Chapter 500 — Again

CHAPTER 500

Again

The chain missed Gu Zhan by the width of a hair, because the Warden's head dropped.

It came off the shoulders with a screech of bronze and fell, and the six-armed body lurched after it. The hammer arm swung wild. It came down across the pale tiles, through the gold links that were racing for Gu Zhan's neck, and drove them into the floor.

The chain rang like a struck bell. Ji Wen yelled and was dragged forward by the wrist.

“My chain!” Ji Wen shouted. “Xie Yun, get this thing off—”

“I'm busy!” Xie Yun shouted, dodging a puppet's weapon.

He was. The eight lesser puppets had lost their head and gone mad. They stumbled in circles and struck at each other, at the tiles and at the air. The halberd split a cleaver in half. The axe took off the flail's arm. The hum under the floor rose to a shriek.

Shi Feng saw the heart.

It had flown from Ji Wen's grasp when the chain jerked and tumbled end over end across the hall, pulsing green. If it hit the floor, the nine would not be able to stop. He leapt, caught it against his chest and felt the bronze pulsing hard against his ribs.

“Put it back!” Gu Zhan shouted. “Pedestal!”

Shi Feng ran. A puppet's mace came for his back and he did not look round, because the spear was already there. Gu Zhan took the blow on the shaft and was thrown sideways. He landed on one knee and came up laughing.

Shi Feng reached the pedestal. He set the heart down on its cradle of green light and pressed it home with both hands.

The hall went silent.

The nine bronze figures stopped where they stood. The shriek in the floor sank to a hum, and then to nothing. Eight heads bowed, one at a time, and the eyes went dark.

For a moment nobody breathed.

“That's the wrong ending,” Xie Yun said.

He had not drawn his sword yet. Now he drew it. A disc of golden light spun into being above his shoulder, round as a small sun, and the whole hall lit white. Heat rolled across the tiles.

“Gu Zhan, down!” Shi Feng shouted.

Gu Zhan did not go down. He had turned to face the light, because it was coming for him and not for Shi Feng. The disc crossed the hall in a heartbeat and struck his right forearm, where the leather and steel guard was strapped. The guard exploded. Pieces of steel pinged across the floor. Gu Zhan was thrown back against the pedestal with a crack that rattled the heart in its cradle.

Blood ran down his wrist and dripped from his fingers.

“Ha,” Gu Zhan said.

“He's laughing,” Ji Wen said. “Why is he laughing?”

“Because it's good,” Gu Zhan said. He pushed himself upright with the spear. His right arm hung for a moment, and then, slowly, he closed the hand on the shaft again. “A real fight. Two against one and a bronze god. Again!”

He thrust.

It was a bad thrust, one-armed and slow, and Xie Yun side-stepped it easily. But Shi Feng was already moving. He came in from the other side with the Sword, low. Xie Yun had to turn his sun-disc to block. The grey blade met the golden one with a deep clang.

The Ledger stirred. [Devoured: Azure Sun fire | Gain: moderate | Note: arrogant, but warm]

“You,” Xie Yun hissed. “You took my light.”

“I took what was coming,” Shi Feng said.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” Xie Yun demanded, furious that his fire had been taken.

“No,” Shi Feng said. “Is it on the bill?”

Xie Yun's face went blank. Then a bell tolled, somewhere far overhead, long and deep. Both juniors glanced up as one.

“The third arch,” Ji Wen said. He yanked his chain free of the trench and cradled his wrist. “Qu Ming has found it.”

“We're not finished,” Xie Yun said.

“We are,” Ji Wen said. “For now. A gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years. Remember this, locals. When the Young Lord asks who stopped us, I'll have names ready.”

They turned and strode out of the hall. They didn't hurry. They made a point of not hurrying.

Silence returned, thick and humming.

Shi Feng sheathed the Sword and went to Gu Zhan. The right arm hung ugly, the skin burned red from wrist to elbow and the bone beneath it split along one side. A man might never hold a spear properly again, if it wasn't tended. Shi Feng took out a Valley bone-salve and a roll of cloth.

“Hold still,” Shi Feng said.

“I'm still,” Gu Zhan insisted, bracing his spear against the floor.

“You're swaying,” Shi Feng replied, supporting the injured arm.

“That's different,” Gu Zhan said stubbornly.

He wrapped the arm. Gu Zhan watched him do it, with the clear eye, and said nothing. When Shi Feng pulled the knot tight he did not make a sound.

“There's a fork,” Gu Zhan said at last. He nodded toward the two doors on the far side of the hall. “Left, east gallery. That's mine. Right goes to the third arch.”

“Then I'm going right,” Shi Feng answered, finishing the bandage.

“Master's quarry won't wait,” Gu Zhan said. “I have to go.”

“Take the salve,” Shi Feng told him, holding out the jar.

“No debt?” Gu Zhan asked, looking from the jar to him.

“No debt,” Shi Feng said.

Gu Zhan took the little jar and tucked it into his belt. He picked up his spear, flexed his bandaged fingers and grinned. Even with his arm broken, he looked delighted by the fight.

“Again,” Gu Zhan said. “When this is over.”

“Your arm first,” Shi Feng reminded him.

“My arm will be fine,” Gu Zhan replied confidently.

“It's broken,” Shi Feng pointed out, glancing at the bandage.

“It will be fine,” Gu Zhan said, and went through the left door.

Shi Feng watched his back until the shadows closed over it. Then he turned toward the right-hand door. The pressure behind it was thicker than any he had felt yet. It pressed on his teeth.

Far down the passage, someone was being sick against a wall.