“Shit,” Chuo spat. “Why can’t we ever find a nice room to end up in?”
Mulan steadied her jian as she swirled around. The two statues from outside the door they entered hurried to meet them, sliding along the black tiles, their weapons almost at shoulder height. “What, you were expecting butterflies or something?”
“You know what? Yes. I’d love to end up in a room of butterflies for a damn change.”
“But where’s the fun in that?”
Letting out a piercing cry that shot around the room, Mulan jumped at the approaching stone warrior in a blur of speed. Meeting her sword with its own, the ring of metal on stone rippled through her ears and spread throughout the rest of the room. Gritting her teeth, the vibrations from the impact coursed through her wrist and down her arm.
Quickly ducking beneath its arm, Mulan slashed the blade across its upper back. Fine grains of sand poured from the gash, trickling onto the black tiles beneath.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Kang swirling around the body of another statue. A heavy stone fist shot out, sinking into his gut and wrenching a grunt from Kang’s mouth.
But a stone sword hurtling towards her head forced her attention back to the warrior in front. Dropping to her knees just as the sword swung over the top, Mulan thrust the blade up, forcing the animated statue to stop momentarily.
Mulan tried to free the jian but the stone, or whatever lay within its rough exterior, claimed it for her own. Clenching her jaws and keeping a tight hold on the weapon, she jumped onto the thing’s knees and pushed backwards.
The blade came free with a burst of fine sand that sprayed in all directions. Squeezing her eyes shut, ribbons of pain coursed through her as the grains assaulted her face. Twisting mid-air, Mulan hit the ground with a heavy thud and the all too-familiar dull ache that came with it.
Not that she had time to dwell on it. The statue’s sword came tearing through the air with the speed of a wild horse towards her. Rolling to the side, the weapon sliced through her hair and through the top of her clothes, allowing the cool air to caress a few inches of skin beneath. Somewhere in the background, shouts and weapons clashing against each other sang in a violent chorus.
Jumping to her feet and pushing away all thoughts, Mulan swung the jian with every ounce of strength she possessed. The flurry of attacks forced the statue backwards. Behind its head, an explosion of sand erupted over her vision, forcing her to twist her head to the side and duck as a sword thrust towards her. Chuo’s victory scream reverberated through her ears as she parried a strike and scuttled backwards out of reach.
“I got the bastard!” Chuo panted ecstatically.
But the exuberance faded in an instance.
Nausea rolled in Mulan’s stomach as the grains slid over the floor, pooling into the centre. Slowly, it rose, higher and higher, until it became the same height as before. The uneven tube of sand filled out, forming into two narrow branches that quickly became arms. A blob emerged from the top, forming the same blank face it possessed only a moment ago.
“Fuck.” Kang’s livid curses erupted as his own weapon cut through another statue’s neck, sending a spray of sand filling the air.
Mulan scuttled backwards. “How do we stop them if they keep putting themselves together again?” she shouted.
The stone warrior turned effortlessly and resumed its attack on Chuo. “Like hell if I know!”
Kang swept a leg through the rising sand in front of him, but it didn’t slow it down. “Maybe if we shatter them enough times, they’ll stay down.”
But it didn’t work.
Three more times they smashed the statues to nothing more than dust, but each time they simply reformed.
Mulan ducked one arm determined to punch its way through her head only to crash into another. She bounced off it, sliding to the ground and rolling onto her back.
Struggling to get enough oxygen to her lungs, Mulan watched as one of the statues struck Daocheng in the stomach. Blood spurted from his mouth as his body creased over the stone fist, like rice paper being stuffed with pork filling. All air fled her lungs as Mulan watched his body slide to the ground, the sound of his weapons hitting the floor. A second later, he moved no more.
Screaming and panic coursing through her body like wildfire, Mulan fled towards her friend, only to be met with a fist to her stomach of her own. White light erupted behind her eyes and the world became nothing but pain.
Once able to breathe again, she found herself on the other side of the room, far away from the others, her back against the wall. Grey edged her vision and her lungs burned with the need for air. Panting, Mulan gazed up to see a blank stone face staring in her direction.
But moving backwards.
Confusion swam through her alongside the pain as it continued to glide out of the door and turn away, taking up its original position and moving no more.
What just happened?
Mulan glanced down, then back up, finally understanding. Grimacing, she sucked in a breath and struggled to stand. “Get off the black tiles!”
At first, she didn’t think anyone heard her. Kang swiped his blade through the air and jumped up, his feet smacking into the statue’s face as the weapon sliced an arm off. Hitting the ground in a crouch, his face curled into a dusty mask of determination, he lunged forward. At the same time, Chuo skidded beneath another stone sword, his nose brushing the hard edges of the weapon as he leant backwards. Once free, he raced towards Kang. Together, they grabbed Daocheng’s arms and hurtled as fast as they could towards Mulan, the remaining statues only inches behind.
As soon as their feet skidded onto the white tiles that stretched along the width of the room where Mulan stood, the animated statues paused. A sinking feeling filled her chest as she rose to her feet. It was hard to breathe, even harder to think, as the others kept their grip on Daocheng tight but continued to dodge out of the way of the stone warriors. What if I’m wrong about this?
The remaining statues stopped.
Mulan’s heart froze within her chest.
One glided backwards towards the other end of the chamber to take its position adjacent to its brother. Lowering their weapons, the other two slid along the black tiles, separated, passing Mulan and her friends through the white tiles until they finally came to a stop on either side of the doors where they’d originally stood.
Mulan’s heart refused to stop pounding like a drum as they all stared silently, waiting to see if the statues would reanimate once more.
Slowly, all the stone doors opened.
“What happened?”
Mulan’s breath hitched in her throat at the sound of Daocheng’s strained voice. She hurried to his side to watch his eyes flutter open. Chuo and Kang kept a tight grip on his upper arms in case he collapsed. “Thank the gods, you’re still alive,” she breathed, her eyes filling with hot tears as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“You said I couldn’t die, so I won’t,” he replied with a weak smile. “But you didn’t say anything about getting run over by a stampeding herd of horses.”
A relieved chuckle burst forth from her lips. “Sorry. Next time I’ll be more specific.”
“Maybe next time you should think about moving away from the fist aimed for your face,” Kang quipped in dry tones, his grip on his arm still firm.
Daocheng groaned, attempting to find his feet. Movements uneasy, it took him a few seconds to regain his balance. “Maybe next time I’ll stay at home.”
Kang released him, his features as stony as the statues guarding the doors. “Maybe you should.”
A frown pulled between Mulan’s brows as she watched Kang stomp towards the exit. Reaching for the jian on the floor, she sheathed it and hurried after him. Grabbing his wrist, she yanked him back around. “What’s your problem?”
For a moment, she didn’t think he was going to speak. Finally, he pulled a face and opened his mouth. “I don’t like him kissing you.”
; Mulan forced her jaw off the ground. “What?”
“He shouldn’t be kissing you. At all.”
“Kang -”
He stepped forward until the stone wall pressed hard against her back and breathed in hard. “You’re mine. Not his. You were mine as soon as you glanced my way back in Black Gate.”
A slither of anger trailed through her alongside the heat that stirred in her belly at the intensity of his words. “Listen here,” she told him, jabbing a finger in his chest. “You may be a prince, but you don’t own me. I’m not your slave. I’m my own person. I’ll kiss whoever I damn well want.”
“And who is it that you want?”
Inhaling deeply, Mulan stared back into those captivating brown eyes burning with emotion. “I love Daocheng.” A low growl trickled out of Kang’s mouth. “He’s my best friend, but ...”
“But?”
The anger dissipated, leaving nothing but the simple truth. “You’re the one I want, but if you keep pissing me off about my friendship then I’m going to change my mind.” Pushing past him, she walked several steps before calling over her shoulder. “Let’s go!”
The passageway beyond the chamber was only several meters long. A set of dark wooden doors stood at the far end, set with simple bronze handles fashioned into rings resembling curled dragons which glinted in the soft glow of the torches that hung from the walls.
As Mulan grew closer, and the footsteps behind her became louder, her own feet slowed. After all the trials the tomb had thrown at them, it didn’t seem wise to go marching off on her own just because of Kang’s possessive nature.
The man would just have to deal with her friendship with Daocheng.
Just like you need to deal with Daocheng’s feelings, the annoying little voice in her head whispered.
As the others came up behind her, Mulan wrapped her hand around the bronze handles. Warmth spread along her palms, the metal etched with miniature scales and wings. Near the top, a beady eye peered upwards. The simplicity of the designed gave it a breath-taking quality.
Readying her nerves for what lay ahead, Mulan pushed.
As the doors opened, everyone gasped.
The room wasn’t very large, maybe ten meters by ten, but the ceiling stretched far above their heads in a dome. Life-sized images of men, women, and children dressed in simple, flowing clothes adorned every inch of the walls. Depictions of animals and trees painted with vivid pigments peered out between the figures. As the walls stretched higher, the light background darkened, with stars trailing near and over the cupola ceiling, glowing with a light that she couldn’t begin to comprehend, although a faint whisper of magic flittered on the air. Mulan couldn’t believe how incredible it looked; it had to be over a thousand years old, yet appeared as if painted only yesterday.
Her eyes strayed to the very back of the room. A simple coffin fashioned out of the same grey stone as the doors set flush against the wall sat on a high brick platform edged with limestone. Standing in front of it stood a high table carved from similar dark wood as the doors they’d just passed with three small statues carved in the shape of women.
Mulan’s breath hitched in her throat. They’d found the resting place of the first Tuoba to emerge from the ancestral cave, the founder of their entire civilization.
“Finally,” Chuo breathed, striding past her towards the coffin. “Let’s get the seal and get out of -” His words were cut off as an invisible force sent him flying through the air and him out the doors.
Rolling his eyes, Kang walked over and yanked him to his feet. “Did you really think it was going to be that easy?”
Sucking in a breath and shaking his head, Chuo released a weary sigh. “One can only hope.”
Cursing beneath his breath, Kang quickly returned to his position beside Mulan. His eyes darted over the room, searching. “The seal must be inside the coffin, but how do we get past this shield?”
“We can tell you if you like?”
“We can tell you if you don’t like. Either way, you’ll know.”
“And that can only be a good thing.”
“Unless the thing you know is a bad thing.”
“Then you don’t want to know.”
Three high-pitched feminine voices echoed through the room. Mulan’s hand quickly shot to the hilt of her jian, mirroring the others’ reactions. “Who’s there?” she breathed, unable to keep the hint of fear from her voice.
“We’re here, silly.”
Everyone twisted their heads, searching for the origins of the voices.
“Down here!”
Mulan lowered her gaze. The three statues on the table waved at them, their faces smiling as Mulan and the others lowered their weapons in surprise. Frowning, Mulan stepped closer and dropped her hand.
Seemingly made from clay and painted with bright colours, each wore a long flowing hanyu, the sleeves long enough to drop to their knees. Delicate pink flowers on clothes painted in shimmering shades of purple made the statue on the left reminded Mulan of spring. The second wore robes painted in iridescent ice blue edged in sapphire, while the last on the right dressed in orange and red, the clothes painted with such skill she appeared to be wearing real flames. Each carried a parasol that matched their clothing, their hair all styled in a simple knot on top of their heads.
Daocheng peered closer, his face lined with exhaustion. “Please tell me we don’t have to fight you. I’ve been hit enough today as it is.”
The statue wearing pink and purple covered her mouth and giggled. “We won’t hit anyone as handsome as you.”
A blush stained his cheeks and it took everything Mulan had inside not to laugh. “Oh. Thank you. Can we pass?”
The third statue shook her head and cast her glance in his direction. “Only the worthy may pass.”
“Or the smartest,” said the first.
“Or those we can’t stop,” the middle replied.
Mulan’s head began to pound with the high-pitched squeal. “How do we pass the protective spell? We must obtain the seal.”
The three statues turned solemn faces her way. “The seal rests with the first of your kind. We are its last line of defence,” the third statue told her. “You may pass only if you solve our riddle.”
“A riddle?” Kang said, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.
Mulan couldn’t blame him. After the giant spiders, the apparitions, and then the warrior statues, a riddle seemed to easy.
The purple statue smiled sweetly. “Just a simple, little riddle.”
Now an uneasiness spread through her belly at its tone. “Ask.”
The three statues shared a glance and then stood still. The first opened her mouth. “Without a mouth, I speak.”
The second statue lifted her chin. “I follow, but never lead.”
The third smiled. “In the darkness, I reflect.”
“What am I?” they asked in unison.
A shiver ran down Mulan’s spine at the sound of the three voices merging into one. Turning to the others, she was met with blank expressions. “Does anyone know?”
Daocheng’s features twisted into a mask of confusion as he shrugged. Beside him, Chuo sighed and shook his head.
Kang watched her with a frown that grew deeper by the minute. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he remained silent for several long minutes.
The sinking feeling returned to her stomach as no one said a word. In the background, the three statues began giggling again, their laughter echoing off the walls like spells. It started to grate on her. Why couldn’t they just shut up for a moment and let them think?
Suddenly, it came to her. Twirling around with excitement flushing her cheeks, she placed her hands on the table and leaned in. “An echo,” she breathed.
“Yes!”
“You got it right!”
“Well done. You may pass.”
A ripple of power flowed through the air like a gentle wave. Relief swam through Mulan’s veins while t
he others stood there, grinning at her. She hated riddles; she’d much prefer a good old-fashioned hand-to-hand fight than to answer another one.
Sighing, Mulan and the others stepped forward, the protective shield around the stone coffin gone. It only took a few steps to reach it. Tiny crystals in the grey stone made it appear as though it shimmered with magic. Maybe it did, Mulan thought. The same ancient power that wrapped itself around the mountain, around the village, twisted and coiled over the edges of the stone like a ribbon.
The coffin itself appeared simple, several feet long and measuring four feet wide, fashioned from a single piece of stone with a separate slab positioned on top. No intricate carvings adorned it, just a few chisel marks here and there to testify the hard work of humans.
Daocheng, Chuo, and Kang positioned themselves around the top of the coffin. Using all their strength, they began pushing. Slowly, the lid slid down, revealing the contents within.
White bones peered up from the darkness within, gleaming like ghosts. A skull stared at them with empty sockets, free of any damage. Any flesh, hair, or clothing had been swept away on the river of time. Mulan’s heart thumped wildly in her chest as she gazed down.
The remains of the founder of her people.
A wave of sadness mingled with awe settled within her chest. This was the man the gods themselves had breathed life into, who went on to establish the first Tuoba settlement that would eventually become one of the greatest kingdom’s history had ever witnessed. Every Tuoba owed their life to this one man.
And they didn’t even know his name. Whoever had created this final resting place hadn’t even carved his name into the stone.
Daocheng sucked in a deep breath and bowed his head in reverence. Respect lined Chuo’s elegant and dust-coated features and he fell uncharacteristically silent.
Mulan stepped closer. The top of the coffin now sat past the occupant’s waist. Clutched in his skeletal hands lay a jade disc only a few inches big. The creamy green material shimmered beneath the soft magical glow of the stars painted on the ceiling. A small rounded hole sat at both the top and bottom of the disc. A single character Mulan didn’t recognise lay etched in the centre.
Honour, She Obeys Page 34
