We set down on the outer edge of the island. No defensive formations, no alarm arrays lighting up the sky, no patrols scrambling to intercept us. Just a stretch of pale sand, shallow water lapping at the shore, and beyond it a settlement that looked almost deliberately unremarkable.
The island breathed with life.
Wooden walkways connected low structures built from timber, their roofs slanted and reinforced with bone and feather. Wind chimes hung from posts and eaves, not decorative so much as practical, tuned to shift pitch when the air currents changed.
It was a town, not a city.
Avian folk moved through the streets in loose patterns. Some walked upright with folded wings brushing against their backs, others let their wings remain half-spread, feathers catching the light as they carried baskets, spears, tools. Their clothing was tribal in design, layered fabrics and leather wraps. Spears rested easily in their hands, not raised, not lowered. Ready, but not hostile.
As the four of us stepped off the ship and began walking inward, conversations softened. Heads turned. Curious glances followed us down the main path. No one blocked our way.
Steve leaned slightly toward me. "They’re watching."
"I know," I replied quietly.
North’s eyes moved across the town. Knight walked a half-step behind.
I let my perception spread and cover the entire island.
Master-ranked signatures dotted the town, steady and disciplined. Four Grandmasters stood out immediately, positioned not as guards but as anchors, spread across the settlement in a pattern that would allow rapid response without panic. And deeper still, near the center, one presence burned brighter than the rest.
A Transcendent.
My focus followed that signature inward.
At the heart of the town stood a temple.
It was larger than the surrounding structures, built atop a raised stone foundation that had clearly predated the wooden town around it. Carved pillars supported an open hall, and within it stood a statue of an avian god, wings spread wide, head lifted toward the sky. But my perception slid past the surface.
Beneath the statue was a chamber. It was hidden and reinforced. And at the center of that chamber, folded into a precise spatial knot, was a portal.
I did not slow my steps.
As we drew closer to the temple, the town shifted almost imperceptibly. Avian folk adjusted their paths. A few moved closer to doorways. The Grandmasters’ attention sharpened. The Transcendent presence stirred.
Then the priest stepped out.
He was tall even for his kind, feathers streaked with white at the edges, wings folded neatly beneath ceremonial robes. He smiled as if greeting travelers who had arrived at the wrong hour but were welcome nonetheless.
"You come from far," he said, voice smooth, warm. "How may this humble place be of service?"
I returned the smile. "We’re from the capital. Sent by one of your own. Rudy."
The name landed without a ripple.
The priest did not blink. Did not tense. His smile did not change.
"Rudy," he repeated thoughtfully. "And why would he send you here?"
"Nothing special," I said lightly. "I just want to make contact with... them."
For the first time, there was a pause.
"Them?" the priest asked. "You’ll have to be clearer. This island serves only the old ways."
I stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me show you," I said.
Space folded.
There was no flash, no violent distortion. Just a clean, absolute relocation. The temple vanished, replaced by stone walls etched with runes that hummed faintly with dormant energy. The chamber lay before us, exactly as my perception had shown. At its center, the portal rested.
The priest staggered, eyes wide now, breath catching.
"You—"
I turned him gently and pointed.
"This," I said calmly, "is what I meant."
His mouth opened, no sound coming out. Fear finally cracked through the composure. He tried to turn, tried to summon Essence.
I tapped his temple.
His body went limp instantly, consciousness snuffed out without pain. He slumped forward, caught by Knight before he could hit the ground.
I looked at the portal, then at the others, letting the silence stretch just long enough to feel deliberate rather than uncertain.
"Well," I said finally, voice even, "now that we’re here... what do you think the plan should be?"
Steve tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I was under the impression you already had one."
I shook my head once. "Not this time. I’m just moving forward and seeing what the current pulls up."
North folded her arms loosely, eyes drifting back to the portal, studying the way space folded in on itself around its edges. "Didn’t you enter something like this before?" she asked. "One of their bases."
"I did," I said, stepping closer, close enough that the low hum brushed against my senses. "An asteroid installation. I went in, tore it apart, and the System was very pleased about it. Even handed me a quest for my trouble." I paused, fingers hovering just short of the warped air. "But repeating the same move isn’t always the smartest choice."
"So we don’t blow it up immediately," Steve said. "That’s new."
Before I could answer, Knight spoke.
"Let’s go bigger."
I turned to him, eyebrow lifting slightly.
He shrugged, tail flicking once behind him as if the idea were obvious. "I mean exactly that. Instead of destroying another outpost, we use it. Track the line back. See where it leads."
Knight continued. "What we did on Goldwing island is going to spread fast. Infamy travels quicker than truth, especially when powerful people feel humiliated. That will give us a bad reputation if the Ferans used the incident properly."
"And you this is the chance," Steve said slowly.
"Exactly," Knight replied. "We’re going to need something to balance it. Closing rifts helps, sure. But tearing apart a traitor organization from the inside?" He looked at the portal again. "That earns a different kind of reputation."
I smiled faintly.
"Fame to counter infamy," I said. "Order against chaos."
North nodded once. "And information. If this really is a node in their network, then following it might tell us far more than smashing it ever could."
"Alright," I said quietly. "That makes sense to me. But you know what would be even bigger?"
I let my gaze pass over each of them in turn.
"We use them to strike at the Eternals as well. And since the Hollow Star already have portals on every planet, embedded among every race, we take control of that system and turn it into our own network."
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Bonus release: 1 Chapter for every 100 GTs