Bo-Jing's Redemption Quest

 There was peace in Banua and across the lands of the Naran horde, and all threats posed on the Northwestern frontier of the Zhou Empire had been neutralized. And yet Bo-Jing brooded still on the horrors he had confronted when possessed by the spirit of Hosadas. In both the looking glass, he saw the haggard face of a man who had been ready to give up his honor for power. He was haunted by his shortcomings and yearned to return to Angel Island, the place where he remembered making the right choice, even when confronted with the threat of death.   

To reach Angel Island, Bojing knew he needed to return to the Master’s Palace, where a teleportation room could whisk him away to his desired location. But first, he and his friends had to traverse the rugged terrain of Hunza. Salt, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu agreed to accompany him. Salt offered the use of her enchanted house, allowing her and several others to hide themselves in a comfortable apartment that shrunk to the size of a walnut and placed in Bo-Jing’s pocket. Bo-Jing, meanwhile wearing his ring of invisibility and mounted on Tse-Hami, his jet black khimori, could traverse Hunza’s night sky with great speed and with little risk of being seen.

Their first major stop in Hunza was Magden, a town in ruins. The once-thriving settlement lay in tatters, a testament to several seasons of depredation. The culprit, a fearsome dragon, had wreaked havoc before retreating to its lair.

Bojing and his friends tracked the beast to its lair and engaged in a fierce battle. They killed the dragon, skinned it, and claimed its treasure. They considered further exploring the dragon’s expansive lair, but noticed signs that they were being surveilled by invisible forces.  Considering the risk and remembering their mission, they pressed on, avoiding Gilgat and other towns to prevent further conflict.

Upon reaching the Master’s Palace, they were met with a scene of devastation. The once-beautiful fields were now scarred, and wyverns circled menacingly above the damaged towers. The sight was grim, but the urgency of their quest drove them forward.

Salt, in a burst of creativity, transformed herself into a khimori—allowing both her and Bo-Jing to navigate the chaos from the sky. As they approached the palace, the damage became more apparent. Inside, they encountered a bizarre conflict: optics, sentient but faceless beings of light and color, were engaged in a chaotic skirmish with a group of white apes.

Navigating through the mayhem, they finally reached the teleportation room. As they neared their goal, a burst of white fire erupted, blocking their path. Quick thinking and teamwork allowed them to evade the flames and reach the teleportation room, where they activated the magic that would take them to Angel Island.

Arriving on the island, they found a group of men working diligently to repair a ship. The scene was one of industrious hope amidst the backdrop of the island’s ethereal beauty. Bojing, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation, approached the angel who presided over the island.

The angel greeted him with a serene smile. “Come back again when you are ready to stay,” he said. “Keep your sword; it is not to punish you but to guide you.”

With that, Bojing felt a profound sense of relief and purpose. The harrowing aspects of his previous encounters, including the unnerving meeting with Horadas, seemed to fade. He was restored to a state of normalcy, ready to embrace whatever challenges lay ahead with renewed strength and clarity.

Blue City Blues Part 2: Death of Batu

 Batu and Wujin Fen were quietly congratulated by the authorities of Blue City, and were offered support in making another foray into the darkness beneath.

Batu wanted to first return to the large pool they’d seen briefly on their first visit. In the words of ChatGPT (lightly edited):

Batu, the brave Baghatur, ventured into the labyrinthine cavern. His torch flickered against the damp stone walls, casting long dancing shadows. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and mineral, and each step he took echoed with a hollow, rhythmic thud. He was followed closely by Wujin Fen and his trusted retainers.

The tunnels were narrow and twisting, choked with stalactites and stalagmites, their shapes distorted by the uneven light. Batu's breath came in small puffs of fog as he advanced deeper into the maze-like passages. His senses were heightened, attuned to the slightest change in the environment, every sound and shift of air.

As the party turned a sharp corner, the tunnel opened into a grand chamber. The ceiling soared high above, lost in shadow, and the space was filled with a profound stillness. The torchlight revealed the underground pool that Batu had sought, its surface perfectly still, its depths unpenetrated by the glow of the torches. The pool's edge was framed by smooth, glistening rocks.

The silence was almost reverent, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the cavern's ceiling into the pool, creating concentric ripples that spread outward and then faded away.

Batu knelt by the pool, peering into its depths, and saw his own reflection mingling with a ghostly light beneath the surface.

Wujin Fen trailed behind Batu, his own torch casting a steadier, less frantic light than the flickering flame of his friend's torch. The cavern was a maze of echoing sounds and shifting shadows, and Wujin’s eyes were alert to any sign of danger.

Batu, had knelt by the pool, absorbed by its quiet majesty. Wujin’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, noting the eerily quiet atmosphere and the strange, bioluminescent fungi.

The surface of the pool began to roil and bubble, and a massive shadow emerged—a frog the size of a pony. It eyes glowed with a menacing light and its skin was slick and dark, blending seamlessly with the shadows of the cavern.

The giant frog's mouth opened wide as a horseman’s shield, revealing rows of glistening, jagged teeth. The creature’s tongue sprang from its mouth like a serpent; in a blink the tongue was wrapped around Batu’s neck, pulling him into the gaping maw. Batu dropped his sword and stumbled forward.

Instinctively, Wujin shouted the magic command words and thrust his hand out; a streak of green light blasted the frog between the eyes; instantly it sank back under the water, pulling Batu with it. Batu’s men flung their spears an instant later; too late, they penetrated the water without striking the frog, instead bobbing back up to the surface.

Batu’s men drew their swords and charged into the water, slashing around them on all sides. They waded waist-deep, to where there was a steep drop-off.  One of them retrieved his spear and plumbed for the bottom of the pool without success.

Batu’s second-in-command, Ulaan cast aside his shield and his helmet, ready to dive under. The others started to follow suit, until another one of their number, Altan stopped them, “Stop! Stop thrashing, be still and watch! Under the water!”

The men stood in place and Altan pointed, “Look there!” He pointed to a dark shape rising to the surface; the water roiled and bubbled, and the frog sprang into the air, landing on Ulaan. The men stabbed ferociously, but their spears glanced off the frog’s rubbery skin. Altan drew a dagger and drove its point into the back of the frog’s head. The frog buckled, but Altan held on, jumping onto the frog’s back. The frog jumped backward into the water and still clung tightly.  The frog dove and Altan went with it, twisting the knife deeper. When the frog stopped thrashing, Altan rolled under it and gave it a fierce kick toward the surface. He swam up to the surface gasping for air. The dead frog popped up a few moments later; the other men grabbed it and dragged it to shore. They cut the frog open and found Batu’s body. Ulaan was also dead. The other men gave Batu’s sword and armor to Altan, recognizing his valor and declaring him their new leader. He ordered the bodies of Batu and Ulaan to be laid out with reverence, their faces covered with blue cloth.

“And now we must complete the mission on behalf of our fallen lord.”

Alongside Wujin Fen, Altan navigated the labyrinthine passages with focused determination.

As they pressed deeper into the darkness, the sounds of their footsteps and the occasional drip of water from the cavern ceiling were their only companions. Their search led them to a group of teenage thugs, members of the gang they’d encountered previously, huddled in a small cave filled with garbage. They were hiding from One Law. Having failed at guarding the other hostages, they had deserted their post. They were clearly shaken by the cruelty of the One Law warriors, whose reputation for brutality had pushed them to flee.

Wujin and Altan, understanding the precariousness of their situation, approached the teens cautiously. They struck a deal: if the teens assisted them in locating the hostages, Wujin and Altan would ensure their safe escape from the cavern. The frightened young thugs, though initially wary, were swayed by the promise of safety and the evident strength of their negotiators.

With the teens’ guidance, the party navigated treacherous passages and avoided numerous traps laid by the One Law warriors. The thugs, knowledgeable about the layout of the caves, proved helpful in directing them past dangerous areas and hidden perils. The uneasy alliance grew more cooperative as they worked together toward their common goal.

The climactic confrontation came when Wujin, Altan, and their newfound allies managed to surprise the One Law warriors in their lair. The battle was fierce, but the element of surprise and the combined might of Altan’s combat skills and Wujin’s potent magic turned the tide. The One Law warriors, caught off guard, were swiftly defeated.

With the warriors dispatched, the team freed the hostages, who were in dire need of rescue. The grateful hostages were escorted out of the caverns with the utmost care, while the teenage thugs, motivated by both awe and relief, led the way to a safe exit.

As they emerged into the fresh air, the weight of their ordeal lifted. The mission was a success—hostages were saved, the One Law warriors were vanquished, and even the once-dubious teenage thugs had earned the party's gratitude. Wujin and Ganbold, though weary, knew they had triumphed against overwhelming odds, securing both the safety of their charges and the respect of those they had helped along the way.

Blue City Blues Part 1

Bo Jing sent his Baghatur, Batu, along with a small retinue of footmen, to the Imperial Blue City to investigate rumors of growing disquiet and even insurrectionist intent.

The new Governor in Blue City as well as his ministers were beyond reproach. Following the scandal the had led to execution of the last Governor, there was no tolerance for corruption at any level of the government.

But there was still the problem of the local temples. Among the dozens of shrines that had been established over the centuries, The Bright Path enjoyed official favor, but a variety of foreign merchants had brought their own beliefs, and their own rivalries. In recent decades, the Fire Temple had been most prominent among this population, but now that preeminence was being challenged by the followers of One Law. Unlike the Bright Path, which catered mainly to government ministers, and unlike the Fire Temple, which fully closed itself to outsiders, the followers of One Law eagerly sought and claimed new converts among Tuigen nomads, caravan guards, and imperial soldiers. So when the name of the Prophet of One Law was insulted by the High Priest of the Fire Temple, men from all quarters reacted with outrage.

The High Priest of the Fire Temple was arrested. But the Governor of Blue City refused to execute him, or to turn him over to the One Law to stand trial. The High Priest was a holy man and when it comes to blasphemy and the edicts of the Emperor, two wrongs did not make a right. There would be no trial, no punishment. Instead, the High Priest was ensconced in the Governor’s palace.

In retaliation, some men of One Law attacked an imperial caravan, taking two dozen prisoners, most of them government bureaucrats. Three of the prisoners were devotees of the Fire Temple. Their heads were found in Blue City markets over the next three days. The followers of One Law announced they would allow a week and then begin killing the other prisoners.

The Governor of Blue City officially ignored these threats.

Batu was approached by a group of low-level bureaucrats who asked for his help. They had collected some money and offered to pay him to rescue their friend who was among the hostages. Batu declined the offer of payment, but agreed that he and his men would help as a matter of his honor and that of his lord, Bo-Jing. He also assisted the desperate clerks in securing the assistance of Wujin Fen, Zaire, and Tayo. These were not Baghaturs, but they had talents that would be helpful. And they would gladly accept payment.

Given that the decapitated heads had been placed in the market, the party reasoned that the prisoners were being held somewhere in the city.  Following a chain of rumors, they found a dilapidated mansion in the merchants’ quarter that allowed access to the maze of wells and caverns on which the temples of Blue City had first been established as small shrines, long before the city itself was organized.

Here they met a pair of men, outfitted in armor made from giant crabs, and Tayo’s skills proved most useful. Relying on her arcane abilities, she understood their strange language and communicated that she had come to assist them. For their part, the crab men were keen to destroy some interlopers from the “blinding world” above.  The crab men led the way to the hideout of small-time teenage gangsters.

Greatly outnumbered, the teenagers were eager to surrender. The crabmen, on the other hand were eager for blood. Batu intervened, drawing his sword on the crabmen and forcing them to stand down. He ordered his men to keep the crabmen at bay while he and the rest of the party followed the teenagers to their boss.

Arriving in a large cavern filled with giant mushrooms, the party began to doubt their decision. When their guides began singing, and were answered by other songs throughout the cavern, they knew they’d been led into an ambush. But then the boss made the mistake of showing himself, sitting on top of an especially large mushroom. A small man with a long beard, he asked what Batu had brought him.  Zaire responded by shooting a bolt of blue energy, knocking him off his mushroom and killing him. Except it wasn’t a giant mushroom, they were simply in a large dank cellar. The dozen or so teenage thugs, deprived of their illusory camouflage looked like the lost boys they were.

The two sides struck a deal. The boys admitted that they were holding a number of prisoners on behalf of “the big sword men.” And, they agreed to free them in exchange for the small bag of coins collected by the bureaucrats.

The crabmen were allowed to return to their own part of the caves, the thugs, returned to their miserable den, and the party, together with 12 rescued hostages returned to the surface.

Tetsukichi and Salt follow Bo-Jing Part 2 - the Grand Reunion

 Tetsukichi and Salt, disguised as Guardians, joined a group of the Master's soldiers who were pursuing the mysterious foreigners that Tetsukichi and Salt hoped in fact were their friends.

The soldiers were happy and honored to be joined by such learned companions and the group set off. Conversation was awkward as most of the party, despite their disguises could not speak Hun-Yi. However, the white-robed soldiers did not question the apparent reticence of their superiors; they set themselves to their mission and with their locals’ knowledge of the countryside, the group traveled quickly, reaching the banks of a river by the end of the day. Here, the soldiers, explained, they should camp for the night and the make a plan to ford the river the next day.

The travelers, still disguised as Guardians, agreed to the plan and made their own camp some distance from the soldiers. According to Mustapha, the effects of his magic would wane as the sun set.

The soldiers, accepting another rebuff with little protest, made their own camp next to the river, and prepared a fire.  A few hours after sunset, the party noticed another group approaching from the other side of the river.  A woman from the other group called out a greeting, and then asked if any of the soldiers spoke Zhou.  By luck, two of them did and they exchanged banter with the woman and her friends across the river.  In time, the party recognized the voices of Salt and Bo-Jing.  They called out to them from the upper camp, and using a few words in Tuigen, confirmed that they were all friends. The soldiers, confused at first, gratefully accepted the words of their “superiors” that these charming foreigners were spreading Ignorance. The soldiers were especially grateful to recognize the foreigners as “allies” when a they suddenly appeared on the other side of the river (thanks to clever use of Salt’s portable apartment and Bo-Jing, night-colored flying horse.)

The still-disguised “Guardians” explained to the soldiers that they had fulfilled their mission. They should sleep until morning and then return to Gilgat alone.

The night passed and in the morning, the soldiers followed the instructions they’d received the night before, breaking camp and departing with an awkward salute to the sleeping tents of the Guardians on the hill. When the soldiers had gone, the assembled company greeted each other and planned their next move.  Salt the sorceress, finding the presence of Narnutang the woman warrior even more objectionable than her reputation, retreated into her magical apartment.

The others began their journey home, sharing stories about their respective journeys across Hunza and pondering the strange words of the giant bird. Bo-Jing made frequent scouting sorties and assisted his companions to avoid any more encounters with the remnants of the Master's armies and other followers.

Bo-Jing Follows HIs Wife Part 2

Based on Batar’s directions, Bo-Jing flew west, following the course of a rod. When the road forked North and South, he didn’t follow either fork but continued westward, toward the darkest spot in the mountain range before him. Towards sunset, Bo-Jing saw an enormous bird rising into the sky, carrying a limp body in its talons. He urged Tse-Hemi to gradually descend as he continued his approach toward a group of people and horses on the ground. Some men were struggling to manage panicked horses while others cowered behind rocks or under trees. Among the horses and shouting men was Narantsetseg. She had seen Bo-Jing and was walking toward him, even as he glided toward the ground.

Bo-Jing slid off his horse and walked slowly toward her. Her eyes fixed on his face and she smiled and ran to him and kissed his haggard cheeks. 

“Let others have the morning sun. Too long I have waited for the cool evening rain.”

Bo-Jing received a full recounting of his wife’s quest to find him. He thanked Narnutang and Dolkar for protecting her and mourned the loss of Altani, who had been killed a band of savage and cunning bears, seemingly of the same ilk that had harassed Bo-Jing on the red dragon’s bluff. Finally, he dismissed the bandits who had trailed her from Banua.

And so it was time to return home. After giving the bandits an opportunity to ride out of sight, Bo-Jing asked his wife to join him on Tse-Hemi’s back and started the return journey. After an hour’s travel in darkness, they made camp, with Narnutang and Dolkar agreeing to share responsibilities for keeping watch. The next morning, they were met once more by the giant bird, who spoke to them in Zhou: “Your friend was a holy and righteous man, a most noble soul. His beautiful and generous heart has nourished my children.”

The bird continued, “So, you human children must nourish yourselves for a time is coming when you will be tested like never before. Hosadas was a wicked man, corrupted by power, but centuries ago he defeated a greater evil. When Hosadas gone, the Zaharans are preparing their return.”

The Zaharans, according to the bird were an people besotted with death and cruelty. The remnants of their capital lay beyond the Dark Wall. “Whoever told you to seek passage to the place of Hosadas was not your friend.”

The Roc explained that at the time Hosadas first came to the land of Hunza, he had a rival, a man remembered only as the “Broken Saint” who preached that the Zaharans could not be defeated by any human army, but only by the power of love and righteousness. When the Broken Saint was killed, his followers buried him in secret, and their descendants might still be found in the most remote corners of Hunza. But that was a quest for another day.

The Lingering Disquiet of the Khatun Part 2

Narantsetseg left a letter with Batu explaining that she feared for her husband’s life and would find him though it cost her her own.

As companions, she chose Altani, the long trusted shaman, and Narnutang, the woman warrior would had established her reputation for prowess and loyalty fighting at Bo-Jing’s side during some of his most desperate battles, and Dolkar, a baghatur of high birth, so far unproven. Tetsukichi, visiting hero of the Sansar clan, had identified Dolkar as a youth of great promise, despite his penchant for gambling and other reckless behavior.

The people of Banua would speculate why the Khatun selected this small retinue to escort her on her journey. Less conscientious chronicles might join in these speculations, this one only reports knowable facts.

Narantsetseg and her retinue made their way first to the monastery on the ridge. The monks there did their best to persuade the Khatun that she should trust her husband to return and failing that, she should trust her people to protect her and, remembering her young child, return to the safety and comfort of Banua. But she would not be persuaded and, after threatening to venture into the wilds with nothing to guide her but her love stricken heart, the monks took pity and gave her their best counsel.

The monastery had a well-stocked library including several maps. The monks that they should travel due north for a day, changing their course to the west as the sun set. For another week they should travel westward, through the open country that separated the Empire from Hunza. The Master’s realm was surrounded by steep mountains. As they reached the mountains, they should find a stream and follow the reverse of its course. Finally, they copied from a map, the sketch of the safest pass between the mountain peaks.

Even with the monks directions, the journey was a difficult one. It was cold and the stream bed was dry. Narantsetseg responded to the hardship of the journey by insisting on her status of the Khatun. The three members of her retinue, being little acquainted with each other, did not dare to discuss their misgivings about the journey, their questions about what they would find in the land where a larger, more powerful group of adventurers with no queen to escort had disappeared.

By the time they reached Hunza, Altani, Nanutange, and Dolkar had gone two days with nothing to eat or drink but gravelly snow scooped from a crevasse I the pass. So when they saw a farmstead, they approached boldly. The farm was deserted, and the scavenging travelers made a meal of half-spoiled grain. The water in the well was clean.

The next day, they reached working farmland. The farmers did not speak to them, but happily received the Khatun’s gold in exchange for good food and decent beds.

After several days, they reached Magden, a large market town on the river. The Khatun found a good inn and the others split up to try to learn more. The Most people were unfriendly, or didn’t speak Zhou-Yi, or both. No one wanted to the discuss the Knowledge of the Master, but the Guardians of the Knowledge were even stricter in enforcement, closing the town gates at dusk and shuttering townspeople in their houses after dark.

Nevertheless, the Khatuna and her retinue did confirm that yes, almost a year ago, Magden had been visited by a company of foreigners, led by the “One with a the Face Like the Morning Sun.” The people of Magden didn’t know why he had come or where he had gone, and before they could find anyone to answer such questions, Narnutang did something that forced them to leave the town quickly.

With no other plan, they followed the road westward, passing through more farmland, and then into forests and wilderness. One night, when camping in a clearing under tall trees, they heard deep moaning from deep in the forest. As the sound drew closer, it was answered by another moan of the same timbre. Narnutang recognized the sounds as belonging to bears, but heard something alien in their vocalizing. Altani, long accustomed to leaving among the beasts, called out to them, imitating their ursine moan. The voices answered viciously, even seeming to pronounce insults and invoking the name “Zahra.” And then the bears rushed into the clearing.

Dolkar stood by the Khatun and readied his bow. Narnutang and Altani stood on opposite sides of the clearing, with weapons ready. The bears charged in, each taking an arrow from Dolkar without recoiling. Altani raised his staff in front of him and continued to murmur soothing words. The bear attacking Narnutang was met with similar slashes from her sword. Neither charm nor force deterred the bears attack. They swatted with their enormous paws and lunged with open jaws. Narnutang was knocked to the ground, but when the bear stooped to finish her, Narnutang braced her sword against the ground and drove its point into the bear’s throat; Narnutang rolled away, extracting her blade as the beast feel with a heavy thud.

Altani, meanwhile had been severely beaten, slashed and, and bitten. Narnutang rushed in, and while the bear was doing its best to bite through Altani’s staff, thrust her blade into its side, finding its heart.

Altani tended to the Khatun, and then to Narnutang, and then to himself. Guessing that it was close to dawn, the party elected to press on in the darkness, and put the danger of the forest behind them.

Over the next few days, they timed their travel carefully, and paid liberally to sleep in huts and barns along the road to a town named Gilgat.

As the sun was setting, the lights of Gilgat came into view. Remembering the curfew in Magden, the travelers elected to camp in the hills. But as they were starting a fire, they heard the moans of bears; as in the party’s previous encounter, the ursine voices seemed to call to each other across a distance, and seemed to be drawing closer on all sides. Leaving their fire still burning, the party mounted their horses and made haste toward the lights of the town. Narnutang led the way and when, she encountered a bear, closed with it to fight, urging the others to press on. The bear was eager for the fight, and called for its fellows. Narnutang slashed at the bears head, severely wounding it, and then followed her companions.

Gilgat provided a most uncivil welcome, demanding that the travelers prostrate themselves and declare their allegiance to the Master. When Narantsetseg refused, she was thrown to the ground and beaten until she wouldn’t get up again.

The Guardians summoned their superior, Batar, one of the Experts of the Knowledge, who ordered that they brought to his own house for questioning. At Batar’s house, Altani was permitted to tend to Narantsetseg’s wounds, and they were provided a place to sleep.

Batar woke them at dawn and fed them. As they ate, he asked why they had come and seemed very pleased with their answer. Yes, he had heard about the One With a Face Like the Morning Sun. He and and his companions had visited Gilgat close to a year ago and left in secret after offending the Guardians.

Batar had given it little thought at the time, accepting his subordinates assessment that this was just a foreigner troublemaker. But there were rumors now that he was The One. The Master’s successor. For since that time, there had been no new Knowledge from the palace over the mountains. Instead of Knowledge, there were rumors that the war had been lost, the Master’s armies broken and scattered, his bright-eyed soldiers returning in confusion.

Batar pressed the travelers on the identity of the man they were seeking. Why had he come? Was he the One? Was he the new Master? They didn’t know.

Batar had never been to the palace over the mountains. The only way he knew to get to the palace of the Master was over the Dark Wall, the citadel of the Zaharans before the coming of Hosadas. The Master, of course, had another way, but Batar didn’t know it. Again, he had never been invited. The Dark Wall was a dangerous place and becoming more so. The beasts who lived there were turning wicked and migrating from the wilderness to the fields and villages. There were rumors—not Knowledge—about flying lizards gathering in the sky above the old Zaharan citadel.

“If your friend is the Master’s Successor, then he will protect you from these forces of ignorance and help you cross the Dark Wall. Whoever he is, if you live long enough to find him, tell him that Batar showed you kindness.”

Batar allowed Narantsetseg and her retinue to leave Gilgat by a rear gate, directing them to the Dark Wall.

The next day, the retinue were met by bandits. Not Guardians or soldiers, but bandits. Zhounese thugs who had followed them all the way from Zhou-Deng. “We were supposed to escort the Khatun, but you left before we had the chance.” They were eight in number, but carried poor weapons, and did not sit strong in the saddle. Dolkar’s hand drifted to his sword and the Khatun looked to the open road. But Narnutang spoke up. “We are glad you have found us. The Khatun will gladly pay you handsomely for your escort. And give you an additional reward when we return to Banua.”

The bandits smiled and their leader gratefully accepted a heavy bag of coins.

The bandits were poor escorts. They rode badly, had difficulty crossing the river, drank at night, and didn’t wake in the morning. But when the group reached the Dark Wall and the bears attacked, they were the easiest prey. While the cruel beasts tore apart two of the cowardly bandits, the Khatun’s true protectors secured the high ground and prepared their bows. As a half-dozen bears gathered around them, Dolkar and Narnutang assailed them with arrows. Some fears fled and others chased another of the fleeing bandits into a canyon. One bear, however, did scale the archers’ post and fell on Altani, seizing him with both arms and crushing his body. Narnutang drew her sword and killed the beast, but the loyal Altani was dead.

In the distance, the sound of screaming bandits were silenced and the few remaining bears retreated with their feast, but the party knew they would return.

Naransteseg collapsed in hysterical sobs. “What have I done?”

A shadow fell over them and Dolkar looked up to see an enormous bird descending.

Tetsukichi and Salt follow Bo-Jing

Tetsukichi and Salt, together with their followers traveled overland, toward the monastery on the northern ridge that marked the frontier of the Naran horde. The monks confirmed that Bo-Jing had visited there and that they had helped him plan his route to Hunza in hopes of finding Narantsetseg. The party rested, studied the same maps that had been presented to Bo-Jing, and then continued their journey.

They crossed the borderlands without incident, and after several days of hard riding, crossed the mountain pass into Hunza. Traveling in Hunza was less arduous as water was plentiful and there was good grass for their horses, plus opportunities to hunt and forage and thus supplement their meals of dried beef and hard bread. Forest gave way to open land and they found shelter for the night in a deserted farmstead. The next day they came to a road and, traveling along it, encountered a group of soldiers traveling in the same direction, most of them on foot. The party greeted the soldiers peaceably, with Tetsukichi and Salt’s native-born Hunzan henchmen speaking for the party. The soldiers were returning from the front, exhausted and famished; they gratefully accepted the offers of food and the use of the party’s spare horses. Thanks to the party’s generosity, the two groups soon agreed that they would travel together to Magden, the closest town. The soldiers explained the Master’s attempts to disseminate the Knowledge to the wider world had proved fruitless; the Ignorant were too many. The war was over and they had lost. And yet here they were, alive, and home again. And despite the Master’s warnings, their homes were not being overrun by the ignorant. In the initial retreat, the casualties had been severe, but they had survived, and the ignorant ones had not pursued them.

The group arrived in Magden with great commotion. The party separated from the main body of soldiers, and found a room at an inn, also paying for a couple destitute soldiers. The following days, the party began seeking information about Narantsetseg or Bo-Jing. Tetsukichi met a very friendly merchant who had traveled throughout the Northern and Southern empires and who spoke very good Zhou-Yi. Tetsukichi was uneasy accepting the merchant’s hospitality but was glad to hear the news of recent visits by foreigners. According to the merchant, the visitors were headed for the “Dark Wall” a dangerous place in the west of the country. While talking to the merchant, Tetsukichi witnessed a fierce debate between three different groups of robed men and women. The merchant, with some embarrassment explained that there had been some “controversy about The Master.” There had been a visitor several months ago, one who had “a face like the morning sun” and there were rumors that he had been chosen to be the Master’s successor. And yet, the question was still unclear and “people are getting confused and there are those who say that the Guardians of Knowledge have not maintained order properly and you know, that can be bad for business and there is also the question about what is going on with this on-going event that we sometimes call the war against the ignorant.”

Salt, meanwhile, noticed that the returning soldiers were being accused of spreading propaganda and disinformation from the enemies of Knowledge. A group of red-robed Guardians came to the inn and arrested the soldiers staying there.

Salt and Tetsukichi decided not to spend the night. The party left Magden, in twos and threes, first heading in different directions before regrouping on the west road to Gilgat.

The party continued their journey, passing through farmland, and sometimes sighting residents, but they did not have any more interactions until they reached Gilgat. They entered the town quietly in the early morning hours; Mustapha used his magic to disguise them all as natives of Hunza, a group of red-robed Guardians. While getting oriented in the town, they met a squad of white-robed soldiers who requested their attention. “Oh reasoned ones, will you give us some words of encouragement?”

The soldiers, it seemed had been charged with tracking down and arresting a group of ignorant foreigners who had visited the town a few days before and were believed to be spreading ignorance as they traveled toward the Great Wall. The foreigners were described as including a finely-dressed woman, whom the party concluded must be Narantsetseg. Based on this information, the party, still enjoying the benefit of their magical disguises, volunteered to accompany the soldiers and assist them in their mission.