Kallik, Ulagan, and Ganbaatar stood in a small circle as Ganaa repeated his story of how he and Yutu had been rescued by the ‘Lord Protector.’ At Kallik’s request, no detail was left out. Ganaa lay everything bare; Yutu’s rush to finish his array, Ganaa’s struggle to defend them against the hoard, and even his own failings against the Beast Lord’s progeny — as ashamed as he was about it.
He might have taken some… creative flairs in his storytelling with the other apprentices, but with Grassreader Kallik and their last remaining Guardian, Ganaa knew he couldn’t afford to miss even the smallest piece of information. The Beast Lord was still out there, after all. The mention of Yutu’s array, in particular, drew a smile from Kallik. She turned to Ulagan and smirked. The Guardian only sighed in response.
The young Trapper paused, his thoughts turning to Yutu. Ganaa’s sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival had yet to awake, but even with Ganaa’s limited medical knowledge, he could tell Yutu was doing better. Even so, his gaze subconsciously drifted to the cart, and he felt a small pinch in his heart.
Zolzaya sat beside Yutu’s still form, humming a soft tune while she changed Yutu’s bandages. It wasn’t like he was jealous… Okay, maybe a little… But that was to be expected. After all, Zaya and Yutu were Oathbound.
No one could remember how the oaths started, yet they had been an inseparable part of the Wandering Cities’ culture for longer than anyone living could remember, even before coming to the Radiant Sea. The oath wasn’t some frivolous thing; it was a seal upon the soul and bound two people closer than blood. Some cities even considered an oath as binding as a marriage, and oaths between large clans and families were important to gaining allies—though oathtakers seldom married their bound one.
That was typically frowned on for several reasons.
The oaths even came with several benefits to both parties. An oathtaker could always tell where their bond was, within a certain distance, and their Cultivation could even help prop each other up. Some of the deeper bonds could feel what the other was feeling or thinking in some vague way. Though they had been young, Ganaa’s heart had nearly broken when he’d heard Zaya and Yutu would take the oath. He knew even if he ever won Zolzaya’s heart, he could never encroach on the bond she and Yutu shared.
In retrospect, he should have seen it coming. Zaya had always been like an older sister to the timid young man. She was always the first to encourage him and the first to defend him against the naysayers. Ganaa himself never would have noticed Yutu’s enormous talent had it not been for his own interest in Zolzaya. She’d been the first to see the diamond in the sand.
All he could do was accept their oath and try to ensure their own bond was just as strong and important, even if it wasn’t sealed with literal soul Magic.
Ulagan’s voice broke Ganaa from his ruminations and brought him back to the present. The stoic Guardian was a man of few words, but Ganaa had learned to listen when he spoke.
“So what are our options, then? The prairies are still infested with the Beast Lord’s horde, even if they’re scattered. Do we go deeper, hope we cross paths with one of the larger cities, and pray they can spread the word? Or could we head for the edges and try to contact the sects?”
Ganaa furrowed his brow. Why was he asking him? Ganna was just an apprentice Trapper. With his missing leg, he couldn’t even help defend the caravan as well as he had before.
Nonetheless, seeing Ulagan’s expecting eyes on him, the young man paused and gave the question some serious thought.
Hoping to find a city was a gamble, even if most were heading to one of the various Earth Shrines scattered around the Radiant Sea to prepare for the Abditus Apex month. If they missed them or encountered a village or small town that couldn’t fight off the Beast Lord, they could kill hundreds by mistake.
The sects were just as much of a gamble, if in a different way
Due to the chaotic nature of the Spirit Energy in the Radiant Sea, the power of higher-level Cultivators and Mages was greatly suppressed. But that same chaos gave rise to powerful and valuable treasures rarely found elsewhere. Thus, the sects surrounding the Radiant Sea often used the prairies as training and hunting grounds for their most promising disciples.
This naturally created some tension between sects and the Wandering Cities. Relations were civil on the surface, with plenty of trade and even some natives joining this or that sect. That said, most of the sects wouldn’t hesitate to wring the Cities dry of everything they had if given a chance. If the caravan survivors went running to a sect, they might find help, but they might also be ignored, causing them to waste time looking for someone else. At worst, they might be ransomed or be offered help at rates that would bankrupt the village.
Neither option was perfect, though Ganaa was leaning towards the latter. While they couldn’t ask the Lord Protector to help more than he already had, his mere presence might make the sects think twice about trying to cheat them. If nothing else, having the Akh’lut pup with them would add weight to their words. Why such a young pup was away from their pod would definitely raise questions, though. Some for the better and some for the worse.
Ganaa felt somewhat ashamed of using his saviors in such a way, but there was far more at risk here than his pride and honor. He’d do so even if he had to kowtow for 100 days at their feet to get them to agree.
Kallik shook her head.
“Neither. We make our way to the Earth Shrine.” As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward the Lord Protector and the Akh’lut pup.
Ulagan and Ganbaatar jumped, eyes wide as they tried to argue.
“But ma’am—!”
“Grassreader, we can’t—!”
Kallik cut them both off with a raised hand before speaking.
“I know your concerns. If we head towards the Earth Shrine in the middle of convergence, we risk dragging far more people into our conflict with Kusanagi, but we don’t have many options. If the Beast Lord’s injuries are as severe as Ganbaatar has said, he’s unlikely to attack again in the short term. The sects are an option, but…”
She glanced at Ganaa, who turned his face away before continuing.
“. … they’ll be preparing for the Darkest Night as well. It’s unlikely they have the time or will to help in any meaningful way.”
Her gaze turned to the mysterious spirit beast playing fetch with the Akh’lut pup like it was a common hound.
“With the… Lord Protector’s help, we should be able to make it or at least catch up to the village in time. Such a large gathering should strongly dissuade the Beast Lord from further attacks, at least until the end of Abditus, when the Cities split again. There is also one more reason for heading toward the Earth Shrine…”
Ulagan followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing as he asked:
“… You think the Akh’lut will show? The Jadewalker’s Earth Shrine isn’t the largest or strongest. I’d think they’d much prefer their own.”
Kallik nodded. The Earth Shrines were among the few safe places in the Radiant Sea during the Darkest Night. Most spirit beasts preferred to hibernate deep underground, but the Akh’lut, devoted followers of the Earth Prima that they were, were said to have constructed the shrines as places of safety and gathering to wait out the longest, coldest night of the year. The Akh’lut rarely visited the shrines the Cities were allowed to use, as the shields around their own were far superior.
“I do.” Kallik answered, her voice firm. “The Akh’lut are extremely protective of their young, more so the unawakened. To see one uncompanioned… there are few scenarios I can imagine that would lead to such a thing. They’ll likely have someone at every shrine, listening for any clues. They most certainly wouldn’t allow an unknown entity to guard one of their young, no matter how powerful the protector appeared.”
Ulagan shifted his eyes from the pup to the Lord Protector. His frown deepened as he asked:
“You don’t think…”
Kallik shook her head.
“No. Not likely. While it’s hard to imagine a threat, inside the prairies or out, that could threaten an Akh’lut hunting party, if our savior was the culprit, it’s unlikely the young pup would be so… amenable to its presence if it had. She has not fully Awakened, but the child is close. They are likely only a few months from maturing. Given Ganaa’s description of events and the pup’s behavior, I feel there’s a far more likely culprit.”
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It was Ganaa’s turn to frown, and his hands clenched tight, shaking as he did.
“Kusanagi…”
Kallik nodded.
“Correct. That would also suggest the Beast Lord has become far more powerful and dangerous than the last time he appeared. Regardless of the risk, the Akh’lut and the Wandering Cities must be informed of his return. I can’t say how the Lord Protector plays into all of this, but my guess is that the creature isn’t native to the prairies. It likely stumbled upon the pup after wandering into the Radiant Sea. I can’t say why it helped her — or you — but sometimes fate is strange like that. Surely you both have realized it by now?”
Ulagan stared, deep in thought, before speaking.
“It’s clearly Awakened. The level of intelligence and skill it’s shown are beyond what you’d expect from just a smart spirit beast. Yet… not once has it introduced itself or communicated in anything but gestures. And the way it constantly examines things, as if seeing them for the first time. Nor have I ever heard of any spirit beast even remotely similar to this form, even in the surrounding lands. Given all that, plus its prodigious strength… could it be a…”
Kallik nodded, grinning ear to ear.
“Yes. I believe we may have stumbled on a new Progenitor.”
—————————————————————
Elder Yu Xiurong, Elder of the Origin Sect’s developmental branch, did her best to suppress the slight shaking of her hand as she sipped on the fragrant [Icebane Tea]. Some might have seen the use of such a valuable cultivation resource as a waste, but its soothing warmth flooded her spirit and did much to ease the tension in the field tent where they were holding this meeting.
Normally, the tent would be packed full of Disciples and other sect members, and they organized the various parts of their current expedition to gather the star shards. Currently, only she, Elder Song, their guest, and a lone servant occupied the large tent.
The man across the table set down his cup and nodded in approval. The attending servant almost sighed in relief but caught himself.
It was understandable; if even Xiurong, a Flood Dragon [Soul Fusion] Cultivator, and more than halfway through the greater [Earthly Transcendent] realm, was feeling the pressure, it had to be much worse on the weaker servants. Not that the man across from her was stronger than her. In fact, he was several steps weaker, being only at the upper end of [Shackle Breaking]. Not that such a thing mattered in this place or to these people.
The man sighed, then leaned back, smiling as he ran his fingers through the long, distinctive black and white hair. Xiurong involuntary shuddered, and only the gentle tap of Elder Song’s foot on her own calmed her down. She knew the man across from the table was playing with her. It was all part of the power game between factions. Yet Xiurong could still feel the man’s bloodline nature poking and prodding at her for weakness.
After all, his people were rumored to descend from the only known race to naturally prey on Dragons — not that they didn’t return the favor just as often. Even if they were both little more than lesser sub-species of those great Beasts, the echo of that relationship could call from their blood at times.
The man sat straight and lowered his gaze to the two Elders across from him before speaking cheerfully.
“Thank you for the tea! I’m always impressed by the quality the Origin Sect can source. It’s so very hard to find anything worthwhile to drink in the prairies. The Radiant Sea might be a treasure trove, but the more fragile spirit plants like teas don’t do well here.”
Elder Song smiled back, though neither man’s eyes held any genuine warmth as he responded.
“Of course! Only the best for our esteemed hosts. Think of it as an apology, Huntmaster Tuguslar, for the… misunderstanding. I grew this blend myself. I’ll be sure you leave with a fresh block.”
Elder Song nodded to the tense young servant. The young man darted out the tent door, eager to fulfill the unspoken request… and escape the Huntmaster’s lingering gaze. When the tent flap closed, a small array drawn on its surface activated, and all sound from outside the tent vanished. The privacy ward wouldn’t stop stronger individuals from listening in, but it would at least alert the occupants if an attempt was made.
Tuguslar smiled and turned his attention to the small box before him.
He pulled out a small shard of black glass, meticulously cut to emphasize the swirling lights deep within. He stared at it for a silent moment before placing it back in the box.
“Beautiful, aren’t they? I’ll be sure to let the tribe and the Earth Temple know who gifted them such exquisite treasures.”
Elder Xiurong mentally tsked. Sure he would. And, of course, he’d be sure to tell them how so very ‘difficult‘ it had been. Of all the people the Akh’lut could send to them, why did it have to be this man? Xiurong could only shove down her grievances as the man continued.
“It’s a shame you lost the Fallen Star itself, though. Were it not for the current situation, I’m sure we could have lots of… fun competing to see who could track the thief down first. Such healthy competition is always good for the young ones.”
The man’s smile grew far wider than should have been possible, showing off rows of razor-sharp teeth. Such a display was intentional, of course. The Akh’lut were one of the few powers that could operate freely inside the Radiant Sea, and some more… predatory individuals like to remind others of that fact.
After all, not only were the Akh’lut talented Cultivators in their own right, but every single one was also a powerful Esper. More specifically, they had a natural talent for shape-shifting that put most other chimeric races to shame. While they always kept the distinctive black and white markings of their natural form, a mature Akh’lut warrior was a force to be reckoned with that could regularly go toe to toe with beings several smaller steps above them. Some could even fight those of greater steps and come out even.
She had once witnessed a single [Silver Spirit] Akh’lut hunter duel a [Golden Spirit] Adventurer who thought they could easily steal the Akh’lut’s prey. The hunter actually put the Adventurer on edge. When the Adventurer’s intentions became less than honorable, the Akh’lut’s entire hunting party jumped the Adventurer and chased them away.
And that had been outside the Radiant Sea. If the same fight had occurred in the prairies — where outsides are naturally suppressed — things wouldn’t have ended so well for the Adventurer.
Despite the vast wealth found in the Radiant Sea, there had yet to be a serious challenge to the Akh’lut’s claim in centuries, for good reason.
Elder Xiurong frowned, though she kept her voice calm.
“If the Akh’lut aren’t here for the Fallen Star, why have you come?”
Tuguslar’s smile dropped, though there was still a playful, teasing tone in his voice that grated at Xiurong’s nerves. He nodded and wagged a finger.
“Ah! Now that’s the question, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I have come bearing some terrible news. High Priestess Metis and the rest of her party... were found murdered only recently.”
A loud crack echoed through the small room as the arm of the chair Elder Xiurong had been grasping shattered into fragments. Her brow furrowed, and her lips twitched as she tried to speak, but no words came out. Only Elder Song’s gentle hand on her own brought her back out of the swirling storm that had erupted in her mind.
In an instant, the chaos on her face receded, and her expression went still, like the calm surface of a lake.
Xiurong didn’t miss the sparkle in the hateful man’s eyes as Elder Song turned to him to speak.
“I… am sorry to hear that. We greatly enjoyed High Priestess Metis’ visits and appreciated her efforts at brokering the agreements between the Origin Sect and the Akh’lut. Though I’m curious why this news merits your personal visit, Huntsmaster. You can’t think we had something to do with this tragedy?”
Tuguslar leaned back in his chair and shrugged.
“I’ll admit, some of the more… conservative tribe members have brought up the idea—”
Xiurong shot to her feet, her Spirit Energy swirling in dark patterns, no longer bothering to hide her fury. Metis had been… maybe not a friend — not quite yet — but Xiurong had spent days, weeks even with the woman, as they discussed various topics. The Priestess had been kind and patient in a way few could afford to be in this cold, hard world. She’d been one of the few people Xiurong felt she might one day call a genuine friend. To insinuate that—
Tuguslar held up a hand, his own Spirit Energy clashing against her own.
“Now now, no need for that. I said they’ve brought up that idea. None are taking the possibility seriously… yet.”
Elder Song pulled Xiurong down and wedged his own Spirit Energy between the two clashing forces. Neither had missed the implied threat in the Huntmaster’s words.
Elder Song asked:
“So why would the Akh’lut come to us?”
“The High Priestess was on her way to visit your compound when her [Soul Flame] was extinguished. Very close, in fact… to where the Fallen Star fell.” Tuguslar answered with a sigh.
Elder Song and Xiurong leaned back, wide-eyed. After a moment, Elder Song whispered, “Do the Akh’lut think… that the Star thief had something to do with the murder?”
Tuguslar leaned forward, his eyes hard and voice serious for the first time since the meeting started.
“That’s the prevailing theory. Fallen Stars are always powerful and dangerous, whatever form they take. It would make sense that some lucky fool decided they wanted to test their new toy. That being said, there’s a more serious issue.”
Elder Song raised a brow. What could be more serious than a rogue psychopath with a dangerous weapon?
Tuguslar continued:
“The High Priestess’s daughter was with her at the time… and the child has gone missing.”
Xiurong slumped in her chair, her heart sinking at the thought of the mischievous, happy pup that had accompanied her mother during most of their visits. She couldn’t even be angry at the adorable thing, even when she’d chewed one of Xiurong’s most expensive robes to shreds — itself an impressive feat, given it had been rated for those in the [Earthly Transcendent] realm.
Elder Song’s frown deepened as he asked:
“Was she…”
Tuguslar shook his head.
“No. Her soul flame still burns. Something is interfering with the tracking seal, though. We’re not sure if she’s wandering alone or….”
He let the sentence hang in the air. Elder Song sighed. Great, so not only were they looking at a murder, but a potential hostage situation as well.
Before either Elder could say anything more, Tuguslar stood and clapped his hands. All the gravitas had left when he spoke, and the cheery voice returned.
“Well now! That’s all I had to report! The Akh’lut would appreciate it if the Origin Sect cooperated with our investigation. I’m sure it will go a long way toward ensuring our mutual relationship remains friendly for many years to come.”
With that, he downed the rest of his tea and made his way to the door.
The door shut behind him with a silent thud, leaving the two Elders in silent contemplation.
After a long moment, Xiurong took a deep, ragged breath, then fell into Wu Song’s arms, her tears flowing freely. Wu Song said nothing, only held the young woman tight and stared toward something beyond the room’s walls. As he did, his eyes grew firm, and his grip tightened.