It was a short distance from Ji's hammock to Tsen's cabin. By the time Aven reached the door with five locks his heart was beginning to slow down. "Tsen," he called, pounding his fist on the door. "Tsen, I want to bargain."

After a moment of silence the locks began to rattle one by one, then the door opened just a crack. "What for and what with?" Tsen asked, a single purple eye peering out.

"I want you to teach me a string of Purification magic," Aven said, leaning forwards. "In exchange, Saiyun will teach you a summon of your choosing."

"Acceptable," said Tsen, pulling the door open and ushering Aven inside. The cold lanterns rattled on the ceiling as they swayed back and forth over an immaculately clean room. The two portholes were open, letting the early morning sunlight stream in. On the desk was a single massive book opened to a half-blank page, beside a small, beautifully decorated bell. Tsen sat at his desk, spinning to face him. "What string do you seek?"

Aven took a seat on the bed across the room from the desk. "One to purge an Akshi from its host."

"What kind of Akshi?" Tsen asked, steepling his fingers. "Different strings for different sects."

"Keiso. Yazwa said it looked pink to her, if that means anything to you," replied Aven, trying to keep his face neutral. Tsen knew what he was looking for after all.

Tsen got up and struck the bell with his fist, then pulled open one of his desk drawers. "It does not. I know the string you seek. I imagine this means Bill has encountered an Akshi?"

"Well..." Aven said, snapping his mouth shut. Tsen would barter for any piece of knowledge no matter how small. "I could tell you, but what are you offering?"

"I do hope you're not trying to exchange the string for something for banal," said Tsen, pulling a small clay jar out of the desk. "The ability to purge an Akshi is not worth that."

"No no," Aven said, shaking his head and rolling up his sleeve. "The deal still stands."

After dipping his finger in the jar, Tsen knelt down and drew four ashen symbols, one each on Aven's palm, wrist, forearm, and inner elbow. "These are the four you need,” he said, handing the clay jar to Aven.“Examine them, then redraw them yourself,"

The symbols of Purification magic were simple, which made them easy to draw, but a challenge to remember. Two were the same from the string to separate metal and wood, which didn't make memorizing them any easier. After a few minutes of focus he rubbed them off his arm and tried to redraw them. "Like this?" Aven asked, holding up his arm.

"No," Tsen said, reaching out and ringing the bell with his fist again. "Erase it and start over."

The next one was wrong as well. So was the next one. Aven bit back his frustration as Tsen dismissed him over and over again, all while ringing the bell on his desk. "How about this?" Aven grumbled as he finished his eighth attempt.

Tsen leaned in close and peered at the ashen symbols, one after another. "Excellent. Practice and then practice more. Misdrawing this in the heat of battle could mean your life."

"Thanks," Aven said, tracing his fingers over the symbols. "What do I have to visualize to make them work?"

"First, the host," Tsen replied, sitting back at the desk. "Form a quick, accurate mental image of them."

Aven nodded, that would be easy since he would be in the same room as the host. "Then what? Imagine the mist coming out of their mouth?"

"No," Tsen said, pointing a bony finger at him. "That will fail, and the power of the Caves will rebound on you. Each sect of the Akshi requires its own visualization as well as its own string."

"So what do I imagine?" Aven scowled, looking back down at the ashen symbols.

"Visualize the host as calm and standing," Tsen said, mimicking the movements as he spoke. "They take a deep breath as they tilt their head back to look straight up. Then they slowly exhale and the mist of the Akshi streams out of their nose and into the sky. You MUST visualize it coming out of the nose. Not the mouth. Do you understand?"

"Why?" Aven asked, flexing his arm as it tingled. Hair on his arm was starting to fall out. He took one last look at the symbols before rubbing them off.

Tsen sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Each sect requires their own string visualization, as I said. Why must I repeat myself? This is not like separating a nail from a wooden board. An Akshi is a creature of mist and malevolence deep within their host, entwined in their guts and soul. If you do it wrong, you will achieve nothing. The host must exhale, and the mist must come from the nose."

"Exhale, mist comes out the nose," Aven repeated, brushing some of the stray ash off his arm. "What are the visualizations for the other sects? Is there anything else I need to know?"

"My half of the bargain is concluded.” Tsen said, ignoring the question and turning towards his desk to ring the bell. “Since I doubt Saiyun gave you the knowledge I desire, I would ask you to send him to me so I can reap my reward."

Aven stood and clenched his ash smudged fist. Now that he could purge the Akshi, they had a better chance at keeping Azun from knowing Bill was here. Once that was done, they could find out when his fleet was arriving. "I'll go get him," Aven said, leaving the cabin as excitement bubbled up inside him.

Before he went to find Saiyun, Aven went to his hammock and pulled out his mothers mourning scarf. Making his way to the depths of the hold, he tied the scarf around one of the ship's beams and knelt before it. "Mom, I'm sorry I haven't talked in a while. There's been a lot going on since we left the island. We're in Adoti now and one of Azun's Akshi spies found us. It got away, but I learned how to purge them with Purification magic," he said, holding his smudged arm up.

"Oh, and Bill told me what the job is," Aven said, smile growing. "Well, he didn't want to. We went to the Tavada for help, and Sayel made him tell me. Oh yeah, Sayel's still in charge of the Tavada, and Utosa and Chata are still in it. Chata's taller than me now..."

Aven shook his head. What was he thinking? Mom wouldn't care about any of that. The thought made his stomach twist, but he pushed on. "I know what you were looking for all this time. We know his fleet has set sail but we don't know where it's going first yet. There's a gunpowder merchant that might know, so I'll be scoping out his house soon. Just like old times," Aven reached out to stroke the scarf. "I'm close Mom, almost there. I'll get him for you.”

-

Yazwa sighed, trying to force the golden ring onto her finger. Even with the help of some lard Bill found, it wouldn't go on. "It's not working. I don't really see the point anyway."

When Saiyun had come early to relieve her, he’d told her Bill had a plan. For some reason, she had to go to a gunpowder merchant's mansion and pretend to be an official envoy from Ibscaal looking for trade. Now here she was, standing on the deck of a pirate ship playing dress up with one of the most feared captains of the Raoin Sea.

Bill paced back and forth on the deck, looking her over. "I told you. It's not enough to play the part. you have to look it, too."

"But I am the part. How can I look more like myself?" Yazwa asked, looking down at herself. Her white-and-green dress was probably the cleanest it had been since she left home. Cai and Aven had scattered in the marketplace and returned with handfuls of jewelry. A dozen ornaments now decorated her dreadlocks, and two bright red necklaces hung around her neck. The rings weren't going on, but her wrists were each adorned with several thick bracelets that rattled whenever she moved her hands.

"You need to look like what they would expect," Bill said, reaching over and adjusting her necklaces. "And if you want them to think you're wealthy, you have to look wealthy."

"Try this one on," Aven said, rummaging around in a sack and pulling out another ring with a big red stone. "I think it's the widest one we have."

Yazwa grabbed the ring and slipped it on her finger. With the help of the lard, it went on. "Where did you even get all this?" she asked, examining the stone.

Aven looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Where do you think?"

Yarin rubbed the bridge of her nose, bracelets rattling. "Right, stupid question."

Bill snapped his fingers. "Tell me your story again."

"I'm the daughter of a wealthy family that trades in metals," Yazwa said. It was close enough to the truth. Her family didn't trade in metals, but she had been a blacksmith long enough to know their prices and properties. "I'm here to take stock of the market and introduce an official of the Eastern Hangzai Dynasty who wants to discuss closer trade relations as well as increased gunpowder shipments to the east."

"Perfect," Bill nodded. "You barely even have to lie."

"Still a risk," Aven said, tossing her another bracelet.

Yazwa caught it and added it to the others. "Why does it have to be me? Saiyun actually worked in customs, shouldn't he go?"

"We can't start with him," Bill said sagely. "He's a foreigner."

"So am I," replied Yazwa.

Aven cleared his throat and stepped around in front of her. "Yes, but you're still an Atemzlite. Saiyun is not. Zeidu didn't think he'd be able to set up a blind meet, so that's why you have to go and try to convince him to invite Saiyun to the party he's throwing two days from now."

"Is that all?" Yazwa huffed.

Bill chuckled. "It's going to be easier than you think."

"The rich love novelty," Aven said, tying the sack shut and dropping it on the ground. "Zeidu got you in because you're a mysterious foreigner from a faraway land. Having you at his party will make him look good. I'll be there with you posing as your servant if you need any help. Just act confused and tell me to remind you of something and I'll tell you what to say."

"Things are never that simple," Yazwa said, wiping her sweaty hands on her dress. "The last time you and I snuck into a mansion together, it burned down. What if I screw this up?"

Bill shrugged. "Then you screw up. Our main goal here is to get Aven inside so he can have a look around and figure out where Monja keeps his important papers and how his guards are set up. Even if you don't get you and Saiyun in we might be able to hit it anyway, depending on what Aven finds."

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"All you have to do is make small talk and try to get an invite for you and Saiyun," Aven said. "I'll be doing the heavy lifting by getting a feel for the place."

Yazwa took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Socializing. That's all it was. It was just like going to a ball or visiting someone's home. Just compliment everything and smile a lot. Like when mother dragged her out to parties back home. Except here, she was lying about who she was, and if anyone figured that out, she and everyone on the ship would be chucked into jail, and it would be her fault, and-

Yazwa took another breath.

"Alright, I'm as ready as I'm going to be," she said. "Let's go."

-

The trip to the Monja manor was quicker than Yazwa thought it would be. Rather than walk, Bill hired a boat to bring them straight across the bay to the north side of the river. The first thing Yazwa noticed was the smell. The south side of the river had an overwhelming aroma of sweat and dust that couldn't be ignored. Here, the air smelled of flowers and rain, probably because everything was so less densely packed. Gone were the multi-story apartments and warehouses. All the buildings here were single houses, most of them enclosed by earthen walls. The streets were much less crowded as well, so crossing the street didn't mean she had to take her life into her hands.

"How far away is this place again?" she asked, feeling her stomach starting to tie itself in knots.

"Not far now," Aven said, eyes darting back and forth with each step he took. "Remember, I'm your servant. The less polite you are to me, the more convincing you'll be."

"I know, I know," Yazwa said, fiddling with the many bracelets on her arm. "Why do we have to do this now? Right before we go after the... the you-know-what?"

Aven waited until a couple on a walk passed them by to talk. "Because we're short on time. Doros got it for us on short notice so we have to jump on it. Now that we know the Akshi's routine, we have to go after it before it has a chance to make the drop and out us to Azun. We have to move quickly.” Aven gestured as they reached a tall gray stone wall, topped with iron spikes. It was solid save for one large set of doors with a smaller door cut into it. “Here we are."

"And here I go," Yazwa whispered, walking up to the door and knocking until a vision slit slid open.

"I'm Yazwa Imala,” she said when the pair of eyes within said nothing. “Donsou Monja invited me to talk business."

The smaller door pulled open to reveal a battered looking man with a sword at his waist. "The Master is waiting for you under the shade," he said, pointing straight ahead.

"Thank you," Yazwa said, making her way towards the shaded area.The wall enclosed a long rectangular space with two large buildings. The one to the left was three stories tall, box shaped and painted with bright, intense colors that shone in the afternoon sun. The building to the right was long and narrow, only two stories tall, and painted in the same intense hues. The rest of the grounds were either open and empty or covered with greenery. At the rear of the compound the gap between the buildings was covered by a wooden lattice choked with flowering vines.

"I told you, act like servants aren't there," Aven whispered when they distanced themselves from the guard.

"Sorry," Yazwa whispered.

The space under the lattice was paved with a pale stone. It was empty save for a single man sitting on a pile of cushions reading through a pile of papers. He was heavyset, but he carried his weight much better than Doros. His head was shaved clean and a multitude of earrings shone on his ears. He looked over the top of his paper, and a jowly smile split his face. "Do I have the pleasure of meeting Yazwa Imala of Ibscaal?"

"You do," Yazwa said, trying to match his smile. "Do I have the pleasure of meeting Donsou Monja?"

"I hope so, it's my house," he chuckled, lifting himself up off the cushions. "Gosk! Bring these up to my office. I'll review them in the morning!"

"I hope you're not missing out on work for my sake," Yazwa said, fighting the urge to wipe her sweaty hands on her dress. Just be polite, just like any other visit to someone else's house. "I didn't need to come right away."

Monja handed off the pile of papers to a servant who left without a word. "Nonsense. A little interruption every now and then is good for the soul. Especially to meet someone who's traveled so far."

"Thank you." Yazwa grinned, wanting to kick herself for how fake she sounded. "Well after...I. Well, I've spent so much time on a ship..it's nice to see something else."

"I can just imagine," Monja chuckled, stepping forward and taking Yazwa's arm in his. "Tell me, and be honest, how does my humble abode stand up the famed water mansions of Ibscaal?"

Yazwa looked around. Truth be told, it was tiny compared to the places she had seen back home. She was almost certain the Great Hall of Aantin could hold the entire property, walls included. But that wouldn't be helpful. "It uhm. It has its own charms. I wasn't expecting such color. It's very...uh...eye-catching. Very bright."

"Flattery is not your strong suit," Monja said, patting her arm. "But I bet I can show you something that you've never seen before."

Yazwa glanced over her shoulder at Aven. He was following a few steps behind, face an impassive mask. "Really? I must tell you, I've seen a lot since I left home. I may be harder to surprise than you think."

"That's what they all say," Monja grinned, leading her towards a pool of water in front of the taller building. A low, circular stone wall surrounded the pool of still water. It had no plants or fountains, but at the center was a pile of shells. "Well, impressed?"

"It's...quite a collection of shells," Yazwa said, fighting to find the right thing to say.

Monja let out a belly laugh and bent down to pick up a small rock from the ground. "Just watch," he said, tossing it in a high arc to land on top of the pile.

The surface of the pool exploded as a dark shape the size of a cat burst out of the water. It leapt to the top of the shell pile and seized the stone in its jaws, hurling it away with a hiss. The creature resembled a tiny alligator, only with long legs and leathery wings folded onto its back. It glared at them both, belching a burst of flame and smoke that sputtered out well before it reached the edge of the pool.

"Is...is that a dragon?" Yazwa asked, going slack-jawed.

"Never seen one before, have you?" Monja grinned, adjusting the belt of his robe.

"No, never," Yazwa gasped, staring as the little creature curled up on top of the pile of shells. "How...how?"

"Fortune and Illitzo smile upon me," Monja said, waving one hand at the sky. "The smaller a dragon, the luckier it is. Scholars tell me this is one of the smallest dragons they've ever heard of."

Yazwa stared, her mission briefly forgotten. "So is it...is it like a pet?"

"No, no one could tame a dragon, even one that small. As I said, fortune smiled upon me," Monja said, splashing his fingers in the water and chuckling when the dragon snarled. "It decided to make my garden its home, and who am I to argue? Ever since, my business has never been more successful. Whenever I have a party, I ask my guests to bring a shell for the creature. Keeps him happy."

She was so entranced by the dragon Yazwa almost missed what he said. Aven helpfully cleared his throat and she forced herself to focus. "Well I...I'd love to get a chance to add to a dragon's hoard. I hope I can count on an invite to the next one!"

"Perhaps. We Adoti love to be hospitable," he said, taking her arm again and leading her back towards the shaded area under the lattice. "But Doros said you wanted to meet me urgently. What can I do for you?"

Yazwa swallowed as she walked alongside him. Time to sell it. "Well, my family deals in metals and we're looking to expand our market. I know Adoti is always hungry for iron, so I thought I would start here."

Monja reached a bench and sat down with a groan, waving for a servant to bring Yazwa a chair. "True. But I deal in gunpowder, not iron. I can't see myself being much help."

The chair arrived and Yazwa took her time sitting down, mind racing. "Oh yes, of course," she stammered. "I...well. You know..."

"I am so sorry ma'man, the fault is mine," Aven said with a deep bow.

Yazwa jumped, she had almost forgot Aven was there. "Oh?"

"When I made the arrangements, I only asked for an introduction to the wealthiest man in the city," he said, still bowing. "I failed to specify what trade he should be in. I can only ask for your forgiveness, and I pray this will not harm you or Master Saiyun's plans."

"Hmph," Monja grumbled, crossing his arms. "If one of my servants made such a mistake he would be out on his ear that very day."

"I uhm..." Yazwa said, clearing her throat. "I'm not going to worry about it. I got to see a dragon after all."

"Thank you ma'am," Aven said, straightening up. As he did he whispered, "Saiyun," just loud enough for Yazwa to hear.

Saiyun? Why would he- Oh right! He mentioned Saiyun out loud. It was the perfect time to bring him up. "Although this mistake could be good for my companion. He's eager to meet you."

"Should I take that to mean you're not?" Monja said.

Yazwa caught his teasing a heartbeat before she started babbling. "I...am interested to meet everyone. But Saiyun's business is gunpowder, so I'm certain you'll have much to talk about."

"I must say, I usually don't enjoy talking with my competitors," Monja said, wiping his forehead. "Unless he's looking to sell me his business."

"He doesn't have a business," Yazwa replied. "He's an official with the Eastern Hangzai Dynasty. He tells me the army needs more gunpowder, and he's been sent out to find a new source. Or something. He talks too much."

Monja laughed. "I suppose officials are the same everywhere. Love the sound of their own voice. How did you come to be companions?"

"Well..." Yazwa said, drawing out the word. "Fortune mostly. We both booked passage on the same ship. We learned that we have similar goals, and we thought it would be best to help each other. Two heads are better than one, right?"

"Depends on the heads," Monja replied, looking behind Yazwa. "Ah Agori, welcome back. I have a guest for you to meet. Yazwa Imala, this is Asay Agori, a young man who works for me."

Yazwa froze, slowly turning her head and hoping Agori was a common name in Adoti. She flinched when she caught sight of the same man who served Zeidu.

"We've met," Agori said, glancing back and forth between Aven and Yazwa.

Yazwa glanced at Aven, whose face was still completely passive. How was he so calm when their cover had just been blown?!

"Have you?" Monja asked. "Through Doros I imagine."

"Yes," Agori said with a slight nod before turning his attention to Monja. "Master Doros helped them out on their ship, and I went to assist them."

"I suppose Adoti isn't as big a city as we think," Monja chuckled. "You know them better than I do, what do you think of inviting them to my little celebration? Will they behave themselves?"

Yazwa caught Agori’s eye and his face was unreadable. What was he thinking? Would he tell Monja what they were? Could he? Would telling Monja out what Doros had been up to? Did Monja know what Doros was up to?

Agori thankfully answered before Yazwa could give herself a headache. "Yes. They were very kind to Master Zeidu. I think they'll fit right in. You should invite the tailed girl as well."

"I'm sorry," Monja said, sitting up. "The what?"

"The tailed girl," Agori answered. "One of her companions is a young woman with a tail. First one I've ever seen. Perhaps she'd enjoy the party too."

"Perhaps," said Monja, stroking his chin. "Thank you. Meet me in my office when your rounds are done. If I remember right, it's payday."

"Thank you," Agori said with a nod of his head. He shot one last look at Aven and Yazwa before he took his leave.

"Well well well," Monja said, stretching his flabby arms. "You didn't tell me one of your companions had a tail. I want to hear more."

With a little help from Aven. Yazwa managed to keep her head above water, spinning Ji into one of her servants she picked up in Chanan Harbor. Hours of pleasant and grueling conversation passed until the sun started to drift down towards the horizon. Monja offered them dinner, but Yazwa refused, insisting she wanted to get back to her ship before it got too dark. But she didn't leave empty handed, an invite for her, Saiyun and one servant each secure in her pocket. "I thought that would never end," she groaned when they were out of earshot of the mansion.

"You did fine," Aven said, moving up to walk beside her. "We got the invites."

"I tried to get him to show me around the place," Yazwa said, checking her pocket to make sure the invites were still there. "But he wouldn't get off the bench. Sorry."

Aven raised an eyebrow. "Why? I got everything I needed."

Yazwa missed a step, stumbling over her own feet. "What? How? We stayed in one spot the whole time."

"It was enough," Aven replied, waiting for her to catch up. "I got a fix on where his office is and how his guards patrol. The real problem is going to be Agori."

"Because he could out us?" Yazwa asked.

"No, because he's a paid guard," Aven frowned. "It's hard to sneak around when Achali are watching. But that's a problem for later. Right now, we need to get to the river before the boatmen call it a night."

"Right," Yazwa nodded, quickening her pace.

Tonight was the night they took on the Akshi again.