The generator didn’t look like I was expecting, I mused as I stared up at it. I’d pictured a windmill, like one of those old ones people had used for grain mills, just a bit bigger and better.

It didn’t look like that, or even a modern wind generator. Instead of three or four planks made from metal or even carved wood, they were a black, earthy material, as if someone had compacted a part of the ground. Which was pretty accurate. An earth cultivator must have formed them from earth, fusing it together into a thin but strong material settled into a fixed shape. And judging from the way it spun, it wasn’t too heavy.

Shaking my head, I glanced over at Lei. “So? Is it working?”

He looked up. “Yes. The output is within our parameters. Should be more than enough to power the telegraph station, radio, and whatever extensions we might design.”

I nodded, pleased at our progress, and turned back to the rest of the outpost. I had to crane my neck a little to look up and see the top of the wall. It was broad, if as yet unfinished, as it still lacked the additional fortifications and fixtures to turn this into a real bulwark. The inside needed even more work, especially concerning formations. But a garrison of soldiers had already taken up residence here. They’d been picked to have skills complimenting the task, so they would help with the construction.

I turned and took a few steps until I reached the group of officers who had accompanied us here. “It seems like the construction is going well. Anything I need to see here?”

The commander shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind, Your Highness. We’re very glad to hear you approve. Everything is proceeding according to schedule.”

He’s already said that, I thought, feeling a bit of annoyance. But I squashed that. I guess can’t blame him for being nervous.

I folded out the plan I’d been carrying and looked it over, trying to see how everything matched up. It was pretty simple, really. This outpost wasn’t meant to be complicated.

Thoughtful, I leafed through the papers I had to get to a larger plan, and traced our position. There would be many sites like this, although the construction of most others had not or only just begun. It would definitely take months to finish this. At least.

If I turned my head and focused, I could just make out where the next tower would be built. The wall also being raised in front of this one, barely my height at the moment, would grow to connect many more. Of course, the wall itself would be not much more than symbolic in terms of defensive value. But that was why we’d build this string of posts along the border. They’d function as garrisons and scouting outposts, and all of them would be connected to each other and the hinterland with several fast long-range communication methods.

We’d have an early warning system, of sorts. And more than that. It would be bigger and more formidable than anything I’d heard or read about in this world. But I wasn’t sure it would be enough. We were still discussing a second layer consisting of larger fortresses. That would give the defenses some more depth.

Well, there’d been some things happening with diplomatic approaches to the Zarian Dominion. Maybe those in charge, probably meaning Mother, would decide they didn’t need that expense after all. I definitely hoped things would settle down again, as they always seemed to if you looked at history.

But these defenses were definitely getting built. With the old defensive outposts included, it should at least give the Zarieni nomads something to think about.

The feel of a breeze and a prickle in my qi senses made me turn to watch a few figures descend from the sky. I smiled and put my papers away, stepping forward.

General Wei bowed. “Your Highness.”

“General,” I greeted him with a smile. “Is everything going well?”

“The construction is proceeding largely within our plans, and we have not seen much of the nomads,” he said. “Only a few scouts watching from afar.”

“Well, we always had to assume they would know what we were doing.”

It might seem strange, I reflected, for both of us to be here. But the general had taken a clearly justified interest in the construction of the defenses. I assumed he might also want to keep an eye on me, especially where I interacted with the army.

Other people trailing behind us, we walked back to the center of the provisional camp.

“Formations are going to be the issue,” Wei said. “Building walls and towers is fairly simple work, especially with the help of earth affinity experts and so many of our elites. But naked buildings aren’t worth much more than sandcastles for stopping an invasion.”

I nodded. I knew he was exaggerating a little, since terrain and fortifications could influence a cultivator battle, too. But of course we needed a lot of enchantments, a lot of qi in features and devices for this project.

“They are complicated ones, as well,” I said. “I know it will take time.” I hadn’t kept up my studies on formations as well as I would have liked, but I knew enough to understand what we were doing here. Quite a number of new developments included, too.

Wei sighed. “Well, I would like to continue with my tour and then get back to base. If you have no further need of me, Your Highness.”

I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “I’ll stay for a bit longer. I think my team hasn’t finished testing everything. We’ll head back to Blue Valley City from there. You’re still attending the meeting the day after tomorrow, aren’t you?”

He bowed. “As you say, my princess. By your leave.”

He departed, gathering most of the officers in the process. I made my way over to the generator. The windmill was still turning easily. People were examining the inside and taking notes. I suspected Lei hadn’t even realized I was gone.

I stopped and took a closer look at the actual generator. Building these was fairly simple. You only needed coils of copper, a mechanism hosting the electromagnetic generator, and maybe a transformer to handle the voltages. Magnets were easy enough to make with the help of cultivators. Still, I made a mental note to check our copper deposits and mining, or earth cultivators’ work. I had a feeling we’d need a lot of the stuff in the time to come. Rarer metals, as well.

“We should get back,” Tenira said, stepping away from the group to me. “I think we’re more useful designing new technology than getting in people’s way here.”

“Okay,” I agreed at once. “I guess the best thing to improve these really is finishing the tech stuff.”

“Not to mention your planes,” she said, smirking a little. “This line feels a little empty without these air bases you wanted. At this rate, they’ll be finished building before we’re ready to really operate them.”

“You’re right,” I agreed with a sigh. It would take time until we had developed the technology enough and built enough planes to really make a difference here. I shook my head. “Get everyone moving, would you?”

She nodded and turned back to rouse the others. I headed back to the airships we’d flown in with.

 

---

 

In the end, I decided not to fly straight back, but to make a detour. The others could go on ahead, but I wanted to visit the temple in Aliarnoch. It was almost on the way, anyway.

Standing on my flying sword, I looked after the airship for a moment, watching it pull away. I was glad I didn’t have to drag the whole team and my retinue along for this. After all, while I could have visited a shrine to The Moon in the capital or Blue Valley City, there was a reason I’d rather do it in this unremarkable town. Though its temple was moderately famous.

“Do you always travel with that many guards?” Yarani asked, shifting her stance on her own flying sword and glancing at the group of guards surrounding us.

I shrugged. She’d insisted on coming along, which I appreciated in principle, at least. “Usually, yes. I wish it wasn’t necessary, but not having enough guards nearby tends to attract attempts on my life.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Let’s go.”

We got moving, flying down towards the town spreading out below us. It was large enough, but few houses had more than one or two stories. The fields around it grew an assortment of plants that made the landscape colorful, adding to a picture of peaceful prosperity. Winter had already arrived here, so some of the fields lay empty, only covered with a bit of white, but others still had plants growing. The cold wind tugged at my clothing, making me glad for my improved constitution.

The temple was easy to find, since it looked as big as the next two largest structures put together. There was a small garden in front of it, framing an entrance flanked by pillars and carved stone that reminded me a bit of Greek temples, but with a sloped roof. From above, I could see the temple actually consisted of several structures, not just one large edifice.

We landed in front of it, sending a few passersby scurrying away. Probably due to our auras and the guards. I smoothed out the blue robe I wore and straightened my shoulders, before I marched up the steps into the temple. Two guardians posted at the sides knelt as they saw me coming, and pushed open the door with their qi. I wondered how they’d recognized me for a moment. It could be my appearance was widely known by now.

Or Aston had called ahead. Actually, as I threw a sideways glance at him taking up a position beside me, I realized that was probably the case. But it would still be less fuss than the city.

On the inside, the temple was lit by chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, as well as light coming from stained-glass windows. They showed the moon in different phases, as well as a few other symbolic pictures. I smelled hints of incense and smoke in the air, and my steps echoed slightly.

There was something else, though. I walked forward slowly, taking in the information my senses provided. There was something in the qi in this place, like a scent of ‘spirit’ or something a little harder to pinpoint. Not bad, though. If anything, it felt comforting. I felt my shoulders relax a little as I headed through the temple.

Behind an open anteroom stretched what I guessed was the main temple. It was loosely divided into a few sections. On the far end loomed a pair of heavy stone doors decorated with a mixture of carvings and gemstones pulsing with qi, arranged as part of a formation. Besides them stood a stone altar with a fireplace and a device I couldn’t make much sense of. Smaller altars were placed in alcoves around the back part of the room. Tapestries and paintings hung on the walls of the temple.

I slowed down as I neared the front and took a closer look at some of them. The largest, dividing the altar and door, showed a scene I recognized as a myth or legend. The Moon stood there, depicted as a man in a white robe with long hair and beard and painted masterfully to give the impression of motion. On his belt hung a book, and in one hand he carried a reed. The other one pointed a spear at his opponent. That one was depicted in a half-kneeling, half-lying position, with red spots sprinkling his armor. The heavy, ancient-style armor and the crackling bolt of lightning that looked like it was slipping from his fingers marked him as Jideia, the Storm. Beneath the scene, the crumpled body of a large serpentine monster told me which tale this referred to.

I glanced around, seeing that the paintings closest to this one depicted scenes from the same story, probably in a local variant. The first one had the dragon destroying a temple, with deep oranges, reds and blacks conveying the destruction and rage. Besides him, Rijoko arrived, his spear shining with light to contrast that theme. Then the next one showed the two Greater Spirits before a woman clothed in white and gold with a scepter of light in her hand. Probably the Sun. This must depict how the two went to her to mediate the dispute. The exaggerated scowl on the face of the Storm showed how he spit on her verdict, refusing to apologize or atone for the damage the dragon had done.

If I remembered it right, that was his servant, or even child in some versions. Clearly, Jideia felt that Rijoko should have protected his sacred site better, and raged at the death of the beast. The story varied on when that had happened, or even who killed it, and I didn’t get a clear timeline from the scenes shown here. The version of the myth I’d read had Rijoko sending humans to do it while they met.

The next one to the right of the center showed a great storm covering the land. The artist had done a good job of conveying the gloom and thunder. But to the right of the picture, Rijoko opened a small hole in the cloud cover, shining a light down. Beneath him, a mortal hero, name lost to the ages, looked up to receive it. To the side of the picture, people were already piling up the offerings that would make Jideia stop venting his rage on them.

Then, the last picture showed the man climbing a great mountain, probably to the sanctum of the Storm. In the myth, this was where the Storm tempted him from his course by offering him the chance to shed his mortal body and live as the spirits did. Probably ascension to the white stage. The picture showed the Greater Spirit sending the message down in the shape of a small lightning bolt, with the man reaching out to grab it. Besides them, Rijoko sent bolts of light to disperse the great storm covering the land.

I shook my head, tearing my gaze from the pictures. I could feel that more people had filled the temple, keeping a respectful distance, most of them pretty strong in terms of cultivation.

I stepped forward, then hesitated as a low rumble started. A few of the stones set into the double doors pulsed with light, before the doors pulled open with surprising grace. I could practically smell the surprise from the people behind me. Glancing back, I saw one man whose face I recognized from my time in Blue Valley City, probably a local noble or wealthy merchant.

Shaking my head, I strode through the door, with Yarani and my guards in tow. My mind was still half stuck on the story. It was just one tale of several depicting how the enmity between Rijoko and Jideia might have taken root. I guess it illustrates the concepts pretty well. The Storm as a warrior, angry and hostile in this myth. The Moon cunning and a guide to mortals. He’s associated with wisdom and guidance, isn’t he?

Through the door, I arrived in another altar room. This one was open to the sky, only ringed by pillars but without a roof. Maybe I should have come at night. Duh. The faint sensation in the qi was a bit stronger, and I could see hazy forms of a few minor spirits. They bowed to me and backed further away. My guards spread out behind me.

Before I could take more than a few steps into the room, a group of priests moved toward me, led by an older woman with gray-streaked hair tied in a bun who felt like the sixth stage. They all wore moon-gray robes with small moon amulets. The others kept back but what had to be the head priest rushed forward, until she knelt in front of me, one hand clutching the amulet.

“Your Highness. You honor this lowly one and this temple with your presence. May this one be of assistance?”

I smiled politely. “You may rise. I was coming to make an offering.”

She stood up. “Of course.”

She and another priest turned to the altar in the center of the small courtyard and lit the fire in the brazier set into its lower part. They sprinkled flakes of something over the altar, releasing a faintly herbal, incense-like scent.

I stepped forward, a little hesitantly, then straightened up. So far, I hadn’t really learned anything important, but it was still interesting. So I took a few offerings from my storage ring. I’d asked the servants for help with that. I put a few crescent-shaped cakes onto the altar, baked from grain that had been exposed to a concentration of qi. That was a traditional offering, apparently. Then I put down a gemstone sparkling with qi as well.

I wasn’t really sure what I expected. But as I was taking a step back, the fire roared and grew higher, and mist of qi condensed over the altar. I shivered as I felt my own qi thrum in response. The faint connection it carried opened just a little, letting me feel an echo of a sensation. The Moon’s attention glided over me. It felt like someone had given me a shot of caffeine. New strength coursed through my veins, washing away a bit of the tiredness from long hours of looking at plans and tech, and sharpening my attention. The phenomenon blew out quickly, but that feeling stayed.

The priests behind me had prostrated themselves on the ground. I blinked, stepping away and stumbling a little as my legs seemed to have too much energy. I stopped when I reached Yarani, who’d come to meet me. She touched my arm in a gesture of support that grounded me.

The head priest raised her head. “You really are his daughter, Luminous Princess. We are honored to witness this.”

I heard a gasp of surprise from behind the still open doors, and tensed a bit. “Do get up,” I said. “No need to make a fuss.”

They shifted to a kneeling position. The head priest looked up, her eyes glinting with what I suspected wasn’t just awe. “Do you have any further need of us, Your Highness? If you will just wait a moment, we will bring you fitting tribute from the temple.”

I shifted, tensing even more at this. This sort of reaction was embarrassing. It didn’t help that my mind still felt a bit too stimulated, a bit jittery.

Before I decided how to politely decline, Yarani’s fingers on my arm tightened, and she took a half-step forward. “My lady said she didn’t want a fuss,” she said, steel in her voice. “We are going now.”

I nodded and followed her out of the room. In the main temple, no one approached us, but I saw the looks from the farther reaches of the room.

I shook my head to clear it and glanced at Yarani, who’d let go of me but was still sticking close. “You don’t seem particularly awed.”

She smirked. “Oh, do you want me to worship you?” she asked and waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Make me earn your favor or something? I’m sure we could play a bit.”

I chuckled, some of the tension draining away. “Maybe some time, if you want.”

“Seriously, it wasn’t much of a surprise,” she continued. “I knew there was something about you, and there were rumors.” She shrugged. “Princess, spirit-child, at some point it doesn’t change much.”

I nodded and fell silent as we stepped out of the temple. Yeah, picking her up had been a good idea.