Five days had passed since the drama on the rooftop and the revival of Guan Fa Lian. Three since Dan and Fa Lian had seen a priest tear apart three muggers and helped put them back together. Dan had not gone to the church which the man had asked him to visit, but it was playing on his mind.

The entirety of Allusia seemed to be holding its breath. News of some kind of religious blockade was being spread and tensions with the church of the empty god were running high. Speaking to the priest may help Dan understand the situation more. Dan held back because he could not yet tell if this was a new issue, or if the pressure from the church was somehow related to what Dan knew about Shade’s siblings and their powerful mother.

There was so much Dan didn’t know and no one he could ask. While the city was quiet, the populace was on edge. No one more so than the marshall of the city - Shade. It had been days since Dan had seen the majaal with skin like ash, who was apparently working “away from the office.”

Although Dan had been his “captive”, he had never really felt Shade’s prisoner. Perhaps that was why he was so willing to help him. He saw a man who was simply trying to make a safe place for others to live, despite the world working against him. Dan felt sympathy for that and a mirror of himself that was less selfish. Dan was only really looking for safety for himself, wasn’t he? In that regard, Shade was far more honourable than Dan himself.

“Do you think we should go back to the Barracks?” Dan asked. Three heads turned in unison and stopped licking their ice cream.

“Why would we?” Hyun Soon had also turned, but he had not stopped licking his ice cream. The three girls had kept the store to themselves but today Dan and Hyun had been “graced” with knowledge of its existence. Shade had given the group a stipend which would see them comfortably through their time in the city and part of it today had been used on the delicious treats.

Dan had to admit when confronted with the question that he didn’t have much of a reason to be so involved. Something in his head said that there was something dreadful on the horizon and without being involved he would just get swept away. Occasionally Dan saw a flash of colour as the echoes of Yurie’s ability became part of Dan’s own technique.

Seeing a glimpse of the future, even if it was much more sporadic than in Yurie’s sight, was useful and intoxicating in equal measures. Dan found himself intentionally looking for glints of what might be to come, if he chose a certain path.

He had to shake his head, which doubled as an answer for Hyun Soon. Seemingly confident Dan would not say anything so ridiculous as to go do work again, Hyun pushed the rest of his cone into his mouth. The resulting wince was enough to make Dan completely forget Shade and desperate to get Hyun to do it again. Fa Lian would be funniest, but Dan doubted she would ever get any kind of freeze again, brain or no.

Watching her move, it was obvious to Dan that she was different. Outwardly, she seemed in great health. She had not even received a single scar from her ordeal - outwardly. Dan’s power was enough to heal her skin and hair but it would take longer for Fa Lian to deal with the changes within.

“What should we do now?” Xiaomei asked. They had wandered the city for long enough it seemed. When there was next to no hustle and certainly no bustle, Allusia was a sombre and grey place.

“I have an idea.”

Even Fa Lian’s voice was different now. A huskiness in it close enough to a growl as to make her seem aggressive more than not now. Was that the dragon within, fitting where it could? Was it simply that she felt aggressive now? Dan wondered but could not bring himself to ask. He shuddered when he looked at her now, the imagery of her nightmare still a visceral memory.

“Train with me? Are you up for that?” Fa Lian looked calm but there was something under the surface. A provocation in waiting. When she looked at Dan now, he felt like a hand was raised over him to strike. Hyun Soon began to open his mouth, whether to agree or not, Dan interrupted.

“Do you have a specific type of training in mind? Maybe a place?” Dan had not fully slipped in his daily training but his routine had not had time to truly settle for months. Despite his trepidation in regard to Fa Lian, Dan was desperate to feel productive or useful and this was one way he could do that.

“The labyrinth, obviously.”

The idea of returning to the dangerous and uncertain landscape of the labyrinth frightened Dan immediately. He was shocked by the intensity of his own reaction. “You want to go back?”

“I need to, in case you’d forgotten. My brother is still down there somewhere.”

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There was no argument to brook after that. The confectionary tasted a little less sweet after being reminded that survival was not the only goal here. Guan Yo Shen had been the one who collected Dan from the blacksmith Park Man Shik. For a time, Dan had thought that he didn’t like the charming, powerful and handsome man but that had just been Dan’s fear of change. He felt like a part of the starting point for Dan’s new life now.

That wasn’t why Dan wanted to help him though, if he were honest with himself. It was not for Guan Yo Shen’s sake, but his sister’s, that he be found. Fa Lian’s nightmare took the form of the Jiaoduo for a reason and with her brother missing, Fa Lian had a reason to never return there. Until she did, Dan was worried that she would not be free of the shadows the place had left inside her.

Fa Lian’s first destination was not, however, outside of the city of Allusia. Making a beeline for her accommodation, there was only one thing she could want from there. Dan was suddenly filled with trepidation about “sparring” with the current Fa Lian. It was certain that her power had jumped immensely since Ryong Aang had been quelled. Dan only hoped she would hold back.

The plan was to find the colosseum in which their group had met the Ashes originally. According to Xiaomei and Hyun Soon, it had actually been very close to the city - only a few miles into the labyrinth. Their flight from the Ashes had taken them further away, though they had basically circled the city according the Xiaomei’s mental map. Dan trusted her assessment and would be glad for the opportunity to know some ways out of Allusia. In his time within the city, he realised he had not actually thought about leaving.

Fa Lian reached the small apartments near the Barracks and returned from inside a moment later holding a familiar staff. “A pretty piece of wood”, Kumiho had called it. Dan had not slept since the ordeal in the Barracks, choosing instead to meditate. He would need to soon, and would have more questions for Kumiho to answer when he did. For now, he would take the strange half-fatigue he felt.

Leaving the city in the direction of the colosseum was no issue. Guards were stationed in the vicinity of the labyrinth entrances but none of them seemed particularly invested in keeping people from leaving Allusia. The blockade of the empty church was one way, though Dan was sure they would be more heavily inspected on their way back.

As though intentionally alleviating Dan’s worry without him asking, Yurie poked her head into a small guard shack and told them that their group would be back later. As normal, she was looking towards the ground as she moved, hopping and prancing as the path before her told her to. The guards inside waved her away quickly, likely just annoyed to have something to remember.

Xiaomei and Hyun Soon had, predictably, been correct about the proximity of the colosseum. Around twenty minutes of jogging was enough to reach the open area. The Ashes had claimed that they had arranged time in the place, but there was no one there now so Dan felt it would be fine to use.

Of the group, Yurie was the only one out of breath when they arrived. “Practitioners are… absolutely… stupid. I… hate you… all.” She flopped heavily onto the sand and continued gasping for breaths. The air was not stale in this “room” of the labyrinth, the impossible open sky above allowing a pleasant breeze to pass over the stadium. Without asking, Xiaomei and Hyun Soon sat down near Yurie and faced Fa Lian and Dan.

“So… neither of you want to go first?” Dan asked, half joking. The other half of him was deadly serious and fairly sure that Fa Lian was going to tear him apart. Dan thought he kept that side hidden but Fa Lian laughed.

“Scared, Fox Boy?” Fa Lian mocked Dan as they reached the yellow sand of the arena and squared off. Fox boy, was it? Dan scoffed and felt a different emotion replace his anxiety.

Competitiveness.

The echo of a giggle whispered in Dan’s mind. Kumiho was watching, apparently amused. “Absolutely not, bring it on, Snake Girl.” Dan was forcing a facade of cockiness upon himself. Standing opposite Fa Lian, the dragon bo in her hand and new muscles to stretch, Dan could not help but remember their shared nightmare.

Dan’s provocation was as good as a starting whistle for Fa Lian and the girl burst into fluid motion nearly immediately. Dan had been ready for that, his mana already covering the entire colosseum, his shell forming. His control of the mana in the air had soared in the days after his trial with Fa Lian.

Fa Lian was smiling wildly as she reached Dan’s position. He had barely had time to rearrange his centre of gravity before he was forced to lean back, so far he pushed off from the floor with his hand to throw himself back up. The dragon bo skimmed Dan’s nose as he dodged, a wave of heat following the swing. Dan fell forward with his momentum, rolling to avoid the downward smash which came next.

Their combat raged for another thirty seconds before either Dan or Fa Lian landed a blow. The flurry of blows from Fa Lian’s staff could have destroyed a small hill, Dan felt sure, but he had worked out the range well enough. He thought. With a flick of her wrist, Fa Lian changed the game. The dragon bo shifted, segmented and extended as it transformed in Fa Lian’s hand. Extended just enough to catch Dan’s chin, instead of the close dodge he had expected.

Dan soared through the air. Though it was “just” a graze, the blow that caught him was more than enough to send Dan flying backwards. As he gathered himself from the floor, as quickly as possible, he staggered and fell to a knee. The world shook, Dan’s connection to his mana spasmed and he conceded the combat by raising a hand in Fa Lian’s direction.

“Stop!” Dan shouted. Fa Lian did not. With frantic rolling, Dan tried again to concede. Again and again Fa Lian brought the now articulated staff crashing down with explosive force. Dan used the energy of her swing to propel himself to his feet. He then saw Fa Lian’s eyes and saw Ryong Aang reflected within. A shade of the demon she had become in her nightmare. Well, Dan thought while keeping her at distance, we’ve been here before.

Dan had just enough concentration to spare to see the others getting worried. The battle was quick and it wouldn’t be easy to judge when they should get involved. Okay, new plan.

Her assault was intense but becoming more and more predictable. Dan dodged each blow with increasing ease and made that fact obvious to Fa Lian. Frustration combined with overzealous aggression to create Fa Lian’s first misstep. Which meant that Dan could land his blow, a swift and heavy palm to the sternum. He stepped into the swing of her staff. A trap Dan had been setting of falling back for the last twenty seconds paid off as he caught her completely unawares.

Now it was Fa Lian’s turn to fall. Dan had not let himself hold back and Fa Lian’s ribs felt every pound of pressure. Dan was frustrated too but he didn’t let that make him cruel in the moment. Even as his palm shoved and crushed into Fa Lian, he sent a pulse of healing energy along with it. By the time she landed, Fa Lian wouldn’t feel any pain from the strike.

She remained on her back for a few seconds. Dan’s mana did its work and the dragon within calmed.

The entire combat had taken around a minute but both Fa Lian and Dan were breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” Dan asked, holding a hand out for her to take. In answer, Fa Lian first took a large breath through her nose and out through her mouth. She did this twice before the heavy breath turned into a sigh. She rolled her eyes but eventually took Dan’s hand.

“Yes.” Dan could not be sure whether her answer was the truth, but he hoped that it was. Then, betraying her words, she whispered. “I’m… scared.” She did not look to Dan for reassurance, walking away from him and finding a spot to sit alone.

Dan wanted to say that everything would be okay. He truly believed that to be true.

He would soon find out how wrong he was.