Ling Qi stepped back and sat down as she finished delivering the information she had gathered. They were once again gathered in the guest suite they had been assigned, gathered around the round table in the center of the room. Cai Renxiang sat across from Ling Qi, with her hands steepled in front of her face.
"The insight you have gained into their cultivation methods is useful," Cai Renxiang said consideringly. "These people are rigid in their ways, I think. Their ways do not seem to promote deception. If the history Meng Dan has recounted is true, it seems to have served them well."
"It does seem so," Meng Dan agreed, leaning back in his chair. "Though it makes me wonder at the Cloud Tribesman's part in this alliance. I would expect them to chafe badly under such a restrictive society."
"It seems likely that it is less a matter of alliance and more one of vassalization. The Cloud people can be made to submit," Xia Lin said. "Perhaps these White Sky folk are simply wise enough to allow them to keep some pride during the assimilation. Their social structure seems to allow such regionalism."
"It is possible," Cai Renxiang agreed. " However I do not believe it is so simple. Despite my difficulty in dealing with that tribesman, nothing in his demeanor indicated defeat or submission to me."
"It is not strange for the loyalty of a subjugated peoples leadership to be bought with status and favor," Gan Guangli pointed out. "However, that is not the impression I received either."
"What were you able to learn about Jaromila's husband, Lady Cai?" Ling Qi asked.
Cai Renxiang furrowed her brow in frustration. "Very little. He remained upon the very edge of politeness during our conversation, until he simply left without a further word and retreated up the stairs where we are not permitted. I received the impression that he found my presence unpleasant, though it seemed more disquiet than hate or anger."
"Odd, he did not seem much bothered during the meeting of our groups," Meng Dan hummed thoughtfully, drumming his fingers on the table.
"Regardless, I was able to determine that he is the youngest son of his tribe's Khan, and that his father has also married into the Alaniar. There are other tribes than his that have been made part of this as well, though I was not able to learn specifics. There was some mention of a schism after a great meeting of the tribes, somewhere far to the east of here. There is some tribal holy site in the lands south of the grave it seems."
"Strange that he would reveal that," Xia Lin said with a frown. "The Cloud are wary of letting important locations slip, given the strategic weakness they have on the defense."
"It is," Cai Renxiang acknowledged. "Xia Lin, did your tour offer anything of interest?"
Xia Lin, who stood at attention beside Cai Renxiang, nodded once. It was hard to read her emotions, as she seemed to have adopted the shell of near mechanical discipline that she had worn at their first meeting. Ling Qi supposed that she must be feeling stressed.
"Our hosts seem to be a boisterous people, and open to contests of martial skill from visitors," Xia Lin reported in a clipped tone. On the other side of Cai Renxiang, Gan Guangli looked briefly disgruntled. "However, if I might offer some small insight, their warriors seemed very bored."
"How so?" Cai Renxiang asked, frowning.
"It is difficult to put into words," Xia Lin said slowly. "But their demeanor held a certain...silliness that I have only seen among soldiers too long left on light duty or deployed in a peaceful region."
"Silliness?" Meng Dan asked, cocking an eyebrow.
For a second, Xia Lin's eyes darted to the side, and Ling Qi could have sworn she saw the girls cheeks darken. Sixiang hummed thoughtfully in her head.
"A coping mechanism. In the lower realms discipline will inevitably suffer some decay when there is no action, even under the best of drill," Xia Lin said stiffly. "It is thus my belief that this fortress is likely considered a light duty station."
"Useful information," Cai Renxiang said, nodding toward Xia Lin. "We might assume that any tribes within easy striking distance have been pacified then… one way or another."
"Their reach is longer than we thought then," Gan Guangli said, frowning. "What I would give for a well made map…"
"We'll have contributed to the first steps toward getting one," Ling Qi said thoughtfully. "Meng Dan, you said earlier that you had something you didn't want to speak of out in the open, didn't you?"
Cai Renxiang's gaze flicked from her to Meng Dan, who dipped his head.
"I was able to get a small amount of information on this 'Sky Palace'," Meng Dan said, drawing surprised looks from everyone else. "My hosts underestimated their own fortitude."
Ling Qi thought that meng Dan's usual smile looked a little smug for a moment there.
"Firstly the project seems to be a matter of some pride, as they spoke of it as something which would improve their standing within the Confederation significantly," Meng Dan explained. "More importantly, it seems that the Cloud Tribesman are not merely a labor force for the project. Something about their contribution is vital to it."
Ling Qi frowned, they had assumed the Cloud Tribes were merely doing labor as their own grasp of formationcraft was generally primitive by imperial standards, relying on the quality of the material and binding minor spirits to the objects, rather than proper enhancement.
"Were you able to get more information than that?" Cai Renxiang asked slowly.
"Alas not, my new friends caught themselves. Luckily, the demeanor of oblivious simplicity I had put on kept them from being incensed by my prodding," Meng Dan replied. "I could not push my luck further though."
"Still, useful information. More than we had acquired so far," Cai Renxiang gave him a nod as well.
At that moment, they all fell silent, sensing the approach of a person other than their perfunctory guard at the door. A moment later, there was a quiet knock. Cai Renxiang glanced toward Xia Lin, and gestured toward the door. Making her way way over with swift strides, Xia Lin opened the door. On the other side was a meek looking young man with dark brown hair, wearing the plain white clothes of the serving folk.
"What is required of us?" Xia Lin asked simply.
"Guests, Emissary Jaromila wishes to inform you that the Voice will meet with Emissary Lingchee and her sister," the young man said solemnly, lowering his head in deference. "I am here to give notice so that you may prepare. Someone will be down shortly to escort her to the Voice's orrery."
"They are to meet your Voice alone?" Xia Lin asked, voicing the question that flashed through Ling Qi's thoughts.
"The Voice has only requested her," the young man said apologetically, withering a little under Xia Lin's stare.
"That is acceptable," Cai Renxiang said, not rising from her seat. "Please inform your superiors that we will be ready."
Ling Qi met Cai Renxiang's gaze, and inclined her head. In the end it wasn't something worth arguing. All it would accomplish is potentially offending their host. She wasn't going to jeopordize things out of fear now. Besides if the Alaniar had ill intentions, there was little they could do except rely on their escape talismans anyway.
She would just have to mentally prepare herself.
***
Ling Qi's eyebrows rose in surprise as she faced her escort in the hall outside of their suite. Ilsur looked back at her impassively, arms crossed over his chest.
"You are prepared for the meeting?" The barbarian asked.
"I am," Ling Qi replied, squaring her shoulders and meeting his gaze. "I am surprised that you will be my guide."
"It is a gesture of trust," Ilsur smiled wryly, but it did not quite reach his eyes.
"Kinda makes sense, like having a lord's wife show you around back home," Sixiang mused.
"Please lead on," Ling Qi said, dipping her head. It did make sense, given what they had learned. She wondered if the nomad's pride as a man chafed at the role, or if he had already come to accept such things.
They began to walk, Ling Qi remaining a step behind, keeping the older man in her sight as they walked. The guards at the bottom of the stair stepped smoothly aside, letting them mount the dark iron stairs.
"You do not care for me, do you 'Emissary'?" Ilsur said as they climbed, not bothering to turn his head.
Ling Qi didn't allow her expression to change. "I have no conflict with you."
He grunted in amusement. "Your kin would strike me down if they had the chance. Do not ruin your honesty now, lowlander."
Ling Qi pursed her lips, acknowledging Sixiang's prod to not reply too swiftly. "The Cloud people and the people of the Empire have fought for a very long time. Your kin raid and steal and kill. It would be stranger if I did like you."
"This is fair," Ilsur replied, his footfalls echoing on the metal stairs. "Yet this is true of all people. There is never enough for all. One tribe takes what it can from another, and the one who has been taken from plots to reverse these fortunes. So it has been since the Pure World was shattered."
Ling Qi did not reply, and for the first time, Ilsur peered back over his shoulder, a faint smile on his lips. "Hah, you understand of course. I can hear your song of privation, lowlander. You know what it is to have your hollow belly devour all other concerns."
"People do not need to be that way," Ling Qi said quietly. "Your kin could trade for the things they need if that was all it is. It is not acceptable in the Empire to kill your neighbors for their things."
She of all people, couldn't say anything about theft.
"It is not?" Ilsur asked, still impassive. "You are strange then. My wife's people, they say such things. But, in the end if you tell a village they cannot fight their neighbors warriors for the chance to hustle their sheep, it seems to me that they simply make the arrangement of who takes and who is taken from even more unchanging."
It took a moment for Ling Qi to respond, mostly because she couldn't say that he was wholly wrong. "Sometimes, that is true. But that does not mean that it isn't better than just stealing back and forth forever."
"So my father believes," Ilsur grunted, mounting the stairs landing. Ahead lay the hall of the redoubts second floor. It's iron walls were gaily painted, with blue sky overhead and green fields on either side, and the hard floor was carpeted with thick wool. "Follow closely, lowlander."
Ling Qi nodded cooly, watching his back. Whatever problem Ilsur had with Cai Renxiang he seemed, if not friendly, then at least less guarded with her. Perhaps she could learn a little more from the odd barbarian.
A small more freeform vote here. You have a limited time to speak with Ilsur before your meeting. Please select via approval voting which subjects you would like to broach. The subject with the most votes will receive the most focus, while the ones with the least will receive little to none as your time runs out.
Question prompts should be no more than a single sentence, and are subject to GM veto if I feel that they are too out of character for Ling Qi.
[] Prompt Here.
