AbyssalRoadTrip
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Abyssal Road Trip - 449 - Bridges you burned
🕑 Added 2024-09-19 14:11:34 +0000 UTCAmdirlain’s PoV - West Wind’s Kingdom
As they moved away from the kingdom’s edge, the villages became more settled towns with well-equipped guards, regular patrols, and sturdy bridges over the broader rivers. When spring had finally rolled around, they were among the kingdom’s more populated areas, and the roads and facilities were relatively congested. It was now uncommon to be the only ones on any stretch of road. The trip had been instructive in diplomacy among the locals but hadn’t provided Amdirlain new insights into that Skill. She used their time in each village to observe the movements of various individuals and practice mimicking their speed and irregularities in their balance. Over the months, her ‘clumsiness’ reached a level where Jinfeng was shaking her head.
As she awkwardly stopped a pot from tipping into the fire during breakfast, Jinfeng snorted in disbelief. “Can you save the performance for when others are around?”
Jinfeng waved at the empty dawn road. The village they’d passed through last night had only one packed inn, and the road seemed better than enduring cramped conditions.
“Practice makes perfect,” replied Amdirlain.
“You’re going to develop bad habits,” said Jinfeng.
Amdirlain grinned. “Perhaps consider them an extension of drunken man Kung-fu.”
“No,” huffed Jinfeng.
“If it’s any consolation, the challenge is controlling my body so precisely that I can seem clumsy while nothing is being harmed. I’m moving so slowly that it’s all an act. Whether I look like I’m dancing or being clumsy, you wouldn’t see my motions if I reacted from pure instinct.”
Jinfeng paused, and her eyes widened. “That blur of death you managed wasn’t from a Spell?”
“No, it wasn’t, and I still had to hold back.”
“Then what you did to those demons is even more disturbing for the sheer violence,” replied Jinfeng, nodding to the dribble of rice porridge Amdirlain allowed to fall. “People are going to have completely the wrong impression of you.”
Amdirlain winked playfully. “And they’re free to make all the assumptions they want.”
Her silken outer robe changed appearance to yak wool.
“Please don’t, Sifu. With those robes and how clumsy you’re acting, people will think you’re a poor servant.”
“I’m setting up to blend in. Those mountains are making me mentally cold, and this wool is snuggly, said Amdirlain, pointing towards one of the still distant snow-capped peaks. “If you’d like, I can pretend to be Sarah’s handmaid.”
Sarah’s focus lifted from the mithril plate she’d worked on since midnight. “Does that mean I can ask for regular back rubs?”
“You get those anyway,” laughed Amdirlain. “Do you folks want to finish eating, and then we’ll get moving?”
As always, breaking camp was simple. Storage devices collected gear and refilled the fire pit, allowing them to complete the task in seconds. They were back on the road as nearby farmers started their morning chores.
“I’m going to make camouflage for the house,” muttered Sarah for the hundredth-odd time.
“It leaves footprints, and a house suddenly appearing in the distance is going to attract attention,” said Kadaklan. “It was wonderful for accommodations in the middle of nowhere, but unless you want stories to spread that would cause people to look into us, it’s best to leave it stowed away when we’re closer to roads.”
Sarah shrugged nonchalantly. “They can spread stories for all I care—I’m missing the comfortable bed.”
“Even if it means trouble for Am?” asked Kadaklan.
“Not that far,” conceded Sarah. “And I guess the appearance of a magical house would provoke the greed of young masters.”
The road led them through a series of rough hills before the wind brought them the smell of fresh water and the noise of a settlement. Once they reached the top of the rise, they had a good view of the place ahead. Proper stone walls surrounded it, with watchtowers set at regular intervals. The town held a variety of colourful stone buildings, from a small brick hut to a six-story structure with balconies around its sides, however every building had a high peaked roof. Most buildings within the town’s limits were laid out in orderly rows with common walls but three separate compounds contained free-standing structures. The largest of them had minarets capping the towers and flew red banners blazoned in white with two crossed crescent blades. The banners over the other two compounds were more colourful: long gold flags with a central stripe of red and assorted symbols placed in the centre of that vertical stripe.
The banners on the compounds and town walls weren’t the only decorations visible from kilometres away. Between all the most prominent buildings, cables decorated with hundreds of flags wove a web through the town. They alternated between yellow, green, blue, and white, waving colourfully in the wind from the higher mountains.
The approach to the town contained hundreds of small orchards and family farms. Amdirlain could see a hundred-odd people on the roads and among the farms. The slope of the land led down to an irregular lake that wrapped around the far side of the town. At its widest point, the lake was six kilometres across, narrowing to a gap of a kilometre between the town and the closest cliffs.
The town has the local equivalent of high-density housing, but there are probably less than a couple of thousand people living there. There is space taken up with enclosed stables or pens for yaks and other livestock.
The locals they could see wore layered clothing, from simple pants and shirts with broad trim and collars to fancy robes. The latter all followed the same style, a split in colours along a diagonal line across their torso from left shoulder to lower right ribs. It seemed standard for the smaller section of their right shoulder and arm to be of a lighter hue, but the main torso and left arm ranged in colours from deep black to bright greens, so vivid that Amdirlain wasn’t sure how they managed without industrial dyes.
“Does the biggest compound belong to the local lord?” asked Sarah.
Jinfeng pointed to the closest of the red banners. “That is the crest of the Tiger’s Claw. I knew they held some towns in this region, but not precisely which ones. They’re a small sect focused exclusively on self-perfection through martial endeavours. They have disproportionate territory size given their numbers as they help stabilise the borders. This is the first we’ve seen of their banners since they don’t bother with the smaller villages unless there is trouble. A group will depart to deal with the fighting and then withdraw to one of their compounds.”
“Will you need to exchange pointers?” asked Sarah.
Jinfeng grimaced. “I hope not. Normally, I look forward to the chance to improve my blade work, but I could do without that headache again.”
“Again?” Amdirlain turned from surveying the town.
“That sounds like a story,” said Kadaklan
“Members of their sect are unreasonable in their persistence. If one of them growls at you, pretend they’re a barking dog unless they unsheathe weapons,” advised Jinfeng. “Waving a sheathed blade about is an act of chastisement in this region, but they’ll draw on you if they feel you’ve insulted their honour. At that point, it’s best to challenge them. They’ll take whatever insult you gave simply as part of the lead-up to the challenge and won’t make an issue of it afterwards, win or lose. You draw lots to determine who picks the weapons. The loser determines the time and place within the next seven days.”
“So you kept losing the choice of weapons,” interjected Sarah.
“Wrong guess. I’ll get into that in a moment.”
Amdirlain’s mind offered twisted antics around the time and place for duels, and she suppressed a groan.
“Anyway, a bared sword outside an arena means they’re after your head,” continued Jinfeng. “Beating one in a duel, even if they’re badly injured, is fine. Downside, you’ll end up with everyone slightly junior in their sect challenging you.”
“Is that because they’re standing up for their martial sibling?” asked Amdirlain.
Jinfeng laughed cynically. “They’re rank-obsessed but not allowed to challenge each other except in a tournament every two years. However, if a junior member beats someone who defeated a senior, they’ll get promoted to their rank. They’ll string out the duel if they choose the time and place. That caused my headache, as they kept setting it for the longest time, allowing more to arrive. In the end it cost me a summer.”
Amdirlain suppressed her smile. “I’ll try to be good.”
“Now I’m willing to bet we’ll end up staying here a while,” drawled Sarah.
“Only if we can find a decent inn,” huffed Amdirlain. “Otherwise, I won’t care if they consider me a coward. They can eat my dust.”
“Even if you have them looking like servant robes, you wear them in the Monastery of the Western Reaches style, and we’re travelling together. Such conduct would sully the reputation of others,” said Jinfeng. “The follow-on effect would require more people to prove themselves before they can access even merchants in these towns.”
“Which means duels, even if they’re not a member of the Martial Pavilion?” asked Amdirlain.
Jinfeng nodded.
“I’ll do my best to be good,” Amdirlain sighed. “Or should I ditch the robes and risk being considered an unaffiliated Ki Practitioner?”
“If someone is rude to you, challenge them to a duel and spectacularly crush them,” advised Jinfeng. “Then their immediate juniors will know they also don’t stand a chance. Being unaffiliated is more of a headache than fighting duels that aren’t a threat to you. Some places won’t even let you in the region without bloodshed.”
Sarah tilted her head curiously. “Is betting allowed on duels?”
Kadaklan chuckled as Sarah’s eyes shone with predatory glee.
“You can pluck the locals on your own,” grumbled Amdirlain. “You don’t need me to stumble into trouble.”
“Are you going to object if I make someone pay for stupidity?”
Amdirlain tucked her hands into her sleeves and pretended the clouds were fascinating.
“Try to avoid trouble with other orders and nobles, but don’t let them walk over you,” advised Jinfeng. “Sometimes, there’s a fine line between not letting others push you around and being a bully, since some won’t back off unless they’re completely convinced you’re beyond them.”
“Being too easily pushed around would also hurt the standing of the monastery,” said Amdirlain. “If someone starts trouble first, it’s fine to end it.”
“Precisely,” nodded Jinfeng. “Have you decided if we will visit the Monastery of the Western Reaches or seek the West Wind’s Court first?”
“Let’s head for the court,” replied Amdirlain. “The library at the Outpost had copies of most of the relevant works, so I might as well see what the court has.”
“After we tend to matters in town, we’ll head east along the river until we get to the first pass to cross the mountain range,” said Jinfeng.
“What matters in town? Or do you expect Kadaklan’s mobile clinic to take a while?” asked Sarah.
“I’m going to have to take care of matters for the order. Greasing wheels, as you and Am put it. Before we leave the town, I’ll need to drop by the lord’s compound with a gift. If they hear that masters of the monastery came through without doing so, they might take it as an insult.”
Amdirlain raised an eyebrow. “The Monastery of the Western reaches isn’t close to here.”
“Our members travel widely, and the townships don’t charge members of recognised orders gate taxes,” Jinfeng said. “The lords consider the occasional gifts from masters a polite courtesy for that exception. The Lord’s secretary will hint about the traffic of members in the area, and I’ll provide a suitable gift so our members aren’t burdened since some travel with only the clothes on their backs.”
Since they were in sight of the walls now, they kept their pace to typical Mortal speeds, which gave Jinfeng plenty of time to convey her experiences with the sect. When they reached the gates, the queued farmers took one look at their group and tried to wave them ahead. It took them repeatedly declining before the offers stopped.
The gate guards looked over Jinfeng and Kadaklan’s robes warily. When they drew out the jade contribution pendants, their commander promptly ushered them through both gates into the crowded streets and provided directions to a good-quality inn. They were still on the first street when Amdirlain caught the gazes of two street thieves. The oldest of the men stiffened and they hurriedly slipped into a side alley. She heard bare feet slapping the stones as they sprinted away.
Sarah shot Amdirlain a bemused look. ‘You’ve got your Charisma under control and still scare the locals?’
‘That’s hardly fair. They were wary because of the robes, and when I focused on them, they decided they were done.’ Amdirlain returned.
“Did you scare off some local thieves?” asked Jinfeng, unaware of their exchange.
Amdirlain frowned. “They had that air about them.”
“What’s that?”
“The one when you don’t want attention,” replied Amdirlain.
As they headed deeper into town, the directions took them onto wider streets, along which were stores with open frontages displaying an assortment of goods but only a few places to eat. Sections of the buildings reminded Amdirlain more of Tibetan towns from photos than Persian architecture. The place was awash with vibrant colours, from the thick banners that draped before every doorway, elaborately formed balconies, the struts supporting awnings, and decorative prayer wheels along the buildings’ frontages. The last she saw turned idly in the wind or at the touch of passersby; all of them were well-maintained and spun without sound. Most of the streets along their path had at least a few practitioners robed in red and white, their gazes following Jinfeng.
When the inn they’d been directed to came into sight, it turned out to be a four-story structure with colourful banners hanging down the front of red pillars supporting its layered balconies. The formation of their railings showed the division of rooms on each floor, with the top balcony being a single area. They passed a street heading towards the Lord’s compound as they approached the inn. The boisterous calls of vendors and fragrant food drew attention to the wider concourse. Down it, Amdirlain caught sight of a busy market in the open square packed with stalls and narrow wagons, the side flaps on the latter were lifted to display goods without unpacking.
“Might be interesting to look through,” said Amdirlain.
Jinfeng shrugged. “Lots of odds and ends for households, street food, and whatever goods a travelling merchant has brought in recently. Let’s see to our accommodation before we bother seeing the Lord.”
As they neared the front doors, Amdirlain glimpsed a black-haired man behind the reception counter, looking over some papers before him. His thick eyebrows hardened, and he released the crumpled edge of a sheet to rub his hands across the counter. He wore a deep mahogany high-collared shirt with white trim fastened across his chest and down one side via loops. He had folded the thick cloth of the sleeves into precise cuffs that covered the backs of his hands.
Jinfeng again drew out her white jade pendant and rested it on the outside of her robes, before she brushed aside the red and gold banner hanging across the door. She strode towards the reception counter on the other side of the four by four metre foyer with efficient motions. Her usually silent footsteps turned into soft slaps against the floor. The sudden shift in noise caused the man behind the counter to look up. His dark gaze took in Jinfeng and the rest of the group following in her wake.
“We desire accommodation,” stated Jinfeng. “Something together.”
“We’ve only the main suite left available,” replied the innkeeper, setting aside his brush.
“Does it come with meals?”
“A standard breakfast available at dawn with the rooms, though arrangements can be made for something more substantial if you notify us in advance,” said the innkeeper. “For the evening meal, the cook can provide various options..”
Amdirlain left Jinfeng to the haggling and looked over the few patrons in the inn’s dining area. The meals varied, with noodle dishes, steaming meat bread, chicken dumplings, stir-fried slices of yak meat, and butter tea. The odours tickled her nose, and Amdirlain sniffed in appreciation of the odours.
I don’t need to eat, but darn that smells good.
Jinfeng cut off the innkeeper’s haggling by setting down a few stacks of silvers. “There are four of us, and we’ll need the main suite for three days.”
Coppers have gotten us private rooms in some places; it better be a magnificent room at forty silver for three days.
Without another word, the innkeeper called a lady from the dining area and asked her to show them upstairs.
At the top of the stairwell was a shortened T-shaped corridor. The base extended towards the front of the building, while the crosspiece ran the width of the building. Along its course, multiple doors opened into rooms facing the inn’s rear.
Their guide quickly unlocked the door ahead of them with a plain brass key and ushered them inside. The decoratively carved cedar furnishings, with inset panels of painted scenes, gave the room warmth. The chairs around the room had woven cushions padded with yak wool. A hearth to the right lined up with a low table that anchored the room. Further along the wall from the hearth was a decorative screen that blocked that corner.
Kadaklan looked around the suite’s main room, a decent-sized space, six metres long by four wide. The place provided a line of sight into two adjoining bedrooms and, having moved towards the table, the narrow corridor beyond the screen in the right corner was visible.
The lady opened the shutters to allow the breeze into the main room. “Do you expect to be receiving visitors?”
Jinfeng expression remained composed. “That is unlikely.”
‘Now we’re doom flagged,’ projected Sarah.
Amdirlain caught the ripples of amusement that clarified that Sarah had broadcast the remark to the group.
“We can provide maids to assist if you have insufficient help for guests.” The lady’s gaze flickered to Amdirlain, the only one of the four in woollen robes.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Jinfeng.
Amdirlain reopened the front door and smiled warmly. “Thank you for showing us to the suite. You’ve other guests waiting for you, and I can tend to everything else.”
Jinfeng nodded, and the servant bowed to her before hurrying away.
A glowing disc appeared in Sarah’s hand, and she released it to float atop the low table in the main room.
“I think you enjoy your paranoia,” Jinfeng nodded to the disc.
“It doesn’t hurt to ensure your room is secure,” replied Sarah. “Why did you book for three days?”
“It might take some time to see the lord and also tend to some other courtesies,” replied Jinfeng. “We need to learn about the routes ahead and give Kadaklan time to tend to those needing help.”
“Travelling with a healer is such a burden,” added Kadaklan drily.
“We forgive you,” quipped Amdirlain, moving past to check the place’s layout. Besides the main room, two large bedrooms and a servant’s room at the end with a simple pallet made up the suite.
As she turned from the servant’s bedroom, a vague, troublesome twinge ran through Precognition, but with it came a promising shift. “What’s the plan now we’ve got accommodation?”
Maybe we are doom-flagged, but there is something helpful coming from it.
“I’ll go to the lord’s compound. I’ve got a few things in my possession that would be a suitable gift for a lord,” said Jinfeng.
Kadaklan nodded toward the third compound. “While you do that, I’ll ask the temple priests if they’d like my help.”
“The lattice of the town’s wards is odd, and I want to see how they created it,” said Sarah. “Will the lord or the guards be the right people to ask to speak to the Tao Enchanter maintaining it?”
“Best to speak to the lord for permission to approach them,” replied Jinfeng. “They’ll probably be part of the lord’s household in some respect.”
“Sounds like I might as well go over with you then,” said Sarah.
Amdirlain considered just staying put, but the market stalls niggled at her. “I take it a town this size won’t have a market running daily.”
“Depends on the local rules, maybe once every five to ten days. The lord would have to roster extra guards to cut down on thieves,” said Jinfeng.
“I’ll leave dealing with the nobles to you two and look over the market.”
The trio left Kadaklan to head to the temple at his own pace and headed outside. The road leading to the square was busier when they’d passed it earlier, with goods being moved about and some being sent into the compound beyond. As Amdirlain followed Sarah and Jinfeng through the square, the contents of the market stalls drew her attention. Not washed in the details of songs, paying attention to the little details flowed easier, even in the bustling square. The oddity of considering it busy after experiencing both Qil Tris and Sydney CBD caused Amdirlain to pause.
The place’s energy is vibrant.
A narrow wagon, looking battered and travel-worn, had its side up to display assorted niches filled with scrolls; from the ends of each hung a tag with the work’s name. Among them, the stories of the Celestial Archer and other local deities caught Amdirlain’s attention.
Jinfeng stopped as she straightened a tag to examine its phrasing.
“There won’t be any techniques manuals in a merchant’s wagon,” commented Jinfeng.
“I’m just interested in what stories they have, Master Jinfeng,” replied Amdirlain. “I caught sight of an exploration journal you mentioned reading.”
“I’ve many fine tales of bravery and roaming the wilds among my wares,” the merchant started, giving both the ladies a welcoming smile. “Something to relax the mind between more insightful endeavours and martial activities.”
Jinfeng shrugged. “It’s your coin. We’ll see you back at the inn.”
‘I’m going to indulge in retail therapy, but I know you have the formalities to handle if you want to talk to the town’s enchanter,’ Amdirlain projected to Sarah.
‘Already, your disguise is less fun,’ returned Sarah.
After exchanging parting bows, Amdirlain started examining the other tags.
“Are you after similar works, or do you have a wider array in mind?” the merchant asked.
“I’m partial to any well-written tale of adventure,” replied Amdirlain. “Sometimes my life is too complex, and I like to relax.”
“I’ve plenty of tales to help one relax and others to stir the blood.”
With that information, the merchant started pointing her to various works on his shelves and giving her a quick synopsis of each as he went. Eventually, she returned to the inn carrying a cloth bag containing fifteen scrolls of martial tales. When she got to their room, she found Kadaklan had departed on his errand, but he’d left the security disc hovering a finger-width above the suite’s central table. Amdirlain ditched the uniform’s outer robes and sat on the wooden floor in her loose cotton pants and top. The citizens’ comings and goings were a comforting backdrop of white noise as she settled into her reading.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
A few hours later, the pleading tone in the innkeeper’s voice caught Amdirlain’s attention. “Please, noble one. Only one servant is present. Let me ask them to move when their master returns.”
At first, his protests echoed up the stairwell, but his pleading received only silence. They were soon followed by the beat of four sets of booted feet down the corridor.
The footsteps barely paused at the door before it was flung open. Not expecting the barrier inside the threshold, the well-tanned guard stepped forward and face-planted into the hardened field. His nose cracked against it, causing him to flinch backwards, giving him a view of the corridor behind him. Amdirlain saw two more identically attired guards and a greying silk-clad woman with much paler skin. The purple and orange she wore badly highlighted her whitened skin. She was rail thin, her hands adorned with rings, and she wore elaborately jewelled necklaces.
Amdirlain raised an eyebrow when Sarah’s defensive barrier had to block the guard’s second attempt to push into the room.
Though each guard matched the silk-clad woman’s dark purple and orange colour scheme, their attire was more practical. They wore armour fashioned of segmented plates sewn onto a silk and cotton backing. A wide sash around their waists supported Chinese sabres and a variety of daggers. Split sections that stuck out from the base of their armoured torsos protected their upper thighs but left a gap between the rim and the top of the greaves that ran into metal-capped boots.
The woman’s mouth tightened at the delay. “Get in there and toss that servant out.”
Do I even want to know who she is? Maybe I should know the basics before I get into a verbal fistfight.
Amdirlain restricted Analysis to the woman’s general capabilities and background.
[Name: Dor Ji
Class: Tao Warden / Ki Weaver / Spirit Warden
Level: 54 / 54 / 37
Details: The fourth daughter of a senior branch of nobles, she was sponsored to the Storm Peak order when her ability to manipulate her Ki developed. However, various conflicts saw her relegated to maintaining the wards around remote settlements for lesser branches of her family. With no authority to impose control, she bought up people’s debt in hard seasons over the decades, collecting businesses that could not repay, and now uses it as leverage over people.]
Thank you, Gideon. I appreciate the lack of trolling and actually giving useful information.
[Tao Warden
Details: This Prestige Class combines Tao Enchanter and Tao Alchemist at level fifty. Their talents are a mainstay for securing settlements in the middle kingdoms from monster incursions and creating various protective items.]
[Ki Weaver
Details: This is an evolved base Class from the Tao Enchanter focused on protective wards and enchantments.]
[Spirit Warden
Details: The abilities of this evolved base Class focus on creating protective barriers that cover broad areas.]
Amdirlain smoothly rose from the table to step between the door and her reading. “My apologies, but the doorway is secured. Why are you seeking to barge in without warning?”
The innkeeper wrung his hands together. “Lady Dor Ji is the owner.”
“Master Jinfeng isn’t present, but she paid for three days. Even if that wasn’t the case, things must be packed, so we can’t just vacate immediately.”
Well, I could, but I won’t.
The guard tried to push ahead, but the barrier made his attempts futile.
“What are you waiting for?” snarled Dor Ji.
Amdirlain sighed. “Please leave. Once again, Master Jingeng paid for this suite and isn’t currently present.”
“I own this inn,” roared Dor Ji. “You will get out.”
“The decision to leave or not is in Master Jinfeng’s hands, though I’m sure she’d want at least a refund or alternative accommodations. However, this yelling and banging will get you nothing, as it’s not my place to move her possessions without permission.”
Dor Ji’s gaze blazed, and her pale skin flushed with rage. “I say you’re trespassing.”
“Trespassing is when you’re illegally present on a property. Again, Master Jinfeng paid the suite fee. If you want this suite permanently available, I’d suggest you shouldn’t have your staff rent it out at all,” Amdirlain replied calmly. “Once Master Jinfeng returns, you can discuss the matter with her.”
She sneered at Amdirlain. “You’ll get out when I say you get out. Your delays add to the trouble I’ll cause you all.”
Behind him, the innkeeper blanched. She dipped into Dor Ji’s mind and found her intent on making their lives miserable.
She likes to make people’s lives unpleasant, does she? Can I get this conversation back on a normal track? No one had introduced us; she went straight to screaming for me to be removed—Karen-level behaviour.
“Might I know your name and what order you belong to so I can inform Master Jinfeng upon her return?” Amdirlain politely asked. As she spoke, she reached out to Jinfeng’s mind and added her to the link she maintained with Sarah.
‘Jinfeng, there is trouble with the inn’s owner, Dor Ji of the Storm Peak order. She just arrived in town and is trying to kick us out of the suite.’
‘From your tone, you’re not inclined to cooperate? Storm Peak is an order that only accepts those whose families are in noble bloodlines. Depending on her influence, she could cause us trouble in annoying ways while we’re in the West Wind’s Kingdom.’
‘It’s her property, so we’ll have to get out, but she’s been entirely unreasonable, and I’m not inclined to play this completely meekly.’
“Who I am is no concern of yours, servant. You will get out of my suite at once. I’ll let your Master know you’ve been pawing through their scrolls instead of attending to chores,” hissed Dor Ji.
“You keep making false assumptions, and I don’t answer to you,” replied Amdirlain. “Your behaviour dishonours the Storm Peak Order, Lady Dor Ji. I’m sure deep down you know it since you didn’t want to admit your membership.”
The woman’s gaze narrowed suspiciously at Amdirlain's sudden use of her name and order.
“Yes, since you said you’re the inn's owner, it allowed me to place you. I heard your name mentioned as a horrid debt collector, not for any honourable reason. You’re behaving in a way that any true noble in the Jade Emperor’s lands should find despicable.”
“You, a mere servant, seek to oppose my will? I’ll have your master flay you for daring to speak to me with such disrespect.”
Just the person who Sarah wanted to speak with, pity that she’s not exactly reasonable.
Amdirlain smiled. “While I’d normally provide hospitality, I think it’s best you occupy yourself elsewhere until their return.”
Dor Ji’s gaze hardened. “Your master, whoever they are, will regret this day.”
“Lady Dor Ji, you seem to like to make assumptions. Among other assumptions you should correct, there is not one but two masters staying in this suite. Until those honoured individuals return, it’s not my place to respond to your demand that we leave this suite. However, I will keep their possessions secure.”
Amdirlain touched the controls on the disc, causing the field to expand to the suite’s exterior. With his hand still pressed against the threshold, the Guard was forced back, sliding across the hallway rug.
She stepped forward to lock and bolt it, sharing the resulting yells with Jinfeng.
Jinfeng sighed through the mental link. ‘I guess I’ll have to adapt to this latest drama. We’re in the receiving room, waiting for Lord Dha Ca. As the Storm Peak takes in only members of noble families, there will be some drama, even if it’s only for saving face.’
‘There will be other people to learn some tricks from,’ added Sarah.
With that, Amdirlain returned to her reading, ignoring the screaming in the corridor.
Comments
CringeWorthyStudios
Ah, that makes sense.
Glenn Wright
It was more about setting up the interactions with Sagga and her mother during her first stay on the material plane and giving them more reasons to believe in J. Also, I'm introducing the irregulars and Ebusuku earlier, so I have to watch the tone in those interactions to avoid putting anything in that would logically lead to bad blood later.
CringeWorthyStudios
Mmm, I don’t think it needs too much foreshadowing, maybe just a few subtle feelings? At least I thought it was rather well done as is. Good luck and keep up the good work though. :)
Glenn Wright
I'm still working on book two and reviewing the rough draft. I need to change the feel of a few things, but it allows me to bring some events forward. I will set up more prelude events for when she gains a Mantle later; I want to ensure it doesn't come so far out of left field.
Peter Gerganov
Lol, Amdirlain is chill, but if Xianxia Karen mouths off at Sarah she's gonna move straight to the find out portion of the game
Luboš Hemala
I love me some drama :-)
CringeWorthyStudios
Mmm, I love a good ‘young master’ incident. Good fun. I hope the re-write going well for you? Thanks for the chapter!
