by JC Kang
Lights and Magic
Alight breeze whistled through the boughs of flowering plum trees, sending their petals tumbling down like fragrant snow around Kaiya. Her younger self would’ve fought the urge to spin in a circle at the beauty, but the Tiger’s Eye made maintaining imperial propriety easy.
Just as well, since Doctor Wu would undoubtedly reprimand any spring frolicking as dangerous to the babies. At her insistence, they now rode horses slow enough for a tortoise to keep pace. The trail through the gorge descended, while the stream widened. Soon, the gulch would open up to the quaint town of Yanhu, where the Yu-Ming lord had aligned himself with either Peng’s rebellion or the Teleri invasion.
Fleet walked ahead, at point. A small, dark silhouette as dusk approached, he would occasionally pause and signal for the rest of her entourage to stop. Her honor guard had dwindled, with those too wounded to travel left behind with her palanquin and porters. It had been hard to convince Commander Zhuang to comply. The one thing she missed most about the power of her voice was not having to waste time with logical arguments.
They reached the mouth of the gorge as the iridescent moon waxed to its first gibbous. The white moon Renyue waxed to half, while Guanyin’s Eye neared full-open. Only four days until the conjunction of the three. Their light now mixed together, casting the lake town of Yanhu in a curious hue. Yet it was Teardrop Lake itself, glowing a faint blue, which lit up the sloped roofs, winding paths, docks and boats. It’d been years since she visited.
Fleet pointed. “Soldiers. At least sixty of them, two kilometers…three li…away.”
Kaiya squinted along the stream, now about six or seven paces wide, but saw only indistinct shadows. Her ears couldn’t pick out the men breathing from such a far distance. Still, they had twenty of the best cavalry soldiers with them. “Commander?”
“They won’t dare stop imperial cavalry.” Commander Zhuang rested a hand on his sword hilt.
Fleet chuckled. “Sometimes a surgeon’s knife works better than a hacksaw.”
The soldier glared at the madaeri, then turned to Kaiya with pleading eyes.
Kaiya stared out into gorge. “What do you suggest?”
Commander Zhuang bowed. “Wait until dawn. Then we ride in a defensive position around the regent. Even if that traitor of a lord wishes her ill, the general populace will bow down before her.”
“If they are on their knees, the traitors will have a better shot with their crossbows.” Fleet rolled his eyes. “Let me go first and borrow a boat.”
“Borrow?” Kaiya raised an eyebrow.
He grinned. “Procure. Commandeer. I am sure commandeering a boat in an emergency is well within the regent’s purview. I will row it as far as it will go upstream, flash a signal with my light bauble, and you sneak down in small groups to meet me.”
Kaiya turned to the commander. “I appreciate your fervor and dedication. However, in this situation, perhaps something more subtle would be prudent.”
Lips drawn in a tight line, Commander Zhuang shuffled in place before bowing. “As the regent commands.”
Kaiya pointed back the way they’d come. “Whoever cannot fit in the boat shall return to the wounded and the porters in the gorge. As soon as you are able to travel, return to this town and await my command.”
“Yes, Jie-xia.” The commander bowed again, though his lips quivered.
Fleet skipped down the road without any obvious concern for his safety. Kaiya tracked him until he disappeared into the background.
“Sit and rest, Jie-xia.” Doctor Wu appeared at her side. Though the old woman’s hand on her shoulder felt light as silk, Kaiya sank to the ground. The imperial cavalry clopped forward, their hooves’ rhythmic beat lulling. Her leaden eyelids weighed down on her brow.
“Jie-xia,” Commander Zhuang’s voice called. Someone shook her shoulder.
Kaiya’s eyes flew open. She was lying on her side, a pack beneath her head and a cloak covering her from the night’s chill. Sitting up, she looked around.
“The halfling has returned,” Commander Zhuang said.
Returned…several hours must’ve passed, even if it seemed only a few minutes. Down near the town, perhaps a li away, a tiny light flashed three times. She stretched out her arms. “How long have I been asleep?”
Sameer strolled up and extended his hand. “Less than two hours.”
Kaiya took the Paladin’s hand. Around her, the imperial cavalry murmured, but bowed as she flashed an imperious glance.
“May I escort you to the boat?” Sameer pressed his hands together and bowed.
The commander gritted his teeth. “That is my responsibility.”
Sameer bowed. “On horseback, you must be a formidable archer. However, I am accustomed to fighting on my feet. Please give me the honor of walking with the princess, while you follow behind with your deadly bow in hand.”
As diplomatic as ever. Kaiya suppressed a smile that the Tiger’s Eye couldn’t contain.
Commander Zhuang grunted. Beckoning two of his men, he mounted up and drew his bow. “We will follow fifty paces behind you, Jie-xia.”
“Thank you, Commander.” Kaiya took Sameer’s hand, and he helped her down the slope to the stream. Her feet squished into the rich soil. Just like the time Tian had helped her along a river bank in the Wilds. He’d been so sweet, for the first time since they were children. Now, she pressed his set of lockpicks in her sash. Her heart fluttered, and a tear formed in her eye. Heavens, the Tiger’s Eye crumbled with disturbing frequency. It had to hold out, just a little longer.
Each footstep strengthened her resolve. On the other side of the stream, the first shoots of spring poked out of the farmland. After several dozen paces, they came to a broad weir. Beyond it churned a farm’s waterwheel, silhouetted by the moons’ light. The breaths of several men hid among the splashing water.
“Look out.” Kaiya gripped Sameer’s arm and pointed toward the waterwheel.
Hoe in hand, a man stepped out on the other side of the stream. “No trespassing on my farm!”
Kaiya squinted. He didn’t seem to have any weapons other than the hoe, and he wore a simple robe. Sameer’s body relaxed beneath her grip. “Forgive us,” she said. “My friend has never visited this area and wanted to see your waterwheel. We will be going on our way.” She waved up toward the road, where three of her horsemen trotted.
“Too authoritative a tone,” Sameer hissed. “I don’t even understand your language and I can tell. Plus, your posture is too regal.”
He was right. Slumping her shoulders, Kaiya cast her gaze down. Perhaps a commoner wouldn’t notice.
“Princess Kaiya?” The farmer lowered the hoe and bowed.
So she looked and acted like an aristocrat. Still, a farmer had identified her by name despite the darkness. He also happened to be out at a late hour. She met his gaze. “How did you know?”
He started to kneel, then glanced back toward the town and stopped. He leaned in as far as the stream would allow and whispered, “Lord Zhi ordered us to keep an eye out for you. He has offered a reward of ten golden yuan for anyone who reports you.”
“Why?”
The farmer shook his head. “These are uncertain times. Lord Peng marches this way, and rumor has it that a foreign army does as well. Talk in the village says our lord is trying to align himself with the one he thinks will win.”
Apparently, Lord Zhi gave the imperial army even less of a chance than she did.
The man pointed back toward the town. “Many of our lord’s men are watching the roads for you. Please be careful, Dian-xia. The people support the Tianzi.”
Even if the Tianzi was an infant. Kaiya bowed her head. “Thank you. I have nothing to give you now, but when the imperial armies prove who has the Mandate of Heaven, I will make sure you are rewarded.” She turned to Sameer and gestured toward the town. “Potential enemies are watching the roads. We need to stay by the stream.”
Sameer nodded and pulled her along. Not far b
ehind, small footsteps squelched in the mud. Kaiya looked back. Two small shapes, likely Brehane and Doctor Wu. Well behind them slunk two more people. Up ahead, maybe a quarter-li away where the stream again widened to about ten paces, a boat waited. Not much farther now.
“Halt!” A voice called from a road running above the other side of the stream. Between her and the boat, six men leveled repeating crossbows at them while another ran back toward the town. “Identify yourself,” the first man called.
Sameer drew his naga, glowing a brighter blue than she’d ever seen. So much for peaceful negotiation.
Crossbow triggers clicked. Bolts zipped through the air. Sameer interposed himself between her and the attackers. His naga danced, deflecting the incoming barrage with superhuman speed. Wooden shafts snapped with staccato cracks.
From upstream, Brehane and the others’ footsteps quickened.
“Loose!” Commander Zhuang yelled from the road above. Bowstrings twanged and horse hooves clopped. Several more horses charged from the mouth of the gorge. Arrows found their targets, and the local soldiers fell back. The commander had gotten his wish, and it was apparently the better plan after all.
“Hurry,” Sameer said, pulling her into a trot. He swung his sword on occasion, clipping errant bolts.
Kaiya’s feet squished between mud and water. She nearly tripped a couple of times, but they made it unscathed to the boat.
Boat? It didn’t look that much wider than the canoes the Maki used during her winter sojourn in the Wilds. It might hold six, maybe seven with the madaeri and the smaller women. Despite the arrows and bolts, Fleet relaxed near the rear, his feet kicked back. He waved as they approached.
Sameer helped her in and pushed the boat with the current. Brehane and Doctor Wu tumbled in, and Cyrus joined Sameer, sloshing through stream as they splashed through knee-high water. The barrage of bolts dwindled to a stop, and the imperial cavalry kept pace on the road above.
“I don’t know much about boats,” Cyrus said, climbing in, “but how is this going to get us across the lake to the pyramid in four days?”
Fleet threw his hands up. “Not enough room for you to lie back, Your Majesty?”
“It is a little narrow.” Sameer chuckled as he boarded, nearly capsizing the boat.
“Now you see the benefit of being small.” Fleet grinned and pointed to the oars.
Kaiya gave the canoe a once-over. The Paladin was right; it would be a tight for four days, over open water, and... “Wait. We won’t be near the shore, and we can’t possibly paddle the whole time.”
Fleet laughed. “We are going to steal—I mean, appropriate—the local lord’s pleasure boat. I just used the canoe to get upstream.”
“And where is this boat?” Brehane glared at the madaeri.
He pointed downstream. “Docked not far from the mouth.”
Sameer sighed. “Guards?”
“Nothing we can’t handle.”
Kaiya stared at Fleet. He hadn’t been so flippant in their escape from Iksuvius. “How about a crew?”
He puffed out his chest. “I’m quite the sailor.” He then turned and scanned the banks. Where the madaeri found time to get good at everything was a mystery.
The waterway skirted away from Yanhu, and they reached the lake without further incident. The imperial cavalry had only kept up as far as a bridge that led into the town.
The lake’s light blue waters reflected in Doctor Wu’s eyes, bringing out their luminescence. Without the stream’s current pushing them along, the men strained as they rowed along the lake’s edge toward the town.
Lights shined in windows. Shouts carried across the water. Kaiya squirmed in her seat. It sounded like the imperial cavalry had drawn Lord Zhi’s men away. She looked toward the closest dock, where an elegant skiff was moored. The name Wind Dancer was emblazoned in red on the hull.
“See?” Fleet pointed at the dock. “Completely unprotected.”
They rowed up and climbed aboard the larger vessel. Large enough for the lord to entertain eight guests while he showed off his sailing skills, it would be comfortable enough for the six of them. Fleet worked the rigging while Sameer and Cyrus untied it from the mooring.
The sail billowed out and the skiff lurched forward. Kaiya’s stomach rebelled, either from morning sickness or seasickness. She fought it down. The waters shined brighter the further they sailed from the shore.
Brehane’s expression danced with wonderment. “Why do the waters glow?”
Kaiya gestured toward Shenyue. “The blue moon is the Eye of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy and Healing. When the Lord of the Sun, Yang-Di, created Tivara as a gift to her, she shed a tear. It landed here, giving birth to the Cathayi.”
“Listen.” Doctor Wu held up a finger. “Do you hear it? The energy of the world.”
Closing her eyes, Kaiya listened. The vibration pulsed in her ears, slow but powerful. She opened her eyes.
At her side, Brehane nodded. “Yes, I feel it.”
“Like around all the other pyramids we visited,” Sameer said.
“Yes, yes.” Fleet yawned. “Where the elves first built their cities. Where the Tivari erected the pyramids. Places in the world where energy is the strongest. I can’t even count how many times I’ve repeated this story to you.”
With a snort, Doctor Wu broke her glare from the madaeri. “Keep listening. It will only get louder.”
It did. Over the next several days, the vibration resonated in Kaiya’s core. At times, memories stirred her emotions, poking through the Tiger’s Eye. Lord Xu’s vision must be true. For better or worse, she would regain her emotions and her power at the pyramid.
Kai-Long looked up at the sky, where the white moon neared the blue moon. Tonight was the night, when the three moons would conjoin, just like they had three hundred years before to herald in the start of the Wang Dynasty.
A constellation of seven twinkling stars hovered above the moons, like a crown. Legends claimed the Golden Flock was frequently visible during the Age of Orcs, only to vanish after the War of Ancient Gods. It had appeared once since, during the Hellstorm, making it an omen of great change.
Tonight, it would herald his ascension to the Dragon Throne.
He shifted his gaze down from the hilltop to the imperial army camped not far from the pyramid. Soon, General Lu would return from his parley on Kai-Long’s behalf. Lord Wu’s provincial army held the mountain slopes on the imperials’ flank. At Kai-Long’s signal, they would switch banners to declare their loyalty to him. The final touch would be the reappearance of the Guardian Dragon.
When they yielded to him, his army would number three hundred thousand. Cousin Kaiya might have escaped his trap in the gorge and Yanhu, but there was nothing she could do to prevent his victory now.
On the evening of the fourth day, the song of the world’s energy sang loud in Kaiya’s ears. Guanyin’s Eye rose low as always on the eastern horizon, silhouetting the pyramid beyond the shore. Gigantic trees lined the side of a road to the pyramid. Light filtered through the buds, forming veins of webbed light that branched toward the heavens.
Kaiya gazed at the grove for the first time in years. The elf angel Aralas had planted the Trees of Light over a millennium before, prior to the War of Ancient Gods. One still stood near Wild Turkey Island, where Geros had first raped her. Her most recent dream resurfaced, and the Tiger’s Eye faltered, sending a shudder down her spine.
Much farther up the shore, thousands of other lights flickered. Campfires and torches. Kaiya pointed at them. “Fleet, can you make out the sigils on the banners?”
Fleet craned forward. “A golden dragon on a blue field.”
The imperial banners. The imperial army must be camped here, stretching from the shore to a nearby mountainside. No, that couldn’t be right; the imperial army numbered close to a hundred and fifty thousand, and it looked like far more men than that. She gestured toward the mountain. “How about them? Can you see the banners?”
Flee
t whipped out a spyglass and stared through. “A black wolf on a red field.” He proffered the scope.
Peng’s army, so close, and busy. Kaiya took the glass and scanned from mountain to plain. Men marched in orderly ranks. Preparing to engage? At dusk, no less. “We must hurry to the pyramid. How much farther?”
“Just a few minutes.” Fleet pointed toward the Trees of Light, looming large above them. Beneath their canopies, two humanoid shapes moved. Scouts, perhaps, though one was quite smaller than the other, and they were far from the two armies.
The skiff ran aground. Kaiya pitched forward in her seat. Clambering over the bulwarks, she splashed into the knee-high water and slogged to shore. Her companions followed, except for Fleet who sounded like he was fiddling with the rigging.
Doctor Wu waded after her. “Don’t get too cold. It’s bad for the babies.”
Kaiya suppressed a laugh. The doctor was so persistent, but that wasn’t important. Not now, when they were so close. So close to regaining her magic. So close to preventing the Hua armies from fighting each other instead of the invading Teleri.
Her feet found solid ground and she strode into the grove. Light from the trees illuminated the path in gentle white. The omnipresent energy pulse went silent.
Up ahead, the two shapes from before came into focus. A black cape flowed behind the taller, merging in color with his long dark hair. Certainly not a scout, looking so conspicuous. The other wore tight black clothes, but stood no taller than a child. He paused, then whirled around and met her gaze.
Pointed ears poked out from beneath short brown hair. Large, almond eyes.
Jie.
The other turned around, revealing a stout, handsome man with a turquoise complexion and a thin crown on his head. He resembled the altivorc prince she’d seen in Iksuvius, but even more handsome.
The two exchanged words in a guttural language. Apparently, Jie spoke it. Maybe, like Avarax pretending to be Hardeep, she’d deceived Kaiya all this time.
At Kaiya’s side, Sameer and Cyrus both drew their weapons.