the center always were, as the center was the hub to get anywhere else. But that was where her office and classroom were, so she needed to be nearby.

With a pep in her step she walked to the overworked mage standing at the large doors. “B9, please!” She called out.

The elemental being sighed heavily, air fluttering Astreya’s hair. “B9 it is.” With a slight motion of their hand she was lifted into the air and whisked down the halls, making a dizzying set of turns and twists before arriving at the correct station. Another mage greeted her, this one an earth elemental. “Welcome to B9! What room number are you in?”

“467.”

“You’re one of the teachers?”

“Yes! I’m going to teach first grade.”

“Tsk.” They looked her up and down. “My children will eat you alive with that attitude. Best get a little sterner.”

“I’m more of a hands-off kind of teacher. They get their lessons, of course, but they also get plenty of time for enrichment.”

“Good luck.” They still seemed skeptical, but pointed her down the hallway. “467 is on the left. Your office and classroom are on either side of it.”

“Thank you!”

The walk was long. She had to pass 67 rooms, after all. Thankfully they were split between the left and right, so it wasn’t as far as it could have been. Were she in room 499 she’d really be suffering.

She opened the door and pursed her lips. It was a single-person unit. As such the only furniture was a small bed, a chair and desk, and the wardrobe. She thanked the stars she hadn’t brought much with her. She set about opening the basket. The great black hole that greeted her was the only indication of the magic it held, and she swiftly set about pulling out decor and clothing to fill the room. Really, all she needed to do was keep this basket on her and she didn’t have to unpack, but that tended to scare off potential friends. When your home was sterile and showed no personality people tended to get judgy.

A knock at the door made her pause, and she quickly closed the basket. “Come in!”

A water elemental opened the door, stepping in after a glance to make sure their watery body wouldn’t harm any of her room. “Hello. Are you Astreya?” Their voice was a soothing one, and it instantly set her at ease.

“I am! It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand.

The water elemental did as was their custom, letting a single drop of water fall on top of her wrist. “I am one of your aides, and I thought we should discuss lesson plans.”

“Oh.” Astreya glanced behind her. She hadn’t finished unpacking, and it was clear from the state of her room - clothing laid out on the bed, a wire of tiny everflames in jars half-hung from the ceiling, and a picture board hung on the wall. “Shouldn’t we do it at the meeting tomorrow?”

The water elemental sat into the chair in her room. “I was hoping to get to know you a bit first.” They glanced around her room with open curiosity. “I want to know the personality of the people I’m working with.”

“Right, right. But uh, I haven’t finished unpacking.”

“Don’t stop on my account. You can always talk while you work, can’t you?” Their tone sounded friendly, even if the words were a bit rude.

“Right.” She gently moved her picnic basket off the bed. It’s always best to keep magical items to yourself, lest they be coveted. “I’m Astreya.”

“I know.”

The purple elf cast her new aide an exasperated look. “And you must be Gertrude, right?”

“Yes.”

“Nice to meet you.” Astreya was flustered. The new aide was quite odd. “I uhm, I hope we’ll get along well.”

“Oh we will.” Gertrude’s black eyes blinked slowly. “I love the rainbow. Is that a full outfit?”

Astreya glanced down at the fuzzy leg warmers Gertrude was talking about. “It is! One meant more for parties than teaching the kids, but it’s one of my favorites. I think I can style it to be more… tasteful.”

Gertrude let out a bark of a laugh. “Tasteful. As if anyone in the nine clouds cares about that anymore. Do I wear a stitch of clothing?”

Astreya became more flustered. “N-no.”

“Exactly. Water elementals used to be bogged down with plant fibre clothing for years, until we got tired of the fuss. We don’t really nurse young anyways, so there’s no nipples. And the rest of the nine clouds are following suit. You’ll see mothers showing more skin than clothing.”

Astreya resisted glancing at the beautiful elemental. Before, her nakedness hadn’t bothered Astreya. But when it was pointed out like that it was hard not to look at her chest. “Right, right. I’m sure I’ll adjust then. My mother was…particular about clothing.”

“Was she an origin elf?”

Astreya was caught off guard by the term. “They just call themselves elves,” she snapped.

Gertrude’s voice softened. “Sorry, is origin elf a bad term?”

“It’s an ‘othering’ they tend to dislike. And yes, her mother was. She’s half elven, half starlight.”

“Half starlight!” The water elemental stood taller. “Oh my goodness, I was wondering about your eyes and skin!”

Astreya frowned. “Yes, I’m part starlight.”

“Who is it? Amyut? Yertun? The Twelve Brothers and Sisters?”

“The Nentir.”

Gertrude paused for a long time. “The Nentir does not have children with mortals.”

“They had exactly one. My mother.”

“I-” Gertrude stopped herself. “I’m sorry. I’m being insensitive. Discussing your skin and eyes as if they’re novel.”

Astreya only “hmmphed” in answer.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I just haven’t seen someone part starlight since my brother. I forget that I am not starlight myself, and get carried away.”

“Your brother was starlight?”

“From the Eighth Sister. My father always showed him off as if he was a marvel. It made my brother uncomfortable, and one night we ran away. He wasn’t pure water due to his heritage - he was water and oil. Constantly swirling, never mixing. He was a sight to behold, and his powers… he kept me so safe from my father’s abuse that I barely remember it. But I remember enough to understand why he took me away.”

Astreya’s expression softened. “I’m sorry to hear that. My mother took her starlight for granted, and used it to manipulate things to her liking, much like The Nentir. When it was taken from her and given to me she forbade me from going home.”

“Her starlight was taken?! And given to you?!”

Astreya put a hand up to her hair, nervously twirling it. “Is that odd?”

“Usually starlight is given to the child of the Great Ones, and is with them until they die. If it was taken and given to you, then you’re half starlight yourself! It’s not diluted by the death of your mother!”

“I don’t see it that way.” Astreya finished with the clothes and moved to hanging her jars of light. “I wasn’t the reason it was taken, and it was purely by chance that it was given to me.” Astreya wasn’t sure what about the water elemental had her talking so freely. Maybe it was magic? A spell of free speech?

“To think we have a starlight on our ship…everyone’s going to freak! You’re going to get quite the marriage proposals!”

Astreya’s frown returned, and her eyes flashed. “You will not speak of this to anyone. I’m sure you understand why not, given your brother.”

Gertrude raised a hand. “Right, right, sorry. I won’t tell anyone. Your mother was starlight, but as far as I’m concerned you aren’t.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Have you told the captain, though?”

“No.”

“But what if they need you?”

Astreya turned towards Gertrude with anger. “I am not some tool to use when talking negotiations or warding off pirates. I am a person, and a teacher. That is all.”

Gertrude had the decency to look chastened. “My brother only wanted to be a woodcarver. Clocks were his favorite. I understand.” She took a step back. “I’ve intruded on you enough. I will keep this to myself. Have a good night.”

Astreya knew her new aide would be practically worshiping the ground she walked on, and it made her groan. Others would have questions. Best she get ahead of it. “Gertrude?”

“Yes?”

“Please, don’t tell anyone.”

“I already said I wouldn’t.”

“If I give you 15 silvers each pay period will you keep it quiet for me?”

“15 silvers! How much are you being paid?”

“20.”

Gertrude frowned this time. “Why are you giving up so much of your pay?”

“I will be opening a shop for the nights. I will make due with that.”

“If you say so.” Gertrude shrugged. “It’s safe with me. I remember what my brother went through. I’m sorry. I just…wanted to know if you were similar. He’s been gone so long now, and I was… nevermind. I won’t tell anyone.” She opened the door and left.

Astreya felt a twinge of guilt. Gertrude obviously missed her brother. But that was no reason to go about fishing for such information. And now that she was gone Astreya could feel the sudden drop of magic. She’d clearly enchanted Astreya.

The elven woman moved back to her picnic basket, fishing out her wards. Best have them handy when she’s around Gertrude.

Astreya taps one of the everflame jars and the fire briefly lights green, sending a pulse of energy through the room. The door seals itself, and the window stays firmly shut. No one can get in without her letting them in. She wouldn’t put it past Gertrude to try to barge in.