The remainder of Dyne and Ghaleon's day was spent being shown around the city by a Guild official. In the evening, they were invited to join Lemia for dinner, who answered many of Dyne's questions about Vane's history. Afterwards, the two retired to their rooms for the evening.

Later that night, Lemia met with Naphtali and Rhiannon, two other officials of the Magic Guild, in the Main Hall.

"The biggest problem is how much power the ship has left," Naphtali said. "If the ship loses power, the life support systems fail and all the people on board will die. The eight lamps on the ship indicate how much power is left, and according to the watchers, two of them have already extinguished."

"What about the citizens of Vane?" said Rhiannon, cutting into Naphtali's argument. "They must not find out about the Airship disaster! The reputation of the Magic Guild is at stake!"

"We all know why the Airship and its passengers must be rescued," said Lemia wearily. "Now let's figure out how to rescue them."

After thinking about it for a minute, Rhiannon finally had an idea. "Magic lightning would destroy the rocks that keep the ship trapped in the gorge."

Lemia frowned. "According to the information that our visitors have provided us with, the Airship is too far away for any magic spell to reach it from Vane."

Naphtali nodded his head in agreement. "Besides, it would take the power of most of the Magic Guild to free the Airship without causing any damage. The people would be suspicious if so many Guild members left with no explanation."

"So what did you have in mind?" Rhiannon asked Naphtali.

"The Magic Amplifier."

"What???"

"It's the only way! With the Magic Amplifier, we can send our magical energies to much farther distances!"

"You're crazy, Naphtali!" Rhiannon cried. "The Magic Amplifier is as old as the Airship, and hasn't been used since the Airship was first activated over a century ago! Nobody knows how it works, and anybody who ever did has been dead for years!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," said a nearby voice.

Lemia, Rhiannon, and Naphtali turned around in shock, and saw Ghaleon in the doorway, casually leaning against the doorposts, grinning like a cat. Dyne silently stood behind him.

Lemia was furious. "How long have you two been listening?"

"For quite some time now," Ghaleon said. "Right after you started talking about the ship's power supply. And as for the problem with Magic Amplifier, I can help you power it back up."

"And what makes you think you can do that?" Naphtali asked with a very hostile tone.

Ghaleon's face turned very serious. "Because I built it to make my Airship work."

"You built it..." Lemia gasped, "for your airship...? You mean that..."

"Yes. I built the Airship, and developed The Magic Amplifier to give it power." He was speaking as though in a trance, caught up in long-buried memories. "A tribute to my brother Zain, whose greatest dream was to build an airship for Vane. But he died from an illness before he could finish the job. I vowed that to honor him and his dream, I would complete the Airship. When I did, I presented it as a gift to the Magic Guild."

Lemia gasped. "I know that story. That was you?"

Ghaleon nodded.

She looked at him with hope shining in her eyes. "Then you will help us free the Airship?"

Ghaleon's gaze turned stone-sold. "Not until you answer the question I asked earlier today. Who is on the Airship?"

Lemia sighed. "The Guildmistress of the Magic Guild, and about thirty-seven others," she said. "But nobody else must know this!"

Ghaleon's gaze softened a bit. "I see. Well then, I'll get to work on it first thing in the morning."

"Very well," Lemia said. "Tell me what you need to get the Magic Amplifier to work again. Tomorrow morning, everything will be ready for you. Good luck."

Ghaleon's dark red eyes blazed intensely. "I won't let you down."

Dyne was in an angry mood as he and Ghaleon returned to their rooms. "Any other secrets you've been keeping from me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were from Vane? Or that you built that Airship? Or that you had a brother?"

"Should I have?"

"Yes, damn it! I'm standing around here not knowing what the hell is going on, and you're keeping secrets from me!"

"Everybody keeps secrets. Everybody has old wounds they must deal with. But that's what makes us into who we become in our lives. And no matter what the pain, we need to move beyond it. It's the only way we can survive. I know you understand."

Dyne nodded, remembering his parents' deaths, his cruel grandparents, his parting with Noah.

"Besides," Ghaleon continued, "there is an emergency on our hands. Tomorrow, I must help the Magic Guild rescue the people trapped on the Airship. I cannot and will not put their lives in danger by having painful memories of the past distracting me and clouding my judgment."

Ghaleon's words helped Dyne cool down. "But why didn't you tell me before?"

Ghaleon shrugged. "It just never came up."

The two reached their rooms. "Is there any way I could help out tomorrow?" Dyne asked.

"How? You don't know magic."

"True. But I can help with manual labor, like lifting and carrying..." Dyne's voice faded as he realized how useless he felt.

Ghaleon smiled sympathetically, realizing how Dyne must feel. "I'm sure I can find a more useful job for you."

"Gee, thanks," said Dyne, not convinced by Ghaleon's encouraging. "Do you really think you can save the ship before the next storm hits?"

Ghaleon looked grim. "For Lemia's sake, I hope so."

"Yeah. I'm really impressed at how well she's handling herself."

Ghaleon raised an eyebrow, a sly look on his face. "Is that all you're impressed with?"

Dyne flushed. "No, seriously! She's responsible for the entire city while the Guildmistress is trapped in the Airship! The Magic Guild is depending on her to rescue her and the others, and to keep the support of the citizens of Vane, she has to keep all of this a secret! But she still doesn't let any of the pressure show!"

His voice got softer as he thought of Lemia and her sad eyes. "And her devotion to the Guildmistress... she truly cares for her. Almost like a daughter's devotion to a mother."

Ghaleon sighed. "That's because the Guildmistress actually is her mother."

"What?"

"The position of Guildmistress is hereditary, passed on from mother to daughter. So not only is Lemia the Guildmistress's deputy, but her daughter as well. An Ausa was premier of the Magic Guild when I was born here, five generations ago. The bloodline of the Ausas still leads the guild."

"By Althena..." Dyne gasped, feeling even more sorry for Lemia and her plight. "But why didn't she tell us?"

"For the same reason I was telling you about before. Because of the tremendous weight of her responsibilities, she must keep her emotions in check. She can't let personal feelings interfere. Still, you're right. With such a high personal stake, she really is handling the situation well.

"And speaking of handling the situation well, I need to get some sleep. I have a big day tomorrow. I suggest you do the same."

"I'll try. Good night."

"Good night," replied Ghaleon. He entered his guest chambers, and closed the door.

Dyne was about to go into his own guest chambers, but he wasn't ready for sleep, or to spend the rest of the night cooped up in his room. He needed some fresh air. He found his way to an outdoor balcony on the top floor of the Guild Manor, and gasped in amazement at the view waiting for him.

The sky was a shade of navy blue, the stars above him shining like pieces of silver. The Blue Star shone with a warm, comforting light. The glow seemed to blanket the floating city in a magical aura. From his viewpoint on the balcony, he could see beyond the edge of Vane and the world below. He could see the Goddess Tower silhouetted against the Blue Star. Amazing that magic can make something like this possible. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to learn some.

Suddenly, he was aware of someone coming up behind him. Turning around, he saw Lemia walking towards him.

"Am I disturbing you?" Lemia asked.

"Not at all. I just want some fresh air. I hope I'm not trespassing."

Lemia shook her head and smiled. "I come here sometimes at night when I need to relax. There's no better view on all of Lunar than right here."

Dyne nodded. "I'm sorry about... the Guildmistress," he said carefully, not wishing to upset Lemia. "But I know we'll be able to save her and the Airship tomorrow."

Lemia smiled. "Thanks. With you and Ghaleon helping us, I have no doubts that we will succeed."

Dyne returned her smile. "It's good to see you're so optimistic."

Lemia walked to the balcony's edge and stared up at The Blue Star. "When I was a child, my mother told me about a boy from the magic race who built an airship for the people of Vane over one hundred years ago. After he finished it, he left Vane, not feeling welcomed here because he was different. He wandered the world on an endless adventure of exploration. Now that he has returned and is going to help us, I feel much more confident that we will succeed in saving the Guildmistress... my mother."

Dyne pretended to be surprised by her revelation. "But that's not all Ghaleon makes you think of, is it?"

Lemia blushed and shook her head. "I was always jealous of him for being able to leave Vane and go on adventures around the world. I've lived in Vane my entire life. I've never gone on adventures, explored new places, and I've always wanted to. But I am the heir to the Magic Guild. I can't go roaming the world while I have responsibilities here."

Dyne laughed. "Eight years ago, I felt the same way. I thought for sure that I'd spend all my life in Burg, and never get to go on the adventures I'd always dreamed of. Then, I discovered that the White Dragon of Althena's cave was right near my home village. So I decide to go and see him, just for the adventure. I did meet him, and got the Dragon Ring from him. He told me that I was destined for adventure, and to go and explore the world. I didn't think I'd get to, but Ghaleon came along and let me accompany him on his travels.

"Since then, I've seen so much. I've traveled to dozens of strange continents and cities, met many fantastic people, fought strange monsters. I'll never get to see all of Lunar, and not even Ghaleon will, despite his long life span. But it's something to look forward to. It's a comforting feeling to know that there's still more to live for."

He gave Lemia a reassuring smile. "Some day, your chance for adventure will come along. If it can happen to some bum kid from Burg, it can definitely happen to the Deputy of the Magic Guild of Vane."

Lemia looked at him, tears starting to form. "Thank you, Dyne. That really means a lot to me." She wiped away her tears, and then walked back towards the entrance to the Guild Manor. "I'm going to sleep now," she said. "Try to get some too, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. See you tomorrow!" And with one last smile, she went back inside.

Dyne watched her leave, and took one last look at The Blue Star before he, too, went back to his quarters for some sleep. Ghaleon was right. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

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