Then the frost phoenix opened its beak. Cha Ming gripped his staff and leapt in the air. The Clear Sky Staff became a wide pillar, and he adjusted his entire body’s element to earth and began to unleash one of his most powerful techniques: Searing Sands of the Sacred Desert. A blue ray blasted toward him from the creature’s beak. Nearby, guards fell into position and erected shields to protect the public, alleviating the last of Cha Ming’s worries.
Cha Ming’s four-colored domain mixed in with the burning sandstorm that collided with the blue ray. It pushed through it, destroying the energy attack and cutting into the mythical creature of cold blue flame. There was a small explosion, and for a moment, Cha Ming was worried the attack might exceed the meager protections the guards had put up, only to realize that two investiture-realm elders had appeared and blocked out the shockwaves from the collision. Like Morning Frost, they had four-colored feathering.
“Enough,” the elders said, dropping to the floor. Morning Frost, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, bowed low. Cha Ming nodded politely. The elders narrowed their eyes and walked over to the wounded Morning Frost and popped a pill into his mouth. “Thank you for all your hard work.”
“It is my pleasure to serve,” Morning Frost said. A small vial exchanged hands, and Morning Frost, having lost all face in this exchange, stalked off. All as planned.
“Follow us,” one of the two elders said.
Cha Ming followed the two ladies. One was tall, proud, and confrontational, with short hair and bare arms, and another was regal and comported herself with the aura of a noble lady. The first was cold and furious, and the other warm and inviting. They both bore four-colored feathering, but which four colors they sported were different.
What’s with the color scheme on these phoenixes? Cha Ming asked Huxian through their bond.
Seriously? Huxian replied. You’re asking that now? Tell me you didn’t piss off anyone with four or more colors.
I might have, Cha Ming said. What do they even mean? Do I act humble or arrogant near them? He was swimming in the deep end without first having taken swimming lessons.
Huxian didn’t reply, so that probably meant he didn’t know. Still, it was probably unsustainable to keep acting so low-key. These were elders, so they should probably be shown some respect. So, using admittedly contrarian logic, Cha Ming straightened himself out and acted a bit less humble. He proudly announced his purpose, though he didn’t exaggerate or act boastful. He kept his Crown of the Starry Sky active for all to see, and he chose to keep two wings out for now, keeping the other two in reserve.
He followed them into the brightly colored palace at the center of the ninth floor. When they arrived, they turned to him. “Daoist Clear Sky, please announce the nature of your visit.”
“I have come to deliver a message on behalf of the new Stargazer chieftain, Clever Dusk,” Cha Ming said. “I have been instructed to deliver it directly to the First Feather of Shimmerwing City. It has also been some time since our last meeting, and I would like to personally greet her.”
“You are welcome into the palace, Daoist Clear Sky, noble king of the Star-Eye Lineage,” the elder said. They turned in unison, and the crowd that had followed them all this way dispersed, unable to enter the palace. It was only now that these gawkers were gone that Cha Ming saw a few figures that stood out in the crowd. They’d been watching, relaxed and intrigued by the display but not willing to interfere.
Each of them had feathers of not three or four colors, but five. Each feather wasn’t individually colored but a mixture of all of them, like if buckets of paint were splattered or if a prism scattered light. The moment he saw them, they ducked away, embarrassed. They didn’t want to cause a scene.
That, more than anything else, made him take note of them.
The palace was plain compared to the rest of the tower city, though by now, Cha Ming should have expected it. The walls were made of a smooth stone he’d never seen before, with colored veins running through the material as though it were living instead of assembled slabs of dead mountain. Each was carefully carved with a simple but precise pattern that emphasized these natural features. They linked together with the rest of the decorations in the palace, unifying what would have otherwise been divergent pieces in a majestic but reserved whole.
Most of the decorations in the palace, Cha Ming saw, did not catch the light, but gave it off instead. As opposed to crystalline decorations, each room was filled with stained-glass windows that were illuminated from behind by multicolored candles. Torches burning with iridescent flames hung in long stone hallways and at the entrance and exit of each room.
The people here were all well-dressed. Even the servants. Yet unlike the posturing phoenixes Cha Ming had seen before, they all acted humble and subservient. Showing off might provoke others and cause them to lose face.
Cha Ming eyed everyone warily as the two elders, who introduced themselves as Cold Embrace and Summer Solstice, led him through hallway after hallway that revealed a much larger number of elders than he’d seen when Shimmerwing City and Stargazer City had almost come to blows. Most of them had three-colored plumage, and a good number had four. As for the juniors, they were all polite and meek. Every one of them was either a late- or peak-initiation demon, and like the elders, they also had three- or four-colored plumage.
It was interesting to see the hierarchy at work. On the one hand, it was important to act reserved and humble if you were important. On the other, who would dare slight their betters? Cha Ming would have made the trip if just to see this contradiction in action.
Still, one thing bothered him: Where were the iridescent phoenixes? Last he’d checked, Shimmerwing City was controlled by the Iridescent Phoenix Clan. He’d met the First Feather before, and her feathers had been like the ones he’d seen on the curious youngsters outside the palace.
“We will proceed to the audience chamber now, but before we do that, I’ll give you a quick bit of advice,” Elder Cold Embrace said. She was a woman of few words, he’d found, and this was only the third time she’d spoken. “You clearly know something of our culture, but you’re acting like an unrefined five-year-old.” She cut him off before he could reply. “I don’t blame you. You’re only human. Even other demon clans have trouble adapting to our refined standards. It is in the spirit of not having you die for saying something cross that I am giving you a few quick pointers, if you would accept them.”
Cha Ming bowed in gratitude. “Please. Anything that can help me.”
“First, say nothing obviously insulting,” Cold Embrace said. “Second, if you are ignorant, do not fold like a pair of untrained wings. Firmly state your point and invite refutation. If you are incorrect, as you likely will be, accept correction and show deference. In this way, you will show respect to your elders.”
“You are in our home, so you are expected to do as we do,” Summer Solstice added. “While most will give you the benefit of the doubt, some elders are specifically anti-human. Yet you are in the unique position of representing another demon clan, so they can only go so far. Just try to behave according to your relatively important capacity. Hold your ground, but yield as friends often would for each other. You are not here to speak of business, but of friendship.”
“Should I expect any challenges?” Cha Ming asked.
“Yes,” Cold Embrace said. “Deflect them as you would the attacks of someone with a lower status. They are beneath you, so you should try to avoid fighting. If they force you too strongly, show them why they are wrong. Though displays of power hold some weight, I caution you against them. They invite other battles, and you are weaker than our strongest elders. Our clansmen remember insults for many generations.”
“I think I understand…” Cha Ming said.
“You don’t,” Cold Embrace snapped.
“But you will be given leeway,” Summer Solstice said reassuringly. “At least, as much leeway as we would offer anyone else representing the Monkey Cla
n.”
He wasn’t sure how much that was, so Cha Ming would do his best to avoid giving any unnecessary offense.
They entered another hallway, and here, the helpful elders quieted. Five-colored torches lit up the way, filling it with a strange iridescent light that behaved oddly when it interacted with the stained-glass artwork on display. The glass refused to reflect or absorb the light. It saw it less as a friend and more as competition. Moreover, the colors in the glass were more vibrant than normal. They flowed from pane to pane, like water between containers. How strange, he thought.
Finally, they arrived at a guarded door. They waited there under the watchful eye of two guards in ceremonial robes. These guards also had feathers of four different colors. They didn’t wait long before the armed man and woman announced them and ushered them into a chamber containing a simple throne. It was made of stone, but within the stone were cut gems that glowed with bright, changing colors.
The First Feather sat there, proud and aloof as another petitioner bowed and walked away. She looked at Cha Ming, cool and impassive, her iridescent feathers on display. Her robes were simple, but just her wearing them made their pale colors lively and vibrant. She was quite different in her home than on the battlefield.
They were not alone in the room. There were twelve chairs beside the throne, and each one was occupied by an elder. Most of these had three- and four-colored feathers, though two of them had the same strange iridescent feathers the First Feather had. No phoenix had feathers of five different colors, strangely. He would need to ask about this.
Elders aside, there were other people in the stands above them. The Iridescent Phoenix Clan’s royal audiences were apparently open to the public. That made sense for a clan of showboating peacocks. The spectators consisted of a variety of folk, ranging from common Phoenix clansmen of a single color to a few youngsters with iridescent feathering, whom everyone granted a healthy berth.
Cha Ming walked up to the throne and gave a shallow cultivator’s bow to the First Feather, greeting her as he might an acquaintance. The First Feather looked him over for a while before getting up from her seat and reciprocating the gesture.
“Well met, First Feather,” Cha Ming said. “It has been far too long since our last meeting.”
“Indeed it has, Daoist Clear Sky,” said the First Feather. “I hear you bring me news from the new Stargazer chieftain, Lady Clever Dusk, queen of the Star-Eye lineage.”
“Indeed, though instead of words, she instructed me to deliver an item as a message,” Cha Ming said. He glanced at the stands, wondering if this should be more covert, but in the end he took out the strange gem-like peach. This resulted in a few confused utterances and interested glances. Only the First Feather looked at the gem apprehensively.
“I can see why no words were sent,” the First Feather replied after a few moments. “The message is clear, and you may tell her that we will respect our ancient obligations. You can also tell her that we of the Iridescent Phoenix Clan are undecided on how to proceed, though we will consider her offer. Regardless, we will fulfill the agreement.”
“I will relay your message word for word,” Cha Ming replied. He still had no idea what any of this meant. “Please pardon my ignorance. Will you require me to deliver anything else in addition to the reply?”
“There is no need to deliver anything,” the First Feather said. “Though in truth, I am surprised that she managed to retrieve this knowledge. The Star-Eye Ancestor did not leave a structured path of inheritance like the Iridescent Ancestor did. It is no wonder that the Star-Eye Clan finds itself in dire straits.”
Cha Ming hesitated. That did sound like a slight invitation to protest. “Forgive me for saying so, but it seems to me that while the Iridescent Clan has fared better than the Star-Eye Clan or the Clockwork Clan, it has done so by sacrificing some of its independence.”
“Perhaps,” the First Feather said. “But are you not human and standing here? Are you not worthy of trust? Trade is a tradition that transcends species.”
“A fair statement,” Cha Ming admitted. “The First Feather is wise.”
“It is good that you know to acknowledge your mistakes,” the First Feather replied. “Was there anything else, Clear Sky?”
“Nothing official, First Feather,” Cha Ming said. “Now that I’ve delivered the Star-Eye Clan’s message, I wish to greet you personally.” He straightened and took on a slightly more confident tone. “I’m happy that this time we can meet in peace and not war.”
The First Feather shrugged and walked back to her throne. She sat down and crossed her legs. “War? Peace? Does it matter really? We would have won in the end.”
“You would have won the battle and lost the war,” Cha Ming said.
“Audacious!” said one of the six elders. He had three colors in his plumage—red, gold, and light brown. “We are using humans for own devices instead of the other way around. Our spire is impregnable. Is that not winning?”
“Please forgive my ignorance,” Cha Ming said in a more subdued manner. “There’s no need to exaggerate my words. I merely wanted to convey to the First Feather that two trading partners are better than one, and that the existence of the Star-Eye Clan, friends of your clan, would be beneficial. There’s no need to get aggressive.”
The elder fumed, but before he could reply, the First Feather cut him off. “Young Clear Sky makes a good point,” she said. “Though he might not know of how favorable our trading terms are.”
“For now,” Cha Ming said.
“You push your luck,” the First Feather replied. Her aura rose in strength. Not enough to make him kneel, but enough to make his knees shake. He bowed again, much lower this time, before answering.
“It is as you say,” Cha Ming said. “I am ignorant and young.”
Her aura receded. Damn this backwards Phoenix Clan etiquette. If he could change one thing about this world, it would be this. Zero negative impact. Clear benefits. “Aside from polite greetings, I have come for another matter.”
“And what matter is that, pray tell?” asked the First Feather.
“As you might know, I have a duel that is fast approaching,” Cha Ming said. “Two duels, in fact, with Prefecture Lords Dripping Blade and Burning Lake. I currently lack the strength to defeat them, but it is possible that I might win, with your aid.”
“You are a benefactor of our clan,” the First Feather said. “And you are a high-ranking member of the Star-Eye Clan. Tell me, what favor have you come here to beg for?”
“I wish to obtain a portion of inheritance blood from the Iridescent Ancestor,” Cha Ming said. His words caused the stands to stir, and the elders to glare at him murderously. There was anger in the air now, palpable and burning. It made the temperature in the room increase by several degrees, and Cha Ming was thankful he was a blood-awakening cultivator.
Several of the elders stood up indignantly, though the two elders with iridescent plumage simply looked him over coolly. Others were more vocal. That included those in the stands. They might be common people, but had he not thrown away all face by asking such a thing?
“You think yourself worthy of such an honor?” one woman with three-colored plumage asked from the stands.
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Cha Ming replied.
“You think yourself worthy of bringing this up with one of us?” one of the elders with three-colored plumage said. His aura rose, and he channeled light from the large crystal chandelier that shone from the audience chamber’s ceiling. Cha Ming had no choice but to activate the second stage of Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations, Crown of the Starry Sky, and even Clockwork Boots of the Golden Dragon to resist it. Even then, it was barely enough.
“You might be strong, but you are an investiture-realm elder,” Cha Ming said evenly. “Further, I am qualified to speak to your First Feather, forget a mere elder.” He summoned the Clear Sky Staff, and it glowed with a violet demon-subduing light that crushed the cloud of accumulat
ed demonic energy. The elder blanched, and he rapidly pulled back his power. He could only glare at him like a wounded dog as Cha Ming pulled back the demon-subduing energy but kept the violet staff out.
“For what reason, Clear Sky, should we entertain your request?” the First Feather asked. “The Iridescent Ancestor’s blood is precious to us. It is rationed. What do you have to offer us in exchange?”
“I offer nothing but the fact that should I defeat the prefecture lords, I will be in a position to stop the war,” Cha Ming said. “This would not only save the Star-Eye Clan, friends of the Iridescent Clan, but would also put someone who is friendly to the Iridescent Clan in charge of the prefecture. We could update existing treaties to more favorable ones, among other things. Surely that counts for something?”
The crowd held their breath as the First Feather contemplated the question. She made a big show of it before finally shaking her head. “No, I don’t think it would do to give you the Iridescent Ancestor’s blood.”
“Surely the situation merits it?” Cha Ming asked, his heart dropping. He didn’t have a lot to offer her, and the only thing he knew was that Clever Dusk had hinted it was possible. It was the how that was tricky.
“The Iridescent Ancestor’s blood is earned, not given,” the First Feather said. “Whether it is for me, the First Feather, or for the elders in this room, I can make no exceptions.”
“Then is there a way for me to earn the privilege?” Cha Ming asked.
“Perhaps,” the First Feather said. “Though it would be difficult for you, if not impossible. There is only one place to earn this blood, and that is by competing in the Trial by Ancestral Fire.”
“And how might I be able to earn that honor?” Cha Ming asked.
Claddings of Light : Book 12 of Painting the Mists Page 12