The Broken Blades Trilogy, #3
Three Shattered Souls
by Mai Corland
Contents
Chapter Thirteen
Overview
Tiyung and Hana reach Pont, dispatch coded eagles, and quietly rearm before pressing on along the perilous Coastal Road. Their conversation about Daysum’s death and Tiyung’s mother’s complicity is cut short when they spot a massive Weian fleet—joined by Khitan and Yusan standards—approaching, confirming Seok’s ambitions have sparked a wider war.
Summary
Tiyung and Hana arrive in the coastal city of Pont after an uncomfortable cart journey. At the messenger house, Hana writes coded dispatches and releases three eagles, while Tiyung withholds questions to avoid forcing lies. In the market, Tiyung gorges after prison scarcity, and Hana purchases blades to bolster their arms before they ride on.
As rain lashes the exposed Coastal Road, Tiyung reflects on lost status, Seok’s threats, and guilt over Daysum’s fate. Prompted by Tiyung, Hana shares that Daysum showed no signs of violence and may have died from illness or overdose, offering a brief prayer. Their talk shifts to Tiyung’s mother; Hana doubts true kindness can coexist with complicity, while Tiyung frames her choices as a mix of affection and self-interest within Yusan’s strictures.
Hana halts abruptly and points seaward. Through a spyglass, Tiyung counts roughly ninety to a hundred Weian ships surging south in monsoon seas, led by a white vessel bearing a red flag with a black snake. Among the sails, he spots a Khitan warship flying a purple flag with a golden eagle and notes the absence of the priest king’s trident.
Realizing the fleet is within striking distance, Tiyung concludes that Yusan and Khitan are aligned with Weia. He understands that Seok’s ambition has escalated the crisis into a war of the realms, raising immediate danger along the coast and redefining the stakes for everyone they are trying to reach.
Who Appears
- TiyungNarrator; travels with Hana to Pont, resupplies, reflects on Daysum and his mother, and identifies the invading fleets.
- HanaHandles money and coded eagles, buys weapons, debates complicity and kindness, and first spots the approaching armada.
- DaysumDeceased; her death is discussed as likely illness or overdose, shaping Tiyung’s guilt.
- SeokNow ruler of Yusan; his ambition and threats frame Tiyung’s losses and the looming war.
- Tiyung’s motherDiscussed as kind yet complicit, constrained by Yusan’s laws and loyalty to Seok.