PtM Book 14 - Chapter 35: Cooperation

1/5 this week!

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Yu Wen left Signstone the next day, and Cha Ming, having spent three months in the same place, decided it was time to leave as well.

“Grandteacher,” Kheyli, one of the inkborn, said in greeting. “What instructions do you have today?”

“You’ve all been doing fine work these past months helping with Signstone’s defenses,” Cha Ming said. “I hope you can continue to contribute in this fashion and assist Merenthal and Aaron Shacklebolt. Work with the priests and priestesses but try to avoid Sedrannah.”

“So Grandteacher is leaving?” Kheyli asked.

“I can’t stay forever,” Cha Ming said. “I’ve bought Drezil all the time I can, and his statue is nearing completion. Please continue as you were, and if we’re lucky, we’ll see a miracle. If not…”

“As you instruct, Grandteacher,” the inkborn replied.

Hot, dusty air blew past Cha Ming’s body as he left the compound. One of Merenthal’s projections appeared to accompany him. “You’re leaving?” Merenthal asked, noting his change in disposition.

“I feel I’m needed elsewhere,” Cha Ming said. “Call it intuition. How are things going on your end?”

“On the surface, everything is fine,” Merenthal said. “My instincts, on the other hand, are telling me to get ready.”

Cha Ming nodded. “So you’re feeling it too. I imagine Clever Dusk will contact you soon to discuss. I’m off to see her, by the way. Do you have any messages for me to pass on?”

“Nothing important,” Merenthal said.

Cha Ming took out a bundle of God-Slaying Talismans and handed them over. “That’s the last of Aaron’s order. Tell Shacklebolt if he needs this kind of thing in the future, he’ll need to get them from the Titan Clan.” They had discussed this matter before, so this came as no surprise to Merenthal.

“Safe travels,” Merenthal said, then disappeared in a gust of sand. As for Cha Ming, he entered the Starry Road and left.

The Starry Road Network was bright as always. The more he walked here, the more he came to appreciate the sheer magnitude of it. In a sense, they had done what Huxian was attempting. They had connected the entire continent with roads of starlight. Even mortals could travel across the land. Or they could have. Once. No longer.

Cha Ming’s first destination was Shanarah. Huxian had invited him to discuss current affairs and involve him in his plans, and it was important that he knew what those plans were before seeing Clever Dusk about whatever his intuition was warning him about.

Like Cha Ming, Huxian also sensed danger. Perhaps he would have some of his own insights to share. Death was on the horizon, and the fires of war were lighting up everywhere. Cha Ming just wished he knew why.

Not long later, Cha Ming was on the peak of Mount Skypiercer. There was a throne there reserved for Patriarch Sky Piercer, Mr. Mountain’s alter ego.

The mountain peak was deserted. Most of the powerful demons were off to war. Whether it was the Boneshift Badger Lord to the north or incursions from the southwest, there was more fighting than a small kingdom like Shanarah could handle.

Only two figures were present when he arrived: Huxian and his helper and steward, Silverwhisk. They were seated before a large slab of stone in comfortable chairs. If it were only that, Cha Ming wouldn’t be surprised, but upon inspecting the stone slab, he couldn’t help but twitch in annoyance.

“Huxian,” Cha Ming said as he peered at the slab. “Did you just install a television in your audience hall?”

“Yep,” Huxian said. He snapped his fingers and summoned another reclining chair for Cha Ming, as well as another table filled with drinks and snacks. “It’s a live feed. You interested?”

Cha Ming had come to expect such antics from the fox, so he took it in stride and sat down. The snacks on Cha Ming’s table were very familiar. One of them was sweet and chewy candy, and another was a crunchier, more transcendent variety of popcorn with a sweet and sticky coating. The drinks were some kind of soda, completing the surreal experience.

“So? How did I do?” Huxian asked.

Cha Ming sighed. “Of all the things you could have pulled from my memories, why did it have to be TV? Though I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Huxian gave him an affronted look. “Look. Us demons perfected the art of slacking off long ago. The demon world has no lack of such inventions, and my inherited memories prove it.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Cha Ming said. “Now, are you going to explain why and how you’re livestreaming Verdant Crossroads’ council proceedings? I thought both your factions were friends. Spying is impolite.”

“This isn’t spying,” Huxian said. “Its spectating!”

Cha Ming facepalmed.

“Legitimate spectating, even. Clever Dusk and I have been talking, and part of those talks included an agreement to allow either side to listen in on general meetings. They do the same for ours.”

Cha Ming eased into his chair a little when he heard that. “Anything interesting?”

It was Silverwhisk who replied. “On the surface, nothing much is happening, but those of us who are politically inclined know better. This council meeting was called to discuss the Fendal invasion from the east. The ambassador of the Asherall Republic and a local representative of the Church of Jezeriah are in attendance. The meeting will likely be filled with platitudes, but the intent behind their words will have far-reaching consequences.”

“I’m not one for politics, much less broadcasted council meetings,” Cha Ming said. “Can we just get to the point?”

“I wish,” Huxian said. “Clever Dusk said you’d visit us first and had me agree to force you to watch this.”

Cha Ming massaged his brow. A fox and a seer were conspiring against him. Great. “Perhaps…” He tried to teleport away but found himself locked down by Huxian’s dominion. “Fine. I’ll listen in for a bit.”

“We’ve reached the interesting part, so it shouldn’t take too long,” Huxian said. “You should have heard the introductions and the blabbing. I had Silverwhisk fetch me when that part was over.”

Cha Ming turned his attention back to the broadcast. He recognized many of the people in the meeting. Clever Dusk was seated where the Thread Seer usually sat, but beside her was Elder Finleaf, whom Cha Ming did not get along with at all. She was the true leader of Verdant Crossroads in the Thread Seer’s absence and liked to throw around her weight.

The First Feather was in attendance representing the Iridescent Clan. Merenthal had sent a projection all the way from Signstone, an impressive feat considering he was just an initial-fusion-realm demon. Only two others had chosen to send a projection in, but their cultivation had reached the early fusion realm. Not many demons were so powerful.

A dozen humans were in attendance, their leaders being a greasy-haired man, Ambassador Flitwick, and Archbishop Hammond. Cha Ming did not like Flitwick one bit, and judging by their interactions, the feeling was mutual.

“You’ll notice that Flitwick is taking the lead on the human side,” Silverwhisk explained. “He’s doing nothing to hide his disdain, and his body language is aggressive. As for Archbishop Hammond, his body language implies submission but also dissatisfaction, which is a shame, because he’s generally supportive of Verdant Crossroads.”

Ambassador Flitwick was currently speaking to those assembled. His bearing was imperious, and his tone disrespectful. He was currently responding to allegations that the Republic of Asherall was neglecting its joint defense duties and overinflating its authority to evacuate human residents from the demon-controlled territory.

“The Verdant Council’s concerns have been heard by the Asherall Governing Council, and they have asked me to inform you that their actions do not infringe on the self-governance of Verdant Crossroads. As you well know, country-wide warnings are the jurisdiction of the Council, and there was no targeted information in the campaign that might contravene regulations or bypass existing limitations to authority. These relocations are voluntary, and the sheer volume of travelers and recent hostilities at the border prompted concerns for their safety. As they are citizens of Asherall, the army was mobilized to provide humanitarian assistance. There are precedents to such an action.”

“This is blatant overreach,” the First Feather said. “All military activities within Verdant Crossroads must first be approved by the Verdant Council.”

“I did not imagine that the First Feather would be so heartless,” Flitwick said. “The Governing Council prioritized speed and bypassed meaningless dialogue to facilitate executive action. We would have thought the Verdant Council would do the same, given its inability to secure its border from Oster Fireblight’s encroachment.”

“Then does that mean you’ve decided to accept our request for further reinforcements?” Elder Finleaf asked. “We’ve been asking for quite some time but have yet to receive a reply.”

“The council is still deliberating on this point,” the ambassador said apologetically. “As you well know, this falls outside the current year’s budget allocations, and therefore must be ratified. Technically speaking, Fendal has not declared war on us, and these border exercises—”

“Border exercises?” a loud voice spoke. Bloodfur appeared. He was here in person and not as a projection. The inkborn demon turned and bowed to Grand Elder Finleaf, who gave him permission to continue. “Thousands have died thus far, many of them human. Surely it would be a stretch to call these exchanges simple border exercises. Since the Asherall Ruling Council’s sincerity is so lacking, perhaps the Church of Jezeriah would care to shed some light on the current situation?”

Archbishop Hammond looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. “Such losses of life are not uncommon during border exercises. I am not sure why you would address such comments to the Church specifically. We are an apolitical body and are merely here in an advisory capacity.”

“I specially asked for you advice, did I not?” Bloodfur asked.

“Technically, there have been no official border changes,” Flitwick cut in. “The Mendin Border Council would have been informed of such a claim, and—”

“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Bloodfur said, cutting him off.

“Enough!” Elder Finleaf said, and silence established itself.

Huxian decided to pause for a brief discussion. “Well. That devolved quickly, and I’m not liking where it’s going.”

Silverwhisk nodded grimly. “They appear to be positioning themselves to abandon Verdant Crossroads.”

Cha Ming frowned. “I thought Verdant Crossroads was part of the Asherall Republic? Can you really just lop a part of it off?”

“Not normally, but the situation is a bit more nuanced,” Silverwhisk explained. “While Verdant Crossroads is technically part of the republic, it is still an autonomous territory. As such, Asherall receives limited benefits and taxes from the territory. Entanglement is minimal.”

“So giving it up doesn’t cost them much, while the costs of defending the territory might outweigh the gains,” Cha Ming said.

“Exactly,” Silverwhisk said. “That being said, the situation has yet to reach the point of no return. Flitwick is clearly stalling, but Hammond’s position is most telling.”

“Because his tone implies that the Church will not support any military activities?” Cha Ming asked.

Silverwhisk nodded. “This puts a bit more pressure on Asherall’s military, since priests and saints play a large role in minimizing losses.”

They discussed a few further points before unpausing the proceedings. Bloodfur’s rude words resulted in drawn swords and a large number of powerhouses drawing their weapons. Ultimately, things calmed down, because there was no benefit in escalating.

Ultimately, it was Archbishop Hammond who calmed things down. “Everyone here is a friend and ally. There’s no need for this, is there?”

“It’s difficult to say these days, isn’t it?” Bloodfur said. The inkborn demon banished his demon weapon, as well as his demon armor. The situation was defused somewhat.

“Bloodfur, would you allow me to speak?” said Clever Dusk, who’d been silent this whole time.

“Of course,” Bloodfur said.

“Thank you,” Clever Dusk replied. “Ambassador Flitwick, it is in my understanding that the Asherall Governing Council views the recent border skirmishes as border exercises. Is that correct?”

“That is correct,” Ambassador Flitwick said.

“Then the Council must not have received the latest information, because that is the only reason it could maintain this view,” Clever Dusk said.

This gave Ambassador Flitwick pause. “What information?”

“Of the recent border change,” Clever Dusk said.

“Border change?”

“We have lost control of much of our territory in recent months, in no small part due to the lack of military support from the republic. Our strategist therefore advised that we simply cede the land to avoid further dispute. The transfer has been approved both by the Fendal Republic and the Mendin Border Council. Fendal is officially a thousand square kilometers larger than it was yesterday.”

This news went off like a bombshell. “What? You ceded Asherall land?” Ambassador Flitwick shouted. “On whose authority?”

“On mine, as representative of Verdant Crossroads,” Elder Finleaf cut in. “Or are we not an autonomous territory? Were we somehow folded into the greater republic without my knowledge?”

“You have no right to—”

“We have every right,” Clever Dusk cut in. Her voice was soft but incisive. “Such is our agreement with the Asherall Republic. As for the Asherall Governing Council’s stance that Fendal’s military activities are mere border exercises, I am sure they will reconsider. After all, the transfer of land between both countries has officially been recognized, and the cause of this transfer were these same military activities they have thus far refused to recognize.

“Given these facts, I hope the Governing Council will hasten their deliberation on our request for reinforcements. Since the council was quick to recognize the need to bypass normal council proceedings to provide military aid to outlying cities, I am sure that they will be more than willing to do so again.”

The exchange clearly exceeded the scopes of Flitwick’s authority. “I will inquire with the council and provide their response,” he said after some deliberation.

“Due to the urgency of the matter, I expect a reply within three days,” Clever Dusk said. “A letter was delivered to the embassy this morning after you left, and your staff received it. As you well know, the treaty governing the relationship between Verdant Crossroads and the Asherall Republic requires that urgent matters be turned around within seventy-two hours.”

“This… this…” The ambassador was red in the face, but he had no way to retort.

Archbishop Hammond was forced to defuse the situation. “I am sure the ambassador will fulfill his duties. Since time is of the essence, I believe there is no need to continue this session?”

Clever Dusk nodded. “We await the council’s feedback and look forward to their reply.”

The crowd scattered, and the meeting was over.

Huxian turned off the display and got up from his chair. He stretched out and yawned. “It’s nice to finally get some time off. You have no idea how busy I’ve been.”

“You never tell me what you’re up to, and you never ask for help,” Cha Ming said. “It can’t be that bad.”

Huxian glared. “Like I told you, you’re my trump card. I’ve been holding you up my sleeve all this time so that I can play you when it suits me best. Which is now.”

Finally, Cha Ming thought. “I’m not even a law-stitching cultivator, so don’t get your hopes up,” Cha Ming said. “Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”

“We’ll have to travel for this,” Huxian said. “Sorry, Silverwhisk, but I can’t take you along.”

“Please don’t worry about these old bones,” Silverwhisk said. He seemed relieved that the younger fox wasn’t forcing him to take part.

“Take my hand,” Huxian said.

Cha Ming did so, and the next thing he knew, they were in the void between realms. Cha Ming immediately drew on their bond and assumed a half-demon transformation. This not only improved his body but gave him increased control over space, which he used to further shield himself from his hostile surroundings.

Only then did Cha Ming look around and notice that the place was completely different than he expected. There was a surprising lack of spatial turbulence in the area, and the same applied to debris and spatial glass. The last time he’d visited the place had been to aid Huxian in cleaning up the area after setting up the first few portals, but even after all their efforts, they’d only been able to somewhat isolate the place from the hostile void using formations.

“What’s going on here?” Cha Ming asked, looking around. They were atop a small mound that mirrored the land above. Due to the clearing out of debris, Cha Ming could see much further out into the void, which included the outer shell of the Inkwell Plane.

The teleportation network had grown significantly since his last visit. The base of the network was still eight teleportation circles, securely stowed away inside a palatial fortress, and it was through these eight circles that all transportation into and out of Shanarah took place. Many more lines had been added to the floating circles, forming an intricate matrix of spatial energy. Sixty-two lines pierced out from the formation circle, one for each active teleportation node.

“The formation is much more elaborate than before,” Cha Ming said. “And that seems to be affecting the stability of space in the area.” He analyzed the design and immediately determined that the network would only be completed once all sixty-four connections were established. “What happens when it’s finished?”

“I’m keeping that a secret,” Huxian said. “But what I can tell you is that the whole network’s transportation abilities will get an upgrade. If we finish it, we might just be able to help out Clever Dusk.”

“Just tell me what you need my help with,” Cha Ming said.

“The finishing touches, what else?” Huxian said. “I’ve got enough manpower to finish off the next one, but I still need your help with the last location.”

The manpower he mentioned came in the form of transparent beings that clearly weren’t native to material planes. A group of them were patrolling the area and fighting off smaller void creatures who decided they needed a safe place to nest.

“I take it this is time sensitive,” Cha Ming said.

“That’s right,” Huxian said. “If even you can tell this space-aligned formation’s almost complete, I’m sure the Collegium can as well. They won’t want me to finish it, so they’ll definitely try to disrupt us when our resources are most strained. What’s worse, the more locations I add, the less locations I can choose from. By the time it comes to the last location, there will be a choice of three cities, and I’ve already picked which one.”

“When?” Cha Ming asked.

“Five days,” Huxian said. “I’ll need you to move out before then, because I’ll be traveling through the void, but you won’t be. You’ll need a good reason for traveling so far out.”

“Which is where Clever Dusk comes in,” Cha Ming said. Now it all made sense.

***

Cha Ming did not linger in Shanarah. He left in the middle of the afternoon and met with Clever Dusk within an hour of his arrival. Clever Dusk informed him that two people he was familiar with were heading out to the city in question, and that it would be no problem for him to tag along. He just needed to wait a few days until they left.

Next, he went looking for Graceful Twilight. She’d relocated since their last conversation and spent most of her time beneath the root network of the Tree of Life doing research. The workshop she worked in was quite large, since it had been built to accommodate not only the scant few inkborn who would be working here, but also their many helpers.

There weren’t many survivors of the Kerava expedition. Every demon who’d left the realm had been blessed by the Inkwell Plane, with the exception of Xiao Bai. The Iridescent Clan had Graceful Twilight, Dark Splendor, and Dark Radiance. The Star-Eye Clan had three members named Thistledusk, Duskvine, and Duskbark—they had changed their names to match Clever Dusk’s.

There were also two inkborn members not of the five main clans. They included Careful Sky, a member of the Wishful Chameleon Clan, and Painted World, a member of the Ruinstride Badger Clan. Both of them were more like Silver Fish in that their original elemental affinities and bloodlines had been completely transformed by water and ink.

Despite not being of the same species, they were both talented in glyphwork, a school of runic arts Cha Ming didn’t have much practice with. Glyphworkers were runic professionals who painted runes on solid surfaces, improving their durability and sometimes granting them other abilities.

Graceful Twilight immediately put down what she’d been working on when Cha Ming entered. “Uncle Clear Sky!” she said. “You finally came! What took you so long?”

“I had other matters to take care of outside the city and couldn’t come back until now,” Cha Ming said. “Your mood seems quite good. And when did Clever Dusk set up this workshop? She never mentioned anything to me.”

Graceful Twilight seemed surprised by this. “It wasn’t exactly a secret. This place has been around since we came back from Kerava. I just never came here much because of my father’s matters. But due to recent developments, I had no choice but to come help Dark Splendor.”

She led Cha Ming to the back of the workshop where Dark Splendor was working. The dour demon gave him a curt nod before returning to his project. He had a few assistants from the Iridescent Clan, and the inkborn from the Star-Eye Clan had also recruited a few clansmen. Cha Ming frowned when he saw them. There was something odd about them. “Graceful Twilight?”

“Mmm?”

Cha Ming took a moment to double-check his observations. “I could be wrong, but I believe everyone’s fur and feathers are darkening. Unless they were all picked because of their dark fur and feathers to begin with?” Such features weren’t unusual in the Star-Eye Clan, but members of the Iridescent Clan typically had vibrant hair and feathers.

“You noticed!” Graceful Twilight said. “It took us months to realize it. Our inkborn traits seem to rub off on whoever we spend a lot of time with. The ones with lighter fur and feathers are new, while those with darker fur and feathers have been with us longer.”

To Cha Ming, this was a huge development. Elemental affinities and abilities aside, the inkborn were broken existences. They grew much faster than normal demons, to the point where even Huxian was envious.

Graceful Twilight didn’t dwell on this matter. Instead, she led him to the two inkborn members of the Star-Eye Clan. “Thistledusk, Duskvine, and Duskbark mostly work with wood. As you can see, they mostly make stuff like wooden shields and swords and spears.”

“Not staves?” Cha Ming asked.

“Why would they?” Graceful Twilight asked. “Half their clans have staff-form demon weapons. It’d be a complete waste, unlike these things.” She gestured to a large wooden statue. Or at least, Cha Ming assumed it was a statue until he saw the vines connecting its joints and running along its limbs.

It was about twice as tall as Cha Ming was, and a flick of the wood revealed it was harder than most metals. “Impressive,” Cha Ming said. “I take it these can be controlled?”

“By a wood-aligned demon,” Graceful Twilight said. “Honestly, though, it’s not worth the effort. These are just failed experiments. We’ve been focusing on the shields and weapons.”

“Why?” Cha Ming asked. “Strictly speaking, shields and weapons aren’t new, and metal ones are probably better. Demons also have demon weapons.”

“That’s what Bloodfur said, before I chased him out,” Graceful Twilight said, her disdain for the man evident in her tone. “His opinion was the consensus around here until recently. Then I thought about what you said about talents and how we should focus on their purpose. For example, what is the point of improved wood shaping if the Star-Eye Clan can already do it?”

“That’s as good point,” Cha Ming said.

“It’s the same with my flames,” Graceful Twilight continued. “They’re somewhat good for alchemy, but I’d be disappointed if their only use was for making tea. Even good tea. Aha! There’s my favorite inkborn!”

Graceful Twilight led Cha Ming to a middle-aged man with dark hair and rough sideburns. He was one of the Star-Eye clansmen, but the constellation in his eyes was not the Builder or the Warrior, or even the Weaver. His eyes reflected the Shaper constellation.

The inkborn let out a nigh-imperceptible sigh. “You seem to be in a good mood today Graceful Twilight,” he said.

“What are you talking about, Duskbark, I’m always in a good mood,” Graceful Twilight said. “I want you to show your toys to Clear Sky.”

“I’m busy,” Duskbark said.

“Then unbusy yourself,” Graceful Twilight said. They exchanged glares, and ultimately, it was Graceful Twilight who averted her eyes. As in, averted her eyes to something more interesting. She’d set her eyes on a more practical goal: the objects on the man’s workbench, which she began pulling out as she hummed. There was shield, a sword, and a brick, all made of wood.

“Hey, those aren’t yours!” Duskbark snapped.

“Who cares?” Graceful Twilight said. “What, are you going to beat me up over some junk?”

Duskbark was clearly used to such domineering behavior. He gave up and assisted her in order to get her out of his hair sooner. He first tossed the shield to Cha Ming. “Here. What do you think?”

Cha Ming looked over the shield meticulously. It was well made, with wonderful patterns, but nothing to write home about. “I’m not really sure what you want me to see,” he said, handing it back.

Duskbark didn’t seem upset by his reaction. He began pouring inky-green qi into the wood while Graceful Twilight concentrated on her palm to generate a small flame of swirling colors. Cha Ming recognized the flame as a heartflame, and when it was formed, it began dancing merrily inside her palm.

“Inject the Heartflame,” Duskbark instructed. Graceful Twilight placed the multicolored flame atop the pattern that now covered the wooden object. The flame sank into the wood, leaving behind ripples as though the wood were water. When it was fully absorbed, the pattern vanished. So, too, did the ripples. It was still an ordinary wooden shield.

Or at least, it was until the shield immediately tried to fly off. It evaded Duskbark’s lunge, only to fall prey to the quicker Graceful Twilight. She wrestled the shield to the ground, then forcefully dripped a drop of her blood on it. Only then did it calm down.

“Orbit!” Graceful Twilight commanded. The shield began spinning around her like an overprotective chaperone. She let out a sigh of relief. “Usually they’re calm, but some are a little more wild in the beginning. Well, what are you waiting for? Hit me.”

“I beg your pardon?” Cha Ming said.

“Just hit me, Uncle,” Graceful Twilight said. “Fine, you do it Duskbark.”

The man did not hesitate to throw out a violent punch at her face. The punch was far too quick and came from far too close for Cha Ming to react. After all, he was one of the inkborn survivors of Kerava, and he’d long since reached late investiture. As for Graceful Twilight, she was much weaker physically, despite having somehow reached the late-investiture realm as well. Wait, when did she get so powerful? It was only a few months earlier than she’d been stuck at the early-investiture realm.

Cha Ming wasn’t one to let a lady get hit so easily. He used his domain to create a shield to block Duskbark’s attack. The Star-Eye clansman was strong, so Cha Ming was unable to do more than slow him down.

Fortunately, the fist didn’t make contact. The shield moved in front of her and blocked the punch. “Are you going to let me hit her or will you do it yourself?” Duskbark asked, a little annoyed by his interference.

Cha Ming finally realized what was happening, so he stood off to the side and no longer interfered. Duskbark followed up with several more attacks, and Graceful Twilight simply closed her eyes and stood there. She didn’t even pay attention to her surroundings as she hummed a happy tune.

Since he was not involved in the exchange, Cha Ming had more than enough time to observe the shield. While it was connected to Graceful Twilight, she did not seem to be controlling it actively. In fact, she wasn’t even supplying it energy; the shield was drawing what it could from its surroundings. It did so through the invisible flame that was beating inside it like a heart.

“The shield is defending automatically, like it has a will of its own,” Cha Ming muttered. “It’s like… like a custodian!”

“Right, a custodian!” Graceful Twilight said. Duskbark stopped his attacks, and the shield began orbiting her once more, this time like a playful dog. “Heartflames aren’t nearly as useful as custodians, of course, since the Daoist artificers have millennia of practice, and the process is expensive and complicated, but they do have their strengths. The objects I imbue with heartflames might not be able to talk, but they function independently as long as simple orders are issued. The energy requirements are also much lower than a custodian’s.”

“The only problem is combability,” Duskbark said. “She can’t use her heartflames on just any item. So far, only inkborn-shaped wood can be used.”

“And this works with weapons as well?” Cha Ming asked. To answer him, Duskbark and Graceful Twilight imbued a bamboo sword. This time it was Cha Ming who dripped a drop of blood onto it, establishing a connection with the item. It didn’t feel like a mind at all, but it could sense his feelings and intentions even without words.

He had it patrol across the room at high speed but cautioned it to take care in avoiding all friendlies. The sword was able to accomplish this task without any issues. Graceful Twilight then pulled out a different sword, which Cha Ming had the sword defend against. It didn’t require any of his attention, and he did not have to expend any energy. He then told it to attack, and soon enough, the bamboo sword and wooden shield were exchanging blows, all without any control on his part.

“Not bad,” Cha Ming said. “Not bad at all. Still… don’t you think it’s a little lacking?”

Graceful Twilight blinked. “Lacking?”

“I actually agree with Clear Sky.” It was Dark Splendor who spoke. He’d finished what he’d been working on, which involved a row of heartflames with runes floating inside them. “That’s why we’re experimenting. I had Painted World cooperate with me in making these glyphed heartflames, and we already know that glyphs combine well with inkborn-shaped wood. My goal is to combine all three eventually. I believe that this is where we’ll find true utility.”

Cha Ming agreed with this line of thinking. Individually, their powers were a little lackluster due to standard demon powers. By combining wood and fire, they’d created custodians, however weak. What if the wooden objects were enhanced by glyphs as well?

Custodians were very difficult to make. He’d read into the topic once. Their production involved harvesting natural souls that grew in energy-dense environments and imprinting them with a memory template. Such assistants were extremely expensive, so only a few artifacts would ever host one.

“It’s a very good start,” Cha Ming agreed. “Have you tried imbuing one of those?” He tilted his head toward the four-meter-tall treant.

Dark Splendor scowled at the question. “We have. Obviously. Our heartflames can’t handle the energy load, and multiple heartflames conflict. That’s where we got the idea that perhaps the heartflames could be made stronger with glyphs.”

“I think it’s just stupid, and we’re wasting our time,” Graceful Twilight said.

“What does a little girl like you understand about research?” Dark Splendor said.

Cha Ming chuckled. “What do you think would work better, Graceful Twilight?”

“Obviously painting the treant with glyphs that absorb energy,” Graceful Twilight said.

“In practice, I agree, but the materials are too lacking,” Dark Splendor said. “Wood isn’t the best conductor of energy. Of course, we’re researching many avenues. These glyph flames for one. We’re also working on improving the size of our heartflames by practicing our technique. In fact, I have a stack of research documents you might be interested to—”

Graceful Twilight shoved him to the side unceremoniously, then grabbed Cha Ming’s arm. She pulled him over to her personal workbench, where a row of flames burned.

“What do you think?” she asked, looking proud.

Cha Ming examined the flames carefully. Each was of a different color and contained a different emotion. There was a pink flame filled with a familiar emotion: longing.

It was then that he noticed that Graceful Twilight wasn’t as happy as she looked on the surface. Outwardly, she was fine and bubbly, but inwardly, her emotions were in sync with this pink flame and the blue flames representing sadness. In a way, she was like Drezil. She was unable to cope with her emotions, and as such, had lost herself in her work.

“Graceful Twilight, it occurs to me that you’re overdoing it,” Cha Ming said. Her smile faltered for only a moment before returning, bright and cheerful, though without the sincerity he’d sensed earlier.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said.

Cha Ming shrugged. “Seems to me like you need a vacation. You’re putting on a good front, but inside, you’re all coiled up like a spring.”

“Nonsense,” Graceful Twilight said. She walked over to the bench and began feeding her flames with different-colored fire. Some shrank and some grew. The pink and blue flames grew most. “If others can lock themselves up with their work, why can’t I?”

“That’s true,” Cha Ming agreed. “No one can stop you, though if you want to imitate him, you’d better stop sleeping, eating, or speaking to people. And you should give up bathing and pour your blood essence into those flames.”

Graceful Twilight fumbled a piece of tinted glass when he said this. It dropped to the floor and shattered, pulling more than a few eyes in their direction.

“At this point, I’m afraid for his life,” Cha Ming continued as he bent down, using his power over assembly to gather all the glass and mend it before handing it back. “But perhaps I’m completely mistaken. Either way, your commitment to your work seems very lacking in comparison.”

Graceful Twilight accepted the piece of tinted glass. She brushed it off before placing it on her workbench. Then she looked up at Cha Ming with slightly red eyes. “Why can’t he find time to visit?”

“Why couldn’t you find time to visit him?” Cha Ming countered. “I understand. You’re both stubborn, and maybe there are some cultural concerns. But he’s not in his right mind, and you are.”

Graceful Twilight’s expression grew steely. “That’s his problem. He’s replaced me with his work, and I’ve done the same. If there are consequences, we’ll both accept them.”

“I know you don’t mean that,” Cha Ming said. But she ignored him and continued infusing and reflecting, manipulating light, making heartflame after heartflame grow and weaken in strength. Unfortunately, these flames were very dependent on her emotional state. Their beating became frantic, and soon, they were little more than little broken hearts filled with confusion.

“I have a suggestion,” Cha Ming said after a while. “It’s a strictly work-related suggestion.”

She paused. “I’m listening.”

“It occurs to me that you are all working with an incomplete puzzle,” Cha Ming said. “If you’re going to solve a puzzle, you should make sure you have all the pieces, shouldn’t you?”

Graceful Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?”

Cha Ming shrugged. “It seems to me that there were four types of inkborn that popped up in Kerava. The wood shapers, the heart shapers, and the glyph shapers were three of them. If your group is intent on combining everything, wouldn’t it follow that you’ll get the best results by collaborating with the inkborn in Signstone?”

Her work slowed visibly until finally, she stopped and crossed her arms. “I don’t want to go there.”

“And you don’t have to,” Cha Ming said. “Maybe Dark Radiance could go instead?”

Graceful Twilight snorted. “She’s not a researcher, and we only call her to the lab when we’re busy.”

Cha Ming shrugged helplessly. “Then talk it out with Dark Splendor. He seems pretty busy, but maybe he’ll make time.”

Graceful Twilight licked her lips. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“That’s much appreciated,” Cha Ming said. “But I do hope you’ll go. Drezil is not at all in a good place, and his entire clan is relying on him. He just can’t deal with that sort of pressure alone, and I as a teacher could not help him. He has an obsession eating at him from the inside, and I’m just not important enough to stop that from happening.”

Graceful Twilight shivered but kept her steely expression. “I need to get back to work. I imagine you’re also quite busy?”

“I’ll see myself out,” Cha Ming said.

He wandered over to Dark Splendor’s bench. The older inkborn was busy prodding and poking at the glyph-filled flames using metal rods. “So,” Dark Splendor said. “Did you convince her?”

“Almost,” Cha Ming said. “She just needs a tiny push. Could you perhaps independently suggest an inkborn research exchange? I think involving the Runebound Clan would be for the best.”

“I’ve been suggesting it for months,” Dark Splendor said.

“Then why… oh.” Cha Ming realized that Dark Splendor was playing the same game he was. His excuse that he was too busy was probably not entirely accurate. His personality might have changed quite a bit since the Kerava expedition, but he’d never stopped looking out for Graceful Twilight.

“Since you’re done, off with you,” Dark Splendor said. “Don’t think I don’t see you eyeing my tea stash.”

Cha Ming’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re slandering me! I came to borrow your glyph shapers. I spoke to Clever Dusk recently, and she wants me to set up a grand formation.”

“Take them,” Dark Splendor said. “But if you so much sneeze at my tea stash, I’ll—wait! Come back!”

But Cha Ming was already gone, and so were a few of his tea boxes filled with delicious heartflame-roasted leaves. Cha Ming’s revived tea habits demanded nothing but the best. And besides, he’d left some inkwell jades behind as payment, so it wasn’t really stealing. Not at all.