Four Ruined Realms

The palace was made by the gods, and Aeri looks greedily at the expensive objects inside. Royo quietly tells her to not even think about stealing anything. In a banquet room, they are joined by Quilimar, Vikal, and 16 guards. Quilimar wears the Golden Ring and a crown covered in diamonds. She greets Euyn and Aeri. When Mikail says that they have the amarth egg for Quilimar, and Aeri puts it on the table, Quilimar points out that it was her late husband who wanted the egg.

Sora admits that King Joon wants them to steal the Golden Ring from Quilimar. Quilimar says that she expected this because Aeri is the only one who can wield the ring—she is the only one of royal blood. Euyn is not of royal lineage, nor is she, Quilimar claims. Sora can tell by Euyn’s expression that he’s known this all along.

Euyn is surprised that Quilimar is born outside the royal line like he is. Mikail demands that Euyn tell Quilimar that he is the royal heir, and Euyn thinks about how his dying mother told him that he wasn’t Joon’s son. Aloud, however, he asserts that he is Joon’s son.

Quilimar says that she won’t hand over the ring. Mikail tells her that Joon is starting a war between the realms and will be in Khitan soon. Sora explains that they want an alliance with Khitan, and Quilimar asks for their terms. Mikail details what they want in terms of trade, tariffs, and taxes, along with a peace treaty. He says that they will also kill Joon.

Quilimar notes that Joon’s crown relic makes him immortal and that she has already tried to kill him. Sora explains that they stole the crown, but it turned out to be a fake. Then, they all hear war drums.

Mikail is frustrated that he didn’t realize that Joon was going to start the war already. Messengers enter the room and deliver the official news that the war is beginning: Both Yusan and Gayan troops are involved. Quilimar orders Vikal to take Prince Calstor, her son, to safety and orders the guards to detain the group.

Euyn asks Quilimar to gamble the ring on Euyn’s legitimacy. If he can’t wield it, she can kill him, but if he can wield it, he gets to keep it, and she must let everyone go. He goads and insults her until she agrees, saying that he has to turn the egg into gold with the ring to prove himself. Mikail realizes that Euyn is willing to sacrifice himself to save the others.

Royo is confused by the wager and doesn’t understand why Quilimar hates Euyn. He looks over the guards and contemplates how he would disarm the closest one. When Quilimar gives Euyn the ring, Aeri tells Royo that she feels something magical. Royo only feels the beat of the war drums.

Mikail explains to Euyn that the ring responds to the desires of the wearer and asks Euyn to give it back. Royo notices Aeri looking at the ring as if she’s going to steal it and whispers that she shouldn’t.

When Euyn moves toward the egg, Royo notices a saber hidden in Quilimar’s sleeve and tries to warn Euyn. However, Quilimar demands silence. Euyn touches the ring to the egg and whispers, “[T]urn to gold” (350).

Zahara kisses one of the palace guards, Ral, with poison lipstick, and Jimi grabs the captain by the throat. When Ral collapses, Zahara kisses the captain, and he starts dying as well. Zahara tells Tiyung to put the captain’s body in his office with the keys in his pocket; the poison will look like a heart attack.

Jimi reveals that he is actually Nayo, Zahara’s brother who Tiyung saved. Zahara says that Tiyung needs to knock out Nayo and slit Ral’s throat so that it looks like Nayo isn’t at fault. Tiyung hesitates, and Zahara slits Ral’s throat herself. Nayo thanks Tiyung and says that he’s okay with being knocked unconscious. Tiyung does so reluctantly with the hilt of a sword.

Euyn thinks that they all can escape if he can take a guard’s crossbow, but he is willing to die if needed. Euyn tries to signal to Aeri and Mikail to grab the bow. He then turns his focus to the egg. After a shooting pain in his arm, it turns into gold, and he realizes that his mother lied to him about his lineage. Euyn says Mikail’s name and looks at the bow again. A guard shouts that Euyn has a weapon, and Quilimar draws her saber. Euyn uses the ring against Quilimar. As her chest begins to turn into gold, she stabs him through the heart. They both fall to the floor.

Mikail drops to Euyn’s side and cradles him. Euyn vows, “[Y]ours in this life and the next” (358), and Mikail repeats it back to him. As Euyn dies, he feels blessed to have been truly loved. He tries to say that he loves Mikail but isn’t sure if he succeeds before he passes.

Quilimar, shocked that Euyn doesn’t have a weapon, is surrounded by guards and carried out. Eight guards march toward the group as Mikail cries over Euyn. Aeri doesn’t think that she can get everyone out with the Sands of Time; it would take too much of her life force. The guards ask for the ring, but Mikail tells them to come get it. Aeri takes the dagger out of her hair clip and gives it to Mikail. Sora takes out a vial of poison.

Mikail throws the dagger into a guard’s eye. Royo and Mikail flip over the king’s table and use it as a barricade. Next, Royo apologizes to Euyn and takes the saber out of his heart. Mikail jumps over the table and gestures for the guards to attack. He sees Sora’s hand filled with poison and covers his face. She blows the poison over the guards, and four of them choke and collapse. She tells Mikail to kill them all for Euyn. Royo grabs a sword from a dying guard and throws it to Mikail.

Mikail immediately kills a guard with it and tosses the guard’s axe toward Royo. Royo kills two guards with the axe, and Sora comes out from behind the table and takes a sword. Aeri starts to do the same, but Royo tells her to stay put. Mikail taunts the remaining guards, one of whom is trying to get out of the banquet hall. Mikail stabs this guard, pinning him to the door as he dies. Then, Mikail kills the rest of the guards.

Mikail says that they need to burn Euyn’s body so that his enemies can’t use it as a trophy. There is an opening in the roof, and they push the table under it. They build a pyre with furniture, wrap Euyn in tablecloths, and say prayers over him. Mikail kisses Euyn’s forehead, promising to meet him again, and uses an oil lamp to start the funeral fire.

Along with the war drums, they hear bells ringing. Mikail explains that the bells signal that the realm of Wei has entered the battle. Sora says that they need armor, and they take it from the dead guards. None of the guards are as big as Royo, so the metal gives him only a little protection. Mikail gives the captain’s keys to Aeri. Aeri unlocks the door, and Royo kisses her, expecting to die when the door is opened.

However, there is no one behind the door. Sora and Mikail think it is because Wei is attacking, but they go carefully in case it is a trap. They make it to the front doors without incident and see that the square in front of the palace is filled with guards and soldiers. Quilimar is displaying her golden chest. The Wei navy and Joon’s ship are in the harbor. Quilimar and Vikal turn to look at Royo and his friends.

Aeri tells Royo that she wants to spend her future with him. Next, she tells Sora and Mikail that she wants to prevent their enemies from having love in the future if she can’t have it. Mikail takes out the Golden Ring and gives it to Aeri. The ring and the Sands of Time fuse to her body, and her eyes turn golden. Aeri realizes that this is because she has two relics. Royo tells her that he loves her regardless of what color her eyes are, and she smiles at him.

Mikail is aware of Sora’s concern for him. He considered telling her about Daysum dying but believes that his decision not to was the right one, as he can temporarily spare her some grief. Zeolin talks to Quilimar and then tells Mikail that she wants a truce. Mikail says that she hasn’t been acting like she wants a truce. Zeolin demands an answer; Mikail says to give his regards to Quilimar and kicks Zeolin down the stairs. As he tumbles down, Mikail shouts to Quilimar that they accept the truce while thinking about the tenuousness of their alliance.

Sora and her friends get their weapons out of the sled and ride with the Khitan army. Gambria walks alongside their horses. Sora overhears Gambria telling a soldier, who turns out to be her cousin Fallador, to hurry along before Mikail sees him.

Royo and his friends march to the harbor with the Khitan army, including Vikal and Quilimar. Mikail says that Aeri and Vikal are going to the parley with the Weians, Yusanians, and Gayans. Royo objects—Aeri’s eye color changing causes Royo to think she is hiding something­—and Mikail says that Royo can go with her. Mikail tells Aeri that Uol, the priest-king of Wei, who is on a nearby ship, has the Water Scepter but doesn’t wield it himself. The scepter bearers, who must be of royal blood, only live about two years as a result of wielding it. They are given special treatment during their shortened lives and are honored in death. Mikail also explains that Uol is considered a god—he has not been usurped, despite not carrying the relic himself.

The bearer of the scepter splits the water leading to a rocky island where the parley will take place. Mikail asks Royo not to kill anyone, and Vikal emphasizes that the parley must be peaceful. However, they are allowed to take their weapons in case they need to defend themselves.

Quilimar tells Vikal to be safe and that she loves her. Aeri feels that the parted waters are a trap but eventually marvels at the walls of water around her. General Salosa and Bay Chin are already on the rocky island. Aeri worries that Royo will kill Bay Chin and touches his chest gently. Two delegates from Wei and Luhk, the priest from the Temple of Knowledge, are also on the island. Aeri realizes that Quilimar wanted the others to see that Aeri has the Golden Ring and is aligned with Khitan. Joon and Uol stay on their ships.

Luhk announces that no terms can be reached and that they must prepare for war. Royo threatens Bay Chin, and Luhk reminds him that the parley must be peaceful. Bay Chin taunts Royo, and Aeri intervenes, keeping Royo from attacking. He spits at Bay Chin’s feet and walks away.

General Salosa draws his sword and prepares to kill Royo. Aeri thinks about how she wants to kill Salosa and Bay Chin, and the ring turns them into gold. The walls of water created by the scepter start to fall as Aeri is filled with rage and sick of being helpless. She looks at Joon and Uol and thinks about how she wants them to drown. A golden glow fills the harbor, and Aeri loses consciousness.

Aeri uses the relics to turn Joon’s and Uol’s ships into gold. They begin to sink. Mikail realizes that Aeri must have the Sands of Time because she doesn’t have to touch something to turn it into gold. He also realizes that the relic is what made her an excellent thief and that she’s used it to save her friends multiple times.

The bearer of the Water Scepter keeps the water back so that Uol’s ship can land safely on the ground. Khitanese soldiers run into the harbor. Royo and Vikal stand in front of Aeri. Mikail realizes that he can steal the Water Scepter, but his friends would die if he did, so he decides against it.

Tiyung and Zahara travel through an underground cave system. Zahara explains that this is how spies travel in and out of the country to avoid customs at the harbor. When they emerge above ground, Zahara leads him to a messenger house. The man working there hands her a letter as the war drums begin.

Zahara says that they have to go back. She gives Tiyung the letter, which says that Seok has taken over Qali Palace.

Mikail sees Salosa’s oldest son, Thom, with the Flaming Sword. He slashes Thom’s legs with his own sword and takes it. Royo distrusts Mikail, who is telling them to hurry and get to dry land. Mikail sees another opportunity to take the Water Scepter, and the others say they are coming with him. Sora jumps on a nearby horse, and Mikail jumps on behind her. Royo puts the still-unconscious Aeri on Sora’s lap and runs alongside as they make their way through the dry spaces created by the scepter wielder to the Weian king.

When they get to the royal Weian ship, Mikail dismounts and tells Sora to stay out of the guards’ reach. Mikail draws the Flaming Sword and offers mercy to the guards if they flee. They refuse, having magical armor, and Mikail fights with them. Royo hits one guard in the face. Fallador arrives and kills another guard.

Mikail says that Fallador shouldn’t be there, but Gambria says that Mikail is ungrateful that Fallador saved his life. Fallador, Gambria, Sora, Royo, Aeri, and Mikail board the Weian ship. Mikail notices an escape skiff and orders everyone to get into it. He kills the Water Scepter bearer, takes the scepter, and jumps into the skiff. It rocks as the waters fill the formerly empty space in the harbor. Mikail offers the scepter to Fallador, who says that he can’t use it. Gambria explains that Mikail is the only one of them who is Gayan royalty.

Aeri wakes up on the beached skiff. Royo gets out of the skiff and tells Aeri that he knows she lied to him about the Sands of Time, which is now embedded in her chest. Then, he walks away. Aeri is heartbroken. Mikail thinks that Royo will come around, but Aeri doesn’t think so.

When Aerie sees that Mikail has relics, the relics she already possesses are drawn to them, but she ignores the impulse to take them. Mikail says that they are in Gaya, and she realizes that the fact that he can wield relics must mean that he is Gayan royalty. Mikail promises to explain as they disembark. They need to rest, and then they can seek revenge.