Chapter 34

“Like this?” Tan asked, infusing the construct with his Qi and folding it with his intent. It abruptly snapped into place, and before them was a small white bird. They sat in Tren’s study, a seldom used room where he did boring things like tally numbers and read old books.

“Perfect,” his father said. “Okay. I’m going to record the message now.”

Tan nodded, stepping out of the way for his father, who stepped forward. Impressing his own Qi and intent into the little bird-construct, he began to talk.

“Dearest brother mine. Make haste to my side, for it is time to aide your niece. We meet with the healers you sent to Lima city and shall await your arrival before the procedure. With the four of us, we will stand vigil as the healers heal an innocent child,” Tren said. Once his words had finished, he stepped back.

“Okay, Tan. That’s all I had to say. You can send it to Renton now,” Tren told his son.

“Right. And, uh, how do I do that?” Tan asked.

Sighing, Tren began instructing him on the necessary visualization exercises to direct the Qi construct on its path. Fortunately Tan was quite familiar with his uncle’s Qi after all the sparring they’d done during his visit, so it was a simple matter to have the Qi-bird home in on it. Once he was certain that he’d gotten the target set correctly, Tan willed it on its way.

It fluttered for a moment, then began flying away towards the window.

Only for Key to ambush it and knock it to the ground.

“No! Bad Key! That is not food!” Tan scolded. “Sorry, it’s got my Qi in it so he thinks its food.”

Tren just laughed and helped Tan build a new construct. While the father and son worked, Tan finally broached the subject which had been bothering him for the last three hours. Since they’d told him.

“Why was I never told that Safron had a Qi block?” he asked. “Didn’t you trust me?”

“You were a child, Tan, and it was an adult matter to worry about,” Tren answered. “Even if it means that she can’t cultivate to the same level as the rest of us, she’s still your sister and she’s still a Shen. We didn’t tell you, either of you, because we didn’t want you to worry.”

“Okay,” Tan said.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. I guess that’s a good reason,” Tan admitted. “I mean, if you can’t do anything about it then I really couldn’t have done anything about it except worry. And you’re right, that would have sucked, and I would have just worried Safron and made things worse.”

Tren nodded, patting his son on the shoulder. “I’ve always been proud of you as a boy, Tan, but I’m becoming increasingly proud of the man you’re becoming.”

“Thanks,” Tan said.

They continued to fold the Qi-construct into place. Once Tren had re-recorded the message, they brought it to the window and launched it, keeping a careful eye on Key this time. They watched briefly as it flew off into the evening air.

“So what happens next?” Tan asked.

“Tomorrow we go to Lima city and meet with the doctors and the scholars my brother hired,” Tren said. “The doctors will examine Safron once more, and then we will listen to the options, and select the one that has the highest chance of healing her Qi block without causing her harm in some other way.”

“That’s it?” Tan asked.

“No. Your mother, your uncle, myself, and you, will empower the Four Gates of Heaven Fate Defying Formation during whatever treatment is used to heal your sister,” Tren said. “And for that, I have a favor to ask of you, Tan.”

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“What’s that?”

“I need you to study this formation. You don’t have to understand how it works, just examine how the wind Qi functions in it,” Tren explained, handing him a Qi formation’s blueprint.

“Okay,” Tan said, taking the diagram and examining it. He bit his lip, it was far more complex than what he was used to. “How well do I have to know it?”

“It’s better that you don’t force your understanding past what you can manage in a few hours study,” Tren admitted. “Study it tonight, and an hour or so every day until we are ready to use it.”

“Dad,” Tan said, pausing. “This is the same formation that we used when she bonded her spirit, isn’t it?”

“That was a simplistic model. But yes, it functions on the same principles,” Tren answered. “And it’s the same one that I drew when you bonded Zephyr six years ago, although your mother was off healing someone and couldn’t be here for that, so I was forced to power it myself.”

“How?” Tan asked. “Dad, it’s called the Four Gates of Heaven because it requires a quartet. You can only power a fourth of it.”

“There is only one, Tan,” Tren said. “It was difficult, stretching myself so far. But there is only one. One truth, one path, one family and one thing that matters.”

“That’s what Uncle Renton said. Dad, are you really an Earth cultivator?”

“Yes. Gaia is an earth spirit.”

“Okay. But I don’t see how this would work without—”

“Tan, stop trying to catch your wings on an updraft you’re not ready to soar yet,” Tren said. “When you are ready, you will understand. Until then, we should talk about something else. Like how it feels to kill a man.”

Tan paled, looking away from his father. “It was Won who shot him.”

“And why did you make Won do that, Tan?” Tren asked. “You were strong enough to do it yourself. Why did you put the responsibility on your friend?”

“It was combat, I didn’t—I don’t know!” Tan shouted. “What do you want me to say? That I was weak? That I hesitated when I saw that I could end the fight. The sword showed me just how to move to kill him and I hesitated and got punched in the face instead. I didn’t—I couldn’t kill him. Won could. Maybe he’s the strongest of us after all.”

“It doesn’t take strength to kill a man, Tan,” Tren said.

“Then what does it take?”

“I hope that you never have to find out,” Tren said. “But you should know by now that there might come another monster that stands in your path. Another rabid dog in the shape of a man or spirit beast which must be put down. The next time that happens, will you put the responsibility off on another?”

Tan was silent. “What do you want me to say?”

“This isn’t a test, Tan. I want you to think, not answer. If you cannot stand the thought of blood on your hands, then we’ll have to change your path. You would make a poor servant of the empire if your heart is too soft to bear the weight of imperial justice.”

“What if I don’t want to be a servant of the empire?” Tan asked.

Tren shrugged. “Then we can tell Renton to go shove his offer for you to work for him when you’re older. I don’t care one way or the other. You can find a girl, built a farm like I did, and live a happy life giving me grandchildren. You’re strong, Tan, and I cannot imagine a world in which you use your strength in a way that would make me ashamed to be your father.”

Tan was quiet for a moment. Key jumped on his shoulder, flapping his wings and shouting “Keee” in the tone that signified he was hungry. Tan sighed and began feeding the little demon-beast his Qi.

“Tan, I’m going to tell you the same thing that I told Won an hour ago,” Tren said, putting his hand on Tan’s other shoulder. “You took one life when you killed that bandit. And you saved a hundred lives by sparing the bandit’s future victims. In the scales of heaven, you are a righteous man.”

“I didn’t kill him,” Tan whispered.

“Won follows you, Tan. Your friends, you’re their leader. That makes you responsible for what they do in your name,” Tren told his oldest son. “Make certain that you lead them well.”

Tren patted his shoulder and walked out of the study where they’d been talking.

Tan continued to feed little Key for a few moments before the gluttonous little demon-beast burped and stopped eating Tan’s Qi. Instead it chirruped again and Tan sighed, wandering towards the kitchen to get it some solid food.

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