Operation story: AS-8

Operation

Story

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Previous AS-7	Next AS-9
Characters
Narantuya Pepe Anat Ajazi Ajani Medjehtiqedti Aspasia Mio Woof Zubayr Injured/Quiet Youth Quiet Youth Cheerful Former Desert Bandit Doubtful Former Desert Bandit Jewel Construct Young Boy Gentle Girl Gentle Woman
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Before operation

Summary Narantuya refuses to embark on her traditional Nightzmoran Khaganquest and is trapped within the illusion, but Aspasia shatters it by chasing Woof away. Pepe awakens to find herself surrounded by sand.
<Background Black>
You should all bless me. Bless me with a dance under the morning sun and the tapping of your scabbards. —Oh, right, I forgot you sold your swords. Then beat the pots and pans. Play the anvil like a drum with your pens. They say the roads of Menat-Ha'mait are paved with jewels. Well, I'm heading for that road now. I know most of you will tell me to stop being delusional. But why can't I make it rich? Why can't I buy us the best life? I have to try.
<Background 1>
Narantuya	Where am I—? —Oh, my departure ceremony! I must have danced myself dizzy.
Cheerful Former Desert Bandit	I give you my blessing, Narantuya. There's a caravan I know that regularly visits the City of Radiance. If you do make it there, seek them out.
Narantuya	Hah, I knew you'd have some useful connections! One more friend, one less trouble. Thanks for the blessing.
Doubtful Former Desert Bandit	I'm still worried, Narantuya.
Narantuya	About what? How many times have I told you? No one's going to get revenge on you when I'm gone. This has nothing to do with you. You chose to work for me and not Asim because I'm just that charming. Old Asim resents me for it and speaks ill of me everywhere he goes, but he's just being petty. And those jealous haters had to band together and set me up... my fault I'm so lucky that I attract both gold and people.
Doubtful Former Desert Bandit	But you're the one I'm worried about, Narantuya. if you just wander into the desert with an empty satchel, what will you do when you can't find water or beasts?
Narantuya	Huh? I know we somehow ended up poorer than we started, but I'm sure I at least have some coins for jerkies and preserved fruits. Why would you think that? Has anyone been starving without telling me? Who is it? I'll give them some coins right now—
Narantuya reaches into the purse at her waist. As her eyes slowly widen in disbelief, she unties the beast hide pouch, turns it inside out, and begins shaking it. A few grains of sand fall onto the endless desert.
Narantuya	Strange. I don't remember bumping into a beggar or vagrant... Actually, I vaguely remember crossing paths with a few rich men?
Doubtful Former Desert Bandit	Narantuya, I thought it over, and I think I should teach you my secret to finding water in the desert. I don't have to worry about becoming a sacrificial tribute to a bandit chief anymore, so there's no need to keep this a secret any longer.
Narantuya	—Good. I like this blessing. The sands can enjoy those lost coins then.
Ajazi	I'm worried too, Narantuya.
Narantuya	Hmm? And what are you worried about? That I'll abduct another child slave from a caravan who will replace you as most illiterate?
Ajazi	I'm worried about the two black blades of yours. You haven't used or maintained them for a long time.
Narantuya	It's precisely because maintenance is a chore that I avoid using these antiques. I much prefer modern materials and mechanical forging— —Wait, where are my blades? And my dagger? And my supply of paralyzing toxins and spore casks?
Ajani	*sigh* I'm worried about your tendency to pick up new recruits, Narantuya. You'll be setting out alone. It's great if you could get some useful crew. But most of the time, it's people like me and Ajazi that you have to save...
Narantuya	"Setting out alone"? You girls aren't coming with me to the City of Radiance?
Ajani	...which is why Ajazi and I worked for two months in a logging camp and threw all the coins we saved into a river they say flows into the City of Radiance. I hope you will find them when the river floods, and that your Khaganquest goes smoothly...
Narantuya	Okay, I appreciate this blessing too, even though the rainforest is at the downstream of the river. ...Wait. Did you say Khaganquest?
Ajazi	Yes, your Khaganquest.
Ajani	You're all set for it, right?
Narantuya	No? When did that happen? ...Come to think of it, I am indeed "all by myself with nothing but the weapons from my parents" right now... ...Meh, pass on the city. I'm out!
The young Nightzmora turns and strides over to her burdenbeast pack.
<Background fades out and in>
At that same moment, towering walls rise up from the sand. Even part of the piercing sunlight seems to be blocked off.
Narantuya	Where are my burdenbeasts? And my tent?
Narantuya rubs her eyes. As if trapped in a nightmare of her own making, her field of vision narrows until only one path remains.
"Step forth, prove your bravery, embark on your Khaganquest." "Just take the step—"
Narantuya	No way! This Khaganquest is too scary! I'll die! Help——!!!
<Background 2>
Aspasia	Strange. The metal constructs here are not moving. Someone's on the ground? Hello, can you hear me? Hold on, I'm on my way— —— ——Out of my way!
<Background fades out and in>
Narantuya	What did you say? I was just lying on the ground and a giant beckbeast had its paw on my head?
Aspasia	I think it's a beckbeast, but I failed to catch the creature before it vanished into the sand and dust.
Narantuya	It's no wonder my head hurt while I was dreaming. There was a voice I heard making "oowoo..." sounds. My face is fine though, right?
Aspasia	...Yes.
Narantuya	Phew. How did you chase the beckbeast away? I spent so long yelling at it in my dream with no luck.
Aspasia	... The situation was urgent, so I resorted to force.
Narantuya	Wow, why didn't I think of that? Sometimes violence is the solution! I knew you'd be a reliable subordinate. Thanks a lot— Wait no, you're not a subordinate.
Aspasia	...We'd best be leaving. These constructs could start moving at any time. It's not safe here.
Narantuya	Seems pretty safe to me. *sigh* The river god presented me with a chance to prove my heroism, and I ended up falling asleep on the street...? The dream was nice though, at least the first half of it.
Aspasia	...The streets are in chaos, while you lay on the sands... and had a good dream?
Narantuya	Yup. I dreamed about my departure ceremony. Everyone was cheering me on. Even their beat was spot on. How nice would it be, if my former subordinates were actually that supportive when I was setting out for Menat-Ha'mait!
Aspasia	... I talked to Ajazi and Ajani briefly, after you left the hotel.
Narantuya	Did they tell you most people think I'm delusional?
Aspasia	They did.
Narantuya	But consider this: if one has to eventually wake from one's dream, why not indulge in a bit of fantasy before that happens?
Aspasia	(Can't help but laugh) Perhaps there remains much of each other that we do not know. But for now, I'm simply glad to see you safe.
Aspasia extends her hand to Narantuya.
Narantuya	So, does that mean we're all good— —Hold on.
<Background fades out and in>
Narantuya	What's wrong, Ajani?
Ajani	Narantuya! Help! The museum! Isn't safe! At all!
<Background 3>
"Horakhet has witnessed."
Anat	—Who's there? Titi, did you say something? I heard something...
Medjehtiqedti	I didn't. ...But I heard it too.
Anat	Uh, no way... Can these artifacts talk? Ugh... Why didn't they say anything before?!
Jewel Construct	... Guardian of eternity. Please answer. Please answer. Please answer.
Medjehtiqedti	Answer what?
Jewel Construct	... He who led the outlanders to stride upon the earth, forsaking their ships from this domain. His legions, brandishing golden blades, shielded the reckless and inquisitive travelers. Bitter and sweet, his chalice did contain, drawn from those who traversed through his realm. In the sands beneath his feet, rest bones and charred stones from the distant northwest. Tell me, the "name" that people remember him by.
Anat	...
Medjehtiqedti	... ...Anat. I don't think they can actually "talk", at least, they're not capable of conversation. They're just presenting riddles—like when you're prompted to enter a combination of numbers to open a safe.
Anat	B-But! What kind of complex riddle is this?!
Jewel Construct	The countdown has begun. Three minutes remaining.
Anat	Ahhhhh!!! Now we've turned it into a ticking time bomb!
Medjehtiqedti	—Wait, Anat! Calm down! Can you contact any of the museum staff?
Anat	Wh-What for...?
Medjehtiqedti	I think this might be a riddle about history. I remember now... what about that favorite book of yours, Terra: A Journey? Where is it?
<Background fades out and in>
Anat	Titi, look up the section on Bolívar's history for me, please!
Medjehtiqedti	Here.
Anat	...You ask of Padishah Beyad, who agreed to establish an Iberia-Sargon-Bolívar trade route and subsequently brought in Bolívarian sugar cane and coffee beans. "Corrupted by the land's blight, tiny skulls strung on leather tight. Clanking with agony, from their plight. Hunted they are, day and night..." I know! Chapter three, beasts of Terra. You ask of sandbeast. There was a trend in sixth-century Sargon to hunt sandbeasts. The museum used to have strings of sandbeast heads hung up to ward off evil, though we always saw it as a needless worship of nature. But... since you've witnessed that history. You should know that the real reason for hunting sandbeasts was that a small number of them mutated from high concentration of local active Originium, right? Okay, next construct and riddle, please. "At the lake's bottom, their ruins dwell. Heirs of an old bloodline, many fell. Executed with blades that gleamed. They turned on their own, it seemed..." I remember this one. Go to the end of the races of Terra.
Medjehtiqedti	A riddle suited for archaeologists. There was an ancient settlement from a thousand years ago where we found signs of group executions, but we excavated torture instruments made of modern alloy materials. You're right, the answer is written here. Petram, a race practically no one has seen, are those who inherited unique smelting and forging techniques from the olden times
Anat	Okay, next question...
The constructs' riddles are solved as the pages turn, and they gradually settle down. They stop in a circle around Anat, like a group of silent listeners. Anat recalls the moment right before she gave her first speech. Titi taught her to imagine the audience as museum artifacts to calm her nerves. "Just keep talking about the things you know are true, Anat."
Medjehtiqedti	Phew, this is taboo to say, but the Sarkaz did indeed set foot in Sargon once. We still don't know the full extent of their ancient curse.
Anat	Come to think of it, this is how you've inspired me.
Medjehtiqedti	Huh? You mean the curse?
Anat	No. I used to not get it. Sargon's written history dates back to when other nations were still in their primitive states. When you left Sargon to explore these lands, I wondered what more you hoped to learn. That's why I chose to read Terra: A Journey. I saw within our limited time on this land that we hold too many misunderstandings and prejudices. The greatest show of bravery we can perform is to expend our finite lives on our search through the infinity of time.
Medjehtiqedti	Yeah, we're no actual guardians of eternity, so there's no way we can experience everything ourselves. Speaking of which, if you ever got the chance... would you become an immortal like Zubayr, and witness ancient history with your own eyes?
Anat	... Actually, I've been thinking... if these constructs are using history riddles to verify if we are worthy of controlling them... Then what was the word that activated this verification mode of theirs? And what exactly was their creator thinking when they chose this command word—"Horakhet"?
<Background Black>
Pepe	It's dark... Where am I? I'm... in that monster's belly...
<Background 4>
Pepe	I can hear the wind... Phew... what's up ahead...? A lake in the desert...?
An emerald lake lies in the center of the golden sands. The palm trees by its shore sway in the gentle breeze, creating the rustling sound Pepe heard earlier. A boy is half submerged in the water. After a moment, he suddenly sits up with a beautiful golden fin in hand. He holds the fin with both hands, and carefully makes his way towards Pepe.
Pepe	Uh, kid, do you know...?
Young Boy	Look at my catch, sister!
Pepe	Sister? Who're you calling sister? What... are you talking about?
Young Boy	Father says he plans to bury Mother here, in her hometown. He also wants to erect a beautiful tomb for her, with a pretty pond full of lotuses. I will leave this golden fin in that pond, and it will keep Mother company for me.
Pepe	What's that got to do with me?
Young Boy	Sister...
Pepe	Stop calling me that! You don't look anything like my brother!
Young Boy	Father... will continue with his expedition. Mother's departure will not stop him. He asked us if we wished to stay here or follow him eastward.
Pepe	Um... what are you talking about, boy? I can't make sense of what you're saying.
Young Boy	I wish to follow Father to the east, to see and conquer lands farther away than here. Come with me, sister. Bring your reed pen and papyrus, you will see many sights worth recording, and I shall accomplish great undertakings, as Father has. I will become the protagonist of your writings! Let's go together, sister!
Pepe	Hey, li'l guy, I'll have to pass...
Gentle Girl	Hm... I'll follow you and Father, Zubayr.
Pepe	Who...?
Pepe turns her head and sees a girl holding a white lotus, with a similar golden lotus on her forehead, sparkling in the sun. The decoration reminds Pepe of something, and she lightly touches her own head. At that moment, the sun seems to make her head spin.

After operation

Summary Within the illusion, Pepe experiences everything Zubayr went through. She makes the same choice he did, passes the test, and is released by Mio. Inside the museum, Narantuya decides to prevent the city from sinking into the sands.
<Background 5>
Pepe	Now where did I end up this time?! A waterfall?!
Pepe sees the same boy by the waterfall with his head down, washing something. She quickens her steps in a bid to get the boy to notice her, and realizes he has grown taller and more mature since she last saw him. The boy has become a young man.
Pepe	Okay, enough! I don't care who you are, just let me leave... you... You're hurt? Your face...
Injured Youth	Don't worry, sister. Most of the blood is the enemy's. The battlefield was more complicated than I expected, but they were no match for me. I won.
Gentle Girl	Zubayr, I went to a temple in the Arsalan rainforest and got a blessed amulet for you. I pray it can protect you from harm.
Injured Youth	I'm not afraid of wounds, sister. These scars prove I have grown.
Pepe looks down and spots a longsword lying horizontally by the half-kneeling youth. Several streams of fresh blood flow from the sword down into the nearby pool, dyeing the water pink. Pepe turns her head and sees the girl behind her with a gentle smile on her face, but also concern in her eyes. She turns back only to find the scenery around her has changed once again.
<Background 6>
Within the rainforest, the youth holds up a dagger, turning it over as he inspects it.
Gentle Girl	Congratulations. You'll be leading Father's garrison from tomorrow. This was the job you dreamed of, so why do you seem so unhappy?
Quiet Youth	I don't know either. This commander's dagger is too light compared to the work and suffering I went through for it. What about you, sister? Are you not glad for me?
Gentle Girl	No, Zubayr. I'll only be glad when you are too.
Quiet Youth	The books you spent countless days and nights on. Did you find anything?
Gentle Girl	Zubayr, Sargon's history extends past what we can imagine, and we lack a complete record in our manuscripts. I plan to compile a volume that records past events that have been missed or omitted. Hopefully...
Quiet Youth	Hopefully...?
Gentle Girl	Hopefully, it will complete the account of Sargon's history.
Quiet Youth	That will be a thick book... there are so many people you'd need to include.
Gentle Girl	Father has agreed to my idea, and has promised to help me.
Quiet Youth	Very Nice. I see we've both achieved what we wanted.
Pepe watches the boy sheathe his dagger as he smiles at his sister.
<Background 7>
Pepe	... Where am I this time? When does this one take place...?
Gentle Woman	Zubayr... why do you seem upset?
Quiet Youth	That Kuranta from the east has changed Father into a much different man. All these years, Father had remained stoic, even in the face of uprisings and challenges from various tribes. Time and again, he would reorganize his troops and fly his banners. When Father sliced his enemies apart with his sword, even the warm blood that spurted from their necks could not melt the cold gaze behind his mask. But that Nightzmora... when Father fought him, I could almost see sparks—not just from their clashing weapons, but also in his eyes. I had never seen him look at anyone with such fervor.
Gentle Woman	Zubayr, I can sense it... our father's passion for our country has long since faded. I heard some worrying news. Father plans to invite Kharanduu Khagan down south to wage war against those invisible foes. You're going with them, are you not?
Quiet Youth	Those strange enemies have already been encroaching on our land, bit by bit.
Pepe	The Shah... you're both children of the Shah...
As she follows the youth's gaze toward the far horizon, the distant land suddenly gets pulled right before her.
<Background 1>
Pepe sees a barren desert devoid of green as her eyelids are buffeted by sand.
Pepe	...The Foehn hotlands... What happened?
Gentle Woman	How are you feeling, Zubayr?
Quiet Youth	I'm fine, sister.
Gentle Woman	I'll need to remove your bandages to reapply the medicine. Bear with me, I'll be quick.
Quiet Youth	It's alright, I feel no pain.
Gentle Woman	How can that be... When they carried you back here, your entire body was charred. What should I do, Zubayr...? Father is missing and you're the only kin I have left. Brother has taken the throne, but we do not share the same mother. Your military achievements have already made him wary.
Quiet Youth	That historian... is he treating you well?
Gentle Woman	Yes... With his help, the volume is already half-done. Perhaps I could manage to see it complete within my lifetime.
Quiet Youth	Careful not to overwork yourself.
Gentle Woman	It is my promise to Father... Even if I fail to complete it, the child within me will continue my work. One day, it will recount everything that has happened here to future generations. It will be a bridge across the vastness of time, connecting the readers with those recorded over the great river of time.
Quiet Youth	I hear they plan to build a cenotaph for Father.
Gentle Woman	Yes...
Quiet Youth	Before he left, Father confided in me about a trove filled with the land's treasures. He instructed me to reveal its location only to the descendants of the Nightzmora.
Gentle Woman	Brother will not be happy when he learns of this.
Quiet Youth	Sister, you chose to record Father's every word and action to memorialize his departure, while I chose to protect everything he left behind. Father has only just left, and already war rages among the western tribes... I must go and quell the unrest.
Gentle Woman	But how... how will you go in your current condition?
Quiet Youth	A gemstone artisan from Arsalan told me he could preserve my consciousness into gemstones inscribed with special circuits. The craftsmen who created the Zhayedan are also willing to build me a new body.
Gentle Woman	Did you already decide on this before telling me about it, Zubayr?
Quiet Youth	Sister, I do not wish to be bed-bound forever...
Gentle Woman	Zubayr, I only wish for you to be happy, and nothing more. Promise me you'll never forget this.
Quiet Youth	I promise.
<Background fades out>
Pepe	(Where... am I?) (So dark... is anyone here?) Ugh... (Wh-Why can't I talk?) (Drat, I can't move at all. My limbs are all bound so tightly.)
???	Are you ready? I'm about to remove the brain.
Pepe	(Brain?)
???	Administer more sedative, his pulse is still beating rather rapidly and I need him to be calm.
Pepe	(Are you talking about my brain?!)
A cover is lifted and light pours in. Pepe finds herself lying on the center of a stone platform. People around her come and go as they apply sticky, pungent medicine, tightly wrapping her body with linen, constricting her attempts at movement. Her observations are cut short when an old man walks towards her with a small knife in hand. Pepe would have panicked, but the sedative starts to take effect. She feels someone holding her head down, and the tiny blade inches towards her forehead...
Pepe	(Is this what Zubayr went through?) (When they transferred his consciousness... he was still alive.)
<Background 1>
Pepe	Is it over? Is this what you wanted to show me, Zubayr?
This is only the beginning.
Pepe	Tell me, what else did you go through?
After quelling the rebellions for my brother, I bade farewell to my sister and ventured alone into this desert. Here, I stood guardian over the treasure Father entrusted to me, awaiting the arrival of a Nightzmora descendant. Yet, through the long centuries of change, the Nightzmoran have forgotten Father's promise to Kharanduu Khagan. They never came—even when I was vanquished and sealed beneath the sands.
Pepe	And you spent nearly a thousand years just waiting here?
I have witnessed lives come into being and pass away, cities rise and fall. With prosperity comes decline, and with life comes death—an inevitability for all. And with each end comes a new beginning, the cycle repeating endlessly. Father was right; everything that transpires is but a continual "time loop," and the future is naught but a repetition of the past. I began to hate myself for choosing to become eternal. I wished to forget, but my sophisticated memory system prevented me from doing so. It kept my experiences fresh and vivid in my mind, every detail distinctly clear. Pepe, you once told me you wished to become one who remembers history, both written and unrecorded. You wish to witness the truth behind the history with your own eyes. But that comes with a price, Pepe.
Pepe	Tell me, Zubayr. In your long life, even with the unbearable suffering you've been through, did you ever consider forgetting your father or sister?
Never.
Pepe	That's my answer too. We should remember the things that shouldn't be forgotten, even if they bring us pain.
Very good.
<Background 8>
Pepe	I'm... back.
There is no gigantic, ferocious beast, moist rainforest, or scorching sandstorm. In the middle of the street sits only a small animal, casually licking its fur.
Pepe	Why did you bring me inside Zubayr's memories?
Mio	It was a test he set for you. You could only see him if you passed it.
Pepe	Was he the one talking to me inside the illusion?
Mio	No, that was actually me. Though the question was indeed his.
Pepe	Did I pass?
Mio	You failed, so just run off back to wherever you came from, little girl.
Pepe	He seemed pretty satisfied with my answer though?
Mio	No, you just imagined it!
Pepe	I have to see him. He's the one who started the unrest in the city, so only he can stop it. Besides... he's the only one who can help me reach the City of Gold, so I can't miss this last chance.
Mio	Silly girl. Do you think being the Historian of Shar-Agade is a good thing? You serve at the hand of the Shahanshah, and so your tongue is cut out to ensure you can never speak his secrets. You write only what the Shahanshah wants written. You are no longer yourself, only a gilded mouthpiece. Is this what you want, foolish girl?
Pepe	Where did you learn all that? The City of Gold isn't a place some random animal can wander into.
Mio	Foolish girl, my first human pet was Lugalszargus's own daughter! I saw with my own eyes when the poor girl had her tongue cut out by her very brother!
Pepe	What?!
???	Enough, Mio. She has passed Zubayr's test. Speak no more and let her pass.
Woof	He awaits you at the second-last house in the third alley from here. Remember this, once you enter, knock thrice on the left door, then push the right door open. You will see him there.
Mio	Insolent cur, she didn't pass the test! Why did you tell her!
Woof	She passed the test, Mio. Enough of this.
Mio	She did not if I say so! She failed! You fool, do you want this girl to...? Release me!
Woof	Our mission is complete! Let's go!
Mio	Mroaw—!
Woof grabs Mio by the scruff and disappears down the alley, leaving behind only drag marks.
<Background 8>
Pepe	Phew... Third alley, second-last house... Knock thrice on the left door... And then open the right...
<Background 9>
Zubayr	We meet again, Pepe.
Pepe	Question. Would I have found you if I didn't follow the instructions exactly?
Zubayr	Actually, you would have found me no matter which door you opened. The key is whether you truly wish to meet me.
Pepe	... Zubayr, I've come here with a hammer.
Zubayr	Do you intend to intimidate me with force?
Pepe	I can't promise I won't use it. We don't have much time left, so just answer my questions. Truthfully.
Zubayr	Ask your questions, Pepe. I will answer them faithfully—not out of fear, but because it is my choice.
Pepe	Have you found the fourth gemstone?
Zubayr	Yes. Someone was keeping it safe for me. Their family passed it down through the generations, waiting for the day I would awaken and return.
Pepe	Did you decide to destroy the entire city the moment you got it? The whole place is in chaos because of the jewel constructs.
Zubayr	Pepe, I apologize for what is happening to the city, but I have to do it. My duty compels me.
Pepe	"Fourth, the liver. We go into the night, awake and alert, for duty and obligation." Are your memories related to your duties complete?
Zubayr	Indeed.
Pepe	So where's the Shah's treasure trove?
Zubayr	Right below our feet, underneath the city of Menat-Ha'mait. You could say this city was founded by, and is prosperous because of the infinite treasures left behind by Father. When he left us, I had his cenotaph built in the deepest reach of his trove, so that it may also serve as his tomb. For centuries they kept digging underground, and every artifact or treasure they found in the mausoleum became fuel for the city. This is my fault, but it is not too late. There is still a chance to stop it, as they have yet to dig into its depths... for the treasure that mustn't be touched by the wrong hands.
Pepe	What is that exactly?
Zubayr	Patience, Pepe. I was just about to show it to you.
A beam of sunlight pierces through the window, illuminating the floor beside Zubayr's feet. He raises his staff high, and suddenly a strong wind stirs from nowhere. The sistrum chimes as it jingles. Pepe hears Zubayr hum a tune that feels familiar, though its cryptic lyrics elude her understanding. She then feels the ground beneath her feet soften, her ankles sinking into a flowing sea of sand. As Zubayr finishes his tune, he plunges the staff into the ground. In an instant, sand and dust swirl wildly, enveloping them both until they vanish.
<Background 10>
Medjehtiqedti	Water! Bring some water! Hurry! Your curator spoke too much and is having a heatstroke!
???	Bad news, Medjehtiqedti Hanim—I'm afraid the museum hasn't had running water for a while now.
Narantuya	Or to be more precise, sand is pouring out of the taps. Can't even stop it.
Medjehtiqedti	...Do you work here? I don't recognize you... No, wait, sand... pouring from the taps?
Narantuya	Yep. By the way, we met your staff at the entrance and he asked me to pass on this leave request and a bunch of books.
Aspasia	It was unclear where he was headed. The river water is too muddy to be used, and all the nearby water channels are full of nothing but sand.
Narantuya	And all of these happened while we made our way here. As quickly as a rising tide... Talk about a Flood Festival, only it's sand. ...Hey, Hanim? Why'd you turn so quiet? Bad time to make witty comments I see.
Medjehtiqedti	... Anat! Anat! Wake up, hurry! W-We're... WE'RE GOING TO DIE!
Narantuya	You've only just realized that? After everything that's happened today?
Aspasia	Medjehtiqedti Hanim, could you explain what's going on?
Medjehtiqedti	To put it simply, if every gem in the city can be removed from its place, then the ones used for water purification are no exception. If too many of them are removed, the water purification system will stop working, changing the internal pressure and causing sand to intrude.
Anat	...If this happens, the constructs will have an endless supply of sand to build their pillars and walls, ruining the city. Also, Titi... I'm worried about something worse... Such a sudden pressure change will almost certainly damage the city's ancient underground river canal system.
Medjehtiqedti	I didn't want to mention it, for fear of it coming true! Now I'm really scared of this city!
Narantuya	Go on, what happens when the underground canals are damaged?
Medjehtiqedti	A large volume of water will seep out and loosen the sand, forming quicksand. The whole city will sink underground, and the modern materials the constructs can't use will be buried deep down in the earth. And this is just speculation... but the constructs have been building their pillars and walls for a specific reason. They're trying to recreate the way the place looked in their memories. We, along with centuries of urban landscape, will be buried beneath the sands.
Narantuya	Ugh...
Medjehtiqedti	...Do you need me to elaborate further?
Narantuya	Nah, I got you. If this city sinks under the sand, everyone dies, including my crew. We're royally screwed. So, there's only one path I can take to keep them safe, yes?