Baxil moves unseen through wartime Azimir, wrapped in crimson cloth and relying on the strange condition of his existence: people notice him only if they are actively looking for him, and he can touch them only if they are trying to kill him. He passes through the Alethi camp in the Grand Market, reflects on how poorly the city is organized for war, and offers a brief prayer before heading to a discreet teahouse where a meeting has been arranged for him.

Inside the teahouse, Baxil meets Axies the Collector in a private room. Axies is amusing himself by striking his own hand with a hammer in hopes of attracting an obscure kind of pain-related spren reported long ago. Their exchange establishes Axies as eccentric but methodical, and Baxil as familiar enough with him to accept this behavior as normal.

When tea is served, Baxil cannot drink it directly, so he uses his unusual ability to experience it indirectly through the many people around him who are thinking about and tasting tea. That shared attention lets Baxil briefly remember the sensation of drinking, reminding him of the life he had before his blessing and curse. The moment underscores both how diminished his life has become and how much he still longs for ordinary pleasures.

Baxil then asks for the specially prepared red bandages he needs to survive, and Axies produces them. In payment, Baxil gives Axies a gemstone containing a spren, which Axies eagerly accepts. During the exchange, Axies casually reveals that Baxil’s former employer, the Herald Shalash, is in Azimir after traveling with the Alethi army and is now staying in an Azish hospital.

The news shakes Baxil, who admits to himself that he once loved Shalash and may never have stopped. Although he realizes he could go see her, he decides against it in his current state. Instead, Baxil warns Axies that dark times are coming to Azimir, leaves payment behind, and departs to continue his quest, still hoping that one day he might again enjoy something as simple as a cup of tea.