”Well, you certainly fulfilled your part of our little deal, so it’s only fair for me to fulfill mine.” The empress stated and pushed a small bag filled with artifacts towards Dee. The insides of the bag were much larger than it looked on the outside of course. “The appearance of the Living Mountain will be a bit of a problem though.”

“That seems likely to be true, but I’d like to hear your view as to why that is the case. You probably have your own view on the situation.” Shioko prompted, already recognizing the seer’s keen insight into political matters. The representatives were gathered together to discuss the situation. Dee had given the typical curt explanation of ‘things happened’, though luckily Shunkaha had been more forthcoming with the details. At least his presence was of some use.

“Well, fortunately, it seems the Crimson Witches will not hold a grudge, nor should they. Although they are now in possession of the territory where the Living Mountain used to reside, they don’t actually have a claim on the mountain itself. This just makes them eager to form a firm alliance with us. Aside from the Spider Cult who now hold a grudge against both us and the Crimson Path, none of the second circle communities will be bold enough to try and take it. They know the Crimson Witches would almost certainly take it back if they even managed to get a hold of it. The problem is one particular community in the first circle, the Celestial Court. The other first circle communities know of the trouble between the emperor and the previous owner of the mountain and will not get mixed up in this mess, for now at least. The emperor, however…” She replied. This was within her expectations, although barely. Dee had shown the mountain off before they were ready. The girl could be impulsive at the weirdest of times.

The empress knew well that the Celestial Emperor would react once word got out. And the word would get out eventually. The Lacademonians were currently very grateful for what Dee had done and would even keep her identity a secret if someone asked, but rumors would eventually spread. The empress had secretly applied some pressure to the Lacademonians to keep their mouths shut and the Lacademonians were rather honorable as a people. Still, it was only a matter of time. Something like this was impossible to hide forever and the whole event had left its mark on the very terrain of the battlefield. It was questionable if the Lacademonians would keep their silence for long if pressured by the agents of the Celestial Court. Someone among them would talk, claiming they were doing it for their own people. That person would most likely even be filled with smug satisfaction over their own righteousness while doing it too.

“What’s the emperor’s interest in the mountain exactly?” Nyx asked a little confused. “He doesn’t seem like the type to lack for any of the materials the mountain might provide and according to Dee, the mountain picks its owner. It can’t really be forced.”

“It’s not the mountain itself, although you’re underestimating its value quite a bit. He wants the body of Xinglong as a trophy. Yes, Dee already told us the body is not inside, but the emperor doesn’t know that and won’t believe anyone who says otherwise. He needs to check himself, and if he doesn’t find the body, he’ll take the whole mountain as a trophy. Or he will try to at least.” The empress knew her supposed husband very well in that regard. Most of the time he wasn’t unreasonable, but once he got something in his head he would never let it go and the man liked his trophies.

“Which brings me to my next point.” The empress turned towards Dee. “From the artifacts you wanted, I’m guessing you’re planning on traveling to the elemental planes, correct?”

Dee simply nodded in agreement and the empress continued. “This is good timing. It might be a good idea for you to take that trip as soon as possible. Travel the planes. I’d advise you to keep out of sight until you are capable of protecting the mountain. So make detours. We all know you grow in power quickly, so the time should not be unreasonable. We will also have to spend several years utilizing the services of all those smiths you helped us get, and we’ll also try strengthening our ties with the Crimson Path while you’re gone. Despite everything, the emperor is not a person who would attack another community much weaker than his for nothing. If he comes here and we can honestly say we don’t know where you and the mountain are, then he will not strike at us. He knows that if he starts wrecking communities at the lower circles, then the Solarians will get cross with him. His current position is possible due to their silent acceptance and he won’t jeopardize that. He will keep an eye on us though, so he will know once you return.” That was all predicated on him finding out of course. It might be that Dee returned before that even happened.

“Wait a moment! You’re talking about driving Dee away for gods know how long! She’s a large reason for why we’re even here!” Nyx argued angrily.

“You’re going along with her, are you not?” The empress asked with a small tilt of her head, feigning confusion. “Oh, you didn’t mention that yet, did you Dee?”

“I didn’t really get the chance to. I was planning on mentioning it once the time came.” Dee replied with a small shrug. She realized what the seer was doing directing conversation her way, but didn’t mind it as it played into her plans as well. She had planned on this trip anyway, and now it would just become a bit longer. It was part of the reason she had been willing to show the mountain in the first place. If the empress guilt-tripped Nyx and Moirai to come along, then all the better. It would be a good chance for the two.

Dee spared a small thought at the angel spending time in the Five Winds community. Araqiel was here to be a contact with the Archangel of Mercy and would not be all that happy when Dee disappeared for potentially several years. ‘Maybe she will even appreciate the unexpected vacation?’ She mused idly.

“What are you two talking about?” Nyx asked for clarification, although the idea was already sinking in.

“Dee asked for three sets of the artifacts that would make travel in the elemental planes possible. I’m assuming the two other sets were for you and Moirai since you psions have your ways of getting stronger thanks to draining power from certain locations that have an abundance of it. The elemental planes would be excellent for that. As to your earlier question, I’m not suggesting driving her away. I don’t have that kind of say over the community or even the intent to do so. She was going anyway. I’m simply suggesting she does it sooner instead of later and takes her time as a precaution. She’s welcome to return as far as I’m concerned. In fact, I’m counting on it. Like I said, the next few years will be pure preparation for us anyway, so she’ll just get bored here. It might turn out this is all unnecessary, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” The empress explained her view.

In fact, this would work nicely. If things had gone on as they had, then word of Dee would have reached the emperor eventually anyway. Dee wasn’t exactly shy about using her Domain and it might be better if the emperor was more focused on the mountain and not Dee’s Domain, which might be even more dangerous. It was better to get her away for now anyway, so she wouldn’t be flashing her Domain around all the time. If the situation here became too bad, then the empress could always use her own means to shoo the emperor away from the Five Winds. She had her own ways after all, and she had become quite fond of this little collection of eccentric races. They had a lot of overlooked potential as well.

“You promised me a bit more than just the artifacts.” Dee suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

“Ah, right. Come with me.” The seer led Dee and Nyx out of the meeting room while also calling for Moirai to join them. They didn’t return to the floating island of the Threads of Fate, but they did find some privacy for their discussion. As they had settled down, the empress started with a question. “So I’m guessing you will be using your portals to reach the elemental planes?”

Moirai looked confused. No one had explained her anything. “Elemental planes? What?”

“Yes. That’s the plan anyway, but I’m worried about the distance. The portals are not an instant way to travel between two points, unlike normal teleportation gates. If it takes me a hundred years to travel between planes, then the whole thing becomes a little moot. Besides, I need a more precise goal than just the plane of whatever.” Dee explained her dilemma.

“Not an unreasonable concern. The elemental planes are at the same time everywhere and nowhere. When mages connect to the planes and even travel to them, large rituals are usually utilized, and normally they require an anchor of some sort, like a particular elemental’s name to work as a bridge. Originally I was planning on having some of our mages help you form the connection, but it would seem it’s better if you can do it yourself in the current situation. I have some helpful hints that might make things easier for you though. The fact that the planes are so elusive can also work to our advantage. It is said that the distance between the planes shrinks in places where that particular element can be found in abundance. So, if you want to go to the elemental plane of water, go to the largest ocean you can find during heavy rains. If you want to get to the elementals plane of air, go to a place with constant strong winds, storms, and tornadoes.” The empress explained.

“That’s it?” Dee asked a little disappointed. She was expecting a little more. This also didn’t solve her problem of not having a precise destination.

“There is something else. While you go to these places, you can also help bring the planes closer to you if you possess a piece of them. In that bag I gave you I also gathered crystallized energy of each of the elements I could get my hands on. That should help and also provide a destination for you. They resonate with the closest point of the plane in question and you can use that as a destination. In theory at least. I’m not entirely sure how your portals work. I’ve heard it can be done at least. I haven’t tried it myself, but mages have been known to use that resonance to create portals.

“I also have a tip that should help you. When you do enter the planes, they may seem chaotic but they all work on a fairly simple principle. The center of the plane always has the purest energy of that element. That place is called the core of the plane. The further away from the core you get, the weaker the energy. I’m guessing you’re going to the planes to grow stronger, so the purer the energy is, the more useful for you. However, the closer to the center you get, the stronger the elementals get. They also get less friendly towards outsiders wandering into their territory. The elementals might not mind a visiting mage terribly much as long as they stay on the fringes of the plane, but the more powerful elementals can get really territorial. Especially if you start draining the energy in the area. The lords of the plane will really frown on you doing that close to the core, so you’ll have to weigh the advantages against the danger.” Her explanation was fairly logical. Few beings would tolerate someone coming to its home and taking the power away.

“I’m guessing the items you gave us can also go only so far?” Dee realized another problem.

“Correct. The items are the highest quality I could manage, but they have limits. The center of the plane of fire is equal to the heart of a star for example. No item is going to save you from that kind of heat. That’s the most blatant example, but you get the gist of it.” The empress shook her head in slight regret. There were no absolutes. An item that claimed to make someone immune to fire simply meant resistant until facing a hot enough fire that the item stopped working. And that was without the side effects like lack of breathable air that got burned away by the fires.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Dee promised. She had other means to help herself, but Nyx and Moirai would have to deal with the limits of the items.

Speaking of Moirai. “Could someone finally explain what going on here?!” She demanded. She was still completely baffled by the whole thing.

-----

As Nyx and Moirai were getting their things in order, Dee had to find something else to do. This might be a great chance for the two psions, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have any affairs of their own to deal with. They would be gone for a long time, most likely several years if Dee truly didn’t hurry along. She felt a bit bad about leaving like this but she had been considering it anyway. Even without the attention the mountain would bring, she would have found herself stifled here. She enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the community but she couldn’t stay still. It was simply not in her nature. It was a small wonder she had managed to stay as long as she had. Or at least it would have been if it had not been for the constant events and excitement that made her time here anything but ordinary. The next few years would have seen her gone off to find something else to do anyway.

She pulled out one of the gems the Living Mountain had deposited in her Domain. There were plenty of various wondrous materials that the mountain had shed away, but gems like this kept drawing her attention. The gem itself was as big as two of her fists and it seemed to contain an entire galaxy inside. Or at least that’s what it vaguely looked like for a few seconds until the insides of the gem turned to look like a rainbow instead. The gem was colorful, yet at the same time the material itself seemed colorless. It was as if the stone itself held no color, but every imaginable color was trapped inside, dancing everywhere and forming images. She wasn’t sure what purpose the gem could serve but it sure was enchanting to look at. “Makes you think those dragons gathering their hoard might have a point.” She mumbled idly.

“So now you’re planning on a hoard then?” Croestia asked with amusement. “Couldn’t you make it something more useful, like a hoard of books? Or maybe something comfortable to lay on in your dragon form, like a hoard of soft pillows or soft toys? There’s a thought. You’ll have a hoard of pillows and stuffed toy animals inside a mountain that likes to clean and worries it might look fat.”

Even Dee had to chuckle at the image. She tossed the large gem back and forth in her hands. Despite its size it was not that heavy. “Still, I will have to consider what to do with all those materials. They’re currently rather useless sitting around inside my Domain. Considering they came from that mountain, they should be quite valuable.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a messenger. Apparently the delegation of the Crimson Path had arrived and her presence was requested. It made sense considering that she was the main reason the two groups were getting together. She arrived at the official reception area just before the delegation did and took her place at the front. Normally she’d be up on the balcony overlooking the hall, but now she was a participant in this whole thing.

A group of six crimson armored women entered the room with a distinct lack of ceremony. Dee recognized Anastasia of course but was a little surprised to see another crimson-clad woman leading the delegation with an appearance similar to Anastasia with the long golden hair they both shared. Dee felt a little eerie as there was no power radiating off the woman, yet her instincts as an assassin told her to avoid this woman. The woman also had a prominent number one filigreed on her shoulder. She was also carrying what looked suspiciously like a gift basket.

Dee was rather amused at the thought and was the first to greet the arrivals as she was familiar with both parties. She also made the introductions on the side of the Five Winds. Anastasia handled the same on the side of the Crimson path. “…and this is my master, Teresa.” Dee noted that Anastasia voice trembled a bit when introducing the woman, and seemed to be preparing to say more, but didn’t. Obviously the woman was much more than just Anastasia master, and everyone present had a pretty good idea of her identity. Why the leader of the Crimson Path didn’t want to make a point of her station was a mystery, but one they would not prod to find out.

“Here, a little something to show our appreciation.” Teresa moved forward and presented the gift basket.

As Dee was the only one to know the significance, she was the quickest to step forward to accept it with a smile and certain amount of enthusiasm. The others were just really confused. “Our thanks. We will receive it in the spirit it was given.”

Dee had a little trouble keeping the grin from showing as she noticed the woman giving a triumphant look towards Anastasia, who in turn appeared defeated. The message in the look was clear. “See! I told you so!”

The negotiations themselves were mostly dull and filled with details about what each of them committed to doing. The gist of it was that the Crimson Path promised protection and the Five Winds would help with trade and potential recruits. Five Winds was actually rather eager to get some of their own into the ranks of the Crimson Path as that would most certainly strengthen the ties between the two communities. Maybe someday one of their own might be powerful enough to be among the leadership of the Crimson Path.

At some point it became clear that Teresa was here mostly because she was bored and wanted to avoid the emissaries from the Celestial Court. The number two community in the first circle was making overtures towards the new arrivals and Teresa most certainly wasn’t about to bend knee to anyone. Yet it might be a little bad if Teresa were to lob off the emissary’s head just for suggesting it, so she avoided the meeting instead by going on missions.

The current negotiations were not exactly the excitement she was looking for and Teresa’s eyes had glazed over a long time ago. Anastasia also noted that Dee didn’t seem all that interested as this had nothing to do with her, so she suggested Dee show the bored first sword around and both of them jumped at the opportunity. The other Crimson Witches were almost as bored with the negotiations so they went along, leaving Anastasia to deal with the diplomatic niceties. She was the best choice for the job anyway.

The negotiations came to a screeching halt about a half an hour later as they all felt the signs of battle. A battle between powerful individuals to be precise. Anastasia recognized the implacable power of Teresa that seemed enough to move mountains without effort, while the representatives of the Five Winds recognized the suppressive feeling of Dee’s Domain. It was obvious the two were clashing against each other as the two powers seemed to be colliding. They all rushed out of the building and ran towards the disturbance.

They all quickly moved at the speeds only immortals could manage and reached the edge of the city in no time. The two powers were luckily clashing outside the city. The other Crimson Witches were grinning as if enjoying a show and didn’t seem to be alarmed. “What’s going on?” Anastasia asked one of them in a worried tone as she got close.

“Oh, Anastasia, you came as well. Your master wanted to test the girl’s abilities so they’re having a small spar.” The witch replied lightly.

“A small spar?” Anastasia repeated. She knew her master didn’t do anything that pointless as she was extremely crappy at holding back. Teresa was actually rather annoyed that there were so few among the warriors of their community that could put up a proper fight. Her suspicions were proven correct as a large part of the nearby hill was cleaved off, though interestingly it was not Teresa who had done it. Luckily they were not right next to the city and the nearby Crimson Witches were doing their best to block any effects from accidentally flying in that direction.

The fight itself was one of the weirdest any of them had ever seen. It was filled with half-completed maneuvers and strikes that stopped midway and then pulled back. It seemed both fighters were capable of predicting the other side’s moves, so once they noticed their current path of attack would be ineffective or worse, they pulled back. Surprisingly both parties kept strictly to their weapons and didn’t try to use any of their more extreme abilities. On the other hand, that was better this close to the city.

It was clear that Teresa held the advantage, but not by a wide margin for now. The margin was growing however, and the pace of the battle was speeding up as well. Anastasia was rather surprised Dee could keep up this long, but she knew Teresa was still testing the girl.

“How’s her staying power?” She asked Nyx that was standing nearby.

“Excuse me?” Nyx asked, not taking her eyes off the battle.

“Dee. How’s her staying power? Does she have the stamina to keep this up for long?” Anastasia repeated and clarified.

Nyx considered for a moment. “Not great. In general her stamina is not bad, but she has the habit of bringing out great power that she is unable to handle fully. That power is beyond her ability, so she can’t keep it up for long. She burns brightly but flames out rather quickly. She’s getting better, but…”

“In that case Teresa is the worst opponent for her.” Anastasia muttered mostly to herself.

“Why?” Nyx asked. It was a fair question considering what she had revealed.

“Teresa doesn’t tire or run out of power. I don’t mean she has great stamina, I mean she never tires. She can put all of her power into a single attack and then do it again, and again, and again. She could keep that up for years or centuries. She never runs out of power.” Anastasia explained. It was clear Dee was keeping up for now, partially thanks to her Domain suppressing Teresa a bit, but that wouldn’t be true for long.

“Well, that’s bad for Dee then.” Nyx agreed. For now, they could only watch the fight and stop the damage from spreading.