It took longer for them to reach Iriméze than to leave it behind, probably because the city had moved along its route in the days they had spent at Ifse. The group had gained another member: Hilon's mother, a woman with a cloud of curly red hair and deep eyebags from worry and tiredness. In contrast, the merchant was animated enough to voice her disappointment for the entire duration of the trip, even if no one could hear her clearly over the wind.

Only two birdguards had escorted the main group with the regular guards. The third was nowhere to be seen, even if Saia was sure they were following from afar.

The instant her feet touched the ground of the fifth level, she was surrounded by eight guards with their tridents drawn. The rest of the group held their breath, looking at her as if expecting the same shock they felt, or an explanation.

She said nothing. Serit's lack of trust didn't surprise her. At least now she knew where they were going.

She adjusted the most external layer of clothing as a reflex, thinking about her shoulder. She'd repaired it by manipulating the pieces and fragments left behind by the guards' crude extraction, but the outermost layer of the cavity was much thinner than before. And still empty.

She expanded her domain as much as she could, observing the horizon in the meantime. She didn't really expect to find her shard, but at least to see some birdguards running away to escape the clutches of her domain, revealing their hiding spot. She didn't perceive any movements out of the ordinary, so she just followed Serit and the guards to the elevators.

They descended in silence toward the bottom, then continued along the road that led to the representatives' palace. They were immediately ushered inside, without anyone announcing them.

The representatives' position at the corners of the triangular table had changed: now Héshe was on the left, Enanit on the other side of the room, facing the door, and the man who probably was Izha sat to the right.

"Welcome back, Serit," he said with a soft voice.

He was tall, with orange reflexes in his hair, a curving nose that reminded her of the statue of the local god of wood. His tunic was blue with shining black plumes decorating the shoulders and torso, from the base of the neck to the beer belly. Saia was so focused on the third representative that she almost didn't see Hilon, standing near the wall to her right, as if she'd just been summoned too. Serit stopped mid-greeting to gape at her.

“You're already here?”

They stepped closer, cutting through Saia's ring of guards in their agitation. They stopped before reaching her, glancing at the representatives as if they'd just remembered about their presence.

“I’m glad you're safe,” they added. “But you should still be voyaging for at least two more months. How is it possible?”

Hilon smiled, even if she seemed tense in a way that reminded Saia of her mother. She wondered whether they were aware of each other's presence inside the city.

“I’m one of the few lucky ones who returned. We don't know why some did and some…”

She left the sentence unfinished.

“She's here because we wanted her testimony on what she's seen," Héshe explained.

“We can trust our head engineer,” Izha added with a smile.

Serit focused on him again. They repeated the greeting with cupped hands, holding it a bit longer, or so it seemed to Saia.

“I’m glad you're back,” they said.

“I am as well. I was a bit worried when I learnt you weren't inside the city.”

Serit was about to add something, but Enanit cut through the conversation with her sharp voice.

“Your research is cancelled.”

Serit stared at her, unable to speak. She nodded, crossing her arms as if to dare them to protest.

Héshe sighed.

“The situation is already difficult, you could have been less harsh.”

“What?” Serit managed to blurt out. “But I'm close to the end! Now it's only a matter of refining the details, there won't be other expenses.”

Héshe nodded heavily, looking at Izha.

“Can you please repeat what you've told us?”

He turned on the chair to face Serit, as if making it a conversation only between the two of them.

“I’m extremely sorry about all of this. This research was the work of your life and the way to fulfill a dream for many of us. Even the birds we eat are allowed to walk the earth if they desire to.”

Serit nodded, breathing in slowly as if it could cause them pain.

“Just tell me everything, please.”

“I have a lot of memories from the voyage. The more I think about it, the more surprised I am that I even survived.”

His words were slow and measured. They reminded Saia of Zeles's speeches at the temple, when he still pretended to be a millenary god.

“Humans... I wish I could be more precise, but there were no identifiers as to which city or culture they belonged. Some humans have created a weapon to destroy us. They can play it while facing the water, and from what I can gather by the conversations and thoughts I remember, it tears apart the viss we've made of.”

“ ’Play’ it?”

“The weapon is a whistle,” Enanit said. “Reminds you of something?”

Serit blinked.

“So you think…”

“No, Serit,” Izha said. “This situation is so unexpected we're refraining from coming to any conclusion. This is the reason why these people haven't returned, though. Their viss is too damaged. These humans are doing all they can to kill them.”

“But we should be careful and not make the news public,” Héshe added. “At least until we've decided on a plan of action. Especially not so close to the Festival of Light.”

“The news is already spreading,” Enanit said. “They're not the only two who have returned. People are desperate to know.”

“We're addressing that,” Héshe continued. “For now, the temple is closed and no one can rain. Going down there is too dangerous.”

Serit's shoulders curved a bit. That sentence sealed shut any possibility to continue their research. Saia would have been happy about it, if her future hadn't suddenly become so uncertain.

“I’m in charge of sending the human settlements some messages with a rain of éshan to deter them from using the weapon,” Héshe added. “Izha will make sure Iriméze’s new route will avoid all the inhabited areas and settled in a deserted place where we can resume the rains. Enanit will alert the other cities and ask whether they’re dealing with similar problems.”

Enanit breathed in, hard, leaning forward until her crossed arms were resting on the corner of the table.

“So this is what we're doing? Ignoring the obvious, ignoring the decisions we took together?” She gave Serit a brusque nod. “To spare their feelings?”

“Is there something I should know?” they asked in a completely neutral tone, as if they weren't expecting anything anymore.

“Well, let's say that it's extremely suspicious that the humans down there started to prepare a weapon to destroy us just as your research was coming to its conclusion.”

“These insinuations are your own,” Izha interjected. “Don't present them as if we all agreed.”

“Agree on what?” Serit said, fist closed at their side and trembling. “Can you be more specific, representative Enanit?”

“Sure, engineer Serit. Your research is about bringing our people down on earth for the first time in history. At the same time, humans invent a weapon that is very similar to one you created that can specifically hurt us, but it’s innocuous to them. It's almost as if you wanted us to go down there for a different reason than exploration and resource gathering.”

“You…,” Serit let the sentence fall, their eyebrows drawn together in an expression that started out as confusion, then slowly spilled over into hurt when they shifted their eyes to Izha. “You think I did all of this to hurt Iriméze?”

“No,” the representative immediately answered. “But we do think that someone has gotten access to your researches and might use them against us.”

“Regardless,” Enanit commented, “You'll stay in the warehouse for the foreseeable future.”

“Until we clarify what's happened,” Héshe specified.

“Unless,” Enanit said, glaring at her. “You accept to have your memories thoroughly read by one of our memory readers.”

Serit made a half step back at that. They stared at the representatives in disbelief.

“You just want access to my researches without having to deal with me.”

Their voice was barely a whisper. Enanit leaned back on the chair.

“You'll stay in the warehouse, then. It's decided.”

“And where will you stay?” Serit asked.

The representatives stared in silence, not understanding.

“I mean,” Serit continued. “I guarantee I haven't revealed my research to anyone. But I wasn't the only one in the room who could have done that. And you,” they nodded at Enanit in the same way she'd done when addressing them, “Have always disagreed with me on everything. My research, my methods, my very presence here. Why?”

Enanit's eyes narrowed. She seemed on the verge of answering, but no sound came from her parted lips.

“I don't trust you,” she said in the end.

“Why?” Serit pressed.

“I don't have to justify anything.”

“I’ll be imprisoned and you can't even bother to admit that you hate me!”

“Serit, please,” Héshe interjected. “It's a decision we took together. I don't hate you, but I still think it's the right choice.”

Serit turned to look at Izha. His gaze didn't waver while he slowly nodded.

“I agree, even if I don't think any of this is your fault.”

Serit lowered their head, shoulders high and tense. Hilon stepped forward until she was closer to them.

“I obtained permission to visit you and ask for your help with my researches,” she said. “If you want, you can keep working for me.”

Saia was a bit bewildered that she would immediately think of work in that situation. But Serit relaxed a bit and looked up with a bit less hopelessness in their eyes.

“Did you see the same things representative Izha did?”

She hesitated, glancing to the side at the representatives, as if to ask for permission to reveal that information, then at Saia and her ring of guards.

“I… Not exactly. I do remember humans and a place that might be similar to Izha's, but they're too confused. I can't say with confidence that I saw the weapon or anything similar. But,” she added, seeing the sudden twinkle in Serit's eyes, “I rained in the middle of the sea, so it's possible I avoided them this way.”

“So we're not sure, then?”

“A lot of the people who returned have reported about the weapon,” Héshe said. “It's happening, we just don't know where. Which makes the situation much more delicate.”

Serit nodded slowly, but they kept staring at Hilon, as if to remark that the topic wasn't closed yet. Then, they turned toward the representatives.

“I have another question,” they said.

Izha and Héshe nodded, while Enanit took a sheet of paper from a stack on her side of the table, clearly considering the conversation to be over.

“Will you at least move the children of viss’ shelter from the fourth level to the second?”

“You didn't complete your research, so no,” Enanit said, still reading the paper.

Serit ignored her too, focusing on the other representatives.

“Our experts say that a lot of damaged viss will bring us more children of viss than usual,” Héshe said. “A lot of new people joining the lower levels in a moment where many more have rained to never return could cause instability in a difficult situation.”

Serit tensed again.

“That sounds like an excuse, representative Héshe.”

She grabbed the armrests of her chair, using them to prop herself straighter.

“Do you really want your people to join the citizens en masse when so many of them have disappeared? Reflect on it for a moment, and if you think that's a good idea, I'll give the order to transfer the shelter immediately.”

Enanit raised her eyes from the sheets, frowning.

“We had agreed not to-“

Héshe raised a hand and she stopped.

Serit stared at her, their eyes calculating.

“No, let's wait,” they said in the end. “But once all of this is over, I'll ask again.”

Héshe nodded slowly, relaxing again against the back of her chair.

“Good. In your last letter you mentioned you had something extremely important to discuss with me. What is it?”

Whatever it was, Saia thought there was a much more important question to answer, first. Serit spoke before she could decide whether it was a good idea to draw the representatives' attention to herself right at that moment.

“My intention was to talk to you specifically about it.”

Héshe produced a polite smile.

“I would share everything with my colleagues, so we might as well discuss it here.”

Serit stared at her for a long moment. Saia wondered whether she was getting revenge for their earlier comment about making excuse not to move the shelter.

“I was summoned by the wind spirits' elders,” Serit started speaking, slowly.

The three representatives and Hilon went immediately still.

“They already knew about Saia,” Serit continued.

Enanit put down the sheets.

“The sphere?”

“Yes. They know who she is and what she's capable of. And that's not all: they want me and her to work for them during the next ascension. They said they would attack Iriméze if we didn't give them what they wanted.”

Héshe, Izha and Enanit looked at each other, searching for guidance, clarification or an outlet for their rage.

“Why?” Izha asked.

“They want to build a... They called it 'a ship', but it's more similar to a closed container of metal that can fly around through some patterns. They’re building a big one, apparently, and they need a lot of viss.”

“The sphere,” Héshe said. “And what about you?”

“To connect her to the ship, probably. It's the only thing that comes to mind.”

“So they know about the research too?” Enanit asked, laying her hands flat on the table as if she was about to stand up.

“Yes. But I negotiated with them,” Serit added. They stood straighter, with a hint of a smile on their lips. “They will leave, so I promised them Iriméze's help with rounding up the newborn spirits and bringing them to the ship, wherever it'll be. And another sphere.”

Saia expanded her domain to cover the whole room. She didn't like where the conversation was going; if Serit mentioned Aili, she'd have to act. She didn't know how, but she only had one chance before she was deactivated forever. Her viss moved faster inside her sphere.

“Another?” Enanit said. “Let's just give them that one, why is she even still active? And you're going to prison, not to the warehouse.”

“Enanit,” Izha called.

“No. They put the entire city in danger for their trip to Ifse! I knew this would happen.”

They pointedly looked at Héshe, who lowered her eyes onto the table.

“They already knew,” Serit said slowly. “Just like the humans seem to know about my whistle, just like my kidnappers seemed to know…”

“Your kidnappers?” Izha asked, then looked at the other representatives. “No one mentioned anything about this.”

“I was attacked twice. Saia is awake because she's the only one capable of protecting me.”

They told the representatives about the first attack, at the arena, and then the second at Ifse, pointing out how Saia had saved them.

“They wanted me and seemed to know about my research and who Saia is, just like the elders did. As I told you, I think they're working together. But they both want my collaboration, and maybe Saia or a sphere too, so they're also in competition. The elders didn't seem to know about that until I told them.”

There was an instant of silence. Saia could feel Héshe's worry, Izha and Hilon's apprehension for Serit.

“You're giving yourself too much importance,” Enanit said, voice low.

“I knew about the attack at the arena from the guards’ accounts,” Héshe said. “Even if you withheld a lot of details.”

Serit nodded.

“I was afraid one of you representatives had given them my research. I still am,” they added, pointedly looking at Enanit.

“Rebels,” Izha murmured. “I’ve never heard of a similar group. The fact we don't know what they want is worrisome. And they can move around freely.”

“Soon we'll be able to do that too,” Serit added. “The elders promised us a small ship to carry the newborn wind spirits, once they start the ascension. This will be a huge advantage over the other cities.”

“And what about the viss?” Héshe asked. “I’m sorry to say that, but we should just give them Saia.”

She tensed. That topic again.

“That's a bad idea,” Serit said. “We don't know how much viss is required to move a ship of that size. If she exhausts herself while it's not that far from our world they'll come back for revenge. So we shouldn't give them Saia, nor any other sphere.”

They glanced at Saia as they said that. She nodded slightly, shrinking her domain.

“Do we have alternatives?” Héshe asked.

“Sprites.”

It had been Hilon to speak, after minutes of silent observation.

“I’m surprised you're the one to say that,” Enanit said. “We need them. You know it better than anyone else.”

“For now,” Hilon specified, smiling a bit. “I have a project in the works that aims to reduce the amount of sprites we use. We could obtain the rest by bartering with the other cities, or by organizing a new drowning.”

Saia tried to not reflect too much on what that word suggested. She’d always thought sprites were captured, not that they could be fabricated if needed.

“A project?” Izha asked.

“Yes. I'll have the documentation delivered to you today.”

Serit's eyes were wide with surprise as they stared at their mentor.

“Do you mean…?”

She nodded, and Serit smiled.

“I can testify to the validity of this project,” they said, looking at Izha specifically.

“I still don't understand why the sphere is still awake,” Enanit said. “To act as engineer Serit's fancy bodyguard?”

“I’ll need her awake,” Hilon said. “Everything will be clearer once you'll have the project in front of you.”

“I’ve worked at it too, before starting my research,” Serit added. “You won’t be disappointed.”

The representatives looked at each other.

“We’ll have to discuss this new information you’ve given us,” Héshe said. “I think you can go, for now.”

Izha nodded, while Enanit murmured something that had a vague tone of approval.

Serit and Hilon raised their cupped hands, then turned to leave the building. Saia couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction when the guards surrounded Serit as well.