"Explain to me again," said Sagar, "why I can't just fly you to the top of the mountain?"

"You know why," said Ryn. He could have sworn the sky-captain was just being difficult for the sake of it. "We've been over this: There's nowhere for an airship to land up there, and if what Quel has heard is true then the palace where the Light Diamond is hidden only appears when viewed from below."

They stood next to Sagar's airship on the grass of the airfield in Alkul, the Ahalayan town Sagar had flown them to. The air was cold and crisp.

On one side was 'Team Diamond', those whom they had decided would be in the party that would attempt to retrieve the Light Jewel: Ryn, Nuthea, Elrann, Riss, and Quel.

Opposite them stood 'Team Onyx', who they had decided were to travel on to attempt to retrieve the Shadow Jewel: Sagar, Cid, Vish and Huld.

"Well I'm still not quite sold on that," said Sagar. "If the palace is there some of the time, it has to be there all of the time, doesn't it? Look, why don't we just fly up there and see, and if it's there then you can jump down, pup, and nab the Diamond for us, and wham, bam, Bob's your uncle, job done?"

"Who is 'Bob'?" said Huld, not familiar with the idiom.

Ryn gave Sagar a withering look. "Sagar, if I jumped off your airship onto a glass palace, I'd probably die."

"Wooould you, though?" said Sagar. "Definitely? Ain't it worth a try to find out? I could hover in place just over the peak."

"I am not going to jump out of a flying airship onto a mountain when I don't even know if what we're looking for is there or not. How would I even get back to the ship?"

"You could do that thing where you shoot flames out of your feet to make yourself fly."

"I've only done that a couple of times in battles when I was under extreme pressure."

"Well, you'd be under extreme pressure here, wouldn't you?"

"Sagar, no," Ryn tried to say with finality. He almost growled with irritation like the skycaptain usually did.

"What about baldy, then? He has earth powers. He could just jump off and then get the earth to cushion his fall. Glass is made of earth, ain't it? If the palace is there he could shape the glass to avoid hurting himself on it too."

"I will try it if you want me to," said Huld.

"No!" Ryn said. "Don't actually offer to do what he says!"

"You will need Brother Huld's skills in the Frozen Waste," said Nuthea. "We have discussed this. As you know—"

"Alright," Sagar cut her off, "one of you can steer the ship straight and I'll do it—I'll jump off and lower myself safely with my wind powers, then fly back up when I've got the Diamond. Savvy?"

"Like I was about to say, Captain Sagar," said Nuthea, "as you know it is highly likely that whatever is guarding the Light Diamond will require several of us to defeat it, especially if the guardian of the Earth Emerald we fought is anything to go by. One of us would not be enough to retrieve it. Anyway, all of this is irrelevant. As Ryn said, we have been over this: All the stories Troubadour Quel has heard about the Glass Palace report it being seen from below. Nobody has ever reported seeing it when flying an airship over Mount Tesereset."

"But I just don't get that," Sagar said, waving his hands. "If something is there some of the time, from one angle, then it's there all of the time, from all angles!"

"It's likely because it's the home of the Light Jewel, Master Sagar," said Quel. "Manipulation of the element of light includes among other things the projection of light-based illusions. It could be that the palace is concealed from sight when viewed from above by a kind of light-trick. Or it could be that the palace itself is some sort of magical entity that only manifests when viewed from below. That is why some of us must scale the mountain."

Sagar just wasn't giving up. "But I still don't see why we can't all go to get the Diamond and then all go to get the Onyx!" He started to growl quietly.

"We decided this," said Nuthea like she was explaining it to a child. "Weren't you listening? It's all about time. It's going to take us a lot of time to get the Diamond and the Onyx, and time is not a resource of which we have lots, hence we need to go after two Jewels simultaneously. And your own elemental powers will be required for what Cid, Vish and Huld will need you to do in the Frozen—"

"FINE!" burst out Sagar, throwing up his hands and at last giving in. "Let's just get this godsdamned business over with, then!"

"Go well," Cid said to Ryn and Team Diamond. "May your way be the Way of the One."

"Er…and also with you?" said Ryn, not knowing the correct response. Nuthea just repeated the same phrase back to Cid.

Quel nodded his head. Riss mumbled a goodbye. Huld bowed. Vish did nothing.

Sagar clasped Ryn's hand reluctantly like a bad loser in a game of check.

When Sagar got to Nuthea she gave him a quick farewell hug.

"Uh-uh." Sagar shook his head at her. "No way I'm leaving without a goodbye kiss, princess."

Ryn's temper lit, and he ground his teeth. Why does he always have to be such an ass?

"Hey, come on," Sagar said when Nuthea blushed. "What's the big deal? I've grown to like having you around, princess, and these missions we're each going on are highly dangerous—we might never even see each other again. Just one little kiss on the cheek. Call it a downpayment on our eventual reunion and the future provision of gold, gemstones and beautiful women."

"..alright," said Nuthea, glancing at Ryn. "As you wish, Captain Sagar." Why was she indulging him? She must just want to get on with things as quickly as possible with minimal fuss.

She moved to give Sagar a peck on the cheek, but at the last moment the sky-pirate turned his head and she ended up planting her lips on his in a full-on kiss.

Outrage pierced Ryn's guts and his cheeks flamed hot, but he just about managed to hold himself back. What right did he have to protest? Nuthea had politely rejected all of his romantic advances so far, after all.

The princess stepped back, breaking the kiss, then slapped Sagar across the face.

"You rogue!" she said, but Ryn couldn't tell if there was just the littlest hint of amusement in her voice.

"Totally worth it," said Sagar, looking at Ryn with a wolfish smile. Ryn felt himself scowl back.

"Right then," said Nuthea, clearly flustered but recomposing herself, "now that we've all said our goodbyes, let us part ways. We shall meet back here, in Alkul, in one month's time as agreed. If you arrive back first, wait for us here until one month is up; otherwise you may assume that we have perished and carry on with the quest yourselves. And we shall do the same."

The group said their final solemn farewells, and Sagar and Team Onyx turned and climbed the hand-holds on the outside of Wanderlust back up to the deck, while Ryn and Team Diamond made their way across the airfield and into Alkul proper. Nuthea looked back once, Ryn noticed, before they all turned and watched the airship take off.

Alkul was not a wealthy town. A jumble of boxlike wood-and-stone structures huddled together on the grassy slopes like travellers sheltering against the elements, roofs and window panes painted bright blues and reds their only effort at adornment. But even the grandest of mansions would have been dwarfed by the majesty of the vista that spread out behind them: The snow-clad Ahalayan mountains, their peaks a jagged line dividing sky from land, and in their midst, towering over them, the tallest mountain of all, their next objective, the home of the Light Diamond: Mount Tesereset.

"So wait, we have to climb that?" said Elrann as they walked.

"Yes," said Nuthea. "But with Ryn's fire projection and Troubadour Quel's water projection we should be able to manage."

"Before we climb it though," said Quel, pulling his cloak tighter around himself against the high-altitude cold, "we will need to hike to it. The route to the foot of Tesereset is treacherous and difficult to find amidst the smaller mountain slopes and ravines."

"How will we do that, then?" asked Ryn.

"Simple. We find a guide. The only reason anyone ever comes to Alkul who doesn't live here already is because they want to climb Mount Tesereset. As a result an industry has built up here, the nearest town to it, run by locals offering knowledge of their native landscape to visitors looking to climb it."

"Why do so many people want to climb it?"

"Why else? Because it is there to climb. Because it is the tallest mountain in Mid. Though there's more to it than that. Stories about the Glass Palace are widespread, and there are a host of other rumours that circulate with them. Tales of strange wonders that have been discovered at the top of the mountain. Hidden knowledge. Wisdom. Riches. Rumours of people who have climbed to its peak and never been seen again, because they attained enlightenment, or immortality. They say that if you climb Tesereset, at its summit you will find your heart's desire."

Ryn pondered this for a moment. Would he find his heart's desire at the summit of this mountain, if indeed they survived climbing it? What was his heart's desire? To find the Jewels, overthrow the Emperor, and bring back his parents (if he could), of course. Certainly he would be closer to the fulfilment of those goals if they made it up the mountain and found the Light Diamond.

But those weren't his only heart's desires.

He stole a quick look at Nuthea walking next to him. Would he attain his other heart's desire if he made it to the top of this mountain?

Somehow he doubted it.

"So where are we gonna find our mountain-guide?" said Elrann.

"They offer their services from most inns in Alkul," said Quel. "Look, here's one now." The bard nodded at a building with a swinging board on which had been painted a crude picture of a bed. They found the entrance and ducked inside.

The inn was a cramped, choked affair, a crackling fire in a stone hearth filling its common room with heat and smoke.

A fire at this hour? Ryn thought, its energy alive to his elemental perception. What time of day even is it anyway? They had flown half across the world twice in the last week, and he had had lost track. He guessed it must be late afternoon, local time. He felt ready to sleep now though.

A man wrapped in colourful knitted woollen clothes and hat sat behind a desk at one end of the room.

Team Diamond approached him. Quel seemed happy to remain in his role of adviser, so Ryn and Nuthea led.

"Excuse me," Ryn said tentatively.

The man appeared to be reading something under the desk. He did not look up.

"Excuse me," Ryn said a bit more loudly.

The man raised his eyes and gave Ryn a contemptuous look.

When he didn't say anything, Ryn ventured "We're looking to climb Mount Tesereset. I was wondering if you could please arrange a guide for us to take us there."

The man's pupils moved left and right.

"All of you?" he said in a delicately musical Ahalayan accent.

"That's right."

A pause.

"No," said the man.

Ryn frowned. "Why not?"

"Too many of you." He gestured at Riss. "Plus you have a child with you. You will never manage the climb. It is too dangerous. Also, it is the off-season. It is Summer in Ahalaya now, as you know. The climb cannot be attempted at this time of year. No mountain-guide in their right mind will take you. Come back in six months, without the child."

Ryn turned and considered Riss. He had almost forgotten she was here, she was so quiet. Whilst on the edge of adolescence, he supposed that she was still technically a child, and certainly still the size of a child.

Nuthea put her hand on the desk. The man looked at it as if a mountain cat had just defecated on it, then slowly up at her.

"Let me explain further," said the princess in her 'I am in charge here and you are going to do what I say now' voice (her normal voice, Ryn supposed). "I have considerable means at my disposal and I am willing to pay you a very large amount of money to guide us to the foot of the mountain, or to arrange for someone else who is able to do so."

For a moment the man seemed to consider the offer. But then he clicked his tongue and said, "No. Don't care how much money you have, lady. No mountain guide will take so many people up Tesereset, especially when one is so young, especially at this time of year. Trying to climb Teserest at this time is a death sentence. And nobody wants to do business with a guide who kills their clients—it would ruin their reputation. Like I said, no guide in their right mind will take you right now. Have a good day."

He returned to his reading.

Ryn took the next go. He leaned down a bit closer to the desk and said in a low voice, "You do realise that we're just asking for someone to take us to the foot of the mountain, right? We don't need them to lead us up it—just to get us to it."

This raised one of the innkeeper's eyebrows, but only for a moment. "Yeah? So what? Makes no difference. Conditions are so bad at this time of year that even the walk to the foot of the mountain is extremely dangerous. Blizzards can blow up at any moment. The mountain's liable to avalanches. And the air is extremely cold. It is practically a death sentence for the guide as much as the guided. And even if you got to it, how would you propose to climb the mountain by yourselves?"

"Well," Ryn began, and pulled down one of his sleeves, ready to demonstrate some fire projection to the innkeeper, just as he had done to get them into the Governor's building in Farr, but Nuthea grabbed his arm and hissed "Ryn, no!"

That drew the most interest from the innkeeper's expression yet, but it seemed to be more from puzzlement than from any kind of desire to take them to Mount Tesereset.

"Excuse us one moment," Nuthea said to him, holding up a finger.

They shuffled back from the desk a few paces.

"Okay, team huddle," Nuthea whispered, and the five of them gathered round. "Ryn, you can't show him your fire projection. We were too hasty using our elemental projection in Farr, and that may have been what drew the Empire there. We must continue to operate incognito, remember?"

"Right, sorry," said Ryn, annoyed that he had been about to make a hasty mistake.

"But what else can we do, princess girl?" said Elrann. "The guy doesn't want to take us to the mountain and he isn't convinced we can make the journey."

"We could ask him if he'll take us if we leave Riss behind?" Ryn said, keen to offer a sensible suggestion. "We could pay for her to stay at the inn while the rest of us go and get the Diamond."

"We can't do that!" said Nuthea. "Lady Riss is a valuable member of our party. We may need her spirit projection to assist in whatever trials await us on Tesereset. Plus, it wouldn't be safe for her to leave her here by herself."

Ryn frowned, doubly annoyed that his second idea hadn't sparked either. Riss herself gave nothing away. She didn't even particularly want to come on this expedition as far as Ryn could work out. He had thought they would be doing her a kindness if they let her stay behind. But she didn't show any disappointment at Nuthea insisting she should come, at least.

"So what do you suggest we do, then?" Ryn asked Nuthea, unable to keep the defensiveness from his voice.

"I am not sure…" she said.

That's right. Money, bossiness, and lightning-slinging haven't worked, so you're all out of options.

"Let's try another inn," put in Quel. "It may be that this mountain guide is more on the cautious side. Perhaps another will be willing to take us."

They broke the huddle and Elrann called to the innkeeper, "Never mind then, guide guy! We'll go and try someone else. Kaythanksbye!"

"You won't find anyone who will be willing take you," the innkeeper called after them.

"We'll see," Ryn muttered under his breath.

They tried five more inns and were rejected by five more mountain guides. One openly laughed in their face. They all said variations of the same things: there were too many of them; they could not travel with a young girl; it was too cold; the conditions were too dangerous; it was the off-season; come back in a few months.

They began to contemplate trying to navigate the path to the mountain by themselves, but Quel persuaded them to try just one more inn.

It wasn't hard to find one. Every second building in Alkul seemed to be an inn or a guest house, since its main industry was mountain-guiding.

The one that Quel chose next, though, was on the opposite edge of the town, nearest the mountain, and was even shabbier and more run down than the others. The last building on the street that led out of Alkul, a couple of the panes in its lower floor windows were missing, and the bright blue paint peeled off its window ledges. The place had seen better days. Presumably.

By now dusk of this short Winter's day had fallen and early evening drinkers had begun to fill the common room of this particular inn, which apparently doubled as a public drinking house, so the companions would have an audience for their final rejection. The patrons looked up briefly at them from drinks so strong they made Ryn's eyes water at distance, but then paid them no more mind, going back to gloomily nursing their mugs.

Ryn and his companions paced across the sticky floor to a dishevelled bar-cum-reception-desk with circular stains all across its top, as well as spatters of some substance Ryn really hoped wasn't dried blood. Behind it stood a man in the same colourful knitted garments all the locals seemed to wear here, only his were tattier, with loose ends sticking out here and there, and he had a more grizzled, hardy look to the set of his scowl.

"Whadyawant?" grunted the man.

"Hello," said Ryn. His mother had always taught him that manners were free and could get you a long way in life. Nuthea would approve too. "My companions and I are looking to climb Mount Tesereset and we are seeking a guide to—"

"No," said the man.

"Oh come on!" said Ryn.

"No. I won't take you."

"But you didn't even let me finish!"

"Won't take you up the mountain, or to the mountain. Too cold. Too dangerous. And you have a child with you."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Ryn lamented.

"'cause it's true," said the man.

"But don't you understand that we're willing to pay you good money?"

"Don't care. No use having a lotta money if you're dead."

"But we only want someone to guide us to the mountain, not up it!"

"Don't care. Won't do it. Can pull you a drink, though. You wanna drink?"

Ryn blew his cheeks out. The fire in him had almost died. "You know what? Fine. We'll take a drink."

"Ryn!" said Nuthea. "What are you doing?"

"Well we might as well, mightn't we?" After all, he had turned eighteen over the last year, though he hadn't marked it, which was the traditional age that you were allowed to drink alcohol in Efstan, but he had not had a drink in ages.

Nuthea pouted, but then she said. "Oh, alright; I suppose there's no harm in one drink. What do you have here, barkeep?"

"We got raksi," said the innkeeper, now as the barman.

"And what else?"

"We got raksi."

"Do you have any white grape-wine?"

"Raksi."

"Don't you have anything else?

"No. Rak. Si."

Nuthea frowned and the air around her crackled just a little bit, though the barman didn't seem to notice. "Very well then. What, pray tell, is 'rak-si'?

"Distilled Ahalayan grain-spirit. Veeery strong. Good stuff. Get you drunk fast."

Nuthea wrinkled her nose. "If that's all you have, then, we will take five small glasses of 'raksi', please." She looked round at Riss. "Wait, make that four glasses, please. Do you have any water?"

"We got raksi."

"How can…?" Nuthea began, but then appeared to think better of it. "Never mind. Alright, four small glasses of raksi, and one very small glass, please."

"Five raksis comin' up," said the barman. He tapped a barrel for their five regular-sized dirty glasses of the clear liquid, and after Nuthea handed over the silver for them they took one of the vacant tables together.

The fumes from the drink stung the back of Ryn's throat before he had even picked it up. With a great effort of will he brought it to his mouth and gulped a taste, which made his throat sting several more times over.

Elrann chucked back the whole of hers in one go happily. Nuthea took a sip like Ryn and then made a face like curdling milk. Quel managed the faintest grimace. Riss didn't even bother trying it.

"So what do we do?" Ryn said. "Nobody will take us. We need to either brave the mountain trail ourselves, or wait a few months—time we don't have."

"I think the first option would be foolish," sighed Quel, "even with our gifts to aid us, Master Ryn."

"We could go after the Moon Jewel Thingamie instead," said Elrann. "The one you said was in Frikia?"

"The trouble there," said Quel quietly, "is that it could take even longer to track down the Moon Pearl than the Light Diamond. It is reportedly in the possession of the Veltono tribe who travel the whole of Frikia, and we have no way of knowing where they reside currently. What's more, we told Master Sagar that we would meet him back here in Alkul in one month."

"'scuse me, folks," slurred someone from behind Ryn, "but I couldn't help from overhearin' that you're looking for someone t'take you to Mount Taseress.. Tesserar…to the Big Mountain."

Ryn turned in his chair to look into the unshaven face of the most dishevelled Ahalyan man they had encountered yet, getting a fresh stink of alcohol from the man's breath in the process. This man's knitted clothes, the tattiest yet, had once been colourful, but were now almost completely faded or stained, full of holes, in places hanging off him in rags. The stubble on his chin was coming through white and the matted tufts of hair on his head were white as well. His eyes were bloodshot and he wobbled a little where he sat.

"Yes, that's right…" Ryn said. "Why? Do you know someone who might be able to take us?"

The stranger slapped a palm to his own chest. "I'll take you, if you can pay me."