The breathy bellows of the wind had been replaced by soft chirps and the chittering of some other forest life. Though this calming serenade surrounded them, the tale Xieren had just related to his companion left a far more powerful impression. Liang He, despite normally adorning a look of neutrality or mischief, now wore a look of gloom. His slim, dark eyes were partly lidded as he looked down at the smaller male.

  "This caused you a great deal of distress, did it not? Do not blame yourself for what happened—"

  "Liang He, do you not understand? I did it! It was because of me and me alone that..."

  "It was an accident, gege." The vague sense of force behind Liang He's words startled Xieren, and so he paused. Glancing down at his feet as he walked, Xieren began, "Do you really understand how that felt? I...killed someone. It was an undeserved death of an innocent youth. Have you...ever done something like that?" Suddenly realizing how incriminating an answer to that question could be, Xieren was rushing to take it back, but Liang He was too quick.

  "In a way, yes. I think I can understand that."

  "Ah?"

  "Yes." Liang He's lips curved into a faux smile. "I can truly understand you." Liang He gave a stern nod, his face oddly bright as he continued on, as if they were merely on a casual stroll. "Though, perhaps that's not quite right... Well, regardless of the differences, I think we can understand one thing about this." He held up a finger as he spoke, and said, "Death is terrible; scary, but necessary."

  "Necessary, Liang He?" Perhaps unconsciously, his brows furrowed low over his eyes. Liang He nodded again. "For one reason or another, death is necessary. It can save someone, it can incriminate someone, it can prove something to someone. There are many reasons death is necessary, whether we would like to admit it or not." For only a moment, Liang He peered at Xieren. "Why was this boy's death necessary for you?"

  "It wasn't. That's what I'm telling you..."

  Liang He said nothing. Instead, he smiled, and the conversation fell to a lull. Xieren found this very surprising, but he knew he still wasn't well acquainted with this man yet, so questioning this silence seemed pointless. He was starting to think like that now. "If we won't continue that discussion, I think there was something else we had been talking about?"

  "Shengde."

  "Excuse me?"

  Liang He turned back to Xieren with a sly grin akin to that of their good fox friend. "The village I told you about. That was its name. Shengde." Xieren was immediately drawn in—he was intrigued. "How do you know about this place? What exactly happened to it?"

  Liang He chuckled. "You were a good student, weren't you?"

  "Can you please just answer my questions?"

  Liang He held up his hands in surrender. "Yes, yes. Let's see now..." Liang He's head droped to the side. He stayed this way for a few moments before returning upright. "I can't exactly say how I first discovered it."

  "How convenient."

  "I think....I saw it in a scroll...from a...friend."

  "That sounds suspicious."

  "Doesn't it? As for your second question," the tall thief pulled his hands behind his back as he took casual, listless strides, stepping over a root that nearly tumbled Xieren. "The yao, the creatures of the forest, they just took over."

  "That doesn't happen for no reason."

  "Of course not. Someone, or something caused this to happen." With a lazy point of his finger, he aimed at the brush and tall weeds at their right. "Imagine, gege. Hundreds of years ago, a nice house would have probably been there. Maybe a shrine of sorts. An inn, even. Anything could have lined this path. But now..."

  "That's..."

  "But as I said, gege. Death is necessary. If Shengde hadn't died, Shanhua wouldn't exist. Without that, who knows what your life would be like. Actually, you probably wouldn't have even been born. And me as well. Just think about it a little."

  "My head is already hurting, Liang He..." Xieren's companion stifled a laugh, not once having taken his eyes off of the path ahead of them. Suddenly, Xieren spoke up, "Is that the sort of thing you think about a lot?"

  "Quite honestly, yes." Xieren's mouth fell crooked as he sucked on his cheek. Liang He seemed like an intelligent young man. How could he have gone to waste like this by becoming a petty thief and a potential murderer? Could Shanhua have failed him?

  "I'm sure I know what you're thinking, gege."

  "I wouldn't be surprised at this point." Liang He flashed a smile before it faded away to nothing. "We can talk about that when we set up camp."

  'That'? Xieren was curious. Perhaps Liang He had misinterpreted Xieren's expression and thought he was pondering something else. But what? With a low exhale, Xieren continued following after Liang He without another word.

  "Anyway," Liang He went on. "Shengde was a small village in its early days. Just a few close families and friends settled out here, but after twenty or so years, it had grown into a much larger, flourishing village of hundreds of people, not just tens or twenty-odd citizens. They were very devout in their ways, and they relied upon the grace of the gods. Plenty of temples and shrines were located in Shengde, and they always overflowed with offerings and the wafting scent of incense. Over the years, this once little village grew and prospered. It was assumed it would become its own capital as Shengde quickly took over Nanshan as its own, and plenty of smaller, unrelated villages popped up miles apart.

  "Then one day, the citizens noticed the arrival of yao. Yao weren't unheard of around Shengde, but the appearances became more frequent and hostile. The yao and the wild animals around Nanshan began to grow agitated and their attacks were increasing by the day. Eventually, after some years of struggling to protect Shengde, the citizens were forced to flee the safety of their homes. Sadly for them, they were located so deeply in Nanshan, that many of them parished before they could find true safety. The ones that made it out of the forest eventually formed a new village that, years after, became the Shanhua that we know today. Now, Nanshan is empty of any humanity. All that resides here are the animals and the yao." After finishing, Liang He paused his steps and peered down at his companion. "Aside from us for the time being." Xieren had no response. He was surprised to hear Liang He speak so much. Especially given that Liang He was actually explaining something. Xieren couldn't help but feel like the amazement he felt from this would go away if he spoke.

  Liang He noticed the gleam of his companion's eyes. It was an unusual look for Xieren, so Liang He couldn't help but snigger. "Let's continue. Night will fall before we know it."

  When the sun set, the pair set up camp as they had done many times by now. Xieren waited for Liang He to mention that—whatever that was—but he didn't seem to remember. Or more likely, he didn't want to. Xieren had decided by this point not to push things the youth didn't want to talk about, but Liang He was very clear earlier that day that they would discuss it. Xieren thought on it some more, but the fresh thoughts of Lu Yi stabbed at his insides. Thinking about that boy pained him, and the thought of how he treated him convinced Xieren not to say anything. And on top of that, there was the revelation about the long-gone Shengde. Really, Xieren's brain was overwhelmed, and his heart filled to burst with guilt.

  "Gege?"

  "Ah!" Xieren shook himself from his stupor at the sudden call. Liang He was eating one of the slices of pig in front of the fire. He asked, "Your arms. Are they alright?" Xieren was confused for a moment, but it quickly dawned on him what Liang He meant. Xieren looked down at his wrist. It felt fine. That du zhong worked great. It must have had some spell on it or something. After stretching and flexing his wrist and fingers, he switched to his left arm. Moving it resulted in pain. His shoulder had dislocated. And Liang He noticed.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "Allow me." Liang He finished off his piece of pig and crawled over to Xieren's side. Xieren winced back. "What are you doing?"

  "I'll fix your shoulder for you." Liang He placed his hands on Xieren's shoulder and bicep, and at this, the prince's breath hitched. "What are you going to do?" Liang He simply smiled. He seemed like he was going to say something, but before any words left his lips, Xieren felt a strong tug on his arm, tossing him roughly and accompanied by a gut-wrenching 'pop'. He gasped and gritted his teeth from the shock.

  "There. How's that?" Liang He leaned back, but Xieren was still in shock. Blinking once, twice, thrice, he eventually realized what happened and looked down at his arm.

  "It...feels better?" Liang He chuckled, his head resting in his hand. "Does it? That's good. If it starts to hurt, let me know. I'll ease the pain for you." Xieren only nodded, his blue eyes still wide. For a while after, Xieren rolled his arm every now and then. He was amazed. He had almost gotten used to the odd discomfort in his dislocated shoulder, so the sudden relief was astounding to him! Whether it was after-effects of the du zhong, or the typical relief from fixing a dislocated shoulder, he was bewildered!

  Quite promptly, it had grown late, and the rising shadows were becoming greatly apparent. Without hesitation, the two prepared for their nightly rest. A fragile, makeshift sling was presented to Xieren who, while questioning the point of such a thing given the absolute effectiveness of...whatever it was that helped with the pain, he played along. Dropping down to rest against the cool earth, staring uncomfortably skyward upon his back (an unusual position for the prince) it wasn't too long before his consciousness slipped away into slumber.

  "Your Highness."

  Xieren looked up from his cup. Lu Yi sat next to him, his cup rested on the table untouched. Xieren glanced to the garden outside the room. The warm light from the orange sun filtered onto the floor in beautiful, abstract patterns, and the tree tops and the fountain rocks formed long shadows throughout the room. He felt sleepy, but since Lu Yi spoke up, he couldn't just ignore him. "What is it?"

  "..." Lu Yi paused, peering down at his folded hands before speaking, "How has your training gone? Have you been using your sword?" Xieren rose a brow as he set his cup down. "Why would you ask such a thing?" To this question, Lu Yi smiled, his brown eyes nearly glowing. "Because, it's important for you to keep up with your lessons. Otherwise, what will you do when you need to defend yourself?"

  "..." Xieren looked back down at his cup. He hadn't thought about that. "If that happened, I...I would fight, obviously."

  "But would you survive?"

  His awful fight with Liang He replayed in his mind, but during that fight, he had his sprained wrist. Now that his wrist was healed, he'd have a fair shot!

  "I might."

  "Not good enough. Say 'you will'."

  "I can't guarantee that." Lu Yi smiled at this answer. "You are so secretly honest, Your Highness." Lu Yi climbed to his feet, his face turned to the garden. The glow of the sun against his smooth face enhanced his appearance of energetic youth. "I would like to spar with you again someday, Your Highness. May I?"

  "Spar?" Xieren followed Lu Yi's gaze, but Xieren's view was blocked by the wall. He couldn't see what Lu Yi was staring at. "Do you think sparring would help me, Lu Yi?"

  "Of course it would," Lu Yi replied as he turned back to face the former prince. "You always were a quick learner." Xieren simply stared at his old attendant. He stared, and stared. Then, he said, "Lu Yi. You died. Why are you here?"

  "Oh?" He tilted his head, hand on his hip. "Well, that's probably because this is a dream, Your Highness. So, obviously, I'm here because you feel guilty."

  "Even in a dream, you still know it all."

  "More so, in fact." He smiled, almost like a sneer; troublesome and up to no good. It reminded Xieren of Liang He. In fact, both Lu Yi and Liang He seemed similar in a lot of ways. I bet they would have gotten along...

  "Your Highness, you must make sure you are fully prepared for the future."

  "You're lecturing me?"

  "Of course. It's my job." After flashing a friendly smile, Lu Yi returned to his seat. "The journey you are on is particularly risky, you know. You need to be prepared. Liang He won't protect you forever."

  "I wasn't planning on that." Xieren's eyes sharpened to a glare at Lu Yi's words. Still, Lu Yi went on. "To find a treasure like the Tear of Moonlight, it goes without saying that a large variety of danger will be awaiting the two of you." Lu Yi lifted his cup and took a sip of the warm tea within. "Sharpen your skills as well as your blade. Fight for the future you lost, Your Highness." Lu Yi outstretched his hand, resting it upon Xieren's own gloved one. "Fight, Your Highness. Survive and live. While those on the outside see a monster, we on the inside see a prince. Fight for those of us on the inside, and fight for those suffering from blindness on the outside."

  Fight? For others? I never even thought of that... Fight for everyone... Hmm...

  Xieren awoke feeling heavy and drained. His body was stiff and he didn't want to move. He simply wanted to go back to sleep. Sadly, he did not have that luxury. Granted, who did? It was time to get up and move.

  The day was bright and warm. The chill in the air that had lingered on their escape from the bridge had long vanished, and the sense of confusion and panic that had plagued Xieren had passed for the time being. Even so, as they went on through the forest, the path growing more and more faint, Liang He muttered, "Be careful."

  "Do you hear something? Feel something?"

  "Not particularly that," Liang He clarified, his voice steady and flat. "It's more instinctual. Just a feeling."

  How long is he going to keep using that? Xieren sighed, but said nothing, continuing to follow behind Liang He's confident steps, Xieren's less so with the cloth Liang He pushed upon him still coddling his arm.

  The pair traveled on and on through twists and turns in the forest's coiling, maze-like structure. Little meaningful conversations were had, and few encounters came from this progression as the sun began to fall behind the towering treetops. Despite the lack of any excitement, Xieren found this to be a breath of fresh air. It was like a simple hike through the forest, and he found it to be quite rejuvenating. As long as he pushed out all of his worries, questions, fears and anxieties, he was able to relax and enjoy the forest views.

  As the pair walked, Xieren suddenly felt a pressure. He felt it crashing down upon him; his hands, his face, his chest and back all felt weighed down. What? What's causing this?

  Xieren put all of his attention into ignoring this weight, but as a result, he completely missed what Liang He had just said to him. "What's the matter?"

  Xieren winced. He glanced up from his near crouch, his expression dazed. "Hm?"

  "What's wrong? You don't look well."

  "Ah, no." Lifting himself to a proper stance, his brows still knitted together, Xieren clarified, "I'm alright. I just tripped over something...again."

  "That's not it." Liang He's voice was sharp as a blade, and Xieren felt it pierce his chest. The man approached and examined Xieren with his slim, ebony gaze. "This happened to you before. What is it?"

  Xieren gulped. He stirred the thoughts around in his mind as he attempted to form his answer. After he finished, he exhaled and his body became limp. "..."

  "..."

  "..."

  "It's this curse of yours?"

  Xieren felt his breath catch in his throat. "You..."

  "Don't pretend it wasn't obvious."

  I didn't think it was, actually... Xieren's pale face had a hint of warmth to it, but in order to keep the conversation on track, he ignored this feeling of humiliation. "You're right, yes." He promptly cleared his throat before continuing. "There are times when dark qi becomes...heavy. And when that happens, I can...feel the curse grow...impatient. As if it's telling me someone needs to die. Like it's trying to force me to kill someone..."

  "And that's the case right now?"

  "Exactly..." Upon hearing this response, Liang He's focus shifted to the surrounding area. Xieren couldn't tell what the taller man was thinking, and so he only watched with a feeling of dread growing around him.

  Finally, Liang He spoke up. "Let's take a moment to rest. If the feeling goes away, let me know." Xieren was interested in this request. All this time, Liang He seemed particularly adept at sensing changes in the flow of qi, and yet he was relying on Xieren?

  Liang He hadn't taken his attention from Xieren, and the shift in the prince's formerly pained expression hadn't alluded the thief. He smirked, as if the answer to Xieren's unspoken question was the simplest of things. "It's not as if I hadn't noticed the dark qi here," he explained casually. "But this presence or force you feel may be unconnected, even if it might not seem like it. I believe we should wait it out and see what happens. You never know."Xieren couldn't fault the logic. This weight seemed to be almost inconsistent in its appearances, though always during a heightening in dark qi. It was worth a shot.

  The day was nearing its end when they decided to settle down. Liang He said they would take it easy for now, sleep for the night, and then continue on their way in the morning. Xieren agreed, and at the first chance he got, tossed the sling away, seemingly to Liang He's chagrin. At least, that's what it looked like to Xieren. He's a hard man to read... Liang He had put together a hasty fire before the light of the sun failed. It was small, but the spot they stopped at wasn't particularly big. In fact, it was a small path, wide enough for maybe four or five people to walk through side by side. Surrounding that on either side was tall grass where animals could lurk through undetected. Liang He and Xieren rested with their backs to a large tree, but both did their best to keep a look-out on their respective sides.

  As they waited, the pressure Xieren felt had only slightly diminished in its force. When Liang He found himself busy with other things, typically his sword or bags, Xieren pulled down his gloves to look at his hands. As he feared, a blurry black mess was crawling down his fingers. The mere sight of it made him feel ill. And yet, Xieren thought, Liang He wasn't affected. The curse has been screaming at me to grab someone, but when it had its chance... Xieren could not wrap his mind around this thought. How was something like that possible? He has not touched another human in years, but he has touched plants, animals even, so he knew well enough that this curse was no joke. It would not simply misfire when it had the chance to kill.

  Who, or what is Liang He?