Gaiden 7.5
This was Nameless Ravine’s first trip to the gorge. He had heard the reports in the council chambers of the Plum Blossom Retreat, and he had seen the maps in the inner rooms of the Pagoda of Infinite Strategy. But nothing prepared him for the actual sight that stretched below as the airship ferried his team across. From above, it was a vast wound upon the plains, an endless scar reaching for the horizons both East and West. It took his breath away. That night, as he stood on a low hill on the south side of the chasm, keeping watch on his group’s camp below, two thoughts came to his mind:
“The gorge and I are kindred spirits; we’re both collateral damage caused by the Chosen of the Sun. We both divide the land around us into those who believe and those who fear.” And also: “…By the Sweet Voice of Brass and Glory… and to think Storm of Amber calls ME reckless!”
The righteous intervention of the Surprise Anticipation Method interrupted his musings. He was suddenly aware of a fowling arrow whistling silently through the air towards him. He focused his mind on the sweet patterns of Celestial Bliss, intending to shatter the shaft, but without the Torrent of Woe to aid him, his essence fell short; he was forced to dodge the arrow the old-fashioned way. It soared past him and fell deep into the chasm. He turned to see Shai Mei, at the bottom of the hill, a jade bow in hand, a look of amusement on her face. “Picking fights with your superiors again, Little Tree?”
She walked up beside him and bowed. “Just relieving your watch, Cap’n. And losing a bet.”
“What bet?”
“Oh, just something Sha Yan Shi said while we were on the ship yesterday. She said that you’re nigh impossible to touch in martial combat, and that you can never be taken by surprise. I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Well then, are you satisfied?”
“Quite so. Also, I owe her an eighth-stone of Hiparkes-Brand when we get back to Gods Crossing.”
Ravine laughed, softly; so close to the gorge, loud speech tended to reflect and echo, an eerie sound that could be heard for miles. Shai Mei took up position atop the hill, gazing to the south. He turned and followed her gaze. Beneath the full moon’s light, the ground was palpably different than it was north of the divide; the grass was grayer and more brittle, the trees fewer and scrawnier. “I was this far south six months ago, when we performed military maneuvers around Three Hills. It wasn’t like this then; what changed?”
Shai Mei’s eyes danced with wood essence as she invoked her god-blood gifts. “The spirits are gone, and most of the Elementals as well. The chasm cut the Dragon Lines north, west, and east, so there’s nothing to sustain the land.”
“Are there no Dragon Lines to the south?”
“There are, but they run…” her voice trailed off.
“Straight to Thorns. So this is a shadowland?”
“No, it’s… not. It’s almost worse than that. How can a place reek of mere death, when there’s hardly any life in the first place?” Her words were inflected with something in between resignation and disgust. “It’s even worse than a bare mountain, for at least there your footsteps can feel the solid Earth essence surrounding you. Here, it’s like the opposite of a Wyld zone; there’s just no essence at all. Take that juniper, for example…” She gestured to a nearby scrub plant, and with a smooth motion drew, nocked, and loosed an arrow at it. It sheared clean through the plant’s tangled trunk, and its top half fell to the earth with a muffled thump. “That is a tree whose Least God has altogether forgotten how to be a tree. If it had any self respect, it should have taken the arrow deep into itself and held it fast!” She frowned and gestured across the plains. “And it’s hardly the worst offender.”
Quite in spite of himself, Nameless Ravine smiled again. “That was an excellent shot, by the way.” Shai Me curtsied. He looked at her thoughtfully. “I must admit, I was surprised when I heard that you volunteered.”
“Is it so hard to believe?” she replied, her gaze firmly fixed to the south. “Do you think of me only as someone who causes trouble at formal receptions and gets beaten up by Lookshy Rangers? Remember, I was originally slated to join the Daybringers. I know Wood Dragon kung fu… after a fashion. I was fully prepared to Do Good, Be Awesome, and Annihilate” - she waved her hands noncommittally – “whatever it is that the Daybringers annihilate.”
“I never was clear on that part, myself. I tried asking Rivers Between Us about it once, and he just mumbled something and walked off.”
She sighed. “But that didn’t work out, so I ended up doing various odd jobs for Marta while Lu Fei gets to follow your circle around and try his hardest to get himself killed. But I guess it worked out all right, because I did get to train with Soho, and he taught me to use the bow. And then Soho volunteered to come along on this mission, so I guess I did get to join one of the directional teams after all.”
“I should point out that the previous team didn’t fare so well.”
“Yes, well, the first Southern team didn’t have a Lightbringer to lead them, now did they? Even the Daybringers can’t claim that particular honor.”
“Meanwhile, it’s dark, and this Lightbringer needs some rest before we head south tomorrow. Keep a sharp eye out, Shai Mei; the post is yours until dawn.”
“Keep a sharp eye out yourself Cap’n; I’m pretty sure I saw a certain feline sneak into your tent while you were up here.”
Nameless Ravine walked down the hill, and muttered. “I didn’t need the Surprise Anticipation Method to guess that was going to happen…”
