Reiji and Heneral Arkan strode through the corridor lined by the green banners of the royal house. Gat Kiyo followed close behind them. They entered the throne room, its walkway a long lengthy green carpet over the gray coral rock floor. Large windows bordered the walls, allowing light to enter and brighten the high ceilings that rose high, held by thick and strong pillars.

Everything about the sizable chamber was grand and marvelous, except for what Reiji saw waiting along its walkway. At least to him, it wasn't sensational. It might be a different thought to the general and Gat Kiyo beside him.

A line of women with male escorts came into their view as soon as they entered through the double doors of the throne room.

"What's all this?" Reiji asked, glancing at Heneral Arkan.

Are these women lining up for courtship with me? That was his first thought. After several morning walks accompanied by discussions of his marriage, the general could have planned this. But even the old man looked baffled at the line of women.

Reiji looked again, trying to comprehend the situation. The women didn't look like they were in line for courtship. They didn't look like Maginoo. Their clothes were of commoners; dusty sayas and farmer boots. Some even wore trousers. He'd expected that if a girl were presented to him, she would at least look decent, well-groomed in kimonas or mestizas, and hair tucked in beautiful pearl beaded paynetas. He was sure that the Keepers would allow no less than one who came from wealth and power as leverage for the royal family. These girls were not. There were five of them, and they all looked at him expectantly.

The door to the throne room cracked behind them, and Master Kazuri stepped in.

"Ah," the Maestro said, his eyes landing immediately on the women before he found Reiji in the room. His smile indicated that he knew exactly what was happening. In his usual blue karkan, he bowed to Reiji first with a hand to his heart. His black hair fell over his ears as he bent low. "My Matu." He addressed Reiji, then turned to the general. "Heneral Arkan."

"What is this about?" The general asked, watching the Maestro who stepped forward.

Master Kazuri glanced from Reiji to Heneral Arkan, and his eyes widened with a question. "The Kahani didn't tell you? This isn't why you're here?" He gestured at the line of women.

"Told us what?" Heneral Arkan closed the gap between himself and the Maestro.

"Forgive me." Master Kazuri's brows rose. "If the Kahani hadn't shared this with you, then it is not my place to tell you."

"What do you mean?" Reiji asked. Of course, the Kahani had been keeping secrets from him and apparently from the general.

"You will have to ask the Kahani. She should be here in a moment." Master Kazuri stepped around them to walk to the waiting women. "Please excuse me. I have work to do." He bobbed his head to Reiji and walked to the line.

The male escorts behind the women gave sighs of relief. "Finally."

Whatever was happening, Reiji couldn't do anything else but observe. They, including Gat Kiyo, stepped closer to hear what the Maestro had to say.

"Right," Master Kazuri said. "I need to know which of you is the person we're looking for."

Was the Kahani looking for someone? Reiji's confusion only increased. He grimaced with dismay.

Gat Garim had warned him about this. Appointing Reiji to his new role was only a distraction to what the Kahani had been up to.

An almost synchronized answer from the men and women came. "I'm the one," and "She's the one."

"By the old kings, only one of you is the real one, so I will have to inspect each of you to find out." Master Kazuri waved for the first girl to move forward. She could have only been the same age as Reiji. "Please remove your clothes."

Surprised at the command, Reiji gaped. He heard Heneral Arkan cough with shock and saw Gat Kiyo blush, their wide eyes focused on the girl.

"Wait," Reiji said, but the girl had already pulled her tunic over her head and pushed her skirt down, letting it fall to the floor, revealing herself in nothing but her undergarments.

Reiji's cheeks felt hot, and when Master Kazuri moved to touch the girl, his breath caught in his throat. No one dared to stop the Maestro.

Master Kazuri pushed up the girl's hair to check her nape. He combed her head with his fingers, feeling for her scalp. He lifted her arms, examining the skin under her pits. Then he looked down between the curve of her breasts. His fingers crawled over her body, making their way to her hips and her legs. His face was an unreadable mask. The patting of his hands was not intimate but still inappropriate. With the ten generations of Darackan rulers, including the naked Ozaro, looking down at them from the ceiling, it had to be inappropriate.

When the Master finished, he asked her to put her clothes back on, and he moved to the next girl in line, asking her to do the same thing.

Before Master Kazuri finished examining the second girl, a loud gasp came from behind Reiji. When he turned, he saw the Kahani gaping at the scene, her hand pressed to her throat. Her cheeks grew as red as her mestiza. She looked taken aback for a moment, but then she settled into her usual expression, returning to her regal form. She turned a ruthless face to the Maestro.

"Great old kings! What is this?" she said through gritted teeth.

Master Kazuri stopped and bowed to the Kahani. "The possible soldiers have arrived, My Kahani."

"I told you to be discreet." The Kahani stepped closer, glancing from the Maestro to Reiji and Heneral Arkan.

"I never told anyone about it."

The Kahani glared. "You should have done this elsewhere."

"What is this?" Reiji asked her. He did not bow. He did not address her as My Kahani, showing his complete disrespect.

The Kahani set her lips, and her face turned cold. She breathed in deeply, and there was a long pause before she spoke again. "I owe you an explanation." Then she turned back to the Maestro. "Master Kazuri, take these people out of my throne room and... do whatever it is you're doing elsewhere." Then she glared at him. "Somewhere discreet."

The command was final though Reiji wanted to stop them from leaving. He deserved an explanation first, but he didn't dare. Heneral Arkan beside him didn't contest either. He did note the Kanahi's tone when she said my throne room, and it took him a lot of strength not to correct her.

Master Kazuri nodded and guided the line from the room. The men and women awkwardly bowed to the Kahani and Reiji as they moved across the carpeted coral rock floors, leaving the throne room.

When the last of them was out, the Kahani turned to the guards and her attendants, giving them the order to provide privacy. Then she set her eyes on Gat Kiyo with a glare.

"He can stay," Reiji said, catching her stare and stopping her before she could dismiss Gat Kiyo too.

There was a long considering pause, but she nodded once to approve. "Master Kazuri had a recent discovery," she started.

"He looked like he was trying to discover women's bosoms if you ask me." The general chuckled, and a muffled laugh came from Gat Kiyo.

Reiji thought it was funny too, but also a little insulting to the Kahani, who showed no interest in the jest. So he tried to remain with a neutral face, though a tug pulled up on the side of his lips.

The Kahani ignored the general and continued. "The late Master Taoro experimented on soldiers in Bickra. Master Kazuri discovered that these soldiers consumed lakar."

"What?" Reiji and Heneral Arkan said in unison.

"Why?" The general's mood shifted, his sense of humor gone in an instant.

"Master Kazuri explained that the human body is capable of containing lakar. The old kings of the old kingdom had this ability," the Kahani said.

Reiji remembered his history lessons. In the legends, the old kings were the original weavers of the power of lakar. They didn't need any machine to control it. They had the natural ability within them.

"How much lakar?" Heneral Arkan asked.

The Kahani darted an untrusting look to Gat Kiyo. She hesitated, but she spoke. "Enough to destroy Daracka."

That powerful? Reiji gaped at the image that flashed in his mind. Obliterating the whole kingdom, like Bickra. He hadn't seen the island for himself. He never had the chance to go to the South since the Brilliance, but he intended to once he had more freedom as the Kaharaza. He'd only heard many descriptions of what happened to the island. He could not fathom what such destruction could do.

Daracka would fall.

"These people that Master Taoro experimented on. You're looking for them?" It was a question Reiji didn't want to be answered. He didn't want the confirmation that these people with that much power in themselves were somewhere in the kingdom.

"Master Kazuri believes there is one. We are looking for a soldier who served in Bickra. A girl." There was a flame of excitement in the Kahani's blue-gray eyes, matching the fiery red of her mestiza. Of course, she wanted this. This was the reason for the machine's recreation, after all. If they found this soldier, their weapon would be complete.

"A soldier from Bickra? All soldiers on that island died that day." Heneral Arkan's words held fury.

"Master Kazuri believes this one survived because she had lakar in her body. She's indestructible," the Kahani said.

"Impossible. That island was obliterated. Even the lakar in the ground was destroyed. I saw it for myself. No one—nothing could have survived that." The general's eyes were stern.

"I have witnessed Master Kazuri's success in understanding Master Taoro's work several times. He is yet to be proven wrong, and I trust he is right about this." The Kahani's shoulders rose, tensing with her argument.

Heneral Arkan looked like he wanted to say more, but he pressed his lips together. His eyes became distant, as if he was contemplating this.

Reiji only thought about the possible results if this was true. A part of him hoped that Master Kazuri's project would fail. But what if it were to succeed? With this soldier, the probability was higher.

If they found the soldier, they would hold a powerful weapon against the enemies of Daracka. But could they control this weapon?

No one knew what truly happened to Bickra that day. They didn't know for sure if the Sulunese tried to destroy the machine, causing it to explode and destroying the island with it. They didn't know if their Darackan soldiers wanted to use it, but it exploded on them instead. They didn't know if Master Taoro had blown it himself. These were all uncertainties, and the risks were too great.

"We've already hired hunters and trackers to locate the girl." The Kahani had made these decisions without their knowing. She kept it a secret from them, even from her general.

"You've told people this information?" Heneral Arkan's voice was low, almost angry.

"Only the necessary details they needed to search for the girl. No information about why we are looking for her was imparted. They don't know what she is," the Kahani answered.

We don't even know what she is, Reiji thought. What kind of abomination is she? The machine is not the true weapon. This soldier is.

"And who in Ozaro knows of this?" Heneral Arkan asked.

"Master Kazuri, his assistant, and Master Hatari," the Kahani said.

So few? Reiji expected that all Keepers would know, but it surprised him to learn that so few knew of it.

"If we find the girl," the Kahani continued, "then our efforts for rebuilding the machine will not be in vain. This power of lakar will be a means for us to protect Daracka and the people."

Reiji nodded. That much he understood and agreed on. He had always been for protecting their kingdom... until now.

He wondered if he'd made a mistake by making a deal with the Kaharaza of Suluna. He asked himself if he was acting only for his selfish ambitions and was fighting and colluding against Daracka.

The Kahani had been consistent in her intentions, and it had always been for the kingdom. Perhaps even killing Reiji would be for the domain. He was no use to the Keepers right now, so his death would make no difference.

But the fire in his heart told him he was doing right. He could not show the Kahani these miserable doubts. He was about to nod, pretending to agree, but the double doors to the throne room burst open, and they all turned.

Master Hatari came in, panting—chest heaving under her red karkan. She halted and looked at all of them with wide worried eyes.

"I bring grave word from the south!" Master Hatari was almost shouting.

"What is it?" The Kahani's voice came calm but alert.

"A fleet of a hundred ships is planning to set sail for Kazima!" Master Hatari said.

"What!" Heneral Arkan asked. "From where!"

Master Hatari took a deep breath. "Suluna."

Reiji's lips twitched, hiding a grin.

.