Waterstrider

Canvas Town, Tseludia Station, Pantheonic Territory, Fifthmonth, 1634 PTS

“You have been diligent, and your labors have brought you great fortune,” said Sirena Hadal to her favored daughter. “Your misdeeds have been forgiven.”

Karie bowed respectfully before she responded, the etiquette which had been ingrained in her for decades helping her to maintain perfect decorum. Despite being Sirena’s third child, Karie was by far the most talented. Her oldest brother was still in the early stages of the core formation realm, while Karie herself had finally become a spirit refiner just last night.

“Thank you, Matriarch. I hope I have fulfilled your expectations,” said Karie.

Sirena smiled softly down at her from the fine wood seat she rested upon. Despite the official nature of this meeting, Sirena could not help but feel fragments of her true feelings of fondness seep out. When she had assigned Karie to labor for her disobedience, Sirena had not expected the girl to dedicate herself so much to her practice, and finally reach the next stage. The timing could not have been better. She would feel much more at peace knowing that her daughter now had the strength to protect herself. If only her other children would do the same.

“Is there anything you want, my daughter? This achievement is worthy of a gift.”

There were only five spirit refiners in the entire Hadal Clan, with Karie becoming the sixth. She was the first of the younger generation to successfully breach the bottleneck. It was tradition for them to be given a gift of their choice upon reaching this level, a tradition which Sirena herself supported wholeheartedly. She would have wanted to support any new pillars of the sect in a similar manner even if her ancestors had not done the same. This feeling was only amplified by the fact that it was her daughter who had made the achievement.

Karie looked up at her, and Sirena saw her eyes blazing with that same energy the girl had been holding onto for years. She had been a willful girl, ever since the days she was toddling around and resting in Sirena’s lap. This inclination of hers had only grown with age. Her recent attempt to slay the Riverfiend was not the first attempt to acquire fame. Sirena could guess at what she would ask.

“When the war starts,” Karie requested, “I wish to lead our forces against the Celans.”

Sirena softly sighed, rubbing her forehead and she so habitually did. How she wished that Karie could have been the type to simply ask for a relic weapon from the clan’s treasure hall, or for a more peaceful position. Still, she would not begrudge her daughter of what she so sight after. Perhaps when Karie had finally acquired fame and a title, she would calm down. Or perhaps she would finally settle down once she was married.

“This can be arranged. Are you certain that this is your wish?”

Karie nodded resolutely.

“In that case, I name you First Commander of our forces at the district border. The previous commander will become your advisor. I trust you will uphold the hierarchy now that you are a proper part of it, Karie.”

The girl flushed, looking away.

“Yes, Mother. There will be no future matters.”

“Good. I will have Wei finish the paperwork by morning.”

Karie bowed, and turned to leave. Silently, Sirena watched her daughter’s receding back, and could not help but sigh again.

“I worry that girl will get herself killed one day,” she said.

“The younger generations will do as they will,” said Wei, walking closer from where he stood at the edge of the room.

“I suppose,” she replied. “Have any of the others reached the threshold?”

“Several, but only one of them seems particularly promising. With sufficient time, I expect we can bring our numbers up to ten.”

“Time…” Sirena sighed. “Their actions in Otan will prevent them from being quick to move, and everyone is insistent that we strike the first blow. Even if we have the time, how many more young talents will die without reaching this level…”

“Popular support is overwhelmingly in favor of the war,” he replied. “The tensions have already started to polarize the fifth district as well.”

“Even with all of the other aliens present?” she asked, surprised. That region was diverse enough that she had expected it to be impacted far less.

“It is controlled largely by the Celans,” Wei explained. “Its involvement was inevitable. Our people residing there have long resented their payments of protection money to an alien force.”

“War should be a matter to fight over gains, not simply out of hatred,” she muttered. “Even if we take their territory, what good would result from it? The civilians would fight back at every turn. So much death for what?”

“Their holdings in Otan are likely the most valuable potential gain, unless we can steal some of their war machines undamaged to sell to a corporation.”

“And if we wait until the matter in Otan has stabilized, we lose our prime opportunity for attack.”

“Indeed.”

Sirena could not help but sigh again.

“We shall delay further. I refuse to be pressured into war without good reason. I’m worried there’s more to the matter than what is visible from the surface.”

Wei frowned, inspecting his old friend’s face.

“You worry that some mastermind wishes for this war to occur?”

“Do you not find the timing to be suspicious?”

Wei’s forehead scrunched up, as if he were considering the matter.

“But who would benefit from this?”

Sirena chuckled.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps they simply want the city to burn. There are some Staiven who would certainly love for all of the aliens to kill one another. Perhaps the Drelistai or some corporation feel that our power is too high for their goals.”

Wei couldn’t help but give a gloomy smile.

“We have too many enemies, don’t we?”

“The powerful have always found enemies easier to make than friends.”

“I suppose.”

There was a long silence, as the matriarch and her aide considered the list of poor choices left before them.

“What of them?”

Wei knew to whom she referred. He had been keeping extensive tabs on the group. The two of them still believed that the Redwater Sect could be an asset to the clan, but the growing tensions had ruined their plan to subordinate the force. Wei feared that they might become a threat from within the Hadal Clan’s own territory.

“We’ve managed to find out the identity of their new Elder. He is indeed a spirit refiner, as well as a member of the Lee Clan. The purpose for his presence on the station remains unclear.”

“The Lee Clan… it is doubtful that Jin Luo is subordinate to them. I believe our initial understanding of him remains accurate.”

“I agree, Matriarch. The Lee Clan should not have had sufficient power on Canvas to have recruited him as an agent.”

“Keep an eye on this Lee Clanmember. I wish to know every movement he makes,” she ordered.

Wei swiftly bowed, an expertly practiced motion.

“By your will, Matriarch.”

“By the way, what are your thoughts on that man’s plans?”

“You… refer to the Riverfiend’s intentions for the coming conflict?” he asked.

Sirena nodded.

“He may be one of us, but that does not mean he wouldn’t necessarily side with the Celans in order to topple us and pick at our corpse.”

“He struck you as a scavenger?” Wei asked, surprised by her take on the man.

Sirena chuckled freely.

“Men are wolves, are they not? Still, I wished to ask for your own thoughts, as you have actually spoken with him on multiple occasions.”

“I believe,” replied Wei very firmly, as if he was certain about this matter, “that they would not have decided on whether to take sides or involve themselves at all, yet.”

“Wouldn’t they wish for our downfall? The sect practices unorthodox techniques, after all.”

Wei considered the thought, but carefully shook his head.

“They struck me as both impulsive and calculating, very fitting for the unorthodox path. Their subordinates are also sufficiently skilled and educated. They should be aware that they lack the capability to hold and manage an entire district. I believe they are waiting for the dice to be tossed before they interfere with the roll. Additionally, I suspect their primary focus still lies in assuaging their debt.”

His words were pointed, but Sirena easily caught her oldest living friend’s implication.

“You suspect that they will involve themselves with matters in Otan,” she said, tapping her chin with an extended finger.

“Yes. Given the way that he thinks, I expect that he will at minimum attempt to increase the division and chaos of the fighting there.”

“Do you think that he will ally himself with the Celans to do so?”

Wei paused before answering.

“...It is possible, though I find it unlikely given their past… conflicts. Even if they do work together, I believe that we might still be able to persuade him to take our side.”

Sirena sighed once more.

“I had wished to form an engagement between him and Karie, but I suspect current conditions will cause him to refuse. I will delay making the offer until later. For now, we will have to entice him using alternative means. They have half as many spirit refiners as we do, if they joined the war on the side of the Celans…”

“Perhaps we could make use of what he owes us to manipulate him and the Celans to be further at odds.”

“Yes… Let’s make this a priority. Send a messenger to invite him and that Vice-Leader of his to a dinner here.”

“Of course, Matriarch.”

He turned to leave, sensing that the topic was finished, but midway through his motion, he returned his gaze to Sirena.

“I nearly forgot. There is one more item of news, Matriarch.”

“Oh?” she asked.

“We’ve finally managed to track down that poisoner.”

Sirena smiled, happy to finally hear good news after the dour mood the conversation had left her in.

“Go out and speak with her,” she said. “Even if she is unwilling to join us, perhaps we can acquire use of her skills for the upcoming conflict.”

“It shall be done,” he said.

Relic Weapons: [Weapons created by deities, there is nothing special about such weapons other than their origin. In theory, they could be replicated by a sufficiently advanced civilization. Still, given the advancement of the Canvasian civilization, such gifts are the pinnacle of weapons among martial artists. All four of the 'deities' of Canvas are said to have created such weapons, though most were created by Toval. He scattered them around the depths of the jungles of the Crucible and Bounty, for powerful adventurers of any race to encounter. Ceirra gave hers only to the most powerful and dedicated of Sunlit Hall's members, while Saaya gifted hers to the Reth. These weapons were elegantly crafted, and fused metal and leather with miasmic treasures to allow martial artists to empower them and use them to effectively grow their own miasmic reserves and power. nearly all of the greatest heroes in stories is said to have wielded one of these weapons despite their rarity. Domines is said to have only created six of them, but because Domines is not an ascendant, her weapons boast no miasmic treasure, but merely incredibly powerful construction. They are said to be practically indestructible by all tested means. The vast majority of all relic weapons have gone missing over time, as their wielders are slain, they are stolen, and are taken off of Canvas.]