by JC Kang
She coiled her hand back on her sleeve, changing the angle of his grip. As he gave her another sharp yank, she drifted forward into his pull and swatted him with Silk Whips Like Thunder palms. The altivorc staggered back. The sharp rasp of ripping stitches and the sudden cool air on her bare arm indicated he’d taken her sleeve with him. She kept driving through his stumbling form, landing a chain of straight punches to his face.
He swiped at her again, but she slipped under his swing. He might have seized her hair had she still had any. Coming up on the other side of him, she reached the drum.
Rooting herself to the ground, she listened to the altivorc heartbeats. One ferocious palm strike in the middle of the drum hide sent a sound wave reverberating outward. She raked her gaze over the clearing to see the effect. Everyone, save for Fleet, cowered.
Straightening her spine and digging her toes into the ground, she summoned ferocity in her heart. She pounded out a combination of beats worthy of the best war drummers in Hua. It echoed through the hills, shaking the ground with its resonance.
Birds scattered from trees. Altivorcs fled. Fleet tentatively held his ground.
Kaiya changed the beat, softer this time, channeling all of the courage she could muster in hopes that it would hearten her friends. Without stopping to catch her breath, she ran towards her bound guards and picked up a knife from their scattered belongings.
Tian looked at her, eyes rounded in awe. “Well done,” he murmured.
She leaned in and gingerly cut through the ropes behind his back. As soon as he was free, he snatched the knife from her. With swift strokes, he cut through the others’ bindings.
Kaiya looked towards Brehane and Cyrus and realized the hole in her hastily drawn-up plan: Fleet was too short to easily reach the ropes above their heads. The madaeri was climbing up Cyrus like a tree, putting a foot in his face as he reached out and cut the bonds. As the two Southerners crumpled to the ground, Fleet leaped down and landed on his feet. He arched his back, tilted his head backward, arms raised in victory.
Such theatrics. Kaiya looked down towards her knuckles, where pain blossomed. Red blood—hers, not the altivorc’s black blood—trickled over her hands. Yet she had little time to think about her own wounds as her companions hastily gathered their belongings and stuffed them in their packs.
Cyrus clasped his gold medallion with one hand while grabbing Fleet by the collar with the other. “Do you have them?”
“Relax. Of course. All accounted for.” Fleet opened his bag, and withdrew a clear gemstone. It resembled the Lotus Crystal from the pyramid of Ayudra in size and shape, except a grey metal coated its flat top.
Kaiya’s eyes widened. It was the same strange material as the First Consul’s pin. Which was in her... “Where’s my pack?”
Chen Xin presented it, but looked in Fleet’s direction. “We helped the Southerners recover that from the pyramid in Selastya.”
So that was the story no one was telling her about. Still, there was no time to find out more now. Once the altivorcs recovered from their initial shock, they’d be coming back in force.
CHAPTER 35:
End of the Highway
Kaiya clenched her sleeves with clammy palms as she watched blades flash faster than her eye could see. Only her keen hearing picked up on the otherwise indistinct clinking of blades as Sameer’s naga clashed against Tian’s saber.
Metal flashed. Tian tumbled to the ground. His sword clattered across the clearing in the woods.
Cyrus, Chen Xin, and Ma Jun all laughed, though none of them had fared any better.
Sameer grinned and offered Tian his hand to help him up. “Best four out of seven, then?”
By Jie’s accounts, Tian was one of the finest swordsmen in Hua, yet he could last no more than a few seconds against Sameer’s extraordinary speed.
“One more time,” Tian said, his expression sour. If nothing else, he was persistent. Failures didn't seem to discourage him from trying again.
Kaiya rolled her eyes. Brehane shared a knowing nod.
Men. Their ego grew in proportion to the size of their sword.
It had all started over the last several days. After a week of tension-filled marching with little rest, they’d finally managed to escape altivorc pursuit. They eased their frenetic pace, and their spirits rose as much as they could, given their losses. Danger gave way to monotony. With little else to do, Fleet pointed out the flora and fauna to Kaiya.
Not to be outdone, Tian taught her strategies for improving her observational skills. Gone was the cold and unforgiving automaton. He even smiled on rare occasions, with the innocence of his younger self.
The lessons in awareness escalated into occasional knife-fighting practice, which in turn got Sameer involved in theoretical discussions of swordplay.
By Kaiya’s reckoning, on Hua’s Double Ten Day—twenty-four days since they began their escape—they descended the mountain path by moonlight and set up camp. The ridge overlooked the walled city of Kalenai, the administrative seat for the southeastern region of Iksuvi, at the terminus of the north-south highway.
In the morning, while they waited for Fleet to return from scouting out the city, Sameer and Tian decided to test their martial theories out. All of the men were eager to join in, and yet, Sameer nonchalantly dispatched them all without any signs of fatigue. Tian had come the closest, though only with the use of trickery to clinch up with the Paladin.
He still lost.
Just as Kaiya began to worry Tian would hurt himself in a fourth bout, Fleet returned to camp and provided a welcome distraction. He reported that the city was still under Iksuvi control, and that neither altivorc nor Teleri soldiers had come this far south. It would be safe to rest there for a night and buy provisions for their trek into the Wilds.
After these weeks of slogging through the wilderness, sleeping outdoors, and eating bland rations, Kaiya’s excitement rose as they approached the city. Nestled in the nook between two mountain ranges, the scenery was beautiful; year-round, according to Fleet. Numerous hot springs attracted visitors from as far north as Iksuvius, and aristocrats from the capital kept hillside villas here.
Farmers jostled alongside the group, bringing in the final harvest. Fishermen clogged the streets with carts of Nothori toothfish, which were now making their annual pilgrimage up the river to their spawning grounds.
They made it to the northern gate at mid-morning. The city garrison greeted them with stares, but allowed them to enter.
Fleet guided them through the streets, which bustled with citizenry preparing for what was predicted to be a particularly long, harsh winter. Before long, they came to a secluded hot-spring inn. The madaeri forewarned them it was upscale and expensive, but no one complained—least of all Kaiya. Accustomed to daily bathing, she hadn’t enjoyed a bath in weeks.
A wave of warm mist enveloped Kaiya as soon as Tian opened the ironwood door for her. Lit by light baubles, the spacious common room seemed even brighter than the early afternoon sun outside. Fleet strode up to the bar, where the rotund and balding Nothori innkeeper favored the rest of them with a curious eye.
“Welcome back, Master Fleet. The Life Spring is always happy to have you. I see you have brought more...guests.”
Fleet produced a silver coin, which he sent dancing through his fingers. “Two rooms—one large one for the men, a smaller one for the ladies.”
“Very good, very good,” the man replied with a toothy smile. “Though it seems strange that wandering Cathayi monks would enjoy the earthly pleasures of fine food and a luxurious bath.”
Another silver kroon appeared between the madaeri’s fingers, and Kaiya looked at her own hand, wondering if she could spin two coins. “As always, I appreciate a level of anonymity.”
The innkeeper shook his head. “And what about the red-haired beauty’s horses? I’ve stabled them for a few months now.”
Red hair. Kaiya reached to twirl hair that wasn’t there. Hadn’t Jie found a strand of
red hair on Prince Aelward’s ship, over half a year ago?
A third coin joined the other two, twisting through Fleet’s digits.
“I know you like information, and there is some that your friends might be interested in.” The innkeeper tilted his chin towards her.
The silver coins disappeared, replaced by a single gold kroon. Fleet slapped it on the counter. Where did the madaeri hide his money?
The innkeeper flashed a greedy smile and leaned forward, beckoning them closer. “News is, the Teleri stopped their advance at the highway crossroads and won’t continue their offensive until spring. Rumor has it that they will head west towards the interior instead of coming south.” Though the common room was empty, he whispered. “However, I have it from a good source that there are a few spies wandering around the city. Also, there is another Cathayi monk hanging around here. Arrived about a week ago. He was asking for others of his kind.” The innkeeper nodded in her direction.
“Thank you,” Fleet said. “We’ll bathe now. If you would, send your boy out to fetch us some clean winter clothes, preferably wool.” He tossed another gold coin onto the counter.
“Very good. You can get your noon meal from the kitchens whenever you’re done.”
Kaiya couldn’t reach the baths soon enough.
Carved out of rock to a depth of three feet, it looked like the pools could accommodate ten or more people at a time. They weren’t much different than the bathing pools that were loved by the Hua people, from inexpensive public baths to the Tianzi’s exclusive hot spring on Jade Mountain.
Kaiya scrubbed off the dirt, sweat, blood, and tears that had accumulated like moss. Already slender, she was now almost gaunt, exposing muscles toned from constant marching. Thank goodness for the high ironwood fence that separated the men’s and women’s bathing areas.
As they soaked together in the warm water, Brehane commented that she looked much more the part of a wandering monk now, even if her hair had already grown a thumblength.
Across the fence, the men, except for Cyrus who waited to bathe by himself, soaked together. They bragged about their scars, with Ma Jun and Sameer telling colorful, almost unbelievable stories about their war wounds. Compared to their embellished battle of one-upmanship, Chen Xin sounded like a farmer recounting his daily weeding.
An hour later, all emerged from the baths pink and refreshed, and met in the common room for their first hot lunch in a long time: chicken and potato stew with a side of bread. It had been too long since they’d eaten something other than cornbread.
They changed from the monks’ robes to the heavier woolen shirts and pants. Though not nearly as fine as the silk gowns Kaiya was accustomed to, the clothes still felt comfortable after weeks of wearing coarse hemp. When the inn’s servant asked if they would like the monks’ robes washed, Kaiya thought she would just as soon see them burned. Tian had other ideas.
For the rest of the day, they split into pairs to procure provisions for the remainder of the last leg of their journey. Tian accompanied Kaiya, who’d volunteered to find fur-lined travelling cloaks.
As they wandered the streets, perhaps looking like a couple as they peeked in stores, a handsome young Hua monk with a walking staff rushed up to them. Even without his red and yellow robes, Kaiya recognized him up close. A disciple of her own Doctor Wu, Fang Weiyong was a palace physician who’d travelled with her on the Golden Phoenix to Iksuvius. Now that she was clean, her nose wrinkled at his gamey odor.
He dropped to his knees, drawing curious stares from the locals. “Dian-xia, I have been looking for you.”
“Your Holiness, please stand,” Tian said with an edge in his voice. “You’re attracting too much attention.”
The doctor rose, brushing the dust from his knees. “My apologies. I should have known better.”
“What news do you have, Your Holiness?” Kaiya asked.
“Unfortunately, not much. I treated the First Consul, as you commanded. When I returned to the embassy compound, the ambassador ordered all Hua to flee the city. In my travels, I heard that you were also heading south. The Teleri offer a substantial bounty for your capture. I do not think it is safe for you here, even this far south.”
Tian rolled his eyes. “Then don’t draw attention to her again.”
The doctor started to drop to his knees when Tian caught him. He bowed his head. “My apologies.”
Kaiya nodded back. “Come, Your Holiness, join us for a bath and hot meal.”
Tian’s lips tightened, but he said nothing.
That evening, they gathered over a hot supper of roasted elk with seasoned potatoes and steamed vegetables. Watching their new companion eat, Tian wondered if the doctor didn’t attack the food with as much vigor as the madaeri. He barely paused to breathe, answering questions with grunts.
Had he seen any other Hua? Grunt no.
Had he encountered any altivorcs? Grunt yes.
Nearby? Grunt no.
Could he wield a sword? Grunt kind-of.
Great. The last thing they needed was another mouth to feed and another body to protect. If only they had run into Hua soldiers instead.
Fleet had the unique talent of speaking clearly with food in his mouth. “Enjoy the hot food now, because it’ll be Kanin cornbread again soon.”
The princess shuddered. “I never want to see or taste that bland stuff again.”
The madaeri chuckled. “And be sure to enjoy the warm bed tonight. It’ll be a long time before you enjoy that luxury again.”
Tian tapped his chin. The princess was probably up to the task. She’d weathered the journey better than expected. Proven her mettle.
Before retiring for the night, Tian beckoned her aside. “His Holiness will be a burden. In the Wilds. We need swords.”
The princess shook her head. “He might not be able to heal with the divine power of the gods like Cyrus, but a priest and doctor may be useful in the Wilds once the Southerners go their own way.”
Tian shrugged. Perhaps she was right, and even if he disagreed, she probably wouldn’t change her mind. Despite his misgivings, he slept well that night.
The next morning, the air was decidedly colder, despite the bright sun. The princess gave the innkeeper a silver coin and two letters, signed with an alias and addressed to the ambassador in the Kanin embassy in Iksuvius.
The group left the city from the southern gate, where the road became nothing more than a worn dirt path heading south along the rocky section of river. After several miles of pasture where the farmers worked hard at their harvest, the road rose into wooded hills. It followed the bends of the river, which became noticeably narrower and narrower along with the road itself.
On the night of the second day, they camped by a lake, which was flush with spawning Nothori toothfish. While Tian and Ma Jun tried their hand at spear-fishing, Fleet taught the others how to make fires, with the expectation that they would soon be on their own in the Kanin Wilds. The princess learned quickly.
Toward the end of the third day, when the river shrank to a rapidly flowing stream, they split off the main road, which Fleet said continued to the Alto River’s main source and the old, closed-off pass.
Instead, they walked through a rocky feeder stream, with the madaeri nimbly skipping from rock to rock without watching where he was going. Tian followed close behind. And the princess...with amazing balance and unbelievable grace, she darted among the uneven stones.
He stood gawking as she passed him, and she flashed a mischievous grin. Just like when they were children.
No, that wouldn’t do. His clan would never let him forget it if he let a dancer beat him. He redoubled his efforts, speeding over the rocks.
Just as he was about to catch up to her, she pulled up short. Crouching, she rubbed her ankle and looked up at him. “I think I twisted it.”
Oh no. Tian leaned over to look and—
Ooof.
He picked himself out of the stream, his shoulder stinging from where she’d
shoved him. He looked up.
Far ahead, she sat on a boulder with Fleet, both laughing at him. Yes, just like the little girl he had once known.
After several li, they arrived at an old trail with lush overgrowth stabbing through the cracks between ancient stones. According to Fleet, following it for two days would take them through the hidden mountain pass and into the Kanin Wilds. With winter fast approaching, they had little time to complete the last leg of their journey.
CHAPTER 36:
Into the Wilds
Kaiya listened to the wind in the evergreen needles and the rustling of a nearby stream. The three Southerners, along with Fleet, Tian, Doctor Fang, and the two surviving imperial guards, sat with her in a circle around the crackling campfire in the madaeri’s secret pass.
The last few days of travel had been pleasant as they chatted and hiked at a leisurely pace through idyllic woods. She frequently walked beside Tian, who could keep conversations going with insightful questions. Perhaps it was just his training as a spy and interrogator, or maybe he felt guilty and was forcing himself to be nice. Nonetheless, he seemed more and more like the childhood confidante he’d been a decade before.
Shared memories, current court gossip, philosophy, poetry: they’d talked about anything and everything. Well, everything except his brother, Zheng Ming. It should have been an easy topic to broach, yet it felt awkward to bring it up. And really, she hadn’t thought much about Ming in the last month.
They reached the pass on the evening of the seventh month’s full white moon. Crisp, cold air and clear skies provided a spectacular view of the heavens, framed by the mountain summits above. Surrounded by countless stars, the white moon Renyue shone larger and brighter than usual, bathing the pass in a soft light. The blue moon, Guanyin’s Eye, hovered half-obscured by the mountaintops. Caiyue joined the others, its colors swirling in its eternal spot low in the southern sky.
With a renewed friendship and beautiful scenery, Kaiya should’ve been happy.
Yet this was the night of Hua’s annual Full Moon Festival, her second-favorite celebration after the New Year’s Spring Festival. Had the escape by sea worked, she would’ve been home already. At this moment, Father must be hosting a grand party for the hereditary lords on the shores of Sun-Moon Lake, where the placid waters mirrored the night sky.