I hope so too, Yerin thought.

~~~

Information requested: Luminous Queen Sha Miara, Monarch of the Ninecloud Court

Beginning report…

Path: Celestial Radiance. Uses royal madra to disrupt, control, and manipulate the madra of others. Has no effect on vital aura, and therefore no Ruler techniques, so a Celestial Radiance artist’s ability to influence the physical world is largely limited to their ability with soulfire.

Royal madra, the rainbow-colored signature of the Ninecloud Court, is in fact a spiritual mutation of pure madra that occurred long ago in the Sha bloodline. From childhood, they can control the spirits of others, and over the centuries they have refined this power into a set of techniques and polished these techniques to perfection. Using their innately powerful madra, they solidified control over their nation and their continent, naming both after their sigil: a nine-colored cloud.

One of their most closely guarded techniques is known as Heaven’s Wish. Once only, a practitioner can pass on their spirit to another. Far more thorough than the adoption of a Remnant, this technique allows for the near-total transfer of power and skill to an heir, though some knowledge is still lost.

Miara’s mother, Sha Leiala, ruled over the Ninecloud people for two hundred years. Only three years prior to the eighteenth Uncrowned King tournament, she did battle with a host of powerful plague-spirits born beneath a disaster area in her country. Though she was victorious, her lifeline was damaged, and she was forced to pass on her inheritance years earlier than she planned.

Thus did Sha Miara, a girl of only twelve, inherit a Monarch’s power.

The queen’s death was a secret known only to a few, but still that secret leaked to rebellious elements within the Ninecloud Court. They sent a fleet of cloudships to the capital city, intending a coup. When they were struck down by the full might of a Monarch, they determined that Leiala’s death had been nothing more than a false rumor.

The Sha family encouraged that belief, and the illusion of Sha Leiala still makes regular appearances all over the nation. As far as the citizens know, their queen is healthy and strong.

By royal decree, Sha Miara’s name and her true identity as the Luminous Queen are known only to the Sha family, their direct servants, and the other Monarchs. She remains isolated in her palace, surrounded by the same faces every day.

But she is still only fifteen years old, and isolation is boring.

Suggested topic: The destiny of Sha Miara. Continue?

Denied, report complete.

~~~

Lindon's room in the Ninecloud Court gave him the taste of a Monarch’s hospitality. Trays of fruits lined the walls, complex constructs attended to his every need, and the bed hypnotically lulled him to sleep. A flock of birds lived in the rafters, filling his day with their sweet song. There was even a bubbling spring in the center of the room.

He hated it.

For two weeks, he’d been unable to leave. All of his questions about the Blackflame team were answered with “They have not yet arrived.” His room was connected to Mercy's and Pride's, but they knew no more than he did.

When the day of the tournament arrived, a team of servants spent an hour adjusting Lindon's Akura uniform, making sure that the script on the hem glowed bright violet, brushing the black cloth, straightening the high collar. He had never worn clothes so fine in his life.

Only once he and Pride and Mercy were all prepared did the floating constructs of the Ninecloud Court—which looked something like glistening red crabs floating around on rainbow clouds—instruct them to gather behind the door in Mercy's room. They would be picked up shortly.

When the door finally slid open, revealing Charity standing there in sacred arts robes not unlike their own, Lindon spoke first.

“Pardon, but has there been any news of the Blackflame team?”

He had expected to be cut off, or for Charity to brush his concern away. Instead, she let a look of sympathy cross her face.

“I'm sorry,” she said, and his heart froze. “We've heard nothing. They have not yet crossed the border into Ninecloud. The Queen has not yet arrived, so we cannot petition her to find them, but the gold dragons have not claimed responsibility. We must assume that they have been delayed and will not arrive on time.”

Delayed, Lindon thought numbly.

[Delayed isn't bad!] Dross encouraged him. [Delayed could mean anything. Maybe they're lost!]

“Please,” he begged the Sage. “You brought me here. Can’t you find them?”

Charity sighed. “I have limits to my skill and my power. When I set up the gates to the Night Wheel Valley for your Empire, I had my grandmother’s assistance. A Monarch could find them and bring them here easily, and perhaps another Sage. As for me…I have owls out searching. I am sorry.”

Clutching Suu in one hand, Mercy asked a few more questions. She looked as panicked as Lindon was.

But he didn't hear the answers. When Charity walked away down the hall, Pride striding after her, Lindon followed like a puppet.

His Remnant arm began to twitch with the disorder in his spirit. He wanted to do something, to start looking for them. Or to avenge them.

After only a few minutes of walking, Charity ushered them into a plain gray room with tables, benches, shelves, and cabinets lining the walls.

“This is your team preparation room,” Charity said. “It is located inside the grand arena itself. Here you will make yourself ready for each round and leave behind any weapons that are not permitted in the round. No one can access this place except our team or authorized representatives, so they will remain safe.”

Pride pulled a void key from around his neck and began unloading his belongings into a cabinet. Lindon stood there, running over questions in his mind, and Mercy watched him.

Charity met his eyes then reached up with two fingers. Madra of shadow and dreams played around her fingers, and Lindon jerked his head back. Dross, however, said [Oooh, I wonder what this is,] and put up no defense whatsoever.

The Sage's fingers tapped Lindon's temples.

His doubts, fears, and worries washed away as though he'd been cleansed. He took a deep breath, like a weight had been lifted from his chest.

What was he worried about? His worry couldn't make things any better. He had a task to do, and there was no point distracting himself before he had concrete information. Any number of things could have happened to the Blackflame team, so why speculate?

Lindon gave a shallow bow to the Sage. “Gratitude.”

“Don't thank me,” Charity said. “It's only a temporary mental block. No matter what happens, I need you to give this round your full attention. But when the Monarch finds them...I will allow you to react however you need to.”

Lindon nodded. That seemed fair. Following the lead of the others, he took off his void key and his halfsilver badge and placed them into a cabinet. Shame about the void key; it contained enough weapons to make any fight much easier.

Charity turned to Mercy. “There will be no sacred instruments allowed in this round.”

Mercy was still watching Lindon. “Aunt Charity, that can't be...”

“It's necessary. Now prepare yourself.”