The Mishala Clan’s domain was in Aerule Garden, a district in Realmheart quite close to the Imperial City, but far enough away that one would need to take a Commuter Tram, and about a day’s travel if one had to crawl through the ground, to get there. Of course, it only took an hour’s flight using either battlewings, or the Jade Circle spell, Cirrus Skiff Dancing Through the Clouds.

The Amaryllis Manor was located at the base of a Great Tree at the very centre of the district. Well, it would be more accurate that the manor was the Great Tree. The grand entrance was at the base of the trunk, made of pink-veined white marble. An ornamental fence surrounded the tree and looked too fragile to even keep a bunny out. A couple of young men stood guard by the gate, both looking quite bored. Who would make trouble for the clan in the midst of its domain?

The building wrapped around the trunk, which ran at about fifty paces wide. A set of stairs spiralled up the straight wood until it reached the branches nearly twenty paces up. There, pathways led to several structures perched near the tips.

Elisha Mishala’s office was near the Great Tree’s crown. The room was sunk halfway into the wood, and the roof was basically the canopy. It was impossible to enter her study without the right keys though, and should anyone try…well, they could only wish for death.

Sunlight dappled across Elisha’s desk and across the page of the report she was reading. With a slight frown, she wiggled her fingers in a distinct pattern. The dappled light disappeared, and if she looked up, she would have seen the leaves move to close up the holes.

Satisfied, she returned to reading the report in front of her. Her eyes skimmed the words, then the glow of her Animus covered her eyes and revealed words hidden within the ink of what was seen.

“Rebels in the outskirts, secretive moves by the Xylarchy,” she muttered. “And Segawa thinks he’s found a nest of Chaos… The fool left Brygos alone and has his legion wandering in the sea. Aislunn is almost overrun. Tsk, everyone’s shorthanded these days.”

Elisha tossed the report packet to the side and picked up another packet. The bindings unravelled with the touch of her Animus and she read through the short missive before tossing it to another section of her large desk.

The table was black oak and about three times wider than a normal-sized desk. Piles of paper, discreet crystal screens, inkwells and fountain pens were placed in precise order, going widdershins. Strands of Animus emerged from her fingertips which, upon closer look, weren’t entirely human. Her nails were thicker and sharper than a baseline human and was the feature that manifested as her Tell.

Several strands twined and formed around a central core, then dipped down into the black inkwell. Another set of strands secured a blank piece of paper. Another set dipped into a different inkwell, this one with a crimson stain. The two different strands danced over the page, the black forming words, while the red created runescript lines. A few minutes later, the missive was done, and the paper folded itself into a crane and took off.

The leftover ink was carefully dropped back down to its respective inkwells before the strands disintegrated.

“...His Highness' birthday is near. A suitable gift is needed.”

More letters were made, more cranes flew out of the office. Throughout the next hour, the pile of reports dwindled, until she came across another that made her pause and stare.

“So…she returns.” Elisha’s face twisted in distaste. “Ah, the prodigal daughter comes, too. Well…hmmm.”

Her eyes drifted to one of the reports she’d already read. She’d already sent a crane in response to it but she considered sending another. After a moment’s hesitation, she did so. Then returned to reading reports.

As the Prima of the clan, Elisha had too many things to consider. Granted, it wasn’t strictly necessary to advance the clan’s affairs, but it would not be right to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of the Progenitor’s efforts. No, the only way to repay the graces of the Progenitor and the Ancestors was to make the clan greater than when she first received leadership.

The Mishala clan had only one ironclad duty from the beginning of the Empire. Well, two, but one of those was attended to by the Progenitor herself. Many would have considered it degrading, but it was quite fulfilling in its own way.

The Empress and the Progenitor were partners and companions. Great friends who went through many life and death situations. Both had wished for their children to be the same. It had been a tradition that, whenever the Empress bore a child, which she did every century, one of the Mishalas would be his or her companion. And, if both wished, they were married to each other.

The current Prince has been rather taciturn, and none of the younger Mishalas had the strength of Mien to…well, to turn his head. Hmmm. Reports say that her daughter had quite the strength. Oh, but it wouldn’t do, to force things.

Tragedy had befallen the children and the Empire many times upon a union laid on a foundation of hate.

Her musings were interrupted when someone knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

“Grandmother, you asked to see me?”

A girl at the cusp of womanhood walked in the study. Like all Mishalas born with the Mien, Miya was tall, slender, and beautiful. Her tawny-golden hair fell in layered waves down to the small of her back, and her piercing blue-green eyes were half lidded and smoldering. Miya Mishala was one of the granddaughters Elisha was most proud of, but even so, none of her lineage were quite as potent as that woman’s.

“My dear, one of your cousins returns to Aerule for the first time in her life. You are one of the few close to her in age and I’d like for you to introduce her to your circle of friends. After all, she’s lived out in the frontier for more than a decade and exposure to high society should do her good.”

Miya gave her a lidded stare while her lips pursed in deep thought. Then she shook her head and sighed, “If you say so, grandma. I could certainly introduce her to my friends.”

“Good.” Elisha gave a sharp nod. “That will be all. Ah, make sure you bring her to see all the beautiful sights in the Imperial City, too.”

Miya curtsied before she left, but Elisha caught the girl rolling her eyes at her. Well, Miya would do as she asked, even if she had reservations.

Elisha returned to her work, already having put mother and daughter out of her mind. Though she worried that the child would have as strong a Mien as the mother. She would soon find herself replaced then.

The reports continued to dwindle, but before she could finish her pile, a fresh set flew in from the door and settled into a new pile. With a sigh, Elisha continued to read. Ah, if she were replaced, she wouldn’t have to bother with all of these. She wasn’t sure if she liked that or not.

________

The room, despite its size, felt decidedly crowded to Yuriko with two aunts, and her Mum, looming over her while she sat on the bed.

“So, then,” Mum started as she glanced at the other women, “you’ve barely completed a term in Sharom Academy before you got swept out of Rumiga. It’s been more than a year, and we will arrive in Realmheart on the 2nd Day of Earth, 2999. You’ve missed two terms and part of a third. What will we do with you?”

“That’s hardly my fault!” Yuriko protested.

“Oh, but it is,” Kiyo chuckled darkly. “You’re the one who insisted on going north for your internship. Oh, I suppose it's not entirely your fault. Who would have thought that those barbarians would attack as they did.” She waved them off dismissively. “In either case, you are in a precarious state. Your level is already beyond the first three year levels of the Academy.”

“I suppose it's a good thing that you didn’t manage to advance to Knight yet,” Layla murmured. “You have the power of one, but not the Facet.”

“She does?” Mum and Kiyo exclaimed at the same time.

“The instruments read that she’s at Third Order Journeyman!” Kiyo continued.

“You didn’t see her fight,” Layla smirked. “Using her artefact, she defeated four Elder level Geist wielders. And she defeated a Jade Circle Sorcerer. Her Protective Field is powerful enough to affect the physical realm, and she uses it with the dexterity of a long time Knight.”

Mum and Kiyo exchanged glances, then Sadeen said in a mild tone, “You didn’t mention the particulars.”

“Ehehehe.”

“Don’t ehehe me, young lady.” Mum sighed. “Well that changes things.”

“I don’t think by too much though,” Kiyo said. “She isn't a Knight, which means she doesn’t have to bind to the Fateweaver yet. But she’s too strong for regular, or even elite classes. She’ll only be a disruptive influence.”

“I guess that means she’ll have to be tutored in what she missed, then what? Put her in as an assistant instructor for Martial Sciences? I’m going to assume that’s what you’ve been doing the entire time you were gone.” Mum raised an eyebrow. “All though given Layla’s observation, I’d like a more thorough examination.”

“Er…” Yuriko tried to interject.

“Yes, baby?”

“Mum…I’d really like to return to Rumiga. I can continue my studies there.”

“Out of the question,” Sadeen said firmly. “There are things that Sharom cannot teach you. How to control the Mishala Mien, to begin with, and clan techniques.”

She grabbed Yuriko’s upper arm and ran her fingers up and down. The contours of Yuriko’s muscles were quite evident.

“This is rather unsightly,” she finally said.

“What’s wrong with it?” Layla protested before Yuriko could.

“Aesthetics play a big part in how we Mishala present ourselves. You’re quite strong, my dear, but if you keep this up, not only will you not look perfect but you’ll have to sacrifice flexibility and speed for strength and toughness.”

“I keep my training balanced, Mum,” Yuriko said more sharply than she intended, but she pushed past Sadeen’s stare. “I’ve been eating too much meat and not enough bread. I’ve had to subsist on what I could hunt, or gather.”

“Poor baby,” Sadeen gushed. “Well, Body Sculpting and Body Control will aid you whatever you choose to do. Look.”

She flexed her arm, tightening her biceps. The contour of her arm barely changed. Then she picked up a marble paperweight from the desk. Sadeen squeezed. The stone, roughly two inches in diameter, cracked, then shattered into tiny little pieces.

“You inlaid Strengthen Physique?” Layla asked.

“Of sorts,” Sadeen grinned. “Strengthen Physique can only be advanced until the Knight level; beyond that would require a more advanced technique.”

“Interesting. Ah! Did you know Yuriko uses dynamic inlays rather than static?”

“Eh, why?” Mum directed that to Layla first, before she turned to ask Yuriko instead.

“It’s what my Facet showed me.”

Sadeen and Kiyo glanced at each other before Mum finally said. “It looks like we’ll need to discuss your situation in greater detail before we can decide things.”

“I still want to return to Rumiga. I want to see my brothers. And friends!”

“And you want to look for Virgil, too,” Mum said ruefully. “Honestly, that man! Hmph! He missed our biennial meeting. He’s got a lot to answer for.”

“I’m sure,” Kiyo laughingly said.

“Anyway, we’ll need the Fateweaver Loom in order to find your wayward father. It’s how we found you, in case you were wondering,” Mum continued.

“I was,” Yuriko admitted, “I just didn’t get a chance to ask.”

“Well, I don’t know how long it will take to get access, but I think you have enough time to finish the rest of the year’s second term in Sharom. You’ll go to the campus in Realmheart, the Imperial City. And after your classes, you’ll train in Mishala Clan techniques. Then we’re going to cram as much knowledge as we can. You’ve missed a lot and even if you didn’t, there are many more things to learn and take note of here in the Imperial Capital.”

“But…”

Sadeen sat down beside her and enfolded her in a hug. “I don’t want to lose you again, my baby. And I’ll make sure you’re equipped for whatever you’ll encounter in the future.”

Yuriko’s protest died in her lips. Mum sometimes had a one-track mind and from experience, it was easier to let her get her way, at least for a little while, until she got distracted by something else.

“May I at least write letters to them?”

“Of course, my dear. The clan will handle the associated expenses, don’t worry. Now, I think we still have some time before bedtime to get you started on some Animus manipulation theory. Why don’t we get started.”

Then, to Yuriko’s mounting horror, Sadeen grabbed a bunch of books from somewhere and plopped them on the desk.

“Why do you even have those?” she squeaked.

“You missed a lot of school work and you need to catch up. The Silver Tiger was sent out specifically to retrieve you. Why are you surprised that we have textbooks here?” Kiyo answered.

Yuriko looked at each woman and they stared back with sparkling eyes. She resisted the urge to scream and run, mostly because she knew how futile it would be.

“Can I get some parfaits?”

“Anything you want, baby.”

Sadeen’s smile wasn’t reassuring at all.