May 9, 1901

It took two days of flying on the Umbreus before Taryn caught sight of the sprawling coastal city of Ranbourg. The entire city was built over a lagoon and consisted of colourful buildings resting on stone stilts rising five storeys above the waterline. Strings of lights were strung between buildings, bathing the city in the glow of rainbows. Little wooden boats crisscrossed the waterways and numerous little bridges connected the little islands of buildings with each other. The airship had to descend to a hangar on the very edge of the city.

Once the airship landed, Taryn all but leapt out of the gondola door with her bags. Remy and Aoki quickly followed her. They exited the little steel door that lay to the side of the hangar and stepped into the field of onyx grasses. Taryn quickly entered a little shed at the edge of the field. The shed was adjacent to numerous wooden fences which contained murkhounds in them.

Murkhounds were creatures with onyx bodies resembling a cross between a lizard and a dog. Their heads were that of a snowdeer without antlers and their tails were hairless, long, and muscular. They were incredibly fast creatures and could dash as swiftly as an express train. The creatures were as tall as a horse and twice as long, able to seat three people comfortably on its back. Aoki declined the invitation to ride the murkhound and instead leapt from building to building. He was planning to scout the city for any signs of danger to the ambassadors.

Remy and Taryn rode the murkhounds in the direction of the San Marintz hotel, which lay only 500 metres away from the building where the meeting of ambassadors was to take place. As the murkhound ran, buildings and people flashed by. Remy squinted against the rush of wind hitting his face whilst Taryn enjoyed the gentle breeze. She loved the sights of the city flashing by as the murkhound dashed forward. To Taryn, each individual brick, decoration, crack in the wall, and grain of dust on the ground were starkly visible. The murkhound dashed as fast as it could, a speed which enabled it to cover 200 kilometres per hour.

The creature's movements were smooth and comfortable beneath its saddle. Taryn glanced back at Remy. He threw a smile back at her. Taryn then returned her attention to the surrounding city as the murkhound dashed over the little stone bridges that lay in their path and weaved between crowds of people traversing the streets. After only a minute of travel, they had reached the San Marintz hotel.

The insides of the hotel were truly extraordinary. The floor was made of tan marble tiles that felt cool and soothing to walk across. Rows of white marble pillars held up the floor above and ahead lay an immense staircase adorned with fine red and gold carpeting. Above was an enormous chandelier made of glass and decorated with dozens upon dozens of little electrical lights.

Remy requested rooms on the third floor. He received keys to a total of six rooms: one was for Taryn, one was for Aoki, and the rest were for the crew of the airship. He could share a room with the crew members. After collecting their keys, he returned to where Taryn awaited him with their bags. They hoisted the bags over their shoulders and marched up the staircase.

Taryn's room was room 23. She opened the door and deposited her bags on the floor before locking the door once more. She waited in the lounge for Remy and the airship's crew members to finish. After two minutes, he arrived. In another five minutes, Aoki had entered the hotel. He was scarcely short of breath despite having scouted as much of the city as he could. He had travelled at speeds even the swiftest of airships and trains couldn't hope to match and his golden eyes caught every detail of the city below. He had seen no signs of a threat anywhere.

Taryn then informed Aoki of her memories in Renche about the man who had cut a fissure in the air and disappeared, leaving no trace of him behind. She did not mention her mother's sword. Aoki listened to the story intently, frowning ever so slightly when Taryn had finished.

"By your story, my scouting voyage was a fruitless endeavour from the very start," said Aoki.

"I'm sorry to say that your endeavour was indeed fruitless," Taryn replied.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier Lady Garamonte? I would have surely welcomed such information."

"Sincerest of apologies Mister Lang. I was quite frightened by the sight of the man and in my fear, I forgot to mention him to you."

Aoki frowned even more deeply but said nothing. Instead, he sat on one of five couches adorning the lounge of the hotel, pondering about the information he had just received. Upon finishing his thoughts, a process taking only 30 seconds, he stood up and remarked "now that I have pondered our situation, it doesn't really matter."

"What do you mean sir?" Taryn asked.

"I have read many papers on the murders of ambassadors here in Luthadria and based on the information I have received, all of the ambassadors who've been murdered these past two years have been ones engaged in meetings of peace between our two empires. Am I wrong?"

"No sir."

"Then it stands to reason that the killer will now target a most esteemed ambassador from my homeland: Kimaru Zhou. He is due to give his speech tomorrow. If the killer is to murder him, it would have to be done tonight."

"Why tonight sir?" Remy asked. "Couldn't the killer attack tomorrow when Ambassador Zhou is due to give his speech?"

Aoki shook his head before saying "if he pursues such a course of action, he risks being caught by the guards certain to be gathered there. On the airship ride here, I have contacted the guards of my homeland and they inform me that Luthadria's guards are the ones that will guard him tonight. What better means of inciting more accusations and arguments amongst our two empires than to have our most esteemed ambassador be murdered under the watch of Luthadria's supposedly finest guards?"

Taryn nodded. His reasoning was quite convincing. If Luthadria's best guards fail to stop the assassination, then Valtassia could very well launch all sorts of accusations or even declare war. She shuddered at the thought of another war breaking out between the two empires.

Remy then exclaimed "if that's the case, then we must warn him!"

"I fear that it may already be too late," said Aoki.

Taryn replied by saying "we must at least check to see what has happened to Mister Zhou."

"Indeed," said Remy.

"Then follow me," said Aoki.

Aoki dashed through the streets. Remy struggled to keep pace with the former general whilst Taryn easily did so. The trio hurtled between buildings and over bridges, dashing at speeds equal to the swiftest of express trains. Taryn glanced around her as they dashed, noting the route that they took. Buildings flashed by, each a slightly different colour than the ones beside it. Little trees did so as well, as did waterways adorned with black leaves and crimson lilies. Suddenly, Aoki stopped in front of a seven storey hotel. Its brick sides were a painted a pale, light blue with bits of dark brown wood adorning each floor and the roof. Lights lit the curtains that covered the windows, blocking any view inside the building.

Upon seeing the hotel, Remy remarked "how are we to check up on Mister Zhou? Do we knock on his door?"

"No. We use syndomancy," Aoki replied.

He sensed the BioUmbra in the air around the buildings and activated his syndomancy as he so often did during the war. He leapt into the air, halting beside the second window from the left. As he reached the apex of his leap, he activated the attribute of gravitation and was pulled to the wall. Upon striking its surface, Aoki withdrew a knife from inside his trench coat and stuck it into the wall so that its shadow fell over the window. Satisfied with this, Aoki activated the attribute of fusion.

From the streets, Taryn and Remy both saw Aoki vanish, having merged with the shadows on the side of the building. Aoki meanwhile crept down the pathway of shadows into the hotel room where Kimaru Zhou was said to be staying. Upon entering the room, he gave his shadow eyes to see what lay in the room. He was not surprised at the carnage within.

As he had anticipated, Kimaru Zhou lay dead in a pool of his own blood. His short black hair was a scraggly mess stained with the crimson colour of his blood and his face was twisted in one final grimace of fear. Aoki's eyes darted around, trying to take in everything inside the room. He noted that Kimaru Zhou was surrounded by the corpses of the Luthadrian guards that he shared his hotel suite with. The guards also lay in pools of their own blood, their bodies covered with deep lacerations that left their innards exposed.

The guards were all positioned rather strangely. All were facing in the general direction of a single wall adorned only by paintings of Luthadria's past kings. A couch stood against the wall near a little coffee table made of dark brown cedar. Aside from that, the wall was completely ordinary as was the ornately decorated room. There were no signs of the murderer anywhere or any clues as to how he had entered the building. That was all that Aoki needed to see. He retracted himself from the shadows and once more pulled himself to the side of the building. He released his enhanced gravity and landed lightly on the street below to where Remy and Taryn awaited him.

He said "it is as I suspected. Kimaru Zhou is dead alongside the guards that were to give him protection. If the newspapers discover this grim fact, we may no longer be able to prevent the rekindling of war."

Remy clenched his fists, frustrated at how easily the ambassador had been slaughtered. Taryn too clenched her fists both in frustration at the failure to stop the murder and fear of war breaking out once more. She thought about what might be done to stop the war but nothing came to her. Saddened by the turn of events, she returned to the hotel alongside Aoki and Remy. She was surprised at who awaited them at the hotel.

When she entered, she was face to face with her father. His face was twisted in a paradoxical mixture of worry and relief as she entered the hotel. He immediately said "what are you doing here in Ranbourg Taryn? Did not listen when I warned you not to come here?"

"I did father. But I was worried that you might have decided to come to Ranbourg and..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence.

Mathias held Taryn in a steely embrace and said "I promise you that I won't die for years to come. I'm just relieved that you are unharmed."

"Father, there's something I must tell you," whispered Taryn.

"What is it?"

"The man who we believe to have committed the murder of Ambassador Zhou, I saw him days earlier in Renche. He was dressed all in black and he held in his hand mother's sword! I fear that the neerynds are finally returning to Umbreus and they bring with them not intentions of peace but intentions of war!"

"I see."

Remy and Aoki waited beside the doorway as Taryn and Mathias finished their greetings. Remy glanced around the lounge of the hotel as he waited in silence for his friend to finish her meeting with her father. He glanced at the clock that adorned the wall adjacent the window. The clock was made of wood painted entirely black, standing starkly against the pale white wall it sat on. The clock face was white as snow and had three ornate hands. The clock face rested on a series of brass rods that held it in place. Behind the brass rods, Remy could see the network of gears that enabled the clock hands to move. They moved the clock hands ever so slowly as each second passed.

"Remy!"

George's voice jolted Remy out of his thoughts. He watched as his brother approached him. George stopped two metres away and waited for Remy to make his move. Remy replied by saying "it's great to see that you're alright after that tumble off the airship's tower."

"I have former general Lang to thank for that," George replied.

"I wish you listened to me more," Remy remarked.

"You were never one to listen to members of our family were you brother?"

"I suppose you're right," said Remy reluctantly.

He was about to speak again when he was stopped by the appearance of his father. Unlike Taryn's father, he bore a stern look on his face as he approached his sons, dressed in a dark trench coat. His left hand was bound by a leather glove adorned by a ring of metal encrusted with gemstones. His steps seemed heavy and radiated a sense of both strength and danger, a feeling that Remy had felt often during his childhood. Remy watched as his father march to George's side before stopping. Remy waited in silence for his father to speak, their icy blue eyes meeting one another. In the face of his father's eyes, Remy felt small and insignificant, like a miniscule insect desperately struggling to avoid the crushing boot of his father's gaze.

"So you came to Ranbourg," said his father.

"Yes," Remy replied. "I came here as the pilot for my friend's voyage."

"I see. That aside, there is a matter which I wish to discuss with you, one which has eluded me when we met in Renche."

Remy felt his stomach turn as he anticipated what was about to happen next. He was unsurprised when his father said "as you know, your elder brother's tragic and untimely death has resulted in the loss of an esteemed ambassador for the conferences of peace that are to happen between us and Valtassia. These conferences have gained even greater importance due to the death of Ambassador Zhou."

"Of couse."

"Then you understand what I am about to say next. I wish for you to succeed your brother as an ambassador of Luthadria. You have received the finest education for this purpose just as your brother has even if you never did quite possess the same talent that he did. It is your duty to succeed your brother in this most important of roles for our homeland."

"Unfortunately for you father," said Remy, his voice straining to contain his bitterness and rage. He paused before saying "I am not the least bit interested in becoming an ambassador. I have no desire to follow in my brother's footsteps!"

"I was afraid that would be your reply. However, this is not a course of action that you can so easily refuse. Your brother laid his life for the sake of maintaining the delicate peace between our homeland and Valtassia. If you refuse to succeed him, then you may as well have doomed our country to another two decades of war."

Remy struggled to retain his calmness as Taryn and Mathias shifted their gazes at him. He didn't care about what his father thought of him but he didn't wish to upset his friend. His reply, in as calm a voice as he could muster, was "that is precisely why I cannot succeed my brother. As you say, I am not in the same league of talent as he is in negotiating with the most esteemed of ambassadors from across the sea nor do I care about such endeavours. I much prefer the freedom of the air and the delight of a successful airship business. I would make for an undeniable horrid ambassador if I was to represent our dearest empire."

"Your mother would be most disappointed in your answer," Clyde replied. Taryn sensed the immense tension between the two as they stared at each other from across the lounge.

"Mother has long since passed away. Thank you for reminding me of that sorrowful day!" muttered Remy.

"Please brother! You're the best man for the job," said George.

"I'm not a man to lie. When I say no, I sincerely mean every word," Remy muttered.

"You're no man," said Clyde, his voice low and intimidating. "You're simply a foolish boy with no appreciation for the efforts gone to raising you."

"I thought you'd say that," Remy replied. "That is your opinion and I have no means of changing it. I'm glad we've had this most fruitless of conversations."

Upon saying that, Remy marched out of the hotel and into the streets. Taryn quickly followed whilst Aoki remained in the room.

"Remy!" Taryn shouted.

He stopped and sighed before turning to face Taryn. "My apologies my Lady," he said. "I should have done better not to lose my temper in there. But I can't help it for my temper always flares up around my family! I offer you my most sincere of apologies if my antics in the hotel have upset you."

"What have they done to you that you despise so much?"

"It's a long story and I do not wish to bore you with the details."

"Are you sure? I find that discussing one's feelings enables the finding of peace."

Remy chuckled. "What's so funny?" Taryn asked.

"My apologies. I wasn't laughing at you," Remy replied.

"Then why?"

"I was chuckling at the comment my father made, about how I lack appreciation. I have plenty of appreciation, just not of him. I certainly appreciate the teachings of my mentor Raymond Moirie, who taught me all I know about airships and the art of business. I also, above all, appreciate the efforts of your father Taryn. He aided me in starting my business and provided guidance that I most certainly needed in those years long since past. I owe him a debt which I fear I may never be able to repay. When you return to the hotel, would you please tell him that?"

"Of course I will," Taryn replied with a smile. "Besides, I can't help but remember when we first met. You were even shorter than I was and you were all but crying after a scuffle with your family. You tried to justify it as dust in your eyes but I knew it wasn't true."

"Sure, bring that up why don't you," Remy muttered back.

The two glanced at each other and chuckled. Remy then marched to the little store located just beside the hotel. He quickly bought petals of a snow glower. He then marched back into the streets and blew upon the petals. The petals flew away from his hand and travelled with the light breeze of the night. It was a custom in Luthadria to honour the dead by casting petals of flowers towards the sky. Long ago, it was thought that the spirits of those who've passed live on in the clouds above, looking down upon the living. Sending petals flying into the sky was a means of acknowledging their existence and sending them a little present to brighten the gloomy lands they now inhabit.

Remy stayed on the light cobblestone street outside the hotel, enjoying the fragrances of a plethora of spices and salts that adorned the cuisine in Ranbourg. He glanced at the sky. The clouds had parted just a little to enable a view of the stars. Their ghostly light gifted the dark blue sky with a shimmering glow and they appeared both beautiful and fragile. What caught Remy's eye the most was the dark spherical shape of Radrial, Umbreus' sister planet. She and Umbreus circled each other as they orbited the sun, spiralling in a cosmic dance. Taryn too admired the view of Radrial alongside Remy. To her, the planet seemed like the eye of a king, looking down upon his subjects from a throne in the sky. It was the view of Radrial that gave Taryn an idea.

"That's it!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What's it?" asked Remy in a startled voice.

"We'll speak to Valtassia's emperor! Remember? For international documents to be signed in Valtassia, they need the signature of the emperor, who is the head of the Executive Branch of government. If we can speak to him directly, then we just may be able to stop a war from breaking out!"

"And the emperor's far better guarded than even the most esteemed of ambassadors. Even if that killer were to strike, he won't get very far. It's certainly worth a try!"

"I'll go talk to father about it."

And with that, Taryn returned to the hotel. She spoke to her father about her plan to visit the emperor as a final means of stopping that war that seemed inevitable between their two empires. Mathias nodded in approval and said "I had the same idea. It will be difficult to convince the Valtassian ambassadors about this considering the untimely death of Kimaru Zhou but it's certainly worth a try."