Here we go, conclusion of the book as well the second major phase of a long-running subplot. Short epilogue after this, but an important one.
Some other business:
I have posted six chapters of Throne of Time! If I count correctly, this is the initial amount necessary to avoid penalization in the RoyalRoad algorithm, so it's what I will be posting later. Three more chapters will be coming over the next week, finishing the first mini-arc.
The one and only thing Audible does to promote Depthless Hunger is put up preorder pages early, in this case DH3. If you want the audiobook, go get it; this is why I negotiated for the whole series. If you just want to grab a copy, the ebook later will be cheaper.
I have made really good progress on TWC12, but I'll say more about that later.
-
Chapter 52
It was the day of the ceremony and Fiyu was everywhere except a single moving space.
She knew that she should pull her senses back and focus on herself, especially because Relative Guchiro and other reliable allies were ensuring that the ceremony would remain secure. But as she waited, she couldn't help but observe everything, checking that none of the details were going horribly wrong. There was still time for Tymetron to attack and ruin everything after all.
Since the empire had yet to attack, she instead found herself tracking all of the preparations being done on her behalf. The final stitches in the clothing, which she had yet to wear. The flowers in the garden for the ceremony. The table for food afterward. She observed everything except the room where Betrothed Nauda waited, because her companion was on the cusp of changing forever and she couldn't bear it.
Of course the final category she monitored was the list of the few guests who had been permitted to attend, one of whom was approaching her chamber. Ally Navim was a reliably dense presence, and he carried a box that she hoped contained one more detail.
"Nervous?" Ally Navim asked as he entered.
"Very much so," Fiyu answered, examining the box without using her full senses. "Is that...?"
"Yes, I have completed the bracelet. This is the one you will give to Nauda."
Not all worlds exchanged gifts or tokens, and the custom had been unfamiliar to Fiyu, but she loved the idea of a physical representation of their bond. They had agreed on simple bracelets and asked Navim to make them, so Fiyu observed the result eagerly: it was silver and black, with sapphires set into it, a representation of Fiyu herself. Beyond the superficial properties, the brace that held the gemstones was delightfully complex.
"Oh Navim, it's wonderful." Fiyu took it carefully and marveled at the structure.
"I wish that I could have built you more useful armaments," Navim said, "but time and resources are limited."
"The symbol is what matters." Fiyu's heart hammered at the idea of placing this bracelet around Betrothed Nauda's wrist, so she set it down to focus on Ally Navim. "But the bracelets will surely require repair in time, so perhaps that can change. Thank you, Navim."
"Would you like to check the band that will be yours? I hope it will meet with your approval."
"I should not. I believe it is a Tatian custom not to see the symbols or your partner before the ceremony."
Navim gave a dry chuckle. "Nauda is under the impression that the same thing is an Ichili custom."
"What? Not at all, we must..." Fiyu slowed down, breathed, made herself realize that this was not truly alarming. "Perhaps it was a Fithan custom and we both misunderstood."
"Then do you want to see the other bracelet?"
"I have no doubt that anything you made will be lovely, Navim. I will stick to the terms of our agreement for now, even if they were made in error."
Instead of pressing, Navim accepted her decision and departed, leaving Fiyu to her thoughts again. It was easier to calm herself that way, even when she turned the band over in her hands.
Apparently there was no reason that she could not reach out and check on Betrothed Nauda after all, if the custom against it was not important to either of them. But the preparations had gone on so long, and the tension had risen so high... Fiyu would wait.
~
On the morning before she got married, Nauda was terrified that somehow she would be the problem.
Seeing Fiyu overcome barriers that were part of her Ichili physiology had made Nauda wonder what legacies she carried within herself without realizing it. Normally she would have been married in a large community, approved by many elders - would her body suddenly reject this private ceremony? She doubted it, because she had been outside communities in so many ways, yet the fear still lurked in the corners of her mind.
In order to fight it, she threw herself into the organizing of the ceremony. She and Fiyu had already talked through the details, merging customs from their home worlds, but now Fiyu had withdrawn to prepare herself, or according to some sort of custom. That was fine, because Nauda felt better with her hands on the details.
"No, we decided no chairs," Nauda said, pushing back a Blacksilver representative. "Leave the garden clear, we won't be there long anyway. And you, don't move that, go talk to Antha to confirm the decorations!"
Most things were operating smoothly and she didn't want to harass the workers, so Nauda moved on. After checking the table, she went to where all the food was being prepared. To her surprise, Homez was there, bearing a basket of bread that smelled like it had been freshly baked.
"This is as fresh as it gets," he told her with a smile. She took it from him and squeezed his hand in the process.
"Thank you, Homez, we do love your family's loaves. I-" Nauda cut off as she saw a strange box on the table of food. "What is that? I don't remember approving anything like that."
"Oh, that is actually a gift from the three Dominions of the continent." Homez gave her a sheepish shrug. "I know you wanted this to be private, but you have to understand that as important Strongholds, word of your marriage will get out. They want you on their side."
"They'd do better to avoid meddling." Nauda removed the top and saw that the box contained three sections, each of which held finely-crafted sublime confectioneries: from the Ruling Cities, Asplundat Movement, and Wavefront, no doubt. Well, she sensed nothing amiss, and they did look good, so... "I suppose they could do a lot worse, getting involved with this."
"They absolutely could. Be careful you don't get tied down."
Even though it supposed to be her day, or perhaps to escape all those thoughts, Nauda turned to focus on Homez. "Do you feel tied down yourself?" she asked. "I'd hoped that you wouldn't feel like as much of a symbol, given how things have changed."
"On the contrary, the Movement is more determined to maintain its identity than ever. Symbols like me are watched more closely than ever." Homez patted her hand and stepped away. "But don't worry about that, this is your day. You have no idea how glad I am to see the two of you uniting for yourselves and no one else."
Seeing Homez left Nauda with enough warmth to calm a few of the butterflies in her stomach, but she still hastened to check other problems and greet guests. After some discussion, they'd agreed to invite Dhan as a representative of House Blacksilver. The trickier guest was Isorales: it would have felt wrong to ignore him, but Nauda was nervous about the fact that he'd once held some romantic interest in her. Fortunately, Isorales was nothing but positive and respectful.
Everything seemed to be going well until Nauda saw that Krikree was eating one of the flower arrangements. [Krikree!] she sent. [What are you doing?]
[Test flowers,] Krikree responded while chewing. [Bad food. Inadequate for queens.]
The original plan had been that Krikree could help distribute the flowers, but that idea had clearly been ill-considered. Nauda checked the sun, which was nearing the horizon: they'd planned the ceremony for when the moonlight was brightest, because that would suit both of them. There was still time to get replacement flowers and explain their intentions to Krikree.
If nothing had gone wrong, Nauda would have been even more anxious. She just hoped this was the last thing.
~
At last it was pleasingly dark and they were only awaiting the perfect blend of moonlight that would be attractive for both of them. Perversely, instead of being outside in the peaceful dark, Fiyu was inside surrounded by lights.
She had no choice but to stand still in the center of the room as Known Hessika and Known Oland made final adjustments to her ceremonial robe. They were not truly members of her community, but they were far better than allowing some unknown tailors to touch her special clothing. Ordinarily Ichili lifemates would only produce special shawls or scarves, but Fiyu had agreed to full ceremonial dresses because it seemed to make Betrothed Nauda happy.
The other woman was across the garden, having changed into her ceremonial clothing as well. Fiyu once again mustered her self-discipline not to extend her senses across and look. The most she allowed herself was examining the other side, where she noted Associate Antha, Associate Bluepetal, and many other supporters. Fiyu had many fewer individuals on her side.
"Remember to breathe, Fiyu." Ally Janne entered the room with an unusual smile.
"Oh, Janne." Fiyu started to bob to her, then froze as Known Hessika swatted her to remain still. "I am glad you agreed to come."
"I'm happy to, I was just surprised to receive the invitation."
"Tell me... do you think the robe looks good? From a purely visual perspective, I mean."
Ally Janne's smile twitched again, but she dutifully examined Fiyu and then she nodded. "I'm sure that Nauda will love it."
"Good." Fiyu took a deep breath and decided to ask... "Can you assist me with my hair? Normally my relative would do such things, but Guchiro is not familiar with female hairstyles."
"I don't know anything about Ichili styles, but I guess I know a thing or two about hair..."
In the end, with Ally Janne's help, Fiyu completed her ceremonial outfit in every respect. It certainly felt right to Fiyu, especially the complex woven belt around her waist, but she still didn't know how others would perceive it. She was running out of time; there was little else to do but wait until the ceremony.
Her fears were beginning to build up again and Fiyu went through breathing exercises, like she had done as a child. Known Hessika and Known Oland had retreated, so it was only her and her thoughts as the initial ceremony began. When she heard the bell, Fiyu stepped out and froze as she realized every eye in the garden was turning to see her.
But across the garden, approaching from the other side, was a glorious wonder. Betrothed Nauda wore a simple gown that had been tailored to her, yet it had ruffles along its length with extra complexity woven into them, just for Fiyu to sense. A crown of flowers shone in her hair, reflecting the moonlight, making her look aglow in a way that was somehow unthreatening.
Oblivious to anyone but the two of them, Fiyu walked down the path and met her dear companion in the center. When their hands touched, Fiyu felt the other woman's body unclench and her own fears finally dissipated.
There were words yet to speak, but this was the moment she came together with Lifemate Nauda.
~
Nauda's mind was spinning and she thought there were tears in her eyes, but it didn't matter. Fiyu hadn't run away, she herself hadn't frozen, and they were together for the ceremony. It was nothing complex, just a few customs they shared, but suddenly it was all too long.
The sight of Fiyu had taken her breath away: she was a gorgeous slip of shadow, encased in an ankle-length robe, cinched at the waist with a belt. She wore a dark veil that covered her eyes much like her mask usually did, but when they stepped close to one another, Nauda could see her silvery eyes locked on her. They might have been glistening as well.
On Ichil a marriage needed witnesses, and on Tatian they required the approval of a community. As a nod to both traditions, each of them had chosen an elder to officially grant their approval. For Fiyu of course it was Guchiro, and he had actually removed his mask for the ceremony, even inclined his head respectfully to Nauda. For her end, Nauda had asked Nanjuma to stand in for the broader community, and though she didn't need their approval, it felt better to have him officially gesture them together and invite them to exchange their tokens.
The bracelet Nauda had designed with Navim had been meant to represent herself, a brown and gold bracelet set with rubies, and she saw that the other woman had made the same decision. They stopped gripping one another long enough to slip the bracelets over one another's wrists, then it was almost done.
That left only Theo, bearing a thin strip of ribbon. He wore a modified version of his coat, as they'd agreed, but Nauda observed that he was also wearing a three-colored crestflower on his lapel. Once all of this would no doubt have seemed pointless to him, but now he seemed honestly happy to take this final role in the ceremony.
Smiling at both of them, Theo tied the ribbon around their wrists, binding them together before arranging the rest in an elaborate knot. His hand lingered on theirs, but then it pulled away so that there was nothing but the two of them, finally together.
"Nauda..." Fiyu breathed out her name, and it was the most amazing sound in the world.
Breathless, all Nauda could do was sweep the other woman into her arms. They kissed in front of everyone, intertwined body and soul, and at last Nauda knew that everything would be alright.
-
Chapter 53
Even repelling Tymetron and getting his best friends married hadn't solved Theo's problem: too many issues all demanding his time at once. He needed to deal with so many different things, not least the imp lurking in the shadows and making faces at him. One problem at a time.
The first task, and one of the best, was to see Nauda and Fiyu off on their honeymoon. They didn't use that word or exact concept in the Nine, but that was essentially what it was and he wished them well. It surprised him that they wanted to go to Deuxan, but apparently there was a private inn they were particularly fond of. That worked well, because Theo was in inter-world contact with Dave, who could easily collect them if there was an emergency.
Once he left the two of them, Theo was faced with a lot of other business. Yes, including Senka glaring at him, but it wasn't so unpleasant overall.
Back above Norro Yorthin, the first person he ran into was actually Isorales, before he even reached the ground. The Noveni man looked a little adrift, so Theo gestured for them to fly to a peaceful spot away from the whirlwinds. Isorales shifted in the air, holding himself with cantae but still flapping his wings from time to time.
"Doing alright?" Theo asked.
"The war is just... bigger than I expected." Isorales shook his head. "I've fought in some inter-city wars, and plenty of competitions, but this..."
"This is new for me too. Not that you haven't been helpful in some of these fights, but are you sure you want to stay?"
"Well... is it true what they say? That the war will be cooling down for a while?"
"All evidence suggests so," Theo said. "Tymetron will probably send Dominions from time to time to try to strike soft targets, and there are rumors they're stirring up undersea allies. But they can't afford to launch another attack like the one we just survived."
"Then I think I'll stick around Fithe for now... I'm enjoying it more than I expected." Isorales grinned awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "I'm strangely popular here. Back home I'm just normal, or considered a disappointment by my grandfather, but here..."
"Have fun, then." Theo wanted to keep talking, but he saw that Krikree had joined Senka on the sidelines, making various motions to get his attention. "Listen, we should actually be able to take a break for once. We need to make sure to spend some time together, maybe visit Ugustial with less at stake. With Fiyu and Nauda if they join society again, but the two of us can go if not."
"I'd like that." Isorales grinned at him one more time, then they headed in separate directions.
Theo flew across the city to a House Blacksilver complex, wondering if he would be ambushed by Senka the entire way, but apparently not yet. He wasn't bothered by any officials, since he was thoroughly on top of all his House obligations, so he was alone until he reached a secure room.
"Krikree completes scouting mission!" She appeared beside him, crouching in the air with her antennae vibrating. "First: bad object."
She dropped a large crystal from her soulhome, a material that looked like dull quartz, and Theo understood immediately: Raythe's body lay within, preserved by whatever the crystal technique was. That was one of the main things he'd wanted Krikree to retrieve, so he was glad that she'd pulled it off despite all of the attention on the site of their battle. Still, looking at the crystal...
"Was this done by your new friend Katir?" Theo asked. "I'm still not sure what to make of him."
"Katir-thinkgem good! Helps Krikree."
"How much do you really know about him, though? Would he be willing to chat?"
"Theo-sister not worry, Krikree careful." She reached up to pat his shoulder while two of her other arms began cleaning her antennae. "Katir-thinkgem like many Arbaians, only scouts knowledge. Very interesting, teaches Krikree things."
It was probably good for her to have more friends, but Theo was still faintly suspicious of the Fractar who hovered at the periphery of events without becoming involved. Still, he'd ultimately have to trust Krikree, so... "What did you find in Raythe's fortresses?"
"Weapons! Krikree takes or gives to Blacksilver beetles. And deadgold! Krikree takes."
"It was the contaminated type that Raythe didn't fully change, right?"
"Krikree gave to Navim-thinkrock, will scout." She stopped cleaning her antennae and then revealed the main haul: a series of weirkeys.
It seemed like Raythe and his allies had four: Fithe, Arbai, Slest, and Ichil. Only the Arbaian weirkey was new, and Theo was mildly annoyed to get three duplicates before he did approximate math in his head and realized that duplicates were more likely than not at this point. He was only missing an Aathali weirkey now, then he'd have complete access to the Nine Worlds.
At least, that would have been complete access based on common knowledge. Now that he knew about the rivers, the Cleansed Lands, and other fragmentary worlds, he still had further to go. Senka seemed to sense his thoughts and rolled her eyes from a distance.
"And the last thing?" Theo asked.
"Hidden! Krikree scouts hard!" She thrust out her lower hands to reveal an object wrapped in cloth, which Theo gingerly opened to reveal the real treasure: the Artifact of Elghiera.
One of the rarest treasures in the Nine Worlds, potentially a blessing or a curse, and most importantly tied to Vistgil. Theo's had been a simple ring, whereas this seemed to be some sort of pendant, but it was formed of the same crimson metal. He desperately wanted to inspect it... but talking to Krikree came first.
"Thank you for this," Theo said as he gently took it from her without touching the metal. "So are you going to be traveling with Katir?"
"Also scout with Theo-sister sometimes!" Krikree twitched her antennae. "Gold ants not return for now, have time. Krikree checks many hives, gathers many materials. Prepare for ascension."
"Seems like a good plan. Stay in touch, and..." After some thought, Theo handed the Slescan weirkey to her, without too much reluctance. "Here, you can keep this one."
"Krikree still not good at weirkeys."
"But you can practice, so we aren't separated again, and you might want to visit Slest."
"Bluepetal-beetle!"
They chatted for a while longer, and Theo was actually very curious about Krikree's next soulcrafting plans, but she seemed restless and eager to move. Well, he had to let her take her own paths sometime. Soon enough the war would be bringing them all together again and they'd regret it if they hadn't taken their last opportunity to travel without threat.
Theo gripped the Artifact tightly within the cloth, still not touching it. He needed to make a decision very soon, but talking to Krikree reminded him that he needed to touch base with others first. Pointedly not looking at Senka, Theo instead flew to the Arbaian quarter to meet up with Navim. He found the Mundhin working in his shop, as usual... no, not exactly. There was a lot more Authority-tier equipment now, and the wall contained a waiting list of projects. Crafters of Navim's ability at Authority were uncommon, so he must be in high demand.
"Theo," Navim greeted mildly as he came in. "You seem to be even busier than I am."
"For now, but that should slow down as everyone adjusts." Theo went to stand beside him and placed the Arbaian weirkey on the worktable. "I just came into possession of this, and I wondered if you wanted to return home, or even take the weirkey itself. No more having to make arrangements or borrow them."
"Perhaps that would be a good goal for the future, but not now. At the School of Emerald Indulgence I am somewhat of a redundancy, but here I can do significant research. Furthermore, I would feel negligent for leaving all of you when you are facing such an extreme threat."
"No one would blame you if you didn't want to. The casualties from this phase of the war are just the beginning, compared to if Tymetron invades seriously."
"Yes, but times of trial also contain great opportunity." Navim finished soldering an armament and set down his work to turn to Theo. "I have spent a great deal of time thinking about what the Caretaker said to us. It seems to me that while the aeon-class forces are playing a political game that is easily understood, there are also subtler conflicts that are not so familiar."
"Yeah. The more I think about Raythe, the less I..." Theo sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling very much like an old man. "We know that outsiders cause more demons to appear, and Vistgil seems to use them to interfere with events. If we hadn't returned exactly when we did, there would have been a fourth tier demon on the continent that maybe no one could stop."
"You are convinced that summoning it was the plan all along, then?"
"It doesn't feel like a coincidence, but I could be wrong. The harder question is whether that's enough. Are they really just convenient tools, or is there something else at play?"
"You seem dissatisfied," Navim observed. "I should point out that the majority of motivations of conscious beings are very simple: they want status, power, control. Why should Vistgil be any different? You may be setting yourself up for philosophical disappointment."
"And you could be right, but..." Theo shrugged and set it aside. "The truth is that right now we just don't know. But what Plutalgion wants is clear, and there doesn't seem to be anything complex about the empire. So we'd better be ready."
"Indeed, we must. I can see that you and a certain follower are eager to go, so I will not keep you. I feel certain that we will find time to speak again."
"Absolutely. I'll see you soon, Navim."
With that, Theo was finally done with his business in Norro Yorthin. He'd need to connect with Senka soon, but the Artifact of Elghiera was dominating his thoughts. After heading to a secure location outside the city, Theo removed Raythe's crystallized body from his soulhome and then the Artifact of Elghiera. Still not touching the metal, he just stared at it for a long moment.
During his first visit to the Nine Worlds, the Artifact had granted him multiple benefits that he hadn't been self-aware enough to thoroughly analyze. It had definitely seemed to speed up his soulcrafting, plus it had provided protection when he was in the Cleansed Lands. Above all, Vistgil wanted them and had gone to great pains to control every single artifact.
Yet at the same time, he worried about what taking it might mean, especially because he didn't really understand the Artifacts of Elghiera or what mechanism they used. It seemed very likely that Vistgil could use them to track people, or that they played into his scheme in some other way. Yet given what Theo had just done, getting involved with so many large events, could using the Artifact increase his risk any further?
Not using it now might be giving up a unique advantage... and yet, as he considered that thought, Theo found his eyes drifting from the crimson pendant to the body of Raythe.
Had the Artifact of Elghiera brought Raythe true power? It was tempting to assume that he just didn't know how to use it, but just as plausible that it only offered cheap shortcuts. When it came time to face the real powers of the Nine Worlds, the Artifacts had done no good, including for Theo.
Theo wrapped the Artifact back up in the protective cloth with less regret than he expected. The real benefit wasn't a little power, it was a lever for knowledge. For all their strength, Dave and his siblings hadn't been able to get an Artifact of Elghiera, so now they might be able to learn more. It might be worth even more to the Orphic Cabal, which could study both the Artifact and Raythe's body to see if they could unravel anything deeper about Vistgil's plan. Now Theo just needed to find a way to use this on both Dave and the Cabal at the same time to maximize the benefit.
There was plenty more to do, from transporting Victon to arranging another meeting with the Splitblood Association to checking in with the House of Coin. For that matter, he should try to touch base with the House of the Lost if possible, and confirm the other aeon-class forces involved.
Before he could do any of that, Senka ran into him from behind, whacking into his back and punching tiny fists into his head.
"Are you finally sporping done?" she asked. "For a misanthrope, you have way too many friends."
"Hey, we should have months," Theo objected as he pulled her off his back. "I haven't forgotten about you, there are just a lot of things I need to take care of if I'm going to disappear for a while."
"Hmph, no more excuses. Are you going to pal around or are you going to explore one of the most dangerous locations in the Nine Worlds?"
Some things had changed, but that absolutely hadn't: the idea of getting away from all these people and politics, exploring a new region and acquiring unique sublime materials, really appealed to him. The design of his Stronghold tier had come together, but he wanted some truly extraordinary materials as he began to look beyond.
"Alright, no more excuses." Theo smiled and extended a hand to Senka, who rolled her eyes but grabbed a finger for the transport.
On the other side of a weirkey, they floated above the Bloodfire Pit, which sprawled as hideous and deadly and incomprehensible as it had before. Exploring a bottomless pit of danger and mindless beasts sounded like just what he needed.