Beqai turned to the rest of our group as they swam away. “Kumi, our people need to see that they are cared for and that order is being restored. Before you rest, go back into the city and find our craftsmen. Charge them to rebuild what has been damaged. Rally the guard to search for Cadrin, but keep it quiet; I do not want a panic on top of all this destruction.”
Tears streamed down Kumi’s face as she stepped close to embrace her father. Beqai took her into his arms and stroked her hair affectionately.
“You’ve returned to us, Father,” Kumi murmured.
“With the help of your young friend, yes.”
“I can use my Augmentation to assist with clean-up and repairs,” Faryn offered.
“And we can help hunt Cadrin,” Vesma said, nodding to Kegohr.
“Thank you, mighty disciples of Radiant Dragon,” Beqai said. “Your kind acts are most valued. But first, rest. The Qihin will look to their own city. I could not ask any more of each of you than you have already given.”
My companions withdrew gratefully as the king turned back to me. “A mighty deed. Worthy of one who flows with the current of Xilarion.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said. “I must say, you seem a lot more lucid than you did before.”
King Beqai of the Qihin stroked his seaweed beard as he stared out to sea in the direction of the Resplendent Tears Guild House. “I have indulged myself for too long. Sunk so deeply into the slumber of peace that I could barely be awakened. It took you to pull me back from that. The question now is how to act against the enemies assailing my people.”
“Horix has to be behind this. Too many of his guild fought against us for it to just be a collection of ambitious individuals. I believe Cadrin is merely a pawn, used by Horix. ”
“I trust to your intuition, as much as it saddens me to say it.”
“Horix has the Depthless Dream Trident, and I assume he plans to use it against you and your city.” I shook my head. “But that’s what I can’t figure out. None of this makes any sense. Why not just kill you outright? Why were they so intent on destroying the city with the wyrms?”
“The Depthless Dream is a fickle item,” Beqai said solemnly. “It requires clear skies and time in meditation to draw upon the true power within it.”
“So Horix wants the true power of the trident. That’s his game.”
“Again, I must agree. Horix’s target is not me. Nor is it Qihin Clan. He hates Wilds, yes, but not just those in the Diamond Coast. He would see them purged from all the realms. He will raise a tide of blood to bring him victory and cares not if it drowns my city and my clan. But we are simply one small pond in a vast sea of his dark ambitions.”
“Do you know that Labu has taken Horix’s side?”
“It saddens me that my own son would choose guild over clan, but once they come of age, young men must make their own decisions.”
The rain had passed, and the sea slowly stilled. A hand burst from the water in front of us, then another, and a head. The king’s guards climbed up the side of the dock and knelt in front of him. One laid a core on the ground.
“Your Majesty,” he said.
“Here, my boy.” Beqai gestured for me to pick up the core. “It’s all yours.”
I picked it up, pressed it against my chest, and felt power rush through me as I absorbed the core. The exhaustion abated a little as my flesh tingled with magical energy.
“With the core you already took, this will grant you the Crashing Wave technique,” Beqai said. “On the surface, you will be able to summon tidal waves across bodies of water. Under the water, it can be used to batter enemies or throw them around with great pushes of water force.”
The king had the same technique, I realized. He’d just used it to pull me back from the ocean. It was almost impossible to imagine King Beqai killing two tidal wyrms. But you could never judge a person’s power in a world like this purely on appearance.
I raised my hand and let the Vigor flow down the newly forged channel. I focused on the ocean as I tried to call forth a wave. Nothing moved in response, even though I could feel the strength of the magic inside me.
Beqai chuckled to himself and waved one of his tentacles. “You’re like an infant who has just ridden his first seahorse and thinks he’s ready to ride a killer whale. The ocean is vast and willful; it cannot be so easily tamed. You must gain practice and experience first.”
“Then, that’s what I’ll do,” I said. I was eager to work on this new skill, to master it and make its power mine. “Can you point me to a river or lake that’s a good size to start with?”
Beqai laughed again. “For now, focus on what makes you strong. Adaptability and the combination of elements, characteristics fitting for one who pursues the mantle of the Immortal Swordslinger.”
“Fair.” I bowed to him. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“I grant nothing. You earned it when you killed two tidal wyrms—a mighty feat by any standard, and one that has saved my city. Now, come; the tide of night wanes. We should return to the palace. You and your friends can rest there. Tomorrow, I will throw a great feast to celebrate your victory and to once again reintroduce myself to those of my court. And then, we have a council of war. The Resplendent Tears Guild has stirred trouble against us for too long. It is time for us to take the battle to them.”
Chapter Seventeen
I staggered into a room the king had
