The next night, Chelsea's friends were waiting for Lina and Chelsea at the bar.
"I'm Tasha. Peace be upon your house."
"Er, just a tent, but thanks-" Lina said.
"Peace be upon your house, I'm Brenda, and you must be... is it E-"
"Lina," said Lina, quickly.
Chelsea sat up a little straighter. Brenda looked Lina in the eyes calmly and patiently. Tasha observed and allowed the silence to be. Brenda's expression was mild, but Lina felt seen, uncomfortably. She wanted to break the silence but couldn't think of a single thing to say.
"Well... Lina," said Brenda, "Chelsea finds you interesting, and so do I. We would like to invite you to come and stay with us."
"You can pay your way by doing chores," said Tasha. "I understand you make good sandwiches. Perhaps also a little light gardening."
"And if you choose, you may join our students in their studies," Chelsea added.
"What do they study?" asked Lina.
"It is a way of understanding the world around us more deeply," said Tasha.
"And redirecting it toward what we most wish for," said Brenda.
"And messing with people," cackled Chelsea.
"Sounds like fun," said Lina.
Tasha produced a bright blue crystal and a light circled around them, swept them up into the ceiling, which in turn was not the ceiling at all but the faintly blue glowing air above a portal.
Their feet touched down on green grass, on what appeared to be a large floating island.
Soon enough, Lina's tent was set up on an upper portico of their school.
It wasn't terribly private, so any belongings she didn't want students rummaging through had to be kept in her pockets. Lina told herself this was only for now.
The chores turned out to be light indeed, almost suspiciously so. Neither the students nor the teachers seemed to eat very much or very often, so there weren't many takers for the grilled cheese sandwiches. Although, the first time a student saw her produce one, she congratulated her on her Delicioso!
"What's a Delicioso?" Lina asked.
"Huh," said the student and walked away.
There was a beautiful garden and greenhouse nearby, but Tasha warned her off trying to work in there. "We think it's cursed," she said. "Or possibly mold."
So instead, Lina began a little garden right next to the school. It was comforting, it had its own rhythms she could lose herself in, it felt a little familiar but not in that frightening way. As she contemplated the life cycles of the plants she was tending, she wondered how many seasons she would be here? What would the arc of her life be from now on? Being cut off from her past, she found it hard to imagine any future.
But this place was comfortable for now. It was safe, and removed from the rest of the world, which according to the note she hid in her pocket, was probably wise.
In time Lina came to Chelsea with a question.
"What do I need to do to study here?"
"You'll need a Glimmerstone! How about trading me for one of yours?" Chelsea flourished her finger, pointed at the ground, and suddenly several crystals from Lina's pockets appeared there, along with a seed or two.
Lina felt profoundly embarrassed seeing the contents of her pockets spilled out, as if she'd thrown up on the floor. She awkwardly felt for the note and the machines, confirmed they were still in her pockets, frantically gathered up the crystals and offered several to Chelsea, who was so doubled over with laughing that she wouldn't answer.
That night Chelsea changed her
And bright and early the next morning began her training.
These were much longer hours, but she welcomed them.