Schala accompanies King and Queen Zeal on an annual beast hunt tradition; she will have to do this someday herself, so she needs to see how it's done. Demeria is present as Seneschal (she backs up the royals) and their entourage includes some random lashers and bashers, but also Dalton and Derben as high-ranking guards.
All goes according to tradition until the party notices that the beasts' cavedwelling Imp overlords are apparently gathering for an all-out assault on Algetty. Beast incursions into Algetty are hardly unheard of, but this is an emergency situation because the attack appears considerably large-scale and the Earthbound are in the midst of producing energy needed to keep the Sky Islands afloat due to Zeal's energy crisis. Dalton suggests abandoning the traditional mission and escorting the royal family back to Zeal and having Demeria return with a larger force to handle the dilemma, but Alphard notes that potentially hundreds of Earthbound will fall victim in the interim. Queen Zeal agrees - to Alphard's apparent surprise - overruling Dalton's advice. Although Queen Zeal's position is based on the necessity of Earthbound-produced energy while Alphard's is based on objective justice, they express contentment at the fact that they're about to embark on a venture that is both cooperative and daring. Alphard requests Derben's assistance - to which the latter replies that he's "in for absolutely anything at all" - and secures Dalton's grudging assistance as well.
Alphard commands Demeria to remain with Schala and a few generic palace guards and she obeys after some argument. Schala apologizes for being a burden but suggests going after them when they notice a whole slew of new beasts emerging to raid Algetty. Demeria agrees and, after instructing the guards to secure the nearest Skyway, advises Schala to stay behind her and they head into the network of Algetty caves to combat the beasts, following in King and Queen Zeal's wake.
Schala and Demeria lose track of the king and queen while working their way through Algetty's cavern network, and Schala reveals surprising Earthbound language skills to some children who know which way they went. They eventually meet up with Derben, himself recently separated from the king and queen's party, and he joins Schala and Demeria. Schala & co. briefly see Grishe in the Furnace of Algetty defending Earthbound workers from Beasts and Imps. Demeria notes that weaponry in Earthbound possession is in contravention of Zealian law but Derben argues that the Earthbound should be allowed to defend themselves. Nevertheless, Demeria vows to investigate once things have settled down.
They pursue the Imps and beasts through Algetty's furnaces before facing off with The Horror, a chained monstrosity the Imps apparently drag around when they need heavy firepower, and which may also serve as a deity to their kind. They finally meet up with the king and queen and Dalton finishing off the Imp overlord overseeing the incursion. The Earthbound elder thanks Alphard and his party for their kindness, but Queen Zeal reminds him that his people need to get back to work.
Back in Zeal, Alphard and Queen Zeal spend a getaway with Janus and Schala at the Cerulean Lake. While Alphard and Queen Zeal discuss the energy crisis facing Zeal, Schala and Janus are delighted that their parents are getting along so well for once. The discussion indicates that Alphard has taken the lead in overseeing exploration for new energy sources. An aide to Guru Belthasar summons Alphard so he can hear some exciting news, while Queen Zeal agrees to return to the palace to rest following the day's ordeal.
Schala and Janus want to eavesdrop on what their father is working on and follow him. In doing so, they come across Dalton informing Derben that Derben has been "promoted" to a position overseeing security on Guru Bekkler's sky island. Derben vehemently protests his removal from the royal guard.
Schala and Janus sneak into Alphard's meeting with Belthasar, who excitedly explains that his engineering team has encountered an Object of unknown origin while exploring the ocean's depths. The Object is known to release intermittent bursts of extremely potent energy, and if this energy can be harnessed somehow, it may just be the cure-all to Zeal's current dilemma. Meanwhile Schala and Demeria exchange whispers. When Demeria hears that Derben has been demoted, she excuses herself from the meeting. Alphard agrees to travel to the surface with Belthasar to examine the Object firsthand.
Belthasar suggests taking the Blackbird, his newly-finished aeroplane project, to the surface for its maiden voyage as opposed to the skyways. In the time it takes to prepare the Blackbird, Schala and Janus decide to check on Queen Zeal. They witness Demeria and Derben discussing his demotion, and during that conversation they drop oblique hints regarding their previous relationship.
Schala and Janus peek through a cracked door and witness their mother conversing with Seith Dragus Creojeanne, the queen's elder cousin. He's incensed that she risked her safety to assist the Earthbound but she insists that it was necessary for the greater good of her kingdom. When she states that she won't be commanded by him (SHE is the queen, after all) he menacingly approaches her and Schala pulls Janus away from the door -- the implication is that Seith is about to slap their mother. Schala shoos Janus to bed or something, and when she looks again Seith is saying that he's still the Creojeanne family's conservator, and as such, Samele will not defy his judgment. Seith accuses Queen Zeal of being corrupted by "Simaelsus," and they argue over that a bit before Seith makes his way out.
As Seith brushes past Schala he dons a gentle paternal air, revealing that he has recently learned about Schala's knowledge of Earthbound language. It seems as if he might direct a tirade at her too, but he unexpectedly approves and suggests she begin teaching it in the military academy since she's been looking to serve her nation. Schala agrees.
After Seith walks away Schala comforts Queen Zeal, treating the bruise on her mother's face without mentioning its source; apparently it's so common that no mention is necessary. The closeness between Schala and her mother needs to be amply illustrated here.
Schala intends to visit Janus and give him a proper good night, but she finds Alphard just exiting Janus' room after tucking him in. Schala suggests that he visit Queen Zeal and she eavesdrops on Alphard and Samele conversing. Alphard knows the jist of her altercation with Seith but promises not to intervene, as he knows it will just cause more strife within the Creojeanne family; instead, he promises that he'll always be there for her, so that there will always be someone on her side while she works through the weirdness of the family she happened to be born into. Queen Zeal asks him to spend the night with her and Schala withdraws, but not before hearing that Alphard can't because he's promised to accompany Belthasar's engineering crew to the world below to investigate something that could be the cure-all for the situation underlying the immediate challenge to their kingdom. He promises he'll be at Queen Zeal's side when she awakes the next morning.
Alphard catches Schala on his way out and asks if she'd be willing to tag along with the research expedition; her Earthbound communication skills would prove extremely useful in a "side project" he needs to take care of. Schala agrees and they head for the Blackbird dock outside of Kajar.
Prior to departing, Alphard wants to seek out Derben and they head to his quarters in the palace guard chambers to find him packing his scant belongings. Alphard supposes the demotion was a Creojeanne ploy and Derben says he has no doubt, and that he was honored to have served Alphard as long as he did. Alphard asks one last favor of him -- he wants to assign Derben the task of unofficially investigating the Earthbound weaponry situation and negotiating a solution on the quiet. Derben says he can do nothing because he has to report to Guru Bekkler's laboratory immediately for security duty, but Alphard notes that it's extremely convenient that Bekkler is coming along with them to investigate the Frozen Flame. Derben agrees.
The Blackbird lifts off for its maiden voyage. Inside are Schala, Alphard, Demeria, and Dalton, plus all three gurus - Belthasar, Bekkler, and Gaspar at this point. Inside we also meet Dr. Melchior, a high-ranking member of Belthasar's engineering team who designed the Blackbird's dreamstone batteries. Guru Bekkler, the oldest of the gurus, reminisces about how he served as a small craft pilot transporting goods to pay for his education nearly sixty years ago.
During the flight, Schala happens upon Alphard and Demeria arguing about the discovery of illegal weaponry in Earthbound hands - usually they're limited to simple wooden implements suitable only for hunting wild beasts, but she saw them equipped with steel swords (we can make it "dreamstone" weapons if steel isn't advanced enough). At first she suspects he's going to turn a blind eye to the situation, but when she finds out he's selected Derben to investigate, she feels offended that he didn't have his Seneschal do it instead, per usual protocol. She suspects that he doesn't trust her with the task, and try as he might to make excuses, she knows him too well.
Schala wonders why there needs to be a tradeoff in family relations -- it seems the king and queen have spats with their relatives when they themselves are getting along well, and vice versa. She happens upon Derben and Demeria talking again, and Derben apologizes for coming between Demeria and Alphard. Their conversation hints at Derben's extremely liberal views with respect to the Earthbound and she wants him to promise that he's not going to let them get off easily. When Demeria leaves, Schala informs Derben that she'll join him as an interpreter after the entourage gets situated on the ground.
