I have to tell Bah. It’s better he hears it from me first before word gets out.

And word would get out. An attack on Twũn Tem could never be a quiet matter. If it had been successful, then maybe Yu could stay hush about the whole incident. But Tem was still alive, and there was a chance he’d tell Bah. It was hard to tell how likely it would be that Tem would inform Bah, but Tem had grown up being raised by Bah and the other daikoh. The Twũn family were basically family with the Zuur and the other families. The Twũn were what connected all the families together. The Twũn family was the imperial family, after all. 

No questions were being asked as Yu made his way into Swayking. The guards at each of the gates would approach Yu as he came, but as soon as they saw his face, they’d simply move out of his way. Swayking was under the Zyur now, and any son of Zyur Dei had as much authority as anybody in the imperial family. 

Things may not have been as smooth if Yu had brought back all the other hooves. Anyone would ask questions if they saw someone tethering 9 hooves behind him. As such, Yu left the beasts with those characters at Dryfox Shrine. 

Yu wasn’t sure if they were the right sort to leave the hooves with. The fact that that spirit had come and talked with those characters raised more questions. Something about them all was… not quite right. But there was no time to worry about that. 

No resistance was found at the palace gates. The guards took Yu’s mount without question. All was going smoothly. For now. Yu contemplated if he should have changed his clothes. Bah could start asking why Yu was even in field clothes and not palace attire. But wait, did that even matter? Yu was going to confess his misconduct anyway. Why bother hiding details? 

Yu made his way to the main courtroom. The palace hands said Bah was there. Not good. Bah usually went to the courtroom to think and strategize. Was he already aware of what happened? 

Bah was seated at the end of the main table looking over something. Maps of Center and wherever each faction ruled. Yu noticed that the Zyur yellow was still not the most dominant colour upon those maps. 

Even though the Zyur was now the ruling family of Center, that was only a ‘tolerated’ idea. The Zyur was the family chosen to hold rule over Center by the Twũn imperial family until Twũn Tem was ready to rule as emperor. More specifically, Tem wanted Zyur Dei to rule over Center until he was ready. Tem trusted Yu’s father the most compared to anyone else. But that didn’t mean the Zyur had true power over Center. The other dominant colours on the map made that clear. 

Bah didn’t give any acknowledgement to Yu’s arrival. He was too focused on the maps. 

“Bah,” Yu spoke up. “Syan Yu needs to talk to Bah.” 

Bah didn’t look up. “What is it? Can it wait for later?” 

Yu thought maybe not to bother Bah, but he also knew he was just making excuses to avoid the talk. It was better to explain what happened – especially what happened to Qinsu – now rather than Bah hearing a construed story from somebody else. “It’s better that Syan Yu tells Bah now.” Yu told. 

“Bah is trying to figure out how his family could stop itself from losing its influence over the world.” Bah kept his attention on the maps. “Unless syan Yu is going to help Bah with that, Bah and syan Yu will talk later.” 

“Syan Yu has to tell Bah about something that could make things worse for his family.” Yu made himself say. That caused Bah to look up. 

“Has this got to do with syan Yu’s shoulder?” Bah somehow noticed. Well, there was a patch of blood seeping through the protrusion of bandages under the gown. 

“Yes, lou ba.” Yu knew complete honesty was the right formula now. 

“Why is Yu wearing Fù style pants?” Bah scanned Yu up and down. How did he noticed such a detail. The Fu grey pants and Zyur black ones were almost indistinguishable. 

“It was part of the disguise.” Yu kept his glance low. 

“Disguise? What disguise?” Bah stood up. There was no point hiding anything now. But under Bah’s glare, honesty wasn’t the easiest. 

“Your son was dressed up as a Fù soldier” Yu told. 

Bah didn’t say anything. 

“We were attempting a shade” Yu continued. 

“And Yu risked framing the Fù in the process?” Bah sounded more shocked than disappointed. 

“Syan yan wasn’t alone.” Yu didn’t know why he referred to himself as a child. “Qinsu koh and the other hands were with Syan Yu. Each of us were dressed as a soldier from different factions. We thought it better to create confusion rather than just having the usual black.” 

“The only reason why someone, or anyone, would wear another clan’s colours is to frame them.” Bah shook his head. “Having several clan colours doesn’t divert suspicion or consequence. It only eliminates honour!” 

Bah made a good point. Yu didn’t know what to say. After a quick silence, Bah continued. 

“If ever one commits a shade, then one must wear their colours, or they don the black to make the attempt easier at night. But at the end of the day, one must claim that the shade was their own. To honour themselves. And so that everyone can honour their truth. Anything less is a shame that even the spirits cannot honour. Even one’s ancestors wouldn’t honour such.” Bah never took his gaze of Yu. “Who did Yu shade?” 

“Syan Yu tried to shade them but failed.” 

“Who, Yu?” 

“Syan Tem” 

“Who is this Tem?” 

“Syan Tem, as in ‘our’ syan Tem” 

“Our syan Tem?” And then Bah’s eyes widened. “Syan Tem…” 

“Syan Yu is sorry, lou ba.” Yu dropped to his knees and lowered his forehead to the ground. 

“Why, Yu?” Bah was confused. “Syan Tem is practically syan Yu’s cousin. Not even that. Syan Tem is the emperor! Why!” 

“Syan Yu and Qinsu koh thought it was best to finally end the Twũn family.” 

“And how could ending the Twũn family be of any good. That is pretty much the worst thing that could ever happen.” Bah placed his hand on his forehead, mouth open in confusion. 

“But what about the centuries of corruption?” Yu lifted his head off the floor, unsure if it was safe to rise yet. “The people of Center have suffered far too long.” 

“Is syan Tem guilty of that?” Bah stepped closer to Yu and ordered him to stand. “Bah and the other diakoh have made a serious effort to raise and guide syan Tem properly. Yu cannot blame Twũn Tem for something that is not his past.” 

“But as long as the Twũn still exist,” Yu added. “The people won’t ever truly accept Zyur’s rule. We have taken over the capital of Center, and have even been given the imperial decree of rule, but still the people do not accept our rule. Look at yourself, troubling yourself over these maps that don’t even reveal us in any favour.” Yu started speaking in a more casual tone. It was not easy to keep formal with such a discussion. “The people don’t honour us, Bah. They don’t honour you. And while the Twũn family lives, the people won’t ever follow your rule!” 

“The people,” Bah raised his voice, “will honour whoever looks after them properly. What does my son believe Bah has been doing for the past year? Bah has been doing his best to make sure the people in our regions are fed, sheltered, and given proper work. And they are grateful. 

“But spreading that influences is not simple, especially while some of the other clans outside of our region are stubborn and still sapping their people dry. And the ones who are good to their people, they don’t feel the need to subordinate, which I can understand. But that noncompliance dissuades the other regions that actually could benefit from our system. That and now the rebels.” Bah stopped for a breath. “Yu needs to understand that this takes time. And it takes time because it is the right way to go about things.” 

It seemed that Bah was waiting for Yu to agree with him. Yu did understand the situation. It’s why he and Qinsu even chose to take such an extreme maneuver. Doing things the right way – or the slow way, rather – didn’t feel to be working. Only one small region north of Swayking accepted to follow under the Zyur, while all the other free regions had decided to stay independent. Claiming they still followed under the Twũn rule. That or they were conquered by one of the other factions. 

Conquest didn’t generate loyalty. Regions conquered by the Zyur were hard to stabilize even until this day. All these regions believed they just had to wait until the Twũn ruled again. Even after centuries of corrupt rule, they all still waited for the Twũn to be their ruler. It didn’t make sense to Yu. 

This hope in the Twũn meant disobedience towards the Zyur. The existence of the Twũn undermined the Zyur authority, especially if the Zyur wanted to keep doing things the right way. Why couldn’t Bah understand this? 

“Yu said he failed to shade syan Tem.” Bah spoke up. “Was Qinsu and Yu caught in the act?” 

“Sort of” Yu fumbled to answer. 

“Sort of?” Bah barked. “Speak properly!” 

“Syan Tem fought syan Yu off while syan Yu tried to shade him.” 

“So Tem knows it was Yu?” 

“Yes, Bah.” 

“What did syan Tem say?” 

“Syan Tem was sad to find Yu attacking him” Yu frowned. “Syan Tem said he’d expected others to try and take his life, but not Yu.” 

“Qinsu, Yu, and Tem, are practically brothers.” Bah reminded. “Did Yu even care about what Yu was doing?” 

“Of course syan Yu cared.” Yu confessed. “The look on syan Tem face when syan Tem realized that it was syan Yu almost broke your son’s heart. But syan Yu had to remind himself that this was for the greater good of the Zyur, and for the people of Center.” 

“Fool. The greater good? Twũn Tem is our emperor. Theewan Twũn Tem is our rightful ruler. That is what’s destined for the Twũn bloodline and only the Twũn bloodline. Every elf knows that.” 

“But how can that be?” Yu spoke up. “How can that be that just because someone is born into a bloodline, they automatically have rule over all the people? Shouldn’t the most capable and skilled yan be the one who rules? Bah knows how to take care of his people. Everyone should recognize Bah as ruler of Center.” 

“And will the people recognize that through murder, the murder of those who trust you most?” Bah stomped his foot. “Can’t my sons see what they’ve done? My sons have made the Zyur family look just as power hungry as the other clans. Now the Zyur are no longer different. Now the Zyur is no different to any other tyrant. The Zyur has lost its honour as protecters of Center.” 

Bah was right. For all the goodness that the Zyur had built for itself, Yu and Qinsu’s actions had thrown that all away. All of Bah’s hard work… 

“Where is syan Qinsu?” Bah questioned. 

Qinsu koh… The one thing Yu wanted to avoid explaining. Was there an excuse that Yu could make up that wasn’t dishonest? Foolish! There was no point stirring any lies. This very matter was the exact reason why Yu had to talk to Bah. 

“They took Qinsu koh.” Yu lowered his glance again. 

“The Twũn guard have my son?” Bah shoved past Yu to leave. 

“No, Bah” Yu stopped his father. “It’s not the Imperial guard.” 

“Then who?” Bah stopped for details. “The Cor forces? Tse has been nothing but a hassle lately.” Bah made to leave. 

“No, Bah. Wait! Bah must listen to syan Yu” Yu begged. “There are others involved that syan Yu doesn’t know.” 

“Others? Who would dare take the heir of the Zyur?” 

“Bah, there were others having discussions with syan Tem when Yu and Qinsu koh arrived for the operation. These strangers seemed like foreigners. But they were talking about strange things. The strangers were saying that the Twũn bloodline was to stay strong, and that they had many agents and spies around the realms to ensure the bloodline survives.” 

“Twũn loyalist are not an uncommon occurrence, Yu – even from other lands. Shadow leagues are expected to arise in these uncertain times. But the main clans are not beneath them. Bah will sort out these radicals.” Bah tried to walk off again, but Yu stopped him. 

“Listen, Bah. Syan Yu does not believe these strangers were Twũn loyalist. They were odd, and just the air of them was unnerving. Bah, syan Yu believes that syan Tem was talking to demons!” 

“Nonsense.” Bah turned to move. 

“No, Bah.” Yu stepped in front. “The way they moved. The way they killed Henwo and my squadyan. It was not natural. The speed and power. It was not of these worlds, Bah. The stranger was quicker than the eyes could follow. Swifter than the lashings of a storm. Bah doesn’t understand. Only one of these strangers, by themself, killed Yu’s whole squad and captured Qinsu koh in mere seconds. 8 yan, killed in seconds, Bah. And the other stranger just stood there laughing. Syan Yu was powerless. Your son has never felt so frightened before. Yu could never fight anything like that.” 

Bah just stared at Yu for a few moments. He was no longer in a hurry like before. “And syan Qinsu? Did they kill him?” 

“Syan yu is not sure.” 

Bah didn’t speak. 

Yu continued, “They somehow made Qinsu koh disappear. Syan Yu saw it. On command, they just made Qinsu koh vanish into thin air. Those demons said he’d be safe. But syan Yu doesn’t know what to believe. Syan Yu doesn’t know what to do. 

Bah did not say anymore. All he did was nod slowly. What was there to say? Did Bah even believe anything Yu was saying? 

Bah began to walk off again. 

“Bah.” Yu spoke under his breath. What did Bah think about all Yu had told him? 

When Bah opened the large courtroom doors, he called out to a palace hand. 

“My son had an accident while riding. See to his injuries. And get Jin Zhe and tell him to ready my hoove.” 

Yu came to the doorway. “Where is Bah going?” Yu asked. 

“Demons or not, Zyur Dei must find his son.”