“Sirrah? Serrah?” Gwen said, bowing as she greeted the Baroness’s family. “The Baroness has asked that I greet you and see you settled.”

“Where is Jai?” Syha demanded with impatience. She had been almost vibrating with anticipation since the ship’s crew had instructed us to board the cargo vessel. She was seven now. Nearly two years had passed since she’d last seen her older sister. Considering that the first two years of her life were formative and that Jai was more of an impression than a person, she only had three actual years of memories.

That hardly mattered.

Three years or three hundred, an Elf fostered deep ties to kith and kin. The siblings were kindred and had the same bonds of love and heritage that every Elf experienced. The family unit was sacrosanct among their society, deeply entrenched in the culture.

That wasn’t to say instances of kin slaying didn’t occur. They did. But those instances were rare, often tied to issues of inheritance, rank, or insanity.

For most Elves, the family unit was the driving force behind everything. A person might join a Dojo, Clan, Sect, or army, but those entities were only stepping stones to getting stronger. A person’s House and family were the true power behind their strength.

“The Baroness is indisposed for the foreseeable future. She was given a time-sensitive opportunity, one her position as Baroness and Cultivator required her to take,” Gwen replied.

Syha looked up at her mother in confusion, tears already beginning to form. She wasn’t sure what Gwen meant, nor was her brother, Geon. “Remember what we discussed, Syha,” Sia said, coaxing her to settle down by stroking her hair. “Jai’s work is essential, I’m sure she’ll be available in a day or so, and then we can spend time with her.”

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible,” Gwen said, her words causing Sia and Garth to tense with worry.

“The Baroness and her Fief have been blessed with the location for an opening of a Mystic Realm. She is currently exploring the Rift, and because this is a new discovery, we aren’t sure how long she will be gone.

“I’m sure the Baroness will make time for you the instant the rift closes, and she has been informed of your arrival.”

Syha took the news badly, flinging herself against her mother as she wrapped her arms around a leg for comfort. She had buried her face in Sia’s Hanfu, trying as she wept inconsolably. Sia and Garth were so focused on her that they hadn’t realized they had been led to a building not far from the docks until Geon spoke up. “We aren’t going to the castle?”

Geon had taken the news just as badly but refused to cry in public. It was hard, his throat tightening as he swallowed down his emotions, but he managed. The sights and sounds of the surrounding area helped him to refocus.

Calling the Keep in the city of the town a castle was diplomatic, but it met the requirements of a young boy. Solid walls, a few towers and turrets, and a ballista armed and readied to fend off invaders.

“It’s a Keep, not a Castle,” Garth corrected Geon before Gwen could respond.

“The Keep has been transformed into a government center,” she explained calmly to the boy. “Your sister works from there and keeps a few suites for visiting cultivators or diplomats to use when they visit. But she doesn’t consider the Keep home.

“She spends most of her time at the Dojo, using the closed-door cultivation rooms she had built when she decides to rest.”

“There’s a Dojo?” Geon asked, his disappointment at not getting to live in a castle quickly forgotten.

“There is,” Gwen replied with a proud smile. “Things were chaotic when Jai became Baroness, and she has worked hard to fix the mess she found the town and territory in. There had been no awakening ceremonies performed on the Island, ever.

“Jai changed that.

“She had Four Element Sect hold the awakening ceremony for her people as soon as possible.

“She personally attended every ceremony and recruited every new Cultivator regardless of spirit root or elemental affinity. But these new Cultivators had nowhere to turn. Four Element Sect is the only Sect on the island, and they have high standards for membership.

“She created the Dojo so those new Cultivators would have an option if the Sect refused to select them for an Outer Sect position. She soon gained the Patriarch's permission to recruit people from the Sect. Servants, staff, and outer Sect members were recruited. Offered a chance to be adopted into her House. Each person has the skills necessary to train and mentor those Cultivators that decided to join.”

“Can we go see the Dojo?” Geon asked his parents, hopefully.

“We’ll see,” Sia replied. “We have some work to do to get settled into our new home, but we’ll try to schedule a day to visit.”

The group had been moving quickly, Garth scooping Syha up into his arms to carry her at one point so that her mother could walk freely and she wouldn’t slow them down. There were several interesting shops to see along the path they were taking. The dock was primarily reserved for warehouses but not exclusively.

There were many businesses and places that traded in fish and coral. A few food stands served grilled or fried fish for those looking for a quick bite. Still, most of the bustle of the dock was people preparing ships to set sail or loading and unloading cargo.

The dock itself had been built using processed stone. The use of arrays had kept it serviced, but there were signs of neglect and decay. Even the former Lord hadn’t been so lost to reason not to supply the beast cores needed to maintain the arrays that kept the dock functioning but then had done nothing about repairs that were required. Without the docks, the town would die, and the smuggling he had been involved in would fail.

The road curved slightly inward and upwards, part of one of the main roads that encircled the city. Gwen led them to a series of buildings that faced an intersection along the road. The junction of streets led back to the docks, another to the main town gates, and a third heading inward towards the Keep.

“Jai thought this location might suit your family and business well,” Gwen explained as she beckoned the family past the building facing the street. “The most prominent building would serve as a storefront. Large windows with shelves strategically placed have been installed to give passers-by a chance to window shop.

“This building would serve as your home.”

The door responded to a jade token Gwen was carrying to unlock it. A token she was quick to explain would work on all the buildings' locks. “The Qi and locks have been modified to respond to the Baroness and her Qi signature. She asked me to ensure each of you had a token and assure you that no one else would have access to the buildings.

“This is your home unless you choose to sell it and find something else, and Jai made it clear to everyone that this place was to be treated as private property.”

“I’ll leave you to explore and get settled in. I’ve had a guard stationed out front. They can answer any question you might have about the town’s amenities. Someone will set you up with new communication tokens tomorrow.

“An Arrayist will also visit to explain the elemental affinity arrays the Baroness had installed in the area she had sectioned for a garden.

“The guard will also be free to give you a tour of the city,” Gwen informed them.

“Thank you, Serrah Gwen,” Garth said, his bow hesitant and distracted as his eyes tried to take in everything before him.

Gwen gave a small chuckle as she returned his bow and turned to head to the Keep. The Myche’s might be settled, but a thousand people were still being offloaded that needed to be helped before dark.

She hadn’t had time to escort the Baroness’s family. Still, it would have been unforgivable not to have demonstrated some of the appreciation she and the town felt for their Cultivator.

The Baroness had saved them.

Events had proceeded at a dizzying speed since she had arrived. It might mean more work, but at least they were alive. They were no longer worried if it would be the former Lord’s privations or unguarded walls that had seen the town destroyed.

Jai had earned the loyalty and trust of her staff. That loyalty had been gained because of the Baroness's hard work and selfless actions. Everyone knew the number of spirit stones and cores Jai had spent restoring the town. She had invested her wealth to make her territory stronger and safer.

And her people recognized her actions benefited those she ruled.