We were interrupted by Storm's arrival. I had never seen her so upset before. Our ability to communicate had begun to change ever since we had survived the tribulation. Our vocabulary had increased so that more and more words were exchanged, words still punctuated by images and emotions. Those changes made it possible for me to understand her distress. It didn't take long for me to understand her problem.

I had listened with growing concern to the story and images Storm shared. Her day of mapping cut short when she'd discovered the Triad of Spirits. The images she'd evoked were of three women, tied together, almost chained to the lands the town was built on, as something slowly drained them, killing them in the process.

"What are Spirits?" I asked aloud inadvertently, not expecting an answer. Storm's emotions, her fear, and confusion had surprised the response from me. She had tried to explain the enormity of the problem, but it was her faith in me that provoked my words. Her certainty that I could solve whatever problem she had uncovered was absolute, as well as her belief that actions were needed quickly.

"They are a kind of Dharmic construct," Yvonne answered my question, surprising me, "creatures of nature that reflect a world truth. They take on a personality that reflects the world around them, some so powerful as to embody a [Dao]. Every Sect has agreements with at least one.

"Four Elements has agreements with four. One of the reason's the Sect was built where it was is because of the ability to broker agreements with Spirits of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

"You might think of them as another species or people, like the Elves or Hindel they are a collective of individual truths and ideals. They can work together for a common good or be amazingly separatist. They exist, for the most part, on the astral part of the Dharmic and that makes them all but impossible to locate, but they can materialize and step into the physical realm when they want.

"There are places they gather around the world, areas of nature that are heavy with the Daoism of nature and brimming with the Laws and the rules that define nature. They can be a curse, known to haunt and test cultivators they come upon. And they are known to hold the memories of events that occurred to a place and time, a living receptacle of memories and ideas.

"Their ability to trap a cultivator in those memories is why they are avoided by most. They seemed conditioned, required in some manner to test a cultivator and form them to face the painful events of those memories they have embraced.

"Most can be benign even gentle, once the test of memory has been passed, and they can be helpful. There are methods to bind a Spirit to you, contracts that exist that work almost the same as pet companions, except these contracts allow the cultivator to bind a Spirit to a place instead of a person.

"Why do you ask?" Yvonne inquired.

"Storm has found a triad, a group of Spirits that seem to be tethered to the land somehow. Spirits in pain and Storm fears may be dying," I explained. "There is too much about this town that makes no sense. You mention these Spirits can be controlled by contracts?

"Storm believes they have been tied to the land and the town, and they are dying. It makes me wonder if whoever created the eight-trigram formation, also had the ability to forge agreements with these Spirits and forged contracts as another line of defense?"

"You didn't say, but can they die?" I pressed, making sure Storm's claims were true and not misunderstanding.

"They can," Yvonne assured me. "I'm not sure how they live, or how they metabolize Qi, the energy they require in order to sustain life, but they tend to group around areas of concentrated World energy. No matter their power level, from the weakest to the strongest, death is possible.

"Those Spirits weak and playful, those formed and tied to nature such as trees and ponds, or the more powerful, those that personify Ocean, Moonlight, or [Dao], each draw upon the World's energy in some manner to survive.

"Starve them of the World's vitality, and they die," she warned.

"They aren't the same as ghosts?" I asked.

"No. Ghosts are a psychic imprint of a cultivator, possibly a Hindel. They are Dharmic bodies that refuse to accept death and move on.

"Spirits are not the lingering collections of fading memories from those that have died. There are cultivators that hunt frantically for Spirits to form a contract with.

"Why would a cultivator spend the effort to hunt them if they are so prolific?" I pressed.

"A Spirit that is willing to enter into a contract can drastically affect the improvements to a person's abilities and techniques. Spirits can enhance Dharmic and Martial arts. Even the weakest Spirit, once a contract is formed, can allow a cultivator to develop new understanding and techniques that personalize his abilities.

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"Why haven't I seen one?" I wondered.

"They are mercurial in form and function, especially those Spirits that are born based on an idea or ideal. And the truth is, you probably have seen them, you just didn't realize what you were seeing. Have you ever had that flash of something on the edge of your vision? Something that caught your attention but when you turned your head to look, nothing was there?" She asked.

"That glimpse, that flash of something and then nothing was probably a Spirit. But the most likely reason you haven't noticed before now was one of Realm. Events will change for you now that you are have reached the Qi Gathering Realm and have claimed a territory. You will find you see them almost everywhere you turn.

"The ability to see more of the world around is an upgrade to your perception skills. The ability to classify Spirits as dangerous or beneficial is a product of your new role as Baron."

"I didn't notice any on the flight here," I pointed out.

"Neither did I," Yvonne admitted, "and that is worrisome. The forest between the Sect and here is healthy, we should have seen hundreds of the Spirits that cling to trees."

"Perhaps we didn't see any for the same reason the Spirits that Storm has found seem to be dying?" I asked. "I wonder why they didn't hide or flee, if that is what the other Spirits are doing?"

"Probably because they are bound to protect the town from flood, fire, and storm," Yvonne suggested. "They might want to hide or run, but their contract forbids it."

"Can they be saved?" I wondered.

"It depends on what is killing them.

"As Baroness of this territory, you can broker a new contract, change the constraints that tie them together and find out the problem. You will have to speak with them, and when you speak with them, you will need to enter into a new agreement before you can figure out what the real problem is, before you can know if they can be saved or not.

"Or find out if they are even dying," Yvonne pointed out. "Storm is much smarter now than she was now that you have advanced to Qi Gathering Realm, but her life experience is still limited. She may have mistaken damage or low energy levels as imminent death."

I had more trust in Storm's ability than Yvonne, especially since I knew she had ancestors she could call on for knowledge. If she thought the triad of Spirits was dying, I would believe her, and I would act. As soon as I managed to free myself from my current responsibilities. I was in the middle of meeting people, people that might be taking leading roles in rebuilding or governing Xiwang.

With the Harbor Master arrested, assets found in his home so abundant that he could only have acquired them from bribery, skimming, or larceny. The Council head banished; the Captain of the Guard had proven her worth. She had sent a detail of guards to search Council Member Lyle's house and belongings before he had a chance to flee. I should have thought of that when I banished him, but Faun had acted decisively to any of my commands, even going above and beyond in this instant.

Gwen had continued to follow along as I toured the town, offering advice and pointing out key individuals that I would need if I had any hope of transforming the town from rotting slums to a thriving capital. I had already decided that I would install her as my Steward, at least temporarily. She wasn't as strong as I'd like, but I would see about getting her some defensive and offensive artifacts to bolster her lack of Qi abilities.

"Let's table this discussion until the day after tomorrow," I decided, after considering what I would need to do. "I need to return to Four Elements and see what I can purchase to help restore Xiwang. I'm certain there are arrays that will help with repairs and construction.

"In the meantime, Gwen, you will serve as my voice. I will have you act as Steward.

"Gwen, while I am gone, I need you to create a list of what we have, what we don't have, what we need now, and what we can put off for now. That list should include resources, people, types of businesses, what our exports are, what needs repaired, torn down, or should be built from the ground up. In that list keep a tally of the amount of lumber, stone, or beast cores we need to affect the changes you are finding.

"I should only remain at the Sect for a day or so, but as the list is compiled, send me missives to keep me informed, and so that I can see about purchasing more of what we need from the Sect before I return.

"Faun, if you would," I said, addressing the Captain of the Guard, "establish a patrol of guards for the dock, arrest anyone engaged in smuggling or looting. For now, any ship that docks can be left tied to the pier. Until I find someone capable of inspecting each vessel, the shipping concerns of this town are suspended."

"Those ship's Captains are not going to like that," Faun warned. "They may decide not to stay and just head back out to sea. And once they leave, they probably won't return, even worse they will warn other Captains about their perceived mistreatment."

"If they leave without restocking on food and water, then that is on them and their crews. But make sure you inform them that any ship that does, and any ship that doesn't open their cargo holds and ships for inspections will be identified as a smuggler, even if they are innocent.

"The names of those ships and the Captains that crew them will be sent to the Empire for adjudication. Let them explain to the Emperor why they refused to acknowledge the rights of a Baron of the Empire," I almost growled.

The day had been long, and there had been so much I had found wrong that I'd found my impatience had come to an end. I hadn't meant to snap at Faun. She and Gwen had done their level best in the face of such profiteering and malfeasance.

Still, the straits I'd found the town could be laid at the feet of Lord Chon, and he had paid for his perfidy and faithlessness to those he had been tasked with protecting with his life.

"My apologies," I said immediately, admitting my mistake before resentment could be allowed to fester. "None of this is your fault.

"Just do the best you can. Use and repeat my words if necessary. For those ships and ship's Captain that would balk. Paint me as the bad guy, a newly invested Baroness, drunk on her new powers. We'll sort it out after I return from the Sect."