In silence, Nora and Finn packed up their parachutes. They had landed on a large rock that was like an island between the seething magma, the smoking crevices and the deep chasms. The thermal storm that had just tossed their ship around like a leaf in the wind had suddenly died down. With the explosion of the Rex Ventorum, calm had largely returned – an eerie calm. They looked around and took in where they had landed for the first time. The volcanic island offered a landscape shaped by the raw, unbridled power of nature. Volcanoes towered above the island, some silent and extinct, their cones black and caked, others glowing with activity, with hissing clouds of steam and sparks flying. The ground was almost entirely made up of solidified rock, layered on top of each other with sharp-edged cracks in which lava seethed hot and glowing. Here and there, rocky plateaus and small islands of solid stone rose up, like lonely fortresses in the glowing sea. The air was heavy with smoke and sulfur, which rose in swirling veils and obscured the view.
Finally, Nora dared to speak. ‘What are we going to do now?’ she asked Finn, her voice filled with fear and tears. ‘Do what Eva would have done: keep going,’ he replied. Just as he was about to take the first step, he paused. His head trembled and tilted slightly, like a compass needle that had suddenly found the right direction. ‘Wait…’ Nora looked at him questioningly. “What is it?” “Currents… I can feel them.” Finn raised his hand as if he could feel something invisible. “It’s as if the air itself is moving. I can feel where it’s flowing.” “You can feel air currents?” Nora shook her head in disbelief. ‘Finn, I don’t want to offend you, but I think you’ve lost your mind.’ But Finn ignored her. With half-closed eyes, he set himself in motion, balancing over the metre-deep crevices, each step as sure as if he had walked this path hundreds of times before. Nora could hardly keep up, but she followed him, fascinated and worried at the same time. They passed a few volcanic craters, climbed over boulders and dodged the glowing hot lava flows. When they had climbed several step-like stone blocks, Finn finally stopped.
They were standing at the edge of an extinct volcano, but where they had expected to see a cauldron of black solidified lava, they found a place of unearthly beauty: The inactive crater was a world unto itself, a hidden wonder in the middle of the barren volcanic island. Its walls were polished by time, the layers of rock forming gentle concentric circles that, like the annual rings of a tree, bore witness to long-gone eras. A surprisingly lush carpet of moss-green lichen grew on them. And there, in the middle of the crater, floated the Heart of Heaven – a core of ore that seemed to glow from within. Its surface shimmered in an endless interplay of colours: gold, ruby red, emerald green and cobalt blue. The energy it radiated set everything around it vibrating, and a mighty hum filled the air.
‘This is incredible,’ whispered Nora. “We actually found it!” Finn didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on the heart. The colours kept changing, and with each change, the rock seemed to send out a wave of energy that made the hair on their arms stand up.
Rather than presenting the information that now follows in a dialogue between our two friends, I will allow myself to explain what the so-called Heart of Heaven is all about. As an inventor, Nora was blessed with a quick mind and a profound understanding of science, so together with the navigator Finn, she quickly figured out the following. Therefore, allow me to interject and explain to you what the so-called Heart of Heaven is all about.
Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you if you were hoping for a romantic, magical artefact. Although the world of the Cloud Islands may seem enchanted, it is subject to the same laws of physics as yours and mine. The Heart of Heaven is, quite simply, a magentospheric levitating core – a massive metallic object, deep within the crater of the extinct volcano. Its secret lies in an electromagnetic process that generates a powerful gravitational field. Each of the cloud islands contains a smaller core that integrates with this field, which, like an invisible pair of scales, supports its weight and keeps it suspended. Without this core, the islands would plunge downwards under their own mass and crash to the ground.
We can only speculate about the scientific basis for this, because, as you can imagine, there is no research. I suspect that the heart’s effectiveness could lie in a dynamo-like rotation. The core, consisting of ionised gases and metals, generates an electromagnetic field of such strength through its internal movement that it keeps the gigantic masses of the cloud islands in balance.
The Heart of Heaven is therefore not just a relic of the past, but a powerful source of energy and the real reason why this floating world exists at all. And that’s exactly what makes it so coveted and dangerous at the same time. But I don’t want to give away any more and spoil the story for you – just know that the story is far from over for our friends.
Nora and Finn were standing at the edge of the crater, gazing at the heart of the sky as if spellbound, when suddenly a noise startled them. The volcanic island wasn’t exactly quiet; there was hissing, bubbling and whistling everywhere. But this sound was different. It was a metallic screak, accompanied by an ominous shadow sweeping over them. ‘It can’t be,’ Finn whispered, and slowly they both raised their heads.
An ominous silhouette emerged from the smoke above them, and they immediately recognised it: the pirate ship of Black Mara. Its ragged dark sails shimmered in the strange luminosity of the heart. It hovered like a bird of prey over the crater and began to turn above them. ‘How did they make it here…’ Finn murmured, stunned. ‘No wonder, now that the turbulence is gone,’ Nora added, grinding her teeth.
The ship descended and finally landed at the edge of the volcano. A rope was thrown over the railing. When Nora and Finn saw who was shimmying down it, it took their breath away. With a smooth movement, Leander landed on the ground, his rapier in his free hand. ‘So we meet again,’ he said with a cool smile. Behind him, Mara slid down. For the first time, Nora and Finn could see the pirate up close. Her name could not have suited her better: her black curls fell wildly and untamed around her face, shining like polished ebony and seemingly leading a life of their own, as if even silence did not dare to settle near her. Her skin was sunburnt, with fine lines around her eyes and mouth that told of a life spent in the open air. Her clothing was a wild mix of elegance and practicality: a heavy coat made of black storm leather, with an abundance of pockets and hooks that offered space for everything a pirate might need, and her boots were reinforced with metal plates that made a clicking sound when she took a step. But her most striking feature was that her left hand was not made of flesh and blood, but of a construction of brass and gears. Nora had to force herself to tear her gaze away from it – because even though Mara was dangerous, she would have liked to have questioned her about the elaborate prosthesis.
Finn was the first to find his voice again. ‘What are you doing here, Leander?’ ‘Oh,’ the nobleman said, raising his eyebrows. ‘No question about how I managed to escape you? How I met Mara, who kindly took me in because she had a score to settle with you?’ Mara nodded at his last words and spat approvingly on the ground. ‘Get to the point,’ Finn snorted. ‘Of course I’m no savage’, Leander continued, ‘I have to thank you. For your efforts that led me here. We followed you, observed, waited. Your ship didn’t survive the thermodynamics of this island, which is a shame. It seems that Eva wasn’t as good a pilot as she always claimed to be.‘ “Don’t you dare,” hissed Nora, suppressing the tears that were welling up in her eyes with all her might. Leander waved her off. ’But why am I talking to you? The Heart of Heaven has been found. Now a new age can begin.‘
‘What do you mean?’ Finn asked. Leander turned to them, the light of the pulsating core flickering in his eyes – or madness, who could say which. ‘All right, I’ll explain it to you, although I’m sure you’re deliberately acting stupid to find out my plan. Reviving Nightshade research was a good idea – but the Heart is obviously the much greater key to power over the Cloud Islands! Now you must see how everything could change – for the better!’ Finn, whose hands were inconspicuously searching his pockets for a suitable weapon, snarled, ‘Why don’t you fill us in, Leander? What are you planning? And what does this pirate have to do with it?’
Leander smiled coldly. ’Black Mara, like me, is a visionary. She knows that the Cloud Islands order is long outdated. The Heart is nothing more than chains binding us to this pathetic order. What if we could break those chains? What if we could shape the currents and gravity to our will?’ “You want to destroy the balance?” Nora raised her chin, her voice trembled, but was still firm. ‘If you manipulate the heart, the islands will fall!’ “In the short term, maybe,” Leander admitted. ’But think bigger! If we reverse the magnetosphere, we could take control of the islands, redefine the routes. Trade routes, power relations, everything will be in our hands. Mara sees the opportunity to reshape the world – and I’m ready to do it.’
Finn laughed mockingly, his eyes sparkling with anger. ‘You’re crazy. Thousands would die if the islands crashed. And why? So that you and Mara can become rulers of your own empire?’ The nobleman gave him a condescending look. ‘That’s the price of change, navigator. Those who cling to tradition have no vision. I’m willing to make that sacrifice.’
‘But why with Mara?’ Nora let her gaze drift to the female pirate who had been standing silently at Leander’s side. “What’s in it for her?” The man raised an eyebrow. ’She sees the big picture. Her dream is a free world in which no island is ruled by Nimbusheim. Controlling the heart means having the power to create that world. And me? I am the only one who understands how to turn the heart around.‘ “No, you are an idiot, Leander,” hissed Finn. “It won’t work.” The nobleman smiled triumphantly. ’Insult me all you want. We’ll see what happens in a moment. Now, enough chit-chat – give me your Orbis, Navigator.