by JC Kang
Tian yelled, “Fleet, slow down!”
“No time!” the madaeri called back. “I’ll whistle like this…” he let out a very shrill sound, unbelievable that someone so small could make it, “…every few minutes to let you know where I am. You do the same.”
The whistles drifted farther and farther away over the next half-hour. The trees grew denser and denser, until they came to a clearing. Exhausted, Tian threw himself down on a fallen log. He motioned for the imperial guards to join him.
It was hopeless. They’d never reunite with Fleet, let alone the princess. He was a failure.
The madaeri yelled back through the trees. “I found them. Stay where you are.”
Tian’s heart soared. The madaeri was incredible.
Before long, the Southerners emerged from an animal path, with Fleet in the lead. The princess glided straight and regal, with no sign of fatigue. The Hua dropped to one knee in a bow. “Dian-xia,” they shouted in unison.
Fleet shot them an annoyed glance, cutting his hand in front of his mouth.
“It is a miracle,” Chen Xin whispered, “that we were able to find you in these woods.”
“No miracle, just exceptional wilderness skills.” The madaeri grinned.
Kaiya bowed deeply to Brehane. The Hua followed suit. “I am so sorry. Because of me, you lost your horses, and you will not be able to reach the Kanin pyramid in time.”
Cyrus shook his head. “What is done is done. There is no point placing blame. We must just continue forward. The White Moon is full once a month.”
Fleet pointed west. “The main road will not be safe for the next couple of days. I suggest we head up into the hills and keep heading south. About three days south of here, the river bends. We can descend there and return to the road. We travel by day, to take away the altivorc’s advantage with their night vision.” Without waiting for discussion, he started down a path heading southwest.
Tian tapped his chin. What other choice was there but to follow? At least for now, they were safe.
With about three hours of daylight left, the group forged ahead, following paths worn by animals. When they came across streams, Fleet insisted that they walk through them until they found new paths.
By the time the sun sank to just above the Nothori Mountains, they had reached the foot of the hills. The trees thinned. For the time being they found themselves well ahead of the altivorcs, with cold feet and in desperate need of rest. While the others stopped to catch their breath and drink some water, Fleet backtracked to cover their trail. How did the madaeri get his endless energy?
Upon his return, he reported that the altivorcs had lost their trail. Even so, it would be safer to keep up a fast pace and head into the hills where they might find shelter.
After spending the last hour of sunlight marching, Fleet left the party again to search for a campsite. He returned with the news of a small cave not far up a nearby hill.
Tian wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to the princess. In the low light, the princess’ features twisted. What now?
They climbed a winding path to the entrance to the cave. The Southerners entered first. The Hua sank to their knees and waited for the princess to go in, but she turned her head to hide behind hair she no longer had. “I can’t stay in there. If they come this way, they won’t think to look up. I can stay outside.”
Fleet shook his head. “The altivorcs have excellent night vision. Your body heat would be a beacon. Better not to risk it.”
Chen Xin looked up. “Dian-xia, we should get a good night’s sleep.”
After all that had transpired between them, Tian was glad someone else was pressing the princess.
Nevertheless, she folded her arms across her chest and turned her back to the cave entrance. What happened to the strong and resolute princess from earlier?
Tian began to rise, when Chen Xin shot him a warning glance. No, somebody had to talk sense into her, and the imperial guards would only go so far. “Dian-xia,” Tian said. “You must get used to this. Our trip will take many months. You’ll spend many uncomfortable nights. On hard floors. In tight quarters.”
The princess pouted and her eyes welled up. Without another word, she stomped into the cave.
Exasperated, Tian shook his head. He peered through the cave mouth. Too dark to see. What was the princess doing? At this rate, they wouldn’t survive the night, let alone rest of their journey.
Fleet gathered up some branches and brush to cover the cave entrance. “We need to set single watches. One-hour rotations. Let the princess have her beauty sleep. We should be moving at sunrise.”
Tian’s limbs screamed for rest. He ducked into the cave, which was barely large enough for them to spread out all of their bedrolls. The princess insisted on sleeping closest to the entrance, even if it meant that people would have to step over her when their turn to stand watch came. Whatever. Tian fell asleep in seconds.
Zhao Yue jostled him awake. “You have this watch.”
Tian rubbed his face. It felt like he had only slept for a few minutes. His body still ached. It would be a long day, unless they died early. He sat by the cave opening, thinking. Hopefully, Jie was faring better than they were. She must be safe and sound behind the embassy walls, worried about him.
Fleet crept past him. “I’m going to scout out the altivorc position. If I don’t make it back by breakfast, head due south without me.”
Disappearing again? Tian opened his mouth, but the madaeri slipped out of the cave and into the night.
When the ink-black of night gave way to black-blue hues, Tian woke the others. They rolled up their bedding and ate a breakfast of Kanin cornbread in silence.
Fleet poked his head into the cave. “The altivorcs are breaking camp, about two hours behind us.”
Tian tapped his chin, now covered with stubble. The madaeri had been gone two hours; how did he know where the altivorcs were? “Have they found our trail?”
Fleet shrugged. “Hard to say. We have to keep constant watch to the west. This area is crawling with altivorc tunnels. Not even I know where they all are.” He grinned.
Tian rolled his eyes. “We can eat while we travel. It will save time.”
Fleet shook his head. “Eat first. I don’t want you leaving a trail of cornbread for them to follow.”
Tian kept his expression blank. The madaeri was regularly leaving the group, and now he was keeping them in one place.
When the sun peeked through the autumn foliage, they set off. The princess was testy, refusing help from the guards and refusing to talk to anyone.
Tian shook his head. To think this girl had bedazzled kings and generals just a week before. They would spend another few months travelling like this, assuming her attitude didn’t first get her caught and the rest of them killed.
Barely an hour had passed before altivorc drums echoed through the hills. The faint sound from a smaller drum answered from the direction the party had come, well in the distance.
Tian glared suspiciously at Fleet, but before he could say anything, another drumming pattern answered the first, this time originating from the hills ahead of them.
Fleet’s eyebrows furrowed. Was that steam coming from his ears? “Our pursuers have discovered our campsite. Another band in the hills above is descending on an intercept path.”
CHAPTER 32:
Confrontations
More drums, echoing through the wooded hills. Tian glared at Fleet. Was he leading them into a trap?
The madaeri pointed to the line of mountains to the west. “The Nothori Mountains are dotted with entrances to underground altivorc cities. Altivorcs are all over the place.”
Tian blanked his expression. No point in vocalizing his misgivings at this point. Otherwise lost, they had little choice but to follow their supposed guide.
Fleet led them to the southwest, taking them closer to the mountains and apparently out of the altivorcs’ intercept course. Yet after an hour of hiking, they stumbled upon another patrol.
After a brief but fierce engagement, they backtracked and followed a tributary of the Alto River upstream toward the mountains.
Tian scratched his chin. It seemed like they were spiraling into a smaller circle. If only he could see the Iridescent Moon through the trees, he could get a better sense of direction. The wilderness was a lot harder to navigate than urban environments.
The arduous path bent upwards, with the river rustling ever to their right. On their left, the terrain rose, the thick woods now thinning from spindly deciduous trees to straight, fresh-smelling evergreens. The only signs of animals were intermittent bird chirps. The princess wore complaints on her hard expression, but thankfully kept quiet.
After several hours, the gentle rise in elevation on either side jutted sharply upwards, forming a gorge. The cliff walls were rocky, with an occasional shrub breaking the monotonous white clay.
Tian eyed the entrance. “There might be more altivorcs. On the other side. We’d be trapped. We should turn back. Look for another path.”
“There are no humanoid tracks here.” Fleet pointed down to the ground. “This path was formed by animals, not by altivorcs. And even if we have a lead on them, they might still catch up to us if we turn back now. Our best chance is to forge ahead.”
Tian looked up at the cliffs that now towered sixty feet above them, their tops lined with rocks and trees. Just like ambushes he had set from rooftops. They might be walking into the jaws of a trap. “Can we be sure the path continues? Might it dead-end?”
“There’s always that possibility,” Fleet conceded. “However, if you look at the freshest deer tracks, there are more going in than out.”
How could the madaeri tell? The tracks were bewildering. Maybe he was lying. Tian stole a glance at the princess, who somehow maintained an air of elegance even as she squatted to catch her breath.
She met his eyes and stood. Her weary voice still sounded melodious. “Young Lord Zheng, I don’t like this either, but we have no choice but to trust Fleet. We will continue through the gorge.”
Tian kept his face from twisting into a scowl. She was right. Without Fleet they’d be wandering aimlessly into one altivorc patrol after another. “As the princess commands.”
After a few minutes of rest, they refilled their water skins in the river and pressed on. Had there been no sense of urgency, the ravine would have been picturesque, with occasional waterfalls and deep azure pools among broad mossy boulders. The rustle of the water dancing over the rocks drowned out all other sounds.
The path, which had started off wide enough for four of them to walk abreast, narrowed as it rose high above the water line. Tian glanced at the others. They all wore concerned looks—all but Fleet, who merrily hopped along, undaunted by the prospect of a dead end.
The ledge abruptly narrowed to just a few feet at a sharp corner around a river bend. Oblivious to danger, Fleet effortlessly skipped around the corner. Tian and the princess, too, had little problem negotiating the left-hand turn. The ledge widened on the other side.
Yet for the rest of the party, it became a heart-stopping endeavor. Brehane, in particular, squeezed the hands of Sameer in front of her and Cyrus in back of her as she inched around the corner, face pressed against the cliff wall. “I won’t make. I’ll never see my son again.”
Such dramatics. Tian assessed the position. A perfect bottleneck, easily defendable for a left-handed warrior. He looked at Li Wei, who was already passing his gear to Ma Jun. The two exchanged knowing nods. Tian bowed his head.
With sweat beading on her bald head, Princess Kaiya pushed back through the others. Ma Jun bowed low and allowed her to pass, and the rest of the imperial guard gathered up behind her.
“Captain Li,” she said in a low but severe voice, “why have you stopped? Are you abandoning your duty to protect me?”
Li Wei dropped to his knee, fist to the ground. “Never, Dian-xia. I can slow the altivorcs’ advance here, especially since I am left-handed and can attack them as they turn the corner.”
She frowned. “Do not needlessly sacrifice yourself. I command you to walk at my side.”
He bowed his head lower. “Forgive me, Dian-xia. The punishment for disobeying your command is death. I will accept that now as I hold this position to give you a greater lead.”
“And if I say we will all fight together?” she asked. Her sincerity was touching, if misplaced.
“Then we will all die together,” Li Wei said. “We cannot hold it indefinitely. They have superior numbers and will eventually come around the other side. I would not be able to face Xu Zhan in the next life if I let that happen.”
Tian took her by the crook of the elbow. They had to go. For her safety. “Dian-xia. It is our highest honor. To die for you. Come, so that Li Wei’s sacrifice will not be in vain.”
She stubbornly struggled against his pull, tears in her eyes, while Li Wei remained bowed.
“Stop resisting and conserve your strength,” Tian said. She would need it.
Finally, the princess allowed herself to be led away, casting one final glance at her loyal guard. Despite his pessimistic demeanor, Li Wei was well-liked by everyone. Tian would miss him.
The river’s water rustled in Kaiya’s ears as she walked wordlessly down the paths. Despair squeezed at her heart. All these sacrifices made by her guards, handmaidens, and others, for her. Li Wei, despite his droning pessimism, had been the most chivalrous, helping her on and off of boats and carriages. If only she’d killed Geros when she had the chance.
At the next break, she crouched on a rock, sighing as she studied her reflection in a mud-clouded puddle. Her once waist-length, lustrous black hair now bristled as coarse stubble, suited to a solider recently pressed into service. Dirt and blood streaked her pearly complexion. Instead of the finest, vibrant silk gowns that floated on her like mist, she now wore faded brown hemp robes whose coarseness chafed her milky skin. They did little to warm her in the chill autumn breeze.
In the puddle’s reflection, the brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn foliage, and the azure sky above, provided a breathtaking backdrop to her tattered appearance.
What should have been an easy, week-long journey by sea had warped into a perilous trek that might take months—if they eluded capture and survived. They’d lost two already. Her fault. A lone ripple floated across the puddle, radiating out from a single tear she allowed to fall from her cheek.
“Dian-xia.” Tian’s hated voice interrupted her moment of self-pity.
He thought he knew everything. Where was the sweet, awkward boy she once adored? She clenched her teeth and wiped her tears away. He would not see her cry, not see that she was anything less than a princess of Hua. Even if she no longer looked the part.
Rising, she lifted her chin, focused on him and forced a regal smile. No matter how ragged her outward appearance, command had been bred into her blood.
He instantly averted his gaze, showing proper deference. Yet when he spoke, his tone was patronizing, like a teacher admonishing an unruly child. “Fleet is back from covering our tracks. He says we need to keep moving if we want to keep a safe distance from the altivorcs.”
Before it was over, even more would perish. Because of her. Guilt and despair threatened to overcome her voice, so she kept her words simple. “Then move.” She bent down and gathered her pack before turning away from him so he wouldn’t see her tears.
It took all of Tian’s discipline to conceal his contempt for the princess. She was wallowing in self-pity again. That much was obvious from the smudged streaks across her filthy face. Then move? What was that supposed to mean?
His concerns about the madaeri could wait. “As the princess commands.”
The trilling and chirping of birds ceased, as if in reproach for his cold voice interrupting their songs.
He’d been harsh, but it was for her own good. He turned so she wouldn’t see his regret, his eyes finding the three surviving imperial guards. Gone were their stoic expressions,
silk blue robes, and burnished breastplates, replaced by haggard sadness and monks’ robes. Even if they didn’t look the part, they’d still happily give their lives to protect the princess. It didn’t make Tian feel any less guilty for putting them in this position.
His attention shifted to their diminutive guide, who slouched on a moss-covered log, munching happily on a chunk of cornbread. He sat up straight and looked around, furrowed brows and tight lips marring his usually jovial expression. Plotting something, perhaps. Yes, time to tell the princess.
“Dian-xia—”
He turned his shoulder and reached out to snatch the shaft of a black-fletched arrow that whizzed past the princess’ head. It would have hit him in the chest had his reflexes been any slower. He looked towards the source of the shot, using the arrow in his hand to swat away another one with a crisp sweep of his arm. Above them, along a ridge just fifty feet away, several altivorcs fitted arrows to their bowstrings.
Sameer whipped his naga from its sheath and charged up the ridge. The imperial guards bolted up, forming a living shield in front of the princess.
Not like she needed it. They wanted her alive, unharmed.
The others scrambled among the boulders along the side of the trail. Tian glared at the madaeri. “You said they weren’t far behind!”
Fleet jumped out from cover and loosed an arrow from his bow. It flew true through the eye of an altivorc. “It’s not my fault.” He ducked back behind a boulder to avoid an answering volley of deadly arrows. “These are ahead of us!”
Right. Tian drew his saber. He couldn’t leave Sameer to fight alone. He stepped out and looked up the ridge.
The Paladin had drawn the altivorcs’ fire. He nimbly, almost impossibly, dodged some arrows while cutting others out of the air with his blade. Such recklessness!
Tian followed him up the slope, albeit with more caution, picking his way around trees, boulders, and fallen trunks.
Behind him, Brehane uttered foul gibberish. Her chant concluded with a hard inflection. A thunderous blast of sound reverberated from the altivorcs’ position. The shockwave nearly knocked Tian off his feet.