“Young Miss! We’ll be coming upon the city shortly.”

Akemi acknowledged the driver’s words with a faint nod before returning her gaze to the carriage window. There wasn’t anything, in particular, she was looking at… the droves of travelers and the high city walls were all sights she’d seen many times before. The excited din of the crowd had long since lost its allure — now nothing more than an irritating buzz.

She sighed, resting her chin on a hand lazily. Akemi’s thoughts turned to her absent partner. Anshe’s soft plumage and rumbling coos… Oh, how she missed them.

‘That little scoundrel is probably getting into all sorts of trouble in the Spirit Plane without me,’ Akemi pouted as a small frown appeared on her face. She could tell Anshe was safe and happy by feeling their connection through the bond, but she still struggled to quell her anxiety whenever the adolescent Pixie Wyvern was out of sight.

It was a problem she needed to continue working on. There would be many times, such as now when Anshe would need to return to her home and feed. They just didn’t have the necessary resources to properly raise Spirit Beasts in this Plane.

“Young Miss? Is something troubling you?”

Akemi rolled her eyes. Her friend had already fallen back into his rigid mannerisms. “It’s nothing, Ern. I just… don’t like Kobi all that much,” she finished unconvincingly before deciding to reprimand the boy. “And I already told you to continue calling me Akemi in private!”

Ern sat stiffly on the bench across from her, doing his best to look serious — something he consistently failed at due to his round and naturally goofy face. “Young Miss… I cannot comply with that order. There are simply too many prying eyes and ears outside of the Rei family estate.”

“Who could possibly have the time or interest to spread rumors about me and my attendant speaking informally to each other?” Akemi scoffed.

“My father has repeatedly warned me that overindulgence in private quickly leads to entanglement in public. I don’t wish to develop any bad habits.” Ern refused to back down.

“Whatever…” Akemi grumbled. All the men in the Vodyr family were like this. Passionate about their duties, but often stubborn and quick to anger. A generally unlikeable bunch.

The carriage continued to roll slowly past the long line of people still eagerly waiting to enter the city despite the late time of day. Akemi noticed a large number of male Humans among them. Her nose wrinkled with disgust at the sight, but she supposed it made sense. A place like Kobi certainly satisfied their innate greed and lust better than any other city in the Dynasty likely could. After all, it was the capital of the Province of Pleasure. A city praised for its beauty and dedication to the arts… but Akemi knew that hidden behind its charm was a dangerous underbelly plagued by slavers, traffickers, and thieves.

Why her father had decided to connect their family with this place and that vile woman was still beyond her understanding…

“...Wow.” Ern muttered, distracting Akemi from her internal tirade. The boy’s wide and sparkling eyes eagerly darted around as they passed the gates and entered the crowded streets.

Unlike herself, Ern hadn’t been able to travel much during his youth. All of his time was devoted to training in order to serve in her personal guard. Admittedly, she felt a bit guilty about his strict upbringing which is why she often tried to lower the barrier between them… to no avail. They would be spending the foreseeable future together and she didn’t want a stone golem of a man following her around like her brother was shackled with.

‘I'll keep working on it, slowly,’ Akemi reminded herself. Just like anything else, it would require consistent effort. She sent her gaze back towards her own window but immediately regretted that decision.

The crowd inside the walls crashed around the carriage like a wave and she started to feel dangerously claustrophobic as they were submerged in the sea of people. Akemi shifted in her seat, deciding to concentrate her eyes on the horizon to allay her fears.

Creamy brushstrokes of orange and pink left their trails across the skyline. It was a rich — verging on brilliant — sunset, reminiscent of the colorful storefronts and inns around them. But much to Akemi’s dismay, her view of the horizon was largely obstructed by the dark, towering pagodas interspersed throughout the city.

A deep sigh escaped her lips as her vision sunk to the street level once more. The crowd had somewhat thinned out by now as they progressed to the heart of the city. Wide wooden buildings neatly filled the gaps between the rough cobblestone roads, and the bright lanterns strung between them were already beginning to emit a faint amber glow in the waning daylight. If not for the loud clamoring of inebriated men and women it would have been a very peaceful sight.

She heard Ern swallow loudly and give his coin purse a questioning jiggle as a scantily clad woman blew a kiss in the carriage’s direction while sashaying past. Akemi finally decided to just shut herself off as she sank back into the cushions, afraid to reveal her disgust. Hadn’t Ern just been lecturing her about indulgence? It seemed he had been spending too much time with her older cousin, Sugo. That one was the most frequent visitor of the Hiroyuki territory in their family. Only he would fill Ern’s impressionable mind with such fantasies…

Time passed slowly as Akemi swayed in tune with the faint jostling and bumping of the carriage’s axles while listening to the steady clatter of hooves against the stone. The sensation was somewhat soothing but more than anything she just wished to be done with it. Hopefully, their traveling companion had already arrived. She didn’t want to have to wait for the boy and risk running into any acquaintances...

Their pace nearly slowed to a halt as the carriage struggled across one of the many arched stone bridges leading towards the city’s center and their destination — Kobi’s Grand Seasons Plaza. The large circular platform almost appeared to be floating at the center of a small lake, but was actually just surrounded on all sides by a moat formed from the offshoots of the Emerald Tributary that cut through the city.

When Akemi had visited Kobi previously with her father, she’d spent hours strolling around this particular plaza, carefully observing the massive mural that covered its entirety. The paintings depicted vivid scenes of each season’s weather covering the Sky King’s Valley. Further within, was a massive, rotating dial — similar to a clock, that indicates the current week of the year.

Before the advent of the teleportations arrays, the plaza was open to the public in order to help commoners without access to detailed calendars keep track of the days and weeks of each season. Not exactly the most useful tool to begin with, in Akemi’s opinion, but she still admired it as a beautiful piece of art.

Currently, the dial’s hand rested on the 5th week of Spring, right in the midst of a bright patch of flowers.

“Young Miss. We have arrived,” The driver declared as he hopped down from his seat. He opened the door for them and moved back, saluting with a slight bow.

Ern exited first, waiting just outside in order to help her step down. “Thank you, Von, Ern.” Akemi nodded to them both as she stepped down onto a cold and dreary winter’s day. She took a brief glance around, looking towards the City Lord’s Palace resting on a hill to the north and the Ancestral Temple across the eastern bridge. Unfortunately, she was unable to find her target waiting anywhere around the plaza during her scan.

She frowned, lightly tapping her foot.

“Young Miss…” Ern started as Von tended to the weary Flame-crested Mares. “Must we really wait for this person? There’s still a short distance we must travel after we use the Teleportation Array, and I’d like to make it to The Nest before it gets too dark…”

“Indeed we must,” Akemi lamented. “My father insists that we accompany him during registration in hopes that others will suspect him as already being a member of my retinue. You know as well as I do how highly sought after unaffiliated practitioners that enter The Nest are.”

Ern folded his long arms across his chest. “Even if he is Grandmaster Sivelle’s apprentice, is he really so deserving of attention? His entry to The Nest was gained through an Instructor’s recommendation, not through his own merit. Master Felix is still young and has already taken over as our Clan’s Concocter, whereas this guy’s skills will still take years to develop, not to mention tons of resources.”

“Your entry was gained because you are my vassal. You didn’t partake in The Nest’s trials either. Ern. And It is not your place to question Lord Rei,” Akemi replied bluntly. She wanted to end the conversation before Ern got too worked up. When the men of the Vodyr family were angered… their fiery wrath was unquenchable.

“I could easily…” Ern’s retort was silenced by a glare. “My apologies, Young Miss. I spoke out of turn.”

She waved off the boy’s words impatiently as she spotted two figures, one male and one female, approaching from the direction of the Palace. They crossed over the sprawling sunlit fields, dried out by the summer’s heat, and the colorful fall forests covering the mountains in the background…

Suddenly, Akemi’s blood ran cold as she managed to make out the woman accompanying their would-be companion.

“If it isn’t my little sister-in-law…” The woman drawled as she drew closer. Her narrow, furry ears twitched playfully and she wore an exaggerated frown. “How could you come to Kobi without paying me a visit?”

“We were only stopping by briefly to use to the teleportation array. I didn’t want to inconvenience you for such a simple matter.” Akemi’s standoffish tone didn’t bother the woman in the slightest.

“Greetings, Lady Galene.” Ern offered a slight bow as was customary when meeting with a city official.

“Ah, another young Vodyr,” Galene acknowledged, a trace of derision passing through her prominent, amethyst eyes, going unnoticed by all but Akemi. “You must pass along my gratitude to your brother for always looking after my fiance, next you see him.”

“It is our duty. No thanks are necessary, My Lady.”

Galene flashed Ern a warm smile, causing the boy’s already ruddy face to flush an even deeper red, before shifting her attention back to Akemi. “If Atell here hadn’t let slip that he would be accompanying you to The Nest, I would have missed this opportunity... At the very least I could have offered to waive the teleportation fee!”

Akemi bristled with silent fury. All the women of the Hiroyuki Clan were like this, toying around men with their pretty faces and honeyed words… “Something so trivial as a small fee is not worth your attention, Sister.” She replied with a sweet smile of her own. “Although… I am curious as to how you became acquainted with Atell.”

Galene’s face lit up, for once seeming to display genuine pleasure. “Not long ago, I received word that a young Demon was going around selling a very unique potion to some of the merchants in the city. Once I learned of its incredible effects, I just had to meet the boy in question…” The woman smiled wryly. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that it was Grandmaster Sivelle’s apprentice causing such a stir.”

“Ah, yes. I was too young to have ever witnessed Grandmaster Sivelle’s skills myself, but I’m sure the quality of her potions hasn't diminished in the slightest during her retirement…”

“I think you misunderstand, Akemi.” Galene giggled before gesturing to Atell. “These potions were not made by Sivelle, but rather by our little friend here.”

“Oh? That’s pretty impressive.” Akemi commented. Ern at her side stared at the other boy with a venomous gaze.

“Indeed. I wished to employ his services... but sadly, he will be heading off to The Nest with you all.” Galene sighed wistfully.

“...Speaking of which. We should be departing before it gets too late. Atell do you have everything you need?” Much to Akemi’s relief, the boy nodded hurriedly, seeming just as eager as she was to extract himself from Galene’s presence.

“Well, I won’t hold you up any longer then. Atell, Akemi… you are always welcome to visit me at the Palace whenever you find yourself in Kobi.”

“Of course, Sister. I’ll have to trouble you at that time. Farewell for now.”

“Farewell. Do try and remember to have some fun. In my experience, The Nest can be awfully dull…”

Galene waved them off as Akemi hurried their small group across the western bridge, towards the array.

***

A chill crept down Atell’s spine as he felt that woman’s predatory, elliptical eyes gazing hungrily at his back.

Just like his least favorite merchant in Shimmering Heights, the woman hid her true intentions behind false words and smiles. But unlike Miss Lotti who only teased him to placate her boredom… this Lady Galene was truly an insidious character.

He’d only just met her today when he came to offload his remaining stock of potions before meeting with the Rei Clan’s heir. Lady Galene had been waiting for him in one of the shops he frequented, patiently anticipating his arrival. She then whisked him off to the palace where a drawn-up contract was already resting on her desk. To make matters worse, her eloquent words during the negotiations had been laced with a trace of magic, likely intended to lower his guard.

If the protective talisman that Sivelle had given him before his departure hadn’t activated… he would have never even noticed. Atell knew that manipulation and mind magics were the specialty of the Hiroyuki Clan, but he hadn’t expected the prestigious Finance Minister of Kobi to be so… bold. Luckily, the old Fae had foreseen such occurrences and provided him with the mental ward.

Although he was unscathed, Atell was greatly discomforted by the event. It was his first time venturing out of Shimmering Heights without Sivelle at his side and he hadn’t even made it to The Nest before someone made a move on him. He also knew that once he arrived at his destination — the competition to acquire his fealty would be even more fierce. Elaina would be there to prevent anyone from strong-arming him, but his status as Sivelle’s newest apprentice made him a desirable target.

“Hoo…” Atell released an exaggerated sigh as he dragged his feet behind the short, brown-haired girl. He watched as her curly locks bounced with every step, surrounding her with a youthful, lively atmosphere… if you couldn’t see the cold frown plastered on her face.

“Do you mind picking up the pace a little,” the girl quipped at him as she spun around.

‘And there it is. All positive sentiments gone…’ Atell bemoaned in his mind. He had only agreed to this arrangement because of the somewhat fond memories he had of his brief meeting with this girl during his Initiate Ceremony. And well, the fact that she would be fronting the teleportation cost didn’t hurt her cause either…

Unfortunately, it seemed that the last two years hadn’t been as kind to Akemi as they had been to him. Atell wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just having a bad day. But it truly appeared that her joyful naivete had been replaced by the more callous, aloof demeanor that he expected of the Dynasty’s nobles.

The large, lanky boy with thick sideburns that was sticking closely to her side didn’t improve Atell’s impression either. He had already been the recipient of a few of the boy’s murderous glares in the short distance they had walked.

At least their meeting was only a temporary one. Atell was looking forward to meeting some practitioners his age and hopefully making a few friends, but these two didn’t match any of the criteria he was looking for. Therefore, he didn’t have much interest in breaching the silent tension that formed between them.

Akemi strode purposefully over to Formations Master in charge of operating the teleportation array as they approached the marble platform that was isolated by another moat in conjunction with the one around the Grand Seasons Plaza. Short black obelisks rested in each corner of the rectangular array. Their glossy surfaces were covered in a complex network of glyphs that were linked to a series of primordial runes engraved into the pristine white marble floor.

The seamless connection of new and old shocked Atell to his core. Grandmaster Asteri — who had created the five existing teleportation arrays — managed to perfectly merge her understanding of glyphs, composed using the modern rune language, and the ancient magic of the Gods. She was more than worthy of being recognized as the Dynasty’s greatest genius. ‘If she hadn’t met such an untimely end her work could have revolutionized travel across the world,’ Atell lamented. Sivelle often spoke highly of the Drakin woman during their lessons, but he didn’t gain true respect for Asteri’s prowess until now.

“...Will it just be the three of you, Young Miss?”

“Mhm, our destination is the Lucent Grotto.”

“Very well, that will be fifteen medium-quality Charge Crystals.”

Atell flinched as he vaguely heard the fee listed by the operator. That price was nearly much as he had paid for his own Dimensional Pouch a few weeks ago. Even if he scraped together all his remaining savings, he wouldn’t be able to cover the cost. Typically, only large groups used the teleportation arrays for that very reason. Yet Akemi just casually procured the payment with a wave of her hand. ‘The large Clans sure are extravagant...’

As soon as Akemi and her attendant joined Atell in the center of the platform, the grid of runes and glyphs began to shine softly, emitting a low hum as it did so. The array continued to glow with increasing radiance and Atell started to fidget as the buzzing noise likewise grew in intensity — quickly developing into a loud whir like the chorus of an insect swarm. Before being blinded by a flash of light, the last thing he saw was the smug smile on the large boy’s face as the cacophony reached its climax...