The organizational hierarchy of mursashu is thus: the three Mursa command their mursashi, leaders responsible for their specific area of commerce or function within the caravans. While all three surviving groups originate from the Lost City of Mur, the Mursa lead their respective train of mursashu with one goal in mind:

To one day reclaim their homeland of Mur.

— Transcribed notes of Head Scholar Lauryn interviewing a mursashu member. Archives of the Fallen Star Pavilion.

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"The Mursa welcomes the leaders of the Dao to his ship for the evening and discussions regarding your proposal."

The divine snow of Winter's Sorrow fell unabated all over JiangXi, but the rooftops of the buildings glowed and the city was beautiful in the evening. Down at the river docks, the frozen River Jiang was also covered in snow, and each of the large icebound tradeships had their masts and decks clearly lined with it. The mursashu could be seen going about each deck as small, dark silhouettes working tirelessly to sweep the snow off the ships.

Molam kept his movements deliberately simple as he walked up the gangplank with Primrose, Shurra, and Kalle in tow, following the Mursa's attendant who had introduced herself as Jyuni. While they were bundled tightly in Kalle's black cloaks, the mursashu wore bright colors in various hues and styles that he vaguely recognized from the cities he had visited during his years of wandering. The attendant Jyuni herself wore a robe woven from a thick deep purple linen cloth with gold-trimmed hems that fell down past her knees, and though he could not recognize the particular fur lining her snow boots, there was little doubt in his mind that it was of the highest quality money could buy.

It was a stark reminder that for the mursashu, money was power. And right now, the Dao had none to offer.

Upon arriving onto the ship's deck, Jyuni bowed, her black unbound hair falling gracefully to the side. "Thank you for taking the time and effort to follow me here. This is Mursa Shang's personal ship, and I will announce your arrival to the Mursa. Please, wait here."

After Jyuni left, Molam glanced about. They were on the ship's deck, yes, but there was a second level above them and he could see the vague outlines of others looking down upon them. He motioned to the rest and they came closer.

"It's begun." Molam whispered, tilting his chin towards the upper level. "No, Kalle, don't look."

"What's taking them so long?" Kalle stamped his feet. "I didn't have enough time to make a second pair of boots like yours, Molam, my feet are freezing."

"Weren't you born in the cold?" Molam gave Kalle a warning look. "We don't know who may be listening."

Kalle put his gloved hands to his face, huffing into them such that his cheeks puffed out. Shurra's blue eyes displayed none of her thoughts besides her usual grim silence, and Primrose seemed content with allowing her orange hair to billow in the wind, the divine snow adding motes of light to her hair alongside the blue satem flowers. Molam decided it was a good thing he told them to expect a lengthy wait ahead of time.

He suspected Mursa Shang and Mursa Khan had similar approaches. Negotiations like these could never start until one side felt they had acquired as much information as possible, and Mursa Shang most likely wanted to start off knowing the one thing he and Primrose were desperate to hide: what was Molam's condition?

So he stood still, pretending to be unaffected by the cold wind that stung at his face as they waited in silence on the ship's open deck at the full mercy of Winter's Sorrow. He looked up at the shadowy figures that oversaw them from the second level with a disinterested gaze even as he pondered the Mursa's next move. If Mursa Shang was anything like Mursa Khan, his first mistake would very likely be his last.

The duration of their wait afforded him time to truly appreciate the grandeur of the River Jiang. The divine snow lost its luster upon touching the earth, but the frozen waters of the river were different and the divine snow that collected upon its frozen surface did not dissipate in their luminosity. The effect was amplified against the darkness of the night, and from atop the ship's deck Molam could see the full splendor of the river extended by many leagues like a glimmering serpent slithering through the Central Valley. The frigid bite of the wind against his skin did nothing to distract him from the sheer beauty that was IceMourne's Domain. Gazing upon it as he did now, Molam could only exhale in a misty cloud and wonder: how was it that all this beauty caused so many deaths each year?

"The Mursa extends his gratitude for your patience. Please, come to the second floor and follow me inside."

Jyuni had materialized at the second floor of the deck, gesturing for them to come up.

Shurra held a hand to Kalle's mouth, who looked as though he was going to voice further complaints. Molam gave Shurra a grateful nod, then beckoned to them. Primrose tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and followed along.

***

The entrance to the Mursa's cabin was a lavishly decorated set of doors, guarded on either side by two burly men dressed in thick red robes. When they approached following Jyuni's lead, she made a small gesture and the two men pushed the doors open, revealing an interior well-lit by various lanterns and an extravagant table set out with plates and eating utensils. There were two sets of windows on either side, allowing those inside to see the falling light of IceMourne's divine snow as it drifted past the glass panes. At the far end of the table sat one man who could only be Mursa Shang. The man who had the elderwood he needed to obtain in order to go home.

"Don't just stand there, come in, come in!" The Mursa beckoned jovially with a hand that glittered with two rings, one with a ruby gem and the other sapphire. "It is dreadfully cold outside, and the longer you stand at the doorway the more the heat escapes!"

For a moment, Molam wanted to make a snide remark about having waited outside for a lengthy period of time. Something about the Mursa's unexpected cheery attitude made him bite his lip and he walked in, beckoning to the others to follow. When all of them had entered, the guards closed the doors behind them and Jyuni walked past them to stand next to the Mursa.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, sit, please, take a seat, any seat you like." The Mursa gestured at the seats and plates set out for them. "Make yourselves at home, you are my guests. Once we're all seated, we can have dinner."

Now that he was inside, Molam saw that there were more guardsmen in the room, standing at each corner. The insides of his stomach churned, but he pacified it with a silent exhale as he viewed the table setup. The Mursa sat at his end of the table, and the four chairs prepared for them were arranged two each on either side of him.

"Well, you heard the Mursa," he turned to smile at his group. "Let us take a seat."

He walked to the nearest chair, Primrose following to the side closer to the Mursa. Kalle and Shurra walked to the other side of the table and each selected a chair of their own, pulling them out to sit down. Kalle seemed grateful at the heat, sitting down with a soft exhale even as Shurra lumbered into her seat.

Molam waited until his companions were sitting before he pulled the chair out, dragging it towards the other end of the table across the Mursa, then picking up the utensils and plate and also arranging it in front of his chair before sitting down to find Mursa Shang regarding him with a look of amusement.

Sitting down across the Mursa gave Molam a full view of the man. Black, thick hair was parted elegantly down the middle and framed a middle-aged face. His high cheekbones did not hide the dancing black eyes that watched his every move as Molam sat down and arranged the plates as he had seen with Mursa Khan. The Mursa's goatee was well-trimmed, but Molam noticed a small streak of gray beginning to form.

And the Mursa's robes were dyed the color of deep black, with hems trimmed in gold the same style as Jyuni's. Unlike the other mursashu, Mursa Shang's robe was not long-sleeved to protect against the cold. With his upper arms bare, Molam could see that the Mursa's left arm wore a golden bracelet and his right arm bore a tattoo, but he could not see the design.

"I am delighted to be able to host the newest leaders of JiangXi tonight," Mursa Shang gestured with both hands at either side of him to Primrose, Kalle, and Shurra, though his eyes never left Molam's face. "And I must say, we have quite the varied gathering this fine evening. I have asked the kitchens to do their best to entertain you as befitting your palate, so please, do tell me if anything is not perfect."

"Mursa Shang, we came to discuss —"

The other hand was held up, and on it were three other rings with gems of emerald, topaz, and a diamond that sparkled in the light of the lanterns.

"Please, please," the Mursa smiled, his lips pressed together and not showing teeth. "Heavier business discussions can wait, surely? We'll get to those in time. Hunger makes the body and spirit a nagging mistress, and I wouldn't want to be incapable of giving our discussions the full consideration it deserves."

Molam's chest complained at his clutched breathing, for he had wanted to say something at the Mursa's statement. It wasn't what he said but how he said it that set Molam on edge — yet his gut rejected the idea of forcing the talk to happen at his preferred pace. All he could do was put on a false smile for his companions.

"As the Mursa has given much thought into playing our host for tonight — let us eat first and leave the business for later."

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"Aha, a man that truly understands, good, good, very good!" Mursa Shang held out a hand gesturing at Molam to sit. "Indeed, I like to know who I'm doing business with before I proceed. After all, it's not everyday that I can host a man without a Title, yet could survive a fight with the Tempest."

The casual words seemed to dissipate the heat in the room and the eyes of his companions darted towards Molam as though expecting him to respond. Molam sank slowly into his seat at the Mursa's words, his eyes fixated upon the opposing man's eyes but in his peripheral vision, he saw Shurra and Primrose's lips pressed into a thin line.

But Molam flicked his eyes towards the two women as he pulled his chair in and the momentary chill passed — he met the Mursa's gaze again and replied with the barest hint of a smile. "If Titles were all we needed to indicate fighting prowess, then surely you could fight anyone, Mursa Shang."

"Please, please, you flatter." The Mursa's other hand waved away Molam's comment. Two more rings: one with a sapphire, the other a ruby. "I was only selected to inherit the Title of Mursa because my predecessor valued my luck at the negotiation table. It is nothing like the warriors that can reshape the world around them to their will."

"But enough about my lack of achievements, I promised my guests a dinner and promises are to be kept." Mursa Shang held up a hand at Jyuni, who bowed. "Let us see what the kitchens have come up with."

Jyuni took a step back and knocked twice on the wall behind them. A hidden door in the wall opened up, and out traipsed several mursashu wearing colorful robes and bearing trays of food. They walked out to the dining area behind Jyuni, who indicated which seated person should receive which tray.

"For Shurra, daughter of the White Bear," Jyuni pointed, and a tray was set in front of Shurra. "We apologize for being unable to source fresh kirin this far south of the Northern Plains, but the cooks have replaced it in this stew with muskox rib, simmered with powdered root of anlleq to provide consistency, seaweed from the coast of HaiFeng, and sea salt from the White Coast is provided to taste. There is sourdough bread on your right, and for dessert a plate of diced apples drizzled in ice honey."

Molam's eyes flickered towards Shurra, whose face exposed none of her emotions aside from the set of her cheeks and a clenched jaw. Primrose caught his eye with furrowed brows — and he wondered if Primrose was reacting to what had just been revealed about Shurra, or the extent to which the Mursa had delved into their backgrounds.

"For Kalle, son of the Blue Raven, the head cook decided you may be nostalgic for the taste of your homeland and prepared a similar set of dishes." Jyuni pointed and the tray was set in front of a bewildered Kalle. "The stone slab lies atop your invention of warming stones and can be used to grill the fresh cuts of silverfish, caught earlier today from iceholes in the River Jiang. To the side is a bowl of thick congee, a saucer of crushed rock salt, a saucer of apple vinegar for dipping, and on your left is a bowl of shaved ice topped with winter berries and condensed llama milk for dessert."

"They're not supposed to be used for grilling," Kalle complained in a low murmur, but Jyuni paid him no heed. Kalle's pallid face seemed to reflect the color of the white condensed milk. Molam's mind raced as he remembered hearing stories about Kalle's tribe in Hjornheim — a tribe that had been scattered almost two decades ago. So Kalle was one of the Blue Ravens.

"For Primrose, daughter of Teljumaya, we are pleased to say that our stores contained some dried lantern peppers and moon chilis sourced from the base of the World Tree. Unfortunately, none of the cooks are well-versed in the food preparation following the style of Teljumaya's guardians after their disappearance more than two decades ago — therefore the head cook personally crafted this dish for you to take advantage of the unique taste of lantern pepper and moon chili found in your birthplace. He decided to poach wild poultry in oil derived from leymint, garnished with spring onions, garlic, and cabbage leaves, and recommends you add diced pepper or crushed chili to your tastes. There is flatbread stuffed with hummus and a saucer of moon chili oil to dip the flatbread in. Your dessert is a plate of mochi stuffed with black sesame, hand-ground into a fine paste."

Perhaps Primrose had time to prepare, given what Jyuni had revealed when introducing Kalle and Shurra's meals, but her face gave nothing away as the mursashu set the food in front of her. When the mursashu lifted the covering, a sweet and tingling scent of the spice permeated the room, causing Molam's mouth to water. But Primrose's red lips only pressed tightly together, almost to a thin line. Molam had no time to wonder about the meaning for Jyuni was walking towards him, and he braced himself as he realized that Shurra, Kalle, and Primrose's eyes were following Jyuni's approach.

"For Molam, leader of the Dao and the Oracle's chosen, we apologize for being unable to discover the tastes of your childhood. The Mursa has therefore elected that you enjoy the same food he will: a bowl of suimono made of freshly caught river bass, lemon slices, radish, and carrots, paired with flame-grilled beef slices topped over black rice mixed with quail egg. There is a side of blue river sturgeon poached in rice vinegar topped with thyme and goat butter, garnished with a side of sturgeon caviar."

The tray was put in front of Molam, arranged neatly before him before Jyuni faced him specifically. "For dessert, a custard tart topped with a scoop of leymint and pomberry ice cream will be provided when you are finished — please note that the ice cream is to be kept outside to prevent it from melting until you are ready to consume it."

Again, he resisted the urge to clutch at his chest as he realized he had been holding his breath. Looking around, he caught Kalle looking sheepishly away even as Shurra and Primrose stared pointedly at their meals. Molam exhaled slowly, feeling the throbbing pain in his ribcage.

Jyuni had returned to Mursa Shang's side before she continued rattling off. "And of course, hot tea will be served. We have two different selections tonight: satem tea, brewed from the petals of flowers that have bloomed, and furong tea, brewed from young budding leaves. For those that would prefer spirits, we have moon wine from Oasis, brewed from moonmelon in the moonlight of the Endless Sands, gold quality gaoliang from HaiFeng, distilled from their finest quality golden wheat, and lastly, chambanga ale from the Formosa Isles, refined from only their choicest chambanga from the last harvest."

"Please, enjoy your dinner." With a tone of finality, Jyuni bowed fully and backed off to stand behind the Mursa.

His companions all glanced at him, and Molam himself understood their stunned silence. He himself had many questions for his companions himself, but the Mursa's gaze fell firmly on him.

"Normally, I would entertain guests with a much better full course banquet," the Mursa's eyes narrowed as he smiled at Molam, "But as I predicted that you are all eager to get to business discussion, I told the kitchens to stay their hand and prepare a more modest meal so that we can easily sate our appetites first without wasting too much time. I hope that all of you can forgive me for this humble repast."

"There's nothing to forgive," Primrose spoke first, her eyes briefly flickering to catch Molam's gaze. "I must commend you, Mursa Shang, for such diligent preparation as host. It suggests that you've put much care and thought into ... looking into each of our pasts."

The Mursa waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, standard affair for me in preparation for a potential business matter. And what better way to make it work in everyone's favor than to offer up the services of the cooks I've bothered to employ? They do need to earn their keep, after all." He picked up his bowl of suimono, taking in the fragrance with his nose before sipping lightly at the broth. "Ah, the taste of the changing seasons. Please, this isn't Oasis where you should wait for the host to begin eating first, dig in, dig in!"

With trepidation, Molam picked up his own utensils and began eating, his eyes focusing on the food while his ears listened to what was happening at the table. Shurra had chosen a carafe of gaoliang while Kalle was holding up a glass for moon wine. Primrose had asked for some ice honey to mix with her furong tea.

"Ahfsahfsafffapheww." Kalle sputtered as his mouth opened and closed in rapid succession. "It's hot!"

"An eager tongue only invites trouble, Kalle." Molam hid a smile.

"Is that from Master Flangel?" Kalle sipped greedily at his chilled moon wine.

"No." Molam felt his smile freeze. "From a friend."

A mursashu bearing a tray with each of the drink options approached Molam, pulling his gaze away from Kalle. "What would you like to drink, honored guest?"

"Satem tea, thank you."

A teacup was set down on his tray and poured to the brim with the blue satem tea, adding the faint fragrance of satem flowers to his meal. Molam picked up the tea gingerly, careful to not spill, and sipped at it. He decided with immediate ease that it deserved its reputation. The floral scent invigorated his nose and the aroma was light and zesty, with an earthy aftertaste that invited him to drink more. Before he knew it, the cup was empty and the tea bearer rushed forward to refill his cup.

The food itself was no less impressive on the tongue than it was on the eyes. Whereas the suimono served was merely an appetizer that whetted his appetite and warmed his body, the flame-grilled beef over egg-mixed with rice went down easily, combined with the lightly biting taste of vinegar-poached sturgeon and caviar to ensure that his mouth was repeatedly delighted by a different sensation. Whenever it felt as though the food was too heavy, the satem tea itself served to cleanse his palate and reawaken his hunger.

Soon, his food was finished and all he was left with was a full stomach and the guilty reminder that if he failed tonight, half the city would starve before Spring's Blessings. Looking about, he saw Shurra and Kalle nursing similarly full stomachs in front of clean plates, though Primrose seemed to have picked and chosen what she wanted to eat. The poultry had only been half-eaten and the flatbread remained untouched. However, it seemed Primrose had liked the mochi, for the plate had none left. For a brief moment, Molam wondered if it was as good as Jiovanny's sweets, and the thought made him miss home even more.

A hand extended forward, gemstones glittering in the light. "Care to join me for ice cream, Molam? In fact, there's enough ice cream and custard tart for all should Kalle, Shurra, or Primrose also like to try some. Leymint and pomberrry is a wonderful mix I have taken quite a liking to."

The ice cream was brought in on top of the custard tart and the Mursa picked up his spoon with an eager look in his eyes.

"Did you enjoy the sturgeon, Molam?" the Mursa asked in between bites.

"It was wonderfully fresh," Molam answered as he dug his spoon into the ice cream, ensuring that the custard tart was also carried as a base. The leymint lent a fresh aroma to the citrus taste of pomberry, and the custard tart provided a sweet and lingering aftertaste. "I assume it was caught today?"

"Indeed, indeed it was. In fact," the Mursa paused to glance at Molam before continuing,

"I caught it."

"Quite the pastime for a Mursa, although I can understand not having much to do while you await for Spring's Blessings."

"Oh no, no! I enjoy fishing. A Mursa's duties are quite demanding — meet people, talk to people, learn about people, negotiate with people, think about people…" his eyes fell onto Molam as he spooned another scoop into his mouth, then followed it with a spoonful of custard tart. "I spend so much time surrounded by people and thinking about them that I rarely have time for myself or my own thoughts. Fishing is a time where I can be alone — just me, a line, and the wits of a fish I am thinking of reeling in. Why, today's sturgeon was quite the battle, if I may tell you all about it?"

Molam saw Primrose's eyes dart in his direction from his peripheral vision, but he kept his gaze upon the Mursa. "It would be quite rude of me to say no, having eaten the result of your victory."

"Oh, it was quite the struggle. Do you know about blue river sturgeon? The ones in the River Jiang are such ferocious hunters." The spoon was pointed at Molam. "Do you fish much?"

Molam's mind raced as he hesitated in his response. He was unsure of what the Mursa was leading up to, but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind pushed through the contented satiety, a notion that made him tense up his back and adjust his sitting posture even as he answered. "No, I'm afraid to admit I don't know much about fishing at all."

"Ah, a shame, quite the shame! But allow me to tell you: normally, blue river sturgeon are quite difficult to catch with a line. They are prideful creatures, you see — they prefer eating that which they can hunt themselves. Even hungry, they are intelligent creatures: most blue river sturgeon would not eat the bait you put out because they are very distrusting. The only time you can catch a blue river sturgeon with a bait and hook is when they are unable to hunt for themselves, such as when they are injured from a fight or carrying roe. It is only at these times that a blue river sturgeon will be tempted by bait you put out."

Primrose looked pointedly at Molam's empty tray. "So…"

"Yes, I'm sure you guessed." The Mursa's black eyes were not looking at him right now, but at the ice cream as he scooped his spoon at it. "The blue river sturgeon I caught was not injured, thankfully, or it would have made for a poor meal. No, it was carrying a bellyful of the high quality caviar you also enjoyed."

"Well, it's understandable for sturgeon to still want to eat, no?" Kalle spoke up. Molam threw him a look but the alchemist wasn't looking his way. "I'm not very knowledgeable about the topic, but I do know that few of the fish in the River Jiang have adjusted to hibernation through Winter's Sorrow."

"Oh no, of course it will still want to eat! I believe the only things that do not need to eat are spirits, but even that is simply a rumor, yes?" The Mursa held up his spoon, waving it about as he spoke to the alchemist. "I'm simply observing that it's interesting that even the prideful sturgeon, when hurt or responsible for so many lives in its belly, will risk much to eat. I've made fishing my hobby for many years and I can tell you, these fish are among the most intelligent there are. You can't hope to pull a blue river sturgeon without adequately understanding them; their habits, their wants, their needs..." his eyes fell onto Molam again as he smiled, but this time it was a toothy grin, "and indeed, the sort of bait you need to attract them. Isn't it interesting how the right bait can attract something, even if it's intelligent enough to know it is bait?"