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Elder Mirizo Star Song leaned back in his chair, behind his desk, frowning.

Sikali wasn’t happy, either.

Mirizo was one of three Elders of Enforcement, and had been for the last thirty three years, but Sikali rarely ever saw this particular boss of hers. She usually worked for the other two Elders of Enforcement, doing exterior work. This was why Mirizo contacted her when it came time to find their lost alchemist, for that was both an interior and exterior job. Mirizo had himself been contacted by Elder Doniro, for Mirizo was the Elder in charge of ensuring smooth operations inside Eralis, and that meant when the branch families or lesser Clans needed some proper Enforcing done of their own.

Elder Mirizo was a politician, and for this reason, Sikali rarely worked with the man. She found the simplicity of proper Enforcing to be a beautiful thing, but not when it got mired in politics. She didn’t care about which son of whatever clan was summoning demons, or which baker on which street was cutting the bread they baked with plaster. All she needed to know was that her targets needed to die, and so, when she went out on assignment, the guilt of her targets was assessed, and then her targets were never heard from again. This was why Sikali had been tasked with finding Tadashi…

Elder Mirizo had it out for Sikali, but she still didn’t know why. It was infuriating.

This recent shit storm with Alchemist Tadashi had upset the grain carts of multiple intertwined assets of Eralis. Sikali had failed to pull Tadashi out of the proverbial fire before they all got burned, and thus, Mirizo was now deeply involved.

Thus, Sikali was punished for her failure to retrieve the alchemist, and thus, she was talking to Mirizo again, for the tenth time in three days.

This was all a punishment, for sure. But why, though?

If only she had gained that fortuitous encounter with Tadashi in the Tribulation Mountains, instead of Scion Phoenix. If only she skipped the play, like Xue had wanted, and they had investigated Scion Phoenix before the truth of his station was revealed.

… Sikali wasn’t quite sure how such an actual encounter with Ezekiel would have changed things, but something would have been different. She wouldn’t be working this closely with Elder Mirizo, at least, and that’s for damn sure.

With disdain upon his face, Elder Mirizo demanded, “Report, Enforcer Sikali.”

Sikali Star Song stated, “Alchemist Tadashi’s reintegration into the Potion House of Diligent Scribe has been a small scale disaster. He has only been back for a day, and the man has managed to break a dozen expensive [Ward]s and wilt three expensive treasures, including an Arbor Seed, a Thunder Nettle, and a patch of Radiant Grass. He claims the Arbor Seed was an accident, and it might have been, but the second and third were the result of a War Response and his own bad positioning. In his rush to rid the building of himself, he walked the quickest path outside, and thus killed the other two treasured plants. He is now near-inconsolable, and is being tended to by Elder Doniro’s servants.”

Mirizo said, “It seems you are capable enough when it suits you.”

Sikali did not respond to the barb. Of course she could subtly enforce certain events to happen, but most of the time it was beneath her to use anything except utmost force. She was an Enforcer; not a lackey.

It occurred to Sikali, that in addition to the obvious reasons for her current punishment patrol and assignment, she had overstepped herself the other day when she spoke of ‘butt boys’ to Elder Doniro and Mirizo. And thus, she was being forced to work for Mirizo, and forced to use underhanded means to ensure Star Song’s continued prosperity.

Elder Mirizo asked, “Are they working to make him a separate Potion House?”

“There have been whispers, but nothing solid.”

“What of his brother? Any news since his attempt to break through containment and get to Tadashi?”

“There is renewed talk of exiling Alchemist Wabi from Diligent Scribe, mostly centered around the fact that Tadashi was captured, but Wabi escaped, and no one has been happy with Wabi’s excuses. Since Tadashi’s return, both brothers have expressed desire to see the other, but Doniro is not letting that happen. Tadashi’s containment is well constructed and likely to deepen, and Wabi knows this. He is not happy about this, either.”

“Has Tadashi expressed words about his brother?”

“He wishes to see his brother if only to scream at him, though I doubt that portion of their conversation would last very long. The only thing standing in the way of such a meeting is Diligent Scribe, itself, for they strongly wish to acquire Tadashi’s invention.” Sikali said, “Unbeknownst to me until after I started this proper investigation—” If she had known, or been allowed to know, she certainly would have done a better job. For one, she wouldn’t have gone out to that damned play. “—Tadashi’s invention has thrown every single protocol of Diligent Scribe’s Potion House into complete disarray, and the truth of this full upheaval was revealed today when a man bypassed the usual chain of command and came right up to the Clan House and complained to Elder Doniro’s face about missing mana potions. They want what Tadashi made, and they’ve stopped everything they were currently doing in order to make this happen. Over four of their exterior Potion Houses are already working on what he pioneered.”

Mirizo narrowed his eyes. “How large is the information breach?”

“They are openly speaking of it within the Potion House. It is a matter of hours before the rest of Clan Society knows.”

And what a strange creation it was! The greater outcome upon high-tier society would be immense, if any other nation but the Highlands were to get their hands on it, but only if Tadashi could make it work. But if Tadashi actually could get his potion to work as intended, then…

The Highlands were sure to go through another bloody expansion period. Maybe to the north, into the Warring Clan lands. The Highlands would do well to control the headwaters of the Wanzhi river.

And wouldn’t that be fun! Now there was some proper Enforcing.

Elder Mirizo stood up from his desk, a look of scheming upon his face. “It is time for me to step in.”

Having easily seen through Mirizo’s plot and desiring to cut it down to something quicker, Sikali spoke up, “I can make the man come to Star Song if you wish, Elder. There is no need for this subterfuge.”

Elder Mirizo glared. “If I wish for several dozen swords to appear in the backs of the Potion Masters, Professors, Teachers, and Elders of Diligent Scribe, I will consult you, but until Diligent Scribe decides they don’t like being a branch family of Star Song, this is your punishment, Sikali. We do not raise our hands to each other. We do not harm our own—”

Sikali almost laughed.

“—Your bloodlust does us all a disservice at the moment, and until you learn that, or until I grow tired of hammering that into your head, then you will do as I wish, and nothing more.”

Sikali kept her mouth shut. She let her raging emotions flow through her, and away; she was a rock in the stream and would not be moved by her desire for blood. Not in the face of her Elder, anyway.

Mirizo waited for Sikali to say something, but she did not.

Mirizo said, “Let me know the second that Scion Phoenix attempts contact.”

Sikali briefly saw red, and then she let that go.

Mirizo noticed, and not only because he was purposefully baiting and waiting for such a response. He said, “You are a naked blade, Sikali, and no one has ever bothered to rein you in, but I have been given the opportunity to do so, and I will. Get used to this assignment. You will be on this case until either Tadashi creates his potion, or I deem the endeavor useless. Fuck it up, and you’ll get worse assignments.”

Yup. Sikali did not like Mirizo.

“Keep your watch. Keep your team active. You are dismissed.”

Sikali tapped her chest with her fist, saying, “By your command.”

- - - -

The day before yesterday, they had dropped Tadashi off with his people, had a confrontation with a few other Scions, and then went back to the hotel, since it was only a few hours since sunset, anyway. They ate dinner at The Sour House, and went to bed and got some good sleep in preparation for a large tomorrow. Ezekiel used a [Prismatic Ward] throughout the room this time, since that ship had already sailed once Tadashi saw them use the spell. 9000 mana from an Odin turned into a 54,000 point Solid Ward around their room. They’d be safe from most threats, which was good enough.

Yesterday began with shopping in the city of Darzallia, the suburb outside of Eralis, in order to turn their monster cores into gold. They tried to spend that gold on new clothes as befitting their stations, only to fail.

The robes, sashes, and accoutrements of Scions and the Scion-adjacent were well outside of their budget of 75 gold. It seemed that some things about the economy of the Highlands were the same as they were in Spur. Ezekiel and his people could have gotten clothes of almost any style for dozens of silvers, at the most, but the colors of such clothing would have been limited to browns or tans, or off-white. Actual good clothes, made in any color other than the ‘peasant colors’, would up the price to tens of gold for a single piece.

Going from cotton to silk, or to the even rarer spider-silk, was an even larger jump of, in some cases, a hundred gold per square foot of fabric used. At least in the case of spider-silk, Ezekiel understood that price, but everything else was the way it was because of the law of the land dictating certain price floors.

There was no law against wearing colors ‘outside of your station’, but from the hints the sellers gave Ezekiel, there didn’t need to be laws of those sort; wearing such ostentatious clothes would draw the eye of any noble he should happen to meet, which would likely not be a good thing.

Certain jobs with certain uniforms were exempt from this price increase, the most common exceptions being the blue and white clothes of various couriers, and any clothes one made themselves.

And so, Ezekiel ended up thanking every clothier they met for their time, but not buying a single thing. They did eat a nice lunch, though, spending little for food, before they killed the afternoon by going back to the Tribulation Mountains and killing more Mist Stone Gluttons. At the end of that excursion, they were now up to 162 gold, which was more than enough to give 40 to everyone for their own purposes. Maybe they would go hunting for gluttons when they got low again, but that shouldn’t happen for at least a few days.

And then they were back at The Sour House, for another night spent in Darzallia, where they got some good sleep in preparation for a larger tomorrow.

They woke up to birds singing outside, just as they had the previous morning. Nothing untoward had happened at all, for the second night in a row. This boded well for the future, and Ezekiel said so.

Julia stirred brown sugar into her bowl of congee as she said, “I’m almost disappointed we haven't been attacked.”

“Let’s not tempt fate quite so hard, please,” Paul said, also dumping brown sugar into his congee.

Tiffany stirred redberry jam into her white breakfast glop, saying, “If we see that green guy again and he says a single thing about me, I am going to punch him in the face. I’m telling you ahead of time so that you’re not mad when it happens.”

Ezekiel smiled as he cracked an egg into his congee, and then stirred the bright orange into the disintegrated rice. The egg cooked in the heat of the meal, as he said, “He expects you to punch him, you know.”

“Oh yeah. I know. Still gonna do it, though.” Tiffany said, “He looked thick enough to be a Juggernaut, so I bet he’ll test his Immovable Object against mine. Probably what he tried to do before White Boy interrupted him.”

Julia eyed her, and asked, “What would happen there? Immovable Object versus Immovable Object?”

“Heavy damage to both.” Tiffany smiled. “But I can take more damage than him.”

Ezekiel changed the subject, saying, “So, Julia? Want to try to weave threads into cloth and then into clothes, after breakfast?”

“Yes.” Julia said, “I can only make white thread, but we could go hunting for a specific spider called the Nacreous Weaver. Or more like, we could go hunting for an idea of where some hidden groves of them might exist. They’re impossible to keep in captivity.” She added, “But that’s for making threads of every color. For specific colors, there’s the Blood Weaver, for red, or— Heh. A Ballooning Spider for transparent. Don’t know about any others— Oh. There’s the Sand Weaver that makes tan and brown threads.”

“Should’ve gotten a Balloon Spider when they were falling out of the sky,” Tiffany teased.

“Yeah yeah.” Julia said, “I am reminded, once again, of that fact.”

“They have to have some spideries around here, somewhere.” Ezekiel asked, “Or? Are there?”

“They exist.” Paul said, “They’re rather guarded locations, though. You’d have to get an invite from a noble, for sure.”

“Maybe we can get one. We’ll check, anyway. Anyone else got anything specific they want to do today? Otherwise it’ll be weaving for a while, then we could try to find a spidery which sounds like a dead end, and then we’re going to visit the Void Temple inside Eralis.”

“A visit to a bookstore,” Paul said. “I need something to read in the downtime.”

“I want a veil before we go into the actual city. Can I get one of those?” Tiffany added, “And some books, too, if you’re going to be locked up studying magic again.”

“I’m sure I can make a veil,” Julia said, “And if I can’t, dad can.”

“Works for me.” Tiffany said, “I also want to get some bottles of good liquor. That stuff we had the other day was great. That stuff we had last night? Not so much.”

“We will be doing all of that,” Ezekiel said, with a smile.

- - - -

Xue lounged next to the viewing mirror, watching his target teach his daughter how to weave spider silk into garments, as he spoke of history. The Scion was patient and thorough, while the daughter was enthusiastic, and yet reluctant at the same time.

Ezekiel spoke of traditional methods, where a captured spider was stuck in a holder, and the silks were teased out of the animal onto a spinner, and then the animal was released back into the garden where they lived. The process usually happened once every other day, for several minutes at the most, as gathering threads for longer would stress out the mundane, animal spider.

Monstrous spiders were different beasts entirely, in that they were captured as soon as they were found in the garden and then drained dry till they were dead, in a process that lasted several hours. You couldn’t let a monstrous spider back into the garden meant for animals, and a garden meant for monstrous spiders was an incredibly difficult thing to do, and not just because of the danger posed for the people who would be tending to the monsters.

But all of that process was circumvented because the daughter just turned the underside of her wrists into spinnerets and then proceeded to spin out pure white spider silk onto a large spinner. In minutes they had kilograms of the stuff, all ready to work with.

Xue was jealous. He glanced to the left, toward a wall he shared with a different Loremaster.

Loremaster Riri was not a simple Polymage, but she was not whatever kind of Polymage Julia was, either. Riri was an Arachnid Polymage, and she made all her own clothes, but never for anyone else. It was infuriating. She did run Star Song’s largest spidery, and Xue could have gained silk that way, but it would be mundane silk, and who wanted mundane silk when magical silk was an option? The level of enchantment that could be made with true magical silk, taken from a person with sapient blood in their veins, was a hundred times more stable than that made with the mundane shit...

Hmm.

Maybe he could ask Julia for some of her silk?

It was an… Option…

Xue lost some of his words, as he focused on the viewing screen in front of him.

Over the course of half an hour, he watched as Ezekiel, with some of the greatest [Greater Lightwalk] control Xue had ever seen, took threads and manually formed them into cloth. Julia failed to do the same. Ezekiel kept helping her, though.

Ezekiel then conjured a small, basic loom, to help his daughter. It was little more than two parallel pieces of wood with a hundred tiny dowels on each side, through which thread could be wound, but it was proof of what he was doing and Julia followed along. With more care, and the same amount of control already displayed, Ezekiel wove thread onto the loom, wrapping threads between dowels—

The loom burst from the pressure of the wrapped threads.

Five minutes later, one of Ezekiel’s magenta birds returned to the room carrying a real hand loom.

He had likely just made that, hadn’t he? Out of a tree somewhere? Well, they guessed that he already had [Treeshape] due to the basket with which they had delivered Tadashi, so this smaller magic here was no mystery, but the speed of which the summon had been sent out and then returned did much to show off a great amount of skill, and power. It also proved that Ezekiel had made Tadashi’s basket.

Xue wasn’t sure which person was more lucky to encounter the other, Ezekiel, stumbling upon Tadashi, or Tadashi, for having the fortune to be rescued by a Scion truly worthy of being called a mage.

This much magic happening in real time was proof enough to firm up some other theories that Xue had acquired in his time watching Scion Ezekiel. He wrote a few more of the truths he had seen down on a piece of paper to the side.

The Scion almost assuredly had the Class Ability Sculpt Spell, as well as Light Dedication. Xue had seen more than enough to prove this much. He didn’t know Ezekiel's Class yet, though.

Xue’s guess was currently tied between Warder and Summoner. [Prismatic Ward] pointed heavily toward Warder, as did the strength of his [Personal Ward]. But Odin’s existence pointed toward Summoner, for sure.

As for Ezekiel himself, he was a Scion of Focus. This much was known. He kept up ten Odin at all times, which meant a great amount of mana was either flowing into the summon at every moment, or else Odin was able to hold onto Ezekiel’s mana to a much greater degree than most other summons.

Another needle pointing toward Summoner was that Ezekiel had not cast [Personal Ward]s onto each of his people, which is what a Warder would have done.

But also, Tadashi, and Xue himself when he went [Witness]ing Tadashi’s rescue, had seen multiple Solid Wards cast at the same time, which pointed toward Warder—

All questioning vanished from Xue’s thoughts as he watched Ezekiel [Fabricate] himself an exquisite robe of pure white spider silk.

It was beautiful, dammit, with squared shoulders that came down in a V toward a nice waist wrapping, while the rest was a nonrestrictive robe with a full-leg skirt and full arm coverings. Sure, the arms were tight-wristed and barely loose-sleeved, but that was because it was obviously a warrior’s cut. Everything had perfect edging, and tight threading. The center V and waist sash even had decorative embroidery of geometric design. Sure, it was all white, and the embroidery was barely visible, but understatement was beauty, too! If color was needed, that could be fixed in another attempt. Just add some dyes to the damnable silk first!

Ezekiel’s robe wouldn’t look out of place in any part of the Alluvial District!

Gods dammit.

Fuck Riri, then. If that damned woman wouldn’t give him a robe that he had been after for a literal decade, then he would get one from Ezekiel!

He got up from his chair—

Nope. Wait.

… no.

… He sat back down. He watched the daughter fail a few times to get anywhere near Ezekiel’s competency. She was obviously not a mage (and she likely did not have Sculpt Spell, either) but to hear the four of them speak, Julia was the real danger on the battlefield. That was understandable. Polymages were like that. Especially Polymages with a Unicorn form. Impossible to hold down, and she obviously had the Class Ability of Shifting Form. Any single encounter against her would need to account for her [Beautification Aura]—

A knock came from the door to his rooms. Seconds later, Elder Arilitilo stepped into the room.

Xue stood up from his lounge. “Greetings, Elder.”

“Loremaster Xue.” Elder Arilitilo shut the door behind her, saying, “I have had an interesting talk with Elder Mirizo. He says your Sikali is bordering on unwelcome bloodlust with regard to this new Scion in our presence. Waking dragons is unwise, so rein her in before the rest of us do so.”

Xue’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of ‘dragons’. Of course he had considered that Scion Ezekiel was some pretender, and one of those considerations was of the draconic variety, but to actually hear it stated so openly?

He asked, “Is that… What he could be?”

Elder Arilitilo casually said, “It is only a saying, until it isn’t. Let us step back from any potential edges before we get too close.”

“I will inform her of her need to temper herself, and, if you will give me the go ahead, I may have just found a way to initiate contact with Scion Phoenix.”

“Oh?” Elder Arilitilo stepped around to Xue’s side of the viewing couch and took a seat in another nearby chair, saying, “Tell me of your idea, and then we can discuss what else you have seen.”

Xue retook his seat on his couch, briefly gesturing toward the still-active viewing screen, saying, “Yesterday Scion Ezekiel spent half of the day visiting various tailors and finding the selection inadequate for his personage. The other half of the day was utilized to gain cores, and then turn them into the Clan Exchange. This morning, Ezekiel began instructing his daughter on how to weave cloth out of her own spider silk.”

Elder Arilitilo’s eyes had glossed over the viewing screen as she listened to Xue, but then she really looked. She asked, “Is that a full dress robe made of spider silk?”

Xue could not keep all of his excitement out of his voice. “Yes. I wish to approach him about buying such a robe.”

“Do so. I also want one.” Elder Arilitilo’s decision was instant. “See if he will take commissions— Be circumspect about this, of course. And frugal. I would prefer a blood garment, if possible, but base thread of any sort is fine.” She asked, “What sort of spiders does Julia have?”

“They have spoken of scouting for a spidery for Julia. All she has is white thread. Her current goals are for a Nacreous Weaver, or a Blood Weaver, or a Sand Weaver. They spoke of Ballooning Spiders, temporarily, and Julia lamented over being reminded that she had missed out on that chance.”

After a moment, Arilitilo said, “Loremaster Riri has not been able to identify the spider silk used to create the pile that was wrapped around Tadashi, or else Riri is lying to me. It would not be the first time for her to lie when it came to her silks. I, personally, will see about getting those two together in some fashion, if Riri is amenable. You will stay out of that.”

Xue almost said that if Riri and Julia got together, then Riri would surely tell Julia not to sell her silk anywhere within the Highlands… But he did not.

Instead, Xue said, “I was planning on visiting the Void Temple today since that is a part of their itinerary. If Ezekiel wears what he has made, then it is through that garment and the opportunity of his access to spider silk that I will strike. If not, then I will find another way.”

“This plan is agreeable. Do it. According to what we have seen, and if you have nothing too egregious to add, then we will be allying with Clan Phoenix.” Elder Arilitilo paused to let that sink in, then said, “But, that letter from Clan Grey Cloud painted a dangerous picture of our new Scion, proving that Ezekiel and his people might be harder to take down than most, so a good reconnaissance will be important if we need to shift priorities. If you can get Sikali calmed before you meet with him today, and if she is available, take her with you. Having your capable Enforcer of a wife gain a closer look at Clan Phoenix will do well for all of us if we need to go down that dangerous path.”

Xue nodded in understanding. “It will be as you desire.”

“And now for this.” Elder Arilitilo picked up the pad of paper that Xue had scribbled his notes upon. She began reading as she flipped through, commanding, “Summarize.”

While Arilitilo read, Xue began speaking of what he had seen over the last day, and also what he had not seen, which was mainly any real clue as to where any of them had come from, aside from Julia. While three of them were from somewhere in the Tempest Forest, or nearby there, Julia was an actual adventurer from Kal’Duresh.

Elder Arilitilo interrupted, “Either hers is a fake cover story, or she certainly got out of there in time. Have you seen any instances of your usual assignment?”

“I have [Witness]ed none of the usual signs of Particle Magic. No airs of combining water out of thick air or any [Cleanse]s turning whole spellworks to mana. The man certainly uses enough [Cleanse] that I feel I would have. If he is using Particle Magic, then he has made none of the usual toxic or poisonous byproducts that are the usual results of such magic, or else he is on his best behavior and he has chosen not to use any Particle Magic, which is entirely possible, and rather likely.”

Arilitilo nodded. “You recall that Tadashi spoke of Ezekiel speaking of ‘particular magic’ and ‘antirhine being a particular’.”

“Yes. Tadashi was not convinced that Ezekiel used the wrong wording on purpose, but he was rather distressed by his own admission. As for my own opinion, I believe that Scion Ezekiel knows a great deal about Archmage Flatt, and if nothing else, Ezekiel has a great respect for the Particle Mage. His Odin occasionally has many more eyes than a normal bird and he shifts sizes all the time, which means the template Ezekiel used for Odin was stressed in a way that doesn’t happen if you’re emulating a true bird.”

Arilitilo said, “It’s a stretch to say every odd bird [Familiar] is an Ophiel.” She added, “And while I agree about there being something strange regarding Odin, and also something strange about Ezekiel’s understanding of Particle Magic, you must keep in mind that we have seen Copy Mages before.”

Xue sat up straight. “You think he’s a Copy Mage? I thought him a simple imitator.”

“Imperfect copies, for sure. It is a known phenomenon.” Elder said, “Continue with your observations.”

Xue gave a lighthearted jest, instead, saying, “But what if he isn’t a Copy Mage. What if he’s actually Archmage Flatt?”

Elder Arilitilo raised her eyebrows at him, then simply said, “If Ezekiel is actually Archmage Flatt then we will never speak of this fact. We will pretend that we are blind, for he obviously doesn’t wish to be found, and the Highlands would rather Erick Flatt move on, unmolested. If you bring the wrath of dragons down upon the Songli Highlands, then you will be offered up as a sacrifice to appease those same dragons, no matter which direction they come from.”

She had said the words so calmly that they didn’t truly register until after she had said them. She had said them before now, and Xue had even been there when some of those proclamations had been delivered, but she had never said those words to him.

Her words struck Xue like an unexpected glacier.

Xue attempted to mitigate some of the disaster that suddenly loomed, “He is not, though, right?”

“Minimal chance. Not zero chance.” Arilitilo continued, “Don’t fill your head with overlarge ideas before you know the truth. We are still in the investigation stage and you might end up pushing out the true answer for one that is merely more shiny.”

“… I suppose he doesn’t conduct himself like a Planar would.”

With sudden small vitriol, Arilitilo said, “His people are barbarian nobodies and his daughter is even worse, but he is a perfect Scion.” Calmed, she said, “I doubt Archmage Flatt could accomplish such a deception considering what we have heard of the man, but I have been proven wrong before. So what do I know? Continue with your report.”

Xue continued his report in a much more clinical manner, listing everything he had seen and heard, and all of the spells he had witnessed. They even went over the spells shown in the [Witness]es of Ezekiel’s flight out of the Tribulations.

Xue asked, “That Super Large Area Thunder nullification spell… I’m not sure what to make of that. It has the whispers of Particle Magic, but also…” He dropped his voice a fraction, saying “Other magics.”

“He was not lying when he spoke of his desire to learn from the Songstresses. He has already touched upon many of our own Truths, so when you go see him at the Void Temple, do so with respect.” Arilitilo added, “You speak of Archmages, but the much more probable truth is that Clan Phoenix is a hidden branch family of High Clan Void Song, and that he doesn’t even know this himself. Archmage Flatt isn’t the only one with a bird [Familiar], Loremaster Xue.”

A cold sweat ran down the back of Xue’s neck.

“You have been too focused on Particle Magic this last year.” Arilitilo commented, “Take care not to let yourself get clouded.”

“Thank you for your instruction, Elder Arilitilo.”

Arilitilo nodded, then she said, “I have seen enough. Good work. You may move direct observation to whichever subordinate team you desire. If you manage to make a natural connection with Ezekiel today then you must direct him my way, but don’t press too hard.” She stood up, saying, “If purchasing a full robe isn’t possible, then the appropriate amount of thread would be acceptable, but be sure to get enough thread if that is the way you do it. I can’t be going back asking for more rolls of the stuff; that’s just embarrassing, and likely to end in a price gouging.”

Xue stood with her, then bowed as Elder Arilitilo left.

Xue began preparing.

- - - -

Ezekiel led the way into a small bulk-thread store. They had been here yesterday and bought nothing, but maybe there was something to be had, after all.

He approached the counter, and asked the woman there, “Hello. I was in yesterday. We failed to have a transaction of cloth, but perhaps you have some dye for sale, instead?”

The woman bowed, before saying, “We have dyes for sale, Scion Phoenix, but I am afraid the prices for those are similarly dictated by the Clans of Songli.”

“I figured as much.” Ezekiel asked, “Can they dye spider silk?”

With perfect aplomb, the woman asked, “Is this the nature of the fabric you are all currently wearing? Whoever made them is quite an accomplished master clothier.”

All four of them were wearing bright white clothes, each woven by Ezekiel, each done in the styles he had seen walking around the city. His entire ensemble was among the nicest things that he had ever worn, but it was too white for Ezekiel. The actual nicest things he has ever worn were the clothes he had taken into Shadow’s Feast. These were a close second, though, and the price was much more palatable.

Ezekiel put a hand on the embroidered sash across his waist, touching upon the geometric designs he had copied from what he saw others wearing. “Thank you for the compliment. I made them with my daughter’s help. She is an accomplished Polymage.” He turned to Julia.

Julia nodded.

Ezekiel said, “Which is why we need some dye.”

The woman said, “Dye is slightly cheaper than whole cloth, but for spider silk, it is even more expensive, for most spider silk does not take well to dyes. I would not wish to be seen as a swindler so I can only recommend several options and you will have to try your luck with them.”

“We can take some risks if the price is right.”

“Of course.” The woman said, “A secondary option would be to seek out Star Song Spidery, to pursue the option of purchasing a Varicolored Weaver, or any of their other options, for your daughter. I am not sure how much those will run you, but you would first need permission to enter that estate. After that, from the stories I have heard, you should expect to see a price of tens of thousands of gold for a single adult weaver.” She said, “But a basic dye kit is 100 gold. This includes magenta, yellow, cyan, and black. It should color twice as much clothing as you four are currently wearing if you use the colorant in even amounts.”

“We’ll take one of those kits, and also the location of Star Song Spidery.”

Gold came in quick, and left just as fast. They could make more tomorrow.

- - - -

They detoured back to the hotel.

Ten minutes and some small talk with the proprietor, and Ezekiel was reminded that magic truly was wonderful. He didn’t think he’d ever get over that.

Seven large vats, courtesy of The Sour House, sat in the courtyard, each of them filled with a different color of water and various clothing, each of them bubbling away due to [Heat Ward]s cast at their bases. This was an imperfect solution, and they would likely not gain much color at all and this would surely warp them a little, but pastel was better than white, and so, this was fine.

The proprietor's wife came out halfway through the experiment and served Ezekiel and his people some small honey cakes and fresh tea while they waited for their clothes to be done. She even asked about what they were doing, for she was truly curious. It was not every day a Scion did laundry in their courtyard, after all.

Ezekiel responded with good cheer, telling her of dyes and spider silk.

“Oh my. Spider silk?” With an almost conspiratorial tone, she responded, “I have heard that if you [Fabricate] during the dye process, you can make the colors richer, but… I fear you will damage your artistry by dying it after the clothes have already been made.”

Ezekiel smiled. Then he got up and went to the vat of black, saying, “Let’s try it, anyway.”

The wife was right. Even through a [Cleanse], the new dyes didn’t come off of the clothes, and the colors were a fair bit deeper than expected. After a few [Fabricate]s to adjust warping due to the waters and dye, and a bit more adjustment after everything dried, they were ready to visit the Void Temple.

Tiffany wore green and pink along with a matching bag. Paul wore blue and black. Julia wore black and red. Ezekiel’s clothes were shades of magenta, while his undergarments were white. The deeper colorings of his outfit matched Odin, exactly. They had no matching color scheme, which might need to change, but they could do that some other time.

Ezekiel paid for another four nights at the hotel and left the proprietor's wife a good tip.

- - - -

Star Song Spidery was an enormous enclosure of glass and steel, wrapped with layers upon layers of [Ward]s of all kinds, located in a private city north of Eralis. There was no admittance.

The four of them decided to pursue a different way to enter other than knocking on the gate of the guarded wall. Those guards up there did not look friendly at all.

- - - -

They found a good bookseller in Darzallia where Tiffany and Paul both bought new books.

- - - -

Magenta light came and went. Ezekiel, Julia, Tiffany, and Paul, stood upon the white tiles of the Teleport Square closest to their destination. The Void Temple was a mere four blocks away. Immediately, the sounds of the Void Song were like a distant band playing on the other side of ten closed doors, and they weren’t even inside the actual song; they were still in the protected space of the Teleport Square. Once they stepped beyond this space, many magics would be disallowed, and the Void Song would get much, much louder.

Tiffany tensed beside Ezekiel for a different reason than the oncoming noise. People were watching her. She adjusted her full-veil, and her stance, and seemed to relax a little, if only by self-controlled force. Only her eyes were visible beyond the pale-green veil, and even those were behind lace. Her hands were in gloves, too. Every part of her was covered, and yet, she still felt exposed.

Guards to the side of the Teleport Square immediately noticed Ezekiel’s party. They noticed their clothes, too. And then they made a point of purposefully noticing other people, with less expensive clothes. As the guards commanded slower peasants to clear the field, Ezekiel and his people moved off of the tiles at their unimpeded leisure, walking off of the Square like they knew where they were.

The Void Song began to thrum the second they stepped off of the tiles, sounding like a band playing behind two closed doors.

The city was packed once the four of them got into the main congestion, though those with drab clothing made way for the obvious nobles. People still looked at the nobles in their presence, though, if only to turn their gazes toward the largest member of Ezekiel's party.

“Are you doing okay, Tiffany?” Ezekiel asked, not sure if he was doing okay, himself. The Void Song was rather strong. Odin was gaining some accidental eyes atop his shoulder, but as soon as Ezekiel noticed that, Odin steeled himself and controlled his body back to normal.

Tiffany said, “This is much better with the veil, Scion. Thank you for your concern.”

With the mention of ‘Scion’ the people walking near the four of them gave them that much more space. All in all, it was a nice walk. The noise was getting louder, though. People-watching helped to abate some of the distress building behind Ezekiel’s eyes. The buildings were immense and immaculate and majestic, sure, but they were just buildings. People mattered more.

The populace was large, and varied, and though most people wore browns or tans, the people themselves were much more than just that. There were incani of every color from palest blue to deepest purple; demi, also of every color; humans from white to almost pure black. Dragonkin, like jewels glinting in the sun. Even harpies, of red, or green, or tan, or blue. And now, this close to the tourist and spiritual center of the city, there were even other, odder races. Shifters, of wolf, owl, and snake varieties, known by their masks of those same beasts. Other orcols; all of whom stood much taller than all of the rest of the crowd. Most of the other orcols in the crowds wore veils similar to Tiffany’s. One man did not; he was jovially surrounded by a bunch of women as they all sat around that orcol at a table at an outdoor tea house.

There were other races, too. Ezekiel had heard of some of them, but he had never seen them before.

There were goblins. They looked like small humans except with green skin and black eyes and button noses. They worked at a restaurant on the right side of the street, waiting tables and tossing noodles and sauce behind a glass counter. They were sized to children, or maybe small adult humans.

Pixies, which he remembered from his time combating Messalina, manned a dessert shop named ‘Fairy Sparkles’, over there. They were a decimeter sized people with wings twice as long as they were tall. Fillarina Orchid was the Pixie Ezekiel knew the best. She worked for Spur doing recon, and she had even briefly guarded him, back when that Messalina mess had occurred. Likely at other times, too.

Ezekiel had no doubt that there were even planars inside this city, somewhere.

They left the tourist area behind as they stepped onto a curving street with white paving stones carved into the shapes of scales. Behind them were massive crowds, but in front of them, were less. Most people followed the curving street left or right as they walked toward other tourist destinations where they could spend money and buy whatever they wished. But some people, like Ezekiel and his party, walked across that curving street, toward trees that grew like spiritual lines in the sand, made of white bark and white flowers.

Small paths wound past those trees, and Ezekiel led the way, while the Void Song began to open the doors between itself and every living soul with the ears to hear.

They stepped onto a land of iridescent white, kilometers across, filled with so many people, and so much more.

Four large buildings surrounded a massive central one. The four outside buildings were all made of pillars that reached up into domes that peaked with spires. Each exterior structure most prominently featured a bell that was easily twenty meters across and twice that tall, and shaped like a thimble. There were four in total, one for each cardinal direction. Each bell was reachable by pilgrims, which is exactly what they did as they walked in one of two single file lines that wrapped around the entirety of the compound; one line circling clockwise, the other going counter-clockwise. They journeyed from cardinal bell to cardinal bell, walking across bridges that resembled clouds, that ensured that no pilgrim would have to touch the ground on their journey. From what Ezekiel was seeing, one could walk up to any bell and start their circular journey there.

The majority of people avoided those pilgrims and walked under the ‘cloud’ bridges to get to the central building, which was like all the rest, but four times the size and grander of the four exterior buildings combined. It reminded Ezekiel of Angkor Wat, or the Taj Mahal, but it was all dedicated to a single Goddess; Rozeta.

“I can hear it now,” said Julia, her mouth agape as she took in the splendor of the Void Temple.

Tiffany breathed out through pursed lips, then said, “Wow.”

Paul said, “It’s rather amazing, isn’t it.”

“I saw it from the air, but that doesn’t do it justice,” Ezekiel said.

Paul just smiled. Then he walked forward.

Ezekiel followed. They passed underneath cloud bridges and walked alongside others headed for the open temple doors. Signs hung to the sides of those massive doors, educating the reader on temple etiquette. Temple guards, wearing iridescent white, enforced some of those rules when they weren’t being followed properly. Mostly, those guards just stood to the side.

The four of them followed the crowd, moving along, listening to the Void Song. It was better here than out there in the city. Here, there was a clarity of sound that somehow made it all better. Like a radio had been out of tune and filled with static. But now, the dial had been shifted, and the music flowed. Odin nestled into Ezekiel’s neck, silent and fluffing up as the weight of faith drowned out all other sound.

For that’s what the sound was. Faith made manifest.

The crowd entered the cathedral. There were multiple ways to go, but most people went forward. Ezekiel went forward, too. The crowd slowed, but did not stop.

Ahead of them, hanging in the center of the Void Temple, was a tangle of a sinuous white body that was shaped like a white bell, twenty meters in diameter and twice as tall; the same size as the ones outside. But the ones outside were not carved, and this one was unreachable, high up above a dais where two men and two women stood facing each other, singing the Void Song, resonating with the bell above, filling the world with a thrum of power.

The crowd moved along. Ten abreast became three, then became single file as the crowd got to the front, and the line curved around the dais, always keeping a safe distance from those people holding up the safety of the entire city. Ezekiel got to the edge of the railing, and though the singers on the dais were important, he felt his gaze drawn upward.

The sinuous bell above was Rozeta’s body, carved out of stone. It would not have surprised Ezekiel if the tangled bell was an unbroken continuation of the Void Wall which encircled the entire city.

For a moment, Ezekiel saw clouds. He witnessed a pressure.

He recognized a Domain. He saw the touch of a goddess.

The Void Song was magic, but it also was so much more than that.

He looked down again and the world seemed grander than it had a moment ago. Sure, gods could work wonders, and there was a goddess present, but all this here? All this was the work of people, belief, and power.

The singers, a harpy man, an incani woman, a human woman, and a dragonkin man, each wore immaculate white robes with long trails that hung off of the dais and trailed on to the floor. They sang at each other, but their mouths were barely open, and the power of their combined voices was far more than any physical thing.

Ezekiel walked on, pushed along by the crowd behind him or of his own volition; he wasn’t quite sure. The moment had captured him in transient grace and moved him along in a daze.

He soon found himself standing on the open white grounds outside of the main temple, past the exit of the main structure. Something profound had touched his soul, and he wasn’t sure what would happen now, or in the future. All he truly knew was that he was not the only one who had had an experience, and that everyone else who had walked past the Void Song, both of his party and not, had felt something similar.

Small groups of people here and there, upon the white stone outside of the main temple, hugged each other. Others stood poleaxed in reverence. Most moved on fast enough, having shaken themselves from momentary beauty. Some remained entranced, and yet no longer outside of their own control, like Ezekiel. Those people turned back toward the way they had come. They saw the curving body of Rozeta, curling through stone clouds, hiding behind columns, her journey and task of keeping the world running in an endless grace which touched them all.

Ezekiel watched as the stone moved. Undulated. Rozeta curled through the clouds. The clouds reformed in her passing. The moment passed.

The stone was stone. It had not moved. The clouds had not shifted. Had he seen a vision of Rozeta? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Ezekiel blinked. He breathed. He looked around himself, and wondered.

A small, cynical part of himself informed himself that he had spoken to multiple gods, many times, Rozeta among them. And sure, he had. But this was more than that. This was faith. This was beautiful. This was how other people interacted with the gods.

Ezekiel smiled. At least on Veird, the gods answered back in tangible ways.

He looked around, and saw that some people were reading the air. Some of those people were crying in joy, or pain, or mixtures of both. Whatever they were reading, they were experiencing revelation. And that was pretty great.

Paul smiled more than Ezekiel had ever seen the man smile. He said, “You can’t get this feeling anywhere else in the world, besides places like this.”

“That was more intense than I thought it would be,” Tiffany whispered.

Julia just gazed back the way they had come, watching other people walk out of the temple, seeing their own expressions. Ezekiel bumped her shoulder with his own, smiling. She turned to him, silent. She blinked a few times, then she looked toward the four cardinal bells and the cloud bridges that connected them all in a great circle that surrounded the main temple.

She said, “Let’s do that.”

Tiffany was already walking that way. The rest of them caught up, to join the procession at the northern bell, slotting themselves into the clockwise line that circled around the whole complex.

Ezekiel went to touch the bell, as he saw so many others doing, and was awed, again.

The collective hands of millions had worn down the white rock over centuries, creating a groove, as they also pressured the bell to rotate clockwise. He smiled. No one [Mend]ed this thing, for sure. He looked up, and saw a carving of one of the four claws of Rozeta holding onto the top of the bell, as the bell spun under her grasp. It was actually held up from the interior, though; a meter gap between the bell and the dais it sat upon showed the inside of the bell, where a massive pillar rose in the center, keeping the bell off the ground.

Ezekiel touched that hand-worn groove in the stone bell, like all the other people all around him. He felt the vibrations of an echoing Void Song in that contact. It was a good feeling, for this was where Rozeta’s touch descended; a place where others could reach out and join their hand to the workings of the Goddess, and each other, even if her claws were still out of reach themselves.

… But where were the head and the tail of the Void Wall? Perhaps nowhere? They weren’t in the main temple—

Ezekiel let his thoughts of mechanicality and other such mundane needs flow away on the wind, as he released his hand from the bell, his own spinning of the wheel gone; left for others to take up in his stead. Ezekiel walked on to the first of four stone bridges, shaped like clouds. The steps to the bridge were similarly worn down by the paces of millions of people.

He touched the eastern bell in the same way, tracing his hand on the groove of those who had come before, adding his own spin to the endless procession, as he gazed up at another hand of Rozeta holding the bell in place. He pilgrimed with the crowd to the southern bell, then the western bell. The journey around the complex only took a quarter hour. Maybe slightly more. Or less. This journey was both faster and slower than walking through the main temple, and hearing the four singers under the main bell.

Ezekiel, Julia, Paul, and Tiffany, stepped off of the cloud path to the north of the temple. Much of the crowd walked away with them, for many started their paths at the northern bell. Others kept walking, for they had joined in the journey at the other bells. Those bells had been spinning long before he came to Veird, and they would keep spinning long after he was dead. There was something subtle about that beauty. Ezekiel let that feeling wash over him as he stepped away from the flow of people, to stand under the shade of a white barrier tree. His party joined him.

And then it was time to move on, apparently.

A man in a formal red robe and a woman in a formal black robe were waiting for them under the shade of a different white tree. It was the same man and woman who took Tadashi away in that sky boat. The ones with the bloodlust. That bloodlust was much diminished at the current moment, but it was still there in both of their eyes. It felt wrong for such an emotion to be present in this holy place.

Spirituality fled; normal operations returned to Ezekiel. He recognized, now, the faces and emotions of those around him. Some were still stuck in their experience; eyes wide and the weight of the world unable to touch them. Others had never felt anything, their disdain and displeasure of their waste of time evident in their creased faces and frowns.

The red man and black woman were of neither group; they were here for business.

Ezekiel put on a neutral face. He faced the new people. They faced him, and stepped closer.

Ezekiel spoke, “Hello. I never learned your names, but I assume you know mine.”

“Loremaster Xue Star Song,” said the red-clothed man, as he took a place under the shade of Ezekiel’s tree. Xue was of tanned skin and dark hair, and had a distinct air of blood and magic around him, which Ezekiel could probably just shorten to ‘Blood Magic’, but sometimes simplifications were lies, and this seemed like one of those times. The man said, “And this is my wife, Enforcer Sikali Star Song.”

Sikali was a woman of strength, and paler features, like a sun-kissed beach goer. Or. at least she would have been, if not for the sharp edges of her formal black robes. She reminded Ezekiel of a bared blade. She bowed just her head, for just a moment, then said, “Scion Phoenix. A pleasure to see you for the third time.”

Ezekiel smirked, as was appropriate for the joke Sikali had made, though Ezekiel wasn’t quite sure what it was, exactly. “A third time? Are you perhaps the people who are spying on me with those [Scry] orbs high in the air?”

Xue easily said, “I’m sure someone is. You have a [Scry] orb hovering behind you.”

Ezekiel was not going to speak of Yggdrasil. Xue got the hint.

Xue continued, “But what my good wife is referring to is an event which occurred a few nights ago, near evening at the Teleport Square of Darzallia.”

Ezekiel thought, and then it came to him. “Ah. Yes. I remember, now. We were briefly near each other, weren’t we? I didn’t recognize you. That night, it appeared like you were out on the town for some event.”

Sikali said, “We attended half of a dreadful play. We almost blew the whole thing off when we saw you walking around with such power on your shoulders and upon your wrist. We would have come over to say hello had we known you were a foreign Scion.”

Xue said, “We would certainly not have made such a mistake if the same thing were to occur today, and if you were wearing the same clothes as you are now. Those are simply marvelous dress robes. Spider silk, yes?”

“Yes. Made with the help of my daughter. She has a few decent spider forms.” This seemed like a good enough neutral way to have a conversation, so Ezekiel latched onto it, turning to his daughter, saying, “You were looking for more spider forms, though, weren’t you?”

Julia glanced from her father to Xue, and said, “I am looking for more. Would you happen to know where I can find a Nacreous Weaver?”

“They are a rare breed, but I can certainly ask around, Miss Phoenix,” Xue said, looking pleased. “If you do happen to get one, I would be interested in purchasing rolls of colored silk. It is not every Polymage that is capable of bringing out the true worth of their Familiar Forms.”

Julia said, “I would be amenable to this.”

Ezekiel spoke up, “You are correct, Loremaster Xue, but as you say, not every Polymage is as capable as all the rest. I am sure there would be some monetary compensation for my daughter’s time and expertise.” It wasn’t a question; it was a command.

Xue nodded. “But of course, Scion Phoenix. Are there other exports of Clan Phoenix that you would be interested in discussing? Clan Star Song is always open to new trade with those capable of such luxury products.”

Ezekiel considered and then decided that he wasn’t willing to go that far, but if his cover was blown, then perhaps Candlepoint could use some exports? Eh? Eh? Mmm. Maybe not. Not yet.

“Not at this time; no.”

“… We could also discuss magic,” Xue said, recovering from Ezekiel’s direct refusal. “I must confess: I was informed of your presence here and thus instructed to help you speak to the Songstresses. My Elder of Enchantment, Elder Arilitilo, wishes me to repeat that her offer to discuss magic is also open to you.”

Ah. Well. Yeah. They were here on assignment. For sure. That was why Ezekiel was willing to speak of spider silk trading, even if that would be his daughter’s choice, and not his. He didn’t expect Xue to just come out and say that he was here on assignment, though. That implied active spying, and though Ezekiel had been sure that everyone knew they were being spied on, and even though he had taken steps to ensure that the spying wouldn’t uncover anything too awful...

Ezekiel considered Xue. There were a great many nuances and hidden meanings to the man’s words and entire persona. He was dangerous. His wife was similarly dangerous, but in a much more direct manner. So far, by his estimate, they were mostly past the danger of the wife, but Xue was a deeper sort of danger that he had understood and verbally sparred with the second they started talking.

Ezekiel wanted to talk magic, though, even if it would expose his truth that much faster.

Hmm.

… He decided to forgo any more direct confrontation, for now.

Ezekiel said, “I would appreciate an introduction to the Songstresses, and perhaps, if Elder Ari is amenable to a tea shop chat, we could do that, first? In a few days, perhaps.”

Xue gave a tilt of his head, saying, “I will inform her of your wishes.”

“I still haven’t inquired after Tadashi, either, which is another thing to do before I then visit him. Would you be the person to talk to regarding either of these necessities?”

Sikali tensed a little. Her reaction flowed away from her features, but not before Ezekiel noticed, and thus Xue noticed as well. Ezekiel turned toward Sikali.

Sikali spoke, since she was under direct spotlight, “I have heard that Tadashi is not doing well under the care of branch family Diligent Scribe, but though Star Song was involved in regaining Tadashi, we are not privy to Diligent Scribe’s full inner workings. I have heard that they aren’t even letting his brother visit.”

Ezekiel frowned. That was bad news. “I promised to see the man again. I suppose I will need to contact Diligent Scribe myself.” He glanced to the Void Temple, then turned back to Xue and Sikali, saying, “How long would a meeting with the Songstresses take?”

“The first meeting is usually short; a mere set-up for what follows.” Xue said, “If you’re going after Tadashi, I could make inquiries for you, but he is under heavy surveillance. Do you know why he was captured in the first place?”

“No. I do not.” Ezekiel said, “All I know is that I saw him in a terrible state, and I want to know that he is being treated well. The man’s life as an alchemist is over, and that… That is simply awful. Is there truly no way to rid him of the Elixir? I have never dealt with such a… It is a horror that someone could actually do that to someone else.”

Sikali eyed him. “You’ve never heard of the Elixir before?”

“Of course not. It’s barbaric. We don’t do that where I’m from.”

Sikali continued to eye him. “The Punishment of Elixir is widespread. Surely, even your hidden Clan knows of such ultimate punishments?”

Ezekiel frowned. “We fight monsters. I must say that this idea that all Clans have had the same experience of this world is rather eccentric. I wasn’t even aware that you all sparred to the first sword-in-the-heart.”

Xue chuckled.

Sikali’s opinion of Ezekiel seemed to take a nosedive, but she kept her professional facade. “Fair.”

Ezekiel ignored the lost reputation, saying, “Loremaster Xue, Enforcer Sikali. Thank you for appearing before me. I will accept that introduction to the Songstresses, and then, if you could get me a way to speak to Tadashi, in person, I will also accept that. Whenever such a meeting might happen would be acceptable; today or tomorrow. I am currently staying at The Sour House in Darzallia.” He gestured to the Void Temple. “Lead the way?”

Xue bowed his head, saying, “At once, Scion.”

- - - -

Past a different entrance to the Void Temple than the one Ezekiel had first entered, the experience of the Void Temple was much changed. There was no line at this entrance; there were simply pews and people praying toward the bell in the center. They were separated from the bell area by several meters, and also by the crowd that still walked single file around that central location. This secondary area was much less congested, though; it seemed most people just wanted to get as close as possible and then get out.

The sound of the Void Song was still very strong here, though.

Xue silently handed Ezekiel off to a silent woman in white robes, standing beside a staircase that went up to a semi-private second level. There were no introductions, or words uttered, either telepathically or verbally, in the hand off. After that, Ezekiel recognized that there was no sound in the Void Temple except for the Void Song.

But up on the second level there were suddenly voices, and the Void Song was slightly muted. This area was a cloister, with the courtyard of the Void Song to one side, and offices, workspaces, and small meeting rooms to the other side. That was just what Ezekiel saw, though. There were likely many hidden places in the bright white stone of the very large Temple.

Julia, Tiffany, and Paul, filed in behind Ezekiel as their guide stepped inward, toward a large alcove past the top of the staircase. Their guide was an aged human woman of pale skin and blond hair, with bright red eyes. Unless Ezekiel was mistaken, it seemed a great many people of the highlands were demi.

In a no-nonsense tone, she began, “Scion Ezekiel. Welcome to the Void Temple of Eralis. I have heard some of what has brought you here, but I would like to hear it in your own words.”

Ezekiel gladly stated, “I have been making magic in unorthodox ways since I learned of the craft. Usually, I listen to what the magic tells me about itself, and then I—”

“That is enough.” She said, “You may call me Sister Kaffi. We will continue this discussion in a more private setting; in one of our practice rooms.” Kaffi turned, and started walking.

Ezekiel kept up with her.

In less than a minute, they had gone up a wide, curving set of stairs, where the sounds of the Void Song vanished completely. They entered into a long third-floor hallway that was open in the middle, with doors on both sides. Normal-sized stairs on both sides of the room lead up to a fourth floor that was a repeat of this third floor. There was an opening in the stone between both floors, where bright sunlights held like glowing pillars from the third floor to the ceiling of the fourth, illuminating all.

Over half of the doors were closed.

The structure of the hallway reminded Ezekiel of the practice rooms of the Mage Guild of Spur, for that was what they were. With his mana sense, Ezekiel saw the nearby people practicing magic behind closed doors, either on their own, or with an instructor.

The Void Song might have been gone, but it had been replaced by the hum of those people beyond those doors, each practicing their magic, either through incantations, or otherwise. There were so many odd methods on ‘display’, from people using instruments to cast, to others singing, to others who were chanting with others in the same room as them. Instructors were in many of the rooms, but not all.

Some of the rooms were ‘dark’ to Ezekiel’s mana sense; no mana entered or left, and the sounds of those spaces were cut off from the rest of the world. This fact, combined with the fact that there were small benches in the center of the room and people sat upon those benches, listening to the people beyond, led Ezekiel to believe that any practitioner in any of the rooms was able to shut off their own displays, if they wished, but most people didn’t.

… Or maybe there was something more complicated going on. Probably nothing too nefarious, though, since Ezekiel neither sensed nor saw any bloodlust upon any of the faces in the grand hallway.

Kaffi said, “These are our various public song cells. Every day, we teach music and the arts to those who wish to pay. We also teach our versions of magic, but unless a person shows aptitude for the Song then that sort of training is canceled, no matter how much a person can pay. We have long discovered that the talent for Song is not present in everyone, and while the talent can be uncovered with extensive training, we will not engage in such endeavors unless there is something to be uncovered. Either way, a payment is expected for our time and knowledge.

“These rooms are usually one-way boxes, wherein the sound escapes, but does not intrude overmuch. Many people can come and listen to the Cacophony of the Hallway if they wish, but most do not. Some say it helps to unlock the talent of Song. Others say there is no benefit. But, mana is possibility, and so, some people do achieve the Song by spending their time listening to the Cacophony.” She gestured forward, saying, “Pick a room and we can discuss more, either with the blocking active, or not. If one of your people wishes to join us, they can, otherwise they may wait out here.”

Ezekiel glanced to Paul, then to Julia and Tiffany. The girls shook their heads. Tiffany tapped her bag, which held a few books that they had gotten at the bookstore on the way here.

Paul said, “We will wait for you on the benches, Scion.”

Ezekiel turned back, and picked an open room to the right, saying, “That one appears fine.”

They went into the room and Kaffi closed the door behind them. Exterior sounds mostly vanished; the room was not fully silent inside, but it was close enough to be minorly maddening. Ezekiel could deal with the silence, for now.

The room was a five-meter wide cube with a dome at the top and a sunlightward in the dome. Control runes glowed by the side of the door, on a rotary dial. The room was currently on the ‘open’ setting, but he could turn the dial and set the room to ‘closed’, which seemed rather self-explanatory. Chairs were stacked to the side along with fold-out tables.

After a moment of adjusting with those tables and chairs, Kaffi sat across a table from Ezekiel.

Kaffi said, “That [Scry] eye behind you and the [Familiar] on your shoulder will both dislike what happens when the room is set to ‘closed’. Keep that in mind after I ask this question: Do you wish to give me the full story of your magics, or do you wish to keep certain things hidden? I am oath-bound to not reveal anything told to me, but that does not mean these rooms are not spied upon by others. The quality of the lessons you will receive might be dependent upon finding a personal Truth, which you might not want to do without the privacy activated.”

“I’ll keep the room open, for now. I rather think I know my own personal Truth.”

“You are familiar with the concept, then. Very well.” Kaffi said, “Next question. What is your worth? We charge on a sliding scale.”

“We’re going to have problems if that is how you charge. Can you give me a price, instead?”

Kaffi did not bat an eye as she said, “Five thousand gold, a thousand mid-grade cores, or five grand cores. Such is the expected patronage of a Scion for one month of instruction, which is all we give to outsiders.”

With reluctance, Ezekiel said, “Normally… I could pay that, but not as I am now.”

“We can apply this cost to your Clan, through your permanent record at the Records Office. You may pay this price within a year of the completion of instruction. Failure to pay will result in harsh penalties, but not of the accruing interest-type. The penalties of which I speak would be of the sort which would prevent your ability to do business in the Highlands. Such a failure of payment would be a black mark upon your record.”

Ezekiel said, “Then I will go with that option; deferred payment. We’ve gained hundreds of gold in a few days culling mist stone gluttons. I can dedicate some more time to that and have a full payment ready for the Void Temple soon enough.” He added, “If the instruction is as good as I hope it will be.”

Kaffi said, “Then we shall continue with a base reading, and if you should choose to continue after today and if we choose to teach you, then your debt will be added to your record, Scion Phoenix. Some of the balance of your bill will be expected sooner rather than later. A good amount is ten percent within the first week.”

Ezekiel nodded. “This is acceptable.”

Kaffi said, “If you are gaining outside help from your [Familiar] or from whoever is watching through that [Scry] orb, then you are doing yourself a disservice. This test that I will now conduct is a baseline reading of capabilities. All other lessons which might come your way will depend on the truthful outcome of this reading. Understood?”

“Understood.”

He had been looking for anything untoward this whole time, but Kaffi seemed completely on the level.

Kaffi said, “We shall begin.” Kaffi held up her left hand. “Can you hear this?”

Ezekiel looked to her hand, and then rapidly reevaluated everything he had thought of Kaffi, for she wasn’t doing anything. No mana channeled through her hand. No song echoed from her soul, which was rather stable. She seemed to truly believe that something was happening on her hand, and yet… Ezekiel saw and heard nothing. Was she a phenomenal liar? Was she lying to him about the sliding scale of payment, too? Had he just agreed to be swindled?

“Were you lying about the sliding scale of payment, too?”

Kaffi’s face broke into a tiny grin. “No.” She continued, “How about this?”

Still nothing came from her.

Ezekiel narrowed his eyes.

Kaffi lost her grin, turning completely professional. She held her left hand in the air and a hum entered the air, but not from her hand in the air. Her right hand, currently resting on the table, was humming, and only from her ring finger. She wasn’t quite channeling mana, but it wasn’t aura control either, or at least it wasn’t any aura control Ezekiel had ever seen. He saw no difference as he blinked on his mana sense…

She was truly just ‘humming’ the air from her right hand’s ring finger, giving a sound to the air that was similar to the sound of the Void Song, but different.

Ezekiel decided to answer her question, saying, “Your right hand, that finger there.”

Kaffi’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t help but grin again, and then she wiped that expression away, and held up both her hands, fingers splayed. “From your left to right. Numbers one through ten. Tell me what you can hear.”

Kaffi proceeded to play a song to the air, through her fingertips, without moving a single part of her body, or her mana. She did not go slowly. The notes had no variation, except for location. She repeated her aura play three times, then she waited.

Ezekiel said, “One, five, nine, nine, three, four, three, eight, ten, seven, six, two.” He added, “Can people actually follow that? I could barely follow that.” His first lie of their interaction; he easily followed her overlong sequence. He was more than fine lying to this lady, though; she was lying to him about something, for sure.

Odin chirped.

Ezekiel nodded. “Yes, it was difficult, Odin.”

Kaffi, wide-eyed, smiled, as though basking in the afterglow of fulfilled anticipation. Then she sighed, but she was still happy as she returned to professionalism. “I apologize for the rudeness of my test, Scion Phoenix. I was informed of your capability and gave you the hardest version. I also apologize for asking this next question: But could you retake this test in a closed room, without your [Familiar]s?”

“No.” Ezekiel explained, “What I just did was all me, and I am not willing to let my guard down in such an unknown location, just yet. I am sorry if this offends you. Please believe me: my [Familiar]s are not helping me with your test. Odin has helped me to make magic before, but has not helped me here.”

Kaffi said, “Then we will move on to the rest of the test.” She held up a hand, and with the same sort of control which was neither aura, nor the channeling of mana, inundated the air with the idea of [Force Bolt]. “Name this spell.”

Ezekiel did so, eliciting another quickly-vanishing smile from Songstress Kaffi. And then he and Kaffi ran through every other basic Force spell, many of the utility spells out there, and all of Mana Altering, even hitting some esoteric elements like Mercy, Void, Holy, and Vile. As for her spells, though, if those were all of Kaffi’s spells she knew, then he knew more base spells than her. Soon enough, the test was over. Kaffi crossed her hands onto the table between them.

“You’re a rare talent.” Kaffi could not fully keep the grin off of her face, saying, “Let us continue that introduction you almost gave me, before we came to this room. Tell me why you have come here.”

“I have come here to learn from the Songstresses of the Highlands, for I heard that their magic was similar to mine. I have heard that you use incantations and song in order to make your magic, and to influence how your magic behaves after it has already been crafted; to heighten or lessen certain parts of spells beyond the functionality described in the blue boxes of the Script.”

“This is all true. How do you make your magic?”

“By channeling mana through my hands to hear the spells therein, and then I combine those sounds into a cohesive whole, which is then cast into the world.”

Kaffi nodded. “Do you use any of the standardized methodology popularized by any known schools of thought?”

“I have learned of gridwork recently, and that has been useful in understanding the shaping of spells, but aside from that, most Arcanaeum teaching has not been useful and I don’t do magic like the rest of my Clan, anyway. Mostly, when crafting a new spell, I imagine my desires for a particular spell to the fullest of my ability, and then I chant out those desires to the mana. The mana responds with what I want. The only difficulty I have had with this method was when I created [Prismatic Ward]. That spell took me a few months of trial and error and ritual.”

He could have left out the part about [Prismatic Ward], but to claim to have no problems about any magics he had made would mark him overmuch. Everyone had problems making [Prismatic Ward].

Kaffi smiled wider, then banished her smile from her face. “I haven’t heard of gridwork in a long time. Do you know of the Remake Quests?”

“Yes. I’ve remade several basic spells so far.”

A bit quicker, she asked, “Aura control, or Elemental Body?”

“The second.”

“Are you aura capable, at all?”

“… I assume that means to have competency with aura control enough to remake spellwork, or cast magic, or otherwise?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

His lack of aura control was likely his biggest flaw. If Kaffi was asking about it, though, maybe she was able to solve that problem, so it was better to be truthful, there.

Kaffi sat back in her chair, relaxing into the pose of a teacher. “Do you have any spells you are working on right now?”

“Yes. I considered making a Rift the other day, but I realized that I should wait and do so here, to see how you do it.”

“We can make a Rift some other time.” Kaffi asked, “Do you play an instrument?”

“No. And I have little interest in learning one.”

“The aura is an instrument, too.”

“Uh.” Ezekiel’s eyebrows scrunched together. “It is?” He rapidly added, “I never considered it as such.”

“Of course it is. Do you know the spell we use to sing the Void Song?”

“Not exactly. But I have heard people speak of it as a simple spell that doesn’t seem like it should be able to lock out all the magic that it does lock out.”

Kaffi gestured. A blue box appeared.

--

Song of Annihilation, instant, super long range, aura, 50 mana per second + Special Cost

Call to the Void.

Multiple singers can join together to lessen the cost of this magic.

--

Kaffi said, “My [Song of Annihilation] is just one of several variants of the Void Song. The spells that other Singers create might not match mine exactly, so depending on which song a Singer unlocks, they might prefer to go to a different city of the Highlands where their talents better match those there, thus the costs of their magics will be lowered. Eralis, Alaralti, or Holorulo, or even one of the smaller suburbs with their own Singers; there aren’t many extra places for Singers to go, but they do exist.

“Or a new Singer might end up a Wandering Singer, if their song is one of the more useful and stranger variants. Either in war or protection, depending on their own predilections. A new Singer might even rise to become a member of High Clan Void Song itself, located primarily in Holorulo.

“Any potential Void Song, whichever version a person gets, doesn’t do that much. On its own, my [Song of Annihilation] is capable of rather devastating magical disruption, but it will not hurt a person, and it will only [Dispel] any targeted magics after I spend just as much mana as I would need to spend with a normal [Dispel] method. Void Songs are useless without all the other training we can give you.

“But! With the knowledge and training that we can give you, you can turn any similar spell you might create under us into a power similar to the Void Song that you hear out there in Eralis. With the control I learned here, my [Song of Annihilation] can [Dispel] for fractions of the cost, affecting entire warbands. With what I learned here, when I sing out there under the Grand Coil Bell, my power helps to protect the entire city of Eralis from threats without and within, making my fair city one of the safest cities on all of Veird. All it took me was five years of training, thirty years ago, and I have never once regretted this decision.” Kaffi asked, “Would you like to become a Singer, too, Scion Phoenix?”

Ezekiel most certainly did not want to do that. Not right now, and maybe not ever. Except... There was a conviction in Kaffi’s voice that made him wander down that path of thought. He took three metaphorical steps down that path, then turned right back around, and said, “Not this year. Not right now.”

Kaffi bottled up her disappointment, and said, “Then the knowledge I can give you will be not as much as you could have, otherwise.”

“Thank you for the attempt to persuade me to join your Temple. I am honored that you would ask. But I cannot give any promises regarding any lengthy terms of service that I am sure you would require of—”

“It is a five year course, but the majority of the training is in the first year, and you are free to leave after those five years. We have a 90% retainment rate after that five year course and our mortality rate of those who go out into the field is less than 1 percent. At the end of those five years, you will be given staff under your command who you can integrate into your own staff as you wish. You are protected when you become a Singer, and you will have the power to protect others, too. We will work with your needs.”

Now that was surprising. “It sounds like you are creating minor Clans all over the place.” Ezekiel asked, “What do you get out of offering such good terms?”

“We are creating minor Clans, because the Highlands expand. Four hundred and forty years ago the Songli Compact was signed by the now-High Clans Void Song, Devouring Nightmare, and Severing Crescent. Every year we bring more and more people into our aegis of protection and prosperity. Every year we expand from Holorulo, Alaralti, and Eralis; the three cities founded at our beginning.

“For we are Empire. We are charged with the holy duty to protect those who need protecting, and to empower those who seek power. We are always looking for new Singers to come to the Highlands, to join in our cause, and to put down roots in our great land.” Kaffi said, “With our ability to link to each other and cooperative cast, us Singers are like archmages to the rest of the world. What say you now, Ezekiel Phoenix? Do you not wish to become unto an archmage? Do you truly wish to pass up this opportunity?”

Ezekiel said, “I have opportunity already. I have obligations already. I cannot accept this option. I will accept the lesser training, please.”

Kaffi breathed in, then slowly released that breath. She was angry, yes, but mostly she was terribly frustrated. “Very well.” She took another breath and banished all irritation. “We have a few avenues of instruction open to outsiders. The mundane options are to learn an instrument, of which we have teachers for every instrument. Aura Song is not covered in this. This option is considerably cheaper than magical training. Are you interested in this?”

“No. I want the magical training.”

“Very well. It sounds like you are well versed in the normal functionality of much of what we do, so past a preliminary course, which should last anywhere between a day to a week and will be where you are assisted in making your Rift, the magical options are thus: Learning aura control, which then leads to Aura Song, which then leads to Cooperative Casting. This is the largest option. We also have Tier Work and Remake Quests, which sounds like something that you are already able to do. Then there are incantations and the molding of currently possessed magic into avenues of power that aren’t fully listed in the spells which you already possess.” Kaffi said, “Pick a path, and I will get you a teacher. You will have a month of instruction for your 5000 gold, and then you are cut off. Should you change your mind and choose to become a Singer, or should you choose to become integrated into the Clans of Eralis in some other, deeper way, we can reevaluate your continued education at that time.”

His choice was immediate. “Aura control.”

“This is the hardest of the paths. Are you sure? You might consume your entire month of lessons and not learn anything.”

“It will be a month well spent to learn whatever I can from the Songstresses of the Highlands.” He had never gotten far with aura control at all, and if the Songstresses had methods he could learn, then he would darn well learn them. He was glad he had been truthful about that part of his deficiencies.

“Very well. Your first lesson will be tomorrow at daybreak.” Kaffi stood, saying, “And we call each other Singers these days; ‘Songstress’ makes some men in our institution uncomfortable.”

Ezekiel stood, saying, “I will be here at dawn with the proper words upon my lips. Thank you.”

Kaffi said, “Show up at the eastern entrance. Good luck, Ezekiel.”

Ezekiel gave a tiny, half-bow.

Kaffi left the room first, walking away without another word.

- - - -

A scroll sealed with white wax waited for them at the Sour House, under the care of the proprietor and a runner in a white and blue tunic.

Ezekiel took the scroll up to the room and read it there. Plans were made because of what was written on the paper, but those plans would happen later. The team relaxed with some tea and some books and some weaving, while they spoke of what had happened in the meeting with Singer Kaffi, and if they would actually be in Eralis for a full month.

Ezekiel doubted that they would be here for a full month for something was sure to draw them elsewhere. But… if they were here for a month, if the world was peaceful for that long, would that be so bad? Caizoa hadn’t left a single message asking for his help with the Converter Angel, after all.

Julia thought Eralis a grand diversion, and was fine with staying here for a while.

Tiffany was having fun. Paul was doing fine.

Paul glanced to the opened scroll, adding, “But whatever happens there will likely change what happens to this decision.”

“Probably,” Ezekiel said.

They spoke a little of Loremaster Xue and his wife Enforcer Sikali, and postulated what Clan Star Song wanted from Clan Phoenix, exactly.

Julia said, “If all they want is thread in exchange for the Nacreous Weaver, then that’s suspicious. The Nacreous Weaver is a Variant of the Light Weaver, which is the usual result of a Dun Glint Weaver becoming a monster in an area full of Light Essence, which is already a rare combination to find anywhere in the world.” She added, “Such a trade would be incredibly beneficial for me, but they’d be losing out on hundreds of thousands of gold. They either have no intention of giving me the beast, or, they want you that much, dad.”

“… Well.” Ezekiel said, “That puts a few things in a few different lights.” He asked, “Would it be difficult to make the Nacreous Weaver work? From a Polymage perspective?”

“Yes.” Julia said, “Which is another angle. Maybe they’re so expensive that they’re actually priceless, and they won’t give them to anyone except those who enter into long-term contracts.”

Tiffany said, “They’re after you, Boss. Kaffi was, too. No doubt they’re plotting every way they can to get you to move to Eralis.” She eyed him.

Paul eyed him, too.

He sent, ‘I’m not leaving Spur.’

Tiffany sent, ‘Might not get that weaver, then.’

‘Eh. That’s fine,’ Julia said, ‘Just get some Dun Glint Weavers and throw them into the Headmaster’s Light Dungeon. Maybe in a year, one of them will be a Nacreous Weaver.’

‘I haven’t checked in on that place in a while.’ Ezekiel asked, ‘Paul? You heard anything?’

‘They expanded it a bit. Nothing too large, though.’ Paul sent, ‘I can make inquiries if they added new monsters or not, but that would announce that you are looking that way. The Headmaster will likely want to speak to you if you do this.’

‘… Not this week, then. Maybe next week, if things go well tonight and tomorrow.’ He said, “Anyway! We’ve got time for naps, if anyone wants to take one.”

Everyone took naps, for no one wanted to be low-energy tonight.

When Ezekiel awoke, he was the last one to wake, and it was an hour till sunset; the perfect time to leave. Ezekiel covertly dabbed his eyes with his magenta potion and reapplied some long-term buffs, for no one knew exactly what the night would bring.

There were some hints, of course. The scroll was a big one.

They had been invited to a gathering to welcome Tadashi into Clan Star Song, so Ezekiel was pretty sure that he would get to see the alchemist tonight, but he likely wouldn’t be able to see if the man was truly okay. If the 5 point Quest wasn’t enough of a clue, the very existence of such a party, and such an open change of Tadashi’s Clan allegiance, was yet another example that many Clans were still after the man.

Ezekiel openly wondered why.

Tiffany said, “An [Immortality] potion would start a major war.”

Ezekiel paled. “Let’s hope it’s not that.” He added, “And they wouldn’t invite us to a party with Alchemist Tadashi and several other Clans unless they were either planning on killing us there, or playing nice, and most of the people we’ve seen are trying to woo, rather than murder.”

Paul said, “They’re trying to woo you; this is known. They’re not sure they would survive the collateral damage from a murder attempt.”

Ezekiel grumbled, “Let’s have some… more positive thoughts than me killing them all in retaliation, please.”

“[Immortality] would have been my first guess, too. But now…” Julia thought. She offered, “It’s something to do with our reasons for being here.”

“Oh.” Ezekiel stood straighter. “There’s a thought.”

“Either a potion or a magic,” Tiffany guessed.

“A potion.” Julia said, “Has to be.”

Tiffany said, “There’s lots of precedent for this being about a magic considering that we’re here to gain magical understanding for Scion Ezekiel.”

“Maybe it has something to do with spiders,” Julia guessed, sarcastically.

“Ha! No.” Tiffany, suddenly sure, said, “It’s potions of the New Stats! Hundred gold, bet.”

Julia’s eyes glinted as she said, “I think they’re after Tadashi because he’s related to someone powerful. Or there’s a connection there that will be made public tonight. Hundred gold, bet.”

“No bet.” Tiffany laughed, then said, “You can’t get anywhere in Nelboor without knowing or being related to someone powerful. Tadashi is no different.”

Julia went, “Meh.”

Ezekiel put out there, “Alchemists use spells to craft their potions, just as much as any other magical profession does. But those bandits inflicted Tadashi with the Antirhine Elixir and there was a whole building of alchemy supplies back in the bandit hideout. They had taken most of the things out of there when they fled, but I noticed an Alchemist’s Friend in the corner.” At Julia’s odd look, Ezekiel explained, “It’s a psychedelic plant that feeds off of almost all potions, and it especially likes the toxic ones; a garbage pail for potion failures.” Julia nodded. Ezekiel continued, “They inflicted the Elixir upon Tadashi thinking that this wouldn’t harm him in being or doing whatever it was that… he did, or was doing. And that thing involved potions, for sure, and—”

Julia rounded on Tiffany, accusing, “You saw the potion house in the bandit hideout! That’s why you bet on potions!”

Tiffany burst out in laughter. “Yup! Not sure what kinda potion, but it’s a potion. Got a bit of a glimpse at the place in the past, too, but nothing conclusive. Tadashi destroyed the mana’s memory rather completely. I didn’t see any Stat Fruits, either, but I’m still going with the bet that Tadashi invented potions of New Stats.”

Julia said, “Then I change my bet to a potion of [Immortality]. Dad’s been after that for a while.”

“Oh!” Tiffany glanced around. “That’s a good counter. I forgot about that. Ohh. Maybe...?”

Ezekiel said, “[Immortality] is too dangerous. No… This has something to do with Antirhine, for sure.”

Paul held back a smirk throughout their entire conversation, saying, “I’m sure we’ll find out tonight.”

- - - -

Magenta light resolved into the forms of Ezekiel, Julia, Tiffany, and Paul. They appeared at the Teleport Square nearest the bridge to the Alluvial District. Nearby guards were plentiful and on edge, and other small parties blipped in all around Ezekiel. Everyone wore nice clothes. No one seemed to care about the guards. They just walked on, toward the bridge, which is exactly what Ezekiel did, too. His people followed him.

There was no need to show off papers, or anything like that. The people between the Teleport Square and the bridge were already scanning everyone, and scanning them even more as they walked past, toward the arching bridge that connected Eralis to the Noble District, the island in the center of the Wanzhi River’s delta floodplain.

Ezekiel brushed off the danger in the air with an imperious attitude and his finger on the [Animadversion] button. He walked with an even gait, matching that of the people around him, though he was much more nervous than everyone else. Perhaps he was seeing danger that wasn’t there.

The four of them walked under a small arch of the Void Wall, the stone body of Rozeta arching overhead, and onto the first meter of a kilometer-long, white stone bridge. The first thing Ezekiel noticed about the bridge was the size; wide enough for a company of men, twenty by twenty wide, to march across it without impairing their stride. The gentle rise and craftsmanship was superb, but the view was more impressive.

The Wanzhi Delta was a magnificent orange and gold, with cold waters snaking between sandbars, turning deeper here and there. A dark chill flowed through the air outside of the bridge, but upon the bridge, was light and life. Wardlight lanterns shoved away the oncoming night, while small fires lit upon the bridge drove away the chill. The people upon the bridge were cast in a myriad of shadows and light, and they, too, drove away the darkness with their happy voices and their good cheer. Most of them seemed to be coming from some other, earlier party, to hear them speak.

It was easier to hear them speak, out here, past the Void Wall, where the Void Song was already fading in power as they left it behind them.

The second thing he noticed about the bridge, now that he was truly on it, was that he was walking faster than normal, even though he did not seem to be expending much effort, at all. In a minute, they had reached the halfway point of the kilometer-long bridge. The bridge was enchanted for speed of travel, obviously. It was a subtle enchant; impossible to notice unless he really looked with both [Mana Sight] and his normal senses.

He would have liked to have studied the bridge more as they walked toward the Noble District, but Ezekiel put on his game-face. He heard a potential problem approaching from behind. Tiffany’s reaction was a scowl, hidden under her veil.

It was the green man who called Tiffany a ‘fair giantess’. He was already slightly drunk, but not drunk enough to miss Tiffany, tall as she was. She wasn’t hard to spot, but still… Ezekiel didn’t want her bothered, and the man clearly bothered her.

‘Do you want me to get rid of him?’ Ezekiel sent.

‘Nope!’ Tiffany said, ‘I want to beat him into the ground, please and thank you.’

Paul snorted a tiny laugh.

“My fair giantess!” called the man, once he was five meters away.

In an act of simple grace befitting her dress and station, Tiffany rotated on her heel and faced the man. A few nearby people paused their walk to watch. A few smirked, wondering what was going to happen. Others kept going, wishing for some people to have better manners; that particular emotion was directed toward both the green man, and in one case, toward Tiffany.

The green man wiggled his bushy eyebrows at Tiffany, saying, “We missed out on our spar.”

“I’m sure I missed out on less than nothing.”

The green man’s party caught up to him. They were a woman and another man who both wore clothes of slightly lesser quality than the green man’s shimmering silk robe, but they also wore veils, similar to Tiffany’s. Behind those veils—

Oh. Odd.

But. Huh.

They were half-orcols, maybe.

Both of the green man’s people had outsized lower fangs, like Tiffany, but smaller. One of them had a green cast to their skin, while the other had a red-brown cast to theirs. And then Ezekiel noticed something strange about the green man. His skin was barely brown, but it was brown in a red sort of way. He was a half-orcol, too, but... None of the three people were much larger than any other tall human?

Ezekiel had never seen a half-orcol before. He didn’t know what to make of them, or if there was some cultural thing going on between him and Tiffany. Or if this was just normal harassment. It seemed like normal harassment.

The man laughed, then said, “I’ve got rings of [Alter Size]. My ‘nothing’ can be anything you desire.”

People on the bridge gasped at the impropriety of it all.

Tiffany stared down at the man, her eyes turning red behind her veil as her voice turned calmer. “Step off before you hurt yourself.”

The man stepped forward, one step. He looked up, saying, “We’re both going to the same party. Maybe you should teach me how to behave.”

Tiffany stared for a moment, all hard-edged and hateful, and then she blinked away the red in her eyes. After another moment, she calmly said, “No.”

The man eyed her, then frowned. “Sorry for bothering you.”

And then he walked around Tiffany, continuing on his way across the bridge, toward the Noble District. His people followed him. The veiled man bowed to Tiffany, quickly, but said nothing and then rushed to catch up to the green man. Ezekiel still didn’t know the green man’s name.

He didn’t know what to make of that whole event.

Tiffany breathed deep. Then she turned back to Ezekiel.

The four of them resumed the walk across the bridge.

They reached the Alluvial District without further incident, except when they stepped off of the bridge and truly entered the land of the nobility of the Highlands. They gawked. The other people on the bridge walked around them.

The mountains that stood up from the Wanzhi Delta and formed the Noble District of Eralis were not mountains at all, but mansions, towers, lands of forest and enchantment, some with castle architecture and some done with less solid style. Only one thing was constant: every mansion mountain seemed like a maze. Gazing down from the sky above showed this place as simple mountains and expensive houses. But the view from the land—

Ezekiel recognized what had happened. There was an enchantment in the air that changed how it all looked unless you were actually here.

The bridge led to a white road that wound through the district like a circling river, giving space to each monstrous mountain mansion but also unifying them all. Overhead, bridges spanned that ‘river’, connecting ‘houses’ at multiple levels. Lights adorned everything. Shadows and color were part of the decoration.

Ezekiel walked forward, off of the white bridge and onto the white road, and found the road similarly enchanted for speed as the bridge. His people followed.

Not ten meters into the district, past hidden guards and beyond several layers of [Ward]s, their guide for the evening appeared, along with his wife. Xue and Sikali wore matching red and black robes.

Xue gave a half-bow, then said, “Greetings, Scion Phoenix. Welcome to the Alluvial District of Eralis. I trust your time with the Songstresses was successful?”

“I will need to be killing some mist stone gluttons soon enough to pay their bill, but yes, it was successful.”

“Glad to hear it.” Xue gestured back the way he had come, asking, “To the Clan House, directly to the gathering? Or would you like a tour of the District? It’s much more impressive from the ground.”

Ezekiel went along with recognizing that he had spied on them, though not as much as they had spied on him, saying, “Seeing sights with your own eyes is always more impressive than seeing them through [Scry]s. Tell me, though: Are you here as a representative of your Clan, or are you here individually?”

“For Clan Star Song,” Xue said.

“Individually.” With professional cheer, Sikali added, “Enforcers try not to get political.”

Ezekiel allowed himself a small smile, for there was nothing more political than the threat of violence, and Sikali was making a joke with an edge. He said, “I would like a quick tour. This seems like a wonderful place you have here.”

Sikali spoke up, “It is. Welcome to our homes, Scion Phoenix.”

He walked with them, upon the white roads that wound through the Alluvial District, their speed quicker than should be, as Xue spoke of the mountainous mansions here and there, naming them for who they belonged to. Clan River Walker, with their power built upon the fishing trade, and their house on the edge of the Alluvial District where waterfalls cascaded from on high to join the Wanzhi River outside. Clan Gentle Judge, who oversaw lawful operations for many smaller Clans outside of Eralis, with a no-nonsense mountain crafted with grandeur on the inside of the district.

Xue continued to list Clan mansions and speak of exports and spheres of business, likely to get Ezekiel interested in trade and power and all of that. It was a good tactic, Ezekiel admitted. He was thinking of exports and trade, but likely not how the people here would be willing to trade. Candlepoint was full of shadelings, after all. Ezekiel had only heard the name of the Dark God of Magic once, while inside this land, and it was from a child to another child. That first child was quickly beat to a pulp by the second, and also a third and a fourth. The first kid was okay, of course. [A Child’s Protection] kicked on after the rest of the kids left, and the first kid was physically whole.

Until his mother got to him, then he got a rather red behind.

They did not like Dark Magics here.

Anyway. Clan mansions!

There were so many different mountains of which Ezekiel would likely never visit, but which he marked mentally. And then they got close to their destination.

“Here we have Clan Diligent Scribe.” Xue gestured to a mountain made of houses with green, curled-corner roofs and stately plazas. “With their power given to them by our own Clan Star Song, Clan Diligent Scribe is in charge of the education programs of Eralis and the surrounding villages and towns. They also have a thriving potion trade, like many other Clans of the Highlands.”

Well that was nice to hear. Education programs, eh? Maybe he missed those, since Darzallia was a party town.

Ezekiel stared up at the mansion mountain where Tadashi had lived until recently. “Is Alchemist Tadashi doing better at your Clan? Or was he moved to some less-[Ward]ed location?”

Sikali answered, “He is doing well in a specialty-made potion house of Star Song. We’re taking good care of him, Scion Phoenix, but you will be able to see that for yourself at the gathering.” She gestured to the left, at one of the few mountains which had not been mentioned yet, saying, “The home of Clan Star Song, and our destination for this evening.”

Xue rapidly said, “Our relationship to Clan Diligent Scribe is still holding as strong as ever; you can see as much by the sky bridges that connect our two houses.”

Ezekiel saw those bridges, but he saw a lot more than that, for Star Song was one of the most powerful Clans in the land, and their mountain mansion reflected as much.

The sun set in the west, past the city of Eralis, painting half of the mansion in orange and the other half in purple, while the sky above was awash in a million glittering stars. Some of those stars seemed to have descended to Veird and placed themselves in lamps upon crenelations, in the trees that adorned the white road ‘riverside’ that wound between each property, and upon the many, many curled-corner roofs of the many twisting towers and structures of Clan Star Song’s home. The only normal structure to the whole thing was a many-sided pagoda-like structure at the top composed of several floors. A few bridges connected that top pagoda to smaller pagodas, separate from the main one, located on separate peaks of the same mountain mansion.

It was quite beautiful, and Ezekiel let his approval show on his face.

Julia said, “I’m really loving the architecture around here.”

Xue smiled at that, and much of it seemed as genuine as Ezekiel’s own emotions, as he said, “Thank you for the compliment.” He turned to Ezekiel and indicated the near-empty white road ‘river’ they walked upon, saying, “That concludes the tour, and it looks as though many people are already off the roads and have arrived at the gathering. Shall we also proceed to the gathering?”

Ezekiel consented, saying, “Lead the way.”

Xue nodded, and taking Sikali’s hand in his own, they led the way past Diligent Scribe’s home, toward the large gate that denoted the entrance to Clan Star Song. The six of them almost made it toward that gate, but something important caught Ezekiel’s attention, just to the left.

The white road wound around the entire Alluvial District, encircling houses and providing fast travel while one was upon them, but the mansion mountains were not perfectly organized. This meant that the ‘river’ grew wider and smaller in some parts, and especially wide at crossroads. To the left, directly in front of Clan Star Song’s mansion, was one such crossroad. Many such crossroads had sculptures or trees or even a little babbling spring, in one case. This one had a sculpture, and it was also the largest crossroad Ezekiel had seen at maybe five meters across.

‘Sculpture’ would be a poor word, though. The island held an art installation. The main part was a perfectly normal pagoda-like structure made of air and stone in the center of the island, rising several meters into the air. The secondary part was the inclusion of four silver obelisks, half the size of the pagoda, that each stood equidistant from the pagoda, surrounding the pagoda like a square of silver. The third part was in the form of small bridges between each silver obelisk that arced from the white road, toward the pagoda in the center. This here was almost the same sort of structure as the Void Temple, with its four bell towers surrounding a much larger central building, except here, the bridges led inward, instead of from bell tower to bell tower.

And it reminded him...

Ezekiel tried to follow Xue and Sikali toward Clan Star Song’s gate, but he stopped and stared at the art installation.

From a certain angle…

The art piece was missing the full square of silver metal, but the obelisks did a great job of giving the impression of something that was only half there, and this way, one could see the art from any angle and they’d know what they were looking at. The main thing here was the pagoda made of air and stone in the center of the island. It had a distinctive shape. It was seven-sided, and there were no walls. Just curling roofs and plain pillars and many same-sized levels. This was a shape and style that Ezekiel had only ever seen in one place.

It was exactly like the pagodas of air and stone that he had seen beyond the Gate inside the Green Labyrinth, the Twisted Vision which held the only stable dragon culture on Veird. It was missing all the people milling around at the market, but the structure of it all was exactly the same. This pagoda was entirely non-magical. Ezekiel already had his mana sense fully open and—

Xue’s voice brought Ezekiel back to the moment.

“What?” Ezekiel said as he turned to the man, more startled, than angry. “Can I help you?”

Xue was sweating. Why was he sweating? Sikali looked equally curbed, though less worried about the moment than her husband. Oh. Xue knew what this art installation meant. Sikali might be aware, or maybe not. Or maybe both of them had only heard part of the truth. Maybe they knew nothing?

Maybe they knew everything.

Xue said, “Apologies, Scion. I was commenting on the stone garden.”

Ezekiel asked, “How long has this been here?”

“Hundreds of years. The Elders refuse to have it changed seasonally, as we change all the rest.” Xue said, “I could ask around if you wish to know more.”

“Another time.” Ezekiel said, “Let us attend the gathering.”

Xue bowed, and this time it was a true bow of deference. His wife gave Xue a strange, appraising look, before she followed his lead. When they both stood, Xue led the way forward, into Clan Star Song.

The gathering had already begun. The scents of cooked rice and a hundred delicacies from savory to sweet drifted on the breeze as the sounds of stringed instruments filled the night. Odin sang in soft harmony upon Ezekiel’s shoulder.