Twenty‑five minutes later, Corazon watches as the Itim Tsaa compound comes into view. My empire. Home. Can't wait for Carol to see this; she'll be impressed, I just know it.

"I must admit, I hadn't expected it to be this large," Merga interrupts.

"I've been building it for over six years," Corazon explains, hiding her surprise at Merga's presence on the bridge.

"I assume there's a reason we're here instead of searching for the Bakunawa?"

"This is where our search begins."

"We already have the Dragon Blood Jasper."

"But do you know how to use it?"

Merga remains silent.

"I have information that will allow us to unlock the secrets held within the Jasper," Corazon continues.

"I do hope this isn't you stalling for time."

"Why would I stall for time? The Qǐyuán Wángguó will have dispatched an assault force by now," Corazon explains. "At a minimum, Shuigang's Sky Battalion will have been mobilised, as will the Fleet of Shang Tu. However, I cannot say whether the Fleet of Shang Mu will mobilise. Mayor Zao's priorities are illogical and vainglorious; he's just as likely to ignore the call to arms as he is to honour it."

"What about the Red Scarves?"

"Irrelevant. They'll never send the whole guild after me; they'll just keep sending useless operatives in pairs."

"The Gotoshi Republic and the Hisui Teikei? I can't imagine they'd stand idly by."

"Too busy rebuilding after their civil war. Shame that had to happen; I lost my swordsmith."

"My condolences."

"Oh, she's not dead, just in prison. Maybe I'll free her when I subjugate the Republic."

"After we've exterminated the impure dragons."

"Obviously. We're about to land."

"Ah, good timing," Carol interrupts, entering the bridge and munching on an onigiri. "Oh, is this Itim Tsaa?" she asks, looking out over the compound.

"It is indeed," Corazon confirms.

"Cool!" Carol chimes. "It's bigger than I thought it'd be."

"I have spent six years building it," Corazon explains.

"Are you going to give me a tour?" Carol asks.

"We don't really have time for that," Corazon refuses.

"Why not?" Carol presses. "You can give me a tour while Merga and… what's the greasemonkey's name again?"

"He doesn't have one," Corazon answers. "Or if he does, he's never told me, despite my asking. I just call him 'greasemonkey'."

"Weird. Anyway, while he and Merga are unlocking the info in the Jasper, you can give me a tour," Carol suggests.

Corazon thinks a moment. "OK," she relents. "But it'll have to be quick; I don't want any unnecessary delays."

"That's fair," Carol accepts.

Once on the ground, Corazon, Carol, Merga, and the greasemonkey disembark, with Merga following the greasemonkey to his workshop, and Carol following Corazon as the older wildcat arranges for the Sigwada to be restocked and refuelled. Once these minor tasks are complete, Corazon commences the tour.

Over the next hour, Corazon shows Carol the entirety of the barkada complex, finishing with the younger wildcat's new quarters just down the corridor from her own.

As Carol enters her new quarters, she cannot help but be impressed at the size and luxury. "Wow!" she breathes. "Never had anything like this in the treehouse!"

"You mean to say, despite the wealth your fame bought you, you kept living like you did when you were a street criminal?" Corazon asks, surprised.

"Well, not quite the same," Carol explains. "The extra money meant we could afford a few luxuries and better food, but we never really thought about getting a new place. Being famous is fun, but it's nice to have somewhere far away from it all where you can just relax with friends. Plus, treehouses are pretty cool."

"Once all this is over, I guarantee you'll always have a place that will remain private," Corazon assures. "Speaking of which, I don't need to tell you never to enter my quarters without my permission. Obviously, I will likewise refrain from entering yours."

"Fine by me!" Carol grins. "Everyone's gotta have their personal space, after all. And it'll be nice having a room to myself for a change."

"You didn't have your own room in the treehouse?"

"Nope: we all shared the same room."

"Must have been awkward."

"Only when Lilac was dropping her heropants."

"I don't follow," Corazon claims.

"Well, you know what they say about dragons," Carol sighs.

"Still not sure I get it," Corazon replies, feigning innocence.

Carol looks at her sister quizzically. "All the research you've done, and you didn't learn that a dragon's libido is nearly insatiable?"

"Was she really that bad?"

"You have no idea."

"The list of reasons your friendship was doomed to fail keeps growing."

"Yeah," Carol sighs. "But like you said, it's better that it's over sooner rather than later. Besides, I can always make new friends. It's much harder to make new family, and I'm grateful that I get a chance to reunite with what little I have."

"You'll have more when we persuade the rest of Yěmāo Shìzú to join us," Corazon assures.

"Do you think we'll be able to?"

"It won't be easy, but I know we'll succeed."

Without warning, Carol embraces her sister in a warm hug. "Thanks for being here for me."

Corazon, a little uncomfortable with the sudden intimacy, hesitates before returning the hug. "I'm… not really used to this."

"Then get used to it," Carol instructs kindly.

"I… I'll try, I guess."

Not wanting to make her sister too uncomfortable, Carol breaks the hug. "Thanks for the tour. I won't keep you any longer."

"It's been a pleasure," Corazon nods. "You're welcome to come down to the workshop if you like."

"If it's OK, I'd like to rest a while," Carol decides. "I'll probably come down in an hour or so."

"Of course it's OK," Corazon replies. "If we're ready to leave earlier, I'll come and let you know."

Corazon leaves Carol to rest and begins to make her way to the greasemonkey's workshop. It's great to have a sister who likes and respects me. She's so much more understanding than Coral ever was. She'll make an excellent enforcer when Yěmāo Shìzú is where it belongs: ruling the world.

Carol waits until she's sure Corazon is safely out of earshot, then locks the door and gets to work, painstakingly analysing every square inch of the room for possible weaknesses likely to be present in Corazon's room also. However, despite a meticulous search, Carol finds no exploitable weaknesses.

Feeling a little dejected, Carol heads out onto her balcony and looks out over the whole of Itim Tsaa. Corazon definitely knows how to build a proper stronghold, something Brevon never figured out; Thermal Base and the Dreadnought were like colanders compared to this place. Not even Serpentine without arms could find a secret passageway here. Looks like I'm going to have to break into my sister's quarters the hard way.

Carol turns to head back inside but stops when something catches her eye: Corazon's balcony, located just twenty feet from her own. Curious, Carol turns her attention to the wall between the two, looking for anything suitable to attaching a rope to, or anything that will allow her to cross from one balcony to the other. Failing to spot anything of use, she concludes there's only one option. I need a grappling claw and rope. And to not look down as I cross.

With a plan forming in her mind, Carol leaves her room to find the equipment she needs.