First on the list was sending messages to the Mulyani clan- one copy of which was aboard the Wavecutter. Captain Sohan had proven to be a reliable ally, but while he and his crew had some combat prowess they wouldn’t be a significant determining factor in a battle. It was better to have them assist with getting future actions moving. Sending copies of the same missive with other ships was for certainty- they didn’t know if anyone was prepared to intercept ships leaving the area or not.

Matayal didn’t expect the Mulyani clan to be able to arrive in time to help, but as allies they needed to be informed of the situation. Specifically, it wasn’t expected that the messages would reach them before the rest of the fleet arrived at Pualani. There was no way to judge how long it would take between Kusuma receiving the message and her arriving… but it wouldn’t be long if she felt urgency.

But the Brandle clan wasn’t relying on Kusuma or her clan for the moment. The intention was to work with them later, to deal with retribution against the clans not on Pualani. The biggest target was the Kartal clan, which was a shame since Matayal thought that some of them had their heads on straight. She’d even been kind enough to spare the young master Bora’s life once. Once was as much mercy as any cultivator could afford to show.

If the situation had been slightly different, Matayal would have felt much more comfortable. Unfortunately it was impossible to fully commit to a single battle when the core of the clan had to be protected. Netanel was fairly certain that all of the members of the Society of Midnight on Pulanai had been removed, the ships they were using commandeered for the capture of Nurul Purunomo. Matayal trusted her grandfather’s skill, but even he would admit that being fairly certain was not something worth risking the lives of the triplets on.

There was also the matter of the other clans involved. With Nurul Purunomo’s death there was certain to be an internal power struggle of some sort, prompted by Matayal’s efforts. That would hopefully keep them occupied among themselves, and would save the losses caused by wiping out the group on the island, but there was still some chance they would opt for immediate retribution, attacking the clan grounds while they were occupied with the incoming fleet.

So some had to stay behind, along with members of the allied clans. The central island of Pualani was densely packed, so the various clans would be able to support each other if there was trouble.

The real trouble was how to head off the incoming fleet. Regardless of Nurul’s death there would inevitably be some sort of violent conflict. After having attempted such a brazen act, the groups involved would have to make their move while they were somewhat unified, or face retribution individually- which obviously wouldn’t work out for them.

Unfortunately there was no opportunity to individually contact them. Matayal would have preferred to get them to work against each other, or offer them a chance to retreat with minor penalties of some sort. Not everyone, of course- just enough to swing things more in their favor.

Not that she was worried about victory. Having survived the attack at the Kelp Spire Forest and escaped, the enemy’s plans were pretty much bungled. Instead of being up one Consolidated Soul Phase cultivator, they were down one. And with Yonit on the threshold of breaking through, perhaps their side might grow further behind.

But they wouldn’t know that right away, and thus some sort of conflict would be inevitable. So the plans for how to deal with the approaching fleet had to be developed.

Pualani was considered to be one island, though by certain metrics it was multiple islands in the shape of a flower. Between the petals were wide swaths of water, as well as a large ring in the middle around the center island. There were far too many approach directions to defend, so some assumptions had to be made. Like that the incoming fleet wouldn’t know they would be waiting.

The petals were separated by a few kilometers, but that meant anyone in one of the channels could see all the way across. The defending forces were split between a southwest island that was the most direct approach and the two channels on either side of it. They had lookouts on the island’s tall guard towards watching for approaching ships, ready to warn people of an incoming approach.

Matayal also had Nurul’s head on her spear. Well, a backup spear since her actual spear was too valuable to occupy with a purely decorative function. She hoped it would get the point across to the incoming fleet, sowing chaos or confusion.

-----

When John arrived back at the Tenebach clan, things were fine. Just because he was not physically present didn’t mean things were unmanaged. His grandfather still took an active role in the clan business- cultivators never really retired, even if they reached the end of their talent. Everything was managed by people John trusted, and nobody needed him for the clan to continue functioning. However, that didn’t mean things were going well.

Word hadn’t yet come from the Brandle clan about the attacks, and it wouldn’t arrive for some time, but there were still troubles to deal with. Various groups were maneuvering against the Tenebach clan’s holdings, and dealing with that always took effort. It didn’t appear to be anything coordinated, just daily business, but it slowed things down. More worrying was news of Darklands activity, people gathering near the border for what could only be assumed was some nefarious purpose. Even if they weren’t directly south of Marble County or confirmed to be associated with the Society of Midnight, it was worrying.

But before considering any of that, John had to help get the representatives of the Golden Tomb Guardians settled in, and to return the piece of Ciaritzal retrieved from Cuah’arn. Deirdre had volunteered to come along as well as several others. While an alliance had been struck with the Golden Tomb Guardians, managing it over a large distance was difficult. It seemed the Tenebach clan might need to call on their aid in the near future, and organizing things was critical. Then there was the matter of making people in the Stone Conglomerate comfortable with the continuing presence of people from the Sunfields.

It wasn’t as if light element cultivators weren’t present in the Stone Conglomerate- either traveling through on business, trading, or occasionally settling down- but they still stood out. The Tenebach clan didn’t want anyone to think they were colluding against anyone within the Stone Conglomerate’s borders.

They were, of course. Not with the Golden Tomb Guardians specifically, but there were many factions in the way of their plans. Of course while the Tenebach clan themselves were the most likely to object to light element cultivators, that made working with them all the more suspicious.

Setting them up with rooms had already been anticipated, and while there weren’t formations to gather light elemental spiritual energy for them, there was at least a small section that was intentionally kept free from the darkness element for their comfort.

Before getting any further into other details, John set off to visit Ciaritzal. From the first time he interacted with Ciaritzal he had wondered about the cave and what made it special, but the truth was that it wasn’t. It wasn’t special… but it wasn’t not special either. In short, because Ciaritzal dwelled there it was suffused with the element of darkness… and because it was full of darkness element, it suited him. He could choose to dwell in another location, but it would take quite some time to develop into a suitable environment.

Inside the cave, John called out. “Hey Ciaritzal… do you remember a large glowing bird named Cuah’arn?”

A few moments later, a deeper form of darkness appeared within the cave, revealing the lack of form that was Ciaritzal, vaguely in the shape of a canine. “How could I forget? It was a fierce battle. And I found myself greatly weakened afterwards.”

“Well,” John shrugged, “I’m not trying to blame you or anything, but you might have mentioned that before I went to visit the Golden Tomb Guardians.”

“I don’t…” Ciaritzal stepped closer, pressing his head against John’s chest. The piece of him dwelling in John’s dantian eagerly began to make its way back to the rest of itself. “You found Cuah’arn? But I don’t recall her having an association with any sect. Hmm, but a tomb… she perished? I am rather surprised.”

“Not quite,” John shook his head. “She was definitely alive when we met, and better off when I left. I didn’t have the chance to consult you, but… you did not bear a grudge, right?”

“Well now, I won’t lie and say I don’t have a petty side. But I had little choice to be involved in the battle, and with this bit of me returned I am quite content. Except for the remaining fault belonging to the Society of Midnight.”

“They really messed you up. I understand the desire for power, but to be so focused on short-term benefits…” John shook his head. “It seems like a cultivator should know better.”

“Ah, but to the Society of Midnight, if they could gain Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators it didn’t matter. Look how much the Tenebach clan has changed in the last handful of years after your first. And the Brandle clan too. You are able to secure more resources now to catapult yourselves ahead. I do believe it even worked out for the Society of Midnight.”

John raised an eyebrow as he sat with Ciaritzal in complete darkness. “Sounds tempting, actually. What makes you think I won’t try it?”

“Hah,” Ciaritzal snorted. “You? No chance. I’ve been inside your heart, you know? We are already allies, so as long as I don’t drag you down you wouldn’t betray me. And we’re already of great benefit to each other with our current arrangement.” The shadows shifted in a shrug, “Even without these shards of myself being restored. I must say, this was one I thought lost forever. Tell me of Cuah’arn. Alive, still?”

“I can’t say I know much more than you,” John admitted. “But I can speculate. The Golden Tomb Guardians seem to have a similar sort of relationship with her as we do to you. Though if she was injured this whole time she might be…”

“Stronger than me?” Ciaritzal asked snarkily. “That was most definitely true. I was only intended to weaken her enough for the Society of Midnight to finish her off, but she managed to flee the battle. I thought she simply perished where they could not find her, but knowing she survived… it’s actually rather enjoyable. Tell me more about these Golden Tomb Guardians.”

John explained what he knew about them, including the arrangement for an alliance. “I hope it was the right move. Everything seemed genuine, and if they ultimately grow stronger it is better for us. What do you think?”

“At the very least, they should keep their promises in the short term. If there is no bitterness from Cuah’arn, then even if they latter withdraw their support it will have been worthwhile. And in fact retrieving this portion of my power is advantageous to us even if they are otherwise entirely neutral.”

“How many more pieces are you missing?” John asked.

“I wish I could tell you, but I truly was unable to keep a count. It is also a matter of how much of my essence each piece took. Even so, I judge that I am more restored than not at this point, though of the pieces strictly in the hands of the Society of Midnight it might swing to the other side of half. If I could be fully restored then perhaps…”

“Perhaps what?” John asked.

“Perhaps I might be able to advance to a higher level of power. In human terms, I would be something akin to the very peak of the Consolidated Soul Phase. As a creature mostly formed of spirit it is different… but I was not terribly far from advancement. The entire reason I chose to work with the Society of Midnight was to attain what I needed to make that leap, but they managed to gain leverage on me that resulted in the effects you already know. But I am much more hopeful of the Tenebach clan, as they were willing to assist me even when I was weak… nearly worthless. Certainly it was a power grab for their own sake, but we have cooperated as allies for generations now. I am quite pleased.”

“Me too,” John grinned. Just as Ciaritzal had felt his own thoughts, it worked in the other direction. Perhaps they were merely working together for the benefits they could gain, but mutual benefit was the basis of most of the best and most lasting relationships of any sort. And John knew that the fondness between himself and Ciaritzal would last even beyond the level of strict benefits.