- Chapter 1 -

Raven had been afraid from the beginning that Freeport Rock would change her, turning her into someone she did not want to be. Dancing at The Phantasia seemed to be a major step down just such an ominious road, but that road had taken her into the company of friends, good people whose only "flaw" - as some would see it - was that they were not afraid to bare their bodies to the world.

The dancers worked for five days out of every eight, and saw quite a lot of each other during their free time, meeting in the Market Quarter to chat or shop. Best of all, in Raven's mind, were the dinner parties, hosted by each girl in turn - if her circumstances allowed - and it was at these gatherings that dancers that were just faces and bodies before became companions, even friends, with names.

Even rpoud, haughty Skylla would attend these functions, even hosting them at her near-palatial town-house in the wealthy Silk District, but Raven had joined the Phantasia troupe just after the First Dancer's latest party. She was left to imagine the proceedings, based on the others' stories, and wait with much anticipation for the next.

There was much less of a wait for Ashyra's next party, which came after Raven's second full five-night shift, and the star-stranded girl did all she could to help, shopping whilst Ashyra cooked, washing up whilst her house-mate scurried around tidying...

Despite their best efforts, something was missing when the appointed hour came.

Guests.

"Where are they?", wondered an anxious Ashyra, peeping out the window for the twentieth time. "Someone should be here by now. Chal'Shi at least - she's always early..."

"Something's not right", murmured Raven, hardly hearing what her friend said as an inner voice spoke out louder. "I sense a strong current of emotion outside..."

"That empathic thing kicking in again?", enquired the elfin dancer.

Raven nodded in reply. She had been aware of an uncanny ability to sense emotions from the moment she awoke on the ship that had rescued her. but that ability only acquired a name when she talked with Ashyra about it. Being psychically gifted herself, the elven girl had accumulated a fair bit of knowledge about the variety of powers a mind could manifest, and she had gladly offered Raven whatever support or advice she could.

"This is stronger even than the feelings I get at the club", Raven added. "Something has grabbed the attention of a lot of people."

"Maybe we should go and see", suggested Ashyra. "So, where's this 'attention-grabber', then?"

Raven half-closed her eyes to help her focus. "North. The Dock Quarter - wait, someone's coming..."

A frantic pounding at the door interrupted the girl's dreamy musings. Raven's eyes snapped wide open immediately.

"...to the door", she mumbled. somewhat deflated, and went to see who seemed intent on demolishing Ashyra's front door.

One of the dinner guests the girls had been expecting darted in as soon as the door was opened enough for her to squeeze through. It was Chal'Shi, a girl made noteable by the silvery streaks in her long dark hair, originating at her temples, and she would have dropped into the nearest chair, exhausted, had she not been so excited.

"Y-you've got to get down-down to the Docks!", she gasped, doubled over as she fought for breath.

"What's up?", asked Ashyra.

"He-he's here", wheezed Chal'Shi. "The Prince of The Sapphire Cluster!"

This was all Ashyra needed to hear for the epidemic of reasonless hysteria to grab hold of her as well. She was almost through the door by the time Raven realised her friend was moving. The emotion-sensitive dancer tried to grab Ashyra's arm, hoping to restrain her, but instead found a hand clamped onto her wrist, pulling her out onto the landing.

"Who is this Prince...?", she managed to exclaim.

Ashyra raised an index finger to Raven's lips. "Shhh - just come and see!", was Ashyra's elated, child-like reply.

The girls did not have to run far, for moments later the incredible thing others had rushed to see came to them, darkening the skies and drawing the dancers' eyes upward.

Ashyra's grip on Raven's wrist tightened. ***Wow...***, whispered the mind-voice of the elfin girl, awestruck, as a fabulous vessel made its slow, graceful way overhead.

The sky-ship was colossal, easily longer than any three ships currently at dock laid end to end. Its hull was a stretched tear-drop of golden timber, with three great drive-sails equally spaced around the broad stern and three rows of nine smaller steering sails midway between the main-sails and the needle-like bow of the ship. All the sails were of semi-transparent, iridescent streamcatcher cloth, and every sail bore the same symbol - nine jewel-like blue stars arranged in an oval ring, lying on one side.

"He's here, all right", murmured Ashyra.

"That is amazing, but it doesn't answer my question", said Raven. "Who is he?"

Ashyra giggled. "Next you'll be telling me you don't know who Lord Serpentine is!"

The latest addition to The Phantasia's reknowned dance troupe gave an enquiring look, but said nothing. In response, Ashyra cast her gaze skyward, as though silently begging for release from unthinkable torment.

"If it wasn't for Lord Serpentine, none of this would exist", she sighed. "The Prince of the Sapphire Cluster is a bit less important. he rules the richest region within a year's travel of Freeport..."

Again, she looked upward. "...and he's not afraid to show it."

"But why show it here?", queried Raven. "What would bring a Prince here?"

"Only he and his captain know that", suggested her companion. "Pleasure, most likely. He leaves all the boring stuff to diplomats and ministers..."

The girl's words tailed off, and her already large eyes became larger still. She was silent for only a few seconds, long enough for Raven to become concerned, but the taller dancer was cut off before she could ask what was wrong by a little shriek from her strangely stricken friend.

"Oh - oh stars above! Do you know what this means???"

Raven shook her head. She had already proved how little she knew about her new home-world, and did not intend to make herself look any more foolish by hazarding a guess.

Ashyra now took hold of Raven's arm with both hands, her grip so strong there was quickly little difference in colour between Raven's long white glove and the skin beneath. "Why else would the Prince come here?", she said with surprising deliberation and calmness. "Raven, he's come to see us."

"What makes you think that?", Raven asked, wrestling her blood-starved hand away from her companion.

"What else is there in Freeport for a pleasure-seeker to do?", exclaimed the elfin girl. "Go and count rats in the Low Quarter?"

Raven had no answer, and no more questions. All there was left to do was go home, and wait for Drasheel to call them to the club.

 

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