I put my leg in the water, watching silver reflections trail behind me into the distance as five of us rode atop the large phantom fish across the lake.

“We get quite a bit of fish from this lake for my restaurant,” Sylver boasted. “Plus the more exotic specimens from other rivers and lakes deeper in our Lord Boundless. The most expensive stuff is brought in by the Adventurers Guild for high rewards on the regular. You never know what sort of curious or unique meats the deep delvers might bring!”

I looked down at the water below us. Shadowy flocks of fish followed the silver light cast by the phantom that we were riding. As I did so, I arrived at an inescapable conclusion - Lord Boundless was an ecosystem, a whole array of them that was becoming progressively more alien the deeper one went in. Even if I found a way to end our 'god', it would solve nothing. All of the people living in the Gold city were biochemically dependent upon the Qi-saturated life from within the god-beast. We were all bound to the gods from birth to death with an invisible chain of the cycle of Qi.

"How deep does this lake go?" I asked Sylver.

"Nobody knows, my lady. The Adventurers Guild has a few talented divers who gained underwater-breathing powers from their servitors. They say that the Bell lake has no bottom! Truly a miracle of our Lord."

I swore inwardly. Getting my gun back was going to be a problem.

"The deeper they went, the more fantastic, glowing, larger creatures they encountered. The lake becomes wider, like an endless inverted cone filled with holes connecting with a network of under-rivers. Eventually it becomes so wide that it merges with a great under-ocean so big that it could not possibly fit inside the shell of our Lord. Fearsome sea-dragons lurk within that can swallow a man whole with but a single bite." Sylver continued. "Their meat is tender and prized as much as a mansion, a delicacy reserved for the truly wealthy."

“Oh I bet you know about eating sea-dragons, eh princess?” I jabbed Arinna in the side, causing her to squeak indignantly. She gave me a death glare and I unexpectedly found it… adorable.

I giggled, causing her glare to intensify. I started to laugh harder, nearly crying as I did. When I consumed the Pharmacist, the world had suddenly started to make sense - things were no longer as horrible. I felt that anything could be fixed with enough cleverness and persistence. With Celes bathing my soul in radiance of serenity, giving me laser-like focus, no problem felt unsolvable. Rays of sunshine danced on the water in front of us and I found myself entranced by their beauty, feeling at peace with myself and with Arianna.

My entire life I was afraid of her, thinking of her as my mortal enemy, someone whose entire purpose in the universe was to make my life a living hell. Just a few days ago I was but a mouse in the ginger-cat’s paws, being constantly hunted, pounced upon and smacked around. Thanks to the Pharmacist living in half of my brain, I now knew how to deal with her, felt like I was older and more experienced.

I found myself as a capable, rational, intelligent human and she remained but an angry kitten with sharp claws. I understood why she did the things she did. Arianna wasn’t a monster - she was a girl trying to act tough in a tough world. In a way her heart was in the right place, she was trying to teach kids that had been forsaken by the rest of the Gold city how to survive. It was mainly her methodology and attitude that required adjustments.

All I had to do was slowly keep nudging her in the right direction - to teach her how to be a rational human. How to change the world not with debts, violence or threats, but with the power of understanding, collaboration and friendship.

Feeling mischievous, I leaned right towards the side of her face. Arianna’s eyes flashed with surprise - she didn’t expect this closeness and lack of fear from me. Usually, I was flinching away, hiding my face from her, never looking directly at her.

“Thanks for saving my butt from the Barber-Head back there,” I whispered slyly, adding a small purr to the end of my sentence. “I owe you one... Kittianne.”

“What… uhm,” she blushed ever so slightly. “Just upholding my part of the pact.”

Then she added in a low voice, “And don’t call me that.”

“Call you what?” I wore my biggest cheshire grin.

“That insufferable nickname you’ve created. Kittianne.”

“I’ll think about it, princess,” I smiled serenely, looking straight into her emerald eyes without fear. “And you’re not just holding your part of the pact. I think that for once, you saw me as an equal - someone capable of doing great and terrible things. Someone, just like yourself. Someone worthy of your protection and… understanding.”

Arianna squinted at me, not saying anything.

“We… are not equal,” she finally replied in a quiet whisper.

“Oh really? Inheriting power is far less impressive than earning it, my dear. Your progenitors weren't born into power - they had to have seized it at one point. In just a day from my awakening in this world, I now wield power far greater than your entire family - the entire Gold city will listen and obey my words soon... without any magic rings.” I winked at her.

She winced - she knew that I was right and had no counter argument.

“I understand you, Arianna. Your noble upbringing is the darkness you carry - it makes you see everyone as below you, as unworthy. I carry similar darkness within me, shadows of death from the beast cores I absorbed. We’re quite alike, you and I,” I whispered conspiratorially. “Burdened with great power and responsibility. I have so much more to teach you... my friend.”

I pulled away from her, never looking away from her eyes.

[She will never be your friend. She is dangerous and clever. She will break the pact and betray you at the first opportunity.]

The shadows of the death-echo whispered in the back of my mind.

[Steal her ring of power and end her life before she destroys everything you have built.]

I grabbed at my hand that was already reaching out to snatch Arianna's ring and pushed it down. Blasted death-echoes.

I closed my eyes, focusing inward. I was unable to separate the dark thoughts away from myself - they were ingrained too deep now, hiding all over my mind. I sent all of my thoughts through the death-filter, slowly and patiently, meditating and cycling as the fish-servitor flew onwards and upwards.

. . .

"Ash?" Celes shook my shoulder, bringing me out of my mental-adjustment trance. "We are at the restaurant now."

I opened my eyes. The fish Servitor was parked in the fanciful garden patio in the middle of the restaurant.

"Good meditating?" Sylver inquired with a smile.

I nodded, leaping off the mount-seat down to the mossy ground. Sylver led us into an enormous dining hall that already had a few diners present. A huge skeleton of a whale hung from the ceiling, filled with glowing spherical lamps.

"Do you have anything smaller and cosier?" I asked, looking at the big space with irritation. I knew that this hall would be filled soon with far too many people for my liking.

"Of course, my lady." Sylver nodded. "I'll take you to the high-lord dining room. Shall I invite the thirteen… um, twelve high Guild Heads to it after lunch?" Sylver corrected himself remembering that the Barbers Guild wasn't part of our union.

"Sure," I nodded. "I'll speak with the smaller guilds later."

Sylver took us to the executive dining room. I felt extremely out of place within its fanciful dark wood interior featuring an enormous stone fireplace, but this was far better than the main hall.

"What's your position within the Guild hierarchy?" I asked the chef.

"I have recently inherited the Chefs Guild Head post from my father," Sylver replied. It was no wonder that he was so eager to serve me - I was his way of elevating the Chefs Guild to higher standing.

"Excellent, so you are on equal standing within the low Guilds." I nodded. "Let each of the Heads know that I'll be visiting their headquarters throughout the week to figure out what resources they have to coordinate the preparations for the defense."

"Of course, my lady." Sylver bowed.

"You will be my personal coordinator for the low Guilds," I added. "I offer you the esteemed position of Defense-Captain."

Sylver's eyes sparked. I guessed exactly what he wanted.

"Since it will be taking time and resources away from running the Chefs Guild, the office of the Magistrate will compensate any of the expenses and arrange a salary for your position… through the seventh scion of Mannings." I nodded to Arianna.

"Hey… what?" Arianna huffed. "You can't just…"

I stepped closer to her and leaned to her ear. "Don't be greedy, my dear. Remember - I'll teach you how to walk on the moon, how to weaponise the natural laws of the universe and how to destroy mountains without the use of Qi. What's a few gold bags compared to the power of the thousand-year old, forgotten knowledge of the ancients?"

"Alright, alright." The ginger princess inhaled to check if I was lying. I wasn't. She nodded. I knew that she was incredibly greedy for power, hungry for secret knowledge. "The office of the Magistrate will cover your expenses from my personal account, Captain Sylver. Make sure to keep the receipts. How does a hundred silver a day sound?"

"I accept," Sylver bowed even deeper. He was hooked. "I shall be off to have your lunch sorted at once."

Sylver departed, with an extra spring in his step. I slumped into the huge, central, ornate seat-throne in the center of the table.

"You are incredible," Celes exhaled. "You actually did it! You united the entire city!"

Tears of relief started to spark in her eyes.

"Well... not the entire city," I sighed. "I have no idea what to do about the cult… and the Barbers Guild seems to be a big thorn in my butt that's bound to cause us problems in the long run."

"You are playing a very dangerous game, Sparks." Arianna added, daintily lowering herself into the gilded seat next to my throne. "I don't know about my grandfather, but the rest of the highborn families will not like you in charge of things."

"Oh but I am not in charge of things, if any of them ask." I smiled. "You are. I am but your lowly, brainless pinkie, my genius Mistress."

I made a fake bow at Arianna. "Isn't that what you used to call me?"

"You… bastard!" She exhaled with gritted teeth. "Clever, sneaky bastard."

"I am indeed a bastard," I yawned. "I'm the bastard this city deserves, while you are the princess the nobles need."

The Batman reference went right over Arianna's head. She huffed at me. I knew how she felt - I had boxed her in from all sides, with each move getting her more and more involved in my mad, desperate plan.

“Any luck on finding my gun?” I inquired of Celes.

She shook her head. “Alas, no. It doesn’t have Qi in it for me to track and I think it sank too deep, went down into one of the endless sinkholes.”

I sighed.

"Also… I have to go back to the cult," Celes suddenly said. "I can't stay here with you… I'm sorry, Ash. You’re right… the high-cultivators will find out about you, if they don’t already know. I need to know if they’ll act against us, maybe try to pacify their rage.”

"I understand," I nodded at her. "I'll be fine. I have Arianna plus Sylver and his men to defend me in case anything happens. Here… take Ludj with you. He’ll help you escape… if things get rowdy.”

I offered Celes Mr. Murr’s lamp. Celes gave me a quick hug and grabbed the gold medallion from me.

“You better behave yourself.” She shot Arianna with a warning glance. “Because, I WILL be back.”

Arianna rolled her eyes at the declaration.

“We’re cool now, don’t worry! Go,” I ordered, waving Celes off. Inwardly, I wanted her to stay, wanted to cling to her empowering radiance… but keeping an eye on the cult was indeed important at this pivotal moment.

Celes was gone. The feeling of serenity left me. I buried myself in the enormous, opulent dining throne, feeling a bit like a kid that was sitting at the adults table.