The large mountain range separating the Central Valley's western and southern borders from the Endless Sands is known as EarthShaker's Promise.

It is hypothesized that without this mountain range, the Endless Sands would have long ago spilled over into the Central Valley. There is a separate theory that the Endless Sands once spread all the way to the Deep Waters on the east coast during the Eternal Night, though geological studies are still being conducted. Regardless, many Scholars believe the buffer provided by EarthShaker's Promise allowed the Central Valley to flourish into what it is today.

Oral tales say EarthShaker raised the formation during the Eternal Night, when a horde of demons pursued the Companions on their search for the Stairs. The Gods punished EarthShaker for his interference by stripping the dragon of his flight, causing him to crash through the mountain range he had raised.

The impact formed the canyon now called Heaven's Wake, and it was through this canyon that the demons swarmed. The Companions were forced to hold the pass, simultaneously protecting themselves and the flightless dragon, in order to buy time for the Great Sage to set down a runic barrier.

Today, a small town called Klagynah has taken root around the Great Sage's runic keystone, which remains active to this day and continues to fulfill its role in repelling the monsters of the Sands. The town enjoys a certain trade status given its position between the Endless Sands and the Central Valley. Many alchemists also visit, seeking to study the Great Sage's work known as the Sage's Barrier.

— Excerpt from The Formations of Our World, by Head Scholar Panmoru of the Fallen Star Pavilion

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Outskirts of Klagynah

"That's Klagynah?" Kalle squinted into the distance, shielding his eyes from the setting Sun. "It's smaller than I expected."

"That might just be a matter of perspective," answered Molam. "Then again, it's not yet a City. Slow down; we'll need to prepare."

EarthShaker's Promise towered over them. The mountain range’s jagged peaks pierced the sky like the sharp canines of an angry predator, and the tallest of them disappeared into the clouds. Soon, they would pass under the shadows of the harsh slopes and enter Klagynah, nestled right at the entrance of the giant canyon known as Heaven's Wake.

This was Molam's second time seeing the unnatural formation running through the mountain range. He knew the stories, of course: Scholars Einar and Tory had babbled endlessly about the Pavilion's frustration that none of the Companions had written down the exact events, and how the tales must be incomplete. Molam was inclined to agree. He had seen EarthShaker up close before and the dragon, while large, would only cover about half the width of Heaven's Wake.

Judging by the amount and size of some of the buildings on the outskirts, Molam wondered when Klagynah would submit a formal bid for City status to the Fallen Star Pavilion. It was the only location hosting one of the Great Sage's Legacies that had not become a City. The buildings certainly indicated it had the necessary population level, and the small town had made its mark in history compared to most other settlements.

Then again, perhaps it would be better if Klagynah did not become a City, for it would then have a City Lord. While the Chieftess of the Formosan Isles treated her position as guardian of the Sage's Staff with somber decorum, the City Lords of Vhashan had recently threatened to build a cover over the Sage's Ring if neighboring Cities did not acquiesce to their trade demands. If a City Lord controlled Klagynah, would they abuse their position as protector of the Sage's Barrier? Molam imagined that wasn't a question either the Empire or the Free Cities wanted to ask, and that was why no one had been able to concentrate enough power in Klagynah to claim the position. The current coalition of Guilds shared dispersed control over the town, and it seemed to be enough.

"Look sharp!" Meera rode up to them, slinging three waterskins from her horse. Primrose snagged hers in midair, Molam dodged one as it fell into the wagon, and the third smacked into Kalle's shoulder, falling to his lap.

"That's your allotted water for the night," Meera informed them, guiding her horse near their wagon. "I assume Molam knows, but Primrose and Kalle are new, so listen up. Klagynah is the last place coin is readily accepted, while water drastically increases in value. Do you understand? This will be a good time to practice guarding your water and drinking sparingly. We'll be staying the night in Klagynah, and tomorrow we will enter the Endless Sands."

"Thank you, Meera." Primrose slung the waterskin over her shoulder, adjusting it so the leather strap wouldn't hinder her movements.

"And you, Kalle," Meera pointed at the alchemist, then hesitated. An eye twitched before she cautioned, "be careful around the Oasians. The ones here are still close to Oasis… and so certain sentiments haven't… changed." She paused again, then threw a look of disapproval at Molam. "I don't know why you would put your own up to this. I really don't."

Molam didn't reply, but Kalle smiled at Meera. "Molam wanted me here, and so here I am. I appreciate your concern!"

"Hm." The mursashu didn't take her eyes off Molam, then shrugged at Kalle. "You're a brave man," she told him, then addressed their group, "the Mursa will arrange for room and board tonight at the inn we frequent. This includes reserving the bathhouse for our caravan. Make use of it; it'll take ten days to reach Mur and another ten days after that to reach Oasis. The only bathing you'll be able to afford out there is sand bathing."

She rode off, guiding her horse back to the head of the caravan.

"I suppose that means I shouldn't go take a look at the Great Sage's work even though I'm in Klagynah," Kalle said. His voice was light, but Molam heard the note of disappointment in his voice.

"It's not worth your life, Kalle." Molam reached up to give him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

"Is it that important?" asked Primrose.

"Oh, but it is! I think most alchemists make it a point to study each of the Great Sage's Four Legacies at least once! The Sage's Barrier stands out by having the most complex design and still repelling the monsters of the night after a thousand years — a shame, missing such an opportunity to study it in person!"

Primrose leaned in, evidently fascinated. "I've always wondered — it makes little sense that the Great Sage produced better results working with knowledge you don't have today. Auramasters have increased in number over time as some Titled Ones develop new methods of teaching auramancy; so what makes it so difficult for modern alchemists to have built atop the Great Sage's work to create things faster, or more easily?"

"Ah, the path to learning alchemy has certainly become easier over time," Kalle agreed. "In fact, we're far more efficient with runes today. The Great Sage needed multiple lines of runes to accomplish what we can more easily summarize today. But just as you auramancers have auramasters, then above that is the difficult process of achieving a Domain — alchemy has a similar problem. The rank of Master Alchemist is only given to those who overcome the final threshold known as ForeSight, and even then Master Alchemists only manage a fraction of what the Great Sage or a Prodigy like Nettie can do."

"I… am not sure what that means?" Primrose held a genuinely quizzical tone. "ForeSight?"

"Eh, terrible naming, if I'm being honest," admitted Kalle. "I would say there has to be a better name, but I can't think of any."

Molam almost laughed at that. "If even an alchemist is calling it a horrendous name, then it truly is bad."

"There's no better way to describe it!" Kalle protested, then turned back to Primrose. "Some people think of it as how we design things to withstand change in time. See, once an alchemist masters the basics of runecarving and designing for the immediate problem at hand, the alchemist must then begin to imagine how the problem will shift and change in the future. The reason why this is so hard to learn is because circumstances are always changing and the learnings of our predecessors may not apply to the present day. As a matter of fact, Master Flangel wrote several excellent theses on the subject as to why ForeSight is so hard to teach, and that perhaps we've gone about teaching ForeSight incorrectly given the complexities involved. I actually have some thoughts regarding the matter given my own limited experience with ForeSight, and I do believe Master Flangel was correct when he spoke of…"

"Kalle," Molam interrupted gently. "It might be easier to tell Primrose how ForeSight is tested for Master Alchemists or the Prodigy."

"Ah, that's a good idea," agreed Kalle, who might have also seen Primrose's face slip into her normal look of polite interest. "The test for ForeSight is simple. If I show you a cup of water, can you draw its splashed form out before we tip it over?"

Primrose frowned. "What?"

Kalle spoke more slowly as he repeated, "If I show you a cup of water—"

"No, I heard you," Primrose interrupted Kalle, "I'm just asking… what? What is that testing for?!"

"For ForeSight," answered Molam with a straight face.

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Primrose punched him on the arm without looking. "I just don't understand; why this test? And how did alchemists even decide upon it? Is there no better test?!"

"Well…" Kalle rubbed his head, as though trying to think of the best way to explain it. "Let's see… Ah. If I drop a knife, where do you think it'll land?"

"On the ground?" asked Primrose dubiously, clearly suspecting a trick question.

"Correct. It will drop, and either land tip down into the ground, or bounce off and eventually land on its side. And if I drop fifty knives?"

"Some will land in the ground, some will bounce and rest on their sides?"

"Well done!" answered Kalle. "But do you know how many will do which?"

Primrose responded with a blank face. "I can only say, maybe only ten or less will land on their points?"

"And why can't you be more specific?"

"That's a lot of knives to keep track of," Primrose made a face at Kalle. "How can I accurately know how they'll impact each other during the fall?"

"And that's why it's hard to master ForeSight," Kalle beamed. "Well, not that I can do it easily either. In a controlled drop, where I know the exact distance, weight, starting orientation, and more factors, I can probably calculate the final position of fewer than a hundred knives. Now, the Prodigies can tell you exactly how a cup of water will spill out. Nettie's test at the age of three had her tell the Council which birds would take flight when being startled, and the Great Sage Vareon is said to have used his ForeSight to predict the state of our world throughout the ages. That's why his Four Legacies function perfectly to this day despite the changes! It's also why the eight hundred and eighty-eight layers of runes on the Sage's Barrier is considered a masterpiece; each of the layers is supposed to interact with the others in an impossible woven tapestry to achieve an ever-evolving balance where…"

Molam's mind drifted. Seeing Kalle's animated gestures as he explained the intricacies of alchemic thinking to Primrose's expression of genuine interest only brought his internal feelings of guilt to the forefront of his thoughts.

Meera was right for her look of disdain earlier. It was a mistake to bring Kalle to Oasis. Molam hadn't considered further than thinking about potentially needing an alchemist with him. How could he have been so stupid? Had he purposefully ignored Kalle's look of surprise and trepidation at the mention of going to Oasis?

How did forcing Kalle to come to Oasis make Molam any different from a village of people who had once burned a boy because it suited their needs? Any alchemist would have worked, and no doubt there would have been a chance to persuade a few in Klagynah. It may be an added expense given most would not be willing to travel to Oasis, but Molam was quite sure it was possible. It was stupid — foolish — of him to not have thought about this ahead of time. Kalle could die. Martyker had died because Molam hadn't taken the possibility seriously. He shouldn't force Kalle to go to Oasis; there was still time to pick someone else. Now they were in Klagynah, which meant that he needed to —

A finger prodded his cheek. "Molam? You've been silent for some time now."

Molam flinched out of his reverie. He looked around, realizing both Primrose and Kalle were staring at him.

"Is everything alright?" Primrose asked, looking poised to poke him again.

"Distracted while thinking about Mursa Allyce, I take it?" asked Kalle.

"...no," Molam replied. "No. Actually, I was thinking… about you, Kalle. Meera…" he hesitated at their looks of confusion, then continued, "Meera was right. I shouldn't be forcing you to come with us to Oasis. You can stay in Klagynah and find time to look at the Great Sage's artifact. I should've given this matter more thought when you expressed your concerns back in ZhiXia. We haven't exited the Central Valley yet, and now that we're here —"

"You brought me for a reason, yes?" Kalle responded lightly, guiding the horses with a flick of the reins. "Nettie was not an option and you had no other alchemist. I'm certain you wouldn't have asked me to come with you to Oasis otherwise."

Primrose raised an eyebrow at Molam, shaking her head. It was a clear signal to stop, but Molam felt he owed Kalle more than that. "Kalle. It's one thing for me to believe I need an alchemist with me. It's another to disregard your own concerns on the matter of… well, you, going to Oasis. You'll probably experience some of it in Klagynah." He clapped a friendly hand on Kalle's shoulder, finding it tense despite the man's lighthearted words. "If tomorrow you decide to stay or turn back, I'll be supportive. I'll fully respect your decision if you want to return to ZhiXia or wait for us in another City — Tarryn isn't too far from here."

"Molam. I'll manage." Kalle turned, showing him a smile. He pointed to the large scar across his face. "Look at this. You think it's the first time I've been in a place where I'm treated terribly?"

The symbol of shame shone prominently on Kalle's face, a raised, off-colored welt slashing from cheek to cheek over the bridge of his nose. It demanded anyone's attention whenever they spoke to him. A part of Molam — the polite, well-meaning part — wanted to look away. Pretend he hadn't noticed. Molam's short stint in the Northern Plains had been enough to see how some of the Northerners treated those with undecorated scars. Even Shurra had seemed to force herself to interact with Kalle without judgment, preferring to look away from his scar whenever they conversed.

But was that fair to Kalle, who kept it uncovered?

"I think Molam just wants you to know that you can choose, Kalle." Primrose sat down next to them, folding her knees to her chest. "Or maybe he's finally grown a conscience about what he's really asking us to do," she added, then winked at him.

"I don't take any of your lives for granted," Molam replied. Names — a list he had memorized as a result of repeated re-reading — leapt through his mind. One lingered. A large greatsword lay somewhere in the wagon behind him, a physical reminder of a promise he held dear. "Every person should… be able to decide how they want their life to be. I guess," he finished lamely, "I just don't want you to feel that I expect to be obeyed."

"Oh Lord Molam, how else can I be of service?" Kalle teased, then laughed. Molam tried to remain serious, then cracked into laughter as well. Primrose covered her mouth, but Molam could see from the way her cheeks lifted and her eyes crinkled that she was trying hard not to show laughter of her own.

"Don't you ever call me that again," Molam said once he’d recovered.

"Is Mursa Molam better?" Primrose joined in.

"Mursa Molam!" Kalle chortled. "Perhaps soon, ey?"

The three of them bickered lightheartedly as the wagon trundled into Klagynah. The sinking feeling in Molam's stomach didn't fully go away, but it seemed smaller than before. Kalle knew the risks, and had still chosen to come. Because Molam had asked.

He clapped the man's shoulder in appreciation.

"Hm?" asked the alchemist.

"Eyes on the road, Kalle," Molam said out loud instead of what he had intended to say. "We're stopping soon."

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Klagynah

Though Klagynah was not large enough to be called a City, it was still sizable enough for them to be greeted by its bustling residents, eager to see what the mursashu caravan had brought or was looking to buy. The setting Sun had prompted various people to put out lanterns for light; Molam even spotted flameless lanterns, glowing gems inlaid with runes of alchemy. As a whole, the town was luminous enough to navigate with clarity, and their caravan trundled through the streets while Molam took a look around.

Klagynah's most striking feature was probably the prevalence of Oasians, a sharp contrast to the diversity common in most Cities in the Central Valley. Darker skin, full and voluminous curls, and regal-looking faces could be seen everywhere, a clear indicator of Oasian heritage. Some were recent migrants, staying in Klagynah to wait for friends and family members before they ventured into the Central Valley. Others stayed because Klagynah remained truly neutral, and they did not want to become embroiled in the politics of the Free Cities and the Empire of the Sun.

The non-Oasians were varied in their backgrounds. Many were here to make a living, for money flowed freely in the one town that linked Oasis to the rest of the Central Valley, forcing the lucrative jade trade to pass entirely through its gates. Molam saw alchemists with their trinkets and inventions laid out in front of them, shouting to the mursashu about their wares for purifying water or keeping it chilled. The caravan passed gleaming shields, well-crafted spears, and even a few greatswords hanging outside three smitheries, with apprentices and journeymen demonstrating the usefulness of their creations to skeptical buyers. He spotted a few clothing shops, closed for the day, but the colorful tapestries hanging from their second floor windows indicated their specialty in making clothes out of Oasian weaving.

Some transplants to Klagynah came out of a sense of goodwill. Molam had spotted several signs written in Common, promising jobs and a better life for those who escaped the crushing culture of Oasis. Those who dealt with the mursashu for a one-way trip out of the Sands often found themselves destitute, and since a Shrine had never been established in Klagynah, there was no aid from Sanctuary. Because of this, it spoke volumes of the people who had come to fill in the gap and help the Oasian refugees.

The only people missing from the town were Northerners. While Tribespeople like Kalle and Shurra were rare enough south of Crescent City, most towns and Cities had several Northern Warriors working on their Hunt. But Molam did not need to notice their inconspicuous absence; Klagynah, while not Oasis itself, had certainly inherited the distasteful prejudices of its Oasian refugees.

Their caravan passed by an unlit area of the street. The momentary darkness brought other senses to the fore, and Molam took notice of the scent of spices long wafting in front of his nose. His stomach rumbled indignantly.

Food, of course, unified any gathering. Here, the many culinary scenes of the Central Valley were on full display. Open stalls took advantage of their proximity to the streets to fan the scent of burning charcoal and sizzling spices into the caravan's space, and Molam found his mouth watering after the long day's travel. There was no escape from the alluring hiss of burning oil as woks were stirred with frying vegetables and rice was mixed with diced meat. Even the tanned skin of Islanders could be seen as many of them brought the famous tastes of the Formosan Isles to even the furthest border of the Central Valley. Molam found himself staring, trying to decide if Formosan cooking could work this far inland without access to the fish of the Deep Waters. An Islander cook saw Molam staring as he grabbed a small handful of spice, winked at Molam, then held up his hand purposefully over the wok as he sprinkled the aromatic seasoning over a plate of food.

"Whatever it is I'm smelling, I hope that's for dinner tonight," Kalle growled. "By the Gods, how far inside do we need to be traveling? I'm starving."

"There's leftover jerky," Molam remembered, pointing to the pouch on Kalle's waist.

"No," Kalle asserted, determined. "I'm eating food tonight. Preferably something with soft bread. And some drinks."

"And I," Primrose declared with equal fervor, "am having a bath tonight."

The two of them looked at Molam, who was unprepared. "I…" he began, searching for an idea of what he even wanted. Jade? Good sleep? Something else? "I don't know. I guess I'll—"

"You'll be reading your notes again tonight." Kalle teased with a wry grin. "I hope Mursa Allyce is as striking as they say, given your obsession with learning about her."

"I am not obsessed," Molam protested. "There's a reason—"

Primrose elbowed him lightly, "I've seen lovesick people read the same things over and over again. Or, it's someone insane. Oh! Are you the type to think that love and insanity are one and the same?"

Molam stared at the two of them with a gaping mouth, unsure what to say. The two of them winked at each other, then Kalle held out a loose fist. Primrose bumped it with her own.