“And now it seems they’re up to something again,” Cha Ming said.
There was a light cough from the bed. Hershah, who had been feeding Serrendil, jumped back and summoned his demon weapon. A familiar golden spear. “She wakes,” Hershah said.
“Quiet, you,” Vereniz snapped. Serrendil woke up. Her hair was still gray, though most of the scars on her face had healed over. “How are you feeling, girl?”
“Where am I?” Serrendil croaked. Then her eyes widened when she saw where she was. She sat up in her bed. “Why am I here?” She got up, but a pressure weighed down on her.
“Sit,” the Matriarch insisted. “You were brought here because you were dying. We have fed you. At great expense, I might add. We were told you had something to say about the Li Clan. We will hear it. All of it. Understood?”
Serrendil hesitated but nodded. She lay back down on the bed, then frowned when she saw Cha Ming and the others in the room. “You brought me here?”
“A friend led us to where you’d collapsed,” Cha Ming said. “I’m hoping you’re willing to talk now.”
She sighed. “I suppose I am at that.”
Chapter 27: Serrendil’s Story
“If this story’s going to make any sense to you, I’ll have to start at the beginning,” Serrendil said. “Context is important, or you’d would be caught wondering why I live the way I do.”
“Dishonorably?” Hershah said. The large demon loomed in a corner, his arms crossed and his expression displeased.
“Quiet,” Vereniz scolded. “Continue. Speak no lies. You may have been banished, but we have awakened you at considerable cost. Surely you were raised to repay your debts?”
“More than most of you know,” Serrendil said. She looked out the room’s single window. “Many call me the Pale Lady. Others call me Rust Bringer. Do you know why that is, Clear Sky?”
“I’d imagine it has to do with your ability to destroy,” Cha Ming said. “You’re very good at it, despite your weak strength.”
“We aren’t weak by choice,” Serrendil said. “For example, I was born with greater powers. Powers that needed to be nourished. But yes, my ability to destroy stems from the fact that in my earlier years, we didn’t have enough to eat. My demonic cultivation required a huge amount of dragon metals, and if I didn’t get them, I became weaker. More than that, my body would act of its own accord. If I wasn’t fed till full, it would gnaw on the world around me in an effort to replenish itself.”
Vereniz grimaced. “Those were difficult days.”
“You almost single-handedly destroyed the clan from your appetite,” Hershah muttered. He shot a look at Vereniz. “What? You aren’t going to scold me?”
“No,” Vereniz said. “Because this time it’s the truth. Understand, Serrendil, that I did not want to banish you. You were young, but I’m sure you understand now what would have happened if you’d stayed.”
Serrendil nodded and sniffed. “Our clan would have grown much smaller. Clear Sky, understand that even now, I am still grossly underfed. I can control myself to some extent, but just being here harms my clan members. They will grow sick from malnourishment as I draw my power from their blood. Just as I do from everything else. See the buildings? The cracks on the walls? See the clock?”
Cha Ming looked up and noticed it had stopped ticking. So had the clock on the desk.
“Artifices and things with gears don’t survive long under my influence. Even wood decays at my touch. Most importantly, all that is metal will rust, including things like magic treasures. That, more than any other reason, was why I chose accept banishment and isolate myself. So I would cause less harm.”
“And this ability… nourishes you?” Cha Ming asked.
“Somewhat,” she said. “It’s inefficient. But I can only do so much to control it, as my blood is too powerful—it wants to live. I want to live.”
Then Cha Ming thought of something. “You’re speaking to us,” he said. “Will they not destroy you like they did the others?”
She grinned and pulled down her shirt. At the center of her chest was a runic pattern. It was breaking. Falling apart.
Cha Ming was relieved. “I just wanted to be certain. Please, continue.”
“I left the clan shortly after I received my initiation,” Serrendil said. “I was strongest then. I tried working as a mercenary and buying base metals. I corroded them intentionally for sustenance. Unfortunately, just as a human cannot subsist on water and rice for very long, these metals left me hungry. I grew weaker with each passing day.
“One day, I was guarding a caravan. It was a well-paying job, so I took it. We were escorting demons from the demon lands. Many migrate to the prefecture and its outlying villages. Not all demons can survive the harsh jungles and mountains, and they lack the will to fight. We escorted them, and on our way, we were attacked by slavers.”
Cha Ming frowned. “Is that common? I thought slaves were illegal.”
Hershah spat. “They are. But humans don’t care when it’s demons that are enslaved. Especially if they are kept outside of the city. Some are sent to mines, and others to farms.”
“It was a brutal battle, but we managed to fight them off,” Serrendil said. “That week, the Li Clan heard about the attack. They had sponsored the demon migration, and when I met them, they explained that such things occurred regularly. They gave me a reward in dragon metal for good work and offered me irregular work for similar pay. I was desperate, so I accepted, despite our family’s grievances with the Li Clan. After all, it was possible that the antagonism was overexaggerated.”
“Overexaggerated?” Hershah exclaimed. “Your own matriarch told you the story.”
“And I, of all people, know good things break with age,” Serrendil said. “I was exiled, remember? And the only people who offered me food were those you called our enemies. What was I supposed to think?”
“How long was it until the nature of your work changed?” Cha Ming asked.
Serrendil smiled wistfully. “A year,” she said. “The Li Clan imported more and more demon labor. Paid labor, of course. Demons have remarkably strong bodies and specialized skills. I saw them make use of them both in mines and other operations. I saw the Mi Clan employ them. They had good lives.
“Yet my conscience was plagued by the slavers, who had vanished since we survived their attack. I was relieved when the Li Clan approached me about a mission involving them. They revealed to me a conspiracy, where demons were transported but mysteriously didn’t arrive at their intended locations. Transportation companies were colluding with the slavers.”
“They said such things without proof?” Hershah asked.
“They gave me proof,” Serrendil said. “They took me on surveillance missions where I saw such things happening. They asked me if I wanted to make a difference. By then, I was dependent on them. They were treating me well enough, and though I was always hungry, it was more than my clan could provide. I accepted and joined a team of demons and like-minded humans. We began ‘rescuing’ the occasional transport. We escorted them to temporary facilities until they could be resettled. It was only recently that an activist began interfering with our work. Anticipating our rescues. You know him as the Black Fish. Naturally, my employers told me of the loathsome demons that were colluding with the slavers. In fact, I had witnessed demon slavers firsthand. I couldn’t believe such people could exist.”
“Surely you must have suspected something,” Cha Ming said. “You were notorious in the city.”
“In a city full of humans,” Serrendil said. “Where people invert black and white. Where demons are treated like scum. Humans controlled the information. Why should I have believed what they said? If slavers could intercept legitimate transports, that meant they had agents in the government. Moreover, I knew they were looking for a certain kind of demon. So did the Li Clan. No one else ever mentioned it.”
“Variant demons,” Cha Ming said. “With black hair, fur, feathers, and sca
les.”
“Classified by the Li Clan as ‘inkborn,’” Serrendil said. “They were the slavers’ primary targets. I was to secure them at all costs so they could be properly resettled.” She chuckled self-deprecatingly. “If only I’d done my homework.”
“I trust you did, after I gave you that information jade,” Cha Ming said.
“All missing,” Serrendil said hauntedly. “Without a trace. Never ransomed. Never resettled. I became distraught. I investigated several facilities before I came to the one I was forced to flee.” She squeezed her clawed hand until black blood dripped from her palm. “Monsters. All of them.”
“What did you see?” Cha Ming asked.
“I saw them, the inkborn, being led into transports like cattle,” Serrendil said. “I saw the rest enter containment chambers, and though I know not what happened to them, I felt resentment in the air. And I saw bones. Mountains of them, waiting to be cleared. Bones of all species that looked to have been chewed up. Possibly fed to some monstrous evil entity. I had no time to check, for I was forced to flee.
“A peak Dao God found me. I thought I was going to die. I was weak, and I hadn’t eaten in days. Yet somehow, I found strength coursing through my veins. I moved like I’d never moved before, cutting through the wall, flying through their air, deafening music blasting through my mind. Before I knew it, I was somewhere secluded. I dropped there, completely exhausted. Completely drained. Then, I woke up here.”
Vereniz looked to Hershah. “Do you still think it wasn’t worth it?”
“No,” Hershah said, looking out the window. “It was worth it to know. But I fear there’s nothing that can be done.”
“I will do what I can to resolve this situation,” Cha Ming promised. “Though I doubt I can do anything against the Li Clan on a criminal’s word. I can investigate, however.”
“They will move everything,” Mi Fei said. “They are one of the prefecture’s great clans, and that means they have countless facilities and subclans that they can use to shield themselves, especially if someone has exposed one of their dark secrets.”
“Agreed,” Killjoy said. “We can only catch them personally in the act, and even then, it would only be on charges of abducting noncitizens. Possibly systematic slaughter.”
Cha Ming frowned. “You mean the punishment is less for noncitizen victims?”
“Especially if they’re demons,” Killjoy said. “Prefectures have citizenship agreements through the kingdom’s legal umbrella, but demon territories negotiate piecemeal with every prefecture. They get screwed.”
“Once again, it seems the prefecture’s legal system is being abused,” Cha Ming said. “What we do know is that the Li Clan is responsible, and they are abducting demons. Especially inkborn. That begs the question, however: Why didn’t they take you, Serrendil?”
“They didn’t know,” Serrendil said. “I was malnourished. I lacked the features they were looking for.” She shook her head. “I am ashamed of my actions.”
“You have done enough,” Vereniz said. “You have uncovered the truth. Rest now.”
“No,” she said. “I am as well as I was before getting wounded. I may not be strong, but I can still fight. I must help put an end to this. I’m responsible for so much.”
“It might be difficult given your history,” Cha Ming said. “Also, I believe they’re monitoring every entry and exit point into the city on behalf of the Li Clan. But give me a moment. I’ll speak to my superior.”
“No,” she said. “They’ve infiltrated the government. That much is certain.”
“He falls outside the existing command structure,” Cha Ming said. “And he already knows about you. It’s better to settle this now. Please excuse me. I need to focus.” He closed his eyes.
A few minutes passed as he and Captain Xing exchanged words. Then he opened them again. A light flashed in the window, which he opened, and a star entered the room. Cha Ming opened his hand, and the star became three items—two rings and a gold pin. “I’ve been given a choice to offer you.”
Serrendil’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of choice?”
“First, you can do whatever you like, but my superior assures me that streets and entrances to the city are being monitored, and you will likely be caught,” Cha Ming said. “The Kingfisher Guard will do nothing to stop you unless you wreak havoc in the city, but they will not protect you from the Li Clan and the city’s government. He is, in his own words, ‘willing to let this loose end play itself out.’”
“That’s very condescending for a human,” Serrendil said. “Even for a Guardsman.”
“He’s not a normal Guardsman,” Cha Ming said. “As for the second choice, he offers you a gold-ranked Kingfisher Guard trial. As part of the trial, not only must you aid my group in completing our own mission in investigating these caravan raids, you must also aid us in investigating the Li Clan. However, if you do so, you will be prohibited from investigating the Li Clan’s activities on your own. You will be bound by the Guard not to commit actions that betray the interests of the empire. Moreover, if the investigation fails to uncover significant wrongdoing by the Li Clan, you will be executed. Even if the rest of the mission is completed.” It was, in Cha Ming’s estimation, a terrible deal. He probably wouldn’t take it, given that choice. But he was not Serrendil.
“That sounds like a lot of restrictions with no benefit,” Serrendil said flatly.
“I haven’t gotten to that part yet,” Cha Ming said. “Forgive me for being blunt—you are alone, and you can’t accomplish much. At least this way, you would be part of a team. Moreover, if you are successful in this mission, not only would the Guard pardon your past crimes, they would also offer you an avenue of employment: the Kingfisher Guard. Moreover, this mission is lucrative—you would also be entitled to any alternative compensation schemes afforded to the Golden Dragon Clan. Which includes—”
“Dragon metals,” Serrendil finished. She hesitated, then bowed her head. “In that case, I accept.”
“I should probably tell you about the rings,” Cha Ming said.
“Oh, I recognize those. I’ve seen them before,” Serrendil said. “Funnily enough, they seem resistant to my corrosion.”
Cha Ming cleared his throat. “I may have informed him of your propensity for ruining things. One is a disguise ring, one is a binding ring.”
“What kind of binding?” Hershah asked, touching the ring.
“Death binding, obviously,” Serrendil said. He pulled his finger away. “When I put it on, I need to swear an oath. If I fail to uphold the conditions for my survival, I will die.”
“Isn’t that too harsh?” Hershah said.
“There is no need,” Vereniz said. “You can stay here. We will hide you.”
“The death binding will only be released should you pass your examination,” Cha Ming said. “If you do not do so within six months, you will die. I will remind you that you don’t need to take this risk. It’s possible that, should you lie low, this crisis will blow over and you could eventually escape the city.”
“No. There’s no time,” Serrendil said. “I heard the Li Clan talking. The Iridescent Phoenix Clan is going to war, and the Star-Eye Monkey Clan is going to launch a preemptive strike. I assume you’re going to try to stop this?”
“Yes,” Cha Ming said.
“Then I’ll participate,” Serrendil said. “Regardless of whether we find the Li Clan culpable, my actions precipitated a war. I must do what I can to prevent it.” She placed the first ring on, and her appearance changed. Not overly—just barely enough that most would mistake her for a different demon. She was shorter now, and her nose was longer. Her features were finer. Her hair was longer and golden, and her aura changed drastically.
Finally, she slipped the black ring on. A dark aura surrounded her. A black chain-link pattern wrapped around a shadow of her being. “Where are the words?” she asked.
“It’s a pretty long contract,” Cha Ming said. “It will take a
few minutes to recite.” Contracts, he’d discovered, were very thorough around here. Cha Ming began reading, and Serrendil repeated after him.
The sun peeked over the horizon as they left the Golden Dragon Clan. The city was still abuzz in their search, but they bypassed it effortlessly as they made their way over to the richer part of the demon quarter. They flew in silence, but Cha Ming’s mind was a flurry of activity. There was too much to do, and too little time.
Their first priority was to stop a war. Only then could they investigate the Li Clan. At the same time, however, they’d just discovered the bandit hideout. The bandits didn’t meet there frequently, and it was only a matter of time before Crying Toad’s tracing illness grew too strong and the aura was discovered. Therefore, they needed to raid their headquarters in force.
It’s too much to do at once, Cha Ming complained.
It’s a tall order, but it’s not like you’re knocking on the gates of heaven with a giant battering ram, Sun Wukong said. Which I’ve done. It didn’t work, but at least I tried.
Was it worth it? Cha Ming asked.
To see their faces? Sun Wukong asked. Worth every punishment. What’s your plan, big boy? Your favorite sounding board is ready and waiting.
My first thoughts are that we’ll need the bulk of our forces raiding the bandits, Cha Ming said. They’ll all be in one place, and they already have a measure of our strength. We need to reinforce them.
What about the war? Sun Wukong asked.
That I’ll need to work on, Cha Ming said. We’d need to at least broker a ceasefire, and I don’t have a significant relationship with either party. I figure the place to start would be asking the Stargazer Chieftain for an audience. Maybe he’ll listen.
Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists Page 47