Zu Mari stood very still, Ruxja Cougar’s twin blades curved across his throat. Little Otter, startled by the sudden movement, dived down the back of Zu’s collar to hide.

“What did you do?” Ruxja demanded again.

“I’m… practicing.” Zu couldn’t think of any better excuse that would explain the amber light slamming into them, centered around himself, then flowing back outwards again.

“Practicing what, exactly?” Ruxja didn’t move his blades.

“I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Recovering his poise, Zu snapped his fingers imperiously. “We’re wasting time. Unhand me and let’s go.”

Ruxja eased up, but did not put away his blades.

“Let’s go,” Zu repeated, and the group slowly fell back into formation around him.

He still hadn’t heard Ruxja’s weapons slide into their sheaths. It itched at him, knowing an armed potential foe walked behind him, but he had to keep up the deception.

Pretending everything was fine, Zu walked deeper into Chartreuse Cougar territory.

“I don’t trust the one in the lead,” whispered Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death. As though Zu needed another thing to worry about.

“Why not?” Zu murmured as softly as he could. The sword would hear.

“Something in his aura is wrong. I didn’t notice it at first, but the longer we stay in his presence… be wary of him.”

“He’s killed me more than once,” Zu said, lowering his voice still further. “Of course I’m wary. I’m no fool.”

“Circumstantially, perhaps not.” Before Zu could quite figure out what it meant, the sword forged ahead. “It’s more than that. Try to walk a bit nearer to him, if you can. I want to get a close look.”

Zu did as he was asked, hastening his stride to close the gap between himself and Avashir. He saw that two more broken-circle tattoos were inscribed on the back of Avashir’s neck, his pale hair swept up tightly to keep it out of the way.

“Yes, he’s a container.”

Zu frowned. “Container?”

“The tattoos aren’t decoration, and they aren’t power augments. They’re seals. He’s the living containment for some greater power. The tattoos allow him to channel its power into controlled effects, but whatever lives within him is unbelievably powerful. It would consume him utterly if given the chance.”

Zu shivered at the thought. He prodded gently at his own inner phoenix spirit. It flickered lazily in response, but neither spoke nor gave any indication of displeasure.

“It’s entirely unlike your phoenix,” Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death assured him. “The phoenix lives within you by choice, a symbiotic relationship that allows it to incubate safely while you borrow its excess power. Whatever spirit that man carries is undoubtedly malevolent, and far, far older than your phoenix.”

“You recognize it?”

“No, it isn’t that old. But I recognize it in substance, if not in kind. I haven’t been entirely ignorant of the goings on of the world. Only those within recent centuries and on a local scale.”

“What kind of creature is it?”

“I have no idea. Something big, powerful, and very very angry.”

“Is there any way to let it out?”

“You don’t want to do that. Even if it were a desperate situation, you’re better off facing a thousand angry Cougar clan members than being anywhere close to a rampaging spirit beast.”

Zu let the conversation lapse, falling into contemplation. He rather wanted to release the beast once anyway, just to see if he could, just to see what it was. If it proved strong, but not too strong, he could continue to test himself against it time and again. Surely a single furious spirit beast would be a better whetstone for his strength than this patrol. They fought in a group, something Zu had an unreasonable amount of trouble with. He should be better than that! But, at least for now, he had to focus on getting his power higher before he tried to take on trained groups again. A rampaging spirit beast might be the perfect foil.

“I hope you’re not considering doing anything rash,” prodded Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death.

“Just making plans for the—”

Avashir paused and spun abruptly, catching Zu off guard. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Avashir didn't respond, but Zu could tell by the stiff set of his posture that he was on edge.

The remainder of the trip passed in tense silence. Zu didn't dare resume conversing with Heart of Fire and Spirit of Twilight Death. Little Otter kept poking him, displeased at still having no food, and Zu didn't want to admit weakness in front of the patrol.

Finally, they arrived at the village. His time bubble's edge cut it neatly in half, and a number of people were milling about uncertainly by its rim, some tapping against it, others ignoring it and going about their day.

Zu saw several more beast-soul individuals, many with tails or ears, some with thick fur, some with patterns on their skin, others with some combination of them. One woman prowled about on all fours, a strange sort of dress leaving room for her tail while snugging around her feline stomach before draping to the ground. Zu found her mildly disturbing to think about, and pointedly looked the other way.

Their architecture was significantly more advanced than their attire, with detailed stonework and carved wood frequent. Though it was more spread out and less well organized than the Mari clan villages, there was an elegance to it that couldn't be denied. White pillars and dark woodwork contrasted in murals across the sides of the taller buildings, one of which he instinctively felt sure was the library.

"The patriarch waits for you here," said Ruxja, pointing to a large rectangular structure, one of the three largest, clustered toward the center of the village. "I beg you to remember that you are not here to dictate to us but to engage in open and peaceful communication. If you insist on making this a conflict, your empire may come out victorious, but you will not fare so well."

Zu nodded gravely. The Wild Clans were known to disregard propriety when it suited them. Killing an ambassador from a much more powerful empire wouldn't faze them if it were in the name of their code of honor.

Fortunately, Zu was not an actual ambassador from whatever Empire clan Otta represented. He could make promises and concessions without fear of reprisal. And if it went poorly, well, that's what his time bubble was for.

He considered resetting it here, but decided it would be far better to have an escape route a half hour ago and not entirely surrounded by far too powerful people. Fortunately, both the library and the patriarch's meeting hall were within the section of time he'd blocked off for his own use.

Once he had what he needed, he'd probably have to make some excuse to the patrol and slip away.

It would be convenient to have a second loop active inside the first. It would be tedious to have to walk that whole way over every little misstep. But given the violent way Ruxja and Avashir had reacted the first time he reset the loop's location, it would raise uncomfortable questions.

"Lord Viha Cougar! I present the ambassador from the Otterman Empire: Zuma Otta."