Reinhardt counted his blessings that at least, he hadn’t been thrown in the brig. Thank the Great Spirits that he was alive and relatively safe, even if the ship was headed to the last place he really wanted to go.

The Eternal Empire of the Righteous Order was vilified in most of the nations comprising the Coalition of Independent Planes, and with good reason. The Coalition would not have formed without external pressure. Why would each independent plane bother to band together otherwise?

In fact, after the Shattering, the then Isger Kingdom had been fiercely imperialistic. It took centuries before they subjugated the plane of Llioth, and nearly another century before they annexed Vellexa. A thousand years of peace and indolence had changed a nation of warriors into bureaucrats, poets, and gardeners. It was this very state that his cousin led the coup. She wanted the Isgeri to return to a position of power instead of living as sloths.

But where would she lead her conquest afterwards? The Isger Republic was near the border between the Coalition and the Verdanian Empire but there were at least two more planes in the way. Those planes were held by Farholm Principality, a proper militarised society that always stood ready to answer Imperial aggression.

“My prince, you must eat,” Shara murmured while holding a tray filled with rolls of roasted beef and bread. “You haven’t been yourself since you were…questioned.”

Reinhardt shook his head while he tried to banish the unpleasant thoughts. But his mind dwelled on them anyway.

The command that forced him to board the silver Chaos ship wasn’t one he could resist. Well, maybe he could have, but it was actually in his best interest to do so. Seeing Captain Neil Ester, even if it was merely a temporary body, had been shocking. Reinhardt thought that the naval captain had been loyal to the royal family, but now…

Perhaps Ester was a double agent to begin with. He didn't expect to find the man with a Xylarchy ship.

Once inside the Imperial vessel, he quickly found himself separated from his sole remaining bodyguard and his attendant. He was strapped to a metal bed then moved under the light of a scanner. He had been in a daze until the light passed him over him and, by then, a patch had been slapped on his upper arm. A wave of heat and cold ran down his body and Anima, and then a minute later, he was bent over a bedpan, puking his guts out. The bile that came out of his lips was a mix of green and reddish black. The stench was horrific, but afterwards, he felt better. He didn’t even realise that he had been ill. No doubt the corrosive ambient Chaos had wormed its way into him.

He was reunited with his attendants after he was let out of the decontamination room. Both women had an uneasy look that only lifted when they saw him safe and sound. They had been delivered into a set of quarters that were next to each other. The hallway had dozens of doors that undoubtedly opened to the same dingy and small room that was barely fit for a man to stretch his arms in.

“This is unacceptable!” Shara complained then, “Your Highness, we must insist on better quarters!”

“We are beggars here, Shara,” Reinhardt said, though his heart bled for how they were treated. He was a prince. Exiled, yes, but of royal blood anyway.

“But…”

“Silence.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Shara acquiesced.

He nodded in satisfaction but his fists tightened reflexively. “We need to meet with the ship’s leaders anyway. Michi, you can stay in your room.”

His sole remaining bodyguard started to protest but he interrupted her. “If they wish me harm, nothing you do will help.”

“Yes, my prince.” Michi sighed.

She was quite down after her partners died but who could blame her? Of the squad of ten, she was the only one left.

There was a door on either end of the straight hallway. Reinhardt shrugged and picked one at random. He stared at the door in confusion for a while, looking for the knob to turn. A panel that was about a couple of handspans tall and one wide was right next to where the knob should have been. He touched it with his fingertip and it lit up, spewing words that he recognised as Verdanian but had difficulty reading. He understood the one that said ‘food’, so he picked that one. The door opened to a short hallway with another door. He and Shara walked hurriedly across then opened the door to reveal a cafeteria-style room.

Once he was inside, Reinhardt stuck out like a sore thumb in his formal robes compared to the other diners’ shirts and trousers. More than a few stared unabashedly at him while Shara fumed at the effrontery. But, again, he stilled her protests. They ate a quick meal, then, as he half expected, one of the attendants approached him with a summons. He followed the man who led him through the same short hallway, but the door led into an office of sorts.

The woman who sat behind the desk had short blue hair, a tanned face, and piercing crimson eyes. She looked up from her papers and smiled slightly, though her eye teeth poked out from her lips, making him shiver.

“Welcome to the Silver Tiger, Prince Reinhardt Nostra su Isger. I am Captain Larisse Mishala Sommer. Now, I understand our little princess brought you along. I can’t say I appreciate having a prince from the Coalition aboard my vessel but Yuriko Mishala’s report is that you were the victim of a coup and are seeking asylum.”

The woman’s voice was sultry and slow, and it caused shivers to run up his spine. He felt his heart twinge slightly, much like how it did for Yuriko when they first met but the feeling was a pale comparison, like a candle flame to the Radiant Sun.

“Yes. That is what I said to her. Princess?”

Captain Sommer chuckled. “Ah, well, that’s what we call our powerful scions. Yuriko Mishala is Sadeen Mishala’s daughter and from the looks of it, will be a core member of the Clan. But enough about that,” she chuckled. “Since you seek asylum, what do you have to offer in exchange?” She gestured towards a chair set against the desk but did not invite Shara to sit.

Reinhardt kept his face carefully clear of emotion as he sat down. The woman did not stand to receive him.

“Do you have the authority to offer terms?”

“Of course.”

Reinhardt eyed her doubtfully but sighed, knowing that he would have to lay his offer down the table. “Very well, I deplore what my cousin did, and as of this moment, the Isger Republic that had my allegiance is no more. I can give locations of valuable mineral mines, troop compositions, military intelligence, and more. But be warned, they may not be completely up to date.”

“Intelligence is enough to give you asylum but not for any real favours. Unless you want to live as a vagrant in the Empire, I’d suggest coming up with something more substantial.” Then she paused and spoke in conspiratorial sounds. “I heard that you asked to court the princess and was given leave.” She smirked. “You aren’t qualified.”

“His Highness is a prince of the Isgeri!” Shara said heatedly.,“Surely his pedigree is enough!”

“Ah, but you are a foreign prince,” Captain Sommer smirked. “We Mishalas rarely consider a union with foreigners. Maybe an odd consortship, if at all. I won’t bother tooting my clan’s horn, you can read about it in our library. I suggest you find out exactly who you think you’re courting.”

It was all he could do to keep his face impassive. He knew that Yuriko Mishala Davar was more than what she seemed. She was powerful, that was certain, but she also had the simple mannerisms of common folk. To find out that she was akin to nobility, maybe even royalty, was a surprise. Now he wasn’t sure if that was good or not and he seriously contemplated his suit.

He had been seized with a powerful infatuation the moment he saw her and everything he learned about her afterwards had only strengthened it. She helped him without expectation of reward or even reciprocation. She tried her best to keep that weak comrade alive, despite the fact that leaving him behind would have made their lives easier. When Devion carried the boy, she did her best to keep them safe, even to the point of putting herself in harm's way.

Her beauty may have been the initial source of his infatuation, but her actions and demeanor continued to pull him in. To the point that he knew that his judgment had been impaired. But, one cannot control what the heart wants.

He thought about how he was about to betray his nation for a pretty face, but he also knew that he could not stomach letting a traitor, a ruler who killed her own family and brought the nation to the brink of war, remain in control. Perhaps his countrymen didn’t mind the change in leadership but he would be selfish for a change. The only thing waiting for him if he returned home without an army of his own was the headsman’s block.

No thank you, he’d rather keep his life.

So he swallowed his pride. Captain Sommer’s grin widened and she recorded every word he spoke. By the end of it all, he was asked to return to his quarters to wait. Ah, he wished to see Yuriko but he doubted he’d be allowed. Not so easily anyway. Ah, the gorgeous face that made treason so palatable.

_______

Yuriko watched closely, with Chaos Sight, how her Mum treated Tiernan. She controlled dozens of strands of Animus, grouped into three or four strands. Each one had a different Intent from the others, and combined, it made the composite strand seem greater than the sum of its parts.

Sadeen drove the strands into Tiernan’s body and into his Anima, using the pores of his skin as entry points. From there, each strand spun and searched, and eventually coiled around something minute and nearly invisible to the eye. Tiny explosions rocked Tiernan’s Anima, and she worried that the cure would be worse than the illness, but several strands positioned strategically absorbed the shockwaves and even used it to adjust and move whatever it was that Mum wanted to.

Then, the strands moved to his physical body and went through it like a fine-toothed comb. She stitched torn muscles and ligaments together and flushed out whatever gunk Tiernan got from the Pure Lands. The speed and accuracy of Mum’s Animus manipulation was mind-boggling, and it looked like Yuriko wasn’t the only one impressed.

Aunt Layla’s brows were furrowed and she kept her eyes glowing with Chaos Sight, and even Kiyo was paying close attention. After ten minutes, Mum withdrew her Animus.

“That should do it. All he needs now is rest.” She turned to Yuriko and smiled. “Do you understand what you saw?”

Yuriko gulped, “No.”

“It’s simple enough. Fine control over Animus and a thin enough strand can allow you to touch things that you normally can’t perceive. I removed the taint from his Anima and his body. He couldn’t fight it off and he was in the process of turning. A good thing that we found you when we did. A couple more days like this and he would have been lost.”

Yuriko nodded mutely. The source of the taint were those names that Mum mentioned. She couldn’t even think of them without Damien swatting her down.

Too dangerous! Chaos burn your Mum. She shouldn’t have named them! Argh!

She could feel the knowledge being drawn from her mind and buried in her Facet.

You need to Actualise before you can even think of this. Too much chance of tainting. Accursed Moon, now that you’ve been in contact, we’ll have to move up the timetable. Haaah. It’s a good thing your body’s aptitude for Radiance is so high. We barely have enough time. You need to feed your core more Chaos!

‘Eh? Wouldn’t that lead to Chaos poisoning?’

Yes. That’s exactly what we need right now.

‘Erm, I don’t think my Mum would allow me to get off the ship.’

Just get it from Fri’Avgi. Think, girl! Your sword has more than enough stored within her. Just ask her for it. And make sure you’re alone when you do this. You don’t want to alarm your hot mother and cause her to delve your Anima in greater detail.

‘Afraid she’ll find out about you?’

Not really. But she’ll find out how your Facet isn’t really at the level of Journeyman, and you don’t want the hassle of those questions.

‘Why not?’

Uh… Damien hesitated, then sighed. You don’t want her to stop your Actualisation when you’re so close. She might, simply because it is different from the rest of them. But that method is flawed. It only limits your potential. You want power, don’t you? He crooned. Strength enough to live your life in peace, where everyone dared not disturb you and yours.

‘Why are you so desperate?’

I can’t help it. Damien sighed. I didn’t expect them to become aware of you. Mark my words, do not tarry and do not abandon the path I laid out for you. Otherwise, the only result is an early death.

The solemnity of his words were so at odds with how he usually spoke that Yuriko was taken aback. She shook her head then nodded before she returned her focus to the present. Mum explained a bit of her methodology to Aunt Layla and Kiyo.

“...Controlling so many strands is physically impossible without good technique. Notice how I only kept control of a few cardinal strands and had them lead the rest…”

Yuriko tried to listen, but the conversation with Damien had distracted her enough that she couldn’t really understand the point. When Sadeen was done, she and Kiyo led her away from the Healer’s Bay.

“It’s time to talk about what you’ll be doing in the near future,” Mum said as soon as they were back in her quarters. Yuriko stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes. I think we do.”