Page 9 of The Wind Dancer
“He used it expertly. It was like he was born with it. It’s...” The assistant paused again, as if uncertain about voicing his thoughts.
“Speak.”
“The technique he used was similar to the one that was once used by the Winged Ghost squad, which served the Emperor of the Sunset Empire. They trained for years so that they could be flawless in both flight and in a fight. But the unit was disbanded decades ago and all the members either died or disappeared.”
Lian thought about this option. He narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to see something in the darkness outside. Young, well-trained, with skills that only a master should’ve had. Who was he? A mercenary? A spy? Or... Something entirely else?
“He knew where to go,” the assistant continued. “Went straight to the office. As if he already knew the layout. And he...” The assistant hesitated again. “He killed three of our people there. Without hesitation, like it was a perfectly normal thing for him.”
Lian chuckled. There was something sinister in it.
“Interesting,” he whispered. “Very interesting.”
He walked over to the table, picked up the dagger, and turned it over in his hands. The blade shone in the light of the lanterns, reflecting his cold gaze.
“Find him, and spare no effort,” he ordered, without taking his eyes off the blade. “I want to know who he is, where he is from, and why he broke into this estate. Perhaps he could be of use to us.”
The assistant nodded and took a step back, ready to leave. But Lian stopped him with a raised hand.
“And one more thing.” His voice grew quieter, but took on an even more terrifying edge. “If he’s as good as you say, don’t go after him... for a little while. I wonder what he’s capable of and who he intends to give the key to the Dragon Sanctuary to.”
The assistant nodded again and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lian alone in the room. He went back to the window, clutching the dagger. His golden eyes burned in the darkness.
“Whoever you are,” he whispered, “you will either serve me or die.”
Behind him, the first flames were already spreading through the estate. The fire destroyed everything in its path, hiding any evidence. Lian Rui knew that some things couldn’t be destroyed or hidden. He was sure that their paths would cross again.
He gripped the dagger tighter, feeling the cold metal. The game was just beginning.
CHAPTER 4
The night on the border between the Middle and Lower City smelled of smoke, spices, and vice. Far off in the distance, the music of parties could still be heard from the Upper City nobles, but here, closer to the bottom, the sounds were completely different — the clink of coins, muffled screams from behind closed doors, and the splash of thick mucky water in the drains of the eternally clogged sewer.
I moved through this dark maze, not wasting any time, but also not too quickly, so as not to draw attention. After everything that happened at the estate, it would’ve been really dumb to leave traces or witnesses. I’d lay low, hide my tracks, rest a bit, and heal my wounds. As I was taught.
“Never take everything with you. Your weapons should be sheathed, and your things buried. If you don’t want to be found, hide before they even start looking for you.”
I took a turn into one of the alleys passing the night market, which was lively even at this hour. The guards turned a blind eye to what was being sold here, provided they received a decent bribe. Steam and smoke billowed from where vendorscooked noodles and fried meat in heavy-bottom pots all night. Grease hissed, flames flickered. My stomach growled, but there were more urgent things now.
I ignored the drunken shouts, the clatter of wooden sandals on the pavement, the swindlers trying to lure fools into their traps. I needed to stick to the shadows right now. They hid me from any curious eyes, but out of a deeply instilled habit, I still kept an eye out for any trouble. But I was doing all this while my mind was elsewhere.
The blood was still sticky on my hands. Cultists’ blood... Dragonblood’s blood... Blood that could’ve been mine if I had made mistakes. I wanted to thank my mentor for his lessons. He more than saved my life tonight. The bitter anger at the circumstances of his death rose up in me. I shook my head to chase it away, now wasn’t the time.
Shelter awaited ahead — my den, one of the places that my mentor had told me to make. I had a lot of them all over the city. Everything was as he instructed: several levels of security, different parts of the city. Here, in an old warehouse, I had hidden things that could be useful in case I needed to make a quick escape.
I turned the corner and ducked into its shadow. The building was abandoned, the roof collapsed, rotten beams sticking out from it, and the smell of dust and old fish always lingered there. It looked just like so many abandoned buildings in this area, and that level of inconspicuousness was what made it a great hiding place.
I made my way inside, heading to the wall where the wooden panels were slightly thicker than the rest. I found the right one and with a short press, it gave way. Feeling around, Ifound a secret lantern that would provide just enough light for my tired eyes.
I took the Heavenly Wing out and examined it. The silk was intact, the frame undamaged. It was invaluable today, getting me out of incredibly sticky situations, but it was too dangerous to carry it with me. It was very noticeable, even when folded.
Ten minutes later, the Wing was just a set of neatly arranged parts. I put them back in their hiding place.
Now, the weapons. I felt naked without daggers, so I always kept spare ones in all my dens. There were only three of them left here. That wasn’t enough, I needed to remember to get more. I took two — one was longer, more useful for stabbing, the other was shorter, with a heavier blade, which was convenient for cutting tendons.
The next step was to open my bracers and take out the small hidden crossbow mechanism. There were three short bolts in each one. A couple of minutes later and my las-ditch effort weapons were loaded and back in their place.
My gaze fell on the reflection in the blade of the last dagger. I looked ragged even with the mask on, my eyes still red from the potion, my gray clothes stained with blood. It was a miracle I didn’t draw any attention.
