AEHU/Plot/Plot Sketch Chapter 17

"Fata Morgana"

Schala teaches an Earthbound language class and ends early so her students can prepare for the Nocturne Festival. Beck appears just after she lets her class out and Schala, still under the stress of mourning and contact experiments with the Object, acts somewhat curt. Beck is kind of miffed when she leaves and tells him to be sure to turn off the classroom lights.

Schala organizes a goodwill voyage to Algetty, arranging food baskets for an annual feast day the Earthbound celebrate. Dalton provides security and she takes Janus with her to culture him.

Schala's goodwill voyage receives a hearty reception in Algetty until Grishe jumps out of the crowd with knife in hand, aiming for Schala. She evades him and Dalton takes Grishe into custody after Zealian and Earthbound alike subdue him. Schala asks Grishe to explain himself and he accuses her of insulting the Earthbound by bringing them token food baskets while they toil under increasingly harsh conditions to fulfill Zeal's energy needs.

On their way back to the sky islands Schala discovers that the incident had a huge impact on Janus, who now believes his mission in life is to grow strong and become Seneschal for Schala as Demeria did for King Zeal. He vows to focus on his flagging magic skills.

After adjusting the sky islands' orbit so that Zeal may spend two full weeks beneath the moon, the kingdom kicks off the Nocturne Festival with a celebratory Midnight Waltz. Schala plans to spend the evening with her family in private solitude and gifts Alfador to Janus as a birthday present. However, Seith announces that a Creojeanne must join in the celebration for the family's image and bring an official end to the period of mourning stifling civil life after the king's death. Queen Zeal is indisposed (either overcome with grief or behaving strangely), so Seith sends Schala out and Janus tags along.

Schala can't find Demeria but Derben is out and about, and one of the few people not wearing a ball mask. She shadows Derben while he follows Seith through Zeal Palace. Seith, in turn, finds Beck and requisitions his expertise in creating a legion of expendable creatures for Zeal's defense. Seith warns of impending conflict with the Earthbound and envisions a decisive battle without a drop of Zealian blood spilled, which will enhance the Creojeanne dynasty's illustrious image. He promises Beck enhanced status and protection from Melchior, who is lobbying for an end to Bekkler's sky island laboratory. Beck agrees to this arrangement.

After Derben walks away in disgust, Schala meanders around the palace's moonlit dance floor, pondering everything until she's approached by a silver-masked reveler. She agrees to a dance and when it ends, her partner asks if she has a "dream." She replies predictably and he upsets her by reminding her of the fact that she was just attacked by an Earthbound earlier that day, as if reaffirming just how radical her dream is. Her partner apologizes and removes his mask, revealing that Schala had been dancing with Beck. Schala suffers a nervous breakdown and leaves the dance floor. She sees Demeria, released in honor of the Nocturne Festival by Queen Zeal herself, and confides in her.

The next day Alfador's antics lead Janus and Schala all the way from Zeal Palace to the Blackbird to Bekkler's sky island, where they witness Beck showing off various creatures to Dalton. Dalton proclaims each creature "Brilliant!" and takes a special liking to the self-multiplying Golems. After everyone leaves the lab and the lights are turned off, a shadowy figure rushes in and releases the Aethyrmorph, a shapeshifting creature Beck proclaimed especially dangerous.

Demeria nervously observes Schala undergoing a connection experiment with the Object. Afterward Schala learns that Grishe is being held in Zeal's dungeon and is slated for swift execution. Schala wishes to visit him and pay her condolences, and Demeria and Melchior accompany her. Along the way they encounter Dalton ordering Anderu Po'hjol's release, though Dalton appears to be acting a bit unusual.

Schala & co. head to Grishe's cell but Beck and a scientific team have arrived first. Grishe is saying something in Earthbound language, ignored until Schala translates for him: he's asking what's about to happen. Beck doesn't answer Grishe directly, but tells Melchior that Grishe's execution will take the form of a biological experiment without anesthesia. Melchior wonders who the heck gave such an order, and Beck responds that Seith secured the experiment through Queen Zeal upon Beck's own request. Melchior is livid with Beck, but admits he can do little against the very monarch who awarded him guruship. After Beck's team exits the chamber Schala informs Grishe of his impending execution. Grishe, much distraught, embarrasingly asks Schala if she would deign to check up on his children and make sure they're cared for, since Masa, Mune, and Doreen have no mother. Schala apologizes for the fact that she lacks the political sway to get him off and agrees to fulfill his request.

Outside, Schala argues with Melchior and Demeria about what she's agreed to, within earshot of Beck. When Demeria points out that it's going to be difficult to get a Blackbird pass for something like this (the skyways are disabled for the duration of the Nocturne Festival), Beck offers his personal skyship, the Ganymede -- it came with Bekkler's island. He produces his pilot credentials when Demeria presses him, and although everyone distrusts him, Schala's willing to take up his offer. Melchior likens it to making a deal with the devil, to which Beck replies there's a lot of that going no nowadays.