\u201cJust tell me. You can always tell me,\u201d Unya pierced the silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell you what?\u201d Lucca asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI appreciate you coming with me, but something is on your mind. In an hour I\u2019ll be gone. If you have something you want to talk about, we should get started.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lucca lingered. She was right, of course, but he had just awakened. He gathered his thoughts for a few seconds before speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat were you humming?\u201d Lucca asked. \u201cI\u2019m scared, Unya,\u201d Lucca said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Unya responded, \u201cI\u2019ll be with Djoln and his procession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, Unya, I\u2019m scared for me.<\/em>\u201d Lucca confided. Unya was slow to respond, so Lucca continued. \u201cI know that\u2019s not fair. I know you\u2019re the one going to the backwoods town to explore disappearances. I know you\u2019re the one being heroic, but\u2026\u201d He hesitated. \u201cBut you\u2019re right for this job. I still haven\u2019t found the job that I\u2019m right for, and I\u2019m afraid that without your guidance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya finally picked up the strands of the conversation. \u201cLucca,\u201d she offered, \u201cyou\u2019re the bravest person I know. You got us to Astire when we were orphaned in Tellain. The Father Deacon has chosen you to be his personal staffbearer. You have perhaps the most noble job in the church. You have always done what needed to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would have stopped at nothing to get you off the streets,\u201d Lucca reached for Unya\u2019s hand, \u201cI would have handled myself as a beggar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can send missives every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah but\u2026\u201d Lucca chuckled in frustration, \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will message you. Maybe not every day, but weekly at least,\u201d Unya started. \u201cLucca, you are brave, you are strong, and you are smart. You will always be my brother. Keep yourself safe. No matter where you go, no matter how lost you get, I will find you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you.\u201d The pair shared an embrace. Then Lucca gestured out the window at the moonscape before them. It was a wasteland, dotted with the occasional spot of green, and punctuated by the famous Mt. Kujo. \u201cIt sure is desolate down there, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya looked out the window. \u201cI think it\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeautiful?\u201d Lucca asked, \u201cYou mean the mountain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of it,\u201d Unya responded. \u201cThe badlands outside of Astire were desolate. The foothills in Tellain were desolate. Those were lands that tried to be lush and failed. This is something different. This is fallow<\/em>. Lurelat supports life when and how it chooses. And when people come and try to tame it, they disappear. I think I would be doing the same if I were a moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess it\u2019s a good thing you\u2019re not a moon,\u201d Lucca said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d Unya smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the mood softened, the two shared banter and some pastries as the shuttle descended upon the little mining town of Docide. Lucca gawked at the shape of the city. It featured two large glass domes with dozens of structures inside each of them. Between the domes and sprawling to the south were shacks and wagons, slums for people who couldn\u2019t afford the property in the domes and the oxygen it provided. It was there, nestled among the shacks, where Lucca could spot the unmistakable shape of Djoln\u2019s monastery. He had seen sketches of it before, and it was exactly as he had imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWow, this looks\u2026\u201d Lucca searched for a word. \u201cPoor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya shrugged, \u201cWe\u2019ve had worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d Lucca agreed, as he used his feet to pull forward a box he had been hiding under his seat, \u201cI had half a mind to offer you my pistol. To make sure you\u2019d be able to keep yourself safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLucca!\u201d she whispered incredulously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d he responded. \u201cI\u2019m allowed to have it. You’d be allowed to have it. You wouldn\u2019t need to use it, I hope you never would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell I\u2019m glad you didn\u2019t,\u201d she retorted. \u201cYou should never carry a gun that you don\u2019t plan to fire. You shouldn\u2019t even speak of it. Really, name one story where they talk about a gun and don\u2019t shoot it,\u201d she challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d Lucca used his toes to slide the box back under his seat. \u201cI knew you would say that. So I didn\u2019t bother. I just want what\u2019s best for you.\u201d \u201cNothing would make me happier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014————————————————————————————————————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Unya stepped off the shuttle onto the tarmac she was struck by the chill. Part of her requisition was a thick cloak, but with the comfort of the vessel, she had forgotten to don it. She quickly remedied that, but even the act of bending down to reach into her bag brought her short of breath. Lurelat did not want her here. She concealed her struggles as she bade farewell to her brother and pilot. She was nary a few blocks from the monastery, and she was ready to begin this adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything about this place felt alien. Her steps felt springy, but the ground crunched beneath her feet at a whisper. The wooden buildings here were lit with electric lighting, but no hum made it to her ears. Cold light shone through a few windows, but most buildings were dark. Some had no windows at all, and more than one featured cracked or shattered panels. There was nobody on the streets. The streets weren\u2019t even streets, not really. There was no cobblestone nor asphalt once she stepped off the tarmac. There was only dirt, accompanied by the occasional pebble, adorned with wagon tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The frigidity of the empty air tore at her face, and she pulled her cloak tight around her to protect the air that her body had warmed. She walked at a steady pace, lest her exertion bring back exhaustion. At least her bag was light. She could see the spires of the monastery standing tall among the bowery, and after several minutes, she found herself at its large wooden door. She didn\u2019t recognize the wood. The doors in Astire were all oak, but this was something else. It was dark, gnarly, and had a wide grain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She pushed open the door, and stepped into the warmly lit foreroom. Peace rushed over her as a thicker, wetter air filled the room. Straight ahead of her she could see the worship room, and it was full of potted vines like a garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnya?\u201d Djoln\u2019s voice called down a flight of stone stairs, \u201cCome in. And close that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya closed the door behind her, and set up the stairs to find her deacon. The stairs settled into a wooden hallway attached to four rooms on one side with a huge window of thick glass on the other. The first door was open and the warm flicker of firelight spilled into the hall. Unya approached, and saw a marvelous library. It was small, but absolutely packed. Seven bookshelves lined three of the walls, and a stone fireplace sequestered by a glass panel occupied the fourth. The center of the room featured two desks, one which Djoln was sitting at with a scroll open before him, and the other stacked with books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya knew Djoln was old. He had looked old when he had left, but the last few years had not been easy on him. His salt and pepper hair was now all white, and it was thin and unkempt. Thin and unkempt described much of Djoln, actually. His robes were immaculate, but they fell loosely on a body that did not fill them anymore. He grabbed his staff and leaned on it heavily as he rose to greet her. He labored to fight the little gravity there was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnya, my girl, welcome.\u201d Djoln greeted excitedly. \u201cI meant to come to receive you at the port, but I\u2026\u201d he gestured at the book open before him, \u201cfound something I just could not put down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Unya hugged the old man. \u201cJust yesterday I was at the library trying to requisition a few journals, and Mira turned me away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid she?\u201d Djoln asked, \u201cShe denied such a reasonable request, and on your birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe did!\u201d Unya continued, \u201cHow did you know it was my birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we were waiting for, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d Djoln answered, \u201cFather Alric said that you couldn\u2019t depart on this mission until you were 16, and you made it happen damn near to the day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right!\u201d Unya agreed, \u201cAnd I would have come yesterday, but Lucca insisted on throwing us a party. Anyway, Mira insisted that you would have plenty of journals for me, and that I had no need to bring any. So I brought just one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell yes, I\u2019m sure I have nearly everything that you\u2019ll need. Your room is just the third one down that hall. We\u2019ve had a handful of clothing donations that you might like, but I\u2019ll arrange to get you an allowance in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Unya nodded, \u201cWhat did you find that was so exciting?\u201d She asked, gesturing to the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s called The Skyfall Chronicles<\/em>,\u201d Djoln answered, \u201cand it\u2019s\u2026 well there is quite a bit to it, but it\u2019s about the Ro\u2019ca\u2019gai from before the dampening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard of it,\u201d Unya responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight, right,\u201d Djoln waved her off. \u201cBut that\u2019s the translation. This one is written in the native script, so it\u2019s\u2026 true.<\/em> I\u2019m interpreting it into Prominence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut then it\u2019s just another translation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, but I\u2019ll translate it correctly,\u201d Djoln insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, great,\u201d Unya said. \u201cI\u2019m going to put my things away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo things, before you go,\u201d Djoln interrupted. \u201cNone of the windows open, don\u2019t try. There are only two doors, the front one you came in, and then a hatch to the cellar. Close the doors quickly behind you. I\u2019ve cultivated the worship room nicely, and I\u2019m hoping you\u2019ll help me tend to it every day. It makes the space much more palatable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to help,\u201d Unya said. She stepped back into the hallway, before her curiosity piqued and she went back into the library. \u201cWhere does the smoke go, if the whole monastery is sealed?\u201d she asked, gesturing to the fireplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, sharp girl,\u201d Djoln responded. \u201cThere is a billowroom. You get to it at the end of the hallway. We need to empty it out every few days. I can show you after dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLovely. And when do we, you know\u2026\u201d Unya stammered, \u201cstrike out into the wastes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping that there is no \u2018striking out\u2019,\u201d Djoln responded. \u201cI\u2019ve taught my congregation much, and I feel like it is helping them enough. Several will be coming by tomorrow for worship, and they\u2019ll tell you how much better they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see\u2026\u201d Unya said. \u201cWell, I\u2019ll speak to them tomorrow. And perhaps I\u2019ll also strike out into town and see how other locals are feeling. I came here for a reason, and I intend to see it through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk, alright,\u201d Djoln said dismissively, \u201cI\u2019m going to get back to my reading. I\u2019ll put dinner together in a couple hours. Go get yourself settled in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya took down the hall and opened the door to her room. It was much larger than the dorm in Astire, but it was barren. Her room contained a bed and a dresser, but no lamp. She quickly unpacked her things, and set up the stand for her lyre, before the setting sun\u2019s light would fail to fill her room. She had a south facing window, looking out of town. She could see the barren wastes sprawling out before her, illuminated in glorious orange and purple by the sun as it set behind the majestic snow-capped peak of Mt. Kujo. This strange new world looked so inviting. Unya couldn\u2019t simply wait around for dinner and then try to sleep. She had a mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She opened the chest Djoln had set up for her, and pawed through the donations. Most of it was pretty ragged, and none of it was beautiful. This was fine, though. If this was what the people of Docide wore, she wanted to look like one of them. She wanted to be<\/em> one of them. She found something blue and silky, added a golden sash from a tattered robe, and assembled her new look. She considered bathing before striking out, but thought better of it. Djoln was unkept, this town was unkept, she would appear unkept. She put on her new outfit, strapped her lyre to her back, and walked back into Djoln\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She leaned against the frame of the open door, and called out \u201cI\u2019m going out\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Djoln looked up from the book, and seemed surprised by her new look. \u201cAnd where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya looked over her shoulder, out the large glass window that stood opposite the hall. She gestured vaguely. \u201cOut\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Djoln sighed deeply, then set down his pen. \u201cThere is a library, but they don\u2019t know a damned thing there. I would suggest a garage, or a bar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGreat!\u201d Unya nodded, then turned and tried to depart, but she stopped when Djoln continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou should take my staff.\u201d Djoln said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy is everyone trying to offer me weapons today?\u201d Unya asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA staff is a useful tool. It will keep you from laboring too much in the thin air. Also, in a pinch\u2026\u201d he made a whapping gesture like he was swinging a bat, and made a quiet popping sound. \u201cYou know, Unya, you are so\u2026\u201d he struggled with the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYoung?\u201d She finished defiantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeautiful.\u201d He surprised her. \u201cI am afraid that you have not yet learned how men can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI worked as an apprentice of the Bowl under Father Yisin. In Tellain.\u201d Unya confided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A hint of rage flickered in Djoln\u2019s eyes. \u201cOh.\u201d he continued gently, \u201cDid he ever\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot to me,\u201d she shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two stood quietly together for a moment. Djoln broke the silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWalking just a few blocks can be exhausting in the thin atmosphere. If you want it, my walking stick is by the front door.\u201d He and Unya shared a knowing nod. \u201cI know you have known some bad people, but believe it or not Docide can offer worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya descended the stairs, took Djoln\u2019s staff from its peg, and eased open the dark-grained door. A blade of cold cut across her face; she shut it at once, wrapped herself fully in the thick cloak, and tried again. An oxygen mask with a small tank sat by the jamb. She slipped the straps over her head, nestling the tank into her hood where its weight sat steady, then stepped out into Docide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Silence struck her. There were no birds, no chittering insects, not even the faint hum of a light, only the ring in her ears and the slow, metered sound of her own breath in the mask. A lone woman clattered past, hauling a cart heaped with metal scraps. Unya raised a hand; the woman mirrored the gesture, then ducked her head and quickened away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya turned in place and scanned the horizons, hoping something would draw her. The domes lay to the northwest, that was interesting, but down south, far away, a smear of smoke climbed a pale sky. Whatever that building was, it lay far out of town, across the wastes. She started toward the edge of town to get a better look. She could try to requisition a vehicle later, if this lead went anywhere. Between the staff and the extra oxygen, walking was manageable, even pleasant in its rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Block by block, habitation thinned. Windows spidered or hung open in jagged mouths. Walls slumped. Through gaps she glimpsed nests of trash and bundled sleeping bags. Since the scrap-hauler, she had seen no one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A wash of dim light finally spilled from a storefront ahead. Through the window she made out tight rows of shelving. A weary neon script in the window sputtered: Hannegan\u2019s. Invitation enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside, the front room of a house had been repurposed into a trove of oddments. Shelves held paintings, vases, carvings, and small statues. In the center, a couch drowned under furs and mismatched pillows, more altar than seat. Unya drifted along the walls, fingers hovering above relics, until a low box caught her eye. She lifted the lid to find a small wardrobe\u2019s worth of castoffs. It had everything, spandex, denim, and silk, all jammed haphazardly into the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had brought no coin. Still, Djoln had promised an allowance. She let the lid rest in her palm and kept looking. The room felt warmer already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould ya take off the mask?\u201d a voice behind her in the room startled Unya, \u201cIt scares the livestock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya turned and found a tall skinny woman dressed in black jeans and a sweater. She was holding a clipboard, and had a knapsack hanging from her side. \u201cAre you now?\u201d the woman responded, \u201cWhat can I find for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m new in town. I\u2019m with the monastery just north of here. Are you Hannegan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDepends who’s asking,\u201d she quipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2026 I already gave you my name,\u201d Unya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo are you a nun?\u201d the woman asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, not a nun,\u201d Unya said, \u201cI\u2019m a lyrist, and a magi. I\u2019ve come to investigate the riddle of the winds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Riddle of the Winds?<\/em>\u201d the woman repeated with a cocked eye. \u201cWell that\u2019s a hauntingly beautiful name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, that is my mission,\u201d Unya repeated. \u201cWhat do you call it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Murders,\u201d she responded tersely. \u201cYeah, ok. I\u2019m Hannegan. How can I help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d Unya started, she really didn\u2019t have any sort of plan yet, \u201cYou can start by telling me what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not really a story woman,\u201d Hannegan replied. \u201cMore of a stuff girl, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya nodded, \u201cI have\u2026 No idea what you mean, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell usually someone doesn\u2019t walk in and ask \u2018do you know something\u2019 to me, instead they ask me stuff like, \u2018do you have a book on this subject\u2019, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk,\u201d Unya just kept nodding, \u201cdo you have a book on it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannegan stuffed both of her hands in her front pockets and shook her head, \u201cI don\u2019t. It\u2019s so recent, you know? Nobody has written the book yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow recent?\u201d Unya prodded. \u201cWhat\u2019s the earliest disappearance you have heard about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like that, exactly.\u201d Hannegan tugged on her dark brown hair. \u201cWe always heard about the sandstorms. And the defilers. And the wastes being dangerous and all. But just, like, four years ago, people started disappearing from in town.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t know. In Docide you don\u2019t really ask peoples\u2019 names, or give your own. As a courtesy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow do you know people went missing, then?\u201d Unya prompted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh. There\u2019d be a windstorm. Then there would be abandoned vehicles on their way home from the foundry down south, or the mines up north. Sometimes you\u2019d even get people disappearing from in town on the west side,\u201d Hannegan revealed. \u201cPeople would be crying about it at the Talpat Public House.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA bar?\u201d Unya perked up. \u201cSo they would have heard stories?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, yeah!\u201d Hannegan said. \u201cAsk for Eldry. He is definitely a story guy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks. Where is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNorth of here, still on this road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, Hannegan. It has been nice to meet you.\u201d Unya started heading toward the door, then hesitated. \u201cI was looking at some of the clothes in that box. If they\u2019re still around in a couple weeks, I\u2019d like to buy some.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that harp made out of?\u201d Hannegan inquired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOak. From Cenetal.\u201d Unya responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll trade you for it,\u201d Hannegan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbsolutely not,\u201d Unya refused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNuts. How about a song, then?\u201d Hannegan negotiated. \u201cI can\u2019t kick you out of here without a proper pair of pants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would like that very much,\u201d Unya agreed. \u201cWhat would you like to hear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA classic! A classic I\u2019ve never heard before!\u201d Hannegan offered excitedly. \u201cWait, no! Something nobody has ever heard before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have something I\u2019ve been working on. It\u2019s not done yet, I call it the\u2026 uh\u2026 Lurelat Eventide\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Please. Perfect!\u201d Hannegan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unya pulled her lyre out from behind her, sat on the arm of the couch, and flexed her fingers. The song wasn\u2019t done, of course, but Hannegan probably wouldn\u2019t know the difference. She didn\u2019t quite know what she would do for the bridge, but she could improvise her way through that. She closed her eyes, and began to strum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The song began in melancholic minor, marking the delicate emptiness of the moonscape. It accelerated as Lurelat became angry by the invading force. Unya knew it would change key to major for the bridge, as the city and the oases found their equilibrium, and it would wrap up nice, slow and peaceful again. As she played the first twenty bars, she pondered what she would try for this live performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She didn\u2019t get that far though. Shortly after she began to accelerate, Hannegan started squealing. Unya stopped playing and opened her eyes, and was surprised to see a white ball of light bouncing around the room. It was like the Listeners in Astire, but small and fast. It was a white bean pinging from frame to frame, a moth made of resonance. Where it struck, dust hung in the air, and it had thrown Hannegan into hysterics. She was clapping and jumping and looking all around the room. When Unya stopped playing, the apparition quickly faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannegan looked at Unya with a wide-eyed grin. \u201cGirl, you have earned those jeans. Let me help you pick something out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d Unya asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was an Archoria Sprite,\u201d Hannegan responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay more words,\u201d Unya prodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have this stone from Mt. Kujo. Its what the druid\u2019s call an Eidolon<\/em>, but that just means it\u2019s alive. It liked your song so much it decided to listen!\u201d Hannegan explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Can I see the stone?” Unya asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “You can do more than see it,” Hannegan scurried quickly to a box on a shelf and produced a strange spherical object that looked like pristine marble. She handed it to Unya<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI trained briefly as a cleric of the Bowl. I used my singing to manifest spirits. That\u2019s what got them to move me to the Lyre, which I fell in love with.\u201d The stone glowed with a gentle yellow energy as she spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou really are a magi,\u201d said Hannegan. \u201cMost people who walk around bragging about their magical prowess don\u2019t really have it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre there other mages in Docide?\u201d Unya returned the orb to Hannegan. \u201cWhere are they? How do I get in touch with them?\u201d Unya followed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey are usually in the oases out west. You don\u2019t get in touch with them, though. They get in touch with you. If they\u2019re interested. Which they\u2019re not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been really helpful, Hannegan. Ok, Eidolons, Druids, and Talpat Public House,\u201d Unya counted these points out on her fingers, \u201cthat\u2019s a good start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd jeans!\u201d Hannegan added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lucca was shaken awake from a bout of turbulence. His head still ached from the revelry the night before. Realization set in that he had never slept on a ship before, not since getting off the Gallowei as an infant. He had ridden in the pilgrimage vessels a dozen times, and had even flown one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[39,41],"class_list":["post-383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-prequel","tag-riddle-of-the-winds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":389,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions\/389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cNothing yet, I\u2019m still working on it,\u201d Unya responded, \u201cI hope to title it The Riddle of the Winds, <\/em>but it might be too peaceful for that.\u201d She waited a moment, then put her pen down and continued, \u201cBut that\u2019s not what you wanted to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kujo-Who-Slumbers-1024x760.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Djolns-Monastery-1024x760.png\")
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\u201cI know, thank you.\u201d The pair shared an embrace. \u201cI\u2019ll message you every day to tell you about how I haven\u2019t needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Djoln-Aure-of-the-Book-1024x759.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHi, I\u2019m Unya,\u201d she said, taking off her mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Hannegan-Falto-Trinket-Collector-1024x759.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho?\u201d Unya asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mountbakergames.com\/manifold\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Magical-Relic-1024x760.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, just charlatans and surveyors,\u201d Hannegan responded. \u201cExcept, you know, the druids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n