141, 2/2

The room was a rocky cave made of dark stone with a red-lacquer wooden gazebo taking up almost all of the space. Tiny lights adorned the rough walls and the slatted red roof, while a few decorative curtains and some bamboo-scroll paintings hung around the perimeter. In the center lay a low table of black lacquer, nearly two by three meters large, surrounded by low pillows. A tea set sat in the center of the table.

Patriarch Zalindi sat on the opposite side, his hat removed. His dark-skinned pate was as shiny as the lacquer table, but in this lighting his skin was clearly blue. He looked calm. To his right sat Elder Arilitilo, with her long white hair and purple skin. To the left was Tadashi, pink-skinned and looking better up close than the last time Ezekiel had seen him. Of the three of them, Tadashi was the only one with horns, and even his were just small nubs. The Alchemist’s anti-magic aura wouldn’t come close to what was obviously Ezekiel’s seat.

Elder Arilitilo said, “Greeting, Ezekiel. We hope you have enjoyed our hospitality.”

“I have. Thank you for the invitation. I will have to come up with a suitable gift in a few days to match the honor you have bestowed upon me.”

Elder Arilitilo smiled politely, and nodded.

Zalindi said, “Please have a seat, Scion Phoenix.”

Ezekiel did so. His people moved to the side of the gazebo space, out of the way, but not out of sight. The servant who led them there went back the way they had come, closing the door behind him in his passing.

There were quite a few protections in this room, according to Ezekiel’s various abilities and spells. All of them were inactive, but it would be the work of mere seconds for them to become active. And yet, this was not a trapped area. It was just well protected for privacy, if it needed to be.

Elder Arilitilo leaned forward and gently moved the tea set toward her side, saying, “Customarily, Tadashi would be doing this, but as he cannot, it falls to me.” She began preparing tea, casting a [Heat Ward] in the air, and then setting the pot into that heated space. “How do you like your tea, Ezekiel?”

“Plain, would be nice, Elder Ari.”

Ari smiled, gently, as she began making tea.

Zalindi asked, “I’m going to enact a few small privacy spells, if you don’t mind. Just sound-based ones. Your [Familiar] and your [Scry] orb will not be affected.”

Ezekiel said, “Of course.”

Zalindi shifted the mana in the room. Sounds vanished past the walls, the floor, and the roof. They were in a cave of stone and heartbeats and Odin’s small guitar thrums. Odin was nervous. Ezekiel sent him soothing ideas; though they were in danger, they probably weren’t in immediate danger.

Actual danger would come later, when the gathering was over, and the rules of hospitality did not apply.

Ezekiel said, “I am glad that the rules of hospitality are so stable in this land. I saw some rather violent faces after my earlier outburst, but not a single person made a move against me.”

“Of course not,” Zalindi said, without rancor. “We are an honorable clan, loyal to the tenets of the Songli Compact. This includes the Hospitality Rite.” With a tiny bit of rancor, he added, “But that will not matter come tomorrow when you are no longer under our roofs.”

“I considered as much.” Ezekiel asked, “Who should I look out for the most? Any hidden dragons around here?”

It was a pointed question, but if there were dragons around here it would be best to know about them before they show. Maybe, if they were at least as friendly as the people here, Ezekiel could ask them about the ‘gate’ out front. This whole ‘Ezekiel’-thing seemed to be breaking down, anyway. Might as well get to the good stuff.

Ahh… But… If the veil was coming down, then he might not get to talk to the Singers at the Void Temple tomorrow… That would be rather shitty, as one of the main reasons for coming to the Highlands was to talk to the Singers.

… As long as the Singers weren’t too horrible after the events of tonight, for they would surely have heard of what went on here, he would still try to learn from them.

Zalindi fell silent.

Tadashi was sweating.

Elder Ari smiled, trying to soften the atmosphere in the cave as she said, “There are no dragons here, Ezekiel. Just some people trying to make the world a better place for us all. Would you care to help?”

Ezekiel said, “I would, actually. Despite the small failures I have seen around me, on the whole, this is a good thing you’ve got going here. I especially approve of the lack of a Quiet War. I don’t approve of the assassins and otherwise I have seen, but needs must, and all of that.”

“How can you help?” Zalindi asked.

Ezekiel turned to Tadashi, who had remained quiet. “How far have you gotten in your experiments?”

Tadashi did not wait for a signal from Zalindi, or Arilitilo; he just started speaking. “The increased resources of Star Song and the dedication of Diligent Scribe enabled a breakthrough which allowed us to isolate the sequestering agent, but we’re still trying to understand what we created, and to minimize interactions with normal biology. The research is spiraling off in those two main directions, but the majority of what we’re stuck on is combining the usual alchemical elemental sciences with a particle understanding of the world. We’re getting there, but if you have any help in any of those areas we would be most thankful.”

Ezekiel considered, and then he turned back to Zalindi and Arilitilo. “Have you considered avoiding the problem of Antirhine entirely? Use some sort of soul magic to yank out the soul, or catch it as it exits a person, and then you turn the body to mush, ridding it of the Antirhine, while at the same time you find a part of it that you can restore back to whole. Then you take that piece and you restore the body, but without the Antirhine inside of it, and then you put the person back into their reformed body. It would be [Resurrection], and I cannot do this, but someone can. Aside from that idea, I have another, but it would only work if Tadashi wasn’t inflicted with the Elixir so that is a non-starter.”

Tadashi’s eyes went wide. Zalindi narrowed his eyes.

Ari said, “This procedure has been attempted but it has failed every time it has been tried. The resulting person always becomes a cannibal monster. Even the Life Binder has not been able to make this succeed. She postulated that the deep level of antirhine exposure caused by the Elixir did something to the soul of the person, thus making a successful [Resurrection] impossible.”

Tadashi’s eyes were still wide, as he involuntarily whispered his disbelief, “We’re talking [Resurrection] magics, now.”

Ari nodded, as she poured out four cups of tea, saying, “This is the level of which your invention will change the landscape of Nelboor. Of course these sorts of questions will come.” She passed out the tea, serving Zalindi, then Ezekiel, then herself. She served Tadashi last, as she said to him, “Compose yourself, Tadashi.”

Tadashi took the tea and sipped it, his eyes firmly focused on an unimportant section of the table in front of him.

Ezekiel sipped his tea after everyone else. It was good tea.

Zalindi set down his cup, and asked, “How would you make this simpler for everyone?”

Ezekiel set down the cup, and said, “An attempt to cut this problem through to the end, tomorrow, with a small magical gift for Tadashi that would make his understanding of the world come much easier to him. But I fear such a gift will break in his presence.”

Zalindi asked, “What sort of gift?”

Ezekiel was reluctant to speak without circumspection, for the people around here did not like to talk of shadows. He said, “A gift of what you would call Dark Boons, but that I have been using myself for quite some time with little side effect.”

Zalindi smirked, then chuckled. “One of the New Stats?”

Ezekiel went for it, saying, “Yes. Intelligence.”

Tadashi breathed deep, then sipped his tea, his entire focus placed on the steam rising from his cup.

Elder Arilitilo asked, “Plant? Or Flatt ring?”

“The second.”

“It would break.”

Ezekiel looked to her. “You know this, for sure?”

“Yes.” Arilitilo said, “The gathering tonight was simply the public place to announce our new alchemy. Yesterday, there was another. One person came forth with your same idea. A stardrop; a unique treasure for a unique situation. The black apple withered in his presence. We had suspected it would, since he kills all magical plants in this same way, but since the apple was the creation of a Wizard, it was a risk and we took it. A ring would surely suffer the same fate.”

Tadashi let out half a sigh before he could control himself. He had flinched hard when Elder Ari had said ‘withered’. He had likely killed more than a few of his favorite plants, hadn’t he? Maybe he wasn’t too happy about having a New Stat foisted upon him, either? That was part of it, for sure.

“There’s no harm in trying the ring, anyway.” Ezekiel said, “I will, of course, watch it be used or broken, and take it back in either case.”

Zalindi said, “Acceptable.”

Ezekiel said, “I will require some notes on antirhine. What sort of studies have been done? What are the normal interactions of the metal when introduced to organic compounds? That sort of thing. I won’t be able to give you any information tonight, as alchemy is not my field of study, but I might know something for you in a few days.”

“You will have your notes.” Elder Ari asked, “Is there anything else we can do for you?”

Ezekiel considered the art installation in front of the clan. There were so many things he could ask about that small replication of what he had seen beyond the [Gate] inside the Green Labyrinth.

He asked, “If there’s a dragon here who can talk to me about the Gate out front, then I would appreciate that. I am not a dragon, though. Just so you know.”

Which was exactly what a dragon would say. Probably.

Tadashi was very, very focused on his teacup. Elder Ari let the world flow by her.

Patriarch Zalindi said, “There are no dragons here, Scion Ezekiel Phoenix.”

“We can drop the act, if you wish.” Erick said, “I know you know who I am. Tadashi even knows, though he’s keeping that knowledge buried deep, even from himself. I can get some rain called around here if you desire proof; I heard you were having some trouble with that.”

Tadashi froze. Zalindi just looked at Erick, his face a mask.

Arilitilo’s tone did not change as she said, “The cause of the small drought afflicting Eralis would be the warlord nations to the north, and their breaking of treaties regarding the Wanzhi River; not due to any lack of rain.” With a more serious tone, she added, “We would prefer to continue with this act, Ezekiel. Thank you.”

Ezekiel said, “Very well. Then… We continue. Thank you again for your hospitality.” He stood up from his cushion.

Zalindi and Arilitilo stood with him. Tadashi was too stunned to move.

Zalindi and Arilitilo bowed, ever so slightly. Ezekiel did the same.

And then Ezekiel left.

A servant escorted Ezekiel and his people out of the Clan mountain. Nearby hallways were empty. Nearby rooms were vacant. The main room where the gathering had been, was deserted. A push of his mana sense revealed to him the various magics here and there which he had already seen, mostly the [Force Trap] derivatives, but also a few more spells on a few different hallways that seemed more private than the rest. None of those spells were an impediment. Past those hallways, and in other rooms of the clan mountain, were people, here and there, twenty, thirty meters away, doing whatever they felt like doing. No one seemed to be watching Ezekiel and his party leave and the way was clear all throughout.

The servant left them at the gateway to the clan.

When Ezekiel and his people stepped down upon the white road outside of Clan Star Song they discovered that the speedy enchantment on the road was gone. The Alluvial District was dark, save for small lights here and there. The art installation laid before them, at the crossroads, looking the same as it had when they went into the gathering. It had remained the same for the last few hundred years, if Xue was to be believed.

But the rest of the equilibrium of the Alluvial District was breaking. Indeed, all around the world, in small ways here, in larger ways there, the status quo was vanishing under the tides of new history.

The four of them didn’t risk a walk back home. Right there on the street, Ezekiel wrapped them all in Domain-empowered light and stepped away, back to the Sour House, directly into their rooms which he had already scouted with Odin.

– – – –

“Ho-lee-shit!” Julia exclaimed, once they appeared in the hotel room and Ezekiel had put up the privacy wards. “What the fuck was that!”

Ezekiel was still unpacking all of what happened, and all of what he had overheard, and seen, and agreed to do, and—

Paul curtailed a rising panic, saying, “What is happening here is an event which does not need our involvement, but if we choose to remain, then it will be under a great deal more security.” He turned to Ezekiel, saying, “We should consider moving from this location.”

Julia rounded on Paul, asking, “Are they coming after us?”

Paul went silent.

Julia pulled back, not liking Paul’s silence.

Tiffany discarded her veil and looked from Paul, then to Ezekiel, her face slightly scrunched in concern. She hadn’t said anything yet; she was waiting for the initial panic to subside and for a plan to arise from the events of the evening.

Ezekiel gave his opinion on the evening, saying, “There will likely be some reprisals. However… I doubt any of them will be centered on me, or us, despite the talk of the evening and what happened at the end. They all think I’m someone I’m not and that makes them wary… I think.” He added, “I’m not sure who they think I am, but Arilitilo wanted to keep the game going, and so we will.”

Julia countered, “That Patriarch was ready to take your head off.”

“He just looked like that.” Ezekiel said, “He was more scared than anyone. He needs Tadashi’s treatment to succeed, and fast. He has some people breathing down his neck as well, no doubt.” He added, “Everything about tonight, about us, was all the rest of them bouncing ideas off of the outsiders to see how the rest of them reacted. That’s why we were invited to the gathering at all. At the most, Elder Arilitilo wants to use me in order to facilitate some sort of power play of her own.” Ezekiel paused in thought. Then he said, “Or maybe she wants me to prevent some sort of power plays from happening. The faster they roll out this transformation of the entire landscape of Clan Society the quicker they can get a hold on the future past that.”

Tiffany focused. “This was a big shift. Why reveal it at all before it was ready?”

Julia said, “I heard Diligent Scribe fucked up but no one at my table was willing to speak on how; they were all postulating on what it was, but some of them already knew. I could tell by the faces around us. And then, you know, when the Elders up and told us that everyone already knew what was going on.”

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“Some people in the gathering didn’t know.” Ezekiel said, “A lot did. I believe that most of the surprise displayed was based around the disbelief that Star Song would pick this route of open cooperation.”

Paul said, “It was either open cooperation, or assassinations and theft. Star Song chose to call on the Compact of Songli and to share their bounty before it was taken from them.” He added, “However, sir, your declaration that you were ‘put there to make a decision’ is what really pushed them all away from the brewing illusion war.” He added, “And then Caina seemed to come down on your side.”

Julia said, “That was a lot.”

“Quite a bold declaration, boss!” Tiffany said, “I don’t disapprove, but I feel like I’m on a target range, now.”

“We always have been; sorry about that,” Ezekiel said.

Tiffany smiled, revealing her large bottom fangs. “This is what I signed up for.”

Ezekiel nodded, and said, “Someone is going to come for us. How do you want to handle it? I get the distinct impression that murdering them right back is okay as long as they are in the act of trying to murder us. If they manage to get away, confronting them in the open would be bad for us, since we’re the outsiders, and the clans would tell us to go fuck ourselves— I mean. They’d be nice about telling us to go fuck ourselves, for sure. But the outcome is already known.”

Julia asked, “Who will come after us? Got any ideas?”

“Probably not the guy that you stabbed!” Ezekiel calmed, then continued, “But maybe Scion Yaro Red Ledger.”

Julia looked ashamed for all of half a second before moving right along, exactly as Ezekiel had done. She said, “We could rent out this whole hotel. Or we could find a smaller place outside the city. We could even make a hole in the ground somewhere between cities and stay there.” She rapidly added, “And that guy was perfectly happy to get stabbed. It was just a game.”

Tiffany said, “It was a test to see if you would break hospitality if given the opportunity.”

Paul nodded, silently.

Julia paused. “… I guess— Yeah. It was a test. But it was just a test to see how willing I was to risk injury and of my willingness to cause harm, disguised as a test against the thread I spun. They weren’t trying to get me to break hospitality… were they?”

Tiffany said, “Nobles will take losses and turn them into wins, and they never allow themselves to be diminished in front of their contemporaries, unless that diminishment comes from a power that they cannot hope to beat.” She added, “So, yeah, I think that you were tested to see if you’d break hospitality, under the guise of several other tests. But then your father blew all of those small plans to shit when he talked about being put here to make a decision. He made himself a much bigger target than you, and it was only because of that, that you’re not being targeted right now.”