What an incredile expansion. The rewrite goes so much deeper into Wiz's state, especially relating his emotions and turmoil. It's hard to empathize with Wiz in the original version. In the new protrayal, the reader gets into his head, and you feel him... it's all much more real.
So how many of the strangers are Ellwen in disguise? Or none at all? In some fictions, twist, surprise! That supporting character we passed by earlier? They are actually critical to the plot! So I like how they are, as individuals, inconsequential to the plot. They work as the lot of them, slowly helping Wiz get closer to his goal, even as he doesn't realize it yet, and accordingly neither should the reader, until Wiz realizes it himself. The aimlessness of his wandering until that point is successfully captured, in my experience. I like the reminder that his presence brings magical trouble, I don't recall if the troublesomeness was part of the original Beginning.
His meeting with Bob is much more fleshed out, now, obviously, and is better to read, obviously.
The portal is much less obvious, which is a good thing, it is a mystery now.
Very intersting about the rivers connecting Crux worlds. To what extent is this network prevalent in the OG Crux Worlds, I wonder? Does it connect all of their endless seas? I'd guess only some of them are connected in this way.
Wonderful job.