Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western Reaches


    As Amdirlain wrapped up her retelling of Lezekus’ tale, the light through the window distracted her. Though it only touched Sarah’s willowy Human form physically, Resonance’s detection flickered between purely physical to the planar energies'' interaction with Sarah’s concealed Dragon form and her Soul.


    “You look distracted,” noted Sarah, and her words hummed through trillions of notes Amdirlain’s mind was processing from Sarah alone.


    Amdirlain nodded. “I am. Sorry.”


    “It’s so tempting to tease you about how many ways I could take that, but I’ll behave,” said Sarah. “Why don’t you turn your upgraded toy off?”


    “Because I can hear you!” blurted Amdirlain, and she immediately blushed.


    “Neither of us is running away,” said Sarah, her gaze locked on Amdirlain’s. “You’ve got time to listen to me when you’re not overloaded with settling feedback from a memory chain.”


    “But it helps,” complained Amdirlain. “It helps me see past my baggage and wounds. Understanding you and your love better feels cleansing for all I went through. I’ve had barriers to intimacy in place for so long, and they’ve reinforced my Mortal perception of forms.”


    I must seem like an idiot repeating myself to her that way.


    Sarah’s gaze softened and, with a smile, she opted to change the subject. “From what I heard, you were looking to move past other historical issues before your doozy of an upgrade.”


    Amdirlain frowned in confusion. “Such as?”


    “Such as adopting Klipyl,” said Sarah. “You met her in the Abyss, and she’s tied to your time there while you were both Succubi, but you adopted her. That doesn’t niggle at you?”


    “She’s nothing like what she was then,” explained Amdirlain. “If she hadn’t been able to change, I’m sure she’d be dust. You helped her change for the better, even when you were struggling with your Kyton state. Did Klipyl get in touch with you, or was it someone else? I told her she needed to talk to you about whether adopting me included you.”


    Sarah smiled, and amusement rang through her. “I got a very energetic message from her, but I wasn’t sure if she was restraining giggles or tears when she asked if I’d also be her big sister.”


    “I’m glad she messaged you,” said Amdirlain warmly. “To answer your question, oddly, it did help; but I’ll correct one thing: Klipyl adopted me. I just refused to be a hypocrite and accepted her adoption. Also, I like her and could do far worse than Klipyl as a little sister.”


    “Then maybe I should just let her be your little sister,” suggested Sarah light-heartedly. “Then we won’t compete over spoiling her.”


    “You think you could compete with me in the arena of gift-giving?” scoffed Amdirlain, and her gleeful smile echoed the bright tones within Sarah. “I’m amusing you.”


    Sarah rolled her eyes. “You’re going to keep cheating, aren’t you?”


    “I’m not cheating. That’s like telling someone good at reading body language to close their eyes or ignore your physical cues,” grumbled Amdirlain.


    “Except you couldn’t hear me before, and now you’re having fun with the capability,” observed Sarah.


    Amdirlain smirked. “Can you blame me? I’ve uncovered my secret keeper’s beautiful treasure trove.”


    Sarah’s calm expression shifted, and her lips twitched in amusement. Amdirlain realised how the words could be construed, groaned, and covered her face with her free hand.


    “Surely you’re not blushing from that look? Not after seeing you twist stadium crowds around your little finger with wordplay,” laughed Sarah.


    Not letting go of Sarah’s hand, Amdirlain transformed into her blue-furred Catfolk form, her ears and whiskers drooping and her tail curled tight around a leg. Carefully containing her laughter behind a sad, innocent expression, she fluttered her lashes at Sarah.


    Sarah quickly reached out and brushed Amdirlain’s electric blue fringe to cover her eyes. “Adorable.”


    Smoothly transforming back into her Wood Elf form, Amdirlain brushed her auburn locks away from her face and whispered. “The shows were an act, whereas I’m not on guard with you.”


    The admission softened Sarah’s expression, and she gently tweaked Amdirlain’s nose. “Saying things like that is unfair when I’ve told you I wouldn’t flirt.”


    “I’m not sorry for telling you that,” replied Amdirlain. “I’ll translate my earlier comment into safer wording: I like all the complex pieces I can now hear within your Soul’s song.”


    “I wouldn’t think you’d be able to read my memories with Resonance yet,” said Sarah.


    “You are more important than any memories from other lives,” responded Amdirlain. She closed her eyes and focused purely on Sarah’s themes, but only the strongest of emotions continued to come through. “No memories, just lots of intense emotions, and I’m not judging you for those. Things are pretty intense for me as well.”


    “Take all the time you need, as long you’re not beating yourself up,” said Sarah.


    Amdirlain shook her head. “No, I’m not guilt-tripping—at least not at the moment—though I’m sure self-doubt will pay a visit soon. I can’t help that I was blind to this before, and I’m not sure how I would have even explained it to myself.”


    “Then I’ve got nothing to complain about, sweetie.”


    “Sweetie,” sighed Amdirlain thoughtfully. “Syl was always calling Ori my sweet. Did you adopt it because of those?”


    “Nah,” rebuffed Sarah softly. “Just because I have access to all my reincarnation memories doesn’t mean I’ve reviewed them all. Though if someone prompts me with a question, I’ve got no difficulty recalling the event.”


    “Do the memories feel like yours?” asked Amdirlain.


    “My Soul links are different to yours,” said Sarah, and she winked. “Just a better model for which I can thank my creator. My original life was a prototype for other dragons, so I’ll remain smug that they got downgrades compared to my reincarnated memories. Is your Resonance overlapping your vision now? Ori said she saw thousands of layers of reality presented at once.”


    “Yes, it’s affecting my vision, but I have to focus on what elements I’m seeing, and control is also a work in progress,” replied Amdirlain. “Would you do me a favour and shift forms? I think it would help to experience it firsthand with the upgraded Resonance.”


    “If you’ll turn it off before I change,” requested Sarah. “You can listen for as long as you want afterwards.”


    Amdirlain shut it down and looked into Sarah’s gaze. With a wink, she transformed into the silvery-haired male Elf from Ori’s memory, and her dark eyes lightened into bright sapphires that caught Amdirlain with their intensity.


    “You always were a visual person.”


    The purr of the clear tenor made Amdirlain swallow.


    “Did you pick that form to ease the strain on my brain?” asked Amdirlain nervously, tilting her head in surprise at her mouth drying out.


    That trick isn’t playing fair, and yet I don’t mind.


    A relaxed shrug drew Amdirlain’s attention to the red leathers, now an almost black hue, while its previous figure-hugging fit became suitable for hunting. “Would you turn your Resonance back on and tell me if it matters?”


    Amdirlain enabled the Power and listened intently to the vastness of Sarah’s Soul. Without being prompted, Sarah shifted form repeatedly. Against her Soul’s music, particularly the love it held, the importance of form faded further. Fragments of lives tickled at the back of Amdirlain’s mind where male and female weren’t the limit of the genders involved, and other reincarnated species reproduced by splitting when their growth peak was reached.


    In particular, an existence as a partly incorporeal energy cloud that skimmed the upper layers of a strange atmosphere had Amdirlain shaking her head to re-centre herself in the physical present.


    At once, Sarah shifted back to her willowy Human form, and her brunette hair draped forward when she leant towards Amdirlain. “Did I upset you?”


    “No, I remembered being non-physical for a moment,” explained Amdirlain, and she projected the details she’d recalled to Sarah.


    “I remember nothing like that,” murmured Sarah. “But that begs a question: how does Resonance perceive flesh as you create any creature?”


    Amdirlain bit her lip slightly and considered the answer. “Its energy is in a different dimensional state, and then True Song binds it into place in the first three dimensions.”


    “Shall I leave my form shifting at that for today, or would you like more eye candy?” asked Sarah, and she smiled pertly. “I won’t complain about you watching me.”


    “I must seem so shallow,” murmured Amdirlain.


    “Hey, I’d say your self-doubt is visiting,” admonished Sarah. “What did I say about beating yourself up? You’re reconsidering your position because you can now hear my Soul.”


    “Not just your Soul, the shifting of layers makes form mean less,” clarified Amdirlain.


    “That is hardly the definition of shallow. If anything, it’s the opposite. You’re no longer wading in the shallow end of reality, and you’re open to changing your viewpoint.”


    “Yet I still have hangups, sorry,” groaned Amdirlain, and she smiled apologetically, frustrated with herself. “I feel like I’m stuck in a rambling emotional loop.”


    “That’s not uncommon with big changes. You asked for time while you sort yourself out. Once you do, you’ll move forward. How about you take some instead of pushing yourself further to sort it out now?” suggested Sarah. “You’ve got your steely-eyed, goal-focused vibe starting to poke through now. Step back and let yourself find the right answer for who you are, don’t try making up for your past misunderstanding of Ori.”


    Amdirlain sighed nervously. “I’ll try.”


    “Any other big news I should know about?”


    “My True Form is mutating,” quipped Amdirlain. “And I created a Planar Seed.”


    Sarah gave a surprised grunt. “Those are two pieces of news you don’t just throw out there as if they don’t warrant individual discussion, girlfriend. Your True Form, what is going on? Is that some joke about growing taller?”


    “No, all the cycling I’ve done with Primordial Mana in the Ki has left scars and melted patches of skin all over that form,” explained Amdirlain. “I look crueller than I used to.”


    “Ahh,” exclaimed Sarah in relief. “You worried me; so your Fallen species is growing more apparent?”


    “That’s what I figured, but the cycling has influenced its presentation,” said Amdirlain.


    “Who else knows?”


    “Only Cyrus. I was cycling, and he saw its effect on my hands even in elven form,” advised Amdirlain. “My Ki was creating a lingering effect that appeared like talons.”


    “Okay. So in the future, we should be careful about where we summon you with your gadget and who is around,” proposed Sarah. “I’m not concerned, but I’m aware others might be more sensitive to appearances.”


    A carefully targeted Planar Shift delivered a dozen crystal blocks to the table.


    When they appeared beside the mapping cube, Sarah looked at the collection curiously before she glanced around the room. “Though speaking of appearances, is this the extent of your furnishings? One table, a half dozen chairs, a harp, and some nicknacks?”


    “It’s not like I need any,” replied Amdirlain, and she tuned the first crystal block to the surveyors over Veht?. Though Gail had been using the orbital devices to hunt down every trace of the Gnarls, repurposing them to collect more details wouldn’t prevent that, and Amdirlain made some quick tweaks.


    I won’t tell Gail that what took her years of exploration and fighting is now achievable in a few hours. Worse, I’ll have the locations of all the True Song crystals left on Veht? in less than a day.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Sarah picked up the smallest crystal, a ten-centimetre cube, and bounced it on her palm. “You require nothing, but you should do some decorating to make a proper impression if you’re going to be teaching. You live a very frugal life and don’t care what you have, but to some people, having nothing can be a turnoff. While you don’t have to go over the top, adding a few personal touches to this place would provide a more suitable first impression.”


    “First impressions can be a type of situational control. I hadn’t worried about it as effectively I’m renting this place daily. What do you suggest?”


    Sarah smiled brightly. “Nothing too ornate, but this place still has an empty dojo feel. You should put up a few wall decorations, even if it’s something suitably martial, and a few elements like wind chimes or plants to put a stamp on the place’s energy flow. I’ll make a list of suggestions and you can decide what you’d like, or it might inspire other ideas.”


    “Darn, you mean I didn’t distract you?” asked Amdirlain lightly.


    “Were you trying to?” enquired Sarah. “Are you setting up something in your baby Plane during the evenings here?”


    “Hardly, it will be years before it’s stabilised enough for even limited use,” advised Amdirlain, and her lips twitched as she fought her amusement. “It’ll be a pilot program, you could say. Previously, we needed souls to control the towers, but I’m expanding that and moving into establishing pilots for training constructs.”


    “Training constructs for who?” asked Sarah.


    “Celestial armies,” said Amdirlain, and she quickly continued. “Klipyl advised me that most of Ebusuku’s growing armies don’t have the increased experience gain that teaming with one of us provided.”


    “Teaming with me no longer provides it,” interjected Sarah. “I don’t know when Isa last paid attention to it.”


    “It might be an aspect of being Hidden that fades afterwards,” said Amdirlain thoughtfully. “Still, it doesn’t change what I want to do. If anything, it increases the importance of the secondary gain.”


    “Your primary goal is rehabilitating the souls?” inquired Sarah.


    Amdirlain nodded. “Secondary is my concern with Celestial armies. They spend aeons guarding locations against incursion from the lower planes, and some rarely see combat outside of sparring. So not all, but most, remain fairly static beyond increasing their skills once they reach a plateau of strength.”


    “Standing watch on a disused portal or rift for aeons isn’t exactly a way to gain more strength,” allowed Sarah. “I’ve seen a lot of Celestial armies in the fray on Acheron, and they’d been getting experience, though diluted among their armies. The forces of the heavens have worked out ways to strengthen themselves down the aeons, however, I’ll grant you that they tend to be armies belonging to war-related deities.”


    “I’d believe that, but I’m not talking about strengthening all heavenly forces. Sage especially needs stronger help to expand the battle lines against the undead,” clarified Amdirlain. “And as I said, strengthening the celestials is secondary, in any case. It’s about giving the souls a fresh start and something more. It’s resetting their trip to the outer planes to order the energy drawn from the Far Chaos. Damned souls were never going to contribute to that again.”


    “Once I open it up, souls bound for the Abyss that realise they screwed up in life and want to make amends will get drawn to this Plane instead. I named it Atonement.”


    “To have their memories removed?” questioned Sarah.


    “That’ll depend on the nature of the Soul,” explained Amdirlain.


    “Do you know why Ori never took this approach?” asked Sarah softly. “I remember her firm line on corrupted souls.”


    “Two things: the thought of removing the impressions from the Soul never occurred to her, and the second thing was that they’d made their choice and chosen a vile life. She believed they had to pay the price for those evils, and she didn’t want them sullying more lives,” said Amdirlain.


    “True, she said repeatedly they had done deeds that stained the Soul,” recalled Sarah.


    “There was truth in that,” agreed Amdirlain. “Even with the memories removed, it left them grey with accumulated corruption. I’m also inclined to ensure they pay for their acts of evil in life, but I hate they’re held for eternity. Also, this approach achieves the whole renew, reuse, recycle.”


    “You spent too much time with Mal’s kids watching that show,” laughed Sarah.


    Amdirlain laughed. “They enjoyed it, so there was never too much, and my watching them let Sally get a break.”


    “You’re just a Phoenix at heart,” said Sarah, and she squeezed Amdirlain’s hand.


    “I’m feeling restless. Do you want to walk around the mountain and see more of the monastery?”


    “A stroll and spending time with you sounds nice,” replied Sarah. “Do you want me to walk with you as is, or do you want a dashing male Elf on your arm?”


    “I want my friend with me,” replied Amdirlain, and she rose, not letting go of Sarah’s hand.


    “Good answer,” replied Sarah.


    Amdirlain strode for the door. “Though you didn’t give me the option of flying over the place on the back of a Dragon. For shame!”


    Sarah burst out laughing and hurried along to keep from being dragged.


    As they walked the roadways, the evening activities of the monastery saw various students and a few masters calmly move about the place. While she caught a few themes of disapproval from those who glanced at their clasped hands, none were so rude as to voice their opinion, and the majority seemed to either feel it was none of their business or didn’t even register a reaction.


    A broadcast thought from Sarah had Amdirlain holding in a snort. ‘You don’t get to give your left-handed demonstration?’


    ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not left-handed,’ returned Amdirlain. ‘Shall we stop in at the duty pavilion?’


    ‘I’m just along for the company. Where you want to visit is up to you,’ replied Sarah, gently nudging Amdirlain’s shoulder.


    ‘It’s something I’ll need to do at some point, and it’s far enough away that it’s a decent walk,’ projected Amdirlain.


    Sarah hummed in the back of her throat. ‘You’re actually working the system and earning contribution points properly? Are you planning to be here long?''


    ‘If nothing else, sticking around for a few years to work on my Monk abilities will also give me time to get my head in order about other matters,’ said Amdirlain. ‘My abilities with Ki and Jade Court Mana have helped in many ways, and it can’t hurt to learn more.’


    Sarah nodded approvingly. ‘More years spent in one place out in the sunshine might do you some good. Did you find out why they chose to come here?’


    Amdirlain reiterated Master Cyrus’ explanation about the scarcity of accessible minerals and metals in the kingdoms as they walked along. When they arrived at the eight-story pagoda, it had almost emptied for the evening, and only four clerks were stationed to mind the counters on the ground floor. Given what Amdirlain wanted to know, Head Clerk Erhi was probably the best choice and hadn’t left yet. She was still in her office on the third floor with the remains of a food tray sitting on one side of her desk, and her eyes were unfocused. The memory crystal Amdirlain had provided her was clasped loosely in her hands, and most of her focus was on examining its contents.


    With all the personal touches in the office, does it also serve as her private study, or is she a workaholic?


    Aware that she was hardly one to point fingers in that regard, Amdirlain headed for the front steps. As they entered the building, the clerk closest to the stairs perked up in his seat. Meanwhile, the other three remained focused on the ledgers and assorted paperwork piled in their spaces at the counter.


    “How may I assist you, Lady Am?” asked the clerk loudly. As he spoke, he tucked his hands into the loose sleeves of his grey robes and gave a sharp bow.


    At his greeting, the others started upright and snapped their gazes straight ahead like some odd military inspection. The one at the far end almost spilled ink across a sheet of careful calligraphy that, given its explicit content, was clearly not official paperwork. Amdirlain froze the spreading ink and reversed its course before it could stain the edge of the book he’d been copying.


    “I’d like to see Head Clerk Erhi if she is still in,” replied Amdirlain.


    “Head Clerk Erhi doesn’t normally receive individuals at this time, Lady Am. Please allow me to inquire if she’ll make an exception on your behalf,” replied the Clerk. “We’re mainly still open to receive deliveries from gatherers who have ventured far afield.”


    Amdirlain nodded politely. “If you’d check with her, that would be appreciated, and I’ll keep the pavilion’s schedule in mind in the future. I’m aware I keep odd hours compared to most in the monastery.”


    The clerk gave her a thankful smile. After executing another sharp bow, he hurried around the end of the counter and flowed up the stairs two at a time. Once the curve of the stairs blocked him from sight, he raced away on silent feet.


    It would seem she left some orders in place.


    Amdirlain released Sarah’s hand and walked to the clerk at the end to inquire softly. “Does it cost much in contribution points to arrange copying?”


    “It depends if you already have the paper and ink or if that needs to be supplied as well, Lady Am,” explained the suddenly blushing clerk.


    “Is it an interesting work?” asked Amdirlain, and she nodded towards the open volume.


    “It is a classic drama. The writer has a talent for very detailed descriptions regarding, ahh-” The clerk paused before suddenly continuing in a prim tone. “Flower arranging.”


    Amdirlain nodded. “In certain interactions, the proper alignment of stems and petals is very important. What is this volume called?”


    The clerk swallowed. “Romance of the western chamber, Lady Am.”


    The illustrations she sensed further in the book tempted Amdirlain to turn some pages, but as she touched the counter’s edge, a panic surge in the clerk’s public mind brought mental snickers from Sarah. ‘You’re terrible.’


    Amdirlain tapped the counter with a single finger and gave him a pleased smile. “I believe I know something about that drama. Do you handle copying the illustrations as well? They’re very detailed in their celebration of life.”


    The clerk’s complexion deepened, and he vigorously shook his head. “Another will handle that, as I can’t do them justice, Lady Am.”


    Amdirlain was about to say more when the Clerk who’d departed blurred to the top of the stairs in a rush of Ki Movement. He stopped just out of sight of the foyer, took a calm step forward and snapped another bow towards Amdirlain. “Lady Am, it’s my pleasure to convey Head Clerk Erhi’s invitation to her study. Do you wish me to escort you?”


    “It’s alright, I can find my way,” reassured Amdirlain. “I know I’m keeping you all from your work.”


    As they started up the stairs, Sarah reclaimed Amdirlain’s hand. “What is the play about?”


    “Two lovers. The woman’s mother creates obstacles and excuses to block her from marrying the man. Eventually, a housemaid helps them get together, and they vigorously enjoy each other’s company out of wedlock. The mother finds out and is furious but agrees to let them marry as long as the man passes the civil service examination. Which he does and proves to be a formidable scholar, and they even survive to live happily afterwards,” explained Amdirlain.


    “No tragic ending?” asked Sarah dryly. “Now that’s a surprise.”


    “Some people find happiness,” said Amdirlain.


    Sarah smiled. “You have before, and I believe you can manage it again. No matter what course your brain settles you on.”


    ‘I feel your patience is more than I deserve,’ projected Amdirlain.


    ‘You’re too important to me, no matter your decision. Your happiness is my priority,’ replied Sarah, before she continued aloud. “It seems you have a fan with the Head Clerk Erhi. What did you get up to?”


    Her priority, but that still doesn’t mean it won’t hurt her. Am I really worth that heartache?


    Amdirlain''s posture stiffened momentarily at the familiar niggling.


    Stop! Don’t go there. Stupid self-doubt. If I respect Sarah’s view, then doubting it is calling her a liar. The voice of self-doubt is part of me; it has the cheat codes to access what hurts the worst. It knows what to bring up and what will cause misery. What matters is simple: can I be an equal partner with Sarah in a relationship? Can I? I got lonely when she was away helping Gail.


    “I had to come up with a way to get contribution points without wasting time, so I helped some people gain a single Affinity,” admitted Amdirlain. “Some people have a hard time helping others gain them.”


    “My goodness, you were discrete in teaching only a single Affinity,” huffed Sarah playfully.


    “Except for Head Clerk Erhi, I taught her all the Tier 1 affinities,” admitted Amdirlain. “Master Cyrus was sorting out a change to the process so I didn’t have to teach them an individual at a time. I wanted to give them a prod to prevent it spiralling in the bureaucracy.”


    Sarah’s eyebrows lifted. “The exception for Erhi, did someone do something to her that pissed you off?”


    “She’s a bright lady, and someone crushed her dream,” explained Amdirlain calmly. “I got a touch miffed.”


    “Okay,” accepted Sarah. “I take it you arranged some educational materials, or does she have access to a teacher?”


    Amdirlain shrugged. “A memory crystal with some starting advice and base spell lists. Since there are other wizards at the monastery, Erhi should be able to arrange lessons.”


    “I’m glad you didn’t take on extra obligations,” said Sarah.


    “I can learn eventually,” said Amdirlain, smiling ruefully. “I already had too many other things on my mind, and now I’ve got more important things to consider.”


    Not pausing again until they reached the third floor, Amdirlain led the way to Erhi’s office at the end of the corridor. As she had the first time Amdirlain met her, Erhi was standing and positioned beside her desk, the remains of her meal having been cleared away. Her thinly braided hair was loose across her shoulders today, decorated with bright blue and red beads. Sarah looked over her and the carved furniture with the running horse motifs and nodded in understanding.


    Amdirlain caught Erhi’s uncertain glance at Sarah and smiled confidently. “It’s good to see you, Erhi. Head Clerk Erhi, this is Grandmaster Sarah, skilled as both a Psionic Shaper and an Artificer.”


    “Lady Am and Grandmaster Sarah, it is an honour to have you both come by,” said Erhi.


    “We were out for a walk, but I wasn’t sure you’d be available at this hour,” responded Amdirlain.


    “Head Clerk Erhi, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Sarah. “I like the style you’ve used for your furnishing. They give the room a good energy.”


    Erhi gave a flustered smile and motioned to the padded visitor’s seats beside her desk. “Please take a seat. Would you like some refreshments?”


    “That’s alright, it’s only just past the evening meal. You work a long day,” said Amdirlain.


    Erhi’s smile widened and crinkled the corners of her eyes. “There is always much to do. Thanks to yourself, I’ve more studies to fit in around my duties until I can train someone to take over some of them.”


    After they were settled, Erhi shifted her third visitor’s chair about and sat facing them. “What might I assist you with?”


    “Lady Am has matters to discuss with you about teaching more students an Affinity. I’ve got an inquiry of my own,” said Sarah.


    ‘Lady Am?’


    ‘You’re the one calling me Grandmaster,’ retorted Sarah. ‘That made me feel so old.’


    ‘Only made you feel old? You said Syl’s memories are yours, so that makes you old,’ observed Amdirlain.


    Sarah’s warm mental laughter brushed through their link. ‘Fine, if I’m old, I’ll just be your sugar mommy.’


    “What considerations would you offer for me to teach the local artificers? Given the runes I’ve seen around here, I assume they’d like help from a Grandmaster who knows the secrets of embedding runes inside objects,” said Sarah. “It prevents the decay of the enchantments through general day-to-day use, but also wear and tear in battle.”


    Amdirlain tilted her head and looked at Sarah in surprise. ‘You’re going to stay around and teach?’


    Erhi froze in place and had to try repeatedly to respond. “What would you need to provide education in such a priceless art?”


    “Contribution points, of course,” replied Sarah. “I understand that is the preferred means of exchange inside the monastery, and I’ll be here for some time.”


    “I’ll get you a jade pendant at once,” exclaimed Erhi.


    Sarah motioned her to wait.


    “There is no need for such haste, as I’d like payments to be provided to Lady Am.”


    “That can certainly be arranged,” said Erhi. “What else would you require?”


    Sarah’s poise became all business. “Perhaps you’d like to get some paper. I have a list of conditions you can present to the duty pavilion’s Master.”