“Your best translators of ancient Dhai,” Taigan said. “That is what my Patron requests of you. It may help turn the tide.”

Nasaka folded her arms. “You have Dhai records that predate the last Rising, then,” she said. “Records that could help you find out how to turn these people back. But of course, they’re all in ancient Dhai, aren’t they, and you’ve killed all the Dhai in your empire who can read them.”

Taigan said, “The invaders destroy our archives. Strange, no? They could target supply lines, terrorize civilians. They do that, yes. But the archives are first.”

“So send the records here,” Ahkio said. “We could find–”

“Impossible,” Taigan said. “We have two thousand years of records. Do you know how many holds we pillaged to collect it? We can’t risk putting it on a cart to some indefensible country.”

“So we must travel to Saiduan,” Dasai said.

“It was a very long time ago,” Taigan said. “All this death and killing of the Dhai people. You speak as if it was I who did this thing. We have let you alone here. Imported your infused weapons. Are we not friends now?”

“What do we get in return?” Nasaka asked.

Ahkio thought that a bit bold. He wondered if she’d been bold enough to kill Kirana… but to what end? He rubbed his face. And now Oma. He couldn’t imagine Nasaka was as ignorant of that as she pretended. Kirana talked often of Nasaka’s obsession with Oma’s rise in prior ages. Oras’ powers were ruled by the fickle stars. Many were consumed by the study of their erratic appearances.

“In return?” Taigan said. “In return, you will live. Is that not enough? In return, we may be able to push back these invaders on Saiduan’s shores, instead of seeing them spill all across the world the way they have in the past. When Oma rises, the world breaks. This is written in every holy book.”

“We should have a treaty,” Ahkio said. “Kirana would request it.”

“Papers?” Taigan spat. “You would ask for papers when the very world is being ripped apart–”

“The Li Kai is right,” Nasaka said.

“Paper,” Taigan said. “It means nothing.”

Nasaka leaned toward him. She was as tall as Ahkio, wiry, but though the sanisi dwarfed her, she stood before him like a woman twice his size. Ahkio saw her again in the Dorinah camp, slaying legionnaires with a weapon he had only before seen her use to chop wood.

“It means something to us,” Nasaka said.

“It will take weeks,” Taigan said.

“So it will.”