Lirin stares, looking between Ha-yoon and her bonds. Then she suddenly dashes toward the wolves in a frenzy.
"Yeah, YEAH. These are the spade wolves... young ones at that. And they're about one point two rods on all fours. Properly groomed, with snouts holding up to six hundred million olfactory receptors, their detection skills rival those of the highest predators. Their coats are lovely and lustrous, very healthy. Little sis, do you know how large these beasts can get?"
Ha-yoon looks up at Lirin, her head tilted. "Six mete- I mean, around six rods, right? They've been growing so much I can ride on their backs now."
Si-woo steps forward and gestures to the others. "Oapa, Lirin, this is my sister Ha-yoon and our friend Mai."
Mai offers a friendly smile and reaches out. "I heard there was a sprit in the student council at the intermediate academy. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Oapa shakes her hand. "Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet such a prominent underclassman. I've heard of your scholarly feats."
He looks over at Ha-yoon, the corners of his mouth easing. "It must've been a tough decision for you to come to my homeland, but I'd rather have you here than not. You brave young lady."
Ha-yoon's cheeks turn pink as she diverts her gaze. "It was, but everyone's here. I've been wanting to see your native animals, especially the faeries."
Lirin, who had been watching everything, pushes up her glasses and smiles, her eyes bright with interest.
"Connecting with three bonds is unheard of," she says. "Especially with a tetharite. It takes up a substantial amount of your mental capacity compared to most beasts. That's remarkable."
She glances at Si-woo. "You weren't kidding when you said she's a genius, were you?"
Si-woo grins.
"Not at all."
Ha-yoon feels her cheeks warm but waves the praise away. "It's not that big a deal. They just… came to me."
Mai laughs and rests a hand on Ha-yoon's shoulder. "No need to be shy now. The compliments will never end at this rate."
Oapa falls into step at the front. "Let's not keep Ondur waiting." He throws a small smile over his shoulder.
The gate portal shimmers ahead, inviting. As they move through it, light plays over their faces, and a moment later, the familiar world of Ondur opens up before them.
Two suns hang in a pale blue-turquoise sky. Floating islands drift lazily, their edges pouring waterfalls that look like liquid crystals. Wyvern riders skim by, graceful and fierce at once.
Si-woo tilts his head. "I thought most wyvern riders would be in Yohen."
Lirin glances up. "Both militaries of the fae and sprits use Ondur as a training ground. The terrain is challenging and strategic. The lingering riders here protect the fae who stayed behind instead of migrating to Yohen."
"So they use both lands," Ha-yoon says, her eyes wide.
"Efficient."
"It is," Oapa replies. "But it also shows how fragile the balance is. Ondur looks peaceful now, but it has a history of chaos."
"Nothing compares to the serenity here," Ha-yoon murmurs, still staring around.
Lirin adjusts her glasses and takes in the forest with an analyst's gaze. "Training here together will surely bring both sides closer together and shift perspectives. And the trees are special, interconnected roots that share this realm's energy like one organism. Interact with one, and you'll surely find something. The end."
Si-woo stares off into the woods. An uneasiness settles over him.
Mai tugs Ha-yoon gently along. "Come on, Oapa, lead the way."
They move into the woods more quietly now. Oapa's voice becomes firmer as they skirt through dense growth.
"Stay close," he warns. "Today's terrestrial rotation puts us near lesser territory. I'd rather avoid trouble."
Si-woo slows when he sees deep engravings on the bark of a towering tree. An everglade tree, with its pendulous branches flowing in the wind. The shades of the pink petals dance with the branches like a swaying chandelier. He brushes his fingers along the carved lines.
"This script…" he says thoughtfully. "It's Tov, ancient Mu script."
Ha-yoon brightens. "From when we first came to Ondur!"
Si-woo nods, a memory surfacing. "Same script from the Mu path we followed."
Oapa stops and gives the markings a long look. "Good eyes. As you know, the Mu were here long before any of us. And since then, their script has been incomprehensible."
Lirin takes a break from trying to touch the tetharite. "Even the Knowledge Familia admitted they've hit a wall trying to translate them. Though I'm sure some still are trying. I think I'll lend them my help in the future. The end."
Oapa shoots a playful gaze behind him at Lirin. "Oooo, should I go ahead and warn the Knowledge Familia that their future is about to be blessed with your presence and intellect?"
Ha-yoon and Mai giggle in unison. At that moment, Z bursts from Si-woo's head, spiraling upward and vanishing above the treetops.
Si-woo stares, more exasperated than alarmed.
…
Oapa freezes as he reaches a towering everglade tree etched with markings. He runs his humanoid paw over the grooves, his phalanges moving ponderously.
"This will do."
Lirin, arms folded, watches with a half-smile. "This waypoint fits you," she teases.
"You always love a dramatic entrance."
He pays her no mind. Crossing his arms, Oapa begins to murmur in a language none of the others understand. The words are low and measured; the air itself seems to answer. The ground shivers beneath their feet, a subtle rumble that grows until the forest feels as if it has sighed awake.
Trees shift around them, the trunks pulling back as the scene blurs and reshapes. Leaves spin up into a sudden gust, and the forest seems to fold in on itself, rearranging until the world looks new.
When the shaking stops, everything falls quiet.
They stand on a circular platform that glows a blue-green hue, with symbols circling the outside ring. They are surrounded by the widest obsidian trees they have ever seen. The trunks are enormous, disappearing into a glittering canopy so high the sky feels distant. Light pulses along the bark as if the trees themselves breathe; the place feels as if they have stepped into another realm.
Si-woo lets out a slow breath, his eyes climbing the giants overhead.
"These are the steelwood trees… They make the sky feel far away."
Oapa tilts his head toward the branches.
"Correct. They're the most rigid trees in Yohen. They house the higher sprits."
"The higher sprits," Ha-yoon repeats, her voice small with wonder.
Small, sturdy figures dart among the branches, sprits going about their business as if the trees were streets.
"This is beautiful," Mai whispers.
Lirin analyzes the emerald grass, her deep gaze stretching into the horizon. "Look, see the mansion?" She points ahead.
Ahead, a sylvan Victorian-Tudor Revival-like mansion rises, braided into two colossal trees. Its walls flow from living wood; smaller dwellings cluster nearby with roofs of shimmering leaves catching the faint, colorful light. A battlement stretches across the roof, holding up sprit soldiers as they patrol.
"Wow," Ha-yoon breathes, staring.
Lirin grins. "Pretty, isn't it? Oapa's family has some of the most renowned woodsmiths and artisans in all of Yohen. The end."
There she goes again with her catchphrase.
Si-woo shakes his head, his mind drifting back to the Mu etchings that had brought them here.
"Oapa, how did you use the Tov script if only the ancient Mu knew of its meaning?"
Ha-yoon looks at Oapa with the same confused expression. "Yeah, now that you mention it, the Knowledge Familia would lose their minds if they'd just seen that. But then again, maybe it isn't Tov."
"I'm starting to think so too," Si-woo adds. "The strokes, stems, and serifs are drastically different if you look at them closely."
Oapa's eyes widen as he stands there listening. "You're right. It isn't Tov. It's sprit rune symbols we call Boc, a traditional language of us sprits that dates back to the Mu era. During the Great Mu War, Tov and Boc were implanted on the trees of Yohen to help overcome our adversaries. Boc is similar to Tov, but without the high risk and reward. You should learn about it soon in the academy."
Lirin takes a step into the center of the platform, staring deeply into the endless treetops. "Learning it might be an overstatement, as all rune symbols of script magic are only comprehensible to the colangers. The end."
Up in the air, faint ribbons of blue, green, and gold drift like living color. Tiny glowing shapes flit through the light. Mai reaches her hand out, attempting to touch one.
"Inclusion of Boc in the curricula will stir up a lot of questions about Tov, questions that we can't answer."
Lirin pushes her glasses up. "Or won't answer."
Oapa nods, adamant about changing the topic. He reaches out to a green, luminous ball of light.
"These right here are young faeries. Each one of them has their own classification, and since the conjunction singularity, a variety of foreign ones have inhabited here. They nest in these steelwood trees with us. They're drawn to the place's purity and the protection the sprits give."
Si-woo stares deeply into a red one right in front of his face.
Throughout all of Ondurian and Seoul, there hasn't been this much concentration of faeries in one place. The sprits truly are a vastly different species. Faeries come in all elements, but they're so elusive that the amount of information on them is limited. Though I did hear faeries can form a bond, but only with those wielding mana, and even then, only certain ones are attuned to it. That's a bit disappointing, considering everyone I've talked to insisted that due to the invasive natures of both mana and Serein, only one can exist within an organism. Unless you're a Mu, of course.
But then what makes them so special? It can't simply be explained with "just because." Maybe I just need to study more.
Si-woo lets out an exasperated sigh.
It's hard to believe that we're still in Yohen. I can understand why-
"Oh my goodness, Ha-yoon, how are you doing that!"
Si-woo's eyes spin around to the voice of Mai; everyone else soon follows suit.
"I don't...I'm not even doing anything."
Ha-yoons face is in an array of colors as faeries sit upon her head, in the form of a crown.
"Oh heavens..." Lirin bends down, face level with a hint of craze in her eyes.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have an affinity for faeries, but no no no that doesn't make sense, because you're not able to use mana. So then maybe you just have an affinity for otherworldly creatures, hence your bonds...but then again, you wouldn't be the first to be able to co-wield serein and mana... ooh, you are truly intriguing, Ha-yoon, the end."
Oapas clear green eyes gaze at Ha-yoon, something moving in them. "Let's not jump to conclusions, Lirin. You know the mu's physique; their vessels were vastly different than any other creatures or beings either kingdom has ever observed. But something like this can be seen as an omen of sorts."
Their wonder is interrupted by five burly black sprit guards stepping out of the shadows in black uniforms, a golden claw sigil on each shoulder. Their steps silent and precise.
Si-woo's hand goes instinctively toward his kunai at his waist, then he thinks better of it. The leading, taller guard's green eyes scan them slowly.
"Oapa," the guard rumbles, "you brought outsiders into our territory?"
Oapa meets him squarely. "They're under my escort, brother Teis. The council should be expecting them. I take responsibility while they're here in the first district."
The easy calm he'd worn shifts into quiet authority.
A shorter guard looks them over, lingering on Si-woo. "Where is the sacred treasure? It was with you earlier."
Sacred treasure?
Ha-yoon shoots Si-woo a questioning gaze.
Does Si-woo have a secret gold stash I don't know about—no, no, impossible... He must mean his bond.
Si-woo hesitates. "Z flew off before we were transported here. He usually returns when he pleases."
The guards exchange a glance, and the tallest one nods. "Very well. Follow us. The elders have been informed."
They fall in behind the guards; the atmosphere tightens. Oapa skeptically glances around, seeming to lock onto certain areas. His eyes then steady, seeming to be deep in thought.
Si-woo can't shake his curiosity. When he has the chance, he whispers to Lirin, "How did they know Z was with us?"
Lirin considers. "Sprits are attuned to creatures. Rare bonds leave a mark on the environment. Z's familiar residual energy probably lingered."
"An imprint?" Si-woo echoes, glancing at the massive trunks.
"Like a signature," Lirin says. "Those bonds are young and strong, unable to contain the flowing energies within them. Sprits can read the trails. The end."
Oapa overhears, burying his previous thoughts with a small smile.
"She's right. The guards are trained to recognize the passage of certain creatures. Even a brief presence tells them something."
Mai playfully nudges Ha-yoon, who is riding on top of Tac. They giggle as Si-woo wonders where his wyvern has gone.
So this is the place where the sprits have been keeping watch over Z for the last ten thousand years or so. The whiteblood wyverns were a powerhouse of the Central Alliance during the Great Mu War. Not to mention, there were many of them, but to say that only one didn't succumb to the calamity seems... improbable, almost impossible. I'm sure the sprits are telling the truth, but my instincts haven't settled.
They draw closer to the mansion. The air's glow pulses gently; the light is almost hypnotic.
Oapa halts at the base and gestures up.
"Welcome to the heart of the sprit kingdom. Don't keep the elders waiting."
The mansion rises, its balconies jutting from living trunks, countless windows catching the flickering light. There is no obvious doorway, only a wall of braided bark as its facade.
"Hold."
The group stops.
The guards step forward in unison, raising clawed hands toward the face of the mansion, and speak in a low, melodic language that makes the air hum. The bark shivers, splits open, and light spills from the gap to reveal an amber, radiant hall with a smooth, glowing floor.
Mai leans in, eyes wide. "Reading about the use of mana is one thing. Seeing this is something else."
Ha-yoon turns to Lirin on her right. "Boc, only sprits can use it, right?"
Lirin pushes up her glasses and slips into teacher mode.
"Right. Sprits are born with quantum receptors in their circulatory system. With mana being an ultraviolet quantum energy field permeating from beyond the empirical dimension, they're able to assemble a quantum code template in the metaphysical realm and have it collapse into reality as cymatic patterns, causing the desired phenomena. But with Boc, it's a bit different.
Instead of assembling the quantum code in the empirical dimension, they are studied there instead, and as a collective, the species adopts it into an endemic language, carefully scribing it onto whatever medium is necessary to enact the desired phenomena. The end."
"Nope. Not the end." Ha-yoon thoughtfully runs her hand over Tac's head. "What's so different about their script? I do remember reading a bit about this... So then the quantum code is only comprehensible within a certain group of people due to its deep engraving in their genetics. I sorta understand. So that means sprits don't need Boc to use magic, right?"
"Correct," Lirin answers. "Some don't even need to use incantations, though it's only a small few. Boc is usually used for more extraordinary, utility-prone tasks and has virtually no limitations other than the user's intellect and imagination. But there is a macabre side to it, a practice—"
"Lirin!" Oapa interrupts with subdued aggravation.
The courtyard of the mansion becomes silent; only the footsteps of the nearby sprits fill the air.
"Oh, my bad... It's probably not best to speak of such things right now."
Si-woo stares ahead at Oapa's upstanding figure, then at Lirin, who nervously scratches the back of her neck.
Mai quickly changes the subject. "Ha-yoon, you know what I've heard?"
"No, what?"
Mai brings her voice down to a breathless whisper. "That the Tabaek kingdom has the best meat dishes in all of Yohen. With tender meat that falls off the bone as a waterfall flows down a cliff, and with gravy as savory as a mother's love."
Ha-yoon wipes drool from her mouth. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going to need me two of those, EXTRA LARGE. They've got to have some exquisite food here, right? It's time to go hunting."
Ignoring Ha-yoon's manic commentary, Si-woo asks a lingering question. "I know sprits can use mana, and their physique is truly phenomenal, almost second to none. But do you guys have a system similar to Toeju for your physique, or do you only specialize in nature and psychic magic?"
Oapa nods. "It's called Spectre. It's a martial art that utilizes our inherent mana with our physique, creating a one-of-a-kind oppressive art. Fae specialize in Toeju and the air; sprits draw strength from the earth while affecting cognitive processes."
Mai shakes her head in awe. "Can you imagine awakening with such devastating power?"
Ha-yoon frowns, thoughtful. "It must be overwhelming. Powerful... and maybe lonely."
Oapa's ears twitch, and he doesn't reply. He motions toward the bright entrance.
"Let's move."
Inside, many sprits soldiers are about their tasks. The mansion feels alive, like a being watching us. Si-woo can't help feeling observed by the space itself.
"It feels aware," he mutters.
"You're not wrong," Lirin says. "This place has been shaped by sprits for centuries. It's part of them."
Oapa speaks up. "Don't stray until we reach the Grand Study Hall. The mansion has a mind of its own."
They continue, passing amber-toned walls carved with sharp, purposeful patterns of architecture that feel ancient and resolute, a clear contrast to fae elegance. Crystals hang from the ceiling, teardrop-shaped and glowing; their light warms the wood and accentuates the earthy palette.
As Tac walks close to a wall, Ha-yoon traces a carved pattern with her fingers. "I feel more energized in here."
Mai's eyes find the crystals. "It looks to be coming from those. They must be made with mana."
"They are," Oapa confirms. "These ornaments, including the walls, have an inscribed Boc in them, with mana enabling them to heal and rejuvenate."
Si-woo bites his nail in contemplation.
So that's another core difference between mana and Serein. While Serein can affect the functions of simple, animate, and inanimate systems, it cannot create something new from nothing or transform existing matter into something new. Unlike mana. Mana seems more profound, with its ability to generate, reshape, and project energy and matter freely, while Serein is a specific enhancement for matter and its functions.
Lirin looks at Si-woo, seemingly able to read his mind.
"There are seven innate natures of Serein, whose enhancements all differ, even when enhancing mechanisms for common use. It's a study in itself. Quite complicated, but now, knowing how Boc works, I'm thinking of researching the integration of the two. And who's a better colleague to have than an actual sprit who can use it? The end."
She smiles teasingly at the back of Oapa's head, sending shivers down his spine.
"I will help too," Si-woo says in a low tone. "It really does seem exciting, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Knowledge Familia isn't already making advances in that field of study."
Oapa clears his throat. "Don't get your hopes up. Although we do have communication in high positions of both our governments, that type of relation involves a certain type of deep trust and familiarity between the two... which we don't yet have. But it is a process."
Si-woo absorbs it all, respect growing for how sprits live in harmony with their home, even as a thin thread of unease remains. The mansion's silence is not empty; it listens.
Oapa glances back. "The Grand Study Hall is ahead. Keep close."
They move through the warm, illuminated hall; Oapa's sharp gaze sweeps the surroundings. His pointed ears twitch slightly, his demeanor unusually tense.
"There are more patrolmen here than usual," he mutters.
Lirin glances around, her brows furrowing. "Oh, so this isn't normal? The elders must really want to show their hospitality and security. I would be honored... if that were the case." Her voice trails off quietly.
The five sprit escorts stop at an imposing grand door at least eight times their height, flanked by two other guards, one on each side. The guards stand like alabaster statues, stoically. Their golden claw sigils glint under the warm crystal lights. Just as the group comes to a halt, soft giggles and whispers filter through from the other side of the door.
Si-woo's face contorts in confusion.
Without a word, the guards step forward and push the doors open. A chorus of cheerful voices erupts as soon as the group enters.
"OAPA!!"
In the next moment, six small, furry sprit children barrel toward Oapa, their excited squeals filling the vast chamber. Oapa, though caught off guard, bends slightly to catch them, his serious expression softening into a rare smile as the little ones cling to him.
A smile stretches across the faces of Oapa's cohort. The sunlight gleams on the spectacle, their playful energy creating its own light source, adding warmth to the vast chamber.
Beyond the commotion, Si-woo's attention is drawn to the far end of the room. Seven towering seats on a podium, each carved with fluid, intricate designs-similar but different from the rest of the mansion-line the back wall. Five of them are occupied by the most pronounced figures he has ever seen, their regal presence undeniable. And in front of the podium stand three sprits, each in either a green, white, or black robe.
The elders of the Tabaek Kingdom are even more menacing than what I've imagined, unlike the monarchy in the fae Kingdom. This one is a polyarchy where the seven elders are split into three groups depending on the role they play and their lands. I do remember some books speaking about how each robe color signifies something and how each elder has an official title. There's little to no information on the recent elders in rule... so I am a bit excited. The robes, though... The white robes rule over the internal development of the spirits. The black robes rule over security and external interrogation, and the green robes rule the economy, land, and integration. The official titles of the White-Robed Elders are the Elder of Knowledge and the Elder of Advancement. The official titles of the Black-Robed Elders are the Elder of the Shield, the Elder of the Vale, and the Elder of the Gate. Then lastly, the Green-Robed Elders' titles are the Elder of the Root and the Elder of the Harvest. Quorge was wearing a navy blue robe, though... maybe as the authority branches out, so does the hue of the colors. That would make him under the Black Robes' authority, considering his position as President of Tabaek Interrelations. But he is also Co-Head of the Rankers Familia. The Fae Kingdom has a whole branch of government that governs their Rankers Familia. Comparing both of the positions, it seems like Quorge is a little outplayed in this scenario, as he is less in the chain of command; he has less say in what is approved when it comes to making decisions on the anomalies in both kingdoms. Whereas Mutstushiro doesn't have to go to the king to make official major decisions about his familia.Quorge is under the Elders. In whatever he does in this high position, it has to go through them. The Elders must know about this, and that's why they did it: for more control. That's not necessarily bad at face value. It keeps everything in order.
Si-woo's eyes keep coming back to the sprit who sits in the central seat. His imposing figure and matte-black fur lie under a draped, long, flowing black robe. To his sides sit two others: on the right, one wearing pristine white robes, and on the left, one cloaked in deep green ones. Their features are distinct, each one exuding an air of wisdom and power.
Many guards are stationed in the corners of the room; their eyes pierce the room, overlooking nothing. If not for the children's playful giggles, the atmosphere would be almost suffocating.
From in front of the podium, a sprit with beautiful snow-white fur in an off-white robe walks forward gracefully; her piercing gray eyes scan over the whole group. Her presence is commanding yet warm. "It's good to see you again, Lirin," she says in a soft, feminine voice carrying itself across the chamber.
Lirin smiles warmly and steps forward to embrace her. "It's good to see you too, Sartah," she replies, her tone more relaxed than it has been all day.
Sartah observes the wave of children playing with each other with a warm smile before turning her attention to Lirin. "It's been some time since I've seen either of you. How are things at the academy?"
Oapa lifts his left leg, trying to untangle himself. "Busy, as usual. Between student council responsibilities and keeping up with coursework, guiding the greenies, setting up activities, it's been a lot to manage."
Lirin crosses her arms, her tone more casual. "I've been well. I'm patiently waiting for next year to choose my familia and get a full access pass to a high-end lab. Being on a waiting list isn't cutting it anymore. I had to take matters into my own hands. The end."
"Oh no, no, no, don't stop there, Lirin. Tell her specifically what you've done."
Sartah and Si-woo throw her a curious look.
Lirin lets out a deep breath. "Nothing too outlandish; it's just that some people are bound to waste their time testing to no avail, so with care, judgment, and consideration, I erased their names from the list."
Sartah and Si-woo chuckle softly. "That doesn't surprise me. Seems as if some of Oapa's old ways may have infected you. How are classes?"
Lirin shrugs, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "They're easy, but they're more interesting, too. Beastiary studies especially; it's fascinating."
"I would expect nothing less from you."
"You should visit more often, Oapa. The children always look forward to seeing you."
Oapa offers a small, genuine smile. "I'll try," he says. "But... the academy keeps me tied up more than I'd like."
Sartah squints at Oapa, her gray eyes narrowing slightly as if probing his words, making it clear she suspects there is more to his statement, but she chooses not to press him further. Instead, she shifts her gaze to Lirin, who speaks up with a smirk.
"I'll make sure-I mean, we'll make sure he tries to make time. The end." Lirin nods toward Si-woo, who immediately returns it.
Oapa sighs softly, shaking his head with a faint smile, but says nothing in response.
Si-woo watches the exchange, his curiosity growing. Everyone's presence is overwhelming, but with her, there's something comforting about her demeanor.
Among the choir of giggles, new ones are added. Si-woo looks over to see Ha-yoon and her two wolves along with Mai, playing among the children, smothering each other as Oapa stands like a lighthouse in rough waters. The tetharite shimmers in and out of visibility, sparking laughter and gasps of amazement from the children.
Oapa disentangles himself from the children and steps forward to greet the elders. "I greet the elders, and have brought with me the approved company."
The one in the black robe's gaze sweeps over the group, his eyes lingering on Si-woo and Ha-yoon.
"It looks as if you've decided it's convenient to finally bring the familiarch of the sacred treasure and his sister, who may decide many fates of this land, here... I hope it wasn't too much of an expense for you," he says in a deep, snide voice.
Oapa grimaces at his words, but before he can answer, a rough voice interjects into the conversation.
"We have much to discuss. Other conversations can wait," the sprit to the right of the dark-cloaked one speaks, looking directly at Oapa.
Si-woo glances at Oapa. I can immediately see what he was talking about: having a rough relationship with the elders. But why? To my knowledge, Oapa is a keen role model for the sprits, having made it possible for higher sprits to attend the academies, although with scrutiny. But that's nothing that time can't fix. He's also on the student council, which means he's at the top of his echelon academically. And even though it may have taken him some time, Ha-yoon and I are here. Is this... normal?
The one in the middle stands. His black cloak and fur coat sway as he rises to his full height of at least three and a half meters.
"Indeed, first things first," he begins, his deep voice carrying a weight that seizes everyone's attention. "I am Keive, Chief Elder of Foreign Connections and Law for the Kingdom of Sprits."
He gestures to his left and right.
"Next to me are the other Chief Elders of our home, the Tabaek kingdom. These seats represent the rulers of the Kingdom of Sprits; we govern our people, ensuring their safety and prosperity while navigating the challenges of our time. Two seats are missing due to recent issues, but they do send their remarks."
Si-woo steps forward, Ha-yoon following suit. "The honor is ours." They both bow slightly, facing the elders.
"I see etiquette is universal," an elder to Keive's closest right announces.
"Have you forgotten?" The closest sprit to Keive's left turns her head lazily. "They come from a land where seniority and honor aren't to be trifled with, Chief Micah."
"I haven't, Chief Aortum, but at face value, it's another experience. Don't you think?"
The siblings look between the two elders, each similar in the color of their storm-colored coats, but with different-colored pupils and flows of fur. Aortum looks to have a more fluid coat of fur with lilac eyes, while Micah's is rough, with heavy, burnt-orange pupils.
One of the elders, sitting to the right of Micah, leans forward slightly, his amber eyes narrowing as he addresses Si-woo. "These two," he says, motioning to Si-woo and Ha-yoon, "are the so-called prodigy twins we've been hearing about? Quick, boy, unsheathe Eternity."
"As impatient as ever, Chief Valun." The last elder's golden eyes shoot across the seats as she sits forward; her jet-black fur grazes gently underneath the green robe. "These children have seen the worst of our species and almost paid a grave price. Don't you think honorable first impressions are a necessity right now?"
Chief Valun sits back slightly in his seat, his honey-brown fur glinting in the rays of sunlight. "This isn't their first time meeting the likes of us, Chief Rehan. They are a species that has lost almost everything and assimilated to our lands quickly while making a name for themselves. It's not that I lack decorum; I'm quite sure they are over the pleasantries and are wondering why they're specifically in the Elders' chamber."
Si-woo nods his head, confirming the elder's statement. He's right. If they wanted to welcome guests, we would either be getting a tour of this mansion, sitting at a dining table, or doing some type of fun activity. But since walking in here, the atmosphere has been a bit domineering. Maybe that's the reason they brought the little children here. And it worked, more or less...
Elder Keive sits back down slowly. "This topic was inevitable, considering we are collaborating with the fae's most renowned blacksmith, Hermeraldo."
"Hermeraldo?!" Ha-yoon blurts out. "That's awesome! Then you guys must be creating more soul weapons, right? What do they look like?"
"In short, we're not sure, young one," Elder Aortum answers. "This project involves engraving our script on these weapons forged with your land's metal: Orichalcum, to produce an artifact that accommodates the mana manipulated by sprits. It's a perilous task, to say the least. To answer the question, what is the appearance? None have been produced yet, though the gauntlets that the king of the fae has and the armor that the general of the fae military possesses are the inspiration for the design."
Si-woo's eyebrows lift in surprise. The two soul weapons that King Morey and Master Minho have are the Morbid Terrestrial Onslaught and Stoic Guardian. I've never seen them used in action or know much of their enhancements, but I can only imagine the abilities they give to the first- and third-degree toeju masters. Could they be trying to combine the two ideas into an armor and offensive-type artifact? The bok runes probably serve as an efficiency booster for their casts, but that can't be it; even that seems too simple.
Elder Aortum sighs. "It's a project that will be completed in due time and will produce benefits beyond our intentions for the new, incoming era. But young one, do you know there already exists a weapon with a script on it?"
In the midst of shaking his head, Si-woo halts, then slowly pulls out Eternity, Breaker of Mercy. Letting the cold blade rest in his right hand, he stares at it, tracing the white engravings across the blade, appearing as if two stars were chasing each other.
The elders are silent for a few moments. Some even start to murmur a few words under their breath, squinting at what is in Si-woo's right hand.
"HA HA HA HA!" A rough and hearty laugh fills the chamber, coming from Elder Valun. "And they wonder why our relationship with them is grim at times."
Elder Rehan shakes her head in disappointment. "There's no doubt; that's definitely the weapon."
Confusion is written across the siblings' faces as they watch the elders talk amongst themselves.
"Ahem." Oapa clears his throat, gathering their attention. "Elders, our guests here are confused by your demands. Would you be so considerate as to elaborate on your conversation instead of excluding-"
Sartah quickly puts her hand in front of Oapa's mouth. "Would the Elders be so generous as to enlighten our guests on your talk?"
"That weapon," Micah points, the sharp nail on his index finger stretching toward Si-woo. "That weapon should not be in your hands, child."
A tinge of pain surfaces in Si-woo's heart, staring at the sprit. I'm the one who chose it-or more like it chose me. He can't be right.
A soft voice interrupts, following after. "Allow me to elaborate after the brashness of Chief Micah," Elder Aortum says, her soft lilac eyes settling on Si-woo. "What he means is that the fae shouldn't possess the soul weapon. You see, as you know, the Mu were blessed by God and given that weapon to use in protection of our lands. When given the weapon, the Mu engraved their script on it, inevitably claiming it as their own, to be passed down when new leaders rise in their midst.
"It is impossible to decipher their script, but we do know that it is there. In the same way that we can't see the weapon in your hands, the presence of it is palpable."
Ha-yoon's moonstone eyes dart from the elders to Eternity. "It's a little wispy, but you guys really can't see it?"
Oapa bends lower, taking a closer look at Si-woo's hands. "I can almost feel something there, but... I'm not confident that I can. There really seems to be nothing there... Can I touch it?"
Si-woo nods, holding both his hands out toward him. Oapa reaches down, his fingers gently running along the pommel of the kunai. "Hmm, I'm able to see something is there preventing me from moving through, but my other four senses are telling me there's nothing there."
"That's the inherent trait of Eternity," Aortum continues. "It was gifted to the pure eternal guardians of our lands, and only wielded by them. So inevitably, only ones of a similar nature would even be able to see it. We only live for about half a millennium; our souls are not in tune with our flesh as the Mu, the fae, or, as it would seem, these two humans."
Si-woo sheathes the kunai. "But humans aren't eternal creatures either. Our lifespan is only around eighty years or so."
"To our knowledge, humans weren't able to wield serein either, isn't that right?" Elder Valun's head rests on his paw, talking to Si-woo. "The conjunction singularity clearly has mutated and/or advanced your species on a genetic scale. Although I'm not completely sure if you two are eternal beings, that's a matter for the future and is not in our hands. Continuing where Chief Aortum left off: during the great Mu War, the three central powers allied to fend off the enemy: the Mu, the Tabaek kingdom, and the whiteblood wyverns. The fae would not interfere due to... internal affairs.
"Leading the war with Eternity was a Mu with the name of Oenemii. Towards the end of the war, Eternity was lost among all the rubble and chaos. We sprits deemed it our responsibility to salvage what we could, seeing as though the central powers were reduced to one crippled party. But we could not find it. So don't you see how peculiar it is that the fae, who didn't set a foot on the battlefield, came to possess it?"
Mai briefly pauses playing with the children and looks to the ground, a hint of guilt in her expression.
"So you're saying-" Ha-yoon begins, "-that the fae are grave robbers?"
Before anyone else can answer, Keive responds, "What we are saying is that while the fae may lay out their honest and true intentions, there may be more behind the curtain."
"But that's normal," Elder Micah eagerly states. "What isn't normal, Si-woo, is: how come we know of your fate and you don't?"
An eerie silence looms across the chambers, even hushing the children. Mai shifts uncomfortably in her sky-blue tunic, distracting herself with the children.
Si-woo's heart begins to beat faster at the implication.
Oapa looks at Si-woo, then quickly turns his gaze back to the elders. "That's enou-"
"No, Oapa," Si-woo interrupts him. "Fate? What do you mean you know of my fate? What are you claiming? What aren't you telling me?" Questions well up inside Si-woo that have been boiling ever since his visit to retrieve Eternity-questions that kept him up at night, inquiries that he had to shove down inside and accept the answer "in due time." Ha-yoon was supposed to be the savior of the people of Ondur, but what exact part did he play in this prophecy?
Mai stands up, walking toward Si-woo. She reaches out to pull back Si-woo's arm, but then stops, thinking better of it.
Elder Rehan shakes her head regretfully. "Poor child, we know of your fate because we were there when it was decided."
"ENOUGH!" Oapa exclaims. "I brought my friends here to show them the beauty and nature of Tabaek, not to be questioned and spoken to about something as specious as fate. Your words are like toxins slipping into the cracks of their minds."
Before Si-woo can protest, Sartah's powerful figure steps forward. "I'm going to have to agree with the boy, elders... These young children have yet to experience the hospitality of our kingdom. I think we may have gotten ahead of ourselves. This is not our story to tell."
Si-woo calms down, putting his inquiries away. But Ha-yoon does not.
"NO, TELL US! I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW EVEN IF YOU GUYS THINK IT'S MEANINGLESS, AND IF YOU DO THINK SO, WHY BRING IT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"
"You shouldn't yell at the elders," an innocent voice of a sprit child says.
Keive lets out a breath. "You're right, Sartah; it seems we have gone overboard and have forgotten that these are still children. Teis, escort everyone to the recreation quarters. We will speak with Oapa separately."
Mai glances at Si-woo and Ha-yoon with a mix of curiosity and unease, while Lirin's brows furrow slightly as if she were weighing whether to object.
Oapa, however, gives a small nod of acknowledgment to Keive and turns to his companions. "Go ahead. I'll catch up with you all soon."
"So you're going to ignore me, huh?" Ha-yoon hesitates, her eyes darting to Si-woo, who gives her a reassuring look.
"Come on," he says, gently nudging her shoulder. "We'll have to figure it out ourselves."
The group follows three guards leading them out of the grand chamber. Passing through the towering double doors, Ha-yoon glances back at Oapa, the doors closing as he stands steady and resolute in front of the elders. The children motion her forward, prying her eyes from the scene.
As the heavy doors shut behind them, Teis motions for them to follow. "This way."
Lirin's eyes stare pensively at her contorted reflection on the dark amber wood floors as she begins to walk. "Fate... hmm..."
She looks at Ha-yoon in the group of rowdy children, then at Si-woo. "You're the promised child, then, right? The one who was supposed to aid Ondur when in need, or something like that? I'm not one for fate, but I have heard of the inevitability of our Queen's prophecies. The end."
Si-woo shakes his head. "Not me. My sister." He points to Ha-yoon removing a toddler from her wolf, then climbing on top herself.
Ha-yoon scruffs the black fur on the wolf's head. "Old people and their secrets-this is starting to get on my nerves. And we can't do anything about it but argue with them, and that's just even more draining. I think... I think I'm just not going to care anymore. I'm just gonna do what I need to do. If what I end up doing is the exact route of the prophecy, so be it; at least I can say that I walked it of my own free will."
Lirin rapidly nods her head in agreement. "That is the best course of action. I couldn't have said it better myself."
Si-woo glances back at Mai, seemingly lost in thought, suspicion written on his face. Mai's been really quiet... but then again, the conversation really didn't pertain to her. Though, being the daughter of a prophet, she must know more than she's letting on. But she's still choosing to stay silent. Is she telling us where she stands? Does she think that she's doing this for our own good, similar to what the others are doing? Or maybe she was told not to say anything. That being said, that brings up the issue of her visions, since she is the next prophetess. Did she see a vision?
"I wonder what they want to talk to him about. I feel like they used Ha-yoon's outburst as a quick way to separate us. Not that it's bad, but we were already discussing sensitive topics, so why not continue? The end."
Mai's eyes snap out of her daze. She shrugs slightly, though her curiosity is evident. "It's probably something related to internal affairs that has nothing to do with us."
Moving down the corridor, Si-woo suddenly winces, pressing a hand to his temple. A sharp, pounding headache has crept up on him, sending jolts of discomfort through his head.
Si-woo feels a gentle touch on his right arm. "Si-woo, are you okay?" Mai asks, her voice filled with concern.
The others stop to look back at him; Ha-yoon trots over on her wolf.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Si-woo forces a faint smile, though his discomfort is evident. "Yeah. I just need to use the restroom." He waves her off lightly.
The lead guard, Teis, observes the exchange and turns to one of his subordinates. "Glen, escort him to the nearest lavatory."
The appointed guard nods briskly, then motions for Si-woo to follow.
Ha-yoon squints at him. "Don't get lost," she teases, though there is an edge of genuine worry in her tone.
As Si-woo peels off from the group, Mai glances after him, her expression thoughtful.
"He'll be fine," Lirin says, though she too casts a lingering glance in the direction Si-woo had gone before continuing on with the rest of the group.
The burly guard leads Si-woo through another set of corridors, the earthy ambiance of the mansion blending with a mystical, faint hum of energy in the air. The hall fixtures and walls are lined with dark, viridescent designs, adding a memorable elegance incomparable to the royal palace of Seoul. The headache persists, throbbing as if something were trying to pull his focus elsewhere. Si-woo's jaw clenches, bearing the aches stoically, trying not to make a scene as he follows the guard through the mazelike mansion.
The atmosphere in the vast chamber becomes grave the moment the grand doors close behind the departing group. Keive's usual calm demeanor changed, a solemn intensity coming over his features.
He leans forward in his ornate seat, his piercing deep green gaze fixing on Oapa. "Now that they're gone, there is a dire matter in need of your attention... All of our attention, in fact."
The other chiefs' expressions grow solemn as they exchange knowing glances.
Oapa stands there in confusion, his eyes searching the elders for an explanation.
Keive continues, his voice unyielding, "Corpses of sprits are being found."
Si-woo and the sprit guard walk down a dim hallway, their footsteps echoing softly against the smooth, amber-hued floors. Si-woo clenches his head slightly; the continuous throb keeps him from focusing.
The guard stops in front of a large, pale wood door. "Here," the guard says in a low, monotone voice. He gestures for Si-woo to enter.
"Thank you," Si-woo says in a strained voice. He bows and then enters, closing the door behind him. The restroom is as ornately designed as the rest of the mansion, with polished wooden panels and a sink carved from a single slab of glistening black stone. He moves to the sink and waves a hand to turn on the faucet, letting the cold water flow. With a few splashes on his face, he hopes the chill will relieve the pressure building in his temples. In the moment, he leans forward, resting his weight on his hands as droplets of water slide down his face. The headache persists, subtly getting sharper.
"Ugh…" The room pivots around him as the pain intensifies. Then, like a clear note piercing through a cacophony, a voice rings in his head.
"Danger."
Si-woo's breath hitches, his eyes snapping open. "Z?" he gasps, the recognition immediate. This was the first time he'd ever heard his bond's voice, but even then, he instinctively knew it was him.
Si-woo bolts out of the restroom, his breath uneven, his heart pounding. What the... The hallway feels different; no, it IS different. The hallway he stepped into wasn't the same one he'd entered from. The ornate amber walls and softly glowing crystals were gone, replaced by dark, unfamiliar corridors with towering pillars stretching to the far ends. The guard who had escorted him earlier is nowhere in sight.
Panic is slowly creeping into Si-woo as he looks around. He struggles to recall how the mansion is arranged and if maybe there are other hallways that look like this one. The air gets heavier as he realizes the familiar noise from the guards patrolling is absent. Strange flickering of shadows appears on the walls, moving abnormally, like the whole space was changing where he stands. Suddenly, in front of him, he finds something: an uneven, see-through kind of rip inside the air.
The areas at the side shine as the void pulses lightly, throwing a soft glow on the ground. Through the rift, Si-woo can see Ondur's forest on the other side, its towering everglade trees and vibrant greenery stretching into the horizon under the two suns.
His breath catches. "Danger," Z's warning echoes in his mind, pushing him forward despite the apprehension gripping him.
There's a brief moment of hesitation before Si-woo steps closer. His heart races as he reaches his hand out to the edge of the rift. A tantalizing, cool feeling, like water ripples under his touch.
Alert, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, as if to warn him, but the strong mental pull of Z keeps luring him in. He stagnates, then steps through.
The reality changes in an instant. Si-woo's nerves ease as he recognizes more of Yohen's agriculture. The turquoise sky peeks through the canopy of towering trees, but the atmosphere is far from serene. There's no noise; it's silent, save for the faint rustling of dead leaves. This is Yohen, but where exactly? Portals just don't open up out of nowhere—and it doesn't make sense for this to be a dungeon. Dungeon tears, I've heard, are rifts to chaotic places, places that need neutralization more or less. But most of all, I don't see a scenario or task I need to complete... so then it's a gate tear? A gate tear inside of a gate tear? No. Chances are this one is manmade or creature-made... recent even. And I want to say the guard got mixed up in the mansion, but these sprits know the ins and outs of this place like the back of their paws; they definitely have ways to accommodate this place's spontaneous shiftings, but would never leave a guest unattended in this puzzle of a mansion. So then they had to attend to some very urgent duties. Sounds reasonable.
Si-woo slowly stares around him at small stone structures, each carved with delicate care and inscribed with intricate, unfamiliar engravings. Si-woo's stomach lurches as he comes to a realization. Sprit ceremonial tombstones. He remembered reading about how sprits honored their dead, crafting tombstones inscribed with ancient language, which he now knew as boc, that captured the essence of their loved ones.
A coo reverberates through his mind, parting his thoughts. Si-woo's eyes dart to his bond. Z sits a few meters away, his white scales gleaming faintly under the shade of the soaring trees, but the animal's posture is stiff, his quadra wings slightly flared. The gold rings of light around the wyvern's pupils are fixed on one particular tombstone. At a distance, there's no difference from the ones nearby.
Walking closer, Si-woo spots a deep red hue on the stone, almost throbbing as if alive. Another abrupt chill travels down his spine; his eyes lock on the ominous hue emanating from the stone.
"Z..." he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. The wyvern doesn't move; his body remains on edge, but ready to strike at a moment's notice. Whatever this tombstone was, it wasn't ordinary.
The headache fades, replaced by a growing, gnawing unease from the graveyard. Si-woo tilts his head, trying to understand the feeling emanating from the stone. This is wrong, very wrong; this energy feels foreign and unsettling. Nothing like the welcoming, ominous feeling I feel around mana, or the familiar, spirited sensation of serein. Now kneeling, he reaches out instinctively to touch it.
"Pardon?!"
Oapa stiffens; Keive's words sink into his chest like anchors in the ocean.
Sartah steps away, returning to the other two sprits in front of the podium.
"If I may, Elders," she begins, turning her attention to Oapa. "In the meadows of District Four, near the coast, our children found three dead lesser sprits. This was three weeks ago. Two and a half weeks ago, in District Eight, a wandering nomad reported a pile of dismembered body parts of lesser sprits. A week and a half ago, a family was walking by an ancestor's landmark statue located in Central Park of District Fifteen and spotted a lesser sprit feasting on an animal. Well, upon taking a closer inspection, we've found that it was indeed cannibalism.... All of them have been found here in our lands, districts, and almost all districts have similar cases."
Micah intrudes, his voice laced with strained composure. "The department of law enforcement has concluded the corpses are all lesser sprits. While it's not uncommon for lessers to face conflicts with neighboring habitats or other creatures due to their wild nature, there have been more instances in the past six months than in the last five years. All high personnel of the districts are on alert."
"Oapa, your father, of course, has been informed," Aortum adds. "His duty as ruler of District Eight and as Quorge's assistant has its own convictions in itself, and I am not sure if he's been well... mentally. Every time he's been called to a meeting, he's been—"
"He's fine," Oapa quickly interrupts, his tone defensive. I'm not sure why a bit of emotion seeped through my voice, but what they say is true... I haven't seen him in six days. Between his two roles, he has to play in the Kingdom and in Seoul; he barely has any downtime, let alone any time to spare for me. Although I'm not complaining, I'm pretty much busy myself with school and extracurricular activities. It does confuse me, all the conditions that the royal family of Seoul requested to collaborate and merge with the Rankers family. They didn't leave us much of an option, considering that they are more or less familiar with my father, his work, and the fact that he is three hundred and eighty-one years old. With the conditions they've set, they didn't really leave much of an option for an acceptable candidate. Our population is very young, after all. My master's suggestion was another sprit who didn't have as much responsibility as my father, but since my father is well known among the sprit and fae, and they insisted that the sprit had to have lived many years in order to assist in anomaly exploration, he was chosen.
There's a pause. The Elders share glances with each other. "Very well then," Aortum acknowledges, changing the subject. "As Chief Micah stated, the corpses initially appear to be the result of enraged behemoths, large creatures defending their territories or reacting violently to perceived threats. But upon closer examination by our forensic specialists, the details don't add up."
Her expression darkens, her storm seeming to come alive. "The wounds are too clean, too precise. They lack the chaos and raggedness typically associated with behemoth attacks. Furthermore, some of the bodies weren't found where they originally died. Many can be explained due to our many corvid creatures flying about, but the excessive amount cannot."
Keive waves his hand lazily, and out of thin air, high above the steps of the podium, a blue holographic map appears, laying out all the districts of the Tabaek Kingdom. Across the bordered sections are green, red, and yellow dots randomly displayed.
Keive lets out a breath. "The red represents an area within four hundred kilorods where these incidents have happened. The green, of course, are where our scouts and soldiers are stationed, each having their own route to follow, with yellow being places that are on alert, places that are always being watched, places that we suspect will lead us to the answers we need."
Oapa's eyes trace throughout the whole map. Of all twenty-one districts, it looks as if almost all of them have at least three red icons in them. Some districts have none. But with the amount that the neighboring districts have, the numbers make up for them too. That's more or less eight thousand four hundred kilorods of areas in this Kingdom where incidents have been spotted. I am worried we may be spreading our people too thin. We don't have many high-ranked scouts. But maybe that's why they're paired with the soldiers to balance it out.
"The yellow icons are where each waypoint of the districts is. I suppose that isn't a coincidence?"
"Correct."
A slight scowl forms on Oapa's glabella. "What exactly do you think we're facing? Their motive? And how could it be possible that our scouts who watch what comes in and out of the forest aren't seeing anything?"
Sartah replies before any Elders could remark on his tone.
"There's no clear motive yet, but the deliberate nature of these actions, both the method and the relocation, points to something, or someone, operating with a calculated purpose. They're intelligent. Chances are it's something that has wandered from the dungeons of the Earth world. Our presence is an essential part of our kingdom, keeping all other ferocious invasive behemoths at bay, with only the young and incompetent ones crossing at times. There's no chance that this being has come from our lands."
"That doesn't make sense... that would mean they're using the waypoints, that they are able to use boc.... Oh, no." A shiver runs down his spine in fearful realization. The problem may start with the corpses, but it lies with us. All of us higher sprits know each other well, have an unspeakable, instinctive, ironclad bond, a pact of loyalty and trust in which the option of betrayal isn't even on the table, even when we are against each other. Especially in this crucial time of migration and integration with this new oncoming era, I can't imagine one of us betraying the other. There's no gain for either side. There's an uncountable amount of risks in doing this. From an inside point of view, it would be more likely someone or something has found a loophole and has invaded our lands. But from an outside point of view, of course, the only answer would be there's a traitor among us. So then what about the fae, could the fae...
Elder Rehan shakes her head, seeming to have read his thoughts.
"Although the fae may be more powerful than us, before we accepted the treaty, we've set up thorough surveillance systems that are second to none in the two kingdoms to not only observe the outside lands of Seoul but also throughout the whole floating island. Them having a hand in this is almost as unbelievable as one of our own betraying us; the risk is insurmountable. But having observed dungeon outbreaks in the outside forest and mountains of Seoul, we have concluded that it is possible for intelligent atrocities to utilize mana. We suspect that the third party knew that it would be detrimental to wander out through a land in which it did not know, so instead it observed and waited for a chance to act. It makes sense that it didn't travel from the dense mountains and into the city, considering the high-ranked toeju martial artists coming in and out of the dungeons. It strategically picked a lesser struggle."
Elder Valun folds his arms in contemplation. "These are not isolated incidents. If the lesser sprits are being targeted, it may only be a matter of time before higher sprits are at risk."
A silence of uneasiness obscures the room. The weight settles in their hearts as the words they've been thinking are finally spoken into reality.
"It would be impetuous of us to completely disregard the fae. We will continue to diligently watch them," Micah adds. "This is why your presence at the academy is critical. This is why you must drop all of your childish ways and obey your elders. You've seen how fae and sprit dynamics unfold firsthand. If there's even the slightest chance this could spill into Seoul or be connected to their anomalies, we need to act quickly. Your eyes and ears bring a different perspective to this Kingdom."
Oapa winces, then nods. Again, my freedom is obstructed by the power and passions of the people over me. Helping and serving my people is mostly a joy for me, but lately I've been wanting to pursue passions of my own, striving towards roads that lead to the outside world, to the outside lands. I want to explore more of Earth, with nothing holding me back. And they know this. But every time I've been caught and disciplined for the way I chase after my passions. Since more problems have come up, I'm going to have to hold off on them for a while... maybe it won't be too long.
Oapa's expression hardened. "What if they are involved? The fae."
Keive, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. His swamp-green eyes gleam with unsettling intensity. "Then we will remind them why the sprits should not be trifled with."
A few elders nod their heads in agreement. The air in the room grew heavier, Keive's blunt words reverberating through the chamber. Sartah, her white fur shimmering faintly, raises a hand, her tone calm and firm.
"Let us think rationally before implicating the fae. Are they not a species we have known for eons? We know them deeply: how they function, their behavior, habits, and how they think. Distrust and doubt can be a refreshing stream of fresh water for the enemy. It's best to give the benefit of the doubt until there's none left to give."
Her gentle gaze sweeps across the room, waiting for any other objections. "King Morey is no foolish ruler. He observes his people almost to the same extent that we do. There may be exceptions here and there, but none significant enough that he would not spot. His actions clearly reflect the trust he has placed in our community, allowing Oapa to attend their academy and ensuring his safety. Not only that, but he has allowed our younger generation to join their ranks as well. These are not the actions of a kingdom seeking to harm us. It's best not to throw the first rock at the glass."
Micah's gaze falters momentarily under Sartah's reasoning, though his expression remains unreadable. Keive nods, his calm demeanor returning.
"Sartah's right. We must not lose ourselves to fear and suspicion.
"The fae have shown themselves as allies thus far. Our focus should remain on uncovering the true source of this threat without endangering our alliance."
It was now Oapa's turn to nod in agreement, his tail swaying as another question reeled in his mind. "I agree, but from the way we've been talking, it seems that we haven't communicated with the fae about this problem. Is there gonna be a change in the near future, or are we planning to withhold this information until we've settled it?"
Sartah looks back at the Elders, her expression also asking the same question.
Keive lets out a deep sigh. "I know what you're thinking after all this talk of trust and loyalty between our two kingdoms, Oapa. That we should share this information since we've declared some type of trust between us. But you need to understand, we are bound to cooperation due to a treaty of common interest. By the will of the Lord, a relationship greater than that will build from it. Until then, we are two vessels linked together by but a bond, and so if problems arise within our territories that do not pertain to the other party, it would be dishonorable, shameful to involve the other in it."
Abruptly, a cognitive message rings throughout all their heads in the chamber, dismissing their previous statements and inquiries. The guards along the wall grip their weapons tighter, ready to act at any moment's notice.
"All stations, this is Command Net. Code four zero four. I say again, code four zero four. All active personnel report to your captain, regroup, and conduct an active count. Search parties remain active. Soldier Glen of the Fifth Squadron, description follows: black fur, green pupils, one hundred four years of age, two point six five rods tall. I say again—Soldier Glen of the Fifth Squadron, description: black fur, green pupils, one hundred four years of age, two point six five rods tall. All stations acknowledge. Over."
Oapa's head drops to the floor as he pieces together the implications. Glen... I don't know him much. Only passed by him a few times while he was on duty, or years ago when I was being tutored by Sartah. But I do remember him mentioning he does have a family. Eleven kids, six girls and five boys. One of which was just in this chamber. Thank goodness the psy intercoms are only for high-ranking personnel, or she would have just heard that her father is missing. I want to believe this is a coincidence. After this conversation. But I know... There are no coincidences in life.
"SHIT," Elder Micah blurts.
Not a moment later, the two guards that remained silent beside Sartah disappear into thin air. The Elders shift in their seats as they get ready to stand. A few of them begin to shimmer out of reality. Keive's eyes meet Oapa's, considering his options.
"Sartah, escort Oapa back to his friends. And make sure they get out of here. It's such a shame. I was planning to gather their opinion on our kingdom and have them spend more time here, but it seems that we are not in the condition to do so. Please see them out of here. And give them my thanks and my remarks."
"Yes, Elder."
Sartah makes her way to the grand doors, with Oapa following close behind. With no comment, he hastily follows her.