Lieberman’s gaze turned hard as a pitiless winter gale. “You did well to execute those three just as you had, battle-leader.”
Alex winced. “Let’s not bring any of that up with our soon-to-be companions alright?” he said as they approached the grand dining hall serving meals to the true elites of the school… and the Ruidians that risked their lives in the Rifts, in addition to other well-connected guests, Alex deduced, upon entering the establishment before his party was immediately greeted by an anxious-looking young woman in a demure changshan dress.
“Welcome to the Golden Pagoda, revered guests of the academy. We must apologize but we’re running low on a number of spirit beast entrees so our fare might not be up to our normal exacting standards...” Her anxious gaze eased into a relieved smile when Alex reassured her with his own grin.
“It’s quite alright. We’re actually meeting friends, this morning. If you could direct us to Lady Sunlay’s table?”
The servant’s kohl-lined eyes measured Alex speculatively before she nodded her head. “Right this way. Please make yourselves comfortable, someone will be with you shortly to serve you,” she said, discretely departing once Alex made contact with a tense-looking Sunlay who’s elegant features immediately softened into an approving nod.
“You made it just after dawn, just as we had agreed.”
Alex blinked at this, not quite recalling any iron-clad agreement, but he dipped his head in acknowledgment of her words, even as his eyes took in a handful of other diners radiating the aura of Silvers or deepest Bronze, cultivators content with their feasts of fresh green vegetables, hearty looking stews, and spirit boar meet, paying no attention to Alex or the nobles across from him whatsoever.
Alex took a deep breath, bowing his head once more. “Lady Sunlay, may I introduce you to my good friend Ya Ling Lu, and my Ruidian companions Linnea, Hanz, and Lieberman. In light of the increased peril and rewards the rifts now promise, I thought it prudent to ask my Ruidian associates to join us. Together, you’ll find us even more effective at taking out enemies and protecting our flanks than even the best of us are, individually.”
Sunlay frowned. “I have heard a number of rumors that both the western and southern delves have become perilous forays needing the largest, most well-organized party to dare delve safely.” She then locked gazes with him, taking his measure. “And I have heard any number of rumors that suggest that daring any Delve with Ruidians by my side will heighten my risk like nothing else… and antagonize various parties I was assured that it is in my best interest to stay on good terms with.” Here she flashed a humorless smile that Alex easily matched, squeezing Linnea’s palm as she huffed with outrage.
“Yes, it’s true. There’s a certain faction hungry for power that’s absolutely no fan of any tribe that can delve frequently enough to secure enough Water cores so that this city isn’t forced to bow and scrape before corrupt water merchants who would enjoy having absolute dominion over every living soul forced to live within the desert’s maw. If that faction is savvy enough to alienate the one group that could spare this city that fate, and if people are actually foolish or fearful enough to actually believe their lies and propaganda, or simply too afraid to do what’s right for the sake of this city, then a villainous future coup is all but assured. And thousands will no doubt perish, or simply die for lack of water, while the perpetrators of panic, chaos, and horrific deprivation claim a ruler’s mantel with crimson-colored hands.”
Alex’s voice, hard and cold, cut through the dining hall.
The soft murmurs were replaced by deadly silence. The air now alive with tension so tight that Alex could cut it with a knife.
“Alex!” Ya Ling hissed in alarm. blanched at Alex’s words.
But he wasn’t a complete fool. As hot as he felt under the collar, clenching his fists at the cowards that this room, this entire school, was filled with, he forbore making eye contact with any of them, lest unspoken accusation and their own inadequacies fill them with unthinking rage and perilous challenges that benefit no one as they try to expunge their own growing sense of cowardly shame.
He carefully avoided the gazes of a roomful of powerful cultivators, allowing all to save face. Even if his words would ring in their ears long after Alex had left and maybe inspire at least a few to do something besides nothing, waiting for the Duo Li clan to seize control and jeopardize the lives of countless thousands, if Alex’s worst fears proved correct.
The pair of wujen seated by Sunlay’s side glared at him like he was an idiot.
Yet Sunlay herself was gazing at him with a certain fiery twinkle in her eyes. “Not afraid to speak your mind or reveal bitter truths that too many would hide from, even as it slowly poisons their whole city from within. I like that.”
She turned to regard the Ruidians by Alex’s side. “Fire and Ice.” She gave a thoughtful nod. “Assuming you four can work cohesively, I don’t see a problem.”
“But my lady, that’s four party shares. Five if we count the young girl beside them!” Said the powerfully built Quing Da, fully kitted in steel lamellar as always. His beard bristled as he glared Ya Ling’s way. “We should offer them only a half share each, taking so many. Five unknowns, and four of them are younger than my oldest son!”
Lieberman’s gaze hardened. “A full share each, and you’ll be glad you did when storms of ice and bolts of liquid flame keep your companions alive against monsters so treacherous that almost no one now dares those rifts.”
Quing Da’s eyes widened in mock outrage, but Sunlay just patted his arm. She tilted her head curiously. “And what makes you so sure that no one now dares the rifts?”
Alex flashed a cynical smile. “The fact that the concierge herself apologized for the lack of spirit beast meat. And the Silvers in the far left corner are enjoying a delectable looking meal, but the only meat I see in evidence are cured boar sausages which were no doubt prepped weeks or months ago.”
Sunlay nodded her head in approval, ignoring the increasingly angry murmurs and glares being sent their way. “If the outright flat refusal I’ve received from multiple bands of cultivators is anything to go by, everyone’s waiting to see which way the wind blows before committing their sails in any direction. But since I have no stake in Liushi politics and limited time, I feel no need to rest on my laurels any longer than I already have.”
She turned to her companions with a hard smile. “A full share for each of our newest companions. Should the threats prove minimal and our friends fail to impress, then at least we’ll have a basic understanding of the perils and challenges of the caldera’s greatest prizes.” She turned to Ya Ling with a thoughtful tilt of her head. “And what do you bring to the table, girl?” A soft smile tugged her lip. “Besides being the beau of our blond-haired Ruidian?”
Her dusky cheeks blushed scarlet before she stiffened her spine. “I’ll tell you what. If I prove worthless? I’ll forgo my share. But if we’re daring the rift that I think we are, you’ll be very glad I came.”
“That’s hardly a satisfactory answer,” hissed the female wujen, a slender older woman who Alex could sense had just barely broken through to Silver, a remarkable achievement that only 1 in a 100,000 could accomplish, to be fair, even if she would never advance any further. Yet Alex wasn’t foolish enough to under estimate her. Those pale grey eyes looked to have faced down dozens of foes and Alex wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that the woman had embraced the Path of Peril to forge whatever epiphanies had allowed her to break past Bronze.
“It will do for now, Zichen,” Sunlay assured. Her servant… bodyguard? Immediately bowed her head. “Of course, my lady.”
“Good, it’s settled then. Shall we?”
Alex turned to his friends, who nodded as one. “Let’s.”
With that, the party of nine quickly made their exit, and it was only when they were well and truly away from both the dining area and the still steady flow of students and instructors as they approached the lip of the caldera proper and the trails that led to the various rifts that Alex whispered a question still on his mind.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“I don’t see a certain friend.”
Sunlay smiled, saying nothing, and Alex wisely let it go. “I would like to talk to you about the delve situation,” he said moments later, after exchanging glances with his friends.
Sunlay furrowed her brow at that. “I thought we had agreed on the western rift?”
Alex sighed, choosing his words carefully after a final look around for trouble or spies. “It’s a bit more complicated, sadly. It appears that there is a reason why the rifts have suddenly become far more perilous, and right now the Western rift is now perhaps the most treacherous of all.”
Sunlay gave an angry shake of her head, her hand clenching the shaft of the jian at her hip, sliding free a half-foot of enchanted steel radiating the essence of sharpness before slamming it back in its sheath. “This whole thing stinks of politics.”
“Correct,” Ya Ling said. “The fire two nights ago was a distraction from our enemies, a clan I know I need not name, here and now.”
Sunlay’s eyes widened. “That they would dare to act so boldly. And no steps have been taken?”
Ya Ling ignored the words. “Multiple fires were lit. One holds a cursed flag formation designed to damn the eastern rift. Within the western rift another formation was placed, and just days ago, a cursed formation was placed in the southern rift. Since the southern rift was most recent, the disturbance should be minimal. Or at least, that’s what we’re praying is the case. And if we’re lucky… maybe we can do something about it.”
“Politics!” the female wujen hissed. “Tread carefully, my lady.”
But Sunlay was gazing at Ya Ling intently. “You’re serious? You know for a fact that two of the rifts have been directly tampered with?”
Ya Ling flashed a hard smile. “Let’s just say that we had 3 independently corroborating witnesses who vindicated our suspicions.”
Sunlay turned to gaze down at the valley below the caldera ridge-line, momentarily distracted, perhaps, by the glorious bounty of lush green crops and groves of ripened fruit trees below, several fields of golden wheat seeming almost to glow under the fiery gold light of the rising sun. “That damned arrogant pact of highborn pretenders who were so very good at scowling and veiled threats, but rebuffed any attempts at conversation or even clarifying their city of origin and station.”
She shook her head. “I knew they were fake, of course. But we had no idea what political quagmires we might unleash if we made that fact known.” She sighed. “Clearly we made the wrong call, and the school truly had no idea what was going on. Obviously, they were the ones who tainted the rift.”
“You acted prudently, Your Grace,” Her bodyguard soothed. “We’re in unfamiliar territory, many miles from home, and it would have been foolish to deliberately earn the ire of six clearly well-trained saboteurs and killers, and perhaps an entire faction as well.”
“Even delving with these children is foolish,” sniped Zichen, the wujen glaring Alex’s way once more. “We should have just accepted that bitter fruits were all that would be harvested here and left for fresh pastures days ago.”
Sunlay’s gaze hardened. “Not yet, Zichen. Not until my questions have been answered and I’ve dared at least one delve.”
Alex raised his brow in polite curiosity. “Questions?”
Sunlay dipped her head. “For all that I refused to expose myself to the risks of directly confronting them, my… associate has gone out of her way to deduce both their motives… and origins.” Her eyes tightened with sudden worry. “But from what you’ve told me, the stakes are a lot higher than I first realized.”
“She’ll be alright,” Assured the male wujen in their party with a smile, a handsome middle-aged man wearing silk cultivator’s robes and a sheathed dao tucked in his belt sash. “She always is.”
Quing Da gave a solemn nod. “I never would have let her go, had I thought otherwise.”
Sunlay turned to Alex. “So, what can you tell us about the Southern delve?”
Alex nodded Ya Ling’s way, who promptly grinned, taking up the conversational reins. “The Southern rift is endless desert dunes and blowing sands under the midday sun. Which, when you think about it, is a very good thing.”
Quing Da snorted, crossing his massive arms. “From what I heard, the western forest sounded a lot more appealing to me. Rich in shade, game, and countless priceless spiritual herbs and similar treasures.”
Ya Ling dipped her head. “Normally, I’d agree. But there’s no way in hell we’ll find any trace of a tainted formation in that thick jungle now absolutely filled with ambushing predators. Predators that will find it a lot harder to ambush us in the southern delve, with nothing but deep blue sky and desert sands.”
Sunlay gave the idea a few moment’s thoughtful consideration. “I believe that will work out quite nicely,” she said at last, patting the hilt of her blade. “I’d far rather have excellent coverage and a view of all my horizons when dealing with potential ambush predators, than to have my line of sight blocked by endless trees that could be hiding any number of secrets.”
Ya Ling dipped her head. “And just as importantly, if this formation configuration is tied to the desert, which it almost has to be… I’ll find it.” Her eyes lit with a fierce, inner fire. “No matter how well they buried it, or think they buried it, the truth will come out in the end.”
This earned a scowl from Zichen. “And how could a girl of barely twenty years hope to unravel a formation twisted by masters spearheading an obvious attempt at a coup?”
Alex blinked, surprised to hear it said so boldly. But then again, this party had no ties or obligation to the prince or the Duo Li clan. So why not speak plainly while they could?”
Ya Ling’s smile grew supremely confident. “Let’s just say I have a strong connection to the desert sands.”
The wujen’s gaze sharpened. “Really.”
“Come on,” Alex said. “We’re wasting time.”
This earned him a hard look from Quing Da. “Why the hurry?”
Linnea scowled. “Because if you think the Duo Li clan’s going to sit on their laurels while we risk springing their deliciously corrupt trap, you truly are living in a dream world.” She shook her head. “If we’re going to do anything for this city, it has to be now.”
The man’s eyes widened in both alarm and growing consternation. He turned to Sunlay. “My lady, I’m going to advise that we cancel this expedition and go home.” He scowled Linnea and Ya Ling’s way. “The stakes have clearly gotten far too high.”
Alex quirked a cynical smile. “They’ve already seen you leave with us. Do you think fleeing with your tail between your legs will lessen whatever retribution those bastards might have planned?” He spoke into the sudden tense silence. “Far better you leave rich in whatever prizes your cores earn you with the college than empty handed. And if we can actually secure a Water core, I have it on very good authority that we will earn the prince’s personal regard.”
“But we’ll be smart, this time, and hand it off to him personally,” Ya Ling huffed, clearly still smarting from the bursar who had played their whole family like fools.
Sunlay’s crimson lips lightened into a grin. “And few things would earn the prince’s gratitude or a city’s alliance, than saving his own from an enemy’s coup.” She gave a decisive nod. “I do believe the reward outweighs the risk. We proceed.”
Her body guard scowled before at last dipping his head. “As you will, my lady.”
Alex felt a weight off his shoulders he hadn’t even realized was there as they finally made their way to the rift, solid in their purpose and resolve. Yet the worried looks Ya Ling sent his way made it clear that she would take nothing for granted at this point, and Alex too felt a growing pressure as they approached the Southern rift. She anxiously squeezed his hand.
“Alex.”
“It’s alright,” he soothed, for all that he felt it too. A growing pressure that for some reason made him think of being crushed by the endless depths of the abyssal seas, or an executioner’s hands slowly squeezing a priceless vase.
Even their newest party members flinched and scowled under the unseen weight.
“I fear the hour is later than we thought,” Zichen murmured, hands nervously clenching about the hem of her cultivator’s robe, Alex sensing the protective wards ready to spring into being at any second.
It was then that they felt it, an abrupt crack that echoed through the air… ringing through the awful numbing silence of a deafening explosion or crash… leaving them all stumbling, for all that not a sound could be heard.
Ya Ling blanched, stumbling to the grass between trail and ledge, mouth locked in a silent scream.
Alex didn’t hesitate to gather her up, grateful to find that everyone else had at least kept their feet.
And that was when Alex saw it, eyes widening with horror as they were pulled to the distant western waterfall across the basin, watching the crashing flood of precious liquid abruptly cut off to nothing before his eyes.