Aurora's POV

Slowly, gently, I flipped the ancient pages of the well worn book, marveling at the familiar pictures inside. Each one a work of art, each one telling a story about a place I had never been- the overworld.

Up here in the highest levels of the graceful, branching building I called home, I was able to find peace. Instead of the constant buzz of tens, even hundreds of minds working together, the babble of many tongues, I heard only silence, and I took my time to revel in it.

I paused at one page that had caught my attention. It was a drawing that seemed so lifelike, I almost could have mistaken it for the real thing had it not been done in the flowing lines caused by writing with a quill and ink. I ran my hand over it, taking in every detail. It was a picture of a small pond, surrounded by flowers of various shapes and colour. All along it were vertical, sweeping strokes- rain, I realized. It sounded amazing to feel the water streaking down your skin, seeping into the ground below. It never rained here.

Of course, I knew very well that the overworld wasn't safe, wasn't a place of beauty and tranquility. It was a place of war.

Factions ruled the overworld, giving a disadvantage to those without and thrusting those with one into an eternal struggle for power, dominance, and resources. There was no place for a peaceful family to start a home or a farm. There, you had to be on the run or ready to fight. You worked to protect your faction, you worked to keep yourself alive.

Here, it was different. I had never been trained to use a sword or bow, I didn't grow up wanting to become the mightiest warrior of all my faction. I didn't practice lying, I learned manners and conduct. That sounded like a life that was filled with danger and fear, unlike here, where we all had a job to do.

Sighing to myself, I closed the book and gently set it back on my bedside table, ready to be picked up and read another day, The book was from the stronghold ruins in the overworld itself, buried deep under the earth, never to be found. The only link between our world and theirs, it was carefully guarded at all times, just in case.

I was the only human to ever enter, and survive without wounds, the End. A place forever in limbo. Of course, I had not come here on purpose. I had been saved from the factions at war when I was young, too young to remember much. Orphaned after a raid on my home, I was taken pity on and brought here, growing up in a place with no sun, rain, or snow.

Stepping over to my small window, I gazed outside, staring up at the stars that were ever present in the darkened sky with my deep purple eyes. When I was young, they had been a lovely green, but time here had changed me.

A light breeze ruffled my hair, which had grown darker over the years I had lived here- while it had once been a light blond, it was now more black than the sky above me. Yet another change.

Sometimes I doubted whether I really belonged here. I was human, I wasn't meant to be in this place, yet here I was. I couldn't deny the fact that it was gorgeous- each island was it's own homestead, specializing in one factor of work. It was everyone together that kept our society functioning.

Every island was made of stone, floating in the air, yet covered in life- the chorus fruit trees. They kept us alive- the fruit fed us, the fibers used for cloth, the wood for baskets- everything revolved around them. Of course, there were some side effects- most notably, teleportation.

When I was small, I enjoyed playing with the smallest ender children, who couldn't teleport yet. I felt like we were the same. But as we all grew older, it became apparent that this wasn't true. Generations of the chorus ran through their veins, it made them who they were. One a moment's whim, the chorus flowing through them let them move great distances in the blink of an eye. As for me, well, I had another solution.

Snagging the leather harness from its hook on the wall, I began to step into it. First one leg, then the other, and finally around my arms and waist, coming together in the center of my chest. Tightening the straps to a snug fit, I stood facing the open window, ready to jump. If I were to fall from this height, well, at least I'd have a few seconds to admire the view.

Tottering on the windowsill, I looked down upon the island of my homestead. Chorus trees covered the island, but allowed the yellowing stone to peek through the flowers and branches.

Directly below me, but still a frightening drop, was the roof of med-bay one. See, my homestead specialized in medicine- the chorus was inside of us all, so it was only natural it would heal us.

Crouching, I prepared to jump, knowing I wouldn't fall- not with the contraption I was strapped into. It was a pair of elytra, canvas wings made for disabled ender who couldn't teleport to allow them to travel from island to island. I guess I counted, although I rarely traveled farther than the next homestead over.

About to lead, I froze when I felt an inkling of another consciousness. Just as the chorus allowed the ender to teleport, it gave another advantage- being able to sense each other, and transmit pictures and emotions. When combined with the complex language the ender spoke, it allowed for tasks and problems to be quickly explained and targeted, as well as creating better conversation.

I had read that humans had telepathy as well, but unlike the ender, they sent words, not feelings. It seemed confusing how they only thought how they spoke, but considering I was human myself, I just guessed it was limited for them.

Either way, I sensed someone was coming, and rushed over to the door to my room to meet them, feeling anticipation emanating from their mind.

Pushing apart the cloth drapes that served as my door, I gave a quick, shallow bow before looking up to face my counterpart, who had done the same. It was a matter of manners, as staring someone in the eyes without giving a show of politeness was terribly rude.

"What is the problem?" I asked, giving off a feel of confusion. Speaking in the quick, garbled speech of the ender, it would be almost impossible for an outsider to understand but was familiar to me.

A few quick images flashed in my head- a human, ender carrying him…

"A human came here, but was badly injured. We're moving him to the upper rooms for peace of mind."

"But why haven't you killed him?" I asked, not understanding why he had been allowed to live. Obviously my circumstances were unique, as I had never even seen another human with my own eyes.

"He had not looked into the eyes of the guards, he had kept his head low. Not only that, but he was badly injured- he collapsed soon after arriving. We have no reason to harm him."

Nodding along with what he had said, I felt a twinge of excitement burst through me. I'd be meeting another human for the first time in my life.


Chapter written by Author 2.

A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter after the prologue! Author 1, Author 3, and I are going for slightly shorter chapters and faster updates, but we're diving right into the action. If you do have any suggestions, don't be shy to drop a review or PM our way!