There was a strange stillness to the night in the grounds of the Governor’s manor. Ravi had landed on both feet after climbing the wall, but no matter how impressive his form had been, the fall was too high to walk away without injury. He limped unsteadily through the darkness of a well-kept garden. None had seen him enter.
Just what the hell am I doing? The hours that had passed since he’d been escorted back to his hotel room hadn’t revealed the answer to his question. Ai was gone. She had chosen to carouse with the Governor and his men at their feast, leaving in her place only a bag of belongings and an empty bed. It was there that Ravi had laid in quiet contemplation. Unwelcome thoughts pestered him like flies upon waste. Retreating into his mind, he searched for the path ahead of him.
Where am I going? To the capital city, Hanshi. Why? Because it was his home, even if he was no longer welcome there. You aren’t being completely honest. There was nothing left for him in Hanshi. His home for most of his childhood had been a place of chemical dreams and hired love. His place among the ministers of the Imperial Court had been bought with his dignity and lost to the man that had stolen it from him. The day he killed Xiaozi, he also killed Ravi Jie- the boy that would sit by his father’s side. The legendary ruler of Han couldn’t suffer a murderer for a son.
Then why did I come here? To Mosun Shi? Because it was just another stop along the way. He gave the simplest answer, but he knew there was more to it than that. There was no real reason to make the detour if all he wanted was to reach Hanshi. Their journey into the city had been for Ai. Ravi wanted to give her a chance to rest, to lose herself in the spectacles of an advancing world. He wanted to show off to the woman he had hurt and grown to care for. It was an act driven by guilt, and by love.
So what is it that you want? Ravi didn’t like that question, even if it was his own. His mother had lost herself in her hedonistic tendencies. His sister had left him behind. Lin had stolen what remained of his strength, and now Ai had chosen the company of another man. Gō Uchimasa could undoubtedly provide her a better life than she could ever hope to have with him. Ravi knew that, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He selfishly wanted all that he could have.
And now, I’m going to take it.
The maze of neatly trimmed hedges and sculpted evergreens gave way to a rising meadow. Ravi’s objective stood proudly in its centre- a two-storey manor with fanning roofs like golden umbrellas. Its walls were coated with a rich green paint. According to the city goers he passed during his search, this was the Governor’s home. His desire lay somewhere within those walls. All that remained was to seize it.
No guards watched the entrance from the outside, though he knew well enough that there would be an armed welcome should he try strolling in. He’d seen two lookouts on the first floor balcony pacing back and forth to stave off the cold. It had been easy enough to reach the manor without drawing their attention, but finding a way inside was another matter. Amusing thoughts ran through his head of propelling himself onto the balcony with air bullets and blasting away any guard that stood in his way, but weak gusts were all he could produce now. Even if he could jump and grasp the edge of the lower roof, there was no way he could muster the strength to climb. There was only one route open to him- and it led straight into the jaws of his enemy.
The manor’s heavy wooden doors opened as widely as Ravi could push them before swinging shut behind him. He found himself in a large antechamber and under the wary gaze of several guardsmen. Four knelt upon cushions at either side of the room with their swords laid out in front of them, another two stood guard further ahead. Their polearms crossed the inner doorway as he approached.
“My name is Ravi Jie,” he announced, “Son of the Daishun, Wunei Jie. I’m wanted for murder and high treason, but tonight I’m here to save your Governor’s life. Listen carefully to what I say, and if you want him to survive the night, don’t try to call for help.”
By the time he had finished speaking, the guards’ suspicion had intensified into hostility. His stride was halted by two spearheads. The point of a blade pressed against his lower back. Another pricked his cheek as he turned his head. All six guards surrounded him. They’re quick.
“Struggle if you wish,” one said from his side, “You’ll make our job easier.”
“Shall I pretend as though I’m in danger right now? Would that make you feel better?” Ravi replied with a blank stare. “A white-haired woman is somewhere in this building. I’m sure you’ve seen her, she’d be difficult to miss. That woman is a living meigui- a descendant of Xia’an- and she’s going to murder Governor Uchimasa. You can continue to waste my time here or you can stand aside. I’ll reach her either way.”
Uncomfortable glances were exchanged all around him. They were confused, afraid. Ravi stood motionless; a single wrong move could turn uneasiness into violence. What he needed now was compliance.
“Are you not here tonight because of your duty? If not to Han or your Governor, then is it not for your family? My loyalty is to my father, and my father is Han. I am not your enemy- her name is Mitsuki, and if we move together- now- there is still time to protect what is ours.”
More silence.
“Come with me,” Ravi insisted. He pushed the knife gently away from his cheek and stepped around the spears to his front. Wearing a calm mask, he moved purposefully and swiftly, his body tingling with nervous apprehension. “Oh, and don’t follow too closely. The moment that creature senses a threat, she’ll tear her way through every guest or guard of this manor.”
“How do you figure you’ll kill it?” asked a guard.
Ravi rubbed his fingers together; sparks crackled and quickly grew into flames that danced in his palm. It was the most he could muster. “There isn’t a living thing in this world that doesn’t hate fire. I’ll do what I can to lead her out of the building, but I can’t guarantee she’ll follow me. You need to be ready if she doesn’t.”
“Stop!” another guard ordered as Ravi began to push through the antechamber’s inner doors.
“Your weapons couldn’t stop me. What made you think your words would?” Ravi laughed loudly. He hoped it was enough to hide his nerves.
Tall hallways and corridors passed as a blur. Some of those wandering the manor’s western wing greeted the Jishun; they might have been servants or guests, but he didn’t afford them the time to introduce themselves. Nothing mattered here. Nothing, except…
Ravi slowed his pace. Ai was up ahead.
A bustling dinner hall lay before him. To the left were long tables that held silver plates and bowls, all of them filled with generous portions of steaming food. The opposing wall was made up of several oversized sliding doors that opened into a large garden at the manor’s centre. It was the far side that interested him the most, however.
Ai. She was seated with others, but in the way she sat, she might as well have been alone. Those around her made no attempt at conversation. Even if they had, Ravi imagined they’d be met with only a disapproving stare. Her plate was untouched, her eyes bored and wandering. It didn’t take long for her to notice him among the partygoers.
Ai. That cold glare lingered but for a moment before moving on. She gazed jadedly at the wine in her cup, at the roast pork on her plate, at the dark grain of the wooden table. As Ravi weaved through a tangle of drunken guests, scattered chairs and haphazardly placed heaters, Ai turned her attention to the garden beyond the sliding doors. Outside, Governor Uchimasa stood beneath a leaning cryptomeria tree. An elegantly dressed woman held his shoulders from behind and seemed to be speaking over his shoulder.
Finally breaking through the crowd, Ravi glanced back at the guards that had followed him and saw them ensnared by singing merrymakers. However much time they had given him, he knew it wasn’t enough.
“Your sponsor’s grown bored of you,” he said loudly to Ai, crouching by her side. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Why should I leave?” she replied without looking at him. Her soft voice could barely be heard over the row of the Governor’s feast.
“What reason is there to stay? That bastard groped you, why would you follow him here?”
“It can hardly be called groping when I allowed it to happen.”
“But why? What’s going on with you? Why are you acting like this?”
“If you expect me to answer all of your questions, I’ll have to disappoint you.”
“Ai, we need to leave. Stop whatever this is-” Ravi gestured at Ai from head to toe, “-And get up. Come with me.”
Ai smirked as she faced him. “This isn’t a good look for you, Jishun Jie. It’s desperate.”
“No worse than the woman attaching herself to whichever man she thinks will make her rich.”
Her smile dropped in an instant. “Is that what you think of me? Words won’t do. If you want me to leave, you shall have to act.”
“There’s no time. Uchimasa’s guards will probably just kill us both if they don’t see me leaving with you. We need to go, now.”
Ai raised her brows and peered at the centre garden. “Make me, Ravi Jie.”
And what exactly will that take? Ravi surveyed the room around him. Dragging her out by force was out of the question. Even if he could manage to overpower the living meigui, it would be impossible to avoid making a scene. Suspicion and panic would be the fastest way to find themselves on the end of a spear. What are you expecting of me?
There was one possibility Ravi had already considered and immediately dismissed. As he searched his mind for solutions however, he began to realise what Ai desired.
“Is that why you brought me here?” he asked, but she gave no answer. He shook his head and started toward the centre garden. Uchimasa’s guards were still struggling slowly past the manor’s guests. Ravi raised a hand in their direction- a meaningless gesture, but perhaps enough to briefly confuse them. Passing another dinner table, he subtly flicked his other hand toward himself, snatching a silver knife with a small air current. Is this what you wanted, Ai?
The sliding doors opened onto a low veranda. Avoiding the slate path that branched through the garden, Ravi stalked between sculpted bushes and acers. A red bridge had been built over a wide stream, and it was upon that bridge that the Governor stood, his mistress still whispering into his ear. The cryptomeria hanging over them provided ample cover to hide behind.
“...Before long. Walls will not stop him. Your presence is appreciated, but ultimately meaningless if the Traitor fronts the attack. Daishun Jie must move,” the Governor said quietly.
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His mistress grimaced, “Did I not already tell you he sent me in his place? Do you think I dressed like a doll to please you?”
“Yes, and no. Your capability as a general is well known, but no amount of competence will allow you to stand against a Mandate.” Uchimasa shrugged the General’s hands from his shoulders and stepped away from her. His face was still red from the drink.
“The Daishun does not act without reaso-”
“The Daishun hides in Hanshi,” Uchimasa grumbled. “Why is that? Only he has the Mandate to challenge the Traitor, so why does he not ride out to meet him? Why does he do nothing as our towns and cities fall one after another to the armies of Sen?”
“Their Three Heavenly Generals each command numbers in the range of 180,000 soldiers. Tokugawa Naga has a dispersed force of over 50,000. Sen has built up a standing army of nearly 600,000, yet after ten years they are still a hundred miles from the Hangu Mountains.”
“But encroach closer each day,” the Governor pointed out.
“Do you believe you could defend our lands any better than my soldiers?” the General asked.
“No,” Uchimasa replied, “But Wunei Jie could. Instead he chooses to cower away from his enemies as they sweep over his lands and slaughter his people. He sent you here to die in his place.”
Ravi’s fist clenched around the knife’s silver handle. Talk more, you drunken bastard. Every word digs you a deeper grave. Were it not for the Governor’s company, he would be dead already. Unsuspecting and intoxicated, Uchimasa was an easy target, but the woman at his side was another story. She was tall, strongly built, fearless, and she wielded a hundred deadly weapons the eyes couldn’t see. Ravi had met her before. Her name was An Yankou, and she was one of his father’s generals. Even without her magical prowess, she was far too strong an opponent to approach recklessly.
Yankou raised a finger. “There is one thing you are right about, Governor Uchimasa. The Daishun is managing this invasion, not seeking to repel it completely. I cannot pretend to understand his reasoning. Neither your opinion nor mine matter to his plans, however. Daishun Jie is the greatest strategic mind of our era. Have faith.”
“Faith is no shield. Do you think the wretches fleeing the frontier believe in our great leader? Every one of these hopeless saps living in my city will die, and if I offer my faith to Lord Jie, I will die with them.”
That was enough. Ravi would hear no more. Uchimasa was a traitor that needed to be silenced. Knife in hand, Ravi emerged from behind the cryptomeria.
Light exploded across the sky. A boom sounded from high above. Flashes of sparkling colour illuminated the night.
Fireworks. A volley of smaller rockets followed the first and detonated in rapid sequence, releasing bright streaks of green, orange, red and blue over the manor. Curious eyes forced Ravi back into the shadows. Excited calls and cheers sounded as more fireworks were released, and it was only a few moments later before the garden was just as crowded as the dinner hall. Making a move without witnesses was no longer possible. He pressed himself against a bed of needles. The scents of sap and gunpowder smothered his nostrils.
Countless possible pathways ran through his mind and returned time and time again in failure. The odds were entirely against him; his strength was crippled and his opponents far too many. The word of a single witness reaching his father would put an end to Sio’s plan before it had even begun.
What the hell am I doing? Ravi couldn’t decide, and that question was starting to become all too familiar. He stole a glance behind the cryptomeria. The Governor and his companion had finished their conversation, each leaving at opposite sides of the bridge. Uchimasa wasn’t his enemy. Yankou was his father’s ally. The people at this feast were his countrymen. There was no reason for anyone to suffer tonight. Ai’s choice was her own; it was time to leave.
Sneaking out of the garden was far simpler than sneaking in. Gawping spectators made for convenient cover against the eyes of searching guards. They had never managed to find him in the dinner hall it seemed, and now a worrisome sweep was being conducted through the crowd. The remaining two guards stood at a distance from Ai’s table, keeping a careful watch over the living meigui. Perhaps they were wondering if Ravi had told them the truth, or perhaps they were more concerned that their Governor had taken a seat beside her. He said something with a half-smile on his lips. Ai gave a small chuckle. Ravi frowned. Who are you laughing with?
He knew Uchimasa’s guards could see him as he took the empty seat beside the Governor. He didn’t care. Some of the others from Ai’s table had left to watch the fireworks, some had stayed, but none of them noticed the knife Ravi subtly pressed into the man’s fat thigh. Uchimasa stiffened.
“Careful,” Ravi whispered into his ear, “That’s your femoral artery. One little push and it’ll be the end of your life.”
“What do you want from me?” the Governor asked with a wavering voice.
“Nothing. I couldn’t care less about you. I’m here for her.”
“Her?” Ai repeated in annoyance. “I have a name, Jie, and I believe I already told you-.”
“Jie? A relative of Daishun Jie?” Uchimasa interrupted.
“That’s right. The son of the very same Daishun you were so kindly describing to General Yankou. I overheard your conversation on the bridge. You’re bold to disparage your ruler.”
“So I have insulted your dear old father,” he laughed. “I said what I have seen. I warned Yankou what will come should things continue as they are.”
“My father is an instrument of the Heavens. Their will fuels his actions.”
“Your father is a man. Men are fallible. We all are.”
“Not least of all you, Ravi Jie,” Ai smirked. “It’s your mistake that brought us here.”
With his free hand, Ravi pushed Uchimasa aside. “My mistake?”
“I thought by now you would’ve realised. Why else would you have followed me?”
The Governor examined both of them. “Why are you here?”
“To take her back,” Ravi answered.
“To fulfil my dream,” Ai replied. “Why should I leave with a man unwilling to show his devotion?”
Ravi dropped his gaze. He didn’t understand. Make me, she had said, but what did that mean? Did she want him to harm the Governor, or to drag her from the manor like he had from her home? What show of devotion was she expecting from him?
“Can I assist with anything, Governor Uchimasa?” a voice sounded from behind. Ravi froze. One of the guards had approached without him noticing. He was out of time.
A hostage, he thought. I can take their Governor as a hostage. That would secure his escape, but what about Ai? Would she continue to sit obstinately as he made his retreat? No. I won’t allow it.
“Nothing is the matter. Return to your posts. I shall call on you if you are needed,” Uchimasa said to the guard. Then, leaning closer to Ravi, he spoke in a low tone. “No harm needs to come from this. Spare me and I shall do you the same honour. My guards will allow you to pass freely and I will never speak about this night to another soul.”
Ravi stared blankly at the man’s drink-reddened face. His mind felt out of sorts, his thoughts in disarray. “I can’t leave without Ai,” he managed to say.
“Were she to join you, I would not stop her, but she has made it clear she does not wish to leave.”
Ravi’s gaze drifted back to Ai. The Governor’s words were just faint vibrations in a faraway space as he stared into those piercing silver eyes. A vast universe of spectral webs and ghost spirals stretched forever on within them. Time would never move, and he knew he could there find his comfort.
“You must leave, and Miss Mitsuki must stay,” Uchimasa continued to drone. “Have no concerns. She will be safe in my care.”
The Jishun blinked. “No,” he said. “She belongs to me.”
Covering the Governor’s mouth, Ravi drove his knife deep into Uchimasa’s groin. A swelling torrent of blood followed the blade from the wound. The man didn’t scream, there was only a grunt of pain and an expression that seemed to simply say, ‘Oh.’
Riding a wave of adrenaline, Ravi whirled, eyes wide and searching for the next opponent. It was only a matter of seconds before he was swarmed by the Governor’s guards. He needed to be ready, he needed-
“Why did you do that?” Ai asked softly.
“What?” Ravi breathed.
“Gō Uchimasa. You’ve stuck him with a knife at his own feast. Why?”
“Why? Because…” he trailed off, panting. He’d steeled himself for enemies that did not come. Looking around, he realised that the dining hall was in no more chaos than before. No guests fled their seats. No guards cried out at the sight of their dying governor. Even as Uchimasa clutched at the spurting hole in his thigh, groaning and calling for help, not a single person in the room took notice. Ravi sat back in his chair. “...Because I wanted to. Because I wanted you.”
“He’s going to die, Ravi. Your wants have killed him. Look. These are his last moments.”
Blood seeped through the Governor’s fingers no matter how hard he pressed upon his wound. Placing a red-smeared hand on the table, he tried to stand, but slipped and fell into a quickly growing puddle of his own lifeblood. It was an understandably pathetic sight, and nothing short of horrific.
Ravi dropped the silver knife. “Why…?”
Ai stood from her seat and stepped over the Governor. Taking Ravi’s head in both hands, she smiled widely. “You wanted this. I wanted this, too. Perhaps now you’ve learned a little more about me.”
“I just wanted you back, not- not this,” Ravi faltered. Staring at Uchimasa as he sluggishly hauled himself along the ground toward anyone that might help him, it was as though a raging veil of hate had been lifted from the Jishun’s eyes.
“It is what you wanted, deep within yourself. I just gave you a little push to help you along the way. Now it’s time for us to leave.”
“Wait…” he called weakly, but Ai was already headed for the front entrance, leaving him weary and alone. Outside, fireworks burst in dazzling displays to the cheers of drunken spectators. Inside, the indistinct chatter of the dying man’s guests grew louder until Ravi could hear nothing else. His breath grew quicker, deeper, and the smell of iron caught in the back of his throat. He could feel the accusing stares of each and every guest as he raised himself from his seat. He could feel their rage, their hate, their disgust, yet none of them moved to block his retreat. A final glance at the Governor left no room for uncertainty. Gō Uchimasa was dead.
A dreamlike daze guided Ravi through the halls of the manor. Blood spattered the walls of the anteroom through which he had entered, and two bodies lay sprawled on the floor. He stepped over them and paid them no attention. As disturbed as he was, his fear was greater than his curiosity.
She was waiting for him outside, a pale silhouette perched atop a stone fountain. Her ghostly grey hairs had sprouted in the places her skin had broken and terrible claws extended from her hands, though she hadn’t given herself fully to her transformation. Silver and sanguine glistened under the gaze of the Thousand Faces. A cruel grin split her beastly jaws as she saw the Jishun approach.
“Where to now, Jie?” she asked.
“What did you do to them?” Ravi called back as loudly as he dared. He swallowed hard. “And what did you do to me?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I just murdered an innocent man. You killed two more. This isn’t the time for games.”
Ai’s smile dropped. Moving her hands behind her back, she stood to her full height, a slender shape against the moon. “I reminded you of who I am, of what I am. Illusion is a speciality of the living meigui. A small mental nudge can lead to a drastic change in reality. Nobody saw what you did in that dining hall, so don’t concern yourself over the Governor’s death.”
Don’t concern myself? Ravi despaired. Everything that happened tonight, every horrid death suffered, does it mean nothing to her?
“Even if you somehow concealed what I did, that doesn’t change the fact they knew we were here. I told them our names. Within a day, we’ll both be wanted across the city for murder and treason. Within a month, that crime could reach the capital. I’ve already been sentenced to death, Ai. Even with whatever miracle Sio’s pearl promises, I don’t know how we’re going to make it through this. We’ll have to run. We’ll have to hide.”
“Where is there for us if not Hanshi?” Ai challenged.
Ravi peered out over the vast cityscape as he racked his mind for options. It was a grand artificial beauty, and a place unwelcome to him.
“Ferries run by smugglers travel the Lanyan Sea. The nearest port town they visit is Shiowa. They know me, and it’ll cost us, but they can take us wherever we need to go.”
Crouching slightly, Ai leapt from the fountain’s top and somersaulted through the air. She landed gracefully before Ravi.
“Then they can take us to Hanshi,” she smirked.
“Weren’t you listening? Uchimasa’s guards-”
“Know our names? Then I’ll go and make them forget. Wait here for me, I’ll be back in a moment.”
There was a fire of excitement in her silver eyes as she disappeared into the manor alone. Ravi had hoped a detour into Mosun Shi would bring some happiness to her heart, and though his wish was granted, he could feel no gratitude. When Ai returned, the fresh red stains across her face told Ravi more than he wished to know.