Unfortunately, finding Ceion and Mior wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. I didn’t actually know where they’d gone, and my father was apparently too busy to give me directions. But I didn’t let that stop me and set out from the city as quickly as I reasonably could.

Aston accompanied me, of course, along with some guards. This time, I didn’t take any of my companions with me. They all had things to do in Saria, and it was probably best not to drag them out.

To be fair, I probably should have stayed, too, but my presence wasn’t urgently needed anymore.

We moved south, towards contested territory, though I didn’t think we’d actually reach any Zarian enclaves that might remain. If we did, I doubted anything there could stand up to Mior. Except possibly the Auditor. I wasn’t very clear on the relative power levels of the spirits. Although it seemed like Mior and Isuro had been around the same level, and I didn’t get the impression that the Auditor was stronger than the Pioneer; more like the opposite. Maybe.

The countryside south of Saria was barren and cold. Soon, we flew above a thick coat of snow that covered the tundra and made every detail vanish into a sea of white. I assumed that the ground was permanently frozen and the vegetation never free of snow and ice for too long. It still had a unique, stark beauty to it. All things considered, I was glad this part of the Storm Continent was thinly inhabited, but under different circumstances I could see myself enjoying a vacation here. There were mountains even farther south that should make for fantastic skiing.

Of course, my memories told me that wasn’t really a thing in this world, except for a brief try by Mother to introduce it. I smiled at the memory, and at how quickly and clearly it had come. Mother had taken me and Al skiing when I was a kid, probably about Xiaodan’s age now. When I thought back, I could remember the glint of the sun on the snow amid the towering vista of the Central Mountains, the sound of Al’s laughs on the cold win.

I raised a hand to my face and discovered it came away wet. Blinking, I rubbed my eyes dry with my sleeves and took a deep breath. I hadn’t had the opportunity to really investigate my old memories, but they were there now. Perhaps not quite perfect, but a lot better than before. I could just think about something or happen upon a situation where I would naturally think back to a memory, and it would be recalled. I knew that really, memories were basically reconstructed in the act of remembering them, but that didn’t make it feel any less amazing.

I shook my head and refocused on my surroundings. I could have an emotional moment when we weren’t out on a mission, preparing to possibly fight hostile cultivators or an even more hostile spirit. And we’d already moved quite some distance. I was beginning to pick up what I thought might be hints of Mior’s presence. The spirit hadn’t tried to be subtle, and my intuition might have guided me in the right direction.

After a while, Aston and the other guards slowed down. I blinked, wrenched from my thoughts, then looked up. There was an orange streak in the sky that quickly grew bigger. I tensed, prepared to call Fides into my hand, and only relaxed when it became clear that we weren’t headed for trouble. At least not that kind of trouble.

“Honored ancestor,” I called up. “Good to see you.”

I didn’t mention that I’d have preferred seeing the Red Phoenix at the battle. The spirit beast had gone with less fanfare than he came, beholden to no one and not much interested in the goals or designs of the Empire. But he was the main reason we’d had no trouble from spirits beasts local to the area around Saria, so I wouldn’t complain.

The Phoenix winged down and took on his human shape as he landed. ‘Little Light,’ he replied, inclining his head. ‘You are going after the comet?’

I blinked, then nodded. ‘Yes. Do you know where Mior is? Or Ceion, the Auditor’s son?’

‘I have some idea.’ The Phoenix smiled slightly, an expression that showed a remarkable number of sharp teeth. ‘I also have some idea of where the Auditor himself is. If you are searching for him, I would be happy to guide you.’

‘Yes, please.’ I smiled at him.

I could tell that my guards weren’t entirely enthusiastic about this unexpected support. They appeared tenser than before as we set off again, and I caught a few of them eying the Red Phoenix’s back. I didn’t comment. After a while, he transformed back into his beast form and flew, although he kept low enough I could have jumped up and grabbed him easily. Not that I would do that.

He led us roughly in the direction we’d been going, though after a while we came upon a path barely more than a game trail that he had us follow, and it wound its way off it in a slight curve. I glanced around, trying to scan our surroundings for threats or any interesting characteristics, but I didn’t find anything of note. The darkness didn’t impede my vision, but the seemingly endless blanket of snow didn’t help.

Finally, after what might have been an hour, when we were well south of Saria and I could see the trees of another forest off in the distance, I started to sense familiar qi again. This time, I could make out more detail and noted Ceion’s presence, as well, as we drew closer. His qi had a pretty distinct ‘flavor’ to it, as did most spirit children I’d met. Either he wasn’t trying to hide, or the qi I’d laid over him was letting me bypass it.

The flat plains started to rise and fall into low hills that gradually got higher as the terrain turned rougher and lumpier. I started to see an occasional bit of rock jutting up, and there were more scraggly bushes and trees, too. A few of them were remarkably free of snow and clearly contained some qi. Under different circumstances, we might have been able to find some valuable alchemy ingredients or perhaps even what people might consider a hidden treasure. At the moment, I only disliked that they stood out to my qi senses and might make me miss something else, if there was a subtle sign I might want to find.

We moved slower and more cautiously from there, but I was still a little taken by surprise when I sensed another change. This one was much starker, and rapidly coming closer. I paused, focusing on my qi senses. Aston drew closer to me and I sensed him taking out his weapons.

“Looks like we found our target,” I said. “Let’s make sure he doesn’t get away.”

I didn’t wait for Aston’s response, but pulled my flying sword up and took off right away. I could sense what I was pretty sure was the Auditor’s qi spread out over a relatively large area, but there was still a clear focal point. I didn’t head for it directly, but instead swerved a little, moving in order to cut him off.

My intuition was proven right a short time later when I caught something else on the edges of my qi senses, also approaching rapidly. After a moment, I realized that there were two people. Cycling a bit of qi to my eyes let me confirm their identities: Mior and Ceion were obviously chasing the Auditor.

I took out my spear, letting Fides pulse with its qi threateningly. As I expected, the Auditor seemed to hesitate, his approach faltering. I smirked, then glanced at Aston, who stayed close beside me. My connection to Rijoko was thrumming softly in the background, and I couldn’t quite tell if the sharper focus the world had taken on was just adrenaline or not.

Apparently, Mior didn’t possess Ceion. They were still clearly separate and I couldn’t sense a tether between Mior’s ethereal figure and the spirit-child. I wondered why they had taken him along at all. Probably to locate the Auditor.

The phoenix joined us, circling to my other side, and let out a ringing caw. It sounded vaguely mocking. I got the sense my ancestor didn’t like the spirit at all. Maybe there was more to why he’d decided to guide us here. Well, as long as he doesn’t try to harm Ceion again, I don’t mind if he’s out for revenge.

The Auditor clearly didn’t like the power arrayed against him, but he didn’t give in that easily. Instead, he drifted slowly to the side. I kept up and tried to look for anything he could potentially use against us. There was a structure on a low hill behind him. From this distance, I couldn’t see much, but considering the location, it was probably some kind of temple complex. Mior and Ceion probably roused him from there. That was good, I’d prefer to fight him in the open air.

The two approached quickly. Before they were close enough to fight effectively, the Auditor launched at attack in my direction. He looked like a completely typical, forgettable cultivator, although his form was a little more immaterial than Mior’s. But the power behind the technique was nothing to scoff at. It was a net of dark lines spreading around a center, that reminded me a little of my own favored darkness technique.

I cut the qi I gave to my flying sword and let myself drop, sensing the technique pass by overhead. Aston had evaded to the side and responded quickly with a gust of air that almost seemed solid. It didn’t slow the Auditor down much, but it did force him to stop the next technique he was forming.

Then Mior arrived, and the Auditor’s focus was drawn away from us. I watched, trying to find an opening, as the two powerful spirits clashed, their exchanges of qi almost too fast to follow. Then the Red Phoenix screeched again and barreled forward, launching a wave of fire at the Auditor and following it up with a flaming blade shooting out of his claws.

I paused, then started moving off. Ceion saw me coming and looked like he wanted to evade, but I was too quick for him. Aston appeared close to him, and before he could try to wander off, I was there as well. The spirits kept fighting, but he had stopped far enough away from the clash that we weren’t in immediate danger.

“Inaris,” he greeted me. “Fancy running into you here.”

“Ceion. Why are you here?”

His brows drew together in a frown that was probably supposed to seem quizzical. “Why shouldn’t I be here? I think Mior at least is happy to have my help. Or are you upset that I left the city? I’m sorry if that’s the case, but I was under the impression that I was not considered a security risk any longer.”

“Don’t give me that, of course you’re free to go if you want.”

“Then I fail to see the problem.” His jaw was set stubbornly.

I looked at him for a moment and sighed. “There’s only one reason why Mior would want to do this,” I said, trying for a reasonably gentle tone. “I assume they got you for tracking purposes. But they didn’t hunt your father down to have tea and share stories.”

Ceion returned my gaze. “I didn’t expect they would. So?” He glanced at the fighting spirits. “Besides, you’re here, too.”

“I don’t want you to do something you can’t take back, Ceion.” I ran a hand through my hair. “If this is what you want, fine, I’m certainly not going to stop them. But at least let Mior do … you know.”

Ceion folded his arms. “Does that matter?”

I shrugged. “I think you’ve got enough to deal with without adding patricide to it.”

“Speaking from experience there, are you?” He snorted. “I’m not your little brother, Inaris.”

I looked at him calmly. “I know.”

After a moment, he cleared his throat and looked down. “Sorry,” he muttered. “That was uncalled for. I know what you’re getting at, and I appreciate the concern. But I think it’s a bit of a moot point, anyway.”

Together, we turned to watch the Auditor’s fight. With a start, I realized it was almost over. If they were on their own, the Auditor might have been able to hold his own against Mior for a while. But with the help of the phoenix, not to mention the potshots by Aston and a few other guards, he was clearly reaching the end of his rope. I could almost see his qi waver and flicker, and Mior’s aura dominated the scene of the fight more and more.

I approached cautiously, while Aston stuck close to me and Ceion followed along. The Auditor glared at us, but he either didn’t want to take the risk or didn’t want to take his attention from his opponents, and didn’t attack us.

‘Any last words?’ Mior asked, smugness practically written into their incorporeal expression.

‘Wait!’ There was more than a hint of anxiety in the Auditor’s mental voice. ‘I know we’ve had our disagreements, but this is too much! Jideia will -’

‘Will what?’ Mior interrupted him. ‘Stop mitigating his losses and risk another confrontation for the sake of a minion who didn’t even try to defend him when the time for it came?’

‘You don’t understand. I’ve always been loyal.’

‘Well, I certainly don’t understand,’ the Red Phoenix said. ‘But we all know you’re at our mercy here. Can we hurry this along?’

‘Wait!’ the Auditor protested again. This time, I could sense their focus shifting. ‘Ceion, my son, will you really stand idly by?’

Ceion crossed his arms and said nothing. I figured he was maturing — the Ceion I first met would have responded with an angry rant at best.

‘You still shouldn’t kill me. I have information you want. Information that might help you, Imperial Princess.’

I shrugged. ‘Like what?’

‘I’m not going to just tell you now!’

‘Then I see no reason to believe you,’ I countered. ‘You’re obviously saying anything that you think might help. Unless you have proof of your claims, I see no reason to even consider speaking on your behalf. Not that I probably would even then.’

The spirit was silent for a moment, glaring at everyone. He even seemed to gather more power for a last push, but Mior suppressed that with their own power, smothering whatever technique it might have been.

‘Fine. You are friends with the Arialko children, aren’t you? I hear they’re very interested to learn how their father died. I happen to know everything about it.’

I narrowed my eyes. The Red Phoenix seemed to have the same thought, judging by the way his fiery aura flared brighter. ‘That must mean you were responsible for it. You killed him!’

If he was human, I had a feeling the Auditor would have winced. ‘No, I wasn’t responsible for his death.’

‘You mean not directly responsible. Only indirectly,’ Mior said, with clear distaste in their mental voice. Their metaphorical grip on him tightened. ‘Who was it? And don’t get started wanting to bargain, I can always make things worse for you.’

The Auditor seemed to struggle again for a moment, before he visibly sagged. ‘Fine. Yes. Our people were watching him and it was decided he was too much of a risk. It was one of our best agents who actually killed him, from what would become the core of the temple fighters later. His name was Niordo.’

I had the impression that he glanced at Ceion, who sucked in air in a surprised breath. I resisted the urge to go to him. Ceion had never actually mentioned the age of his older half-brother, but he was clearly at least several decades older.

‘He might actually have other valuable information,’ I spoke up reluctantly. ‘We could let him live.’

Mior’s qi seemed to growl and the Red Phoenix spit another bit of fire. ‘I would rather just kill him.’

‘Exactly,’ Mior agreed.

I sighed and folded my arms. We all looked at each other for a moment, the decision clear.

Then Mior’s qi swelled again. I saw Ceion turning away, but I couldn’t help but watch. It seemed to engulf the Auditor’s, until I wasn’t sure where the person-shaped form in it was anymore, until Mior’s qi was completely pervading that of the other spirit. Then it started to fade.

I shook my head and sank downward with my flying sword, losing altitude quickly. Mior and the Red Phoenix remained behind for a bit, but Ceion copied me.

“I didn’t know that was your half-brother,” I said. “I know he wasn’t exactly the best sibling, but Elis and Elia will want revenge. I hope this won’t make things worse between you.”

Ceion shook his head. “I wouldn’t have tried to stop them. But it’s moot, anyway.”

I nodded. It was pretty clear that Niordo had abused him when he was a kid. “What do you mean?”

He gave me a sideways glance. “He died at the end of the battle.”

“Oh.”

We landed on the snowy ground in silence. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. Should I express my condolences? That didn’t seem like a good idea. I couldn’t help but be relieved that things were apparently getting settled with Elis and Elia’s quest.

Although that brought up another point. As we started walking north, I cleared my throat. “If it’s alright with you not to talk about it to the others right away, I should get them alone to break the news as soon as we get back.”

Ceion shook his head. “That’s not necessary. I’m going to talk to them.”

“You sure?”

He sighed. “Yes. I should be the one to tell them.”

I nodded, but didn’t say anything else. We continued to walk north, at speeds a car would have had trouble matching, in silence.