Lu Fei
Five met on the mountainside above the Plum Blossom Retreat: Wind, Rain, Sleet, Snow, and Hail. These were not always their names, but these five gathered under secrecy. As Hail was the strongest, his was the honor of speaking first.
“I have searched far and wide for you, Wind, but everywhere I looked you were not to be found. Not in the hurricanes of the West, the blizzards of the North, the sandstorms of the South, the thunder of the East, or the calm of the Center. I had hoped you were lost forever, but here I find you living, and it shames us both.”
Wind bowed his head in deference. “Three times I should have died; when I lost my station, I should have been killed. When I was pulled from my doom, I should have been left there. When I attempted seppuku, I should have been allowed to bleed. Three times I have been denied my duty by fate, so I struggle against it no more.”
Hail grimaced with anger. “Then you are cursed, Wind. There is no use denying it.”
He responded, “But what of yourselves, and the other seraphim? You need not share my shame.”
Sleet shifted her katana sadly. “Most died, or sought the good death soon after. We chose to delay. Our liege is dead, but you are his son and our captain. As long as you live, we are your vassals.”
“But I am no true son. My mastery of essence is barely sufficient to draw succor from the wind. Hail is superior to me in strength, Sleet has shown more merit, and Snow exceeds me in virtue. I am ronin now. You should seek the honor of a good death.”
Snow interjected, “If you can live in dishonor, then we shall also.”
“I implore you, if you will not submit to the cycle of reincarnation, find positions with another liege. In time you might again regain your former positions.”
Sleet responded, “But what of Rain and yourself? What shall you do, and where will you go?”
“I am here. Here I will remain.”
Hail looked down into the valley at the terraces of the Plum Blossom Retreat. “I have heard of this place, and I remember their kind. I know what you are thinking, Wind, but these are different times. They run a tiny kingdom; they can do nothing about the corruption of heaven. You, on the other hand, have a License of Celestial Entry. You might be able to gain a position within your lifetime, and eventually attain to divinity. In time, a millennia or two, you might be able to become the under-secretary for the next censer of the East and bring Green Frowning Bear to justice.”
Wind shook his head. “Though I may be permitted in heaven, will I be welcome? Who will sponsor my promotion to immortality, and how can I do so when I have lost my soul? Do I even possess the patience for such a course of action? You know me to be intemperate, for thus I was trained to be; first to judge and first to fall. If I am to seek justice in heaven, then I must throw in my lot with its former rulers. When they return from exile, so shall I.”
Sleet nodded her head. “Well then, if you are determined, I will follow your example. I have been offered a place in my former position as sylph overseeing the air currents in a gully to the northwest of here, thanks to a favorable recommendation from a chosen of the Maidens I once served. I will be nearby, should you need my assistance.”
Snow added, “I will return to my people. Though you cannot visit us easily, if you need a second home, the cloud people will assist you.”
Hail spread his great hands. “I have grown too powerful in your father’s service. I cannot and will not serve a lesser master. I will accept the life of a ronin. If you see me, it would be best if you acted as though you did not know me. But when you need us again, whisper into the wind.”
Rain clawed her way up Wind’s sleeve to crouch on his shoulder. He stood and said, “Wind, Rain, Sleet, Snow, and Hail shall gather together on the mountain once more, on the day that Green Frowning Bear answers for his deeds.”
The last living Seraphim of Bright Bastion divided, and Lu Fei descended from the mountain.
A Letter From A Most Unworthy Brush[edit]
Chang An pulled the letter out of a passing clerk's stack against her protestations. “Wait a minute, there’s something odd about this one.”
Li took it back from him with a snatch. “It’s in the bin for letters with no listed recipient. This is not for your department; we’re not even allowed to read them!”
He nodded his head, as though seeing the wisdom of her words, then lunged forward and took it again. “But it does have a listed recipient. See? Oh...”
“Exactly. Just a bunch of nonsense.”
“That’s not nonsense, Li. That’s Old Realm!”
She leaned in over him to get another look at the missive. “Oh?”
A few moment later, Li and Chang An sat beneath the shade of a plum tree, passing the letter back and forth between them, the stack of anonymous mail forgotten.
“It must be a demon. Demons all speak in Old Realm.”
Li responded, “Wait, do you mean that it’s from a demon, or that the letter is a demon?”
“Who knows! Either way, just as bad. You know what they say about the Nameless Ravine; his calligraphy is more deadly than his sword!”
“I think it’s a secret transmission to a spy somewhere in this manse. We should search all of the letters for more clues.”
“You’ll do no such thing.”
The two bureaucrats looked up in surprise as the letter was lifted from their hands. Immediately they kowtowed to Sapphire River at Midnight.
Chang An quickly said, “We’re sorry! We’ll burn it immediately. You know how excitable we clerks can be, eh?”
She opened the letter. “I repeat, you’ll do no such thing. This letter is addressed to me, and intend to read it.”
Five minutes later, she was still reading. Ten minutes later, she sat beneath the plum tree with them. Twenty minutes later, she began skimming. After a half hour, she flipped to the end.
Li peered over her shoulder. “What does it say?”
“Well, it’s a bit hard to follow... it does tend to wander about, and has some rather unnecessary digressions... but it appears to be a request for letters of ambassadorship from some team that we sent to the east... which incidentally is now in Port Calin.”
Chang An clucked his tongue. “Are they ambassadors?”
“No... but, looking at this, I think the writer spent... yes... three pages describing my manifest wisdom, innumerable social graces... and my hair.”
Li raised an eyebrow. “You’re not thinking of actually...”
“It took this Lu Fei ten pages to ask a simple question using the most baffling speech I’ve encountered in the threshold. I don’t see how he could do any real harm even if he was trying. He’s painfully polite.” She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment.
“Is that all that’s necessary to be an ambassador of the Marukan?”
“Diplomacy can go both ways. The way I see it, if he’s not effective, at least he’s inoffensive. The only trouble will be the company he’s keeping... oh, never mind.” She chuckled slightly as she reviewed the cosigners of the letter. “Have the papers drawn up immediately. We’ll send them by elemental before the day is out.”
