The walk back to Chanan Harbor was pleasant, but the crew's reaction was not. Aven stood at Bill's side as he explained what had happened.

"Another delay?" Batro asked, drumming his fingers on his bicep. "I thought this was supposed to be a simple retrieval job."

Bill raised his hands to placate the grumbling crew. "That's what I was told, but until this new mess gets cleared up, we're stuck here."

"We're supposed to just sit here for two days and wait?" Batro asked, stepping up to Bill. "From what I've seen, you don't live up to your reputation."

Aven tensed, sizing Batro up. The swordsman was only a few years older than him and came from far away. Would he be crazy enough to try to lead a mutiny?

"I get it," Bill laughed, clapping Batro on the shoulder. "You're new to all this. Probably the first time anything's ever gone wrong, eh?"

"You're young," Cai piped up, leaning on the mast. "You've got plenty of time to learn."

A laugh rippled through the crew and Batro went red, shoving Bill's hand off his shoulder.

"As much as I'd like to give a sermon on the value of patience," Bill said, scratching at the scales on his neck and shoulders. "I feel like this isn't the time to play the Ezu. Obviously we aren't going to sit around doing nothing. We have someone on the inside of the Magistrates manor getting us more information. If we can figure out who the Vao is before we play the favor game it'll make my position stronger. The first place to start is the academy. If its leader isn't the man I'm looking for, he might be able to point me in the right direction."

"The Academy is by the Star Court, right?" Cai asked.

"Same street," nodded Bill.

"I'll go with you then," Cai said, pushing off the mast. "Been a while since I had a good pray. Way things are going we could use a little divine intervention."

"I'll come too," Aven said. It had been a long time since he had gone to a Star Court. If it was big enough, they probably had a shrine to the dead set up somewhere inside.

"Count me in," added Batro.

Bill raised a bushy eyebrow. "Last I checked, you weren't a follower of Riyao."

"I've been stuck on this ship for months," Batro scowled. "If I don't stretch my legs and look at something other than these deck boards I'm going to lose my mind."

"Fair," Bill nodded, stroking his beard. "Anyone else feel bored or pious?"

No one else in the crew took them up on the offer, and soon the four of them were on their way, walking in single file behind Bill. Aven couldn't help but consider something his mother taught him years ago. When trying to move through a crowd unseen, stick close to anyone more memorable than you. A man juggling daggers and wearing a bright yellow hat would pull attention away from a pickpocket. Bill was big, hairy, mostly naked, and had blue scales shimmering on his shoulders and neck. Everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to him. Aven glanced over his shoulder at Batro, wondering if the tanned, red-haired man would be so easily forgotten.

"What?" Batro asked when Aven's eyes lingered too long.

"Have you ever been to a Star Court before?" Aven asked. "Do you know what to do?"

"I've never been this far east," Batro replied. "Never even heard of a Star Court."

"Just follow our lead," Cai laughed from the rear. "So long as you look right at the portrait of Riyao no one will think you're possessed."

"We have enough on our hands without one of my crew getting arrested for harboring an Akshi," Bill said, stopping in front of a stately building with a courtyard filled with a manicured garden. "Get in, get out and meet me back at the ship."

"I'd ask what trouble can you get into at a Star Court," Cai said as Bill walked away, "but I know exactly what kind of trouble you can get into at a Star Court."

Aven nodded. He had stolen more than a few things out of the shrines when he was younger. "What kind of trouble did YOU get into?" Aven asked as they continued down the street.

Cai chuckled, a wide smile showing off his golden teeth. "The senior priests don't like it when you seduce half the dancers. You can get away with one, but not three."

"I'll keep that in mind," Batro said as they approached a large building.

From the outside, the Star Court was made of four quarter-circle buildings raised on stone platforms. The platforms themselves were gray, but the wooden buildings on top were whitewashed. They had high ceilings with tall, thin windows that let in light. The gaps between the buildings were wide enough for several people to pass through. At the entrance stood a man and a woman wearing sky blue robes with ornate sheathes hanging on their hips.

"Let's use the east entrance," Cai said, waving them along. "It's good luck."

Aven followed him until they stood under a large portrait of Riyao that hung over the way in. He was wrapped in dark blue robes and standing atop scorched ground. His eyes, a vivid purple, were cast upwards at the sky. Aven looked up at the portrait and touched his right hand to his left shoulder and, in sync with Cai, drew the tips of his fingers across his chest to his right shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Aven watched Batro clumsily copy the gesture.

After they finished, a man in blue robes approached them, smiling widely and speaking in the local language. "Welcome my brothers, what do you seek?"

Aven looked the man up and down. His skin was pale and his eyebrows were plucked, clearly a man of privilege. A glance at the sword was all he needed to know the sheathe was empty. The hilt was connected to the rest of the sheathe, only for show.

"Luck," Cai answered simply, also in the local language. "We have had troubles. We must overcome."

The blue-clad man bobbed his head up and down and pointed down the path. "Turn right and you will find many shrines to prosperity."

"Good!" Cai replied, brushing past him.

"What just happened?" Batro asked in Gray as they left the man behind. "Are outsiders forbidden here?"

"Relax," said Cai with a wave of his hand. "If that were true, we wouldn't have brought you."

The four quarter-circle buildings surrounded a circular courtyard paved with black stone. Embedded in the stone were round marble tiles reflecting the bright sunlight. Stone steps rose from the courtyard to the edge of the buildings. Some people sat on them, chatting away while others climbed to one of three doors leading inside. More of the same thin windows from outside the complex faced the courtyard.

"Then why was there an armed guard at the gate?" Batro asked, eyes roaming over the Star Court.

"If you were possessed by an Akshi, he would have struck you down," Aven replied.

Batro snorted. "Some guard. I doubt he's ever so much as thrown a punch. I could have dropped him after his first swing."

"Probably," Aven said, taking note that Batro hadn't noticed the fake sword. "There are hardly ever really dangerous people manning the gate. They're just there for ceremony. If you were really taken by an Akshi, there would probably be a lot of running and terrified screaming going on right now."

"Good thing you're not," Cai nodded, patting Batro on the shoulder.

Batro sighed as people stepped around them onto the courtyard. "I know you're just stringing me along. What are Akshi? And who was that picture of?"

"I'll take this one. I'm old, I like telling stories," Cai said, taking a deep breath and sweeping his hand over the courtyard. "The Akshi are creatures of light and mist, they can slip into a man's head and take control of him faster than a heartbeat. A long time ago the Akshi slew the Speaker and overran the world, turning it into a living nightmare. As he rode through the sky, Riyao looked down on the suffering people and took pity. He gathered powerful people to his cause, and in only eight years he drove the Akshi into the shadows. To this day, an Akshi can't look at a picture of Riyao without flying into a rage."

"I see," Batro said, looking back the way they came. "It's to make sure they can't enter. If these Akshi are so dangerous, why don't they have proper guards at the gate?"

"As the story says," Aven replied. "Riyao drove them into the shadows. They never come out."

Cai shook his head. "Not true. Eleven years ago, one of my shipmates was taken by an Akshi. Bloody business, it was." He tapped one of his pockets. "I've carried a mirror ever since. If a possessed person looks into a mirror, their reflected eyes will glow an unnatural color."

"You ever catch an Akshi with that?" Aven asked, starting up the stairs.

"You laugh now," Cai said, following along. "But you won't be smiling so wide when one does show up. Possession makes a man savage and freakishly strong."

"Good thing we've got Bill then," Aven said. “He’s freakishly strong too.”

The three climbed the steps of the temple and entered through the middle doorway. The ceiling was high above, held up by rough wooden beams. Light streamed in through the tall, narrow windows, illuminating many shrines on the walls. Each shrine was different from the last. Some had racks of lit and unlit candles beneath a bronze statue, others had stones carved in elaborate shapes hanging above a metal trough filled with water. There were only a handful of people around, some were praying at the shrines, most of the rest wore sky-blue robes and attended to the shrines, cleaning, scrubbing, or replacing burnt-out candles.

Batro whistled, looking back and forth across the curved room. "This is a lot of altars for one god. Riyao asks a lot of his followers."

"No, no." Cai chuckled, guiding Batro towards a shrine. A sheet of cloth hung on the wall, soaking wet. On it was a painting of what was once a large symbol, but the water made the ink run to the point where it was nothing more than a smudge. Colored drops of water dripped down into a trough set underneath the sheet. "None of these are for Riyao. This one is for AcEzu, the Eternal Waters. The statue with the bells and chimes is for En Chitei."

"Why do you have shrines for other gods here?" asked Batro.

"You sound like an Atemzlite," said Cai, dipping a tin cup into the trough and tossing it against the sheet. The water splashed and ran down the sheet, taking more of the ink with it. "When Riyao fought against the Akshi, he brought the strength of three different faiths together. AcEzu, En Chitei and Vao. Here, they are all worshiped."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Batro snorted. "That sounds more complicated than its worth."

"Why?" asked Aven, tossing a cupful of water onto the sheet. "It's not that many. How many gods does your religion have?"

"None," said Batro, straightening his shirt. "We worship our ancestors. Much less fickle than distant gods."

"Yes," muttered Aven, rolling his eyes. "Dead people are always so quick to help."

"More helpful than water," Batro shot back.

"Well," said Cai, clapping his hands together. "I know a religious war brewing when I see one. I'm going to go make a circuit of the shrines. If you two start throwing punches, keep blood off the altars. It's bad luck." Cai stepped away and bowed before a bronze statue holding a bell, giving it a ring four times.

Aven shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter, I guess. Look around all you want. I need to go…find something."

"Wait," Batro said, pointing to a shrine across the room. "What's that one? It looks like a map."

"What? Oh," Aven said, following his gaze. A large cloth map hung on the wall above a tray of unlit candles. The map was mostly in black ink, but a large part of the land was filled in with bright gold paint. At the top of the map were painted a pair of elaborate characters in Old Qis. "It's a Reunion Shrine. You find these all over the place in Qisin. Every local strongman wants everyone to pray for them to conquer all of Qisin."

Batro looked over the map, brushing some strands of red hair out of his eyes. "I know Qisin was big, but I never knew how big until we had to sail so far west." A manic smile started to spread across his face. "Can you imagine the size of the army you'd need to conquer it all? All that glory…"

"Don't get worked up," Aven sighed. "No one has ever actually ruled it. Qisin and the Raoin Sea have always been a disaster."

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind them. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your…history lesson."

Aven turned to see a man wearing sky blue robes with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. He held an empty bucket of water in each hand and wore his hair tied up in a knot, held in place with a decorated bronze ring. "Wait, I remember you," Aven said. "You were our customs inspector."

"Saiyun Li Enaoshi," he said with a shallow bow. "I assume you are not from around here?"

Batro tapped his chest. "Ankurivi."

"That is quite a distance," Saiyun said, setting down the buckets. "I would be remiss in my duties if I allowed you to carry this misinformation back home with you."

"It's true," Aven bristled as Saiyun joined them.

"It is not," Saiyun said, lighting one of the many candles under the map. "This map is of Qisin at its greatest and most powerful. The young Emperor Taoli brought all this land under the control of the Hangzai Dynasty. He ruled wisely and justly, bringing forth an era of universal peace and prosperity. His grandson, the Haodei Emperor then sought to bring the same peace to the waters around Qisin."

Batro snapped his fingers. "Haodei. I've heard of him."

Saiyun smiled serenely. "Of course you have. He built a mighty navy to clear the pirates from the seas. With the largest ships in the world under his command, it was an easy task. When the Raoin was peaceful, he sent his ships on voyages of exploration. He sent fleets across Vath's Ocean to meet the Gray Emperor and far to the south to make contact with the Oracle. Blessed were the days when Haodei sat on the throne in the Floating Palace."

"What happened then?" Aven scowled, jerking his chin at the map. "If he was so great, why's everything so piss-awful now?"

"You are in a Star Court. Show some decorum," Saiyun snapped. "Haodei's successors were not his equals. They grew obsessed with wine and women, letting Qisin fall into the hands of corrupt officials. His great-grandson, the Crown Prince Falao, showed promise and hoped to heal the Empire. When Sianje Province was invaded he led an Imperial Army east to protect his people from the barbarians. But when he was gone the corrupt Ministers betrayed him. They convinced his ailing father to remove him from the succession and make his infant son the new Crown Prince. When news of the outrage spread, rebellions erupted and Qisin fell apart. I serve the true heir of the Hangzai Dynasty and his quest to reunite what was broken."

"And how's that going?" Aven asked.

Saiyun scowled at him and turned back to Batro. "Falao's grandson Haogon rules the east, but the forces arrayed against him are powerful. The False Heir Mushen holds the center of Qisin and sits on the throne in the Floating Palace. In the west, the Usurper Litzu has proclaimed himself the new Emperor. There are dozens of other warlords that hold their petty kingdoms in their bloodstained fists. This map is a prayer that Hoagon will one day crush them all and return peace to Qisin."

"I'll light a candle to that," Aven said, reaching out and doing so.

"I beg your pardon, but I did not catch your name," Saiyun said to Batro.

"I am called Batro," he said, tapping his chest. "Thanks for the history lesson. You know any tales of great swordsmen?"

Before Saiyun could answer a young boy ran over and whispered something in his ear. Saiyun nodded to the boy, then turned back to face them. "I would love to speak with you more, but I have been called away. Please forgive me."

"It's not the worst thing that ever happened," Aven shrugged, earning him a sour look from Saiyun as he hurried away. "Have you stretched your legs enough?"

"I think I'm safe from cabin fever for another week," said Batro, stretching out his shoulder. "You ready to leave?"

"Not yet," Aven said, shaking his head. "I want to visit a shrine alone. Go find Cai. I'll catch up."

"See you back at the ship," Batro said, heading off to look for Cai.

Aven walked to the other side of the room to a large black sheet hanging on the wall. Dozens of white beads hung on it, a fair imitation of the starry night. In front of it was a table filled with white sand. Aven picked up a bronze stick and carefully traced his mother's name in the sand.

"I had another setback today Mom, but don't worry. Bill thinks we can still make it work. I'll get Azun for you, no matter how long it takes..."

-

Bill sat on a plush chair in the headmasters' office, taking a deep sip of chilled tea. It was comfortable enough, sunlighting shining through tall windows onto an ornately carved desk. One look at the old man was all he needed to know he was not the mystery Vao he was looking for. Headmaster Dishen was completely bald, save for a wispy white beard and a few coarse hairs sticking out of his nose. He had dropped his pen five times while trying to take notes on the encounter at the inn. "Yes, I'm certain it was smaller than me, no doubt" said Bill

"Fascinating," Dishen said, scribbling on a piece of paper in indecipherable handwriting. "Such a variety. You were right to come to me first. The Magistrate would panic if he heard this news. A calm, rational mind will be able to sort this out. Once my assistant Saiyun arrives he should be able to give us some insight."

"Pardon me for asking," Bill said, setting down his mug on the desk. "But why send for your assistant? You are the headmaster. Shouldn't you know all the summons?"

Dishen laughed, setting aside his pen. "I know these things are simpler for an Ezu, but they are quite complicated for Vao. There are far too many for any one person to know. The number is in the hundreds easily. Attempting to learn them all would be a fool's errand."

Bill bit back a smile, wondering how Tsen would respond to such a comment. "But you must know more than others?"

"I am quite well versed in the thirty-three summons of my own school, but I know little of others," Dishen said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not a battle summoner, so I couldn't tell you anything about the tactics they use. My talents rest in administration."

Bill guessed that he had the right family name too if he managed to land this job. "I hope we can shed some light on this then."

Dishen brightened when he heard a sharp knock on the door. "Come in, come in!"

A man in sky blue robes entered the room and quietly shut the door behind him. "The errand boy said it was urg-" He froze when he saw Bill.

"Good to see you again," Bill said as he recognized the customs inspector. "You certainly hold down a lot of jobs."

"You know each other?" Dishen asked, motioning for Saiyun to sit down.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Bill said, rather enjoying the worry on Saiyun’s face as he dropped into the seat. "He inspected the ship I arrived in. A credit to his profession. He was very thorough."

Saiyun let out a short sigh and relaxed. "High praise, Ezu."

"Now then," Dishen said, organizing his notes. "What I'm about to tell you is a strict secret. You may not discuss it without permission from me, do you understand?"

Saiyun sat up straight and nodded. "Your secret is safe with me."

Bill watched the young man closely as Dishen read out everything Bill just told him. While he knew he wasn't his mystery Vao, that didn't mean that he wasn't involved. As Dishen narrated the attack on the inn, Saiyun's face betrayed no lies. Bill was certain he was hearing about it for the first time.

Saiyun tapped his chin and stared at the desk, deep in thought as Dishen finished up. "I can't believe you and your acolyte survived that unharmed. It's remarkable."

"An Ezu's gift is a potent one," Bill said. "I don't know much about your gift. Who do you think was out there, controlling the summons?"

"Are you certain there were never more than two active at once?" Saiyun asked, looking into Bill's eyes. "That's important. You mentioned three, but you only ever saw two at once?"

Bill was sure, but he made a show of thinking before he answered. "Yes. The other two showed up only after I killed the spiked one." It was likely there had been another summon observing them from afar, but that was speculation he preferred to keep to himself.

"Hm, then it's possible they weren't activated until after the Ashel was destroyed," Saiyun said, stroking his chin.

"You recognize the summon?" Dishen asked.

"I know all of them," Saiyun said with a barely repressed smile. "The spiked ones are called Ashel of Thorns. The raptor was a Swift Lovas and the one-eyed giant was a Great Taiocha."

"Ah-HA!" said Dishen, getting out of his chair and making his way to a bookshelf. "If we know the three summons, we can find out what school they're in."

"With respect, headmaster, that won't help," said Saiyun gently. "All three are very well known. Multiple schools practice summoning them. It won't help narrow anything down."

"Shame," said Dishen, shoving a thick book back into the bookshelf and returning to his seat. "If this Vao can manage to handle two at once, then that won't narrow anything down either. Plenty of Vao can handle two."

"What about three? Or four? Would that narrow it down?" Bill asked, stroking his beard.

"Oh certainly," said Dishen. "A Vao that can manage four summons at once is rare and quite powerful. There would be no reason for them to be chasing after a lockbox full of sticks."

"Is there anyone in Channan Harbor capable of such a feat?" Bill asked.

"It hardly matters," said Saiyun. "There's no reason for them to attack anyone at an inn in the middle of the night. You said that the Lovas and the Taiocha came after you at the same time? Together?"

"That's right," Bill said, snapping his fingers and trying to push the conversation back where he wanted it. "There was hardly any delay at all, they must have been already activated when the Ashel came into my room. It must be someone who can manage three at once!"

"That is…troubling," Dishen said, tapping the desk. "All the Vao I know of that are capable of that are either army officers or officials."

"Perhaps you should start looking into them," Bill said.

"There is an option we're not considering," Saiyun interjected. "What if there was more than one Vao?"

Bill frowned. He was almost certain the man he met was working alone. If he had someone working for him, there would have been no reason to show himself on the cliffs. But he couldn't share that piece of information. "What makes you think that?"

"The summons were basic. A person just starting out would have knowledge of them." Saiyun leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "A Vao capable of handling three at once would be aware of rarer, more powerful summons that would be far more dangerous. It could be that three Vao were working together."

"Of course!" Dishen said, jumping out of his seat. "Self-taught Vao turning to banditry! Well done Saiyun."

"I live to serve," Saiyun beamed.

"I hadn't even considered that," Bill said, forcing a smile onto his face. "You must be a very skilled Vao in your own right."

"If only," Saiyun sighed, looking away. "I've only ever been able to do one summon at a time."

Bill blinked and kept the smile on his face. The inspector had lied. That was…strange. "Perhaps if you study hard, you can advance yourself," said Bill

"Yes," Dishen added. "It's a shame that someone with your breadth of knowledge is limited to a single summon. Someday we'll get you a second one."

Saiyun laughed and looked down at the floor. "I beg your pardon, headmaster. But if for all this time I have only been able to call the Ijose Turtle, I don't think I'll get any better."

Another lie. Saiyun was hiding something, and Bill needed to know what it was. "Dishen, I'm going to meet with the Magistrate directly to tell him what happened out there. Since Saiyun has provided such wise insight, I would ask that he accompany me."

"Of course, of course," said Dishen, fishing out a blank sheet of paper. "He'll want to be informed as soon as possible, I bet I can get him to squeeze you in tomorrow."

"Meet the Magistrate?" Saiyun squeaked. "Tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better," Dishen nodded, jotting some things down. "I'll send a messenger to you both when I have his answer."

"Thank you, thank you," Saiyun swallowed, standing up. "You know my address, headmaster. If you will excuse me, I must go make preparations."

Bill watched him leave after Dishen waved him away. It could be nothing more than nerves about meeting the Magistrate. Or he could be worried whatever secret he was keeping was going to come out. Bill would do his dead-level best to find out the next day.