Chapter 24

As soon as they had arrived in Puyo, Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit had effectively been watched. The Guards seemed to be on the lookout for them, likely directed that way by Marilka the Red or her Puppet Lord Yaromir at Marilka's behest. Sure enough, not five minutes had gone by after entering the City when a familiar, Lamellar-clad form arrived with an escort of guards to see Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit to the Kremlin.

"Stone Monkey, Evening Rabbit. By decree of the Lady Marilka the Red, my men and I are to escort you to the Kremlin of Puyo immediately. You've caused quite a stir, it seems." Intoned Wladyslaw the Vast, Guard Commander of Puyo.

"Lead on then." Nodded Shi Hou.

"Indeed. There's a lot we need to discuss with Marilka." Concurred Evening Rabbit.

"Follow me." Huffed Captain Wladyslaw.

They were led through the streets of Puyo by Captain Wladyslaw and his men. The streets looked livelier than the last time they had come through here, which was a polite way of saying there were more people out and about than they had seen previously. Shi Hou inquired with Captain Wladyslaw as to the reason for that and the answer he had been given surprised him, although it really shouldn't have.

"Lord Yaromir did not stop campaigning because you turned down Lady Marilka's offer. Since you were last here, around a dozen smaller villages and towns have submitted to Puyo's rule. Many did so willingly, but some had to be convinced, requiring Lord Yaromir and several Enlightened Guards. Puyo now controls the Towns of Swietopelk's Crossing, and Hillgord, both towns with around eight thousand people each, along with five large villages and six smaller hamlets. Our population has grown accordingly, up from Sixty-thousand people between the City of Puyo and the Town of Stone Drum to eighty-thousand now." Informed Captain Wladyslaw.

"Is that so? Any particular trouble spots?" Questioned Shi Hou.

"Nothing that couldn't be handled just yet. A few minor skirmishes, a duel by Champion or two, and they fell in line. Why? Angling for your next meal?" Queried Captain Wladyslaw.

"Perish the thought. It just occurred to me that I might be able to help if there was trouble." Refuted Shi Hou.

"Good, because my Lady is not in the mood to be turned down a second time. Something she's seen in her divination spooked her. She's had Ludmila and her Czarownica Apprentices cranking out as much thaumaturgical equipment as they possibly can, developing stockpiles in preparation for something. Mark my words, this coming Calibration will bring nothing but trouble." Scowled Captain Wladyslaw.

"Calibration?" Asked Evening Rabbit, speaking up.

"Indeed. All of my Lady's Divinations have pointed to something momentous and potentially catastrophic happening on Calibration." Nodded Captain Wladyslaw.

"Did she get any specifics?" Questioned Evening Rabbit.

"No, or at least none that she shared with me. You would have to ask her yourself." Responded Captain Wladyslaw.

"Calibration is around six months away. If she's preparing so feverishly now, I'd hate to think just what sort of thing requires six months of preparations in advance." Mused Evening Rabbit.

"Some wars have been fought with less preparation." Huffed Shi Hou.

"Indeed. However, I am just the Captain of the Guards. I am not privy to the planning that Lord Yaromir and Lady Marilka do long-term. As I said, you'll have to ask her yourself." Shrugged Captain Wladyslaw.

As they spoke, the group made it through the busy commercial districts of Puyo, where the Market and various craftsmen's shops were. The throngs of people had at times needed to be shoved aside by the shafts of the Guards' Polearms, the streets were so packed with new arrivals, hoping to make it big in a city on the rise. Eventually, however, they made their way toward the Kremlin of Puyo, busy streets, bustling markets, and thronging crowds giving way to ordered patrols of Guards in Thaumaturgical Equipment, fortified white brick walls, and glittering blue domes.

They passed into a courtyard where Guards practiced at Bardiche and Sword Drills or shot at Archery Targets, all equipped in Thaumaturgical Gear. Once more, they were led through a mess hall where more Alchemical Meals were being devoured by what looked to be a fresh group of Guards from the last batch who had been about to reach enlightenment when Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit had last been here.

The Great Hall looked the same, its raised dais hosting the elaborately carved and painted, high-backed Chair that served as the Throne of Puyo. Its walls were covered in tapestries from local artisans, silk wall hangings from Lookshy, and various shields and banners of defeated foes from half a dozen different forces that had been defeated in the process of forging Puyo into what it was today. The only difference was that instead of Lord Yaromir seated on the high-backed Chair, it was Marilka the Red.

She looked much the same as Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit had last seen her, Her Green eyes sparkled with intensity, and her fire-kissed hair shone in the light. However, Captain Wladyslaw had hinted that something was troubling her, even though she didn't show it in the slightest. Honestly, Shi Hou was not adept enough at playing courtly games to be sure he could pick out Marilka's Frustration on her face even now, after being told.

"My Lady, Stone Monkey and Evening Rabbit, as requested." Announced Captain Wladyslaw with a bow.

"Thank you, Captain, you may leave us now." Nodded Marilka.

Then with a salute, Captain Wladyslaw and his guards headed out of the great hall and Shi Hou suddenly noticed that he and Evening Rabbit were the only people here aside from Marilka herself. That wasn't an enviable position, to be face to face with a powerful Sorceress with no potential reinforcements in sight. Hopefully, Marilka would be in a similar mood to the last time they had met with her.

"So." Began Marilka.

"So. It seems you were right about Jerec Sokindo and his allies." Acknowledged Evening Rabbit.

"You will find there are very few things I am wrong about. Had you simply trusted me, I would have been able to shield you from all this. The Queen of Midnight of Nexus would have found attempting her petty divinations far from assured had you simply agreed to stay here from the beginning. In failing to heed my warning, you could very well have lost your lives." Admonished Marilka the Red.

"And yet we not only haven't been killed, but we have prospered. I have grown in capabilities, as has Monkey." Pointed out Evening Rabbit.

"Indeed, and in so doing, put yourself in the sights of several Dynasts. Even now, the Cathak Boy's Sworn Brothers raise the alarm with the Immaculate Order in the Satrapy of Jiara. It is fortunate for you both that the Lunars' little tantrum over in Vesperodon has occupied the Immaculates there for the foreseeable future." Scoffed Marilka.

"Perhaps if you hadn't been so suspicious about the whole thing it wouldn't have smelled so much like a trap." Retorted Evening Rabbit.

"I was as forthright with you as I am capable of being. It is hardly my fault that you are so paranoid." Scowled Marilka.

"Rabbit, enough! If you won't acknowledge we made a bad call, I will! You were right and we're here because we want to know if your offer is still on the table." Interrupted Shi Hou, putting a stop to further arguments.

"It is fortunate that your companion is not as headstrong as his Godly Father, because I would have cast you from my doorstep had you continued to insist that you did nothing wrong, necessary for the future or not." Sniffed Marilka.

"So is that a yes?" Queried Shi Hou.

"It is, though there are now conditions that there would not have been previously." Nodded Marilka.

"What conditions?" Asked Evening Rabbit.

"I will require your help. Not simply with my own divination, but I will require you to aid in the production of Thaumaturgical Equipment. I will also require that the Stone Monkey aid in expanding the territory of Puyo and training our forces." Informed Marilka.

"Why? Captain Wladyslaw mentioned something has you spooked about Calibration. I'd like to know just what that something is." Pressed Shi Hou.

"Whatever it is, it is beyond my ability to divine specifics of. Normally, that only happens with beings outside of Fate. Demons, Fae, and other such abominations." Shuddered Marilka.

"That's not good." Mused Evening Rabbit.

"Quite. If something big is coming that is obscured in such a way, then we will need to be prepared for it. Do you accept my conditions or not?" Demanded Marilka.

"I can't speak for Rabbit, but I accept." Answered Shi Hou.

"If Monkey Accepts, then so do I. Besides, it sounds like whatever's coming won't leave anyone alone. Better to build up here, I should think, and face whatever it is prepared." Agreed Evening Rabbit.

"Excellent, we will begin your lessons immediately. Monkey in particular will need them. After all, he has a quest to fulfill by Calibration's End." Intoned Marilka.

"Yes, I need to travel to Yu Shan and get Lytek to fix my Exaltation by then or I'll lose the capability to Exalt." Concurred Shi Hou.

"That being so, we ought to get to work." Remarked Evening Rabbit.

"Indeed." Grinned Marilka the Red.

And like that, Marilka the Red Ushered the pair outside to begin their training. . .

XXXX

Thus began Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit's Long Stay in Puyo under the tutelage of Marilka the Red. For some months, she would alternate training them and sending them out on missions, those missions were never something more than a few days out in the field. More often than not, Marilka would have Shi Hou train the Guard Forces of Puyo, or have Evening Rabbit assist in the creation of Thaumaturgical or Alchemical Items.

Whenever they did leave Puyo for an extended period, it was usually to acquire some rare ingredient for Thaumaturgy or to lead a small force against a recalcitrant town or village. More often than not, whenever those cropped up, Evening Rabbit found herself hunting Plains Striders or other, similar beasts in the vicinity of Puyo while Shi Hou often settled things swiftly with a combat by Champion.

Only a scant few times had Shi Hou had to resort to actually leading troops into combat against a recalcitrant town or village. One such time had been at the Town of Casimir Gulch. The town was built into a deep, ravine-like Gully in the Plains some three days south of the current border of Puyo. Named for Lord Casimir the Ironeye, the founder of the Town, Casimir Gulch was a prosperous town that largely got by off the trade of iron, copper, and tin mined out of the sides of the gulch. The current Lord, Lord Mstislav the Burnished, was rich enough to afford Thaumaturgical Equipment for himself and his personal guard, alongside having his armor be chased in Burnished Copper.

It was that mineral wealth that had attracted the Eye of Puyo, as such mineral wealth could be used to enhance the fortunes and war chest of Puyo. With Lord Yaromir leading men to conquer Jerzy Town, the main Plains People Port on the Grey River, the task of Subduing Casimir Gulch fell to Shi Hou. Unfortunately, all attempts at diplomacy had been rudely rebuffed by Lord Mstislav, while any request for a combat by Champion to settle the issue had been met with similar derision.

"I will not bet my lands on a mere arena trifle like some Delzahn Barbarian. If you want my lands, you will have to take them the old-fashioned way." Scoffed Lord Mstislav.

Unfortunately for Lord Mstislav, Shi Hou was in no mood to entertain such barbs. When the battle began, he led a scale of Enlightened Mortal Guards, the batch that had recently enlightened when he and Evening Rabbit had initially arrived in Puyo, straight into the heart of Lord Mstislav's Formation in an attempt to cut the head off the snake. Lord Mstislav's guards may have had thaumaturgical equipment, but they were no match for a Scale of Essence Users clad in the same sort of equipment they had. They fell like wheat before the scythe. The battle, such as it was, had barely lasted over an hour before Lord Mstislav had been captured and his forces routed. By the day's end, Casimir Gulch had capitulated to Puyo.

Meanwhile, Evening Rabbit only seldomly had to pause her normal routines to go after rarer thaumaturgical ingredients. One such time had her tracking a Quoll-Lion back to its arboreal lair to kill it. This particular beast had been assaulting herds of sheep from the local village, and when the shepherd had sent his son out to check and see why the flock was dwindling, had ambushed and slain the young lad in the process. The Hide, Sinews, Claws, Fangs, and Blood of the Quoll-Lion could all be used for various potent enchanted pieces of Thaumaturgical Equipment and so Evening Rabbit had been sent out to address the issue.

Evening Rabbit managed this with only a bit of difficulty, finding the small copse of trees the beast laired in only to be forced to immediately tuck herself into a shoulder roll to avoid the diving claws and jaws of the ambush predator. She had wound up being knocked to the floor of the wooded copse but avoided having a chunk bitten or clawed out of her by the vicious, tree-dwelling, Ambush Predator. After a few stabs with her Orichalcum Blade and a burst of essence allowing her to find a weak spot to thrust into, and she had slain the beast which had terrorized the local village of Sheep's Rest.

For a little over five months, this pattern repeated itself, bursts of training interspersed with assignments that provided a bout of excitement. It was only two weeks until Calibration when Marilka the Red Called Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit into the Kremlin to speak. It was time for Shi Hou to be sent on his way to Yu Shan to get his Exaltation fixed.

And Marilka would see him on his way with a spell. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, a bit of a Timeskippy chapter this time to bridge the period between the Calibration Arc. The Canon disappearance of the Scarlet Empress is about to happen, and the year that follows will see both the Tepet Legions wiped out and the conquest of Thorns by the Mask of Winters if nothing changes. While Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit can't do squat about the first, it's entirely possible they could avert the second.

It all depends on how Shi Hou's Jaunt into Yu Shan pans out. If he can get his Exaltation Fixed by Lytek he can finally get himself up to Essence Four without being immediately waylaid by the Celestial Bureaucracy and forcibly shanghaied into a job in Yu Shan, like all normal Godbloods who reach Essence Four get. If he can do that, then Realm Year Seven-Sixty-Four is likely to see Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit at least try to avoid Thorns falling to the Mask.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the start of the official Yu Shan Arc with Marilka the Red using Summon the Heavenly Portal to call the Calibration Gate and send Shi Hou to the City of the Gods.

Stay tuned. . .