The docks were empty and parts of it had been burned. Kamfongil had docked first and was already sweeping the perimeter for any signs of imminent danger. As soon the other ship docked, Sornam and Norbu leapt off the dock and ran toward the smoke.

The smoke was coming from the city, which was not immediately nearby. Perenenda instructed her captains to follow, but the two Peers had already run down the road from the port toward the city.

They could not keep up with the two Peers’ furious pace, but instead advanced in a steady jog. In the distance Perenenda saw the snow capped mountain peak he had heard Timlan describe to her in his stories.

“That’s the Mirror, isn’t it?” she asked. “I tried to picture it from your stories, but tyhe majesty of it does not match my imagination.”

Timlan was jogging beside her, his eyes fixed on the Mirror but she could see that his thoughts were elsewhere.

“Go on,” she said. “Go catch up to your friends.

Timlan bowed his head and sprinted ahead, trying to catch the Peers.

Perenenda did not expect so much farmland as they advanced. From the accounts of the Scales she had heard, she expected an island of monasteries and statues, not hamlets and farms. They were abandoned as they passed. Some of the farms were partially burned.

They crossed a bridge over a rapid river. The bridge was painted red and a post bearing a lantern was knocked over. On the lantern were words painted in black that she did not recognize. On the bank of the river was a torn black flag with a white handprint with five fingers spread out.

After they crossed the bridge and made their way through a row of cherry trees, Perenenda saw a single tower emerge from behind the treetops. It looked like a beacon of some sort, with an opening for smoke at the top. Red rooftops revealed themselves as they neared the smoke.

She had to stop. They paused for her to catch her breath.

“What happened here?” she asked while she took a drink from a water skin.

“War happened here,” Kamfongil answered. “Fighting will empty a village.”

Perenenda pressed on her side, which was beginning to cramp. A sense of urgency, or perhaps a flash of panic, washed over her at the thought of the boy running off by himself while she rested. “Let us keep moving.”

They continued jogging until they reached the gates of the city, which were torn down. There were several streams of black smoke now, but the thickest stream was from a temple on top of the hill. This was where they began to see the bodies. Men, women, children laid on the streets. Many of the elderly were among them. They continued down the path through the city and across two bridges before reaching the temple, being quiet as they passed the bodies.

There were swords and spears strewn about. Some bodies had arrows buried into them. While some were dressed in village clothing, others were monks in their temple garb.

“Grastenport soldiers,” Kamfongil said, pointing to some bodies that wore the same uniforms as those they encountered back in the Eastern Ridge. “Now we know where they went.”

“This can’t be all of them,” Perenenda said. “Commander Rollo said there would be hundreds of them. Maybe a thousand.”

“But this one isn’t Grastenport,” Kamfongil said, stopped by to kneel down by a body covered in tattered furs. It had parts of leather armor around his torso, and a red scarf tied around his head. “This is a soldier, still.”

“Timlan spoke of mountain folk that has waged a war with the temple for years,” she said. “Bandits that would descend from the mountains and raid the villages.”

As they continued on, they saw more of these mountain soldiers. Many of them had a red scarf, either tied around their head, around their neck, or tucked into their belt. They maintained a steady pace in their jog.

“You have all of your sworn swords, and yet I’m the only one here with you,” Kamfongil said.

“I trust all of you,” she replied. “I feel safe with all of you. But I would not be truthful if I did not feel safer with you. You’ve been to many places. You’ve been in many situations. When the time comes, you above all others…know what to do.”

“Aye,” he said as he continued jogging. “That I do.”

As they neared the hill, they found Timlan on his knees, sobbing over a body. Kamfongil stopped and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“These are my friends,” he said.

“Boy, you’re a historian aren’t you?” Kamfongil asked. “Then write down what you see today. That’s your obligation to the world. People need to know what happened.”

Timlan wiped his eyes and nose. “You’re right,” he said, riding. He pulled his journal out of his satchel and started writing as he continued up toward the smoldering temple.

“That was compassionate of you,” Perenenda said to Kamfongil.

He shook his head. “He just needs to keep himself distracted. He hasn’t seen war like this.”

“Like this? Seeing death?”

“Seeing death of those he loves. Experiencing real loss.”

“You have though.”

They continued up the hill and into the temple. Something had caused damage to a wide area, crumbling walls and shattering doors and windows alike. Much of the building was burned.

There were none living left in the burning temple. Several charred bodies hung from blackened rafters. Sornam and Norbu were there, checking the temple for any survivors.

“The Great Temple Hall,” Norbu said.

They continued on through the grounds toward the great hall surrounded by red pagodas. Half of the wall had crumbled.

When they entered, the found the interior of the hall burned as well, with several bodies slumped over yellow prayer mats. Norbu checked on the bodies and wailed.

“Our Uncles,” he said, coughing through his words.

“Master Qizen,” Sornam pointed. At the edge of the burned remains was a partly burned body, sitting cross legged and almost upright. His white beard was marred black, his eyes open only as slits. A trail of blood marked his face from where a hole was near the top of his forehead.

"What could have caused this?" Norbu asked.

They checked all the elders and they had all been killed the same way.

"This is not all of them," Sornam said. "There must be survivors. Where would they not know to look?"

"Beneath the Hearth Tower," Norbu said.

They made way to the tower, which was the same tower Perenenda had seen as they approached from the port.

"There has been so much destruction here," Kamfongil said as they passed half destroyed buildings. “I’ve seen plenty, but not like this. I cannot imagine what arms could allow a group to tear and burn down such structures in this manner. I don’t think Dao could create such weapons.”

Sornam started removing the rubble blocking the red door that led underground. The Neredunians helped, and Sornam swung the door open and hurried down the stairs. When Perenenda arrived to the bottom, she found several survivors around an unlit hearth.

"Master Rengu is alive!" Sornam cried. Two men and a girl embraced Sornam and Norbu. One of the men towered to nearly seven feet, while the other was a thin and older, with long hair hanging from the side of his balding head.

“Sornam, Norbu…you’ve come home,” Rengu said, reaching his hand out.

Norbu leaned forward and met Rebgu’s palm with his cheek. “What happened, Master?”

"Betrayal," Rengu said, his mouth dry as shifted on a makeshift bed made of coats. “And lightning.”

"Brandarm was hiding in the cells, in the prison built by Ruthier," the older man said.

"The Headlander," Norbu said. “The Bandit King was in league with the prison builder.”

"And he was Visant's man all along," the large man added. “There was this foreigner among them that spoke for them—Sood. We realized later this Sood was bearing a false name. He is one of the sons of Visant.”

“The missing twin Pidroc,” Perendenda said. “This explains why the bodies of Grastenport soldiers are littering the streets.”

"This is the Princess Perenenda of Neredun, who has helped us defeat Visant," Sornam said. "This is our Master Rengu, that is Naja, and my Peer brothers Pengmou and Guren."

"Visant and Brandarm had been allies and we never knew," Pengmou continued.

“We suspected so but could not come come to warn you,” Norbu said. “You were to come to us in the mainland. What happened?”

Pengmou put his forearm against the wall and rested his head against it. “After the Northern Envoy returned with Mazi's remains, we enclosed him in the crypt. Menquist then declared King's Right and called all of us to arms. After he departed first, taking Kidu and Timlan, we were to make preparations to follow him. But soon the ships disappeared and we were stranded. We found out that the port workers were Visant’s pirates and made off with all the ships. The prisons held all of the bandit folk but Ruthier had created a secret passage from the prison into our halls. When they escaped, we were taken unaware. We fought them off without much of a loss. Ruthier left with them, and that is how we learned of his betrayal."

"He took the red scroll," Rengu whispered. "That's all...all they ever wanted."

"What red scroll?" Norbu asked.

"Kidu had found a red scroll at the Mirror," Naja said.

“The hermit at the top of the mountain,” Timlan gasped. He thumbed through his journal. “Serkrit, his name was Serkrit.”

"I never got a chance to see the scroll, but Master Rengu told me all of this—Brandarm’s plans, Ruthier’s betrayal—it was all to get to that scroll,” Naja continued. “We never could understand the scroll's contents but Master Rengu thinks Ruthier must have deciphered it."

"Over the next few months they would continue to challenge us but we were always ready," Pengmou added. "Every time they returned, we would fend them off, both the pirates and the mountain bandits. But we were closed off from the world, without any ships coming or going. Then two days ago Visant's ships arrived to take them off the island.”

“Two days ago!” cried Norbu. “We were just at Grastenport. We have only just missed them then.”

Pengmou’s voice began to quiver. “Brandarm came to us for the last time, and in this last time he did not come alone. He brought with him fire and lightning. Sood had great weapons that caused our buildings to explode and burn. They had spears that shot lightning like arrows. We could not stop their weapons. They used it to kill the Uncles. We managed to escape but Master Rengu was struck. It is the greatest of betrayals, my brothers."

Sornam looked at Rengu's wound. His side was bandaged with a spot of blood leaking.

“The scroll…I understood too late,” Rengu said, coughing.

“Master, your energy,” Pengmou urged.

Rengu waved him off. “The red scroll…Brandarm brought that back…from the East…it is a blueprint…for an ancient weapon.”

“That’s what the hermit was keeping it away,” Timlan said. “He said others would be coming for it. When Kidu and I were at the Mirror, we found a recent campsite. Someone knew. That’s why he gave it to Kidu before he killed himself. He warned us of keeping it away from the Horse Lord.”

“Horse Lord?” Kamfongil asked. “There are many that could be the Horse Lord.”

A bit of blood stained Rengu’s lower lip. “Before Brandarm was Bandit King…he was the Master of Horses for our House…I wish I told you before…”

“Brandarm…served our House?” Timlan sobbed. “I don’t understand.”

"I know my time…is over," Rengu said. He looked at Perenenda and held out his hand. “I knew…I knew…”

Perenenda kneeled and took his hand. “What did you know, grandfather?”

“I knew…you were coming,” he smiled. “I last saw you…when you were a child…and I’ve been stubborn…lasted this long…I wanted to meet you again...

“You know of me grandfather,” she said, taking his hand in both of hers. “I wish I had known of you.”

“You have your father’s eyes,” he smiled. His voice was now barely higher than a whisper. “When you see Kidu…tell him..."

"Master Rengu, please stay with us," Naja wept.

"...tell Kidu that his father loved him," Rengu said. "Tell him…Mazi always loved him."

Rengu began to sigh but didn't finish. Timlan dropped his pen.

The Peers stood and bowed their heads. "Alas, the last of the elders have left us," Pengmou said. “Our House is finished. May the Five claim Master Rengu’s soul into the colors of the cosmos and bless this world, and grant mercy to us all."

They were silent for a few minutes, save for weeping from Timlan.

It was Norbu who later broke the silence. “Brother, you are now eldest,” he said to Pengmou. “You will have to lead us. We must find the others. Where are the rest of the Peers?"

"Brandarm's men locked them in the prison," Pengmou said. "Naja, take them to the prison. Guren shall stay with me while we pray to the Five for Master Rengu's soul."

“Where are the townsfolk?” Sornam asked as Naja led them to the prison.

“They stayed as long as they could, as long as they trusted us to protect them,” she said. “But that day when they started destroying the buildings, most fled to the hills. Master Sornam…that day when they brought the lightning, it was a terror that struck me like I had never felt. We tried to stop them, we did.”

Her voice broke into muffled crying.

“I know you did, for that is what the Peers would do. And you have the spirit of one, and I know you did your best.”

“When they advanced to the temple, they just…killed one of the ministers to show that they were not afraid of us. They threatened to kill all the Uncles unless the Peers were imprisoned. A few of us slipped away, and Diren told me the code to unlock the prison so we could help the Peers escape. Pengmou and Guren were hiding in the hills so our plan was to sneak in at night and overwhelm the guards, then help release the Peers. We followed our plan, but then they started killing the Uncles, and we helped Master Rengu and two others escape but they were all struck by the lightning. Master Rengu was the only one who had survived."

"Why are the Peers still in the prison?" Sornam asked.

Naja opened the door to the prison. "Because when we got here they were already dead."

Sornam fell to his knees and Norbu covered his face. Perenenda walked into the prison and about twelve men were slumped over in a small cell, dead with lightning holes in their bodies.