Page 5 of The Wind Dancer
As soon as I ran my hand over the enhancement cycle, the Fire symbol flashed brighter than the rest, and I carefully turnedits tip to the west. There was slight resistance from the stone, a grinding sound, and a click.
My heart was racing. Now I needed to quickly press it in. He may not have said it, but most magical systems like these had an extra trap for gloating fools who took too long.
I breathed out in relief as I pressed it in. The stone shuddered, shifted a bit, and then slowly began to move. I felt the mechanism inside glide, like it was well oiled and well used. Another whir and then a final click.
I jerked my hand away, feeling a cold sweat bead on my neck. The stone parted with a muffled grinding noise revealing the dark opening.
The contents had me stunned. Three cords of silver coins, two of gold, strung in neat stacks. One cord of jade coins, catching even the faintest light like stars. Two small bags, likely filled with precious stones. A round medallion lay apart from them within a drawn circle. Critically important documents were stacked with meticulous care. All of it lay within reach.
The Shadow in me wanted to grab something, anything, and run. But before I could even finish the thought, the dragonblood’s voice rang out again.
“The gems and coins are your payment. The folder you’ll need is red. So do we have a deal, Shadow?” I didn’t have to look too hard to make a rough estimate of what was in the safe. With all this I could just go into retirement immediately, instead of trying to prove myself to those old coots. I could buy myself a nice position as an official, no less than sixth rank, a good house with servants in a decent city, a vast library stocked with any book or scroll I could think of, and still have enough to live outmy days sipping expensive wines with a different woman each week.
“It’s a deal.” I agreed without fully realizing what the weight of this task would be.
“Take the documents and the medallion and come to me.” His tone was demanding more urgency, and I realized that we might have spent too much time considering the assailants could return at any moment.
I did as he asked and quickly approached.
“The second request. Get my and your blood on the amulet.” Cursing in my mind, I fulfilled his stupid request.
“What is your name?”
“Feng Lao,” I said reluctantly. It meant lonely wind, it was what my mentor named me when he had found me on the street. He said I was fast and good at hiding even as a kid.
“I, Li Yanjin, the elder of the Yanmun House, grant the Shadow Feng Lao the right to be called a junior member of the Yanmun House. Such is my will by the right of the Fire Ascended.”
A wave of energy passed through the amulet. The dragonblood seemed to grow taller.
“Junior member, the remaining security systems will not get triggered by you. You must deliver this amulet to any elder of our house. Survive at all costs. Now take the documents and the amulet and get out of here.”
I swallowed, realizing how deeply involved I had gotten. The Yanmun House was a very small house, they didn’teven have high rank members. But they had something more important — reputation.
Every noble from the House of Fire Mist served in the imperial army. They weren’t like the noble families from the capital which paid to be given cushier and safer positions as officials. No, these lunatics paid to send their members to the border, the so-called Perimeter, where wars raged on eternally — sometimes with wild tribes, sometimes hordes of changelings, and even demons on occasion. This was a house specialized in war, aimed at total annihilation of all enemies. And now, as proclaimed by this talking corpse, I was the newest member of the house. Sure there were some pros to this, but honestly, to me there were way more cons. I was cursing myself for accepting the deal already.
“And the third request?” His lips then curved to a chilling grin.
“Put me to rest. Thosethingscan’t take me alive. Their leader is capable of much more than this, and I’d prefer not to meet him. Strike here and here,” he said pointing at his left temple and heart. “That is the only guaranteed way to kill an Ascended dragonblood without cleanly slicing their head off.” For some reason he didn’t believe I could do the second method. As he explained, I kept cursing myself over and over. I didn’t have a problem killing, I had done it many times before.
I took my first life when I was twelve. I had gotten captured by a slave dealer who planned to sell me to a brothel. I protected both my life and dignity that day. And over the next eight years, I used my daggers in sticky situations. But never like this, not as an order. It just wasn’t who I was.
Sensing my hesitation Li Yanjin spoke again.
“Junior member Lao... I don’t want to be tortured again, so take the things and money and give me peace. Then leave quickly, they need the amulet, you’d just be a bonus. The senior members of the Broken Seal Cult need human hearts and livers as sacrifices for the demons they serve.”
As I stood there listening to his chilling words, the door suddenly burst open and three people in poison green clothes with broken chain motifs entered the room.
My mind raced and I decided what the smartest move was. Before they could even move I rushed to the safe, grabbed as many things from it as I could, stuffing them in my shirt. Then I turned to run to the window. When you were outnumbered, it was best not to engage at all, unless you could take them out quickly and efficiently so that no one could come after you. My decision was to just get out.
“The deal! Feng Lao, we made a DEAL!” the dragonblood shouted, and I had to stop in my tracks. Nothing was holier to a Shadow than adeal. As sure as the sun and moon would rise, so would a Shadow honor their deal. The ancient law bound those who swore it by oath with magical chains unseen but unbreakable. All were equal before it, the Shadow, the dragonblood, slaves and masters, scientists and tradesmen. Even the emperor’s officials and highest nobility. By accepting it, those involved became partners, both bound to fulfill their obligations.
I knew that fighting against three people in a small area was a bad idea, but I had no choice. The cultists watched me carefully, their short, heavy sabers glinting in the dim moonlight. I took a step back like a cornered animal, and they fell for it.
The first one rushed forward, swinging diagonally, sloppily, and too slow compared to me. With just a small sidestep and turn, his blade completely missed me. Deception was key, and I wasn’t scared, defenseless prey.
Before he knew it, my dagger found its way between his ribs. It wasn’t deep in, but when I jerked it down he howled in pain, trying to step away. And that was when I slashed my other dagger clean through his throat.
Wheezing, he tried to cover the wound, but blood poured out of it soaking him and the floor. He collapsed, bleeding out.
