Yuer rose from his seat and returned the Tewekaga’s welcoming smile with a generous lift of his lips. He then offered the elderly man a respectful bow. Sakina, who remained at Yuer’s side like a shadow, fell to her knees and performed a kowtow.

The Tewekaga struggled to gather his robes as he took rushed steps toward Yuer. The joy on his wrinkled face seemed unabashed and genuine.

“How could it be? For the Mahatir’s twice-blessed child to bow down to a mere, old and feeble Listener?”

The elderly man then proceeded to get down to one knee. Yuer stopped him by taking his thin hands into his own and pulling him up.

The boy gently shook his head and said, “How can one ever refer to your scared self as simple and feeble? Your Holiness is the most enlightened and learned man in the entire Empire. Even if I were to live through several lifetimes, I wouldn’t amount to half the person you are.”

The Tewekaga let out a strained and self-conscious laugh.

“Yes, I might be somewhat knowledgeable for I lived for many years. However, no amount of knowledge could ever measure up to the holy All Mother’s favor. She had chosen you out of so many to bear her rarest of blessings. How can I ever rival such fortune?”

Yuer looked into the elderly man’s tired-looking green eyes and struggled not to burst into laughter like some unhinged maniac. A fortune? Yes, indeed it is. A true treasure in the same way a noose of gold around a hanged man’s neck is. Ignorance is truly blissful, old man.

Yuer painted a genial smile across his lips and softly patted the elderly man’s hand, “there is blessing in unblessedness, your Holiness. It is always in our nature as mortal beings to yearn for what we do not have and it is also in our nature to overlook the blessing in what we do have. The holy All Mother takes as much she gives.”

The Tewekaga looked pleasantly surprised at Yuer’s words. His previously tired eyes glinted with a hint of admiration, “so young and yet so wise. It is truly the good fortune of Naer Ayaseen to have gifted the Empire with such an outstanding young man.”

A spontaneous chuckle actually escaped Yuer’s mouth at the Tewekaga’s words and the latter’s face beamed in pleasure. Old man, you truly do tell the best of jokes.

“I came to your Holiness to inquire after your health. After all, we haven’t seen each other since my coming of age ceremony some months ago. I also wish to converse a bit with your esteemed self.”

“Of course, of course. We can send for some refreshments to--”

Yuer leaned closer to the elderly man and slightly squeezed his hands, which were still in his own, “I meant privately, your Holiness.”

The Tewekaga must have seen something in Yuer’s eyes because the open delight on his face morphed into a quieter and more restrained version of itself, “I see. Then, let us head to a quieter and less intimidating place, my twice-blessed child.”

Yuer nodded, “lead the way, your Holiness.”

The Tewekaga turned to the Helisari woman in the hall and said, “Mardenia, take the rest of the Helisari and stand guard at the entrance of the tower. I wish to speak to our blessed guest undisturbed.”

“As you command, your Holiness.”

The elderly man looked back at Yuer, his gaze stopped meaningfully at Sakina. The boy didn’t think twice before precisely stating, “Wherever I go, she follows.”

The Tewekaga nodded, “Please, follow me then.”

The head of the Mahatir’s faith led Yuer and Sakina to a corner underneath the curved stairs which would naturally lead to the second floor of the tower. He brushed his hand across the wall as if sensing for something. Then, he leaned closer. He muttered something under his breath and a slit appeared along the wall. He pushed into it with his hand and the wall parted. Another set of stairs appeared, only that this particular set would lead below ground instead of upward. Orbs of Light Echo floated close to the grey-colored walls. Their shadows flickered across the stone like a night puppet show.

The three descended down the stairs cautiously. At the bottom of the stairs, there was another door. The Tewekaga took off his headdress and aligned the moon sigil engraved on it against the door’s key hole. Instantly, the door creaked open.

A dimly lit, medium-sized study room came into Yuer’s focus. He was no stranger to this room, he had been in it before.

The Tewekaga waited until both Yuer and Sakina stepped into the room before closing the door, “Let’s take a seat.” He gestured to the one Black-wood table and several chairs within the study.

“This room is insulated in an invisible Water Echo barrier conjured by the previous Tewekaga himself. The Echo is embedded in the walls.”

He gingerly settled into one of the chairs, “So fear not. No one should be able to hear anything said within the bounds of this room.”

“How curious. The previous Tewekaga wasn’t a Light Listener?” Yuer probed as he sat down. Sakina remained standing, a step behind his chair.

“Well, traditionally a Tewekaga is supposed to be a Light Listener. After all, Light Echo was the Echo attribute that the Holy Prophetess, Zaradate, yielded herself. However, Light Listeners are not that abundant and the Tewekaga is an elected position. There are far more criteria to look for besides which Echo they yield.”

Yuer leaned further into his chair, “I take it your Holiness is not one either? Being able to part walls and whatnot.”

The Tewekaga chuckled, “No, I am not a Light Listener. The Mahatir, bless her glory, saw it fit to gift me with Earth Echo. I personally believe all attributes of the Divine Echo are equal. After all, a blessing by the holy All Mother is something to be cherished and not be selective about.”

Yuer nodded. A brief lull settled over the room before Yuer chose to cut through it with a knife, “How many of the Helisari do you have left?”

The elderly man chuckled bitterly. He rested his forehead against the palm of his slightly trembling palm. “I see. There wasn’t much point in beating around the bush anyhow.” He gazed at Yuer. His eyes appeared a shade darker under the dim lighting. “I’m actually quite astonished that you came to visit me of your own volition today and that you are breaching this very dangerous topic with me right now. Does your sire know? Does he tail you? I’m sure he does or else the Rezas wouldn’t have much need for him in his court.”

Yuer smirked, “I sneaked out. And he has no idea I’m here and he probably won't. I am after all a tender, timid and sheltered Dasrari young master who has a certain aversion to the outside world.”

The Tewekaga laughed. A dark edge clang to the otherwise jovial sound. “Yuer Ayaseen, you sure had the whole world fooled. You sure did have me fooled. Looking at you right now and remembering you back at your coming of age ceremony where you wouldn’t even meet my eyes. One would think those are two completely different people.”

Yes, you are quite right, old man. That little naive thing you had met and the me you are meeting right are indeed two completely different people.

“Have you ever heard of the venomous Lakar spider, your Holiness?”

The Tewekaga sat up in his chair. His gray eyebrows lifted in blatant interest. After all, he was a renowned man of knowledge and when men of knowledge came across something they didn’t previously know, they would become obsessively curious about it. “Surprisingly, I haven’t. Where do they live?”

“They live in an arid desert caller Lakar on the old continent of Ersa. They have an additional pair of appendages that normal spiders do not have. They use them to imitate the shape of a spiky-looking flora species, called the Yazor flower. And so, days and nights pass and the venom-filled Lakar spider is but a quiet, harmless and innocent flower to the eyes of its prey and predator alike.” Yuer bore his gaze meaningfully into the Tewekaga’s,“I admire this particular species of spiders very much, your Holiness.”

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The Tewekaga grinned purposely, “Indeed. This particular spider’s survival instinct is quite admirable.”

“Indeed it is. Therefore, sometimes, there is great virtue to be found in being a Lakar spider.” Yuer didn’t hesitate to bring the conversation back to where he wanted it, “So, how many Helisari left, your Holiness?”

The elderly man noted how the boy’s tone brooked no further aversion. He sighed, “Little, far too little to keep the Temple standing. A thousand at most. Each year, the numbers dwindle further. Since the recent revolt that took place along the Masqafa Range, we lost around three to five hundred Helisari, both seasoned and young.” He paused for bit,his figure sagged against his chair as if he had aged an additional twenty summers.

“I wish I could have refused the Rezas’s decree but there was no getting out of that needle-hole. The revolt happened in Masqafa and Masqafa is a recent heathen tributary state. Its people continue to ignorantly deny the holy All Mother. I have lost count of the number of Kumatani I have sent there to spread Zaradate’s words. Not a single one of them sent back word, neither had the precious few Helisari guards we sent with them. We were hard-pressed to send armed forces of our own. Otherwise, the Reznali court would incite the people against us.”

That’s what you should have expected when you don’t enlist Shefrin and limit your troops to Echo blessed people. Yuer thought it but didn’t express it. Instead he said, “This whole Masqafa affair was precisely engineered by the Rezas to strategically cripple the Helisari. The Zaradate Temple without the Helisari is an eagle without its wings. In this sense, it becomes no different from a chicken, sitting quietly waiting for the cook’s chopper. What is the Rezas’s cause for withholding Reznali reinforcement?”

“His imperial majesty insists that there are no Reznali arms to spare. The majority of them are stationed at the Empire’s four borders, guarding against invaders, raiders and rebels alike. Half of the rest are kept at Thurul to safeguard the capital’s safety while the other half are still waging suppression war against the revolting principality of Mevada. He also deems the revolt of Masqafa a holy matter because of the deep-seated disdain the Masqafi people hold toward the Mahatir and her Prophetess. I cannot say that he is entirely wrong but the timing of this particular issue is far from coincidental.”

Yuer affirmed, “It isn’t. Even if the revolt didn’t take place is Masqafa, it would have taken place somewhere else. This whole ordeal will keep happening until the Temple is bled dry of its forces.”

Yuer touched a stray lock of his red-brown hair. He played with the fine, dark amber strand for a bit before releasing it. “I am going to say several things and you might not like them, your Holiness. In fact, some of them might offend your sensibilities. Nonetheless, I shall say them.”

Yuer tapped his hand against the arm of his chair, “Your Holiness’s management of the Helisari is inefficient but this is no fault of yours. The blame lies on the very first Tewekaga who saw it fit to agree on a treaty that would allow his own direct armed force but not joined rule. The Empire’s rulership should have been an official and legalized coalition of both the Reznali clan and the Temple.”

Yuer snorted, “The first Tewekaga was truly a shortsighted man. When two different factions of one empire are given their own independent arms, it would only be a matter of time before they tear each other’s throat. This is common sense, how did it escape him? He should have understood that not every Semani that walks the earth is an incarnation of Zaradate. We are mortals; we can’t all be selfless, pacifistic and genial. The Reznali clan, which was but one single ambitious tribe, managed to conquer its neighboring tribes then states and later kingdoms all thanks to the followers of the first Tewekaga, who were the most powerful Echo Listeners the world had ever seen. Instead of putting down his foot and securing what he had scarified his fellow companions to achieve, he let the Reznali take all the glory, rising up a lizard to be a Nak’e, which would only swallow what he built whole some generations later. What an utter idiot.”

The Tewekaga stared blankly at Yuer for a while before conveniently coughing, “I cannot disagree with that.”

“Good. You mustn’t be another idiot, Your Holiness. To someone who is drowning, the end would always justify any of the means. You must grapple at anything that could lift your head a little higher above the water. Because if you don’t, you will simply sink and die. That precious breathe you must cling to is the Helisari and to keep the Helisari around, you must look for pillars on which you can lean if worse comes to worst.”

Yuer pointed a finger at himself, “I can be that pillar for you; a pillar which can bring other pillars against which you and the entire Zaradate Temple can safely lean. I’m soon to bond into the Reznali clan. If my chosen Reznal happens to become the next Rezas and I happen to become the next Rezna. I can assure you in all faith that you shall never have to worry about the safety of the Temple again.” Yuer paused a bit before cracking a smile, “You must think it is a bit too presumptuous of a sixteen-summers old little boy, isn’t?”

The Tewekaga didn’t respond for a while. He kept looking at Yuer. Yuer met his deep and searching green gaze unflinchingly. Few moments passed before the elderly man broke his silence, “My advanced age must be afflicting my senses because I find myself genuinely believing that you might be truly capable of all what you mentioned. You are no mere, simple boy, Yuer Ayaseen. So, what is your condition?”

Yuer brushed his finger against the ends of his sash before saying, “complete control of the Temple, and by that I mean utmost authority. No one needs to know of that however. You will maintain your position as the public head of the faith but every decision you take must pass through me first.”

The Tewekaga’s eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of displeasure and veiled anger.

Yuer pressed on before the elderly man could say anything, “Do not ask me how I know of this but by the Solis year of 1558, the Zaradate Temple will be no more. By then, your Holiness would be long dead and the Helisari order would be as if it never existed.”

The Tewekaga’s eyes snapped toward Yuer. “How did you…? Is it her holy glory, the Mahatir? Did she come to you in your dreams? Did she talk to you?”

Yuer thought for a bit before nodding, “You can think of it as so. But, it doesn’t need a divine vision to see that with the way things stand at the moment, there is no other conclusion for the Temple. Your Holiness has no support apart from the Helisari and the common people. The former is already on the road to annihilation, and the latter is quite easy to manipulate by the Reznali. You have no allies among the Dasra. Apart from ceremonial fares, they avoid the Temple like the plague. After all, the Dasra have long allied themselves with the Rezas. On the other hand, I am a twice-blessed child of the Mahatir herself. I hold no attachment to the Reznali and my first loyalty shall always rest with her holy glory, the All Mother.” Yuer’s voice took an indignant and scornful tone as he added, “So, how can I standby and allow those red-eyed ingrates to destroy her last standing pillar in this land?!”

The displeasure that appeared on the Tewekaga’s face melted away at Yuer’s strong display of feverous and blatant piety.

The elderly man lowered his head and proceeded to take his time thinking over what he would say. He didn’t notice Yuer’s face as it abruptly smoothed itself back at an impassive and cold expression. Sakina noticed but kept it to herself.

“Will you allow me to think it over for a while? I shall send you my reply as soon as I come to a decision.”

Yuer nodded and stood, “I understand that this is not an easy decision to make but you must remember your Holiness. The sand of the hourglass is trickling. You mustn’t waste time.”

The Tewekaga nodded and moved to accompany Yuer and Sakina back to the hall. He turned to Yuer, “I will keep it mind. We shall meet again some other day.”

Yuer smiled, “of course, your Holiness. Please, don’t forget to take good care of your health. No amount of Light Echo healing could measure up to a good night rest, well-balanced diet and sufficient exercise. I bid you farewell.”

Yuer offered one last bow before walking out of the middle tower with his servant. Sakina hesitated a bit before whispering, “What do you truly think of his Holiness, esteemed young master?”

Yuer glanced back at her. His blue eyes appeared especially deep under the shadow of his heavy hood, “just a dying tree to gather some shade for us until the sizzling hot summer passes.”

Sakina gazed at her young master for a while and wondered to herself, since when did her honest and openhearted master become such a stellar actor?

Half way across the busy plaza, another hooded figure, albeit taller and much broader, strode its way into the Temple. They bypassed Yuer and the thick fabric of their heavy dark cloak brushed against his. The next thing Yuer knew, the skin of his Alikana-mark blazed as if put on fire. The nerves throbbed madly almost as they were trying to claw their way out of his flesh. Yuer involuntarily hissed in pain. The noise attracted whoever was underneath the cloak. They looked down at the same time Yuer coincidentally looked up.

Although the hood was bulky, Yuer was shorter so he was able to glimpse one silver eye and a patch of tortured skin. The other party’s expressionlessly held his gaze for mere instances before continuing on their way. The further they walked, the quicker the fire burning across Yuer’s mark died. Yuer didn’t move. Sakina moved closer to his side, wondering what it was that made her young master stop so abruptly.

A storm raged inside Yuer’s mind. That was the second Reznal, Ivak of Kersa. Yuer had met him before in his previous lifetime during the harem Selection Banquet. His visage stuck with Yuer for a while because of how shocking it was to the then sheltered and dainty him. The entirety of the older boy’s right face was etched in rough, dark and tormented skin. The burn marks looked twisted and angry, raised in some spots and depressed in others.

Due to his rare public appearance, he became an open subject of gossip for the Dasra. Such gossips claimed that his scars stretched far beyond his face and covered the entire right side of his body, including some parts of his neck, his arm and his torso. Yuer didn't not care for any of that. What cared about was what was Ivak of Kersa doing in the Zaradate Temple? Why was he in disguise ? If he wanted to pray, he didn't need to conceal his presence. Did that mean he come to meet the Tewekaga? Did they have some sort of connection that Yuer had overlooked in his past life? This unforeseeable incident unsettled him. It had the potential to spoil all of his plans to make use of the Temple.

He cannot be left in the dark. He cannot afford to be in the dark. No, not this time around.