Kanin Fyre: Chapter 19 - The Temple of Yua Tin

The journey to Twilit City passes without event. The town is further south from the ones we’ve so far visited, and based on the lighter attire of the city’s inhabitants, it must be warmer here, too.

Twilit City lies in the valley of a wide, dry plain, save for a lone river that trickles down from distant mountain peaks to wind its way through the town. An artificial cloud hangs low and stationary over the village, casting shade across the streets, which are far more quiet and empty than I would have expected for the middle of the day. 

“It’s nocturnal,” Zyneth explains when I ask. “Some species see and function better in low light, so you’ll find many kingdoms in South Dunmora operate during the night instead.”

This makes sense when I realize most of the people I’ve seen are dhampyrs, which very similar to vampires in appearance, from their grey skin to sharp canines. 

There are also a lot more arachnoids. I jump the first time I catch sight of a white one—from a distance, she looks far too much like Yedzaquib for comfort. Humans, orcs, and goblins are less common, but there’s still a lot more of them than I’m used to seeing in Valenia. It’s clear some species are more populous in different areas. I wonder if the telepads had anything to do with the larger spread in diversity in Valenia? 

After speaking with some locals, we’re directed to Yua Tin’s temple. It’s not the gaudy, Roman sort of marble building I was expecting. Instead, the structure isn’t much larger than a house, and the only way it’s distinctly different from the surrounding architecture is that there is a wide, open entrance without doors, and the wooden roof appears to be domed. It isn’t until I get inside that I realize the domed roof is open to the sky at its center.

The temple is overflowing with plants. They’re woven into the walls, they spring up from the floor in concentric patterns, they even hang from the ceiling. If it weren’t for the statue in the back of the room, I might have thought it was a greenhouse. 

Zyneth and I cross to Yua Tin’s effigy, following one of the dozens of dirt paths that circle the room. The layout is very geometric: almost like a globe with latitude and longitude lines. Or perhaps a compass. 

At this time of day, no one else is visiting the temple. I wonder if Aquenno told us to come here specifically because they knew this place was less likely to have visitors. But then, why pick a location in a city at all?

“Why do you suppose she picked here to meet?” I ask Zyneth as we stand at the base of the god’s statue, looking up at their visage. They appear to be an elf with a placid face, but their hair melts into the stone behind them, which is carved with stars and moons. They carry a sextant in one hand, and their other is raised, palm out, with a spell circle circumscribing it. I try to Check or Inspect the spell, but don’t get anything; I think the design is more artistic and metaphoric than something that could actually be activated. 

“If she really is acting covertly,” Zyneth says, “then it would make sense to visit a shrine while in the mortal realm. It may avoid suspicion.” 

Zyneth and I have decided to not use Blair’s name aloud when we can help it—no need to draw unwanted attention. 

“But why not her own shrine?” I ask. “Why would she tell us to meet her at Yua Tin’s?”

Zyneth frowns, peeling his gaze away from the statue to scan the room instead. “I’m not sure,” he admits. “I also would have expected what you suggested.” 

“Perhaps she’s a small, less-known god?” I ask. “Does everyone have a temple?”

“At least one,” Zyneth says. “The main gods can have several temples in each major city, while small towns tend to have local shrines only dedicated to a handful of gods. But as far as I’m aware, even minor gods have several locations per continent.”

That is strange, then. Maybe Blair’s temples were too far away? But she did give us several weeks to get here. This choice must be intentional. Why, though? What’s the significance that I’m missing?

“How long have we got?” I ask Zyneth. Echo roughly translates their time units into something that’s similar to my familiarity with minutes and hours, but I don’t actually have a pocket watch, and I’m terrible at judging time by the sun. 

(Pocket watches do exist here, though no wrist-watches, but I haven’t exactly needed one, and even if I did, I couldn’t afford it.)

“We’re a little early,” he admits. “I just wasn’t sure what to expect, and figured it couldn’t hurt to be the first here to scope out the area.” 

Maybe overly cautious, since this was an invitation, but I appreciate the wariness. Blair is a strange entity to pin down. Aloof, but seemingly empathic. Claiming to be dedicated to the pantheon, yet subverting their order. Nonexistent, at least by the name ‘Blair,’ in any record of the gods, yet she’s clearly a god. Even without Echo to confirm it, her power was overwhelming. 

Zyneth begins to carefully circle the room, searching for signs of who knows what. I haven’t found any spells with Inspect (except for some gardening related spells around the plants) but I also start wandering, just to look productive.

“What do you think about the offer?” I ask him. “Meeting another human from my planet. What do you think we can expect?”

Zyneth pauses to peer under a frond. “I have no idea. Though it sounds like they want to meet you, so that’s a good sign.”

“Assuming they’re not interested in exacting revenge on me,” I joke. 

Zyneth pauses, glancing in my direction. “Are you worried about that?”

It’s amazing how he can see right through me sometimes. “A little. It’s my fault they’re here. Who knows what kind of body they ended up in? What if they’re, like, stuck in a chamber pot, or something?” 

Zyneth barks out a laugh. “That would be tragic. Though I’d be curious to see what sort of body they’ve made out of that.” 

“Assuming they even could,” I say. “I mean, I got lucky. I had you and Noli—even Attiru and Rezira. And now Caesius and Siqi. I don’t know where I’d be without everyone who helped me.” 

Dead, probably.

Zyneth’s smile softens. “I think you underestimate the kindness of strangers. We are not an anomaly. We’re just people like anyone else. Most people in our shoes would have offered a helping hand.” 

It’s a nice thought. But is it too altruistic? I don’t think I would have believed something like that on Earth. And certainly not everyone here is a saint either—Zyneth’s employers, Yedzaquib, Vardi, and Gillow, especially come to mind. 

But he’s right that most people I’ve met have been good. And Blair herself doesn’t seem to wish us ill. I doubt she’d set me up for an ambush—at least, not knowingly. 

“I just hope they’re doing okay,” I say quietly. The charred remains of Anika still burn painfully in my mind. I brought her here. I unwittingly sentenced her to that fate.

Zyneth wanders back over in my direction, stopping me from fretting over some roots that are hanging from the ceiling and bumping into my head. He takes both my hands, turning me toward him. 

“You can’t torture yourself over this,” he says. “It happened as a result of your actions, yes, but it wasn’t intentional. And these were souls that had already died, anyway. It is unfortunate if some of them might be in tough situations. It’s not ideal that some may be in bodies that are difficult for them to operate. But ultimately, you gave them a second chance at life—like the one you have now. It’s up to them what they make of it.”

A second chance? I want to believe in his take. But Anika’s fate was torturous. Is it better to be alive and tortured than dead and at peace? It’s hard for me to think that’s the case. But Blair did say that most Lost Souls didn’t end up with a remnant. Is it fair to give hundreds of people a second life, while a handful suffer for it? 

Maybe that answer depends on whether or not you were one of the lucky ones. I don’t think there’s a good answer here. 

Ink straightens up, glancing around. It feels a distant, almost unnoticeable prickle in our soul. We felt this feeling before when Blair had appeared. 

“She’s here,” I tell Zyneth. 

A woman steps through the door. She’s a calico felis dressed in a white and yellow robe with a blue sash; it’s nice looking, but a common style I’ve seen around Dunmora. Certainly nothing like the ethereal garb that almost seemed to float around her body I witnessed before. In fact, without that and all the glowyness, she looks like any other townsperson I might have met on the streets. 

“Perceptive of you,” Blair says to me, striding into the room. Aquenno, her nereid champion, follows her inside, pausing just inside the door like a guard. Zyneth offers a polite nod; Aquenno glares in response. What a ray of sunshine. 

“Blair,” I greet. “Thank you for setting this up.”

“Lord Blair.” Aquenno folds his arms. 

Blair softly holds up a hand in objection. “Just Blair is fine in these circumstances. It is less conspicuous.” 

Good, because for the life of me I can’t seem to remember to use that title. 

Blair dips her head in a friendly nod. “It is good to see you’re doing well.” Then she squints, and I feel a disturbed ripple pass through Ink. “And your remnant. There haven’t been any issues with it in my absence?”

I think about the time it tried to eviscerate Aquenno. “Nope. It’s been going great.” 

It could be my imagination, but I think Blair’s eyebrow twitches. If she's skeptical of my claim however, she doesn’t voice it. “That is good to hear. Now, we should get going. I only have a limited window in which to facilitate this meeting.” She beckons Zyneth and I toward the entrance. 

We follow her to the front.  “Why is that?” I ask. 

“It’s unwise for gods to linger in the mortal realm,” Blair replies. Wow, I wasn’t actually expecting an explanation. “We can come and go as we choose, but too much time here is frowned upon. And with discord in the heavens, our visits are now being monitored. I suspect to deduce which of us are disobeying Lorata’s orders.” 

Aquenno wasn’t kidding when he said Blair was sticking her neck out for us. But I have so many new questions—why is it frowned upon for gods to visit? I can understand if Lorata expects there’s insubordination going on, but at least some of this seems to predate the arrival of me and the Travelers. 

“Is this why you couldn’t contact me through the System interface?” I ask.

Blair stops just before the temple’s exit, turning back to give me a level look. “In part,” she admits. “I would advise you to use that functionality only for communicating with other Travelers. Attempting to speak with me while I am in the Heavens can be… complicated.” 

Aquenno’s gaze darts between us, a curious but unspoken question in his gaze. I wonder how much she hasn’t told him.

Not that we have time to stand around all day and chat about it. “I see. Well, thank you again. Really. This opportunity means a lot to me.” 

“Of course,” Blair says, dispassionate as ever. “However, before we depart, I must warn you that this Traveler also wields a remnant.”

“Oh.” Somehow, I’d never considered that as an option. I figured anyone with a remnant would have ended up like Anika—or me, if I hadn’t been able to overcome the predator’s influence. “Are they OK? I mean, are they…” 

“She is not tied as closely to her remnant as you are,” Blair says. She hesitates. “Even so, be careful. You both wield powerful remnants. If one should consume the other, I will be forced to intervene, and that will be to no one’s benefit. Knowing this, do you still wish to proceed?”

The warning makes me nervous. Someone else with something like Ink probably only has as much control as I do—which is to say, not nearly as much as I’d like. I’m at least pretty sure Ink won’t try to consume the other remnant. It had the opportunity to do so with the previous one we encountered, and its new sense of identity held it back. But can the same be said for this other one? 

“How powerful are we talking here?” I ask. 

Weirdly, she chuckles. “Powerful enough to raise a city from the earth.” 

Uh, okay, I’m not sure that’s something Ink and I can handle. 

Ink puffs itself up indignantly. It can take on anything that is thrown its way! It will not be subdued by some other remnant like itself. 

I wish I shared its confidence.

Blair must be able to sense my uncertainty, because her expression softens into a mild but reassuring smile. “Kanin, there is a risk to this—I don’t wish to mislead you. I’m telling you all this so you are prepared, but also understand that I would not facilitate this meeting if I suspected it was likely one of you would fail. Both of you have proven your control and held your remnant back from consuming another one before. I have faith in you both.” 

Knowing the other Traveler also has some experience with restraining their remnant is encouraging. It doesn’t completely remove the instinct that something is about to go terribly wrong, but it's encouraging. 

And, what? Am I just going to say no and walk away now that I finally have the chance to meet one? 

Hell no. 

“Let’s do this,” I say. “I’m ready.” 

Even Aquenno, who’s been watching this with crossed arms and a frown, seems to nod approvingly. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Blair says. “Then I will go inform Fyre of your arrival and be back shortly.” She turns away and steps through the doorframe. Like I’ve witnessed before, when she crosses the threshold, she simply vanishes. 

The three of us wait in tense silence. “Have you met this Traveler?” I asked Aquenno. “What is she like?” 

He shakes his head. “It took most of my time to track you down and let you know about the time and date. Fyre is a bit more difficult to pin down.” He grunts with a laugh at this, like it’s some kind of joke. “But she’s met with Blair before and already expressed interest in speaking with other Travelers. This will be the first time meeting her for the both of us. Should be interesting. She’s larger than life, I’ve heard.” 

What does that mean?

Blair steps back through. “Alright. She is ready to meet you. Let us depart.” 

My soul tingles with anticipation. I’ve waited so long for a moment like this. What should I even say to her? Shit, I never spent the time to come up with something. Should I lead with something confident? Reassuring? An apology? I shuffle through my past acting roles, trying to find something I could use. 

But Blair steps through the door at that moment, and I don’t have time to wait and draft a heartfelt speech. 

Taking Zyneth’s hand, I follow her through.