The rest of the trip had been tense, to say the very least. Saiyun had tried to mediate with Cai, but his mind was made up. The ship would be sold at the earliest opportunity, and anyone who didn't like it was free to go. Which meant that when they finally landed, he and his friends would be put ashore with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Well, not only that. Cai had relented and allowed Saiyun and Bill to keep the ship’s logs they had stolen, figuring they had no value to him. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Saiyun had hardly slept since the mutiny, straining his mind to find the best use of what limited resources he had. Only the sight of Hilt coming up over the horizon managed to distract him.

The first thing to appear was the Yabaram fortress, a mighty castle perched atop a rocky point overlooking the city and its bay. Canons bristled at every level of its thick walls, pointed out to sea as a warning to any who might threaten it. The mouth of the bay was wide, and an artificial island was built in the middle, waves lapping against the stone that faced the sea.The harbor was deep, with a multitude of buoys bobbing in the water, marking safe passages.Their ship followed the others streaming into the port through the rightmost channel, passing under the guns of the fortress.

As a bureaucrat, Saiyun couldn't help but be impressed by the efficiency of the inspector. They had barely waited an hour before he rowed up to their ship. After a few questions and a quick look around, he filled out their entry forms and was on his way. With their berth number in hand, Cai steered the ship towards the sprawling city perched on the water's edge. As they drifted in, Saiyun turned to look at Aven, who was peering at the forested island on the other side of the harbor. Ji was with him; she hadn't left his side after she could stand on her own two feet. A multitude of Vathlanri ships were anchored offshore, with many more pulled up on the beach. "Is that the Tavada?" asked Saiyun.

"I think so," Aven said, shielding his eyes with his hand. "It's hard to tell from such a distance, but there's a good chance they're still here."

Ji gently reached up and tugged on his arm. "Will they help?"

"Vathlanri don't usually involve themselves in anything unless they're paid or it's a threat to them," Aven grimaced. "Maybe. I'll do what I can."

Saiyun frowned. "Help with what?"

"Nothing," Ji spat, tugging Aven towards her. "Let's spar before we have to go."

"Wai-" Saiyun began, but the two had left before he could finish. He leaned against the railing, watching them square off as he tried to silence the nagging doubts in his mind. Ever since Ji had recovered, she had been withdrawn. She shunned everyone's company except Aven and barely spoke whenever he tried to talk to her. Saiyun couldn't blame her for being affected by the horror Ca Diro put her through, but he hoped a few days on her feet would get her back to normal. Across the ship, he saw a flicker of gold and spotted Yazwa watching the pair with her eyes lit up and he went to join her. "Does everything look...good?"

Yazwa sighed, blinking away the glow. "Yes," she muttered. "Just like Tsen said. Her aura is fine. No holes, no jagged edges, no nothing. She's fine."

Saiyun paused, reaching for the right thing to say. She was clearly worried, but what could either of them do? "How are you doing?" he asked, tucking an errant strand of hair behind his ear. "I hope you've been getting better sleep than me."

"Doubt it," Yazwa snorted, bracing herself as the ship eased up to the edge of the dock. "But I guess anything is possible."

The crew threw ropes that the longshoremen on the docks seized and started tying off quickly. Cai stepped away from the steering wheel, blowing a sharp whistle as he jumped up onto the dock with paperwork in hand.

"I guess we should gather up our things," Saiyun said, heading below decks with Yazwa close behind. His things were little more than the pair of log books, his carefully folded robes, the map he kept with his robe, and the handful of summon dolls that survived the trip off the Golden Colossus. He stowed them away in a threadbare sack and slung them over his shoulder, feeling quite light. "Do you need any help?"

Yazwa grabbed her staff and tapped it on the ground. "This is all I have left."

Saiyun cringed, kicking himself for being so insensitive. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you."

"Don't worry," Yazwa said with a shrug, making for the stairs. "It's all I need to get home."

Home.

The word hit Saiyun like a punch in the gut. Each day, each battle, each new adventure had taken him further and further from home. Now, here he stood on the shores of Hilt, with nothing but a pair of stolen books in a sack. "You'll make it," was all he could think to say to her.

"So will you," she said with the ghost of a smile as they emerged on the deck.

Saiyun blinked in the sunlight, seeing Bill had made his way above deck. Aven and Ji stood behind him as he spoke with Cai. "You're making a mistake," Bill said, carrying nothing but the clothes on his back. "This is your last chance for a mountain of gold. Don't do this."

"Your grudge is your own business," Cai said flatly, pointing to the dock. "Anyone with him, off my ship."

The others started to walk, but doubt suddenly rooted Saiyun to the ground. Cai was offering an even split of the money he got from the ship to anyone who stayed. The crew was small. He could earn enough coin to last him for weeks. He was an educated man, and he knew his letters. Finding a job wouldn't be too much of a challenge. All things considered, he could set himself up with a nice little life here.

The moment of doubt passed and he followed the others. He'd sailed across the entirety of the Raoin Sea to find a way back home. So long as there was hope, he'd keep trying.

"What do we do now?" Saiyun asked Bill as he jogged to catch up.

"First, we find a place to lay low. An inn well away from the docks will do nicely," Bill said, eyes sweeping over the crowds that clogged the streets. "Yazwa, walk behind Saiyun and keep an eye on his sack. There are thieves everywhere."

Saiyun wanted to ask him how they were supposed to pay for the inn, but Bill plunged into the crowd. Luckily, his size made him easy to follow, but Saiyun's eyes couldn't help but wander. The streets were paved with stone, and there were no wooden buildings to be seen anywhere. Every structure he could see was made of brick or stone, and each had a covered walkway in front to shade customers from the blazing tropical sun. People from all over the world mingled in the streets, and Saiyun swore he heard a dozen languages every hundred paces.

Bill took them on a wandering route, going back and forth from each side of the street, dodging horses and handcarts each time. Saiyun lost sight of him when he had to dodge around a horned man followed closely by a floating boulder laden with bags. By the time he and Yazwa caught up, Bill was walking into an open space shaped like an oval, ringed with tall buildings. "Tobalo Plaza," Bill said, flashing the first smile Saiyun had seen since the mutiny. "Built to separate sailors from their pay."

"What?" Saiyun asked, looking up and instantly regretting it. The roofs of the covered walkways here were flat and people dressed in very little stood on top of them. Saiyun couldn't understand what they were shouting and he didn't try, keeping his eyes focused on Bill's back until they cleared the plaza. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Bill mumbled, leading them around a corner to a new street. Ahead of them was a gate manned by guardsmen in orange jackets and shiny helmets wielding staves. The gate was in a stone wall that stretched off to the left and right, disappearing behind the buildings. "Relax, just walk straight through. It's only a fire gate."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Saiyun did his best to look relaxed as they passed through, watching the guards out of the corner of his eye. They paid the them no mind. Thinking about it, he was sure they saw no end of strange people in a city this size. "Fire Gate?" he finally asked as they continued on.

"They have these walls and gates spread out all over the city," Bill said, waving his hand around. "If the city goes up, they're nice little firebreaks. Closing the gates at night keeps the criminals from moving around too. Not too hard to bribe the guards, though.” Bill stopped so abruptly that Saiyun ran into him. “We're here."

A white-washed brick building stood on the side of the road, four stories tall. Tables and chairs were scattered under the covered walkway with a few people scattered around talking and eating. Four signs hung in front of the building, the only one Saiyun could read was the one in Gray. "The Grazing Goose," he read aloud. "You want to stay here?"

"It's far enough from the docks that we don't have to worry about running into any friends," Bill said, stepping out of the road and into the shade of the roof. "Doesn't look uncomfortable, and we might be here for a while."

Saiyun frowned. "It looks nice enough, but how are we supposed to pay? Do they take credit?'

"What do we have to work with?" Bill asked, holding out his hand.

Aven reached over and dropped a fistful of silver coins into his hand. "Be careful. Most of those are different kinds. That can make people suspicious."

Bill scoffed and stuffed the coins in his jacket pocket. "You've been spending too much time with her," he said, jerking his head at Ji, ever at Aven's side. "I don't need a lecture about how to survive out in the world. Wait here."

"Built to separate sailors from their pay," Saiyun muttered, reaching around and checking his bag, patting it down to make sure everything was still there.

Before long, Bill came to get them. He led the way to a room on the second floor, large and narrow, with three sets of bunk beds, one on the left wall and two on the right. Two large cabinets flanked the door, and a tall window with open wooden shutters loomed over a table and chairs.

"We've got two nights," Bill said as they filed into the room. He put out his hand and stopped Aven before he could enter. "It took everything we had. Go back out and see what you can earn before it gets dark."

"Right," Aven nodded, turning on his heel.

"Wait!" said Ji, hurrying over to the door. "I'll go with you. You shouldn't be out alone."

Saiyun shared a look with Yazwa as she sat down on one of the bunk beds. It looked like she caught the tremor in Ji's voice too.

"I know Hilt, " Aven said soothingly, patting her on the arm. "I'll be fine Ji. I can work faster alone. I'll be back when it starts getting dark."

Ji stared for a moment, her tail twitching as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "I'll be waiting," she said as Bill eased the door shut.

"I told them we were shipwrecked and pooled our money," Bill said, taking a seat on one of the bunk beds. "When Aven gets back, the first thing we're going to do is pay for a few more nights and get some new clothes."

"No," said Ji sharply. "The first thing we have to do is track down Azun's blood mages."

Bill met Ji's fierce stare with a weary one. "Alright," he said, leaning back on his hands. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Ji stabbed her finger at Yazwa. "With her. She can see the blood magic."

"Anyone else wants to tell her why that won't work?" Bill sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hilt is a big city Ji," Saiyun said gently. "There are hundreds of thousands of people here and thousands of buildings. It would take forever to search all of them."

"And I can't really walk up and down the street with my eyes glowing," Yazwa said, fiddling with one of her dreadlocks. "I'm...you know, a false Achali. I saw Atemzlite clergy in the streets. If they saw me and started asking questions, I could be thrown in jail."

"Aven said it's different here," Ji insisted. "The Anku rule here, and they don't care about that. We could go looking anywhere we want."

Bill groaned as he sat up. "He's half right. The Anku may rule, but a lot of Atemzlites live here too. The Anku may not care about false Achali, but they do care about keeping up appearances. Avendi and Adaganna are just to the south, and they'd both take Hilt if they thought they had a chance. Yazwa's far from home, and she has no friends.”

“Ouch,” Yazwa said.

“No friends except us,” Bill amended. “They'd turn her over to the church before you can blink."

"Then we'll look more secretly then," hissed Ji.

Saiyun got to his feet and walked over to her. "Maybe we should hear Bill's plan first," he said, trying to lay a hand on her shoulder.

Ji tensed up and twisted away. "Don't."

"I'm sorry," Saiyun said, taking a step back.

"My plan," Bill interrupted, getting up off the bed, "is to lay low for a few days. It's been a few years since I've been in this city, and I need to look up some old contacts and see if they're still around. Once I know-"

Ji stormed over to Bill, eyes flashing. "He could be here already! We have to find him!"

"I get it," Bill snarled, stepping up and looming over her. "You want him dead, but that doesn't happen if you start kicking in doors and screaming about blood magic. Either sit down and shut up or leave."

A few tense moments passed before Ji backed away and took a seat on the floor, her back to the wall. "How do we get him?"

Saiyun let out a breath and put his hand over his hammering heart. For a moment it looked like they were about to come to blows, and he didn't think he could interfere without a summon. He tried to casually walk over to his bed and pull out his dolls as Bill started to talk.

"We have one thing going for us," Bill said, keeping an eye on Ji as he spoke. “Hilt and Tsilen have never gotten along. Tsilen accuses Hilt of sheltering Vathlanri raiders and pirates, which is true, and Hilt accuses Tsilen of trying to convince Avendi and Adaganna to invade, which is also true. Azun's fleet of treasure ships is going to make a lot of very rich people very nervous."

Saiyun pursed his lips, following his line of reasoning. "And if your contacts learn that you have the location of Azun's secret shipyard, they'll be very interested."

"Willing to talk, willing to pay, and maybe willing to do something about it," Bill added. "Hilt's fleet isn't very big, but it's very well-armed and very professional. The Vathlanri hate Tsilen too. Chances are, they'd be willing to sail out to destroy the shipyard, which should help Yazwa get into contact with the Ata she's looking for."

"How does this help us chase down Ca Diro?" Ji asked, glowering.

Bill sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Well one, he's not here. You were out of it, but the speed with which Tsen was pulling us means we got here well ahead of any ship in Azun's fleet. He won't be here for days, if he even comes at all."

"He’ll come," Ji said, clenching her hands into fists. "I know it."

"Great," Bill shrugged. "If we can catch him and the others and prove they've been up to blood magic paid for by Azun, it's another piece of leverage we can hand Hilt. I doubt any Atemzlite kings will be willing to trade with a known blood magic practitioner. The locals will be able to find him a lot faster than us going street by street with Yazwa."

Ji stared at Bill, slowly relaxing. "You're sure they'd go after him? Completely sure?"

Saiyun caught a moment of hesitation on Bill's face before he spoke. "Yes. Nothing would make Hilt happier than stringing up a bunch of blood mages."

"Good," said Yazwa. "See Ji, everything will work out. Bill has a plan."

Saiyun drummed his fingers against his leg, already seeing the problem. The blood mages had been operating here for years according to what Ji overheard. To keep hidden for so long among so many Achali meant someone had to be protecting them. If that someone was in Hilt's government...then they'd probably prefer to sweep the whole incident under the rug if they could, rather than run the risk of angering Atemzilite states nearby. Bill may not have been lying, but he was definitely feeding Ji a half-truth.

On one hand, it was wrong and Ji deserved to know the truth. On the other, she was calming down. If she went off on Bill and they came to blows...

Better to embrace the lie for now.

"So if I'm understanding this right," Saiyun said. "The new plan is to convince Hilt and the Vathlanri to go after the shipyard?"

Bill nodded. "I'd prefer to use a pirate fleet, but the only one I know is scattered to the four winds. If you're on board, I bet it will be impressive enough to earn you a pardon, especially if you bring back a trophy or two to go with those logbooks."

"There's no need for me to reach out to my Emperor's embassy then," Saiyun said with a sigh of relief. "I can wait until I actually have something."

"We're not sunk yet," Bill said with a familiar grin.