Kai-Se stretched, his joints aching more than before. Once he got back to Xuijae, he'd lounge on his bed for a week. That should set his body back to the way it was before. He and Nao-Zai walked side by side on the way back to their rooms. It wouldn't be too long before the council called for the second trade summit.

As much as Kai-Se wanted to relax for a bit while here in Dansarun, he also wanted to get this done as quickly as possible so he could be rid of some presence he didn't want. The gods, mainly.

There's something about them that set Kai-Se's instincts on high alert. Even An-Ri confirmed there was something fishy about them. When he asked her if she knew them from Shaoryeong, the spirit merely shook her head and claimed she didn't want to talk about it.

Kai-Se thought to leave her alone for a while but he had an inkling An-Ri knew more about these gods, especially the ones in the council. After all, gods didn't used to be in Shinjien for the longest time and only appeared a thousand years ago to establish their own kingdom after claiming the barren east.

From the looks of it, they seemed to have figured out how to make nature grow and flourish considering Dansarun was richer than Xuijae and Shencai combined. In fact, Dansarun was even wealthy enough to mount a colonization drive on Shencai and succeeded.

There's really not much to it. Something was going on but Kai-Se wasn't the one to start figuring it out or caring at all.

"Are you going to rest for a bit, Your Highness?" Nao-Zai asked, breaking Kai-Se's line of thoughts. He turned to find the soldier craning his neck up the pagoda's height. Early morning fog touched the long filial until it almost swallowed it. "That's a long way up."

Kai-Se followed Nao-Zai's gaze and chuckled. "Well, I could totally instruct you to carry me."

Nao-Zai whipped to him with an incredulous look. Then, his demeanor changed and ducked his head. "You know I'd follow whatever you say," he said. "I'm bound by contract and by the values of my clan."

"I know," Kai-Se said. "If it makes you feel any better, I am extremely uncomfortable hanging off some soldier like a sack of sweet potatoes."

The soldier snorted. "Imagine the bumpy steps up the stairs, too," he said. "Your head will feel like it's been through a whirlpool once we get to the top."

Kai-Se hid his smile to himself. So, Nao-Zai did have some sense of humor in him despite being as basic as an old man's. He pictured a different outcome from when he first met a frowny Nao-Zai who talked about guidelines and order and blah blah blah. But now...having a Nao-Zai who laughed and went along with Kai-Se's antics sounded like a better deal.

What had he done to have thawed the soldier like that? Maybe Kai-Se would never know.

Aggressive shouts rang from the thin line of clouds kissing the grounds' cobblestones. Kai-Se whipped to the source just in time to see a haze of bipedal animals in full combat armor running through the haze, arms raised and, judging from the glint against the dawn's rays, weapons brandished.

He turned to Nao-Zai to find the soldier's hand already on the hilt of his sword. Nao-Zai's knees bent as he dropped into a stance. Kai-Se watched the soldier's eyes spear towards the charging enemy. They were still on the outer courtyard, nowhere near the grounds where Kai-Se and Nao-Zai stood. The fog made it harder to see but Kai-Se counted ten, twenty, even thirty armed somethings running towards them, past the faint, arching shadows of the sky bridges.

Kai-Se turned to Nao-Zai and they exchanged knowing nods. From his necklace, An-Ri's essence burned against his collarbone. He willed her to keep still in the meantime, muttering under his breath, "Not yet". Much to his relief, the ancestral spirit obliged, keeping her energy calm but warm against his skin.

"You sure took golden time coming here, prince," Nishi's voice rang from behind Kai-Se.

He turned to find the whole entourage of the council striding from the fog curling around him and Nao-Zai. Nishi's spectacles reflected the rays of the rising sun, the light turning the god's snarl more ominous than it was. His sheathed sword brushed against the wide skirts of his overcoat as he and the rest of the gods crossed the distance down the stairs of their tall pagoda to where Kai-Se stood with Nao-Zai on flat ground.

Kai-Se knitted his eyebrows. What was this? Why were they welcoming him this early? He remained frozen, eyes searching the council's faces for any hint as to what the reason was behind their arrival. All he saw were grim faces and perpetual scowls.

The commotion of people charging towards the pagoda heightened in Kai-Se's ears. He turned to find them almost through the arched entrance giving way to the grounds leading to the gods' pagoda. They're going to make it inside. He turned to Nao-Zai, his gut churning in waves. He should do something. He should—

A strong gust of wind sliced through the courtyard, cutting off Kai-Se's thoughts. It slammed straight through the flank of soldiers in one, booming howl. Bones snapped. Weapons shrieked and clattered to the ground. Screams littered the expanse, rivaling the twittering of the birds and the silence of the courtyard.

Blood colored the cobblestones like spilled wine. The smell of rust permeated in the air.

Kai-Se felt himself stepping back. Something rustled beside him and he felt a strong hand wrap around his arm. "Don't look," Nao-Zai's whispered warning was sharp, his tone going back to the stern, old man voice Kai-Se thought he had shed.

Then again, with Nao-Zai saying Kai-Se shouldn't look made him want to look more.

Instead, he turned to the line of gods dressed in their complete regalia of armor and weapons, no matter how absurd they looked like. Nishi's arm was still raised, giving Kai-Se enough clues the god was the one responsible for the huge gust of wind that knocked an entire flank like tanzhai pieces.

"We were beyond thrilled when Xuijae accepted our request and had been quick to send us their delegation," Nishi continued, his face showing no sign of being bothered about possibly killing off an entire platoon of people, no matter how much scales they had or what animal head was attached to their shoulders. "Good job on duping us, for making us think that you're here on solely good will."

That's when a smile split Nishi's lips open. "Sadly," the god said. "Your time here is over."

Before Kai-Se could react, something slammed into him, pushing him to the ground. His cheek stung, his temples throbbing from clapping against the cobblestones. A heavy weight pressed against the side of his face and, judging from the shadow lining the floor, with the vast assortment of sheathed sword hilts jutting from where his shoulder, it was Gansai, the god of war.

It was someone Kai-Se shouldn't take on, especially with what flimsy body he had. Gansai would probably snap him like a twig.

The sound of a sword being drawn rang in the air. Kai-Se gritted his teeth to fight against the hand over his face to see Nao-Zai dropping into a stance. "Let him go," the soldier hissed. For someone bound by oath and the promise of wage and prestige, it didn't make sense for him to stay like this. He should have run the first chance he got. "What did he even do?"

"We received reports of a great mobilization of forces composed of the old Shencai army and a couple others of Shencai freedom fighters heading towards Urkaze," Misaki said, her orange irises seeming to be burning as she tucked her hands into the expansive sleeves of her fenhai. "Our spies spotted a piper among their ranks, telling them tales of freedom and rebellion, and it seemed to fuel their spirits and courage."

Nao-Zai's sword dipped. He glanced at Kai-Se, uncertainty marring his features.

Kai-Se clicked his tongue. Getting busted like this sucked. He didn't even know there was a freedom fighter group and that he was telling them something that would spur them into action. He's just a piper and loved telling his stories. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Gritting his teeth, Kai-Se reached deep down into his mind, the gears already turning and spouting ideas as to how he could get his people out of this place. An-Ri. She could help. He began rattling in his head the steps and plans, hoping An-Ri would glean it from there and improvise on her own. A distraction. He needed a distraction so he could let her out without startling the gods.

So, he opened his mouth. "There are a lot of pipers around," Kai-Se said, keeping his voice modulated to mask the growing fear climbing up his throat. Perhaps his years dealing with the Emperor's court were now paying off. "I can't be the only one talking about those things. Besides, my tales are for children. I didn't mention war or chaos or violence. I certainly didn't mention rebellion and going against the government."

Nishi approached him and crouched down. His angular face looked harsher when he wasn't laughing at Kai-Se's jokes. "We did enjoy your little show, prince," he said, his shadow blocking Kai-Se's view of the other gods. "Unfortunately, we cannot let this pass. You played a part in this uprising so it's only proper for you to pay the price."

Kai-Se squirmed against Gansai's grip but the weight didn't budge. Nishi stood up and brought his hands together. "As such, we will be keeping you here to pressure Xuijae to yield to our power in exchange for your freedom," the god said. "Should Xuijae refuse, we would just kill you and invade the Empire all the same."

"What about the spirits' protection?" Kai-Se blurted, his mind finishing the last orders to An-Ri, praying to his ancestors the spirit got it and has enough magic to do it. "You shouldn't risk angering Shaoryeong by attacking the human empire."

"Oh, to the underworld with that protection!" Nishi whipped to the sky and yelled at no one. He turned back to Kai-Se, eyes spouting bitterness and hatred Kai-Se had never seen in any human before.

Nishi began pacing, the scratches of his sandals ringing in Kai-Se's ears. "That pact is a millennia old. Surely even the great spirits have forgotten about it," a manic smile spread across the god's lips as he stared Kai-Se down. "Your spirits have long abandoned you, I'm afraid."

Kai-Se bared his teeth. "One didn't," he hissed. Then, his pendant burned and bright light exploded from it. An-Ri zipped past with three of her tails out. She's going to use a good amount of magic so she needed those. The gods scrambled for their weapons but that's not the point of An-Ri's appearance. In a blink, she was gone.

"What did you do, boy?" Gansai snarled in Kai-Se's ear. The hand pressed Kai-Se's face harder against the ground. "Where is the spirit?"

Kai-Se made sure to grin his most annoying one that annoyed all the nobles in his father's court. "Not telling."

Gansai huffed and drew one of his swords. He slashed it down just in time for another sword tip to whizz in Kai-Se's periphery. "Get up," Nao-Zai said through gritted teeth, holding the god of war's sword against his own. "Run."

Kai-Se smiled at the soldier. An-Ri's presence confirmed the plan was successful and she had enough power to transport one more person. "I'm not running, Nao-Zai," he said, trying to memorize the last traces of the soldier's eyes filling with concern. "You are."

Nao-Zai's eyes widened just in time for Kai-Se to call forth An-Ri once more. A stream of light made from pure magic pulsed in the air and enveloped the soldier. Before Gansai knocked Kai-Se into the ground once more, Kai-Se had just glimpsed a furry fox tail shining in the rising sunlight.

Then, he closed his eyes and welcomed his fate.