"They're on their way. Hide in the back," Liu-Ken said, staying behind with Quan-Qan, "Will you give me back my sword?"
"Yes, my most trusted employee should be here any minute. It doesn't belong to me," Quan-Qan replied, leaning against one of the stone walls, "The girl... you can see it, can't you?"
"Yes, at first, I thought that her courage was an attempt to hide the pain, but no more. The further we go, the more she uses black chi, the less afraid she is of death. The time will come when she won't fear it."
"Like her father. And we all know where that has gotten us. I assume you still don't know where he went during those weeks he was missing," Quan-Qan replied.
"It won't be the same. Not this time. And, no, I don't know. It does not matter now either. She is clinging as she can to the good memories. As long as she stays that way, she'll have a place to come back to," he said.
"And once her memories are all death and blood? Damn it, Liu-Ken. Your empathy is touching, but it is time to be rational. You have in your hands one of the most dangerous cultivators in existence. Death will follow her wherever she goes. And there will come a time when she will accept it as part of her. She may not accept Yin, but it does not mean that she is not there, growing as she does, waiting for the right moment to manipulate her," Quan-Qan told him, clenched-fisted, hoarse voice, taking two cigars out of his pocket. "Take one of these. I know that you also appreciate them. Smoke one before you die," he said.
"Hopeful as always," Liu-Ken replied, taking the cigar, and pocketing it. "I understand what you're saying, but somehow something still tells me that the girl won't follow her father's footsteps. She had a different childhood. Much happier. She wants to take revenge for those whom she loved and were snatched from her life. Her father fought for a fixed purpose. He never did it for those he loved except in the last battle. Maybe that is the difference that changes everything," he said.
"I hope you're right. It's ironic, isn't it? That for her to survive she must put kindness aside when it's the only thing keeping her sane," Quan-Qan said. Liu-Ken did not answer him.
Seconds later, the same man who had been in Quan's office with them showed up. Quick steps, disorderly breathing, hands carrying three bags.
"Sorry, sir. Level 4 soldiers from the Kaji school burst through the front door. They are accompanied by two Level 3 soldiers and a Level 2 woman," the man said. "Here is what you asked for.”
"Thank you. You can give it to him. Go back inside and see if you can buy us a few minutes," Quan-Qan ordered. The man bowed, excused himself, and disappeared among the purple and blue lights hovering over the crowd.
"Here's everything you need. One of the bags has your weapon, the other has some clothes. They are made of fragile fabric, nothing special, but they will keep you disguised. The rest have your potions and some more that I have added, including bread and fruit. It also includes three sleeping bags. It is better than sleeping out in the open. It is better to get out of here as soon as possible. Good luck. I genuinely hope this time it will be different, Liu. The world needs hope," he said.
"Thank you, Quan. Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Your help would always be welcome," Liu-Ken asked him, halfway to the wagon.
Quan-Qan laughed. "Don't be silly. I have a business to run and besides, someone needs to buy you enough time to get away from here. Now go, quick."
Liu-Ken looked back and smiled one last time. He threw the three bags into the structure where Aurora and the new member were. He warned them to stay hidden no matter what they heard and ensured that the cloth was hiding them, leaving only a small gap through which the sun could enter amidst the journey. Then he went to the front-end where he sat in the middle of the wooden bench and grabbed the ropes that were used to keep the horses under control. He whipped them gently, enough for them to raise their front paws, before rushing into the street, pulling the wagon, sometimes tilting when the wheels rolled over some loose stone down the street.
Chapter 31
Quan-Qan’s POV
When Quan-Qan reached the arena, surrounded by two security guards, he noticed that the Kaji soldiers were kicking out all the men and women there—poor, rich, even the maids and the band members. He said nothing, waiting until the place emptied to take a step forward. He looked around, looking for the main security guard who he had sent there but did not find him. He signaled for the rest to come near him, surrounding him and setting up a barrier between him and the Kaji soldiers.
"Are you having fun?" he asked the soldier who seemed to be giving orders. A man wearing an elegant armor, white and red stripes embedded in the metal, and carrying a saber inside his cork sheath. Brown hair on his shoulders dropped over the school insignia. An eagle's eye, small but furtive, looked suspicious at Quan-Qan.
"We know that you helped the fugitives. We want to know why, or we'll tear down the whole building. Do you dare to turn against the Kaji school?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Quan-Qan replied, holding a serious tone. "I didn't help anyone."
"So, who's the wounded cultivator everyone's talking about? Who fought earlier?"
"I don't even know his name. He offered to fight for a few gold coins. That's it. He left a while ago. If you run, you'll still be able to catch him," he replied.
The temperature rose. No one spoke. Quan-Qan exchanged glances with the level-three soldier. The soldiers on both sides already had their hands next to their weapons, ready to holler and fight if they had to. Mana spun around, moving near Quan-Qan, adorning his fingers, and then running away from him, attracted by the Kaji men.
The silence was shattered by a weapon that Quan-Qan recognized, as it shaved his neck, striking the security guard's chest right behind him. He did not even have time to stop it or to protect the boy who had been hit. He knelt, one hand by his bloody chest. Death embraced him within seconds. Quan knew that the attack was not for him, no; the woman who wielded that unique weapon, once upon a time, would not fail at such a short distance. A chi-imbued metal arrow whose user could manipulate her across valleys and mountains if that were the case. Quan-Qan had seen it but still did not believe it could be her. The arrow came out of the boy's body before he rested on the ground, returning to the owner, a woman hidden among the soldiers, swinging her fingers, manipulating the mana, and opening a clean corridor for the weapon to return to her hands.
"I see you're still on the wrong side of the story," a docile voice, of someone who wants to lull his son until he finally falls asleep, said.
"And I see you've changed sides, Chim-Lan," Quan-Qan said, moving forward. "How could you betray us? After everything?" he said to her, clenching his fists and frowning his nose and forehead when he heard that voice. He no longer bothered to keep up appearances or to keep hiding the truth of who he was.
"Betray you? Don't be ridiculous. We were young and believed that we could change the world. There is nothing wrong with that. However, now we are adults and you must have realized that the world is not fair. It never was and never will be," she said, tapping one of the soldiers' armor with two fingers. He stepped aside, making room for her to reveal herself before Quan-Qan. The same long, black, straight hair as she had eighteen years ago, strands of it covering her blue eyes and purple lips, remnants of lipstick also on her two upper front teeth. Unlike the level-three soldier, she wore an elegant but practical kimono. The fabric was made of light, malleable silk and the length prevented anyone from seeing the position of her legs.
"Not believing in the same ideals we fought for is one thing, but joining them is another," Quan-Qan replied. The mana around him flared and joined him, the mustache reddening as well as his dark eyes.
"I did what I could to survive. After what happened, I was adrift. Unlike you, I had no other skills. I dropped everything when I left the Metaru school. The metal that shelters my body then became useless without a reason to use it. Do you know how many times someone tried to rob me? And worse? I was so sick of my life that I fig
ured I'd end it. But I was caught before I got to do it. They tortured me for months. I was broken, without any incentive to stay alive. If it wasn't for one of the Kaji school's immortals offering me a place among them I wouldn't be here. He knew who I was and still agreed to give me a second chance. He saw something in me that only Shao Cheng had seen before," she said.
Quan-Qan laughed, but this time it was a thick, muffled laugh, his breath numbing the sight of the security guards themselves. "I'm sure you can tell they did it so they wouldn't have to fight with you. It's much better to have someone like you on their side than against them. You killed hundreds of Kaji men, do you think they would just accept you willingly? Part of you should be aware of that. Wake up. They won't hesitate to kill you if they have doubts about your loyalty," he said.
"I have proved it to my masters," she said. "And just as I apologized to him, I apologize to you. I wish it didn't have to be this way but daring to lie and challenge the Kaji school is punishable by death," she added, the arrow next to the red garment, a fine-meshed dragon, with a chubby body decorating the back.
"Tell me that doesn't mean what I'm thinking. Tell me you didn't kill one of our old colleagues," Quan-Qan said, his voice thickening, his bloody eyes burning upon the brink of losing his temper.
"I did what I had to do. Even though the Kaji school is a fire school, they accepted me, a metal user. The rules dictate that I should be grateful for the hospitality," she said, keeping her voice calm, without a hint of remorse for what she had done, "I suppose there are only four of us left. I, you, Liu-Ken, whom I have already heard did a mess here, and her," Chim-Lan added, muzzling her lower lip while referring to the other woman.
"Still jealous of her because everyone liked her more? You'll never find out where she is. Not even I know. After all that had happened, having to let others take care of her daughter, she vanished. You always wanted the attention she had. It seems to me that you finally have her and not for a good reason," he said.
"That snake. She knew the truth. She could see right through me. How I did not react to every death of ours, how false my compassion was. I should have killed her when I had the chance. She and the baby," Chim-Lan said, her fingers bleeding from squeezing one of the arrow blades, the purple light shedding light on the corner of her sagging mouth, and the wrinkles on her blotchy skin.
Quan-Qan lost control. He could no longer hear those words. The woman he had trusted one day now talking about killing those he fought to protect as if they were nothing more than rubbish on the way. The mana surrendered to his hands, thickening them until three red claws grew in the empty spaces between his fingers. He set one foot ahead of the other and tossed one hand's claws towards the woman. A wave of chi and mana devastated the whole place, cracking the beams, melting the cork from the drums, and forcing some of the soldiers from both sides backward.
The woman moved her fingers through the air, gathering the mana around and using the chi to cement it until she had a metal brick before her, capable of withstanding Quan's attack. The attack crumbled on the newly created wall, scorching the metal but unable to cause it serious damage except for the melting extremities. All that was left was now a thick metallic circle that swirled around, dissipating the flames that were still sweeping across the metal, trying to find an opening.
"Do you really think you're going to beat me with this?" she asked him. She laughed and moved forward, keeping her defense one meter ahead of her chest. "Soldiers, don't forget! We are Kaji. We do not run away. We are not afraid of anything. Go ahead. Kill them all."
Quan-Qan's toes curled upon hearing her words, "Men, I'm sorry for this but we'll have to fight to the end. If you want to run away, now is the time. I won't blame you for that."
"We are not planning on going anywhere. We knew what could happen when we agreed to protect you," one of the men said, his hexagonal face hidden among the tallest heads, the lights unable to reach him.
"I see that everyone thinks that way, then. It is a pleasure to fight alongside you. Let's do it then. Take care of the weaker soldiers. I'll take care of the rest," Quan-Qan said, still with a chi claw in one hand.
"Sir, but it's two Level 3 and it's Level 2. How will you do it?" another asked. He had a chubby face and a strangled voice, standing out among hoarse voices and square faces.
"Honestly, I have no idea. But do not think I'm going to die here. There is still a lot to do in the world. My story doesn't end here," he said, taking a deep breath, hot mana burning his throat. "Go! Show them who is in charge here!"
The soldiers of both factions advanced, meeting each other along the way, fighting until their faces soaked in sweat. Their chests beat loudly, their arms burning in pain from handling their spears and swords, their knees trembling when they bumped into each other, being jostled by brute force. A Kaji died, and one belonging to Quan died. No one had a clear advantage.
Amid the battle, a mana battle was also going on. If on one side it was heavy and scorched, on the other it was pure fire, covering Quan-Qan's body, ornamenting his luxurious kimono. He knew how difficult it would be, almost impossible, even more so without even having his weapon. And yet he accepted the challenge he believed he had been set by the Dao to test his loyalty. He who had surrendered his life to the cause 18 years ago, now, once again, was put in line to protect the successor of the man he believed in. For brief seconds, he remembered the first time he had realized that he would agree to battle alongside Shao Cheng.
The yellowish metal sparks colliding with metal splintered over his clothes and onto the ground carrying him to an old battle where he and his companion had been ambushed by a dozen men. If he, Quan-Qan of his name, was a twenty-three-year-old boy who had never been in a serious battle before, his colleague, Shao Cheng, two years older than him, was already one of the great promises of the Kaji school, carrying the standard-bearer in some battles against small armies of thieves and others. The old companion advanced alone, his feet sliding across the ground, dancing across the terrain, wounding all the men but never killing them.
When he, Quan-Qan, asked him why he had not cut off their heads as required, the man had then answered him that everyone should have a second chance to prove to the heavens that they deserved a decent reincarnation, that they deserved karma to be there for them if they were also willing to change their behavior. He had never met anyone like that before, anyone who smiled at the prospect of death, having ignored the rules, with a smile on his face, brown hair with a few blonde strands waving around.
When everything went downhill, when the frightened leader of the Kaji school decided to put an end to all the necromancers of the continent and he found himself forced to flee, it was Quan-Qan who helped him, lying that he had not seen him, even though he had helped him escape from their base, which was located on one of the eight largest volcanoes, minutes before. Later, he would join him, joining a team made up of his wife, Liu-Ken, and one of the men who had long since died. That was how it all began, and Quan gladly accepted that perhaps it was so, in a fight against those he had betrayed, that it would end. A complete, fair, and impartial circle. Dao would be satisfied with his decision. Perhaps he would be rewarded in another life. That was how he imagined when he finally joined the battle, men dying before him, others sticking their sharp edges, some curved, into their opponents' bodies.
"Let's get started then. You stay there. This is a battle between me and him. I owe him that," she said, moving forward too, the kimono folds sweeping across the floor, "Don't hold back. I won't do it either.”
"I wasn't thinking of doing it. You don't deserve it," Quan-Qan said. He had gained a couple of good pounds in the last few years and was not as agile as before. He breathed deeply and created another one of his chi and mana claws. He raised his arms and then crossed them by his chest. Now both hands could be used for both defense and attack.
The woman laughed. She did not see him as an adversary, but only as a man who clung to life in any way he now could, onl
y delaying the inevitable. She swept her fingers through the air again, almost as if she were playing on a piano, playing each key carefully, without missing a single key.
Three metal arrows arose from her back, joining the arrow that had killed one of Quan's guards, the blood still decorating the sharp triangular point. She stretched out her hand and the four guns went off, heading toward Quan-Qan, spinning, and defying the laws of thermodynamics. Four tunnels tearing through the air, creating their own path, all of them with the same destiny. Only when the purple beams of light, rotating over the air, fell upon the arrows, was it then possible to see the mana particles adorning them, strengthening them and making them immune to gravity.
"Do you think that's enough to defeat me? Don't underestimate me!" Quan-Qan shouted, wringing his whole face, his eyebrows pulling away from each other. He stepped forward, and uncrossed his hands in a fiery outburst, flinging his two flaming claws forward.
They merged, digging red holes in the atmosphere, propelling the arrows backward. The opposing forces collided; the claws melting the arrows and them spinning at high speed trying to extinguish the fire. Waves of chi and mana went through the entire building, sometimes tossing men to the ground, breaking down glasses and trays that had been left behind, the fierce wind blowing the cracked flute.
When the battle seemed to have reached a stalemate, the two Kaji level 3 soldiers stepped in. They cast simple fire blasts which, instead of focusing on the colorful and explosive center, circumvented both sides toward Quan-Qan. He was using all the force he had to hold the arrows, having no trick up his sleeve, no secret defense to unveil to them. He'd have to hold all the fire jets even if they melted his kimono and burned his skin.
"I hope you're a long way from here, Liu," he said to himself, smiling as he accepted the approaching fate. "I'm sorry I couldn't buy you more time."
Awakening: (The Necromancer's Legacy Book 1) Page 20
