“She did. She helped us seal many of the problems the world faced then, too. She wasn’t a particularly strong mage, but she knew a great deal, and her knowledge was a formidable weapon. It was she who encouraged a mage traveling with us to record everything. He was the first Tomes.
“Thank you, for what you said to Elora.” Shunlei’s expression became disgruntled, and he focused once more on the hatchling. “I fear you’ll need to repeat that sentiment often. At least in the near future.”
“I don’t mind repeating it. It makes sense, that each country wants to host Tomes. They’ve all got a vested interest in a Tomes’ well-being. I have a compromise in mind for that, actually. I think it prudent for each country to have a copy of the records.”
He regarded her once more, thoughtfully this time. “It would save you the hassle of constantly packing up the books and moving them from location to location.”
“There’s that. And it erases the fear of all the copies possibly being destroyed at once. I really, really wish they’d made duplicates.”
“I believe people were more focused on the magical troubles to settle and less on security. A poor excuse, now that we’ve lost some of those vital records.”
The reminder of that hit her with tension all over again. Worry coiled in her gut so hard she felt nauseous from it. “Shunlei, I really don’t know what to do about those missing records. I mean, we had the records for a reason. That knowledge was hard won. I don’t have to explain that to you. And I’m only an apprentice, I didn’t learn everything I needed to from Abe.”
“Indeed. I know it very well. I fear we’ll lose people as we struggle to subdue old evils. Some evils might escape us until we’ve re-discovered how to seal them. The collateral damage for this one mistake will be very costly. But that’s not your fault, Mei Li. The responsibility for this blunder is not yours. You’re more of a victim of what happened than anyone, aside from Abe.”
She gave him a tight smile in thanks for that reassurance, but the words didn’t penetrate very far. The worry over the situation took precedence in her mind. Unfortunately, Mei Li could only think of two options. One, figure everything out the hard way. Two, use a verboten spell to go and re-create the records. She didn’t like the first one at all. It left the second, which wasn’t very viable and dangerous to boot. “We must find Abe.”
Shunlei met her eyes steadily, face blank and enigmatic once more. “Do not close your mind to other possibilities. There might be another path to give you the answers we need.”
And what was that supposed to mean? “Shunlei. Are you being deliberately cryptic?”
“Oh look, we’re here.” He pointed out the window, side-stepping the question neatly.
One of these days, she was going to choke answers from that cryptic little throat. Now didn’t seem the right time, as they were indeed at the hotel.
Mei Li, after a full day in the air with nothing more than jerky to sustain her, was famished. She’d eat, go look at the Wall, and then find a moment to sit on Shunlei until she got the answers she needed.
He was holding something back. Mei Li’s instincts were certain of it. She’d drag answers out of him one way or another.
Mei Li took one look at the Sea Walls of Tanguay and seriously felt like screaming. What should have been thick walls of sea green magic, impenetrable as stone, were now gossamer thin. The bottom edges almost looked leprous as well, with holes poked into it. It looked like she could walk right through without any resistance, the magic was that weak. How they held the water at bay and kept the harbor intact was anyone’s guess. Mei Li wasn’t in the mood to question the miracle, just celebrate it was still functioning. Despite all odds.
Something of this must have shown on her face, as Shunlei stepped in close to her side and murmured, “It’ll be fine. We’re in time.”
“Fortunately, yes.” Assuming they could start repair work tomorrow. She frankly didn’t trust it to last another week.
The wind ruffled her hair, throwing a few finer strands in her eyes, and she drew them back even as a shiver wracked her from head to toe. A storm was blowing in, and she could feel it down to her bones. That, too, worried her. An onslaught of rain and wind was the last thing they needed right now. The Wall couldn’t stand more battering, least of all by Mother Nature.
Looking about the docks, she found Dolan standing several yards away with another woman who wore similar furs and braids. A fellow countryman? She wore an aura of magic in a visible spectrum, so she was powerful, whoever she was.
Dolan turned, as if sensing Mei Li’s gaze, and waved to her happily. He said something to his companion and they both trotted up to Mei Li and Shunlei. Mei Li took in the woman more carefully as she approached. She wasn’t lovely, or plain, her features too strong to be either. Her jaw was wide, nose high, and her skin a dark tawny from many years in the sun, putting her age anywhere between thirty to fifty. Something about her generous mouth suggested she laughed a great deal, and when she gave a crooked smile to Mei Li, she smiled back without making a conscious decision to do so.
“Mei Li, this is Teoh,” Dolan introduced with a wave of the hand between the two women. “Teoh, this is Mei Li of Tomes and Shunlei, Master of All Dragons.”
“Master Shunlei and I are acquainted,” Teoh answered in a raspy, warm voice. She and Shunlei exchanged polite bows. “Mei Li of Tomes, I am relieved to see you well. When I received Dol’s message that you were found and headed for Tanguay, I came immediately. Tell me how to help you set the world to rights, and I will follow you until I cannot.”
Mei Li caught her hands, rough with calluses, and beamed at the woman. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to hear that offer. There’s much to do, unfortunately. I can start today by teaching you how to renew the Walls.”
“My sister is here too. Let me fetch her before you start explaining. No sense in you repeating yourself more than you need to.” Teoh immediately turned and trotted off, calling for someone as she went.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Dolan confided, “You’ll not find better mages than Teoh and Leah. They’re magically strong and stubborn. They won’t release a spell until they’ve got the result they need. I grew up with them, so I know them better than most.”
Mei Li nodded understanding. “Are they the only ones here today?”
“No, we’ve three more on the far side. One of them is from Tanguay, so he’s been waiting the longest. I’ll go collect them now. The last two I’m expecting are still coming in, but they’ll be here in the morning, I think. They’ll arrive by ship.”
Ship? With the condition of the harbor like this? Mei Li frowned at the Walls and hoped for the best. “Alright. We need a four over four on each Wall.”
Dolan nodded in understanding. In Wu Xing practice, magic for building or sealing was best done from all four directions. It was why talismans were often bought in sets of four, so people could attach them on all four walls of a house. Sometimes it took more than that—sometimes they had to cover both earth and sky directions too—but most of the time, a four over four was sufficient.
In this case, because the Walls had a foundation along the sea floor, Mei Li would need to provide the missing piece. She’d have to write out several talismans tonight, but it was fine. She had sufficient time, and the talismans wouldn’t take her long to make.
Dolan had everyone gathered in fifteen minutes and they went to an empty section of a dock, standing near the icy water, so Mei Li could point to the correct places and explain.
With the twin sisters, Teoh and Leah, there was also a whippet-thin man named Sotejo who looked more undertaker than mage in that unrelieved black. Next to him stood Budworth, a mountain of a man who looked dead on his feet. He was travel-worn in the extreme—tunic, cloak, and boots all mud-stained, and panda eyes in his dark mahogany skin. For his sake, she’d explain quickly so they could not only get out of the wind but rest also. The last was a half-elf so nondesc
ript in appearance she had to remind herself he stood there or risk forgetting him entirely. Simeon was how Dolan introduced him, and he was from Tanguay itself.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said with a smile at the group. “I’ll explain what needs to be done. You decide how to divide up. The Walls are built on Wu Xing principle, specifically generating. Metal collects water.”
Leah pointed to the Walls and spluttered, “Metal?”
“The Walls are not as they should be,” Mei Li agreed with a grimace. “Water is all you see at the moment, but the Wall design gathers the trace elements of metal from the sea and uses them as both foundation and structure to form the Walls. In essence, what you will need to do is call the metal from the sea and re-structure it.”
Proving he was thinking, despite his fatigue, Budworth protested in a surprisingly light tenor, “That shouldn’t be enough.”
“It is not. I will write several talismans and use them to establish a foundation to build upon. Leave that part to me. Each section of the Wall requires a four over four in order to build with. This won’t be a quick, easy in and out. It will take two days of consistent, twelve-hour stretches. Who wants to take which section?”
They fell to discussing the logistics and what time to start in the morning. There was no need to wait on the last two mages, really. They could start on one section of the Wall, as they didn’t need to be built at the same time. Mei Li was of the opinion that the sooner these things were rebuilt, the better. Everyone else shared her opinion and were eager to volunteer for the first round.
Nose dripping from the cold, bones shivering in her skin, Mei Li finally shooed them all to their respective hotels or homes. The rest of this could wait until morning, when they were ready to work. Standing out here as the sun steadily set only increased the risk of them all catching colds.
Shunlei called a rickshaw over and they clambered in, sharing a thick fur blanket over their legs as the driver took off at a quick jog. Mei Li might have sidled in closer than she should have, trying to steal Shunlei’s warmth. He allowed it with nothing more than a smile. “You’ll need to bundle up for the next two days.”
“I’ll freeze otherwise,” Mei Li agreed. “I’ll arrange for hot tea to be brought out to us as we work. Otherwise we’ll be too frozen to work any magic.”
“A good thought.”
Their hotel sat on the waterfront, only two streets over from the docks. It wasn’t a posh place by any means, but it was well cared for and clean, and that’s all Mei Li cared about. She went to Rone’s room first and found the woman curled up on the bed and reading. The hatchling was tucked in next to her thigh, also sleeping, although an empty bottle next to her suggested she’d been recently fed.
Rone looked up from her book with a hopeful lift of her brows. “How did it go?”
“Six of the mages I need are already here, and I’ve instructed them on what needs to be done. We’re still waiting on two to arrive. Our plan is to start on the right Wall while we’re waiting on the others. They all seem quite powerful and experienced, so I think this will work fine. I’m just a little worried about the storm blowing in.”
“Yes, that might delay you some.” Rone set her book aside, absently patting the hatchling’s stomach in a light touch. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“I’m not sure. I need to draw up the right talismans tonight, something I can put on a flag. Paper won’t work, not while working in water. Shunlei promised to fly them over to the right spot once I had them done.”
“If you want something to stick on the sea floor?” Rone waited for her nod of confirmation before continuing, lips pursed in a thoughtful manner. “Then either a weight, or a pole to help ground it. Although the pole will have to be thrown with considerable force. Wrapping a talisman around a brick would surely be easier.”
“I like that idea. The record we have of the Walls’ creation didn’t explain in detail how it was done, just that a talisman was used to outline the foundation of the wall along the sea floor.” Mei Li wanted to go back in time and find the Tomes who had written the record. She needed to personally wring his neck for being so miserly with his words.
Shunlei appeared behind her and stepped just inside the room. “Mei Li, go take a bath. You’re too chilled.”
A hot bath did sound good. She was still shivering a little, unpleasant tremors along her skin. “Sounds heavenly, but I need supplies. I need thirty-two bricks and some sturdy white cloth—something not treated to be waterproof. Untreated canvas would be perfect. And a few brushes and permanent black ink. Oh, and twine.”
Shunlei listened carefully, head cocked. “Talismans for the sea floor? You won’t use flags?”
“I don’t want to expend the magical energy necessary to plant a flag in,” she explained bluntly.
“The bricks would be easier. Alright, we’ll find time to gather them. I don’t wish to purchase anything without you at hand. Rone, do you need anything?”
“More diapers.”
Snorting in amusement, Shunlei muttered rhetorically, “I should have expected that. Very well, I’ll be back shortly.”
As he left, Mei Li offered, “Want me to take her?”
“She is a little sticky,” Rone admitted.
Mei Li fetched the hatchling, who awakened as she was moved, although she didn’t cry. She watched Mei Li curiously as she was carried back down the stairs and to the bathing chambers in the back. This one was built along different lines, with multiple tubs all connected like a child’s block set, squares and rectangles intersecting. Along the top dividers were soap, towels, and brushes. There was no place to wash off first before climbing into the tub, which felt odd to Mei Li, but she supposed that was why the tubs were individually sectioned off to begin with.
The water was hot to the touch, perhaps too hot for a baby’s delicate skin. She snagged a bucket of cool water from the stack along the wall and mixed in some hot water, tempering it. Then she put the hatchling in the bucket, which got a squeal of delight. The dragonling splashed her arms and wings, sending water and suds everywhere, and getting Mei Li laughing in turn.
“Like baths, do you? A girl after my own heart. Alright, you’re clean. I wonder if you’ll float like this?” Mei Li climbed into the tub and then gingerly set the bucket into the water. It floated fine, even with the hatchling still splashing around, bobbing her way between the walls. This was funny too, the little dragon giggling every time she hit a wall. “At least you’re good-natured. If you were one of those kids who was mad at everything, we’d be in trouble.”
The door opened behind her, she could hear it, although not see out because of the privacy screen. Two female voices chattered at each other as the women came in.
“—surprised to see the Master of All Dragons himself escort her in.”
“Ha, I’m not. Not after she was lost for two years. He doesn’t suffer fools and he’s not about to repeat the mistake of her being lost again—oh, hey, she’s here. Hey, Lady Mei Li.”
Twisting in the bathtub, Mei Li rested her arms on the edge and greeted the twin mages as they came in. “Miss Teoh, Miss Leah, hello. Come to warm up?”
“Thought we might as well. Been on the road for days now, after all. And who’s that little tyke?”
“Ah,” Mei Li gestured toward the baby still splashing away, “we found and rescued her on the way here. Bit of a story.”
“Tell us,” Leah invited. She wasn’t precisely an identical twin, although she looked much like her sister. Her hair was more sandy-blonde, perhaps, eyes blue instead of grey.
She related the story as the women washed up and settled in adjacent tubs. As the story wound down, Mei Li pressed for answers. “How did Dolan call you both in?”
“Well, we’re nomadic by nature. We were wandering around, following the jobs, when his wind sprites caught up to us.” Teoh leaned over to give the hatchling a push with a finger, sending her spinning and gig
gling. “When we heard you were found, we stopped right in the middle of the job and celebrated.”
“Then we finished it up as fast as we could and hurried here,” Leah added, twisting her hair up in a towel with efficient movements. “Dolan promised the pay would be good, for one thing, but for another we’re anxious to get some of these problems sorted before it becomes an absolute disaster. Ghost General’s Sword especially—that’s near our hometown. We really want it properly re-sealed before it impacts family.”
“I do understand.” Mei Li felt a little better, knowing more of their background and motives. If these two were to work with her for the foreseeable future, she wanted to know more about them. “And I promise they’re a priority. What I hope to do is go from here, to Lost Souls Bridge and rescue the people lost there. Then go to Jingfei, since she’s close to the bridge.”
“Logistically, it makes the most sense,” Leah agreed slowly. “But do we have that kind of time? Isn’t Odom close to breaking through his seal?”
“Not according to the record. We should have another two months before the seal weakens enough for him to break free. If we do a large loop, following the Crescent, I think we can manage to hit everything in more or less the right order. The only thing that worries me is that Kovel Below is bleeding up into Kovel Above. We might need to skip ahead to the city, deal with that, then backtrack to Summer Wind Temple.”
Teoh’s head snapped up. “Why? Is Ghost General’s Sword acting up?”
Mei Li grimaced. So they hadn’t heard anything from home, then. “Ghost General’s Sword’s seal has weakened enough it’s prompting people to violence, trying to find someone to wield it. I’ve sent instructions to the monks of how to strengthen the seal, but its seal is different than most. I need to strip the seal completely and rebuild it from ground up. Patching it won’t have a lasting effect.”
The twins shared a speaking look. It was Leah who asked, “Free it first? But doesn’t that mean you have to subdue it again?”
Tomes Apprentice Page 13