Every tree you see was once a seedling, planted there by the whims of wind or intent of hand.

But what about people? How do you think each person you meet arrived at that spot?

By chance, fate, or desire?

And perhaps most importantly:

Does it matter?

— Lost Winds, by an unnamed traveler

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HuaLang Chamber

Primrose returned to a crowd exiting HuaLang Chamber. She stood aside, idly watching the crowd stream into the street to avoid going against the tide. Judging by the half-dried tear tracks running down several cheeks, Primrose guessed Madam Scarlette's performance must have been as riveting as usual.

A Petal with twintails attempted to sneak up on her, but Primrose turned, giving her a side-eye. "You had mischief written all over your face the second you saw me," Primrose reprimanded lightly. "Melting into the crowd after that made no difference when I was already on guard. There is a reason you're taught to wear an unassuming look: never give away your intentions, or you invite being caught."

The Petal nodded, grimacing at her mistake before delivering her message. "Madam Scarlette said you aren't assigned to the Floor of Earthly Needs today, and requests you go to her study as soon as you return."

"Thank you," Primrose replied, then entered the Chamber, the Petal by her side. "Any developments?"

"I can't say anything specific… but, if you go up right now you might see something good," said the Petal with a wink before she ran off to the kitchens.

Something good, hm? Primrose thought as she made for the stairs up to the Floor of Heavenly Peace. Several straggling patrons were still making their way down, and Primrose gave them her practiced smile whenever they passed, taking care not to jostle any shoulders.

Alighting onto the fourth floor, Primrose caught Dahlia, Cassia, and Leilani grouped near the stairwell. The three of them were huddled together, whispering something unintelligible as Primrose approached, her feet sliding silently across the wooden floorboards.

Leilani tilted her head, then turned. "Prim?" Her ears had always been better than the others’.

The others turned as well, and Primrose held up her hands with a smile, accepting she had been caught. "What's going on?" she asked.

Cassia pointed in response, and Primrose looked; the door to Madam Scarlette's study was closed. Before Primrose could ask, Dahlia answered, "Molam is here. And so is the Whale."

Primrose raised an eyebrow. The Whale of ZhiXia famously never entered HuaLang Chamber. "Are you certain?"

Dahlia gave her a look of exasperation. "Why would I lie about that?"

"Scarlette must be quite flustered," Leilani whispered. "She didn't have time to change after her performance."

"I don't think she cares about that," Primrose responded in her lowest voice.

"Shh," Cassia shushed. "The Madam can—"

The door to the study swung open and Madam Scarlette's voice sailed out. "—hear you four, yes. Come in, Primrose. As for the other three: I believe you have your assignments for the day?"

The other three Flowers straightened with various looks of guilt and began sidling down the stairs. Dahlia poked Primrose's shoulder as she passed by, winking and mouthing the words tell us later before she joined the other two down the stairs.

Primrose walked towards the study, seeing the large silhouette of the Whale sitting inside. Upon entering, she saw Molam sitting at the far side of the table. His attention seemed focused on a sheet of paper filled with hastily scribbled notes. Madam Scarlette stood to the side, pouring tea for the Whale. The cup looked comically small in his large hands.

"Master Ji. Madam Scarlette. Molam," she greeted each in turn, closing the door behind her.

"Primrose," Madam Scarlette greeted in kind. Her veil was light orange-pink today, the color of a breaking dawn. She held up a cup and teapot. "Tea? A blend of tangerine pu'er, Master Ji's favorite."

"Yes, thank you." Primrose took the offered cup. The citrus of the dried tangerine peels had infused wonderfully into the brew, washing away the remnants of the candy she was eating earlier. But her eyes strayed towards the Whale in the room. "Madam, have you—?"

"Master Ji wanted to speak with Molam, and Molam wanted to speak with me. I invited them inside, since I've always thought my study is a great place for speaking," Madam Scarlette smiled. Her tone and manners seemed warm, but Primrose felt chills run down her spine at the unspoken words: don't you dare. "And so, we gathered here."

"I take it Aster didn't agree?" Molam stated his question without looking up.

"How did you know?" asked Primrose, half distracted by Madam Scarlette offering her a plate of pastries. There was a red bean bun.

"Madam Scarlette told me more about him just now. I haven't had a chance to meet him, but it didn't sound like he was the type to give up on a dream," Molam underlined an item in his notes, then crossed another out. He looked up. "I'm sorry if that felt like a waste of your time."

The red bean bun was purposefully closer to her and behind it, the Madam's veiled gaze with a raised corner of her lips. Primrose took the bun. I know, I know. To Molam she answered, "I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time."

"I see. That's good to hear, then," Molam replied. "And now I don't need to worry about depriving the Sharks of their Captain."

"Aha," said Madam Scarlette, sitting down at the table. Her hidden gaze focused on Molam's notes, presumably having already memorized them. "Still unsure of whom to bring, young master Molam? Personnel assignment. An esoteric study requiring a delicate touch and firm decisions."

"You and I assign people very differently, Madam Scarlette," Molam answered, his dry tone implying they had discussed the topic at length. Primrose suspected they had disagreed on something. Unfortunately, Scarlette did not respond to Molam, and Primrose couldn't gain any more information without being direct.

"Is that what Master Ji wanted to speak with you about?" she asked Molam, nibbling at the bun. "Assigning people? I assume… to Oasis?"

"Not quite," Molam replied, still writing down his notes. "He simply asked me to make Shurra stay so she could finish developing her Domain. He's here, you know. You could ask him."

Primrose raised her brow. Why Shurra? Achieving a Domain was the goal of every auramaster, but there seemed to be no set process for it. Even HuaLang Chamber had never successfully raised someone to use a Domain, despite having a Titled founder. She turned to Master Ji, who sipped quietly at his tea. "You are helping Shurra develop a Domain?"

"Only in part," Master Ji responded, setting down his teacup. Madam Scarlette immediately leaned over to fill the cup with fresh tea; Primrose thought she saw the man's lips twitch. "Thank you, Madam Scarlette."

"It's my pleasure, Master Ji," the Madam gave him her rare genuine smile. "And you can just call me Scarlette."

But Primrose thought the topic of establishing a Domain was more important. "Can you help anyone develop a Domain, Master Ji?"

"No," the Whale looked over to Primrose, regarding her with his dark eyes. "I suspect any auramaster can achieve it, but the hurdle has always been in the mind. This makes the path different for everyone. I am giving Shurra guidance, but I also caution her that my methods do not guarantee any results."

"But that guidance could help more, no?" Primrose insisted, unwilling to drop the subject. "It can't hurt to share. What are you having Shurra do?"

The Whale frowned but answered, "Shurra has just learned how to count the total number of cats and dogs. She is now learning to tell the difference between cats and dogs."

Somehow, the answer confused Primrose even more. What did that even mean? Surely Shurra knew the difference between cats and dogs? Was that why Shurra was feeding the strays — to tell apart the animals? And how exactly did recognizing the difference between animals help one develop a Domain?

"So…?" Primrose looked from Master Ji to Molam and Madam Scarlette, expecting them to ask for clarification. Certainly she wasn't the only one waiting for an explanation?

"So I was telling Master Ji that it was fine as I can't bring Shurra anyway," Molam reached into his clothes and brought out a glowing golden disc. It looked just the same as the contract he had obtained from the Mursa back in JiangXi. "Mursa Shang wouldn't budge on the limited number of seats."

He slid the golden disc towards Primrose, who trapped it against the edge of the table. She was still trying to comprehend why Master Ji's words seemed to draw no further questions from the others. Part of her was beginning to wonder if she was the only one that thought learning to differentiate between cats and dogs was not the primary thing holding her back from developing a Domain. She studied the contract in her hand as she thought about it, watching the golden characters of the Old Tongue float in a circular manner within.

"You haven't accepted it yet?" she asked.

"I have until tonight, since Mursa Shang isn't leaving until the day after tomorrow, so we'll have a day to prepare," answered Molam, marking one name and placing a similar mark near another group. "But I need to make sure this is the correct course of action. Once I accept that," he pointed at the disc in her hand, "We're committed. The mursashu won't bring us back until Mur is restored to livable conditions. It will give you a chance to decide if you're coming too."

Primrose blinked, surprised. "I'm the third one?" It wasn't GloomSire or someone else?

Molam looked up at the confusion in her voice. "Of course you are. Shurra is staying to—hopefully—develop her skills further under Master Ji's guidance. Meanwhile, GloomSire and his bonds are recovering from their wounds. I understand the pixiu's wing was broken and needs time to heal. That leaves you and Kalle to come with me to Oasis to restore Mur and secure jade."

"Ah." That explained Molam’s most recent list and increasingly complex annotations.

"Now that I think about it, I never asked you. Though, I also didn't really give Kalle a choice, and that's why he's taking a walk. Will you come with me to Oasis?" asked Molam.

She finished the rest of her red bean bun, then said, "I suppose I always did promise Lyka I would see where she came from. But will that be enough?"

Molam frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I meant…" Primrose cast around for the correct words. "Weren't you worried about being unable to speak to the Lord of Sands without Master Ji? Kalle and I aren't exactly… going to intimidate a man who is as old as the Empire of the Sun."

"That's been arranged," Molam pointed at the golden disc in her hands. "It's not exactly Mursa Diyah, but we may have the three Mursa."

It took a moment for Primrose to understand.

"They… agreed?" she asked incredulously. She vaguely remembered Molam mentioning that it was his demand to buy time, but she had never imagined it would bear fruit. "The three Mursa agreed to hand over full control to you?"

"That's what we were just discussing earlier," Madam Scarlette spoke up. She was standing next to Master Ji and refilling his tea again. By Primrose's internal count, this must have been the sixth refill since she had entered the room. The Whale was either truly parched or too polite to refuse the cheerful Madam. "Molam came to ask me about Mursa Allyce."

"She made a demand, with all three Mursas’ support on the line," Molam added, setting down his brush. "Since we've never met, Mursa Allyce wants to test me herself before trusting me with the lives of her mursashu. An understandable point for someone in her position. The problem," he continued, blowing lightly at the ink to dry it, "is the test."

"What could she have asked?" asked Primrose. She had never seen Molam act so delicately about a subject.

"What do I, Mursa Allyce, want more than anything in the world?" Molam replied grimly.

Primrose waited for more, then realized that was all of it. "What?"

"It's the test each Mursa takes before assuming their role," explained Madam Scarlette with a helpful smile.

"That's unbelievably vague, is it not?" Primrose pointed out, pushing the golden disc back to Molam. "It seems absurdly specific to her too."

"That's the goal of the test: to test a potential Mursa successor's ability to discover what someone wants, often before they even know they want it. I was…" he paused, as though remembering something unpleasant, "on the receiving end of this yesterday when I initially met with Mursa Shang to discuss passage to Oasis."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

But Primrose couldn't stop thinking about the question. Petals learned very early that the art of seduction could be made easier by discerning what a potential target wanted even if the target themselves didn't know it. But that had been limited to the fancies of the heart and desires of the flesh; the Mursa's question seemed to go beyond that. "How… would one even begin? Isn't that the most intimate knowledge you could ever have about someone?"

"It is," Molam agreed. He set down the sheafs of paper and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose the way he always did, before he added, "Well, it's a fair test for the person who would command the Mursa themselves. I have until I meet Mursa Allyce in Oasis to come up with an answer."

The disc gleamed innocently on the table, then a knock on the door broke the silence.

"Enter," said Madam Scarlette.

Flora opened the door, bringing with her a small stack of parchment. "You wanted this, Madam Scarlette."

"Aha, finally. Thank you, Flora." The Madam gestured, and Flora put the stack on the table. "As you requested, Molam, all of HuaLang Chamber's knowledge of Mursa Allyce. Unfortunately, she has spent most of her time trading in the Deep Waters around the Formosan Islands. If you could stay a while longer, I could spread out more Roots, but this is all we have at such short notice."

"It'll be better than nothing," Molam replied, flipping through the pages. "Thank you, Madam Scarlette. And you, Flora, for going through the records."

"Well then — shall we start?" asked Primrose, pushing the contract towards Molam. "It's our only way to reach Oasis, yes? It's not like you can say no anymore; this is how we're going to get jade."

Molam laughed, but grimly. "Of course. You are very correct; how could I even think about hesitating? You are joining, right?"

"Who else to keep you in check?" she responded. "You and Kalle will need my good looks to round out the trio."

Amazingly, Molam rolled his eyes and Madam Scarlette laughed. Even Master Ji's lips twitched.

"Now my worries seem silly," Molam said as he brought the golden disc to his chest. It gleamed as the binding was set into motion. "I'm glad you're able to make jokes."

"All we have to do is travel to Oasis, buy from the Lord of Sands' personal storage, restore Mur with the help of a spirit, and then journey back through the Endless Sands with the jade," summarized Primrose. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm more confident in this than your usual improvised plans. There are a few complications, but they should be addressed, right?" She looked towards Master Ji, deferring to his experience. "Master Ji, do you have any issues with the plan at large?"

"Nothing. Molam has made the correct decisions, given what he knows," the Whale of ZhiXia rumbled. "I can only say that well-thought-out plans tend to break apart because of circumstances you would have never predicted."

"That worries me as well," Molam admitted. "However, luckily, I spent some time in Oasis a mere two Summers ago. How much could have changed?"

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

Oasis, in the Endless Sands

The Sun was beginning to set and Ryu sighed, looking away from the watchers on the tower. She noticed a flake of gray nestled in the crook of her dark elbow; dried salt from her own sweat, no doubt. Flicking it away, she reached for her water and took a long draught to replenish her body's reserves. It flowed sweetly down her gullet, and she had to force her lips away from the cup, lest she overindulge. With only mild regret, she set the water down and covered the lid to minimize evaporation. She could have her fill later in the privacy of her office — it wouldn't do for her people to see such an excessive display of wealth.

But she had been sitting there since the afternoon and the Sun waited for no one. A part of Ryu was beginning to wonder if the scouts were wrong. They had waited for some time now and there was still no sign of Jyuyan's group returning from their rushed expedition to the Black Pyramid.

She motioned to her aide, who understood and shouted up to the watchers. "Anything?"

One peeked his head over the guardrail, shaking his head. "No! They could be beyond the large dune but so far there's nothing, Steward Ryu!"

Ryu bit her lip. The rules were clear — the gates do not open after Sundown. If night fell and they hadn't returned, they would be left to fend for themselves in the Sands.

A death sentence, as Jyuyan's group didn't have the Spear or Shield with them.

"Steward Ryu, it's almost Sunset," her aide informed her.

"I have eyes. I can see," she replied curtly, then softened her tone. "Sorry, Yanar. It's been a long day and I'm tired, but that wasn't anger directed at you."

Yanar bowed, the setting Sun's light gleaming off his shaved scalp. "It is nothing, Steward Ryu. It has been a long day for you."

Ryu found her hand wandering back towards her cup and put it on her lap, considering Yanar as she waited. Yes, the apology was warranted. Yanar was fully capable and she had chosen him above all the other potential aides the Upper Tiers had pushed onto her. While Ryu didn't care much for the blatant discrimination of skin color, she couldn't bear to see Yanar's talent go to waste just because of his vitiligo.

She spoke up. "Your warning has been heard. We're waiting until the Sun can no longer be seen before we declare Sundown." That was as much as Ryu could do. She had promised Jyuyan she would open the gates for him, but even she could not defy the Lord's rules.

"That is wise, Steward Ryu," Yanar bowed.

"Steward Ryu!" a watcher shouted down to get her attention. She looked up — they were waving a blue flag. The signal that the group could be seen and was arriving. "I see a Sandrider!"

"Open the gate!" she shouted, startling Yanar as she jumped to her feet to wave at the gatekeepers. They looked at each other, hesitating. Strict interpretations of the rules would state that gates did not open the moment the Sun reached the horizon. "OPEN THE GATE!" she demanded again, her voice louder, waving more frantically. "I'll take responsibility as Steward! LET THOSE MEN IN!"

The heavy grille creaked upwards, the gatekeepers straining against the wheel with reinforced strength. Sand shook from the metal construct as it lifted free from the ground. The vast expanse of the Endless Sands stretched out beyond the gate, its dunes rolling like waves in a sea. The Sun, now sinking towards the horizon, cast long shadows and painted the Sands in hues of gold and crimson. The gatekeepers, their faces etched with lines of effort and seasons spent under the scorching Sun, exchanged weary glances, their task almost complete.

As the gate reached its apex, the creaking ceased, replaced by the sudden influx of men accompanying teams of camels pulling sand-sleds. The ones in the lead were clearly exhausted, but doing their best to continue forward into the courtyard so they could make space for those behind, also scrambling to enter. Two camels pulled each sled, each camel bearing a rider, a third man on the rear of the sled for stability on the rudder. The two Sandriders who had ridden ahead now circled back on their own camels, shouting encouragement at the others as they came through.

The courtyard's spearmen, standing in formation at the edge of the onrush, seemed apprehensive, holding their weapons at the ready as the sand sleds came through in pairs. "Clear!" they shouted at each interval, marking the initial check to ensure nothing unexpected had snuck in with the group.

Then the onrush began to slow and, finally, the last sled came through.

"Clear! Close the gate!"

The chains were loosened and the gate came crashing down into the sand. Some of the sand jumped up in a cloudy puff, evidence of the gate’s substantial weight. The individual bars that made up the gate were thicker than Ryu's thighs for good reason: Sandwurms would charge through anything else.

A Sandrider rode his camel around the tired group, shouting encouragement at the laborers as they dragged the sleds into a neat row. Another group of workers had come out and were busy unburdening the sleds. Ryu could see various pieces of mining equipment and unprocessed black jade being passed into the warehouses. Handlers ran towards their camels, unleashing them from their sleds to guide them inside towards the water buckets. The returning men themselves collapsed against their sleds, too exhausted to move and only nodding gratefully as others brought them cups of water.

"Yanar, go help them," she commanded, then added, "And make sure every returning man gets two extra buckets of water."

"Certainly, Steward Ryu."

"There's not even thirty," Ryu whispered to herself as Yanar took the stairs down to the courtyard. Two full rows sat before her, but the third was missing three, like a hand with an amputated finger. This morning, five full rows had departed. Jyuyan had estimated a need for eight, but there just hadn't been enough time to assemble the men.

"Is that all?" she shouted down at one of the Sandriders as he brought his camel to a handler, sliding off the harness and stumbling upon landing. His shield gleamed off his back. "Twenty-seven sleds? Jyuyan?"

"What do you mean, 'is that all'?" Jyuyan shouted back hoarsely, pulling up his waterskin and taking a deep swig before continuing with a less raspy voice. "This is better than nothing!"

"And how," Ryu asked dryly, "Am I supposed to report this to the Lord?"

"Ryu, I don't give a camel's turd how you report it to the Lord. But I'm not going back out there to fight the wurms over what's been lost now that it's Sundown, if that's what you're suggesting." Jyuyan stomped up the stairs, gesturing at the rest of the men. "None of us are. You ordered an emergency recouping of all equipment and unprocessed jade from the Black Pyramid within the day and we did it with the barest of preparations. God Thraw be my witness, we did this without the Shield or Spear, in direct opposition to what I very much explicitly requested; you're lucky we brought back anything at all," he finished with a glare, then took another deep gulp from the waterskin. "You received the forerunner's report, yes?"

"We did," Ryu admitted grimly. The forerunner had reported the group's encounter with Sandwurms on the return trip. Perhaps the rest of the sleds, camels, and men were being swallowed whole. She shuddered at the thought. Ryu had never seen an attack, but she knew the stories. She whispered a prayer to God Gered and God Sholt that the men who were left behind had had time to bring their blades to their necks.

"And you… didn't send the Spear or Shield?" Jyuyan asked in a cold voice. "Are you daft, or has the Sun finally got to your head?"

"The Spear and Shield are busy pacifying the Upper Tiers," Ryu responded brusquely. She normally wouldn't care, but they were in earshot of the workers. "Watch your tone, Jyuyan. I am a Steward for our Lord."

"Don't you dare pull rank on me, Ryu." The man stood to his full height to glare down at her. "You asked me to lead this expedition and I told you up front we'd need a Domain. You said that wasn't possible and made me go, disregarding my reservations. I sent the forerunner when the Sandwurms attacked so you could make a call for the Shield or the Spear, but now I find out you again decided against that? Are the Upper Tiers' feelings somehow more important than my men's lives?" Jyuyan gestured behind him at the laborers, who were drinking greedily out of a small fountain, dipping their cups into the water within. "Even if they don't care, do those old fogeys not think about how they're going to secure jade in the future without us?"

Ryu sighed in exasperation, then signaled to Yanar. He nodded with understanding, barking commands in her stead and instructing the workers to inspect the rest of the sleds. Then she walked close to Jyuyan, who was downing the last drops from his waterskin. "Come, Jyuyan. Let's talk inside. I have more water."

The man sighed. Jyuyan could never hold his anger for long, not at her. "I'm not done complaining about this expedition," he warned. She gave him a look of incensed toleration, then tilted her head towards the building and he followed.

"For what it's worth, I agree with you," she said as they walked together towards the building. "The Upper Tiers are all —"

A health worker held out his hands, barring their way. "Steward Ryu," the man said respectfully, "Rider Jyuyan has yet to be cleared for re-entry."

Jyuyan stuck out his arms, baring his wrists for the worker. The worker measured his pulse, pressed the back of a palm to Jyuyan's forehead, then peered at his eyes. "Clear," the health worker declared, then put an ink stamp on the back of Jyuyan's hand.

"Thank you, Lysion," Ryu said, pulling Jyuyan with her.

"Can't believe we still do this every time we come back from the Black Pyramid," Jyuyan grumbled. "No one's had the Plague in the centuries since DuskWing died. I don't know a single person that's ever contracted DuskWing's Curse outside of Mur."

"The Lord's rules are absolute," Ryu murmured. "And he is careful because he remembers DuskWing's Plague. As they say, all know the legend, but —"

"Few remember the nightmare," Jyuyan finished for her. "Yes, yes, I know. You were saying something about the Upper Tiers and how this somehow meant it was acceptable for my men to be slaughtered like flightless quails." They rounded a corner together before he continued, "I lost many friends today, Ryu. Friends that died because we couldn't possibly save them all. You owe me an explanation."

"You'll get one, though I doubt it'll satisfy you at all." Ryu pointed to her study, waving aside the two guards that stood at attention. Upon entering, she made straight for the pitchers on her desk as Jyuyan sat down.

"Thank you," he said, accepting a pitcher and cup. He poured for himself, looking at the water. "Very clean. Straight from the source?" His tone had changed; more relaxed, less stressed. The wonders of being offered clean water.

"Perks of being our Lord's Steward," Ryu replied, sitting down opposite him and sighing from exhaustion. It had been a long day. She poured for herself and sipped her water, then dipped her finger in a plate of pure salt before passing the plate to Jyuyan. They both enjoyed their delights silently for some time, replenishing the body's needs. Ryu noticed that Jyuyan still had a habit of mixing salt with his water, whereas she preferred to taste it separately.

"You were telling me about the Upper Tiers?" he asked after some time.

Ryu winced at the topic. "It's a mess here, all because the Upper Tiers are suddenly reminded of what funds their lifestyles. The uproar from that attempted water heist from WellWardyn's reservoir several days ago is still being sorted out. You could say that the Upper Tiers are in a tense mood, now that the Head Priestess has warned us about the Black Pyramid."

"If they care so much about jade, they can mine it themselves," Jyuyan glowered darkly. "No doubt whatever's processed from what we brought back will go for over a hundred times the normal price, while my men are left begging for cups in a few weeks."

"I told my aide to send your men back home with an extra two buckets of water each, you know," Ryu gave Jyuyan a disappointed look. "I'm very grateful you all took this expedition with such little notice."

"Tell that to my friends who died," he responded savagely, then his expression softened. "Sorry. You didn't deserve that. I… I'm the one who messed up."

She pushed the salt plate towards him again. "Don't blame yourself, blame the Sandwurms. It's not like you called them."

He ignored the salt plate, leaning back on his couch to put his arm over his face to hide his eyes. "Just make sure their families are correctly compensated."

"I can do the paperwork and apply pressure, but Fontayneer and WellWardyn are currently skittish."

Jyuyan lifted his arm, staring at her. "What do you mean? What's wrong with the banks?"

"Weren't you listening? The attack on the reservoir has them wary. They aren't making any more water loans, citing the current unpredictable conditions," Ryu shook her head. "And the Lord has not opened his doors to me. Or any of the other two Stewards, to be fair. But understand: I'm working on getting you the water you need. I plan on talking to Aquifyer next."

"Well, do what you need to do to get my men their water, Ryu," Jyuyan replied, his voice hard. "And we better not be paid in credit this time. People need water for their families too."

"I'm trying, Jyuyan. I really am," Ryu said. She couldn’t prevent an edge creeping into her tone. "This is more complicated than you know. The other Stewards are siding with the banks. I just need time during these 'extraordinary' circumstances, and a Steward's duties are endless."

"Fine, fine," Jyuyan held up his hands to signal peace. A fingertip was still dusted white with salt.

"I wanted to ask about the other thing I asked you to confirm." said Ryu, changing the topic as she refilled her cup.

"I was hoping you would forget about that," Jyuyan responded, sipping his water. He closed his eyes and sighed, then said, "But how could you, I suppose? It was the real reason you had me do this expedition."

Ryu waited, then when Jyuyan offered nothing else, prodded in a terse command. "Well?!"

The Rider sighed, keeping his eyes closed. "So the answer is… yes. I saw it. The Head Priestess was right." He paused uncomfortably, then admitted, "A dragon has claimed the Black Pyramid."

Ryu gripped her cup tighter. A dragon. Confirmed.

"You're absolutely certain," she said slowly, keeping her voice steady. Was the Head Priestess's message true? She had wanted it to be a farce, but…

"I saw it with my own eyes as we were dragging out the last sled." Jyuyan opened his eyes, a look of defeat on his tired face. "I've seen statues and depictions of the other dragons, Ryu. Moreover, nothing in the Sands goes to the Black Pyramid. Besides the Sandwurms, but no gaping maw of sharp teeth."

Ryu took a slow, measured, deep breath.

"This… changes everything." Ryu leaned forward, elbows on her knees as she kneaded the tips of her fingers into her head to stave off the oncoming headache. Her mind whirled with everything she had learned about history and tried to fit this latest bit of information into the maelstrom of recent events.

"A dragon," she muttered, as though saying it aloud would help formulate her thoughts. "A dragon has come to claim the Black Pyramid."

Jyuyan sat up, worrying lines creasing his dark face. "Do you think… we'll have a return of Summer's Plague?"

"I don't know," Ryu shook her head. "Attacks on the reservoir. The banks are tightening up water credit. The Lord hasn't opened his doors since the Festival of the Hero. Our food supply dwindles while the wells dry up, all while the population grows. And now a dragon has taken over the Black Pyramid, meaning our supply of jade may be cut off. I just don't know, Jyuyan. But I fear… this Summer in Oasis will be quite different."