Depthless Hunger

They had to spend over a month essentially running errands, but it didn't particularly bother Kai. Since they were using the Pureflower vessel, they could train easily while they traveled, and it was a pleasure just spending time together again without any major obligations hanging over them.

Technically, their upcoming visit to the Pureflower sect could end disastrously, if Omilaena wasn't able to save their matriarch. Part of him was still afraid that his bad luck would manage to ruin things, or that some detail they'd missed would come up, but those were small thoughts that were easy to squash. As they crossed off task after task, it seemed like they could actually leave a place cleanly for once.

On their way out of Thundering Scorpion tribe territory, they made a few stops along the way. When they purchased supplies in a small village, Kai was surprised to hear people gossiping about the civil war in the tribe, and how the Manticore clan had a powerful new patriarch. They didn't talk about it as if it was something directly relevant to them, more like the movements of people far above them.

"I'm surprised no one even considered me," Kai said as they started flying again. "They had the supposed patriarch among them, and I got some looks, but no one thought I might be him."

"You must understand, these are small sects," Zae Zin Nim told him. "Earth Souls are incredibly powerful to them, or one could be the patriarch of an entire family. The larger sects with Sky Souls are basically legends to them."

"I guess I forget, because the qi here still feels strong to me."

"Did you hear the rumors about the new patriarch?" Omilaena had been working on something of her own, but now sat down beside Zae Zin Nim. "They say he has two incredibly powerful wives, and now they've retreated to produce dozens of children for the next generation."

"They did not say that." Zae Zin Nim flushed, but she didn't retreat from Omilaena's arm around her shoulders.

"They really did, I'm not making it up."