The two stayed in Inazuma for another two days, and those days passed quietly.
On the second evening, Lin En returned from outside to find a longsword on the table. It was dark red all over, with a ruby set into its hilt.
Surprised, he turned to Ronava.
"Did you buy this?"
"No. I found it near the Celestial Nail earlier. It's much better than that lousy little sword of yours."
"It certainly is. Then I won't stand on ceremony."
The moment Lin En touched the sword, it dissolved into specks of starlight that gathered around his wrist and formed a red bracelet.
"That advanced?"
Lin En exclaimed. He tested it and found that turning the bracelet back into a sword took only a thought. Beside him, the corners of Ronava's mouth lifted for an instant.
Early on the third morning, the two packed their belongings and departed from Inazuma's port.
They boarded a merchant ship bound for Sumeru. It would first pass through the waters south of Liyue, then turn west toward Port Ormos in Sumeru. The voyage would take about three days.
Ronava spent most of her time in the cabin, occasionally going on deck for some air. Lin En used the open space at sea to practice Anemo; the distance from bow to stern was just enough for him to use it.
On the evening of the third day, the outline of Port Ormos appeared on the horizon.
Sumeru's port was different from those in both Liyue and Inazuma.
Spices and timber were piled high on the docks. The air was thick with the scent of plants and trees, mixed with the aroma of spices.
Most of the port workers were Sumeru natives, with darker skin and loose linen robes. In the distance, the rainforest stretched to the horizon, its overlapping canopies like a green ocean.
The two made do for a night in the port, then set out for Sumeru City early the next morning.
As they neared Sumeru City, Lin En spotted a familiar figure in the distance-Nahida.
She wore a short white dress and went barefoot. Her hair was white, with a faint green tint at the ends, like willow branches sprouting fresh buds. She watched the two approach.
Lin En was startled. Why is she here?
Nahida noticed the two and spoke.
"You're here."
She didn't seem very surprised.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Ruler of Death. Or should I call you Ronava now?"
Ronava didn't care what she called her.
"Call me whatever you like, Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"You seem to have recovered quite a bit."
"Mm, some."
Nahida nodded, her gaze passing over Ronava and settling on Lin En.
"And this is?"
"Lin En, my companion."
Ronava gave a brief answer.
"Companion?"
Nahida repeated the word and tilted her head.
"You've never had a companion before."
"No one wanted to come along before, either."
Nahida laughed.
"Hello, Lin En."
Lin En was a little bewildered. So the person Ronava knew was Nahida.
"Hello."
"You look tired. Perhaps you need a good rest, like taking a nice, satisfying trip to the bathroom."
Lin En was at a loss for words. Why would resting mean going to the bathroom?!
Nahida led the two into the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
"Have a seat. You must be tired after coming all the way from Inazuma."
Ronava sat down across from Nahida, and Lin En sat beside Ronava, looking around the stone chamber.
The vines and moss on the four walls gave off a reassuring scent, and reflections in the pool swayed gently with the ripples. Everything was quiet, so quiet that time itself seemed to have slowed down.
"Did you come to Sumeru to recover your strength?"
Nahida asked.
"Mm,"
Ronava said.
"Counting what I recovered before, I'm now back to forty percent."
Nahida nodded but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lowered her head and looked at the reflection in the pool.
"Sumeru's Celestial Nail is in Mount Damavand, in the desert. It's a forbidden place, and the people from the Akademiya don't dare go near it, but someone seems to have been there recently."
Ronava's brows twitched slightly.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Nahida waved a hand.
"A long time ago, a group of people entered Mount Damavand. They brought some kind of device and set something up around the nail. I sent people to investigate, but they never came back out after going in."
"Looks like there's a transmission device here too."
Ronava's voice grew grave.
"You know about it?"
"But there's another problem. The nail inside the mountain is different from the previous ones. It descended not only to eliminate the Abyss, but also to stop the Dragon of Dendro from obtaining Forbidden Knowledge."
Lin En thought for a moment. Didn't that Dendro Dragon always want to revive the dragon race?
"Apep, the Dragon of Dendro?"
"It seems you know quite a lot too."
Nahida nodded at Lin En.
"If that nail comes loose..."
She didn't finish, but her meaning was clear.
Lin En looked at Ronava, then at Nahida. Both of them looked calm, but a tense silence hung in the air.
He couldn't understand the profound things they were discussing. After all, he wasn't a Sumeru scholar, and he had no interest in studying those theories.
Nahida stood up, took a small green leaf from her sleeve, and handed it to Ronava.
"Take this. The entrance to the ruins is sealed by a barrier. This leaf will guide you."
Ronava took the leaf and put it away.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Nahida tilted her head to glance at Lin En, then looked up at Ronava with a faint smile.
"Ronava, you've changed a lot."
"Everyone changes."
"Mm, and this change is a good thing."
Ronava turned and walked out, with Lin En following her. When he reached the doorway, he looked back. Nahida was standing by the pool, watching them leave.
"Nahida... Why does she owe you a favor?"
Lin En was puzzled. Could it be because of the time Irminsul was burned?
Ronava walked ahead of him, her pace unhurried.
"When Greater Lord Rukkhadevata fell, I helped Nahida. I also taught her."
"You taught a god? What did you teach her?"
"I taught her how to face parting."
Lin En understood at once. Wasn't that just letting her die a little less when Greater Lord Rukkhadevata fell?
Ronava tilted her head to look at him, a meaningful look in her eyes.
"But you..."
She seemed about to say something, but finally closed her mouth.
"What about me?"
"Nothing."
"Why are you speaking in riddles again?"
The two left the Sanctuary of Tranquility and returned to the streets of Sumeru City.
The sun was shining, pedestrians came and went, and the distant rainforest rustled in the wind.
"Mount Damavand is underground in the desert west of Sumeru. Let's rest for a few days first. There's no need to rush."
The two found a quiet inn in Sumeru City and settled in. It stood in an alley in the eastern part of the city, far from the bustle of the streets, with a dense grove just outside the window.