She clambered out of the pool, all long legs and shadows in the foggy gloom, and wrapped a towel around her wet shift. The other bathers were watching closely, so Lianshi paused, gestured for them to follow, then hurried deeper into the fog.
Lianshi. It felt as if she’d returned from the dead all over again. Scorio flashed a smile at Naomi who was struggling to maintain a neutral expression and followed his old friend.
No, not a friend. Former friend. It was important he remember that.
“Over here,” said Lianshi, her painfully familiar voice almost breathless. She led them around some rocky outcroppings to a small pool cupped by curtain-like stalagmite growths.
Only then did she step closer. Her thick hair was plastered across her brow and Scorio saw that she’d cut the front into bangs. She studied him, but even this close she was indistinct in the fog, though he could tell her eyes were wide, her manner startled.
“Oh,” she gasped, hand moving to cover her mouth. “It is you. It really is.”
Chapter 8
Lianshi shook her head sharply. “I know you both headed out into the Rascor Plains on foot, but you didn’t walk all the way here, did you?”
“I’m afraid we did. You telling me that wasn’t the easiest way to get here?”
“You walked?” Lianshi exhaled a breathy laugh. “No wonder it’s taken you this long. Leonis and I have been here for weeks. Though it’s hard to tell, given the lack of sun-wire and all.”
Scorio chuckled and sat at the pools’ edge. His feet slid into the heated water and found a hollowed-out bench just under the surface, so he dipped into the pool to sit, allowing the intense heat to sink into him.
Naomi prowled around to the far side of the pool and there sat, pale legs sliding into the water as well, but she made no sound of protest at the heat.
Lianshi began to speak then caught herself. She took a step toward the gap in the raised stone walls. “I should get Leonis. He’d never forgive me if we spoke without him.”
“Sure,” said Scorio. “We’ll be here for a while.”
Lianshi bobbed her head and departed.
“You think she was afraid of us?” asked Naomi dourly.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Or just cautious. Can’t say I blame her.”
Naomi gripped the edges of the pool and lowered herself in. “Ahhh…” The sound of pain became one of relief as she sank in all the way and inclined her head back. Her hair spread into a dark corona beneath the steaming water.
Scorio closed his eyes and sank deeper. The Gold mana might have healed him, but his Heart felt worn out. Exhausted. And he’d been pushing himself hard for he didn’t know how long.
Just lying there in the shadowed recess, allowing the heat to soak into his muscles and bones felt glorious.
They stayed quiet. The pool was small enough that they occasionally bumped into each other, a foot against a calf, a knee against a thigh. The sound of conversation came from the other pools. Hot droplets fell occasionally on Scorio’s upturned face.
Time passed.
Then a familiar rumble sounded, and a vice twisted Scorio’s heart.
“… bother them in the baths, of all places? Were it me, I know I’d rather be left alone.”
Scorio couldn’t help but smile, and he sat up, raking his hair back as he turned to the gap in the undulating walls.
A moment later Leonis was there, tall and broad-shouldered, clad in a bathing gown that hung from his muscular frame like a royal robe.
“You’re still here,” said Lianshi, edging in around him, a robe pulled tightly about her. “Good.”
“Leonis.” Scorio went to emerge from the pool but the big man ran raised both palms, stopping him.
“No need, Scorio. I would feel myself a wretch if I drew you from that bath. Relax. We were once good friends, weren’t we? Then we can skip the decorum. Naomi.”
“Golden King,” said Naomi, voice soft and inscrutable.
Leonis cast about and espied a stone bench. He sat and propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to examine them both. “Word of your arrival has spread. I thought to pay you both a visit once you’d settled in, but of course Lianshi hunted you down first.”
“Hunted them down?” Her mock-outrage stung to hear. It served only to remind Scorio of all the banter he was no longer privy to. “But in all honestly, should I have left you both alone? Am I presuming too much?”
“Not at all,” said Scorio. “It’s good to see you both. How have you fared?”
“After all that excitement in Bastion?” Leonis shrugged one shoulder. “Nothing but boredom. The ride on the whale ship was fascinating enough -”
“Just like I’d described in my journals,” said Lianshi. “Landing in the Fiery Shoals was just as thrilling as I’d hoped.”
“You and your journals,” said Leonis fondly. “But yes. The Fiery Shoals were a sight, but their affairs were all turned upside down. Praximar’s death and your destruction of Manticore upended their power structure. Pyre Lady Moira was setting affairs in order, but she was also preparing to leave on The Celestial Coffer with us, which undercut her authority, I reckon.”
“But the Gold mana shipments stayed on schedule,” cut in Lianshi, “and it seems that’s all that really matters. Everybody was terrified of upsetting the Iron Tyrant.”
“And you work for him now?” prompted Naomi.
“The Golden King is and forever will be his own man,” said Leonis, sitting up straight, only to cast a glance at Lianshi. “Well. Mostly. We’re not throwing in with the Iron Tyrant, no. We’d considered it, but Moira convinced us during our flight that there were better opportunities to be had. We’re going to reserve our allegiances until we have a better understanding of the lay of the land.”
“Did you come to help fight the Blood Ox?” asked Lianshi. “Because last we spoke you were interested in uncovering some hidden truth…?”
“Still are,” said Scorio, relaxing back against the smooth edge of the pool. “We were heading to a Kraken outpost called the Nightsong with Pyre Lady Druanna. She was grateful for our rescuing her during that battle in Bastion, and offered to escort us into the Iron Weald. She was going to introduce us to some friends of hers, who’d take us into the Telurian Band. But we ran into complications.”
“Of course you did,” laughed Leonis. “Has anything ever gone according to plan for you?”
“Sometimes he gets things right,” allowed Naomi, smiling despite herself.
Scorio grinned. “Suffice it to say we’re glad we ended up here. Are there any updates on the war? Do you know what your next move is?”
Leonis blew out his cheeks. “It’s a bad situation. We’ve been listening and learning as best we can, but aren’t privy to the meetings where the real information is shared.”
“We’re losing,” said Lianshi bluntly. “And in large part that seems to be the Iron Tyrant’s fault.”
Leonis raised an eyebrow at her.
“What? Our previous selves trusted them, didn’t they? And their actions have proven them honorable despite all the lies we were told?”
“Just… be careful,” rumbled Leonis, glancing at the gap that led to the rest of the baths. “We’re in the heart of the Fury Spires, after all.”
“How is he harming the war effort?” asked Scorio.
“He has a stranglehold on the Gold mana.” Lianshi pitched her voice low. “And while the Charnel Dukes and the like are used to much better, in the Telurian Band there’s only Bronze to be had. They don’t have the infrastructure in place to ferry enough higher quality mana back, so they’re dependent on the Iron Tyrant for his Gold.”
“Of course,” said Naomi. “Typical human behavior.”
“You speak as if you were a fiend,” said Leonis.
“How do you know I’m not?”
“Knock it off, Naomi.” Scorio looked back to his former friends. “Why’s he holding out on the Charnel Dukes?”