A box appeared in Sieryuu’s hands and he set it down to open it. Inside were an assortment of uncut crystals and rocks, various colors of jade and quartz and several other stones. “We’ll start from the beginning. Your highness, Yuelan, each of you take the stone that you are drawn to first. Don’t worry about what it is, just pick it up and hold it in your hands.”
Yuelan studied the stones, then reached for a purple stone with ripples of darker and lighter shades in it. She held it in her hands and studied it quietly.
The fourth prince also took a moment to study the stones before he selected a stone with the appearance of black bark.
“Charoite and black tourmaline.” Seiryuu nodded his head. “Those who are able to use charoite have always been few in number, but it is necessary for a priestess. Black tourmaline is used more often as a focus stone, but if you are skilled enough it can create a protective barrier. It is good for rulers and their advisors.”
“What does Charoite do, then?” Yuelan asked.
Sieryuu smiled. “You will find out soon, Yuelan, but always keep a piece of it on you in some form. Uncut stones hold the most potential and are easiest to use. That one should fit just fine inside your sleeve. I’m sure you will collect others you feel drawn to that you will keep on you as well, but this one you must.”
Yuelan studied the purple stone, a little confused by what the azure dragon had said. “Alright…”
“How do we use these stones, Lord Seiryuu?” Guangzhu’s question was much more practical.
“It will take practice to be able to draw on them without having to concentrate all your efforts into it, so for now, hold them in your hands and focus all your mind on the stones. Meditate. Don’t worry about other things, just focus on the stones themselves.”
Guangzhu closed his eyes and Yuelan looked down at the purple stone in her hands. She studied it carefully, focusing on it with her eyes while her mind wandered.
That is not what I instructed, Yuelan. Seiryuu’s voice came to her mind and the dragon sounded amused. Meditate on the stone. Don’t just look at it. Steady your breathing and clear your thoughts. Use the stone as a focus.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. After a bit she closed her eyes, feeling the stone in her hands and imagining it in her mind as her breathing steadied.
At first, everything was quiet and calm. Yuelan could feel the others in the carriage around her even as she focused on the charoite in her hands. After a few minutes, everything but the stone and her own breathing faded from her senses and everything seemed dark and still. She lost all sense of time and seemed to just be floating in the darkness.
A softly glowing, purple light caught her attention as it slowly expanded from the charoite in her hands until there was what seemed like a window. The figure of a man stood over the unconscious forms of a small number of people. She couldn’t see his face, but there was an air of smugness about him and something gave her a bad feeling. Yuelan couldn’t hold the image for long and it disappeared. Her eyes opened and she looked around the carriage feeling confused.
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Next to her, Guangzhu was still meditating and the black tourmaline in his hand had a faint glow about it. Willow was kneeling in front of the table in the middle of the carriage lighting a small brazier in the center and preparing to make tea. Seiryuu and Byakko were both sitting silently, their eyes intent on Yuelan.
“Have you learned what charoite is for, Yuelan?” Seiryuu’s soft voice broke the silence.
“I saw something…” Yuelan frowned. “A man standing over other people. He gave me a bad feeling.”
Seiryuu nodded. “Charoite is a stone used for prophecy and foresight. Don’t worry about what it means right now. Just write it down so you can refer to it later. The meaning will come on its own when it’s time.” He held out a journal and a pen to her. They looked like the kinds she used regularly back in Kilin.
“Where did you get these?” Yuelan reached out to accept them and opened to the first page to write down what she’d seen, describing any details she could remember.
“I picked up a few when I brought your father here.” The azure dragon shrugged. “I knew you were going to need them eventually. And you’d been complaining about how difficult it is to write with brushes and that you wanted a pen for studying. I thought this would make it easier for you to write down what charoite shows you as well.”
“Thank you.” She fell silent until she’d finished writing, then looked up at Seiryuu again. “This stone is going to help me with the disappearances, isn’t it?”
Seiryuu shrugged. “I can’t say for sure. You can’t control it yet, so it will show you things that could be random and have nothing to do with the disappearances you’re going to investigate. There are other stones I will teach you to use so you can protect yourself. There’s another stone I’ll teach you to use before we arrive at our destination that will be more reliable.”
“Which one?” Yuelan studied him curiously.
The azure dragon chuckled. “There are several, but for now the more important ones for healing and recognizing when you’re being lied to or someone is hiding something.”
“Long He said I had to study anatomy to be able to use the healing stones effectively though.” Yuelan frowned.
Seiryuu raised an eyebrow. “What, does he think you have to have as much training as the doctors in your world do? That’s ridiculous. Some knowledge is necessary of course, but you don’t need to know every detail. And you’ve been studying anatomy already, haven’t you? You should have enough knowledge to be able to handle anything in that lovely head of yours. What you really need is practice. Which you will get by fulfilling your responsibilities that have been neglected until now.”
Yuelan frowned a little. “What responsibilities are those? Nobody has ever explained them to me.”
The azure dragon sighed and rubbed his forehead. “What has my son been teaching you all this time? Nothing? My daughter was called a priestess long before she split the two worlds. She guided the leaders, healed the injured and sick, and worked to mend the rift between humans and spirit beasts. Those are your tasks, not just visiting the shrines to mend the magic she died for.”
“If I am to spend so much time traveling then…” Her frown deepened. “Why would the emperor of Longuo insist that I become the next empress?”
Seiryuu snorts. “Do you want to be an empress?”
“No, not really. Guangfeng would be a good emperor and I like him a lot, but I’m not really interested in being an empress.”
Seiryuu reached out and put a hand on her head. “Do what you feel you should. Nobody can tell you what to do as you do not belong to any country. The reputation my daughter left behind and the tasks you must complete to keep this world stable are enough to put you above any emperor or ruler. Whatever you choose to do, you will have my support and your father’s, though you do still need to visit and repair each of the shrines, for your own sake and this world’s.”