Arelia was unique among the cities that Theonis had visited so far. It was nestled up against a rocky shore that limited how far people could build inland. As a result, Arelia was partially built on the water. In place of streets, much of the city was traversed through saltwater canals and bridges between the buildings. All the buildings that Theonis could see were squat with flat roofs, made from large smooth bricks of the red stone indigenous to the island.

“This architecture is just a more advanced version of the very original homes made by pre-Apositan inhabitants,” Satiria explained to Theonis as she laced up her boots. “The historical significance of the locals’ design philosophy is part of why the Academia Tasopeda was established here.” She picked up her bag and started walking over to the gangplank. “I still have some old colleagues here,” she continued. “With their help, we should only be here for a few days at most.”

Theonis spent the morning above deck with Polithea and Ziniil, watching the overcast sky in case it started to rain again. Polithea was tossing her dice in the air and catching them over and over again. They sat down against the mast to watch the other crew members milling about.

“Your hair is getting longer,” Polithea noted. “You prefer it that way, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Theonis admitted.

“Do you want me to show you how to braid it?”

Theonis blushed and Ziniil went, “Aww.”

“Maybe,” he said quietly.

“I bet it’d make you look pretty,” Polithea said.

“It would definitely make him look pretty,” Ziniil agreed.

Theonis blushed even harder.

“So,” Polithea continued, “your dress was pretty ruined after the party, wasn’t it? I’m guessing you don’t have any others?”

“No…”

“We’re about the same size. I already offered you this once, but how about you try on one of my dresses and see how it makes you feel.”

Theonis curled up and stammered, “I… I… I mean… if you… I guess… um… sure?”

“Glad to hear it,” she replied, grinning. “Come to my room after dinner tonight and we’ll see what looks good on you.”

A drop of rain landed on Theonis’ cheek. He thought it would evaporate from how warm he was. Fortunately, Myrova walked up and sat down in front of the three of them, saving Theonis from more torment.

“Hi, Myrova,” he said. “Have you fully recovered from your fight?”

“I think I have,” she replied, stretching her arms. “I hadn’t been anticipating a magical duel and I was very, very out of practice.”

Polithea asked, “You got into a lot of those at the academy, though, didn’t you?”

Nodding, Myrova answered, “I did. I was pretty good at it for a while, too.” Turning to Theonis and Ziniil, she explained, “Magical dueling is the signature sport of magic-users. There were official tournaments, but more often people invoked them in order to settle disputes. It was rare for anyone to get seriously hurt, though.”

“So… Eiscilla, the woman who was with Aylmer: how does her magic work? What was that stick? I’ve only ever seen you use your hands.”

“Another magic user?” Ziniil asked, perking up.

Myrova nodded, answering, “That woman is a wizard. They’re a type of magic user from up north. Wealthy families will sometimes have their children trained to use wands, which are enchanted little wooden batons that can channel magic. It takes years to master and wizards are nowhere near as strong as mages, which is why I was eventually able to get the upper hand in our duel.”

“If wizards aren’t as powerful, why not just have their children become mages instead?” Theonis asked.

Myrova’s jaw tensed up.

“Maybe don’t ask that for now,” Polithea whispered.

Theonis exchanged a confused glance with Ziniil. What was it they were hiding about mages that neither of them wanted Theonis to know? He’d already seen the academy and everything seemed just fine. What was he missing?

“There are other kinds of magic users,” Myrova continued. “Sorcerers are similar to wizards but use staffs instead, which are much larger. Sorcerers are almost as powerful as mages, but staffs bleed magical energy that can build up and cause damage to their bodies over the long term.”

She went on to explain a few more ways different people utilized magic. Some practitioners absorbed magical energy through breathing and eating, other groups would invoke magic through communal song and dance, and some artistic types could shape magic through enchanted musical instruments.

“And here I thought the Mendacious Ring made me special for being able to use magic without being a mage,” he muttered.

“The ring isn’t what makes you special, Theonis,” Myrova replied, giving him a comforting smile. Leaning back and staring up at the threatening clouds, she concluded, “The capital and the academy do a lot to monitor magic users who enter the country. I’d be surprised if that woman was here legally. If she were to stay in the same place long enough for us to report her, the academy could send a squad out to apprehend her; it would slow down Aylmer’s progress significantly to lose access to his pet wizard.”

The drizzle started to pick up and the four stood to move below deck. It was about time for Theonis to go help Kosgoris, though, so he said a brief goodbye to the girls and made his way to the cargo hold. The animals, sensing the rain, were starting to act up.

“We need to clean out some of our spoiled supplies,” Kosgoris explained to Theonis. “And then we need to make a list of things we need to replace before the expedition begins in earnest.”

Kosgoris retrieved a large musty book and sat it down on the table. This was his personal hand-made guidebook for cataloging what the team needed for expeditions of various lengths across different terrains. Theonis had tried to read it before and the complex cross-referencing between sections made his eyes water.

First, Kosgoris had Theonis take stock of their dry food. These were the perishables with the longest lifespan, so they probably wouldn’t need to replace very much. Some of the bags had been chewed through by rats, and Theonis had to clean up some of their droppings. They were going to have to put out some traps again.

While they were looking over their medical supplies, Kosgoris said quietly, “A while ago, we were talking about how you felt out of place because of your isolated upbringing. Is that something that you’re willing to talk about now?”

Theonis bit his lip. He knew that he had a tendency to overreact. Would he be able to keep that from happening this time? Kosgoris was waiting for an answer.

“I guess we can talk a little,” Theonis said. Glancing away, he explained, “It… isn’t actually a new feeling. I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider even when I was living on Stemini. I just didn’t fit in with the pirate community. To be honest, the Polaia is the only place where I’ve ever actually felt like I belonged. I know it’s ironic, because I spent so long trying to get away when I first arrived, but it’s true.”

Kosgoris nodded, then asked, “Has being able to see other cities helped with that?”

“A little.”

“Maybe that’s what you need to do, then,” Kosgoris suggested. “Spend some time exploring this town. Get to know some people who don’t live on the ship. Hopefully, that will help you connect to the nation as a whole a bit more.”

“Yeah, maybe that will help.” Theonis paused. “Hey, can I ask you about a few things that have been bothering me?”

“What is it?”

“When I encountered Aylmer at the party, he said some things about powerful nations taking what they want and making the world better in the process. I don’t know a lot about world history, but it just didn’t sit very well with me.”

“Aylmer. He’s from Luvetcher, correct?”

“I think so.”

“Typical imperialist, then,” Kosgoris said. “People who are born into that kind of privilege will make up any excuse to justify their greedy, self-important behavior. I’m sure Satiria will loan you a few books on world history if you really want to know the details of why he’s so full of shit.”

“So what does that make me, then?” Theonis asked, his spirits sinking. “I still have the pendant that we found. And I’m not giving it up; who knows what will happen to my body if I lose it? Aren’t I just putting my own greed first?”

Kosgoris shook his head, insisting, “That’s not the same. First, you aren’t exploiting anyone. Second, that pendant is part of your heritage; it’s not stolen. Turning it over may have been the most ethical thing to do, but you’re not hurting anyone by keeping it to yourself.”

Theonis nodded, but frowned. If he did give up the pendant, it could be studied and used to help other people, couldn’t it? Was Kosgoris just making up excuses to justify Theonis’ unethical behavior, now?

“Will you do something for me?” Kosgoris asked.

“Of course.”

“Satiria left some books that she was going to take. I was going to deliver them to her after lunch, but I think it would be a good opportunity for you to get off the ship and explore a little.”

“Of course I’ll help,” Theonis said. “And thank you. For talking with me.”

The best way around Arelia were these long flat boats with a small cabin that passengers could sit in while a rower guided the boat through the saltwater canals. But at least a third of the city, including the Academia Tasopeda, was sitting on dry land, so Theonis eventually had to get out of the little boat and continue on foot. Despite the light rain, there were people bustling about in the streets and on the rooftops.

The academy actually looked a lot newer than the rest of the city. It consisted of a series of seven buildings scattered randomly, all circular with long pillars and tall arches. The influence of Miravian architecture was obvious. Three had glass domes in the center of their flat roofs. It was beautiful, and it was crowded.

“Excuse me, where is the library?” Theonis asked a passerby, clutching the books he was carrying to his chest.

“It’s in the Chrysogos building,” the student replied, pointing to one building without a glass dome.

“Thank you!”

Each building, it turned out, was built in a ring with a green space full of plant life in the center. The library occupied the three lower floors of the southeast quarter of the Chrysogos building. Theonis almost whimpered when he saw how large it was. Finding Satiria was going to take forever.

Theonis walked up and down the shelves, searching for his target. The library was crowded with people studying together or poring over books alone. They all looked so busy, but Theonis felt a pang of envy in his heart. These people all seemed to fit in; they knew what they wanted their role in the world to be and they were working hard to make it happen. They’d dedicated themselves to a goal just like all his friends on the ship had, just like all the pirates on Stemini had. But not him.

Finally, Theonis spotted Satiria sitting at a table surrounded by books and people. They were talking in hushed, intense tones. Theonis didn’t want to interrupt them, but it was clear even from afar how tired Satiria looked. She probably wasn’t in a very good mood.

By chance, she glanced over and saw him. They both paused for a moment. Then Satiria beckoned for Theonis to come closer. As he did, several of the other people around the table turned to watch Theonis approach.

“Kosgoris asked me to bring these to you,” he said quietly, placing the books on the table.

“Thank you,” Satiria replied. “I needed these.”

To Theonis’ surprise, her voice was soft and quiet. She looked genuinely grateful. Theonis gave her a small smile.

He asked, “How are you feeling?”

“This is exhausting,” she admitted, “but it feels really good to be back in my element. I really did miss this.”

“I won’t take up any more of your time,” Theonis replied. “Good luck.”

The rain had picked up a little bit. Theonis ran for a while until he got back to the waterways. He quickly paid for a boat and curled up inside the little cabin to drip all over the place. It was a slow ride, so Theonis had a lot of time to stare out the window at the passing city.

There weren’t as many people out anymore, but Theonis could still see people milling about inside through the large open windows on some buildings. Kosgoris’ suggestion to get out and meet some of these people surfaced in his mind. It certainly couldn’t hurt to explore the city at least a little bit over the next couple of days.

Once he was on the Polaia again, Theonis returned to his room to dry off and change his clothes. Winters were always nice and cool, but the rain could be annoying. Now clean, Theonis headed to the canteen for dinner; he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and was hungry.

Theonis couldn’t see Myrova or Polithea anywhere in the canteen. They must have been busy. Kateni had an open seat near her, though, so Theonis sat down across from her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“Strong,” Kateni replied simply.

“You’re fully healed?”

“Thanks to Myrova’s magic and some physical therapy, I feel much better. I’m ready to be done recovering, but Dimileios insists that I stay patient.”

The two continued chatting as they ate. When he was finished, Theonis turned in his plate and flatware and began making his way to Polithea’s room. His stomach was aflutter. Polithea was going to put him in a dress. He didn’t know how to feel about this.

Polithea’s door was slightly ajar when Theonis arrived. He could hear people talking inside, but couldn’t make out who at first. Maybe he should wait. If Polithea was talking to someone, he didn’t want to interrupt.

Theonis got a little closer, straining his ears. There were two people inside, one of them definitely Polithea. He wasn’t sure, but Theonis thought the other one might be Myrova. They were speaking in hushed tones.

He walked up to the door, raising his hand to knock and alert them to his presence. Then Theonis heard his name and hesitated. What were they saying? Theonis leaned in closer to listen.

“He’s getting much more comfortable expressing himself like a girl,” Polithea said. “I convinced him to come try on a dress and see how it feels. I think I can get him to start wearing them regularly.”

“That’s good,” Myrova replied. “I’m still trying to find the right time to just come out and ask him if he wants to be a girl. Every time I think I have a chance I just get cold feet. I didn’t realize it would be this hard.”

Theonis covered his mouth and took a step away from the door. What was going on? His friends were talking about conspiring against him. All to… what? Get him to admit that he wanted to be a girl?! He could feel his heart start to race.

Myrova and Polithea had been plotting behind his back the entire time. Two people he trusted more than anyone else in the world. And why? Why would they do this? He couldn’t fathom a reason. Was this all just to make fun of him behind his back? Tears started to well up in Theonis’ eyes. His friends were just using him for their own amusement.

His weight shifted, and Theonis bumped into the open door, causing it to squeak. The conversation inside the room stopped. Polithea cursed. Theonis took off running down the hall. After a moment, he heard the other two burst out of the room to follow him.

“Theonis, stop!” Myrova cried. “Let me explain!”

Making it to his room, Theonis closed and locked the door behind him. Myrova reached the door and started hammering on it, begging to be let in. Theonis closed his eyes and covered his ears.

“Theonis… I’m sorry you heard that,” she said. “But I promise that it all makes sense. Just let me explain what’s going on.”

He didn’t answer. For the next half an hour, Theonis sat in the middle of the room and festered in his anger and confusion. Occasionally, Myrova would ask again to be let in so they could talk.

Eventually, she said, “Alright, I’ll go. But I promise that I’m here if you want to talk.”

Theonis heard her footsteps receding down the hallway. He sighed and stood up, just to collapse into bed. What was he going to do now?