Renfei cursed the day this all started. Nearly four months ago the Arelius family quietly sent word to the Skysworn Underlord, Naru Gwei, that they lost the Blackflame turtle, Orthos.
Apparently they have been looking on their own for two months, the cave system where the turtle made its home is very extensive, a week had been wasted on looking for it in there, lack of the presence of a bloodline Arelius family member in Serpent's Grave at the time meant the cave system had to be searched first, when an Arelius did arrive in the city a week after learning the news, it took him only a day to confirm that the sacred beast is not in the city at all.
More Arelius bloodline members came to Serpent's Grave and they searched the hundred miles around the city in a month and a half, the turtle was nowhere to be found. So finally, they sent word to Captain Naru Gwei, they insisted that the Blackflame turtle is mostly safe, and pointed out that there had not been any reports of some rogue blackflame sacred beast attacking people.
The Arelius were quick to reiterate the point that the Blackflame, Orthos, is not a criminal or a prisoner, Orthos remained with the Arelius family because he had felt like it and he is free to come and go as he pleases, and unsaid was that, technically, the Arelius family were not charged by the Empire to look after the sacred beast, not that the Arelius family would stop looking for the turtle, of course. And then there were entreaties thrown in there to try to talk to the turtle instead of attacking him if they found him first.
With dead eyes, their captain, Naru Gwei, shared this news with the Truegolds of the Skysworn and asked them to quietly search for the blackflame sacred beast, they do not want the news leaked to the general public, only the Imperial clan, the three great clans of Kotai, Redflower and Jai, and the four great families, and the senior leadership among the imperial administration even knew that a Blackflame is still alive. Most of the sects, and civilians have no idea there is a Blackflame left in the Empire, even a rumour of it would cause a panic, result of stories that grew myths and legends about the madness and tyranny and even 'evil' of the Blackflames.
So for four months Renfei and Bai Rou had searched the western regions of the Blackflame Empire instead of guarding their usual patrol routes. Not that the time spent has been a waste, they are still Skysworn and they kept their eyes peeled and dealt with many crimes big and small, but usually the Skysworn Truegolds are mostly focused on the Empires southern and eastern borders.
Three months in the search they started hearing rumours of something happening in the Desolate Wilds. Technically part of the Empire, the Desolate Wilds are a lawless place, home to the rejects, rebels, exiles and weak. They mostly dismissed the rumours but the talk of these 'Transcendent Ruins' continued to persist, so Bai Rou and Renfei decided to take a look with the blessing of their captain.
It is the presence of the Cloud Hammer sect scouts in their path that clued Renfei in that there might be something of value in all this talk about the Ruins. Renfei, being a disciple of the Cloud Hammer Sect herself, hailed one of these scouts and learnt more about the situation. The Ruins ability to draw in vital aura from miles around concerned her and then the tale of an enormous sacred beast rushing into the Ruins as soon as they have risen alarmed her.
With more speed than advisable, Bai Rou and Renfei arrived at these Transcendent Ruins, only to find not one but two Blackflames before they even stepped down from their cloudship. The Arelius turtle and a young man with a face more suited for scowls than the smile he greeted them with, a young man who seemed to be eager to get arrested. And even more disturbing he asked for a ride for the turtle, as though they were their personal chauffeurs instead of the officers of law, respected and feared all across the Empire.
Once they led the young man, this Wei Shi Lindon, into the brig, a small scripted room really, the Arelius turtle, Orthos promptly plopped down in the middle of their cloudship and started to sleep with the miniature blue woman, who Renfei recognised is a well developed Sylvan Riverseed, sprawled on his head.
Thoroughly disturbed and confused, Renfei asked Bai Rou to remain on the ship to keep an eye on them and went back down the ship, hell bent on getting some damn answers.
And saw for the first time alongside the people waiting for them, probably leadership of this settlement, there are crates upon crates beside them.
Renfei observed the group waiting for her, a Cloud Hammer sacred artist, a Jai clan member, with their signature metallic hair, three others with unknown Goldsigns, and a young man who wore red scripted strips as a mask, all of them Truegolds except for the young man, who is Highgold. They introduced themselves without much prompting and gestured towards a table set with refreshments and plenty of chairs, inviting her to partake, with eager promises to tell all.
Renfei declined, but asked them to wait and partake said refreshments while she talked with them one by one. She chose Cloud Hammer outer sect Elder Benfrei first.
The tale Benfrei had to tell is interesting, more than three months ago, the Transcendent Ruins have risen, there have been rumours of a sacred beast who entered the Ruins as soon as they rose, they tried to penetrate the Ruins on their own, but failed due to deadlocked doors. Four days ago they gathered a party consisting of their best, but unexpectedly the way was mostly clear, except for some dread beasts and mindless sacred beasts. In the centre of the Ruins they found a soulsmith workshop, the turtle and the young man, Wei Shi Lindon. They worked out a deal, whose specifics he can not discuss, but the young man was co-operative in their decision to hand him over to the Skysworn, they took a few valuables from the workshop, nothing dangerous, Benfrei was quick to assure, but they discovered most of the research in the workshop had to deal with a restricted subject, so they packed up all of it to deliver it in to the vastly more 'wise' hands of the Empire.
Renfei could smell the cover up, if they cannot discuss the particulars of their deal that meant it involved a soul oath, and soul oaths are serious business, they must have found something truly valuable. Benfrei and others that followed are very vague about how the Blackflame is involved in the deal, then there are the crates upon crates of what seemed to be books, what knowledge do they hold and how did they know it was restricted, and what sacred artist worth his salt has ever let go of their hard won loot because it might be dangerous.
Renfei wished she had more time so that she could investigate more thoroughly but getting that Blackflame boy into a more secure cell back in the Empire proper is a priority.
Renfei had a bit more hope of answers from the last interviewee.
"Jai Long, the others tell me you are the impetus behind gathering the most powerful sacred artists of this Five Faction Alliance to finally 'conquer' these Ruins. Want to tell me why?", Renfei asked conversationally.
Jai Long bowed respectfully and said, "The Ancestor's Spear has been of interest to me for many years. I have made efforts to retrieve it since I have learnt the Transcendent Ruins have risen once again."
"Hmm, you and your sister are all but exiled by the Jai clan are they not. Then how come you hold the spear instead of the Jai clan?", Renfei questioned.
"The Jai clan are satisfactorily compensated for giving up the spear to me, and all but exiled is not exiled, I am sure they will make attempts to regain the spear in the future", Jai Long answered calmly.
"Sure, makes sense. Now tell me about the Blackflame boy, Wei Shi Lindon", Renfei asked.
"I do not know much, he was already inside when we got to the workshop, from his idle comments I know that he has been inside the Ruins since they have risen. Wei Shi Lindon spoke of his Master, one Eithan Arelius, the comments made by Orthos confirmed there is such a person, but we have not seen or heard of him. I even asked if his master is a member of Arelius family of Blackflame Empire, Wei Shi Lindon answered that his master is from the main House and hasn't met Blackflame Arelius 'this time around'. He seemed oddly knowledgeable, I believe he can control the scripts of the Transcendent Ruins", Jai Long answered evenly.
Renfei zeroed in on that last sentence, and asked intensely, "Is he the one who told you that what is in the books is restricted knowledge?"
For the first time Jai Long looked uncomfortable and said, "I cannot discuss that."
"Very well, you may go", Renfei ordered.
But Jai Long remained seated and worked up to say, "I want to join the Skysworn, for protection of my sister from the Jai clan, if you take me and my sister with you and give me an opportunity to prove myself in your next recruitment drive, I will lend the Skysworn the Ancestor's Spear to study."
"Why would your sister need protection from the Jai clan?", Renfei asked seriously.
"My sister is my obvious pressure point, Jai clan would use her against me to regain the Ancestor's Spear, I would bend to their threats if there is no other choice, but I would rather not do that. And I believe I can be of service to the Empire as a Skysworn", Jai Long answered with apparent sincerity.
This is way outside the remit of my office, Renfei thought, but she is not without sympathy for the young man and his sister's plight, she heard plenty of horror stories of how twisted inter-clan politics can get, and the opportunity for the Skysworn soulmiths to study this 'Ancestor's Spear' is too good to pass up.
No matter, the Captain can decide what to do with Jai Long and his offer, having two more people will slow us down, but not as much as having one massive turtle and thousands of books already will, it will be slow going either way. And the Captain might even appreciate having a witness he can question personally.
"Very well, ready yourself within the hour, we will not be here for much longer than that", Renfei answered casually.
Jai Long bowed deep and strode away with purpose.
Renfei made her way to the crates containing this so called restricted knowledge, she chose one at random, pried open the lid and selected a book and got to reading.
The subject matter is incredibly dense and she obviously picked a book that is written as part of several volumes, it seemingly detailed horrific experiments done on normal beasts, by introducing something called 'hunger madra' into their undeveloped madra systems.
Mad and sick experiments are not really a new experience for the Skysworn, Renfei herself busted a ring of so called scholars who killed people to experiment on their remnants, but the methodical and clinical language of this book disturbed her greatly and Renfei shut the book with disgust and dropped it back in the crate. If all other books are in the same vein, then all of this probably is restricted knowledge.
Renfei asked leadership of this Five Faction Alliance to load up the crates onto her cloudship and requested them for resupply, Renfei paid for the supplies even when they insisted on giving them for free, the Empire and the Skysworn are rich enough to not need handouts from sacred artists of the Desolate Wilds.
Renfei returned to the cloudship to interrogate the Blackflame boy, only to find him seated in a cycling position on the floor, trying to cycle, while he had halfsilver manacles on.
"What are you doing?", Renfei demanded.
"Trying to gain better control of my spirit. These only really disrupt madra leaving my spirit after all, internal madra control should still be possible", the Blackflame boy answered evenly.
"Why?", Renfei asked.
"There is nothing else to do", the boy answered with half a shrug.
Renfei dismissed that line of questioning and asked the more important question, "Are there other Blackflames?"
"Not really, if you are asking if I am a member of Blackflame family, I am not. I chose to practice the Path, I am not sure if that makes a difference for you", Wei Shi Lindon answered.
"Is that so? Then how did you come to practice the Path of Blackflame?", Renfei questioned.
"I am born with madra deficiency, and people such as me are called Unsouled in my home and are not allowed to follow a Path. I was at Foundation level until four months ago. My Master introduced Orthos to me, and said that we could help each other, his Blackflame madra to give me power quickly and my Pure madra to cleanse his spirit. I accepted", the boy answered simply.
Foundation to Lowgold in less than four months, that is some tale, Renfei thought to herself, made a mental note of it and continued the questioning, "Where is your Master then?"
The boy gave another easy shrug and answered, "I do not know, around, somewhere."
Suspicious of the boy's nonchalance, Renfei asked, "Will he come to speak on your behalf?"
"My Master does not believe in hand holding. Knowing him, I will have to get out of this on my own", the boy answered.
"Seems like he is a poor Master then?", Renfei prodded.
"He is not. He gave me instruction, information and goals to accomplish. How I use the information he gave and achieve the goals he set and prove I learnt my lessons is up to me", the boy answered seriously with a faint scowl on his face.
Now that's an expression suited to his face, Renfei mused and continued the prodding, "What is the goal he set then?"
"Ghostwater", the boy answered simply.
"And what is that?", Renfei asked.
"A pocket world anchored to an island in Trackless Sea, abandoned by the Monarch of the Hungry Deep", the Blackflame boy said evenly.
Monarch, that is not a word often heard on the lips of Lowgolds, that is not a word lightly used by Underlords. And Monarch of the Hungry Deep, who is that?
Renfei continued the questioning, "And how is getting arrested by the Skysworn going to help achieve that goal?"
"The Blackflame Empire has a key to Ghostwater, an Eye of the Deep, a Herald gave it to the last Blackflame Emperor. And you are taking me to the Empire proper", the Blackflame boy answered.
"And how will you get this key?", Renfei asked, with sarcasm she could not keep out of it.
"I will ask for it", the Blackflame boy answered.
Renfei looked at the boy, studied his face, all she saw there was confidence and conviction.
And left the room, with a single question in her mind, who, by the Emperor, is Wei Shi Lindon?