Editing The Qinglong Alliance (section)

==The Living Voice of Ami Kang==
Dawn stretched its long fingers through the open windows of the [[Pagoda of Infinite Strategy]] and found the Qinglong Alliance sitting sullen in their barracks.  They did not look at each other, but only at the floor, their arms and armor, or the last, dying embers of fire in the braziers set around the room.

The [[Sweet Voice of Brass and Glory]] stepped down from the eighth story to join them, and her polished armor shone with Essence.  "[[Rivers Between Us|Rivers]] will be ready for you soon.  Are you ready to leave?"  

None of the eleven relays, the goddess' chosen priests, looked up; Sweet Brass bit her lip to see them so pensive on the day of their empowerment.  "Have you chosen what you'll bond with?"

Chi Wen leaned closer to the fire and scarce moved her lips as she said, "Ami Kang."

Sweet Brass blinked.  "What?"

"We receive this gift so that we can avoid the fate of Ami Kang, and live to defend an idea she died for," stout Bi An said from his seat by the window.  He turned towards his patron, his jaw clenched bravely shut.  He smiled his thanks as his younger sister, Bi Xi, came to rest her hand on his shoulder.  "We want to make her part of this; to give some part of her the gifts that death has denied in whole."

"The problem is deciding what to use."  Tao Tie gestured to a low table, on which sat a short sword, a suit of lamellar armor, a trumpet, a banner and a bridle and harness - fallen Ami Kang's kit.  "These were her tools, but they weren't ''her''.  Even using her trumpet wouldn't feel quite right."

Chi Wen nodded.  "It was never the trumpet that mattered, but the notes she played."

The Sweet Voice of Brass and Glory took up the trumpet and ran a loving hand over its curves.  "Then let the notes she played sing through you again.  I will play Ami Kang's trumpet, one note of her signal-song for each of you eleven, and let Rivers' spell merge the sound into your souls."

Bi Xi looked down at her brother.  "Can such a thing be done?"

The elder Bi shrugged.  "Why not, with sorcery?"

All eleven were smiling now, standing and looking at each other for the first time in the full light of a new day.  "Let's go to meet Rivers, then," Tao Tie said.  "And soon, we will speak with the voice of Ami Kang."