Sahshir awoke.

At once, he became aware of his surroundings. The Sword of Order was clenched in one hand but sheathed, and he was lying in a soft bed. Too soft; in fact, it was uncomfortable for him, and his neck ached. Sitting up, he glanced to one side and saw that boy from before.

Makas Kaba, wasn't it? The boy seemed to be cutting up several different herbs on a table near him. He looked at Sahshir. "So, you're awake then?"

"Yes, I am," said Sahshir. "Where are we?"

"I'm Makas Kaba, and you're in my home," he paused. "Well, Sen's home by contract. But mine too."

"How did I come here?" asked Sahshir.

"Your friends brought you in here," said Makas. "That disease of yours was flaring up and getting much worse. Fortunately, I knew some of the herbs necessary to help with it. They tried paying a Priest of Coinfurth, but their magics weren't any good for some reason."

Sahshir thought something was wrong with that question. "I don't have friends."

"Well, whoever they were, they wanted to see you," said Makas. She cut more herbs and then put them into a boiling pot as he did. "You should be grateful for my brother putting you up here. He didn't have to, especially with how you threw him in prison."

Sahshir gazed at him. "Do you know the things your brother has done?"

"Sure, but it's nothing anyone else is doing," said Makas.

"It is," said Sahshir. "Even if that were true, a wrong action remains wrong, even if everyone is doing it." Then he rose. "Thank you for your hospitality." Looking at one hand, he saw he was wearing white clothes. "Though I must wonder why you provided it?"

"My brother respects you," said Makas. "I don't see why. He doesn't respect anyone."

"That is the root of his weakness," replied Sahshir flatly. "If you hold nothing as valuable, you treat everything as worthless." He paused. "Where are my armor and clothes?"

"Over there," said Makas. "It's all there if you need it. We had to swap out some of the clothes. It was all torn up and fouled by dark magics."

"My thanks," said Sahshir. "I ask you to leave me. I must dress now."

"That disease," said Makas. "I'm normally able to heal things like that. And I've got some people in my Healers Guilds who are very skilled. But none of them could even make a dent in the affliction.

"Who did you upset to get that kind of plague?"

"No one," said Sahshir. "It is a family inheritance."

Makas nodded, then left.

Sahshir dressed in his clothes and armor and donned his mask. Sen's mansions were a place of narrow halls and small windows. There were no servants and rooms upon empty rooms. Many of them were covered in layers of dust. They didn't look to have had anyone in them for years. It seemed a lonely and desolate place, just like everything in Sorn. All the crystal chandeliers in the world couldn't hide it.

Though there were a lot of books, which was always nice. They were entering one of the lower rooms. And he found his comrades, bar Isamu and Cadas, speaking together.

"Sahshir, you're awake," said Urus, standing up. "Thank Baltoth.

"How long was I out?" asked Sahshir.

"It's been a day since you passed out," said Tuor. "We thought you would lose you there for a time." He clasped Sahshir by the shoulder.

"Have you met the spirits?" asked Sahshir.

"Yes, the head was delivered, and we have been granted our audience," said Tuor. "We have returned to Suvera to clear things with Sen Kaba."

"Good," said Sahshir, wanting to get this over with. "Where is the meeting to take place?"

"Three days from now, in the sea depths," said Tuor.

"Very well then," said Sahshir. "Make contact with Kaba; we will bring our prisoner with us as a show of goodwill."

"Unfortunately, that may be difficult," said Tuor. "Kaba has not been idle. He has been meeting with the other Merchant Lords, and I fear they plan for war."

"War?" asked Oresa. "How is he going to fight? They're underwater."

"That's why they are making plans," said Tuor. "We now have a minimal amount of time."

"Go to him and try to get him to stall," said Sahshir. "I'll deal with the Fish King."

And he walked toward the door; Urus rose to go after him. Sahshir was caught in the hall as he fell to one knee.

"Are you certain you should be moving in your condition?" asked Urus.

"I am the leader, and there is no other I trust to go in my stead," said Sahshir, opening the door and walking through. Beyond were Isamu and Cadas as Alkela fell in behind him. "As I said, there is no other I trust to go in my stead. Fall in, all of you. I must find Nagos."

"You'll be able to find him near one of the taverns with the lizardfolk girl," said Tuor.

"What do you mean?" asked Sahshir.

"Apparently, he talked Kaba into letting her walk free alongside him," said Tuor. "He's been having her show him around the city as a guide. We suspect the idea was to destroy the aura of mystery about things."

"What of the cult of Zigildrazia?" asked Sahshir. "And those creatures of Amysta."

"Alkela believes that it was only a cult of Amysta acting on her behalf," said Tuor, nodding to the girl. "She uses many of the same rituals as Zigildrazia. And Alkela has noticed several telltale signs on closer inspection."

"I'll speak to Nagos about it soon," decided Sahshir.

Sahshir left them behind shortly and found the place where Nagos was using the Sword of Order. It was better than some of the taverns, but at the same time, not the finest. As he entered, a man brushed past him with a paper, bringing it to another.

"Look at this!" he said, sounding furious.

"What is it?" asked the man, taking it.

"A record of finances from the priests sent to rule over the indentured servants!" said the first. "They raised taxes three times this year, and they've been using it for this!"

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"Those bastards," said the second, shaking visibly. "What are we going to do about this?"

"We can't do anything; the city guard will crackdown on us if we try anything," said another. "And even if we do, it won't make any difference. There will be a new priest after them."

"You can't think like that," said Nagos, approaching from a table. Near him was the lizard girl.

"Hmm, what do you mean, Nagos?" asked the man. How did Nagos get on a first-name basis here? He'd only been here a week or two.

"If you think that nothing will ever change, nothing will change," said Nagos. "You need to do your best to get your goal, wait for an opportunity, and do what you can." Then he moved up to Sahshir. "Hey, Sahshir, it's been a while."

"That it has, Nagos," said Sahshir. "I see you've been busy."

"Yes, well, I figured I'd get Amasara to show me around the city," said Nagos with a shrug. "I've been looking for a guide who can tell me how ordinary people have it."

"So you raided the prison?" asked Sahshir.

"Well, it got her out," admitted Nagos. "And by familiarizing people with her, we're decreasing the chance of a real war."

"Have you met anyone who used to know her?" asked Sahshir.

"Oh, come on, Sahshir, don't speak about Amasar like she's not in the room?" asked Nagos.

Sahshir looked to Amasara. "...Have you shown him anyone you used to know."

The response hurt the ears to hear.

"No, apparently, the transformation is sort of like reincarnation," said Nagos quickly. "They physically become a human, and then when they transform back, the memories go. They only have a vague familiarity with things not relevant to their mission.

"Still, she's told me many interesting things about her people."

"Such as?" asked Sahshir.

"It turns out that the lizardfolk and other creatures of the Fish King thrive on the unknown," said Nagos. "They draw strength from the blank spots in people's knowledge. The more things people don't understand, the more powerful their race is.

"In the beginning, when mortals knew nothing, they were all-powerful. But as we came to understand things more, they had to retreat to the dark places of the universe."

"Then, gaining knowledge hurts them?" asked Sahshir.

"Well, yeah, but so does losing knowledge," said Nagos. "The good news is that people are all ignorant of something. For instance, Sorn knows a lot more about how people work now. Still, the upper classes have no understanding of those beneath them. So that ignorance gives the lizardfolk room to operate in."

"Then what of the books?" asked Sahshir.

"Well, fear of the unknown is an inherent thing everybody grapples with," said Nagos. "It's heavily focused on the Fish King's texts and. It sort of builds on them. Combined with other horrors that creep to mind, it's incredibly stressful to read. The resulting fear thus feeds the lizardfolk and helps them maintain their dimension."

Sahshir considered what else he had learned. "What would happen if the unknown were to decrease greatly?"

"Well, if it got awful, they might have to abandon their cities and flee further into the unknown," mused Nagos.

"What of the Fish King? How does he fit into all this?" asked Sahshir.

"Well, the lizardfolk were once ruled by the Fish King. That was back when all was unknown and in darkness," said Nagos. "They called this period the Fog of Creation.

"In those days, they could go anywhere. They could do anything, and they didn't take the form of lizards at all. As mortals began to understand the universe better, they had to take on a physical form. The Fish King did first and went to sleep to dream, and the lizardfolk came into existence.

"They believe that someday...

"What?" He looked to Amasara, who whispered something into his ear. "Oh right, well, they believe that the Fish King will soon awaken. When he does, the world will end, and all the mortals will be killed. While they go to their afterlife, the universe shall be unknown again. The Fog of Creation will return. Then they can return to their old forms, but even more terrible and powerful."

"Wait, why would it be happening soon?" asked Sahshir, feeling he already knew.

"Translating the Fish King's texts damaged the foundations of the unknown," said Nagos. "So the lizardfolk are being pressed ever harder than before. If the unknown completely disappears, they will as well. So the Fish King has to awaken before then." Nagos realized where Sahshir was going. "Oh, I think Kaba just doomed the world by trying to save it."

Sahshir put his face in his hands. "...I really hate that man."

How was it possible that Sen could get even worse?

It was a question Sahshir contemplated a few hours later.

Sahshir was meditating along the pier, watching the sea. There was a stillness in the air. Isamu was trying and failing to throw his sword into the air and balance it on his palm. He hadn't succeeded yet, and he'd broken his arm twice. Finally, he gave up and moved up to Sahshir.

"So what is the plan here?" asked Isamu.

"We are to wait here for the Fish King's herald," said Sahshir. "Once he arrives, we will descend with the girl and return her." He looked to Nagos. "From there, you will have your meeting."

"Oh good," said Nagos. "It's been a while since I talked with him. I wonder if he'll meet us personally."

"Why exactly are we seeking an audience with him anyway?" asked Isamu. "Couldn't we just beat him up?"

"We're going to establish a dialogue and attempt to make a truce of sorts," said Sahshir. "I've convinced Sen to let us take the risk. So we stand some semblance of a chance of not ending the world."

"What do you think Sen would do?" asked Nagos.

"Probably behave as though the Fish King was a defeated power," mused Sahshir. "Or worse, try to cheat him."

"To what end are we even asking for a truce?" asked Urus. "They aren't attacking us? It's Sen who has been striking at his power."

"Do you want the Fish King to arise tens of thousands of years from now?" asked Nagos. "Or in a few dozen?"

"Tens of thousands," said Urus.

"Precisely," said Sahshir. "Our goal here is to come up with terms by which both sides can abide to ensure they need not conflict."

"You never struck me as the type to negotiate, Sahshir," said Isamu.

"I have fought gods," said Sahshir. "That does not mean I like my chances."

"Garrick," said Isamu, glancing at the Knight. "I'm guessing you're the official representative."

"Yes," said Garrick. "I am here as the official representative of the Church of Coinfurth. Naturally, they must be the ones to speak with a god-like the Fish King, on behalf of mortals. Ordinarily, they would send someone else. Fortunately, House Suvvest regards this as a suicide mission.

"I didn't even run into any assassins on my way here."

"No one else wanted the job?" asked Oresa.

"Yes, and I expect Suvvest likes the idea of me never returning," said Garrick.

At that point, a huge, bald man rushed toward them. Sahshir remembered seeing him among Garrick's men during the Second War of Power. "Garrick!"

"Ah, Finn, you've returned. What news?" asked Garrick.

"I've managed to get the fire brigade together as you requested and arranged for the mass," said Finn.

"Mass?" asked Isamu.

"Yes, I had some contacts suggest a particular course of action to the High Priest. I felt that he ought to send out his priests to do a great deal of preaching," said Garrick. "To stir up people's emotions with the recent trouble with the Fish King."

"How will that help?" asked Isamu.

Garrick smiled, and it disturbed Sahshir. Something was about to go very badly for someone. "It will help me quite a bit.

"Coincidently, I suggested that Sen Kaba order most of the city guard to the wharves in case of treachery."

"And the fire brigade?" asked Isamu.

At that moment, a building burst into flame as sounds of breaking glass and shouts of fury could be heard. The Priest of Coinfurth rushed around the bend from before. Soon behind him came a mob of enraged citizens with knives and axes. "Help! Help me, please!"

One of the guards, whom Isamu had addressed as Finn, stepped before him and drew his sword. The mob and the priest stopped. "How much are you paying me?"

The mob took the hint, and so did the priest.

"No, no, please!" screamed the priest.

And then the mob was on him.

"Kill him! Break his bones! Take his wallet!" screamed the crowd as they began to stab him repeatedly. The fire brigade got to work on the building while several screams radiated from the streets.

"Well, mobs can get very violent, you know," said Garrick.

Behind him, having finished stabbing the man to death, people started stabbing eachother. Apparently, they disagreed about who would get to steal his silk garments. The argument was rendered moot a moment later when someone got cut with a knife, and blood poured over the silk.

"I hope the herald arrives within the next day," said Urus. "I imagine the surface is going to get very, very, bloody soon enough."

"What did you do?!" said Oresa.

"Oh, I didn't do anything," said Garrick. "The High Priest instructed me not to use the information.

"Your associate, Isamu, found some very sensitive documentation. Coincidentally, that documentation was revealed by factors outside of my control. And since Kaba has had all the city guards assigned to the port, I expect many casualties. I wasn't able to catch Kaba in any corruption, of course. Financial dishonesty is, fortunately, not one of his vices. But I doubt the other merchants will be happy with his decisive actions.

"After all, they can hardly be protected from the mobs if the town guard is focused on the sea. Strange, is it not? Violence is such a convenient tool for breakers of contracts to speed things along. They imagine a world where they need not give anything to themselves. Meanwhile, they receive limitless service for continued brutality. However, now..." He chuckled. "I imagine they are less pleased with the world they wanted."

Another building caught fire as guards rushed forward to try to restore order. They soon found the knives turned on them as stones were hurled.

"I'm surprised at you," said Sahshir.

Garrick shrugged. "In a situation where no one is following their obligations, all contacts are null and void. As such, my only obligation is to use all means to restore the social contract.

"A mass lynching that removes the most corrupt officials seems a small price to pay. Especially since the Merchant Lords will be more cautious about exploiting people." He looked for the first time at the bloodshed, framed behind a raging inferno. "Overpopulation should be less of a problem, "I expect the Construction Guild to have a field day.

"On a brighter note, it will also serve as my gift to the Fish King."

"How so?" asked Urus as a cold wind blew by them. A raging inferno was raised on a building some ways away.

"A few decades from now, the story will be very different. It will be said that the very presence of the Fish King's herald drove the city mad," said Garrick.

"You ruin men with expert finesse," said Tuor, who had been reading by the sea until now.

"Thank you," said Garrick. "But the real credit goes to the everyday people of Sorn. All I did was provide them with the information they needed to know. They are the ones who decided to murder the people cheating them. It just so happens that decision suits my purposes perfectly."

"...You are a very sick person, Garrick," said Nagos flatly. "A lot of innocent people are going to die for this."

Garrick shrugged. "A small price for making a point."

Then, as the bloodshed and violence grew to a crescendo, a vast mist returned. It flowed over the flaming streets, obscuring sight and sand. A vast shadow rose overhead as screaming and cries of rage continued. Now Sahshir was standing in a narrow corridor, looking over the water.

Soon, that water began to foam, and as it foamed, many tendrils rose skyward as something emerged. It was like a woman, yet if it had eyes, they were obscured by a mask of flesh that seemed part of her face. Her form was vaguely visible but with innumerable tendrils. Gazing at her, he found it difficult to see where her flesh ended, and the sea began.

"Stand your ground, but do not strike. Stay where you are," said Tuor.

"What is that thing?" asked Oresa.

Nagos moved forward quickly and spoke to it. Amasara stood with him, and a kind conversation went between them. They speak, and eventually, Nagos turned back to them. "King Abdul Sahshir, the Fish King, awaits."

Sahshir nodded and rose, then motioned to the others.

"Well, that is our cue," said Tuor. "Come, let's brave the depths and leave Suvera to Suvera."

They followed the herald into the water, going from madness to madness.