Pathway

Chang Chang swallowed. She looked at Cerest, letting him see the undisguised hatred. "I studied the art of blood divination and magical essence under the tutelage of a powerful blood cultivator, Fung Shi." she said. "My great-uncle paid out most of his savings to apprentice me to the man because he specialized in handling wielders of unstable mystical essence like mine. I learned from him for three years and acquired a reasonable level of skill in the Art."

"A reasonable level—did he believe you had the potential for greater power?" Cerest asked.

Chang Chang's jaw clenched at the eager light in his eyes. "You mean advancement? Yes. He wanted me to travel with him, to test my skills out in the world. But I had no desire to leave my home. That mistake cost my master his life."

"What happened?" One of the men called Cerest said.

"First tell her to move the dagger," Chang Chang said, looking at Shenan but addressing Cerest.

Cerest nodded to the elf woman. Shenan, the lady elf, appeared disappointed as she removed the blade from Fannie's throat.

"Fung Shi took me into the city to test my powers. He wanted me to be able to defend myself in the rougher districts. None of the runic arts I was to cast that day were dangerous, and is more stable than many cities when it comes to magical energy going awry." Chang Chang knew she shouldn't care what the elf thought of her, but the need to explain, to justify what couldn't be justified, clawed at her.

"We were in a large area. A fight broke out at a tavern as we were passing by, and the brawl spilled into the street." Chang Chang could see it clearly in her mind: the shattered door, the man being thrown into the street. Another pair of men followed, brandishing weapons. She'd thought…

It didn't matter what they'd intended. She never had the chance to find out.

"I ran toward the fight. I left Fung Shi. When I saw the man about to be attacked, I use the only art I knew that would hurt. I'd never called the blood fire before, but Fung Shi had showed me how it was done."

"To manifest and summon fire to your finger tips is one of the easiest attack spells to master, because you cannot burn yourself, as real flame would."

Her teacher's words, Chang Chang thought. But he'd never given a care to what might happen to him if things went wrong.

"The essence ran wild?" Cerest asked. He touched his face, rubbing the scars thoughtfully. "The fire spread?"

"I can still remember how high the flames soared," Chang Chang said. She was dimly aware of wetness on her face. She reached up with her bound hands and felt the tears. It didn't matter. They had already seen how weak she was. "There was a stay house—old wood, and a dry season—next door to the inn. The fire took the roof first, caving in the ceiling on the people inside. Five people on the topmost floor were killed instantly, including a Watchman who'd been investigating a woman's disappearance. The people below escaped—heavens might, I thought." She took a shuddering breath. "Until the energy expended itself, and I realized Fung Shi wasn't with me."

"What happened to him?" Cerest asked. But Chang Chang wasn't listening. She recited the tale automatically, numbing her mind to the most painful part of all.

"Fung Shi had gone into the stayhouse to save the rest of the people inside. He got them all out, and then he collapsed outside the building. I tried to get him to take healing herbs, but he said he'd breathed too much of the smoke, that healing wouldn't save him. How could that even be? Smoke shouldn't be any trouble for someone like him. He spent his last breaths telling me not to blame myself."

Chang Chang looked up. The cavern was utterly silent. Greyas stood somewhere in the shadows, unseen, but probably listening. Nothing seemed to exist outside the dim circle of lantern light: it was only herself, Cerest the halfling, Shenan the elf, and Fannie the shifter. She glanced at the two women and was horrified to find them both looking at her with pity in their eyes.

Heaven's tears, she'd never thought to be making a confession before two monsters and a shifter. She'd never imagined such beings pitying her.

"I understand now," Cerest said. "You believed I escaped the stayhouse fire, horribly scarred and out for revenge against the blood who'd maimed me."

Chang Chang nodded.

Cerest smiled gently. "You have nothing to fear from me, Chang Chang. My scars are from a different fire. Like your teacher, I see great strength in you. I want to help you harness your gifts—"

"Never!" Chang Chang's shout shattered the stillness. "I swore I'd never pursue blood essence again."

Cerest and Shenan traded glances. Chang Chang couldn't tell what passed between them.

"She is untried, Cerest," Shenan said, voicing her thoughts aloud. "You have led us on a fool's chase." Her tone was mild, but she tightened her grip on the dagger.

Good, Chang Chang thought. Let them slay each other and have done with the whole business. For the first time in her life she felt grateful for being inadequate.

"She can learn," Cerest said. "She's already had a Xu Wu's training, which is more than Chang Fei had."

"Chang Fei," Chang Chang said, surprised, "you knew my grandfather?"

"It's true," said Cerest. "Chang Fei was my best friend. Your grandfather was afflicted with a powerful bloodscar. Did nobody ever tell you that?"

Mute, Chang Chang shook her head.

"They should have. The scar gave Chang Fei substantial powers," Cerest said, "powers that I believe you also possess."

"That's not possible. You have to be exposed to the blood-plague to bear such a scar," Chang Chang said. "I have never been to any other blood tar apart from this overground."

"You were too young to remember—"

"I remember everything!" Her body shook with suppressed fury. "I possess all my memories, whether I want them or not. And you, sir, are not among them."

Out of the corner of her eye, Chang Chang glimpsed movement. A slender shape flowed down the sloping floor toward them. Chang Chang thought it was a snake moving in a crooked line, but as it drew closer, she recognized the metallic smell. The substance pooled in a thick circle at her feet.

Cerest recognized it at the same time. He summoned his sword.

"Greyas!" he cried. But there was no answer from the shadows. Cerest looked down at the blood pool and cursed. Shenan shoved Fannie away and brandished her own blade, moving into position at Cerest's back.

Chang Chang used the distraction to slide off the back of the crate, putting it between her and the elves. She heard Fannie stumbling for cover, but Cerest was no longer paying her any attention. He was watching the shadows intently.

"Show yourselves!" He shouted.

Tense, Chang Chang waited, but there came no answer from the shadows.

A breath passed, and a sound like beating wings came out of the darkness. A huge metal cleaver buried itself deep into the crate where Chang Chang had been sitting. The handle quivered from side to side.

Chang Chang reached up and snatched the weapon. As soon as her fingers touched the handle, the attack came. Chang Chang backed away, seeking cover. Cerest broke to follow when another shadow moved—a large burst of darkness that came from above.

Ju Feng dropped from a column of stacked crates, landing behind Cerest. He grabbed the halfling around the throat, dragging him away from Chang Chang.

"You?!" Cerest shouted, twisting to shove the man off. "Rondel!" He spun. Chang Chang saw the instant the elf locked eyes with Ju Feng.

For a breath, Cerest froze like a frightened deer. Chang Chang heard him mutter, "soul cultivator, here?" before he went for his sword.

Ju Feng stood before him, unarmed and at ease. His knees slightly bent, he all but danced on the balls of his feet. Cerest thrust with his blade, and Ju Feng jumped back. The thrust never came close to his flesh. The elf swung again, and again Ju Feng dodged with ease, this time finding an opening to punch Cerest in the gut.

The elf stumbled back. His sword wavered; he didn't know whether to attack or defend.

He has no notion of how to fight an unarmed man, Chang Chang realized. It would be more to his advantage if Ju Feng had a weapon.

Ju Feng, on the other hand, appeared to be reading Cerest's attacks before he made them. He stepped back, sweeping his foot out in a kick that connected solidly with Cerest's knee. The elf had his full weight propped there; he went down with a cry of fury.

This wasn't even fighting. Chang Chang observed Ju Feng's measured stance, the balance between rest and motion. He stayed suspended between the two, almost floating, until Cerest's attack came. Only trained, disciplined martial artists fought this way, facing whirling steel with an air of serenity and absolute comfort in the strength of their bodies.

Ju Feng Morleth was not a blood, nor was he from this world. He was a true cultivator, a martial artist trained in martial combat.

A loud pounding sounded outside the cavern. Chang Chang tore her attention away from the battle. Ju Feng must have sealed the door from the inside when they'd entered the warehouse. Cerest's men—gods knew how many had come running at the elf's shout—were trying to break down the door. The flimsy wood and rusted iron wouldn't hold for long.