eastbound | un: yuheng; text

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un: yuheng; text

I was invited to work in the meteorologist institute. It's guarded on the outside but it's clear that no one has been inside for years. In fact, the last entry in the logbook was from around five years ago.

It referenced a drought and the appearance of some sort of "filthy water".

It seems too similar to what happened in Taravast to be mere coincidence.

[And five years again....what happened five years ago? How did such a huge and disastrous change happen over the sea and here at around the same time?]

They also decided to disregard my warning about the weather being poor. For some reason or another, Cain d'Ubiq had already decided to fly out. I cannot fathom why.

[He isn't good at politics. He knows, that Cain d'Ubiq must want something but to risk the dragons and other volunteers...why not wait? Surely, the craft they wanted to find would still be there after a couple of days delay?]

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It's almost unsurprising at this point. The same traits appearing everywhere we go, given the same suggestions of the undead legions.

I suppose even this citadel being so high up couldn't keep disaster away.

There was no drought or black water in Taravast nor in Ellethia. This black water didn't appear out of nowhere. For it to appear in this place as well means there must be some link between this place and areas around the volcano.

There may not have been this specific iteration, dark water, that we saw in Ellethia or Taravast but these locations have all been connected. Something was bound to turn up, eventually, that would connect this to the others.

[He resisted the urge to rub at the bridge of his nose. Even if no one can see it he has certain things he wished to avoid doing. Showing frustration is one of them.]

Perhaps I am focusing too much on the similarities of this dark water. From what I have heard the black water her causes disease not mutations.

I wish more had been written in that log.

[But this is what he has and he hates how little it is.]

Only testing would truly show, but looking for patterns is natural -- and we do have a clear pattern here.

Perhaps if we had saved some of the water from before we could compare.

[But that also seemed potentially dangerous.

I believe I would recognise the signature, but being able to compare the effects would have been useful. Something here might be causing it to behave differently, and without bringing in an outside sample we cannot prove if environmental impact is to blame for the change.

There is certainly something odd about this place. Whether the oddness may cause differences in the water or whether it is the other way around...that's something I doubt we can find an answer to.

[Ugh. He misses the days when he could just....dig up all his books and try to find clues.]

I need a drink.

I would offer you one, but it seems we are split apart. I am in Minaras.

[...this is the first time someone has offered to drink with him besides Xue Zhengyong, so it catches him by surprise.

Perhaps the man is just being polite.]

~~I wasn't making an invitation.~~

[He deletes that without sending it. Even he can see that that was rude.]

Another time, perhaps.

[There, a way for them to get out of it. After all, no one would actually want to get a drink with him.]

[ Can a dragon not offer someone a drink without invitation? ]

Likely we should take advantage while we remain somewhere well stocked. No doubt we'll soon be stranded somewhere more inhospitable soon enough.

It is indeed too much of a coincidence to be anything but.

It is troubling however to think that this dark water has such far a reach. Unsurprising, yes, but troubling nonetheless.

I wonder at the origin of it. The drought is perhaps tied to it though it's hard to say which is the cause for the other.

Though if it had appeared five years ago, I wonder where it has gone?

He endangers innocents in flight.

Not just him but the guards who recorded the forecast as well.

[He's kind of furious about that.]

To risk so much...and for what? Would waiting for a little while have hurt?

Has he reason to distrust you?

He was the one to seek me out in the first place and I used their instruments after calibrating them. If they didn't trust me they could have found someone else.

Moreover, when he heard the results he said, 'it changes nothing, all the same'. No arguments nor demands to redo the tests. Whether weather was fair or poor, he had already decided.

[And he would have run the tests or explained the readings as many times as it took to convince them. But he hadn't even been given the chance.]

There is something they wish to find and they want it enough to risk lives to get to it. That is the only reason.

[And it's not one he can understand. What could be more important than actual lives?]

It is as if we are puppets, strung.

Indeed.

And not just us either. The guards also followed along with no questions, despite knowing the dangers. Though how willing they are, I cannot say.

Seek shielding. You know truths they wish hidden.

[...he's confused for a moment not because the words were unclear but because..........literally, no one has ever expressed anything remotely like this. Him? Going into hiding? The Yuheng Elder? The Beidou Immortal? He's sure, if asked, most would say people need to be protected from him.]

I am more than capable of keeping myself safe.

[He sends it and immediately regrets it. Did that sound too conceited? Was it too cold? But really, he didn't need to be worried over. The worry should be saved for those who need it, surely...?

But taking it back is something his face is too thin to even think about doing.

So he doesn't.

Perhaps he should thank this person for this concern? But...what if he wasn't concerned? What if it were just some sort of pragmatism? How conceited (and humiliated) would he be if that turned out to be the case and he said something like that?

So he sat there and, after a short moment of deliberation.]

I doubt what I know is that important to them.

Apologies for indiscretion.

[...somehow, when he's apologized to, he feels vaguely bad.]

No apologies are needed.

I only mean you should save your concern for those who need it.

Concern unnecessary.

It has never been necessary.

I am not the sort of person people worry about.

[......that sounds a lot more sad than he realizes.]

All life pleases.

[...what is he even supposed to say in reply to that? He knows his own worth and it's only in what he can do to serve and what he can do is so much that...there is surely no reason to worry about him.]

Everyone has people they need to worry about. There is no reason for me to take up the energy when they have more important people to care about.

Filthy water matches what people with medical background have said about the rot being caused by bacteria. Many epidemics start out this way, so at least this is consistent, scientifically speaking.

It still doesn't answer the question of whether this was a natural event or a bacteriological attack, though. Hopefully we can find out more.

Is that person, Cain, a military commander of sorts?

Hopefully so.

He is a warlord, a hero from the last conflict between the two halves of the citadel. He is the rider accepted by a great fire dragon.

And if this is in fact the same dark water we have met before then that's one more link to previous happenings of undead phenomena.

Ah. Yes, that's probably why he acted that way. Most military commanders do not like to hear anything that contradicts their views. Good military commanders listen.

He is young...perhaps too young. [He disapproves of how Cain did things but well...it can be complicated.]

It is no excuse for putting others at risk all the same.

Young military commanders with something to prove are definitely not food listeners. I would not take it personally if I were you

...I wasn't taking it personally. I just think he should have put the safety of others above his own agenda.

[He's being completely honest too. He wasn't taking it personally. It was just that...]

It is normal for some youths to think they know better. Even so, the cost of their mistakes should not affect the well-being of others. [That's not fair.] I am no one to him but all the more reason someone who does mean something to him should speak up.

[Everyone should have someone like that. Even Chu Wanning had a person like that, once...even if that person turned out to be someone undeserving of his regard.]

You tried. If things go wrong, you can definitely use that as a teachable moment, should he come back more or less in one piece.

We can only hope they all come back safely.

{It doesn't mean he won't worry about it.]

You mean something like this happened elsewhere, Shizun?

Yes. We had seen something similar in the place we were in before your arrival.

Though that water had caused dangerous mutations rather than a disease.

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