DECEMBER 844 AQE

Hiking up Red Fang Peak was an activity Lian and Taoru had shared almost since she was old enough to walk. As she grew, they explored higher and higher. Just two years ago, they had finally climbed the last stretch and camped on the summit. Not that the journey was difficult; it was more a milestone they had agreed upon as a rite of passage to mark Lian’s adulthood.

Today, they wouldn’t be doing anything so extensive. Just a couple miles up was a mountain lake fed by a lazy waterfall. It was one of their favorite places to train, as it was secluded enough that there was little fear of their magic being discovered.

Lian could tell by the way Taoru hung back a few feet and by his unusual silence that his mind was on something else. Why had Captain Juzo’s visit bothered him so deeply? Was it because the oafish soldier asked after Lian personally? Or was Taoru concerned with the coming war?

She knew very well their family’s heritage and culture, how the Dragon Warriors had refused to take sides after the Qin Empire fell. Lian didn’t care about that. She cared about defending her home from savages whose only goal was to ravage all the places she held dear, like Red Fang Peak.

Getting Taoru to understand that felt like an impossible task, though. Maybe that’s what weighed on him, the possibility his daughter would leave to fight in the war? She was an adult now; she didn’t need his permission. However, Lian had never gone against her father’s wishes before. She’d always respected his rules and sought to honor him to the best of her ability. Sure, she had disagreed with him a time or two, but in the end, she ultimately obeyed.

She paused on the trail and glanced back as Taoru picked his way around a bulging root. He was still the proud, powerful man she’d always known, but today, for the first time, she saw his age. In her memory, his hair was as black as the night sky, and now it was flecked with streaks of gray. The faintest trace of laugh lines was visible at the corner of his eyes, and the manner in which he furrowed his brow in concentration made him look far older than his forty-odd years. It made something inside of her twinge with fear.

My father is timeless and infallible.

The thought came unbidden and lingered over Lian’s heart, a mantra that she would not relinquish. She refused to admit such a notion was flawed, that no one could ever live up to such a standard. Someday, whether it be time itself or an enemy’s blade, Taoru would be taken from her. Against that reality, Lian remained impervious. Just as the dragon’s flame had failed to penetrate her defenses in her dream, so too did the terrible fate of mortality rebound off of her.

“Why so slow, old man?” she taunted over her shoulder. “Maybe today I’ll finally whoop you!”

A familiar spark flashed in Taoru’s eyes, and a mischievous grin tugged at his thin lips. “Maybe you will,” came his retort, “or maybe you’ll be cooking and doing the dishes both tonight!”

“You’re on!” Lian spun around and quickened her pace up the hill. They were close to the lake now, and she was eager to beat Taoru.

Moments later, she had reached their destination. The lake itself was not terribly large. She could stand on one edge of its shore and see across the crystal clear water all the way to the other side where a stand of lush pines and aspens had grown undisturbed for centuries. There was a path between those trees that wound its way upward to the summit of the mountain. The trail would have taken the rest of the day to traverse at least.

Lian dropped her bag down on a boulder near the water’s edge and turned just in time to see Taoru striding out of the tree line behind her. She didn’t give him the time to unburden himself likewise and launched immediately into a flurry of attacks that hurled balls of crackling fire with each jab of her fist. He must have expected this, for he lazily dodged out of the way, rolling forward to avoid the onslaught before coming back to his feet near the very boulders where she had deposited her supplies.

He regarded her with half a smirk on his face, setting his bag down beside hers. “Such impatience will get you into trouble someday,” he chastised as he sank into a deep stance. “You’ll never be able to beat me if you don’t control your emotions.”

“I’m in control,” she boasted, shifting her footing so she was facing him again. “I just wanted to see if you were paying attention…” Before the words had left her mouth, Lian was on the attack again. This time she came in close, using the fury of her inner fire to accelerate and empower every strike.

Taoru met each blow as though he were shooing away a fly. Where Lian was a rush of youthful vigor, he was the totem of agile serenity. He waited and watched, his movements fluid and unhurried, until her haste gave him an opening. One blow to Lian’s ribs was all it took to send her staggering backward, clutching her side. She knew, had he been fighting a real opponent, that attack could have shattered bone. It was a lesson, a warning to punctuate his earlier comments.

Unfocused and overeager. You’re hamstringing yourself. She could see the rebuke written on his face though he said nothing at all.

Taking a moment to regain her composure, Lian took a couple of deep breaths. Her side was a little sore, and she was certain a bruise would appear there in due time. It was her pride that hurt the most. She knew her father’s style intimately, had seen him use it for nearly twenty years now, yet despite that, she could not break his defenses.

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“Giving up already?” It was his turn to taunt her. “I didn’t think I hit you that hard…”

Fire flashed in Lian’s eyes, the remark striking true just as Taoru had known it would. She rushed forward, despite the action being exactly what he expected. Lian was annoyed, but it was mostly at herself for letting her temper get away so easily. She wanted to prove him wrong, to show him once and for all that she was not reckless.

I’m just as good as he is!

Taoru’s every move was deliberate. He didn’t waste effort if he didn’t have to. If he could dodge an attack, he did so. He only ever blocked if there was no other way to avoid being struck. When he went on the offensive, his blows were decisive, meant to end the confrontation as efficiently as possible.

This was a skill he tried to pass on to Lian, except she favored a more proactive, aggressive style. Fire trailed from her fists with every swing, her footwork as graceful as that of a dancer as she glided and weaved around her father. No matter what angle she tried, be it high or low, left or right, nothing penetrated the seasoned fighter’s defense. Considering how much older he was, he was incredibly swift and sure-footed.

Every time Lian let her own defense slip, even a fraction, Taoru took advantage of it. Each strike was a lesson, a reminder that in actual battle, Lian could have suffered grievous injury. More and more, she lost what concentration she’d begun the spar with to where she was fighting against both her own temper and her father.

“Lian, focus!” Taoru had just knocked her back again, but this time he wasn’t grinning or playful. “Anger has no place in your heart.”

Lian slammed her fist into the dirt in frustration before huffing to her feet and resuming her stance. She tried to regain herself as she had earlier, but the various bumps and bruises coupled with the fact she still couldn’t beat her father made it nearly impossible to release the rage in her chest.

He saw it too and lowered his arms. “That’s enough sparring for today.” Taoru turned his back, heading for the rocks where their bags lay. “Run through your forms and clear your mind…”

Lian wasn’t ready for their fight to be over. How could she ever hope to prove herself capable if she gave up? That wasn’t what she’d been taught! She threw herself forward, fueled by the frustration eating at her from within. This time she was certain; his guard was down; his back exposed. Her father had finally made a mistake!

In the blink of an eye, Lian came face to face with the reality that it was she who had made the mistake.

Without so much as turning, Taoru reached over his shoulder and caught the blow that would have struck the back of his head. He used Lian’s momentum against her, slinging her forward so she flipped and landed in front of him on her back so hard it nearly knocked the wind from her lungs. Had he exerted any of his own force, she surely would have been gasping for air. Instead, all she felt was the start of a new set of bruises to both her body and pride.

Taoru relinquished her fist and frowned sternly down at her. The look of disappointment on his face was by far the worst blow she’d ever received. He opened his mouth, no doubt to deliver a lecture she’d not soon forget, but whatever he’d been about to say was drowned out by a sudden terrified scream from somewhere down the mountain.

Jumping to her feet, Lian didn’t hesitate. It was clear from the commotion somebody was in trouble, and she refused to ignore it. Taoru was on her heels, though she wasn’t sure if it was because he meant to stop her or assist as well. Tearing through the trees, it was a wonder she didn’t trip and fall. Had she not been so familiar with this area, she very well may have.

It didn’t take her long to find the source of the panicked cries. From the ridge above, Lian could clearly see a group of four men advancing on an unarmed woman. She had collapsed onto the ground and was trying to crawl away, but the thugs, bandits most likely, had the upper hand here.

Lian took a step forward, intending to race to the woman’s aid, but Taoru’s hand on her arm held her fast.

“Wait!” He tried to caution her, but she was still mad at him.

Ripping her arm away, Lian started into the fray, calling back over her shoulder. “No! I’m not a coward. I have to help!”

The words came out far more harsh than she’d intended them to be. She was just so frustrated, and these foolish bandits were the perfect outlet for such negative feelings. She knew dimly that, regardless of her intention, her statement had still cut. Taoru did not immediately follow her but remained behind, surprised by his daughter’s verbal sting.

Lian slid the last few feet down the hill and used the momentum to position herself between the innocent woman and her would-be assailants. The men exchanged surprised glances. Their leader shrugged and gave the signal to attack. Lian grinned, pleased to meet a foe she could surely defeat. It would be a pleasant change to getting trounced by her father.

The first two bandits leaped at her, blades flashing in the noon sun. They missed Lian by a wide margin, her nimble steps allowing her to dance closer without being hit. Her fists struck true, sending both men to the ground like sacks of grain.

To her right, another bandit rushed at her, this one with a club raised over his head. Lian reacted in a split second, throwing herself up and then kicking him full in the chest with both feet. The force of the strike pushed her like a bullet in the opposite direction. She would have fallen into the dirt, but she corrected herself by planting her hands instead and using the motion to pivot her lower body into an arc.

Normally, she would have used fire to propel herself further, but she knew better than to reveal her magic around others. She still used her legs to grapple the bandit leader, all in the same fluid motion from her kick, tackling him so unexpectedly that he let out a startled squeal. Lian held him in place, her thighs clenched around his neck, until he furiously beat the ground to signal that he yielded.

Lian waited a breath longer before releasing him and swinging back onto her feet. She took a few steps toward the woman, scanning the area to be sure she’d taken care of all the bandits. The only one still conscious was the leader, who was coughing and sputtering a few feet away.

Ha! I did it!

A wide, self-satisfied grin spread across her face. “Don’t worry, miss,” she said, turning toward the woman, but the words died on her lips. Lian barely realized her mistake, barely saw the glint of a dagger rushing toward her in the damsel’s hand, before a powerful fist knocked the blade off course. Instead of piercing her throat, the edge cut only a few strands of hair before her assailant was thrown away.

Taoru stood protectively in front of her, his entire body and posture far more tense than she had ever seen him before. “I told you to wait,” he scolded without looking back. “Things are not what they seem here!”

Heat rose in Lian’s cheeks, and her heart dropped. She had just cheated death.