“You should know that such a thing is no simple matter…” Elder Sana’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Fera.

Sirius too, couldn’t help but stare quizzically at the Blackguard. Things in Blackhill were tense. But understandably so. There was the looming threat of slavery and destruction hanging over all their heads for weeks, after all.

However, he didn’t think it had reached a point that such drastic measures needed to be taken. Though, there could be plenty going on behind the scenes that he wasn’t privy to.

“High Priestess Necrah has utterly failed in her duties as a servant of Kimala.” Fera lifted her chin, speaking proudly, “When innocent lives were at risk, she chose to ignore the signs of impending danger… This failure to act resulted in the deaths of hundreds of our brothers and sisters.”

“Oh? Do go on…” Sana muttered, her features contorting into a malicious frown.

Sirius’ knees buckled as he felt a weighty presence envelope the room like the gravity had suddenly increased multiple times over. ‘This… this is that Soul Pressure again…’

“Sana!” Orous bellowed. “Cease this immediately! It is our duty to remain neutral...”

Sana shot Orous a venomous look as she sat back in her bone-white throne, retracting the pressure.

Fera’s face looked a few shades paler, but she continued on, undaunted, “It is not entirely accurate to say that there was no communication between us and the invaders. When they first arrived and blockaded the gulf, their leader — the Golden Blade as we have come to call him — sought out Necrah for a meeting…”

Everyone in the room leaned in closer to hear what she had to say next.

“...He made it clear to her that they intended to seize the Spirit Well. Peacefully or through force. Necrah immediately dismissed the notion of negotiating with the invaders and sent Golden Blade off.”

“Interesting…” Aur mused, the gaps in his teeth showing as he smiled.

Sana, on the other hand, scoffed loudly. “And you think she should have done differently?” Her voice rapidly escalated in volume, “We cannot yield control of the Spirit Wells, under any circumstances! They are the pillars of our people — no amount of wealth or material gain can compensate for that...”

“But she did nothing—!” Fera spat out. “Even if she did not know the extent of their ship’s firepower, we could accurately gauge Golden Blade’s strength. Pull back from Spirit Well or attack. Those were our two options. Instead — we waited. By the time they rained fire and earth upon the eastern district, it was too late to safely evacuate the civilians. Many lives were lost as a result of her inaction…”

“This is the first we hear about the capabilities of their fleet… I would like to hear—”

“Not now, Marin.” Sana sliced her hand through the air. “It is easy to judge the past actions of others in the present, girl. What makes you think lashing out against the invaders would have yielded more favorable results?”

“At the very least she should have moved more of the civilians into the temple,” Fera breathed heavily.

“It is true that the safety of our people is of the utmost importance. Indecisiveness is a fatal flaw…” Orous thought out loud.

‘...Do I say anything?’ Sirius wondered, fidgeting restlessly under the gazes of the Elders. He had a good impression of Necrah and didn’t want all the favorability he had built up with her to go to waste if she was removed from power.

“I would like to hear what the Herald thinks of all this.” As if reading his mind, the fifth and final Elder present in the chamber spoke. He was an unassuming man; seated in the back right corner atop a bare slab of stone. His dull brown robes were worn and frayed, and he had almost no presence to speak of, unlike the others.

Sirius inhaled a deep breath as his mind raced in a million directions at once. The room was dead silent, and it took a few seconds to calm himself enough to speak without stuttering or fumbling his words.

“I cannot speak about what occurred before I arrived in this Realm. But… in my time at Blackhill Garden — I thought High Priestess Necrah displayed sufficient qualities as a leader.” His eyes darted over to Fera, but she remained facing forward, not sparing him a glance.

“She worked hard to integrate the Heralds into Blackhill’s community. And in addition, if it were not for her selfless effort in aiding our escape, it would have taken much longer for the word of our plight to reach Uscuur.”

“How did she accomplish that…?” Sana inquired with raised eyebrows.

“Necrah invoked her Soul Projection to slay the Golden Blade, allowing us to pass through the encirclement,” Fera filled in.

“She what!” Sana raged. “That foolish child—!”

All of the Elders were frowning now. Sirius panicked, thinking he may have revealed something he shouldn’t have.

The quiet man who had first addressed Sirius shook his head, sighing softly. “Sana… I could accompany them back to Blackhill if you would like me to aid in your disciple's recovery.”

“No!” Sana held up a hand. “She understood the consequences. And we can’t afford to have any more Elders leaving Uscuur. It seems we truly must consider a temporary replacement…”

“Who is Necrah currently training as her successor?” Marin addressed Fera.

“Her younger sister, Ameera, esteemed Elder.”

“And I’m assuming you are opposed to her inheriting the position?”

“...Yes. Ameera is one of the most talented Priestesses I have ever seen, but between myself and the other Chosen assigned to The Garden… we feel that she lacks the strength of will to lead — even more so than Necrah.”

“Fine. We will put it to a vote.” Sana announced. “All in favor of sending a representative to observe the management of Blackhill?”

“Aye…”

“Aye…”

One by one, all the Elders agreed.

“Thank you. I can ask for no more,” Fera bowed once the deliberations had concluded.

Sana dismissed her gratitude with an indifferent wave of her hand. “Zaun, see to it that three additional troops of Blackguards and another Chosen are ready to join them on the trip back to Blackhill. Unfortunately, we are spread thin at the moment, so that is the best we can offer. Do any of the Elders have anything else to add?”

Aur and the others glanced around but none of them seemed intent on dragging the meeting out any longer.

So with that settled, Sana stood up and proclaimed loudly, “Then by my right as Adjudicator of the Council, I declare this meeting adjourned!”

Zaun and Fera moved to quickly exit the chamber, but Sirius was stopped by a gentle call.

“One moment, Herald…” It was the plain, elderly man who had spoken. He procured a vile from the folds of his robe and tossed it down to Sirius. “Please pass this along to Necrah. I am regretful that I cannot tend to her personally, but this tonic should prove useful.”

Quest Received!

[In My Hour of Need]

Deliver Elder Hamen’s tonic to High Priestess Necrah.

Sirius caught the glass bottle as the notification flashed across his vision. He carefully eyed the swirling muddy liquid within before placing it into his inventory and finishing his dash from the room.

Zaun and Fera were waiting just outside the doors, staring at him curiously. It looked they had questions for him, but Sirius beat them to the punch.

“I... I apologize for contradicting you, Fera. Or speaking out of line...” He wanted to clear the air immediately before any resentment could simmer.

“You were asked for your opinion and you gave it. No one could fault you for that,” Fera snorted.

“Well, yes… But—”

Zaun smacked him on the back reassuringly. “Young man, you will come to find that the Toth respect those who speak their mind. It is the reason why we are ruled by a council, unlike the Vokulle and Orin who serve a royal bloodline. For a single person to shoulder the burden of many — hinders them too severely. Only by sharing our opinions, ideas, and insights can we grow as a people.”

“That is commendable… in many ways,’ Sirius agreed, feeling greatly relieved.

They continued on past the guards and reunited with a grumpy Talia and Shadowfire — who still appeared intent on learning [Meditation] as he sat with his back against the wall, brows furrowed in concentration.

“That was quick,” the man remarked to Sirius as he stood up to join them.

“Mhm. The Council was already aware of the goings-on, so they were well prepared to handle the request.”

“Then… Any idea when we’ll be heading back?” Talia tip-toed over and asked. “The people aren’t very friendly here. And it's awfully…”

“Bleak?” Zaun added as they began their descent through the Well of Nirvana.

“Exactly!”

Master Zaun chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I understand the sentiment. And to answer your question, I’ll have the troops that will be accompanying you back to Blackhill ready by tomorrow morning.”

Talia grinned at that, a little extra pep infused into her steps.

“Master Zaun... or Fera,” Shadowfire inquired, “Do you know of a place where we would be able to sell the spoils of our battle and resupply?”

“There is no traditional marketplace in Uscuur,” Zaun answered, nodding in passing to a man and woman who were engaged in a quiet discussion on the path. “This is a place where the Chosen and trainees of the Blackguard come to separate themselves from their worldly desires and focus on improving their skills and their connection to the Spirit Plane. However… I do know a Blacksmith stationed here who may be interested in the weapons and armor in your possession. Though, you might not receive as fair a price as you would in one of the settlements.”

“I see… Well, I wouldn’t mind stopping by and seeing what he has to offer.”

“Very well, I can arrange for someone to guide you to his workshop after we get you settled in your quarters.”

“That would be much appreciated.” Shadowfire dipped his head.

“...There are a few other things you may want to accomplish while you’re here,” Fera joined in, her gaze flicking back and forth between Shadowfire and Talia. “Most importantly — getting yourselves Baptised.”

“Ooo, yes!” Talia cheered. “Can we really?”

Zaun assented with a slight nod. “Of course. Until you have, it is true that you cannot be wholly considered one of the Toth, so let us settle these matters quickly...”

***

Sirius followed leisurely behind his guide, his eyes wandering to and fro. It was quite unfortunate that there wasn’t much to be seen in this place aside from the blank stone walls and the strange, pulsing crystals.

At first, he’d almost felt like he was in some sort of bizarre low-budget dance club as the lights seemed to glow along with an unheard rhythm. However, It didn’t take long to grow used to the sight, and he almost completely disregarded the purple and blue flashes now, choosing instead to focus on the faces and demeanor of the Toth he encountered along the way.

Just like it had been when they were inside the Well of Nirvana, there weren’t many people wandering around the streets of Uscuur.

And of those who did, everyone wore the same hardened expression and walked with a clear purpose. No one seemed to have the spare time or desire to stroll about as he did, which made Sirius a little uncomfortable.

It was clear his guide felt the same way; the man quickened his steps with every passing minute.

Therefore, it didn’t take them long to reach their destination: a small cluttered room, tucked away in the back corner of a building located in the outskirts of the cavern.

“Here we are, Herald: Master Kastros' Workshop.” The guide gestured for him to enter with a broad sweep of his arm, which Sirius happily obliged.

“You have my thanks, Sir Han.”

“Just doing my job. I’ll be waiting outside to take you back.”

Sirius bowed and stepped past the man, crossing the threshold into the office. Inside, he found a surprisingly young fellow diligently pouring over a large sheet of parchment that was stretched across a table. The man was so wrapped up in his work that he completely failed to notice Sirius’ entry. Or so it seemed.

“Excuse me.” Sirius coughed lightly, “Master Kastros…?”

“Yes? What is it?” Kastros’ pale eyes remained glued to his work as he replied.

“I’ve uh… come to purchase a map of the Arid Isles.”

Finally, he grabbed the cartographer’s attention.

“Very good. It is only right that you Heralds must be curious about your surroundings…” Kastros trailed off as he moved away from his project and started rifling through a shelf of scrolls in the corner.

“Ah, how’d you know I was a Herald?”

“I have ears, you know…” Sirius could practically hear the man rolling his eyes. “Heard the guard outside mention it.”

“...Sorry if we disturbed you.” Sirius smiled sheepishly.

“Ah-ha—! Found it!” Kastros suddenly exclaimed. “And don’t worry about it. Admittedly, I’ve been busy pouring over a few of the maps we’ve retrieved from the Humans — to little success — so I really should be taking a break soon.”

The truth of those words was evident in the man’s bloodshot eyes.

“What’s been the difficulty with them? If I might ask…”

“Well, for starters, they use a different system of measurement. So, I’ve had trouble deciphering the scale and scope of the sea routes they’ve marked. There’s also many other things I’m unfamiliar with. They seem to follow these ‘Roots’ — as they refer to them. Which are essentially long strips of unsettled land that cut through the ocean…”

Kastros rambled on for a few minutes about his recent findings, gesturing animatedly.

Sirius deemed most of what the man spoke of to be rather useless information, but he listened patiently nonetheless. And after a while, the cartographer seemed to have exhausted himself, handing over the requested map with a sigh.

“Sorry to carry on like that… It’ll be 12 Silver Marks for the map.”

Despairing inwardly at the price, Sirius handed over nearly all of his remaining change and briefly glanced over the product in hand.

It was more sparsely detailed than he had hoped, but at least he was finally able to get a sense of his relative location within the larger Khilaite territories. Uscuur and the other Toth settlements were located in the eastern recesses of the Isles. In comparison to the sprawling Orin empire, their lands could be considered minuscule, and were bunched much closer together; only separated by narrow stretches of sea.

However, anything in terms of population or influence was difficult to determine.

“Thanks for this, Kastros.” Sirius smiled, looking up from the worn scroll. “Though, I think I’ve taken enough of your time, so I’ll leave you to it.”

“Sure, sure — anytime. Feel free to come by if you ever have any questions.” Kastros sent Sirius off with a friendly wave.

Outside, the guide smirked upon hearing the door slam shut. “Wow… I think you made it out of there in record time. Get what you needed?”

“Yeah, that was the last thing on my list, so I’m reading to head back to the lodgings.”

“Very well, right this way, Herald.”

***

Sirius laid down in the cot he’d been assigned with a sigh. There wasn’t actually any residential areas in Uscuur, so they were forced to stay in one of the hostel-like buildings that housed all the Blackguards in training.

He was the first one in their group who’d made it back. Shadowfire and Talia were still out finishing errands of their own and completing their respective Baptisms.

The thought of logging out until the morning had occurred to Sirius, but he’d wanted to at least explore what he could of the facilities nearby and that was when it had occurred to him that getting his hands on a map would be a good idea.

Even in a small city like Blackhill, he’d struggled without one, so he knew they would be just as crucial to players' success as anything else. Now, with one in hand, he felt like he could finally start planning out his next steps. And so, while he still had some time to kill — he did just that. Pouring over the lands of the Arid Isles for hours until a message from Shadowfire caught his attention.

Shadowfire: Hey, met with the Blacksmith and ended up getting what Zaun actually considered a good price for the gear, so I went and made the sale.

SoT: Cool, that’s fine by me. How much did we get?

Shadowfire: 2 Gold Marks and some change. After splitting it four ways, everyone will get 27 Silver Marks.

SoT: Great! That’s definitely more than I expected. The Baptism go well?

Shadowfire: Yup. Got the same Spirit Vein molding enhancement as you did, so I'm guessing it's the same for everyone. We’re heading back now. I'll hand over your share of the earnings then.

SoT: You can actually hold on to it for now. I was thinking of logging off for the day.

Shadowfire: Oh, alright. Have a good one, and I'll see you later.

SoT: You too!

Sirius closed his messenger with a smile. He had some money, and he had a map. All that was left was to turn in his quests and he could finally set off on a journey of his own making...