"Don't panic!" Eya called quickly. "Those are the tunnel guardians. The Sevenfold Dominion never took control of them."
Kael forced himself to relax and looked again.
Along both sides of the passage stood ranks of towering bamboo warriors pressed against the walls. Each wore thick, elaborate armor crafted from layered plates of Warding-Vase Bamboo. Massive greatswords rested before them, their hands wrapped around the hilts.
They had no eyes.
No mouths.
No faces at all.
Yet somehow they looked more intimidating than living soldiers.
"Could've told us sooner!" Azure pressed a hand against her chest. "You nearly scared my soul out of me!"
The bamboo giants remained perfectly still.
The four intruders might as well not have existed.
"Looks like the tunnel hasn't been discovered yet." Eya immediately moved forward.
Kael hurried after her.
"What are these things?" he asked. "They look impressive. Don't remember seeing any among your bamboo army."
"They're called Sword Generals," Eya replied. "Very rare. High-grade construct-work from the old Verdant Artificers. Excellent offense. Excellent defense. In single combat they're second only to the Dread-Feet."
"Impressive. Very impressive."
Then he frowned.
"If they're so impressive, why aren't they moving? Don't tell me they've been sitting here so long they've all broken down."
"Their duty is to guard the door ahead."
Eya didn't even glance at him.
"If you use the wrong method to open it, you'll discover very quickly whether they're broken."
Kael followed her gaze.
The tunnel ended before a sealed bamboo gate.
The entire surface was covered in intricate runes carved into the wood.
"This is directly beneath Verdant Keep," Eya said. "Once we pass through this door, we'll be inside."
She examined the grooves with careful attention.
"So you know how to open it?" Kael asked.
"I hope I remember."
That answer did not inspire confidence.
Eya stepped closer.
Her slender finger pressed against a small bamboo sphere embedded within one of the carved channels.
"Eya, be careful," Violet said quietly.
The tunnel seemed strangely silent.
The motionless Sword Generals only made it worse.
The place felt like a tomb.
Slowly, Eya pushed the bamboo sphere along the carved track.
At the first fork she paused.
Thought.
Then guided it down one path.
Azure leaned forward.
"The pattern looks familiar."
"A puzzle?"
"Something like that. A variation of an old nine-square maze."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"You're right. Huh. That's clever."
"Keep quiet," Violet whispered. "You'll distract her."
Azure lowered her voice.
"If she chooses the wrong path, will those things really attack us?"
"Yes."
Eya never looked away from the gate.
"They'll cleanse every living thing in this passage."
Silence immediately followed.
Kael shut his mouth.
Azure did the same.
The bamboo sphere continued rolling through the maze.
Then Eya suddenly stopped.
The sphere rested at a junction where three paths diverged.
Her hand froze.
Kael felt his stomach tighten.
"What is it?"
"I forgot."
"What?"
"I forgot which path comes next."
The three companions stared at her.
For several heartbeats nobody spoke.
Then Kael forced out an awkward laugh.
"Just asking for academic purposes..."
Eya said nothing.
"...how strong are these Sword Generals exactly?"
"A single Sword General could destroy roughly ten Blade Falcons."
Kael swallowed.
"Or five Spear Soldiers."
His smile vanished.
"Or three war eagles."
Kael's scalp tingled.
That sounded considerably less academic.
"Prepare yourselves."
Eya sighed.
"We'll see whether fate is feeling generous tonight."
Her finger moved.
The bamboo sphere rolled down one of the three branches.
Click.
The sound was tiny.
Distant.
Almost imaginary.
Then nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
Kael glanced at the gate.
Then at the Sword Generals.
Then back at the gate.
"That doesn't sound promising."
"Wait."
Eya frowned.
She appeared to be listening.
Several breaths passed.
Then—
Click.
The second sound arrived much louder than the first.
A moment later grinding echoes filled the tunnel.
The massive bamboo gate slowly slid sideways.
Darkness opened beyond.
"It worked!"
Violet and Azure shouted together.
Kael wiped sweat from his forehead.
"That door reacts slower than a drunk mule."
Eya shot him a look.
"Because the power source isn't here."
"What?"
"The mechanism draws power from far away. Energy has to travel through the system."
"Oh."
Kael nodded.
"That actually makes sense."
He stepped through after her.
"I once saw a fortress beneath a lake. Their mechanisms used water pressure as power."
Eya continued walking.
"Ours uses a ley-vein."
Kael blinked.
"A whole ley-vein?"
"Part of one."
"The Jadebelt Ley-Vein?"
"You know it?"
"Of course."
Then an old memory surfaced.
Eya continued.
"Most people only know the visible half."
"The visible half?"
"The upper current is the Yang aspect."
She pointed downward.
"The Yin current lies beneath Verdant Keep. The fortress was built around it."
Kael stared.
"Ley-veins have Yin and Yang halves?"
"Some do."
"That's different from the Dream Nest."
"Every ley-vein is different."
Her voice carried the calm certainty of someone reciting truths learned long ago.
"The Crystal Basin represents balance. It stabilizes and harmonizes conflicting elemental forces."
She continued walking through the dim corridor.
"Some ley-veins embody vitality. Others restoration. Others transformation."
"And the Jadebelt?"
"Life."
Her eyes briefly softened.
"Growth. Healing. Reproduction. Renewal."
She placed a hand against the bamboo wall.
"For anything aligned with Wood, there is no greater blessing."
Kael listened carefully.
Eya really did know an incredible amount.
The realization reminded him of someone.
His Elder Soror back at Vane's Summit.
Different people.
Similar certainty.
Similar intelligence.
Before he could continue the thought, Azure suddenly pointed ahead.
"Uh... problem."
The corridor ended.
Solid walls blocked every direction.
"No way forward."
Kael frowned.
"Dead end?"
Eya seemed entirely unconcerned.
She approached one corner and grasped an ordinary-looking bamboo rod hidden against the wall.
A gentle pull.
Grinding sounds echoed beneath their feet.
Suddenly the floor lurched.
Kael felt weightlessness.
The entire platform began rising.
"What in the hells?"
He laughed despite himself.
"This place is incredible."
"A vertical transport platform."
Eya watched the walls slide past.
"There are many throughout Verdant Keep."
"Where's this one taking us?"
"Raindream Terrace."
"What's there?"
"The highest point in the fortress."
"And after that?"
"We sneak deeper inside."
"And then?"
"We reach the central lower levels."
Kael grinned.
"And steal the Wood-Warden Token?"
Eya shook her head.
"No."
"No?"
"We seal the Yin current of the Jadebelt Ley-Vein."
Kael blinked.
That answer had not been expected.
"Why?"
"Because as long as the ley-vein remains active, Verdant Keep is alive."
Kael stared.
"Alive?"
"The fortress regenerates."
Her tone remained completely serious.
"Damage repairs itself. Structures regrow. Defensive mechanisms strengthen."
The platform continued climbing.
"Every construct built from Warding-Vase Bamboo inside the fortress receives enormous reinforcement."
"How enormous?"
"Several times stronger."
Kael's jaw dropped.
"You're telling me the castle itself heals?"
"Yes."
"That's absurd."
"It's true."
The platform suddenly stopped.
The wall before them slid aside.
Eya stepped out first.
The others followed.
Azure gasped.
Kael forgot how to breathe.
They stood atop a vast elevated terrace.
Below stretched an enormous circular basin perhaps two hundred feet across.
Thousands of green bamboo pillars formed a gigantic ring around it.
Above the basin arched countless lengths of Warding-Vase Bamboo.
Water poured from every one.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Streams of crystal-clear water curved through the night air.
Each stream converged toward the center.
The sight resembled silver ribbons woven by giants.
Moonlight struck the falling water.
The entire structure shimmered.
Beautiful.
Impossible.
Violet's voice emerged as little more than a whisper.
"It's gorgeous."
"Eya..."
"Is this the place you mentioned?"
Eya nodded.
"Raindream Terrace."
She moved to the edge and looked downward.
Kael could not stop staring.
"How did they even get water up here?"
No answer came.
He glanced toward Eya.
Her eyes glistened faintly.
The night had fully arrived.
The moon hung overhead like polished silver.
The central basin shone like a colossal gemstone.
Mist drifted between the cascading streams.
Every breath carried cool moisture.
The entire place felt unreal.
Like something stolen from a dream.
Then Kael spotted movement.
"There."
He lowered his voice.
"Guards."
Across the terrace, near a wall of bamboo, stood a line of Spear Soldiers.
Perfectly motionless.
Their coloring blended so well with the structure that they nearly vanished from sight.
Eya had already seen them.
Of course she had.
"Where do we enter?" Kael asked.
She pointed toward an opening beyond the guards.
"That tunnel."
Violet frowned.
"That's awfully close to them."
"We won't go there."
Kael looked at her.
"What?"
Eya calmly sat down.
Then folded her legs beneath her.
"We wait."
Kael stared.
"Wait for what?"
"The guards to leave?"
"They probably won't."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Frustration crept into his voice.
"I could lure them away."
Eya pointed toward another distant platform.
"What do you see?"
The others followed her finger.
Dense bamboo growth covered the area.
"Trees?" Kael guessed.
"Hidden inside that grove are several hundred war eagles."
Kael immediately reconsidered his heroic plan.
"Oh."
"If you'd like to attract attention, be my guest."
He scratched his cheek.
"Maybe not."
A sudden longing struck him.
If his bone dragon had still been nearby, things would have been much easier.
Unfortunately life rarely offered convenient timing.
"Tonight's sky is very clear."
Eya leaned backward on her hands.
Then, to everyone's disbelief, she tilted her head and simply looked up at the moon.
The others exchanged confused glances.
Azure finally exploded.
"Eya! This is hardly the time for moon-gazing!"
"The time isn't right yet."
Eya's voice drifted softly through the night.
"Hurrying won't change anything."
Kael stared at her.
Then he looked upward.
A realization flickered in his mind.
Moments later he sat down beside her.
"What are you doing?" Azure demanded.
Kael ignored her.
He lay flat on his back.
Hands behind his head.
Looking at the sky.
The butterfly sisters stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
Eventually they looked up as well.
The heavens stretched endlessly overhead.
Stars filled every corner of the darkness.
The moon hung bright and pure.
Nothing unusual.
Just beautiful.
Very beautiful.
Time passed.
Nobody spoke.
Two people seemed entranced.
Two seemed utterly bewildered.
Then Eya sighed softly.
The sound barely rose above the wind.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Kael gazed upward.
For a moment he almost forgot where they were.
Forgot the enemy fortress.
Forgot the coming battle.
Forgot everything.
"Yeah."
A gentle night breeze swept across the terrace.
Clothing fluttered.
Mist drifted through the moonlight.
"So cool..."
Eya stretched lazily.
Like a contented cat.
"So comfortable."
Kael felt it too.
A strange calm.
A deep, quiet ease he rarely experienced.
He suddenly realized how seldom he allowed himself moments like this.
How often he chased the next crisis.
The next fight.
The next scheme.
The next impossible problem.
Vane's Summit had possessed skies every bit as beautiful.
Maybe even more so.
Yet he had almost never stopped to appreciate them.
Not alone.
Not with friends.
Not even when beautiful women sat beside him.
Only now, hidden atop an enemy fortress beneath a sea of stars, did he finally understand what he'd been missing.
The night wind drifted across the terrace.
Kael stared up at the endless sea of stars, but his thoughts had already wandered far beyond Verdant Keep.
Without warning, he remembered another night.
Mist had drifted through flowering shrubs. The air had smelled sweet and clean. Selene had lain beside him, her head resting comfortably upon his lap.
It should have been a perfect memory.
A precious memory.
Yet at the time, he had barely looked at her.
Instead he had stared into the distance, impatient and distracted, worrying about something else entirely.
Idiot.
The realization struck him like a knife.
Why hadn't he cherished that moment?
Why hadn't he appreciated her while she was there?
A painful warmth filled his eyes.
In all the days since they had been separated...
Had Selene cried herself to sleep?
The thought twisted inside his chest.
His heart began to ache.
Beside him, Eya gazed toward the silver ribbon stretched across the heavens.
"I wonder if the old story is true," she murmured. "The lovers separated by the celestial river."
Her voice was soft.
Thoughtful.
"Sometimes I want to fly up there and see it for myself."
Kael bit down hard on his lower lip.
The pain in his chest only grew stronger.
"They say the heavenly river is beautiful," Eya said with a sigh.
"It is."
Kael nodded.
"And the Jade Pool too."
Azure suddenly groaned.
"Oh no..."
She leaned against Violet dramatically.
"These two! Why are they talking about things like this now?"
"Exactly!"
Violet folded her arms.
"Couldn't they pick a stranger time?"
Eya smiled faintly.
Then she turned toward Kael.
"Kael."
"Hm?"
"What is your greatest wish?"
The butterfly sisters both blinked.
Their eyes immediately fixed on him.
Kael froze.
His greatest wish?
Heat rushed through him.
The answer came instantly.
To marry four women.
To make his First Soror his first wife.
His Second Soror his second wife.
Selene his third.
His youngest soror his fourth.
And now...
Now there was Eya too.
But the thought immediately soured.
Where was Selene now?
Was she safe?
Was she hurt?
Was she searching for him?
The questions stabbed at him mercilessly.
Eya frowned.
"What?"
Her voice carried the slightest trace of annoyance.
"Don't want to tell me?"
"No, no."
Kael waved his hands quickly.
How could he possibly say that out loud?
Instead he scrambled for another answer.
"I want to create something."
Eya tilted her head.
"Something?"
"The greatest treasure ever made."
His eyes brightened as he spoke.
"It has to be indestructible."
He spread his arms.
"Strong enough to move mountains."
"Impossible to break."
"Capable of defeating anyone."
His voice grew increasingly animated.
"And it needs emotions."
The girls stared.
"It has to understand right and wrong."
"Know loyalty."
"Know friendship."
"Maybe even drink with me."
Silence.
Then Violet burst out laughing.
Azure followed immediately.
"What a strange wish!"
Violet covered her mouth.
"I don't think there's another person in the world with a dream like that."
Kael pointed accusingly at her.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
Violet narrowed her beautiful eyes.
A dreamy look appeared on her face.
"My greatest wish is to become a woman as beautiful as Sovereign Vaela someday."
Kael snorted.
"Keep dreaming."
"I know."
The smile vanished from Violet's face.
Her eyes dimmed.
Even she knew such a thing was impossible.
Sovereign Vaela stood beyond comparison.
No woman alive could rival her.
Seeing her expression, Kael felt a little guilty.
He rubbed his nose.
"You're already beautiful."
Violet looked up.
"Really?"
"Obviously."
Kael shrugged.
"If you get any prettier, people will start walking into walls."
The sadness vanished instantly.
Violet's eyes sparkled.
"That's exactly what I want."
She laughed.
"Kael, you're just trying to flatter me."
"Maybe."
He grinned.
Then he looked toward Azure.
"What about you?"
Azure blinked.
"Me?"
She thought seriously.
For several moments.
Then she answered.
"I just want to be happy."
Her voice was simple.
Honest.
"No worries."
"No sadness."
"No problems."
"I want to eat lots of delicious food."
"Play lots of fun games."
"See lots of interesting things."
Kael laughed.
"That's a good dream."
Azure looked at him.
Then, almost as an afterthought, she added quietly:
"And be with the person I like."
The moment the words left her mouth, her cheeks turned pink.
Kael either didn't notice or pretended not to.
"It'll happen."
He smiled encouragingly.
Then he turned back toward Eya.
"Your turn."
Eya looked up at the stars.
For a long time she didn't answer.
When she finally spoke, her voice sounded distant.
Gentle.
"I want to see the world."
Kael listened.
"All of it."
"Every beautiful place."
"Every interesting place."
She smiled softly.
"And I want to travel with the person I love."
Kael fell silent.
For a moment, the fortress disappeared.
The war disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
Traveling freely across the world with the one you loved.
Perhaps that truly was the most beautiful dream.
A promise.
A promise he had once made to Selene.
A promise that now seemed impossibly distant.
His throat tightened.
Suddenly he remembered the two Seven-Flame Verdant Phoenix eggs.
Had Selene managed to hatch them?
The thought hit him so hard that his eyes burned.
Azure suddenly gasped.
"Kael?"
"Hm?"
"Are you crying?"
Eya and Violet immediately turned toward him.
All three stared.
Kael nearly jumped.
"What?"
He wiped his eyes quickly.
"Nonsense."
The girls continued staring.
Kael forced a laugh.
"When people get sleepy, their eyes get dry."
He pointed confidently.
"And when eyes get dry, they water."
"That's normal."
Nobody looked convinced.
The silence that followed stretched strangely long.
The only sound came from the flowing water pouring into the great basin below.
Soft.
Steady.
Almost hypnotic.
Azure yawned.
Her eyelids drooped.
"It'd be nice..."
She mumbled sleepily.
"If we didn't have to fight tonight..."
Suddenly Violet stiffened.
Her gaze snapped downward.
"Something's moving!"
Everyone immediately became alert.
Violet pointed toward the lower levels.
"Eya."
"What are those things?"
Eya glanced down.
"Oh."
Her expression remained calm.
"Blade Mantises."
"What?"
"Combat-pattern Mantis Craftsmen."
Kael sat upright.
Below them, more than a dozen bizarre creatures moved around the basin.
Their bladed limbs gleamed beneath the moonlight.
"There's really a construct for everything in this place."
The admiration in his voice was genuine.
"They're patrolling."
Violet bit her lip.
"That means we can't get down from here."
Azure looked equally worried.
"So what do we do?"
"Relax."
Kael smiled.
Azure stared at him.
"Relax?"
She pointed toward the patrols.
"We could get trapped up here!"
Kael merely looked up at the moon.
Calm.
Patient.
"The second quarter of the Dog Hour should be coming soon."
A small smile appeared at Eya's lips.
She looked at him with unmistakable approval.
Then everything exploded.
A shrill cry tore through the night.
Everyone looked upward.
Dark shapes suddenly appeared against the moon.
Dozens of them.
Huge wings.
Glowing red eyes.
Cruel hooked beaks.
Ember-Shrikes.
The monstrous birds dove from the heavens.
Instant chaos erupted across Raindream Terrace.
Construct guards rushed in every direction.
Spear Soldiers sprinted toward defensive positions.
The Mantis Craftsmen scattered.
At the same moment, hundreds of shadows burst from bamboo groves atop a distant platform.
The shapes shot into the air.
Construct birds.
Blade Falcons.
Their metallic cries echoed through the fortress as they intercepted the incoming shrikes.
Then another sound arrived.
A thunderous roar from the eastern side of the keep.
Followed by battle cries.
Thousands of them.
The assault had begun.
Enemy forces were striking from outside.
Every construct on Raindream Terrace immediately rushed toward the eastern defenses.
Kael grinned.
"The diversion's started!"
Eya nodded.
"Good."
She rose smoothly.
"Time to move."
Before anyone else reacted, she was already gone.
She leapt from the platform.
Crossed the basin.
And flew toward an arched doorway on the far side.
The butterfly sisters finally snapped out of their shock.
Together with Kael, they raced after her.
The entire terrace had descended into confusion.
Nobody noticed four shadows slipping through the chaos.
They crossed the basin.
Reached the doorway.
And disappeared inside.
Only after they were safely beyond it did Azure finally breathe again.
"So that's what we were waiting for."
She pressed a hand against her chest.
"I was wondering why everyone suddenly started talking about dreams."
"Keep moving."
Eya's voice cut through the moment.
She immediately rushed onward.
A spiraling bamboo staircase descended into the depths of the fortress.
The others hurried after her.
Eya moved with complete certainty.
Left.
Right.
Down another corridor.
Across a bridge.
Through a hall.
Not once did she hesitate.
It was as if she knew every inch of Verdant Keep.
The deeper they descended, the stranger the fortress became.
Kael's eyes widened repeatedly.
Pavilions clung to towering walls.
Artificial streams flowed through chambers.
Pools reflected hanging lanterns.
Rock gardens occupied entire levels.
Bridges connected impossible heights.
Stairways spiraled through open air.
The entire fortress felt less like a building and more like a city trapped inside a mountain.
If I hadn't seen it myself...
Kael shook his head.
I never would've believed this existed.
Suddenly Eya stopped.
Her hand shot up.
Everyone froze instantly.
She pressed herself against the wall.
The others copied her.
Moments later, strange voices echoed from a nearby intersection.
Chattering.
Growling.
Clicking.
A group of creatures marched past.
Kael's eyes nearly popped out.
Every one of them stood over ten feet tall.
Their bodies were thin and twisted.
Branches protruded from their torsos.
Some possessed six arms.
Others possessed twenty.
A few had so many limbs they looked like walking trees.
"What in the world are those?"
Kael whispered.
Eya's expression darkened.
"Not constructs."
"What?"
"Demons."
Kael blinked.
"Demons?"
"What are demons doing here?"
"They aren't from the Vale."
Hatred filled Eya's voice.
"They came with the Thousand-Armed Ancient."
"The Thousand-Armed Ancient?"
"A corrupted tree spirit."
Her hands clenched.
"A monster."
"A butcher."
"The High Priest of the Sevenfold Dominion."
The words emerged through gritted teeth.
"He led the attack on Verdant Keep."
Her body trembled.
"My grandfather."
"My father."
"My mother."
"And countless others."
"He killed them all."
Kael felt rage erupt inside him.
"Then let's find him."
His voice hardened.
"I'll kill the bastard."
Eya's eyes reddened.
"He's not here."
Kael's fists tightened.
"Then later."
His gaze turned cold.
"One day."
"I'll help you take his head."
Eya stared at him.
Emotion flickered across her face.
Kael remembered Lord Caeron.
Remembered the Sevenfold Dominion.
His expression darkened further.
"The Dominion really is full of monsters."
Eya nodded.
"He calls himself the Thousand-Armed Saint."
Her voice dripped contempt.
"He originated in another realm."
"An ancient tree that devoured sacred woods for centuries."
"He consumed countless legendary trees and became unimaginably powerful."
"Several of our elders joined forces against him."
"They couldn't win."
Kael's blood boiled.
"I don't care how strong he is."
He spoke without hesitation.
"This debt gets paid."
"I promise."
"Eya..."
Her voice broke.
For an instant she looked close to tears.
Yet beside them, Violet suddenly rolled her eyes.
"Maybe don't promise things so quickly."
Her tone was flat.
"The monster is absurdly powerful."
"Many immortals and demon kings avoid him."
Kael looked at her.
"And?"
"You think I can't beat him."
"I think you're being reckless."
Violet folded her arms.
"Eya is stronger than you."
"Even she fears him."
"That's why we're attacking while he's away."
Kael laughed softly.
"I'm not planning to die."
"Good."
Violet snorted.
"Because I'd rather not watch you try."
Eya suddenly laughed.
The sadness disappeared from her face.
Her smile bloomed brilliantly.
"Just hearing you say it makes me happy."
But as she smiled at Kael, her eyes briefly slid toward Violet.
Cold.
Sharp.
Violet's expression immediately stiffened.
The tension lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the last of the tree demons finally disappeared.
Eya resumed moving.
The others followed.
A few moments later, Kael felt someone tug gently on his sleeve.
He glanced back.
Violet.
She motioned him closer.
Curious, he slowed his pace slightly.
The distance between them and the others widened.
"Why are you taking this onto yourself?"
Violet whispered.
Kael blinked.
"What?"
"The Thousand-Armed Ancient."
Her voice remained low.
"He's not your enemy."
Kael smiled.
"A friend's enemy is close enough."
Violet frowned.
"Eya can handle herself."
"Maybe."
Kael shrugged.
"But friends help each other."
Violet looked annoyed.
"Idiot."
The word sounded strangely familiar.
Comforting.
Kael almost laughed.
"I'm serious."
She lowered her voice further.
"That monster isn't something you can challenge."
"Not yet."
Kael nodded.
"I know."
"Then don't act like some hero."
"Relax."
He grinned.
"I still enjoy being alive."
Violet opened her mouth to continue.
Suddenly—
A furious shout echoed ahead.
Eya!
Azure!
The sound of combat exploded through the corridor.
Metal screamed.
Wood shattered.
Kael's heart jumped.
He sprinted forward.
Rounding the corner—
He immediately saw it.
A gigantic shadow filled the passage.
Several enormous hooked legs flashed through the air like lightning.
Each strike carved deep gouges through the walls.
Warding-Vase Bamboo split apart as though it were rotten wood.
The thing was monstrous.
A nightmare of blades and limbs.
Kael inhaled sharply.
"Dread-Feet."
The creature sensed him instantly.
One massive leg snapped toward him.
Fast as a spear.
Deadly as an executioner's axe.
And the corridor erupted into violence.