Perfected Vigilance of Stone
In the dark of a clouded night, shadows grew thick as weeds below the rampart surrounding the Pagoda of Infinite Strategy, and in those shadows crouched a spy. He listened as a trio of guards paced their rounds above him, and knew from the soft jingle they made as they walked that they wore Ashigaru Skirmish Armor. He held his breath as they passed him by. When he could no longer hear their steps, he scrambled up the wall and began a mental count of the seconds.
This was the hardest part. Only one minute until the next guard patrol would come around and 600 meters of open, reflective terrain to cross before he reached cover. The spy watched the guards on the Pagoda's top floor with his sharp eyes. They turned away for a moment as a cloud drifted across the moon.
Now!
The spy leapt into the lake of glass. He ran for all he was worth, desperate to reach the safety of the Pagoda's wall before the moon's return betrayed him. The cunningly crafted surface shifted between smooth and rough, so that it alternately tried to slip the spy to a hard fall or cut his feet open on a jagged edge. But the spy was no amateur; like flowing water, he skated across the smooth patches and vaulted the rough.
Soon, barely breathing hard, the spy reached the Pagoda's wall and crouched into a shadow. He looked across the lake of glass and saw the next guard patrol arrive at his starting place. They paused for a moment and marched on, unaware that anyone had crossed through their perimiter.
Nine stories towered above the spy. He whirled a grapple and hurled it upwards to catch on the tile below the open third story window. Though his goal was on the top floor of the Pagoda, the better path was to creep up the building's inner stairs than to risk exposure by the moon as he scaled the entire wall. A moment's silence to be sure the grapple had landed unheard, and then the spy ascended the rope with liquid grace.
The spy's black eyes adjusted to the deeper blackness of the interior in only a moment. Low tables dotted the floor, and scroll shelves lined the walls. The spy scanned their titles, just in case, but he found only the standard books: The Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier, The Six Sword Bags and so on. Undaunted, the spy pressed away from the wall and towards the thin stairs leading up.
He was on his back before he knew what had happened. A paw as large as his head pressed down on his chest and jade claws more than peeked from the bristling fur. An enormous, round head, with a gaping mouth filled with gleaming jade fangs loomed over him, and two large, green eyes pierced through his soul. "Little spy. Little spy?" The beast's voice was like the rumble of the earth. "Did you think you could sneak past me?"
What was this thing? A sorcerously forged monster? A Wyld-twisted creature? The intelligence briefing had only mentioned the mortal guards... How had the thing seen through his Charms of stealth?
The beast broke in on the spy's thoughts. "Little spy? Who are you, little spy? Your Essence smells familiar." The beast pressed its heavy paw down on the spy's chest, a hair away from drawing blood.
"I - I'm Chung Chih," the spy gasped out. "Of The Baihu Society."
"Ah. An Amalgam. My lady told me of your kind. Why are you here, Chung Chih?"
Unwilling to give up, Chung Chih strained under the beast's claws, but to no avail - from this position, the thing was simply too strong. The Amalgam sank back against the floor, defeated. "My master sent me to test this place's defenses, that we might better guard against our enemies."
The beast peered closely at the Amalgam. "And how do you find the defenses, little spy?"
"Superb!"
"Hhm." The beast removed his paw from Chung Chih's chest. He stroked his thin beard between two claws as the Amalgam scrambled to his feet. "I am the Perfected Vigilance of Stone. I am a lion dog, and this place is mine to guard, now. No more spies, no more tests. They show disprespect. When you return to your master, tell him that the next time he sends his tools to insult me, I will return them to him broken."
"Yes..." Chung Chih hung his head; his next conversation with his master was not one he looked forward to.
Stone rose to his full height, as tall at the shoulders as lanky Chung Chih, and nudged the Amalgam with his great, round head. "We must get you back to the gatehouse, Chung Chih. The inner walls of the Pagoda of Infinite Strategy are no place for a little spy."
Chung Chih sighed.
"By the way," said Stone, as he guided Chung Chih down the stairs. "Do you know where I can get some Fivefold Monkey Picked Tea? I've heard the taste is exquisite..."
