It didn’t take more than an hour to fly to the Watchtower, and the speed was mainly because Yuriko didn’t want to jostle the injured. It was actually much worse than she expected, and she hoped that Rorke Dinia didn’t die while in transit. Broken limbs aside, he was actually bleeding internally. She’d done what she could, even getting his permission to try and cauterize the wounds from within, but that only slowed the drip. He’d fallen unconscious by the time they arrived.

The guards were alert enough to notify the infirmary, and there were stretchers readily available. The two wounded were quickly brought inside, with an anxious Kale following closely. Yuriko nudged Krystal and the others to get themselves checked, too, but her friend shook her head and said, “Nothing a little Recovery won’t fix. We all need a break anyway.”

Krystal hesitated, then asked, “You aren’t staying, are you?”

“No,” Yuriko answered, “not likely. I’ll report to Mum, and I think you should head to Faron’s Crossing since Aunt Amiri and Uncle Craig probably went home.”

Krystal and Mikel smiled, “We will. Thank you, Yuri.”

Giving both of them a hug, she nodded to Zeyn and Danika before she flew up the central shaft.

When she arrived at Da’s office, she found it to be empty save for an adjutant who served as his secretary. The young man looked familiar but was not someone she’d formally met before. Probably one of the militiamen back then.

“Where’s my father?” Yuriko asked. “And my Mum, too?”

“Miss…er, Knight Davar.” The adjutant stood up to greet her. His face was slightly flushed so Yuriko self-consciously checked her Mien. It was in its passive setting, which meant that it was set to charm anyone she met. Sighing in annoyance, she mentally adjusted her mindset to Inspiration instead. The adjutant blinked, then grinned happily, the flush receded from his cheeks. “Commander Davar is in the underground ritual site, along with Sorceress Mishala.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Yuriko jumped down the shaft and only slowed herself once she was close to hitting the floor. She took another hallway that led to the underground, noting that the Orb of Authority blinked with several notifications. She brought it out and interfaced with it, and found that the Warforged had been deployed by her Mum to aid in the digging. Another group had been sent towards the Zarek Mountains to clear the way. From the Watchtower, and from her flight, Yuriko noticed that the Imperial Pass had been buried in a landslide. The entirety of the mountain range was odd. She could swear that parts of it seemed lower, and the ridgeline had shifted.

She followed the tunnel deeper into the underground. The ceiling was tall enough to comfortably fly through, so she settled for a brisk walk. As for where the ritual chamber was, she paused to ask a few of the sentries, who gave her a series of directions across the hallways and intersections. She noticed the telltale signs of hasty work amongst the newer tunnels. The stone wasn’t quite as smooth as it could be, and there were several rough spots near the edges. Still, there were Warforged Drones sanding down the rough parts.

The drones simply blinkered their lights at her when she passed, which she assumed was equivalent to a nod or a hello. The three Athrodius she had command of weren’t nearby, as far as the Orb of Authority indicated. Two were east and west of the tower, while the last one was stationed almost directly underneath. The Gemheart chamber, she assumed.

Eli’Theria was stationed in the Silver Tiger, and she felt the animating spirit’s boredom. Perhaps she should bring the Colossus next time? She felt Eli’Theria respond enthusiastically, as well as feeling some commiseration over leaving her behind. With Mum focused on building the beacon ritual, the Colossus had been left high and dry. Chuckling to herself, eventually found herself at the correct place. Mum was in the very middle, and the air around her shimmered with power.

Glowing runescript lines covered the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, and Yuriko’s Chaos Sight showed her that the ambient Chaos and denatured Animus continued beyond the chamber, linking up with the outside trenches, she assumed. There were a large number of militiamen digging there, and an equal number keeping watch in all directions. She hadn’t heard about a Federation attack or a continuation of the Wyldling Wave, but it was only a matter of time.

Aunt Kiyo approached her a moment later, gesturing for the both of them to step out of the room. “Anything to report?”

Yuriko nodded. “Plenty. We’ve, and I mean myself and a team consisting of my friends Krystal and Mikel, found the source of the disruption up north.” She swallowed. “And who’s been causing it. Barbarians and an incarnation of the Chaos Duke.”

Kiyo frowned and said, “That’s troubling. The eastern repair teams hadn’t returned yet, but cousin’s crafting a workaround.”

Yuriko raised an eyebrow. “So fixing the geomantic nexuses isn’t necessary?”

“No, it is. At the very least, if all seven disruptions are fixed, we can light up the beacon within a day. But with the disruptions, even with the two you fixed up north, it would take a couple of weeks. At least. More if the blockade outside the Tidelands intensified, then ten days for the fleet to work their way through it.”

“A lot can happen then,” Yuriko muttered.

“Or nothing much,” Kiyo said. “Do you want to work at repairing the southern or eastern geomantic nexuses?”

Yuriko shook her head. “No. Something the Chaos Duke said is troubling me.”

“Be careful,” Kiyo admonished. “The reputation of that particular duke indicates vocal manipulation and mental incursion.”

“I know,” Yuriko answered. “But there was a ring of truth to what he said…” She frowned. The Duke said he had one of hers…but what was it that…that…

Kato.

She suddenly felt cold all over. There had been no news of her brother’s return, or much about Rumiga City’s refugees. Where was he? She…she should go look for him. Yes, that’s what she should do.

“I have to go,” She muttered, then hesitated and shook her head. She couldn’t just leave without saying why. “Where’s Da? I think the duke might have been talking about my brother.”

“Which one?” Kiyo asked. “Wait, Kato?” Her aunt frowned in deeper thought. “I thought he was part of the eastern militia.”

“I know. I…well, we need to tell the Agminis Legate about the plans anyway. I’ll head over across the pass and tell her, then look for my brother. I’ll bring him back.”

“What about his duties?” Kiyo asked slowly.

“Forget about that!” Yuriko said viciously. “I’d rather he return home.”

Kiyo shook her head. “Do what you will, but remember to honour his choices, too.”

“I will.”

“Virgil’s over there,” Kiyo pointed across the chamber where Virgil had been sitting behind a small desk piled high with paperwork.

Yuriko skirted around the chamber’s edge, wondering idly why the Empire didn’t use the crystal tablets for paperwork instead of actual paper…

“Da!” She called out, though she pitched her voice not to carry towards the ritual chamber. Mum was so focused on her Working that she didn’t even notice Yuriko crossing the outer circle.

“Baby!” Virgil grinned, though he stopped when he saw her serious countenance. “What’s wrong?”

“I'm heading to the East to pick up Kato.”

Virgil started to say something but paused, then shook his head. “Alright. Stay safe, please. And I do miss your second brother.”

She nodded, then asked, “Where’s Marron and Rami?”

“Back in Faron’s Crossing. Marron’s healing isn’t complete yet, and he needs to continue his follow-up schedule as well as his physical therapy. Rami has his own duties.” He twisted his lips for a moment, then said with clear reluctance, “The 29th Pia’Vasi has made indications that he wants to speak to you when you return. You may want to get that out of the way.”

Stifling her irritation, Yuriko sighed and nodded. “I’ll go look for him.” She spun on her heels and marched back up the tunnels. She thought that Finan was probably inside the Implacable Jade, but she also needed to fetch Eil’Theria, so she headed to the Silver Tiger first. She could ask Saki to go fetch Finan and meet her in the hangar.

“Oh wait,” she muttered. Saki was probably back in Faron’s Crossing. Her other handmaiden, Ryoko, was in the Davar household, and she had given her Shadow Guard leave to visit before Yuriko left for Shillogu Woods. She briefly wondered where Desire, Heron, and Gwendith were.

She closed her eyes for a moment, briefly entering the dreamscape to trace Desire’s thread, and found that her bound Chaos Lord was inside the Silver Tiger too. She called a messenger boy to her when she arrived at the ground level and asked him to ask Finan to meet her in the Silver Tiger’s Colossus hangar.

After that, she exited the tower and flew up to the Chaos ship dock to enter the Tiger. There, she hurried to the hangar and to where Eli’Theria was docked.

The animating spirit came out when she came close, pouting at her and glaring petulantly.

“Sorry,” Yuriko chuckled, then said, “We’re going across the Zarek. I don’t know what we’ll encounter.”

“I’ll be ready.” The spirit said as she returned to the Colossus. Yuriko brought out the Orb of Authority and configured it to downgrade the Colossus from Vasi to Evgenis. Even so, she still had some trouble controlling the Colossus in that mode. But if she wanted ease of control instead of power and protection, she could lower Eli’Theria’s settings to Certus, but then, she might as well fight without her in that case.

The downgrade process took several minutes, and reversing Eli’Theria back to Evgenis Colossus would take even longer. The process was nearly finished when Finan arrived on deck, accompanied by his friends and guardians. His face lit up when he saw her, but quickly grew troubled.

Yuriko had just changed into her piloting suit which, with its figure-hugging look, left little to the imagination. She threw on her long coat and nodded to the prince in greeting.

“Yuriko. It’s good to see you,” Finan said as he came close. He took her outstretched hand and bowed over it, all but pressing his lips on her knuckles.

“Finan,” Yuriko said. “You wanted to see me.”

He sighed, and nodded, “Yes, I wanted to let you know that I managed to get a healer to repair your elder brother’s crippling injuries, but since you’ve seen him already, that’s a moot point.” He hesitated, then said, “I… wanted to ask if I could continue my suit with you, but I’m afraid there are other extenuating circumstances now.”

Yuriko raised an eyebrow, “Are you withdrawing your suit?”

“You don’t sound disappointed,” Finan laughed. “But I guess not. For now, and Fate willing, perhaps in the future. I didn’t want to leave any doubts or unfinished and uncertain emotions.”

“I see.” Yuriko nodded, “Thank you for telling me.”

“No, thank you for bearing with me. May the Threads of Fate be kind to us.”

With that, the prince left, leaving her feeling a bit unsettled, which was completely irrational since she didn’t even want his courtship anyway. Still, she recalled the many hours the two of them had played Shatran in Realmheart. A more innocent time, uncomplicated by politics and other considerations.

She was in a daze until Eli’Theria finished the downgrade process, then the animating spirit prompted her to come aboard. She returned her clothes to the luggage space and jumped up to the hatch. She slipped inside and spread her Anima across the Colossus’ interior, extended Anima tendrils into the control surfaces and activated the amplification engines. Fri’Avgi materialised behind her and slotted into the key binder. She didn’t activate the artefact’s ignition mode as it was only necessary in Eli’Theria’s normal state.

She communicated with the Silver Tiger’s animating spirit, which prompted the hatch to open. The now smaller Colossus walked towards the exit and launched herself into the skies. Fiery Radiant wings spread from the back, and held the six-pace high metal construct in midair. A moment later, they pushed against the air and blasted towards the mountain range.