Success rarely comes about in the way you imagined.

Creating the SunFlower.

Tutoring the Prince.

My triumphs are my greatest regrets.

 

— Notes from Flangel the Wise's journal

 

---

 

Molam walked into the pitch blackness of the Inner Sanctum, hearing the door close behind him. The phoenix on his shoulder shone brilliantly, but the brightness barely reached the two pillars in front of him.

He hesitated, seeing the darkness of the Inner Sanctum. A moonless night was black. But while one knew something existed and couldn't be seen, this darkness evoked the sensation of… nothingness.

"What is worse," he asked rhetorically, "To be blind, or to be certain your eyes work — only there is nothing left to see?"

You take after your mentor's worst traits, the phoenix grumbled. There is nothing to worry about, it assured him. I personally kept watch over the Seal for three days while she rested.

"I suspect if the Seal became undone even you would be in a hurry," Molam muttered in response, then continued blindly deeper into the Inner Sanctum. "Is now a bad time, Oracle?" He spoke loudly into the dark gloom as he stepped forward, the remnants of his voice echoing back at him.

I reminded you earlier to speak softly, the phoenix chided him.

"Yes," Molam continued walking forward. "But I'm not disturbing someone's sleep. You told me she's awake, no?"

"I am."

The echoless voice reached him, from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Molam kept his eyes focused on where he knew the dais to be.

Shall I do it, or will you? The phoenix flapped a wing, sending a bright feather flying forward into the darkness. A hand caught it, then the Oracle's white glow spread throughout the Inner Sanctum to illuminate the room. Molam shielded his eyes, blinking at the stony ground. The Oracle's light was brilliant, far brighter than it had been in the past.

"It seems much has happened during the Festival," she said.

His eyes now sufficiently adjusted, Molam looked up and saw a stone bowl in front of the Oracle's kneeling form. Some things just didn't change.

"First things first," Molam walked up to the dais. It almost felt… sacrilegious, walking up without first asking for the Oracle's permission to approach. But certain things were too urgent. "We need to contact JiangXi. I know you must have a way to do it quickly without a physical messenger. Kalle — the alchemist — needs to be moved out of danger as soon as possible. Ideally, Master Ji goes to accompany him."

What exactly has happened? the spirit demanded. It did not seem impressed at Molam's disrespectful approach. Inform me, Molam. Were you not the one who extolled the importance of sharing precise and accurate information?

"A lot. Too much, really, while the two of you were otherwise occupied. The Empire, they…" Molam exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was a gesture he was getting tired of repeating because it only reminded him of a certain Head Scholar, but they had said it helped to think. "The Empire sent four Titled Ones to snatch Nettie — the current Prodigy — during the Festival. They almost succeeded. They would have, if we hadn’t had Master Ji to save her. But… They took Master Flangel's Ring. It certainly contains the SunFlower's design."

If they stand to have the SunFlower, shouldn't that be your first priority? And yet, your first request was to move Kalle because…?

"I'm glad you thought of that, but you should've realized I'm already working on it," Molam gritted his teeth, forcing himself to be patient. He couldn't blame them; it wasn't their fault they didn't have all the information yet. "Nettie — the Prodigy — confirmed to me that the Ring can't be opened by just anyone. It's been sealed to only be opened by whomever it was intended for, or… by a Master Alchemist of Techoria. Aside from Nettie right now, there's only Kalle. So our first move should be to move Kalle out of harm's way before the Empire targets him."

"Getting the alchemist out of JiangXi can be done." The Oracle's masked face looked up at him, the painted dragon scowling. "This could have been prevented had we been willing to make the hard choice."

The words needled at him in ways he didn't think were possible, poking through his forced composure. "You wanted to kill a child!" Molam seethed, hearing his own voice echo back at him. "How could you be so heartless? Do you not understand at all?"

"But I do. You were barely older than her when your village bargained your life for enough rice for the rest of them to survive. And I was the same age when I began kneeling here." The Oracle's voice, though monotone, carried a new hint of bitterness. "You and I both understand the pain, and that is why we are the only ones who should have made the decision. We saw our own pain in front of her and wanted to provide another path. And now our selfishness has worsened it all, merely because we were not willing."

Molam opened his mouth, then bit his lip. Despite the angry retorts rising in his mind, his thoughts had clung onto something the Oracle said. Did the Oracle mean she had taken her position at a young age? But his anger rose again, though the momentary respite had given him a chance to clamp down on it with a forced calmness. "If you mean to say you regret not killing Nettie, I cannot agree with you at all."

And to think both of you are normally unflappable, the phoenix observed in a stern tone. There is no fault to be assigned here. We are all trying to make the best choices given what we know at the time. The only question is what we do now.

The Oracle said nothing. Molam glared at her, but then a fiery wing covered his vision.

Molam, the phoenix's voice was gentle. What needs to be done now? I assume you already know your next move.

"Nettie needs to be kept safe, and Kalle needs to be kept out of the Empire's hands. It'll be even better if the Empire doesn't find out Kalle is a Master Alchemist." Molam paced back and forth, trying to think of new angles that could worsen the situation. "They might bring the Ring to the alchemists at Zaem."

"The Ring can only be opened by the Prodigy or the intended recipient."

Molam looked up from his pacing, surprised by the Oracle's knowledge. "How do you know that?"

"I inspected it myself. Flangel put a unique seal on it."

A unique seal. Of course. Flangel the Wise would have thought through the possibility of the Ring being stolen or falling into unintended hands. Molam squinted at the Oracle. "I wasn't aware you understood alchemy."

"Vareon delighted in his lectures," she responded, then returned to the situation at hand before Molam could ask anything about what it was like to be taught by the Great Sage who had invented alchemy. "But it matters little. The Prince learned alchemy under Flangel's tutelage and would know Flangel's seals."

Molam experimented with rubbing his temples, curious to see if it provided more relief than pinching the bridge of his nose. It did not. So while the Ring could not be opened for the time being, their respite was limited. Now it all depended on when the Prince would wake up.

"How long until he wakes up?"

"You are quite curious for someone who is supposed to be removed from the situation," the Oracle observed. "Did you not want me to open the Stairs again?"

"I —" Molam hesitated, caught off guard by the Oracle's pointed question. The straightforwardness seemed so different compared to the conversations of the past few days. He already knew what he wanted, but the Oracle always saw right through him. The slip of paper in his pocket weighed on his mind, the lines of names on it burned into his memories. "My choices had… consequences. I would be a hypocrite if I ignored it."

The dragon mask leered. "Is that all?"

Of course she would press for more, thought Molam. "I have a place I need to go, but I can't get there by myself. And since I recall you always have a use for someone like me..." He glanced at the phoenix, hoping it would recognize his silent request and choose to step in should he need it. "Consider me… offering to take advantage of the Prince's slumber."

The offer hung in the air. Please don't prod for more, Molam begged silently.

"You want to go to the Black Pyramid, I presume," the Oracle's eyes glittered from behind her mask. "I would need a compelling reason to justify to RainBringer why I allowed you to go where she sent her daughter."

Molam steeled himself with a breath, then said, "Before I give you one, I need you to answer my question — how long will the Prince's slumber last? This is important."

The Oracle fell silent, as though deep in thought. "Two Sorrows," she eventually declared. "Maybe longer. He should not have survived Techoria's self-destruction, but he did. His healing should have been costly."

"That's not a long time," Molam murmured, trying to think. Two more Sorrows — what could they accomplish in two years? He would need to prepare so much.

Focus, Molam. The justification, the spirit reminded him gently. RainBringer will not be very tolerant of us sending you near the Black Pyramid without a good reason.

"The justification is that we have only two years to kill the Prince." Molam sat down opposite the Oracle. "Something in which both you and RainBringer have a vested interest."

The Oracle's eyes gleamed. "I am listening."

"I won't deny I have my own goals in going to the Endless Sands, but there's a very good reason you should take my side in this even if RainBringer protests. The Frozen Saint failed because she took on the Empire directly, and she was the Mother of Hjornheim with the full support of the Northern Tribes. I am…" he smiled wanly, "nowhere near the strength she had. Neither would it be a good idea to wage war against the Red Army."

You have a plan.

"Yes. The Empire's greatest strength is the Prince, and he's currently unable to defend himself. If we move fast, we stand to kill him before he wakes up."

"He is defended by two of the Empire's Titled Ones at all times." The Oracle seemed dubious despite her monotone voice. "One of which is Ruskru."

Molam nodded. A Title befitting the one who only stood in the Prince's shadow. "I'll need to bring them down to a fight we can manage. To that end, I'll need copious amounts of jade." He leaned forward. "Which brings me to why I need to go to the Endless Sands: the only place that produces jade is Oasis. RainBringer would understand."

The Oracle's eyes seemed to ponder his words through the mask. Molam wondered if he should obtain a mask of his own; it gave quite an advantage.

"You seem resolved," the Oracle observed.

Molam almost laughed — he hadn't expected that response. The hand in his pocket crumpled the list of names, his nails digging painfully into his palm. So many names. Jiovanny, I should have found the time.

"Walking away from facing my consequences would make me a hypocrite."

The Oracle pondered him, then gave an almost imperceptible nod. "And how will you obtain the jade? The amount you need will not be cheap."

"The richest man in the world would pay dearly for that which cannot be bought."

"I have no interest in speaking with him," the Oracle responded flatly. "He has no interest in listening."

Molam hid his disappointment at the Oracle's refusal. "Will Sanctuary provide the funds then?"

"Sanctuary's funds go to our orphanages and charity efforts. Now, we are supporting ZhiXia City's restoration."

Holding out his hands, Molam made a gesture of frustration, one bordering on mocking. "I'll need some help if you expect me to play my part. How will I convince the Lord of Sands to give me jade if I have no money?"

The phoenix fluttered its wings, looking at the Oracle. There's the one we've been seeking. Perhaps Molam could make an offer there while helping us confirm where that one is?

She did not respond immediately, fixing her gaze on Molam. "The boy might consider it another task."

"I'm here, you know," Molam spoke up in a wry tone. "Do feel free to include me in your conversation when you can."

After a moment, the Oracle said, "The Lord of Sands was given custody of one of the Greater Spirits some centuries ago. I understand that the spirit in question has cut off contact with the other spirits."

I would like you to look into it, Molam. The phoenix shook its head, as though annoyed. Though I dislike each of them, it is time we reconvene after so many centuries.

"That's extremely vague," Molam frowned, trying to think of how this information could be used. "And how is this supposed to help me get jade?"

"If the Lord of Sands and the spirit are no longer working together, you have a great deal of leverage if you can convince the spirit otherwise."

That one will answer to "Flowing One," added the phoenix. But don't tell it I told you.

"Flowing One," Molam muttered under his breath, committing it to memory. "And… what does it look like?"

I don't know what form it's using right now. The phoenix seemed to shrug, then peered at Molam. But you will know. I will pass you a specific feather.

"Both of you have mastered the art of only seeming to be helpful," Molam complained. When neither replied, he grumbled, "I suppose this is what I can expect from those with nothing but time. Even with leverage, I will need the means to negotiate with the Lord of Sands — and that won't be a matter of price."

The Oracle met his meaningful gaze. "You have another request."

"Yes. May I borrow Master Ji?"

A pause. Then, "Ah."

Molam raised his eyebrows. The request seemed straightforward, and the Oracle should have almost no reason to refuse. "I can hardly stand in front of the Lord of Sands and strike a bargain if he has the option to bend me to his will. Master Ji would be more than helpful."

The Oracle seemed deep in thought before she eventually responded. "I have no reservations towards asking Ji to travel with you to Oasis. Sanctuary can easily shelter ZhiXia City should another attack happen. However," she hesitated uncharacteristically, "I suppose he did not tell you about his trial because he thought it would not concern you."

Molam stared blankly. Then, "... what trial?"

 

---

HuaLang Chamber

 

Primrose found Madam Scarlette in her study, leaning over several documents. Four, to be exact. It piqued her curiosity, as the Madam's duty would be unlikely to include mere administrative paperwork.

"Still no sign of GloomSire?" Primrose asked.

Scarlette shook her head. "No. The Whale said that GloomSire may need time to himself, having failed to kill the Tempest yet again." She looked up at Primrose, her veil fluttering. Today's veil was white; whether in solidarity with Sanctuary or mourning, Primrose could not be sure. "Did you tell Molam what I said?"

"He said you and Master Ji share similar thoughts," Primrose walked over and leaned against Scarlette's desk. One of the documents glimmered a faint gold in her Sight; Mursa Shang's work, no doubt.

"And?" Scarlette still did not look up. "Is he broken?"

"No. In fact, he's already sought out an audience with the Oracle about our next moves. I imagine they're speaking at this moment about going towards Oasis." Even if Molam hadn't, Primrose would have vouched for him, if only to give him a chance to recover. He was useful, yes… but more importantly… "I think I understand the Oracle's choice a bit better," Primrose added, thinking about the list of names Molam had asked for. "He doesn't avert his gaze from the consequences of his choices. It's the very reason we occasionally send a Flower to change a City Lord."

"The City Lords have authority and wealth," Scarlette's chin lifted, indicating she was looking at Primrose. "Both which have more tangible value. If it weren't for the Oracle's own request, you would have long been assigned to one. Perhaps City Lord Gihan, but now we've convinced him to visit us often."

"The City Lords," Primrose did not hide the disgust dripping from her voice, "have become… ah, what's the word Madam Ixia used to use? Right, indolent. City Lord Gihan would have stayed longer if he wasn't required to appear for his own City's Festival. I wager the Empire's attack on ZhiXia would not be enough to get them to act. They will rationalize it as the Empire focusing its attention on Sanctuary and claim none of it has anything to do with them. ZhiXia City will receive the same treatment Teljumaya did after it was destroyed by the Empire."

Scarlette pondered her words, then turned back to the document in front of her. "You believe HuaLang Chamber should assign our limited resources to Molam."

"Yes." Primrose said. "He's useful in his own way. Efficient — but not ruthless."

"I agree with your judgment there, but…" Scarlette tapped the document she was reading, imprinting HuaLang Chamber's symbol — a red, five-petaled flower — where a signature would normally be found. Then she looked up, the intensity of her hidden gaze piercing through the veil. "There's still the matter of his aura."

"Does it really matter?" Primrose raised an eyebrow. "You were there yesterday. Another auramaster isn't what we need." But when Scarlette's response was merely silence, Primrose placed her hands down on the desk. "If we had traded Molam for three more auramasters yesterday, would the result have been as favorable? Would any of us have thought to trick the OutCast into summoning an echo? To have worked together in the way Molam organized for that level of survival? No; you and I are taught to strike first or retreat, but against the OutCast most of our skills are useless. Even injured, she could have killed us all if we had fought her outright. You know that."

The veiled woman stayed silent, as though deep in thought. Then she seemed to shrug slightly. "I had a hard time believing your experience in JiangXi, but it was different to bear witness myself."

An indirect agreement, but Primrose could work with that. "So, the matter of resources—"

"Will stay unchanged," Scarlette replied flatly. "If the other City Lords will stay uninvolved, then we need to get them involved. We plant the seeds of tomorrow where they will flourish, Primrose. I do understand your position, however, so take this consolation instead." She pushed aside some of the other documents, leaving only the Mursa's letter. "I assume you already know who this is from," Scarlette pushed it towards Primrose. "He wants to influence the Dao's decision to make a move towards Oasis."

Primrose immediately understood Scarlette's intention. Mursa Shang did not know that Molam already wanted to go to Oasis; if they could leverage this correctly, they could reap the rewards. That Scarlette had bothered showing it to Primrose at all meant she was asking for Primrose's thoughts on the matter.

"The Mursa turned tail and ran the moment things went awry," she recalled, "And if he wants us to join him in Oasis, it means there must be something important related to the Lost City of Mur." What a shame that the Oracle had sent her away before she could listen in more on what the mursashu faced in their quest to reclaim their homeland, but that could always be gleaned later. Primrose thought about it for a moment longer, then, "But what can Mursa Shang offer?"

The corners of Scarlette's lips curved upwards. "Now that's the question, isn't it? Find a time to tell Molam when you can; I'm certain he would find it useful."

Scarlette held up a finger before Primrose could respond, turning her attention towards the door. The next moment, an urgent knock. Primrose made to move towards the door, but Scarlette said, "Come in, Dahl. It's unlike you to run in the Chamber."

Dahlia entered, her dark complexion flushed from her physical exertion. Primrose frowned. Dahlia was rarely one to rush herself.

"Yes, Dahl?" asked Scarlette.

The woman composed herself, then said simply, "Aster disregarded your message. The Sharks are going to the Whale of ZhiXia right now."

---

Martial Arena of ZhiXia City

 

"Stand down, Shurra. They're here for me."

Shurra looked down at the three that had interrupted her practice with Master Ji. Two men and a woman, each wearing the insignia of a shark on the left breast of their clothes.

The middle-aged man in the front, with graying streaks in his thick hair, looked up to meet her gaze — neither a challenge nor submission. Shurra's instincts told her he was a seasoned fighter; it tempted Shurra to test him. But Master Ji had already spoken, and so she stepped away without breaking eye contact.

The man's gaze slid away from her the moment he stepped past her, the other two following in his footsteps without meeting Shurra's gaze. Shurra noted the look of apprehension on their faces; their body movements spoke of tense fear and, curiously, the readiness of battle.

The Whale did not fully acknowledge them as they approached him, his back turned to them as he filled empty bowls with food and water for a restless pack of hungry cats and dogs. "Shurra, focus."

His reminder brought Shurra's attention back to the matter at hand — training herself to expand her sense of awareness. The animals swarmed around the Whale, tails wagging excitedly as they descended upon the meal the Whale set out for them. Shurra ignored the trio as she focused, attempting to pick out the cats while not being distracted by the dogs.

"Did you count?" asked the Whale of ZhiXia.

"Thirteen cats," Shurra answered.

"And the dogs?"

Shurra hesitated, scanning her surroundings at the bent heads and wagging tails. She had been focused on the cats only. "...Sixteen dogs."

The Whale shook his head. "Thirteen cats that you can see. But," he pointed behind Shurra, who turned to see four cats sitting down, wary of the humans. "You need to achieve full awareness of your surroundings." He gestured at the animals. "And there are eighteen dogs. Do not guess — sense, and know for certain. "

"I am trying," Shurra answered tersely, finding the exercise overwhelming. The goal of the training was to broaden her sense of awareness, and she needed to focus without focusing. But Shurra found the task impossible — she could easily focus on one thing without distraction, but now the Whale was asking her to focus on all the possible distractions. "And the cats are behind me."

"Stop trying to see with your eyes and sense with your aura," the Whale's large, gentle hands scooped up several cats and dogs that were trying to climb over the others, redistributing them evenly around the bowls. "A Domain is nothing more than realizing that you can be more than just yourself. You must train your mindset to transcend the shackles of your body, so do not limit yourself to what you can see." A small pup had fallen into a large bowl in its eagerness to get at the food; the Whale fished it out and made a position for it between two larger dogs. "Track everything in the vicinity, but this time I will ask you a different question."

Shurra's mind tried to keep up with it all as she resisted the urge to follow individual movements with her eyes. A tabby cat hissed, swiping at a dog that had come too close — its claws glanced off the Whale's hand, and the cat found a thick finger pushing its head down toward the bowls, where it decided to be interested in food.

While Shurra tried to sense her surroundings, she noticed the three bystanders standing nearby. The first man stood patiently behind Master Ji as he ensured each of the hungry strays were fed, waiting in silence with his feet planted apart. The other two followed suit, standing at attention with their hands held together behind their backs. A curious puppy swerved between the woman's legs, and she nudged it away with the barest hint of a small grin on her face. The younger man kept his eyes facing forward as he tried to surreptitiously shake off a cat enamored with the chains dangling from under his jacket, its claws digging into his pants.

Only when the animals had finished feeding and began dispersing did the man clear his throat.

"The Whale of ZhiXia. You may not remember me, but —"

"Khalim." The Whale moved a cat that had chosen to sit on his foot, earning him the cat's ire. He bent over and began cleaning up the bowls, several of which had been upturned. A wave of his hand and the spilled water swirled through the bowls, scraping through leftovers to leave the bowls dry and clean. "I knew your grandparents. Khasim was a good man, and he did not deserve Giselle. The two of them were critical for ensuring ZhiXia's order and peaceful prosperity after the Frost Saint's Rebellion."

The man named Khalim paused, then nodded, "They would be glad to know you remember them." A moment later, he added, "They were afraid this day would come."

The Whale stood up, collected bowls in hand. He turned, towering above them all, looking down upon them. "I shared that fear."

Silence. Shurra could respect that Khalim did not take a step back like the other two.

Eventually, Khalim spoke again. "I am aware we cannot force you, but —"

"You won't need to," the Whale rumbled, setting the bowls into the sack and tossing it to Shurra, who caught it on reflex. She still had no idea what any of this was about. "Do your duty."

The other man and woman looked at each other, their eyes wary.

"I appreciate your candid compliance. Very well then," Khalim gestured, and the other man brought out the chains from his jacket to reveal the manacles inlaid with jade, handing it to Khalim. The man brought the manacles out in front of him and declared in a formal tone, "Ji WuMing, in light of the recent deaths and destruction in ZhiXia City, the Sharks have been tasked with your arrest. You are being charged with treason and dereliction of your duty to the citizens of ZhiXia City." The manacles, though large, barely went around the Whale of ZhiXia's wrists. "In accordance with the agreement you have with the Commonwealth of ZhiXia, you will surrender to the Sharks without a fight, to be imprisoned until tried in three days by the public where each citizen can cast their vote."

Shurra sprinted over, not understanding what these people were trying to do or why Master Ji allowed them to put those chains on him. Yet the Whale spared no glance at Shurra when the pressure of his aura sent her stumbling to her knees. "Make sure to practice every day, Shurra. The strays need to be fed."

Khalim glanced at Shurra, then turned his attention back to Master Ji as he looped a long string of rope around the manacles. "During the trial, you will be judged by your worth and loyalty to the city's Commonwealth. If you are found guilty by majority vote, you will be sentenced to death by voluntary suicide." Upon securing the rope, he finished, "Will you uphold the terms of your original agreement with ZhiXia City?"

There was no hesitation in Master Ji’s voice.

"I will."