Dawn hadn’t yet broken when Ravi left to visit his sister. It was a time too late for the chattering of crickets and too early for the sobering calls of morning birds. Hema Shrine’s Hall of Heavens was deserted, holding only a motionless body that was wrapped tightly in a cotton blanket. The wax of the candles arranged around her the night before had long since hardened. Yesterday’s fever was now but a dream; Fuu’s condition had almost returned to normality. Her breath cycled slowly but surely and garbled whispers slipped from her lips. Ravi was relieved at her strength. It was a quality she had rarely shown in the short few years they had known one another. Those raised in a court’s comfort were not often the most resilient individuals- he had seen as much as they travelled across Han. It was no surprise that it had taken them nearly two years to make a few months’ journey. He had to accredit the woman with her patience, however, as not once had she opened her mouth to complain about their circumstances. Each day would begin and end without her influence, and she recited her words like a mantra whenever questioned upon her inaction. 'As it was, as it will be,' she would say, but Ravi often wondered whether it was an allusion of insight or idleness.
The slight sound of creaking wood signalled company. His hand twitched out of habit, forming a point with his index finger. He fought to calm himself. When he turned, Ai greeted him with grey circles around her eyes. She was dressed in the red and white miko attire of the shrine, though the light silk draped loosely over her slender body.
“Couldn’t find one your size?” Ravi asked, returning his attention to Fuu.
“Evidently not. According to Miss Ashi, there was a tradesman from Mosun Shi that came a week ago bringing clothes and food enough to survive the winter. They were obviously not intended for someone quite so lithe. I think they might have also burned my rot-caked dress, so it would seem this is all I am left with,” she said, lifting her arms. Ravi couldn’t help but imagine the billowing sails of a ship at the sight of the hanging white silk.
“Why are you here?”
“Did you intend on keeping me in that room forever?”
“No. I didn’t take you from the forest in order to keep you as a prisoner. That isn’t why I asked. The sun hasn’t yet risen, shouldn’t you be asleep?”
“An early beginning can do the body and mind a world of good.”
As equally uncomfortable as he was unsatisfied, Ravi returned his attention to his sister, measuring the temperature of her forehead. The skin was still burning. Ai strode closer for a look over his shoulder. His back stiffened.
“How are your wrists? Are they any better than yesterday?” The questions had been intended to soften the atmosphere that seemed a quagmire between them, but there was no change in the woman’s expression to indicate she had even heard his words. The pause before her reply was dangerously long.
“Please do not make a mockery of me,” she said, seating herself directly behind him, “The pain you have caused should be clear enough without explanation.” Ravi’s eyes didn’t leave Fuu’s body. “Your sister seems dear to you. Were you not told that she has been tainted by the One? Any human foolish enough to ingest its essence is taken by a deep sleep lasting days. My mother could have kept her alive, but-”
“As long as I’m by her side, I’ll do whatever I can to keep her safe. Now, if that’s all you have to say, then I’d prefer that you’d leave.”
“Leave you? When you could not afford me that same luxury?” The lukewarm front had gone from her silky voice. Ravi felt her fingers begin to curl around his throat as she whispered delicately into his ear, “Do you think you could endure me?”
The soft flesh of her cheek pressed against his own as she ensnared him in her grasp. In the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a flash of the sleek canines sprouting from her mouth. Her tongue ran smoothly around their points. At the moment her grip tightened like a vice, Ravi’s breathing stopped dead. He could feel the red swelling of his face, the pressure of his blood building higher and higher until his vision flooded with flashes of light. Reaching the limit of his breath, his hand went to his throat, but Ai had already released her grip. She slowly ran a finger along the line of his sternum until it sat above his heart, then pressed a nail sharply into the skin. He winced.
“Death holds no value to me,” said the woman, “Nor would it make much difference to those that care for you.”
“Does that concern you?” Ravi rasped.
“Not in the slightest. Does it you?”
“So long as I live.”
Ai narrowed her eyes, “And if I do allow you to live, then what are your intentions?”
Ravi took a moment to catch his breath. “To give the same to my sister as she once gave to me. Another chance at life. After that, who knows? Perhaps I should settle in the deep south of Jinha and live out my days as a hermit.”
“Was it a lie, then? What you said before? Will you not be returning to Hanshi?
“The people of Hanshi would welcome my return if only to part my head from my body,” he scoffed, “But the city is my home. I will return, and so too will I uphold my promise. For now, however, there’s a meeting I must attend. The others will wake before long.”
Breaking from Ai’s embrace, Ravi rose to his feet and offered her a hand. She reached out hesitantly. His attention fell upon the hideous grazes and gashes across her pale skin. The identical wounds that pitted his palms burned at the sight.
“I won’t apologise for saving your life, but nobody deserves to suffer the things I put you through. I am truly sorry.”
“All that you can offer me in apology is... an apology, is it? Well, it did feel so satisfyingly good to suffocate the life out of you. I wonder if I should try once more?”
“I’d prefer you didn’t.”
She took his hand with the beginnings of a smile, “Oh, that is a travesty.”
“What happened to your little speech about death and its value?”
“It was a joke, of course. Or at least, it was mostly a joke. If you wish for forgiveness, then you can begin by taking care of me a little. Take my mind away from the wrongs you have done.”
“Where would I begin?”
“Breakfast would certainly be a start. Oh, and if you ever choose to wrong me again-” Ai called from ahead, “I will tear you from throat to navel. That’s my promise to you, Jishun Ravi Jie.”
Ravi took one last look at his sister before making for the kitchens, then followed without reply. His stride was uneasy.
Warmth had returned to the outside air by the time they had eaten. Ravi was thankful for that. The robes of the monks seemed to be more of a formality than functional clothing and had left large portions of his body exposed to the morning chill. Other than a glorified sash that ran from his shoulder to his waist, his entire upper body was as bare as the day he had been born. His dishevelled hair dangled to his chin that was graced by the unsightly swathes of an adolescent beard. Though he had already bathed and usually had no care for his appearance, he couldn’t shake his feelings of shame.
Monks and maidens had begun to pour out of the accommodation hall by then, some making a sluggish amble along its veranda toward the kitchens, others wandering across the courtyard to the Hall of Heavens. A small group of the monks passed by Ravi and Ai on their way to the pond where they had been deep in meditation the day before, all of them bald and none older than forty. Something about them snatched Ravi’s attention, but it was not their growing age or polished heads. It was their faces. Quickly glancing around the courtyard, he began to notice the same abnormality in many of the others. Disgust brought forth a grimace.
None of them had eyes. It wasn’t simple blindness that had overcome them; their discoloured flesh was so horrifically damaged that almost nothing remained of even their sockets. Curiously still, the wounds were not universal. While there were some that seemed to have been burned by wood or hot coals, more appeared to have simply been pierced and slashed with a sharp object, neither of which did Ravi envy. Fitting rewards for overzealous dullards. He had heard of such practices during his visits to Hanshi’s capital shrine, although never had he seen a living example. They were so fixated upon the elusive Heavens that they would blind themselves in the belief that their mortal vision was imperfect, and therefore unable to perceive the perfect forms of truth and the Ten above. Only through sacrifice did they believe they could reach their idols, and only through darkness could they break from the delusion of their own senses. How the glimpse of a god could be worth crippling disfigurement was something he could never even begin to grasp.
Lin set out in the company of her mother long after the others had awoken. The girl’s silk robes were far more untidy than the evening before, though she had still taken the time to readjust her hair before showing her face to the world. Sio’s elegant jade dress was still as impossibly immaculate as it had been the day before in Mogu Forest. Ravi grew restless in their approach. They had exchanged only the briefest of introductions when they had met, yet she was perfectly aware of his identity. Sio’s smiling gaze seemed to appear for him alone, and brought with it a pit of helplessness that threatened to swallow him should he raise his eyes to meet it. The woman was not to be trusted.
When the time came for answers, the group of four convened within the Hall of Heavens in light of the unspoken law demanding no falsehoods in the presence of the Ten. Ravi seated himself on the hard wood at Fuu’s side and was joined by Ai and Lin, the latter looking as though she was afflicted by more than just a spell of simple grogginess. Although covered by bandages, the red swell surrounding her wounds didn’t escape his notice. Sio whispered something to one of the busying monks before taking her place at her daughter’s side. He bowed and disappeared into the back of the building.
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Ravi furrowed his brow, “Just why is it that they listen to you?”
“The questions have already begun, have they?” Sio chimed back. “I’m afraid that subject will have to be held off for a moment while Monk Yun brings what I asked of him.”
“What was it that you asked him for?” Ai questioned in a dull tone. A smile was aimed her way.
“It’s good to hear you talk. I should hope Jishun Jie is treating you well. The monk is bringing Lin Ko an old trinket of mine.”
Lin looked up at her as if suddenly lucid. Her eyes were tired and grey.
“Forgive my rudeness, but the girl looks unwell. Is something the matter with her?” Ai asked, but it was Lin that answered. Each word sounded like a chore to voice.
“I’m fine. My body aches from the bites left by those things in the teahouse, but otherwise I’m still waking up, that’s all.”
Ai faltered at the mention of her home. Lin was too tired to notice, and by the time Monk Yun had returned with a wooden box, she was leant against Sio, drifting to sleep. The sight seemed to make her mother uneasy, although that smile was back before long. She lifted the lid of the box and dipped into it with her hands. What she brought out was a long, thin stick, its light wood smooth and its edges bevelled.
“I'd left it here in the care of the mother of the maiden twins when I was last at the shrine.”
“What is it?” asked Ravi.
“A sword. The blade was housed in this shirasaya for safe keeping until I returned, and now it shall pass to a new owner.”
Lin was roused again as Sio slid the weapon carefully into the girl’s hands. She mumbled some words of thanks.
“Happy birthday, my dear Lin Ko. I’m sorry that this is how you’ll have to remember the day you turned seventeen,” she congratulated her daughter quietly. “There’s nothing special about the sword, it’s really just an old length of sharp metal, but please take care of it. I’ve carried it with me for a long time.”
“If that’s all said and done, then perhaps we should get back to the matter at hand,” Ravi interrupted. She didn’t move even an inch.
“Very well. Ask away. I’ll reveal as much as I can about whatever any of you wish to know.”
“Who are you, really? How is it that you know my identity?”
“I am Sio Ko, born in Izuka Village, Araji Prefecture. Your identity wasn’t difficult to discern. I made it a point to learn the names of all individuals that showed a potential for troublemaking across each of the greater nations of mainland Sakao. Your name is nothing but another entry on that list, though a glaring one at that. You’re a child of the Royal Harem that committed murder and high treason and lived to tell the tale, which is exactly why I chose you.”
“Chose me for what?”
“I’ll get to that. Before we met, you were already headed for Hema Shrine at the beckon of a mysterious summons, were you not? The letter was written on a piece of golden silk. Do you remember what you found inside?” Sio held out her hand expectantly. Within her pupils hid a devil’s stare. Ravi slipped his fingers apprehensively into a small waist pocket he had sewn onto the inside of his robe and retrieved a small chunk of carved jade. In the shape of a flat-ended triangle, the top and sides of the precious stone had been engraved with the likeness of dragons, and the bottom with characters of ancient Han. They were written as a signature form of the Mandate of Heaven, proof that the bearer possessed a divine recognition by the Ten of a legitimate ruler. By all means, that copy shouldn’t even have existed. Only four royal seals were known to exist, all by the respective sovereigns of the four greater nations.
Ravi shook his head and placed it into Sio’s palm, “It’s a fraudulent copy.”
“That it is, and it also happens to be an invitation.”
“An invitation? To what?”
The thin smile on her face rose into a proud grin. She unclasped her other hand to reveal a second jade seal.
“The Imperial Summit of Sanzan. Two days from now, representatives from Sen and Won will join us in this very hall to discuss the end of war between the mainland states of Sakao.”
“So what, you’re going to hold peace talks? What does that have to do with a condemned fugitive? What makes you think they’ll even listen to you?”
“Peace talks?” she laughed, “No. Conquest, Jishun Jie. They will listen to me because I’m their best chance at ending the bloodshed of their people, but peace can come only after a resolution, and after centuries of division it will not come without struggle. I can assure you that it’s in your best interest to accept the offer. We’ll discuss the rest when the others arrive.”
“How could you know of my best interests? I’ve no reason to care for what you’re planning here, especially with my sister in her condition. Why would I help you when you couldn’t even help your daughter? Look at her, she’s barely conscious.”
“Lin’s condition was a necessity,” Sio snapped, her words undermined by the doubt on her face. “I won’t spoil her anymore. If I’d taken care of the living meigui for her, she would have only learned to rely on me again.”
Taking Lin’s head by the chin with a gentle touch, Sio spoke into her daughter’s eyes. It was the first time that Ravi had heard such concern from her steady voice.
“I can’t look after you forever Lin Ko. You’ll have to make your own way without me. You’re needed near and far, but not here. Do you hear me?”
“You’re leaving me?” Lin finally spoke again. “You’re all that I have left. I don’t want to be alone. Please,” she begged as strongly she could through her weariness. Sio held her tightly.
“Great battles are rarely won by young girls. I’ll risk anything for our future, but you’re the exception. You’ll be escorted to Ei Yōsai when our business at the mountain is finished. Lend your efforts to the people of Sen. You will not die for my sake.”
“Do you enjoy hurting me?” Lin asked. “You still haven’t given me my answers. For all of these years, why did you lie to me?”
“For you and your happiness,” Sio answered. “You learned how to fight, unarmed or otherwise, to read and write, you learned of the world around you, a history of the warring states of Sakao, and even of magic. Would you rather I’d left you to die along with the village?”
“You think you were doing me a favour?” Lin choked in disbelief. “I unleashed a demon upon a town of innocents. I have nothing left, Sio. Only you.” She broke away from her mother and staggered to her feet, hiding her stricken face with her free hand. Sio rose and started after her. A clumsy swing of Lin’s scabbard kept her mother at bay.
“How can I understand this? You don’t make any sense. Why raise me just to leave me behind? What are you trying-”
Lin’s legs gave out beneath her, her eyes staring without focus. Her sword clattered against the ground. Ravi leapt forward to stop her fall but Sio had already moved. A hand of smoke and shadow held the small of her daughter’s back until she could take the girl in her arms. Lin’s head lolled backward.
Sio was silent as she examined the girl’s body, tight-lipped and focused. She could not afford worry. Her hands were quick to scan for irregularities and tore through the fresh bandages that dressed her wounds. The corruption that had set into her broken flesh was visible to all. Ravi recoiled and covered his mouth with a fist. It was a wonder that they hadn’t noticed the infection earlier for the putrid odour that assaulted his nostrils. The scabbed wounds were riddled with cracks that seeped a revolting mix of murky blood and yellowish pus. Tiny spots of black mould lined their edges. He tried his best to ignore the sound of Ai’s retches, all too wary of his own rising nausea.
“It’s too soon. How has the infection set in so quickly?!” Ravi yelled as though it were the only way Sio could hear him. She took her time replying, composing her words amongst a vortex of distressed thoughts.
“A supernatural decay was rife in the rotting forest. Whatever did this to Lin Ko must have buried that same essence deep within when they sank their teeth into her. I suspected as much.”
“Is she going to be alright?”
Sio quietened again as she brushed a stray hair from Lin’s face. “She’ll live. I’ll make sure of that much at least.” As she lifted her daughter in her arms, the woman nodded to the jade seal that had fallen to the ground.
“That belongs to you, Jishun Jie. Take it.”
“I told you once already, I have no interest in your arrangements. Fuu is my only priority.”
“Then find the maiden twins. They studied under me, and they’re the best chance you have to save her. Make sure you’re present at the Imperial Summit once your business is over with. It’s the only way you’ll ever see your father again.”
Her words seized Ravi’s chest like a vice.
“What do you know about me? Do you even know what you’re saying? I was condemned to death!”
“You heard what I said, son of Wunei. Now go, take care of your sister. I won’t let Lin Ko suffer any longer.” Sio started toward the back of the hall, leaving Lin’s sword and the jade seal lying on the wooden flooring. Ravi paused momentarily in thought, but then shook his head and turned to leave. Whatever the woman was planning, he wanted no part in it.
Stepping outside, Ravi and Ai were immediately greeted by a masked maiden. She offered a low bow.
“My condolences for your sister, but please forget what you were told by Lady Sio. We cannot help you. I am afraid that the ritual she requires is impossible for us to perform.”
Though a little muffled, her voice was immediately recognisable as Tsuya.
“And why exactly is that?” he challenged. “Do you even know what she’s suffering from?”
The fine strokes that defined her eyes peered on with indifference, “I do, but I also know that this kind of affliction should no longer exist. The decay essence is a plague of decomposition. It induces rot, its presence encourages the spread of mould and fungi, and it consumes everything unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.”
Ravi glanced at Ai, then back to the maiden, “If that’s true, then why were only Fuu and Lin infected?”
“Because the essence can only occupy living or recently dead hosts. It dies within hours of separation,” Tsuya explained. “It’s the twelfth year of the Cataclysm period. The last recorded case of this disease was when the nation of Seihito still dominated Sakao. Those two somehow came into contact with an active host of a plague that was eradicated centuries ago.”
“Centuries ago? Are you going to explain how you know all of this?”
“I found mould growing in your sister’s mouth when I examined her last night. Not just a single species, either. Such a thing is not recorded in the collection of medical tomes that this shrine possesses. That is, except for one.”
“What did it say? Why can’t you help her?”
“The book is ancient, perhaps dating back as far as the Senma or Thirty Kingdoms period. It is faded and falling apart from the spine, and it also happens to be written entirely in the characters of old Han. We would need someone learned in the language to be able to decipher it.”
Ai leaned her back against the wooden wall beside her, “Really? You seem to know a lot about this disease without having read about it.”
“I did read about it,” Tsuya answered matter-of-factly. “I simply could not understand certain characters within the entry. They are archaic, antiquated. Such things are not worth learning.”
Ravi’s hand moved faster than his thoughts and tore the mask from the maiden’s face. She flinched away from his touch.
“Take another look at the woman wasting away in that hall and tell me that you truly believe that. You know as well as I do that she won’t last long enough for some scholar to turn up. I’ll read that tome myself. Show me where it is.”
Tsuya’s face twisted, awash with contempt. She snatched the mask back from Ravi’s grasp and leapt from the veranda onto the paved stone of the courtyard.
“There is much in the dark that should not be found, Ravi Jie. You will have no such help from me,” she spat as she walked. Ravi’s fist clenched tightly enough to feel warm droplets running along his fingernails.
Coming to Hema Shrine was naïve. Following the words of an unmarked letter was beyond foolish. All that he had fought to protect for the last year was threatening to crumble before him. From the moment he’d escaped Hanshi, Ravi knew he was clawing up a mountain built of his own mistakes, and now it took everything within himself to cling to the jagged rocks of deceit and brace against the oncoming winds of providence. He cringed at the fragility of his own self. Am I even strong enough to face the consequences of my own decisions? Fuu could succumb before the day is done, what could I ever do to stop it?