Kneeling in front of the Gods gave me an epiphany — the face of cruelty is not characterized by malice, but by apathy.
— Recovered scroll, insignia attributed to the Mursa. Translated by Head Scholar Yuya of the Fallen Star Pavilion.
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True to her Title, RainBringer emerged through a downpour of divine rain as she undulated through the skies. Her magnificent cerulean scales glinted and glimmered in the skies like the dance of light over a rippling pool’s surface, adding an opulent glow to a clear blue undertone that blended harmoniously with the sky’s color. Her horns curved straight upwards from the silver-blonde mane that ran down her neck, billowing in the slipstream of her flight.
With a flap of her wings, the dragon blew away much of the darker clouds and headed straight for the Castle's terrace. A cloud of silver-gray smoke obscured Molam’s vision as she flew into it, shrinking in size as she went. What walked out was a silvery-blonde haired woman that wore a form-fitting cerulean dress, with silver-gray eyes and high cheekbones. Having seen many statues of the various Gods, Molam observed that the RainBringer based her human form on Goddess Ustl's image. The biggest difference between the two was the dragon's protruding horns; silver, pointing forward with an upward curve and tilt.
The transformation complete, the divine rain petered out and the clouds that had darkened the skies were pulled into the silver-blue bustle that draped over the train of the dress. The terrace became fraught with activity as several spirits emerged from the Castle and attended to the dragon, draping embroidered cloth and a silk shawl upon her form as she walked barefoot to the Castle's foyer to see Molam's kneeling form.
"RainBringer," Molam greeted her with his head bowed. "Thank you for blessing the people."
"I see you survived your time down below, boy." RainBringer's voice was stern and reserved. "Exceeding my expectations again. And…" the dragon directed her gaze at the phoenix on his shoulder. "Fiery One. I thought you would be with the Oracle, preparing for your coming rebirth during the Festival of the Hero."
The phoenix craned its neck and stared back at RainBringer. My egg can bask in the rich aura of the Inner Sanctum while I join our discussions.
"Discussions, is it?" RainBringer's silver-gray eyes flickered from the spirit to Molam. "What would there be to discuss?"
How cold, RainBringer. The spirit shook its head. Must you wound our relationship so? First you blame me for being absent despite me being imprisoned, then you exclude me from discussions that would help fill in the gaps in my knowledge about the past few centuries?
"So you are capable of taking an interest in the affairs we've been charged with. Did you spend the past few centuries reflecting?"
Are we greeting as old friends, or revisiting old arguments?
After a moment, RainBringer held out an arm and the phoenix flew to it. "Very well. I have a day before I must bless the Valley to the west. And you, boy," she began, then paused. "Follow. I have heard from the Oracle about your comings and goings, but I would hear from you personally what has transpired during your time in the realm below my skies."
RainBringer turned around and walked to the audience chamber, her bare feet making no noise on the stone floor. Molam obediently followed in her wake.
***
The audience chamber of the Castle in the Sky had not changed much in the five years since Molam had last seen it. A great hall with plain walls and windows open to the skies ended with a raised dais at the end; the smooth floor was cut on both sides with two channels of water that ran silently down the hall. It was said that all of the Castle's water emptied out to the side of YiZhi Mountain and formed the waters of the River Jiang, but Molam had never been able to confirm it with his own eyes.
Where human architecture would have alcoves and sconces for flames and torches, Molam was the only human to reside within the Castle and therefore the accommodation was noticeably absent. Luckily for him, the afternoon Sun was still setting and he could see reasonably well as he followed RainBringer to the dais.
RainBringer's seeming indifference directly reminded him of the difference in their status. Power resides with those that have the luxury of determining if they need to act, he remembered his mentor repeating in that monotone voice of theirs. RainBringer walked the length of the audience chamber with the phoenix on her arm as she listened to its inaudible conversation, taking her time as Molam trailed behind. It wasn't until she reached the dais that he stopped, falling onto one knee to wait for her to address him.
Five years may have passed, but Molam did not forget the proper etiquette in RainBringer's Lair. She had ensured it while he grew up under her wing.
The dais itself held the throne. Carved out of a single block of cerulean jade into a reclining shape, the smooth, polished surface contained only silver inlay covering the armrests. Devoid of any cloth or cushioning, Molam thought it would be an uncomfortable seat — but RainBringer rarely sat in it regardless. The only other decoration in the throne itself was the sculpting of a dragon that ran along the upper rim, snaking about the shoulders of the one who sat in it. The head of the dragon faced the ones that knelt directly in front of the throne, and Molam remembered wondering on multiple occasions if that sculpture was alive.
RainBringer approached this throne, turning around and settling herself down with a billowing of her dress, still listening to whatever the spirit was relaying to her.
Some moments passed before RainBringer's attention was diverted away from the phoenix. She seemed to be deep in thought. The spirit flew back to Molam's shoulder, but he did not dare stand up without RainBringer's permission.
"The Fiery One tells me about your exploits in JiangXi City." RainBringer's silver-gray eyes glowed as they rested upon him. "It seems you did well in stealing the egg and retrieving the World Tree's elderwood. Neither of which would have been easy at all for you, I imagine."
"Thank you for your kind words," Molam murmured. A feeling of indignation — whether anger, frustration, or something else — simmered within him. He hadn't forgotten how the Oracle initially denied him a way up the Stairs; no doubt a direct request from RainBringer to keep him detained below the clouds while she sought for another way to separate him from her daughter.
"Kind indeed. Perhaps I am being too lenient, giving you praise for a task left unfinished."
Unfinished? Molam stared down at the white stone floor. "I don't understand."
RainBringer — the phoenix spoke up in a warning tone, but she interrupted him with a raised finger.
"The boy cannot even carry out a task to completion and you expect me to coddle him?" A force dragged Molam's chin upwards, compelling him to meet RainBringer's glare as her finger dictated his gaze. "You were told to bring back the Fiery One, but all you have done is bring back their egg." The finger twitched sideways, dragging Molam's chin with it and bringing the phoenix's ethereal form into view. "Look at the incompleteness of your task. You have the audacity to return because you brought back an egg and some elderwood? Does simply bringing the materials together constitute a building? Did you grow up under my wing eating uncooked rice and water in a bowl as well? If you had the foresight to see your task to the end, perhaps I could even agree that you have some use. But since you are so eager to return here, you should stay before your inability sabotages anything else."
The force compelling his gaze dissipated, dropping Molam's head back down. Though he seethed at the words, he did not dare look up — RainBringer's unspoken intent couldn't be more clear. Now that she could not keep him away from the Castle, she meant to keep him here while her daughter went to the Black Pyramid.
Enough. The phoenix's wing flared orange, breaking RainBringer's stranglehold on Molam's chin. My rebirth can be accomplished soon when Sanctuary immerses my egg in the bonfire for the Festival of the Hero. This is beneath you, RainBringer. This is not how we agreed to have this conversation.
"The boy grew up in my care. His lack of discipline reflects poorly upon my image as his guardian." RainBringer brought her hand down, clenching the throne's armrest. "There was no agreement; you simply thought you could force yourself into familial affairs."
As far as Molam knew, the phoenix was right: he didn't need to personally take part in immersing its egg in the elderwood bonfire. But when it came to him, anything short of perfection was all the justification RainBringer needed.
While I certainly don't understand much about raising a human, to subject an auraless one to this — The phoenix, interrupted by Molam's movement, flapped its wings and hovered in midair as Molam knelt down to press his head down in front of RainBringer.
"I apologize, RainBringer." The stone, cold against his forehead, was still warmer than RainBringer's gaze. "I would like to rectify my mistake, if you would give me another opportunity."
"Another opportunity." RainBringer echoed with mirthless derision in each syllable. "Another opportunity to make a mistake. Another opportunity for more opportunities. Who was it that begged me for an opportunity to prove themselves useful by going down the Stairs? Such entitlement to opportunities is so utterly…" she paused, then finished her thought, "...human."
Flames erupted around the chamber, giving it a bright orange hue. I said enough, RainBringer! Raise your head, Molam. I will not have my benefactor be treated in this manner.
Molam, surprised at the spirit's usage of his name, looked up to see the phoenix staring down RainBringer from his shoulder. The flames traveled around the chamber, billowing around the throne before dissipating into smoke. Your grudge with the Red Emperor and the Prince of the Empire should not be extended to the boy. Have you forgotten our friendship with the one they call the Hero? You would do well to remember that the Red Emperor's betrayal of our trust is not indicative of humans as a whole.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
For a moment, RainBringer's cool demeanor devolved into an inexplicable mixture of anguish, rage, and sorrow. "Neither is the Hero's noble disposition indicative of humans as a whole," she finally said, then added, "I thought you would have fresh insight, given your recent imprisonment."
The phoenix's wings flared. Consider our status, RainBringer! Is it for us to be so petty as to extend undeserved blame to the only one that can help? If you refuse to speak the fear in your mind, then I will speak it for you.
"Fear?" RainBringer laughed, leaning forward. Her silver-gray eyes glowed and far off in the distance, thunder rolled. "Has your imprisonment addled your thoughts, Fiery One? What exactly should I fear?"
Not for you, but for your daughter.
Molam looked up, to see RainBringer had fallen silent. He himself tried to process what the spirit had just said. "What?"
The spirit didn't look at him, but it spoke for his benefit. The Prince has been searching for a way to overcome the Oracle's protector for a long time. In my last conversation with him, he had considered two things necessary: a weapon created by the alchemists of Techoria called the SunFlower, and an aura source strong enough to power it.
The Oracle's protector — that could only mean the Submerged Leviathan, the monstrous being protecting Sanctuary, responsible for the Red Emperor's infamous Eight Defeats. Molam felt briefly confused. "There's an aura source strong enough to defeat the Leviathan?"
It was the reason he kept me from rebirth. He wanted to determine if he could use me as the aura source. But then you unsealed my egg and freed me from Crimson City's Palace, and now my brethren's whispers travel on the wind: the Empire needs a replacement. The phoenix gazed at Molam from the corner of one eye. And the deteriorating situation with the Seal and leylines means a young dragon has been sent to the Black Pyramid.
Fear gripped Molam's chest and he chanced a peek at RainBringer.
"The Empire would not dare." She leaned back into the throne, clawed fingers gripping tightly at the armrest. "He would not dare."
The Red Emperor already dared, and DuskWing paid the price! His son the Prince is possibly even stronger, having survived an encounter with you and your sister! The phoenix fluttered over to the throne, looking down over RainBringer's shoulder. You know he cannot sleep forever. The ones that follow him may not be as strong as the ones that helped the Red Emperor fight DuskWing, but neither is your daughter as strong as DuskWing. In light of this, you would still imprison Molam in the Castle? Your only hope to influence human affairs?
Molam grit his teeth. He understood the phoenix was merely appealing to RainBringer's sense of utility, but the way they all spoke of him as a convenient tool gave him a forlorn lump in his throat. It made him miss the Princess more than ever; she had treated him as an equal. For some reason, Kalle's bearded face flashed in his mind.
"It is no longer merely a human affair if they attack my daughter."
And you are content with waiting until then? The Prince is now more vulnerable than ever.
Molam cleared his throat. "May I speak?" he asked respectfully.
RainBringer's eyes flickered to him. "Only if you have something meaningful to contribute."
Molam bowed his head in acknowledgement, then spoke to the floor. "I only understand that the Prince of the Empire has fought in Techoria, no doubt trying to take the SunFlower. But from what I've heard, Techoria — and the SunFlower itself — was destroyed. I don't know if Master Flangel is alive. Do we know if the Empire even has the SunFlower?"
Your thinking is not incorrect, but there is something we are worried about. The phoenix hopped down to RainBringer's shoulder. You see, Molam… I believe the Prince can also extract memories.
The implication hit him a moment later. "You mean, it's possible the Prince understands how to build his own SunFlower from interacting with Master Flangel?" He asked incredulously, looking up at the two immortals.
We cannot know for certain, given the lack of information from Techoria.
"We are remaining cautious," RainBringer added.
With him, we must always assume the worst. If we act assuming that the Empire can build their own SunFlower, then their next step is… the spirit shrugged, looking at Molam's stony face. Well, the dragons and spirits have yet to come to a solution without breaking Heaven's Mandate. Its voice dipped, staring pointedly at Molam. But neither are we limited to sitting idly by and watching because we have… you.
There it was. The only reason RainBringer had kept him alive all those years, tolerating his existence in the Castle. Molam bowed his head. Though he had braced himself for the possibility of Master Flangel's death after hearing about Techoria's hopeless situation from Nettie, the weight of reality still crushed him as he acknowledged the phoenix's words. "I understand."
The next moment, Molam's mind whirled as he suddenly understood what the Oracle had been referring to during their parting conversation. And if that piece is a child? The remnant of her question dug painfully into his chest. Nettie. Of course, the Prodigy should be able to recreate the SunFlower. The Oracle was asking him if the girl should be killed to prevent the Empire from obtaining what they wanted. And Molam had told her that it was a viable strategy. The thought ate away at his conscience and the gnawing hypocrisy turned his stomach.
You seem pained, and I fear you misunderstand. A spirit's warm presence alighted on his shoulder once again, the phoenix peering at him, not knowing the source of Molam's agony. I am telling you this so you can make a decision yourself, Molam. He couldn't read its expression, but the voice echoed gently in his mind. There is no guarantee that God Yven would so easily relinquish your soul the second time.
The spirit bird's head craned away to look at RainBringer. He will be allowed to live his life as he sees fit. Not a request, but neither a command. No trickery. By unsealing my egg and bringing us the elderwood, Molam has done more for us than we could have ever expected to achieve.
"For you, maybe," RainBringer pushed herself up from the throne, pointing an accusing finger at the phoenix. "You make a rash decision, two weeks before being reborn."
Ignore any remaining sense of binding obligation. The spirit turned to Molam, paying RainBringer no heed. If she will not say it, then I will. You have done well, Molam. It locked gazes with Molam. You are free.
Molam nodded, his face wooden.
Free. The thought barely registered in his mind as a familiar memory came to mind. A child, tied to a stake as the flames burned.
But he wasn't the one tied there this time.
***
Inner Sanctum, Sanctuary
The conversations seemed to drag, and Nettie decided patience was a difficult skill to learn. Standing there in the Inner Sanctum as the Oracle spoke to the others had only proven to be what Grandfather would call "a test of patience." Nettie had long determined that the test could not possibly be fair. If waiting was considered a skill, then it was merely for those that had much time to waste — or those who felt time passed by swiftly.
For some reason, adults seem to have much to say with few methods to express themselves. A far departure from Nettie's peers, who found many ways to say the same boring things. Nettie did not understand why they seemed to care about how they spoke to the Oracle, who certainly did not care about how she responded.
The Mursa Shang seemed overwhelmed when the Oracle told him to seek the Lord of Sands for help. In fact, he sounded as though he wanted to argue, but the Oracle disregarded his complaints and told him he was free to proceed with failure if he wished. After the Mursa left the Inner Sanctum, GloomSire and Master Ji stepped up, congratulated by the Oracle for doing what she had asked. Nettie passively listened as the two of them explained what they had seen in JiangXi to the Oracle.
Shifting from foot to foot, Nettie glanced at the masked Oracle, sitting in her kneeling position as Master Ji spoke about the worrying changes in the Slumbering Forest. The first time Nettie had come here, at the age of three, the Oracle had already been sitting this way.
Had she moved at all? It seemed she hadn't.
Nettie could never. Nettie wondered if she could do so if she shared the Oracle's age; perhaps to her, kneeling for three years was just a mere moment.
The idea made Nettie shiver. Being the Oracle's age would be old.
"Nettie the Prodigy."
The Oracle's echoless voice also made Nettie shiver, but in a different way. Not old, the way Grandfather Flangel's had been. Yet neither was it young. Nettie decided it was timeless.
And the Title. Again with the Title. Nettie had a name — why could these people not understand? Father and Mother had given her a name; Grandfather had said so. But she had been called. Nettie had been called. The wait was over.
She lifted herself up on her toes, then dropped back to her heels and stepped forward into a bow. The others had waited for the Oracle to speak, but now it was Nettie's turn, was it not?
"Nettie greets the Oracle. Nettie would like to go to the Fallen Star Pavilion."
Grandfather would be proud. Nettie even remembered to bow.
***
City Lord's Mansion, Crescent City
Jett dodged the peanut flicked at him. "I'm not burning it this time," he promised, holding the letter up, then flinched as a peanut shell hit him on the nose. "Throw another peanut and I'll burn your clothes," he threatened, standing up from his chair.
"That wasn't on purpose," Rei laughed, setting down her bowl. "And I didn't want to read it this time, just summarize it for me. Give me something to listen to besides you droning on and on about crates of this and wagons of that."
After waiting to see if Rei would try again, Jett finally sat back down and picked up the letter. "Well, you got your answer. Ruskru thinks your suggestion has merit. You, Roxxa, Desmi, and Kymja are to convene outside ZhiXia City. Wait and observe to see if the Prodigy leaves ZhiXia City, or you may act based on any changing circumstances. Ideally, you seize her and leave as soon as possible."
Rei flipped up from the couch, slowing her descent until she levitated right above Jett, looking at the letter as well. "Hm. Ruskru does read our messages, then," she murmured with satisfaction. "Well, he's given his permission, yes? I suppose I'll go find the other three."
Jett burned the letter, watching the ash fall from his hands into the ashpan. "Was all of this intended to get out of doing bookkeeping?" He stared at Rei, who didn't fully meet his gaze. "You do know this is something that needs to be done?"
"Find someone who will happily work on the mundane stuff with you if you enjoy it so much, Jett." Rei held out her hands in a disarming manner. "And I can't disobey Ruskru's order to deploy, can I?"
Palpable warmth flooded the room. "This 'mundane stuff' is because of you, Rei!" Jett glared at Rei. After a moment, he leaned his head backwards to take a deep breath and exhaled before he came forward again.
"It's better to have you doing something Ruskru approves of rather than sitting here being a nuisance. Just… remember where you'll be. The Whale, the Submerged Leviathan, the Oracle… if it becomes difficult, the four of you should escape."
"I'll keep it in mind," Rei smiled at Jett from the window. "It's a shame you won't be able to see Sanctuary's famous Festival of the Hero up close." She leapt from the window and out into the air, her parting words echoing back towards Jett. "I'll tell you all about it!"