The meeting with the Cloud Council ended, and Aru was escorted—more like herded—into Nimbus Crown's preparation hall. It was a long, circular chamber surrounded by rotating metal rings, floating crystals, and more glowing runes than he could count.
Tiko pointed. "Why is everything spinning?"
Rella answered, "It keeps the Skylands stable."
Tiko shuddered. "So if something BREAKS… we FALL?"
Bolo gasped in horror. "No more snacks?"
Tiko grabbed his shoulders. "YES, BOLO! NO MORE ANYTHING!"
Aru nudged them. "Relax, guys. Let's assume nothing breaks."
At that exact moment, one of the rotating rings sparked and made a shriek that sounded like a bird falling down the stairs.
Zara facepalmed. "This place is held together by anxiety and duct tape."
Aru whispered, "Perfect."
The Plan (aka 'We're All Going to Die But Politely')
General Galeon spread out a floating scroll that showed the entire Skylands map. With a wave of his hand, glowing symbols appeared.
"Here is the Voidbreaker's path."
A massive black storm swirled across the map.
"Here is the Skyforge."
A tiny little blue dot.
"And here…"—he pointed to the glowing gold mark—"is Aru."
Aru raised his hoof. "Question. Why am I always the tiny glowing dot?"
Tiko answered, "Because you're the plot."
Bolo nodded. "Yes. Plot is small and tasty."
Galeon continued, ignoring them.
"Aru, you will run along the Wind Spine—"
Zara interrupted. "The high-altitude floating bridges made of thin air?"
"Yes."
"The ones that disappear sometimes?"
"Yes."
"The ones that fall apart if someone sneezes too hard?"
"Yes."
Everyone stared.
Aru turned slowly.
"…Zara? Why do you know so much terrifying detail?"
She glared. "Because I READ THE SKYLANDS SAFETY MANUAL unlike SOME people."
Tiko whispered, "There was a manual!?"
A Gift From the Skylands
Elder Iridia floated in, carrying a chest made of cloudsteel.
"Aru," she said gently, "you cannot face the Voidbreaker unprepared. The Skylands offers you our sacred relic."
She opened the chest.
Inside rested a pair of… boots?
Cloud-blue leather. Silver threading. Runes that sparkled like captured lightning.
Aru blinked. "Um… I don't… wear boots."
Iridia smiled. "They're not boots. They're Skystride Wrappings. They bind to your legs."
Tiko gasped. "Magic socks!?"
Rella sighed. "Not everything is socks."
Bolo nodded solemnly. "These are fancy socks."
Aru hesitated. "Will they… hurt?"
Iridia touched his leg gently and whispered an ancient word.
The wrappings dissolved into light and wrapped around Aru's legs—warm, humming, weightless.
Aru gasped.
Then—
WHOOMPH!
He launched three meters straight into the air.
"Aru!" Zara yelled.
"MY LEGS HAVE ASCENDED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" Aru screamed as he floated like a confused balloon.
Galeon snapped his fingers, summoning a gust of controlled wind to help guide him down.
Aru landed, wobbling like jelly.
Iridia smiled."With these, you run on wind as though it were solid."
Tiko whispered, "I want wind socks too…"
Training Begins (aka Aru Tries Not to Die)
The Skylanders led Aru to a training platform that hovered halfway between Nimbus Crown and the open sky.
Zara, Rella, Bolo, and Tiko watched from a safe distance—not because they wanted to avoid danger, but because the training instructors insisted. Something about "preventing collateral screaming."
Galeon stood beside Aru.
"Show me your stance."
Aru spread his legs.
Galeon frowned."That is a panic stance. Try again."
Aru raised a front leg awkwardly.
"Now you look like you're trying to remember how walking works."
Aru growled. "This is how antelopes STAND!"
Galeon placed a hand on his back.
"Relax. Trust the Flow."
Aru took a breath. His legs steadied. The wind gathered around his hooves.
Galeon stepped back.
"Good. Now—run."
Aru charged forward.
The Skystride Wrappings glowed—
His speed surged—
Wind platforms appeared under his hooves like stepping stones—
And he ran across the air.
"YES!" he shouted. "I'm doing it! I'm running!"
Tiko screamed from below, "ARU DON'T LOOK DOWN—"
Aru looked down.
He regretted everything.
"NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE—"
He wobbled—
A wind platform vanished—
He flailed in mid-air—
And Galeon snatched him by the tail.
Galeon held him upside-down."Lesson one: do not look down."
Aru, dangling like a furry ornament, groaned. "I hate gravity."
Meanwhile… The Storm Moves
Far across the Skylands, clouds rippled like a shaken blanket.
Lightning forked.
Wind spiraled.
A massive shadow shifted within the storm.
Two purple eyes blinked open.
A deep, rumbling growl echoed across the floating islands.
The Voidbreaker lifted its enormous head—shaped like a dragon made of cloud and darkness—and inhaled.
It could smell something.
Something golden.
Something tasty.
Something called… Aru.
The monster roared, and the sky turned black.
The hunt had begun.
Back at Nimbus Crown
Aru collapsed on the training platform, chest heaving.
Galeon knelt beside him.
"You improved."
Aru wheezed. "I died."
"No. You almost died. Improvement."
Zara rushed over with water. "Aru, you're doing great."
Tiko added, "Yeah! For someone actively trying to fall to their doom!"
Bolo nodded. "You ran like a brave… slightly screaming… hero."
Rella smiled. "You'll be ready."
Aru looked up at his friends.
And for the first time since falling into the Skylands…he actually believed them.
Galeon stood, looking toward the rolling horizon.
"The Voidbreaker will reach the Wind Spine in two days. By then… you must be able to run farther, faster, and with more control than ever before."
Aru's legs trembled.
"Two days…?"
Galeon nodded.
"Two days."
Aru swallowed.
"Then… let's start again."