「The following night.」
Outside the banquet hall at the ship's bow, the sea wind howled.
The dark silver metal doors stood open, a soft glow spilling out from within. It carried the faint scent of incense, the bitter tang of potions, and dozens of auras of varying strength.
Ian stood at the entrance, the hem of his deep grey long robe stirring slightly in the wind.
On his shoulder, Gaga huddled deep inside his hood, revealing only a pair of small eyes that warily surveyed their surroundings.
He gripped the passenger token in his hand.
The crystal stone at the center of the token grew slightly warm, projecting a line of pale blue, glowing words.
Access: Middle Level Cabin. Passage permitted.
Ian stepped inside. The view opened up before him, and the clamor from within rushed to meet him.
The banquet hall was several hundred meters square, with a high, domed ceiling inlaid with thousands of tiny, glowing crystals arranged in a slowly rotating star map.
