Care about something you cannot control and soon find yourself to be its prisoner.

— Meditations, by the Red Emperor

----------------------------------------

Shurra made to stand up, and out of the corner of his eye Molam saw Primrose's free hand slip beneath the table, her other hand shifting her grip on her knife. The gathered mursashu that had stood at the four corners of the room reacted as well, but Molam subdued Primrose and Shurra with a glance as the two women seemed halfway out of their seats. Shurra seemed reluctant, but Primrose sat back down and Shurra followed suit.

When all was calm again, Molam sipped at his tea before asking the Mursa. "Have any fish ever escaped from you, Mursa Shang?"

The Mursa chuckled. "A good fisherman does not lose a catch, once he has them hooked."

"Well, I hope you consistently prove to be able to land the fish you hook, Mursa Shang, but there is a first time for everything." Molam caught the Mursa's gaze then looked back down at his tea, swirling it around in its cup as he tried to recall how the Oracle spoke. He delivered his next words without a rushed cadence. "Even Mursa Khan boasted about never losing at dragon chess until he met me."

The Mursa's eyebrow raised just a bit. "You beat Mursa Khan at dragon chess?"

"I suppose the loss of that wager was quite embarrassing for him, so much that he hid it so well even you don't know about it." Molam returned the Mursa's gaze over the rim of his teacup. "But indeed I did. You see, I needed safe passage into Crimson City's Palace."

"Crimson City's Palace." The Mursa's eyes no longer twinkled as he set down his spoon with an audible clink. The remains of his dessert forgotten, Mursa Shang's full attention was on Molam now as he interlaced his fingers in front of him. His voice took on a lower, deeper tone and it seemed as if the mursashu that stood on guard took a step closer. "You were the one who stole from the Prince?"

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Primrose's face pale, Shurra's eyebrows met, and Kalle seemed confused, but Molam pretended to not see it. Instead, he ate the final piece of custard tart, making a show of savoring it before he responded. "How many people do you think know about this and can talk about it?"

"I had heard of this but the Empire of the Sun was suspiciously quiet about the perpetrator…" the Mursa's eyes glinted dangerously. "For Mursa Khan to guarantee safe passage into Crimson City's Palace if he lost...What did you bet with Mursa Khan?"

Molam looked at the Mursa straight in the eyes as he answered. "A meeting with the Oracle."

Mursa Shang's eyes narrowed as he snorted. "As though that is something you can guarantee."

"Confirm it with your eyes as Mursa then," Molam's heartbeat throbbed in his chest — pain or anxiety, he couldn't differentiate. "Whether or not that is something I can wager."

The Mursa was silent for a moment, before his black eyes glowed a golden color. "Can you wager — and deliver upon — a meeting with the Oracle?"

Molam took a breath before responding, thinking about the phoenix. "I've already brought someone else to see the Oracle."

It was another pause before the Mursa leaned back in his chair and the glow faded from his eyes. "You are indeed clad in a color that is only spoken of in stories."

Molam's lip twitched. "Would you like to take a similar wager?"

"No, if you defeated Mursa Khan in dragon chess then I would have no chance." The Mursa held out his hands wide open, making a gesture at the room causing the mursashu with weapons to take a step back. "And here I thought I was the one prepared for this engagement. If you guarantee me a meeting with the Oracle, I will provide that which you came here for. Food and resources, enough for the city of JiangXi to survive Winter's Sorrow."

Molam drained his tea and held out the empty cup. "Clearly you don't want this enough, Mursa Shang."

The tea bearer came forward but stopped as the Mursa raised a finger. "Be careful how you speak to me, boy."

"Oh, I am being quite careful." Seeing the tea bearer's hesitation, Molam set the cup down and reached for Kalle's carafe of moon wine to pour himself a cup. "That is, careful with my offer. Surely you don't think a meeting with the Oracle can be bought with just food and resources?"

He sipped at the moon wine as he waited for the Mursa's response. It was light and clean, with a sweet fruity aftertaste that easily glided past his tongue but did not linger for long. "This is quite good."

"I could offer you to the Prince and trade for quite the benefits." Mursa Shang's voice was lower now, quiet and almost monotone. "I imagine the Prince would be interested in the leader of the rebellion in one of his own cities, one that dared to steal from him. Surely you know what happened to the one who declared himself King of Exabell a decade ago?"

"If the mursashu are content with wandering the world for who knows how much longer, then so be it. Is whatever you can get from the Bloody Prince worth the continued wandering?"

"A meeting with the Oracle only serves to answer a question we've sought the answer to for a long time." The Mursa glowered at him. "It does not solve the problem of our homeland of Mur."

"No, but any continued working with the Bloody Prince and the Empire of the Sun truly does nothing to solve the problem the mursashu face, and indeed it only serves to exacerbate it."

The Mursa closed his eyes and exhaled before stroking his chin in contemplation. "Expand on that."

Molam refilled his cup again. "You taught me about fishing earlier — allow me to return the favor. There is a village beneath Spike Maelstrom, where their hunters venture into EarthShaker's Lair to hunt."

"I am aware of that village." The Mursa's gaze did not leave his face even as the Mursa held out a cup to be filled as well.

"Of course, EarthShaker is not a dragon to be trifled with. They are hunting in his Lair and Domain for nine-tailed foxes and pixiu that, rightfully, belong to the dragon. Yet the village still stands. Do you know why?"

Sipping at his cup, the Mursa's eyes glowed gold as he answered in a tone that indicated he was merely playing along with Molam's question. "I would assume the village has an agreement with EarthShaker."

"They do, indeed." Molam emphasized the word he borrowed from the Mursa. "A set amount of each creature is offered up to EarthShaker as tribute. It is the toll they pay for entry." Molam paused, his breath catching as his chest twinged with pain. He had talked too much, but now was not the time to arouse the Mursa's suspicion. "The village is granted permission to hunt, and the dragon does not need to expend his own energy to hunt. They have been doing this for centuries, before the Red Emperor even killed DuskWing."

"And?"

"As we all know, DuskWing's death brought about IceMourne's rage, now known as Winter's Sorrow. Even that village is not spared the spread of IceMourne's enduring grief." Molam tapped a finger against the table as he beheld the Mursa's glowing eyes. "Where they once had a full year to hunt, they now only have three seasons. Yet EarthShaker's tribute must be paid."

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"They seem to be doing quite well for themselves then, if they've managed to keep up on tribute payments for the past four centuries."

"On the contrary, it is at a significant loss." Molam countered, pausing to grip his teacup as pain shot through his chest. "Winter's Sorrow claims many lives each year, yet the bulk of their hunters are spending energy and time fulfilling their part of the covenant. The village now is merely a shadow of its former self, even though EarthShaker has not changed the terms of their agreement."

Molam put more emphasis into his voice. "The mursashu have roamed the world since the fall of DuskWing as well, no? The Bloody Prince may not have caused the events that drove your people out from Mur, but what does the Empire of the Sun truly provide you aside from safe passage so long as you pay the toll?"

Mursa Shang's eyes narrowed. "If nothing changes, then nothing needs to be changed."

"You know fully well that cannot be true forever. The same circumstances that worked for the village are now its shackles." Molam exhaled from his nose and paused, doing his best to keep the condescending tone from his voice. "No doubt you already know: the Bloody Prince wants the SunFlower, but do you know what else he needs to power it? There's no need to look at Kalle; I can tell you — one of the great spirits or the soul of a dragon. He intends to use it against the Leviathan of ZhiXia and won't risk any half measures." Molam set his cup down and leaned forward purposefully, giving the Mursa the full extent of his stare. "What if he succeeds like the Red Emperor? What if the next yearly catastrophe is not one the mursashu can survive?"

The words echoed into silence.

The Mursa breathed in deeply and returned Molam's stare. "State what you want."

"That which you've already offered, and the city's allotment of elderwood in your possession. All of it." It was Molam's turn to smile. "And a pact of neutrality, contractually guaranteed in your Title as Mursa."

Mursa Shang's eyes narrowed. "Mursa Khan gives away too many secrets."

Molam shrugged at that. "We both needed a guarantee that the other would deliver after the wager. Don't blame him — wouldn't you want a binding agreement with me too, one that can force me to deliver?"

"If I agree to this, I want to meet the Oracle upon Spring's Blessings." The Mursa tapped his finger against the table, deep in thought. "When RainBringer spreads her Domain and IceMourne's frost retreats, you will travel with us to Sanctuary and make good on your part of this bargain."

A time constraint. Molam hesitated as he ran his thoughts over whether this would be a severe limitation for him if he hoped to lead the Dao. Truth be told, he had wanted to revisit the Oracle as soon as possible, and if he could secure the elderwood with the mursashu and bring that to ZhiXia, it would eliminate the need for having the members of the Dao be stretched for resources. If he considered it, the Mursa's request could work out in his favor...but the problem lay in the absence of leadership. He looked at Primrose, the silent question in his gaze. She returned the look and nodded with an imperceptible tilt of her chin.

He made to respond then stopped. What was he doing? Why was he thinking about the step after that? All he wanted was to go home, and then the Dao would have served their purpose to him. The mursashu could even bring the elderwood for him. He didn't need to bind himself here any longer. The Oracle and RainBringer would get what they want. Primrose could lead the Dao in his absence. He could go home.

Molam made his decision. "Agreed, but the mursashu will be obligated to move the elderwood to Sanctuary with me, and will guarantee my freedom and survival for the duration of this contract."

"You have quite the voracious appetite when negotiating." Mursa Shang seemed deep in thought. He raised his right arm and pulled up his sleeve, placing his left hand over the tattoo as his right finger began drawing golden lines in the air.

"One: the mursashu under Mursa Shang will provide all of the food and basic resources for the city of JiangXi, enough to survive through Winter's Sorrow. This will end upon the thaw of Spring's Blessings." The lines were drawn in a form of shorthand in the Old Tongue, yet flowed beautifully from one stroke to the next.

"Two: Molam agrees to travel with Mursa Shang's group upon the thaw of Spring's Blessings, to Sanctuary and bring Mursa Shang into an in-person meeting with the Oracle. The mursashu under Mursa Shang will protect and move the World Tree's elderwood alongside Molam to Sanctuary." The drawing for the World Tree was simple, yet even in art form the depiction towered in size before the Mursa clenched his hand and shrunk the paragraph.

"Three: A pact of neutrality." The Mursa's finger paused as he looked at Molam, then he continued. "Mursa Shang's mursashu and the members of Molam's Dao alliance will remain neutral whenever possible, with no acts of aggression. This pact of neutrality will last until Molam's death."

Molam frowned. The expiration that the Mursa had set was a double-edged sword for him. On one hand, it could be viewed as the Mursa selling him a favor: by attaching the pact of neutrality to his life, it cemented Molam's position among the Dao. But at the same time, it meant that anyone who wished to enlist Mursa Shang's help against the Dao would simply need to kill him first. He stopped his train of thought, reminding himself that he had no interest in staying with the Dao once he left and could go home.

Mursa Shang's eyes twinkled at him behind the glowing words in the air. "Is this acceptable?"

"Add that the pact of neutrality is transferred to the next leader of the Dao upon my death or if I resign and pass it on. Additionally, it is to be inherited by the successors to your Title as Mursa."

Mursa Shang's lips curled. "That is too much, Molam. How do I know the Dao won't mistreat my mursashu in the event you succeed and become a larger force?"

"Then additionally, you may add that the Dao will give the mursashu the most favorable terms they give other groups when it comes to areas of trade and commerce."

The Mursa seemed to be deep in thought before he raised his finger again, drawing the additional paragraphs. When he completed the binding contract, he raised both hands and condensed the written words into a circular disc and glanced at it. Apparently content with its contents, the Mursa clapped it between his hands before pulling it into two identical discs. Jyuni stepped forward, receiving one disc with both hands, and then walked to Molam's side before presenting the binding contract to him.

"Your review," the Mursa said in a low tone. "I assume you already know how to seal it."

Molam held the glowing disc in his hand and looked at the glowing contents of the binding agreement. If he did this, there would be no going back. A contract guaranteed by a Mursa was also guaranteed by the Gods. Was this all he wanted, and all he could get from the mursashu? Was there something he had missed? Was there any way this could be turned around on him and act as an unwanted shackle? Would it hinder him from going home?

"Is your knowledge of the Old Tongue lacking?"

"No, I am simply a slow reader." Molam stood up and beckoned to Primrose. "Primrose is the leader of the Dao in the event of my fall, so we will be sealing this together."

"That will be fine."

Primrose came over to stand with him, and if he didn't know her better he would not have picked up on her confusion. Giving her an encouraging nod, he put her left hand against his, then he placed the disc flat against her palm and raised their hands, matching the Mursa's movements. "We accept the terms of your contract."

"So it will be done."

The discs flickered and a stream of light shone between the two, thin at first before expanding into a thick beam that connected their palms. It was a brilliant light, one that easily overpowered the light of the lanterns and it was a breathtaking moment before the beam of light flared out and disappeared with barely a lingering glimmer.

Molam almost relaxed his shoulder, letting go of Primrose's hand. It had been smaller than he expected, but he had seen how expertly she wielded blades. She pulled her hand away, seemingly rubbing at her palm. "The contract?"

"It's not gone." Molam reassured her. "It's just … set in motion."

"Indeed, it is now active." Mursa Shang smiled at them. "Well, it shall be time to make good on the contract. Jyuni, see to it that Gyota and Tokka know what I have guaranteed as Mursa. Tomorrow, we will distribute the —"

"Molam, look!" Kalle's finger shot out, pointing at the window. Everyone's gaze tore from the Mursa to the window that Kalle was pointing at and several people gasped. It was still night, yet the skies were bright, brighter than the light that had just sealed their contract. There was small wonder that the sealing of the contract had distracted them from the bright light.

Molam glanced quickly to the other set of windows, and saw that the light was only from the northwest side of the ship. The southeastern side of the ship was still dark.

The Mursa barked orders, and the mursashu swiftly opened the doors and ran out to look at the bright sky. "That's not possible," murmured Kalle.

"What do you know about this, alchemist?" the Mursa demanded. "Has the Sun finally begun rising from the west?"

"That's…" Kalle shook his head, eyes transfixed upon the skies. "I —"

"Mursa Shang, Kalle is a member of the Dao alliance and you just sealed a contract with us." Molam stepped in encouragingly. "Kalle, what is it? Do you know something?"

"That's from Techoria's direction, isn't it?" Kalle demanded confirmation from Molam, tears in his eyes. Bewildered, Molam could only nod. The alchemist turned back to look at the light and moaned with grief. "That's the light of the SunFlower."