Reverse Reincarnation #94-132
Author: Tejoka
Date: 2021-05-29T00:00:00+00:00
Publisher: anonymous

Table Of Contents

- Table Of Contents -
94: Ruffians
95: Departures
96: Truths and trust
97: Signals and sacrifice
98: New contacts
99: Advances
100: Diverging paths
Interlude — Tenira
101: Unexpected return
102: Changes
103: Attempt
104: Severance
105: Guidance
106: Distractions
107: Responsibility
108: Explain yourselves
Bonus 8: Society and life in the Empire
109: Brute force approach
110: Family
111: Contacts
112: Resolutions
113: Field test
114: Connections and preparations
115: Loyalty
116: Reverse-Reverse Reincar-tater
116: Job satisfaction
117: Goals and principles
118: Possible futures
119: Ashes and embers
120: Complications
121: The nature of fire
122: Truth will out
123: Duel in the sky
124: Guilt and punishment
125: Easy paths
126: New shores
127: Due respect
128: Comparisons
129: Enticements and embargoes
130: Assumptions
131: Political games
132: Machinations

94: Ruffians

I stretched and felt my neck pop. It felt good to work out the kinks, even if my qi-strengthened body didn’t really need it. Even after a few hours of remaining more or less in the same position, I knew I was ready to run or fight right away. Just one of the little benefits of cultivation, which most people didn’t think much about.

I retreated carefully, keeping an eye on the gate and the traffic from and to it, or just passing it. Not many people were allowed through. The Zarian had set a sizable force to guard it, though, and two of them had to be in a high stage.

I ducked into an alley, then breathed a sigh of relief. No one seemed to have noticed me, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t followed. I extended my domain to unlock the door in front of me, then entered, pulling it shut behind me.

Then I froze for a moment, before I continued stepping into the room, shaking my head. “Elia, why are you here?”

The girl, who was sitting on a ramshackle table with her feet kicking in the air, shrugged. “Wanted to see what you were up to, and you’d been gone for a bit …”

Something in her expression was off. I frowned, thinking back to what might be the cause of that, before it hit me.

She was off the table and on her feet in a flash, backing away toward the other door. “Please don’t kill me.”

I crossed my arms — stupid, crap, I need to be more careful — then extended my domain again. It caught the door, securing it. Then I grabbed her with light-spotted darkness and towed her to a spot against the wall, where I could keep her better.

I stayed silent for a moment, considering if I should, in fact, kill her. A large part of me was in favor of it. She’d seen me using my domain, which meant she knew I was in the fourth stage and had been hiding my identity. That made her a risk, one that could set the Zarian on me and really ruin my day.

I eased my grip, shaking my head. “I’m not going to kill you.” I took a step closer, anyway. “You didn’t seem surprised. At least, not surprised at the fact I have a domain.”

She sighed, visibly relaxing as she leaned against the wall. “Yes, I knew you were a lot stronger than you pretended to be. Like me, so I’m in no position to judge, I suppose. You must have noticed that, I doubt my veil would fool you.”

I nodded. “You’re in the third stage and cultivate fire and light, though you’ve only used the former here.” I suspected there was more to her than that, as well, though I didn’t say that.

“Right. Could we talk about this later? Not the best place for this kind of discussion, boss.”

I cocked my head, then shrugged and let her go. If she hadn’t betrayed me yet, then it wasn’t like sparing her life after finding out that she knew would make her more likely to do it. I just needed to keep an eye on her. “Sure. Let’s head back.”

She dusted herself off and smiled, then got the door for me. But despite her cavalier attitude, I noticed that she was careful sure not to make any sudden movements, or any that could be construed as threatening. We stepped into the street and started walking back.

The city hadn’t changed much. By now, I knew it had some overly complicated, long name that translated to something like ‘Two Riverbeds’. It had been a few days. Things might have gotten more tense, with people preferring to walk in groups, keep weapons on hand, and get their business done quickly, but there had been little change from the Zarian. I wondered how long they’d keep the city this locked down. Well, maybe they only needed it as a staging point for military operations, and didn’t care much about long-term effects on the local economy.

No one gave us more than a second glance as we made our way through the streets. The gate was some distance from our lodgings, but the streets were empty enough that we could move quickly. People even moved out of the way for me on occasion.

I glanced at Elia. With my current appearance, I looked closer to my mental age, rather than the teenager my body was really stuck as. That still made me young for the third stage. Common enough even for wealthy families or minor sects, but clearly ‘better’ than most people. Especially in places this influenced by the Zarian Dominion. It meant both that Elia herself was talented and probably not from a poor background, and that she had to suspect I had some backing.

Of course, I imagine things are different for spirit-children, aren’t they?

After half an hour, we were walking deeper into the poor quarter of the city around our current home, and were closing in on it. I kept an eye out for the various people that were on the street and watching it. A fair number of them were younger and had some signs of their allegiance to a gang or local syndicate. Farther on the edge, there were women whose clothing and attitude didn’t leave much doubt to their profession, but they seemed to stick to the outskirts of the area. Only toughs and people with the look of refugees hung around the more dilapidated part.

I took a deep breath, then fought not to grimace as the stink washed over me. We were almost there, although we’d taken a circuitous route. I could see a boy from our group on the rooftop of a dilapidated building. His head nodded at me before he ducked down further, out of my view.

“You know,” Elia commented. “They’re all gushing about how sophisticated and classy you are. You do a good job of hiding it, but I can see you’re not used to these conditions, and you probably couldn’t be a crass and vulgar low-tier if your life depended on it.”

I stifled a sigh. You’d be surprised. I hope. “There’s little hope of convincing them I’m some ‘gutter trash’ nobody, anyway,” I pointed out. “It’s not like many of the refugees around here didn’t use to have more, before the Zarian confiscated or the war destroyed what they relied on to maintain their livelihoods.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “But some people, especially from the other gangs, don’t like it.”

I snorted. What did I care if they liked it or not? Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to deal with this sort of problem for much longer, anyway.

Once we reached the building, I got nods and half-bows from a few boys loitering around it. One of them opened the door for us. I nodded at them, glancing around to check that everything was in order and trying to sense if anything was amiss. Besides a few people that must have been from local gangs watching us from a distance, I didn’t notice anything. Those had been keeping an eye on us for a while.

On the inside, people were a lot more relaxed around me now. They didn’t try to avoid catching my eye, just continued with what they were doing. A few days of seeing I wasn’t about to hit someone for looking at me the wrong way must have done it. I quickly refilled the water basin, which was nearing empty again, grumbling under my breath. But I was glad that they all looked cleaner. Not only did it help my nose, the last thing I wanted was an epidemic breaking out. And while it was annoying, having to create water didn’t bother me.

I was just about to head back to my room and work on my formations some more, when I noticed a change in my qi senses. One of the young men outside had flared his qi in a signal. Farther out, although beyond the range I was supposed to have, I sensed another boy who’d done the same, a bit earlier. They were raising the alarm, or at least putting us on alert. I sighed, made sure I had my bag, then headed for the door again.

Elia and the stronger members of the group were already gathering. The others bowed to me when I showed up. I noticed that most of them held knifes, wooden posts, or whatever could serve as weapons.

“The Red Dragons are coming, boss,” the lookout reported. “They brought a strong one.”

I suppressed a sigh and nodded. “Alright. Be ready and stay alert, but don’t provoke them or pick a fight if you can help it.”

We didn’t have much time until the gang showed up. They all wore a splash of red, at least an armband, and carried better weapons than my side. Most of them were in the second stage, and the man in the middle was in the third. He had the look of someone aged by circumstances and lifestyle, probably no older than his thirties but with bad teeth and sunken skin.

“Hello, friends,” Elia called out in the local language. I didn’t catch most of what came next, just enough to tell that she was trying to be friendly.

“Shut up,” the third stager replied. He led the pack forward, facing me, with the others fanning out behind him. “You, third tier,” he said in Zarian. “We don’t want your kind here. Foreigners and those growing rich off others’ work. If you leave, we’ll leave the rest of them alone.”

“You just want me to go?” I asked.

“Don’t,” Elia cut in. Some of the others echoed her.

“They’ll treat us worse than before,” one of the boys mumbled. “Let’s kick their teeth in, boss.”

I looked at my group. They seemed, if anything, grimly determined to stand their ground. Maybe that was my fault. By giving them good treatment and a bit of hope when they were at rock bottom, I might have only made them clutch onto it harder. I didn’t know if I could keep them from turning this into a fight, even if I gave in.

And there was a Zarian patrol heading this way, quickly coming closer.

“These people don’t want me to leave.” I shrugged at the gang in a ‘what can you do’ kind of way. “Isn’t there some other way to settle this?”

Their leader growled and stepped forward. Earth flew towards him from the ground, forming gauntlets around his hands and dotting the ground between us with small molehills, dislodging paving stones. “No.”

I took a step forward as well, calling a fireball to my hand. Then, recognizing that I should show off just a bit, I formed a technique that shrouded the people behind me in flickering light. It was a modification of my Light’s Speed buff that made it more obviously belong to fire instead of light. They could set things on fire with it in addition to moving more quickly.

The other gang members hesitated at that, glancing at each other nervously. Maybe proper techniques were rarer here than I realized. Especially complex, well-executed combat techniques.

But their hesitation ended the fight before it had the chance to begin. I could tell when the second stagers realized the Zarian patrol was approaching, by the way they flinched and turned in that direction. I grimaced, suppressed a curse, and took a step back again. Why did they have to move so quickly?

“What is going on here?” a loud voice boomed in Zarian, just as the group of six soldiers rounded the corner. They stopped in front of us, letting some of their auras be felt. The weight was enough to send the weaker people present to their knees.

I bowed towards the speaker. “Nothing of significance, sir. Just some ruffians doing a bit of posturing, but we just about turned them away. I’m sorry to inconvenience you.”

The gang leader gritted his teeth, then bowed as well. “As she says. Nothing of consequence, just some ruffian where she doesn’t belong.”

“You were coming to our accommodations,” I countered, still calm. “But it doesn’t matter, as we are both going back inside now, aren’t we?”

“Do that,” the soldier said. “I don’t care about whatever petty gang dispute you have going on, but we won’t tolerate fighting in the street. And whoever did this to the street better fix it before I decide to start caring.”

My opponent gritted his teeth harder, then used some earth qi to patch up the changes he’d caused in the street.

“Actually …” one of the other soldiers mumbled. “What’s that voice?”

I glanced at him, then had to force myself to continue the motion and turn around without tensing up.

I hadn’t recognized him before, because he was in the back and had been concealed by another soldier, but now that they’d shifted I could see his face. The talkative soldier, the one who’d escorted me from the room I’d woken up in on the airship. Dammit.

“Excuse me, sirs, ma’ams,” I said, already starting to walk away.

The other gang was leaving, and the people from my building were taking my cue, even if they glanced at the Zarian soldiers hesitantly. But I couldn’t worry about them now. I needed to leave. It took most of my willpower to keep walking in a brisk but relaxed manner instead of running.

I hadn’t really altered my voice. Another stupid mistake, with potentially dire consequences. Shit. Sure, there was a small adjustment due to the changes I’d done to the rest of my body, but I couldn’t bank on that being enough of a difference. Any moment now, the soldier might realize where he’d heard my voice before, and I needed to be gone before they started to hunt me down.

I didn’t go back to my room, but instead continued moving through the building to the back door. I hadn’t left anything here that I needed, or that would be damning if it fell into enemy hands.

“I’m going out again,” I said. “Stay put, okay?”

Then, without waiting for more of a response than a few nods, I walked. I couldn’t say goodbye to them, or warn them. That would just be time lost and maybe a clue for the Zarian.

I was starting to be sick of this whole thing, though.

I was waiting for an outcry to go up from the Zarian, maybe for soldiers to try and chase me down. But I got out of the building and the side street without any trouble. I headed to the most populated area close by and joined a crowd without anyone running after me, too. By the time I was on track to leaving the quarter, I could sense Zarian presences, or at least ones of similar strength, moving. But I avoided them, keeping to the crowds, changing my appearance a little bit.

I ducked into an empty alley for a moment to exchange my robe for a green shirt and matching jacket, and put my hair into a ponytail. Then I moved on, into the more respectable part of the city. I wanted to take a more circuitous route, but it was more important to get to the gate quickly.

I’d begun to relax, thinking I might have run on a false alarm, when I noticed the familiar presence following me.

I hesitated for a moment, then stepped into another alley and into the shadows. My pursuer followed me inside, looking around. When I stepped out of concealment, a knife raised, she was already backing away, hands held up.

“It’s me. I don’t mean you any harm, and no one else followed you.”

“Elia.” My tone was flat. “Why?”

“The Zarian are tearing up the building right now. They’re interrogating the rest, but I managed to slip away. I knew you’d head for the gate.”

“That’s good to know, but why are you following me?”

She licked her lips. “Take me with you.”

I started. “What?”

“Please, let me come with you.” Elia took a step closer, apparently uncaring that it brought her into easy reach of my weapon. “I know you’re strong. I know they’re looking for you, you’re on the run. But I’d rather come with you than stay in this craphole. You’re better than pretty much anyone I could get here. And I can be useful to you.” She lowered her gaze. “You know I can.”

I put the weapon away and sighed.

This is a complication. One I really don’t need. But she’s probably right. I frowned thoughtfully. There was definitely something about her. Whether I was right and she was just another spirit-child, or something else, I had a feeling I shouldn’t ignore it.

Or, if I was honest with myself, maybe it was just that I didn’t want to. She’d pricked my curiosity, and I wasn’t the kind of person who could ignore that.

“Fine,” I decided. “Don’t complain if you get yourself killed.”

95: Departures

I hesitated for a moment, then circulated a trickle of qi to my eyes to get a better look at the fire. By now, it was clearly visible from here. People were starting to move away, and when I swept my gaze farther out, I could see how the Zarian were organizing their response.

I couldn’t help but smile. None of them were even looking in my direction. Not really. But that was the point of using sunlight focused through qi lenses to do it. It meant I could set fire at a distance, and there was no easy way to tell that I had, or where it came from. Just that their court and administration buildings were on fire.

I waited until the smoke thickened, rising into the sky like a dark halo for the building beneath it, before I resumed moving. I lowered myself into the water, careful not to disturb it too much, then closed my eyes and focused on implementing the changes that I’d envisioned.

After a minute, I kicked off and swam deeper into the river, until I skimmed just over the ground. I moved slowly, sucking air in through my newly grown gills, and inched my way forward. I knew I didn’t have much time, the fire wouldn’t serve as a distraction forever, but I forced myself to move slowly and smoothly.

Finally, I reached Elia’s position, who nodded at me and moved to follow behind me. While I wore only my underwear and had changed my skin tone to a blurry gray and brown to match the river bottom, she’d chosen clothes in the same muted colors. At least she’d made her hair match it, as well.

I took a deep breath as we came upon the grate blocking the way out of the city, at the height where the gate would be. I’d previously analyzed but dismissed it as too big a risk. Now, though, it was the best option. With Elia in tow, sneaking through the gate would be a lot harder.

I released the shroud of darkness qi I’d kept over us before carefully moving on. It was dark here, the water flowing quickly, a bit of silt and mud swirling in it as well as what might be sewage from the city. But I focused on the gate ahead of me. It was crafted from solid, reinforced metal, made with two layers. I was more concerned by the qi around it. Several enchantments and wards controlled the space. I made sure to keep my aura as low as possible as I slowly inched closer. Like we’d discussed, Elia kept back behind me.

The wards didn’t go off, even when I finally reached the grate itself. Of course, that would produce too many false alarms. But I could tell the lock itself was warded more strongly, and even a bit of foreign qi would probably set off several alerts.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I shapeshifted yet again, this time changing only my right arm. I made it thin enough to pass through the grate, then lengthened it. It felt odd, adjusting its shape on the fly, in ways that weren’t very intuitive. But I managed to reach the lock where it sat behind a sheet of solid metal.

This would be the tricky part. I closed my eyes again and pressed my hand into it, before I made it lose its rigidly defined form. Growths of a horn-like material, like an extreme version of fingernails, sprouted into the lock. I was careful not to scratch or deform it, but to keep the mass pliable, until I filled the mechanism and got a good idea of how it worked. Then I turned my hand, turning the keys in the lock in the same motion. I breathed out and pushed against it, feeling it give. I moved on to the second lock behind it and repeated the process with more confidence.

A good thing they used a physical lock. Of course, with cultivators, I could guess those were actually harder to bypass than enchantments relying on qi.

Carefully, I pushed the gate open. It took a bit of strength, as the grate wasn’t really designed to be moved, and probably hadn’t opened in years. Luckily, no one would hear any suspicious creaking underwater. I opened it only wide enough to pass through, then carefully made my way through it and swam a meter ahead. Elia moved up to the gate behind me.

I glanced at her, then concentrated on the rest of the wards. There were a few that might be problematic. I doubted they were supposed to be easily visible or easy to figure out, but my sense for qi was a lot better than that of a typical cultivator in the fourth stage. I could probably sneak my way past them, but I wasn’t so sure about Elia. Her storage ring might be a problem. It was a lot smaller and cruder than mine, but held what supplies we had. Maybe we should have left it behind, but that wouldn’t help in the long run.

I circulated some darkness qi, just a trickle, and formed the basis for a technique. Slowly, a thread of darkness took shape in front of me. The wards didn’t react. That was the good thing about the Void’s Nibble, of course. It was designed to annihilate any foreign qi it came into contact with, so if someone or something sent their qi or spread it out to catch a disturbance, it would be consumed before any signal could travel back to it. Like a mini black hole you could only detect by its side effects. And since this effect was new or at least rare, wards weren’t set up to search indirectly for it.

The defenses were placed around the gate and the area between it and the end of the small tunnel, before the water flowed out of the city wall. I moved my tendrils of darkness carefully, isolating components and cutting the equivalent of wires in the connections between and inside the wards. I worked slowly, double-checking to make sure I didn’t miss anything or let too much qi build up somewhere to cause another malfunction. It was interesting work, and I caught myself wishing I could have more time to analyze this setup.

Finally, it was as disarmed as I could make it, and I continued moving forward. Elia followed behind me. I held my breath, but she managed to pass the wards without issue. It was only a few meters before we left the gate and the city wall behind us.

Of course, we didn’t surface immediately, but continued moving at the bottom of the river. I felt a lot less nervous now. We’d successfully sneaked our way out of the city. It had even been fun. Let’s just hope the rest of the trip doesn’t make up for that. Though having her along might be a benefit here. She’s bound to know the region better than me.

After a few kilometers, I stopped and gestured upward. Elia let out a visible sigh, before kicking off for the surface. I smiled and followed her, swimming for the riverbank. The river was moving more slowly here than before, and it should be a good spot to climb out.

We emerged in a shallow valley, with gradually rising banks that led up to a low forested range on one side and a patchwork of meadows and fields on the other. A little farther ahead, I could see a ford connected to a back road, though it was less of a road and more of a well-trodden path. There was no other sign of civilization I could see from here.

I accepted my clothes from Elia. She averted her gaze, and I tried not to feel embarrassed about my current state of dress. We had bigger things to worry about than modesty. So I quickly put the clothes on and dried us off a little, then led the way out of the valley. The ground of the meadow we reached was soft and spongy, not ideal for running, but a lot better than it could have been.

“Let’s get a move on,” I said. “Actually, wait a second.”

I quickly focused on the qi surrounding us and drew in some air qi to use for a technique. It was a simple one, just a general buff to Elia’s speed. I could have used my light technique, but that was better suited for short-term enhancement, not long travel. I didn’t use anything to affect myself, since the issue here was how well Elia could keep up with me.

She had a bit of trouble as we started running, but quickly got the hang of it. We accelerated, and the meadow flew past us. In short order, we’d moved past a short dirt track into another one. I looked back, where I could just see the city on the horizon, and watched it get smaller. We were moving in the opposite direction from what they’d expect of me, if I was trying to get back to the Empire directly. Hopefully, that would help. I watched as the city vanished into the horizon.

A few hours later, Elia began breathing hard, and I slowed down to a walk to give her a break. There was no point in pushing us too hard, and we needed endurance more than speed.

“By the way, what was that technique you used to deal with their alarms?” she asked. “It was amazing. I didn’t think you could just erase wards like that.”

I grinned. “Thanks. It’s called the Void’s Nibble.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s an … odd name for a technique.”

“I made it myself,” I answered, then frowned. That was probably a bad thing to admit if anyone else heard it. But if Elia was captured and told the Zarian what she knew about me, it didn’t change much.

“Impressive.” She tilted her head to the side. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you really?”

I shrugged. My young age in combination with my stage was definitely an identifying detail. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

She shook her head. “Yes, I would, if it’s the truth.”

I regarded her for a moment, then shrugged again. “Almost certainly younger than you.”

“Really?” She blinked. “Not that I’m doubting you. You’re actually that young. Huh.”

I was silent for a moment as I picked my way past a boulder. We were avoiding roads, for the most part, since we didn’t want to run into other people. Our current trail took us past another meadow and into a rocky area, an extension of the foothills of another forest range. I didn’t know how long my shoes would stand up to our travels, but I’d go barefoot if I had to. It wasn’t like getting a strained ankle or blisters was a concern.

“Your spirit-child bloodline is the Sun’s, then. Isn’t it?”

She jerked, then stilled her movement. “How do you figure that?”

“I can sense something from you that makes me pretty sure you’ve got spirit blood. You looked through my veil easily and can apparently tell the truth of things, or something. With your affinities, that’s pretty telling.”

I couldn’t be sure of my guess, but it was the only thing that fit. The Greater Spirit of the Sun was, after all, associated with truth and justice.

“You’re right,” she finally admitted. “I suppose she’s my grandmother. My father was a son of the Sun.”

“Was?” I asked, before I could think better of it.

She was silent for a moment, before she nodded. She looked down on the ground, though that might just have been the difficulty of the trail. “I grew up about a hundred leagues from here, in another small nation under the influence of the Zarian, with my mother and siblings. When I was little, my father left, recruited to join the Zarian forces. He visited a few times, but not often. Then, a few years ago, he stopped sending letters. Apparently, he was killed in some border skirmish with the Federation, or so they said.”

I nodded, trying to look sympathetic. “I’m sorry to hear that. That can’t have been easy for you.”

She shrugged. “He stopped sending money, and Mother wasn’t used to having to watch her purse, so I suppose it wasn’t. But I got by.”

I grimaced. “And your siblings?”

Her expression darkened. “A few of my brothers were being stupid and trying to make trouble when the Zarian came. Cost them our small estate. That’s why we had to leave. Well, all that were left. My oldest brother left to find out what happened to Father, but he hasn’t had much success.”

I wasn’t sure which of those subjects was less thorny to ask about. But she seemed to like having someone listening to her. “You think there’s more to it?”

She was quiet for a moment. We had crested the ridge and were now walking down a grassy hillside, so the going was easier, but she didn’t seem to notice our surroundings. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “Maybe it was just bad luck that killed him.”

“You think he was targeted,” I guessed. “Infighting within the Zarian, someone seeing him as a threat?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t not think so, either.”

I nodded and stopped talking for a minute. This would be a good time for me to open up, establish some more trust, although I was a bit hesitant about that.

“I’ve never really met my father, so I can’t really relate,” I admitted. “But I can see why you don’t like the Zarian. If you don’t mind my prying, though, why aren’t you with the rest of your family now?”

She shrugged. “I got tired of their sh… behavior. Far as I know, they’re still in some decrepit quarters in the city.”

“Fair enough.”

This was probably enough prying for the moment. I’d ask her more about what she could do later. But for now, I stepped up the pace again.

Elia sighed, but she didn’t complain. She almost seemed glad about it.

“I should find a place to get some sleep later,” I mentioned. “For now, let’s keep running.”

She raised an eyebrow, probably surprised since she knew I’d slept in the city, but didn’t ask. She might have been saving her breath for keeping up with my new pace.

I didn’t mind the lack of conversation as we continued traveling. I had enough to think about.

96: Truths and trust

“I suppose it was too much to hope for that we’d be able to complete our journey in peace and without being bothered by the Zarian,” I sighed.

Elia shrugged and gave me a wry smile. “We’ve been making good time ever since we left the city. I think we’re doing well.”

“Not as good time as we might have if we’d just focused on traveling,” I grumbled, but without any heat in my words.

We had made good time. With our cultivation, we could move pretty quickly. Not as fast as a car, of course, though better than a pedestrian or rider on Earth. But we’d been careful. We’d avoided population centers and often roads, made sure we had good disguises, and gathered information on where we were going and what was going on. The war could be felt even here, and the general decline in trust and safety didn’t help. At least people didn’t seem to care too much about strangers passing through.

Which brought us to our current camp, off the road in a sheltered clearing with a good view over the nearby countryside and town. We were close enough to the ocean I could almost convince myself I could already see it, despite the heavy cloud cover and poor visibility. The air smelled like it might rain again later today, but I hoped it would hold off for a bit longer.

“We’ve managed to evade the Zarian so far,” Elia said. “Even if they’re hunting us more intensely now, I’m sure we’ll get to the ocean. Although I have to admit I’m still a little unsure why you have chosen that as the goal.”

“Just trust me.”

“I do.” She looked a lot more serious suddenly. “My bloodline’s abilities allow me to see to the core of people, in a sense. You’re probably one of the most righteous people I met in the city.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. I wouldn’t put too much stock in that, though. Your sense isn’t about some supreme morality, but society’s laws, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” She seemed a bit surprised by my observation. “I know that. It’s more about norms and rules of the larger group someone belongs to. Still enough to let me know you haven’t exactly committed many crimes.”

“I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.”

I frowned thoughtfully. I hadn’t really broken any laws on Earth, minor stuff excluded. Speeding or trying weed once didn’t exactly break societal norms. And on Aran, while I’d done more morally questionable things, the Empire wouldn’t consider those wrong for me to do. Hell, as the Imperial Princess, I could have done a lot worse without breaking their social norms or expectations, let alone whatever actual laws might apply.

I shook my head, dismissing these thoughts. “Anyway. Are you sure you can’t grow gills?”

She pulled a face. “I don’t know. Maybe, once we reach the ocean and I’m actually underwater, I’ll get the push I need.”

“Well, if not, I know a technique that can help, so don’t worry about it.”

As I’d discovered recently, her shapeshifting ability was a lot weaker than my own. Probably even weaker than before I’d gotten the push that suddenly needing it to survive and hide in enemy territory had given me. That had helped me master it a lot. At least Elia could disguise herself pretty well, and that was all we really needed.

“Well, let’s go,” I said, and started picking my way down to the path.

As part of my current disguise, I’d changed my hairstyle and facial structure again. I’d also made myself a bit shorter, which I still had to adjust to. Having to take smaller steps didn’t help with descending the muddy slope, and making my chest smaller had also thrown my balance off a little. So I moved carefully, only glancing at Elia once or twice. She’d changed her hair to a short style and darkened her skin, but her face still resembled the once I’d met her with. She could probably pass for her cousin, but it was different enough that I didn’t complain.

I was looking forward to wearing what I’d come to accept as my own face again, though. Almost as much as I missed the company of Tenira and Lei, who’d probably be excited about my new proficiency with it and helping me experiment. Or Yarani and Kajare. It had been too long already.

The town was clearly rural, probably the only major population center in the area, and spread out over the fields in a comfortable sprawl. It made it both easier and harder to approach unnoticed, since we had cover, but could also be spotted by more people more easily. Like we’d done most of the time, we tried to act like everything was alright and we were just minding our business.

As we approached, I returned the greetings of a few townspeople we met, but managed not to get sucked into a conversation. I led us in an arc around the center of town, keeping to the outskirts. I could tell Elia was tense, but she didn’t question my choice to go into town.

There were more Zarian soldiers in the town than I had expected. I couldn’t help but feel my heartbeat speed up every time we came too close to one, even though I knew my disguise was good. I’d long fixed my blunder and altered my voice. Of course, we still didn’t have reliable identification, that was the main problem.

We had to pass through two ID checks. The first one was pretty casual. Just a few bored fourth-stage soldiers who gave a quick glance at our paperwork, comparing the pictures to our faces, then waved us on. The second one was more concerning. I noticed it as we approached the barricade they’d put up. The leader was in the fifth or even sixth stage, and her small group seemed more alert, as if they were looking for someone.

I held my breath as they checked our ID, forcing my hands not to clench into fists. I’d perfected the illusion over the paper and tried to make it as unnoticeable as possible, but there was still a hint of qi to it.

The soldier muttered a curse and pulled out some strange-looking device. My heart sank as I watched her handle the device and the paper. She frowned at it, then looked more closely again.

Finally, after a minute of tense waiting, she gave me the papers back. “These local scraps are such poor quality,” she complained, probably to her subordinates. “You girls go on, but if you get the chance, exchange your papers for some Zarian registered ones. Makes it easier on us and lowers your chance of being detained.”

I bowed my head. “Thank you, ma’am. I’ll be sure to do that.”

My neck prickled as we walked past the barricade, but I forced myself to relax. We were almost there, anyway.

I continued walking through the outskirts of the town. Out here, the houses stood a little closer together, but they were smaller, so the result wasn’t very impressive. I didn’t see many people around, perhaps because they were at work, instead. The fields around the town, like others we’d come across in our journey, were all being tended, now that spring was in full swing.

I was just starting to worry that I’d come here for nothing when two of the people leaning against a rundown wooden house caught my eye. They straightened up, adjusted their cloaks, then slowly started walking forward. I forced myself to keep my gaze moving instead of letting it linger on them, and kept going.

Elia tensed slightly beside me, but she didn’t say anything. We walked out of the town in silence, leaving the houses behind as the street narrowed into a dirt track leading between two fields. This one entered a forest pretty quickly. I didn’t have to look back to notice that our pursuers were still behind us, catching up steadily. Their auras were well hidden, but gave the impression they were in the late second or early third stage. I would’ve been fooled if I didn’t know what to look for.

They caught up to us finally, just a few hundred meters before the path vanished into trees and we’d get out of sight of the people working in the fields. Elia tensed and moved her hand to her side, where I knew she carried a knife, but I grabbed her arm for a moment and subtly shook my head. The two people fell in with us. The woman stepped off the path to get ahead of us, while the man kept behind us. They were both dressed in nondescript clothing of muted colors, with local cloak-coat hybrids that could easily conceal weapons.

“It’s a nice day on the road, isn’t it?” I said.

“As nice as if the spirits themselves were playing with us,” the woman said. “Like the Great Ship of myth being battered by their winds and waves.”

“But that ship reached its destination safely, and so shall we,” I replied, relaxing my tense muscles. I liked that myth, which originated from the east of the Earth Continent and that I’d read a while ago. Unlike many others, it wasn’t a tragedy, just entertaining.

After a minute, we entered the forest. It looked untended, and the trees quickly closed around the dirt path, hiding us from view. As soon as I couldn’t catch a glimpse of the fields anymore, I stopped. Elia did the same, reaching for her weapons again. She seemed confused and apprehensive. Fair enough.

The two travelers took a step closer, making her tense up more, before they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. Elia froze.

“Rise,” I said to them in Imperial Common, then switched to Zarian out of consideration to my companion. “It’s good to meet you. How is the situation?”

They stood, and the man replied in perfect Zarian, “Mostly unchanged, my lady. The Zarian have intensified their search, but they do not seem close enough to catching you to pose a significant danger.”

I smiled. “Good. I hope you didn’t have to drop anything important to meet us.”

“Of course not,” the woman said.

I wasn’t sure I believed her. As agents of the Empire, they’d be accomplished liars. But I let the matter drop. I didn’t know what mission they had been on before they were diverted to babysit me; apparently, I didn’t need to know. Fair enough.

“Wait a moment,” Elia said, backing up a step and frowning at me. “You’re Imperials, aren’t you? Is that why you were hiding from the Zarian? But there has to be more to it.”

I hesitated for a moment, then decided being direct would be best. “Yes. Does that bother you?”

Her frown deepened. I could guess at what was going through her head. She’d grown up in a place close to and under the influence of the Dominion, so she’d have been exposed to anti-Imperial propaganda. But by now she distrusted and probably disliked the Zarian. So if most of what she knew about the Empire was that they were enemies, it would make her see it in a different light, maybe even favorably.

“No, I don’t have a problem with it,” she finally replied.

I didn’t have her ability to see if someone was telling the truth, but that was good enough for me. “Good. Let’s keep going.”

I did notice that the two agents shifted their position slightly. They were angling themselves so they could keep an eye on her, and intervene to protect me more easily, if it came to that. I didn’t comment on it, but I appreciated the thought, at least.

“What’s your names, by the way?” I asked.

“I’m Sil, my lady,” the female agent answered. “He’s Wei.”

I nodded. Those might not be their real names, but it didn’t matter. “You’re here to help me get to safety, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

I glanced at Elia, who nodded slightly. The confirmation made me relax a little more.

Maybe it shouldn’t have such a big impact, since I didn’t know either of them. But it did. I was no longer alone in hostile territory now, a fugitive just trying to be gone, hiding my true identity from everyone. I was in the presence of countrymen (countrypeople?) now. Or my subjects. Even better, isn’t it?

“So, who are you?” Elia asked after a minute.

I shook my head, focused on the path ahead of us. We were passing by another town, one that was decidedly more coastal in its appearance. I could smell the ocean more clearly now, and even caught a glimpse of it behind the houses and trees. “Are we clear to get to the ocean?”

“The Zarian appear to be watching it, my lady,” Sil warned. “There’s an observation post a few leagues in that direction. We planned on a distraction to allow us to sneak closer, and we’ve been told we’ll be picked up once we reach the beach.”

I nodded. “Good.” Then I glanced at Elia. “Sorry about that. Now, as to who I am, are you sure you want to know?”

She pulled a face. “I’m not stupid, Nera, or whoever you are. I’ve known that’s not your real name from the beginning. You’re a spirit-child of some strength. Possibly even the child of a Greater Spirit. I can believe you’re some important asset to the Empire, I just don’t know why they’d leave you in such a position.”

“It wasn’t intentional,” I said. “The Zarian didn’t realize who they’d captured, given my shapeshifting ability. But, yeah, you’re right. I’m the daughter of the Moon.”

I was prepared for shocked realization, but Elia just nodded. “Yes, that fits.”

“My lady,” the agent spoke up. “May we proceed with our plan? Wei will occupy the attention of the local Zarian contingent while we make our way to our goal.”

“Of course,” I answered. “Be careful.”

The man bowed, then disappeared into the landscape between one moment and the next. If we weren’t surrounded by trees right now, I’d have suspected he was literally gone into the ground.

Sil had us wait for a few minutes before we’d start moving again. We stood there in silence. I couldn’t help but wonder about how Elia would react, but I didn’t want to just come out and proclaim my title. The agent seemed tensed for some kind of confrontation, as well.

“What is it?” the girl finally asked. “Did I miss something, or am I just supposed to be more impressed by your bloodline? I think I’ve heard that the Moon is prominent in the Empire.”

Sil glanced at me, then shook her head at Elia. “Girl, there’s only one daughter of the Moon. Haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“Wait, you mean — ?” her eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Yes,” I said.

After a moment of just staring, Elia dropped to one knee before me and bowed her head. “Princess. I didn’t know. I beg your forgiveness.”

I sighed. Really? It’s not like I couldn’t have killed her pretty much at any point since we met. Although, I suppose as Imperial Princess, I could have her family or friends hunted down and punished if she gave me some cause.

“Stand up,” I said. “Of course you didn’t know, that’s the point.” I turned to the agent. “Should we move now?”

“Yes, follow me, please.”

We continued our trip to the ocean, this time at a faster pace. Elia kept to the other side of Sil, and had trouble meeting my gaze. I knew some of that was probably just embarrassment, but I still felt ill at ease. I’d been just another person lately, and now, in the last few minutes, three people had knelt to me.

I almost wanted something to happen to take my mind off useless thoughts, but everything was quiet. We didn’t see any Zarian, and I couldn’t sense anything strange. It felt anticlimactic after everything. Of course, with professionals on the job, I shouldn’t expect anything less.

I glanced at Elia again. “Do you still want to come with me? We could drop you off somewhere, but you’re welcome to come to the Empire as my guest, if you like.”

She chewed her lip for a moment, then nodded. “I’d love to see the Empire and stay there for a bit. Er, Imperial Princess.”

I nodded, then turned my attention back to the path. Despite a strange sense of wistfulness, I couldn’t wait to return, and see my friends and partners again.

97: Signals and sacrifice

I crouched down low, giving my technique less surface area to cover. It probably didn’t make much of a difference, but every little bit might count. Besides me, I heard Elia shifting her weight, and suppressed the urge to tell her to quiet down. In truth, sound was less of a problem than visuals.

One of the Zarian soldiers in the observation post we were observing looked our way, and I instinctively held my breath, but his gaze moved on quickly. He looked bored, just like his colleagues. Good for us.

We were close now, and I couldn’t help but glance at the ocean. I found it a little ironic that out of every time I’d been to the coast in the last year or so, this was the one that looked like what you’d imagine if you heard the word ‘beach’. The trees weren’t palms, but they did have large, green leaves that swayed a little in the breeze. The cloud cover had lightened, and the sun sent down a few beams that made the water sparkle.

Sil tapped my arm, then gestured to the side, holding up one finger. I nodded in response to the prearranged signal and started moving, trying to keep directly behind her. The Zarian soldiers were looking away, and we’d chosen our path so that only one of them should see us for most of the way, anyway.

Quickly, we lost sight of them behind a rocky cliffside that was just low enough to shield us from view farther in. I didn’t know why they were watching the ocean, or the approaches to it, so intently. Perhaps allying with the sea dragons was showing its downside. I supposed it didn’t matter, in the end.

Sil sped up, still completely silent, and left us behind for a bit. Her form seemed to vanish from my sight, even though I’d reinforced her veil with some of my own qi. Before I had the time to be nervous, a Zarian soldier rounded the bend ahead of us.

Both of them were in a higher stage than me, and I barely managed to comprehend the struggle. It was too brief to call it a fight. The Zarian woman tried to lash out with her qi, but it splattered harmlessly against the rock. I quickly threw out a glob of darkness qi to mop it up. She didn’t have the time for more than that little bit before Sil got her. She tried to move back, but didn’t dodge quickly enough. Metal flashed for a fraction of a second, then the soldier crumpled. Sil put a hand over her mouth, presumably to muffle the sound of her death throes.

I stepped up to them, glancing at the fallen Zarian curiously, then back to Sil. “Should we deal with the body?” I whispered.

The agent shook her head. “Let’s go. They won’t discover it before it no longer matters.”

On the way back, we still tried to keep quiet, but moved considerably more quickly. It probably helped that we only had to worry about detection from one direction now, and knew our disguises worked well. This would have been harder if the agents didn’t know the Zarian patrol routes here.

Once we got close to the outpost again, Sil stopped us for a moment, and we observed it. I could see and sense the activity that had overtaken it. All the soldiers were now alert, throwing on or grabbing equipment and checking formations. Wei must have made his move. Perfect timing. I’m glad the agents are on my side.

All but one of them jumped onto flying swords, and they were off before I’d even finished the thought. The remaining soldier kept a hand on his sheathed sword and glanced around.

We didn’t creep up to the wooden barrier surrounding the outpost. That would be counterproductive with our stealth techniques. Instead, we walked, softly but in a straight line, right up to the gate. Once there, Sil used some air technique to reduce the noise, and I extended a shield of darkness qi. Then she reached between two posts of the palisade, her fingernails scratching against the wood, and pulled on her enchanted knife. I waited with bated breath until she’d carved a hole into the palisade and slowly lowered it out. Then she jumped through, and I took a deep breath and followed, Elia behind me.

This time, the soldier had more warning. He managed to get off a spray of rocky projectiles and grab for some qi-based device on a nearby table. Sil swatted most of the projectiles out of the air, and I weaved through the rest, weathering a few impacts to my arms and sides.

Sil dashed for the device, a current of air blasting it out of his hands just before the soldier managed to send his own qi into it to activate it. I took the opportunity to blast what might as well be a laser at him, which distracted him long enough to fumble whatever he was trying to pull from his belt with his other hand.

One of the rocks curved back around and threatened to smack into my head, so I ducked that and batted it out of the air with my forearm. By the time I looked up again, Sil had the Zarian in a chokehold on the ground.

“Don’t kill him,” I said, hurrying forward.

Sil nodded. “Of course not, Your Highness.” Her tone and expression added an unspoken ‘yet’.

I got to the prisoner, pulling his face out of the mud by his hair, and angling it so we could all see his expression. Sil accommodated the move. “Are you alone here?” I asked.

The Zarian glared back at me defiantly and answered in a string of swearwords. Well, half of them were cuss words, the rest I didn’t know, but the meaning was clear.

“You should cooperate,” I told him, keeping my voice calm. “It’ll go easier if you do. I might even let you go. If not, things could get very unpleasant. I won’t waste much time here.”

Just then, there was a chime from another talisman he was wearing. Judging by what I could see of the qi flows and formations, clearly a communication device of some sort.

“What was that?” I asked, but he stayed silent.

“It’s a victory signal, isn’t it?” Elia asked.

“No, whore, it’s a signal to say your life has ended!”

Elia frowned and looked at me. “It is a victory signal.” After a moment, she glanced at Sil.

I followed her gaze. “Does that mean they defeated Wei?”

Sil was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. He must have been either captured or killed.”

I grimaced, then looked back at our prisoner. “Are you supposed to respond?”

He didn’t answer. Before I could say anything else, Sil laid a hand on his torso, and he started convulsing, letting out a choked scream.

After she left off, he was breathing hard and shaking his head. “No.”

Elia spoke up again. “Yes, he is. Probably an all-clear signal, right?”

I sighed and held up a hand to stall the agent in case she got any other ideas. “Great. Sil, how can we figure out what’s up with Wei and rescue him if he’s still alive?”

The agent looked surprised. She answered in Common, as well. “With all due respect, Your Highness. My duty is to protect and guide you back to safety. This would be extremely ill-advised, and I respectfully suggest you abandon the notion.”

I frowned. I knew she was right, but still felt like I should say something. “But your partner …”

“Wei knew what he was doing,” she said. “The mission comes first. Your safety comes first.” Then her tone softened. “He would be proud to die for the Empire.”

I nodded slowly. Maybe further protests might dishonor his sacrifice in her eyes, or something.

“Your Highness, we should hurry,” she continued. “We need to either get this prisoner to cooperate and send the signal, fast, or leave right away.”

I glanced back at him. I knew she meant torture. That didn’t sit right with me, and I didn’t know if we’d manage to break him this quickly. I shook my head. “We need to leave swiftly.”

Sil bowed her head, then her knife flashed again. A moment later, there were was one less person in the encampment. I didn’t look too closely, since I’d learned my lesson about having a perfect memory. And I didn’t comment on it. Leaving him alive would have been too much of a risk, and I didn’t feel the need to rationalize it to myself.

“They’ll know something’s wrong,” Elia said. She seemed to have trouble looking at anyone, and her voice was a little tight. “Are we going to get to the coast and away before they catch us?”

“We’ll make sure of that,” a new voice said.

I spun around, the knife I’d stashed up my sleeve in my hand. There, just a few meters away, a veil of darkness qi was lifting. I only recognized that I’d sensed it now that it was starting to change. It was a strong working of darkness qi, hiding them from sight, sound and our qi senses.

“No need to worry, Imperial Princess,” a man’s voice said, as two figures slowly faded into view. “We’ll escort you until you can meet your own people.”

I blinked in surprise at the man and woman standing there. They were strong, although I couldn’t quite tell how strong. But they weren’t from the Empire. If the faint accent hadn’t tipped me off, their clothing would have. It wasn’t a style I’d seen much of before, more form-fitting and subdued than was common in the Empire or even where I’d traveled. And they both had a small version of another nation’s symbol with those clothes, embroidered in the fabric or embossed on a buckle.

“Oh, I see,” I said. “Alright. I assume you have a ship?”

I tried not to let them see how disconcerted I was. I guess Sil never actually said we would be picked up by Imperials. I glanced at her and saw that she seemed tense, though. Maybe she didn’t know.

“Of course,” the woman answered. She waved her hand, and a ship faded into view on the ocean behind her, in the shallows just before it would be beached on dry land.

Maybe it made sense that a ship from another nation would be better able to pick us up undetected than an Imperial one. Though, I wouldn’t have expected them to do it. The Empire’s relationship was Adzur was relatively good, but that wasn’t saying much.

I started walking, knowing that we didn’t have time to hesitate. Sil and Elia followed. The two strangers turned and led us on a direct path to their ship. With cultivators’ speed, the meters vanished quickly. I just sensed the Zarian’s presences at the edge of my range as we reached it.

The ship looked to be built of wood, and it had a sleek appearance, with clearly low draft, or whatever it was called. It didn’t fly the flag of the City-State of Adzur prominently, so this probably wasn’t an official delegation.

I knew the tide would be coming in soon. Right now, its pull in my senses was muted, distant, but it was already starting to rise. This wasn’t the best time to set sail, probably, but their ship would handle it. I could sense the strength of the qi in its materials and enchantments. One of them felt a bit like a steam engine, situated at the back of the ship.

We waded into the ocean and boarded the ship via a wooden ladder that unfurled itself from their deck, probably guided by the domain of one of the two Adzurians. I let Sil board first, then climbed ahead of Elia as she hesitated. Our hosts flew upward without any discernible device to help. I mentally revised my estimate of their strength upward.

Their ship only had a skeleton crew, at least judging by how few people I saw. The crew, mostly young men and women in the third or fourth stage, ignored us in favor of focusing on their task. I stepped up to the deck and looked back the beach, just in time to feel a jolt as the ship got itself loose and started moving. The Earth Continent spread out before us. It was a nice view, but I didn’t mind leaving it behind for now.

I didn’t see the Zarian, at least.

98: New contacts

I watched the coast until I could no longer make out individual trees, then turned away. As I pulled my attention back to the deck of the ship I was on, I noticed that the two Adzurians were watching me.

The man, leaning on the railing, raised an eyebrow. His clothing looked like something out of a movie or video game. Skintight leather and a half-mask, all black. His arms were bare, and I had to force my eyes not to linger on the sharply defined ridges of his torso visible through the outfit, assuming it wasn’t just modeled to look like that. This was not the kind of thing I’d have expected to see in this world.

“I’m thankful for your help,” I told him, deciding not to ask for his name. From what little I’d read of their culture, it was better to wait for it to be offered, if it was. “But I have to admit I’m wondering why you’d go to the trouble.”

The man smiled. “We were in the area, and since I was already in negotiations with your honorable Mother, I decided I might as well take on the job.”

I raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the woman, who seemed content to let him speak for them for now. “Negotiations? Do I want to know what this cost us?”

He shrugged. “Only a token amount, to be honest.” He leaned forward a little and smirked. “For the daughter of the Moon, I am, of course, happy to be of service.”

Now that he’d mentioned it, I remembered that Adzur generally venerated the Moon more than any other Greater Spirit. He’d been their sort-of chief deity for far longer than his recent importance in the Empire.

I met the man’s eyes calmly and raised an eyebrow. “I hope you’re not flirting with me. No offense, but I prefer men more of an age with me, and I do have my husband waiting for me.”

“Wait, you’re married?” Elia asked. She’d finally decided to stop hovering and was stepping up to the railing beside me.

The woman smirked. “Someone isn’t well versed in political events, it seems. By the way, Imperial Princess, it would be more polite to wear your real face, seeing as you’re a guest here. Your companion, as well.”

I nodded. “Alright.”

I’d been disguised for too long, anyway. As I prepared to change back, I had a moment of panic, a sudden fear that I wouldn’t be able to shift back to my original appearance. But a deep breath calmed me down and allowed me to focus on the change. I had a perfect memory and remembered everything clearly, and my body even seemed to know it, too. Shifting back was more effortless than any of the more involved disguises I’d used since the battle.

I stretched a little, enjoying the feeling of being back to normal, then glanced at Elia. She didn’t look quite the same as when I’d first met her. Her skin seemed a bit healthier, and her hair wasn’t as dark, but a light brown that I hadn’t seen in the city often. Her face was subtly different, as well, like a sister’s. She also looked to have shrunken a centimeter or two.

“You are quite pretty, Your Highness,” the man said. He sounded more serious now and stood straighter. “But I apologize if I came across as improper. I always dress like this, and I did mean what I said honestly.”

“Of course, thank you.” I nodded at him. I still thought he might have been hitting on me, but at least he took rejection well. And considering his strength, it would be stupid to take offense and make an enemy.

“Sorry if I’m intruding, but what was that about political events?” Elia asked.

I noticed that the two Adzurians were watching me keenly, perhaps trying to see if that was a sensitive subject. So I did my best to act casual and matter-of-fact. “I don’t know how much you’ve heard, but it was my marriage to a Terbekteri prince that the Zarian used as an excuse to attack us.”

Elia stared at me for a moment, wide-eyed. She’d probably heard about these events differently and was trying to reconcile the two versions. “Right, I knew that,” she said. “I didn’t realize. So, the war is all …”

I was glad she didn’t finish that sentence, and just shrugged. “It was going to happen sooner or later, whether we gave them an excuse or not.”

“From what they’re saying, it might have been to your advantage if it was later,” the Adzurian man mentioned.

I looked at them, careful to keep my face controlled and give nothing away. “Who knows. That’s hypothetical now.”

He nodded after a moment, and silence descended. I looked back at the ocean and the continent, which was already a good distance behind us. This ship moved fast.

After a while, we started talking again, but, this time, kept to small talk. The two Adzurians still didn’t introduce themselves, although I was starting to pick up a few things about them from what they said. They probably weren’t agents of Adzur’s government, but something closer to mercenaries. Or perhaps privateers, in a sense, if you didn’t restrict it to fighting at sea. That meant the City-State had plausible deniability if the Zarian found out they helped me, while still doing a favor for the Empire.

The conversation was awkward, considering no one seemed to want to volunteer too much, or private information, and it dried up quickly.

We traveled for some time in silence. I suspected the two Adzurians were talking telepathically, judging by the little twitches in their facial expressions. If at least one of them was in the seventh stage, that would make sense. They seemed content to stay there on the deck, and I didn’t want to leave, either. Elia was reading through some tattered sheets of paper she’d taken from her storage ring, perhaps an inherited technique manual or something similar.

I was just considering the best way to ask if she was okay when I felt the brush of another mind against mine. I stiffened for a moment, then closed my eyes and focused on it. The sensation came from below.

‘Imperial Princess. So you return to the sea after all,’ a mental voice said, an undercurrent of emotion and concepts accompanying the words.

I cocked my head. ‘Flame-In-Dark-Waters? Or …’ The voice sounded familiar, but not quite right.

A rumbling chuckle echoed through my mind. ‘I am his son, Light-on-the-Surface.’ I got faint impressions of the waters of the upper ocean, close to its surface.

‘Pleased to meet you,’ I said, making sure he could sense my smile and my sincerity in my mental voice. I was indeed happy to meet another sea dragon.

‘And I, you.’ There was a hint of amusement in his words. ‘If you consider this meeting, although I suppose I’ll have to give you that. I’m glad that you’ve kept your word to my father, and your people have stayed out of our territory.’

I relaxed a little, relieved that he was friendly and that the sea dragons didn’t seem to have any complaints. ‘Good. Was there a reason you wanted to talk to me, or were you just curious?’

He sent the feeling of a shrug, or whatever equivalent sea dragons used. ‘I did want to tell you that your enemies, the Zarian, have been sending ships across the ocean, and closer to your shores. They’ve also crossed one of our nesting places, and we’ve made it clear that these areas are off limits. Their fleet is smaller now, and they seem to have learned their lesson.’

I grinned. ‘Mother informed me about that, but thanks for telling me, all the same.’ I shrugged. ‘And I don’t mind you being curious, you know.’

For a moment, he was silent, and I began to wonder if I’d been too familiar. Then he laughed, a deep, rumbling wave that rolled through the telepathic connection into my head.

‘Is that so. I think my curiosity has been rather satisfied, little princess.’ He paused. ‘One thing, though. Do you know of anything that is happening related to the spirits?’

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a stab of concern at the question. ‘Not truly, except perhaps that Mior seems to have moved. Why do you ask?’

When he answered, his tone had lost some lightness. ‘Just an idle question. We have noticed that the spirits have been quiet lately.’

I frowned. ‘Too quiet? Like in the “quiet before the storm” sense?’

He sent another quasi-shrug. ‘I do not know. Perhaps, likely not.’

There was a hint of concern, even trepidation, in his tone. I found that entirely reasonable, when talking about trouble that could involve the Greater Spirits.

‘I will leave you here, princess,’ he said after a moment. ‘Fare well.’

‘You as well, Light-on-the-Surface. Safe travels.’

His mind withdrew, and I got an echo of his presence moving away before the mental connection snapped completely. I shook my head, looking out over the ocean, but too deep in thought to really take in the beautiful view. This was rather interesting.

Finally, I turned back around. “Where exactly are we going?” I asked. “I’m rather anxious to get back to my people.”

The woman smiled. “You’ll get back to them very soon, Imperial Princess. In roughly a quarter of an hour, when we will meet up with their ship.”

I started and looked in the direction she was pointing, leaning over the railing to get a good look at it past the ship’s front. It was outside the range of my qi senses, but if I concentrated on my eyesight, I could see a dark spot on the horizon that seemed to be heading for us. The sight made me grin.

I spent the next fifteen minutes trying not to pace up and down the ship’s deck. If I was lucky, I’d see some of my friends soon. In any case, I would finally be back among Imperials, probably soldiers. Time rarely passed so slowly.

“We will meet them soon,” the Adzurian man said.

I straightened up, meeting his calm gaze. Perhaps it was the recent conversation with the sea dragon, but I felt something click into place in that moment. “You’re Ming Li, aren’t you? The ‘Black Knife’?”

To my eyes, he didn’t seem to fit the East Asian name, since, like many people from the Earth Continent, he looked more like someone from the Middle East. Perhaps that was why I hadn’t made the connection right away, though I’d all but given up on making sense of ethnicity in this world.

The Adzurian raised an eyebrow, then smirked. “Some call me that. I admit I was almost disappointed, thinking you hadn’t heard of me, but at least you did put things together now.”

“I really didn’t hear much about you,” I countered. “Just a passing mention in a book.”

That was true, although I knew I might have heard of him before my soul journey, too. Ming Li was perhaps the most famous person with darkness affinity qi in the world, if you didn’t count Mother. From what I’d read, he was indeed a mercenary, or, I’d guess, occasionally an assassin. Well, he looked like it. No one seemed to know if he was in the seventh or eighth stage, which was pretty impressive.

He sighed. “Ah, the vagaries of fame.”

I glanced at the other Adzurian, who hadn’t spoken up. I didn’t know who she was. Probably a friend, lover, apprentice, or other companion. Well, it doesn’t really matter who they are, so long as they get me back safely.

He didn’t seem inclined to say anything else, and by now the ship we were meeting was getting close, so I turned my attention back to it.

The Imperial ship was cloaked pretty well, with light and darkness qi distorting its form so one would see little more than a blur in the form of a ship, making it hard to identify. It took me a minute of playing with my light qi to see through it, and that was only because I recognized the patterns. Once I did, I took a closer look at the quickly approaching vessel. It was rather small and clearly built more for speed than cargo, with a large sail as well as a sort of qi-based steam engine and propeller, alongside mechanisms based directly on air and water qi. But I didn’t spare that much attention. I was too focused on the two figures standing at the front of the ship.

Tenira and Kajare. My heart did a little skip into my throat. They looked well enough, perhaps a little stressed, but both smiled widely as we approached each other.

I tried not to fidget as I watched the two ships slow down and come to rest relative to each other, before the crews began to connect them with ropes and wooden beams, forming a simple bridge.

Before we could start to cross, I glanced at the others. The two Adzurians still hung around, presumably to bid me farewell. Elia was keeping close to me. I hadn’t seen Sil since we got on board, and assumed she had things to do here. I didn’t ask after her, I didn’t think she’d appreciate it.

I pasted on a smile and gave the Adzurians my full attention. “It was a pleasure to meet you, and I appreciate the hospitality.”

I didn’t say anything about how I was grateful and would remember their assistance. I might not be an experienced princess, but I knew better than to promise my favor like that.

The Black Knife bowed. “It was our pleasure, Princess Inaris. I’m confident that our paths will cross again.”

“Perhaps.” Hopefully not because you take a hit on me. I smiled and nodded at them, before turning to leave.

Imperial soldiers had lined up at the other side of the bridge, though they left plenty of room for us to arrive. There were some Terbekteri soldiers visible on deck, too. I tried not to tense at the sight of their uniforms. Instead, I walked over, glancing over my shoulder to make sure that Elia was following.

Then I was on deck, crossing the last few meters in a flash, and stood before Kajare and Tenira. I didn’t even think, just reached out to pull my best friend into a hug. She reciprocated, and I could hear her inhale deeply. Right now, I didn’t care that people were watching us, I just gave myself a moment to enjoy the reunion.

Then I let go of Tenira and turned to Kajare. I embraced him as well, and gave him a quick kiss. He looked like he wanted to do more than that, but didn’t move and let me take a step back again. Still, his smile and the bright look in his eyes told me clearly how happy he was to see me again.

I smiled at the two of them. “You have no idea how glad I am to get back to you, finally. I missed you very much.”

“Me, too,” Tenira answered. She shook her head. “Why do you always do things like this?”

“Believe me, I wish things like this didn’t keep happening to me,” I said. “I guess I have enemies in high places.”

Kajare chuckled. “Then it’s a good thing you can deal with them. Welcome back, Inaris.”

“I wish I could just lock you up in the palace and stay there,” Tenira grumbled, but she still smiled.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Right now, that sounds fantastic. I wish it was that simple.”

99: Advances

It took a while for things to settle down and for us to start talking seriously. But after a few minutes, the ship was pulling away on a southern course, while Tenira, Kajare and I met in a small meeting room inside the ship. Glancing out the window, I could see Elia and some of the soldiers on deck. But Kajare was finishing a technique that would dampen the sound of our conversation, so we could discuss sensitive matters.

“Where are the others?” I asked first. “Are they alright?”

“Of course, they’re fine,” Tenira replied. She didn’t have to ask to know I meant Lei and Yarani. “They’re back in Imperial territory, at our current headquarters, holding down the fort.”

I nodded and finally sat down. The room was a little cramped, with a table and several chairs crammed into it, but I didn’t mind having walls around me again. I noticed there were a few maps scattered on the table.

“They know what we’re dealing with,” Kajare said. “They’ll keep an eye on Hajake and Jian, as well as the war effort.”

Good. I had the feeling it was Yarani who was really keeping an eye on things back there, not so much Lei. He might be a genius, but he didn’t usually didn’t care to devote his thinking to ‘social stuff’. Still, she would be up to it and they had backup, so I wasn’t too worried.

“Why are you here, anyway?” I asked. “Besides the obvious.”

A smile tugged on Tenira’s face. “We’re on a diplomatic trip. Furthering relations with the independent and neutral states along the coast of the continent.” She shrugged. “Less officially, they think we’re here to search for or try to buy information on what became of you. The trip is pretty much over, we’re supposed to be heading back now.”

I nodded, thoughtfully. It seemed like my disappearance hadn’t messed things up too badly, which was good. “Let’s just hope Hajake believes that. How do things stand with him and Jian?”

Kajare leaned forward in his seat, and Tenira’s expression hardened as she answered. “We’re being very careful with Jian, making it seem like we have no idea of his involvement with anything. With Hajake, we’re trying the same, but of course it’s a riskier proposition. We’ve tried to hide what we’re doing with regards to you as much as possible, but I’m not sure how much he knows. This trip is hopefully secret.”

I glanced at Kajare. “The Terbekteri soldiers …”

He shook his head. “They’re all loyal to my mother’s faction. They wouldn’t tell him anything.”

I smiled. It was sometimes easy to forget that Kajare was a prince in his own right, and had those connections and resources to draw on. “Good. But he knows that I know he betrayed me, and we have to assume that he’s got plans and will guess what we’re up to.”

“Actually,” Tenira interjected. “I think you’re forgetting something.”

I frowned, but got what she meant after a moment. “Right. The question is, does he know I’m still alive. How have you handled things officially? Am I considered taken captive or just missing?”

“Officially, more or less, we’re uncertain of your fate and trying to ascertain what happened. There’s no body, and we’re assuming that the Zarian took you, though it’s not clear whether that’s dead or alive. Most people assume you’re still alive, since they haven’t announced your death.”

“But Hajake might still assume he killed me,” I concluded. “Maybe. You’re not sure, and you’re trying to hide that you know what happened. Right?”

“Exactly.” Tenira grimaced. “It’s a case of neither knowing know what the other knows, and trying to prepare for every eventuality.”

I rubbed my temple. “This sounds complicated. You both know he betrayed me, but he might not know you know, and you were in contact with me, which he might not know, either, but it could all be some double-bluff.”

“That’s about it,” Kajare agreed.

“We probably can’t keep my location a secret for long,” I said. “It would be stupid to assume that Jideia and his people are unaware I survived. He might be associated with them, and even if not, it would be in their interest to make things harder for me by telling Hajake what they know. Though I don’t think they can track me that easily.”

Tenira frowned. “Do you think they will help him?”

I sighed. “I don’t know. If the Storm was personally taking care of the matter, I’d assume the worst. If it’s the Pioneer …” I shrugged. Isuro seemed to be dragging his feet when it came to the whole ‘killing Inaris’ thing, so he might not be looking too hard, or taking the initiative to talk to Hajake. But maybe he would. “I just don’t know.”

“It’s probably best for you to stay hidden as long as we can manage it, then,” Tenira said. She didn’t sound happy about it.

I nodded. “At least you won’t really need me to make progress with the situation with Hajake.”

Kajare cocked his head. “You have an idea?”

I smiled. “I stumbled onto just the right blade to cut that knot.” Then I felt the smile leave my face and shrugged, speaking more quietly. “I’d say it almost seems like divine providence. But it actually might be my father’s guidance.”

My connection to Rijoko had been quiet lately, dormant. But it was still there, and I hadn’t forgotten hearing him. Funny, I couldn’t help but think, if you’d told me about this before, I wouldn’t have liked the idea at all, but the connection doesn’t bother me that much. I shook my head. Well, he is my father, and I have enough reasons to trust that he wants me to survive, and probably succeed. Plus, the side benefits are awesome.

Tenira glanced outside, where we could just see Elia walking across the deck. “Her? You mentioned she has a spirit bloodline, too?”

“Right.” I grinned. “Elia’s a granddaughter of the Sun. She has the ability to see the truth of people and tell if they’re lying, or something. I figure, have her listen in on a few probing conversations with Hajake, and we’ll have much more to go on.”

Tenira nodded. “That sounds good, indeed. You think she’d do it?”

“Shouldn’t be too hard.” I waved my hand dismissively, tracking her presence with my qi senses. “If she doesn’t do it just for me, we can easily afford to hire her. Or I could offer to tutor her with her shapeshifting ability.”

“She won’t get that anywhere else,” Tenira agreed, nodding. “Alright. Then it seems we have the basics of a plan.”

We were all silent for a minute, while we thought about what had happened and what was coming. I had to stop myself from fidgeting. It was good to see them again, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d screwed up, and I found it more difficult than I thought to adjust to being the Imperial Princess again. Perhaps I hadn’t realized how stifling it could be until I wasn’t followed around by guards anymore, had some time to myself, relying on just my own strength and skills to survive.

“What about Aston?” I finally asked. I didn’t expect good news, but I couldn’t put it off any further. “Have you seen him?”

Tenira shook her head. “No, Inaris. I’m sorry. No one’s seen Aston or Mior since the day after you disappeared.”

“I suppose it makes sense.” I sighed. “I can’t expect Mior to stick around while I’m not even there, and he, or they, clearly couldn’t go to me.”

I hadn’t found either of them in my dreams, too, and just tried not to think about it.

“He’ll be back, right?” Kajare said.

“Sure.” I sat up straighter. “Mior isn’t going to let Aston come to harm. I expect they’ll break the possession soon and send him back. If they aren’t already working on that. It was kind of nice to have Mior with me, but I always knew it wasn’t going to last.”

Tenira picked up some of the maps lying strewn over the table, straightening them. “Nothing more we can do but wait, right now.”

I nodded, then glanced at them. “Would you mind giving me some time to look through these papers and get up to speed?”

“Of course.” They stood up, Kajare bowing slightly, and left the room without protest.

I exhaled, and turned my attention to one of the maps, where someone had noted down troop movements and strengths. I felt like I needed a moment to myself to adjust and think. The reports and maps gave me something to occupy myself with, and I did need to catch up on what had happened.

I ended up spending longer than I’d thought in that room, going over various papers alone. A soldier showed up after a minute with a stack of reports, but otherwise Tenira and the others left me alone. I felt the ocean beneath me, occasionally sensing a qi presence passing by underneath. The environment and the gentle swaying of the ship were surprisingly relaxing.

Finally, I put the last sheet of paper away, stood up and stretched with a satisfying pop. Shit, I love being back in my own body. I left the papers there, then exited the room, making a mental note to get my storage ring back. Without my watch, I didn’t have a good sense of time, either, but the sun had moved a bit when I stepped out on deck.

Glancing around, I saw that Elia was talking to some soldiers further back, on a platform half a deck below me. That was where the steam engine-like mechanism was situated. Kajare was nowhere to be seen, but Tenira leaned against the railing, looking out over the ocean. No one else came close to her.

I took a deep breath to steel my nerves, then approached her. I shouldn’t be this nervous, and earlier, I hadn’t been. But something about seeing her there, the wind in her hair as she was obviously deep in thought, and the prospect of talking to her alone, had tripped me up.

She smiled as she noticed my approach and turned to me. I came to a stop beside her, laying one hand on the railing and wondering if I looked as awkward as I felt.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” I finally said, glancing out over the ocean. “I’ve always liked the sea.”

Tenira nodded. After a moment, she pulled out a small box from her robe and handed it to me. “Your storage ring. Some of its contents were removed in the course of trying to investigate what happened to you, but most of it should be there now.”

“Thanks!” I quickly put it back on, smiling at the familiar weight on my finger. “You’re the best, Tenira.”

“I think I’ve heard that one before.” She smiled wryly. “I’m just doing my job.”

“You’re doing more than that,” I disagreed, leaning towards her slightly. “Seriously, I appreciate the way you keep things together for me. For us.”

Her expression softened. “Thank you, Inaris.”

We stood there in silence for a moment. I casually moved half a step closer, keeping my attention focused on her even as I half-pretended to look out over the ocean. She did the same, if a little more subtly. Despite the tension I felt, the silence was comfortable.

“I really missed you, Tenira,” I finally said, in a soft voice. “I was worried that Hajake or the Zarian might hurt you while I was gone. I’d have a hard time forgiving myself if I put you in danger.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Funny you should talk about someone else being in danger. I appreciate the sentiment, though, Nari. Even if you probably have more important things to worry about.”

“Maybe, but they’re not really more important to me.” I shrugged, smiling wryly. “There aren’t many people I love in this world. You’re more to me than just a clanmate or retainer, Tenira, or even just a friend. I care about you deeply.”

She didn’t answer right away. I was tense, feeling anxiety bubbling just beneath the surface. I wasn’t used to baring my heart like that, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do. Perhaps I should have done it sooner. I managed to focus on the moment, just looking at Tenira.

She didn’t avoid my gaze. For a long moment, we just looked into each other’s eyes. I’d shifted so I was closer to her, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she inched closer to me, too.

“I care about you, too, Nari,” she finally said. Then her lips quirked and a playful light entered her eyes. “Danger and all.”

I chuckled, feeling a bit of relief as the tension, the intensity of the moment, broke. “Well, that’s a relief. I tend to attract danger.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again and shook her head. “This smells like a set-up. Do you just want me to call you attractive?”

“Would I do that?”

She smiled. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“Well, I will call you attractive. Because you’re beautiful. You have the most lovely eyes.” I managed to keep a straight face as I said it, looking at her intently.

It was true, too. Her eyes were the most vibrant green I’d ever seen, and I could gaze into them forever.

She blushed. It looked adorable. “That’s what you like about me? My eyes?”

I grinned. “Well, your other features aren’t half bad, either.”

She shook her head. “You certainly have a smooth tongue, don’t you?”

I stuck out my tongue instead of replying.

Luckily, the gesture was familar for Tenira, and she chuckled. “What, are you trying to show me something with that?”

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You want me to show you? Moving a bit quickly, aren’t you, Tenira? I’d be happy to show you in detail.”

I saw something flash across her face, but it was too quick to be sure what emotion it was. Her smile disappeared beneath a stiff expression, and she took a step back.

I straightened up, my smile leaving, as well, replaced by concern. “Tenira?”

“I just remembered I have a report to deal with. If you’ll excuse me, Inaris.” She didn’t look at me, but bowed her head, then spun around and left before I could answer.

It was as if someone had put out the light, and suddenly everything looked different, full of sharp angles. Tenira walked away, tension evident in the lines of her back, at a speed just short of a run. She didn’t look back, and I felt like all of the excitement I’d been basking in was turning to ice, piercing me.

Why did I have to go and ruin this? I clenched my fists and bit my lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and I swallowed it, trying to grasp onto some clarity it could bring. I knew I’d screwed up. Probably badly. What was I thinking, saying that? I’d come on too hard, perhaps given the wrong impression, and spooked Tenira. She might never give me the chance to make up for it, I might never get an opportunity like that, a moment like the ones we’d shared, again.

For a while, I just stood there, staring at the sea and wrestling with my emotions. Finally, I had enough, and pushed off the railing, walking back. I knew it was a bad idea to go after Tenira right now, but I needed to move. At least I’d managed to get ahold of myself, and a tight grip on my emotions.

As I was approaching the cabin, Kajare stepped out. He smiled when he saw me, just a few steps away. “Inaris. I was hoping to find you.”

“Kajare.” I forced a smile. “It is good to see you again.”

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in far too long.” He chuckled, a bit of embarrassment in his voice. “I know we didn’t have much time together, but still.”

My smile became more genuine. “I was gone for a while.”

“Oh, yes.” He shifted a little. His robe was open far enough to allow me a tantalizing view of the hard lines of his chest, and I saw the heat in his eyes. “It certainly felt long enough that I’m eager to welcome you back.”

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh, and you’ll try to give me a proper welcome?”

He lowered his gaze, biting his bottom lip. “Yes, my lady.”

Well, I have some frustration to work out. I took his arm, steering him back through the doorway he’d just come out of. “I’ll see about that.”

I wasn’t really in the mood for this, but I recognized that I should give Kajare the attention he wanted. Besides, I could use the distraction. And, if I’m being honest, the contact and intimacy, too.

It was better than wallowing in feelings of rejection, certainly.

100: Diverging paths

Tenira avoided me after that. I tried, but never managed to get her alone. She was always busy, either talking to someone or in a planning meeting with the others, never just myself. She didn’t make much of an effort to hide it, and I didn’t force the issue.

I could have just summoned her to me and ensured we had a private chat, but I didn’t. I was afraid that being too pushy now would just push her farther away. The most I managed to do was apologize softly at the end of a meeting with Kajare and the head of the Imperial Guard detachment. She nodded and departed quickly, her eyes never rising to meet mine.

I regretted that as I stood on the plank leading to another ship now, about to leave the two of them again for an indefinite time. I glanced back at Tenira, Kajare and Elia, who were here to see me off. Just behind them, I could see the port of a city whose name I wouldn’t be able to pronounce. We’d arranged for a ship to sail from there, but I’d actually transfer here, in the open sea, where there were less prying eyes. Kajare and Elia looked dejected, but Tenira’s face was hard to read, locked behind a cold mask.

“Take care of yourselves,” I said.

Kajare nodded. Tenira said, “Of course, my lady.”

I tried not to show any reaction to that. She’d always called me ‘my lady’ occasionally, and I didn’t mind. But lately, she’d used that address as often as my name, if not more so. Putting another bit of distance between us. Well, at least it wasn’t ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Princess Inaris’.

Walking across that plank to the other ship felt like one of the hardest things I’d done, at least in that moment. I didn’t want to leave them, especially not with the looming threat of Hajake and his little conspiracy. But being with them wouldn’t make them any safer, and I needed to trust them to handle themselves, and to do their job.

The ship I boarded was definitely a step below theirs in quality. There was nothing obviously broken, but the wood looked weathered, the colors weren’t as bright, and the qi devices seemed simpler and less powerful. It was a small ship, probably almost as quick as the one I’d just left, but with a bit more cargo space. As I came aboard, the captain and first mate greeted me, but the crew went about their business with only the occasional glance at us.

“Show me to my cabin, please,” I said. “Then I’ll let you get back to work.”

The cabin was small and cramped, and the captain left me alone quickly. I knew he and probably the majority of the crew were Imperial soldiers, currently serving or veterans. All of them were vetted extensively, and Imperial Guard members had been discreetly placed among the crew. Perhaps some agents from Kariva’s organization, too.

The ship started moving right away, and I could sense it leave my companions behind, as theirs pulled into the harbor. I suppressed a sigh. At least I would have some peace and quiet during the journey. A remote outpost to the south of the continent, where I would be out of sight and hopefully out of danger of the events playing out at the front. I didn’t like it, but I knew I needed to lay low, and at least I could still be involved in the decision-making.

And here I was looking forward to being in my own form again. I probably should have known better than to think I was done with disguises. I glanced down through my brown bangs at the new clothes covering my new body. It could be worse.

I closed my eyes and laid down on the bed. It took half an hour of tossing and turning until I finally managed to fall asleep, though. Probably the longest it had since I’d awakened my bloodline. As always, the transition from being awake to asleep was both sharper and softer than before. I knew right away when I’d fallen asleep, since I retained my full awareness, but at first it didn’t feel much different than falling into a daydream.

I almost reached out to search for other minds, but hesitated. There was a lot of work to do, but none of it was urgent. Instead, I focused on my own dream, and recreated the pleasant beach scenario I’d devised before. I let the sensations, imaginary and muted though they might be, wash over me, and drifted into the deepest dream state I could. Which was still a lot more like a daydream.

My sense for time while in a dream was never very good, so I didn’t know how long I drifted through sleep. I walked through a collection of sceneries, replayed some memories, tried not to dwell on loneliness or apprehension, and occasionally ventured out to seek out other minds. The shift of who was awake to who was asleep gave me some context on the time, at least.

I only managed to pull myself together for a short visit with Mother. She was busy, so she wouldn’t sleep much, but I appreciated that she still gave me that time, at least.

‘Has something changed with the war?’ I asked, after I related the latest events, minus my personal challenges.

Mother shook her head. This time, we were meeting in a formless gray void, so there was nothing to distract me from her dream-form. ‘Nothing significant. It still drags on. There’s been more rumble of discontent from the nobles, but I’ll deal with it.’

I nodded. ‘And Terbekteri? Have you talked to their King?’

She pulled a face. ‘Yes, briefly. I was careful. He won’t trust me over his own son, alliance or not, so there’s no point in making allegations at this point. But I think I’ve got a good sense of him, and I’ll know how to act when it comes down to it.’

I shook my head, thankful that she was the one who had to deal with the political fallout of Hajake’s betrayal on the international level, and not me. Though, I think she’s cold-blooded enough she’ll leverage this situation into additional concessions for us.

‘It’s good that you’ve made inroads with that princess,’ Mother remarked. ‘With her and the Queen, as your mother-in-law, we have a good in.’

I nodded thoughtfully. ‘There’s no way Hajake did this just because of a perceived humiliation.’ I’d been thinking about this, and that much I would bet on. ‘He wants me out of the way for something. If I had to guess, it has to do with internal Terbekteri politics. Perhaps also to weaken Kajare and his, or our, political allies.’

‘That’s likely,’ Mother agreed. ‘One more reason why having contacts within their power structure is important. We’ll never have the same insight into their inner workings. Speaking of, I have another meeting of the war council now. Take care of yourself, Inaris.’

‘Have fun.’

I drifted out of the dream, feeling it dissolve behind me, and returned to my meanderings.

Time passed, and at some point, the captain came to tell me that we’d reached our destination. Without the need to eat or drink regularly, and when sleeping too much, it was surprisingly difficult to keep track of time. Had it already been days, or was this ship just that fast?

I followed the captain out onto the deck, and looked at the place the ship was rapidly approaching. An island, big enough it could hold a large town, but with steep cliffs and stone walls that turned it into a fortress instead. In the distance, just on the horizon, I could see the southern coast of the Earth Continent. A hundred kilometers further west, I’d get to the bay where we’d first landed on the continent.

I sighed and glanced up at the towering structure. The weather was gloomy and overcast, the threat of a storm coming in over the ocean hanging in the air. I pulled my robe tighter around myself, though I didn’t really need to. I had nothing to pack, just my storage ring. As we came closer, I could sense a few strong presences on the walls above the dock. Imperial Guard, here to protect me, I knew.

I couldn’t help a shiver as I climbed down onto the pier, with the ship’s crew already going about their usual business. An island fortress. Your typical place for a royal exile, self-imposed or otherwise. I guess it makes sense. I don’t feel so good about it, though. Less Tiberius in Capri and more Napoleon in Elba. Not sure what that says about me.

On the island of Mei, time seemed to pass both fast and slowly at once. I spent more time than I cared to think about wandering the battlements and cliffs, looking north and wondering how Tenira and the others were doing. Hoping I’d be able to meet her in my dreams later on. I never did.

When I wasn’t pacing, I spent most of my time either reading, since I now had my storage ring and its books back, or asleep. There wasn’t much for me to do here. A contingent of Imperial Guard, who didn’t wear their uniforms but didn’t do much to hide their identity otherwise, made sure of my safety. A few of them were vaguely familiar, but without Aston or any of the people who’d been killed on Hajake’s orders, I didn’t have or form any kind of connection to them.

A few reports found their way to me, but most of my communication passed through dreams. I supposed that made sense; they were both untraceable by conventional means and had no time delay. Even with scheduling people for me to contact at certain times, the logistics were easier.

I still didn’t take much part in what was happening, though. I was too far from the action. Mother didn’t need my help, and Kajare and the others were doing a fine job handling things themselves. Since it was more about trying to find out Hajake’s plans and subtly preparing in case a confrontation occurred, there wasn’t much I could do. Well, short of revealing my survival to our vassals to get them more firmly behind us, but that usually wasn’t worth it.

I was feeling uneasy, and as time passed, the sensation got worse. Like I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. It made it hard to get anything done, and while I finally had some time to work on my research and designs, I found it hard to muster the motivation to work on that. At times, the feeling was so acute that I was starting to suspect there was more to it than just normal anxiety and isolation.

I missed the others, more than I would have thought. Especially Yarani, who I hadn’t seen in a while. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would be separated for months.

At least I had my dreamsending power. I met her in her dreams a few times. It wasn’t as good as the real thing, of course, but still something. I always needed a bit of time to cool down after these dreams.

Those went a lot better than most of my other dreams. I only met with Mother once, since she was so busy, with the war and all. She seemed stressed, and we didn’t talk for long. Kariva and the others at the palace I contacted occasionally didn’t tell me much, so I wasn’t sure if it was just normal stress or something more concerning.

The weeks passed, and I’d almost settled into a routine. A bland, gray routine, with no more light than the seemingly perpetually storm-ridden sea. But it was comforting, in a way.

I shook my head and stared out at the ocean for what should be the last time, then moved my eyes to the airship hovering above the fortress. It was just starting to set down on the upper courtyard. From my position at the highest vantage point on the island, I had a good view, and I’d be down there in a flash. The airship wasn’t big or luxurious, or even remarkable at all. It would serve well to get me away from here, though.

It was supposed to bring me back to the mainland. Where my friends had been preparing for things to come to a head, and where I could finally resume a more active role in the war effort.

The problem was that I didn’t want to. Just the thought filled me with unease. My connection to Rijoko sat in my head like a stone, heavy and hard, but it didn’t respond to my prompting.

If I didn’t take care, my eyes would wander, out over the open ocean, the way I’d come weeks ago. I felt an almost electric charge, like a magnet was pulling me in that direction.

I need to be there. The thought was my own, but not quite of my own volition. I knew that. Rijoko’s influence was the clearest I’d ever felt it, except that day at the Zarian fortress, after Hajake left me for dead.

I didn’t know if my father wanted me back on the Sky Continent for a reason, or if he simply didn’t want me on the Earth Continent for whatever might be about to happen there. In the end, it might not make much of a difference.

I had to decide what to do now. His influence wasn’t so big that I couldn’t defy it. He was the Moon, and it was guidance, not force. How to act remained my choice.

I shook my head, ripped my eyes from the ocean, and turned back to the interior of the fortress. A few steps and pushes, and I made my way down the cliff and stairs, walking to the airship. A group of guards was assembling here, another already boarded.

The captain turned and bowed as I approached. He was an old man that looked like he’d be more comfortable in a military uniform than the bland civilian clothes he was wearing, like almost everyone here. “Your Highness,” he greeted me. “Are we to set off for Earthhaven now?”

I slowly walked past him and onto the ramp. “No. I’ve changed the plan.”

“Your Highness?”

I took a deep breath. “Set a different course, captain. I’m going back to the Sky Continent.”

I hope this wasn’t the wrong choice, but when the quasi-deity of wisdom and guidance gives you a hint, it would be stupid to ignore it.

At least I’d see my family again.

Interlude — Tenira

Leri Tenira looked out over the war camp, glancing at the tents’ worth of martial strength gathered beside the little town, ready to be ground up in the war of the millennium. It should have been an awesome display of power. But she turned away after a moment of checking that everything was as it was supposed to do, then kept walking through the improvised fortification they had raised beside it. She found it hard to care about the camp, or the soldiers in it, or even the guards discreetly following her.

She’d been preoccupied lately. And it’s not like there isn’t enough to distract me, she mused. Hajake’s betrayal comes to mind.

But that wasn’t why she’d been unfocused, or why anxiety and frustration were dogging her steps even now. That was all due to Inaris. Her lady, and her friend. Or perhaps it would be fairer to say that her state was her own fault.

Tenira exhaled deeply and received the salutes of a group of soldiers with an absent nod. She knew blaming Inaris was unfair, at least largely. She had reacted badly to what shouldn’t have been such a big deal, as she would say.

Tenira knew she’d hurt her friend with her reaction, and with avoiding her afterward. A bit of guilt had joined the shame and frustration boiling away inside her, mixed into an unpleasant stew. But she’d found herself falling back on her old behavior, on anxiety and avoidance. For all that she was usually a confident, outgoing woman who could hold her own in court or in her friendships, there was just something about Inaris that struck deep, at the heart of the issues she had with herself. She knew she should have just talked about things, but that didn’t help much.

And what would I even say? she thought with a sudden flash of anger. ‘I think you’re wonderful and beautiful and my heart beats faster every time you smile at me, but still I don’t want to be with you?’ How could I expect her to understand, when I don’t even understand myself?

She made an effort to smooth her expression as she turned onto the corridor to the meeting room. Last night, she’d finally gathered up her courage and gone to sleep hoping that Inaris would contact her. But there had been no contact.

If only Inaris didn’t have to leave and hide. It would be easier to do this in person. The Imperial Princess was the daughter of the Moon, and her power over dreams meant that she would be in control of the ‘meeting’ in a dream. That gave her a frightening amount of power over people’s minds, really, even if she didn’t use it. But that didn’t make things easier for Tenira.

If only I could just give her what she is looking for, she thought, not for the first time. But … I can’t. Tenira grimaced as long distant memories roused themselves, and quickly focused on the door to the room that she was about to open. She’d made peace with the idea that she’d never marry and be alone years ago. She just needed to remember that.

At least she knew her friend wouldn’t force her. That was one thing Tenira was absolutely sure of in this situation, if nothing else. She trusted her. Inaris wasn’t like her previous suitors, and not just because she was a woman or a princess.

A beautiful princess with a brilliant mind, hidden passion, a great sense of humor, and enough strength of will to change the world.

Tenira shook her head and forced herself to focus on the situation. Lei was just entering through the other door, and the others were already gathered, sitting in armchairs and on sofas. Yarani, Kajare, and their newest addition, Elia. She let her gaze pause for a moment on the local girl, who had her hands clenched tightly in her lap, looking between the other young people. She couldn’t even begin to fill the space where Inaris should be sitting.

“We’re all here, good,” Tenira said, settling down on another chair. “Kajare, do you want to start?”

“Alright,” Inaris’ husband answered. He frowned a little. “There’s not much to be said, though. Things haven’t changed much since the last time we talked.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Yarani said, stretching as she lounged on the sofa. “Nothing new going wrong, and the two of you are doing well at establishing yourselves. Excellent.”

“You’re cheerful today,” Lei remarked, raising an eyebrow at her. “And is that a flush I see on your cheeks? My, my.”

The girl shrugged. “Yes, Inaris visited me in my dreams.”

Lei smirked, then smoothed his expression. Both of them looked at Tenira.

She forced a smile. “Tell her hello from us next time.”

Of course the others knew something had happened between them, and they seemed to be trying to gauge her reaction. Tenira found it easy to maintain her smile. She didn’t mind that Inaris visited her concubine. If anything, knowing that she had someone to support her during a difficult time was a small relief.

“I’ll have to sleep more often,” Kajare joked with a smile.

Tenira shook her head. It didn’t make her situation easier that Inaris was what her old aunt Bet would call a ‘hussy’, or ‘disgustingly promiscuous’. Although this world wouldn’t agree with that, since she could be a lot more debauched as an Imperial royal. More like her mother. How did the woman even find time for all her lovers, with being the Empress?

She forced her attention back to the present and cleared her throat. “If there are no concerns, do you think we should go ahead and poke Hajake again, see what more we can find out?”

There was a moment of thoughtful silence as the others considered this. Lei shrugged, and Yarani nodded slowly. Kajare took a moment longer, then nodded as well. “Yes, I think that’s for the best.”

“Alright, then.” Tenira turned her attention to Elia, who’d been quiet so far. “Are you fine with that?”

“Of course, my lady,” the girl replied, no hint of nervousness in her tone. “I promised to do my best to help you, and so I will.”

Tenira nodded. At least Elia’s Common had improved rapidly. A good thing that she was a low-level genius, as well. “Come along, then. Unless there are any objections?”

Kajare shook his head. “No. Hajake wouldn’t like to talk to me, and you’re the best choice when it comes to status and charisma. No offense, Lei.”

“None taken,” her friend replied, grinning. “I’ll gladly leave that sort of thing to you.”

Tenira stood, smiled at the others in goodbye, then quickly strode out of the room, Elia on her heels. They didn’t talk as they walked through the walls of the fortified command center, accompanied by a group of Imperial guards. Elia had a book in her hands and was leafing through it. Tenira recognized the Zarian-Common dictionary. She must have finished and memorized the two books on Common grammar already.

Tenira couldn’t help but be impressed. She herself knew five languages, but she’d never learned one this quickly. Whatever Elia’s background might be, her dedication couldn’t be faulted.

It didn’t take her long to find Hajake. As expected, the Terbekteri prince was in the part of the building that had been set aside for his people’s use, in a large sitting room with conference tables brought in. He appeared to be deep in discussion with his officers, although Tenira noticed that he didn’t seem particularly invested in their reports.

She bowed in greeting. “Prince Hajake. I trust this day finds you well?”

Hajake smiled with his customary suavity. “Lady Tenira! Always a pleasure. Yes, I am quite well. I hope the same goes for you?”

“It does,” she smiled back. “I was wondering if we could talk, if you have a moment to spare. I’d like to discuss the upcoming offensive some more.”

His smile thinned a little, but his tone remained cordial as he answered. “Of course. Would you accompany me for a walk?”

“It would be my honor.”

He offered her his arm. She accepted it and let him lead her from the room, with Elia following behind them. The gesture was a little familiar, but not overly so. She didn’t like how he emphasized treating her as a lady, with the associations that carried in Terbekteri culture, but perhaps she was being overly sensitive. Or perhaps he was actually considering courting her. That would be quite audacious given his plotting. She didn’t really believe so, but the thought made dealing with him even more unpleasant.

“I hope you don’t mind my companion coming along,” she said.

Hajake shook his head slightly. “Of course not. Being alone together would be improper, in any case.”

Tenira nodded, not pointing out the guards from both nations watching over them. “I do hope our improved integration of our forces will show its worth in the coming week. Even if it is only a probing offensive, the front lines have barely moved for weeks, and I think some change might be well-received.”

“Oh, I quite agree. I have high hopes for our new protocols and integration efforts.”

They turned a corner now, which allowed Tenira to get a quick look at Elia, who was nodded her head subtly.

They continued talking about military matters as they kept walking. Tenira had to admit, despite herself, that Hajake wasn’t a bad commander. He didn’t concern himself with details, preferring to leave that to his officers, but he seemed at least well aware of what was going on and was a competent strategist. Their conversation rarely touched on anything that would be considered controversial. She knew they were both taking the opportunity to sound out the other.

One they reached an enclosed courtyard, Tenira slowed down. “Perhaps we could sit? It is a nice day.”

Hajake agreed readily, and they settled onto a bench. Elia chose a place not far from them, on Tenira’s side, where they could look at each other discreetly.

“I appreciate your willingness to humor me, Prince Hajake,” she said.

“Not at all, my lady,” he answered with another smile. “It is always a pleasure to talk with you. And may I say, you have done quite well in the unfortunate situation you suddenly found yourself in.”

Tenira suppressed a smile, pleased that the conversation was heading in the right direction. “Yes, Inaris’ disappearance has been quite an unpleasant shock,” she agreed. “It must have affected you, too. You are family as well, after all.”

Hajake’s smile looked a little stiffer this time. “Yes, of course. It is quite troubling. I do hope we can recover my sister-in-law quickly.”

She noticed that Elia was shaking her head slightly. Not that she needed her to know that Hajake was lying through his teeth.

“Don’t we all?” she said. “I do appreciate your offer of help in our search.”

“I wish you would take me up on that,” Hajake said. “I appreciate your concerns about alerting the Zarian and sending soldiers into danger, or provoking an unfavorable fight, but all the same.”

Tenira cocked her head slightly. “So you believe she is still alive? I know many think that she must have been killed.”

He grimaced slightly. “It is a rather troubling possibility. I wish I knew, of course.”

Tenira almost stiffened as she saw Elia shake her head just a little. His last sentence was a lie, or close enough. That must mean he already knows, or believes he does.

“But what is your personal opinion?” she asked, deciding to push a little.

“Well, of course I still hold onto hope. If you ask me, your lady is alive.”

A slight nod. He knows she’s alive. Tenira leaned forward a little. “I pray that is true. If she does live, where do you think she might be?”

Hajake shrugged. “I really couldn’t say.”

Another slight nod. He didn’t know Inaris’ location. That was something, at least. Tenira leaned back again and fought the urge to smile.

“Well, her father is the Moon,” she said with forced lightness. “He’ll guide her home, won’t he?”

Hajake’s hands clenched just a little on the wood of the bench. “Of course. The Moon’s will will prevail.”

The frown on Elia’s face was quite stark, even if she only let it last for a second. Luckily, Hajake didn’t look in her direction. But Tenira took note of it. Hajake disliked the Moon, or was set against him in some way. Perhaps he did have the Storm’s support. But Tenira couldn’t think of a good way to work getting confirmation into the conversation without making him suspicious.

“Well, there’s little more we can do but wait,” she said with a little sigh. “We’ll just have to focus on the war. Speaking of, what do you think of the Velisha’s notion to move their headquarters again?”

“It’s their business,” he replied. “The Velisha might be the strongest of the Empire’s vassals, but they are quite weak. If not for their strategic location, they would be of no consequence. They won’t move an important base to the combined war effort without our permission, in any case.”

Tenira shifted a little to look at him more directly. She didn’t need confirmation now. “You have a point there,” she agreed with a self-deprecating smile.

“They do have their uses, but I wouldn’t treat any of them as equals, would you?”

“Quite right,” she nodded. “Although their royals can be quite useful, here in the region.”

“Of course,” he agreed.

In the periphery of her vision, she noticed Elia nodding, her eyebrows drawn together. Tenira smiled at Hajake. “Of course, you need to pay attention to such things, as a senior Prince of the Terbekteri. I expect you’re slated for great things with your Kingdom. Perhaps even the throne? I’m not quite sure how such things work there.”

“Oh, I assure you my ambitions are modest,” he responded with a chuckle. “My father will choose the best of my older brothers, I’m sure.”

“Of course, I didn’t mean to offend, Your Highness.”

“My lady, you could never offend me.” He smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

After a moment, his smile faded and he stood up. “I should get back to work. It was a pleasure to talk to you, lady Tenira. Please feel free to call on me again.” He bowed slightly, then turned away.

Tenira waited until he was gone before she stood as well, suppressing a sigh, and went to Elia. “I suppose that went well.”

Elia nodded. “It was interesting, lady Tenira.”

Tenira took a moment to erect a qi barrier to ensure that their conversation remained private. “Would you give me the key points?” She hesitated for a moment. “And when we’re in private, you can call me Tenira.”

“Of course, Tenira.” Elia frowned thoughtfully. “I got a good read on him. He’s arrogant, he meant what he said about the Velisha. I assume he’s only using that prince. He knows the Imperial Princess is alive, but not much more. Not where. And he’s very ambitious, really. He probably wants to be King. I think he would do a lot for that.”

Tenira nodded. “So that’s probably his goal, in the end?”

“I think so?”

“Alright.” Tenira glanced around. “Let’s get back to the others and talk about this in more detail.”

Elia nodded and followed her as she started walking again, heading back to the room where they’d left the others.

Tenira barely noticed the soldiers they passed on the way. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts, pondering what they had learned. At least it allowed her to push her anxiety over the situation with Inaris to the back of her mind.

101: Unexpected return

I found it a little scary that you could see the changes the war had brought to the Imperial capital from above. Thousand Lights City looked mostly the same, but not entirely. Factories had sprung up like mushrooms. Some of them belched dark smoke into the sky, even though we’d wanted to avoid using steam power or non-renewable fuel sources. There were more soldiers visible on the streets and on its fortifications, even this far from the front. And I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but the city seemed emotionally taxed by the war, less vibrant, less enthusiastic about life.

I shook my head, released my grip on the airship’s railing, and turned my gaze to the Imperial Palace that we were quickly approaching. It looked the same. Defenses had been heightened for a while, anyway. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to center myself before my return.

Several guards in the air, using flying swords or their qi, escorted us in. We set down in a secluded courtyard close to the main building this time, not on the rooftop. I knew my continued survival was less of a secret by the minute, but they apparently didn’t want to advertise my return. Not that I minded.

Once I stepped off the airship onto the ground of the Sky Continent again, these thoughts were quickly pushed out of my head. I only had a moment to brace myself before a child-sized battering ram crashed into me.

I laughed and crouched down so Xiaodan could hug me properly. “Hello, Little An. I missed you.”

“Big Sister Nari!” She went back to hugging me without saying anything else.

It took what felt like minutes until I could pry my little sister off and greet Al, who’d been waiting not-so-patiently behind her. He hugged me, as well, burying his face in my shoulder for a moment. I returned his embrace tightly, then clapped him on the back and let him go.

“Were you worried about me?” I asked teasingly.

He sniffed. “Of course. This time, you didn’t have me along to protect you.”

I chuckled. “Oh, I see how it is. You’re taking all the credit for our explorations while I’m away.”

“You had more than enough chance to explore the Zarian, didn’t you?”

Al looked older, I couldn’t help but think. It hadn’t been that long, but I supposed he was a real teenager now, and puberty could progress quickly. He’d grown a bit, and his face had lost some residual roundness.

Past my siblings, Mother waited, her arms folded. She was accompanied by Kariva and a group of guards. She raised an eyebrow slightly, and I started walking over to them, feeling my heart clench a little.

The first thing she did when I came to a stop in front of her was hug me. I stiffened in surprise, then tentatively hugged her back. It was a short and awkward embrace, and she pulled away quickly. I was still a little startled to realize this was the first time.

“Come on, Inaris,” she said. “Welcome back and all that. Walk with me.”

Yeah, maybe things haven’t changed that much. I glanced back at my siblings before falling into step with her. The guards moved away to give us more space. When my eyes met Kariva, she bowed her head and gave me a small smile that made me feel a bit more welcome.

“Now that you’re back and we can talk in person,” Mother said, her voice clipped, “let me ask you, Inaris: What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I grimaced. “I would have at least expected a ‘nice that you’re alive’ or something,” I grumbled. “You mean what am I doing back here?”

“Yes. You’re supposed to be back on the Earth Continent, helping your friends deal with the messy situation there.”

“I know,” I sighed. Mother hadn’t been happy when I told her that I was coming back, but she hadn’t ordered me to go away, at least. I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t have a good answer for you, to be honest. I just had a feeling that I shouldn’t, that I should get back here. A really intense feeling. With some spiritual icing on top.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression losing some of the anger. “I see. You mean Rijoko was influencing you?”

“Guiding me,” I corrected. “Probably.”

She was silent for a moment, before she sighed. “Alright. I can’t blame you for that. Following his guidance is probably the right thing to do. Do you have any idea what prompted it?”

“Not really.”

I was about to say more, but stopped as a sensation in my qi senses captured my attention. I frowned and unconsciously turned my head to track it. We were walking through a tree-lined corridor towards a side entrance to the main palace. It was a pretty private place, so far. I could sense Al and Xiaodan, who were going the same way but a little behind us. If my impression was correct, they were using some qi, probably playing.

Then I saw the man approaching us at a fast pace. “Acura!” he called. “There you are. I’ve heard that …”

He trailed off, slowing down as he came closer, and his eyes widened. We all stopped, but I barely noticed it. I was too surprised by his sudden appearance.

I hadn’t seen him before, I knew that because I didn’t remember his face. But he was still familiar. A tall, well-built frame. Blond hair, blue eyes like my little brother’s. I’d seen his appearance before, but with the vagueness of dreams, distorted and little details smoothed out. What struck me almost as much was that, the one time I’d seen my father, he’d worn a shape similar to this.

“What the hell?” The words slipped out almost by themselves, my voice sharp.

I’d finally returned to my real form, although I still wore plain, ordinary clothes. There was no doubt that he recognized me from his reaction. But I moved my gaze to Mother, who was suddenly looking a lot less cool and collected.

“Mother?” I asked.

She stiffened just a little. “Yes, dear?” Her tone was calm, matter-of-fact, conveying clearly that there was no problem here, not at all, thank you. Challenging me to contest that. Although she never called me dear, so maybe she was less confident than she appeared.

“This is what you hired Ming Li for, isn’t it?” I said as it suddenly hit me. “That Adzurian assassin or whatever. He said you were in negotiations with him. You hired him to get Carston from the Zarian.”

Carston looked a bit discomfited that I was talking to her instead of him. “That’s true,” he said. “He even said it was easier than he thought. I’d earned some measure of trust from the Dominion. Of course, I gladly went with him once he reached me.”

I wondered for a moment if it had been a rescue or retrieval mission. Carston probably hadn’t had a choice in the matter. Hopefully. Assuming Mother hasn’t completely lost her sense.

I titled my head a little, regarding the man through narrowed eyes. “Carston,” I acknowledged him in a cool voice, as if I’d just met him.

“Hello, Inaris.” He smiled. “It’s truly a pleasure to see you again. You’ve grown into a magnificent young woman.”

I barely held back a snort. That would have ruined the cold glare I turned on him. For a moment, I considered berating him for using my first name and not showing the proper respect. But that wouldn’t be the right track to take.

“Spare me your compliments, please,” I said tersely, then sighed. “As you have no doubt been told, I lost all of my previous memories during my soul journey. I’m afraid I don’t remember you at all, at least not personally.”

“I know.” He nodded seriously. “It is a shame. We did have some nice childhood memories, as well.”

This time, I did snort, before I could stop myself. I should probably try to play nice, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Besides, he had to know I wouldn’t trust him.

I didn’t feel guilty about the invasion of privacy that me seeing his dream had been. Which Mother hopefully hadn’t told him about. I hadn’t been able to control that, but it did give me some insight into him.

“What exactly did you tell the Zarian about me?” I asked.

He looked down, his face a picture of contrition. “I am sorry, Inaris. I told them almost everything. That your father was the Moon, which they suspected already, and the details of how and why your mother sought him out. Including the fact that she specifically bargained for a child that would be a great ruler of the Empire.” He bowed his head. “I truly do regret that, and I beg your forgiveness.”

I didn’t answer for a moment, letting the silence build, as he still looked at the ground. Behind us, I could sense Al and Xiaodan coming up to us, although they’d slowed down.

“Inaris,” Mother finally spoke up, a demand.

I shook my head. “I won’t pretend I’m okay with this. I appreciate the apology, Carston, but I certainly can’t forgive you just like that. People tried to kill me for the secrets you spilled. While you had a nice, comfortable life with the Zarian. And I would have expected better of you than to welcome him back like this, Mother.”

“Inaris!”

I bowed to her. “Excuse me.”

Then I turned around and walked back to my siblings. There was a side passage just by their current position, and as I turned to it, Al followed. I could hear the silence behind me. Kariva’s aura was withdrawn, and I wondered for a moment what she thought of the whole thing. I couldn’t imagine that she didn’t see Carston as a threat.

“Xiaodan, go back to what you’re supposed to be doing,” I said. “I’ll come visit you later.”

She looked up at me with wide eyes, then bowed her head. “Yes, Elder Sister.”

She walked towards where Mother and the rest were still standing. Al, however, followed me down the side path. It was lined with trees and neatly trimmed hedges, with beds of flowers and exotic plants interspersed at the sides. The nice surroundings and the smell of flowers in the air didn’t calm me, they just made my muted anger seem more stark.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, Nari.” Al hesitated, then admitted, “I didn’t know how you would take it. I thought it would be better to talk about it in person.” He pulled a face. “I thought Mother would tell you before you two could run into each other.”

I nodded, then took a deep breath and tried to force myself to relax. This wasn’t Al’s fault, and I didn’t want him to think I was angry at him. If anything, this affected him even more than me.

“How do you feel about this, Al?” I asked quietly. I remembered that there were high-stage cultivators around, then snapped up a shield of qi to keep sound in and people from overhearing us.

“I’m okay,” he said quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. “You know you can talk to me, right? Your father just came home. Not that that’s official, but we all know it. He was captured by the Zarian for years.”

“And he told them stuff about my big sister,” Al added.

“That, too,” I agreed, the muscles in my face tightening despite myself before I relaxed them.

“I don’t know, Nari.” He sighed and kicked at a stone that lay on the path. “I don’t even remember him, I was too young when he left. And, I mean, he did just leave back then, after he and Mother broke up.”

“And now?” I asked. “She took him back, didn’t she?”

Al grimaced. “I’m not sure if they’re really officially together-together, but yeah, I think so.”

I sighed. “Great. But, anyway, we were talking about how you felt.”

Al shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t know him and he didn’t exactly act like a model father so far.”

“Well, you can talk to him now,” I pointed out. The words tasted slightly sour, but I forced them out. “He’s here, you can confront him about this, figure out if you want to get closer to him or not. You have the chance now.”

Al winced. “Sorry, Nari. I didn’t think. Of course, you don’t even get that much with your father.”

I reached out a hand to ruffle his hair, which he endured with only token resistance. “Don’t worry about it, I didn’t mean it like that. I get cool perks instead.” I snorted. “Hey, I’d be glad if you didn’t have anything to do with him. I just figured I should say it.”

“Sure.”

“Just be careful.” I frowned. “I don’t trust him.”

Al shook his head. “Sometimes you’re weird, Nari. Of course you don’t. I don’t have much reason to trust him, either.”

I shrugged. “How are things going for you, anyway?”

“They’re okay. I’ve been south, at the front, a few times. Not close to any fighting, of course.”

“Learning things?”

“Yeah. A lot.” He brightened up.

We headed into the palace proper, and he talked about his experiences with enthusiasm. I listened and couldn’t help but smile a little, although I made sure he didn’t see it.

102: Changes

I smoothed down my robe and glanced at the mirror. I felt like I’d stepped back into an old, familiar role. One that I’d barely realized I’d gotten used to, before I dropped it, and that was now here waiting for me, just the way I’d left it. Except that I wasn’t quite the same. The recent experiences had changed me, perhaps only in small ways, but enough to make the lavish, blue and silver cultivator’s robes seem like they didn’t fit quite perfectly.

Although, of course, they did. I noticed that I was standing just a little straighter, and turned away from the mirror, smiling in amusement at myself. Princess Inaris was back now, completely.

And not a day too soon. I stifled a sigh as I recognized the presence coming up the corridor to my rooms. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one, as the servants in the room shifted their positions. There were only a few around, helping with my clothing or just standing ready to cater to my whims. I’d been considering letting them pamper me for a bit, but now brushed those thoughts aside.

Mother knocked, then opened the door after a few moments. She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Inaris. Can I come in?”

“Of course.” I turned and walked to an armchair, gesturing at the furniture scattered around the room. “Take a seat if you want.”

Mother glided into the room and sat down on a couch close to my chair. “I see you’ve settled in again.”

I nodded, then glanced at the servants. “Bring us some tea, please, and leave us alone.”

They bowed and scurried off. At least they didn’t look at the Empress before following my order. Mother didn’t seem to care at all. Her posture betrayed some tension, although she tried to appear relaxed. But by now, I knew her well enough to see past it.

I wondered what she got from me. Probably a lot, she knew me even before my soul journey. I wasn’t sure what the significance was of her coming to visit me, instead of summoning me to her, although it seemed like a courteous gesture.

“You know, this is probably the most like Earth it’s ever been for us,” I said. “The mother coming to talk to her daughter about her new boyfriend. Only there are a lot of other details.”

Mother smiled a little. “I don’t know, I wouldn’t go that far.” Her smile faded. “But about Carston …”

“What the hell were you thinking?” I asked. “No, correction, what the hell are you thinking?”

Mother made a fist and opened her fingers again, then continued speaking calmly. “I realize that you don’t like the situation, and from your perspective, your feelings are completely justified. That’s why I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“I thought you broke up,” I answered. “Even disregarding all that happened while he was the Zarian’s hostage, it seems like you’re back together in some form? You’re letting him just stroll around here, with free run of the palace, casually address you by your first name — or me for that matter — and no one dares say anything. You’re showing him an awful lot of trust.”

Mother sighed. “I suppose so. To address your first point, yes, we did break up. It’s one of the things I’ve regretted in the years since. Especially with some time and distance to consider what went wrong.”

I frowned. “I guess I can understand that.”

“I loved him, Inaris.” She met my eyes squarely. “Things between us didn’t work out for various reasons. My expectations and goals differed from his, my work put a strain on the relationship, and there were perhaps some commitment or trust issues. I won’t deny that your presence and parentage were a factor, as well. Things slowly came to a head after Al came along.”

I tilted my head. “Because he wanted you to be more of a traditional family than you were?” I guessed. “Perhaps he wanted you to officially acknowledge him as Al’s father?”

Mother grimaced. “Astute. Yes, that was probably part of it. I’d told him upfront that I wouldn’t do that, but perhaps he still hung onto hope. But it doesn’t matter much, now.”

“So, what? You feel guilty for how things went last time, so now you want to make up for it by jumping into a new relationship with him, despite everything?”

Mother narrowed her eyes. “You really seem intent on pushing me today.”

I didn’t answer, just looked at her.

Finally, she sighed again and shook her head. “I know your concerns are justified. I’m certainly not giving him my complete trust, rest assured. And perhaps I’m being a little irrational, but … I can’t help how I feel. Which means that I still care deeply for Carston. Meeting him again, my anger just seemed so hollow by comparison.” She cleared her throat. “I can’t explain it well, but I am doing what I want to do. And I expect you to behave yourself. Is that clear?”

“Of course, Mother.” I leaned back in my seat, content that I had some insight on her reasoning, if you could call it that, and her emotional state.

Not that I was happy with it, but I knew pushing her further now would be a bad idea.

We were quiet for a bit, just stewing in awkward silence. I didn’t break it, since I felt like Mother was more tense than me, or at least more emotional.

“Any other issues?” she finally asked.

I shifted my weight and leaned forward a little, keeping my back straight, my posture attentive but relaxed. “What about Kei Yating and your other lovers? Are you going to make things exclusive now?”

She frowned a little. “No, probably not.”

I shrugged. “Then I don’t think there’s anything more to say. Except - “ I hesitated as I was struck by a sudden thought. “You would tell me if you were planning on having another child, wouldn’t you?”

Mother’s eyebrows lifted a bit. “Ah. No, I’m not planning on it, at the moment.”

“I see.” I really didn’t like that ‘at the moment.’

After another pause, Mother finally stood up. “Well, I do have work to do. Things are quite busy with the war and trying to manage the nobles. Take some time to settle in and familiarize yourself with the situation, then I’ll have work for you.”

I didn’t stand up to see her off. Mother crossed the room and left without another word. For a moment, I just kept sitting there, my chin on my hand as I considered. Then I gave myself a little shake and started moving.

I’d never been to the rooms that were housed in a little structure just beneath and to the side of the clan’s quarters, before the main administrative offices started. But the place wasn’t hard to find, and I reached it quickly. I gave absent nods to the people I encountered on the way, but didn’t stop to speak to anyone, and they cleared out of my way.

I knocked, then waited for a muffled invitation to enter before I stepped into the room. At first glance, it looked just like any other office. But there were a lot of file drawers, many of them with some serious amount of qi sunk into enchantments and locks, and two of our new computers. It was a large room, and several doors led off into adjacent ones, most of them open. I stepped inside slowly, looking around with curiosity.

The three people who’d been at work here, sitting at various desks, went to their knees upon seeing me. A moment later, Kariva appeared from another room, and bowed deeply. “Your Highness.”

I continued my look around the room before I acknowledged them. “Please rise. Cousin Kariva, may I have a word?”

“Of course, my lady. If you’ll step into my office?”

I followed her through another room and a barren corridor before we reached her office. It looked like the other room, housing a large desk, several chairs, a lot of cabinets, and no personal decorations as far as I could tell.

I didn’t ask why she had an office when she didn’t hold any official position. Anyone at court was supposed to be aware of her organization’s existence. I understood that much. The lack of official acknowledgment, even the lack of a proper name, was, in part, intended for intimidation value. It wasn’t quite a secret police, but in a few more decades, it might turn into one.

“Would you like to take a seat?” she asked.

“Thank you. You may sit as well,” I added, since Kariva seemed to be generally bent on formality.

I took a seat in a comfortable chair and watched as Kariva chose another chair in front of, instead of the one behind, the desk.

“I was wondering how you felt about this development with Carston,” I said after we’d both sat down. “If you’ll forgive me for prying, and of course I’m not asking you to violate    any confidences.”

Kariva smiled slightly. “That’s perfectly fine, Princess Inaris. I knew about Lord Carston’s return ahead of time. Your mother went to me to arrange things, to get in contact with the Black Knife. Of course, she didn’t share her reasoning, and I saw this as more of a political move.”

“Remove a possible source of information for the Zarian.” I nodded. “I can agree with that. So you didn’t conceive of it as a rescue operation, primarily.”

“That’s correct.” Kariva leaned back in her chair. “As you can no doubt guess, I would have preferred to keep him safely stowed somewhere, and perhaps do a more thorough interrogation. But Her Majesty’s mind is made up.”

I smiled. It was good to hear her speak so openly and casually about that. “Of course.”

We didn’t speak for a while, but unlike with Mother, this silence didn’t seem awkward. I was aware of Kariva looking me over, assessing me, but I didn’t mind. We understood each other, at least in that moment.

Finally, she spoke up again. “If you find the time, Princess Inaris, perhaps you should assess how things are progressing when it comes to the new technology and industry.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Anything in particular?”

Kariva shrugged. “Things have slowed down when it comes to development, but there’s more than enough to keep the Empire busy. I’m not an economics expert, but the war seems to have changed the situation considerably, and perhaps not for the better.”

“Industrialization of the war-relevant part seems to be progressing well?”

“Oh yes, it does. There’s been a large increase in productivity. We have the beginnings of some real mass production here. That includes factories making various mundane parts that would have previously been handled by others, but make up components of objects we need for the war. Soldiers’ equipment like water flasks, medical paraphernalia, even arrow bolts.” She paused. “Not much of it will be needed once we win the war, certainly not in these quantities.”

“And meanwhile, other projects are suffering,” I concluded.

“Indeed. Even ones that would have a larger impact on the war, long-term.”

I sighed. “Well, I’m not sure how much we can do about that. There’s no point thinking about twenty years from now if we’ve been conquered by then.”

“Of course,” Kariva said, smiling thinly. “I know the war isn’t in a state where we can afford to reduce our efforts. I simply wanted to point it out.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “And the new communications technology?”

“Working quite well. All cities and many towns on the continent are now linked by telegraph lines, and our field tests for telephone lines are promising. The military has been adopting radios quite well, too, although there have been some hiccups.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Right. But you wanted to talk about industry.”

Kariva hesitated for a moment, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Frankly, I’m concerned about the social impact, Princess Inaris. Like I said, I’m no economist, but it’s plain to see that our economy is going to undergo — is perhaps already undergoing — a major change. Of course, you know that, and I suppose it’s inevitable for our progress. But it’s still an issue, and the middle of a war might not be the best time for such a sweeping change.”

I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment. I knew this was coming. You can’t have industrialization without some growing pains. If you look at Earth, the Industrial Revolution is generally not a good time to live in.

“You’re quite right,” I said. “What is happening now, and which parts of it concern you? And what could be a threat to, well, us?”

“Broadly, there’s concern about jobs that are being lost as craftspeople are pushed out of work in favor of factories,” Kariva started. “It’s not happening a lot yet, and in time, the increase in productivity and employment opportunities due to the factories will more than offset this. Or the service and entertainment industries, in due time, once we move to a technological age. People generally understand this, with a bit of help.”

I nodded, suddenly reminded that Kariva did come from what I would consider a science fiction world, for all that she’d died as a child.

“The bigger hurdle is what this will do to the economic system and the balance of power, as new types of resources become valuable, and production and technology more important than raw materials.”

“Go on.”

“You know that most of the Empire’s population is concentrated in cities and towns, right?”

I nodded. I’d found that surprising, considering the more feudal society. But it made sense in light of the agricultural yield and the Empire’s recent population boom. For the local meaning of ‘recent’.

“While the nobility is an important factor almost everywhere, they hold the most power in the more rural places,” Kariva explained. “But how much land a clan owns is not a good indicator of power, anymore, and it’s getting to be even less so. Families that base their fortune on land ownership are in decline, and becoming … anxious.”

I sighed. And the war isn’t helping, I’m guessing.

Kariva tapped a finger on her armrest. “It bears mentioning that this is not just a domestic Imperial problem. If you look at who supports Hajake, I suspect it’s essentially the same group, over in Terbekteri.”

That caught my attention. I sat up straighter. “Really?”

“They tend to be more socially conservative as well, and are a strong powerbase for an aspiring heir or ruler,” Kariva stated, her eyes narrowed. “Terbekteri has only gotten a taste of what’s happening, but they were less prepared for it than the Empire.”

I resisted the urge to sigh again. “I can’t help but notice there are a lot of people who would like to see me dead and the innovation halted. Or our clan deposed, for that matter.”

Kariva leaned forward slightly. “There certainly are. Many people stand to lose from our activity, or stand to gain from a transfer of power. And some of them are certainly beyond idle wishes and hoping to get lucky.”

I felt a cold shiver creep down my spine. The way she said that … this was certainly a problem. Perhaps not now, but it would be a big one. “Tell me more.”

“Unfortunately, there’s not much to tell,” Kariva grimaced. “I’m investigating some things, but I’d prefer to wait until I have more of it worked out.” She sighed. “It doesn’t help that Acura is rather distracted recently.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Keep cultivating.”

I blinked. “That’s not what I was expecting to hear.”

Kariva leaned back in her chair and tapped her finger against its armrest a few times. “You should keep in mind that this is not the world you, or me, come from. Power very much correlates with someone’s cultivation strength.”

“I know that.”

She tilted her head a little. “A far disproportionate percentage of people in the eighth stage are from the nobility.”

I winced as I saw what she was getting at. “Ah. How bad is it?”

“Well,” she shrugged. “Your mother is rather young and weak, for them. It helps that older cultivators like Kiyanu support her. Still, most of them aren’t particularly loyal. That’s always been the case, of course.”

I nodded and sat in silence for a moment, pondering this. I didn’t expect there would be a coup or anything, but a lack of support among what were basically the nation’s people-shaped weapons of mass destruction wasn’t a good place to be in. Something else nagged at my thoughts, as well, though.

“I’ll do my best to rise quickly.” I stood up, but hesitated before I left. “Cousin, when will you reach the eighth stage?”

Kariva smiled. “Perhaps in a hundred years. We’ll see.”

A hundred years. Funny, that. I nodded and left the room, closing the door behind me quietly.

I knew Kariva was at least in the middle of the seventh stage and had risen quickly. It shouldn’t take her a hundred years. Not under normal circumstances. I should be relieved, but I couldn’t quite muster the emotion.

I hadn’t thought about Mother’s deadline in a while. At least I was pretty sure I would reach the black stage in a few decades at most.

103: Attempt

“… forty-eight… forty-nine… fifty!”

I took my hands from my eyes and glanced around, trying not to grin too broadly. I’d called loudly enough that I was sure Xiaodan knew I was finished. Other cultivators could probably hear that from farther away, but I didn’t care. We were in a rather lonely part of the palace grounds, a secluded park on the upper terrace close to the mountains. There weren’t as many hiding places as in the wilderness, but more than enough for a good game of hide-and-seek.

I started walking slowly, glancing around. According to the rules of the game, I wasn’t supposed to cheat by using qi, so I’d shut down my qi senses as much as I could and was keeping all of my qi in my dantian instead of using it to search for my little sister.

Not that I needed to. I still had sharp eyes, and Xiaodan wasn’t that good at the game. She got too excited and had problems keeping still.

I padded across the grass, choosing a curved path and making sure to keep my steps silent, at least to someone in the lower stages. I heard her shifting as I closed in on her position, even before I caught a glimpse of her hiding in a little nook between a stone wall and a copse of trees. My arm snaked out and caught her, hauling her into the air a few centimeters as I dragged her out.

“Look what I caught here,” I grinned.

Xiaodan pouted. “You cheated! No way you found me this quickly.”

I shook my head, still smiling. “I don’t need to cheat to beat you, young lady. You rustle too much, and I could see a peek of your red cuffs from over there.”

My little sister glanced down at the robe she wore and pouted even harder. She tugged at it to smooth it out. I reached out and gently removed a few leaves that had found their way into her hair, brushing a few strands back.

“Sorry, Big Sister,” she said with visible reluctance.

“It’s okay. It’s alright to be frustrated, as long as you recognize when you’re wrong.” I smiled down at her. “Now, do you want to catch me this time?”

She frowned, probably considering the offer and her chances of finding me. But before she could answer, something pricked my senses. I whirled around, registering a deep rumble in the air even as I did. There was a light shockwave, barely more than a sudden gust of wind. But I felt a feeling of dread creep over me that stood in stark contrast to the sunny day and playful mood I’d been immersed in a second ago.

“Xiaodan,” I said, my voice tight. “Take my hand and hold on.”

She looked confused, but didn’t struggle as I scooped her up into my arms. I glanced around, taking a defensive talisman from my storage ring absently and noting the guards drawing closer around us.

There was a dark blur in the sky to our northeast, coming from the northern plains, perhaps. It didn’t look like more than a smudge in the air, hard to see even for me, but my qi senses were telling me there was a lot more to it. The sensation was steadily intensifying, and I could almost hear the palace’s wards groaning around us. I didn’t wait for the guards to act, just started running, my little sister clutched tightly to me.

I’d never let loose like this on the palace grounds, but the paths were empty enough that I could really put on speed. It only took a few seconds for me to reach the main palace area. I slowed down slightly, taking in what was happening. Guards were assembling, some of them setting up objects laden with enchantments, probably defensive weapons and such. Courtiers and servants were running around in the beginnings of a panic. But I dismissed all of them from my attention as soon as I caught sight of Mother. She was accompanied by the largest contingent of guards and officers, and all of the really strong cultivators were gathering there, as well.

I put on another burst of speed, barely waiting for guards to get out of the way before I reached the group. Carefully, I set down Xiaodan, who was looking around with wide eyes.

Mother nodded at me and spared a look at one of the guards. “Ling, take my youngest to safety and make sure her guard detachment is prepared.” She gave Xiaodan a brief smile and switched to English. “It’s alright, little one, just hold tight and wait. I love you.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, even as the guard scooped my sister up and went running. She must be heading to the city.

“We’re under attack, it looks like.”

“Who would have guessed,” Kariva growled. “How could you have completely missed this, Acura?”

This was the first time I’d ever heard her use my Mother’s first name in public. If nothing else, that showed me how serious the situation was.

“You can yell at me for being distracted later,” Mother answered, staring north.

I followed her gaze, like most people here, and cycled more qi to my eyes. The wards were visible as a shimmer in the air, like a heat haze, which I knew was not a good sign. If the confused mess I got from my qi senses was right, they were already falling like leaves in the wind. I could also make out the shapes of people moving around behind them, maybe a few dozen in total. Not much of an army, but I could sense their power from here, even with the interference. At least one eighth-stager, maybe more.

I was about to ask how the Zarian could have possibly gotten here, then paused as I understood. “This is a coup, isn’t it?”

“It’s certainly an attempt at one.” Mother reached out and grasped a spear that just appeared from the air. It looked a bit like Fides, if you inverted the color scheme, with a white shaft and black runes. The veil on her aura lifted, making it hard for me to breathe under the pressure.

“You should get to safety,” Kariva said to me.

I shook my head. “They’re not going to let me through, and the inside of the palace is hardly safe anymore. I’ll stick with you.”

Mother started to rise into the air. “Everyone in the late part of the seventh stage, with me. The rest, support us as best you can, and protect my people.”

In that moment, I felt another shockwave, and realized with a shiver that the last ward just broke. The attackers were advancing now.

Mother and a group of guards and courtiers flew to meet them. As they did, I focused, trying to make out more details. It didn’t take long for me to recognize a few of the people.

Zun, the noble I’d met in the south. The eighth-stager beside him had to be his older brother. And was that general Wei? Damn it all.

I started to cross my arms around my body before I realized I was doing it and stopped, taking a deep breath. Kariva was pacing up and down, her aura roiling, clearly frustrated that she couldn’t follow Mother into the fight. None of the guards looked remotely happy, and I could see fear in a few of their eyes, but most of them showed grim determination. For a few endless moments, we just waited.

I could feel my connection to my father in my mind. He didn’t intervene, but I knew his attention was on me. My senses felt sharper, and there was the faintest thrill of energy running through me. I hope you’ll give me guidance, I thought at him, not sure if he’d even hear it.

The two groups met and seemed to exchange a few words in the air. Then one of the attackers made a fist and pointed, and the fight began.

It was like some giant reached down to shake the world. I just couldn’t keep up, it was happening too fast. There was only a vast amount of qi, light and fire and a stab of pain and the rumble of the earth. I found myself flying backward for a moment before a hand reached out and caught me, grounding me on the earth. A guard in the seventh stage, with her aura flared out so far she pushed some of the ominous density off me.

When I could focus again, several of the palace buildings were on fire, and some of the walls had fallen down. The air was beginning to fill with the scent of stone, dust and smoke. But I only had eyes for the fight, which was steadily moving closer. I couldn’t make out any individual people, so much as a bundle of qi all intertwined together, fighting each other.

Then one vaguely human shape struck out in our direction, and a massive lance of qi tore through the air, then through the group. I ducked on instinct, feeling the attack pass by close enough to singe my hair. It left our formation shattered. Like a child had reached out and scattered toy soldiers with a brush of their hand. Some of the cultivators had already lost their lives, and others had most of their qi drained.

There was a lull in the fight above, and I took the opportunity to edge away, closer to the nearest building and the flimsy shelter it promised. Mother had lost most of the guards she’d brought, I noticed, and was hovering in what had to be a defensive formation. It took me a moment to realize another group was approaching, just a few people this time. I couldn’t be sure at this distance, but one of them felt like Kiyanu. Before they could arrive, the fight resumed.

Then my attention was captured by a part of the attacking force that split off to descend over the palace. The largest group headed right for our location, the central knot of resistance.

I found myself surrounded by a few of the strongest guards in an instant. The qi shield they put up made it hard to sense what was happening outside, but I felt another shockwave. The guards continued to edge me away from the center of the conflict, towards the building. I stumbled along, gathering some darkness qi. But I knew I couldn’t really contribute to this fight. This was way above my weight class. I was having trouble just trying to keep up with what was happening.

The scent of blood had joined the other smells of fighting around us, and every second or so a low boom would shake my hearing. It felt like the world had shrunk around me.

We’d just reached the building when the protective formation around me fell apart. A huge wave of fire crashed around us, and a few of the guards stopped and advanced on it to hold it off. A moment later, a rain of icy spears jumped out of the dust, piercing through several more. I stumbled backward, shoved by one guard just enough to dodge one of them, and felt the timber of a doorframe poke me in the back.

‘Inaris!’ Mother’s mental voice reached me.

I winced at the sudden intensity. ‘Mother?’

‘Inaris, get to safety! Now!’ Her mental voice was strained, more than I’d ever heard in her physical speech. She hesitated for a moment, then continued in a lower, softer tone. ‘I love you.’

For an instant, I just stood there, shocked and shaken. Then I rallied myself. ‘Mother? Are you —‘

But she couldn’t hear me anymore, I realized with a sinking feeling of dread. The fight had captured her full attention again.

Swallowing hard, but still moving as fast as I ever had, I fumbled behind me for the doorknob. As soon as the door opened, I stumbled backwards through it, using some darkness qi to give me what cover it could. A few of the guards followed me through. I’d lost the rest somewhere along the way.

I turned around and started running. The palace looked different, bore little resemblance to the safe home I’d left behind this morning. Furniture and decorations lay scattered and broken, the windows were almost all gone. In random places, the walls had crumbled or been blown out enough to allow me a glimpse outside.

I paused for a moment, trying to get my bearings. From what I could tell, Kiyanu was fighting one of the hostile eighth stagers, drifting farther away towards the mountains. The terrain around them was scoured by tornadoes, icy gales and the concentrated power of storms, enough to strip the vegetation off the slopes. From here, I couldn’t see Mother or the rest. I hope they’re okay. She has to be fine.

I didn’t believe it even as I was thinking it. If not for the adrenaline rushing through my veins, the need to focus and fight, pushing everything else to the background, I might have been sick. The unease I’d felt before was back and magnified. It took me a minute to realize that I didn’t even know where I was going. Not that I let that stop me. My feet seemed to know their way, and I found myself hurrying through the sprawling palace complex with purpose.

Several times, the guards pushed and pulled me into alcoves and niches, where I suppressed my aura and pulled a bit of darkness qi around us, waiting until the attacking fighters had moved off and we could continue. Instead of getting better, the palace seemed to be in worse shape as we moved further, and in some places I could see the sky through holes in the ceiling.

One time, we weren’t quick enough. One of the trees in an interior courtyard moved suddenly, its roots shredding through the earth and grabbing one of the soldiers. I stumbled back yet again, throwing a glob of darkness at it. Then I realized that it was too late, and the life had fled his eyes.

I turned and ran, stumbling through a narrow corridor, away from yet another fight that had broken out behind me. Only a few footsteps followed me this time.

I emerged in another new building, one that I only vaguely recognized. But the location at least tickled a memory, and suddenly I knew were I was going, where I had to go. I was almost there.

I took a step, then paused. The wall in front of me was almost completely crumpled, a large hole punched into it by the boulder that now lay half buried in the wall behind it. The hole offered me a good view out onto the battlefield, and this time, I could see the main fight between the titans. I was closer than I’d realized.

As I watched, one of the figures was punched out of the air. Light and darkness screamed around them, and with my heart hopping into my throat, I realized it was Mother. She seemed to fall in slow motion, in an arc that brought her close to my current location. The man who’d punched her, the older Zun, was attacked by one of our guards, and turned away, so her flight continued uninterrupted.

Before I realized what I was doing, I took a step forward. I watched as Mother slammed into the ground not even a hundred meters away from me, on an upper courtyard only separated by us from a low, almost destroyed stone wall and a steep jump. The impact stirred up more dust and qi. But I could sense that she was still alive, if, most likely, badly hurt.

I took a deep breath. She’d contacted me earlier, and it felt like the remnants of that link were still there. Perhaps she’d only shut it down, not severed it. So I threw all of my focus and mental strength into it, trying to get through to her. ‘Mother! Mother! Come here!’

Seconds passed, and I began to fear that I’d been wrong. Then, I could make out a figure slowly standing up among the rubble. She seemed to glance at the fight, then at me. With agonizing slowness, she turned and staggered in my direction.

I breathed in sharply and felt my nails dig into my fists as I got a better look at Mother. She was limping towards me with all the grace of a drunk toddler, at a pace barely fast enough for someone in the second or third stage, and her posture was hunched. She’d lost her entire right arm to the fight, and it didn’t seem to be healing. There was foreign qi in the wound, infesting her. It was probably nature qi, but I couldn’t be sure, not with the almost physical reek of decay and pus. Some poison technique, perhaps, a part of my mind noted.

I shook off my shock as she reached me and stepped forward, catching more of her weight than I intended as she almost toppled over.

“Nari,” she mumbled.

“It’s alright, Mother,” I grunted.

I heaved her remaining arm over my shoulder and grabbed her legs, lifting her into an awkward carry. The two remaining guards finally got to work, one of them filling up the hole in the wall while the other wove qi shields around us.

I started walking. Mother felt terribly fragile and light, even for my cultivator strength. I would’ve given her one of my healing pills, but I didn’t know enough if it would make things worse with the attack eating away at her. And besides, she had to have much stronger pills herself.

Get a grip, I told myself. I just need to get her to a safe place, first.

‘I need to fight,’ Mother mumbled into my mind.

‘Not like this,’ I answered, shifting her weight as I turned into another corridor. ‘Just hang on. There’s one place we’ll be safe here.’

Despite the risk, I sped up again. They wouldn’t let either of us get away that easily. If Mother died, they won and nothing else mattered, anyway.

104: Severance

As I continued hurrying through the palace with my badly-injured mother in my arms, I couldn’t help but feel that this had to be a bad dream. It was just surreal, completely out of touch with the expectations I’d had for the day. But the thought didn’t last longer than a moment, because I had a perfect memory and because there were enough details grounding the present moment to make it clear this was reality.

I breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the odor of dust and battle, blood and excrement and sweat, in the air. My grip on Mother tightened just a little. Not much, of course, I didn’t want to jostle or hurt her any more than she already was.

It only took a few moments for us to reach the right corridor, where I took a sharp turn to the right. I hadn’t been here before, but I didn’t spare much attention for the walls of smooth stone or the short spiral staircase I hurried down. The guards moved closer to me, and I could faintly hear a whoosh of air, then the sound of more footsteps behind them.

I put on a burst of speed, racing ahead through another short corridor. This area was connected to the palace buildings but something of a separate structure, added on to it with copious use of earth qi. I could feel the change in my qi senses. They’d been almost unnaturally sharp for a while, my connection to Rijoko clearly present.

There was a large double door ahead of us, but it swung open before I reached it, in a quick, smooth motion. Apparently my qi presence had been enough to open it, or Rijoko tweaked things a little. With my current speed, I still had to slow down before I could enter. That gave me a moment to listen to the rising noise behind me. There was a blast, a bit of a rumble, and a choked scream. The second of the guards, who’d covered our backs, blurred out of my senses as he died.

I barged forward. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. There was a hot feeling on my back, and I caught the tail end of a spray of liquid as the other guard threw herself forward to cover me. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t spare the time. I just jumped forward, into the room beyond.

I made it just in time. A bit of qi flickered from the ceiling, extinguishing a spray of fire that had attempted to follow us through the door. Before I even took in the appearance of the place, I felt myself relax slightly, comforted by the feel of the room. It was a large, stone hall, with an ornate altar at the other end and several smaller structures set up at the sides, along with benches and open doors leading into side rooms. Several people stood up at our entrance.

I didn’t look at them, but finally turned around as I took a few steps backwards, further into the shrine.

A small group of people, all clearly powerful cultivators, were watching me. In the middle of the corridor, an old man had suddenly appeared. He stooped a little over a cane with a wicked-looking metal cap, his gnarly hand gripping it tightly. His hair was white and wispy, his beard only a little fuller. But his eyes still sparkled, with more life than when I’d seen him before.

“Patriarch Li?” I stared in surprise.

The old man frowned. “Not ‘patriarch’ anymore, thanks to you, Princess.”

I exhaled and smoothed out my expression, feeling a stab of annoyance that the word had slipped out. But it barely registered under all the other emotions I was feeling. Not least of which was bewilderment. I hadn’t expected the former patriarch of the Carmine Cloud Sect, where I’d spent some time shortly after coming back from my soul journey, before I dissolved it for breaking Imperial law and disciples attacking me.

“You advanced quite quickly,” I noted.

The man’s aura left little doubt that he’d reached the eighth stage. If I hadn’t stood in the Moon’s shrine, it would have oppressed me. Last I knew, he was still in the seventh. I would have guessed the middle part of it, although to be fair, it could have been the late. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if he had some help.

“It’s surprising what some adversity can do,” he replied, smirking a little. “Of course, I had many friends and acquaintances who were ready to help me after that farce of a trial.”

I frowned. I knew he’d gotten off lightly in the trial about the sect’s illegal experimentation, convincing the court that while he knew about it, he was only distantly responsible. He should still have been punished severely.

Well, no wonder this particular eighth stager was involved. I had given him more than enough reason to hate our dynasty, justified or not.

“Whatever my personal grievances, Your Highness,” he put a slight mocking emphasis on the title, “you may yet get out of this alive. You are not our primary target.”

I glanced down at my Mother, who was still breathing heavily and clearly had trouble keeping her eyes open. “You must be delusional to think I would give her up.”

“Consider your situation, Princess.”

“You’ll get to her over my dead body,” I repeated, glancing back up to meet his eyes and make sure he saw the certainty in my gaze. “Which isn’t going to happen here.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You think you could somehow take us on, take me on, and win?”

I scoffed. “It’s one thing to kill your monarch during an attempted coup d’état. It is another matter entirely to strike down a Greater Spirit’s child in their own temple.”

“Are you quite sure of that?”

“Do it and you will either die, or my father will afflict you with a curse to make you wish you had.” I didn’t doubt that was the truth, the walls of the temple almost called it to me.

He raised his eyebrows, pacing to the side. “So you intend to hide out here forever?”

I shook my head and turned around, stepping further away from the entrance. He must not feel confident in testing my threat, as none of them moved in our direction.

“Someone close the doors, please,” I said to the other people in the room, finally giving them my full attention.

They stared at me and their Empress in my arms with wide eyes. Many of them had dropped to their knees or even prostrated themselves, which probably made sense if these were worshipers of Rijoko. Now they stirred from their shock. One man, who was probably a priest, judging by the his robe, fiddled with a qi mechanism, and the double doors slammed shut.

“Help me get her comfortable,” I said, shifting Mother and pulling a pillow from my storage ring.

They sprang into action, and soon we had her bedded down on a pile of blankets and pillows in the aisle, shortly before the main altar. I brushed some strands of hair from her forehead and checked her temperature, even knowing how stupid the gesture was. Far too high.

“You were great, Nari,” Mother said, her voice quiet and a little raspy.

I smiled at her, but I knew it looked strained. We were safe for the moment, but we really couldn’t hide out here forever. Mother needed the best medical attention. If that’s even enough. I could at least try to care for her now, but I didn’t know what I could accomplish. And she seemed to be getting worse.

“Any doctors or healers here?” I asked the crowd.

They shuffled awkwardly, looking at each other. Finally, a young woman stepped forward, keeping her gaze fixed to the crowd. “I’m a physician’s assistant, Your Highness. But …” she swallowed audibly. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Her Majesty is in the eighth stage, she shouldn’t …” she trailed off, then shook her head, her voice a whisper. “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Take a look, at least,” I encouraged her, trying not to let the way my stomach dropped like a lead ball enter my voice.

She shuffled forward, and I moved to the side to let her get closer to Mother. In the silence that followed, I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to center myself.

I was just starting to realize what all this meant. Even if Mother survived and we beat the attackers, that wouldn’t be the end of it. At least everyone seems to be careful not to bring the palace down around us, I noted mentally. There aren’t many eighth stagers involved, really. Many are probably sitting this out, waiting to see who wins. I frowned at the thought. Actually, this can’t be an isolated attack. It’s not like we can hear about what’s happening elsewhere, right now. For all I know, whole parts of the Empire could be in open rebellion.

After a minute, the woman looked up again and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. It seems to be some sort of poison technique. I don’t have any medicines on me that would help. To be frank, I don’t know if we have anything that could save her.”

How helpful. I smoothed out my frown and nodded. “Thank you.” Then I looked down at Mother, who at least still had her eyes open. “Can you tell us anything useful?”

She grimaced and shook her head slightly. “No. My qi is too drained to successfully fight it. I can feel myself getting weaker.”

I exhaled slowly, then glanced up. “Mother, please release your aura. Everyone, back off.”

They all scrambled away, and Mother released the tight control she had on her qi presence. I felt it wash over me with a distinct sense of pressure. Even injured, she was still in the eighth stage. But I found it easily bearable, with the qi of the place, my father’s qi, reinforcing me.

I sat back and took a closer look at her aura. There was something itching at the back of my mind, the seed of an idea. I tried to trace the foreign qi that was infesting her, then turned my attention to her presence in my qi senses, itself, to the deeper layers of my aura. Even given the situation, it was fascinating.

I could almost see patterns in Mother’s qi signature. Nothing specific, I couldn’t really ‘read’ it, but with my special ability, I felt like I made some sense of it.

It was a good thing that I’d met Elia and had the opportunity to take a look at her qi presence. That helped me see how being a spirit-child would manifest itself, compared to my own aura. I also remembered Al’s, both before and after his soul journey, and other members of our clan. Taken together, this gave me some idea of what I was looking at, what I was looking for.

“Mother, what’s your special ability?” I asked. I’d known she had one for a while, but she’d never actually told me.

She smiled a little, and answered in my mind. ‘I have an ability to read and influence the emotions of others.’

I flinched. What?

‘Don’t worry,’ she continued before I could start to freak out. ‘It doesn’t work on you. In general, it only works on people I don’t care about. The more I’m emotionally invested in or connected to someone, the weaker it is. I couldn’t do anything with anyone I genuinely like, or even hate. Though it’s easier with enemies than friends. I won’t be able to influence these traitors enough to make a difference, even if I can tell they’re feeling angry, resentful, contemptuous, or determined. Besides, they’d have to be in the room.’

I scooted closer to her. ‘That’s a really interesting limitation. But you’re right, this doesn’t help us now.’

Mother groaned. ‘It might not help anyone, anymore. I can tell it’s not looking good for me, Nari.’

I took another long look at her qi signature, then smiled at her. “Have some confidence, Mother. Defeatism isn’t going to help you succeed.”

“With what?”

“Ascension.”

She just stared at me for a moment, then let out a raspy chuckle. “You think I can do it?”

“I’ll help you. I’m not the daughter of the guiding spirit for nothing.” I grinned at her, trying to project confidence, and laid a hand on her good shoulder. “Honestly, you ascending to the white stage is our best chance, and the situation is definitely giving you the push you need for a breakthrough, right?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. Now, she looked calm and focused. “Alright. What do I do?”

I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts, recalling what she’d told me about the ninth stage and what I’d gathered from Isuro. “There’s more to it than a typical breakthrough. You could probably cultivate for ages and not get what you really need to ascend. I think that’s because it’s not really about qi, or not just qi.”

She raised an eyebrow.

I scratched my cheek. “I told you what I learned about our soul journeys, right? Inera’s curse? I think this ascension touches on that stuff, that has to do with the different worlds. Maybe the deeper fabric of the multiverse or whatever. We already had some contact with that with the soul journeys. I think I can even see it in your aura. Just focus on that.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Start meditating, but keep listening to me. I’ll talk you through things as best as I can, okay? Deep breaths. Release your aura. Let the qi flow through your body on its natural paths. Settle down and let it do what it does.”

I tried to make my voice soft and soothing, but still strong. Mother closed her eyes and started to fall into what I recognized as a meditative state. I kept talking, guiding her into an almost trance-like state, although she was still focused on me. I could feel my father’s presence, almost looking over my shoulder, guiding me with subtle influence. I didn’t fight that or try to figure it out, just focused on Mother.

And I tried not to let the foreign qi creeping through her bother me. It wasn’t going to kill her in the next few minutes, and it didn’t really impact what we needed to do.

“Your body is dying, but we need your mind and spirit to move on,” I said calmly. “For that, you need to touch the fabric of existence beyond qi, beyond this world. It’s reflected in the qi. You already touched it when you lived through your soul journey, and your special ability is connected to that. You need to leave your body behind. That includes your core and vessels. Push all of your qi out, but keep it under control around you.”

This was the tricky part, and I focused on so hard that everything else seemed to fall away. Slowly, I guided her through the process of prepping for ascension to a different plane of existence.

“Now, you need to sever yourself.”

Mother opened her eyes, giving me one last look, light and darkness fading from her eyes. ‘I should have said this earlier, but … I am sorry, Nari.’

Then the world went white for an instant.

I felt my father’s presence more keenly than before, laid over the space of the temple, and layering over me. I’d closed my eyes and withdrawn most of my qi senses on instinct, but I still had a vague idea of what was happening.

Mother’s body started burning up with qi. Some tore free, swirling through the room. Part of it was drawn into me. But most of her qi kept a vague form. I felt her presence, no longer bound to her physical body, which was being destroyed in seconds. It seemed to spread out, losing some cohesion, and yet there was still order and structure to it. It shot upwards, through the ground and towards the sky. In a moment, it was gone.

I opened my eyes and sighed wearily, starting to circulate qi through my channels almost on autopilot. My mother was gone.

I knew that she had survived, but it hadn’t been easy, still wasn’t easy. Somehow, Rijoko let me know that she would need time to gather herself, to rebuild her self as something closer to a spirit. It would be years, probably decades, until she could come back and I would see her again.

I let my hands fall onto the ground, suddenly feeling tired, even as I kept drawing in qi. I knew what she’d apologized for at the end. It wasn’t leaving me alone, or at least not just that. It was what she’d explained, but never asked forgiveness for. What I’d said I understood, but never forgiven.

She told me she loved me, but I’ve never actually said ‘I love you’ back, I realized, coldness spreading through my guts.

I shook my head and pushed myself upward. Empress Acura the First of House Leri, ruler of the Empire of the Sky, was more or less gone. I still had a lot to deal with.

105: Guidance

I paced up and down Rijoko’s shrine, my footsteps echoing in the silence. I had trouble keeping my gaze from the spot where Mother had just been.

There were a lot of emotions waging war inside me, and I took deep breaths, trying to keep them in check. Grief was making steady headway and would probably win my internal war soon, but I didn’t allow it to. I shoved everything aside, to deal with later, and looked around the shrine.

The other people here had fled to the side chambers and were now peeking out, their faces pale and their eyes wide. I didn’t talk to them. I just didn’t have the energy to deal with them right now.

I didn’t know if the fight for the palace had concluded or was still ongoing. There weren’t that many people waiting outside, which gave me some hope that we hadn’t lost yet. Although they were all strong. Li, and several people who had to be in the seventh stage. There was no way we’d fight our way out. But they seemed agitated, from what I could tell by their auras. A few were pacing, and they might be arguing.

Well, they’d probably felt something of Mother’s ascension, at least. Li probably figured out what was happening.

I grimaced to myself. I just hoped my siblings were okay. Well, it’s a good thing that I don’t see them. They aren’t parading them in front of the shrine to get me to surrender. Hopefully, that means Al and An are safe.

I really wanted to go out and check, not just on them, but on the state of the fight, on Kariva and the others. But I was still stuck here. They clearly didn’t dare break in for fear of the Moon’s wrath, but I couldn’t just sit here. I had to do something.

But what could I do?

I sighed and glanced again at the other people who’d taken shelter in the shrine. No one above the sixth stage. They’d find out easily if we tried to tunnel out or something. I kept pacing, trying to keep my breathing even and calm.

Then I had an idea. I stopped, frowned thoughtfully, then shook my head at myself. It was a bit crazy, but it might just be what I needed.

This time, I could be pretty sure it was my own idea, not Rijoko’s. As I hurried about the room to prepare things, focusing intently on what I was going to do, I could swear I caught the echo of a chuckle across our connection.

“Be careful and keep back,” I said to the others. “Don’t interfere with what I’m going to do. Best if they don’t notice you at all.”

They bowed and acknowledged my command, so I turned back and headed for the door. I hesitated in front of it, then steeled my nerves.

“Li!” I called through the door. “I want to talk to you, privately. This is the only chance I’m going to give you.”

There was silence and the murmur of voices, too low for me to make out, then he answered. “I agree, Princess. Open the door so we can talk.”

“Send the others away and block sound.”

Then I stepped back and nodded to the priest from before, who swallowed heavily but opened the doors just a little. I raised a qi barrier behind me to block the sound of our conversation, and checked that Li was doing the same. The rest of them had retreated to the end of the corridor.

Li still had a hand on his cane and was looking calm and composed. He smiled. “Princess Inaris. I hope this means you realize how untenable your position is and are prepared to work with us.”

I shrugged. “I’ve got an offer for you, Li. One that can benefit us both. But first, do you realize what happened with Mother?”

He didn’t let any emotion show on his face. “She is gone, apparently.”

“Not just gone, ascended. I’m sure you could feel it, your qi senses are certainly good enough.”

He regarded me in silence for a moment, before he nodded slowly. “Yes. However, you do realize that the spirits and those like them play by certain rules. You will not be able to count on her fighting for you. In fact, she has left you far more vulnerable than before.”

I waved that off, glad that he didn’t know that Mother was in no condition to fight, anyway. “How old are you, Li?” I asked. “I would guess a thousand years, perhaps, or a little less. And you have just entered the early part of the eighth stage. That might give you a few years, but you have to see death looming around the corner. You will die soon, no matter which medicines you try.”

He frowned. “Do you have a point, girl?”

“My point is that you have essentially no hope of reaching the white stage. At least, under normal circumstances. But I could do for you what I did for Mother. I could help you ascend.”

His knuckles whitened on his cane. In his eyes, I could see that I had him. The desperation, the flicker of hope.

“How could I trust you, and what would be the price?”

I smiled. “You don’t have much of a choice. But Mother just ascended, which should be proof enough. I am, after all, the daughter of the Moon. And the price will not concern you much, given your situation. I want you to ensure that my side wins this fight.”

“How?” He didn’t sound very bothered by that.

“Betray your allies. Tell your disciples to stab them in the back, lead them where they can be easily struck down by the Imperial Guard. I don’t really care about the details, you’re more than capable of handling it.” I paused, then straightened up. “I do want assurances, of course. An oath on the Moon, before you come in. And in turn, I promise in Rijoko’s name that I will help your efforts to ascend to the white stage. Although, of course, whether you succeed will depend on you.”

He hesitated, considering it for almost a minute. Finally, he nodded. “I agree. I swear on the Moon’s name.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting.”

Li didn’t waste any time, but turned around and started talking into a communication device. I stepped back and closed the doors, for now.

The next few minutes, I paced up and down the shrine again. There was some movement outside, even more than before. Finally, all of the other people left, and Li approached the door again. I opened them just wide enough for him to enter.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. I took that as assurance that he’d fulfilled his side of the bargain. One didn’t just break an oath made on the Moon’s name and then stroll inside his temple.

He’d essentially just cut all ties with his allies, which meant I’d taken an important player out of the equation. I was confident that Kariva and Kiyanu could handle things from here. But now, I had an eighth-stager in the shrine to deal with.

“Good,” I said. “Take up a cultivating position, Li. We’re all out of cushions, unfortunately.”

He hesitated for a moment, then got into a lotus position on the floor, laying his cane by his side.

“If you don’t trust me, this is not going to work out,” I reminded him.

At the same time, I reminded myself that while he might be able to kill me, it would be suicidal for him to try. I had to keep my composure.

“I do trust your word.” After seeing me raised eyebrow, he added in a begrudging tone, “Your Highness.”

I nodded and clasped my hands behind my back, standing straighter. “Great. Now, release your veil, start breathing deeply and focusing on your qi. I’ll explain a few things.”

While he started to enter a meditative state, I repeated what I’d told Mother about qi and the wider multiverse, although I didn’t mention soul journeys or special abilities. That didn’t give me much to actually say, of course. I took a good look at his aura in the meanwhile, and couldn’t find any sign of anything similar to a soul journey, or a special ability.

Of course, that didn’t mean that he didn’t have some hidden surprises. I wasn’t that good at reading people’s auras. He seemed like what I imagined a typical air cultivator in the eighth stage would be like, but he probably did have some ‘trump cards’ up his sleeves. Not that they were likely to help him here.

I paused and just watched him for a while, before I kept talking. “Keep listening to me. Take deep breaths. Let qi flow through your body on its natural paths, and watch what it does.”

I kept watching as Li sank deeper into his meditation, although not as deep as Mother. This time, Rijoko didn’t help me, not that I’d expected him to. It didn’t matter much, anyway.

“Now, what you need to do is leave your body behind, and let your mind and spirit move on,” I said. I started walking, putting a bit more distance between us. “That includes your core and vessels. Focus on what’s beyond this world. Push your qi out and keep it under control around you.”

He started the process, and I couldn’t help but smile. He clearly had trouble with it, more than Mother. Of course, he was only in the early part of the eighth stage and didn’t have her experiences.

“Now,” I said as I began to take up a stone cutting tool from the bench I’d laid it on. “You eventually need to sever yourself, but that’s something you’ll need to get to, yourself. And I have to tell you, your chances aren’t very good. I’d wish you good luck, but that would be a lie.”

He flinched and I could sense his focus falter. “What? You swore an oath to help me!”

I started walking around him, cutting a circle into the stone around him. “I promised to help your efforts to ascend, I didn’t say I would do everything I could to make sure you succeeded. I did help you quite a lot. Now, my last piece of advice is to keep going. You’re too far to back out, and honestly, this is still your best chance if you ever want to attain immortality.”

I focused on the floor and kept carving runes, constructing formation arrays. I was glad of my perfect memory and improved body, which kept my hand perfectly steady. The containment circle was taking shape quickly.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean much. I think I’ve raised your chances from extremely low to very low. Still, the prospect of immortality is worth it to you, isn’t it?”

I finished a complicated rune and took a deep breath. The qi in this place was gathered densely, perhaps from Mother’s ascension. It certainly hadn’t been quite that strong before. I cultivated a little while I worked, to shore up my reserves and use it to finish quickly. It felt almost effortless, I barely had to pull before a large tide of qi would flow into my body.

I paused and concentrated on my dantian and channels. It felt like I was nearing a breakthrough. It should be far too soon, but my cultivation had never been normal.

A groan from Li brought my attention back to him. He still had his eyes closed, and didn’t appear to be aware of it. Veins stood out on his skin, and he was sweating heavily. I could tell his control over his qi was tenuous. He didn’t quite succeed in pushing it away, but it was clearly slipping beyond his control.

I grinned, then glanced at my finished formation. In truth, I had no idea if it would work, or make any difference at all. But things were going well so far.

“Moon, hear my call, and turn your gaze to this temple,” I intoned. I knew his attention was already here, but a bit of ritual seemed called for.

Li groaned again. His eyes opened, and he glared at me, storms raging behind his eyelids.

“This is your own stupid fault, but thanks for that,” I said, then cleared my throat and started walking in the circle around him. “Father, hear your daughter’s call, and behold my offering.”

I paused where I’d started, waiting for the right moment. Li’s qi was fluctuating wildly now, and streams of it were starting to escape from around him, with quickly increasing strength. He started to bleed from his nose, eyes and ears.

I tossed some of the temple’s incense on my enemy. “Rijoko, take what has been prepared for you, and accept my sacrifice.”

As if on cue, Li started burning up. His body burst into flames, and qi erupted outward. Most of it was held by my containment circle.

I backed away, shielding my eyes and curling my qi senses inward, but tried to get a sense of what was happening. Most of the qi in the detonation was contained, being funneled upwards and away. Rijoko taking what was now his.

That was a relief. All of that qi getting loose uncontrolled might do catastrophic damage to its surroundings. Well, Li should have thought twice before attempting ascension inside a temple to a Greater Spirit.

But not all of the qi was being taken. More flew out of Li’s burning remains and the containment circle, escaping into the air around it. It felt like Rijoko was taking control, perhaps attenuating it, but some was slamming into me. I staggered back a step, then scrambled my focus and started breathing it in, cultivating.

It was a lot. Even with me actively sucking in as much as I could and circling it through my body, it felt like I’d been dumped into hot water. I didn’t know if Rijoko was funneling qi to me as a reward, and right now, I didn’t have the attention to spare for that question.

My legs folded underneath me, and I assumed a cultivating position, deepening my focus. I could feel the raging torrent of qi blasting against the walls of my core as I steered it through my channels, tried to keep it under control.

Then I gathered it, weathering the stab of pain as my core burst and expanded, and I wrestled the qi through my body again, letting parts of it bleed off into my meridians and the rest of my body before I gathered it in my core once more.

The world disappeared around me as my awareness shrank to the qi inside me, guiding it through the process, even the stabs of pain fading into the background.

106: Distractions

When I opened my eyes again, the world was crisp and clear. I could sense the qi around me far better than I could ever remember, and my range had expanded considerably once again. My body seemed to brim with energy, and as I slowly got to my feet, it felt a little like I was floating through water.

I cracked my neck and examined my surroundings. I was still in Rijoko’s shrine, and since I didn’t see a clock or the sky, I didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like a very fast breakthrough, though the people who’d been sheltering in the side rooms were gone. Instead, there were half a dozen guards kneeling beside the entrance and the closed double doors. The air smelled faintly of smoke, and while the guards all wore clean clothing, the scent of sweat, blood and ash still clung to them.

I stepped forward, careful of my new strength. While my body was ready to go, I didn’t feel as calm or refreshed as I might have expected. The events of the last few hours, or however long it was, were just too much, too raw. I couldn’t help but look at where Mother had almost died again. The fact that she was gone took some getting used to, and its implications were staggering.

I cleared my throat. “Please rise. How long has it been?”

The guards stood up, and their leader, a cultivator in the seventh stage, answered. “You have been cultivating for your breakthrough for half a day, Your Highness. Congratulations on reaching the fifth stage.”

Half a day. That was quick, certainly not as bad as it could have been. “I take it from your presence that we won this battle?”

“Yes, my lady.” He looked up, then dropped his gaze to the floor again. It wasn’t hard to read the awe with which he looked at me. Like the others.

“Then take me to whoever is in command here,” I ordered.

They led me out of the shrine quickly. I glanced at the corridor while I considered the situation. It didn’t look like a fight had broken out here. With the other people in the shrine, what had happened should be known already.

We moved quickly through the remnants of this corner of the palace. A few times, I saw signs of cleanup, where broken furniture had been removed and crumbling walls propped up. But it was still in bad shape. There were too many holes, and few of the windows remained, letting in the cool outside air. At least the smell of dust and blood was dwindling. A few times, I saw other people, moving through the halls and outside grounds with purpose. Most of them seemed to be soldiers, and all were at least in the fourth stage. I hoped that the weaker ones were still waiting in a shelter.

Someone had erected a tent before the main building, though one of its sides was completely open. Conference tables, chairs and cabinets were scattered throughout it, as were several strong cultivators. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Kariva and Kiyanu.

I almost wished that Aston was here, or my friends, but it was good that they’d been safe from the attack.

Everyone bowed deeply or knelt when I entered the improvised command center. A brief flash of relief passed through Kiyanu’s face.

“Rise,” I said again. “Good to see you’re all alright. How’s the situation?”

“My lady,” Kariva greeted me with a strained smile. “We won. After they started fighting among themselves and becoming easy targets, we managed to kill most of the attackers. A few fled, though, and we’ve gotten some concerning reports from outside. I assume that division was your work?”

I nodded. “Li’s disciples, I’d guess.”

Kariva shook her head. “I knew you were destined for greatness, my lady, but I never would’ve thought you could defeat someone four stages higher and a thousand years older than yourself. This is going to make you a legend, whatever happens.”

I shrugged, scratching my cheek. “It’s not like I killed him in a fight, more like manipulated him into killing himself.”

“It’s still impressive,” Kiyanu put in. “We heard … what happened to Acura?”

“Before I get into that, are my siblings alright?”

Kariva nodded. “They’re both alive, unharmed and safe. Xiaodan is still in the city’s palace, while we’ve put Alaster under guard close by here, with other civilians.”

I sighed in relief and took a moment to gather myself, before I briefly told them everything that had happened, including Mother’s ascension. I also related my impression that she was more or less gone now, at least for the immediate future.

There was a moment of silence after I finished. I could see they were trying to figure out what it meant, as did I. Am I going to be Empress now? I shivered. I hope not. I’m nowhere near ready, and many people won’t accept a fifth stager on the throne, no matter who her parents are. Well, Mother isn’t dead, anyway.

“Her Majesty did have a plan for an eventuality like this, in case she died before you reached the eighth stage, Your Highness,” Kiyanu finally said. “I’ll need a moment to find something.”

“Before we discuss that,” Kariva cut in. “We need to deal with another matter.”

“Carston.” I grimaced, feeling a stab of anger. I was almost positive he was involved in this, somehow. It would be too much of a coincidence, otherwise. My intuition told me he’d betrayed us. That could be a hint Rijoko had left me.

Kariva nodded. “I’ve apprehended him and been keeping him under heavy guard. He’s been belligerent so far, but perhaps he’ll respond better if you interrogate him.”

I smiled. If Mother was around, she might not approve of Kariva’s actions. But she wasn’t, and I did.

I glanced around at the other people, who hadn’t participated in the conversation so far. The man I recognized as Commander Wu of the Imperial Guard hadn’t stopped talking into a communication device once, presumably coordinating the palace’s defenses. A large squad of guards had also shown up here, who I assumed would be escorting me. The other military people seemed similarly busy.

“Let’s go talk to him,” I decided. If we got information from Carston, that would help me in figuring out how to deal with the rest of what was happening. My anger hadn’t abated, either.

Besides, I should do this before I met Al. Already, I didn’t know whether I was looking forward to or dreading seeing my siblings. I needed to see they were okay, but I’d have to tell them about Mother.

Kariva led me out of the tent and through the courtyard, before we entered another of the palace buildings. This one was in slightly better shape, and kept at least a few windows. The hallways were empty, but I could sense strong presences gathered below. Kariva guided me down a staircase into the basement, then stopped before a heavy steel door.

The room beyond was bare, with featureless gray walls, an interrogation table and two chairs the only furniture. Three elites in the seventh stage guarded Carston, who sat in one of the chairs. His hands were caught in heavy black handcuffs that radiated strong qi and seemed to clamp onto his aura. He looked a bit disheveled, with his jacket half undone, but his face was set into grim lines, and his expression didn’t flicker when we entered.

I got out a qi talisman from my storage ring and took a deep breath before I entered, with Kariva on my heels. I sat down in the other chair while Kariva remained standing further back, giving me some space.

“So, Dalcarston,” I said. “I assume that’s your name where you’re from?”

He regarded me in silence for a moment, then sighed. “The Dal- prefix marks me as a noble, but since my house doesn’t exist in this world, I cannot really use it. My name is Carston.”

I had to resist the urge to ask more questions about that. I’d suspected that he was from another planet, and while confirmation was nice, it didn’t matter much right now.

“I stumbled from an unstable portal about a hundred years ago,” he added, in a bored tone. “Just sheer, stupid, random chance to end up here.”

Mother had mention that rarely, random portals appeared, but we couldn’t predict or create them. At least that made sense.

“And you moved to this country after that. But because it’s not your home, you felt free to just betray it and the woman who loved you. And your son.”

I watched his expression closely, and saw his gaze flicker at the last two words. “Baseless accusations,” he stated, still in a calm tone of voice.

I snorted and leaned forward slightly. “Nonsense. I can tell you’re not innocent, Carston. I don’t even need improved intuition for that.”

He shrugged and didn’t say anything further.

“You know, I met a descendant of the Sun,” I said. My spirit enemies probably knew that much already, so I didn’t see a point in keeping it from him. “She’s quite good at reading people and knows if they’re telling the truth. I’m going to call my friends back, after everything that’s happened here, and ask them to bring her along. Of course, if we need to wait for her to arrive, it’s not going to make your interrogation any more pleasant.”

Carston frowned. “You wouldn’t dare harm me. Your Mother —”

“Isn’t here anymore,” I cut him off, staring straight into his eyes while keeping my face set in a cold expression. “Because of you and your associates. Believe me, I don’t have many scruples in this situation. I’d happily have Kariva torture you if that’s what we need to get the answers. Hell, I’ll watch and I might even enjoy it.”

He looked down, breaking eye contact. My icy stare must have unnerved him, and he must have seen I wasn’t bluffing.

“Besides,” I added in a slightly softer tone. “They clearly left you behind, cut their losses, and wrote you off. Don’t you owe it to us to explain, or at least to Al?”

“I did not betray Al,” he said stiffly. After a moment, he sighed, then raised his eyes to me again. “Although I will admit that I did betray you, Inaris, as a side effect. There’s nothing personal about it.”

I sat back, feeling a sharp burn in my chest at the confirmation. “You helped them through the wards?”

“I told them what I knew about them, then signaled them when it was a good time to attack,” he said matter-of-factly. “It was distasteful, but I had to do it. And, of course, I kept Acura distracted.”

I gritted my teeth. “You wormed your way back into her confidences, playing on her emotions. And you don’t feel guilty about that?”

A bit of fire entered his eyes now. “She deserved it,” he spat. “Wasn’t she stringing me along, before? Always keeping me at arm’s length, never really letting me into her confidences, sleeping with whoever caught her fancy while I saved myself for her.”

“You entitled bastard,” I hissed. “If you have a problem with an open relationship, you talk to your partner about it, not try to get her killed!” I took a deep breath. “Did the Zarian let you go?”

He shrugged. “I suspect a faction of them was involved, not their whole government. They let Isuro visit to talk to me, at least.”

I grimaced at hearing his name. “And what did he say?”

“Oh, not much. It was the others that really got into it.” Carston frowned a little. “They were rather determined to get me on their side.”

I took a deep breath. This just raised the question of whether his mind had been tampered with. I didn’t see any signs of it, and Kariva and her people couldn’t have, either, but there might be minor things. We might have to wait for Elia, after all.

“And?”

Carston crossed his arms. I noted his body language getting more defensive. “They made me swear an oath on Jideia’s name. I wouldn’t betray the Empire to the Zarian, but they did put me in contact with some who were unhappy with its leadership. I assume they’re connected via the Storm’s people, but you must suspect that already.” He pulled a face. “An oath like that isn’t easily broken, you must understand.”

I cocked my head, considering him for a moment. I didn’t think he had as little choice as he was implying. His words earlier certainly didn’t sound like it, and it wouldn’t be easy to force him to make an oath like this. Though manipulation was certainly involved.

“You said you didn’t betray Alaster,” Kariva prompted after a moment. She hadn’t moved from her spot, and her face was still expressionless.

Carston nodded, his face settling into a more serene expression again. “Yes. I made sure I received promises from every major player involved that he would not be harmed.”

I snorted, shaking my head. As if having his mother killed with the help of his father wouldn’t do psychological harm. “I presume me and Xiaodan were supposed to get killed,” I noted. “And the rest of the clan?”

Carston shrugged. “You, most likely. Xiaodan and the others, depending on the situation.”

“Then what was the plan?” Kariva asked.

Carston sighed. “The common people love the Leri, they knew that. They might not stand for having them deposed and exterminated outright. That was why they wanted to make this more palatable for the public, perhaps pin Acura’s death on an accident or Zarian saboteurs officially.”

I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t think the people would be so easy to pacify. But clearly the conspirators, mostly nobles, didn’t think highly of the common people.

“Then they would put Al on the throne,” he added. “With our eighth stagers holding the real power.”

There was a moment of silence as we considered this. I suppressed a shiver at the thought that they could have succeeded.

“Presumably, you’d play into this, as Alaster’s father,” Kariva said. “Probably hoping to leverage your position to gain power, and groom him. Did you realize they would eliminate him as well, if he became too much of a threat? Did you intend to have him actually take power once he reached the eighth stage, and you’d wormed your way into his trust?”

Carston glowered at her. “I would have protected him, and of course I would have helped him become Emperor in truth.”

I pushed my chair back and stood up, trying to keep my expression neutral. This might just be lines they’d fed Carston to ensure his cooperation, but it seemed possible.

“Well, Al will just love to hear that,” I sighed.

Carston looked up. “You’ll let me talk to him?”

“Oh, I don’t think he’d want to talk to you right now,” I said. I held out the small crystal I’d tucked under my robe, letting him sense the qi in it. “But I did record this conversation, and I’ll show it to him. It won’t be easy, but he deserves to know.”

For the first time, Carston’s composure visibly cracked, as he paled. Maybe he was recalling how he’d talked about our Mother. “Don’t,” he pleaded. “I need to explain to him myself.”

I shook my head and pocketed the device. “I think I’ve heard enough for now.”

Kariva snapped her fingers, and two of the elites descended on Carston, while she followed me out the door. Once I stepped outside, I took a moment to collect myself and exhale deeply.

“What are you going to do with him?” Kariva asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. He committed treason, but, shit, he’s still Al’s father. We can’t really keep him imprisoned, he’s too strong for that. Death would be easiest, but …”

“Yet you were willing to torture him,” she pointed out.

“That’s different. Execution is permanent.” I sighed. “Al might come to hate me for it, even if it’s in twenty or a hundred years.” I fell quiet for a moment, then shook my head. “There’s no other good option. It will probably have to be banishment, if we can find a way to keep him from going to the Zarian. Well, we have some time to consider it.”

Kariva frowned, but she didn’t argue.

I glanced at the door, then made my way back up the stairs and through the building, entering the courtyard. While I walked slowly back to the command center, I tried to think of how best to deal with this. Kariva followed me a few meters behind, talking into a qi communication device.

“This fight is far from over, my lady,” she said after a moment. “General Wei has fled to the east with some survivors of this fight, towards where nobles loyal to their conspiracy have started seizing cities and locations of strategic or logistic importance. The same seems to be happening in a few clusters throughout the continent. And to a lesser extent, at the front. Though thankfully, disruption there seems to be limited.”

I sighed and pinched my nose. All we needed was for the Zarian to take advantage of this civil unrest and overrun our frontline before conquering their way north.

I increased my pace. We needed to react to this.

107: Responsibility

As it turned out, things were already being handled. Which was good, since I didn’t have the experience or qualifications to manage military issues, but at the same time had to be involved in the political decisions.

I didn’t mind that the gathered officers, especially the commander of the Imperial Guard, hadn’t spared me more than a quick look and bow when we returned to the improvised command center. They’d make sure our front line didn’t fall completely apart with this betrayal, and get a grip on the state of the coup’s forces.

But I did note that Chancellor Gen had arrived, along with a few other high-ranking officials. He stood talking with Kiyanu, and after a moment of consideration, I joined them.

“There you are, Princess Inaris,” Kiyanu greeted me. “Good. I was about to go looking for you. And Lady Kariva.”

I nodded at them. “Kiyanu. How do we stand with the eighth stagers?”

He sighed a little. “Most of them appear to be dithering. Trying to wait until the dust clears some more and see how the situation develops, I’d say. At least they aren’t going to join the conspirators. And I have received several communications that expressed concern or interest. Her Majesty’s ascension didn’t go unnoticed.”

I raised an eyebrow. I should probably assume that the info is going around. Rumors travel quickly, after all. But that was a good thing in this case. At least, we were better off than if she’d really died.

“There are several who have assured us of their support,” he added. “But I thought it prudent not to invite them to the palace until we resolve some things.”

I nodded slowly. “Like the issue of leadership, I assume.” I glanced at the politicians. “Chancellor?”

Gen smiled and bowed his head to me. “This one is a loyal supporter of the Leri dynasty, Your Highness.” He raised his head and shrugged. “I would prefer to simply attend to my duties in peace. I’m certainly not the man to handle this war.”

I smiled at him and bowed my head slightly, as well. “I appreciate the support, and I think we can safely say that you will retain your position. As will the rest of the government.” I glanced at Kariva.

“Certainly.” She frowned thoughtfully. “The rest of the clan should not be much of a problem, either, if we work together.”

I hadn’t really considered that. Good thing that Kariva was so strong, and probably knew how to deal with the elders of the clan.

“But we’re talking around the point here,” she continued. “Who’s going to sit on the throne?”

“Well, I may be the heir but I’m still too weak,” I said. “Besides, Mother isn’t dead.”

“But she’s not around, either,” Gen said. “Rulers who ascend to the white stage have traditionally given up their mortal crowns. I can’t think of a case where the ascended remained on the throne. Of course, it still gives us some room to maneuver.”

“Probably the easiest short-term solution would be for you to marry a man in the black stage to be Emperor, and for the two of you to ‘rule together’,” Kariva mentioned.

I grimaced. “No. You can forget that idea.”

“I know. What happens when you ascend to the eighth stage, which shouldn’t take long?” She shook her head. “Besides, it would be hard to find someone capable and trustworthy. I know you wouldn’t agree, Kiyanu.”

The eighth stager nodded. “Right. Acura did consider that as well, but I think another idea fits this situation better.”

He produced a few sheets of paper from thin air. At a glance, I could see the Empress’ seal attached, marking them as official documents.

“She intended to name me as regent,” Kiyanu explained. “As guardian and mentor of the Imperial Princess, and entrusted with some responsibility of ruling in Her Majesty’s name.” He glanced at me, his face serious. “Once you reach the eighth stage, you would be formally crowned Empress. Until then, you could be a Crown Princess Ascendant, or whatever we may decide to call it. In effect, we’d be ruling the Empire together.”

I nodded slowly. This seemed sensible. I knew Mother trusted Kiyanu, although I didn’t know how far. Still, he’d been nothing but loyal. And knowing her special ability, I had even less reason to doubt her assessment. From what I’d read, regents weren’t really a thing for Imperial rulers, at least historically. But the concept wasn’t completely unknown, and should work well enough. After all, most people would be on my side almost by default. And Kiyanu was popular with the army.

“I remember she talked about that. This does seem to be the best course of action,” Kariva agreed.

Everyone else present agreed as well. They looked relieved that there wasn’t going to be drama about it.

Gan bowed to Kiyanu, the other politicians following suit. “Good luck, my lord,” he said. “I will try my best to manage the transition and serve you well. Let us hope your reign will be auspicious, prosperous, and short.”

I noticed Kariva stifling a smile, while Kiyanu nodded seriously. “Let us hope so.” He glanced at me. “Inaris, I know you have plans and visions, and I won’t get in the way of those. I aim to take care of the more irritating and mundane matters, but you will still be the true monarch, if anyone. The way I envision it, we will steer the Empire together.”

I smiled and bowed my head a little. “Thank you, Kiyanu. I appreciate the sentiment, and your support.”

I didn’t really want to be the Imperial monarch all of a sudden, but I couldn’t hand the reins to someone else entirely, so this suited me fine. It wasn’t going to be easy, but at least I had the support I needed.

For starters, I’d let him worry about how to present this to the rest of the world, especially the eighth stagers.

I didn’t turn around right away when I heard the door open and someone step into the room. He wasn’t hiding his presence, so I got a good sense of it, anyway. I stayed looking out the window for a moment, watching the soldiers cleaning up the shattered wall of a palace outbuilding. They worked quickly, but there was a lot still left to do once they’d finished.

Then I turned around. The room we were in was small and almost bare, except for the high, arched windows. But the sun was setting, painting the scene outside in orange light, so the room remained dim. There was more than enough light to see my guest, though, and I took a second to scrutinize him. Kei Yating was dressed in somber colors, and his hair looked a little mussed, but the real sign that recent events had battered him was the set of his face. Most people might not notice, but I recognized a hint of redness in his eyes, signs that he’d cried today.

Of course, he had every reason to, his lover was suddenly gone. Still, the sight sent a sharp stab into my insides for a moment, of some emotion I couldn’t quite name. I still hadn’t shed a tear for Mother’s departure. They just wouldn’t come, even though thinking of it brought a painful, hollow feeling to my chest.

“Rise, please,” I said.

Mother’s lover stood from where he’d been kneeling by the door, staying patiently still with his head bowed. “You wanted to see me, Your Highness?”

“I wanted to talk,” I said. “Take a seat if you want.”

But I stayed standing, and while Kei Yating walked closer, he didn’t sit down. Instead, after a moment of silence, he offered, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. Yours, too. I know you two were close.” I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts, then decided not to waste time. “I’m sure you guessed what this is about. Xiaodan.”

With Mother out of the picture, I was now primarily responsible for her and Al. The thought weighed on my mind. I certainly hadn’t expected to suddenly take the parental role for two younger siblings, and I didn’t feel ready or qualified. But at least they still had their caretakers and tutors. And there was Kei Yating.

The look in his eyes sharpened at her name, but he only nodded silently.

“I’ll be honest. I just don’t have as much time for her as I’d like.” I sighed softly. “She essentially just lost her mother. But the unrest isn’t over, much less the war. I imagine I’ll be quite busy for the foreseeable future.”

“Of course.”

“Well, you’re her father. I’d like you to keep an eye on her, help her adjust. Make sure she’s alright.”

His eyes brightened and he smiled as he realized what I was saying. “Of course, my lady. I’d be very happy to take care of Little An, if you’ll allow me to.”

I nodded and couldn’t help my own lips curling upwards. “Great. Don’t mistake me, though.” I paused for a moment, my smile gone now. “Mother didn’t name you her father officially, and I won’t go against her wishes by changing that.”

He nodded. “I understand, Princess Inaris. I wouldn’t expect anything else. And official recognition is secondary to me.”

I relaxed, giving him a full smile. Why didn’t Mother favor him over Carston? I couldn’t help but think. Oh well, they say the heart does as it likes.

“She’s going to stay in the city, under heavy guard, until we’re absolutely sure of the palace’s safety,” I explained. “But she should be back in a few days, at most.”

“Yes, my lady. If you’ll excuse me, there are a few things I’d like to prepare.”

I waved him off. “Of course. Good luck.”

“To you, too, and thank you again.”

I watched Kei Yating walk out of the room, his posture straight and gait confident. Unbroken. Knowing he’d take care of my little sister made me feel a little better about everything.

I shook my head, dismissing these thoughts, then left the room, as well. Four guards escorted me, with several more in positions farther away. I couldn’t help but notice that most of them looked just as battered, their immaculate robes betrayed by the lines in their faces and the shadows in their eyes. They must have lost friends, comrades, perhaps even significant others, in the fighting. I made a mental note to talk to commander Wu about the Imperial Guard’s numbers. They’d need a lot of recruitment, but it would take time, and their reduced numbers were yet another problem.

We reached our destination quickly, since the room was just a few doors over. This building was a part of the palace still mostly intact, so many things of importance had moved here, but this floor was intended for my use, and as personal quarters. Considering the situation, I really couldn’t complain, even if I’d much rather be in my own room. But I shook the feeling off and knocked, then waited for Al to invite me inside before I entered.

When I stepped into the room, he still sat in the chair where I’d left him, staring at the table in front of him. Or rather, the recording crystal lying there. I’d left him alone fifteen minutes ago to let him listen to it in peace. But he didn’t look very peaceful at the moment. His hands were clenched around the sleeves of his robe, and I could almost hear his jaw grinding.

Silently, I walked over and pulled up a chair next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. The guards all stayed outside, so we were alone here. An open door showed an unmade bed, and none of the furniture in the room looked used. There were no decorations or personal touches except for a spear and a sword he’d leaned against the wall. At least he smelled clean and nothing looked broken.

“What are you going to do with him?” Al finally asked, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of tension.

I sighed. “Well, first I want to wait for the others to get back and have Elia take a look at him. I doubt we’ll find anything important, but it’s worth trying.”

He finally moved his gaze from the device to me, turning to face me fully. “And, Nari? What then?”

“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted. “It will probably end up being exile. Maybe we’ll manage to obstruct his cultivation. Kariva can keep him contained for a while longer, at any rate. She wouldn’t let me just let him go, even if I wanted to.”

Al nodded, looking down. “I’m not really sure what to say.”

I smiled and took hold of one of his hands, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t need to say or do anything, Al.”

“They wanted to use me in their scheme,” he stated, his voice still calm and even.

“They did,” I agreed. “It makes a certain kind of sense. But it’s not in any way your fault.”

He snorted. “Of course not.”

I withdrew my hand, and we sat in silence for a bit. He picked up the device and turned it in his hands. Good thing I’d made copies of the recording.

“Actually,” I finally said. “There is something I need to ask of you.” I scratched my cheek. “I want you to formally pledge your loyalty to me.”

He looked up. “Oh. Okay. Um …”

“Not here,” I clarified. “Later, in public. I want the rest of the important people from the clan to do it, too.”

Al nodded. “Of course, whatever you need. So, this thing with you and Kiyanu is working out?”

“It seems so. People are taking it well, so far.”

He nodded again, then stood up, placing the recorder back on the table. I took the hint and stood, as well, watching Al fidget for a moment.

“Well, I have stuff to do,” I said. “But you know you can talk to me if you need to, right?”

“Of course. That goes for you, too. Good luck out there.”

I smiled at him, stepped in for a short hug, then turned to go.

“Wait, Inaris.”

I was almost at the door, but stopped and turned around. Al had stilled and was looking at me with a new hardness in his eyes.

“Yes?”

He took a deep breath. “I want you to kill him. Don’t banish him or whatever, definitely not because you want to spare my feelings. Just let justice be done and execute him.”

I blinked. What? “You want me to have Carston executed?”

He nodded, taking a step closer, his eyes still meeting mine with determination. “Yes. Don’t spare him because he’s my father. He betrayed Mother. He deserves it.” He grimaced for a moment. “That’s what I want.”

I paused, studying his expression. I could tell Al was serious about this. Very serious. The fire in his eyes gave me the impression that if I did exile Carston, Al would run off once he was strong enough, to hunt him down himself.

“You might come to regret this later,” I said. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in his voice. “I won’t regret it, and yes, I’m sure this is what I want. I know it’s your decision, Elder Sister, just be aware of that.”

I nodded slowly. This vehement reaction wasn’t quite what I’d expected. Maybe it’s a different cultural context. For me, it doesn’t really matter, but maybe for him the shared blood is more significant. It could be about wiping a stain off the family or something. Or that’s totally off and he just cares about Mother almost dying.

“I still want him to be interrogated with Elia there,” I said. “But after that … We’ll see. Maybe I’ll have them put something in his food.”

Al nodded, then turned back. “Thank you.”

I left, shaking my head a little. This was probably for the best, all things considered.

At least he hadn’t wanted to kill Carston himself. That, I definitely would have vetoed. He didn’t need patricide on his conscience. At least this way, it was still ultimately my responsibility. And I couldn’t say I was particularly affected by that.

108: Explain yourselves

Everyone else seemed surprised by the presence coalescing in the middle of the garden on one of the palace’s upper terraces, qi starting to condense and form into a humanoid shape with no warning.

I knew better than to be surprised, of course. Mior came and went when they wanted, and the spirit didn’t need to care about the details of where or who was watching. I’d half-expected Mior to show up, with everything that happened.

Smiling, I stood up from my chair and took a step forward. There were a few other people with me, most notably Kariva and Commander Wu of the Imperial Guard. We’d been talking about various matters in preparation for another session of court. It was a nice summer day, the sun shining down brightly but the temperature kept comfortable by a small breeze, and the scent of flowers from the garden complemented it well. A few other courtiers were walking through the farther reaches of the garden or on adjoining paths. Many of them stopped to stare, but I didn’t think we’d be bothered here.

“Mior,” I greeted the spirit. “It’s good to see you again. I assume this means you've parted ways with Aston?”

The spirit’s physical form looked the same as before, but I could sense the difference. There was no sign of my guard, and no indication of a connection to him in Mior’s qi presence. There were a few small changes from the last time I’d seen them like this, before the possession, but nothing I could pin down or make sense of.

‘Inaris.’ The spirit nodded at me, then gave another nod to the people behind me, who’d also stood up, before Mior took a step towards me and laid a ghostly, weightless hand on my shoulder. ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

‘Thanks.’ I hesitated for a moment. ‘Have you …?’

Mior shook their head. ‘I’ve ‘seen’ her, for lack of a better word, but there’s not much to say. It will take a bit of time until Acura is ‘there’ enough to deal with others, but she’s doing very well. And we, Rijoko and me, are going to watch over her, don’t worry.’

I nodded, feeling some relief at those assurances. ‘Thank you.’

‘To answer your earlier question, yes, I did extricate myself from Aston. It took a while, but there were no ill effects. I’d say we’re both a little wiser for the experience.’

“That’s good to hear.” I glanced at the others, noting that Kariva had put up several qi shields, while Wu was hanging back and most of the others had made themselves scarce. Then I turned back to Mior. “You can probably tell that our situation is far from ideal right now.”

The spirit chuckled. ‘Oh, I know, Little Light. You managed to avert the worst of it, but you still have a civil war on your hands, and the Zarian aren’t going to sit by and wait for you to sort things out. They’ve already overrun your border fortifications, haven’t they?’ Mior shrugged. ‘You know I can’t offer you any direct help, and neither can your father.’

“I know.”

‘Well, the situation isn’t as bad as it could be. You won’t have black stage cultivators fighting each other and devastating the country.’

I blinked. “Wait, why wouldn’t they fight? Not that I want them to, but how can you be sure?”

“Is this because of our agreement with the Zarian?” Kariva asked.

Mior nodded at her. ‘Perceptive. You should keep that one around, Little Light. Yes, the oaths enforced by Rijoko and Jideia are going to ensure this. Since the conspirators have connections to the Zarian and are working in their favor, they are being considered as part of their war effort when it comes to this.’

My eyes widened. “And you’re going to make sure everyone knows this, right? Wow. Being publicly associated with the Zarian by the Greater Spirits is not going to be good for their reputation.”

Mior only grinned in response.

“We need to capitalize on this,” I said, looking at the others. “As quickly as possible, while they might still be reeling to adjust their plans. Perhaps we could even get them to talk and make concessions.”

‘Don’t forget that this goes for your side, too,’ Mior said. ‘You lost the advantage in numbers of eighth stage cultivators.’

I nodded. “True, but we also have the numerical advantage in the other stages. Even more so. Most of the army is still loyal, even if they’re occupied with the Zarian.”

Mior considered me for a moment longer, then nodded. ‘Alright, I see you have this well in hand. Good luck, Inaris.’

“Wait a moment,” I said, sensing the spirit was about to disappear. “What about Aston, where is he?”

Mior smiled, already fading out. ‘I dropped him off with his family.’

I stared at where the spirit had been for a moment even as I sensed them leaving. There’d been something about the smile, like they were playing a joke on me. Well, knowing Mior, it won’t be anything too bad. They’re a softy, despite outside appearances.

I shrugged and turned back to the others, noting that two of the officials had already left and Kariva was pocketing a communication device. “Thoughts?”

“You should take some of the forces we’ve managed to gather and confront Wei’s group,” Kariva said. “They have the most eighth stagers, not to mention the most soldiers overall, so they’re going to be most affected by this development and might be open to negotiations.”

I frowned. “I guess. I really didn’t expect Wei to betray us like this, if I’m honest.”

Kariva nodded. “Me neither. It’s one reason I think you should talk to him. It might help, since he’s generally a rational, reasonable man. And if not, he’s definitely the one you should crush first.” She smiled wryly. “Not personally, of course.”

I sighed. “If you’re not concerned about my safety, alright.”

“Good. I’ll talk Kiyanu into letting you do this. And scramble the forces so you can leave right away.”

“Right away?” I pulled a face. “I was hoping to be here when my friends come back.”

We’d called them back right after the attack. That the situation with Hajake still wasn’t resolved bothered me, but this situation took priority. Plus, I really wanted to see them again. They’d decided that Lei would stay on the Earth Continent to hold down the fort, while Tenira, Yarani and Elia hurried home. They should arrive soon.

Kariva shook her head. “Spirits, that would take ages until you’re ready to depart, if you welcome them here. Just go, they’ll be here when you come back. You’ve been separated for months, what’s a little while longer?”

I scowled at her, then sighed. “Alright, fine. I’m going. You and Kiyanu can handle things here, with the announcement and all?”

“Of course. Leave it to us, my lady. Good luck.”

I stared at her for a moment longer, not even sure what I was looking for, before I nodded and turned around to go. Perhaps Kariva was looking out for me in ways I didn’t expect. I’d felt restless and on edge, and I certainly appreciated the opportunity to go out and bring some pain to the people who’d attacked us.

From the plane’s window, our enemies’ stronghold looked tiny, almost insignificant. We were so far up I could see all of it and the surrounding area with a glance. The fortress reminded me of the outposts I’d helped make along the southern border, although it was a little larger. A town huddled against its side like a hapless civilian seeking shelter from monsters. Which wasn’t too far off, as metaphors went.

I lowered the control stick and sent the plane into a dive, watching the ground expand rapidly. We’d traveled most of the way by airship, since these airplanes weren’t suited to long flights, but using some now was a demonstration more than anything.

The other planes around me kept pace as we continued flying in formation. They pulled up just a little later than me as we neared the ground, but that probably meant I’d been early. I tried not to let it bother me as I focused on the landing. At least we managed to set down mostly in formation.

I waited until the plane stopped moving, then took a deep breath and pushed open the cockpit door, climbing out. Guards were already waiting to escort me. I nodded at them, then turned my attention to our surroundings.

The group of people we’d come to meet stood not far away, their presences thinly veiled to leave no doubt as to their strength. I recognized General Wei, as well as the older man who had to be his older brother and patriarch of the Wei clan, and a few officers I’d seen with him. Those would have put their personal loyalties to him above their duty to the throne, and brought their troops to the conspirators’ side. Or most of them. From the reports, things had gotten ugly.

Most of the soldiers here would be in that group, but many of the fighters belonged to noble clans, Wei and others. A few representatives of those clans accompanied them. I recognized one of them and had to make sure my expression didn’t betray me. Clan Tener. Was Aston here?

They waited inside an enclosed approach to the fortress, with high walls rising on both sides. My own group walked up to them quickly, and I took a moment to check out the defenses. There were a number of seventh stage cultivators with me, including San Hashar and another general who’d worked with Wei, though Kariva’s agents had cleared both of them. Actually, they seemed to take his betrayal pretty hard.

We had more strength gathered here than the traitors, so I didn’t feel too anxious about approaching them. Of course, honor was supposed to keep this talk peaceful, as well, but Jideia’s followers didn’t have a good track record in that regard.

“Hail,” the eighth-stager, Wei Yong, greeted us as we came to a stop. He was tall and powerfully built, and his voice sounded like a miniature earthquake, but his expression was neutral. “We are pleased to discuss recent events with you, but that is far enough.”

I glanced at the meters still separating us, then back at the conspirators. None of the officers on my side said anything, so I let the silence build for a moment before I answered. “I have no wish to come any closer to you. Greetings. I do hope you can explain yourselves.”

I noted some of the glances going between members of their delegation, and others further back. They’re afraid of me, I realized with a start. Maybe they heard about what happened to Li. Or, more likely, it’s just the fact that I’m in the fifth stage already.

The Tener representative raised an eyebrow. “We do not need to explain ourselves to a child.”

“You’re all traitors,” I said, ignoring him. “Betraying the Empress you swore your fealty to, and backstabbing the country at the worst possible time, with the Zarian threatening everything.” I paused, then locked my gaze on the man I really wanted to talk to. “I’d have expected better of you, General Wei.”

The general couldn’t meet my eyes, instead looking down, a hint of a flush on his face.

But his brother cut in immediately. “We would have expected better of clan Leri, too. Upsetting centuries of order and a prospering economy, the very fabric of our society, with your new inventions. Dragging our country into a war with the Zarian. You have no ground to stand on.”

San Hashar and a few of the officers accompanying me snorted, but by the looks of it, all of the conspirators agreed with this sentiment.

I glared at him, then let my gaze sweep over the others. “Funny you should blame us for the war with the Zarian, considering how your little conspiracy is being sponsored by them. Even the spirits recognize this, barring your black stage cultivators from fighting on their behalf. And now, everyone will be aware of it, destroying what little support you may have among the population.”

One of the other nobles, a wizened old woman from clan Tener, snorted. “A likely tale. Even if we did get outside support, which no one is able to prove anyway, it certainly wouldn’t be from the Dominion.”

I shook my head, turning back to Wei. “None of this excuses what you did, your betrayal. What happened, general? Our clan spared yours, brought your family prosperity and even power after the old clan Wei lost the civil war. You fought for my Mother loyally for decades. Why throw all of that away now?”

The older Wei ground his teeth, but he didn’t say anything, letting his younger brother speak up. “I wish things could have gone differently, Your Highness.” There was genuine sadness in his voice. “But we’re still clan Wei. My family needed me.” He raised his chin, and there was a spark in his eyes now as he looked at me. “Besides, clearly we’re not trusted or treasured vassals after all. My son deserved better.”

I blinked, fighting to keep my confusion from showing. It only took a moment until I realized what he had to be talking about, and my throat clenched. The agent I’d met on the Earth Continent, the one who hadn’t made it back. He’d been named Wei. I’d thought it was just a coincidence, but now that I thought about it, I could see a faint resemblance in his looks. Well, hell. He was general Wei’s son? Probably their clan’s rising star.

“I’m very sorry,” I said softly. “But your son voluntarily risked his life for me. I didn’t even tell him to do it, and I certainly didn’t endanger him on purpose.”

Wei Yong crossed his arms. “So you’re saying that you didn’t consider the fact he was your old rival clan’s heir at all? That if his name had been different, he might not still be alive?”

“That’s the truth,” I responded, looking him straight in the eye, then at the general. “I didn’t even know who he was. He sacrificed his life for me, freely, because he was loyal to the Empire, and to his Empress. Because he believed it was worth dying for. You committing treason in his name only dishonors his sacrifice.”

This time, the general couldn’t hide his wince. He looked at me for a long moment, before he sighed. “I wish I could believe you, Princess Inaris. But we have come too far to turn back now.”

I shook my head, grinding my teeth in frustration for a moment. “You’re not completely lost yet. If you surrender now, and cooperate fully with us, you can still earn mercy. But you need to do it now, before things are too far gone. This is your only chance.”

General Wei looked like he was considering it, but his brother laid a hand on his shoulder, and glared at me. “No. There’s nothing to consider. The only mercy the Empire and people like your Leri Kariva would offer for treason is a quick death. We will take back the Empire and cast down your clan. And do not expect mercy from us.”

I waited for a few long seconds, hoping someone would speak up to contradict him. But no one did. I could see they were afraid, aware that their position wasn’t good, but either too angry or desperate enough to fight.

I sighed softly. Well, I tried.

I needed to deal with them quickly, then take this force west to deal with clan Zun and their little rebellion, if they hadn’t gone to ground yet. We couldn’t afford to take too long for this, not when it was little more than a distraction from the real war with the Zarian, ultimately.

“You will regret this,” I told them. “When I crush you, and your clans, you will wish you’d taken my mercy. Spend the next few hours wisely, they’re likely to be your last.”

I turned around and started walking, not looking back.

San Hashar spoke up when we reached the end of the path. “It’s a shame about Wei Jun. He was a good general.”

I glanced at her. “Yes, he was. You going to be alright with this?”

She gave me a fleeting smile. “We weren’t that close, my lady. They made their choices.” She shrugged. “As for fighting, I have faith in you. Not necessarily the religious kind.”

I snorted and couldn’t help but return her smile for a moment. With people like her to help me, I didn’t need to be some great commander to beat the traitors.

Though, I still intended to keep to my resolution and not go to any battlefield myself, but leave battle to others.

Bonus 8: Society and life in the Empire

I get the feeling I’m not writing these in the proper order. I’ve considered the Empire’s history, geopolitics, and even military, but not its culture or society as such. Well, this is basically my journal, so who cares?

Let’s look at some numbers to start. There are a bit over a billion people in the Empire. That sounds like a lot. Okay, that is a lot. But they’re spread over one whole continent and good chunks of others. If anything, it just goes to show how massive the Empire is. And with cultivator lifespans and the way qi facilitates agriculture, a reasonably heavy population density can probably be expected.

Not that the population was always this huge. We’re at the tail end of a large population boom. They tend to happen in centuries of peace and prosperity, historically speaking, and growth is exponential. The Empire’s population is almost double what it used to be ‘only’ a few centuries ago. Okay, so maybe not that exponential, but for local standards.

The Central Continent, or Sky Continent, houses more than half a billion people. About ninety percent of its land area, excluding bodies of water, can be considered inhabited (or cultivated). The rest falls to qi anomalies or mountain peaks and other inhospitable ground. Though there really isn’t much of that. The continent is a very nice place to live, with a good climate and no large deserts.

Obviously, with this large of a population and territory, there’s going to be a lot of diversity. But Imperial culture is surprisingly unified and widespread, all things considered. Almost everyone speaks Imperial Common as a native language, even if it may be one among several. The calendar, measurement system, most holidays, and cultivation terms are the same. Not to mention things like the legal system which are obviously spread across the Empire. There are still local customs and traditions, but that’s true in any country larger than a micro-nation. Even the dialects of Common aren’t that different from each other.

This country doesn’t have the same concept of citizenship as I’m used to from Earth. Maybe that’s because there just isn’t much immigration. Basically, anyone living in the Empire is an Imperial citizen. Given rights, but bound by its laws.

The humans, at least. Spirit beasts aren’t really considered citizens the same way humans are. I assume that’s partly because most of them aren’t sapient. Those that are tend to be strong, and are generally treated with respect. There’s even a few cases of them going to Imperial courts (both successfully and not). But you wouldn’t expect them to pay taxes or attend school. Although there are always exceptions.

Spirits, of course, are even more of a different matter. Suggesting that local spirits are citizens of the Empire would get you more than a few weird looks.

Speaking of the legal system, it seems a bit primitive from my perspective, but is actually pretty advanced considering the feudal elements of the society. My grandmother initiated a fundamental overhaul of the legal system almost two centuries ago. It builds on nice details like the assumption of innocence. From what I know of Earth’s history, that wasn’t always a given. At least Mother hasn’t changed things into a jury system, I don’t imagine that would turn out well. And there’s a comprehensive legal code. While some of its contents might make me shake my head, it’s still a worthy accomplishment overall.

I mean, while you might get in trouble for fighting the Imperial dominion or insulting the ruling monarch, at least you’ll get a fair trial where that has to be proven. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a noble, you can still be prosecuted for committing a crime. Though in practice, I wouldn’t be surprised to see nobles getting away with more than commoners. But the thought is there.

Let’s take a step back here. There is no constitution, no fundamental limits, nowhere rights or laws are really enshrined and unassailable. Personally, I’m not really answerable to anyone except Mother. Her own power is, in theory, close to absolute.

In practice, of course, the courts and legal system handle the jurisdiction. Executive power is wielded by the departments and ministries, by people like Chancellor Gen and the ministers down to regional administration. Legislative is a little trickier to pin down. Mostly, they rule by Imperial decree, at least where it counts. There’s no clear separation of powers. Although, to be fair, that’s often not clear in Earth’s parliamentary democracies that I’m thinking of, either.

The Empire is huge, and the bureaucratic apparatus running it correspondingly gigantic. Many things are decided on a local level, since there’s no point in bringing the issues to the capital. There’s some differences in how provinces and regions in the Empire are structured, although the general gist is the same. I won’t go into details here, they’re enough to fill books on their own. Suffice to say that the general structure is similar to the Empire at large, with local departments responsible for various fields. In some places, local nobility also plays an important role, although that varies.

While noble clans still own a lot of land and enjoy traditional privileges and rights, their actual power is more limited than I might have thought. Both de jure and de facto power. There’s no serfdom or equivalent, and they don’t really have subjects, not the way feudal nobles did in the middle ages. Their economic clout remains considerable, but also limited and growing weaker by the decade. The only area they’re unquestionably ‘mighty’ is martial strength, i.e. military force. This is because they control a lot of strong cultivators. Those are not just economic boons, but also fighting forces. It’s at least part of the reason nobles are often responsible for assuring the safety of areas, dealing with dangerous spirit beasts and the like, and get the power and influence that brings.

Sects play a similar role to noble clans, in all. They’re more focused on learning and teaching, and many of their disciples only belong to them temporarily. Like clans, they can own land and be economically active, but their overall power in those areas is considerably smaller. I usually lump them in with nobles in thinking about these things, which is probably a habit I should get out of.

Education is another area where the Empire is surprisingly far ahead. For a society where ‘secret knowledge’ is a normal thing and clans and sects hoard it, at least. There are schools in almost every town and city, and even many villages. They’re mostly managed by the Imperial government, though sometimes local nobles have a hand in it, as well. The local administration pays the teachers and provides materials.

In some areas, especially the rural ones, there may be no schoolhouses. Instead, the Empire has a concept of, basically, wandering teachers. They’ll do their rounds, visiting small villages, and teaching the children there part of the time. Some of them are employed by the Empire, some are hired by local nobles. I imagine the ‘curriculum’ reflects that. For nobles, it makes sense as an investment to not just educate their population, to increase their skills and value as employees, or to benefit the economy, but also to foster goodwill and paint themselves in a good light. At least, I’d be cautious of any history or civics lessons they teach.

Not that the teaching more directly sponsored by the Empire will be much better.

Anyway, of course a major part of the schooling is about cultivation. The children are taught all the basics, like the stages and terms. They’re also given practical lessons to get them started with cultivation, like teaching breathing patterns and how to draw in qi and cultivate it. Depending on how wealthy the region is, or how interested the local government is, they may also distribute simple cultivation aids, herbs or pills designed to help them through the beginning of cultivation.

Besides that, the schools teach what I’d expect. There’s no legal requirement to attend school, and children from poorer families may only go for a few years. But you can expect everyone to at least know how to read, write, do basic math, and the like. Naturally, schools only teach in Imperial Common. Nobles and wealthy families often home-school their kids. There are usually classes sorted by year, but the details, like if there are advanced courses or how exams work, can vary locally.

There didn’t really use to be higher education, except for sects and apprenticeships with dedicated scholars. Although I hope the universities we’ve introduced are beginning to change that. I should put some thought into how we may expand it into a system that provides higher education across the Empire. Perhaps with different sorts of colleges. I guess mandatory schooling also bears thinking about. I detest child labor, and while not prevalent, it’s still too common in the Empire. Making sure the children are in school should help, as well as leveling the playing field a little.

Even just from a practical perspective, thinking of all the talent and potential that is being wasted is making me cringe.

Let’s get back on topic. The economy. A field I’ve probably paid less attention to than I should have. As recent events might have shown. I’m just a little hesitant because I know it’s complex and I don’t really understand it. Mother is the one with an economic background (I think), not me. Although I’ve picked up some things.

The currency is usually referred to as ‘coins’, even when not talking about physical coins. Fair enough. Not that non-physical money is really a thing here, but some valuable items can serve a similar purpose as very high-value currency. Easier than carrying a chest of coins around, I guess. The basic coins are small bronze ones. A few things that aren’t official currency are sometimes used for lower values, like pieces of amber or crystal. That varies locally. Then the Empire has silver and gold coins, or ones made mostly of those metals, in various denominations.

Most noble clans, and the Crown, store the majority of their wealth in valuable materials and items rather than coins. There are also banks, or the equivalent on Aran. There are places that will hold on to currency and items for a fee, and also organizations that offer the equivalent of accounts and checks. Those can overlap, but don’t necessarily do. Basically, you can fill out a form that promises the recipient that they will get the specified amount from a branch of the bank. It’s still a fairly new system, but growing quickly, and I suspect it will continue to do so. I’m not really sure what introducing computers will do to Aran’s finance system, but I guess I’ll find out.

The economy in general is far less globalized than I’m used to from Earth. But there is still a fair amount of trade. Air travel and storage items are important factors, I assume. A significant portion of the economy is controlled by noble clans, and, to some extent, sects, and their subordinate companies. But there are also trading houses owned by independent merchants, some of them quite rich. And, of course, many mid-sized and smaller businesses. Really, I don’t find much of note here, it’s pretty much as I would have expected.

These businesses, tradespeople, artisans, and everyone else often use qi to some degree. They’ll often have affinities and skills or techniques that suit their line of work. For example, you can expect someone working in construction to have earth affinity. Rising higher in cultivation means that you can do more work, and in general means more prestige and more money. Farmers, doctors, and many other professions also rely on their cultivation.

Of course, there are also professions not directly affected by qi, like lawyers, accountants, or store clerks. Mostly jobs not centered on physical work, I guess. I assume the number and importance of that sector is only going to keep rising with time, and as our industrialization continues.

Then there’s entertainment and the arts, where that’s a bit mixed. Affinities like light aren’t really common in the general population, but you’d find it here. People working as illusionists for theaters, that sort of thing. Musicians might have some air affinity. In general, entertainment tends to be live. There are ways to record music, for example, but those are usually expensive. And hard to mass-produce. You can’t just copy a file a few times. Although printing presses are common, so there are bookstores, and a wide range of literature. At least there’s that.

While I find the Empire’s style of music a bit strange, I haven’t had much contact with it, so maybe I can’t really appreciate the range of it. Same with art. You have paintings, statues, murals, whatever. No real abstract art or installations, as far as I know. Art, or at least this kind, is mostly a thing for the rich. Music can at least be found in taverns or festivals.

One thing they don’t really have is professional sports. I guess cultivation just makes them too inherently unbalanced. No matter how well someone trains, someone else could beat them just because they’re a stage higher. And it’s not like the really strong cultivators are going to bother with being an athlete. But they have various sorts of games and sports in the Empire. I haven’t really looked into it, but some involve a ball, some are team sports and some aren’t. This is also heavily influenced by your location and local history, and there isn’t one thing you could consider the Empire’s national sport. Which is probably a good thing for me, or I might have to start caring about it.

All in all, the Empire’s people are just, well, human, when I look at it like that. Even if they live in a fantasy world with magic, at the end of the day, most people just want to earn a living, and occasionally go out with friends, watch some entertainment, or play a game. The technology they use may be a little different, and there may be people who are centuries old somewhere, but most just live their lives the same as they would on Earth.

Maybe that’s a good thing to keep in mind.

109: Brute force approach

I looked down at the plans spread before me one more time, then forced my gaze upward, stifling a sigh. I was trying to distract myself, but it wasn’t working very well.

Instead, I rolled them up in one hand while I stood up and walked forward a few paces, ignoring the looks I was getting. Before the balcony, the landscape spread out, dyed in somber colors by the setting sun’s rays. The conspirators’ stronghold and its town dominated the view, making the soldiers arrayed before them seem almost inconsequential. By the standards of Earth, it would have been a small force indeed.

“My lady?” one of the guards asked.

I glanced at her. The woman, a seventh-stager with an athletic build, short hair and a sword on her hip, seemed to be in command of the detachment currently, but I hadn’t caught her name. Most of the guards I’d seen since the attack were new, although I might have seen them around before. From what I could tell, what used to be Mother’s personal guard were now assigned to me. They were certainly strong enough, with few of them below the sixth stage.

“Is everything ready?” I asked.

“Just about, Your Highness.”

I looked at the stronghold one more time, then turned around. “I’ll go to the terrace, the officers can join me there.”

The walk down the quickly constructed building didn’t take long. Its insides looked bare, with no decorations and minimal furnishings, but considering it had only been here since yesterday, the building was a good defensive emplacement. I had to wait for one of the guards to heave the heavy, reinforced door open before I stepped onto the broad terrace, which led down directly onto the plain and to the soldiers waiting there.

San Hashar was already here. She bowed when I arrived, looking composed despite the sword and bow strapped to her armor. “My lady. We can begin the attack on your order.”

I smiled a little. While the basic idea had been mine, I’d discussed our strategy with the officers, to make sure it would work out. San Hashar had been one of the more optimistic ones.

I couldn’t help but look at the plans I still carried in my right hand, rolling them out and taking a look. I wish things worked as well as she thinks.

“Are those plans for the battle?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, just technical specifications, ideas I was playing around with.” I let them vanish into my storage ring.

I’d been considering ways to use my modern knowledge and affinities effectively for warfare. If I really put my mind to it, I could probably build a nuclear bomb. The theory isn’t that complicated. But this clearly isn’t the right answer for a situation like this.

Instead, I’d been thinking more in terms of creating lasers and high-energy radiation by itself. I’d mostly finished transferring my technique to shift light’s frequency to a formation, but if I wanted to create a weapon from it, it still needed energy. I could use qi, maybe take something like glowstones, and shift the light they emitted. But that wouldn’t be too different from using it for other attacks, in effect.

What I’d like to do was use electrical power. Maybe batteries to power it. I could create laser weapons or something like a real gamma ray gun. The idea just wasn’t very practical, at least as things stood. And I’d thought about something else, a formation mechanism I could hang in the sky to soak up sunlight, maybe different parts of the spectrum, store it, and then be able to release the energy as concentrated attacks. But that needed more than just tinkering for a day while I prepared to deal with the current challenge. I’d passed my ideas to my research team, maybe they’d make some progress.

For today, I’d settled on a more brute force approach.

“Are the planes in position?” I asked. “And the assigned elites?” She’d said they were ready, but it couldn’t hurt to double check.

By now, the other high-ranking officers had joined us, and one of them spoke up. “They’ve all started their approach, Your Highness.”

I took a deep breath, trying to savor the moment and suppress my nervousness. “Alright, then, this is it. Attack now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I listened to them give the order via radio and qi communicator, then glanced up, although I couldn’t see the planes that were now about to launch our opening attack. They could fly up higher than airships, and we were making full use of that capability today. With some of them, at least. The fact that we basically had airspace superiority really wasn’t good for the conspirators.

I’d been observing our enemies, and was pretty sure that they’d at least been smart enough to put General Wei in charge of their defense. They’d struck out once, but our soldiers had repelled the attack easily. More of a probing sortie than an all-out offensive. But time wasn’t on their side, so they’d launch one of those soon, unless we attacked first. And I’d rather not give them the time to start taking civilians as hostages. Wei was too honorable for that, but the others might overrule him at some point.

A bright flash marked the start of the battle. It had come from above, although I couldn’t see its origin point. I smiled and pulled out a telescope to take a closer look.

The qi shield the conspirators had laid over their stronghold was visible now, chiefly by the way it stood against the bombardment. Dark objects crashed through the sky, only to stop or explode meters above the ground. A haze like strong heat in a desert marked the qi shield, and while it held back all the attacks for now, it was clearly taxed.

I couldn’t get a proper look at the bombs themselves, since they moved too quickly, but I knew them. We’d taken several options for explosives, some known previously and some found with our new research. This would be a good test to see which was most effective. Of course, it wasn’t just bombs. The planes and cultivators had also taken up big rocks and were now dropping them from high up. Very high up. The fall would give them quite the momentum.

I winced as a boom shook the stronghold, signifying the first shield failure. Dust rose from a corner of it. Our soldiers, who’d been steadily advancing forward, seized the opportunity to take some potshots, but the shield held over the main buildings. By now, I could see cultivators swarming over it. The shield flickered for just a moment, and shapes rose rapidly into the sky.

I glanced around, noting the way San Hashar set her jaw, the tenseness the others showed. We’d expected this sort of response. I guess using storage rings as a trick and just dropping stuff from above can’t be a new tactic. That’s why there’s qi shields. And while they might not have planes, flying cultivators are bad enough on their own.

That’s why we had cultivators in the air. The high stage air cultivators had helped guide the explosives to land on target, but their main job was playing defense.

I regarded the flickering qi shield for a moment longer, before I turned to the officers. “I think we can let the planes stop their strafing runs soon, if not now. It’s getting dangerous.”

San Hashar nodded. “I’ll tell the pilots to use their judgment, but to not risk their crafts unnecessarily.”

I sighed, glancing upwards once again. Our new planes were fast, certainly more maneuverable than your typical airship, which would help them get out of the zone of fire quickly. Now, it would mostly be down to cultivators fighting against cultivators. Even though we had the advantage of numbers, I knew there’d be losses.

In the meantime, the qi shields over the conspirators’ base were still taking a beating, and failing. Dust swirled into the air as explosions rocked the buildings. Wooden parts of the structures started to burn. I even saw lower stage cultivators thrown around, and parts of the stonework were not holding up too well, either.

I shook my head. This was a pretty one-sided fight. Not that I didn’t prefer it that way, of course.

“You think we should sound the charge?” I asked.

San Hashar frowned. “A minute more, my lady. The bombs are tapering off, but we don’t want our soldiers caught in their blasts.”

I nodded. “I’ll leave it to you to sound the attack.”

In a way, this was more like what I’d have expected of war than the whole campaign against the nomads. Bombing runs, explosions, individual fates caught by chance and overwhelming force, rather than some cultivator duels. And I couldn’t deny that, while I still disliked it, there was a certain satisfaction in beating down my enemies this way. Mother’s loss was too fresh, and I couldn’t help a grim smile as I watched some of the people responsible for it see the world crashing down on them.

San Hashar gave the order, and the rest of our force moved out. The soldiers crossed the distance to the stronghold quickly, tearing through outer defenses that had already been mostly annihilated. They finished off the flickering qi shield and started to swarm the stronghold.

I crossed my arms, watching intently from my safe position as the battle continued to rage, gaining a new intensity. Cultivator fights tended to be quick, and this was no exception. Explosions and showy attacks blocked most of my vision, but I could see the occasional fighter falling like puppets whose strings had been cut. Even from here, I could hear the rumbles and crashes of the fighting. It had to be deafening on the actual battlefield.

The battle paused for an instant, and my jaw tensed as I watched a shape shoot into the air. I couldn’t feel any auras from here, but the way fighters cowered away or dropped down if they were too close made it clear that this was a strong cultivator. Quickly, I put my telescope back to my eyes, and managed to get a glimpse of Wei Yong carrying his brother as he ascended into the air. A moment later, they were gone.

“Seems like he decided to honor the ban on black stage cultivators fighting,” San Hashar remarked. “I have to admit I don’t understand it. Wouldn’t the spirits disciplining the Zarian for a perceived breach be good for him?”

“Black stage cultivators fighting can be devastating,” my new guard captain said. “This is their home, too. They want to rule the country, not devastate it.”

“Right,” I said. “I think they have several reasons to restrain themselves. There are probably more eighth stagers on my side now, and unlike the soldiers, they’re not tied up fighting the Zarian. Not to mention our allies. The Terbekteri King would certainly send help. He wouldn’t want to see a coup like this succeed.” I paused, frowning slightly. “Plus, while they might seem to be on the side of the Zarian, I hardly think the spirits would only punish the Dominion for them breaking the agreement. They’re not stupid.”

San Hashar nodded. “I see. Thank you for explaining, Your Highness. In any case, his exit seems to have lowered their morale even more.”

I couldn’t help but glance at where the two cultivators had left, wondering if Wei Yong loved his brother. The cynical side of me thought it had more to do with him being the conspirators’ top general. Wei must have had other relatives here that he didn’t try to rescue.

I could see what she meant about morale, though. The fighting was winding down, and while the noise decreased, the haze obscuring the battlefield lifted. I noticed several enemy fighters kneeling on the ground, secured by our soldiers. They had orders to take prisoners, of course. We might even be able to use them against the Zarian. And at least the nearby town had been spared the worst of the fighting.

We stayed and watched for a few more minutes in silence. I didn’t feel any hurry to get closer to the battlefield. We’d already won, anyway. A small, satisfied smile settled on my face, and I didn’t bother to control my expression.

Finally, the guard broke the silence. “Your Highness, we’re receiving a transmission from the northeast.”

I glanced at her. “Yes, uh …?”

“Ru Lis, my lady,” she provided her name. “It’s relatively short-range, probably from clan Tener’s base.”

“I see. You seem a little bewildered.”

“Apologies, my lady, but they’re using a code developed by the Imperial Guard.” She shrugged. “The message is inviting us to approach, or something to that effect.”

I nodded and couldn’t help glancing in that direction, although I couldn’t see the location from here. I shifted my weight, feeling a bit anxious. I needed to see what this was about. “San Hashar, would you pick out a force to go there with us?”

“Of course, my lady.” The general turned to confer with her subordinates, and started assigning units and elites.

I took out my flying sword and rose into the air, moving carefully since I hadn’t had the time to really get accustomed to my new stage of cultivation. My guard detachment surrounded me, with Ru Lis staying at my side.

The officers worked quickly, and it didn’t take long until a group of soldiers was ready to head out with us. They were all in a high enough stage and had enough qi reserves to use their flying swords. Soon, we were off.

The flight didn’t take long, since clan Tener’s estate was very close to this stronghold. I didn’t spare much attention for the terrain, simply noting the position of towns and villages among the rolling fields. They were clustered pretty closely, and the light played off a river winding its way north. This should be a fertile, prosperous region. The wind blew more clouds this way, covering the sun quickly, but it should still be a while before it rained, if it was going to.

Our target was more of a mansion than a castle, although it did have stone battlements around the building and gardens. They looked well taken care off, everything kept neatly in order, although the roof of the building was cracked in a few places. One spot was even still smoking. There were a few people on the walls, but not many considering the situation. We descended, coming at it from a low altitude, and I realized the main gate was standing slightly ajar.

A bit of theater might be called for, so I descended to the ground, preparing to stride forward through the gate. I was wearing a silver robe with wide sleeves that billowed in the wind, and let my hair out of its ribbon to stir in the breeze. One of the guards opened the door with a kick, and we strode inside. The defenses still sat silent, though I could sense my guards pulling up qi shields and charging weapons.

As it turned out, that wasn’t necessary. Once we stepped into the front yard, the cultivators on the walls descended and knelt down. Some of them still had bloodstains on their clothes, and I could see a few matching stains on the ground beside the building. More evidence that there’d been fighting. But it was clear which side had won.

The main door opened, and Aston stepped out. He kept his aura barely veiled, enough to make it clear that Mior’s possession had helped him advance to the seventh stage. He wore a rich robe and looked perfectly coiffed, but some of the tension left his face when he laid eyes on me. He bowed deeply. “My princess.”

I grinned. “Aston. Come here.”

When he got closer, I caught him in a short hug, then stepped away to sweep my gaze over the mansion. “This is a nice coming back present, I have to say.”

“Thank you, my lady.” He hesitated for a moment. ‘And I’m sorry for your loss. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.’

I nodded, the reminder crashing through my joy at seeing him again. But I tried not to dwell on that.

Even with Mior saying Aston was with his family, I knew he would never betray me, and this scene didn’t particularly surprise me. If he had telepathy now, that would make it easier to coordinate with loyalists, or dissidents depending on your point of view, in the clan. And I’d bet on him against any opponent in the same weight class. He wasn’t an Imperial Guard captain for nothing. Still, I felt some tension drain out of me having him back at my side, and it wasn’t about concern for my safety.

I shook my head to dismiss these musings. “Let’s get going, we have a lot to sort out. It’s good to have you back, Aston.”

He smiled. “I could say the same.”

At least his time with Mior did seem to have helped him loosen up a little.

110: Family

I paced up and down the deck of the airship, willing the Imperial Palace to come closer, as it steadily grew in my vision. I knew we were moving quickly, that the journey didn’t take long, but it didn’t feel like it.

“Is everything alright, my lady?” San Hashar asked, raising an eyebrow. She was lounging against the railing, barely glancing outside.

I stopped. “Of course, I’m just a bit antsy.”

San Hashar was coming along to the palace to confer with our military leadership. After that, we’d probably head out again in force, to deal with another pocket of the insurgents. Cleanup at the last area still wasn’t finished, but there should be no major surprises.

I still wasn’t sure what I’d do with clan Tener, whose leadership was almost entirely killed or captured due to Aston’s actions. I was considering basically giving the clan and its lands to him, if Kiyanu agreed. Though given how he seemed to dislike it, I wasn’t sure if that would be welcome, not to mention that his place was at my side and it would be a lot of work. The same question had to be answered for a few minor clans, as well. But I was more preoccupied with coming back and finally seeing my friends and partners again.

At last, we passed over Thousand Lights City, and approached the palace. My skin tingled as we crossed the newly strengthened wards. The palace was cast in shadow by the mountains to the west, the evening sun not reaching here. From above, it looked almost back to normal, most of the damage repaired. There were a few spots that still showed signs of the fight, though, and the vegetation appeared noticeably lighter than before. It was still a hive of activity, with cultivators crawling all over the terraces and courtyards.

The airship slowed, and I had to stop myself from fidgeting as it started to set down on one of the rooftops. Aston and a few other guards took up position, and he shot me a reassuring smile. Then, finally, the area was clear, and I jumped down onto the ground.

A group of people were waiting for me, but my gaze stuck to Tenira. She looked as good as ever, although I could read a bit of nervousness in the tightness around her eyes. I strode forward, nodding at Gen and the others, but walking straight towards her.

For a moment, we were silent. Then Tenira smiled and stepped forward to hug me. I exhaled, returned the hug with feeling, and felt something unclench within me.

After a minute, we broke the hug, and I glanced at the officials. “Would you please give me some time to deal with personal matters? Unless there’s anything urgent?”

“There isn’t, Your Highness,” Gen replied. “Welcome back, and congratulations on your victory. If you choose to, I’d be glad to see you at the strategy meeting tomorrow at noon.” He glanced at the others. “You won’t be bothered until then.”

With that, most of the people departed. San Hashar gave me a short bow and strode off with a few of the officers. Aston and most of the guards stayed, but they retreated to give us some space.

I smiled at my friend. “I’m really glad to see you again, Tenira.”

She returned my smile. “And I, you, Nari.” Then her expression darkened and she put a hand on my arm. “I’m really sorry about your Mother, and everything that happened. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

I nodded, my throat clenching again for a moment. “Thanks. Let’s go inside.”

We entered the building, and I took a moment to make sure we were alone except for the guards, before I returned my attention to Tenira. I took a deep breath. “Listen, I wanted to apologize for that day on the ship. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or pressured in any way. I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “That’s not … I’m the one who should be sorry, Nari. I shouldn’t have left like that, and kept you at a distance. It wasn’t your fault.”

I smiled softly at her, shaking my head. “I made a mistake. You clearly felt threatened on some level. I should have been more careful. I even suspected that there was something …” I paused for a moment. “Whatever trauma, issue, or dislike you might have, you don’t need to tell me. But I’m trying to be more aware, and I want you to know that I still care about you deeply, whatever else is going on. Nothing needs to change between us.”

She blushed, looking down for a moment before she met my gaze again. “Thank you, Nari. It means a lot to hear that. We should definitely talk, but perhaps now isn’t the time or place.”

I smiled ruefully. “Of course, sorry. You’re right.”

We walked the next few meters in silence. As the corridor we were in crossed another, Tenira paused. “Well, it’s good to have you back. I should check on something in the lab. And I won’t keep you from the others any longer.”

I cocked my head. “Something up?”

She shrugged. “I saw Yarani and Kajare talking. Seems like they want to celebrate your reunion.” She rolled her eyes for a second before schooling her expression again.

Now that she mentioned it, I could sense them. They must not have taken my recent breakthrough into account, but I could tell they were waiting in my rooms.

Tenira gave a small wave and walked off. I looked after her for a moment, before turning and striding towards my suite. My pulse was quickening again, but for a different reason.

They’d never teamed up like this before, not that I would complain. Though when I opened the door and saw Yarani and Kajare, I just felt happy to be with them again. It had been too long.

A few hours later, I shifted my weight a little, staring upwards at the ceiling of my room and listening to my partners’ breathing, Yarani to my left and Kajare to my right. I had trouble falling asleep, and had stopped trying. I didn’t really want to start dreaming.

I suspected my lovers were trying to help me deal with the loss and the stress. For a while, they’d succeeded, distracting me completely from Mother’s absence and all the problems I had to deal with. But now, in the silent darkness of my room, they were back. My emotions seemed raw, vulnerable, now that I wasn’t trying to suppress and compartmentalize them.

Sighing softly, I slipped out of bed, careful to move lightly and not disturb them. Yarani had only fallen asleep a short while ago, and I didn’t want to wake her. She turned a little, and I held my breath, but she kept sleeping.

I paused and took a moment to just drink in the sight of her nestled into my bed, dark curls sprawled over the pillow. Kajare was turned so I only saw his back and the back of his neck, his chest rumbling with the softest of snores. I’d really missed them. Especially Yarani, if I was honest. I liked Kajare, but we were still more or less at the ‘friends with benefits’ stage. Although I had a feeling that could grow into more, given time.

Their presence and support made me feel a little better. I could feel it grounding me in an almost physical way. But I was still alone in my mind, and the restlessness wasn’t so easily defeated. My thoughts were speeding along at full tilt again, images of Mother’s ascension and dead soldiers surfacing every once in a while. I shook my head and padded over to where I’d put my clothing, dressing quickly. Then I crept to the door, opened it silently, and left the room. I knew I needed to distract myself, and there were still a few things I should do.

The guards in the corridor bowed to me but didn’t stir from their positions otherwise. I nodded at them, then started walking slowly. As I reached the door to Al’s quarters, I stopped and focused on my senses. Everything was quiet. I opened his door, careful to keep it silent, and took a peek. After a moment, I spotted him through the open door to the balcony, cultivating under the night sky. I closed the door again, making sure I hadn’t disturbed his cultivation. He should be asleep, but at least meditating like this was constructive and serene.

I kept walking, my steps slowing as I hesitated, unsure where I wanted to go. I spread my senses a little, watching the life in the palace. Kariva and Elia would be with Carston, most likely, but I didn’t feel the urge to go there right now. Kiyanu was awake and seemed to be working, in the study he’d taken over not too far from here. Aston was in position on the roof of this building, the calmness of his aura suggesting that he might be meditating, though I knew he’d stay watchful.

Finally, I came to a stop at the next door. The two guards assigned to it straightened up, but didn’t speak. I opened the door and stepped into the room, my eyes piercing the darkness effortlessly.

Xiaodan lay in her bed, but she wasn’t asleep. Instead, a spark of light would flicker from her fingers occasionally. When she noticed my entrance, she stopped, sitting up with a start. Her face scrunched up, and I felt her reaching out with her qi senses. “Big Sister Nari?” she whispered.

I conjured a small ball of light and stuck it to the ceiling, bright enough to illuminate the room dimly, but not enough to blind her. “Yes, Little An,” I answered softly, stepping further into the room. “Can’t sleep?”

My little sister scooted to the side, and I sat on the bed beside her, putting an arm around her. After a moment, she buried her face against my shoulder, and I started stroking her back with soothing motions.

For a while, we just sat there like that. A few light shudders passed through her, and she was breathing too quickly and erratically, though I could tell that she wasn’t quite crying.

After a moment, she drew back a little. In soft English, she said, “I miss Mom.”

“Me too, little one. Me too.”

“I wish she was here.” She sniffed. “Is she really gone?”

“Yes, but she isn’t dead. We’re going to see her again.”

She sighed, her head hanging a little more. “But that feels like it’s so far away.”

I didn’t have a good answer to that, so I just sat there, hugging her and providing silent support.

“Everything’s so different right now,” An finally continued. “People are upset, and I’m not allowed to go out like before. Some of the guards have changed. At least my tutors are still here.” She sat up a little straighter. “Well, and there’s Yating. That’s good.”

I smiled a little. “He’s taking care of you? You like him?”

“I don’t need taking care of,” she declared with a little pout. “But yeah, he’s been around a lot, and I like him. He’s been teaching me new games and talking about stuff.” There was a little smile on her face now. “Yating’s cool. Can he still be around like that when things are over?”

I blinked, then nodded. “Of course. He’ll be there for you for however long you want.” I ruffled her hair, pausing for a moment and pushing past my hesitation. “And you can call him ‘dad’, if you want.”

Her eyes widened a little, crinkling up with a smile. I read her look as ‘I get to have a dad?’.

That sent a stab of guilt through me. I tried to suppress it, but I had to force the smile on my face to stay. After all, I suspected the main reason Mother didn’t acknowledge her children’s fathers was my parentage. She’d tried to hide it and make people think Carston was my father as well. And making things official for only the two younger ones would have only made people wonder about my situation more. Like this, it was just how Mother did things.

“That’s great!” my little sister exclaimed. Her expression quickly fell once more, though. “And what about Al?” She chewed her lip. “He’s been angry.”

I suppressed a sigh. “Really? He hasn’t been mean to you, has he?”

“No, of course not! Big Brother wouldn’t do that. I know he’s not angry at me, just …” she trailed off and shrugged. “Maybe he needs a dad, too?”

I winced. It was a little unsettling how well my little sister saw through some things, while at the same time she was still a child, who didn’t really grasp some matters.

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy, An. It’s a good thought, though.” I ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry about your brother. He’s got stuff to deal with, like we all do, but he’ll come around.”

“Okay, Big Sister.” She cuddled back into me.

I smiled and just held her for a bit, enjoying her presence. Still, I could tell that despite her emotions, she was getting sleepy. She blinked a lot and I could sense some of the tension draining out of her. So I carefully guided her back into bed and pulled up the covers.

“Go to sleep now, Little An,” I said. “I’ll stay with you for a bit, okay?”

She nodded, then yawned.

Following an impulse, I started humming a gentle melody, a lullaby I vaguely remembered from Earth. My little sister seemed to like it. She cuddled deeper into the covers, and I listened as her breathing grew more even and deeper.

I stayed there for a while, even after I was sure that An had fallen asleep. Finally, I stood up, looking down at her for a moment longer. “I love you, little sister,” I said, then turned and quietly left the room.

I closed the door behind me, then exhaled and glanced around the corridor. I could sense that it was still night, a few hours after midnight, and life in the palace was as subdued as it ever got. Feeling a little calmer but still not very sleepy, I started walking. I made my way down the stairs and through the building, absently nodding at the few people I encountered. Then I crossed the courtyard and entered another building.

I hesitated at the door to the corridor leading to the shrine. For a moment, I considered going into it. Then I shook my head and turned, retracing my steps.

Outside, I jumped to a balcony, then flashed to a staircase, and made my way up until I reached the roof. I assumed a cultivating position and glanced up at the moon, half full tonight, before I closed my eyes and started cultivating. Rijoko’s presence had been almost absent the last few hours, but I could now feel it a little more clearly. I didn’t mind.

111: Contacts

The morning sun felt nice on my face, even though it promised to be a sweltering day later. Our location on one of the rooftop terraces of the palace offered privacy for our conversation, and gave me something else to look at. As I swept my gaze over the buildings below us, I considered how quickly they seemed to have returned to normal. But there were still scars and residue of the struggle, and one of them was the reason we were talking here.

“He was mentally influenced?” I repeated, glancing at Elia.

She wore a robe of a simple cut but good quality, and had her hair put back in a bun. There was a faint frown on her face, but otherwise she didn’t look much like she had during our journey on the Earth Continent.

“Yes, but only a little,” she replied. She still had an accent and she tended to speak a little slowly, as if she was looking for the right words, but her Common was excellent. “Enough to make him more susceptible to them, more likely to listen to and consider their words. But like I said, very subtle, and they didn’t manipulate his thoughts. The decisions he made were his decisions alone.”

Kariva nodded, her face unreadable as always. She was standing with her hands clasped behind her back, seemingly content to let me talk this out with Elia.

I sighed. “I see. And you’re sure Carston didn’t influence Mother?”

“Of course he influenced her, just not with qi.” Elia shrugged. “Sorry. But he knew her well, they were together for years. He knew how to play on her emotions for him. No offense, my lady.”

“I told you, no need to be formal. Anyway, how did he know Isuro’s name?”

“The Zarian Security Director told him.” Elia pulled a face. “Maybe they wanted him to feel like he was being trusted. I don’t know.”

I made a mental note of that. Kariva had given me pages of transcription and analysis of their interrogation, but I hadn’t had the chance to read through all of them yet. I’d do that later.

“Are you going to kill him, Inaris?” Elia asked. She ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t mind helping you with this, he’s a bastard and I know this is important, but I’d rather not do this sort of thing again.”

“Of course, Elia.” I smiled at her. “I appreciate your help. I’m sorry that I’ve been using you, with Hajake and Carston. If you like, I can start giving you pointers on shapeshifting now.”

“Maybe in a few minutes?” Kariva cut in. “There are a few other things I’d like to discuss with Inaris, since we’re here.”

“Of course. I’ll be outside.” Elia gave her a tight smile, then me a slightly more genuine one, before she left.

I turned to Kariva, noting that she’d used my first name. She walked a step closer and leaned against the balustrade.

“I’ve read the reports on your talks with the traitor Wei, before you crushed their stronghold,” she began. “You should know, Wei Min was one of my best men. Loyal as they come. I never let his name get in the way.” She shook her head. “Well, he’s not dead. I do have a few assets in the Zarian Dominion. He’s a prisoner there, currently on the way to one of the cities in their heartland.”

I raised an eyebrow. Really? Now that’s interesting. After a moment of thought, I asked, “Do you think they’re blackmailing the Wei? Got his father or uncle to switch sides in order to save him?”

Kariva frowned, then shook her head. “It’s possible, my lady. But we’d be speculating, and it’s just as possible they really do think he’s dead. I don’t have enough information for a good guess.”

“Right.”

We fell silent for a bit, until she stirred. “What will you do about it?”

I hesitated, scratching my cheek, before I came to a decision. “You arranged things with Ming Li, the so-called Black Knife, didn’t you? Let’s hire him again, to get Wei Min.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I can do that. It’s not going to be cheap, but we certainly have the budget. If you’re sure?”

“Why not? It offers us new options on dealing with the traitors. And if he fails, it’s not much of a loss.”

Kariva smiled slightly. “Quite right, my lady. I’ll see to it. I’m sure the man is still around somewhere in the Empire, but it could take a while.”

I nodded. It didn’t look like this conflict would be over in a day, anyway.

“So, about Carston?”

I turned and looked at the palace below us for a bit, gathering my thoughts and listening for any fervent objections from my conscience, or whatever passed as one. Unsurprisingly, it was pretty silent in my head. After a moment, I turned back to Kariva. “Yes. He has to die. Prepare the necessary documents. Or better yet, a genuine trial. This needs to be legitimate and proper justice.”

Kariva smiled and inclined her head. “Yes, my princess.”

“Don’t tell Al he was influenced, however slightly it might have been,” I added. “That might just sow doubts.” I considered for a moment. “And don’t have it be done in my Mother’s name. I know justice is carried out in the Empress’ name by tradition, but I’ll shoulder this one. Or maybe Kiyanu.” Not that it really mattered, but I thought having Mother be even officially responsible for killing her lover wasn’t necessary.

“Of course. I’ll arrange it.”

“Good. Then, if that’s all, I’ll go talk to Elia.”

Kariva nodded and let me go. I quickly departed the terrace, looking for the young woman from the Earth Continent. After a moment, I found her in one of the upper courtyards, and quickly made my way down to join her. Aston and a few other guards shadowed me.

Elia turned around as I arrived, raising an eyebrow. The flowers planted around the path still looked a little battered, and I could hear the noise of the palace drifting on the wind, but it was a reasonably private space.

“Thanks for waiting,” I said. “How have you been?”

She shrugged. “Can’t complain. Things have been pretty interesting, at least. And your friends are nice.”

I smiled. “That’s good to hear. Sorry, but I don’t have much time these days, so let’s get straight to it, if that’s alright.”

She looked at me for a moment and nodded. “Of course.” With anyone else, they might have been offended or felt condescended to, but I got the feeling that Elia could see I was just being honest.

“Great. The thing about shapeshifting, at least for me, is that it’s pretty instinctive. Like any skill, it takes practice to get used to it and to get better at it. It also helps if you have anatomical knowledge and a clear idea of what you want to do. You don’t need to know all the details, things will work themselves out to some degree. But when in doubt, it’s better to be specific.”

Elia nodded attentively. I wondered for a moment if she knew more about how things worked, where the knowledge came from. Was it the qi of our Greater Spirit ancestors? But I dismissed these thoughts. I shouldn’t get sidetracked here.

“Consistent practice is good,” I continued. “You should spend some time every day working on it. And try different shapes. You may find some are easier than others, even when it’s not always obvious why. How about you try a few things and let me watch?”

She nodded and started looking off into the distance, clearly concentrating. I watched her aura and tried to see what she was doing. It wasn’t easy, but I got some idea of that. Well enough to give her a few hints, at least. I rolled my shoulders and settled in for a while of tutoring.

After about an hour, Elia’s focus was noticeably worsening, even though her ability had improved slightly. She even managed to grow functional gills, which worked in the ball of water I conjured to test it. I smiled and shook my head at the reminder of our daring escape and flight through Zarian territory.

We parted and I headed back up to the main palace building, noting the guards drawing closer around me. A little bird made of air qi fluttered down to me. I glanced around, then touched it. “Please head to the outer courtyard on the lower terrace, Inaris,” Kiyanu’s voice echoed from it. “We have an incoming airship from Terbekteri.”

I frowned a little, but turned around. I knew which location he meant. The path was clear, so I put on a bit of speed.

When I arrived, Kiyanu, Kariva, Gen and a few others were already waiting. I joined them, nodding at everyone. “Let’s hope it’s those reinforcements we were expecting.”

Kariva smiled faintly. “I fail to see how it could be anything else, Your Highness. Even with Prince Hajake’s … issue.”

They were close already, of course. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gathered. Probably Kiyanu hadn’t wanted to disturb us by calling me sooner, which I appreciated. It meant we didn’t have to wait long until I saw the approaching airship. I’d have liked to take out my telescope, but didn’t want to do that in front of everyone, so I just channeled a bit of qi into my eyes.

The airship was large, and had the crest of Terbekteri painted all along one of its walls. Little flags and banners flew from various parts of its body and even a small mast, which had to be an affectation. Not that I had room to judge, the Imperial airships I’d sometimes taken had been just as bad.

I waited with a modicum of patience until it set down, trying to analyze the crests it showed. I didn’t have much success, though, since I didn’t know enough about Terbekteri’s factions or internal politics. But Kajare was smiling, so I figured that was good enough. He showed up just in time, taking his place beside me, his fingers discreetly questing for my hand. I took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

In short order, the delegation debarked from the airship. They were all in a high stage of cultivation, and dressed like warriors, with quite a few openly carrying weapons.

Their leader, a middle-aged woman with graying hair pulled back in a bun and weatherbeaten skin, went to a knee in front of us. More precisely, aimed at me and Kajare.

“Your Highnesses. Your Grace.” She flicked her gaze in Kiyanu’s direction. “I bring news and aid from your kin and allies in the Kingdom of Terbekteri.”

I reached out and took the letter that had appeared in her hands. “Thank you, and please rise. All of you, I bid you welcome to the Empire of the Sky.”

Kiyanu stepped up beside me, so I unrolled the message and held it so he could read, as well. It was a short letter, mostly polite, formal phrases. Signed by my father-in-law. The message was clear enough; he’d sent these people to back our side and my claim to the throne in the brewing civil war. That’s more than we ever got against the Zarian in one spot, I noted. But I guess I can see why. It’s his son’s future and perhaps life at stake, and the whole alliance.

I smiled and watched as Kiyanu and the others welcomed them and started to lead them into the palace, idly wondering how they’d react to me cutting Hajake’s head off.

“Is something up?” Elia asked, gliding beside me as we walked into the palace. “You just had a spike of killing intent.”

I shook my head. “Thinking about Hajake and Jian.”

She raised an eyebrow. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

I didn’t even wonder how she knew what had happened. “Yes. I’m not some hero of stories who’ll chase revenge to the detriment of everything else. I can be patient. But they still need killing.”

By now, the others went on ahead. Tenira had fallen back and was walking beside me. She clicked her tongue. “It’s a good thing you are.”

Our plan was simple, at its core. Gather enough evidence to expose Hajake’s crimes, so the Terbekteri and their king would help or at least let us deal with him. I wasn’t as worried about Jian, since the Velisha were our vassals, and if need be, we could defeat them easily.

My thoughts were interrupted by the Terbekteri woman who’d spoken before slowing down. She glanced back, and I felt a hesitant touch on my mind, asking for permission to establish contact. Carefully, I checked my mental defenses, then accepted the telepathic contact.

‘Your Highness. Thank you for responding, and please forgive the circumspect contact. I have a private message for you from Her Highness, Princess Salira. She asks for an audience, and hopes that you may find a way to contact her discreetly. I stand ready to help if that is required.’

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the messenger, who was walking ahead of us now. ‘I have to admit I’m not very familiar with Terbekteri political factions, but I assume you’re working for Salira or her associates?’

There was a hint of amusement in her reply. ‘I serve Her Majesty, our queen. Salira’s mother. I suppose you could say they’re part of a faction.’

I really needed to get around to asking Kajare about this. From what I remembered, the current queen was his mother, too, like Salira’s. ‘I see. I’ll contact her. Thank you for passing the message.’

By now, we’d reached the palace and the welcome was winding down. The guests would be settled in and given some time to rest before we started the real work. I made sure that everything was going as intended, then took my leave. I didn’t have much time.

“I’m going to my room to catch a nap,” I said to Elia and Tenira. “See you later, okay?”

“Of course,” Tenira said. “Tell her hello from me.”

I sped up, putting some of my cultivator strength to use. The way from the guest wing to my quarters wasn’t very long, luckily. Once there, I paused and watched for a moment as the guards arranged themselves, Aston standing before my door. Then I took off my shoes and climbed into bed, closing my eyes.

It didn’t take me long to fall asleep. I didn’t waste time playing around with my dream, but cast my consciousness out, searching. Here, the distance to the Earth Continent hardly mattered. I focused on my memories of Salira, and searched for her among the many sleeping minds I could vaguely sense.

My hunch turned out to be correct, and she was indeed sleeping. It was night at her location, of course, but considering her cultivation, I suspected that she was doing it deliberately. I knocked on her mind with my consciousness, then slowly entered her dream.

It resolved into a scene of the winter garden in the fortress we’d first met, the plants and flowers seeming less colorful and vibrant in this dream replica, their details blurry and indistinct. Salira herself looked just like I remembered, only wearing a different dress, this one in black.

‘Did you know I could visit you in dreams?’ I asked.

Salira’s projection bowed deeply. ‘Luminous Princess. I wasn’t certain, but I had a hunch. I prayed for guidance in the Moon’s temple, and recalled how He watched over dreams.’

That wasn’t much of an answer, but I decided not to press the matter. Maybe it had just been a guess, or Rijoko had given her a subtle nudge, but I didn’t have any way to tell. ‘You wanted to talk to me? Has something important happened?’

Salira hesitated, and I could sense some of her trepidation and anxiety, covering a spark of anger. ‘Not quite, my lady. But I just learned some disturbing information. You may find it very upsetting, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure how to say this. It involves Hajake, that loathsome brother of mine.’

I raised a hand, cutting her off. ‘Is this about what happened at the Zarian fortress?’

She started. ‘Yes, my lady …’

‘So you found out about it.’    I pondered that for a moment. I’d been considering involving her in this, anyway. Though I’d left it to my friends and Tenira had decided not to, previously.

But now that was moot. ‘He tried to kill me, working with prince Jian of the Velisha. And nearly succeeded, too.’

Salira shook her head slowly. ‘You knew? I’m sorry, I didn’t think you did. I only overheard him mentioning it to one of his confidantes.’

Completely by accident, I’m sure.

I smiled at her. It seemed she’d come directly to me with it, which was a good sign. ‘Of course. We’ve been preparing to deal with him. How do you stand on this matter?’

‘He’s vile, but I never thought he’d go this far. I’m appalled. He’s betrayed family, committed sacrilege.’ She shook her head. ‘The only reason I didn’t go to Father with this is that I have no hard proof of anything. But I fear what else he may be up to. If you have a plan to deal with him, I’ll do whatever I can to be of service.’

I took a step closer and laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling again. ‘With your help, I’m sure we’ll be able to find justice, and eliminate the threat he poses.’

I was really glad I had a good relationship with my younger siblings.

112: Resolutions

Kariva found me at the exit to the building, falling into step with me after a short greeting. I glanced at her, noting that she still wore the same dark robe as yesterday and the day before, and wondered if I should say something about her taking care of herself. But I decided it wouldn’t help, and just nodded at her as I continued on my way. We were heading to yet another meeting, which Kiyanu had called to discuss our next steps in regards to the conspirators.

The way from the lab to the main palace building passed quickly, though as we walked through one of the tree-lined paths, I couldn’t help but glance northwest, to the small, secluded garden in the upper reaches.

Kariva followed my gaze. “I can’t decide if your decision to write ‘Dalcarston’ on the gravestone was petty or considerate.”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s both.” I wasn’t really sure myself, but it was the only thing I’d written on the gravestone. “I thought about adding something like ‘traitor’ — or ‘deadbeat dad’ — but that would just be unnecessary and maybe hurtful for Al.”

I couldn’t help but think back to the trial. It had been as fair as possible. We even got Carston the local version of a ‘public defense’ lawyer. To his credit, the man had done his best, but there wasn’t much he could do, with the weight of evidence against Carston. Mostly transcripts and recordings of him confessing. He was clearly guilty of high treason.

I’d hesitated, but in the end decided to attend, presided over the trial myself, and pronounced the verdict and sentence.

“It’s far better than most traitors get,” Kariva said. “But I know you’re doing it for Alaster, so he can go visit the grave, if he wants to, later.”

I nodded. The trial had been small, out of the public eye, with not many people in the room, since we didn’t want his betrayal to be public. All the right paperwork and such was done, though, and it was certainly a valid, legal ruling.

After the sentence was pronounced, they’d dragged him off into a side room. As I followed, I watched him struggle against his bonds, heavy shackles designed to drain his qi and restrict his freedom of movement. The two guards had pulled him along and pushed him onto the block. The sword used for the execution was a valuable artifact, made by a master smith and so sharp it could cut through even his qi enhanced body. Kariva had swung it herself. I didn’t know if that was just to make absolutely sure everything went correctly, or if she had anger of her own to work out because of his betrayal.

I shook my head as we reached the building and entered through the side entrance. It was the first time I’ve officially ordered someone’s death. It probably won’t be the last. Maybe that was why I’d wanted to make sure everything was in order.

“I’ve sent out Ming Li,” Kariva said, refocusing my attention on her. “He did stick around in the Empire, and was ready to take the job right away.” She frowned slightly. “He didn’t even haggle much, just said that he was happy to be of service to the Moon’s daughter.”

I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt on that point.

We reached the meeting room, and I greeted Kiyanu while waiting for the rest to arrive. As usual, there were generals Tsakan and Poteri, and a few other officers and officials. Tenira and Kajare had seats to either side of me. The large conference table in the well-appointed meeting room still left a few empty places, but that was normal, too.

Kiyanu rolled out a map and moved a few glowing markers of qi around. Not much changed. “This is our latest intelligence.”

I sighed, but didn’t join in as they started to discuss the recent changes and our options. The conspirators had scattered their forces, holding many different sites but without concentrating a large amount of troops in any one place. That made it hard to repeat our previous victory. And my innovations, which were still in development, would only be of limited use, too.

“The only real choice we have is to sweep over them one after the other,” Tenira said.

“At least the local forces can be of some help,” Kiyanu mused.

I hid a grimace. The local guards and garrisons of the army had, if they hadn’t been overwhelmed or switched sides, largely withdrawn from the areas. Especially in the regions that had been considered safe, and hadn’t had many troops stationed there. Not that I could blame them for deciding to retreat rather than commit to a fight they were doomed to lose.

“We managed to make contact with a few people in the local administrations,” Kariva added. “Although they tend to be watched carefully. The traitors still seem content to leave the local governments in place and handling the day-to-day administration.”

“Thank the spirits for small mercies,” Gen muttered, and I couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment.

I glanced at the map again, out of habit since I’d memorized it already. Our soldiers were largely finished mopping up resistance in the east, but the west and south remained. There were large swathes of land controlled by the uprising, as well as a number of other cities and towns.

“We should take the territories held by the Zun first,” I decided. Those were close to the Zarian, so we needed to secure them. Plus, I had the feeling they were playing a leadership role.

The officers nodded, and a chorus of agreement swept across the room.

After that, the meeting wound down. There were still a lot of things to sort out, though we didn’t finalize any plans yet. It would take a bit before we could leave on this campaign, if you could call it that.

After the meeting, I lingered behind, hoping to talk to Kiyanu. But he seemed preoccupied, and was gone as soon as he finished exchanging a few words with General Poteri. I sighed and left the room as well.

Out in the corridor, I stopped, finally focusing on what my senses had been telling me. A familiar presence was approaching. I started walking down the corridor, glancing around. Except for Aston and a few guards, the others had left already. I could sense Tenira heading in the direction of the lab, where I was going to join her.

But first, I turned my attention to Yarani and gave her a quick kiss. “It’s good to see you. Were you looking for me?”

She shrugged. “I was just wandering, but when I sensed your presence, I decided to take a look.”

I nodded and swept my senses out again. Then I tugged on Yarani’s sleeve and pulled her to the room one door over, which was empty but had a sliding door onto a large balcony. From here, we got a good view over part of the palace, as well as the mountains to the west.

Yarani put an arm around my shoulder, so I put one around her hips and drew her closer. This was the first time we’d been alone together since we’d both returned, I realized. Well, Aston and the guards were there but giving us some space.

“I missed you,” I admitted.

Yarani turned a bit so I could see her smile. “Thanks, Inaris. I missed you, too.” After a moment, the smile left her and she tightened her grip a little. “I missed you a lot. It was hard to stay behind while you were in danger.”

“I get that. I didn’t like leaving you so close to Hajake, either.”

She sighed a little and melted into my side more. For a while, we just stayed there, holding each other close and enjoying the view.

Then we started talking about inconsequential things. I described what I’d done on that island and before the coup, while she talked about her time on the Earth Continent and the journey. I could tell she was skipping over the bits related to the war, just focusing on funny moments with Lei or the others, progress in cultivation, and her daily life. It was nice just talking to her, hearing her voice and knowing that we’d both made it out safely and were together again. Even that my marriage to Kajare or the war hadn’t changed things.

After a while, I reluctantly loosened my hold on her. “I should get going.” I glanced at the lab building, just in time to watch Tenira come inside from the test airstrip.

Yarani clearly followed my gaze and raised an eyebrow. “You know, you should talk to Tenira.”

I cocked my head, feeling something in my chest tighten just a little. “What?”

She gave me a wry smile, then slapped my arm lightly. “I’m serious. I’ve seen you two pining for each other long enough.”

I blushed and ducked my head. I didn’t know it was that obvious. Then again, Yarani is close to us, especially me. And she’d said ‘you two’ and ‘each other’, which a part of my mind wanted to focus on with laser intensity.

“You’re right,” I finally mumbled. “You’re alright with that?”

She shrugged. “I like Tenira. She’s been very nice to me, even when she didn’t have to. And she fits. If you’re going to have another consort, I couldn’t think of anyone better. Besides …” she hesitated, then shrugged. “Let’s just say I don’t think of her as competition.”

I smiled, turned around so I was holding her properly, and gave her another kiss. One that made her melt into me and gasp for breath when I released her.

“I’ll be going then.” I paused for a moment. “Thank you, Yarani.”

I felt my body practically brimming with tension as I left the balcony and made my way through the building. Once I was outside, I started jogging, putting some of the energy to use. I had to make an effort to keep my face calm and composed. I caught Aston hiding a smirk when I glanced at the guards following me. For a moment, I wished I could just send them away, but I knew that was a bad idea. Still, it didn’t help the emotions churning in my guts, or the way my heartbeat had sped up. This time, I was determined to get things right. Have a proper, grown-up, mature talk with Tenira. Right.

I hurried through the lab, looking around. People glanced up at my entrance, but returned their gaze to whatever they were working on when they realized I was just passing through. Several half-constructed prototypes stood on the workbenches, and a blast of heat surged from one of the containment rooms as someone opened a door. Farther off, I noticed the sounds of tapping keys, and pens scratching on paper came from all over the building. But I focused on sensing Tenira’s presence, and made my way to her. When I arrived at the door to her office, I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment to focus, then knocked.

“It’s open!” she called. “Something the matter, Inaris?”

I walking in and carefully closed the door behind me, then glanced at her room. It was in perfect order, as always, with neatly stacked books and folders, and a new computer in one corner. Tenira stood up from behind her desk as I entered.

“Hi,” I said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ears. “Not really. Just wanted to talk to you.”

Her eyes widened a little. “Right. I said we should talk, didn’t I? Of course.”

I smiled a little and stepped further into the room. “How have you been, Tenira? Settled back in okay?”

She leaned back against her desk and shrugged. “Well, you know things have been crazy. I’m coping. At least everyone in my family is alright. I’m more worried about you. Beyond that, it’s nice to get back to working here.”

“Yes, it is,” I agreed. “It’s nice to have you all back. Even if I wish Lei was here.”

“Right,” she smiled. “I miss the little oaf.”

I chuckled. Only Tenira would call him that, considering he was taller than both of us and not exactly stupid.

We both fell silent for a moment, and I felt like it was getting awkward.

“I’m glad you didn’t take things personally,” she finally said. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Of course not.” I shook my head. “I know I said nothing needs to change between us, and I intend to hold myself to that. But I have to admit I can’t help but thinking … well, my feelings for you aren’t going away. That’s why I thought we should at least clear the air between us.”

Tenira exhaled audibly. “Of course. I understand. I know I should be more open with you.”

I hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. I think we both screwed things up a little. But we’ll work through this. I may be wrong, but I feel like there’s something between us. Something real. And we should address it.”

Tenira was silent for a moment, turning her gaze downward, before she nodded slightly. “You’re not wrong. I do feel strongly about you.”

I withdrew my hand, trying not to crowd her. “Can I ask you something? You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I get the feeling that the problem — no, not the problem. I feel like your issue is with the idea of sleeping with me. Is that right?”

She stiffened, and I could hear her breathing pick up slightly. She had trouble meeting my eyes. But finally, she replied, “Yes. You’re right. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.” I regarded her thoughtfully, trying to read her reaction. “Is it because I’m a girl and you prefer men? I didn’t get that impression, to be honest. Or because of … prior experiences?”

“Somewhat, but not really,” she said more to her hands, clasped in front of her, than to me. “I did have a … ‘bad experience’ during my soul journey. One that’s certainly making this harder. But even without that …” She sighed and seemed to hunch further in. “It’s just me. Even in my old life. I remember it only vaguely, but I do recall emotional moments, so I know what happened. I did try to get physically intimate, like everyone. Everything should have worked, it just …”

“Didn’t do anything for you?” I suggested.

She glanced up, her beautiful green eyes finally meeting mine, and I saw sadness in them. “Exactly. I just don’t really understand why people want it. And with what happened — I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel like I can do it. Or like forcing it would do any good in the long run.”

I nodded and gave her what I hoped was a gentle smile. “I sort of suspected that. Some people just don’t need or want to have sex. On Earth, it’s called being asexual, or ace. Sounds like that may fit you.”

Tenira’s eyes widened, and she seemed to forget to feel defensive, finally straightening up. “Really?”

“Yes.” I shrugged. “It’s a thing.” I suspected that she might feel like there was something wrong with her, so the best thing I could do was just be casually accepting and show that there wasn’t. I’d do my best, at least.

“Well, to be honest, that’s not what I expected you to say, Nari.” She laughed a little. “I didn’t think you’d be so unfazed.”

“Why?” I raised an eyebrow. “Tenira, most girls aren’t attracted to other girls. I’m not what they’d consider normal, and I wouldn’t call anyone else weird. Besides, your feelings are just as valid as anyone’s. It’s a matter of respect, isn’t it?”

“I suppose.” Her expression turned serious, and her eyes darkened again. “So, you understand why I can’t be with you?”

“Honestly, no.”

I recognized the shock and confusion in her eyes. “What? I thought …”

“Tenira.” I took a step closer again and touched her hand. “I think you misunderstand my intentions. Maybe I didn’t express my feelings clearly enough.” I took a deep breath, and couldn’t have looked away from her eyes if I’d wanted to. “I don’t just want your body, I want to be with you. I want to see you smile. I want to make you laugh. I want to give you a hug when you need one. I want to maybe cuddle with you if you’ll allow it.”

Her eyes widened, and she searched my face. “You mean that?”

“Yes,” I said with emphasis. “I don’t care if we don’t have sex. Well, no, of course I care, but I don’t mind. I would really like to sleep with you, but not if you don’t want to. I’d rather be with you than not, even if we never do more than hold hands. Far rather. I mean that.”

I watched a number of emotions flash across her face. She bit her lip, but was silent for a while, clearly thinking through everything. My heart galloped against my ribcage as I waited, clenching my fists, but I didn’t move.

Finally, she settled on a smile, and reached out to twine her hands with mine. “I’d love that.”

I felt like the weight of a building was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. A matching grin marched across my face, and I had to control the impulse to kiss her. She wants to be with me!

After a moment, Tenira shook her head, groaning softly. “Now I feel like an idiot.”

“They say better late than never,” I teased her. “But many people only think about relationships in terms of sex. I’ll take a wild guess that the culture of where you came from in your soul journey wasn’t like mine. I’m just glad you still want to be with me.” I hesitated. “You do want to be with me?” Suddenly, I needed to hear her say it.

Tenira smirked. “Yes, Nari, I want to be with you.”

“I’m really happy to hear that.”

Hesitantly, she moved closer, initiating a loose hug. “Me too.”

I tugged her a little closer and half-closed my eyes, breathing in her scent. She smelled like sunlight on a clear summer day, like sparks and a hint of ink and a flower I couldn’t name, but which might be my new favorite. I listened to her heartbeat, thudding reassuringly so close to me. Because I finally could, I reached out a hand to brush a strand of her hair away from her face, softly brushing her cheek. She smiled and moved into the touch a little.

“Say,” I began, hesitantly. “Would you like it if I kissed you?”

Tenira seemed to consider it for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Why don’t we find out?”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I moved in slowly, cupped her face with my right hand, then kissed her. The touch of her lips sent a jolt through me, but it was a soft kiss. Romantic, not sexual.

After I withdrew, Tenira’s cheeks were a little flushed, and she smiled at me. “I suppose that’s alright. We can do that again.”

Right now, I didn’t care about anything else. That moment could have lasted forever.

113: Field test

I held hands with Tenira as we stood on the airship’s deck, watching the landscape pass by below us. I still felt that faint, fluttery feeling in my stomach whenever my attention turned to that fact, and if I hadn’t been a cultivator, my facial muscles might have ached from smiling so much. It was probably a good thing no one else could see that, since we were heading into a war zone.

The thought sobered me up a little, and I glanced around. We’d already been in the air for a few hours, and would arrive at our destination soon. Two airships flew on either side of this one, carrying soldiers. The one I stood on was mostly for me and my companions, and the command staff. We’d had to leave most of the planes behind, though some would be ferried by ship to other destinations, and some did accompany us in the air.

Tenira pulled her hand away. I let it go and looked at her, then followed her gaze to the group of people approaching us. Yarani, Aston, and a few of the officers.

“We’re almost there, Your Highness,” Aston said. “Would you like to go over some plans again?”

“Fine.” I leaned against the railing and focused on what we were going to do here.

Going over the situation and our plans took long enough that the airship was in the process of setting down by the time we’d finished. I hopped over the railing, falling a few meters before hitting the ground and kicking up some dust. Aston and a few guards followed right away. I paused for Tenira and Yarani to catch up, then made my way through the camp being set up.

I noted the groups of soldiers preparing for battle and assembling several devices or formation arrays, but nothing really required my attention. From here, I couldn’t get a good look at our target, but I could make out the walls of the town rising only a short distance away. It was firmly in the hands of the conspirators, unfortunately. A dry, grassy plain spread around it, so at least there was room for battle. To one side, the ground rose up into the foot of a low mountain range. A river glittered in the fading sunlight, winding its way down the mountains and cutting through the plain ahead of us. I put on a bit of speed to hurry to the riverbank and take a good look. It had rained heavily over the last few days, and the river was carrying a lot of water, rushing along at a fast pace. Good.

“Let’s set up,” I said. “I’m curious to see how this is going to go.”

Tenira nodded and started taking tools from her storage ring. “Shame Lei isn’t here, but I’m curious, myself.”

Since we had prebuilt parts to work with, carried in storage rings, the setup went remarkably quickly. A few of the crafters we’d taken along had built these kinds of generators before, and quickly fit things together. The final product looked a bit like a typical watermill, if it wasn’t for all the wires. And the actual generator part, of course. Tenira and I double-checked that we got power without a problem. It actually put out a good wattage.

With the generator running, we started setting up the real experiment. I carefully arranged the formation plates with the help of the experts we’d taken along, then checked the casing. We’d assembled this before, in the palace, and they’d all weathered the transport undamaged.

Operation ray gun is on track. I grinned to myself.

At the core of the mechanism was an electrical lightbulb. Those were relatively simple, and they’d even known how to make one before I arrived. Waste heat might be an issue, and I certainly would have preferred LEDs, but we just didn’t have the technology to make those yet. Maybe a skilled cultivator could, if I got the right materials. But for now, this would do. The light it emitted was then put through several layers of the formation I’d designed to shift its wavelengths, as well as focus it to create a beam. It had worked out well in the palace testing grounds, and I was confident it would prove its worth in the field, as well.

“Okay, we’re ready,” I said, taking a step back.

“Just in time,” Aston said. He glanced at the camp, then at the town. “Everything is ready for the attack.”

Ru Lis stepped up to the weapon, adjusting the scope and letting her qi flare out to link with the formations. I would have preferred to do it myself, but no one wanted me near a barely-tested new weapon. We needed someone with great senses, precision and accuracy, so a high-stage cultivator was the natural pick.

“Good.” I took another step back, then circulated some qi to my eyes to sharpen my vision and get a better look at the town. “Let’s test their shielding.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I couldn’t see the radiation leaving the weapon, of course. With the speed of light, it crossed the distance to the town in moments. I waited for the shield above the town to become visible, but only saw the roofs of several houses bursting into flame. I sensed the guard cut off the attack immediately.

“Don’t they have a shield?” Tenira asked, eyes wide as she stared at the damage.

I frowned, scratching my cheek. “They must have. But this isn’t a physical attack, and there’s no qi involved. It’s just radiation. I doubt they have a shield tuned for it.” I shrugged. “I considered the possibility, but didn’t think it would actually happen.”

There was a moment of silence, before Yarani spoke up. “What now?”

“We can use this to drive them out,” I replied. “Then we’ll fight them the old-fashioned way. Ru Lis, take shots if you have opportunities, but be careful of friendly fire. And try not to damage the town too much or hit civilians.”

Ru Lis glanced at me for a moment, before she returned her gaze to her target. “Yes, my lady.”

She kept her fire high, mostly hitting the town wall and the roofs of the houses. It didn’t take long for cultivators to start ascending into the air. When they did, she switched targets and managed to hit a few of them, but couldn’t hold back their advance. Not that we wanted to.

Our own soldiers were ready for battle, and charged to meet the conspirators’ forces. Luckily, it was at a slight angle, so Ru Lis could still fire if she was careful. I watched with a familiar weight in my chest as the cultivators clashed in the field around the town while I paced up and down some distance from the raygun.

“It’s going well,” Yarani commented, stepping up beside me.

I nodded. With the new weapon threatening their base, our enemies obviously decided not to try and sit this out. Quite a few of them attempted to move in our direction, but the elites and guards held them off easily, at least for now.

“I admit I wasn’t sure why you’re so focused on this,” she continued. “I can see it’s effective, but honestly, it’s not that strong of an attack. Is it just your fondness for tinkering?”

I chuckled. “That’s part of it, yes. But I was actually thinking more of the big picture. I mean, this weapon relies on formations, but it doesn’t really use qi. At least, we could make a workable model that doesn’t. The main power source is electric, after all.” I sighed and lowered my voice as I continued. “I’ve been thinking of ways to make weapons using my knowledge and modern technology, that can close the gap to the power of qi and techniques.”

“I know that.” Yarani frowned sightly, a thoughtful look on her face. “Weapons that don’t rely on qi …”

She’s beginning to get it. I nodded. “Could be a game changer. After all, qi is essentially a limited resource. There’s only so much you can use for cultivation or formations. And there are very few real fighters compared to the population. But these weapons can potentially be used by anyone.”

Yarani winced, her eyes wide.

“Nari is thinking big.” Tenira came walking up to us, smiling grimly. “This is only one approach. You see the need for discretion.”

“Of course.” Yarani smiled at her. “Any help either of you need, I’ll be happy to help.”

The ground trembled faintly. Before we could continue the conversation, Aston called, “They’re trying to run.”

I turned my attention back to the battle, which had continued to rage and was now winding down. Already, medics were taking to the field in larger numbers, caring for the wounded.

I walked over to Aston. “The officers have this well in hand, but you can remind them I want all of the Zun captured.”

I continued to watch. The electromagnetic radiation released by the raygun was still too scattered for really long distances. It had been a pain getting it even this focused. But this battle clearly showed that we had a workable weapon, at least. Some more optimizing and I could see us rolling them out against the Zarian in larger numbers. If only they’d given us a few more years.

The aftermath of the battle took almost longer than the battle itself. As soon as Aston said it was safe, which was about half again the time I would have taken, I stepped on my flying sword and moved over the field of battle. Even with the guards swarming around us, I got a good look. The field was completely devastated, lined with great furrows, boulders, sheets of ice and even a bit of lava. Steam rose from it in large swathes, and a lot of dust had been kicked up. But by now, most of the wounded and dead had been moved off, and the approach to the town was clear. The conspirators’ qi shield had at least protected it from the effects of the battle.

After a few minutes of waiting, San Hashar came out of the town to greet my little party. She bowed. “Your Highness. The settlement is secure.”

“Thank you, San Hashar. Take me to whatever passed for their command center, please.”

We moved slowly, detouring around a few pieces of debris that had fallen onto the street. The houses were built mostly of stone, at least. Almost all windows were closed tightly, the shutters drawn closed. I couldn’t see a single person who wasn’t a soldier, although I could still sense them. Many had congregated in the more heavily fortified buildings.

“Were any civilians killed?” I asked.

San Hashar glanced at me and shook her head. “There were some injuries, my lady, but no fatalities.”

I exhaled, feeling some of my tension ebb. I didn’t comment on the bodies of enemy warriors that some soldiers were gathering. Later, I’d go over the reports of casualty numbers. At least the town was secured now.

In the center of town stood the Zun mansion, though its high walls and small windows showed it had once been intended as a castle. Most of them were shattered now, and the doors gaped open. I sensed that there were many fighters inside, and some familiar presences. While most of the town was almost deathly quiet, some sound spilled out from it still.

I followed San Hashar into the mansion, my girlfriends and guards escorting me. Inside, it looked mostly untouched. The tapestries and decorations stayed in their place, and if not for the subtle smell of blood and dust in the air, you wouldn’t know a battle had just been fought here. But that impression changed once she opened the door to the throne room. One entire wall was cracked, the plaster scattered over the ground along with bits of stonework. The ornate chair at the front had been toppled, and others lay in pieces across the room. In the center, a group of elites guarded several men kneeling on the ground.

“So much destruction,” Tenira mused, clicking her tongue. “Just because a clan didn’t like inevitable change.”

I snorted, striding forward to the prisoners. “I doubt Zun minded my new technology. Their clan was quick enough to try and take advantage of it. I rather suspect they intended on being the ones to profit from it after this conspiracy removed the Leri. Isn’t that right?”

I came to a stop in front of the prisoners, frowning as I looked them over. “Where’s Zun Chao?”

One of the younger men, probably in his thirties with a faint resemblance to the man I was looking for, lifted his head.

“The elder Zun Chao escaped, Your Highness,” San Hashar answered, her voice tight. “He flew soon after the battle started, and managed to escape our elites. We only have their Young Master, his grandson.”

I sighed. I’d really wanted to capture the old lord. His older brother had died in their rushed attempt to take the palace and kill Mother, slain by Kiyanu, but I didn’t doubt that he’d been running things. And was probably playing a major part in leading the conspiracy as a whole.

The younger Zun Chao smirked for a moment, before his face dropped back into an expressionless stare. I crossed my arms and glared down at him. I’d never liked his grandfather much, and this coup had only turned that dislike into low-key hate. The thought that he and General Wei, who’d barely been able to stand each other during the war against the nomads, had teamed up for this betrayal still rankled.

“You,” I addressed the man. “Do you know what your grandfather is planning?”

He shook his head, but dropped his gaze to the floor. “Would there be any point in claiming that I wasn’t involved in any of this, Your Highness?”

Probably not. But he was only in the fifth stage, and we did have interrogators skilled in telling the truth from a lie.

“Make sure they’re all properly secured,” I said to San Hashar. “Kariva will want to interrogate them. Then they’ll stand trial.” I paused. “And probably be executed.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” She paused and turned her head to the side, where there was a door set into the wall. “There’s something else we found that you should see.”

I turned away from the prisoners, watching with interest as I sensed a few presences approaching. Two were soldiers, and one felt familiar, although it was quite weak. Beside me, I heard Aston shift just a bit, while Tenira and Yarani were simply watching everything.

Then I sucked in a breath as I recognized the man the two soldiers carried into the room. He was bound with heavy metallic shackles and ankle-cuffs that glowed with qi in the shape of formations and drained his own qi. His eyes moved sluggishly, and judging by his movements, he might be drugged. They dropped him onto this knees before us.

“Suaki?” Tenira took a step closer, then stopped.

I shook my head. I knew he’d disappeared from the university around the same time as the coup, but with everything else going on, I hadn’t thought about this apparent betrayal much.

“Well, get the shackles off!” I told no one in particular. “And a healer.”

The soldiers hurried to comply, and one of my guards stepped forward. I watched as she used a nature affinity technique that brought a bit of vitality back to the scholar. Suaki blinked and glanced around, but quickly focused.

“Your Highness.” He dropped forward to the ground and kissed my shoe, then returned to a kneeling position.

I cleared my throat, hoping my embarrassment didn’t show. “Rise, Expert Suaki. I take it you didn’t go along with their treason.”

He stood up and shook his head. “My family may have served clan Zun, but I’m loyal to the Empire, my lady. They wanted my expertise with the new technology. When Zun Chao must have realized that I wasn’t going to go along with them, he took me by force.”

I nodded. “Well, your loyalty is laudable. I could use your help with our new projects.”

He could still be a plant, but I didn’t think so. Kariva or her people would no doubt check him, anyway.

Suaki smiled and bowed his head. “I’d be happy to provide what assistance I can. Although I’d also like to get back to the university.”

“Of course.”

I glanced at the prisoners from the clan, who other soldiers were escorting out of the room at the moment. It’s nice to see that at least some people are loyal to Mother and our dynasty. Though I knew that thought was unfair.

114: Connections and preparations

I sighed and shook out my hand as if I’d done heavy labor as I walked through the corridor of the base’s command center, taking a turn into a small garden. This used to be the mansion of the local lord, before he’d been killed fighting for the conspirators. At least it meant there was some color and life here, besides the bustle of cultivators managing the campaign.

“I don’t know why I even bother,” I grumbled. “Things were fine before.”

Tenira grinned. “You didn’t have to start with it. You could just say no. Of course, that might not be good for morale.”

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Bless one person and suddenly everyone wants me to touch them …”

She chuckled, and after a second I joined in. Although I was only half joking. Soldiers asking me to bless them in Rijoko’s name was happening more often, and I didn’t like it. Of course, I generally obliged them, anyway.

I didn’t know for sure whether it did anything. I hadn’t sensed any qi activity, but for all I knew Rijoko might actually be marking them. I didn’t even know if he ever listened to, or answered, any prayers.

I’d really like to test that. But if I was to design and conduct an experiment, he would know and might mess with it on purpose. Turns out religion is even harder for science when you have a psychic link to a spirit. Who knew?

I shook my head and returned my attention to the present. Tenira’s hand was questing for mine again, so I grabbed it and pulled her in for a short kiss. She smiled at me and pushed me onto a garden bench, snuggling into my side. Ever since we’d finally worked things out a few days ago, she’d been quite enthusiastic about kissing and cuddling.

“Is it wrong that I’m happy,” she asked, her thought seemingly going in the same direction, “in the middle of a war like this?”

“Would you being unhappy make things better?” I pulled her a little closer. “There’s nothing wrong with seizing happiness where you can. And you’ve definitely brightened my days a lot, even with all the annoyance of fighting the conspirators.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t look like the fighting would end soon. After our repeated victories, they’d gone to ground even farther. Many of their fighters had almost disappeared, doing their best to melt into the civilian population of the areas they’d previously seized. It made it hard to clear them, and even harder to strike another decisive blow against the insurgents. Especially since their leadership stayed on the move a lot.

“Yarani’s coming back,” Tenira said after a minute. She pulled back a little, facing me. “You haven’t spent much time with her lately. Or even with Kajare before our departure.”

I cocked my head. I didn’t think she was really talking about me just spending time with them. “To be honest, I wanted to wait and talk to you, make sure I know where I stand.”

She frowned a little. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t want to keep you from them.”

“So you don’t mind sharing me? Well, not sharing in that sense. But, you know … You don’t mind if I sleep with them?”

Tenira shook her head. “No. I can’t say I like the idea, but it doesn’t really bother me. I want you to be happy, Nari. Just because I don’t need that sort of thing doesn’t mean you don’t, and I’d feel bad if you were denying yourself for me. Not to mention that they were with you before me.”

I considered her for a moment. “You’re sure you really don’t mind?”

“Of course. They can give you what I can’t. And I actually like both of them. Especially Yarani.” She paused for a moment. “How about this. You promise me that if you ever want to have another consort, I’ll be involved in that decision?”

I smiled and kissed her cheek. “Of course. I promise. And the same for you?”

She snorted. “I’m not likely to fall for someone else, but certainly.”

I grinned. “For someone else, huh?”

Tenira blushed a little. Then she returned my grin. “I stand by what I said.”

This time, it was my turn to blush, but I gathered myself quickly. “That’s good, since I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, Tenira.”

We kissed again.

Then we cuddled and talked about less important things, like how our projects were going. Suaki’s assistance was helpful, especially with streamlining the formations we used. Here, in the middle of a war camp, we couldn’t do much practical work, anyway. Most of the team was still back in the palace, and it wasn’t like we had the Internet to facilitate communications, but we made some small progress.

Finally, I sighed and sat back against the backrest of the bench. “It’s almost time for my meeting with Salira.”

Tenira nodded. “Do you want to stay here?”

“Sure, why not?” I took her hand again and gave it a squeeze. “You can watch me in my sleep if you want, though if you want to leave, don’t feel like you have to stay. Aston and the others will take care of me.”

“I’m a little curious if I can sense what happens when you cast your mind out like that, actually. Or if I can sense something.”

I smiled. “Okay. Tell me if you catch anything.”

Then I closed my eyes and exhaled. I had to consciously make myself relax, and not think about the fact that people might be able to see me sleeping or that Tenira was watching. But this was nice, too, and I didn’t want to get up and cut our time together short. So I just focused on the flow of my qi and let myself slowly drift into sleep.

Once I was asleep, I took a moment to get a sense for the sleeping minds near me, then cast my senses out farther. I knew where Salira was, at least roughly, and remembered the feel of her mind well, so it didn’t take long to reach her. She must have been waiting for me, as her mind yielded to my entrance easily and let my consciousness into her dream. It resolved into sharper focus.

‘Salira,’ I greeted her, making sure my visualization of my body was working properly.

She bowed. ‘Princess Inaris.’

Our dream-selves were standing in a room packed with bookshelves, perhaps a library. There was a table with several open books in front of her, and I wondered if she’d actually fallen asleep here.

‘If Hajake calls me Sister, you can do the same,’ I told her with some amusement. ‘No need to stand on formality. How have you been?’

She smiled. ‘Of course, Sister Inaris. I’ve been well, thank you for asking. The war is going reasonably well here. I imagine the Zarian’s attention is elsewhere. I’ve heard they’re pushing you heavily?’

I sighed. ‘Yes, unfortunately. We barely manage to erect new defensive lines in time for the fighting to reach them. I fear Blue Valley City won’t hold out for much longer. All the more reason to deal with enemies in our own lands quickly.’

‘I can imagine that’s not easy. And I’d like nothing more than to deal with Hajake, but I’m afraid rushing things would cost us.’

I sat down in one of the chairs, although I couldn’t really feel it. ‘Yes, you’re right about that. Have you found out anything more?’

She shook her head. ‘A few more details, but nothing truly important. I’m beginning to get a good idea of his network of allies and supporters, as well as which government officials he might have corrupted, but there’s little to act on.’

I nodded. That was to be expected.

‘I’ve also built up my own support,’ she continued. ‘Of course, it’s made harder by the fact that I’m still on the Earth Continent. Mother is helping, but I don’t think telling her everything would be a good idea, so I have to move carefully with her, as well.’

I’d have to trust that Salira knew what she was doing in that regard. ‘Can I help with that?’ I asked. ‘If there are certain people you would like me to contact, I could. I might also take a look at the sleeping minds of our enemies, though that sort of approach needs to be handled with caution and a good dose of skepticism.’

Her face brightened. ‘Oh, yes. That would help quite a bit.’

We talked for a while longer, while she provided me details on important figures or circumstances, and explained possible targets. She was quite methodical, and I had a decently-sized list once she finished.

‘It was good talking to you,’ I finally concluded. ‘I’ll look forward to seeing you in person again.’

Salira smiled. ‘The same goes for me, Sister.’

I nodded at her, then extracted myself from her dream, casting my mind and my senses out again.

Unfortunately, my plan turned out to be harder than I had expected. I hadn’t met most of these people personally, so trying to find their minds in my dreaming state was quite a challenge. It didn’t help that I knew few of them would be asleep. I’d have to check back periodically over the next while, but I would still do what I could now.

I managed to find a few sleeping minds that fit, carefully brushing over their dreams to get an idea of their identities and the dreams’ contents. Then I reached out to influence them, careful to keep it subtle, and inserted my own mind into the dreams in order to reach the dreamers.

Those I contacted in this way were pretty surprised, but they adjusted quickly. Their dreams were blurry, and I could tell they thought this might just be a normal dream. None of them had a perfect memory, or any training in controlling their minds in such a situation. I talked with them for a bit, getting an idea of their status and their thoughts, before I left them to their sleep.

With those I wanted to covertly observe, I was a little more careful. I disliked the idea of invading their mental privacy like this, and I definitely wouldn’t stoop to attempting anything like actual mind control, even if I could. But I reminded myself that if they were working for Hajake in his schemes, they were my enemies, and every edge could help blunt the fallout of this confrontation.

The most notable one was one of the top generals of the Kingdom’s forces on the Earth Continent, who also happened to be from a prominent house. I gently brushed over his dream, trying to get an idea of what I was dealing with. His mental defenses were a little sharper than most, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Instead of entering it with my consciousness, I cautiously insinuated a thread of my mind into his dream, careful not to change anything or do something that would raise his suspicion. It was probably too paranoid, but I’d never done this before.

His dream was a chaotic swirling of images and sounds. He seemed to have a pretty visual mind, and the pictures dominated, resonating with surprising clarity and focus. I watched for a while, trying to puzzle out what his dream could tell me. There were a lot of clearly personal elements to it that didn’t mean much to me. I could only guess he had trouble with siblings or close friends, a dispute over hunting a spirit beast. Unless that was just an invention of the dream. But Hajake also featured in the dream, and it seemed to get darker and more shadowy when he did. I watched glimpses of hushed conversations in dark corners, perhaps memories, perhaps allegories of the secretive nature of their collaboration. The maps and faces of other people that came up with it gave me some clues to their plans, and who else might be involved.

After a while, I judged that I’d seen all I was going to, and exited the dream again. That wasn’t a total waste, but nothing I could really bring to Salira. I’d sharpened my skills, but didn’t have much concrete information to show for it. Still, I didn’t want to wake up yet.

When I scanned again, I startled as I recognized someone else who’d just gone to sleep. Prince Jian of the Velisha. I carefully reached out to his mind, trying to analyze it.

His mental defenses were quite good. I didn’t get any of the content of his dream, and I had to keep my mental touch light for fear of calling his attention to me. I retreated for a moment and considered what I was sensing more deeply. His cultivation wasn’t that high, and his defense seemed suspiciously good. I braced myself and reached out again, very carefully, trying to get a better sense of what I was dealing with.

I caught a hint of foreign qi and knew immediately it wasn’t from a mortal. Isuro, perhaps? I paused and considered the sensations more deeply. Close, but it seemed more like Jideai himself. Interesting, and problematic. They’d definitely notice if I broke through. I hadn’t encountered something like this before, but it didn’t feel that strong, or like a direct boost to his strength. Some kind of protective blessing, most likely. To protect his mind, and perhaps a little more.

Well, it was a good thing that I had other options at my disposal.

I mentally retreated a little and searched for another familiar mind, happy to find him asleep, as well. Not stopping the sleep schedule we’d established paid off.

I reached out and pushed on his dream, waiting for him to recognize me and send a feeling of welcome, before I fully pulled my mind into the dream. My visualization appeared on a mountain peak I recognized as belonging to the Central Mountains, not too far from the palace, where Lei’s dream self had set up a blanket at a spot with a nice view.

‘Inaris!’ he greeted me cheerfully. ‘It’s good to see you again.’

I hugged him, then settled down beside him. ‘Likewise, Lei. How have you been?’

For a few minutes, we chatted about what we’d done and how things were going both in the Earth Continent and for me. The war didn’t seem to affect him much, although I noticed he spent less time talking about tech and more about the various people there.

‘So. To what do I owe the chance to bask in your presence, Luminous Princess?’ he asked with a grin.

I swatted at him. ‘It’s definitely not your overflowing charm, Lei. But, no, there’s something else.’

‘I’m all ears. Are we finally making a move against Hajake?’

‘No. Jian. I want you to go arrest him, on suspicion of treason. But don’t give them details.’

That would stir things up a little. Most people should assume it had something to do with the attempted coup, but it might startle his or Hajake’s associates. And I was getting a little tired of pussyfooting around.

Lei raised an eyebrow, searching my expression for a moment. ‘Inaris, did you talk about that with Kiyanu and Kariva?’

I pulled a face. ‘No?’ At his expression, I raised a hand in surrender. ‘Okay, you should wait a day longer, and I’ll consult with her.’ If nothing else, she could have agents in place who might need to know about this.

He nodded. ‘Of course, I can do it. The Velisha are our vassals, and not in a position to stop our elites, anyway.’ He paused, then prodded me, ‘So you’ll talk to Kariva. And Kiyanu?’

I shrugged. ‘I kind of thought it might be a good test …’

‘Inaris,’ Lei groaned. ‘You must have read too many bad dramas. Come on, you don’t want to slight your regent like that.’

I sighed. ‘Alright. You’re right. I’ll clear this with him.’ Then I brightened up and I grinned at Lei. ‘Good to see you’re not as bad at politics as you pretend, anyway.’

‘Hey now,’ he grumbled. ‘Don’t go ruining my reputation.’

I just winked at him. ‘No promises.’

115: Loyalty

I’d expected that Kiyanu would want to talk to me when I returned to the palace, though I didn’t think he’d be waiting for the airship personally. He stood before a few guards and younger people I recognized as his personal disciples, hands clasped behind his back and a serene expression on his face.

I glanced at Tenira and Yarani, gave them a tight smile, then jumped down just after the airship set down. This time, we’d landed on an actual landing pad on the ground, not too far from our research and development grounds. It was a cold morning, and the breeze blew a few strands of my hair over my face.

“Welcome back.” He inclined his head.

I bowed my head to him as well and smiled. “Thank you. It’s good to be back. There’s some things I wanted to take care of in regards to our new prototypes, but I suppose that can wait.”

Kiyanu nodded. “I’m sure your consorts can supervise things for a while. If you’d come with me?”

“Actually, could you give me a moment?” He’d just reminded me of something I should do.

He nodded again, so I turned around and stepped up to Tenira, who was about to leave with Yarani.

“Do you need me for something, Nari?” she asked.

“No, I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.” I cleared my throat. “I intend to publicly call you my consort, and act accordingly, unless you don’t want that.”

Yarani looked like she was suppressing a chuckle, while Tenira raised an eyebrow. After a moment, she smiled. “I have no objections.”

I resisted the urge to kiss her right here. “Great. We can discuss other arrangements later. I’d be happy to have you move into a suite beside my rooms, but we’ll talk about that another time.” I glanced at Yarani. “I hope you’re alright with all of this?”

“I don’t know, Inaris. Maybe I should ask for an expensive gift to mollify me?” She grinned when I rolled my eyes, before her expression turned serious. “Of course I’m alright with it. Now don’t keep the Lord Regent waiting any longer.”

I nodded and turned around, stepping back to join Kiyanu. He didn’t comment on the conversation he probably overheard, but offered me his arm. I took it, then had to close my eyes as the world seemed to blur around me.

It was a different feeling than when Mother had moved me around. I experienced more of a sensation of extreme acceleration and deceleration while the wind qi around me prickled against my skin. It was over quickly, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heartbeat, as I looked around. Kiyanu had brought me to his office. There were two guards in the corridor outside, but no one else in the room. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a few stacks of papers were laid out on the wooden desk. Kiyanu released me and settled down in an armchair beside the desk, so I chose the other chair close by to sit.

“I suppose you want to talk about what I told Lei to do about Jian?” I asked. We’d communicated about that with qi talismans, but that hadn’t allowed for an in-depth discussion.

Kiyanu quirked an eyebrow. “A good place to start. To be clear, Inaris, I know it was you Hajake and Jian harmed, and I’m happy to let you handle that matter. As long as I don’t think you’re making a mess of things.”

I sighed a little and leaned back. “Alright.”

“We already received word that Akilei has arrested Prince Jian,” he said. “Kariva is sending a few of her people to help with his interrogation. King Varis isn’t pleased, but hasn’t tried to interfere, so far.”

I nodded. That was what I’d expected. “He might react differently if we’re going to kill his son,” I noted. “But not punishing Jian isn’t an option, is it?”

Kiyanu grimaced. “It’s not a good situation either way, but you’re right. It’s better to have to crack down on the Velisha than let something like this go. We can’t let any of our vassals think they can just rebel, especially with the war.”

I sighed. Here’s hoping King Varis is smart enough to realize sacrificing Jian is his only option if he doesn’t want to lose everything.

I glanced around the office again, then refocused on Kiyanu, who was watching me calmly. I wasn’t surprised by him asserting his authority somewhat. In fact, he was being very permissive, letting me do a lot of things on my own.

“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Kiyanu?” I said.

“Of course, you can always ask.”

I tapped my finger on the chair’s armrest, before I noticed what I was doing and stopped it. “I know you’ve been a loyal supporter of Mother for a while. Why did you decide to serve her?” I didn’t think it was just because she was his monarch. And he didn’t seem all that ambitious, for someone in his position.

The eighth stager steepled his fingers and regarded me for a moment, a faint frown on his face. “A fair question, I suppose, and you deserve an honest answer,” he finally said. “My sense of loyalty to Acura goes beyond legal or religious duty, but is rather personal. It goes back to a rather unfortunate event several decades ago.”

“Oh?” I leaned forward slightly, my curiosity piqued.

“A sea dragon had surfaced from the depths, causing some problems with the coastal settlements and ships. I went out to fight it. Or them, I should say. It was perhaps the most challenging battle of my life. I’d only just recovered from the backlash of an improperly mastered technique, and I have to admit the battle did not go in my favor.” He sighed.

“Go on,” I urged.

“Drained and almost defeated, I met your mother on the coast. She was still crown princess back then, not quite ready to break through to the eighth stage. She’d been supervising evacuations, a task the fight didn’t make any easier. Well, she stepped in and challenged the beast herself, giving me the opportunity to recover.” He smiled a little. “She risked her life, leading them away from the coast and battling the sea dragon over the open ocean, and eventually killed them.”

I took a moment to process, making a mental note to check my research on sea dragon culture. It was a pretty good story. I wonder if that was before or after her soul journey? Probably before, from the sounds of it.

And I suppose now I know where the heart she traded to Rijoko came from. Kind of weird. I glanced at my storage ring, where I’d stored my spear. She’d told me that it was crafted from the bone of a sea dragon. Probably the same one she’d killed.

“That’s not quite what I expected to hear,” I admitted. I had my suspicions, but they went in a different direction.

Kiyanu smiled. “I wouldn’t have expected you to. Besides, your mother’s bravery and how she saved my life aren’t my only reasons, my lady. For example, I do wish to see our nation led into a brighter future by the daughter of the Moon.”

I stiffened, not sure how to respond to that. I settled on a nod. “I’ll endeavor to be worthy of your hope.” My voice was a bit tight.

“So long as your ambition matches it.” His gaze had grown a little more intense. “I’m sure you’ll make your mark on this world.”

I scoffed. “Who said my ambitions are limited to this planet?”

Kiyanu blinked, then raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

“I have more than enough time for technology to develop far beyond what you, or even I, have seen,” I said. “My old world started on space travel; I intend to get at least to another planet. Not that we know much about them, unfortunately.”

Those were long-term ideas, so I hadn’t spared them much attention so far. We did have some knowledge of astronomy, but I couldn’t even be sure of the geography of the local solar system. Still, that isn’t really important right now. Though I definitely want to check out this world’s moon. I suppressed a chuckle at the thought. Who knows, I might even meet my father.

Kiyanu shook his head lightly. “Right. Be that as it may, we’ll have to secure the Empire’s hold here first, and that means defeating the Zarian. Or perish.”

I sat up straighter. “Has something happened?”

He pulled a map marked with several tactical symbols from a stack onto the table’s surface, his expression grim. “Blue Valley City has fallen.”

He let the statement hang in the air for a bit. I winced. A cold hand clenched around my guts as I gazed at the map, noting the new markers placed on the city’s location, and how much our forces and defensive line had deteriorated. I shook off thoughts of the university I’d built ransacked by Zarian soldiers.

“How much did we lose?” I asked.

“A few cultivators in the red stage, more in lower stages.” He grimaced. “A few hundred civilians, perhaps more. The south’s economy will feel the blow, and if we aren’t careful, we could risk a famine. And the Zarian advance won’t stop there.”

I sighed and rubbed my temple. “We need to get our new weapons finished and into production. And maybe we should see if we can get reinforcements from the Earth Continent, or the Terbekteri. Those the King sent already aren’t doing us much good at the moment, maybe we should send them south.”

Kiyanu shook his head. “We need to defeat this rebellion quickly. The Zarian will make us pay for it if our focus remains split.”

“Sure. I don’t suppose you have a brilliant plan to help us win against them quickly?”

“Well,” he leaned back in his chair, “there’s your brilliant plan to use the Wei scion against his clan. We actually got word from Ming Li updating us that he’d retrieved his target and is on his way back. They could arrive at any moment.”

I blinked, then smiled at the news. “That was quick. Though I suppose they were still in the process of moving him and wouldn’t have guarded him as closely as Carston.”

“We did send him out a while ago. Now, would you look over some other matters?”

He pushed a few papers at me, and I started reading them. Most of them had to do with the administration of the Empire and related matters. He’d made a few decrees and proclaimed several rulings, all of which seemed sensible to me. We spent some time going over them. I was glad he was running things by me. Although I couldn’t help but suspect that he was trying to take over for Mother, in a way, and teach me. And the worst thing is I probably need it.

We were on it for about an hour, before a knock on the door interrupted us. After Kiyanu’s invitation, Aston poked his head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, my lord, my lady. Lady Kariva has sent word that ‘the assassin and his package’ have arrived at the palace.”

I quickly stood up. “Good. Escort me there, Aston. It was good talking to you, Kiyanu.”

He nodded, but stayed seated, seemingly content to let me handle this, as well. I gave him a brief smile before I turned and left.

As I followed Aston through the building, I focused on my senses, trying to get a feel for the state of the palace. Nothing really stood out to me. But I felt a strong presence I recognized as Ming Li, in the company of Kariva and a few other people. Aston led me there directly and at a quick pace.

It seemed they’d arrived with an airship, considering the direction they were coming from. I decided to wait close to the palace’s side entrance, which was almost deserted at the moment. A few seconds later, the group arrived.

Ming Li bowed with a flourish. “Ah, Imperial Princess Inaris. Such a pleasure to see you again.”

“Ming Li.” I smiled at him. “Thank you. I’d like to talk to you later. Would you like to stay at the palace as our guest for a while?”

He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “With pleasure, my lady. You can come talk to me at any time.”

I turned my attention to our other guest, Wei Min. He looked like he’d lost two or three kilos since I’d last seen him, and his expression was far darker. He smelled like dust and grime, though beneath that I could still smell a hint of smoke and something like pine leaves. I’d call fire and nature affinity qi a rather unfortunate pairing, but he seemed to do well enough with it. Now that I actually focused on him, there was something else, maybe a faint resemblance, but I didn’t know to what.

“Let’s go somewhere we can talk,” I said.

One of my guards split off to lead Ming Li away, while the rest of us followed Kariva across the courtyard and past a few buildings. After a moment, I realized she was guiding us to the building she and her agents had worked out of after the coup. They seemed to have appropriated it, and I suspected the new arrangement would be official soon, if it wasn’t already, but I didn’t say anything.

Once inside, she led us into a conference room with a computer and several locked cupboards, and released a pulse of qi. I sensed enchantments woven into the walls and ceiling come alive, effectively sealing off the room. They were quite interesting, and I watched the process for a moment, taking note of some arrangements I hadn’t seen before.

When I turned back to the others, Wei had fallen to his knees. He pressed his forehead to the ground. “Imperial Princess. This one is honored to meet you again, and cannot express the depths of his gratitude for the rescue.”

“Rise, Wei Min,” I said. “And there’s no need to be so formal.”

He stood up, glancing from me to Kariva, whose face might as well have been carved from stone. Clearly, he felt that the atmosphere was not very friendly.

“Do you know why we have you here?” Kariva asked. Nothing in her tone indicated that he was one of her favorite subordinates.

“No, my lady.” He shook his head and bit his lip. “The Adzurian mercenary you hired told me some story, but surely he was just messing with me.”

Neither of us answered right away. As the moment of silence stretched on, he visibly deflated. I wouldn’t want to switch places with him. His own family betrayed the people he’s been working for.

“I’m afraid it’s likely true. The Wei clan were part of an attempt to take my Mother’s life and the throne,” I explained, keeping my voice gentle. “Their initial attack failed, but the fighting is still ongoing, though we’ve been winning against the traitors.”

He clenched his hands into fists, his face turning pale and red in blotches. I could tell he’d been afraid of that, he just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

“How could they?” he exclaimed. Then he bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. This is hard for me to grasp.”

“I don’t believe you were involved,” I said. “Especially since you were in captivity at the time. But you have to understand that there is some suspicion.”

“Especially considering they claimed to be acting for you,” Kariva added.

Wei Min ground his teeth, then bowed. “Of course. I had nothing to do with any such plot. but I will gladly submit to whatever questioning you deem necessary.”

I didn’t think he was lying, and judging from the way Kariva let a little sigh slip out, she shared my opinion.

“The question is, Wei Min,” I said slowly, stepping forward. “Where do your loyalties lie? With your family, or your oaths?”

He took a step back and sank to his knees again. “With you, Your Highness. My loyalty will always be to the Empire. And its rightful Empress.” He swallowed hard. “If my clan abandoned this duty, then their fate is sealed, and I will not hesitate to see them punished for it.”

I suppressed a sigh. This left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, even if it was good for me, pragmatically speaking. But I didn’t let this show as I reached out a hand and helped Wei Min to his feet.

“Good,” I said. “Your devotion to your principles is admirable. What’s coming will be hard for you, I think, but you are helping the Empire.”

Kariva smiled. “It’s good to have you back, Wei.”

116: Reverse-Reverse Reincar-tater

Darkness enveloped me like a fine satin sheet. A familiar feeling. It felt like heaviness tinted in red, the darkness behind closed eyelids in a dim lit room. Yet, I felt like the world smelled wrong.

The odor of fresh wet earth filled my nostrils. I wanted to stretch my arms to escape the darkness but noticed that nothing moved. I tried my legs, but the result was the same. Strange. I remember talking with Wei Min about where his loyalties lay. Afterwards, I went to bed, pretty sure with all limbs intact. If they had been severed by a Zarian Assassin, then I certainly would have noticed.

Remembering the principles of cultivation, I took a deep breath to focus my energy on moving my right arm. After a long minute of concentration, it worked! I regained the feeling, but it felt like I was moving through thick water. Every movement felt sluggish, and it left me exhausted. Weird. I didn't remember being out of shape.

A short break later I repeated these steps until I regained control over all of my four limbs. Finally! Time to remove this annoying darkness and breath some sunlight. I labored through much resistance until I finally escaped. The light didn't show me my luxurious bed though, no. I was among giant plants. Only through the grace of the sun was I able to determine what I escaped were not layers of sheets but loose earth. Well, that explained the smell at least.

Wondering how bad my nails must look, I checked my hands only to notice they were gone. In their stead were thick roots. What the hell!? Luckily, a puddle of water was to the left of me.

This must be a dream. Yes, this could not be real.

I took a careful look in the reflecting water.

My previous silky blonde hair turned to a green-ish stubble. The long pale legs of mine, that every girl of the empire envied, morphed into purple hairy prongs of bulbous veg. Sword-wielding heroes would have cut them down if they would see them on any person, but I was no longer a person. My jade-like skin changed into a yellow taint with the occasional brown-black markings that were typical for a potato. Yes, there was no doubt. I was reborn as a tater.

This is impossible! I thought I finally found my destiny. I thought my time on earth was only a soul journey. I thought it was my final life. But no, I was reborn again. But this time, not as a cultivating beautiful princess, no. This time, it was I who was being cultivated.

No, wait! Being cultivated does not mean automatically that I cannot cultivate. I mean, a sentient root vegetable should defy all reason anyway, so there shouldn't be an issue. Yes! My life was not doomed, yet!

With new hope in mind, I planted my behind on the cold ground and started to meditate. On my previous body, only the intricate blood vessels and my Dantian were glowing with power, but this time, literally all of me was glowing with life force. That made sense. I was, after all, a bundle of carbohydrates. Nutritious and full of energy. Well, I already sprouted, so I couldn't say I was particularly healthy anymore, but that was beside the point. I had to focus my qi.

After concentrating for a while, I sensed another change. This time, no new limb sprouted, but I got bigger. While I had nothing nearby to compare my size to, I was sure that I nearly doubled my size.

That was not exactly what I wanted to do, but it was nice to know that I still had some form of agency. I couldn't imagine being peeled alive. But, even worse were the thoughts of being cut into pieces and then being fried in high-temperature vegetable oil. Death would untether me from this existence, but I still preferred not to end up like a freedom fry. I shuddered.

A voice awoke me from my day-mare. "You're back!"

Wait, what? A voice? Could it be one of the humans working the fields?

I looked around. All I saw were presumably potato plants. Their green leaves stretched all across the horizon in whatever direction I looked. The puddle to the left of me reflected only my poor visage. Or something I interpreted as a human-like face. Funnily enough, two potato eyes appeared to work like real eyes, but I couldn’t say for sure.

"Down here!" The voice sounded again. This time, I looked toward my feet--pardon, towards my roots, and I spotted another potato wriggling itself out of the ground. I would have jumped or at least startled, but being a potato robbed me of all my facial expressions, so I was forced to fall over to communicate my displeasure.

"What are you doing, Your Highness? Don't you remember where you are?"

Wait, ‘Your Highness?’ Wait, what? I hesitated for a moment. But, they obviously knew something, and trying to bluff would be useless. “No.”

The strange potato shook. “Do you remember who you are?”

I scratched my starchy skin. “Yes, but I shouldn’t be here …” I trailed off. Did I really know who I was, waking up in a strange vegetable?

Then, I bolted upright. What language are we even speaking? I didn’t know. At least, I could clearly understand and even speak it, but I didn’t know its name. It wasn’t any I’d heard before. I didn't even know that plants could speak!

“Weirdo,” said the potato from below. “Follow me, Your Highness! We don’t have much time!”

“Why? What is happening? And where are we going?” I asked, but the stern-looking stranger was busily churning the earth with eerie speed. No matter. It appeared I was royalty in this world as well, so things should proceed smoothly from here on.

I followed the tuber deep into the earth until we arrived at an underground sanctum. It was rather spacious. At least six potatoes high and a dozen potatoes wide. In the middle stood a throne made out of mice hides. On every corner stood a bulky sweet potato equipped with a toothpick as a weapon and a bottle cap as a buckler.

Never did I imagine that I ever would be scared of root vegetables, but here I was. Even those handsome fellas paid respect to the bright violet potato who occupied the macabre throne. At first, I thought it wore a crown, but no, its roots grew in the shape of a crown which gave it the appearance of authority.

"Welcome back, my child," said the ruler of roots magnanimously, but I couldn't say for sure because it had neither facial expressions nor gestures I could interpret.

"Welcome back?" I repeated.

"I see confusion in your spots, my child."

No shit. Turning into a potato without any warning would confuse anyone.

"Y-yes!" I stuttered, "I went to bed as a human and woke up--well, in this form. This couldn't be a dream either, for I have the ability to manipulate the dream world. So, tell me, who are you? And most importantly, who am I?"

The monarch of carbs giggled in delight. Even the four thick guards joined in a low baritone chuckle.

"I'm the empress of the Potato Empire and you, my child, are the princess and the heir to it!"

I knew it! Yes, at least princess again!

The excited empress continued, "I would love to take the time to explain everything to you. Like the soul journey you did, but alas, there is no time. We are currently under attack."

"Attack!? Who would dare to go against the Potato Empire?" I asked in shock.

I imagined she would have squinted if she could. "The Carrot Kingdom."

"Why would these lesser vegetables use their forces to go against us? Wouldn't it be smarter for us to unite against shared enemies? Like humans, bugs, mice, and birds?" I asked with sincere interest.

"We do not have the power to go against the humans, sadly. All we can do is to hurt them in small ways. Make them slip if they try to peel us or sprout faster than they expect to slowly but surely poison them." The Empress sighed. "The other demonic beasts pose no danger. Concerning the birds, do not mention them. The birds are our friends. No, the birds are everybody's friend. Remember that."

I nodded while remembering all the chicken I ever ate.

"I'd love to chat more with you, my child, but it is time for war!" she yelled while wielding her own toothpick. She then unceremoniously rolled down her throne and started to wiggle towards the surface. Her guards and I followed her.

On the surface, a diverse army of potatoes awaited us. Most had the typical yellow hue but some were brown, less were violet. A few gigantic sweet potatoes were among them. Even a yam somehow was part of this army. While most of the forces already had sprouting roots, proof that they were of fighting age, I saw some young and very fresh potatoes without any blemishes at all. Children shouldn't have to fight.

"My dearest people. For too long the evil Carrot Kingdom bullied us. Raiding our border villages, raping our women, but enough is enough. They think they can bully us because we are starch, but we will show them the power of carbohydrates!"

The soldiers’ battle cries filled the whole potato patch.

The carrots already took up formations at the border which turned out to be only about fifty potatoes from the throne room. The vicious-looking carrots had some humongous radishes among them, ready to squash any resistance. As soon as they spotted us, they awkwardly rolled towards us on their sides. It seemed awkward at first, but there was a slight decline and they started to gain momentum.

Oh no!

The horde of carrots supported by the radishes crashed into us. The brittle young potatoes were the first to be smashed. No! Not the younglings!

Hot starch ran through my veins, and my bulbous veg legs quaked with anticipation. All I could think about was surviving. I picked up a toothpick and shouted, "defensive formations!"

Three baby carrots were approaching me from two O'clock, ends sharpened to serve as a natural weapon. They jumped me, but I dodged easily and cut through all three at once, serving the first Carrot Kebab.

The fight between the radishes and sweet potatoes was gridlocked. Both sides were nearly equal in strength. I knew if we could eliminate those white harbingers of death, we could win the war.

An idea sprouted in me when I saw the idle yam, literally. A fifth limb was perfect to climb this giant root veggie. I took its reins from the incompetent potato who just sat there bathing in the sun and spurred it to move towards the enemy headquarters.

As expected, the enemy directed the radishes to stop my advance, but retreating from the sweet potatoes was costly. They lost two radishes that way.

Excellent! Now, let’s go for the win!

I changed direction. The enemy headquarters were never my target. All I wanted was to corner the radishes. My yam rolled toward them, surrounding them from both sides. Yehaaaw! We are going to win this!

Right when the battle turned in our favor, I suddenly lost my footing-- pardon, rooting. I no longer looked at the vegetable on vegetable massacre from the height of the yam, instead seeing it from a bird’s viewpoint. Literally. Because a frigging bird swiped me up in its beak and flew away.

'The birds are everybody's friend' my ass!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I awoke, sweating in my familiar bed. Nostalgic hands touched the golden hair I missed. Remembering the pain of being eaten was more than unpleasant. I knew it couldn't have been a dream because I had control over them. What was that then? Another soul journey? I felt exhausted.

There was a light knock on the door. "Come in."

"Your Highness, would you like a bowl of potato soup for breakfast?" asked a timid maid.

"No, thanks. Say, do you have any chicken in the kitchen?"

116: Job satisfaction

“Would you mind going on ahead?” I asked Kiyanu.

He glanced at me and Kajare beside me and nodded. “Of course. I’ll be waiting there. Don’t spend too much time sightseeing.”

I snorted. There wasn’t much to sightsee here in this little town. It looked like every other town in the Empire, or at least in the western plains. Houses built of brick, slate and stone, colorful decorations on the awnings, and streets laid out in a grid pattern. Although it was far quieter than normal, only the sounds of the Imperial soldiers really giving it the feeling of being alive. Still, Kajare took my arm and we started strolling down the street, looking around. I sensed many people in their homes still, though they’d certainly be staying inside for now.

“I wanted to check in with you, Kajare,” I said. “Sorry that I didn’t have a chance to do so earlier.”

“You mean about Tenira finally becoming your consort?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I rolled my eyes. “Is anyone surprised by this?”

“Probably not.” He grinned. “At least half the people around me are gossiping about how it’s about time you took her to your bed. I’d wager it’s the same in your research team, if not more so.”

I shook my head. “Well, we’re not actually sleeping together. I mean, we might share a bed at some point, but not like that.”

“I know. And Tenira already talked to me about it.”

I was glad to hear that. “So, just to check, you aren’t upset?”

“No,” he assured me. “Like I said, I talked to Tenira. We’re good. I wouldn’t mind you marrying her as well, later, either.”

I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about eventually getting married if things went well, but it was a little early to talk about that.

“We should get going, anyway,” he said. “Much as I’d like to spend more time with you, we should get there before they do.”

“Right.”

We sped up, moving deeper into the town. It had a pretty large central town square, which lay empty of buildings or stalls right now. Kiyanu was already there, of course, along with a group of soldiers spread out around him. Kariva and Wei Min walked in just before Kajare and I did. I took a deep breath, noting the various smells of civilization the air carried, and joined them. It was too quiet for the middle of a town.

The idea was that conducting this meeting in the middle of civilization would make it less likely to turn violent. I hoped that would work, though I didn’t anticipate violence, either. We’d spread the word in every town and city in the region and beyond, wherever we knew or suspected forces of the insurgents were lurking.

“I hope the Wei are actually going to show up,” I muttered.

“They will,” Kiyanu said confidently, just loud enough that I could hear him.

I glanced at Wei Min, who had his hands clenched into fists and was staring into the distance with a scowl on his face. Kariva actually looked sympathetic. Or maybe it was a trick of the light. I felt a little bad for him, although I was mostly looking forward to seeing his father and uncle’s faces. Oh well. No one ever accused me of being overly empathetic.

“So long as they are coming alone,” Kajare commented.

I shrugged. “I don’t get the feeling that the different parties involved in this conspiracy trust each other that much. The general and Zun certainly never seemed to like each other much. Of course, that might mean he insists on tagging along, but we’ll find a way to talk discreetly if we have to. Maybe with telepathy.”

Kiyanu raised an eyebrow. A second later, I noticed his mind faintly brushing against mine. After a moment of hesitation, I relaxed my mental defenses and allowed him to find purchase to anchor a telepathic connection.

‘You’d be comfortable with allowing them access to your mind even to the extent of telepathic communication?’ he asked me. His mental voice sounded just like his physical one and was very neutral in tone, probably an indication of how much practice he had with this.

I resisted the urge to shrug again. ‘I guess. I’ve had Isuro in my mind; I’m not really afraid of any mortal measuring up to that. I mean, there’s a connection to Rijoko slumbering in the back of my head, which should give me some protection.’

‘I see.’ Kiyanu sounded a bit surprised. ‘I was going to offer to help if you needed any further training for your mental defenses, but it seems like you have that handled.’

‘I appreciate the offer. I may take you up on that later. And I might not have mentioned it earlier, but I appreciate that you shared your story with me. I know that could have been embarrassing.’

Kiyanu sent a mental chuckle. ‘I’ve learned that pride has its place, but clinging to it too tightly is rarely advisable, and fearing embarrassment even less so. If I could put your mind at ease regarding me, that’s more than worth it.’

I smiled. ‘Well, I think I do have a better grasp on your motivations now. To be honest, my speculation had gone in a very different direction.’

‘Oh? Now you’ve poked my curiosity. Do tell.’

I hesitated, then decided I might as well see if there was something to it. ‘I entertained the idea that it might be more about a connection to my grandmother. Perhaps in an intimate way, emotionally or physically. Which might relate to why you’re protective of Mother.’

Kiyanu was silent for a moment. He turned his head to glance at me, a considering expression on his face.

Finally, he shook his head. ‘I have to admit such speculation isn’t entirely baseless. Or at least, it might not be. I can’t say my feelings haven’t been influenced by the fact that there might be a blood relation.’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘I frankly don’t know. I did, ah, get intimate with your grandmother once, at roughly the correct time.’ He shrugged slightly. ‘But I don’t know if that had any consequences, since I have no more information about Acura’s parentage than anyone. And I doubt I’m the only one. I certainly wouldn’t put it past Iniris to look for several black stage cultivators.’

I blinked, processing that for a moment. Keeping several eighth stagers in doubt about a possible paternity would be shrewd, but I didn’t know if my grandmother was quite that pragmatic. Though I could certainly see why she would hide Mother’s parentage, if the father had that much influence.

Because she definitely must have known. I knew there was the magical equivalent of paternity tests in this world. But did Mother know? I have no idea.

I shook my head, shelving those thoughts for later. It didn’t really matter, anyway. For now, I needed to keep my head in the game. A glance at my watch showed that the Wei were already late, though only by a few minutes. I glanced at Wei Min, who was shifting his weight from one leg to the other again. After a moment, he pulled up the large hood of his robe.

Kariva and Kiyanu moving clued me in before I could sense them myself. A dark blot appeared over the roofs of the town’s buildings, steadily growing larger and resolving into a group of half a dozen people carried on the air by smoke. They approached quickly, slowing down late in their descent so they impacted the ground with an audible thump, but the paved courtyard weathered it without damage.

Wei Yong and Wei Jun were in the center and stepped forward so they stood facing us at the front of their delegation. Both of them seemed ready for combat, though they hadn’t drawn their swords, and their auras were held in check.

“General, Lord Wei,” Kiyanu greeted. “Good of you to come.”

Wei Yong nodded at him. “I hear you’re calling yourself regent these days, Lord Kiyanu. Enjoy it while it lasts.” He glanced at me. “Imperial Princess.”

I heard Wei Min inhale deeply before he took a step forward and pushed his hood back. At the same time, the tight veil on his presence lifted. “Father. Uncle.” His voice was tense. “I didn’t believe them when I heard about you at first.”

There was a moment of silence. The two older Wei looked at him with wide eyes. The general paled. “Min?”

He stepped forward, his arms moving to the sides a bit, like he wanted to hug his son. But Wei Min took a step back while Kariva pushed forward, arms crossed. Wei Jun retreated, his gaze still fixed on his son.

Just like his brother. Wei Yong’s voice was a little hoarse when he spoke. “Min? You’re still alive, nephew?”

Wei Min glanced at Kariva, then at me. “I’m here only due to the efforts of Her Highness and Lady Kariva. Otherwise, I would be rotting in a Zarian prison.” He clenched his fists. “Is it true? Did you excuse your treason by using my name?”

By now, even Wei Yong looked noticeably paler than before. He followed his nephew’s gaze to me and Kariva, before glancing at Kiyanu and the others. “There’s more to it than that, nephew.”

“To me, it seems more like the honor you like to preach is as porous as sand.” The agent crossed his arms. “It shames me to carry your name.”

They both flinched.

“Think about it, son,” the general spoke up, though a pleading undertone snuck into his voice. “Would you have been at the mercy of the Zarian in the first place, if not for Princess Inaris?”

His son shook his head. “That was not Her Highness’ fault. The plan was mine and my colleague’s, and I took a risk freely. My lady didn’t even know the details.” He glanced at Kariva. “And the princess actually wanted to rescue me, though my colleague dissuaded her from attempting it, as she should.”

The two of them didn’t seem to know what to say to that. I smiled at Wei Min in what I hoped was a supportive manner. He really did well. It didn’t take a genius to see that the older Wei were shaken.

I shouldn’t have said that about giving them only one chance before. Not that promising them mercy would be unproblematic in any case. That was the main issue, here. No matter how shaken they were, they had to know that it was their lives on the line.

Wei Yong’s presence flared a bit, and red strands in his black hair started crackling like embers. It reminded me of the rumor that the Wei were descended from a powerful spirit beast. He stepped forward, balling his fists. But his brother reached out and laid a hand on his arm, halting him. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, while the general’s hair started crackling the same way. Then a bit of ice emerged from Yong’s aura, dampening the fire, and he stepped back, his face now blank and hard, while he banked his aura again.

“If you attack, I will fight against you, Father, Uncle,” Wei Min said, his voice quiet.

I glanced at Kiyanu. If it came to a fight, I wasn’t sure who would win, but if I had to bet, it would be on him. Or Kariva if the eighth stagers actually abstained from fighting. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to risk a fight here, though, since the two Wei didn’t make any other aggressive moves.

“You are already losing,” I said with every bit of calm confidence I could muster. “You should be grateful that at least Wei Min won’t have to pay with his life for your treason. And now you know how tenuous your justification really is, perhaps you’ll consider surrendering?”

The general frowned. “You expect us to simply surrender? Would you spare us?”

I glanced at Kiyanu. I’d wanted to unnerve and demoralize them, at least, and I didn’t really expect them to surrender after just this meeting. If they did, I wasn’t entirely certain what we would do.

So I shrugged. “I certainly can’t promise that you’d be spared,” I answered. “But Wei Min would at least have a lighter burden to bear if you surrender honorably rather than remain defiant until the end. So would clan Wei, which could at least continue to exist in some form.”

Wei Yong frowned, shaking his head softly. Wei Jun narrowed his eyes and gave us a long look. I had the feeling he was actually considering this. Perhaps his brother was, too. Maybe I’d underestimated how they assessed the state of the war.

At that moment, my senses tingled, and I reflexively flinched at the feeling of alarm. I turned around, ignoring the dangerous cultivators, as I narrowed in on the spot on the town square a short distance away where I felt a powerful presence coalescing. It happened quickly, the new arrival coming here with obvious speed. Beside me, I felt Kariva’s and Kiyanu’s presences more strongly, and even the Wei delegation shifted, obviously readying themselves.

Then Isuro walked forward with a small grin, his hands clasped behind his back, as he swept his gaze over the meeting. ‘Goodness, I’m not late, am I? The invitation seems to be misplaced, too.’

I stifled a groan of annoyance. “Pioneer. What are you doing here?”

‘Talking to you, obviously, little princess.’ He smiled at me with a bit too much cheer, still approaching the gathering, and especially the Wei group.

As he came closer, they bowed. “Lord Pioneer,” Wei Yong greeted. “It’s an honor to see you. Is there anything we may do for you?”

‘Oh, cut the drivel, Yong.’ Isuro waved a hand airily. ‘At this point, everyone knows that your little group is associated with my patron and I.’

I suppressed a smile. It was good to know he treated others like that, even supposed allies. Or maybe he did that on purpose?

General Wei inclined his head, but he couldn’t hide the way he clenched his jaw for a moment. “As you say, Pioneer.”

Isuro’s expression turned more serious, and he focused his gaze on the two Wei. ‘I am here to deliver a message, in fact. One you would do well to ponder carefully.’

“Yes?” Wei Yong asked.

‘Jideia does not like traitors.’

Everyone was silent for a moment.

But I couldn’t help it, I snorted. “How very ironic of him.”

Isuro shrugged. ‘The Wei brothers know very well how unwise it would be to make enemies of spirits like us. That’s all I’m here for, actually. Although I always have time for you, Little Light.’

I rolled my eyes, then hesitated, giving a quick glance to Kiyanu and Kariva. ‘If you like. Let’s talk.’

I caught Kariva’s eye and subtly shook my head, before I turned and started walking at the same time as Isuro. I could see some of the escorts of both parties show signs of surprise, though I didn’t look back to watch how the others were taking this.

We stopped in an abandoned alleyway off the town square, and I leaned against a pile of empty crates, crossing my arms as I looked at Isuro. ‘Aren’t you tired of running around on Jideia’s errands?’

The pseudo-spirit snorted. ‘You have no idea. In case you missed it, this is essentially my job.’

‘Not the kind of work I would have chosen, but whatever. I’m not sure I like the fact that you’ve stopped leaving me alone now.’

Isuro sighed, leaning against the building at a corner across from me. ‘Not surprising. Though, you know, I didn’t have anything to do with this plot until it went awry. Except for talking to Carston to turn him, I suppose, though that was through other people.’

Interesting that he felt the need to tell me that. I nodded. ‘I believe you.’

He regarded me for a moment. ‘Inaris, why do you persist in doing this?’

I frowned. That was the sort of question I’d wanted to ask him, but I didn’t expect to field it myself. “Doing what? My job?”

He shook his head. ‘You wouldn’t be so dangerous if you didn’t make yourself so. If not for your position of power, the way you doggedly turn things in new directions and throw yourself against the challenges in front of you. This isn’t even truly your home, is it?’

I scoffed. ‘It’s close enough. Are you saying that Jideia and you would leave me alone if I, what, exiled myself somewhere?’

Isuro shrugged. ‘I can’t promise it, but if you just … got out, you’d be a lot safer. You’re actively set against a Greater Spirit, Inaris, no matter if that’s your father’s fault or yours. It will get you killed eventually.’

I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head. This was true enough on some level, but it also missed important aspects.

‘I’ll think about your words,’ I said impassively. ‘Now I really have to get back. But if your job ever turns too sour, you can always come talk to me.’

Isuro shook his head, then slowly faded out, and I felt his presence traveling away quickly.

As I walked back to the meeting, I couldn’t help but dwell on his words. I already knew they would haunt me for a while. Perhaps that had been his intention, though I didn’t think so. I felt that he genuinely wanted to protect me, and this was the best way he thought of.

That was a little chilling, too.

I took a deep breath and refocused on other matters. I could see that the Wei delegation were gone as I returned, but I still had things to take care of. I should go visit Doctor Chang at some point, talk to Kariva. And maybe do some more research.

“What happened?” I asked as I came to a stop.

Kiyanu sighed, but didn’t question or berate me for my behavior. “They left, as you can see.”

“And?”

“They said they would think about this.”

I raised an eyebrow, then nodded. That was something, at least.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said. “We’ve probably scared the poor citizenry enough.”

117: Goals and principles

The training dummy crashed backwards, splinters of wood showering off it while an arm exploded away from it. Its momentum was arrested in mid-air by the qi shield around the practice circle, before it fell to the ground with a thud.

I swiped a sweaty strand of hair out of my eyes, breathing deeply as I surveyed the results of my technique. If the training dummy hadn’t been enchanted to resist these sorts of things, I wouldn’t have much left to go on, but I’d clearly overwhelmed those protections. Maybe I should upgrade them.

Later, though. I wasn’t done yet.

I turned around to face the next dummy, which was enchanted to move around. Narrowing my eyes, I considered its trajectory, then released another lance of light from my palm. The dummy sped up as it sensed the motion, but I’d anticipated that, and my blast caught it full in the chest area. This time, I whirled around quickly, drawing Fides from my storage ring and shooting a Void’s Nibble at the other one. The shield bubbled and popped under the technique, and I could sense the enchantments on its torso unraveling.

“Next,” I said, and the guards obliged me by throwing more of them into the ring.

Over the next few minutes, I methodically demolished a dozen of the training dummies. An actual spar would have been better training, but there was something to be said for practicing your attacks without having to worry about someone hitting you in the face. Not to mention it felt good to just be able to smash stuff. I cracked my neck and stepped out of the training ground.

“Feel better?” Aston asked blandly.

I shot him a look, then shrugged. “A little.”

I walked away from the training courtyard, letting the cool breeze play over my face and drawing a deep breath of the fresh air it carried from the mountains. It was noticeably getting colder. A few guards trailed behind me, while Aston came to walk beside me. When I glanced at him, his expression was calm, though he quirked an eyebrow once he caught me looking.

“I can’t help but think about what Isuro said,” I finally spoke. “About how I could just remove myself from this conflict. It got me thinking, why am I really doing all of this? It’s not like I really have to, if it comes down to it. Not just the research, but participating in the war, all of that. And of course there’s the threat of being killed by an angry Greater Spirit.”

Aston listened in silence, only waving his hand to erect a qi privacy shield, then nodded. “Very understandable concerns. Although I’d note that the most obviously safe course isn’t necessarily so. You’ve already mentioned you want to ascend to immortality, the path to that can’t avoid adversity.”

I frowned. “Maybe. Immortality is a bit of a different topic. I mean, I do want to ascend to the white stage eventually. You can’t put me in front of basically an entire other plane of existence and expect me not to want to explore it. Though it’s not as if I’m in a hurry with that, like the eighth stage. Well, that’s an academic difference right now.”

Aston raised an eyebrow. “Your entire reason for ascending is curiosity?”

“Not the entire reason, but probably most of it. So?”

“Most people have more ambitious reasons to strive for it. Like power, or, of course, attaining immortality.”

I fell silent for a moment, turning on another path through the garden of the outer courtyard we were on right now, heading closer to the main palace. We weren’t exactly moving quickly, but I wasn’t in a hurry. “The thing with immortality is a little different for me than most people, I think.”

“How so?”

I shrugged, glancing at him. “I suspect I may already be physically immortal, Aston. Though I can obviously still be killed.”

He blinked, then frowned, his stride slowing as he clearly considered that. “Your shapeshifting ability?”

“Yes. I can change my body pretty extensively, and I already know I can make myself look younger or older. It stands to reason I can use that to prevent dying of natural causes.”

Aston was silent for a moment. He shook his head. “I hadn’t considered that, my lady.”

I sighed. “I don’t think anyone else has realized the implications of it yet. Maybe Tenira or Lei. I’m not really sure what to think of it myself, to be honest.” I shrugged. “And it doesn’t make much of a difference right now.”

He nodded, but didn’t speak, clearly sensing that I was finished talking about this for now. Although this conversation had, ironically, helped me deal with Isuro’s visit better. It reminded me of what I’d already told myself. This was my world, and I’d be living in it for a very long time. It was not just my moral duty but simple common sense to make that a good place to live in the long run. Not to mention I wanted to protect my friends and family, and I could do that better from a position of power.

I didn’t trust that they wouldn’t go after them to get leverage against me even if I gave up the throne and went into self-imposed exile, anyway. I really needed to deal with the whole spirits situation soon.

I shook those thoughts off. The rest of the way, we walked in silence, though I slowed once we neared the building Kariva’s group had taken over. It was bristling with more and more wards and defensive measures. But I couldn’t sense her presence, and a cursory sweep with my qi senses failed to find her in there. I'd have noticed that earlier, if I wasn’t preoccupied with my thoughts.

“Is Kariva in there?” I asked Aston.

He shook his head. “She could hide well enough to fool my senses, but I doubt it.” He paused for a moment. “No, she’s farther out, on the lower slopes near the quartz gate, with a few of her agents.”

I sighed, then turned around. “Let’s go, then. That will teach me to call ahead next time.”

We moved more quickly this time, helped by the fact that the outer paths were almost empty. I didn’t want to waste any more time on this than I had to, so it didn’t take us long to reach the gate he’d named and locate the group of Kariva and a few weaker cultivators. I recognized one of them as Wei Min. It looked like he’d just entered through the gate, and judging by his torn clothes, bloodstains, and slightly singed hair, he’d come from a fight. Perhaps with the person he was dragging along, probably just handing off, who had a bag over their head and enchanted rope tied around them. Their qi signature was muted, but probably not weak originally.

“Am I interrupting?” I asked as I arrived.

“Not really, my lady,” Kariva answered. “Were you looking for me?”

I nodded, but glanced at the prisoner again. “Just a small question. What’s going on here? One of your clanmates, Wei Min?”

The man in question shifted, clearly a little bothered. “Yes, Your Highness.”

I swallowed further questions. It was pretty easy to see what was going on here, anyway. Kariva was using Wei Min and his knowledge or contacts to take out Wei cultivators. I should talk to him later. But first, Kariva was stepping aside, clearly inviting me to join her. I walked over.

“How can I help you?”

I scratched my cheek, trying to find the best way to approach what I wanted to say. “It’s about clan business, actually. Leri Anacis approached me earlier. About wanting to get married.”

She hadn’t outright said so, but it was clear she’d been asking for permission from me. I hadn’t expected something like this, even though I probably should have, and wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.

Kariva raised an eyebrow. “If you have concerns about her, maybe you should talk to Tenira about this, instead, as Anacis is her aunt. I’m sure she can tell you more about the matter.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that.” Although that would definitely make me inclined to give my permission if I wasn’t already, since I didn’t want to make Tenira angry. “It’s just that she went to me instead of you, so I wondered if you would have an issue with it?”

Kariva frowned. “I don’t see any reason to care, my lady. I think she just wanted to do things properly.”

I exhaled, nodding. I needed to remember that Mother’s absence made me responsible not just for the Empire in general, but that I was also the heir of clan Leri. From what I could tell, Kariva acted as the de facto clan head at the moment, but I was supposed to be in charge, at least in principle.

“Good. By the way, I appreciate you handling things, but have you had any trouble with the clan?”

Kariva waved a hand dismissively. “There’s not much to do. Acura was never the hands-on or controlling type, and this isn’t some big sect.”

“Well, carry on then.” I smiled wryly. Then I looked back at the other agents, noting that they’d pulled off the prisoner’s bag. He was a youngish man with a faint resemblance to Wei Min, clearly unconscious.

Kariva and I returned to to them, and although I realized they might prefer it if I left, I lingered. I wanted to know what kind of things they were doing.

“So, you captured him?” I asked Wei Min.

He stiffened, but seemed to realize that he wasn’t getting out of answering my questions. “Yes, my lady. This is one of my cousins, who was commanding a small outpost of the traitors’ forces about two hundred leagues to the west. I approached him quietly, and he welcomed me because of our old bond. I told him a slightly modified version of recent events and sounded him out for sympathizers within the clan, then captured him as part of an offensive to take their outpost.”

I grimaced. No wonder this was hard on him. It was one thing to infiltrate the Zarian, our enemies, but another to use those tactics against family members. “Would you walk with me for a bit?” I asked.

He bowed his head and fell into step beside me as I left. Aston and the guards retreated to give us some space, while Kariva and the other agents took the prisoner away.

“I realize this can’t be easy, Wei Min,” I finally said. “I appreciate the loyalty you’re showing, both to my family and me personally. I just want to see if you’re alright with all this.”

The agent was silent for a while. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision, and shook his head. “I’m not alright with it, my princess. How can I be, when I’m fighting my family? But my resolve is strong, nonetheless. I won’t disappoint you.”

I sighed a little. “I won’t hold it against you if you’re having problems,” I said. “To be honest, I have no idea what kind of boss Kariva is, but I don’t want to see anyone pushed so hard they break.”

Especially someone like Wei Min, who was in a crucial position for this. Not just for my bid to bring his family over to my side, but for later. I didn’t believe in killing generations of my enemies or wiping out whole clans, and I’d definitely object if Kiyanu wanted to eradicate the Wei completely. The clan’s future would go better for everyone if Min could assure a smooth transfer of power and continuing loyalty.

He nodded. “Thank you, Your Highness. But I will not break, even if I lose my family. I believe I am strong enough to follow my path regardless, and do what is right.”

I stopped. From where we stood, we had a good view down the slope of the mountainside, and this was a pretty secluded spot.

“You know, a part of me admires your dedication to your ideals. I’m not sure if I could do the same,” I admitted.

He tilted his head. “Surely you have your own convictions that you follow, Princess Inaris? I can’t imagine someone accomplishing as much as you have without something driving them.”

“Family versus principles.” I shrugged. “Do you know how many of my principles I have broken or bent in the last year or two?” I raised my eyebrow, waiting for a moment, although the question was clearly rhetorical. “Quite a few.”

“Truly?”

“I’ve killed people, had people hurt and killed, probably caused the death of quite a few more. I’m actively participating in and enabling a system that … I don’t find ideal.” That my old self would have condemned. “It wasn’t particularly hard; in fact, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t found it freeing.” I shook my head. “But I don’t regret any of these, and I do think I have caused, and ultimately will cause, quite a bit more good than harm. Sometimes there are no simple and easy choices, Wei Min.”

He frowned, then nodded slightly. “Thank you for confiding in me, my lady. I believe I understand your point.”

“I hope so.” Although I expected that what he’d take away from this conversation was probably different from what I’d intended to express. But that was alright. I’d partly just vented my own feelings.

“If it’s a matter of choosing what to fight for, and what we’re willing to lose? I think I know my answer, though I’ll have to continue pondering it.”

I smiled. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer.”

He hesitated, then nodded, and we walked back to Kariva and the other agents. I thought he might have somewhere else to be, or not want anything to do with it, but he stuck close.

Once we reached Kariva, she nodded at the other agents and let them go on ahead while she stopped. She looked from me to Wei Min and raised an eyebrow. “Something the matter?”

It was only now I noticed that Wei Min was still quite tense. He cleared his throat, looked from me to Kariva and back, and ran a hand through his hair before he finally spoke up. “My lady, I’ve come to a decision. I’d like to ask for your leave to go to clan Wei alone, and talk to my father and uncle. Even in the worst case, they won’t hurt me too badly, and I might get critical information.” He glanced at me. “And I’m sure I can convince them.”

Kariva frowned. “I see. You realize what you are asking for?”

He nodded.

I hummed thoughtfully, then took a step forward and smiled. “A bold proposal. Kariva, I say let him go.”

She raised an eyebrow. “As you wish, my princess. Wei Min … do your best.”

He bowed to both of us. “I won’t disappoint you, my ladies.”

“Good luck.” I shrugged at Kariva, then turned to leave.

I knew she was putting a good deal of trust in him, but I didn’t worry about that. I knew he wouldn’t betray us. I’d gotten a good read on him during our conversation. And there was another reason, a more subtle feeling.

My father giving me another helpful nudge, probably.

Tonight was going to be a full moon. I climbed up to the top of the palace’s highest roof and settled down for a long cultivation session in the moonlight.

My cultivation was still going strong, but I hadn’t found much time for it. At this rate, it would be a while before I advanced again, and I hadn’t forgotten that I needed to reach the eighth stage quickly.

Besides cultivation, I also needed to check on my research team and results from other groups, and sort out a few matters with Kiyanu. There was a lot to keep me busy.

Three days later, we received a message from General Wei. It fluttered down to where Kiyanu and me were talking from the sky, carried by a qi construct in the form of a fiery little bird. The missive was brief, its message clear. He wanted to talk again.

I reached out to pet the little qi bird, which pushed its pleasantly warm feathers into my hand, and smiled.

118: Possible futures

“Are you sure you have enough guards, Inaris?”

I refrained from rolling my eyes. “Yes. I’ve said it before. We’re going to a negotiation, not to launch an assault on them. If we have to fight, I’ve already failed my objective. And I don’t plan to fail. But this is deliberately not supposed to be a contest of how much strength each party can bring.”

Kajare sighed. He didn’t look any happier about it. “Fine. I suppose if Kiyanu can agree to this, so can I. Just come back safely.”

I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. “Don’t worry, I’ll try my best.”

Kiyanu caught my eye and nodded one last time, before turning away. We’d agreed that this would be my delegation to lead, and bringing him along would not make the Wei leadership more inclined to listen or surrender. He was strong enough that his presence would be a clear show of force, and apparently, there was some history between him and them. Not that I was surprised. On the timescale of these cultivators’ lifetimes, the last civil war wasn’t so long ago, and I doubted they’d fought on the same side.

Trying not to get bogged down any further, I hurried onto the deck of the airship. We were in one of our forward military bases, so the trip wouldn’t take long. Aston was a steady presence at my side like always, though he kept particularly close today. I guess he doesn’t like this, either, even if he knows better than to complain.

I snorted. “Oh ye of little faith,” I muttered.

“Did you say something?” Elia asked.

“Nothing.” I turned to her and smiled. “You ready?”

“Sure. This is going to be interesting!” She grinned.

She was probably counting on her status as a Greater Spirit’s descendant to come out of this okay. Not that I minded. She’d asked to come along on her own, so I didn’t have to feel guilty about putting her in danger to help me, either. Not that I knew if she’d actually be much help, but having her along couldn’t hurt.

Then the airship lifted off, and we were underway. I sat down on a wooden beam and pulled out one of my novels. There wasn’t much else I could do during the journey, and I appreciated finally having a moment to relax.

The trip passed quickly, and all too soon, we approached our destination. I carefully marked my page, stored the book, and stood up, heading to the railing with measured steps. I knew how important it was to project calmness and confidence, and I was conscious of the eyes of the soldiers following me.

They were a small, but elite, group, most of them Imperial Guard or handpicked by San Hashar and her trusted subordinates. I’d learned my lesson when it came to relying solely on the Guard. Ru Lis was in charge of the second detachment, while Aston was supposed to focus on my safety. I waited for everyone to arrange themselves properly before I jumped to the ground, the rest of the delegation following me.

They seemed confident. Of course, that might be because I may have given them the impression that I had Rijoko’s guidance and/or approval for this. In reality, I didn’t sense much more from him than distracted waiting, but I didn’t need his help, anyway.

I turned back and glanced at the ship, catching the eye of the hooded figure in black who was leaning on the railing and watching us go. Ming Li inclined his head, giving me a sloppy salute. I’d hired him to accompany us, though he would stay behind and come for us in case of trouble. One piece of insurance. Of course, it would only work if I was captured instead of killed by the Wei. But taking him along had quieted some of the complaints, and it was worth it for that alone.

The building we approached reminded me of the mansion of clan Tener where I’d met Aston again. It stood alone some distance from a village, and clearly wasn’t laid out to be a fortress. The sprawling estate covered a hillside blooming with flowers, and I could hear the burbling of a brook and little pond among the gardens. There were no guard posts, and no one contested our arrival. I sensed a few waiting presences, and saw a few looking down from windows, but no one approached us.

Aston opened the door and preceded me inside. I followed him down a short hallway festooned with portraits and tapestries to a pair of double doors behind which the people we’d come to meet waited. The room beyond looked like a cross between a grand hall and a receiving room, though it was conspicuously devoid of seats.

Wei Yong waited for us with his arms crossed and his aura weighing down the room. Beside him, Wei Jun stood in formal armor. A few other cultivators of reasonable strength lined the room or waited beyond them. Two in the seventh stage flanked Wei Min, who was wearing ornate clothes but glowered at his family. From the way they stood, they were watching him for any suspicious moves.

The two leaders stepped forward and bowed. “Welcome, Your Highness, lords and ladies,” Wei Yong said.

I smiled and bowed back as we came to a stop facing their group. “Thank you, Lord Wei.”

Wei Jun seemed a bit twitchy, and he glanced to the side of the room just before doors opened and more people streamed inside. They’d veiled their auras well, but I could now sense that many of them were in the higher stages, clearly outmatching my own guards.

“You’ll understand our desire for caution,” Wei Yong said. “We need to make sure that you have not come to attack us, or invite an attack of your main force.”

Weapons appeared in the hands of my guards, and they drew tighter around me and Elia, while the other delegates shifted behind me. I caught Elia smiling, even as she fingered her sleeve where I knew she’d hidden a dagger.

The Wei soldiers stepped closer, their own hands resting more tightly on their weapons. I felt the weight of their presences bearing down on me. My senses sharpened as the tension in the air thickened.

Shooting a sharp glare at Aston, I stepped forward, beyond the guards. They hesitated, but moved aside for me. I flicked my fingers and drew my spear from my storage ring, causing a sharp spike in the tension.

Then I bowed my head and held it out to the Wei. “Of course. As a sign of my peaceful intent, I will surrender my weapon to your custody. Be careful, Fides Imperatricis is formidable and can be quite dangerous to anyone who tries to wield it against its owner.” I wasn’t entirely sure of that, but I did get that impression from its qi. It was a legendary weapon in the making, after all.

They exchanged a look, then Wei Jun stepped forward and gingerly took the spear from my hands before returning to his brother. After another sharp glance from me, Aston and the other guards piled their most dangerous weapons behind them and returned the rest to their sheaths or storage items.

“Quite brave,” Wei Yong commented.

I shrugged. Then I stepped forward even further, closing the distance to the two older Wei. Elia stepped up outside the guards’ ring, as well, with her arms crossed and an amused smile on her lips. I hope that means she’s reading the situation and it isn’t as dangerous as it looks.

Because I knew I’d effectively put myself into their hands, but that didn’t matter. I could tell I was already impressing them, if Wei Yong’s comment hadn’t made that clear.

“I have faith in your judgment and reason,” I replied. “As well as what remains of your honor.”

That clearly needled them, but Wei Yong only raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you do? So we should judge it better to surrender to you?”

I shrugged, deliberately keeping my body language casual and relaxed. “You should certainly know that your position is perilous, and attacking me now would not make you able to withstand our forces. Isn’t that why you’re willing to talk, because you know that you face defeat and death?”

He crossed his arms. “Even assuming that was true, why would that make us more willing to surrender? Do you know what they say about cornered animals?” His hair reflected the light again with an orange glow, and shadows of fire danced under his fingernails.

“You’re tacitly conceding her point,” Elia commented. “You’re definitely aware that your prospects are bleak.”

I smiled, but didn’t take my gaze away from my adversary and his brother. “Actually, I don’t just want you to surrender. I want you to switch sides. You can at least try to earn back some of the honor and virtue, if not peace of mind, you lost with your betrayal, by doing the right thing now. You’ve seen that your justification for treason was shallow and warped. Ask Wei Min who is on the side of righteousness in this conflict.”

Wei Jun glanced at his son for a moment, a deep furrow on his forehead. He looked at me. “And that would cause you to spare us? You’ve already promised us a last chance we refused.”

I hardened my expression. “No. It won’t. I won’t lie to you, even if I did intend to spare you, Kiyanu might not allow it. He is still regent.”

The general narrowed his eyes. “Then you expect us to accept death easily? Just like that?”

Wei Yong gestured, and his soldiers drew tighter around us, weapons readied.

I took another step forward. “I want you to answer a question for me, Wei Jun. Honestly.” I glanced at his brother, then met the general’s eyes again. “Which world do you want your son to live in?”

The room was silent for a moment, my question seeming to echo through it. The elder Wei looked at me, frowning.

“The world where your conspiracy wins,” I continued, “where new technology is decried and cultivators cling to the past with bloodied fingernails? Or the world of my Empire, where we beat the Zarian, united, and launch it into a new age of social and technological advancement?”

The silence recaptured the room, deeper this time. Even Elia and my soldiers were still, almost holding their breath. I didn’t stop looking at Wei Jun and Wei Yong, challenging them with my gaze. I could see that they were both affected by my words. Their frowns had deepened and Wei Jun twitched, while Wei Yong still had his arms crossed, so tightly the veins stood out. Ice glittered through his eyes for a moment, before his aura’s fire returned to them.

The general exhaled deeply and looked at his son for a long moment, before he turned to his brother. The two of them exchanged a wordless glance that clearly carried the weight of a conversation.

Then Wei Jun drew his sword and threw it on the floor, where it clattered to a stop with the blade in my reach. He lowered himself to his knees and bowed his head.

The room seemed to collectively release a deep breath, only to hold the next in when Wei Yong conjured his sword. But he only threw it to the floor beside his brother’s and knelt down as well.

“Your Majesty,” he stated in a rough voice. “Clan Wei is at your mercy.”

Elia chuckled, and after a moment, metal clattered as his clan’s soldiers followed their example and knelt.

I smiled, feeling the tightening around my chest I’d barely noticed anymore weakening. The room seemed much brighter, and there was a new lightness in my step as I approached them, holding out my right hand. Wei Yong bent to kiss the ring bearing the Imperial phoenix seal, and Wei Jun followed suit.

I ran my hand over Fides’ shaft, feeling its qi thrum beneath my fingers. It surprised me how much I disliked having someone else touch it, even though I’d handed it away myself, and only for a short while.

This world didn’t have sentient objects, as far as I knew. But some weapons came close, and this would clearly be one of them, if it wasn’t already. I definitely imagined a feeling of satisfaction coming from it, although there was mostly my own qi imbued into the weapon over time.

I shook my head and put it away in my storage ring, before I started walking again. The two Imperial soldiers stationed beside the door I was approaching straightened to attention and pushed it open for me. I nodded at them and entered the Wei clan head’s study, glancing around. Most of the documents or devices stored here had been taken, and there was barely anything left besides the chair from which Wei Yong stood as I entered. He bowed deeply.

I waved him back to his seat. “I don’t have much time, so let’s make this brief.”

The last day or so had been a whirlwind of activity, especially in the hours after they laid down their swords. A sizable Imperial force had moved in and was now occupying the mansion. Several officials and experts from further away had also been called, and the generals were busy making and adjusting plans. Meanwhile, Kariva was methodically going through every one of the Wei clan's leadership. After she’d talked to Wei Min and handed him a shiny new set of alchemy equipment. Never thought I’d see Kariva actually showing affection or sentiment for someone. Good for her.

To their credit, Wei Yong and Wei Jun had cooperated fully and earnestly. They hadn’t even complained or questioned the few special requests I’d had for them. Well, they’d hesitated for a moment when I asked for blood samples, but those could probably be used for some shady magic stuff, which I’d assured them wasn’t my intention. Among my own soldiers, asking to see their technical manuals and construction blueprints for vehicles and agricultural equipment had raised more eyebrows. Hey, enough people are going to be asking about technique manuals and secret weapons already.

Wei Yong tapped his fingers on his armrest. “Your Highness, if I may, I’ve been wanting to ask about our fate.”

“No decision has been reached yet,” I told him, suppressing a sigh. “We’re going to need your assistance against the Zun and the rest of the conspiracy’s forces. I presume clan Wei is going to stay more or less intact, although it may not be as rich or powerful once this is all over. We’re certainly not going to be killing anyone whose guilt isn’t proven.”

He frowned. “I presume that doesn’t include me and my brother?” His voice was even and calm. “Anyone can see we are guilty of treason.”

I shifted my weight, crossing my arms. “I would prefer not to kill you, I really would. I don’t think it’s going to happen, but like I said, I still need to discuss everything with Kiyanu and several others. We can’t afford to be too merciful to traitors or we will appear weak. It’s out of your hands, so I suggest you focus on the problems in front of you.”

His frown eased, and he nodded. “Thank you for that, my lady. I may not have said it before, but I do regret fighting against you.”

I cocked my head. I wonder if that’s just because you lost. I scratched my cheek, regarding him in silence for a moment, then sighed.

“It’s good to hear, though that will not be easily forgotten … grandfather.”

He paled and his eyes widened. “What?”

119: Ashes and embers

“And what then?”

I shrugged. “I explained that I had Doctor Chang analyze the blood samples I’d taken, and used samples from myself and my siblings for the test. The result was obvious. That was pretty much it.”

Elia nodded, shredding some blades of grass with her fingers. “Was he aware of it?”

“He claims he didn’t know. I suppose he’s probably telling the truth. You’d think he’d have been a little harder to convince to usurp the throne from his own descendants.”

Elia cocked her head. “Don’t you want me to confirm that for you?”

I cracked my neck. “Feel free. But I don’t intend to have much to do with Wei Yong or his clan, blood relation or not.”

She snorted. “Can’t blame you. I thought my family was a little dysfunctional, but this is something else.”

I glanced around our surroundings to check that no one was listening in to our conversation. Except for Aston, we were alone in a secluded little garden on the Wei estates, somewhat separated from the hustle and bustle of what they might as well call a new forward base.

“How is your own search going?” I asked. “Found any clues about your father’s fate?”

She looked up sharply. “You know about that?”

“Kariva told me, I just didn’t see any reason to get involved.” It wasn’t like I minded her using Kariva’s network to search for information. If nothing else, it would benefit me, too, if I got a better idea of how the Zarian regarded spirit-children.

“Well, it’s not going too well. Your people don’t have that good of a network in the Dominion, and the Zarian clearly don’t want anyone to look too deeply into the whole affair. I doubt I’ll get anywhere like this anytime soon.”

“I guess you’ll have to wait until I conquer the Dominion,” I said, smiling lightly. “That could help you get at things. If it doesn’t mess everything up.”

Elia just looked at me for a moment, before she snorted and shook her head. “Yeah, right. I hope your soldiers won’t ransack things too badly. But we were talking about your grandfather, Inaris. What are you even doing with the Wei now?”

I shrugged. “I just need them to turn things around here so we can mop up and finally move on to the Zarian. And I need Wei Yong to go through with making contact with Hajake, but they’re already on that.”

Aston cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, my lady, but they should be finished with preparations now, and Kariva did ask to talk to you.”

I sighed and rolled my shoulders. “Alright. Let’s go. Are you coming along, Elia?”

She glanced up consideringly. It was a beautiful autumn day, with the sun shining brightly from an almost cloudless sky. “I think I’ll take some time to cultivate, I’ve been neglecting it lately.”

I nodded. “Okay, then good luck.”

It felt like everyone was advancing lately. Maybe my rapid breakthrough to the fifth stage had given them a kick in the motivation. Kajare and Tenira weren’t too far from it themselves, Yarani was firmly building her strength in the fourth stage, and even Suaki had gone through a minor breakthrough the last time I saw him.

My other guards closed ranks around me, and off we went to Kariva and the others. They took no chances with my safety here in the presence of Wei clan members and fighters, not that I could blame them. It didn’t really look like any of the defeated warriors were spoiling for revenge, though. They just looked tired and, well, defeated. A few of them had surface wounds or scars, and none of them looked like they’d had a good night’s rest recently. Just goes to show they really were losing, even before this.

As it turned out, Kariva was talking to several of our officers. Wei Jun stood beside their table as well, arms crossed and looking like he’d rather they didn’t remember his presence. The room had large double doors leading outside, which stood open to give them a view of the estate and the soldiers. I didn’t see Wei Yong, at least.

Once Aston and I entered, the conversation paused. Kariva glanced at Wei Jun, who seemed to shrink into himself a little more. My gaze lingered on him for a second, too, before I forced myself to move on to the rest of the gathered people. Apparently, they were aware of the awkwardness, if not its cause, judging by their looks and the way they stood.

“How are things going?” I asked.

“As well as we could expect,” Kariva answered serenely.

“Our time is almost up,” San Hashar said, leaning against a bookcase with her arms crossed. “We knew word would spread quickly, and our enemies are starting to catch on to the fact that their contacts from the Wei are turned. We managed to root out a fair number, but it’s only going to get harder from here.”

“At least the fighting is moving out of the shadows back into the open,” Aston commented. “Now that an important part of their current protection is gone.”

I nodded. “It’s kind of amazing how much difference voluntary cooperation can make compared to just neutralizing fighters. We didn’t get this far after taking conspirators’ bases previously.”

General Wei shifted uneasily, but Kariva chuckled. “True. Though we’re also in a different position now. Their situation has turned decidedly worse, and any hope they had of claiming the throne is gone now. Assuming they had any.”

“It is going to make them more desperate and thus dangerous,” San Hashar put in.

I shrugged, then glanced at Wei Jun. “I do have an idea on how to beat them, actually. General Wei, you and your soldiers worked with these people. I’m sure you’re familiar with how they operate. That makes you perfect to root them out once and for all.”

His eyes widened. “Really, Your Highness?”

Kariva grinned. “A good idea.”

They were probably both thinking that this meant Wei’s men would take the losses fighting the remnants of the insurrection entailed.

“What better chance do you see to prove your value and contribute to atoning for your previous actions?” I asked. “It will certainly make it much easier to argue that you and your clan deserve some clemency.”

He bowed his head. “That’s true, my lady. I’m honored you’d trust me that far.”

I waved that away. “I know you don’t exactly like Zun Chao. Besides, your brother and son will function as hostages to your good behavior. Any betrayal on your part will reflect on them.”

His eyes narrowed, but he nodded calmly. “Of course.”

“There’s still the matter of the traitors’ black stage cultivators,” San Hashar said.

Kariva smiled. “That’s not going to be a big problem. For now, at least. Several of them have already started leaving the country.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes. They’re, to put it bluntly, running away. We can’t fight them directly, but they’re clearly not willing to risk what else we may do.”

I shook my head, needing a moment to process that. I wasn’t sure how to deal with them, but I didn’t think that issue would take care of itself like that. Of course they’re running.

“Where are they fleeing?” I asked. “To the Zarian?”

“It’s a little early to tell for sure, and I’m not aware of all of their movement,” Kariva answered. “But of the two I’m sure about, only one is going south. I assume the same will hold true for the others. The Dominion will probably welcome them, but they’re still Imperials, and I doubt many of them like the idea. Most will probably go farther away. I don’t suggest trying to catch them.”

Aston shook his head. “This is going to be a problem later.”

“Probably,” I shrugged. “But there’s not much we can do.”

Luckily, there weren’t that many eighth stagers firmly on the side of the conspiracy. Only about ten would probably feel they were obviously guilty enough that they had to flee.

“It doesn’t solve the issue of what to do with those who remain,” Kariva noted. “Few of them have actually done anything that would mark them guilty of treason, even if they might have tacitly supported their clans or allies in this insurrection.”

“We keep an eye on them and hope they’ve learned their lesson,” I said. “What else can we do? This isn’t exactly a new problem. Kiyanu can handle them.”

Kariva didn’t look happy, but I didn’t think that was because she disagreed with me. She just didn’t like the situation I’d pointed out. None of the others did, either. Even Wei Jun hid a grimace. Come to think of it, I don’t think those types are well-regarded among the actual traitors, either. Probably a good thing for us. I frowned thoughtfully. I need to see about maybe helping promising candidates break through to higher stages. Maybe my special abilities will help, and my father might deign to give some guidance. Another thing for the to-do list.

“If that’s all, I’d like to have a moment with Kariva,” I said.

“There’s nothing else pressing,” she confirmed.

The others looked surprised, but didn’t protest. Wei Jun edged towards the exit. I took the opposite door, which apparently led to a small side-room, with Kariva following me.

“What’s this about, my lady?” she asked, frowning.

I glanced around, noting the wards built into the place and the shield she was setting up right now. Then I turned my attention back to Kariva. “I wanted to give you a heads-up. I intend to travel to Adzur.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? That’s a dangerous proposition, and your presence is needed here. Or at least of value.”

“I’m sure,” I confirmed. “My projects would do a lot better if I had access to some of their tech, and there are personal reasons as well. Besides, Kiyanu, you, and the rest can handle things here. I don’t even need to be there when we deploy the new weapons.”

Kariva nodded. “When?”

I leaned against the wall. “I want to be there over the winter solstice.”

“That’s not far off,” Kariva pointed out, frowning again.

“There’s time enough. I’m going to be on the Earth Continent, anyway.” I shrugged. “And that’s why I’m telling you now. I’m sure you’ll want to make arrangements.”

She rolled her eyes. “I swear, you’re becoming more like your mother every day. Fine. I’ll make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”

I grinned. “I know I can count on you, Kariva.”

She shook her head. “If that’s all, I have places to be.”

“Sure.”

I watched her leave, then ambled out of the room myself, noting that the others had vacated the meeting room as well.

“Aston,” I asked, watching him materialize beside me, “where’s the main Wei family now?”

He looked into the distance for a moment, probably focusing on his qi senses. “Wei Yong is with his family and several of our commanders. The general is talking to some of the other clan members, all of them strong, probably his captains. Wei Min has approached Elia, in the garden.”

I grimaced, then set off towards the garden. I’d go see what that was about. It definitely beat seeing Wei Yong’s wife and children. I still didn’t know what to think about the fact that I had extended, but not too distant, family I didn’t know at all. At least I kind of liked Wei Min, and he was the one I was most likely to keep running across in the future.

I’d need to tell Al about this. Yet another conversation I wasn’t looking forward to. And Xiaodan, once she was older. But both of them probably wouldn’t care too much. They hadn’t fought clan Wei themselves.

I shook my head, trying not to dwell on the matter, and sped up. Elia was still roughly where I left her, although there were more soldiers around now discreetly keeping an eye on her. She didn’t seem to mind. Wei Min was standing beside her, and the two of them seemed deep in conversation about something. I only caught a few fragments, not enough to make sense of. They stopped talking as soon as they noticed my approach.

I slowed down and smiled. “Don’t mind me, I’m just wandering around.”

Elia rolled her eyes. “Sure. You know, I’m not sure if that counts as a white lie or not.”

I sighed. “You’re no fun.” Then I glanced at Wei Min, noting he didn’t seem to have relaxed with the banter. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important?”

If anything, he stiffened even more. “No, Your Highness. Not at all.”

Neither of them actually volunteered any information as to what they had been talking about, though. I had a few guesses, from Elia’s search to truth detection techniques to commiserating over dysfunctional families, but decided not to press.

The silence was a little awkward, though. Still, since Elia was here, and they didn’t seem inclined to talk about something else, maybe I should take this opportunity. “It seems your uncle told you what I said, Wei Min,” I noted.

He flinched a little. “My father, not my uncle, my lady.” He hesitated. “I didn’t know, and I promise that I won’t spread it around or try to take advantage of the connection.”

I wondered how long it would take until his whole clan knew, anyway, but only nodded. I knew he was serious.

“Inaris,” Elia said, “you’re going to the Earth Continent now, aren’t you?”

I turned to her. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I’d like to go along. Also, I get the feeling you should probably go quickly.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I always appreciate your help, Elia,” I said. “And I wasn’t planning to dawdle.”

“I spent enough time around Hajake to be cautious.” She shrugged. “Also, the war isn’t going too well over there, either, is it?”

“That’s true, unfortunately.”

Wei Min cleared his throat softly. “Can I be of any help?”

I regarded him for a moment, then shook my head. “You’re more useful here,” I replied. “But I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the clan and keep me informed. I know many of them probably resent you, but I’m sure you have ways of dealing with that.” I smiled wryly. “Consider it a test.”

He looked confused, but bowed his head. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Elia looked amused. She shook her head. “I wonder what the political landscape of the Empire will be like after you’re through, Inaris.”

“Well, I did have these field tests for local democracy,” I said. “The war wasn’t kind to that, and they’re pretty much on hold now.” I frowned thoughtfully. “But maybe this is a silver lining. Maybe the disruption caused by this conspiracy will actually be a boon in that regard.”

I happened to look in Aston’s direction, and noticed that he suppressed a chuckle. When he caught me looking, he smiled and shrugged a little.

I couldn’t help but think back to a conversation that seemed like it happened half a lifetime ago, just before my first major breakthrough after the soul journey. How things have changed.

120: Complications

Tenira’s eyelids fluttered, and her breathing sped up. I watched, forcing myself to remain still and silent so as not to disturb her, while her aura settled down and her pulse rose then calmed. It was fascinating to see all of the changes happening firsthand, even though I had been sitting here for quite a while.

She finally opened her eyes and looked around, stretching.

“Congratulations,” I said, standing up and offering her a proud smile.

Tenira blinked, then returned my smile. “Thanks, Nari. How long did I take?”

“About two days. We’re as good as there.”

I hadn’t been thrilled when she said she wanted to attempt a breakthrough in the air, during our journey. It took longer than I thought, although my expectations might have been skewed, but I could sense that her breakthrough was stable and there were no unforeseen problems.

“You’re just in time,” Kajare commented, leaning against the railing. He’d come closer when it became clear that she was finishing. “Congratulations on reaching the fifth stage, Tenira.”

“Thank you. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you.”

“Not at all,” I said.

Kajare clicked his tongue. “Inaris barely left your side the whole time.”

I scowled at him. “Hey, it’s not like I had much else to do.”

She shook her head at me, but I could tell she was hiding a smile. “You didn’t need to, but I appreciate the concern.”

A strong gust of wind stole Kajare’s amused huff. The airship was rapidly losing altitude and momentum, and had apparently lowered its qi shields already. I glanced at the quickly approaching ground, then extended a bit of my qi to keep the wind off me. A lady had to worry about her hair, after all. At least I did when one of the servants accompanying me had done it half an hour ago, in preparation for upcoming diplomatic encounters and such.

Beside me, I felt Tenira flex her aura. Unlike my domain, which was more like a star-speckled night sky, hers felt like solid light underpinned by a framework of darkness. It reminded me a little of solar cells and wires, even though I knew that made no sense. But anyone would have sensed her increase in strength. Kajare was also rapidly pushing at the boundary of the fourth stage, but it would probably be a few months yet until he was ready for a breakthrough.

I focused back on my surroundings as we disembarked the airship. We’d arrived in the main military base in Imperial territory, and too many barracks and administrative buildings to count surrounded the airstrip. The main command center, identified by the flags planted in front of it, loomed ahead, and a small delegation waited between us and it.

I stepped forward, gesturing for the people to rise almost before they’d started to kneel. I recognized most of them, and noted they were all Imperial commanders except for Lei. We stood in a secluded enough spot that it wouldn’t cause a scene, so I stepped forward to hug my friend.

“Hey, Lei,” I said. “Good to see you again. How are things?”

He nodded at me, but before he could speak up, Tenira copied me and pulled him into a firm hug. She embraced him for a long moment before letting go, grinning at him.

Lei cleared his throat. “Inaris. Tenira. Welcome back. Am I glad to see you.”

I turned my attention to the other waiting people and greeted them. But I couldn’t help but notice that Lei seemed impatient, shifting his weight from foot to foot and glancing around.

“What’s up?” I finally said as we were making our way inside.

He pulled a face. “I have some news. Besides the war, I mean. King Terki is on the continent. Apparently, he arrived two days ago and is moving through Terbekteri territory.”

I blinked. I didn’t expect that news, and it didn’t factor into our plans.

“Well,” Tenira said, “what does that mean?”

I glanced at my husband, who seemed just as surprised as me. “On the plus side, Kajare gets to see his father. But on the other hand, it might be an issue for what we want to do.”

We were greeted by a few other people at that point, so the conversation halted. I did my best to focus on the present, but I couldn’t help but be a little distracted. It didn’t help that most of it was just empty formalities and pleasantries. The people who really mattered were at the front or otherwise occupied, but everyone seemed to want to meet me and try to get in my good graces. Probably because of the recent disruptions and Mother’s absence.

Finally, I somewhat gently insisted on getting the provincial and regional administrators alone to go over their reports. Kajare slipped out after an hour, and Tenira excused herself when the topic turned to taxes and trade. I wished I could go with them, but I really needed to know these things. It would impact how the population, our vassals, and other countries reacted.

There was more to do than I thought, and we had to wait until the next day until we could move on. At that point, the Terbekteri king had learned of our presence and we were going to meet him in a city almost directly at the border between the territories controlled by both of our nations. Or occupied during the course of the war, really. The region had been independent before, but they had caved to the Zarian before our side took them after our successful initial attack, in which I’d been captured.

I didn’t get a chance to see Jian, but that was probably for the best. I wanted to have him stew for a while, anyway, long enough for his allies to relax their guards a little.

The journey passed quickly, and I got a chance to talk to Kajare about his father. I didn’t get the feeling they were really close, which was probably obvious given how large his family was and his father’s job, but Kajare didn’t seem to harbor any grudges.

“You didn’t resent him for arranging the marriage to me?” I asked.

Kajare shook his head, giving me a weird look. “No, why would I? Didn’t we already establish that this was a good thing for me? I wanted it.”

“Right. So, why do you think he’s here now, with little fanfare or notice?”

He frowned. “I assume he noticed that something was up. Probably not the details, but Hajake might have raised some suspicion, and Salira was making moves, too, right? I love my sister, but she’s not always as subtle as she thinks. And she got help from Mother, but didn’t fill her in. Maybe she asked Father to come here to get to the bottom of it, or he just decided to come himself once he heard about it.”

I nodded, making a mental note that Kajare’s parents were close, and steered the conversation back to other matters.

When we reached the city, it was crawling with Terbekteri airships. Although to be fair, there were quite a few Imperial ones here, too. They all let us through without problems, a pair of Imperial airships falling into honor guard positions and escorting us in. I waited in silence, trying not to fidget, until I could disembark. Then the local governor greeted us and, with many bows and flowery words, led us to the people I’d been waiting to see.

King Terki the Second looked a bit like an older version of Hajake, though his skin tone and the look in his eyes was closer to Kajare. Although he was quickly approaching his fourth century, he looked like forty at most, and carried himself with all the grace and poise of a ruler who’d been in power for over a century.

He’d clearly planned this meeting beforehand. The trees lining the place made for a nice atmosphere, the flowers filled the air with a pleasant scent, and it was secluded enough this didn’t feel too official, even with the handful of courtiers and guards from both sides. When we arrived, he stood up from his seat and smiled at us in welcome.

I gave my best courtly bow, but didn’t let go of Kajare’s arm. “Greetings, Your Majesty. I am glad to finally meet you in person.”

King Terki returned my bow. “Imperial Princess. I am just as happy to see you.” He straightened up and smiled at his son. “And Kajare, my boy! How has life in the Empire been treating you?”

Kajare smiled and stepped forward to exchange what looked like a cross between a handshake and fist bump with him. “Hello, Father. I’ve found the Empire interesting, challenging, and fun.” He glanced at me. “And Inaris is everything I could have hoped for.”

“You do seem to be thriving.” A woman turned away from the courtiers and came to Terki’s side. She looked about his age, though I knew she was actually younger and a stage weaker. Her skin was a shade darker than his, her eyes a warm brown with a veiled sharpness as she smiled at us. “It’s good to see.”

Kajare glanced at me for a moment before he went to hug his mother. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

His father’s gaze swept over the rest of the people I brought, and I could see his gaze narrow slightly as he looked at Tenira, but he didn’t comment and simply continued the motion before he turned to me. “Why don’t you all sit down? We have quite a bit to talk about.”

I nodded and took a seat at one of the wooden chairs they’d apparently brought. A servant stepped forward with a tray, and I selected a drink. “Thank you, King Terki. We certainly do.”

Kajare came to sit down beside me, while Terki smiled again. “I hope you’ll call me ‘father’, with the union of our families. Of course, not that I could be competition for your true father in any way!” His teeth flashed as he grinned.

“Of course, Father.” I returned his smile. Well, I’ve already exchanged more words with him than Rijoko. But I wonder what his angle is in emphasizing the familial connection like this?

“Good.” His smile faded, and a seriousness entered his expression that made the friendly, amiable man he’d just shown seem distant, though it didn’t suit him any less. “Now, would you mind explaining to me what this issue or grievance you seem to have with my son is all about?”

I blinked. “I assure you, things between me and Kajare are quite well. I don’t think I’ve given him cause for any grievances. Have I?” I looked at Kajare.

Terki clicked his tongue. “Oh, that’s not what I meant. I should have been more precise. I am talking about the other son of mine you met, Hajake.”

Oh. I couldn’t help but tense up a little, looking at the king in front of me. This was a bit dicey.

“We did have a disagreement when we first met,” I said carefully. Then I briefly outlined the story. I mentioned the hidden Zarian staging ground, how we wanted to convince Terbekteri to strike at it together. I also hinted at how we worked with Salira and brought the issue to the attention of the Terbekteri officers. I ended my retelling with Hajake giving in and agreeing to the plan, and how we fought the Zarian. Of course, I stopped the story before his betrayal. Kajare chimed in occasionally, but mostly let me talk.

King Terki listened to us in silence, a faint frown on his face. At the end, he nodded. “I understand why that might have led to hard feelings. Although, given how your assault played out — your own regrettable experiences aside, of course — I can hardly speak against your actions. I hope you’re not too put out at Hajake’s initial reticence?”

I shrugged, but kept my tone calm. “I do have to admit to wondering why he was put in charge of a situation such as this. But I am not so easily affronted.”

Terki narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at me for a moment. “Of course, my dear. I see. Our ways are not your ways, naturally. Although I believe you struck up a friendship with my daughter Salira?”

“Which we are glad to hear,” his wife finally cut in. Queen Liali had mostly kept silent so far, but clearly listened intently, and she smiled at me and Kajare now. “We are quite proud of Salira’s progress, and forming closer bonds between our families is certainly a good thing.”

“Right.” I inclined my head to her. “Yes, Salira is quite nice to be around and we have some important things in common, so I would be hopeful for building a lasting friendship.” I glanced around. “Is she not present here?”

Terki looked at Liali and his face softened a little as he turned back to us. “Of course. I’m afraid Salira is still up north, my dear. Just as Hajake is on the front, and it will take him a little while to get back. But I have called him back, and I’d like to have a meeting with the two of you to make sure things are sorted out appropriately.”

I barely stifled a grimace. Just what I needed. As if things aren’t messed up enough. But can I really refuse to see him?

“With respect, Father, you are not my king.” I fixed my gaze on him with a cool stare. “I do not appreciate being treated like a child to be called to task for stealing another’s toy.” I paused, letting my words hang in the air for a moment, then shrugged. “That said, I see no reason to refuse your request.”

Terki returned my gaze, and I could have sworn the corners of his lips lifted up slightly. Perhaps he liked that I showed some proverbial teeth.

“Of course, Imperial Princess,” he finally replied. “Thank you.” Then his gaze turned to his son. “Kajare, now that we have finally seen each other again, I would like to take the chance to spend some time with you. I know there is much to do, but hopefully your wife can spare you until Hajake returns? What do you say?”

Kajare hesitated, and we exchanged a look. I could tell he wanted to take the opportunity to spend time with his parents, but was afraid of messing up my plans regarding Hajake. I stifled a sigh, and squeezed his hand. We’d just have to deal.

“I wouldn’t keep him from his family,” I said with forced cheer.

“I’d be happy to,” Kajare replied.

Terki smiled at us and inclined his head. “Wonderful. Now, perhaps we should retire to the war room and discuss the war effort? There is much to talk about.”

I agreed, of course. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but establishing closer coordination with Terbekteri would be good.

As we stood up, I caught Kajare’s gaze. He inclined his head to me, and I nodded. I wasn’t worried about him betraying Imperial secrets or anything like that.

Then I started organizing the Imperial entourage I’d brought to accompany me, with several high-ranking officers. Best to make the most of this meeting, even if I had to curb the impatience and unease I got thinking of Hajake.

121: The nature of fire

I took a deep breath and surveyed the mountains spread out before me. They weren’t quite as big as the Central Mountains back on the Sky Continent, let alone the massive northern chain on this continent, but they still made for a nice view. The crisp mountain air seemed to clear my airways, whispering of early snow and untouched nature. Mostly untouched, at least. These mountains weren’t really wild, just sparsely settled compared to the surrounding regions.

“Any idea how much longer we’re going to travel?” Lei asked, coming to a stop beside me. His breathing was a little deeper than normal, the only sign of our quick ascent up this mountain.

“Can’t be longer than a few hours, probably less,” I replied, hiding my amusement. “We’re all strong cultivators here, we could probably comb the entire mountain range in a few days if we wanted to.” I glanced around, noting the guards spread around us. “Let’s continue. Maybe we’ll see more if we go up that peak.”

In truth, I reflected as I sped down the western mountainside and sent a small cascade of stones tumbling down it in my wake, Lei was right to ask. I didn’t have much of an idea of where we were going, but I didn’t mind. It was fun climbing and exploring the mountains. Far better than sitting in yet another strategy meeting. Why not treat the trip as a mini-vacation and enjoy it?

Once we crested the next peak and I stopped to look around, Lei shook his head. “How did you even know to come here? And how sure are you we’re not wasting our time?”

“Pretty sure.” I grinned. “Call it intuition.” I set off again.

My connection to Rijoko was a little clearer, and if I concentrated on it, I could get a bit of a sense of it. Enough to know I wasn’t wasting my time in coming here, but that my father wanted me to. Maybe more of an idle whim rather than a real goal, the feeling wasn’t very strong, but it meshed with my own judgment.

For the next few minutes, we concentrated on traversing the mountains. While it would have been easier to fly, there were aggressive flying beasts around, and I’d rather avoid making a scene, plus we might miss things from on high.

Back after I’d taken the Wei’s surrender, I’d been curious about the rumors and made inquiries. They’d all but confirmed that the brothers’ grandmother had been with a powerful spirit beast, with their mother as the result. Unlike with spirits, I didn’t seem to have any particular affinity or advantage when it came to my spiritual perception, but I supposed that made sense. As it was, my senses were good enough to guide us around any beast who might have thought to attack us, and the guards sometimes slipped off to take care of threats they apparently didn’t want to risk leaving at our backs. I knew there should be nothing here strong enough to threaten Aston, so we were pretty safe.

Except for our quarry, maybe.

“What sort of spirit beast are we even looking for?” Lei asked, gasping, as we took a short rest on the slopes of another mountain, watching a mountain lion stalk through the valley below us.

“I’m not quite sure, but we’ll know it when we see it,” I said. “From the impression I got, probably something fiery, and I’d guess a bird.” It could be one of those Flame-Tailed birds we’d met on our first journey here, though I hoped not.

The Terbekteri general’s dreams hadn’t offered me much concrete information, but I was confident we were on the right track. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my senses, sorting through my surroundings. After a moment, I caught the barest hint of ash coming from a peak to the north.

“Let’s keep going,” I said. “We’re almost there.”

We pressed on. I moved more slowly and was careful to keep behind cover as much as possible. We were descending a mountainside right now, and anyone from the mountains on the opposing side could see us. Luckily, there were enough trees to offer some cover.

“Actually, Nari,” Lei spoke up after a while. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure.”

“When you leave again, can you take me along? This is nice and all, but I’d rather go back with you and work on developing our tech than the war here.”

I glanced at him, trying not to frown. “Of course. I’m going to Adzur first, but I can promise you that when I’m back on the Sky Continent, you will be, too.”

“Great. Thank you.”

I hesitated for a moment. “But you don’t actually need my permission, do you? You’re not my official follower or retainer or something. You could just pack your bags and leave.”

Lei gave me a sideways look. “Don’t be stupid, Inaris. You’re the crown princess and soon-to-be-empress. If you ordered me to stay here, do you think I could refuse? Besides, I wouldn’t want to leave when you’re counting on my help.”

I nodded. “Sure. Sorry.” I paused, jumping over a fallen log and checking that everyone was handling the terrain fine. “Do you want me to make things official in some way, though?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “No, being your friend and confidant is bad enough, I don’t need a job title. I have a high enough status on my own, anyway.”

I nodded. He was my second cousin twice removed, I remembered. Fair enough.

Our conversation stopped as we approached our destination. By now, I was sure everyone in my party could sense that there was a strong presence up ahead. One crackling with fire, although it felt like it was banked, its glow dimmed. We were picking our way into a secluded glade in a small extension of a valley, the sides rising sharply at three sides before they met a forest. I took a deep breath and pushed past the cover of the woods.

It took me a moment to actually see the spirit beast, sitting between several boulders. When it saw us, it hissed out a puff of smoke and flew upwards to perch on a rock, so we were roughly at eye level. Its mind brushed against our own.

“Greetings, honored elder,” I said with both my physical and mental voice, and bowed. “I hope we did not disturb you.”

Internally, I wrestled with my surprise. This bird was at least as powerful as I’d expected, maybe even equal to an early eighth stage cultivator, but it certainly wasn’t any type I’d seen before, or anything even indirectly based on a mortal bird species.

The spirit beast seemed to be made partly of fire. Flames enveloped the more physical body, but didn’t burn it. That body was vividly colored in gold and shades from yellow to red, with the only point of contrast being the eyes, which were a bright blue like the hottest part of a flame. I had no doubt what kind of creature I was looking at: a phoenix.

Although I would have expected the bird to be larger. Its — no, their — current form was pretty small, maybe the size of a chicken.

‘Disturb me,’ the phoenix said in my mind, with a noise somewhere between a snort and a screech. ‘As if you did not come here specifically to seek me out. Don’t hide behind false pretenses, girl.’ They scrabbled with their claws on the boulder, effortlessly cutting deep gouges in the rock. ‘I didn’t think any of you lot would come to me here, when I’m recovering my strength after going through another cycle. It would be easier to seek me out in the Central Mountains if you were a little more patient.’

I frowned, hesitantly taking a step forward. My guards had drawn closer around me and Lei, though no one dared step in front of me. Lei watched the spirit beast with interest, and I assumed they could all hear everything, but they remained silent. The phoenix sounded a bit grumpy. That was understandable if they were being bothered after recovering from a death and resurrection, probably what they meant with a cycle. But they didn’t seem aggressive, surprised to see me, or even unwelcoming, really.

‘I’m not sure I understand,’ I replied. ‘Were you expecting company, honored elder?’

‘Ancestor.’ One blue eye blinked. ‘You may call me “honored ancestor”, youngling.’

I blinked, and barely registered Lei muffling a chuckle beside me. It didn’t take me long to grasp what they meant, and suddenly, I saw the situation in a new light. This was probably why Rijoko had half-heartedly nudged me into coming here.

Seriously, I thought to myself, how many surprise bloodline reveals am I expected to accept? I really hope this is the last of them.

‘Of course.’ I bowed my head to the phoenix. ‘I am honored to meet my great-great-grandfather.’

Looking back, I really should have expected something like this. I knew the Wei’s bloodline from a powerful spirit beast was associated with fire. And the phoenix was the heraldic animal of the Empire. Actually, considering the civil war and everything, it was no wonder the new Wei didn’t dare boast about this bloodline too much. And they also had blood ties with the old Emperor. Through them, I’m even descended from the previous dynasty, right? Kind of ironic.

The phoenix regarded me for a moment. He — considering they had a child with a female cultivator, they were probably male, provided their kind had genders like humans — seemed pleased by my words. ‘As I am honored to meet you, my scion.’

I cleared my throat and introduced my companions, before we approached closer. Lei and Aston took seats on some of the rocks, while most of my guards spread out farther, guarding us and getting out of the way of the conversation.

‘Did you come for instruction? I don’t typically give my secrets away freely, even to my descendants. But you do not have fire in your aura, do you?’

‘No, I have light and darkness affinity qi,’ I replied. ‘But I also have a special ability that allows me to use all other kinds of qi, if not as easily.’

If I thought back to when I was using fire qi while I pretended to be someone else during my stay in that Zarian-occupied city, I had a pretty easy time of it. It was the only time I’d really used it, and I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, since I’d been relying on my familiarity with light qi. But maybe I did have some more talent for it than something like earth qi.

‘I see.’ The phoenix sounded thoughtful. ‘I should have expected something like that from the Imperial Princess.’

I raised an eyebrow, surprised that he knew who I was. I hadn’t actually mentioned it, and I was wearing simple blue robes without any identifying details.

My surprise must have shown, and he clacked his beak with a sound like chuckling. ‘I may not live among humans, but I am the Red Phoenix, child, not some ignorant pigeon. I make it a point to keep up with your doings.’

‘Of course, honored ancestor. I understand that you have some dealings with our kind, even if you do not choose to show me a shape like it.’

I was pretty sure the phoenix could turn into a humanoid form. Unless Wei Yong’s grandmother could lay eggs, which I rather doubted, they would hardly have a child together otherwise. I didn’t know if she wanted to get a strong bloodline for her descendants or simply had unusual tastes, but it didn’t really matter. I just tried not to think too much about it.

‘Cheeky girl.’ The bird shivered, and the air around him shimmered as if because of the heat, but the phenomenon spread until it had the form of a human. A second later, the haze vanished and I saw a boy with burning red hair and embers for eyes. ‘If you want my teachings, say it.’

I regarded my ancestor curiously. He looked like a young teenager, clad in a red robe, but there was still the occasional flaming feather adorning his forearms and neck, where I could see pale skin. His hair looked like the older Wei’s had that time, just more intensely so, and his face seemed vaguely bird-like. I had to force myself not to jump to investigate him more thoroughly and ask him questions about his mind and understanding of human culture.

‘I’d love to hear about your techniques,’ I replied. ‘But we actually came for a different reason. I happen to have learned that a general of Terbekteri, a man called Arnarle, and a group of his family and friends were after you. I wanted to ask about that.’

‘Oh, him,’ the phoenix snorted. ‘I don’t know what you want with that poseur. We can talk about him later. For now, tell me, what do you know of the nature of fire and light?’

I smoothed out my robes and sat down on a nearby rock, getting comfortable for a long conversation, before I answered.

My ancestor didn’t seem very impressed by my knowledge or my take on qi and the elements, but then, he seemed like the grumpy old mentor type. To my surprise, he didn’t just insist that I was wrong and try to correct me with a lecture, but offered thoughtful and thought-provoking rejoinders and elaborations. It was the start of a lively and fruitful discussion.

I had a different perspective, coming from a world where everything worked just fine without qi. But he had lived for a long time and seen many things in this world, both qi phenomena and cultivators’ attempts to understand the energy of their world. He broadly agreed with my assertion that the affinities of qi and their techniques, what they could do, were determined both by natural properties and what people commonly believed and associated with them. But he cautioned me not to draw too firm a line between the two, and not to be too arrogant in my grasp of natural principles. He still seemed quite interested in what I did know of the laws of physics, especially thermodynamics, though.

As the time went on, I gained a new appreciation for why cultivators would seek out old masters playing hermit atop some mountain for their teaching. He didn’t even make me prove my strength or do chores! And he did deign to teach me a couple techniques after a few hours.

My favorite was the one that let me throw fireballs that exploded on contact and threw a napalm-like substance through the air that clung to whatever it hit and burned them, even if Scattering Wrath of the Inferno was a stupid name. Although the jetpack imitation might be more helpful, especially since I was sure I could gain some insights for my fire variant of my Light’s Speed buff.

He shook his head as he watched rocks rain through the air and my guards scramble to put out fires in the grass and forest around us. ‘That was astonishingly fast of you. Most people would take days if not weeks to master these techniques enough not to burn themselves if they tried that.’

I couldn’t help a proud grin. ‘Thank you. They don’t call me a high-level genius for nothing.’ The grin faded as I watched the sun, which was starting to dye the sky orange. ‘And unfortunately, I don’t have nearly enough time, anyway. My in-laws will be expecting me soon.’

The phoenix sighed and perched onto another rock, clearly uncaring that he was not in his bird form. ‘I see. I suppose you want to hear about that Terbekteri officer now? He and his group did try to hunt me, though I had little trouble evading them. They barely caught my tail feather. I do not know how much good that is going to do you, though.’

I stood up and stretched my arms. Before I could ask further questions, I noticed that Aston was waiting for my attention. When I looked at him, he came over, a frown on his face and still clutching a radio in his hand. We’d left a relay further down.

“Bad news, Your Highness,” he reported. “It seems general Arnarle was killed in battle yesterday evening. Headquarters only got word recently.”

“Shit.” I kicked at a loose stone, then plopped down on a rock nearby. Great. Did Hajake move to clean up potential loose ends or is this just bad luck?

‘You wanted something from him, I take it?’ my ancestor asked, cocking his head.

I sighed. ‘Yes. I needed him to get information on and hopefully give testimony against my enemy. That’s why I came here, since I knew he was hunting a sapient spirit beast, which is just as illegal in Terbekteri as the Empire. I also planned to ask about a spat he apparently had with his brother, hoping to get some more material for blackmail. Looks like this is all moot now.’

‘Do I want to know how you knew this? No, it was probably your father.’ The boy regarded me for a moment longer, then in a flash of brightness that caused me to blink turned back into the bird. ‘Perhaps you should just go after your enemy directly. They tend to cause a lot less problems once they’re dead.’

I smiled wryly, standing up to leave. ‘I wish it was that easy.’

We quickly exchanged goodbyes with the phoenix before turning around to make our way back. There was no point in lingering here. I doubted I had enough time to really accomplish something before that meeting with Terki, but if Hajake was making moves, I didn’t want any more surprises.

122: Truth will out

Sunrise had almost finished, and the warm colors of twilight were vanishing from the sky. It made the world seem starker and sharper, even though the view out of the window would have been called picturesque by many. I would have preferred to see telephone poles rather than just tiled roofs, though.

“Is this really necessary?” king Varis asked. “Surely there has been some mistake. Where is the proof that Jian did anything wrong?”

I turned around, facing the Velisha king fully. For a moment, I regretted that I hadn’t had him stay on his knees, since now I needed to look up a bit to make eye contact.

“A mistake?” I repeated, quietly.

King Varis bowed his head. “My lady. I did not mean to sound impertinent.”

“Your son is under investigation on suspicion of high treason, king Varis,” I said, still in a cool tone. He was definitely questioning me, wasn’t he? “That is all that is pertinent about the situation. And, fatherly concern or not, I don’t see that you have room for complaint, frankly. He has not been harmed.”

The Velisha noticeably suppressed a sigh. “Of course not, Imperial Princess.”

I didn’t think either of us was happy about this conversation, but that was on him. I certainly had things I’d rather be doing, but I couldn’t just brush him off when the Velisha king came to subtly accost me about Jian’s imprisonment. I hadn’t said much, of course. I wanted to keep Jian basically on ice.

Hopefully, most people chalked the whole thing up to the attempted coup and Mother’s departure. For those who knew about Jian’s involvement in another act of treason, they had seen no other response so far. I wanted to give them enough time to settle, let their guard down. The thought of hanging over Hajake like the sword of Damocles was a bonus.

“We’re not barbarians, Varis,” I said. “If Jian is innocent, he has nothing to fear.”

Of course, I knew he was guilty, but the principle still held. At least this conversation had made me reasonably certain that the king really didn’t know about Jian’s actions.

The Velisha king bowed his head again. “Thank you, my lady.”

“I’m afraid this is all the time I can spare you,” I said. “I have an important meeting with the Terbekteri, you understand.”

He clearly recognized the dismissal, and bowed. “I wish you luck, my lady.” He turned and left the room.

I glanced at Aston, who shut the door behind the departing vassal and raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s go,” I said. “Make sure Kajare is on the way as well, alright?”

Terki wanted this little meeting to be private, just family. Obviously, that meant I couldn’t bring any of the others, even Lei. Tenira or Yarani were out, anyway. But Aston would accompany me.

He fell into step beside me as we left the room and made our way through the building. This city hadn’t been built by the Empire or the Kingdom, but they’d appropriated the government buildings, meaning the biggest palace and other large edifices. The mansion we were currently in had been commandeered by the Imperial generals for our use, but it was small enough that it wouldn’t take long to get into the city. I’d meet Terki and his children in a similar one not far away.

The guards brought a small, open carriage for me, really more of a chariot, that moved itself down the street as they jogged to keep pace. A minute later, we reached our destination, and I stepped off and swept into the gates of another clump of marble facades, neatly trimmed greenery, and bowing servants. They opened the doors for us. Royal guards of the Terbekteri were here, as well, clearly watching us intently even as they bowed to me. I suppressed the thought that we were outnumbered.

We were led into a sitting room stuffed just a little too full of chairs and sofas, although there were only Terki, Liali, Hajake and Kajare present. They rose politely as we entered, and Liali and Kajare gave me what I thought were honest smiles. I’d hoped to see Salira here, too. Did she not make it back yet, or did they just decide not to include her? I wish I knew.

I exchanged polite greetings with all of them, but only felt glad to see Kajare. We hugged for a moment and he stayed by my side, appropriating my arm as we sat down on a couch together. Aston joined a few other guards around the edges of the room.

It helped distract me from seeing Hajake again. He was watching me carefully, his jaw clenched just a little and his expression obviously carefully controlled. I gave him a smile and relaxed into the seat with Kajare. Of course, I wanted to rip his traitorous throat out, but it wasn’t like I felt some burning need to do that right now.

“I’m glad the front could spare you, brother-in-law,” I said. “Things are going well there, I’ve heard?”

“Reasonably well,” King Terki said. “We’ve certainly spoken about the state of the war enough over the last few days. That’s not quite what I wanted this conversation to be about.”

“Then what is?” I raised an eyebrow. “What did you arrange this meeting for, Father?”

“As I said, I wanted to sort things out between yourself and Hajake, my dear.” Terki smiled wryly. “Considering some of the concerning things I’ve heard before and since my arrival here.”

I regarded him in silence for a moment. Kajare spoke up, his voice a little tense. “What things?”

Terki barely glanced at him. “I’ve heard rumblings of accusations against your brother, of rumors that he has betrayed the alliance, or Inaris personally. That your little spat has done serious damage to our relationship.” He fixed his gaze on me. “Whoever might have spread them, those are distasteful methods to be sure.”

I blinked, and had to suppress a smile at the sheer irony. It looked like Hajake had gone on the offensive, in a rather weird way. Though I could see some of his logic. He’d biased his father so any accusations against him would be seen as distasteful personal attacks if not outright slander, conditioned Terki to defend him right off the bat. And he might have just limited some of the cards I could play. Terbekteri and outside nobles or commanders speaking against him would easily be put in the same category.

“Really?” I asked. “I have to admit I didn’t hear about any such rumors, personally. Just who did you hear speak like that, Hajake?”

He shrugged. “It’s hard to name specific names, of course. I certainly can’t point to anyone as an instigator.”

Meaning he couldn’t just come out and accuse me of it, but he kind of did already. The funny thing was that there probably weren’t many rumors like this, really. Hopefully. I’d tried to limit who got information about the whole thing. But this also introduces the idea that Hajake betrayed me. He’s definitely gambling.

“I don’t have the patience for this kind of intrigue,” I grumbled. That was probably a failing if I wanted to be a good Empress that I’d need to rectify, but not untrue. There was a reason I’d mostly left this to Tenira and then Lei.

I wish I could just quietly have him killed. Unfortunately, trying that would be too much of a risk. He was a prince, well-protected anyway, in the middle of a war, with a connection to Jideia, and knew I might try something. Ming Li was the best option, though he would be too easy to tie to me.

I’d still paid him a small fortune to keep him on retainer, with instructions to go after Hajake if I died, disappeared or was taken captive while I was here. Besides trying to find and rescue me, of course. I wish I could just tell Hajake that if I die, the Black Knife will be after him. But it’s not worth the risk and wouldn’t change his mind if it was made up.

“I have to say, I dislike these insinuations,” Kajare added, scowling at the others. “If you want to accuse my wife of something, just come out and say it. Otherwise, Hajake’s reputation problems are not our concern, are they? What even is the point of this?”

I squeezed his hand, shooting him a quick smile. It felt good to see him standing up to his family on my behalf like this.

Terki frowned at him. “We decided that it was best to get these matters out into the open and deal with them directly, to hopefully clear things up so we can all move on.”

I sighed. “Perhaps you are right. We should just address this directly.”

Clearly, our original plan was looking more and more deficient. It might be best to just forget about it and act more directly. I paused, and turned my focus inward, to where my connection to my father slumbered in the back of my mind. Am I about to make a mistake? I asked.

He didn’t answer in words, and I only got a vague feeling back. A brief sense that, if I had to put into words, might amount to ‘knock yourself out, kid’. Not entirely reassuring, but at least he didn’t seem to be concerned.

“I do, in fact, have quite serious grievances to bring against Hajake,” I said, keeping my voice and expression cool and serious. “I did not bring them up earlier, as I did not think you would believe me, Father. However, perhaps I did you a disservice.” I paused, watching Hajake subtly clench his teeth and flex his fingers. “Of course, I don’t expect you to just believe my words. I suggest that we both take vows in the Greater Spirits’ names to speak the truth about the matter. And to make extra sure there is no deception, we should take this to a temple of Rijoko, as well.”

Hajake scowled at me. “Ridiculous, but at least you finally reveal your true colors.”

“I admit, that was not what I expected,” Terki said, a deep frown settling on his face as he glanced from his son to me.

“Neither did I,” his wife put in. “However, this is clearly a serious matter, and we should treat it with due gravity.”

“You can’t seriously be taken in by this? The whole thing is ridiculous!” Hajake looked at his father.

But Terki didn’t answer as Liali laid a hand on his and raised an eyebrow. “Is there any reason not to do as the Imperial Princess wishes?”

Hajake shifted his scowl to his stepmother. “Clearly, bringing a temple of the Moon into play is unfairly favoring her position. I refuse to bow to something like that.”

“That’s because you’re working for Jideia and he and Rijoko are enemies?” I asked.

Terki let a little of his presence leak through his veil. “Being a follower of the Storm is not a crime nor a reason to cast aspersions on my son, my dear. Hajake’s point seems valid.”

I suppressed a sigh, reminding myself that of course Terki didn’t know how the situation really stood between the two Greater Spirits, or how often Jideia had tried to have me killed. At least, I didn’t think so.

“It doesn’t need to be the Moon,” Kajare put in, glancing at me and then turning an easy smile on his father. He seemed to have caught on quickly. “Why not go to a temple of the Sun? That way, neither of them is at a disadvantage. Besides, the Sun would guarantee impartiality, and since we are seeking the truth, she seems a perfect fit, anyway.”

“A good point, Kajare.” Liali smiled at her son. “Shall we?”

Terki’s frown deepened, and he regarded us in silence for a few seconds. Finally, he gave a small nod. “Agreed. But we will keep this discreet. It is a family matter, and no one else needs to learn of it. None of us want such an open dissent within our alliance and our family to get out.”

Hajake gave a sharp nod. “Alright.”

We moved quickly after that. We left the mansion together, accompanied only by a small group of guards for each nation’s royals. Kajare stayed close to me the whole way, though from the way he looked at his mother, I suspected they were having a private conversation at the same time. She was in the seventh stage, after all. Terki didn’t seem happy, but I didn’t think he was actually talking to Hajake. The older prince just looked grumpy.

I breathed out deeply, trying to center myself. He’s a little too calm. He probably has a way out. But I don’t think things are going as he wanted them to, either. I need to keep pushing this while I can.

“Let’s take my airship,” Terki suggested. At the same moment, an airship with the flag of Terbekteri embossed in gold moved down to hover over the street, opening a ramp.

I shrugged and got in. Aston pushed his way closer to me, but I noticed he left many of my guards behind. They’d probably follow from a distance. We’d barely all entered before the vessel lifted off.

The journey only took a few minutes. I’d looked at a map of the city and knew the temple of the Sun was a little outside the city walls, on a hill where you’d get a lot of sunlight. As we disembarked, I barely glanced at the marble edifice, too focused on my qi senses. I could definitely feel some sort of presence from here, or at least anchored to this place. Taking a deep breath, I waved at Aston and moved to open the door.

Someone must have called ahead to clear the temple, since its main hall was empty. It reminded me of the temple to Rijoko I’d visited, with altars, wall hangings, and stained glass, the air carrying the faint scent of some kind of incense.

In the end, only family stood in the temple; Hajake, Kajare, his parents, and me. We walked forward slowly, everyone silent as the tension built. I glanced at a window that depicted the Sun in the company of the Moon and other Greater Spirits, then turned my attention to the altar at the front. I lit a few candles and burnt a few incense sticks as offerings, while Terki did the same. I didn’t get the feeling that my father particularly cared about me doing this, which was probably good.

On the other hand, the presence infused in or connected to this temple might have increased a little bit, though I wasn’t sure of that. I took it as evidence that the Sun was watching, and would react should anyone here commit sacrilege in her eyes.

“Alright,” I said, taking a step back. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

Terki nodded solemnly. “Do you want to take your oath first?”

I nodded, glancing around again. “In the name of my father, the Moon, and the guardian of truth and justice, the Sun, I do swear that everything I will say in this temple today will be the truth, fully and directly, as I understand it. May they strike me down should I lie.”

I felt a tiny shift as I finished the oath. For a fraction of a moment, the room seemed to spin around me as nausea set in, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

We all looked at Hajake, who scowled but repeated the oath, minus the invocation of Rijoko, of course.

We were all silent for a moment, perhaps because no one wanted to speak first. Then Terki shifted. “So, what is this about?”

I straightened my shoulders, curling my hands into fists inside my sleeves. This was it. I cleared my throat. “On the day that we launched a combined attack on the Zarian, in one of their fortresses we had just taken, Prince Hajake of Terbekteri attempted to kill me.” I saw Hajake’s jaw tighten. “He betrayed me, my nation, our alliance, and this family. He ordered other cultivators to kill my guards. He himself thrust a spear into my heart that would likely have killed me, if my father wasn’t who he is.”

There was a moment of shocked silence, or so I imagined. Liali paled just a bit, then put a hand on Kajare’s shoulder. Terki stared at us, then shook his head slowly as he turned to face Hajake. I noticed his hands clenching into fists, as well.

“This story is a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” Hajake said.

I crossed my arms. “Well, it’s easy to find out. Just answer my question honestly. Did you try to kill me, or not?”

Hajake shifted his weight, his hand wandering through where his robes might have an inner pocket. I tensed, readying myself to fight.

Then he spoke, shrugging with a slight smirk. “I did.”

Terki sighed and closed his eyes for a second, before he fixed his gaze on Hajake. “Son …” He trailed off and shook his head. Then he turned to me and bowed. “You have my deepest apologies, my dear. I know this is a grievous offense, but I will try my best to make things right.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but never got the chance.

I only had a fraction of a second of warning. While his father’s back was turned, while he was waiting to hear my answer, Hajake acted. I caught a glimpse of some shining object in his hand, probably a qi talisman of some kind.

A wave of qi ripped outward. It seemed to plunge the room into cold darkness, as if the air had turned solid around us. All sound that I could hear ceased, all motion around me stopped. Faintly, I sensed Hajake making a break for it, but my mind suddenly struggled against a morass of foreign qi trying to entangle it.

123: Duel in the sky

A breath brought the darkness around me into focus. Another breath pierced it, let it shrink from my mind and the qi I cast at it like a lance shattering a mirror. A third breath pushed past the automated energy squeezing against the walls of my mind, shoving it away to shatter in the disappearing darkness.

Whoever designed the item Hajake had used underestimated me severely, if they intended it to hold me. He’d barely crossed the temple’s doorway when I shook it off completely and started to move. My mental defenses had been trained by the best, and Rijoko’s qi infused me. It would take more than a toy which he’d probably got from Jideia or Isuro, judging by the spiritual feel of the qi involved, to bother me.

I didn’t hesitate, but ran through the temple. Hajake was moving quickly. Any time I spent trying to free Kajare or Liali was time he could use to get away, and I refused to let him slip out of my grasp.

The sunlight pierced my eyes as I slipped through the gap in the double doors and hurried outside, but they adjusted right away. I glanced around quickly. We stood in an open field, the walls of the city a short distance away, and another temple complex a few hundred meters to my right. But my guards had retreated beyond the outer perimeter to give us privacy, since putting up sound-dampening wards in the temple would have been rather rude. While I sensed them stirring now, I couldn’t wait for them. I could feel Hajake’s presence, rapidly rising into the air and speeding away from here.

I took another deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on my body and envisioning the shape I needed. My robe tore as new growth ripped its way out of the back of my shoulders and the sides of my back. Air rustled through feathers as I flexed my new wings, then concentrated on the qi in the air surrounding us, and heaved. Then I bent my knees and jumped with all of my strength, ripping out grass as I ascended meters into the air. My wings spread and pushed against the air that rushed under and flowed around them, and my ascent, which had begun to halt as gravity asserted itself, sped up again.

I couldn’t help a grin as I pumped my new limbs and soared into the sky. I’d only done this once before, for a brief practice flight, but it was even more awesome than piloting a plane. Keeping a part of my attention on the air technique I needed to maintain, I glanced around. My wings spanned several meters from tip to tip, and they were covered in sleek black feathers. Considering the size, I didn’t need to flap them often, and it took me a short while to find the best rhythm. The feeling of new muscles working was a little weird, but I didn’t let it distract me.

Hajake was still flying away at high speed, and I knew I couldn’t afford to dawdle if I wanted to catch up to him, so I put a little more power into my technique. He had to be using a flying sword, but he was in the sixth stage, so this wouldn’t be easy. I glanced down at the rapidly shrinking temple, trying to calm my nerves.

I didn’t believe for a second that his little trick had been enough to snare Terki. The King of Terbekteri was in the eighth stage, for crying out loud. But he was just letting me chase his errant son without making an appearance or giving me any help. It didn’t make much sense to me. Hajake’s betrayal constituted a major issue that could ruin our alliance, and he knew that if I died, the Empire would not take it lying down. Maybe he just couldn’t bring himself to strike down his own son. Regardless, I had to focus on Hajake now.

I was closing in on him, I could tell. It was partly because I could see which direction he was going and try to cut him off, and partly I was just making more efficient use of my qi. A flying sword was just a tool, after all, and I doubted his was really optimized for speed and endurance. I was also cheating with my wings.

I narrowed my eyes and took my spear from my storage ring, carefully holding it so it didn’t interfere with my flying. Then I channeled a bit of darkness qi through it and launched it at the flying form in front of me.

Hajake swerved in the air, dodging the attack. Using light would have been faster and had better chances of hitting, but now I knew I had his attention.

“Not so fast, traitor,” I called to him. “Or are you too scared to fight me?” I gathered more qi. “Still want me to see your face before I die?”

He glanced over his shoulder, while I watched his movements carefully for any sign of lacking control. “You’re an annoying little pest, Inaris,” he called back. With the distance between us, I had to really strain my hearing to make out his words over the rushing wind, but my enhanced ears were up to the task.

He turned around in the air and slowed down as a sword materialized in his hands. “As a matter of fact, I do want to see you die. This time, goodbye will be more permanent.”

I steadied my breath, trying to take in everything. It might have been better if he’d continued to flee, since he might also get reinforcements, not just me. But I didn’t think so. Despite his bravado, the white-knuckled grip he had on his weapon showed that I’d cornered him, that things hadn’t gone his way and he had everything riding on this. Seeing the hint of fear he betrayed was surprisingly satisfying.

Of course, desperate enemies were the most dangerous ones.

I barely jerked to the side in time to avoid the fireball rushing at my face. Tucking my wings in, I dove for a moment, before spreading them and pushing myself upwards quickly. Another attack, this one an expanding circle of flames, passed through the air I’d just been, hot enough to warm my feet.

Luckily, he stopped there. I let out a breath and slowly drifted closer. Hajake was a stage above me, which meant he’d be faster, stronger, and tougher, although my shapeshifting would turn things around in that regard.

I shouldn’t let him come up with a new attack. I swept my hand out, hurling a volley of small black spheres at him. He dodged and weaved through them, but one impacted the shield around him, which suddenly became visible as a heat haze in the air. I could sense my technique eating into it, but it was smothered by his qi quickly. Judging by his grimace, he hadn’t anticipated how much damage it could do.

Then I spat a curse and pulled myself into a barrel roll as he returned fire, literally. This time, he spat several fireballs that I managed to dodge, only for them to turn and home in on me. My spear swatted two out of the sky, but I couldn’t avoid the last. It crashed into my shoulder, just above the base of my wings, and searing pain stabbed through me. In the next breath, I could smell some of my feathers had been cooked. But a moment of focus quickly restored my flight capability back to its peak. My attention didn’t waver from Hajake, and I went back on the attack with a few more Void’s Nibbles, interspersed with some pseudo-laser light lances.

His shield ate those of them he couldn’t dodge, but I wasn’t too worried. I watched his movements while I evaded his follow-up attacks, crashing some with Fides and taking a few glancing blows. Quickly, I was able to confirm my suspicions: He wasn’t quite as agile as me. He was basically standing on a metal board in the air he directed with his qi, after all, while I was flying on my own. I tucked my body in and retracted one wing downwards, tilting to the side and then turning in a half-circle before a push and a gust from my air technique righted me again, letting two of his attacks cross each other where I’d just been.

The distance between us had been closing steadily, and after a momentary lull, both of us let loose with a big attack. A blob of darkness so big there seemed to be streaks of other colors in it shot out of my spear towards him, while a wall of fire exploded out of his hand to engulf me. I closed my eyes and tilted my body to let my legs catch most of it, riding the force of it as best as I could.

My legs sizzled, but I’d learned my lesson and deadened most of the nerves carrying pain sensation in my body. I opened my eyes just in time to see him swallow a pill, probably alchemical healing, as the skin missing from his right arm and side filled in. I cut off my air technique and beat my wings harder, spiraling slowly downward. A flex of my own ability returned my legs to working order.

Burns were actually pretty easy for me to heal with my shapeshifting, ironically enough. I didn’t have to push two sides of a wound together and make my body knit everything back together, just destroy the dead tissue and replace it with healthy tissue. I smiled grimly as I dodged a follow-up fireball. I didn’t know how many items he had, but they would run out at some point. If it came down to it, I’d win a battle of endurance.

A shadow in the corner of my awareness captured my attention, though I kept most of my focus on Hajake. Someone’s watching us. Probably an eighth stager. Terki, or just another Terbekteri cultivator who sensed the confrontation and got curious?

Well, if they wanted to intervene, they probably would have done it already.

Hajake lowered his flying sword carefully to keep himself on a level with me. At the moment, we were flying over an uninhabited lake. That was good, for ensuring that stray shots wouldn’t do much damage, at least. Though it also meant he wouldn’t feel compelled to hold back.

Stopping the air technique I’d used meant I wasn’t as mobile as before, but the ridiculous strength in my cultivator body let my wings keep me mostly aloft. I was good, but not good enough to use another technique with a different qi affinity at the same time as that one. Now, though, Hajake was on the defensive, so maybe it was time to risk it.

I made a sharp turn, focusing intently on the moisture in the air around us and pulling on the qi contained in it. Carefully, I shaped it into the pattern I wanted, then let it go.

Hajake jerked as a large blob of water appeared around him, expanding further. His shield hissed as the fire affinity qi held it off from reaching him. I used the opportunity to follow up with some frozen shrapnel, though that was too weak to do much damage.

He poured more qi into his shield, and though it flickered, it held. I suppressed a sigh as I noted a visible glimmer was added to it, just an edge of flames. That’s the problem, he has more qi reserves than I do. I guess a battle of endurance is a bad idea after all.

I cocked my head, noting another flicker at the edge of my senses, where another eighth stager might have appeared to watch the fight, and the other cultivator. At this rate, we were going to get interrupted soon, and that could be a problem.

Whatever, I decided. He’s been happy to keep this a ranged battle so far, maybe I should get up close and personal to take better advantage of my assets.

I got my air technique going again, easily evading his next few attacks and turning around in an arc. When I saw an opening, I pushed with a surge of strength, keeping my wings still for an abrupt turn and then pumping them with every bit of new muscle I had. As projected, I shot at him from a downward angle, and he was too slow to get out of the way in time.

His shield resisted my charge, bleeding me of momentum at the same time it afflicted me with burns. But I’d let my air technique go and instead focused on breathing in its qi, drawing it from its intended purpose. I know fire, you fool, I thought, swallowing a healing pill myself as I struggled.

Fire is fickle, my ancestor had said. Hajake wasn’t as good as he thought, anyway. I didn’t get all or even most of it, but enough that the structure of the technique collapsed like a wet card house. Then I stabbed Hajake in the face.

He flinched back enough to spare his brain and his eye, but I didn’t let up. I pushed myself closer, grabbing onto him and kicking his flying sword.

The next moments would have been excruciating, at normal pain sensitivity. It might be stupid to grapple with a cultivator stronger than me, but my shapeshifting bought me the advantage I needed to even the playing field. While I was constantly healing the burns he graced me with, I kept my form malleable. I lengthened my arms as needed, put a tough exoskeleton in front to absorb the weak blows he managed to get out, even bit him with suddenly lengthened teeth. At some point, his sword was lost in the fighting.

The chance came when he tried to disengage. I weakened my grip for a moment, then twisted my spear, shifted my suddenly concentrated weight, and kicked off his flying sword at the same time as I stabbed Fides into it. The tool crumpled around my weapon like it was made of foam instead of metal. A twist, and I sent it spinning off into the distance, dismissing my spear in the same motion. Hajake’s domain extended in the form of a pair of fiery whips, but I engulfed it in my own, smothering them for just long enough. He broke through my grip eventually, and I pulled my star-studded darkness back in, but the damage was done.

A moment of terror shone through his eyes as he started to fall. Now it was him trying to cling on. I beat my wings furiously, calling a knife to ram into his side. I felt his domain extend, burning a tight hug of fire around my midsection. It ate through my skin quickly, and I had to take a moment to form another technique, sliding plates of icy armor around me long enough to heal and reinforce my back.

Hajake used the opportunity to stab me with a new short sword, aiming for my head. I craned my neck to the side and watched it slice off some of my hair before I called Fides back, stabbing it just a second too late to penetrate a defensive technique forming around his core.

We fought a vicious battle in the sky, still mostly falling, but he was obviously off balance, and my ability to shrug off any damage was winning out.

The ground neared, and I pumped my wings harder, calling on more air to break my fall. Hajake tried to cling on, but I managed to time things just right to throw him off with a face full of Void’s Nibble before we would have crashed. My feet almost skimmed the ground before a gust of air lifted me to the side, and I stuck a half-controlled landing, sliding on the wet ground at the side of the lake.

I spun around and got back to Hajake in an instant. He laid on the ground, mud splattered all over, and the impact obviously had an effect. He didn’t react quickly enough to stop me pointing my spear at his neck, darkness qi brimming through it enough to eat any quick defense he might throw up.

“Goodnight, Brother,” I said.

It would have been nice to just shove the tip of the spear through, but I had other plans. So I called a hammer into my other hand and swung at his temple before he had a chance to act. There was a loud thud, and blood on it when I removed the tool. It probably wouldn’t kill him, with his cultivation, but I could tell he was out cold, for now.

With a sigh, I disappeared the wings and stowed the hammer in my storage ring, taking out a shirt as well, since my clothes were in tatters. It would just get bloody, but I’d feel better being fully dressed.

I’d barely put it on when a presence appeared beside me. Turning, I saw Terki set down on the lakeshore.

“You just watched. Why didn’t you intervene in the fight?” I asked, too wired to be diplomatic. At least he wasn’t here to attack me, or he already would have.

“By the time I ensured that Liali and Kajare were alright, you were already engaged in your chase,” he said. “And I thought you wouldn’t like it if I interfered — this was a challenge between you and Hajake.”

I scowled, turning away from him, though not before I noticed the dark shadows in his expression. I didn’t know if I should buy that. Would he have let Hajake kill me? I don’t know how he would deal with the political fallout. Not to mention my father would be less than pleased. But maybe I’m missing something.

I shook my head, storing those thoughts for later consideration. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to ponder this, anyway. Although one thing was clear to me. I should probably let this pass, I needed the alliance with Terbekteri too much to jeopardize it, but there’d be repercussions.

If Terki wanted me to really trust him, he’d have to work at it for a long time.

Hajake’s death was going to be a good start. And man, was I looking forward to finally seeing that.

124: Guilt and punishment

“I let you out of my sight for a few hours and you get into a duel to the death with two dozen burns,” Tenira grumbled.

I leaned back into my chair. “In my defense, he started it.” Then I glanced at Kajare, who was hovering around me and looked like he really wanted to fuss. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

In the heat of the moment, I hadn’t spared much attention for him, I’d been too focused on Hajake and dealing with the threat. But it would have really sucked if Kajare had been affected more badly by his brother’s attack while I’d been out flying and fighting.

Kajare leaned in to kiss my cheek. “I’m fine. This went pretty well, all things considered.”

I shifted my weight and rolled my shoulders, trying not to wince. Now that the excitement was over, at least for now, I felt like I’d picked a fight with a few speeding trains and got rolled over by a bus afterwards. I was sore in places I didn’t know had muscles. Of course, I could have tried to repair that with shapeshifting, but I was leery of using my ability too much, especially in such a subtle, insidious case.

The sunlight coming in through the colorful window of the room was getting dimmer, indicating that dusk was progressing quickly. The tapestries and statues didn’t liven up the place as much as the decorator might have thought. For once, I was tempted by the array of drinks a servant had left on a tray, but I wanted to keep my head clear and I’d already decided not to use the shapeshifting.

We all fell silent for a minute, occupied by our thoughts, until Aston knocked on the door. His expression was suitably somber as he spoke. “Things have been prepared, my lady. You should join them now.”

I nodded and levered myself upright, then glanced at my girlfriend. “I’d like to have you there as well, Tenira.”

She bobbed her head and exchanged a look with Kajare before we left the room together.

“Aston,” I said, glancing at my guard and feeling lucky that this time, at least, he wasn’t moping about being unable to protect me. “How’s the security situation?”

A shadow of a smile flickered on his face. “It’s handled, my lady. Everyone in your retinue is properly guarded. We foiled one attempt to get to Jian and captured a few people identified as intermediaries for Hajake before they could vanish. Everyone of higher status who we know was involved seems to be wary of drawing any attention, so they’re just sitting on their hands.”

I nodded, allowing a smile on my face. I’d leave the cleanup of that sort of mess to the Terbekteri. Even if Terki was reluctant, I had a feeling Liali and Salira would be happy to clean house. And probably strengthen Salira’s position in the process, but that’s just a bonus for me. So long as I don’t get bogged down with it, I don’t really care. Although, come to think of it, maybe Elia will get the opportunity to make some gold here.

As if summoned by my thought, we met Elia after the next corridor. She’d been leaning against a marble statue of some extinct spirit beast. When she saw us, she straightened up and sauntered towards us.

“I’ve got to say, this is all going rather well so far,” she said. “Now for the finish, right?”

I hummed. “You don’t see any problems for us going forward?”

“Not really,” she shrugged. “I didn’t get a really good read on Terki. Eighth stagers.” She snorted. “But enough to know he’s serious about this. That man hasn’t remained king by being blind to reality, or suffering betrayal lightly.”

I cocked my head. That was an interesting tidbit, but, judging from Elia’s face, all I would get out of her right now. So I just nodded and gestured for her to come along as we continued walking. Along the way, a dozen more Imperial guards joined us, looking perfectly coiffed, and fell into tight formation around us. Either Aston was not taking chances or he wanted us to make an impression. I was inclined toward the latter.

Aston stopped and opened the big double doors of carved metal with a flourish, letting them scrape against the ground just a bit, before a few guards preceded me into the room. It was a throne room, with an empty ornate chair sat on a dais on the other side, but no court filled it today. Just members of the Terbekteri royal family and a few of their guards. Two of them, cultivators in the seventh stage, flanked the prisoner who was kneeling on the stone floor, clad only in a pair of shorts with his arms and hands bound by manacles heavy with enchantments. Hajake raised his head and turned it towards us as we entered, his gaze far less clear than usual.

I had to suppress a smirk as I moved forward, listening to the faint echo of our footsteps cutting through the silence of the room. Kajare left my side and chose a position halfway between me and the rest of his family, so he could look at Hajake with them. His face was set in a faint frown, his eyes closed off.

Salira stepped over to him and they hugged for a moment, though they remained quiet. I exchanged a smile and a nod with her as well, glad that she’d finally arrived. Unlike Kajare, I couldn’t guess how she felt about this, but the fact that she was here at all indicated she wasn’t going to shed any tears over the matter. Unsurprising, considering the animosity I’d sensed between her and Hajake during our visit months ago.

I took another step forward, fixing my gaze on Terki now. “It has been decided, then?”

“Yes.” Terki straightened up, and his family members copied him. He stepped forward until he loomed over Hajake, and cleared his throat.

“Prince Hajake of house Terki, you have been found guilty of high treason, sedition, consorting with enemies of the Kingdom, and conspiracy to usurp the throne. Your guilt can only be expunged by blood, and so your fate is death. I, Terki, King of Terbekteri, declare that it be so. The sentence will be carried out immediately.”

I smiled slightly. I wanted to kill him myself; one of the few indulgences I allowed myself in this matter. As Terki stepped back, I grabbed Hajake’s shoulder, turning him a little so everyone would have a good view. If they want to watch, who am I to deny them?

Then I got my spear from my storage ring. Fides’ tip shimmered slightly in the light of the lamps lining the hall.

Hajake shifted around, struggling to stand. I waited, letting him struggle until he finally managed it. I could let him die on his feet, I supposed. I would have preferred to make it a slow, painful death, but Hajake was still Kajare’s brother. I didn’t want to upset my husband any further, this was bad enough already. Just Hajake’s death would be enough.

“Do you have any last words?” I asked him calmly.

I had to give Hajake that much, he was going out with dignity. Clearly, he knew his situation was hopeless, and didn’t try any escape attempts. I could see the fear lurking in his eyes, but he put up a stoic facade.

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, then turned his head to look at his family. He said something to his father in their native language. I’d picked up some of it from Kajare, enough to get the feeling that he was apologizing. Then Hajake said a few words to his brother, though this time I couldn’t make much sense of them. Kajare frowned, but nodded at his older brother. I already knew I’d have to resist the urge to ask him about it as soon as this was done. If he wants me to know, he’ll tell me.

Then Hajake turned back to me and took a deep breath. “I regret my failure, nothing else. Do it, girl.”

I narrowed my eyes, taking aim. The next moment, Fides thrust into his chest, the strength I put into the blow enough to strike deeply. Hajake gasped and jerked. I twisted the spear, then pulled it out. I knew I’d hit the heart. For a moment longer, he remained on his feet, before he crumpled. Just to be perfectly sure, I stabbed down again, into his throat this time. Then it was over.

I knew there was a smile on my lips when I returned my spear and spared him another look, a small and not very cheery thing. It didn’t last long, and I turned away without looking at him again. One enemy down.

Salira’s face might as well have been made of stone, while her eyes clung to the corpse. Kajare’s jaw was clenched, but he wrenched his gaze away to look at me. Liali could have been watching a mildly interesting play, while Terki didn’t look at it at all, simply watching me with no emotion on his face.

“Well,” I said. “That’s done. Shall we move on?”

I had the feeling that Terki would not disregard me now, and I didn’t think it was just wishful thinking.

The day was far too nice for what had been happening, I decided. In the morning, there’d been dark clouds coming in, bringing the promise of rain. But the clouds had cleared up and there were only a few white tatters in the blue, while the sun burned down strong enough to show that even the beginning of winter could not defeat its warmth, scything through the air that seemed to grow colder every day.

It was a testament to the weirdness of my last almost two years that I couldn’t help but wonder if the Greater Spirit of the Sun had nudged things. I’m sure it’s all very symbolic, but that might be reading too much into things.

“You’ve been quiet since we left the palace,” Kajare said.

I refrained from pointing out that we were still in the palace, this was just an outlying park. We could still see the wall ahead that led into the richer part of the city. “You’ve been quiet,” I countered.

He rolled his eyes. “So what?”

I stopped and turned to my husband, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Kajare, are you really okay?”

He bit his lip, but met my eyes unflinchingly. “I’ve been better,” he admitted. “Hajake was a bastard, but he was still my brother. Still, I’m not as affected as I thought I might be. Not nearly as much as when you were missing, even. I suppose I’m just glad that matter is dealt with.”

“Mostly,” Tenira muttered, frowning into the shadows of the trees. “Wait, where did Elia go?”

I glanced around, noting that Elia was nowhere to be seen anymore. For someone whose qi affinities were fire and light, she was pretty good at hiding. “Probably going around the palace, stirring a few hornet’s nests, having fun and hiring out her truth-saying talents,” I said. “There’s more than enough going on, with all the clean-ups from Hajake’s little coteries – excuse me, ‘conspiracy to usurp the throne’.” Privately, I wasn’t sure if Hajake had really gotten that far, even if the throne had been his end goal. Not that it mattered, since he was guilty of treason anyway.

“When you killed him, I thought you were happy about it,” Kajare said quietly. “Now, though, I’m not sure what you really feel.”

I didn’t answer at first, just kept walking a few steps, listening to the birds singing and letting the shadows of the trees’ leaves play over my skin. I thought back to my discussions with the Terbekteri King. “I feel like all of this cost us something, even if it was a victory,” I admitted.

It definitely was a victory. The threat Hajake posed had been removed, and an infection in the Terbekteri’s power structures was going the same way. Although I now saw the fault lines in the alliance more clearly, especially between me and Terki, and it had cost us time and energy we could have better spent elsewhere. Though dealing with Hajake had been paramount, and for all my mixed feelings about the Terbekteri royals, I’d kept the alliance in place, if not strengthened, and knew Terki would do his part.

I’d accomplished my secondary objective, as well. When the time came, I’d have the ships I needed.

“You’re already making plans again,” Tenira commented.

“Inaris doesn’t stop thinking that easily,” Kajare said, shaking his head but with amusement in his voice.

I sighed and glanced at Kajare again. “I’ve been thinking more about the Kingdom, its internal politics, and its futures,” I admitted, then hesitated for a moment. “I guess I may get a little more involved than I thought. Though I suppose that was already a given, with Salira.”

“You want to back her,” Kajare said, the look in his eyes sharpening. “For the throne? I can see where that would seem like a good idea.”

I nodded. “I think she has the ambition for it, if she gets the chances she’ll need. Even besides the fact that this would help break Terbekteri of some of its patriarchal inclinations, which would be a good thing, she’d be a good fit. She’s a follower of Rijoko, but wouldn’t let that get in the way of making the best decisions. We’ll work together well.”

Left unsaid was that I thought I’d be able to control her, at least better than another candidate, but I suspected they picked up on it anyway.

Kajare didn’t answer right away, so I touched his arm and smiled at him. “I hope you’re not upset with that.”

He exhaled and shook his head. “No, you’re right about her. How deep would you go into this?”

“Not very. I’d just give her some support, maybe make our opinion clear to Terki, help her accomplish this. I don’t intend to go too deep into intrigue in a court that’s not even mine.”

Tenira snorted a little. “You’re not exactly the resident machinator of the Imperial court, either.”

“True.” I grinned.

We kept walking, as the path curved around and brought us back into sight of the main mansion. This wasn’t a very large park. I took another deep breath, using my sense of smell to get a sense of our surroundings at the same time as I enjoyed the scents. The trees had lost almost all of their leaves, and while they’d been cleared from the path they were still strewn across the grass between them like a colorful carpet.

But my attention was brought back to more practical matters when two guards hurried towards us, their faces telling me they weren’t bringing good news. I suppressed a sigh and waited for them to bow before I asked. “What is it?”

One of them replied, “There’s a commotion at the military headquarters, my lady. Captain Aston is handling the situation. There are also two squads of elites on spirit beasts coming in from the direction of the Velisha capital.”

I scratched my cheek. “Great. Just what I was missing. Let’s go.”

As we started walking, this time at a faster pace, Tenira sighed. “I suppose it was too much to hope for this would not get a response.”

Kajare snorted. “Come on, I don’t think they’re idiots. How bad can it be?”

We both turned to glare at him until he glanced away and cleared his throat.

“King Varis is rebelling, isn’t he?” I asked.

The mansion was starting to resemble a kicked beehive, with all the guards going on alert, and even from here I could sense the accumulation of qi at the headquarters in the neighboring complex.

“People will always be idiots when it’s least convenient,” Tenira said, with the air of quoting something. “So, yes. Besides, two squads of elites?”

I resisted the temptation to finger my storage ring and suppressed another sigh. At least I could try some of my other ideas out and see how they worked.

125: Easy paths

The fighting was already over by the time we got to the military headquarters in the city. A few earth cultivators were working on repairing the old stone building, and things seemed just as busy as always with officers and aides going around with reports or correspondence. But there were more guards than last time I’d been here, and I noted the looks in the faces of most of the cultivators present. Something had clearly happened that had them curious.

Aston met us just after we’d entered the building. His hair was a little tousled, the only sign that he’d been in a fight. He bowed.

“How bad are things?” I asked.

“They’re already over here, my lady,” he answered. “But king Varis isn’t here, and I doubt this was much more than a distraction.”

“It would have been a win for him to get more intelligence or cause a bigger disturbance,” Tenira disagreed.

“Well, he can’t be aiming to win this, can he?” Kajare asked.

I frowned. “I don’t think he’s thinking very reasonably right now. He’s risking everything for a son that betrayed him.” The contrast to Terki was pretty sharp, I couldn’t help but note. “But you’re right, he can’t expect to win a full-out war even with the Empire occupied. Maybe he wants to force us to negotiate, extract concessions.”

“We can’t afford to lose face,” Aston said, probably to remind me. “The other vassals might get ideas, and if all or even many of them do so we’d have a big problem.”

I nodded. This wasn’t news to any of us. “Well, if there’s nothing left here, let’s get going. Kajare, can you handle goodbyes to your family? I’d rather not lose any time.”

“Of course, Inaris.”

I’d let the local commanders handle things here. Time was of the essence, so we hurried to the airfield while Kajare called his parents. He was finished just in time to climb into a plane, with a guard going for the pilot seat. I entered another two-seater but sat in the back to let Aston do the piloting. Tenira and a few of my guards spread out over a handful of other planes.

We had to wait a minute for our flight path to get cleared, then Aston guided the plane onto the short, makeshift runway and we lifted off. I leaned back into my seat, glancing outside. We only took the fastest planes we had, so we should be quicker than any other reinforcements coming with the standard airships – and, hopefully, faster than the Velisha would expect.

I let Aston fly the plane while I leaned my forehead against the window and closed my eyes. Thoughts swirled behind them, and I had trouble ordering and sorting them enough to make or refine my plans. When I realized I wouldn’t get much further, I turned my attention to other things and recalled one of the stories I’d read here. I’d memorized it, so it didn’t matter if I had the physical book with me or not.

The flight didn’t take long. We didn’t quite reach the speed of sound, but we came pretty close, so the kilometers passed beneath us in a blur. Soon, we’d traveled the several hundred to the current Velisha capital, what had been a sleepy little city before the war, that was situated in a strategic position between two rivers. The front had moved out of this area months ago and was now several hundred kilometers further to the north-east, but we had to treat the Velisha forces themselves as hostile now. We were too quick for them to intercept us, though, and Aston and the other pilots skillfully brought us to a hard landing in the middle of a courtyard still obviously held by Imperial troops. Good thing the Velisha weren’t allowed to build their own large-scale shields. Smoke hung over the rooftops of the city, accompanied by the distant thump of explosions.

I left the plane after Aston, heading straight to the soldiers waiting for us to hear their report, while the guards formed up around us.

“The king and most of his elites have holed up in the castle, Your Highness,” the officer reported after straightening from his bow. “More of their fighters are trickling in every minute. We also have reinforcements on the way, though they will still take at least half an hour to arrive according to our best estimate. After the initial clash, there has not been much fighting, and our casualties are light so far, but we don’t have the numbers or strength to hold the city.”

I nodded, and Tenira asked, “What about Jian?”

“They started off by striking where we kept him,” the officer replied, clearly trying not to scowl and only half succeeding. “Most of our men guarding him were killed, the rest had to retreat. We’ve confirmed that he’s in the castle with the king.”

I sighed, but nodded. It would have been better to keep Jian in some highly secure stronghold, deep in our territory, rather than what was basically intensified house arrest here. But he hadn’t been convicted or even firmly implicated in anything, so far as anyone was aware, and in the interest of keeping things low-key and not pissing off the Velisha further, I’d decided it was good enough. The point hadn’t been to keep him imprisoned at all costs, anyway. Although I now wondered if I should have done more to discourage his father from taking action. Doesn’t matter now, though. And he’s still stuck.

“Let’s go,” I said. “We need to hit them before they can consolidate their position further. And don’t look at me like that, Aston. It’s pretty clear this isn’t the Storm’s work, that would have been done better, and there won’t be assassins waiting for me.”

Aston raised a hand and turned to give the guards orders to tighten their formation around us.

We hurried the short way towards the king’s palace. This was the nicer section of town, so the street was broad and some of the mansions even had walls around them, but everyone seemed to have hunkered down. There wasn’t a single soul aside from my soldiers visible. We reached the palace quickly, and I found that a strike team of Imperial elites had already blown the gate of the wall around it wide open. Only a few scattered stones and twisted metal beams remained. From what my other senses told me, Varis and his people had retreated into the building proper.

Past the gate, several squads of soldiers, most in the higher stages, had hunkered down, and seemed to be trading potshots with Velisha peaking through the small, arrow-slit-like windows of the building. Neither side seemed very enthusiastic about pressing an attack, though. I checked the wards on the building’s walls, and came to the conclusion that they were pretty well-made, but not the best I’d ever seen. I could probably force my way through them on my own if I had a bit of uninterrupted time.

I straightened my shoulders and stepped forward, the hairs on my arms standing up at the shields my guards were layering over me. “Varis,” I called, in a voice loud enough to echo over the battlefield. “Come out. Let’s talk.” I waited for a moment, then flicked a bit of darkness qi against the walls. “You can meet me here, or we can force our way through and collapse your house on top of your heads. I won’t be in a very good mood then.”

My words trailed away into the silence, and as it stretched on I started to think I’d misjudged him. Then the front door creaked open and a pair of Velisha soldiers carrying heavy, enchanted metal shields passed through. They were followed by four more until the king himself came out, trailed by another group of guards.

I smiled and took an enchanted cylinder from my storage ring, tossing it onto the ground beneath me as I walked forward slowly, careful to let the guards keep up. Tenira stiffened and Kajare fingered the hilt of the sword he’d strapped on, but none of them said anything as they accompanied me.

Varis might have been in the seventh stage of cultivation, and higher than Aston, but I’d gotten a good read on him. He had earth affinity qi and was better suited to holding his ground and duking it out close up than springing a quick attack. Besides, I still felt intuitively that I wasn’t in much danger, and I doubted he could hide any tricks from Rijoko.

“Imperial Princess,” he called, then bowed. “My apologies for the hasty action, but I simply couldn’t allow my son to remain imprisoned any longer.”

I narrowed my eyes, giving him a cold stare. “Your son betrayed all of us, including you. He serves my father’s enemy and conspired to kill me. I would have let the reckoning stop at him. But your actions here are utter idiocy.”

Terki grimaced and glowered at me. “I only have your word against his, my lady. And I can’t let my son be killed while I stand idly by.”

“Why would I be after him if he hadn’t earned it? Besides, you’re not saving him like this, just extending the danger.”

The Velisha clenched his fists. “I see you don’t understand a father’s love.”

That stung a little. Sure, Rijoko might not love me, but my human dad from Earth had shown me more than enough to understand how a father’s love worked. “I’m sure King Terki loved his son, too,” I said. “He just loved his other children, as well. And he knew that he would be harming them, and all of his people, if he let that snake go.” I gestured around us. “Varis, this is your land, these are your people. You should be protecting them. You know they can’t stand against the Empire. The only thing you did is endanger yourself and the rest of your family, too, along with all of your people.”

The Velisha visibly took a deep breath. “It doesn’t have to come to that, my lady. We will not go quietly into darkness, but it is not my intention to fight unless I need to.”

I cocked my head. I knew what he wanted. A very thin hope to gamble everything on, to be sure. That he’d be a hard enough nut, a big enough problem during the current war, to force compromise. Most likely that had been his intention all along, to bargain for Jian’s life.

If so, it had been doomed to fail from the start. But … It would be so very easy, the thought came to me unbidden. Just spare them. Maybe have Jian quietly assassinated later. I shook my head. I won’t. I don’t even want to.

“You overplayed your hand,” I said. “You’re in open rebellion. If we let this go, our buffer zone against the Zarian will fold in on itself. We’ll risk defeat in this whole theater of war. I know you’re not much of a general, neither am I, but it’s pretty simple.” I shrugged, letting the tension flow out of me even as I watched them for signs of an attack. “I suppose I could thank you, for giving me the opportunity to field-test something under real conditions.”

He blinked, looking like he didn’t know what to make of that. “My lady, please rethink this decision …”

“You know, I haven’t used my bloodline as fully as I could have,” I continued. “I’ve been starting to do more with it. And who would have guessed, but the easiest path to provide guidance for is the most vague, badly understood one.”

“What?” He drew his weapon, a black halberd, and his guards readied themselves as well.

I turned and flicked my hand at the object I’d let fall earlier, feeding another little bit of qi I’d quietly gathered into it. Varis’ eyes jerked to it, and his aura unveiled itself, filling the space around them with stony weight. But he didn’t attack, and the chance was quickly taken from him as the place around the anchor seemed to shift. For an instant, I could almost feel space itself rippling under familiar but strange qi. The air seemed to break in half as loud crack rang out. Then a person appeared where there’d been none, and a heartbeat later a whole group of elites surrounded her.

I grinned, studying the qi closely. “Beautifully done, San Hashar.”

The general inclined her head to me as her elites moved up to join us. “Thank you, my lady. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

It had taken me embarrassingly long to realize that while I’d seen her use air qi, she only did that for utility and because her main tool was hard to use. Few people had spatial affinity qi, it was mostly used by artificers and enchanters to make storage items. The fact that she’d managed to claw her way up the cultivation stages and ranks with it, forming and improving her own arsenal and toolkit, was impressive. And most of the guidance I’d provided was just conversations about physics, what I remembered of relativity and the like. She’d known the basics and took to it like fish to water who happened to be a math and physics whiz. Though to be fair, I had gotten and shared some interesting insights into her qi, too.

We turned our attention back to the Velisha king, whose hands had tightened around his halberd. His group was now clearly outnumbered.

“You might think you’re still the strongest person on the battlefield,” I acknowledged. “For all that’s worth. General San?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“End him.”

I’d barely finished speaking the words before she was on the move. The rest of the guards and soldiers had finished sorting out their formation and preparing their strikes, and joined her an instant later. I put a shield of darkness qi around myself, which should eat any attack that came too close, and slowly stepped backward. They could handle this one.

I couldn’t actually see San Hashar, but at the speeds they moved that would have been a problem, anyway. I managed to parse what my qi senses were telling me well enough, though. The general and another officer in the seventh stage from her elites were taking on the Velisha king. He might fancy himself a warrior, but he spent more time doing paperwork than fighting and even less in real combat. He was the kind of opponent she’d eaten for breakfast before getting her stars. Most of the stone gathered around him as a defense simply vanished, torn away. A lance of fire burned through most of his shield beneath it.

I spared a moment to assemble another Void’s Nibble technique and throw it into the tightest knot of Velisha fighters, eating their shields so my guards could mop them up. By the time I returned my full attention to the fight between the seventh stagers, Varis had lost a hand, half of his hair and was barely keeping ahead of San Hashar’s attacks. He was distracted by a hail of icy knives from another fight, and trying to sidestep it was his last mistake. I felt his aura wink out of existence as if cut off from the world by my general’s spatial qi.

After that, the fight didn’t last long. We had the advantage and weight of numbers and cultivation, and the Velisha were quickly ground down.

“San Hashar,” I called out as the last of them died. “It’s time to storm the palace. I want you to look for Jian, make sure you get him.”

She bowed and led the charge into the building. It started creaking right away, and not long after the last of the elites entered half of the roof in the back section blew off. I tapped my fingers and glared at Aston until he had his guards secure the grounds so I could move more freely.

“Success, my lady,” he finally reported, a small smile on his face. “What should we do about the royal family and the rest?”

I frowned at the palace, thinking about that. Then I shook my head. “Tell San Hashar to take Jian somewhere close by and kill him. I’ll be leaving.” There was no point even trying to break through whatever defenses Jideia had given his mind. Kiyanu might be able to, he was good at telepathy, but he was too far away and I didn’t want to give my enemies the chance to take advantage. “The rest of them …”

“You’re not going to spare them, are you?” Kajare asked.

I sighed. “Everyone who’s of age and fought against us will be killed. We’ll take the children. Maybe some loyal nobles can take them as wards. Or even sects, or schools.”

“And the Velisha nobility?” Tenira asked. “What little there is of it.”

“From today on, none. There is no more Velisha nobility. Hear that?” I paused and gestured in the direction of the city. “The fighting is still ongoing. We need to crush resistance completely, and there’s no going back from that. The Imperial army will have to seize and hold the whole land.”

“You’re annexing the Velisha,” Kajare realized.

“More or less,” I confirmed with a grimace. “It’s a drain on our forces to occupy them, but I don’t see a better option. They’re almost in the Empire already, anyway. The normal people should not be affected too much by this. I’ll appoint an Imperial governor, as soon as the fighting’s done, I guess.”

Or ask Kiyanu to do that, I corrected myself. I need to clear everything with him, anyway.

“Probably the best they could realistically hope for,” Tenira agreed, even if she didn’t look happy.

“Let’s go,” I said and started moving back the way we’d come. “There’s still more to do, and I made a promise to myself to avoid battlefields.”

Kajare grinned. “A little late for that. But better late than never, I suppose.”

I rolled my eyes at him and continued walking through the ruins of the outer gate.

126: New shores

Salira pushed a strand of her hair behind her ears and glanced at me. She looked like she wanted to say something. I leaned back against my seat, a jagged earthen pillar I had raised as part of our practice, and waited.

“A part of me wishes you could stay longer,” she finally said.

“Me too,” I admitted. “But I don’t have time to waste. The war might be turning, but it’s still in a precarious position, and I don’t want to be gone from the Sky Continent for too long.”

She nodded. “I understand completely, Sister. I’ve heard your people are using yet another new technological development to beat the Zarian back?”

I smiled, letting some of my pride show. “Yes. New weapons. They’re not much by themselves, not yet, but every edge counts.”

Salira regarded me thoughtfully, but didn’t ask further questions. She probably felt this was veering close what countries would keep as national secrets.

“Regardless, I enjoyed our time together, and I can already tell that I profited a lot from it,” she said.

I nodded. I’d snatched what time with her I could, while I was currently waiting for everything to be prepared for my departure. I’d already said goodbye to the rest of her family and the Imperial functionaries, even.

Neither of us had talked of politics or ambitions, but we understood each other anyway. I’d been providing her guidance and help to advance her cultivation. Even with all of her ambition and the support she might gather, being a swiftly advancing, strong cultivator was essential if she wanted to rise. She knew I wasn’t helping her purely out of the goodness of my heart, of course, but she recognized that I made no demands on her. I do hope she will become queen of Terbekteri, though. Is it wrong of me that I’m not supporting Kajare more strongly in that regard, but that I am helping her? I frowned to myself. Well, there’s still a lot of time for things to develop and change.

Political alliance aside, I still genuinely liked her, and I felt confident that it was the same for her.

We both stood and exchanged a slightly awkward hug before we made our final goodbyes and I started walking away. An airship would be taking me and the retinue I was bringing on this trip down to the coast, from where we’d board a ship to reach Adzur.

Terki had offered me the use of a Terbekteri ship. Even though I knew it would probably be quicker, I’d declined. I’d feel better in Imperial hands. Besides, Adzur was proud of its navy, rightfully so, and I’d rather avoid the possibility that, for all I knew, arriving on a Terbekteri speedboat might stir competitive feelings.

At least Kajare and Salira would get to spend some time together. We’d decided that he wouldn’t be coming with, so he’d stay here for a while before making his own way back to the Sky Continent. The same went for Tenira. Yarani was accompanying me, though, and Lei had asked to come, as well. I wasn’t surprised by that, especially considering Adzur’s reputation for technology or how getting some of their knowledge was one of my goals.

Tenira greeted me with a smile when I finally arrived at the landing pad. “They’re still loading the last of your supplies, but you should be good to go in a minute.”

“Good. You’re not going to stay here for long, either, are you?”

She shook her head. “The whole point of us splitting up is that I’ll be on site for the development teams, to oversee all of our projects and to make sure their implementation works out. It would be counterproductive for me to linger here too long. I’m going to have to deal with enough political nonsense as it is.” She paused and gave me a considering look. “You and Kiyanu are still good with each other, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Well, he did make a different decision on the Velisha than what you said.”

I snorted. “I guess. It’s not like I had a real plan or anything. The only thing he really did was to ensure that the Velisha don’t see it as a forceful takeover, or at least not as much, so we we’ll have to worry less about their fighters in our army. I can see the sense in that.”

According to his plan, the oldest of of Varis’ younger children, a twelve-year-old boy, was going to be be king of the Velisha. Kiyanu was still sending an Imperial governor, who’d be acting as regent for him.

“You said it was also a risk,” she pointed out.

“It is,” I confirmed, and shrugged. “I’ll trust Kiyanu that they can handle it even if Varis junior is going to be out for revenge. If he’s any less of an idiot than his father, he’ll take what happened as a warning that we’re too strong to rebel against, and that it wouldn’t end well.”

Or so I hoped. I also suspected that Kiyanu’s people would systematically curtail the king’s authority so that even after he reached the age of majority, he wouldn’t be able to start an all-out rebellion. At least, if he did want revenge. They’d be telling him our side of the story, and trying to gently shape his attitude regarding what happened. I found the whole thing a bit distasteful, but if it would help to prevent further conflict or a forceful crackdown on the Velisha, it was still the best option.

Aston appeared beside us, giving a quick bow. “My lady, everything is ready for departure. You only need to come aboard.”

I nodded at him, then turned back to Tenira. He discreetly withdrew back into the airship while I pulled my girlfriend into a hug and gave her a lingering kiss.

“I’ll miss you,” I said.

“Same,” she replied. “Take care of yourself, Nari. And keep an eye on Lei.”

We exchanged another quick kiss, then I pulled away and jumped up the ramp into the airship. The hatch closed behind me, and while I made my way up onto the open deck I felt the tremor that signified it had lifted off.

“Into the breach once more,” I mumbled to myself. “Or maybe not.”

As I stepped onto the deck, I noticed that Elia was waiting for me. Although it was just starting to rain, she leaned against the wall of whatever they called the roofed structure where some of the instruments were, beside the overhang.

“You know, I had a talk with my grandmother,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Well, it’s more like I was in a temple thinking hard at her and I got a few words from her.”

I smiled wryly. “Yes, I think I know what you mean. So, are you going to be leaving us?”

Elia shook her head and grinned. “No, I’ll be sticking around for a while. I’m not supposed to interfere in your conflict with the Storm too directly, but no one said anything about helping the Empire, or just being a good friend.”

“I’m glad.” I chuckled, leaning on the railing close to her. “For a granddaughter of the Sun, you’re surprisingly … not straightlaced.”

Elia grinned at me. “There’s more than one way of being, you know, ‘true’. I’m honest with myself, or have you ever caught me telling a lie?”

I raised a pointed eyebrow. “There was that time you pretended to be in the second stage of cultivation instead of the third.”

“Oh. Right.” She pouted. It looked odd on her. “Well, you saw through it, so I’ve never really lied to you, at least.”

“Not successfully,” I corrected with a small grin. “But fine.”

She flipped her hair and pushed off with an exaggeratedly put-upon expression. “If you insist on being annoying, I will go to someone who can appreciate me. And Lei is much more fun, too.”

I laughed, watching her stalk away, and tilted my face up into the rain. For all the problems this continent had brought me, there were a few good things, too.

“Inaris! Come on, wake up already!” Elia’s frustrated voice resounded in my ears.

I blearily opened my eyes, needing a moment to orient myself. Narrow wooden walls swayed around me. I was lying in my cabin on bard the ship and feeling the waves. Although they weren’t as big as before I’d gone to sleep, were they?

“What’s up?” I muttered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

“Finally!” Elia sighed. “I’ve been trying to wake you for ages. We’re arriving in Adzur right now.”

I scrambled out of bed, checking on the position of everyone else with my qi senses. “I was playing with Xiaodan,” I explained.

“Ah.” Elia seemed to soften at that. “Well, we should go.”

I nodded and pulled on an outer robe while she left the room. I’d had far too little time for Al and An, especially with Mother gone. The least I could do was spend some time with them in my dreams while I was away. At least they were both doing okay, as far as I could tell. Al still acted a little too edgy, and I knew he wasn’t over what had happened with Mother and Carston, but he seemed to be dealing with it. An was still a child, and I wasn’t sure how much of what happened she really understood, but it didn’t seem to have affected her too badly. She was mostly the same bright, cheerful kid as always.

I shook my head and focused on my surroundings as I hurried out onto the deck of the airship. Yarani and Lei were waiting at the railing, engaged in conversation. They stopped when I joined them.

Yarani smiled. “Quite a sight, isn’t it, Nari?”

I looked out over the forest of stone, earth and city rising out of the sea, and let out an impressed whistle. “Yes, it’s really something.”

Except for a few toeholds on the continent, Adzur was located on the Chain, off the southeastern coast of the Earth Continent. Instead of a single island chain, it was more of a clumpy collection of islands. I could see them spreading out before and to the sides of us, as our ship pulled into the harbor of the largest structure, which made up their main city. It spread across several decently sized islands and a few smaller ones, and its harbor was filled with pier upon dock of ships in many different sizes, shapes and colors, from small fishing boats to vessels almost rivaling the large container ships of Earth.

“They say Adzur’s heartland is the greatest working of earth qi cultivators in the world,” Lei commented. “I understand why much better now.”

I looked beyond the harbor, and as the ship turned and the landscape spread out further in our sight, I had to agree. The Adzurians had built many artificial land-bridges between the parts and islands of the Chain, especially here in the center. An entire side of the city of Adzur itself was little more than rocks in the ocean that had been built on with bridges, platforms and supports for buildings. And the bridges between the islands weren’t just an architectural marvel, but a huge artistic installation. Or many. They were all prettied up in some way, with decorative carvings of wood and stone, statues and crenelations, pictures and even precious stone insets. Most of them were painted to be a riot of color, showing everything from abstract geometric shapes to paintings of landscapes, animals and people, religious motifs, and even what looked like the first surrealist art I’d seen in this world. Despite the large variety, things seemed to have been planned out to some degree so they didn’t clash too much, but instead unfolded into a beautiful composition.

It almost made me miss the factories, with chimneys belching smoke into the air, or the cables pulling boats on paths between and under the islands and bridges.

“Are we going to have some time to explore?” Yarani asked hopefully.

I glanced at her. “I hope so.” After a week of traveling on a cramped vessel, even I was getting tired of being cooped up. I itched to explore this city and its wonders. But I knew the needs of my country came first, and I might not have much time.

By now, our ship was pulling into the harbor proper and starting to dock on a prominently placed stone pier. I could tell that the area around it had been cleared, and two smaller ships flying the flag of the City-State of Adzur prominently lurked beside our position, while a group of guardsmen with colorfully plumed helmets formed neat ranks on the ground.

I smoothed out my robes and quickly checked that I was presentable. A light drizzle was just starting to fall, but one of the guards erected a shield of air qi to keep everyone dry. We stepped down the wooden ramp onto the dock, then I took Yarani’s arm and we walked forward with Lei on my other side, the guards and a few diplomats following.

The delegation greeting us was composed of different kinds of people, I saw. Not that I really expected anything else. From what I’d read, Adzur was ruled by what I’d call a bastard cousin of democracy, and there were several power blocks. It didn’t surprise me that one of the people wore a crescent-moon shaped amulet over dark robes, clearly a priest, and one a naval uniform, while the rest looked like they were probably politicians or maybe businessmen.

“Your Highness,” one of them said, as they all bowed. “We welcome you and your companions to the City-State of Adzur. I hope your trip was pleasant. If you would like to follow us, accommodations have been prepared for you, and the members of the assembly and the premier are looking forward to speaking to you.”

I inclined my head. “Thank you. I am glad to be here. Adzur’s beauty truly does the tales justice.”

A few more pleasantries were exchanged, then we got underway. I slowed down as we neared the city proper, looking around. Lei wasted no time in engaging our escort in conversation, asking about the architecture, but I only listened with half an ear.

“They’re being friendly, but not very timid,” Yarani commented quietly.

I weaved a bit of air qi around us for privacy. “They probably think I’m here to get an alliance, so they assume a position of strength.”

“But you’re not,” she stated, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head. “There are a few things I’m not willing to touch.”

And it was good that I didn’t need to. Their navy might be nice, but with Terbekteri, that left me unconcerned. Our trade didn’t really need their presence, much less an alliance, and if I wanted to spread new technology, I could do that in other ways. Besides, I won’t need an alliance to get a feel of their own tech if I play my cards right.

Yarani frowned a little. “I’m not sure what you mean. They wouldn’t be too much of a threat for us, and just going by the way you deal with Ming Li, we could probably work with them.”

“They freaking own slaves, Yarani,” I hissed. “I might have been acting more ruthlessly, but some things are a hard ‘no’. And slavery is absolutely disgusting, no matter how nice a varnish they might put on it.”

She pulled a face and nodded, squeezing my hand in silent apology or agreement. I gave her a quick smile and turned my focus back to the city around us, where they had pulled up self-propelled carriages for us whose shape reminded me a little of cars.

Ah, the trappings of civilization.

127: Due respect

It seemed I’d underestimated what it meant to reach the fifth stage of cultivation before you were even twenty years old.

Going by my impressions of the people from the Adzurian upper crust I’d met so far, it was a big deal. Most of them were politicians, but some of them businessmen (and a few women). Though to be fair, those came from the really big companies and had more than a little political influence, and minor offices, as well. Many of them showed a degree of awe upon meeting me, and if I was any judge, not all of it was faked. Some were nervous, extremely polite, caution hanging in every word. Some were just plain terrified of me.

The man who I’d just talked to belonged to the latter group, and I had to suppress a sigh as he backed out of the room under several bows.

“Not even my own courtiers act like that,” I muttered. “Not that I’d have much patience if they did.”

Yarani snorted. She idly reached out a hand to smooth away some strands of hair that had fallen out of my hairdo, and I leaned into the brief touch.

The room we were sitting in was large and opulent enough it could have probably paid for all of my rooms in the Imperial palace by itself. A half-recessed doorway led into the rest of the suite, including the massive bedroom. Elia and the others were quartered nearby. We’d settled in okay, with only a few minor issues. I’d told the Adzurians that I didn’t take my consort along just to sleep in separate rooms. Not that we were likely to get much sleep during our stay in the city, anyway.

“We still haven’t talked to anyone who’s really in charge,” Elia complained, striding through the door of the adjacent sitting room and plopping herself down on a low table. “You haven’t even started negotiating for anything with their politicians.”

I leaned back in my chair, stretching. “I’ve been getting the lay of the land and laying groundwork. Besides, I think you might have the wrong idea about this.”

“Why?” Yarani asked, looking up.

“They might think so, but their government doesn’t have the stuff we want,” I explained. “Not really. Most of their technology, especially the parts I’m interested in, are developed and produced by private companies. Those hold the patents, not the government. They might pass regulations or try to interfere, especially if we deal with smaller players, but the government isn’t really in control of their tech.”

“Huh,” Elia said. “I guess I can see what you mean, but it seems a little weird.”

I shrugged. “I’ve been careful about this kind of thing on our side. Eventually, it’ll be more like it is here, I suspect. It should, in all honesty. But the current situation in the Empire makes it easier to ensure that our inventions aren’t getting out.”

“You don’t actually want to trade them away,” Yarani said, frowning.

“I think there are enough other cards I could play,” I said. “Giving companies favorable positions for trading with the Empire, if it comes to that. Or just selling our older formations and items. Really, maybe even food. With the war on the continent, I suspect they wouldn’t mind finding a steady source of food supplies.”

The land in the Chain wasn’t well suited to farming, generally speaking. Even with cultivation, their arable land and fishing wasn’t enough to support their population, which had grown quite large. So they were reliant on importing food from the continent. Of course, this didn’t usually present much of a problem.

“The Adzurians thrive on trade,” Elia said. “The Federation and the Zarian switch between hostile and friendly at the drop of a hat, and the Dominion and the Empire have always hated each other. Adzur gets a lot out of being the middleman.”

“And no country seriously pursues hostilities with them,” I agreed. “Doesn’t mean fields being burned or even their smaller sovereign trade partners getting to feel the sword won’t affect Adzur. Still, food is only one option.”

“This is all just a side issue,” Yarani cut in. “You’re not here for trade, are you, Nari?”

“No, there are other concerns” I admitted, sighing softly. “I’ve been letting the priesthood wait on me, but I should start talking to them soon.”

“I’ll go with you, if you like,” Elia offered. “At least for the way there, I should probably go see if the Sun has a temple here.”

I nodded and stood up, stretching a little. Then I glanced at Yarani. “Do me a favor and keep talking to people, okay? Pull Lei away from whatever he’s doing if you need to get some expert opinion on what tech we actually want.”

She nodded. “Will they even want to sell it to us? You said the government might regulate it?”

I frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t think that’s the larger issue, to be honest. Adzur does push its companies not to reveal their tech, but the real reason they still have their monopolies is probably self-interest. After all, you can make a lot more money if you control the supply, in the long run.”

“So we need to give them something that’s worth the probable loss,” she concluded. “Like other sorts of monopolies or long-term benefits. Trade concessions or something?”

I smiled and resisted the urge to kiss her. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around, beyond your pretty face,” I joked. “But, yes, assuming you can’t bait them with more short-term gains. Sometimes greed gets the better of sense.”

“Great!” Elia sprang up. “If you two lovebirds are done, can we go? I didn’t sign up for this just to listen to talk about economics. Zarian propaganda would be more interesting than that.”

I rolled my eyes and gave Yarani a quick goodbye kiss, just to annoy Elia, before we left.

I guess I’m actually more comfortable here than talking with the Terbekteri, I thought to myself. I never cared much for economics, but this isn’t exactly intricate investment portfolios.

“So, you like their system,” Elia commented.

I gave her a sideways glance and shrugged. “It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a free market in this world. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t make it ideal. There are downsides to a pure market economy, just as there are benefits. But it’s still a lot better than the mess we have in many parts of the Empire.”

“I only got half of what you are saying,” Elia said, shaking her head. “Isn’t what people can buy and sell already pretty free in the Empire?”

“I guess,” I said. “It’s more like this is a more advanced version. There’s barely a concept of intellectual property in the Empire, if you exclude secret cultivation arts and the like. That’s kind of the point — the changes I’m envisioning, and those which are coming anyway because of new technology, just won’t work out well without corresponding socio-economic structures.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Elia put her hands on her hips, which might have looked more impressive if we weren’t walking quickly down a hallway of the mansion they’d provided us for accommodations. “No more talk of economy, or society, or anything. I dare you to say no more until we reach our destination.”

I rolled my eyes, but nodded. That was easy enough. I just wished most challenges I faced were like that.

Outside, Aston had arranged a carriage for us. He smirked at me just a little, but I pretended not to see it, before the vehicle captured my attention. It didn’t run on gasoline, but it had a battery that stored qi. I focused my senses on it as we got moving, watching the mechanism’s inner workings as well as I could. Could probably reproduce this, given enough time. Impressive and intricate, but not too groundbreaking.

Traffic was surprisingly easy to navigate, although I caught a few instances where other vehicles waited to let ours pass. I wasn’t sure if that was Aston’s doing, or the type of carriage, or what. I sensed familiar presences in the two ahead of and behind us, my guards riding escort. From here, the city seemed even stranger. We only passed over bridges that were broad enough to accommodate our vehicle, but there was a reasonably straight path to our destination. I looked out over the colors and flickering signs, drinking in the city. Most of those seemed to be advertisements, which figured. I hadn’t had much time to familiarize myself with the Adzurian language, but Imperial Common seemed to be the second language of choice in most of the places here, probably because it was commonly used for international trade. Many signs or inscriptions had a Common translation.

The trip didn’t take long. I leaned forward, watching through the window, as the ersatz car started its approach over a long stone bridge with intricate carvings, most of them religious symbolism. Like spokes on a wheel, other bridges grew out of a rocky emplacement, and all of them led to small islands bearing large structures that sported tall walls.

We were pulling up besides the bridge to what I could sense what Rijoko’s temple, and it felt like we were already entering temple grounds, if the currently open gatehouse and symbols hadn’t clued me in.

“I guess this is where I hop off,” Elia said, knocking against the carriage even though the guards were already slowing to a stop.

I raised an eyebrow.

She sighed. “Fine, you completed my challenge. Just my luck that we wouldn’t have to face an assassin on this trip. I figured you were overdue.”

I snorted. “With companions like these, why would I need enemies?”

“Oh, knock it off.” She opened the door and turned to go, but cocked her head. “What were you thinking about, anyway?”

I shrugged. “Wondering if it would count as blasphemy if I destroyed that bridge.”

“Only you, Inaris.” Elia snorted, then hopped out of the carriage. “Already reconsidering your stance on enemies. Good luck.”

“Hey, thinking about it doesn’t mean I was actually going to do it,” I retorted with a scowl, though she was already walking away. I rolled my eyes. “Get us moving, Aston.”

Despite the path being empty of other people, nothing barred our passage, not even wards. The guards parked the vehicle in a paved parking space close to the entrance, and I hopped out. Looking at the marble facade, white with black veins, I suppressed a shiver. I’d never felt Rijoko’s power in a place more acutely, although full moon was tomorrow.

Only Aston accompanied me as I strode to the double doors, which looked like white marble as well. They didn’t open. Frowning, I stretched out my senses. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, come on,” I said. With an exertion of will, my qi moved, reaching out to the qi inside the gates, and they creaked open.

I entered the temple, finding my senses sharpen just a little in contrast to what the dimly lit room should have effected. The entrance hall wasn’t empty, at least, though the few priests only gave me quick glances before hurrying on. The worshipers, wearing clothing of varying styles and qualities, seemed less wary. I didn’t waste time on any of them, but strode forward. We emerged in an enclosed courtyard, with the main temple just ahead, one big hall of pillars whose roof looked like someone had only built it halfway to let in the light of the sky. Everything about this temple was big, and I could sense what had to be several hundred presences on the premises, even just counting the temple proper and not the outlying gardens.

Aston at my side casting wary looks around, I stalked forward, passing by pillars and side altars. A few younger priests, or perhaps acolytes considering their simple robes, made to get in my way, but shrank away after I gave them a glare and a pulse of my aura.

I almost got to what would have been the inner sanctum in another temple before a priest finally stopped me. “My lady,” he began, then hesitated.

“Do you know who I am?” I asked.

He swallowed and nodded. “Yes, Imperial Princess.”

“You will take me to the high priest now,” I ordered.

He bowed his head and fidgeted. “My lady, the high priest -”

“Now.”

There was a taste of qi in my voice now, a hint of something not quite human. The priest jerked and hastened to turn and lead me into the building to the right. I passed through the wards without taking the time to analyze them beyond the prickle on my skin, hurrying towards the strongest presence I could see. He was behind a door carved with moon iconography and formations, which led into a room filled with the scent of incense and a stone altar, light shining down from several open spots in the walls and ceiling. In contrast to the rest of this temple, the room seemed almost spartan, with bare walls and no other fixtures. At least if you only relied on material senses.

“You have some nerve,” I said evenly, as the door closed behind me. “Letting me come to you like this.”

High priest Moongrace – they all took new names upon joining the priesthood here, and I wasn’t pronouncing the tongue-twister that was its Adzurian version – was dressed in a pure white robe with strands of silver and gold woven in and a large crescent moon amulet around his neck. He looked like he was in his fifties, but weathered, with deep wrinkles beneath his neat salt-and-pepper hair and beard, though his gaze was alert and penetrating. He bowed elegantly. “Your Highness. If you had sent word you were coming, we could have arranged a reception suitable to your rank.”

I snorted, pacing forward slowly. Moongrace was almost in the eighth stage, probably a half-step into it, but he didn’t even register as a threat to me.

“You knew I would be coming,” I replied. “I anticipated that you’d be trying to curry favor, to get my support of your organization here. If your objective was to confuse me, I have to admit you had some success.”

There was the barest flicker on his face. Maybe he did want to get me to speak for them, then? If so, playing power games was stupid, although I supposed he could have been thinking of me as just a young girl who’d be easy to cow.

“I am sorry if you are confused, Your Highness,” he said. I saw wounded pride in his expression, maybe a hint of anger, as he continued to talk in a faintly condescending tone. “It would, of course, be my pleasure to provide you guidance for navigating our customs.”

“Oh, really?” I drew out the word.

“Of course.” He smiled thinly. “As high priest of Rijoko, providing guidance to all who come to our temples in search of wisdom is my area of expertise.”

“Oh, you did not just say that.” I crossed my arms. “Guidance? It doesn’t seem like you could guide a child to cross the street safely. I wonder what Rijoko’s angle for leaving you in place here is.”

Now there was a real spark of anger in his expression. “You should choose your words with care, Princess Inaris,” he said. “Insulting his high priest and openly questioning the Moon’s will like this could be seen as blasphemy.”

I barked a short laugh. “While I am in this city, priest,” I said softly, “blasphemy is whatever I am not alright with.”

There was a moment of silence. “You might claim to be his daughter, Princess, but your arrogance is staggering.”

“Claim to be his daughter?” I snorted and moved forward. “Let us see if your attitude can withstand a test, then.”

I took a few candles and incense sticks and placed them on the altar, lighting them with a wave of my hand. The high priest stood beside me, obviously tense, but he clearly didn’t dare interfere.

“Father,” I murmured. “I am here. Show me what is my due.”

The high priest cleared his throat and recited a chant in his native language, the intonation throwing me off enough that I understood only a few words, while he sent some of his qi towards the altar.

My connection to Rijoko had felt like it was vibrating just slightly in the back of my mind since I passed the gate. Now it was opening up a little, the connection growing stronger. I felt the room around us almost come alive as the formations set into its walls activated, at the same time as the brazier on the altar lit and qi swirling of light and darkness, bright nights and shadowed eclipses, whirled into the room. I felt the high priest grow even tenser behind me and pale as his gaze darted through it. I only smiled, feeling suddenly more alive in a way that was hard to describe, as my qi once more interacted with a force greater than itself. The change in the air condensed, and a weight started to bear down on the room. Beside me, Moongrace bent, and I caught the edges of something pressing down on him.

“I will be coming to speak to you,” I told my father with my voice and my mind. “We are overdue for a chat. Do prepare to actually talk to me.”

There was a pause. ‘Accepted. Come,’ the qi said.

Looks like I might have been right, a corner of my mind noted. It could be easier, or at least less power intensive, to speak in a temple of his.

The presence withdrew shortly after. I caught Moongrace shivering, still bent and looking like he was only just stopping himself from falling to his knees. What happened to his aura was more severe. The Moon might have been taking the power this manifestation had cost him from the high priest. Well, if that isn’t a clear sign of displeasure.

“It seems you might have forgotten who the servant is here,” I said in a pleasant tone, as the last of Rijoko’s attention withdrew. “I trust this reminder was adequate.”

“Yes,” the priest gasped out, straightening and wiping his sweaty forehead on his sleeve.

I could have stopped there, but I felt like it might be a good idea to impress this point even further. He was never going to like me, and entrenched arrogance might come back quickly, so perhaps I should keep making the limits clear while I was here. I couldn’t tell if that idea was a helpful hint from Rijoko’s lingering connection or my own. But the difference might not be all that big, here of all places. And isn’t that just a disquieting thought?

“In the future, you will greet me properly, on your knees,” I said. “And make sure I am attended appropriately when I choose to visit a house of my father, as well as treat me with the respect and deference due from a priest. No matter how high he might be playing games in worldly affairs.”

The high priest hesitated for a moment. “My lady,” he muttered. He knelt and pressed his forehead to the floor.

I smiled brightly. “A delightful conversation, Moongrace. Now let’s move on.”

128: Comparisons

Our little talk and the attendant demonstration had not been quiet. I’d sensed the room’s wards and knew they wouldn’t have shielded the weight of Rijoko’s attention from our surroundings. I suspected that every priest here would have at least a rough idea of what had taken place, not that I minded.

It would go some way to explaining the deference with which I was being treated now. No one had even hinted at the possibility that I wasn’t Rijoko’s daughter. Although I’d mostly talked to the high priest. He’d shown me to more comfortable chambers, and we were currently seated in a sitting room with large windows and cushy furniture, while servants had brought refreshments. Not exactly a humble cell, but the place wasn’t anywhere near as luxurious as where I was quartered, at least.

“Do you take sugar, my lady?” the high priest asked while he prepared a cup of brown brew. Despite its unpronounceable name, I’d found it was the closest thing to coffee on Aran, or maybe more like black tea.

“Why not, but just a bit.”

I let him prepare a cup for me and sipped it as he sat back. It would taste better with milk, but I decided not to request a servant bring that. Delicately, I sat the cup down on its saucer and watched Moongrace for a moment. He was careful not to meet my eyes, I noted.

“You might need to adjust your plans for the solstice,” I finally said. “I’ll use that day to commune with Rijoko.”

The high priest looked up at that. “My lady, if you would deign to grace us with your presence, your participation at the holiday celebration would be quite an honor for the priesthood and the worshipers at the ceremony,” he delicately said.

I raised an eyebrow and considered that. “No,” I decided. “I may make an appearance, but you’ll have to handle the ceremony yourselves. I will spend the time visiting what passes for your inner sanctum in seclusion.” Assuming I stayed there. I wouldn’t bet against Rijoko having connected this to the same kind of other place where I’d awakened my bloodline.

Moongrace bowed his head. “By your will, my lady.”

Yeah, he really seems to have been cowed, doesn’t he? I raised the cup again and took another sip, buying me a moment.

“May I be of further assistance, Your Highness?” he asked after a short pause.

“Later, probably,” I answered. “I’d like to hear what information you have on the City-State’s political situation. I’ll need to get a better idea of what the people I may have to work with want, but your assistance would be appreciated then.”

He smiled and ducked his head again. “I’ll be pleased to provide it, my lady.” After a short hesitation, he continued. “After all, the temple in Adzur is the center of Rijoko’s worship on this world. We will gladly cooperate with you.”

I suppressed a snort and stopped myself before I could explain that I had no intention of getting involved in that conflict. That might be a bit too undiplomatic. But I knew I’d have to be careful not to be seen as supporting their bid for hegemony over Rijoko’s temples elsewhere. If nothing else, I’d rather have those in the Empire standing on their own. Not to mention it just seems like a bad idea to meddle in Rijoko’s earthly worship.

“We’ll see,” I said evenly.

He nodded and didn’t press the matter, probably sensing my reluctance. I closed my eyes and focused on my senses, sweeping my attention over the temple and its surroundings. It was the largest religious structure I’d seen, and as far as I could tell also larger than the other neighboring temples. There were quite a number of people here, whose presence I could sense between layers of wards and other formations.

It shouldn’t have surprised me to find a few spirit-children, but it did. I stiffened a little when I came across one presence that had that clear tint of spiritual qi, before I shook my head and moved on. As far as I could tell, none of them were descendants of Rijoko himself. If they were, it would be very distantly. I opened my eyes and frowned into my tea. There was the urge to get up and seek them out, to talk to them, but I refrained. It did remind me of another reason I came here, though.

“High priest Moongrace,” I said. “I assume your temples have records about spirit-children, correct?”

He blinked, but mastered his surprise quickly. “We do, my lady.”

“Then bring me what relevant knowledge you have,” I ordered. “Especially regarding their powers.”

He bowed and rose to pass on instructions, while I finished the rest of my cup in silence. It didn’t take long for my request to be fulfilled. Over the course of ten minutes or so, priests brought records folders and sheets of paper.

I set about going through them while ignoring Moongrace’s presence. He lingered, but remained silent and didn’t disturb me. There was too much to read and memorize it all, though I’d ask for copies to be made so I could take them back. The records were well-ordered, but not very specific, and the sort of knowledge I sought was often nested between other things.

I found it a little amusing that a lot of the material dealt with spirit-children other than those of Rijoko or even spirits known to be associated with him. Those tended to be more concisely written with a focus on ability profiles, too. Even a few blatant threat assessments, though those seemed a bit dated. They didn’t help me much when it came to evaluating my own power, although shapeshifting was more or less universal and they did give me an idea of a general level of power and complexity.

Combined with the information on actual descendants of Rijoko, it painted a rather telling picture. I put down the last folder I’d looked through and closed my eyes, leaning my head back and rubbing my temples.

“I should have known it was too much,” I muttered.

“My lady?” the high priest asked.

I shook my head. Even taken on their own, my powers were amazingly powerful and useful when employed correctly. I’d mostly abused my dream-sending to facilitate instant and untraceable communication, but in the hands of an experienced telepath it could be a horrifying tool, too. Sure, cultivators, especially the stronger ones, only needed to sleep rarely, which went a long way to moderating that strength, but rarely wasn’t never and there were many other people. Then there was shapeshifting so good it basically entailed free regeneration and immortality. God, the guidance thing might be vague, but it had the makings of a hell of a cheat. I should start taking more advantage of that, I noted in a corner of my mind, but the rest was occupied with other thoughts.

“Do you believe in free will, high priest?” I asked.

He stilled. “Of course, my lady. While the Moon provides guidance, it is ever our choice to interpret and follow it. Our will is our own.“

After a moment of silent thought, I blinked and shifted my attention back to my surroundings. He didn’t quite hide the curiosity in his eyes. I should have expected to get an answer based on doctrine, but it had been an idle question, anyway.

“I tell myself that it’s pretty simple, really,” I said. “If I don’t have free will, it doesn’t matter anyway, and I’ll do what I was going to do regardless. If I do, then I can choose, at least to some degree. So, I should just do what I would want to do anyway, that’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Wise words, my lady,” Moongrace commented. “Naturally.”

I snorted. “Yeah, right.” But I found my gaze sliding down to the documents again.

I’d suspected this. It was pretty clear I was somewhat more powerful than your average spirit-child, perhaps even those of Greater Spirits. More importantly, I had better control or better flexibility in how I could use that, not just raw strength. Some part of that could be laid on the feet of my special ability, but for all I knew, that was related to my bloodline, too. None of it was outside the normal range, not really, but if this was decided randomly it would have been a very lucky roll. I sighed to myself. I’d refrained from asking Elia about her father so far, out of respect for my friend’s grief, but perhaps I should start.

“Do you know how I came to be, Moongrace?” I asked, genuinely curious.

He hesitated. “Rumor has it my lady’s mother struck a bargain with the Moon in order to get with child,” he answered. “More has not been revealed to me.”

I nodded. That was probably to be expected, and I couldn’t say I minded. Judging by the way Isuro and Jideia seemed to care about the details, at least, it was probably good that Rijoko didn’t announce it to the world. Well, not that I would want that, either, if I was honest with myself.

I was created for a specific purpose. I grimaced internally. Designed for a purpose, even. I knew that.

I shook my head to shake off the thought and put the files back on a stack. “I’m done here,” I said. “Please have copies made of all of these files and bring them to me. Then I’ll trouble you no more.”

“Of course, my lady.” He bowed and left.

I looked out the window, watching the bustle of people in the temple’s courtyard. If I concentrated, I could sense an edge of activity that happened at the altars, probably when people made offerings to Rijoko. It was not a comforting feeling.

Moongrace brought me the copies I’d requested and I stashed them in my storage ring. I bid my goodbyes to the high priest, graciously pretending I didn’t see the flicker of relief in his eyes, then left. A few steps out of the door, Aston joined me. I nodded at him and we walked through the temple together, ignoring curious looks.

“Aston, do you believe in … well, gods, I suppose?” I asked as we left the main temple complex.

He raised an eyebrow. “To be frank, that seems like a strange question. Of course I know the Greater Spirits exist, and acknowledge their power. I have, on occasion, given offerings to some of the Greater Spirits, including the Moon. But I wouldn’t call myself a true follower of any of them.”

“Right.” That was probably a common attitude in this world. And it’s sensible, I suppose.

Aston didn’t turn the question on me, and I didn’t speak about my own beliefs, or lack thereof. Even if I was inclined to debate it, we had very different cultural imprints when it came to religion. Instead, we left the temple in silence. I nodded at the other guards that were waiting outside and boarded the carriage again. As we left over the bridge, I glanced back at the temple, then turned my attention back to the city in front of us.

We met Elia just after the bridge, on the plateau where the others converged. She appeared in front of the carriage as soon as the guards stopped it and climbed inside.

“I hope you didn’t have to wait for us too long,” I said. I should have called her to tell her it was going to take longer, though I didn’t trust the temple not to try to eavesdrop on my communications.

She waved that aside. “It worked out, and I could have made my own way home.”

I nodded. I’d spent at least an hour in the temple, so whatever she’d done was more than a quick check-in. “Did whatever you were about work out okay?”

She shrugged. “Reasonably, I suppose.”

I glanced out the window, looking at the colorful streets and bridges that people and vehicles swarmed over. This city was at least as big as the Empire’s capital, if you counted the outlying but tightly linked islands. Considering the way the Adzurians had bound the Chain together, it was a little hard to mark where the city ended and the surrounding landscape began.

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” I asked. She’d mentioned that a few weeks ago.

“Once, when I was a kid,” Elia answered. “I don’t remember it well, but it hasn’t changed much.” She looked out at the city with a fixed gaze, instead of truly taking in the sights. Something was clearly on her mind, and probably nothing good.

I was about to ask, then closed my mouth. Pushing wouldn’t do me any good with Elia, it rarely did. She was too much of a free spirit to like being cornered, even in conversation or by friends.

My patience was rewarded five minutes later, when she returned her gaze back to the inside of the vehicle. “I went to the temple of the Sun to look for information about my father,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow. “You think he went and visited them?”

“Maybe. But even if he didn’t visit the temple, they could help me find out more,” she explained. “The priests of Piallara are usually quite well-informed. They make it a point to get information on events and people of interest, and they will share some of it if you know how to ask.”

“Wait.” I sat up straighter. “Are you telling me the priests of the truth and justice are running some kind of informant network?”

Elia grinned and shook her head. “Not quite. It’s more that they have connections to existing information brokers operating in a gray legal area.”

And those would probably have connections to shadier informants, if they didn’t directly, I inferred. Not quite what I would have expected, but then it was all about finding the truth in some sense.

“Anyway,” Elia continued, “he did visit the temple about a year before his death. Apparently, he came to Adzur with a group of Dominion heavies, although his visit to the temple had little to do with their mission and they couldn’t tell me more about that.”

“But even knowing who he was working with could help your investigation, couldn’t it?” I asked.

She nodded, as serious as I’d ever seen her. “Right, which is why I asked for all the information they had on them. I’ll look through the files in detail later. Meanwhile, some of their informants did have some insight on what the group was here for. It seems like the Zarian were trying a discreet attempt to get some of the Adzurian’s rarer formations patterns and technology.”

I frowned. “If we can follow up on that, it might help with why we’re here,” I muttered. Then I shook my head. “Not that I’ll butt in on your investigation, Elia.”

“It’s alright.” She hesitated. “I would like to ask for your help, in fact. I might have gotten some information here, but this is just one city. Or one small country, whatever. Learning what the Empire’s intelligence apparatus has on the people involved could be just the push I need.”

I smiled. “No worries. I’ll tell Kariva to give you whatever she knows. Ask if you want to employ any of our agents for something more, but I wouldn’t be opposed in principle.”

Elia frowned. “Are you sure, Inaris? You don’t want me to promise something in exchange? This is pretty … substantial.”

The colder part of me knew that binding Elia to me more tightly was valuable in the long run, probably more so than some information and some risk to Kariva’s agents. But that wasn’t why I smiled and shook my head again. “No, Elia,” I said. “We’re friends. I don’t want to be bartering favors with you.”

She smiled back and I knew I wouldn’t regret that decision.

129: Enticements and embargoes

“You know, considering how vocal you were about your distaste for slavery, the servants here don’t seem to bother you too much,” Yarani said.

I blinked, glancing at the liveried young man who’d just brought tea to the room and then back at my girlfriend, who was leaning against one of the tables strewn with paper dotting the room.

“They’re not actually slaves here, but paid servants,” I said.

“Oh.” Yarani looked a bit sheepish. “Is that on purpose?”

I cleared my throat, scratching my cheek. “Well, I never exactly bothered to hide my opinion of the practice. Even when I was talking to the Adzurian envoy at court the once or twice.”

Yarani snorted. “You’re such a wonderfully honest person,” she said with a grin. “No wonder Elia likes you.”

Before I could answer, the door opened and my other friend wandered inside, his coat looking a bit singed and his hair tussled even as he’d kept a glove on one of his hands. “Slavery in Adzur is actually quite an interesting social and economical issue, considering their political and financial landscape and the standards of education,” Lei said.

I stood up and discreetly moved a stack of folders off the floor with a bit of air qi, sighing at him. “It’s good to see you, too, Lei. Nice to know you remember that we still exist.”

“Hm?” He looked up. “Oh, sorry, Inaris. I suppose I have been gone a lot, haven’t I?”

I rolled my eyes. I’d barely seen him since we’d arrived. I had no clue how he had even managed to find the people or places to indulge his curiosity about their technology, but given the results I’d judged it better to let him be. He could take care of himself, even if it didn’t seem like it sometimes.

“I thought you were all about their formations and electrical thingies,” Yarani said. “Now you’re actually interested in social issues?”

Lei frowned at her and finally took off his coat and glove, throwing them onto a chair. “I can’t exactly avoid the issue, seeing how I’ve been dealing with their companies, and it’s not like I can’t be interested in anything besides a good formula.”

“What were you saying about slavery?” I intervened before they could start bickering in earnest. I’d count it as my good deed for the day.

“I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with Elia talking about justice and rights,” Yarani commented, clearly disinclined to allow my intervention.

Lei looked away. He tried to pass it off as looking for a seat, but I could see the way his face stiffened a little. “Where is she, anyway?”

“Around,” I answered, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes again. “She’ll show up soon, I’m sure.”

“Anyway, the population of slaves in Adzur is actually pretty small and they’re used in very different positions,” Lei said, sprawling into an armchair. “They’re treated well compared to other places, I guess, and when it comes to research they’re often used as accountants or clerks. Probably since they’re supposed to be trustworthy.”

“Trust enforced by the ability to maim them if they cook the books,” I snorted. “Oh well. I guess I get it. With the way cultivation works, I just don’t see it being very effective on a large scale.”

“Why?” Yarani asked.

I shrugged. “Cultivators are dangerous mostly because of their stage, not factors like if they have weapons, and stronger ones are difficult to contain. You’d need to forcefully keep the enslaved population’s cultivation stages down, but that would also make them less useful for most of the tasks you’d usually want them for. Like heavy unskilled labor.” I frowned. “I guess that’s why it actually exists here in Adzur, where manpower isn’t that much of an issue due to the general level of technology, but you might need people for handling machines in factories or doing office drudgework, or whatever.”

“It’s a good thing Elia isn’t here,” Yarani commented. “She’d either tease you mercilessly about your ruminations on society or this would actually devolve into a deep, long-winding debate.”

I sat on one of the elegant tables made of dark wood, sweeping aside a stack of folders, while I rolled my eyes at her. “A dark and terrible future, I’m sure. However would you survive that?”

“That’s easy,” Yarani grinned, “I know more than enough ways to distract you. You make it so simple.”

There was no winning against her today, I decided. My internal font of wisdom called for a tactical retreat.

“And in contrast, your own diplomatic skill is peerless,” I said. “Which I’m sure you demonstrated for the good of the Empire when dealing with the Adzurians. Did you make any progress while we were gone?”

Yarani sat up straighter, shaking her head. “Not much. I did get to talking with some of their business leaders, and was approached by others. I’ve taken notes.” She tapped a short stack of papers on a table besides her. “Most of them seemed cautious about committing to anything, though interest is definitely there.”

“In what?” Lei asked, taking the papers and leafing through them before throwing them back down to scatter on the table.

“Our technology, unsurprisingly,” Yarani said with a sigh. “I’ve also noticed some interest in food, and trade in cloth, wood, and luxury goods. But we might have to make it clear formations aren’t available, first.”

I frowned, tapping my fingers. “There was less interest than right when we first arrived, was there?”

“Yes.” She cocked her head. “You think something changed?”

“It sounds like the government leaned on them.” A small smile spread over my face as I considered my past interactions. “Good.”

“Why is that good?” Lei asked. “Come on, just say it.”

“It means they want something from us,” I explained with a sigh. “They want me to go to them rather than deal with corporations.”

“Well, that’s easy,” Lei scoffed. “The sea dragons.”

There was a moment of silence, as we both turned to stare at him. “You think?” I asked.

“You’re the only person who made a deal with them recently,” Lei said, rolling his eyes. “Adzur is surrounded by ocean. I don’t know how much of their technology they would value as worth an introduction to the sea dragons, but come on. Eldritch allies that’ll gobble up Zarian ships if the Dominion tries to get grabby? Of course they want that.”

I blinked, then conceded his point with a nod. “Right. It’s possible. Anyway, that just gives me possible leverage. I doubt the sea dragons would be pleased about me passing their contact info around like a scummy advertiser, but as long as I don’t promise them anything, it’s not my problem.”

Yarani frowned again. “I think you’ve lost me there.”

I hopped down from the table and gave her my best roguish smile. “I have a confession to make to you, sweetheart. Your efforts are of less critical importance to the fate of the nation than it might seem. I don’t actually care all that much about getting Adzurian technology.”

Now it was Lei’s turn to stiffen in surprise. Yarani cocked her head. “You don’t?” She sounded doubtful.

“As long as the Zarian don’t get advanced technology, we’re not losing anything.” I shrugged. “We already have the technological edge over them. Adzur is where they might balance it.”

“You want an embargo on them,” Yarani realized.

“Got it.” I smiled. “Now, as much as I’d like to stay and chat, I do have an appointment with the prime minister. Either of you can come along, if you want, but please not both. This is kind of important.”

They both caught the dig and started scowling at me. “I’m busy,” Lei proclaimed.

“Me too,” Yarani said. “Since someone clearly doesn’t appreciate my work, I’ve found something else that needs doing.”

I shrugged and half-waved at them as I turned to leave. “Have fun, then.”

Out in the corridor outside the suite, I found a detachment of guards waiting as my escort, with Aston unsurprisingly among them. I nodded at him and started walking, but we’d barely taken a few steps down the corridor before a side door opened to let Elia out.

“Going to the prime minister?” she asked. “I wonder if he’ll be as much of a liar as politicians are supposed to be. Should be interesting.”

I smiled as she fell into step beside me. I didn’t thank her for the help, although we both knew that was why she was coming. But if she wanted to pretend it was a whim, why argue?

The way to his office wasn’t empty, of course. We took a tunnel leading between rock and the mortared stone of Adzur’s bridges, built upon caves that had long been surpassed in scope and extent, with my guards escorting us. On the grounds outside and the halls of the prime minister’s seat of governance, Adzurian guards kept watch and officials and lobbyists followed us with their gazes. I could almost hear the wheels turning in their heads, trying to reason out the details of our visit and find a way to turn it to their advantage. I ignored them and tried to shut out the murmur of conversation. I’d somewhat gotten used to this kind of attention back in the Empire, but here, where I was new and foreign, things felt different, more tense somehow.

I only realized as we approached the prime minister’s office that I was subconsciously reacting to the perception of a threat, of danger, if a subtle one. We weren’t home, and I wasn’t these people’s guarantor of a better, or at least stable, future, however uncertain that might be. No, here we were the face of an empire so great it could fit their own lands and little games of power inside several times over without needing to make room. A giant that was, if not sleeping, then dozing while only occasionally cracking an eye open at them. Adzur was hardly weak, and any one power making an outright play for them would raise others’ ire. But, admittedly, the political landscape was shifting faster than it had in decades, and the Empire might well come out of these years stronger than it had ever been, or bloodier. To them, I was a threat. It felt odd, realizing that.

I was shaken from my thoughts as an aide showed us into the Adzurian premier’s office, without needing to wait. The middle-aged man with gray streaks and keen dark eyes had the look of an experienced statesman. He bowed shallowly. “Imperial Princess Inaris. Welcome, it is good to meet you.”

I bowed back, matching his own angle in what I was now more aware was a courteous gesture. “Premier Akind’la. It is a pleasure to meet you, as well.”

“Please, be seated,” he invited us.

We took our seats, two guards staying watching the room while Aston stood at my back and slightly to the side. Servants arrived with refreshments, but I declined. “This is Elia of Arialko,” I introduced.

The politician nodded at her and watched us with sharp eyes. “Some might see bringing a truth-teller to such a meeting as offensive, Your Highness.”

I gave a small smile, aware it didn’t reach my eyes. “Some might say that would only matter to those who are intent on deception, Premier. Regardless, Elia is my friend, and not here as a tool of negotiation. She is more familiar with your land and customs than me, so I’m grateful for her help.”

He nodded. It didn’t look like he believed it, but he clearly knew it wasn’t worth making an issue of it. Bringing her presence up at all had likely just been a probe.

“I hope you have enjoyed your time in Adzur so far,” he said.

I smiled and gave pleasant affirmations. From there, we segued into small talk and slowly but surely approached the matters we were actually interested in talking about. It wasn’t just to get the conversation started. While we talked, we were sounding each other out, feeling for our attitudes towards our nations and our interlocutor, trying to establish a dynamic. Well, tried to at least, it didn’t really seem to work. Perhaps the cultural expectations were too different. Or I just suck at small talk. Elia didn’t say much, preferring to let me talk. Lucky her.

I still didn’t get a good idea of what he wanted, although I was pretty sure he did want something. There was an underlying tension to him, to the way he held himself and the slight hesitation before he spoke when he looked at me.

“I have to admit, what I’ve seen of Adzurian technology certainly lives up to its reputation, although I haven’t gotten a closer look at the real deal,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow, just slightly. “You haven’t? I though seeking it out would be a priority.”

I smiled slightly. “Oh, I certainly wouldn’t mind taking a look at some of your more inventive workings. But for all my interest and enjoyment, my duty has to take precedence. There is a war on, after all.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “But I cannot imagine your journey here was without purpose with respect to your duty.”

“Of course not. I’m sure any ties I forge here will be quite valuable, and, without undue flattery, we all know of Adzur’s strategic importance.”

He smiled. “You do realize that we have safeguarded our neutrality quite jealously in the past.”

Elia shifted beside me, a faint frown on her face. That was enough to have me on my guard. “I know.”

“But I hear you already have experience in dealing with entities that are famously unwilling to take part in concords or alignments of power,” he continued.

“And that has raised your interest, has it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, we are quite interested in that matter.”

“So, the sea dragons.” I regarded him for a moment. Looks like Lei was right. Oh well. He’s not getting out of diplomatic work next time.

“Quite right. It is quite a feat to talk with one of them, let alone come to an agreement with their kind.”

“Even if I was inclined to help someone else attempting to copy that feat,” I said, trying to be careful with my words, “it might not work. They are not dumb beasts who come when called or take other people’s orders. Of course, in principle I could certainly arrange an introduction, perhaps even pass along a few tips.” I paused. “But, you understand, that is not an easy decision. The perception that I am using their friendship would carry large costs to me and the Empire.”

The prime minister smiled, which didn’t hide the calculating gleam in his eyes. “I’m sure they would not mind too much. After all, we only have the best of intentions. But, of course, it is understood that such a favor has its worth.”

“I’m glad. Now, as it happens, we were talking about the war the Empire is fighting to defend itself from Zarian aggression.”

“You would not want access to formation patterns or technological blueprints?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head. “To be perfectly honest, I am not a company, and my interests here are primarily political.”

“That is good, Your Highness.” He smiled again, although this time there was a shadow to it. “That will be easier to arrange.”

I narrowed my eyes. “As we are currently threatened by Dominion aggression, making sure they cannot escalate their threat is a concern. Zarian formation craft, let alone mechanical or electrical engineering, is clearly inferior to Adzur’s. Therefore, there is clearly temptation to … acquire some help against our own efforts.”

“I see.”

“Not to mention that the sea dragons do consider me their friend, as I mentioned. It would be hard to explain why another who I would like to be a mutual friend is dealing with my enemies.”

There was a hint of mirth in his eyes now. “You are speaking of an embargo.”

I inclined my head in affirmation.

The premier shook his head. “I fear that we might be seeing the same matter from different perspectives, my princess.”

Before I could ask what he meant by that, Elia sucked in a breath and sat up straighter. She cursed in what sounded like a related language to Zarian. “You already made a deal.”

The Adzurian nodded. “We were approached before, by an offer hard to refuse. I fear, my ladies, that an embargo is already being prepared.”

I stilled, grinding my teeth for a moment. “They’re pushing for an embargo on the Empire?” I couldn’t quite keep my voice down, and took a deep breath to refocus. I might have been too late. Damn it. “What sort of offer?”

He smiled again. “I cannot disclose the details of private negotiations, I am afraid.”

“And yet you still want to ask me for access to the sea dragons,” I stated, then shook my head. I had to make an effort not to clench my fists. “I see this talk is not going anywhere. We are done here, Premier.”

“Your Highness, are you sure?”

I’d already stood up and was turning around, Elia following my lead. “Quite. Have a pleasant day, Premier.”

Without another word, I left his office, taking another deep breath. He was probably trying to play me off against the Zarian. I could have stayed longer and tried to salvage something, but I had a feeling I’d only be risking digging myself deeper. I needed to regroup and reassess.

“Well,” Elia said. “He might not have been too much of a liar, but he’s kind of a jerk, anyway.”

I snorted a laugh, and hurried my steps back to our quarters.

130: Assumptions

I paced up and down the room, keeping my strides short and my gait steady even as strength coiled under the surface, heat rising and dying as I walked. My gaze passed over the tapestries and pictures on the walls, the sun shining through the elaborately decorated window and the play its light made against the ground and furniture. The clamor of the city below the window reached me even through sound-dampening wards, like an irritated buzz in the back of my skull.

“One day, I am going to own this miserable little city,” I said. “It might be years or decades or even centuries, but one day all of it will be but what I allow it to be.”

As I turned again, I saw Yarani sitting on one of the chairs, watching me with dark eyes.

“Of course, my lady,” she agreed.

I took a deep breath. She could tell I wasn’t speaking as Nari, but as the next Empress of the Sky. My declaration was not just an expression of pettiness. I felt it like an itch under my skin, the knowledge that Adzur was important, a strategic necessity.

I knew my troubles would not begin and end at the Zarian, and eventually my attention would be turned to the other nations, other powers. The rest of the world, really. But it might not be so today, I acknowledged to myself. I can still afford to let this go.

“It would be a mistake in the long run, though,” I mumbled to myself, even as I sat on another table.

“What would be?” Elia asked, barely glancing up from what she was reading.

“Letting the Zarian put an Adzurian embargo on the Empire would be a loss, even beyond the war effort,” I said. “Especially when I came here personally. If I’m to deal with foreign powers — and let’s face it, I’ll most likely be younger and less experienced than them and we’ll still be a possible threat — then I can’t seem like a flailing child.”

“I’m a little more concerned about what it would mean for the war,” Yarani said. “We might not need advanced Adzurian technology, but it would certainly help. And letting the Dominion use their formations would be an unpleasant turn.”

I nodded, then glanced at another stack of documents. “We’ve still got a fair amount of what we wanted already, haven’t we?”

“About half of your list,” Elia answered, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a long sheet of paper lying on another table.

“Those were mostly the easy things, that aren’t regulated as much, if at all,” Yarani added.

“Something, at least,” I muttered. Materials and components for our research and development initiatives, or the knowledge of how to make reasonable alternatives to what would be needed, made these deceptively valuable. I still had trouble getting my hands on all the elements I would have liked, and even for knowledge of local metallurgy alone the trip to Adzur hadn’t been a waste.

But it was not much when weighed against an embargo.

“Tell the rest of the delegation to step it up,” I told Yarani. I’d sent the diplomats and sundry attendants out to get me these things. It was better to operate under the assumption that we might be on a time limit now. This apparent deal with the Zarian would only make things harder, best to get what we could today.

She nodded. “We’ve already been working hard at it, but there are a few deals we can close now where we’ve been trying to bargain for better conditions.”

I stood up and moved to a chair, glancing over sheets of paper on the table. It was a bit of a chaotic mess, but I’d helped to make it and so I knew my way around the information. I’d read enough of it that I probably didn’t need the physical paper, but sometimes it helped to have things spelled out in front of me.

“Do you think we should confer with home?” Yarani asked hesitantly.

“No. It’s still a while before I have another dream-meeting scheduled, and Kiyanu’s likely to be far too busy for sleep. Same for Kariva.” I sighed. “I know I have no room to talk, but high-level cultivators needing so little sleep can be darn inconvenient.” I shook my head. “Besides, what can they tell us that we don’t already know?”

“I assume you want to try to find out what we can about what the Zarian are offering or threatening them with,” Yarani said. “I have made some connections that might yield some information, if I ask nicely.”

I frowned, but nodded. “Do. I hate having you do that sort of thing, but under the circumstances …”

She stood up. “Oh, you don’t want me to use my wiles in your service?”

“Exactly,” I agreed, deadpan. “Your wiles are supposed to be reserved for me. But needs must, so I’ll make use of you.”

“Can you please keep your flirting down?” Elia asked, glancing up. “We’re supposed to have a serious situation here, I’m pretty sure. Or at least warn me before things get heated so I can go somewhere else to read in peace.”

I grinned at her, then sobered up as Yarani left the room. “Do you have anything else to add?”

“Just that I can understand these priests in the Sun’s temple here a lot better now,” she muttered. “Adzurian politics is a bit of a jungle. With trees that like to uproot themselves and eat trespassers.”

I was about to ask if she was speaking from experience and there actually were jungles like this here, before I bit my tongue. We didn’t need further diversions. “Can your friends in the temple help us?” I asked instead.

She pulled a face. “I’ll try. Although I’m not supposed to interfere too much, like I said, and even as a granddaughter of the Sun, they’re not going to give me everything for free. Even if they had hard facts on the Zarian initiative, which I doubt.”

It was my turn to grimace. I understood the implication that it could be Jideia’s work behind this, and I had to agree. There was no way to know for sure, right now, but it was a possibility. And it had implications of its own. If they were moving away from direct attempts to kill me onto subtler political games, that was both relieving and concerning. I doubted Isuro would actually accomplish all that much in this vein — he’d never struck me as the manipulator type, even if his heart was fully in it. But problems that were not simply solved by me surviving an assassination attempt would do more than enough damage, anyway.

And who says there’s no assassination attempt here, anyway?

“You look like you’re having deep thoughts,” Elia commented. “Anything I can help you with?”

I sighed and stood up, starting to pace again. “I’m trying to figure out what’s behind this,” I said. “I can only see it being a mix of threats and bribes. Perhaps threats against Adzur in general and bribes for the premier or his faction, promising someone backing in internal struggles in exchange for pushing through this embargo. But it’s stupid, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

“They have to know they’re running a risk by angering the Empire,” I said. “What do they think they’ll get out of it if our alliance wins?”

“I don’t know,” Elia said. “Will it?”

I paused, meeting her sharp gaze as I considered that. “The Empire is allied with the Terbekteri, so the balance of power is in our favor in the long term,” I said slowly. “But the alliance is young and the Kingdom has not participated much. More to the point, the war is being waged far from their shores.” I frowned. “I suppose you’re right. In their eyes, the Zarian are winning.”

We were pushing them back on the Earth Continent, but the more important theater of war was and had always been the Sky Continent. Where the Zarian had advanced far into Imperial territory, even if we’d stalled them now.

“It’s not entirely unreasonable to believe the war will end soon,” Elia said. “The long-term thrust of it might be a danger to the Zarian, but only if it comes to that. The fronts could grind to a halt, and the war is costing both countries much. They might expect that peace will be made soon, perhaps on terms that are somewhat favorable for the Empire given its current position. Internal instability in the Empire might force its rulers to accept.”

I grimaced. “Yeah, I guess.”

If I was honest, I’d never really considered an outcome outside of clear victory or defeat. I took a moment to think about it now, but while I could understand the viewpoint, I didn’t think it held water. Even without Jideia’s meddling, this wasn’t about shifting the border a few kilometers, this was more like a war for the fate of our two nations. Not to mention that I would not accept such an unfavorable peace settlement, not when it would just lead to new wars down the line and when we could still turn around and crush the Zarian in due time, even if sacrifices had to be made now. I doubted Kiyanu would see that differently.

But I could understand how it might look from Adzur’s point of view.

“We would also need Terbekteri,” I mused. “They’d be essential for any assault on Adzur. The premier might plan to offer them concessions in order to curb our anger, if it comes to that. In the end, it’s just an embargo, and he even wants to make another deal with us.”

“It still seems smarter for Adzur to keep playing the middleman,” Elia pointed out. I suspected she was enjoying playing devil’s advocate. “Especially since it’s not like one deal would stop the Dominion from squeezing them when they’re in a position to do that.”

“That’s why I assume threats or favors are involved,” I said. “And helping me would just pose the same problems. They’re merely evening the technological playing field.”

Elia set down the papers she was reading, neatly stacking them on the side, and gave me her full attention. “And?”

I sighed. This was a bit tricky. “We might need to convince them that we are going to win this after all. Show strength in the war. But I can’t exactly engineer a decisive victory against the Dominion on demand.” My lips quirked. “If I could, we’d certainly have far less problems.”

“It would be nice,” she agreed. “I’m not a general, but pushing for a victory regardless of strategic considerations is probably not a good decision. So, do you think we should bring the Terbekteri into this?”

I chewed on my lip, considering that. Then I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to escalate this any further. At least not like that. Although there might be other ways of showing strength and applying a bit of pressure.”

She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she stood up. “Well, I’m going to head for the temple now, if you don’t mind. Unless there’s something else we need to talk about?”

I hesitated for a moment. “Be careful, Elia,” I said. “Really.” If the Zarian were willing to sabotage my negotiations instead of going for a kill this time, there was no reason to think they’d be above targeting the people close to me.

I’d need to take steps to ensure the others’ safety, too. Maybe assign more guards to them, even if I’d only taken a limited number of them with me. Lei was a little too absent-minded to be properly cautious sometimes, Yarani still thought of herself as a soldier on occasion, and I didn’t know how Elia would think of it, but she wasn’t much for caution, as a rule. Not that I’m in a position to be casting stones, I admitted to myself.

“I always am,” she replied. “You’re not going to set guards on me, are you?”

I suppressed a sigh. Sometimes, her ability was really inconvenient. Or maybe just her own awareness. “If nothing else, they’ll help people take you seriously and they’ll make me worry less,” I said. “You won’t begrudge me that, will you, my friend?”

She snorted. “Oh, I don’t know. But I really should be going now.”

“Alright, let’s go,” I said. Maybe I could convince her on the way. With Elia, you sometimes had to strike while the steel ingot was still hot.

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t protest as I walked over to her. My guards sensed us coming out and opened the door for us. I slowed down to let her exit first, then made to step through the door.

That was when the table I’d been sitting on until recently exploded.

I was pushed away by the force of the explosion, instinctively pulling my head in and hardening my skin, even as the amulet I wore around my neck flared to life and sent out a flare of qi. It was a heartbeat too late, and the fringe of flames bit into me, charring the back of my robes even as ash and dust assaulted my eyes while a roar resounded in my ears.

Well, so much for the nice furniture, I couldn’t help but think.

131: Political games

I barked a laugh, more out of wry amusement than because I truly found the situation funny. “I’ve been on Aran for too long,” I commented.

Elia sighed and adjusted the tie in her hair. “Why?”

I gestured at the ruins of the table, which was little more than charred bits of wood and dust in what used to be a comfortable sitting room. I’d put on an enchanted mask that filtered some of the smell out, at least, although it still couldn’t quite keep the ash out.

“I checked that there were no formations here, no qi anywhere,” I said, my lips twisting in mockery mostly directed at myself. “I didn’t even remember that there are other things to look out for. Chemical explosives are the kind of thing I really should have seen coming. Especially in a place like Adzur, where there’s actual know-how for it.” I frowned. “This is probably based on black powder, or nitroglycerin, or something.”

“To be fair, Your Highness,” Aston said, “it was your guards’ duty to secure the premises, and we failed in that.”

I shook my head, glancing the ring of guards surrounding us. “Keep an eye open,” I said, though they probably didn’t need the reminder. “Even odds there’s going to be some other shoe ready to drop.”

That was the main reason we hadn’t moved away yet, besides me not wanting to surrender the scene completely to the Adzurians. Chances were we’d be herded into something else set up to welcome us less than cordially. I was still tense, and I couldn’t help my fingers twitching at every sudden noise. The explosion itself hadn’t shaken me much, but something about the situation felt weird. It wasn’t what I would have expected to see from Isuro, too simple and prone to failure. Too sloppy.

“This has got to be the worst assassination attempt anyone’s ever tried on me,” I said. “Spirits, even if I’d been sitting on that table when it blew, I would have probably survived it.” I glanced at the guards again. With a healer close by and not distracted by a fight, that was even more likely.

“Hey, maybe the Adzurians are just amateurs?” Elia asked. “And you seem pretty used to this. Don’t tell me you keep a ranking.”

“Not really. Although Kei Weriga and the poison would definitely be on top. I think Hajake would make third place,” I mused. “The Pioneer’s spirits somewhere in the top five, assuming it counts as an assassination attempt.”

“Is that for chance of success or how much of a bother they were?” Aston asked, sounding like he was speaking against his better judgment.

“Now that I think about it, those coincide pretty well.”

The conversation stopped as another group of Adzurians arrived. These ones weren’t just guards, but had an official with them. The woman paled upon seeing the ruin someone had made of the guest room.

“Your Highness,” she said with a deep bow. “My lord and lady. This one humbly asks you to step aside so we can secure the site of this foul attack for investigation. Be assured that more security forces are on their way, and no one will be allowed to harm you.”

That might have been a little more reassuring to hear if it came before the explosion instead of after it. But I kept that thought off my face. “We’ll secure some of the material for our own investigation,” I told her. “But we’ll let you do your job. I expect to send some of my people to observe your analysis and investigation.”

Her face tightened a little, but she only bowed as I turned and took out a few small bags and pliers to take samples. I hadn’t phrased it as a question, and I fully intended on forcing the issue if the Adzurians got snappy about it. Luckily, it didn’t seem like they’d want to test the Empire in the wake of something like this.

“Elia, it’s probably best that you get to the temple of the Sun and start making inquiries,” I told her after I’d put up a small sound barrier. “Maybe look in on the other two on the way. Take some of the guards, and no arguments. I’ll tie them to you with steel chains if I have to.”

She sighed, but nodded. “Will you be alright?”

“Of course. I’ll go express my displeasure to whatever Adzurian politician deigned to show up, for starters.”

She departed quickly with a small group of guards flanking her, while Aston came to stand at my shoulder without a word. I glanced around again, then finally left the place. I didn’t think they’d be stupid enough to attack me under the eyes of Adzurian soldiers, who’d started swarming the place. Even if it was the government behind this, that would just be blowing off their own foot with a grenade launcher.

Apparently, it was the minister of the interior who’d shown up first, a gray-haired man who didn’t look much different from the other powerful Adzurians I’d seen. I received him in a quickly appropriated audience room that was probably meant to be a game room in another wing of the building, and didn’t offer him a seat but had him standing for the entire conversation. At least after he got up from his knees. He humbled himself pretty well, in my unfortunately by now somewhat experienced opinion, but it didn’t make me inclined to kindness.

“This has been either a grave breach of trust or a grave show of incompetence from Adzur, if not both,” I stated eventually. “The Empire will not suffer this lightly, Minister. We expect that every effort will be made to find the guilty parties, and that they will quickly meet justice. Inform the Premier that if he seeks audience, I may be inclined to grant it tomorrow. Or perhaps the day after.”

After that, there wasn’t much more to say, and the man departed quickly.

Unfortunately, I was too high-profile to really go about investigating this on my own. Instead, I stayed put for now, trying not to let my temper worsen too much, and called the others. Lei was happy enough to see what he could get from the forensics of the crime and the Adzurian investigation. Yarani would be feeling out those parties and companies with knowledge in chemistry and demolitions, with the help of a few of my guards that had subtler talents, as well as the lower-ranking diplomats in my retinue.

“I understand the appeal of summary executions a lot better now,” I told Aston.

“Perhaps you should wait to indulge that fancy until we’re back in our own country, unless you want to provoke a diplomatic incident,” he replied dryly.

“If I told you to kill someone — No, stupid question. Aston, have you made contact with Kariva’s agents in the city?”

He inclined his head. “Yes, my lady. They’re already hard at work trying to unearth the background of this attack as well as the Zarian deal.”

This wasn’t the first time I’d noticed that they seemed to prefer keeping me out of this sort of thing. Maybe be because I was, on occasion, less than subtle. And I knew that contact between my people and embedded agents risked blowing their cover, since it was a given that we were being watched. I simply nodded and got myself a drink.

It was going to be a long few days until the winter solstice, I could already tell.

“Welcome, Premier Akind’la. Please be seated.” I smiled thinly and gestured at the chair opposite my desk.

He inclined his head and sat down. “Thank you, Princess Inaris.”

There was a moment of silence after he sat, and I used it to look at the politician and try to gauge his attitude. He was too good to show me more than a calm mask, though.

“You requested an audience,” I finally said.

His eyes tightened just a little. Irritated that I’m making a point of receiving you like a petitioner in your own palace? Tough luck. I’d made sure the formal diplomatic niceties were observed, and there could be no doubt this was in fact an audience granted by the crown princess of the Empire. One I’d taken my time in allowing, even. He might be the elected ruler of the City-State, but there could be no doubt about the objective balance of power. And in this world, especially, that informed matters of status.

“I wanted to personally express my shock and sympathy at the attempt made on your life,” he said. “I have ordered my people to use all tools at our disposal to make sure this regrettable matter is cleared up and the perpetrators brought to justice.”

“I am glad to hear that, of course,” I replied with a mechanical smile. I needed to be at least mostly diplomatic. “And I commend how well Adzurian authorities have cooperated with our own investigation. Of course, it does not change the facts that an attempt on my life was made while I was not just on Adzurian territory, but a guest of the City-State, residing on its grounds. Concerns have been raised, Premier. Some back home are worried about my safety.”

“Understandable, of course,” he replied easily. I noted he didn’t show any surprise at the revelation that I could communicate with the palace back home. “Adzur will do what it can to assuage those concerns. Should you agree, I am more than willing to assign a company of our finest, Adzur’s home defense force, to see to your safety.”

“I thank you for the offer, but that will not be necessary,” I replied. “Considering the location and manner of the attack, you will understand that there are concerns about trusting my own and my companions’ safety to any outsider.”

His face tightened a little, again. I hadn’t come out and accused the City-State of being involved in the attack, but I’d clearly implied the possibility was there. “Of course, I understand,” he replied. “We will still step up security in this quarter.”

I sat back in my seat. I hadn’t gone out much lately, and even my own guards were beginning to wear on me. I’d definitely had better days, and my patience for games with people like him was never high to begin with. I let the silence linger, hoping to invite him to get to the point.

“As a matter of fact, I have come to speak about another matter, as well,” he said. “May I be frank?”

“Please.” I smiled. “I appreciate honesty and bluntness would not offend me.”

He nodded. “As you say, Your Highness. Then, may I assume that you are aware of the incidents that have taken place off our shores and continental ports?”

“Most likely,” I said. “But in the interests of clarity, please elaborate on what you mean.”

“Attacks, on our trade if not lives.” He met my gaze squarely. “A ship carrying artifacts towards the southern coastal states. A ship carrying food towards Adzur. Another carrying miscellaneous items towards Dominion-occupied territory. All of them were halted and damaged, if not outright destroyed, by sudden swells of water, gusts of storms and even lighting. In none of the cases did the attackers hide.” He raised an eyebrow. “The sea dragons are harassing our shipping.”

I inclined my head. “Ah. Yes, I have to concede that they are.”

He frowned. “Why, Your Highness? Surely you can see that such acts of unprovoked aggression are not helping anything.”

I hid a smile and shook my head. “I’m afraid you misunderstand the situation, Premier Akind’la. These are not my actions, or the Empire’s. The sea dragons are simply acting as they decide to do, and I would not and cannot claim responsibility for that.”

He didn’t look convinced, not that I’d expected him to be. “You claim that you are not connected to this sudden hostility?”

“No, I didn’t say that.” I tapped my fingers on the desk, made of dark wood they’d probably imported from far away. “This is almost certainly a reaction to my visit here and what it has brought. You know about my friendship with the sea dragons, of course. They are displeased by what I have found here — or what has found me, so to speak, and you might say they are expressing their opinion to Adzur.”

The Premier frowned again. “So you admit you did incite them to act.”

“No, Premier.” I smiled thinly. “We are speaking of friendship, not political alliance. I admit that our own previous conversation, followed so soon by the attempt on my life, has rather soured me on this whole visit. As it happens, I complained about it to Flame-In-Dark-Waters. As one does, among friends.”

“As one does,” the Premier repeated a touch sardonically. He still seemed less than pleased.

“I did not ask them for a thing,” I stated. “I could confirm that under oath, if it comes to that, not that I think it will be necessary.”

“But you could ask them to stop,” the Premier stated, looking like he wanted to grit his teeth but was too good for that.

“Perhaps, but they might not listen.” I smiled wryly. “After all, they are perfectly aware that my relationship with Adzur, especially in the current situation, is less than stellar, so such a request might not be given much weight. I would be asking them to stop acting in what they believe to be my best interests, after all, not without reason.”

“I am grieved that you think so,” he said with a passable imitation of sincerity. “I understand that such an attack would make anyone uneasy, but I assure you that the City-State of Adzur has nothing but respect for the Empire, Your Highness. We need not be at odds.”

“And you want me to tell that to the sea dragons?” I asked, my lips quirking a little.

“Of course. Surely they understand that this is a misunderstanding, and courting enmity where there is none will not help their honored friend.”

I shook my head. “They’re spirit beasts, not idiots, Premier.” At this point, even I wasn’t quite sure where the pretense started and ended and where we were talking about our own relationship, though I suspected that he thought I was less honest about this than I actually was. “If Adzur is cooperating with the Zarian Dominion to hinder the Empire, they will not believe me if I say that we are on friendly terms, and they will certainly not deign to talk with any Adzurian official.”

The Premier nodded slowly. “I see, Your Highness. This conversation has been most illuminating. I do hope we will come to understand each other.”

After that, he changed the subject. To be fair, our points had been made. I engaged with him a little more, accepted further reassurances and what I was pretty sure were a few veiled threats about further support for the Dominion, then saw him out. He probably needed to consult with his supporters before they made any decisions on how to handle this.

I leaned back in my chair, sighing. At least the sea dragons didn’t seem to be angry at me for dragging them into this. If nothing else, Flame-In-Dark-Waters had seemed amused, and I hadn’t even needed to make any insinuations. I suspected his younger kin liked the opportunity to screw with Adzur a little. In any case, the pressure on Adzur had been turned up. I’d wait to see what came of it.

I was just about to leave when a blinking light on the device I’d placed on a side table informed me I had a message. I put up a few wards, before I let it spit out a slip of paper. Using radios or telephones wasn’t feasible for our stay in Adzur, but this device my team had designed in collaboration with Kariva’s agents had some of the best security formations could provide, and used the best cryptographic algorithms I could remember. Mostly based on qi or not, it should be far ahead of anything they could bring to bear.

I glanced at the letters the mechanism had stamped onto the paper, still a bit smudged and misaligned but readable. My eyebrow raised as I realized that it was from Lei, and he had apparently found something he considered important sniffing around one of the companies he’d been making connections with.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I’d specifically told him not to try to play spy, but it seemed like he’d done something stupid anyway.

Well, hopefully he’d at least found something worthwhile. That company was heavily associated with chemical engineering, including demolition charges, and the others had been looking into it, too. It looked like we finally had a good lead.

132: Machinations

At first glance, Lei looked like he hadn’t done anything wrong and wouldn’t have any idea why anyone might think so. But I knew him pretty well by now, and I noticed the way he didn’t meet my gaze for long, or the way he was just a little too jaunty in how he stood and moved.

“I explicitly told you not to risk anything, not to go off half-cocked or risk provoking an incident,” I said.

He gave me an easy smile. “Do you see anyone complaining, Inaris?”

“Don’t give me that,” I snapped. “So you managed to remain unnoticed. Great. If you hadn’t, we’d be having a different conversation. That doesn’t change what you did. I need to be able to rely on you to do what I tell you to, Lei.”

He pulled a face and, after a moment, bowed his head. “I know. Sorry.”

I breathed out. “Just don’t do it again,” I said sharply, then softened my tone as I continued. “Hopefully it was at least worth it. Give me the details.”

I would set this aside for now, but I needed to consider his behavior later. A part of me was angry at the situation and my own reaction. We were friends, I shouldn’t have to chew him out just for acting on his own. But I was also in charge here, while our group was stuck in a delicate situation. He’d disobeyed an order, and while I didn’t like to treat him as a subordinate, the simple truth was that I was essentially his boss, not just as head of the family, but as crown princess.

He must have realized that I was seriously miffed, as he only nodded and started talking with no flourishes. “The Alchemical Consortium were brought in to consult on the investigation, as their business and trade are in large part based on substances similar to this and the company employs several experts in related fields, including military and security applications. We used one of their labs to analyze one of the trickier samples.”

“And what did you find?” I asked.

“Circumstantial evidence, nothing solid,” he said. “I’m almost sure that they make exactly the sort of stuff used in the bomb, but that doesn’t mean much, by itself. I’ll spare you the details, they’re all in the report. I’d noticed them from Yarani’s investigations, so when the opportunity arose I decided to take a closer look. One of their warded doors was left open and I was on the move between rooms, anyway, so I used that shadow trick Tenira showed us to poke around.” He hesitated. “Well, I got my hands on a few papers that dealt with imports and exports, and it seems they’ve been trading with a few companies we’d pegged as their competitors. Nothing too suspicious, but the timing felt off to me. When I dug around a little, I discovered they made some rather surprising if minor concessions to one company that handles primarily formation work on larger artifacts, especially high-end and precision work.”

Like a table with a hidden compartment that could house a functional explosive device. I frowned. That did sound suspicious, even if it was all circumstantial evidence.

“Here, I marked what I noticed.” Lei gave me a sheet of paper.

I unfolded it and scanned through the uneven lines in his handwriting, nodding. I’d definitely need to take a quick look through what Yarani and the others had on this Consortium.

“Good work,” I said. “I only hope they didn’t notice your activity.”

He lowered his eyes again, chewing on his lip for a moment. “I doubt it,” he finally said. “Can I go, Inaris?”

I suppressed a sigh. Usually, I’d like to keep him around, considering he was already familiar with this company. But under the current circumstances, it was probably best if he left to get back to one of our own labs.

“Go,” I said. “Take the guards, and when you get back to our quarters, you can help with paperwork or tinker a little, but nothing that poses a danger of blowing up, okay?”

He smiled and gave me a sloppy salute, before turning around and leaving. I shook my head and glanced around the room, dispersing the qi we’d put up to ward it against spying attempts. It was probably not far from the lab in question. The company had offered us the meeting room for a private discussion when I’d arrived. He’d been close. It was pretty sparely furnished, though the addition of several Imperial guards certainly livened up the place. I caught Aston’s eye and raised an eyebrow, to which he shook his head. No problems. Good.

It wasn’t hard to find someone to talk to. I suspected that a higher-ranking representative from the Consortium had arrived just after I did, from the way they discreetly approached me as I left. When I politely requested to talk to someone in charge of the company, they bowed and asked me to accompany them without even the pretense of checking if their boss was available.

The company official led me through different parts of the building into steadily more richly appointed corridors. At the end, I even caught sight of a few people in a simple gray uniform and the piercings trailing down from eyebrow to cheek that indicated their status as slaves in Adzur. I clenched my fingers and wrested my gaze away, well aware that I could realistically do nothing to help them. Any interest or sympathy I showed was just as likely to backfire on them later. At least they looked healthy.

I cleared my mind of these thoughts as I was led into a receiving room that reminded me of those in the palace the government had quartered me in, though it was a little less ostentatious. A woman in a far more sensible dark gray suit that had a little too many frills for Earth fashion and what looked a bit like a corset underneath awaited me there, standing up when I entered.

“Your Highness.” She bowed. “The Alchemical Consortium is honored by your visit. I am Director Ariand’le.”

“A pleasure, Director,” I replied, taking the seat she indicated and waiting until she’d sat down herself. “As it happens, I have a few questions about the Consortium and the investigation into the explosion.”

“Of course, Imperial Princess.” She smiled. “How can I help?”

I took a moment to study her, noticing the faint bead of sweat on her forehead despite her otherwise composed appearance. Then again, I was the Imperial Princess, so it hardly counted as an indication that she had something to hide.

“I admit I had my people do some digging into the Alchemical Consortium and your business dealings,” I said. “Considering your participation in this investigation and your area of expertise, it seemed only sensible.”

She inclined her head. “Of course.”

“What I found surprised me in some respects,” I continued. “You are reliant on quite a few materials and ingredients that have to be imported from outside Adzur, aren’t you? From what I can tell, this trade is essential to your production capacity. Some substances simply aren’t available in this area. You must have quite the trade network.”

The Director nodded. “It is as you say, Imperial Princess,” she admitted. “We do trade extensively with many others, including the Empire.”

“Hmm.” I leaned back into my seat, drumming my fingers on the armrest. “There have been several indications of the Consortium being involved in the assassination attempt,” I said casually. “That had me wondering. If you need the Empire to import potassium nitrate and a few more troublesome substances, why risk endangering it? I doubt there are many sources comparable to the Green Forest, even among the Zarian Dominion, not to mention our rather more advanced skills in actually extracting and refining both qi-based and natural substances in large quantities.”

The woman paled just a little and frowned at me, her hands clenching in her lap. “I assure you, Your Highness, there is no need to go making this sort of accusations. This very relationship you have outlined should be confirming that we have had no hand in any of this.”

I cocked my head to the side, staying silent for a moment. Yeah, I don’t think so, lady.

“Do not take me for a fool, Director,” I said softly. “Greater people than you have tried and it did not end well for them.”

She kept her composure admirably well, although I noticed that she paled a little more, even though her skin color was darker than most people in the Empire. She opened her mouth just a bit, then closed it, still meeting my stare.

“In a way, I suppose you were actually trying to help me,” I said. “The assassination attempt was far too shoddy to succeed. Perhaps that is your most obvious mistake, you botched it too clearly. I assume you were trying to put pressure on the government and the faction that advocated for dealing with the Zarian. After all, twisting the knife someone had just tried to stick into me would be viewed rather differently than just folding to the Dominion’s demands. Am I correct in this, Director?”

She breathed out shallowly, and answered after a moment of silence. “Yes, Your Highness. In principle you are right. The Consortium and its allies have advocated for seeking closer ties with the Empire instead of the Dominion, or at least doing our utmost not to risk the existing relationship, as this proposed embargo would.”

I nodded, taking the tacit acknowledgment. “I see. I do hope you know you put me in an awkward position, though, Director.”

She frowned. “Why, Your Highness? As I said, we were acting to help you.”

I couldn’t suppress a scowl. “Oh, did you? By trying to manipulate me and everyone else, escalating the situation, and risking making everything worse if your little scheme came out?”

She didn’t seem to know how to answer that. I took a moment to consider the situation. I needed to react to this somehow, and perhaps turn it around on Adzur after all. On purpose or not, she had just given me leverage.

“I expect your Alchemical Consortium will work hard to make up for this regrettable lapse in judgment. Won’t you?”

The Director’s face hardened. “What exactly are you saying? Your Highness.”

“I am not the guilty party here, Director,” I explained calmly. “It wouldn’t be ideal to have your little scheme revealed, but considering I’d be the one to unearth it and drag it into the light, I could live with that. If you were to make trouble for me, that would certainly be a preferred course of action.” I shrugged. I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about blackmailing the likes of her, especially considering that they had genuinely put my life at risk. Even if it was a small risk. “I hope you will instead try for restitution.”

The woman looked like she’d just bitten into a lemon where she’d expected at least an orange, but after a moment, she bowed her head. “Of course, Imperial Princess. The Consortium regrets the trouble we have inadvertently caused for you and your delegation, and we will make amends.”

Good. I smiled, leaning back into my chair. “We are already working towards similar goals, so you won’t need to go off the path you have taken too much. Simply put a little more heart and effort into it. Make the government really feel your displeasure, and that of your allies.”

She looked cautious, but didn’t protest. “Of course. That is only natural.”

“I don’t suppose a few favors would be too much to ask for, would they?” I mused, leaning my head back further. The ceiling was painted and edged in gold leaf, I noted. Already, my opinion of their taste was sinking.

“Of course not, Your Highness,” she said, sounding like she was suppressing a sigh.

That only made me smile wider. Still in a casual tone, I continued speaking, getting into details. I still kept most of it vague, and made sure that the company wouldn’t be too hurt and try to find a way out of the situation. But I had already suspected they had some intelligence apparatus of their own. Adzur seemed like the kind of place where corporate espionage flourished.

With the information she could already give me, I got a better idea of what the Zarian had brought to the Premier. The threats were disappointingly vague, but then, if my assessment was correct and they really expected the Dominion to win, not much more would be needed. There were a few incentives I could probably match, if I cared to, but little else to work with.

I was coming to realize that this wouldn’t be solved by unraveling what the Zarian had wrought, but by putting my own efforts against them. To that end, the connections I’d made with the temple and now the Alchemical Consortium would do nicely. I’d already brought pressure to bear with the sea dragons, and I could tell it had an effect. Even if I didn’t go out of my way to do more, right now, I could probably get the Dominion’s embargo shot down, and that was all I really needed. After all, winter solstice was in two days, and I had more important matters to deal with.

I took my leave from Director Ariand’le in reasonably good spirits, picking up the rest of my guards on the way out of the building, and climbed into the carriage Aston had prepared. The journey back didn’t take long, and I checked in to see that Lei was in the room we’d turned into a makeshift lab, engrossed in another project full of wires, circuit boards and new blueprints. I decided not to bother him.

About two hours later, a commotion outside the gates of our borrowed mansion got me away from more paperwork. I leaned against a ground-floor window, watching as the guards escorted a group of people in simple clothing into an inner courtyard. There were several dozen, and most of them had the piercings I’d noticed earlier.

“A gift from the Alchemical Consortium, my lady,” Aston reported, tone forcibly neutral.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling a satisfied smile stretching over my face. I hadn’t explicitly asked the Alchemical Consortium for this favor, but it wasn’t exactly hard to guess.

After taking a moment to collect myself, I stepped out onto the terrace facing the slaves, feeling every eye on me.

“Welcome,” I said. “As you might know, the Empire of the Sky, like most halfway civilized nations, detests slavery. I will officially free you as soon as we are leaving Adzur. Until then, I’ll consider you free people. None of you will be forced to do any sort of work you don’t want to. Of course, if you want to help us, we’d welcome your aid gladly, but again, you will not be forced into anything.”

I paused, considered saying more, then simply nodded. I was already making plans to leave them each a bit of money so they could maybe free their loved ones or at least get settled into a business, but I could make that a surprise. Looking at them now, I suspected that these weren’t the people the Alchemical Consortium had valued highly, but since that meant they’d been more at risk of mistreatment, I hardly minded.

If I had expected them to immediately start dancing for joy, I would have been disappointed. I could see it in the expressions of many of them, how they couldn't bring themselves to believe this was actually happening. Of course, I imagine slavery isn't the kind of life that promotes trust and optimism. But there was hope there, too, I thought. Some smiled and a few did cheer. One girl even looked to be blinking back tears.

I couldn’t help a genuine smile in response. As I turned away and listened to the guards moving in to get them settled, there was a bit of a spring in my step. I’d at least done one good thing today.

Since they were a ‘gift’, I wasn’t aiding the institution of slavery, the way buying people would just add money into their ledgers. I knew this wasn’t much, they were only a few people. I couldn’t risk the Empire’s interests for more activism. But at least it was something.

Besides, there were bound to be a few anti-slavery groups in Adzur. Now that I thought about it, I recalled several interesting details from my briefings and Kariva’s information. Surely, they wouldn’t mind getting a bit of money and discreet patronage. Hey, that would probably even help our political aims. It wouldn’t be much in the way of interference, but probably a good approach anyway, realistic and feasible for getting some sustainable change. Something to talk to Yarani and my entourage about, certainly.

Table of Contents

- - Table Of Contents -
- 94: Ruffians
- 95: Departures
- 96: Truths and trust
- 97: Signals and sacrifice
- 98: New contacts
- 99: Advances
- 100: Diverging paths
- Interlude — Tenira
- 101: Unexpected return
- 102: Changes
- 103: Attempt
- 104: Severance
- 105: Guidance
- 106: Distractions
- 107: Responsibility
- 108: Explain yourselves
- Bonus 8: Society and life in the Empire
- 109: Brute force approach
- 110: Family
- 111: Contacts
- 112: Resolutions
- 113: Field test
- 114: Connections and preparations
- 115: Loyalty
- 116: Reverse-Reverse Reincar-tater
- 116: Job satisfaction
- 117: Goals and principles
- 118: Possible futures
- 119: Ashes and embers
- 120: Complications
- 121: The nature of fire
- 122: Truth will out
- 123: Duel in the sky
- 124: Guilt and punishment
- 125: Easy paths
- 126: New shores
- 127: Due respect
- 128: Comparisons
- 129: Enticements and embargoes
- 130: Assumptions
- 131: Political games
- 132: Machinations