Below the Heavens [Trad Epic High Fantasy]

What is power?

The voices that flatter? The hands that obey? The knees that bend, in reverence or in calculation?

No. That is the illusion of power, a reflection cast by those who seek advantage.

Power is not the adoration of others but the state of making your will reality.

There are many ways to achieve this state, with varying methods. And more interestingly, when two forces of power collide, their methods are tested.

Who has the stronger form of power?

For most, that answer has always been simple: the capacity for violence.

— Except from Flangel's Journal

Office of the Steward of the Lower Tiers

The half-opened message sat to the side of Ryu's desk. Unassuming to most, but Ryu understood Yanar's way of doing things and went for it first. An obviously sealed message contained more value to the casual observer, and though she had no doubts about Yanar's loyalty, it was impossible to track whether any of the others working for her were also being fed water by the other two Stewards.

She sat down, pouring herself a cup of chilled water as she unfolded the note.

Ryu frowned as she read it.

With the arrival of Mursa Jyuni, all three Mursa were gathered in Oasis?

That was alarming in itself. The three caravans famously never congregated in one place ever since two caravans and their Mursa had been massacred almost two centuries ago. That meant something was already afoot; the mursashu wouldn't have broken this rule unless it was critical. But more curiously…

Mursa Shang was dead? That was surprising. Ryu had fostered a healthy respect for the man – crafty, yes, but almost always fair and ready to offer a mutually beneficial deal. She wasn't sure if she mourned him; no doubt he had never taken a loss in any of their deals, but she didn't dislike him. Or perhaps she just enjoyed the way he was willing to offend the other two Stewards.

Ryu had rarely been able to speak with Jyuni, only remembering she found the woman taciturn and difficult to read. She suspected it was possible Mursa Shang had done it on purpose, making sure others had few ideas of how to approach his apprentice before she could take power. Or maybe that was just Jyuni's true nature.

Mursa Jyuni now. Ryu pondered this new reality, then sighed. She dipped a finger into her cup before dragging a small wet streak across her desk, closing her eyes in prayer to God Yven while it dried out. Some thought it customary to dump an entire cup, but the budget was tight and Ryu had always thought water should be spent only on the living.

Mursa Shang had been a good man, though Ryu lamely wondered if it could truly be called "good" if he had never overcharged her because he knew she could not afford it on the Lower Tiers' budget. They had had their separate concerns, but Ryu found it fair to pay her grudging respects – at the very least, for his sympathetic prices.

When she opened her eyes again, the wet streak had evaporated. And so that was that.

Ryu set her eyes to the final and probably most problematic line of information. She read it again, hoping her first read was wrong.

But no. The same young man bearing the mark of the Oracle had been seen arriving with Mursa Jyuni. When he'd arrived with Mursa Khan last year, the Lord had explicitly forbidden them from doing anything so long as the Oracle's vessel wasn't here to negotiate for war.

Was this man related to the Lord's Domain acting up? The thought stuck with Ryu, though she was certain Steward Clayton had confirmed it must have been because Martyker's great sword had been returned.

She stood up, contemplating her options. There had been no missive from the Lord, and undoubtedly all three Stewards had received the same note. It noted the vast amounts of food and other resources the mursashu had brought with them, perhaps to make good on the Stewards' requests for more. All three of them were thinking of how to buy resources from the mursashu, that much was certain.

The only unfortunate bit was that Ryu did not expect the other Tiers to share. What went up rarely ever came back down… and she heard Steward Jyori's aide was already cajoling Mursa Khan. Ryu had no idea what Steward Clayton was planning, but Ryu was not without her own plans. The two Mursa, for whatever reason, hadn't left the Lower Tiers; and that was the biggest advantage. Stewards Jyori and Clayton could not enter her Tier without her express permission, meaning that for now, Ryu alone had the ability to get a face to face meeting with the Mursa.

Ryu hesitated. Fools act without a goal or an idea of what they're getting into. She needed to know why the Oracle's vessel was traveling with the mursashu. It would be one thing if this man was simply tagging along as he had done last Summer, but something about all three Mursa being here at the same time made Ryu suspect more.

Yes, she mused, finishing the water in her cup. The Pyramid, the dragon, three caravans, our Lord's seclusion… and now the Oracle's vessel has reappeared. This Summer is different.

"Yanar," called Ryu, rapping twice on her desk.

The door opened, and her aide walked in with a bow. "Steward Ryu."

"Please let Head Priestess Yara know I'm paying her a visit this evening. I would like to meet in private."

Yanar raised an eyebrow.

"For spiritual needs?"

Ryu shrugged at that, understanding her aide's confusion given she rarely paid attention to the Gods. "If the Gods will solve our resource shortage, I'll pray until my knees break. But no." She turned her attention back to the pile of work on her desk, picking up the one from the farms. Jyuyan should be returning to her soon, and she'd rather hear the problem of the Pyramid straight from him. "I simply want to know if the Oracle intends to revisit the mistake she made with the Frozen Saint, and whether Oasis will be dragged into it once again."

Cayn and Aybel's

Unlike Brighter Shores, Cayn and Aybel's was not an inn; it made sense, given that the only likely travelers to Oasis were the three mursashu caravans. Instead, it was a large plot of farmland in the Oven jointly owned by two brothers. Cayn, the older one, had an eye-catching ball of curly hair, and was an avid moonmelon farmer. Unlike most moonmelon farmers, he was in pursuit of tart moonmelons, and had a surprising willingness to accept questionable crop yields along the way. Aybel, the younger brother, had braided hair and bred quails for size. He had recently had great success with a clutch of quails that were comparable to pheasants.

The two brothers had inherited the "inn" from their father Adym alongside an agreement with the mursashu to provide space and access for boarding. The deal made them friends of the mursashu, a privileged position where certain other merchants of Oasis plied them with other gifts and favors in exchange for premium access to the Mursa.

If Primrose and Kalle were annoyed at Molam for having a good excuse to not help them unload their cargo, they did not show it. Molam appreciated it, giving the two of them a taciturn nod before tapping the back of his hand for Primrose to see the materialized symbol. She raised an eyebrow, then returned an imperceptible nod before Molam was whisked away by Jyuni in preparation for a private dinner with Mursa Khan and Mursa Allyce.

The time to give his answer was coming.

"I take it Mursa Allyce wants me to give an answer immediately?" Molam asked idly as he followed Jyuni. Mursa Jyuni now, he corrected himself as he looked at the way she carried herself in front of her mursashi. "Though, I don't specifically recall a set date and time."

"You don't have to convince me on that, Molam," Mursa Jyuni answered tersely as she led him to what he was told would be dinner. "But I imagine you of all people understand the importance of not delaying this past today. The deal is we help you get jade and find a specific spirit so you can help us cleanse Mur. It's on you if you want us to fulfill that on your terms… or ours."

That's fair, Molam wanted to admit, but he was talking to Mursa Jyuni now. "On my terms, I see. I hope you Mursa are good at working together when following orders."

"And I see you're getting ahead of yourself," Mursa Jyuni responded wryly, stopping in front of a door. Lamplight glimmered from beneath the door itself, and Mursa Jyuni knocked on the door once before seeming to hesitate.

"Come in," came a voice from within.

They entered. Molam blinked at the light, glancing past the decadent – not luxurious, but still eye-popping nevertheless – display of food to see Mursa Khan sitting at the far edge of a round table. The larger man had seemingly lost some weight, for his cheeks were no longer as full as Molam last remembered it and his clothes hung loosely around his frame.

Paradyne sat to Mursa Khan's left side. He stood up quickly and bowed to Mursa Jyuni before giving Molam a curt nod. The lanky apprentice walked to the side and pulled out two seats for each of them, but separated the seats by a measure of distance meant to indicate Molam was not there with anyone. Molam glimpsed the man's tattoo higher up on his arm than expected: a series of interlocking jagged red lines inlaid with streaks of white.

"Jyuni. Molam." Mursa Khan raised his cup in acknowledgement. "Good evening to you two. Have a seat."

Mursa Jyuni and Molam sidled along the edges of the room to their respective seats, but Paradyne only helped Mursa Jyuni into her seat before sitting back down.

"I don't see Allyce," observed Mursa Jyuni. "Is she intentionally avoiding this encounter?"

"No, I doubt it, given her personality," Molam said as he helped himself to a pitcher of water. He looked up at the three quizzical gazes. "I haven't met her, but do you think I don't have a sense of who she is if I've been thinking about who she is? She loves a challenge."

Mursa Khan nudged Paradyne with an elbow. "See that? What have I always said about practical skills?" He turned back to Molam. "Good, good. And so, why do you think she isn't here?"

Molam pushed the pitcher back to the center so others could reach it. "She prefers her food cold."

"Ha!" Mursa Khan guffawed, raising his cup to Molam in a toast. Molam returned a wan smile, raising his own cup as well. They both knew that wasn't the case, but neither needed to say it aloud. The person who makes another wait for them intends to control the flow of the conversation, and it wasn't like anything Molam could discuss with the two present Mursa would not make its way to Mursa Allyce's ears. One had started the game, one had brought Molam to play, and one was simply observing.

"Well then, let's not wait. Dig in, dig in," Mursa Khan waved a hand over the food. "Allyce's loss is her own!"

He did not wait for them, pulling a plate of grilled quails in front of himself. Molam's stomach rumbled as the tension left the room and his nose picked up the alluring scent of spiced meat and sauteed vegetables. Mursa Jyuni reached straight for a pot in the center of the table, ladling herself some rich broth.

"I don't know when's a good time to say this, but I'm sorry about Shang," Mursa Khan said conversationally as he passed a porridge made of millet and sorghum to Paradyne. "We had our differences, but I respected him as a Mursa." When no one said anything, Mursa Khan cleared his throat as he reached for the chopped nopales. "But, we'll see to it that the Dream is fulfilled. I'm glad to see you seem well-adjusted to Diyah's Will, Jyuni."

Molam saw Mursa Jyuni freeze for a brief moment before she resumed tearing into her flatbread. "Will you prepare Paradyne for it?"

Paradyne looked up quizzically from eating a date. "The Dream? Or Diyah's Will?"

Mursa Khan shrugged, "There's nothing to prepare. When you make your own choice for a successor, you'll end up choosing one with a strong mentality. Paradyne," he turned to his apprentice. "Just remember to keep developing a sense of who you are. Not what everyone else wants you to be."

"You're the one wanting me to be who I am," Paradyne pointed out.

"It's not contradictory," answered Mursa Khan. "Just remember: If you keep trying to woo women by being what they want, you'll risk ending up as someone you never intended on being."

Molam snorted, and he distinctly heard Mursa Jyuni cough and choke while Paradyne flushed red. "I understand, Mursa," he said as he hid his face behind a cup.

Something scratched at the door, then muffled voices seemed to exchange a few words. Molam looked up as the door opened, the guard posted outside seemingly apologetic as he then closed the door. He gave Mursa Jyuni a questioning look before something heavy landed on his lap, and Molam looked down to find himself face to face with a black cat.

Its golden irises stared straight at him before, seemingly unimpressed, it leapt off his lap and onto the seat nearby to inspect the dishes on the table. The cat sniffed at the quail and seemed to consider it before pointing with its paw, staring right at Molam again.

"I take it you're Shiki?" Molam asked the cat as he pulled a part of the quail onto a separate plate.

Mursa Jyuni and Mursa Khan seemed annoyed at the same time. "Allyce, you're being rude for sending a bond when you should be here yourself," muttered Mursa Jyuni. "Are you coming or not?"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Even though Molam had heard about Mursa Allyce's bonds ahead of time, he nevertheless found it curious that the others talked to the cat as though it would understand. Then he remembered: the bond was probably sharing its senses with the absent Mursa.

The cat said nothing, flicking its ears as it sniffed at the quail meat Molam had portioned out for it. Then it meowed before biting into the food.

"Typical," Mursa Jyuni muttered, pouring herself a cup of water, then adding some to a saucer and sliding it over to Molam, flicking her eyes meaningfully at the cat. Molam passed the saucer of water to Shiki. "I guess Riki and Kiki are hunting rodents around the farm then."

Shiki meowed, lapping at the water, then yawned and started to clean its face.

The rest of dinner went by without much incident, quiet except for the basic sounds of eating utensils and occasional comments on the food. Whoever had cooked it was a master of spices. Or, Molam thought, he'd been eating travel fare for far too long. Then again, good food was good food, regardless of how it was supposed to compare with previous food.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Mursa Jyuni after they'd cleaned their plates. "Allyce better not be avoiding this meeting."

The black cat hissed, then the door opened without a single knock. In walked a short woman, pale of skin, with long silver-blonde hair and soft red eyes. "Avoid? My dear Jyuni, you wound me." She pulled out the closest chair, rearranging her loose-fitting clothes before plopping down and pulling over the large bowl of porridge. "Does anyone want any more of this? No? Then I don't think anyone will object if I just eat from the bowl? Oh," she exclaimed as she tasted a spoonful. "...it's cold. Hello there, Shiki!"

The black cat had padded over to Mursa Allyce's lap, setting in and purring in contentment as the Mursa ate. "Aren't you a good kitty, standing in for me? Thank you so much!"

"Mursa Allyce, we were supposed to have a meeting," Mursa Khan reminded her.

"Oh, by all means, get it started," the woman waved her spoon. Porridge clung to it, and she stuffed it back in her mouth while her eyes flickered over to Mursa Jyuni. She pulled out a "cleaned" spoon before speaking again. "My condolences by the way, dear. I can't imagine Shang planned to pass on his responsibilities to you before you felt ready, but from one woman to another: men don't tend to care about how ready we feel." She dug another spoonful of porridge before adding, "But a man is rarely ready for you to make the first move. So just learn to move first; they're meek too."

Mursa Jyuni's face darkened, but Mursa Allyce turned her attention to Molam before the younger woman could respond. "Let me demonstrate. Look at this one! I take it you're the talk of the caravans; the man who would unite the caravans in your ill-fated bid to be a thorn in the Empire's side?" She pondered Molam, who did not respond. "Hmm, you don't have a comely face, but I've sat on worse. I believe you're here to answer a question of mine, and yet I don't see an iota of worthiness given you sit there in silence with that silly look on your face. Not even taking the lead with introducing yourself or seizing the flow of conversation. You said he's good at dragon chess?" Mursa Allyce turned to Mursa Khan. "Perhaps that's all he's good at? Look at him. He won't even speak when being ridiculed. Have our standards been set so low? Perhaps I can have him look after my kitties instead; he strikes me as a great caretaker for cats."

Shiki the cat meowed, seemingly in approval.

"Are you done?" Mursa Khan sighed. "I forgot because normally Shang is the one who keeps you in check, but this seems overboard for even you. Not only are you late, offensive, and insulting to our guest and important alliance partner, you –"

"I'm also cleaning up your leftovers," Mursa Allyce said with a winning smile, pulling the plate of sliced spice corned quail eggs to her. "Who taught you to waste perfectly good food?"

Mursa Khan took a deep breath with closed eyes. "We had the correct portions set out for five people. You were the one who arrived late." He opened his eyes, adding with a set jaw, "Also, the corned eggs were your order!"

"We're losing track of the main topic here," Mursa Jyuni said simply. "Molam, you're being very quiet."

Molam sipped at his water, his eyes on Mursa Allyce. She popped a sliced egg into her mouth, chewing enthusiastically as she matched his gaze. People had described different aspects of how the Mursa looked to him, with words ranging from striking to eye-catching and beautiful, but it was a different thing to see the woman in front of him. Mursa Allyce didn't carry herself with thedegree of elegance associated with the Flowers of HuaLang Chamber, but would otherwise have fit right in.

"Don't stare, that makes a woman shy," grinned Mursa Allyce, batting her eyelashes at him. "Well? I believe you're here to answer a very specific question of mine. Or have you all been holding out on me and forgot to tell me he's mute? Should we prepare something for him to write on?"

Molam saw both Mursa Jyuni, Mursa Khan, and Paradyne staring at him from the side. The three of them seemed completely aghast at his lack of reaction, unsure if they should be jumping in further to defend him or wait for him to speak. He could not blame them, for Molam himself had only decided he was going to keep on observing the new Mursa just a while longer, trying his best to match her with the answer he had arrived at.

Everything had to be considered. He suspected she knew things about him too; this was a Mursa with two decades of experience leading her own caravan. The question had been whether she would put up a false front upon their meeting to get him to second-guess his own preconceptions – Molam was thankful that both Mursa Jyuni and Mursa Khan seemed equally frustrated – if not surprised – at the way things had progressed. That meant the Mursa Allyce he'd seen so far was more or less true to the person they were accustomed to dealing with.

He smiled at the offending Mursa, then reached over and poured a fresh cup of water before pushing it in her direction.

"Oh, for me?" She accepted it. "Why thank you. But this isn't an answer to my question, is it? Unless you mean to tell me I'm wet, in which you're both late…" she winked at Molam, adding, "...and early. I could use an after-meal exercise."

"Allyce, you –" Mursa Jyuni began, a hint of anger coloring her voice, but Molam held up the back of his hand instead. The mark of friend appeared upon his visualization, and both Mursa Khan and Mursa Allyce's expressions shifted into ones of focus. Even Paradyne sat up from his previously lounging position.

"Did Shang give you that?" Mursa Khan asked, his voice sharp.

In response, Molam merely tapped on the symbol with a finger. The back of his hand pulsed; Mursa Jyuni flinched as though someone had dripped cold water on her head. Mursa Khan's eye twitched, and Mursa Allyce's lips curled into a sly smile.

"The rumors aren't unfounded. That's one way to change the topic and gain control of the conversation." She leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms back as she rotated her neck. Molam could not tell whether the act was intended to boast the ample bosom previously hidden under her loose clothing; but she seemed to hold it longer than necessary, and a glimmer from her eyes told him she was watching. "Shang wouldn't have given you that."

"I did, earlier." Mursa Jyuni admitted.

"You're a Mursa now. You should think more about what that means to declare the supposed leader of the Dao a friend of the mursashu, what some actions of yours will do to represent our people as a whole," Mursa Khan drummed his fingers on the table. "Paradyne, do you know why?"

"The Dao have offended the Empire of the Sun. We could still have passed the alliance made by Mursa Shang as one of convenience, not allegiance," answered the apprentice. He scrunched up his face, thinking further before adding, "If this gets out, further trade in the Empire and all other relationships will be strained, at best. It throws much of our neutrality into disarray."

"I know all that," snapped Mursa Jyuni. "But at this point it's all or nothing. We've committed almost everything to this endeavor now. Will the Empire help us cleanse Mur? The Red Emperor did not; the Bloody Prince has not, and –"

"And so you think to give them irrevocable evidence that we're no longer neutral?" frowned Mursa Khan. "If this fails, we want to be able to go back to how we've lived the past few centuries. Giving the Bloody Prince the wrong idea about our neutrality only puts everyone in danger. I don't have any grudges against you, Molam," he said. "Gods know I took a giant gamble when it came to helping you sneak into the Crimson Palace. But I think it would be shirking our duty to protect our people if we let you continue carrying that mark. The three of us should fully consider the full ramifications this has for our people, our reputation, and our pre-existing alliances."

Mursa Jyuni shook her head. "No. If nothing changes, then nothing will change. I admit you're right that it will affect the risk of souring our relationship with the Empire, but I don't think the Empire will take it seriously given our critical role in ferrying jade out of the Endless Sands. But if you insist, then it's clear you vote to take it away from him. I'm making it clear I vote to give it to him because this is the closest we've ever come to fulfilling Diyah's Will." She hesitated, then turned slowly, "Which leaves… Allyce."

All eyes fell on Mursa Allyce, who was stroking a purring Shiki. The pale woman rubbed the tip of a finger against the black cat's head. "I'm curious why Molam hasn't spoken up yet."

The moment finally seemed opportune, and Molam responded. "When I answer Mursa Allyce's question, all three caravans will be working with me. The Empire of the Sun would learn of this regardless; what would it matter then whether I'm considered a friend of the mursashu or not?"

"When, not if?" Mursa Allyce raised an eyebrow at him. "Ooh, I do like a bold young man. Then tell me; what is it I want most in the world? I assume you've been spending all this time matching up who I am with your expectations, and now you're finally ready to answer. So?" She learned forward, her gaze increasing in intensity. "How do I match up?"

"Quite well, if I'm being honest. You behave almost exactly as I've heard; working on distinguishing yourself for your own legacy." Molam leaned in as well, not breaking eye contact with Mursa Allyce's soft red eyes. "The Mursa who wants to be more than just her inherited Title among other Mursa."

When Molam had originally worked with Mursa Shang on precisely how the mechanisms of the contract would determine a valid answer, he'd made sure it wasn't anything as silly as saying an exact line of words. The gathered Mursa had been fair, acknowledging that Molam need not utter a predetermined answer. He just needed to be close enough for Mursa Allyce to recognize its validity. As long as some part of her accepted it as almost correct, she couldn't refute it. That was all Molam needed to win.

Upon his answer, gold aura coalesced in the air, drawing threads from both Molam and Mursa Allyce until it formed a spinning golden disc etched with shifting characters of the Old Tongue. It hovered over the table between them, humming softly as it hollowed out into a bright, thin ring. This then floated over to Molam, who held up his left hand. The auric ring slipped onto his middle finger, tightening into a band of shimmering gold.

"I believe this means I've earned my status as a friend of the mursashu," Molam said quietly. Four pairs of eyes stared at the ring on his finger. "Unless, of course, you'd all rather maintain a larger distance from me while answering to me."

Mursa Jyuni stood up from her seat, barely masking a look of triumph. "This matter is settled then. As per the agreement, Molam's earned the right to take temporary command of all three caravans while we're in Oasis, for the express purpose of obtaining jade and finding the spirit necessary to help us cleanse Mur. My caravan will provide the agreed aid and follow Molam's command."

"He gets to give direction, but he won't be a Mursa." Sighing, Mursa Khan lumbered to his feet as well to face Molam. "We retain command of our caravans, but the agreement only means we must respect your wishes whenever possible."

"I mostly just want to be able to dictate how we allocate resources and manpower," confirmed Molam. "For certain endeavors. Like purchasing jade. I have no interest in interfering in how you want to run the day to day operations of your caravan. For that, I defer to your expertise."

The larger man studied him with his beady eyes, then nodded. "Good." He nudged Paradyne to get up. The younger man, surprised that he was also required to do so, set down his cup so fast Molam thought it would chip. "It's temporary, but you'll have full control over our finances, Molam," Mursa Khan warned. "Don't bankrupt us with any stupid moves."

"I won't," he promised. "Although, jade is expensive and the changing circumstances will definitely impact the price. I'll need the three of you to help me put pressure on the Lord of Sands when we negotiate." He hesitated, twisting the golden ring on his finger before adding, "And the Lord of Sands may be aware of where the spirit is. It's in the mursashu benefit to get me a meeting with him. Think you can facilitate that, Mursa Allyce?"

Mursa Allyce laughed, standing up as well to join the other three in paying tribute to Molam. She flicked her light-colored hair backwards before answering, "Well done, well done. I always thought Shang had a good eye, but thought the Oracle hadn't proven herself to choose the best with her last vessel. It's a shame you aren't mursashu – but that's not too late to rectify, is it? I'll make you my successor if you join my caravan, Molam."

"That would be breaking the rules," Mursa Jyuni interjected sharply.

"Drop that notion, Allyce," warned Mursa Khan. "It's high-time you choose a successor, but we aren't going to allow you to break the rules just to give yourself leverage for Mur. Molam was not born a mursashu."

Holding up a dismissive hand, Mursa Allyce seemed to acquiesce to the other two's strict protests. "Fine then. Well then, I admit I would have thought there would be more ceremony or fanfare, but this is more ritualistic than a display for the eyes of others. I hope this is enough for you?" She pressed a fist to her palm, holding it up in front of her and made an almost mocking bow to Molam. "I agree to follow you per the rules of the agreement."

"I agree to follow you per the rules of the agreement." The others intoned as they followed suit.

Molam stood up, almost knocking over his chair in his haste to return their traditional courtesy. The ring glinted on his finger as he pressed his own fist into a palm, bowing to them in turn. Unsure of whether there was any correct response, he settled for what felt right.

"I will act according to the trust you've put in me, and treat the mursashu with the respect and care a real Mursa would do."

"If this is going to work, you should probably drop the Mursa honorific with us," rumbled Mursa Khan. "I take it you two have no objection?" Mursa Jyuni nodded while Mursa Allyce shrugged.

"Just don't let that get to your head," Allyce teased Molam as they sat back down. "But perhaps you'll get a Title of your own soon enough."

Molam laughed at the absurd notion. "A Title of my own? At this rate, the only title I'll earn is the Fool Who Survived."

"That's a good one," Khan said, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "Fits you, considering the number of foolhardy things you've attempted—and yet here you are. Alive and well."

"I'll take what I can get," Molam said with a shrug.

Allyce raised an eyebrow, swirling her cup with casual grace. "Be careful, Molam. Titles stick more easily than you think. Plenty of bearers didn't choose theirs, but they were forced to answer to their given Titles all the same."

"Now then," clapped Jyuni, shifting the mood. "Time is limited, and we need to move on to what we hope to accomplish in Oasis before we can tackle our main objective in Mur. To remind everyone: Molam needs jade, and he needs to meet with the Lord of Sands who may be aware of where the spirit he's searching for is. I'll remind you all," she added, "That this spirit is key to helping us cleanse Mur."

"How convenient. Helping him also helps us," Khan pointed out.

Molam chose to respond. "Nothing wrong with being aligned in goals."

They stared at each other, then Khan nodded slowly. "Go on, Jyuni. You began the conversation, now finish it."

Jyuni continued without hesitation. "The question remains: How do we make that happen without wasting time or resources? My vote is to use one of the Stewards to broker the meeting, but I've heard rumors they haven't seen the Lord in ages."

The meeting continued, the sharpness of earlier words softened into the quiet rhythm of purpose. Whatever lay ahead, the three Mursas had accepted him — for now.

Molam listened as the three Mursas debated the best path forward. For some reason, his thoughts turned to Mursa Shang. A pang of wistfulness passed through him, and he wondered if he was still mourning. Perhaps he was—whenever he saw Jyuni standing where Shang should have been. The man's experience was gone, and Jyuni had been thrust into a role where she had no choice but to wear the mask of readiness.

In that, the two of them were the same: They could only do their best.