But she wasn’t joking, and there was more.
Above the Thousand-Mile Cloud, more clouds began to whirl in the air. These were clouds of dark flame.
Kelsa had described Orthos to him, and Jaran had heard about his son’s Path. But it was something else to see a hurricane of black fire swirling overhead, a burning vortex. Stinging hot wind blew down on him, though he couldn’t guess how many miles away the fire really was.
The golden stars that had been spinning around the cloud fortress were now joined by stars of dense blue-white energy. Dark balls of flame fell from the spiral overhead, and they danced with crimson sparks that shone somehow silver.
The colors of madra wove a complex pattern with one another, and then rushed out toward the Emperor’s fleet.
From the way the music faltered, Jaran felt the hesitation of the sacred artists aboard the incoming cloudships. If he had been standing aboard one himself, he would have assumed he was about to be bombarded by a volley of Striker techniques.
But these stars spun around, encircling the fleet, forming a sort of tunnel. After slowing slightly, the cloudships passed through, accepting the invitation.
“How many were responsible for that?” Jaran asked.
“Three,” Seisha said after consulting her drudge. “But there were four types of madra. I think the gold light was from a construct.”
“Were they all Overlords?”
“One of them was Lindon.”
Jaran grunted and shifted his weight off his wounded leg. He understood the truth that Lindon had been forcibly advanced, but he couldn’t help but think it was a waste. What could someone else have accomplished with those same resources?
He wondered if Orthos could intervene on Kelsa’s behalf. If Lindon could do as much in only a few years, Kelsa would shock the entire world.
On the lead cloudship, a figure rose up on shining emerald wings. He looked like a powerfully built man in ornate green robes, though Jaran couldn’t make out his features in any detail. But from the shining crown he wore, and from the visible distortion of air around him, Jaran assumed he must be the Emperor.
A moment later, he revised that assumption. No Emperor would press his fists together and bow his head to subordinates in his own territory.
The voice of the majestic figure boomed out, easily audible to everyone.
“The Blackflame Emperor greets his three esteemed guests. We are gratified to count you among our allies. Let all our Empire show respect to Archlord Eithan Arelius.”
There came a booming sound of cheering and music from the fleet of cloudships.
Before it had faded entirely, the Emperor spoke again.
“Let all our Empire show respect to the Uncrowned Queen, Yerin Arelius.”
Another, even louder cheer shook the ground. Even the people of Refuge began to cheer, though Jaran was certain that at least those who came from Sacred Valley had little idea what was happening.
“Let all our Empire show respect to the Sage of Twin Stars, Wei Shi Lindon Arelius.”
A final wave of sound came out from the fleet, no softer than the last, but Jaran barely heard it.
The show had kicked him in a place no one’s words had reached. It was one thing hearing about how powerful Lindon had become, and reluctantly accepting that someone had made Lindon powerful.
But seeing here, with his own eyes, a display that would have shaken all of Sacred Valley…and to have it directed to his son…
Seisha looked at the expression on his face and sighed.
“I did tell you,” she said.
Lindon stood on the edge of Windfall, each passing second convincing him that he was supposed to do something.
After greeting them, Naru Huan had remained hovering in midair, his head still bowed. He was clearly waiting for a response, just as Lindon was waiting for Eithan to give him one.
Yerin scratched her neck. She wasn’t going to bother saying anything, and if she did, it wouldn’t be for everyone’s benefit. She would probably wave to Naru Huan and tell him to come over. This was Eithan’s job, so where was—
Eithan was grinning an idiot’s grin while staring straight at Lindon.
Lindon wasn’t as surprised as he felt he should have been.
He stifled a sigh and rose on a Thousand-Mile Cloud he summoned from his void key for this purpose. He drifted over to face the Emperor, and only when he felt the Ruler technique around Naru Huan did he remember to manipulate the air around him using soulfire to magnify his words.
“We are humbled to be visited personally by the Blackflame Emperor,” Lindon said formally. And too stiffly. He wished Mercy were here to do this instead, but she was occupied with some family obligation. “We are grateful to be allowed into your territory.”