Neither Ash nor Mei had a response to that.
A Veil-overlap was no place for disciples to be.
“We’ve received a summons from the Realm Lord to investigate it. Along with a number of other sects in the area,” Gen said. “We received it a very short time ago. In fact, it was the cause of the entire armband war. It was the best idea we could come up with that would test both the Inner and Outer Sect.”
“The Inner Sect participated, as well?” Mei asked.
“Indeed, but they had different tasks and obligations during the war. It wasn’t exactly the same for them,” answered Gen. “And so, I must tell you that with your alliance having been in the top three, you will be traveling to the Veil-overlap.”
“I see,” Ash said with a shake of his head. “And is this Veil someone we have relations with or…?”
“The Kin,” Gen said with a grunt. “That’s the overlap. I’m sure you’ll need to have a conversation with Tala about it.”
Stunned into momentary silence, Ash stared straight ahead. His brain was still caught in the words Gen had just spoken.
Kin.
So… so… I… could maybe go find Trav?
“We have things to discuss, Chosen One,” Locke muttered. “A number of things, I believe. It would seem our purpose grows ever closer, and far faster than I anticipated.”
Nineteen
Taking a seat in one of the hundred or so chairs set out, Ash folded his hands in his lap and looked at the stage.
Most of the chairs were already filled with people from the other alliances who had also won the competition.
Gen had already told him most of what he believed would be expected, but until Master Zha formally said it, it was all subject to change.
Which meant he might actually have had to pay attention to this meeting.
If he hadn’t dragged along Mei and Jia, that is.
“Well, this’ll be interesting,” Mei murmured, leaning into Ash and putting her elbow on his shoulder. Since their change in relationship dynamic, Mei had shifted into an entirely different way of interacting with Ash.
Especially in public.
“You should not be doing such a thing,” Jia said with considerably less venom than previously.
“Oh? And why is that exactly?” Mei said, leaning partially to the side and looking past Ash toward Jia. “He and I are pledged to one another, and we’ve shared a bed and will continue to do so.”
Jia’s lips pressed together and her brow creased slightly.
Then she sighed and shook her head.
“Yes, well, you should at least carry yourself a bit less… loosely. As one of his women, you must maintain a certain sense of decorum,” said Jia, attempting a different tactic. “I know I would.”
“Oh? That might actually work on Mei,” Locke said.
You finally willing to talk? You said we had a lot to talk about, but won’t actually talk about it.
It’s getting on my nerves.
“Hmmmmm. Maybe? Maybe not. Maybe I’ll just keep it like this until you finally apologize for telling me to be silent, Chosen One,” Locke said.
“—suppose you’re right at that. I’ve already met my goal,” Mei was saying. Ash had missed whatever she’d started with however. “Except… I find that I just want to be closer to him. You know? Or did you never feel like that while you were alone with him? Before I showed up.”
“Oh, good. They’re talking over you like you don’t exist. I wonder how that might feel, Chosen One,” Locke complained bitterly.
“—guess. I had never considered it. By the time I did it was… too late. And you saw the aftermath. He was very kind to forgive me and to force that forgiveness on the others,” Jia said. “I will earn my place back. Wait and see. You will be only second soon enough, Mei.”
“Unfortunately, they’re both wrong. I mean, the true problem for both of them is Yue,” Locke remarked. Ash got the impression Locke was paying more attention to Mei and Jia than he was. “When she finally decides to make her move, I truly do pity everyone else. I think she’ll take up all your time with absolute devotion. A street rat turned blood-thirsty merchant and alchemist given all she ever wanted? Yes, I pity them.”
Are you done? Cause I’m done.
Very done.
“Almost. Not yet. Maybe soon?”
Ash leaned forward, sighed loudly, and then looked from Mei to Jia. Both women stopped talking at his sudden and overly-dramatic interruption.
“Yes?” Mei asked, smiling at him. “Did you have something you wished to add, Ashley?”
“Uh… no. But I’m right here, you know,” grumbled Ash.
“Yes, we are aware of that, Ashley,” Jia said. Then she reached forward and lightly tapped Ash in the middle of the chest with her fingers. “Lean back, please. I cannot see Mei.”
“Ahahaha! Oh, now that’s priceless. Yes, Ash, lean back. Jia and Mei are talking. That’s fantastic. Absolutely fantastic,” Locke said, laughing all the while.
With a click, Ash closed his mouth, grit his teeth, and then leaned back in his chair again.
“Thanks, Ashley,” Mei said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Then she practically hung on his shoulder, looking at Jia again. “He really did, though. It was surprising. Yue was the worst, as I’m sure you could guess.”
Sitting there, feeling like his anger had been dunked in a bucket of cold water, Ash was little better than a conversation piece.
Some Chosen One.
“Well… I suppose… hm. Hm. Yes, you’re indeed a Chosen One. Fated One. Whatever you like,” Locke said, his tone changing rapidly. “And I do think maybe it is indeed time to talk to you about some of this. Why you’re here. Why I’m in your head.”
You think? Just now?
Not like… maybe… before you did this? Or just after?
“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do it the way I do.”
That makes no sense.
“Be that as it may… the Veil-overlap. What do you know of it?”
Ash was momentarily struck to near silence at the fact that Locke finally appeared to be willing to talk about what was going on.
Not a lot. Just that they don’t occur often and when they do… really bad things happen. People who go in don’t usually come out.
“Well, it’s not that they don’t come back out. It’s when they come back out, it’s in the form of shit. They’re eaten.”
Not having a response to that, Ash sat there dumbly.
“The veils themselves aren’t… what you think they are. Not really. They’re more than just a boundary between worlds and lands. They’re… well, I’d say they’re a liminal space. But I think you likely don’t know what that word means.”
Just keep talking and I’m sure I’ll get there.
“Right. Well. They’re a boundary, not just for the worlds, but also what isn’t in the veil. The space in the veil, or the space not in the veil I guess, is filled with lovely monstrous creatures.”
Holding his tongue, Ash managed to not point out that it didn’t sound lovely.
“And those monstrous creatures eat everything they come across. The space that the overlap comes out over is going to be… dead. Leftovers. Excrement.
“Or perhaps it’s already been turned into that and this is just a veil shutting.”
A veil… shutting? They close?
“When there’s no life left, when everything is gone, and there’s nothing to hold the veil open. Yes. It ceases to exist.”
And the overlap is where these… things… enter?
“Yes. Consider it like a Venn diagram between two circles. The overlapping space at the center is where the creatures can cross over. And feed.”
Okay. But how does that involve me?
“You were chosen to become a weapon to combat it. Congratulations. Isn’t that delightful?”
Ah… no. I decline.
“I’m fairly certain you don’t get a choice in the matter. Hence being the Chose
n One, Chosen One,” Locke said. “But if it makes you feel any better, your cousin was also selected. Though, he’s got a lot bigger problems with O—eh… whatever.
“Not our problem, not our issue. Our issue is getting you ready for the Veil-Wraiths.”
Veil-Wraiths?
“Yes, Veil-Wraiths. Veil-overlap. Veil. While not terribly creative, it’s certainly effective in describing it, no? Now… getting you ready,” Locke said. “This overlap doesn’t seem to be a problem for our current veil, which is a blessing, but it will likely become a problem if we don’t get it shut.”
I… fine. Fine. Say I’m following along. How do we shut a Veil-overlap?
“I have no idea! Haha. I wouldn’t be dead if I knew how to solve this problem, would I? You wouldn’t be the Chosen One and I’d still be going after that lovely centaur right before it all went wrong.”
Wait, you can now remember what you were like before?
“Hm? Oh. Yes. That’s neither here nor there. Anyway. There ya go. Let’s do good!”
Locke… that’s… that’s not enough. That’s not nearly enough.
“Good morning, everyone,” said Master Zha standing on the platform. “This’ll be quick and dirty because I just received a new missive from our Realm Lord.”
Ash was startled out of his thoughts with her sudden appearance.
“You were supposed to leave next week, but that’s been moved up to now. You’re all moving out immediately,” Zha called out. “Your goal is simple. Each alliance will take a section of a Veil-overlap and begin scouting it. Several masters from the sect will go with you as observers. There will also be one master from the Realm Lord to go with each of your alliances as your overseer. Report all progress to him. Go. Now.”
Sitting there, Ash was dumbfounded.
Then he realized this was going to be an extremely large operation and no one likely had what they needed.
Turning his head, he snapped his eyes to Jia’s.
“Go buy all the horses you can. Every single one. Leave none behind. Wagons, horses, everything. All of them,” Ash commanded. “Use whatever resources you need.”
Not waiting for a response, Ash turned and lashed Mei with his eyes.
“All the food, all the supplies, everything you can. Enough to feed everyone in our alliance for a few months,” Ash continued. Then he glanced back to Jia to make sure she was still listening. “Both of you work with Yue. Get everything you can. We’re not waiting to see if they’re supplying us or paying us back, because chances are they weren’t ready for this.”
Both Jia and Mei looked shocked, but then nodded their heads.
“Good, I’m going to go give out a few more instructions,” Ash said getting to his feet.
He needed to talk to Na, Rou, and Chunhua as well.
“This’ll be amusing. Let’s hope no one else thinks the same way you do, or there’s going to be a bidding war for something as lousy as an iron pot.”
***
“—certainly can spare some for your older brother,” said Zi Xin.
“No,” Ash said, cutting him off before it went any further. “And you’re not my older brother. Nor are you welcome on Sheng Street, you’ll remember. You’re no longer our house elder.”
“You dare speak to me like that?” groused Zi Xin.
“Yes, I do. And have done so this entire trip. But for whatever reason, you keep coming back,” Ash said and turned his head to glare at the man next to him. The other masters who were traveling with Ash’s alliance had made themselves scarce. By and large, they kept to themselves, not wanting to associate with the “children”.
Zi Xin was a master in name only, however, and had been relegated to the post of the “in-between” for the two groups.
“You’re like a monkey with its paw stuck in a log, grasping at something it doesn’t deserve,” Mei hissed. “You can’t just let go of what you want. You’ll suffer for that choice.”
“How d—”
“Dare she? Yes. You’ve said that,” Yue growled, giving her horse a flick of its reins and pushing it up between Zi Xin and Ash. “Many times. Go away, dog. Or I’ll just challenge you myself, here and now. And then you can answer to someone as to why you fought a little girl who isn’t beyond Body Refining. Win or lose, that doesn’t sound like something good.”
Zi Xin lifted his chin up, sniffed, and then pulled at his horse. Angling off toward where the other masters were.
“We should just kill him,” Tala growled. “He won’t be missed by anyone and I doubt anyone would even notice it.”
Since learning that they would be traveling into an overlap that lined up with Kin territory, Tala had been increasingly agitated. She wasn’t unbearable, but she was definitely heading in that direction.
And quickly, too.
“I agree. Kill him, lover. For me. I don’t like him, or how he looks at me,” Moira declared. Sitting atop her horse, she looked more than a little put out. She’d insisted often enough that she would rather fly. The Realm Lord’s master had ordered against it as soon as her wings had opened, however. “Or how he looks at Mei.”
“He does look at Mei in a way even I don’t like. We should put him in the ring and let Tai kill him,” Locke said. “Oh. And you’re in luck. The overlap is up ahead.”
Huh? Where? I can’t te—Oh. Is… is that it?
Looking far ahead, Ash could see what appeared to be a dull shimmer in the distance. Almost like a heat-shimmer, but with a dark-gray tone to it.
“Yes. That’s it. Let’s hope there aren’t any Veil-portals yet. Those are the points where the Veil-Wraiths cross over.”
Chewing at the inside of his cheek, Ash slowly turned in the saddle.
Spotting Chunhua and Na, Ash waved them over.
“Hey,” Ash said when the two women pulled their horses closer. “Overlap is up ahead. You can see it if you look for that gray shimmer. Start spreading the order that we’re going to camp outside of it and set up a base.”
“What if the Realm Lord’s master disagrees?” Rou asked. She was apparently close enough to listen and didn’t see any issue in simply butting in.
Given her status and position, she was right.
“He won’t disagree. And if he does… well, fuck him,” Ash said, shaking his head. “We’re not crossing into that overlap without a base of operations put together first. No way in hell.”
Chunhua nodded her head to that.
“Of course, Master Sheng. I’ll set up our tent personally. You need not concern yourself,” Na said, then wheeled her horse around and headed back into the Sheng Alliance.
Ranged out behind them and moving in formation was a mass of women on horses, wagons, and a baggage train.
It’d been a bit of a merchant battle, forcing Yue to get involved directly, but they’d gotten horses for everyone, and then extra as well.
Nodding his head after finding everyone appearing to be in good spirits, Ash looked ahead again.
“They are all feeling rather indebted to you,” Jia said, easing her horse up beside his own and pushing Mei to the side.
Mei only smirked at the move, and seemed to consider it beneath her to respond to. Instead, she slowed her mount down, moved around behind Ash, and came up on his other side after speaking to Yue for a moment.
The young merchant girl made room for Mei even as Jia continued.
“Indebted and guilty,” said Jia.
“I don’t see why,” Ash said. He could see the dynamics of the women around him shifting all the time, but he wasn’t going to get involved unless he had to. He wasn’t their master and they weren’t doing anything that was endangering his alliance.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Mei said with a laugh. “You gave them all a horse, more than enough pills and medicines to keep them healthy for quite a while, and have deigned to outfit them accordingly for the entirety of the trip.
“All of which is likely more than they could afford in an entire year on their own.
All for the low, low price of… nothing. You’ve asked nothing of them.”
“That’s not true. They’ll be fighting,” Ash countered.
“Fighting is what they expect of their life. That is as simple as saying you expect them to breathe,” said Jia, wrangling the conversation back from Mei. “You have not stated what they must pay for all the gifts you have presented them.”
“Nothing,” Ash said, shaking his head. “They’re fighting for me. That’s my expectation.”
“Hmph. That’s stupid. Even my elegant self wouldn’t believe that if I were in their shoes,” Tala growled. “I would almost definitely believe that you’ll show up at my tent at night and help yourself to myself. Which I would, of course, have to give to you because of the debt.”
Ah.
I see.
“And this goes back to pledging,” Ash muttered. “Doesn’t it?”
“Indeed, it does,” Jia said quickly, cutting Mei off. “They begin to wonder if they should pledge to you, just as I did. As your first pledge, I would say that it would not harm you to receive theirs. If they will their body to you, where do you lose?”
“What? You’re pledged to Master Sheng?” Rou asked, sounding annoyed.
“Hm? Yes. I am his first,” Jia said, turning her head and smiling backward at what Ash assumed was Rou.
Yeah. Fuck this.
“Stay here,” Ash said and gave the reins a click, speeding his horse forward. He wanted to see the Veil-overlap and truly didn’t want to hear anything more from anyone.
He also had a suspicion that if he remained any longer, the conversation topic would turn to how he could go about collecting pledges from everyone.
“To be fair, that’s the way of this world. How can one acquire ever more power? You’re just… very different, Chosen One,” Locke said.
Riding swiftly, Ash made it to the edge of the gray shimmer and dismounted.
Walking over to it, he contemplated it. He leaned in close to get a good look at the obvious and distinct cut in the world.
Veils had a distinct color and feel to where they ended and began. One couldn’t simply pass through them either without a weakening of it, or an actual gap.
This didn’t seem like anything Ash had seen up to this point.
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