“What do we know about Horix?” I asked.
“He was a general for the Emperor at the same time as Beqai and Xilarion. The three of them were once friends. That’s why Guildmaster Xilarion believes the message you carry may help resolve the tensions between them.”
“Politics,” Kegohr groaned.
“I don’t care much for politics, either,” Faryn said. “That’s far more in Master Kyu’s area.”
“Doesn’t the Emperor have diplomats and politicians for all this?” I asked. “People who smooth over difficult relationships for a living, rather than hit them in the face with a sword?”
“It takes time for the imperial bureaucracy to act on anything,” Faryn said. “And the Emperor’s response to the Wysaros shows just how cautious he currently is. It’s best that both Guildmaster Horix and King Beqai hear the news sooner rather than later. Perhaps the news of what happened in our province will help them resolve their problems without bloodshed.
“War is coming with forces from beyond our borders. To stand strong, the Emperor will need the backing of all the clans and guilds. And for that to happen, he needs them to be at peace with each other.” Faryn plucked a dandelion from the grass at her feet. “Master Xilarion sees what many around the Emperor do not—that the many small fractures in the empire leave it fragile, ready to shatter at the first blow.” The dandelion seeds scattered to the winds as Faryn puffed them away to prove her point.
By now, we had reached an actual road of rounded rocks packed together with dirt. The path twisted past a last mile of fields into a wide expanse of marshes. Beyond that, the sea sparkled an aquamarine blue. Over to our right, the land rose to a headland. Craggy cliffs jutted aggressively out over a lagoon. A patchwork of islands could be seen a few miles from the shore, where boats peppered the waters between them and the mainland.
“What’s are those islands?” I asked Vesma.
She drew out her map and studied it for a second. “The Wild Isles,” she answered.
“It is no secret that the Wilds are disliked in this province,” Faryn said. “Qihin Clan is a noble family, but they are also Wilds themselves. They have protected those like them for centuries. If there is conflict between the clan and the guild, those isles could be at risk.”
“Then, we should get this letter to Horix right away,” I said.
“You should,” Faryn said, her eyes glistening as they stared at the islands. “But I’m afraid this is where we part ways.”
I looked at her in surprise. “You’re not going to join us all the way up to the guild house?”
Faryn shook her head. “Guilds are safe havens, for the most part. I’ve barely left the Radiant Dragon Guild in nearly two decades, and before then, I was never far from a guild’s influence. Or its safety.” The elf smiled softly. “Then, you came to us and turned everything on its head, Ethan. You adapted and showed courage unlike any person I’d ever seen. I decided I needed to follow your example and adapt more to this world I live in. So, no, I see no need to join you there. Not yet, at least.
“The best help I can offer isn’t to be with you every step of the way. You’re disciples of the Radiant Dragon Guild; you should be able to represent the guild by yourselves.” Faryn laughed. “You’re probably better with certain details, too. While you talk to the Resplendent Tears, I’ll be scouting out Vigorous Zones and finding healing herbs. After all, you’ll need to continue your training here. It’d be a waste for all of us to arrive at the Guild House as one.”
I couldn’t fault her logic.
“Find us when you can,” I said. “We’ll be at the guild. Or in the clan city.”
“Take care,” she said. “I will see you all soon.”
Faryn stepped off the road and into the fields. The green ears of rice swallowed up her form in seconds.
We headed out along the road, once again a merry band of three. Our journey led uphill toward the headland, and our pace slowed as we climbed the steep rise. By the time we neared the top, salt from my sweat had reached my lips.
Other travelers passed us on the road. They still seemed wary of Kegohr, but not as fearful as those who lived in the orchard communities. Some nodded hello or exchanged words of greeting. Kegohr helped a little old lady get her bags to a tearoom halfway up the hill, but she fled as soon as he handed them to her.
We stopped at the brow of the hill and stared out in wonder at the view. Unlike the Wild Isles, I saw a single island standing proudly a mile or two out to sea. Most of the landmass was taken up with a single great crag of rock, its edges worn smooth by years of storm winds and sea spray. In the shelter of the rock stood an elaborate structure of towers and fortified walls. The sun combed over the building, and it shone in a way that only ice could. The guild house’s peaks gleamed in the sunlight, and waves crashed at their base.
We were just a mile or two away from the Guild of Resplendent Tears.
Chapter Five
Waves crashed against the rocky shoreline as we made our way off the cliff and down a large wooden hut at its base. The building sat on stilts caked with seaweed, barnacles, and salt. A banner flying from its roof bore the teardrop symbol of the Resplendent Tears Guild. Half a dozen boats painted in blue and white laid on the shingle beside the hut.
A soldier came out of the hut to meet us as we approached the boats. She wore
