Two doors of stone, massive portals to wonder- a palace of light and white stone. Siqxhe stared up at the fortress, looking past its imposing walls and toward its minarets and brilliant lights, the sweeping totality of a palace beneath darkness. It reminded him- if on a smaller scale- of the palace in Ilaial…

Laeo slammed the metal knocker down, once, twice, thrice with the sonorous cry of stone weeping, echoing. “...they’re wealthy. I expected that, but this extravagance, beneath the eyes of God…”

“I never expected them to be anything less than opulent.” Only an immensely wealthy ruler would call for a Nola doctor rather than one from the Xhyolok lowlands… That particular extravagance still seemed strange to him, but he brushed it off, waiting-

Doors opened, the dull grind of stone across stone giving them plenty of time to step back. Inexorable- worn grooves in the stone spoke of years, repetition. Two guards and a servant stood on the other side of the door, hands clasped, back straight, the perfect example of Sakaxhy nobility thirty years ago. The servant bid them enter, and they followed-

A sense of… pervasive inconsistency, a wrongness that Siqxhe couldn't quite shake. The Ilyaochi below walked in the shadow of God, but beneath arches of white stone and the light of a hundred bright lanterns, the sky felt so far away. While Laeo strode confidently through the hallways, Siqxhe wondered… who built such an ornate construction, here- beneath the oppressive silence, destinations reached.

The servant bowed out to the side, motioning to a set of rooms cleverly placed into the walls. "The lord Idi Mirchi bids you to stay in these rooms, and be welcome. His steward will greet you after you make yourself presentable." She quickly ducked out of the way, leaving them with the menace of guards and an uncomfortable quiet until they slipped into the rooms.

Laeo closed the door behind them, holding for silence until the guards moved away and they could inspect the room in peace. "It looks… new." He let a finger fall over a chair of dark, solid wood, holding it up to the light. "At the very least, it's been cleaned recently, and not lived in."

"It was built into the wall. Therefore it can't be new." A quick glance around the sitting room revealed stone doors set into the wall, five, and a window… clear glass, looking out over the Yaochi village below, icy still. Siqxhe quickly claimed the room's sole desk, cataloging what had survived the long journey north: some needles and thread, his scalpels and surgical tools, various ointments and herbs, a large amount of laudanum. He hadn't known what he would need, so he'd brought more…

Spreading out again after so long finally impressed on him something that'd been true from the moment they'd arrived but hadn’t quite made itself apparent to him- journeys ended, and now they were there. Destination- so many months of travel… he hung a coat so weary, slipping off to make him presentable.

………

They sat across from one another, beneath the window and views of forever, a pressing sky that seemed to go on forever past the clouds. Faint orange discoloration from so far off as to be infinity, the deepness of sky contrasted against the cheery indoor lighting, soap-scent and burnished Nola skin. Light conversation and light thoughts, a little more than silence but less than memorable-

The door creaked open softly, admitting a tall, imperious man and the same two soldiers that had followed the servant around earlier. "Follow us, please. The lord Ididirchi bids you to dine on the fruit of the empire. I'll explain more during breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Siqxhe and Laeo shared a glance. They'd barely slept at all in the last day, pushing through until they reached the fortress.

The man nodded, a curt, formal movement. "Dawn and dusk are the brightest parts of the day. Only then does a faint semblance of sunlight reach this far into the lands of shadow." They followed him out of the rooms and through the twisting corridors of the palace until they came to an empty dining hall. Platters of food had been set for them, more than they could ever hope to eat. It was a mark of how hungry he was that Siqxhe could only barely restrain himself from tucking in immediately, waiting until their host sat and called for them to begin.

Siqxhe bit off a chunk of expertly cooked beef, carefully wiping his hands on the napkin provided. "Has the lord Ididirchi been notified of our presence?" He watched as their host, gently narrowed his eyes, contemplating- were they truly so thoroughly beneath his notice that he wouldn't respond to them? Then why call for them in the first place…

"The Eye of God knows of your presence. Nothing in the fortress Laytaihishu escapes his notice." He paused for a second, chewing politely on some sort of meat- Siqxhe couldn't tell. "I am his steward, servant under his eye, master over all the palace grounds. He respects you greatly through my presence."

"Do you know why I've been called here? From Nolabo." Siqxhe delivered the last word with strength, an almost-anger simmering beneath the surface of his sentence. "I've-"

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"Peace, Siqxhe." Laeo rose, bowing politely to "I'm sure the steward here is merely introducing us with the proper ceremony of our arrival." His glare was the pointed, don't do anything stupid Siqxhe kind of glare, and Siqxhe found himself quietly focusing on his food while Laeo discussed details with the Steward.

"What injury am I to treat?"

Laeo and the stewart looked up, as if surprised that he's spoken. A few seconds of silence passed, the steward slowly putting down the meat he'd been eating and folding his hands across his lap. "I have been instructed by the lord himself not to respond to such questions. The injury is of a very sensitive nature, and he would prefer not to have it be spoken to outsiders.

Seconds passed in stunned silence. They were… hiding? He was going to find out eventually, unless they hadn't planned to ask his help in the first place… it just didn't make sense. "Surely there's something you can tell me about the condition. If…" He cut himself short against the Laeo's glare. He got the point- this wasn't the place.

The steered nodded faintly. "Well… perhaps. Please, enjoy your food, and we'll talk in the garden." They dined in silence after that, under the watchful eyes of the guards and all the twinkling light of crystal chandeliers, warped, glittering- candlelight scattered over shadows.

After they ate the steward led them into an expansive room, decked with plants of all types. Bright lights were hung at regular intervals along the walls, cupped by mirrors. The whole thing must have cost a fortune, but here there was green. The steward smiled, gesturing toward the plants. "Beneath all the gazes of God, only here is the greenery of beyond.” Only here…

Siqxhe drew a hand across the various plants, feeling the natural smoothness. A peaceful, quiet smoothness. “What do you grow here? Medicinals, or is it purely ornamental?”

“Of course not- it’s a fruit garden.” Now that it’d been pointed out, Siqxhe could clearly see the little fruits, delicate tastes unborn… “The old lord Sagtsoyao planted this garden when god first came to Xhyolok.” Siqxhe tried to imagine that- what a wondrous sight it must have been. All the greatness of deity, drifting over the seas and islands, settling over the crown of the world. “He was buried here, beneath his trees.” Within the fortress he’d forged. Fitting… It was strangely beautiful, cast in the lantern's light… “Where did he get the idea?”

“Sagtsoyao?” The steward chuckled softly. “As far as I can tell, nobody knows. Just another moment of inspiration. He was responsible for turning Laytaihishu into what it is today, expanding on a legacy of Sakaxhy rule…”

Laeo met his eyes for a second, then stepped forward in a gentle but firm cut to the steward’s power. “Steward of Laytaihishu. How-”

“My name is not steward.” His eyes flashed with a sudden anger, startling Siqxhe and causing Laeo to blink. “I am Soshyetay, fourth generation steward of Laytaihishu, and I will be addressed properly.” The two guards stepped closer, but not too close- they almost seemed startled by the sudden outburst. “...apologies. Please, call my Soshyetay.”

“Very well. But you must understand, Siqxhe is no magician. He can’t do medicine at a distance. He needs to see the lord Ididirchi in order to help.”

Soshyetay scowled. “My lord was very clear on this- we were to follow all appropriate mannerisms, and not interrupt him. He is very… busy.” A moment of almost forgetfulness graced the last word, but it was gone in an instant, so fast Siqxhe thought he might have imagined it. “He will see you when he is ready.”

A second of silence, cold as ice and shadows. “Then perhaps we might use our time better helping the populace below? A doctor’s knowledge might do some good.”

The steward gaped, aghast. “Absolutely not! It would do you no good, and much harm, wandering in that den of disease and Ilyaochi.” Siqxhe frowned- he was a doctor, not some common housewife going about the job of stitching up minor injuries. Perhaps-

“...If I may-” Laeo and Soshyetay paused, glancing over at him. “If I know some details about the… issue, I might be able to better assist.”

“Ididirchi wishes the matter to be private. Either way-” Soshyetay paused, deep contemplation written across his face. When he spoke, it was slow and measured- “The lord Ididirchi isn’t the one in need of treatment.”

………

Tapping a finger against the table, its tiny sounds, little wooden echoes that spoke of thought- Laeo looked out through a wind of glass and memory, eyes dark with views of dark lands. “It makes sense, but not…”

Siqxhe nodded. He’d felt the same- feeling, the sense of disconnect between what he’d known and what was, a tension. “Ididirchi refuses to speak to me. Even if he isn’t the one, you’d think they’d want my skills promptly.”

“No, not that.” Laeo pursed his lips, waving his hand in pointless gesticulation. “Well, that, but also- it’s more. The soldiers, Soshyetay, everybody we’ve seen except the servant. They were all Sakaxhy. All just perfectly conditioned to follow Ididirchi’s will.”

He hadn’t actually seen that, but it certainly wasn’t anything strange in the realm of nobles. Despite his relatively low birth, he’d been expected to play the game too many times to not acquire a… slight distaste. “He’s a high noble. It would make sense-”

“No!” Laeo clenched a fist, startling Siqxhe into silence. “No no… that doesn't make sense. His head steward is angry enough to lash out at the slightest sign of disrespect. Money flows like water…” he met Siqxhe’s eyes, then shook his head. “That’s beside the point.” A breath, framed in the light of flickering lanterns and the faintest orange glow of god. From their vantage it was easy to tell that God wasn’t completely flat- mostly, maybe… but still, there were irregularities, flowing like water and defying the eye. A breath- Siqxhe wrenched himself back to reality just as Laeo sighed. “The point is- we’re trapped.”